Vampires' Lair

by Connie Ruth VeJar

  He searched out the origin of the aroma that reminded him so much of

  Sophia. Sophia had been his one true love, maybe not his soulmate but he loved her none the less.

  He could never forgive her for sacrificing herself for his dissimulated friend and this castle.

  He followed the scent out the front door and down the mountainside.

  Emrick caught a glimpse of her strawberry blonde hair flowing in the wind as she descended the stone steps.

  It couldn't be his love, this castle and with her magic trapped inside of it must be playing games with his mind.

  He silently followed her every step, until he reached the stone ledge. He remained on the ledge and continued to watch her from afar. He watched her as she walked along the water’s edge.

  No, he thought to himself. She is not my Sophia. But who was she? She had to somehow be a descendent of Sophia's. She was most definitely a witch but there was something more to her than just a witch.

  He knew that witches’ blood was more powerful than the ordinary human. He felt a desire to taste the nectar that reminded him of her.

  He would wait until she reached the ledge then he would in-trance her and take what he desired.

  Jasmine had a feeling of being watched, she scanned the dark mountainside, but was able to see much of nothing. A cold chill that ran through her, she didn't know if it was the cold wind blowing or maybe it was just her nerves causing her to be on edge in the darkness that surrounded her.

  Jasmine made it back to the stone ledge. Nothing, or no one was there. Nerves she thought, just imagination running wild.

  As she headed up the next pathway, he stepped in front of her.

  Jasmine gasped. He said not a word to her. He just gazed into her eyes, she felt as if he was trying to see into her soul.

  He was a tall, muscular man with jet black hair and eyes that reminded Jasmine of fiery hot embers.

  She didn't dare move. Jasmine could tell that he wanted to harm her.

  But he made no advancement toward her. He just continued to gaze into her eyes.

  Emrick wanted her to do his bidding, his ability to place a person under his control was as almost as strong as his dear friend, Hunter Blaise.

  He would have her enthralled in mere seconds.

  He gazed into her eyes and demanded her to succumb to his will.

  She was not obeying his commands.

  He didn't understand, never had there been anyone who could resist him. Never that is until now.

  He continued, but still nothing. He would have to do this the hard way. He would have no problem with overpowering her. She may not survive but he would have what he desired.

  He grabbed her, she let out a high pitch scream as he went to sink his teeth into her jugular, suddenly he was being consumed by fire, it spread throughout his body. The fire was not unbearable, but it was a deterrent. He let go of her. Jasmine could not believe that this man, this Vampire had just tried to suck her blood. But the fire rose inside of her once more and threw him off her.

  The vampire grabbed her again and just as before he was being engulfed by the flames that emanated from within her. He did not let go of her this time, he tried again to sink his teeth into her neck. Just as his teeth were about to break the surface of her skin, a loud growl filled his ears. The Hellhound had heard her screams. He jumped on Emrick knocking him off Jasmine.

  Jasmine took this chance to escape she ran up the stone steps leading back to the castle, leaving the two beasts to their fight.

  Every inch of Jasmine's body ached. Her stitches were healed but still, she could feel her scars burning as if they were trying to pull apart as she climbed the steep stone steps that led back up to the castle.

  Jasmine could still hear the commotion down below her. She dared not stop to look back for fear of being attacked again by what she now believed to be a vampire.

  Jasmine continued her climb up the stone pathway as quickly as she possibly could. She suddenly was hit with an extraordinary force that knocked her unconscious as it sent her over the mountainside.

  Chapter 23

  Hunter tried to shake off the drowsiness that remained from his forced sleep.

  He would now go in search of Stormy Morgan, hopefully, she would be able to shed some light on what was happening to him.

  He was about to leave his bedroom when he heard screams coming from outside the castle. He ran to his balcony, the screams continued, but now he could hear growls coming from the same direction. His first thought was that one of his fellow vampires were attaching one of their guests, but he had not had any issues with his family of vampires in a long time. There were rules for this retreat and do no harm was at the top of the list. No, he thought this had to be something else.

  Hunter leaped from his balcony and headed in the direction of the commotion which happened to be coming from the lake that lay close to the castle.

  Hunter's keen vampire sense told him whatever was going on his, Friend, Emrick was smack in the middle.

  With his lightning speed, it would only take a few seconds for him to reach him.

  Vampires had the ability to sense any being that was near them, but Hunter did not sense anyone else other than Emrick and whatever it was that he was in a fight to the death with.

  He jumped down the mountainside hopping from one rock to another.

  As he rounded the next bend in the path, he slammed into something or someone. His forward speed propelled them off the mountainside.

  He saw that what he had collided with was a woman. Hunter held on to her and grabbed onto one of the large boulders on the side of the mountain.

  Luckily, he was able to stop their downward spiral before tumbling over the mountain onto the rocky shoreline below.

  Hunter clung into her as he climbed back up the mountainside.

  He felt slight electrical impulses radiating from her. These impulses felt as though they were leaving her and entering him. He could feel a tingling sensation radiating throughout his body.

  He saw that she had been knocked out from the force of his, he needed to get her to his castle as quickly as possible.

  Hunter had forgotten all about Emrick and the fight that he had been in. That was pushed to the back of his mind as soon as he collided with Jasmine.

  Hunter flung the castle doors open and headed to the infirmary.

  As Hunter entered the infirmary with Jasmine, Chloe with her long white hair and black eyes came running. Hunter lay Jasmine on one of the couches in the room.

  “What has happened to Jasmine?” Chloe asked.

  Hunter looked at Chloe. “You know who she is?”

  “Yes, of course, she is Stormy's friend. his is who Stormy had brought with her as her special guest.”

  Hunter thought to himself.

  “Where is Stormy?” Hunter asked Chloe.

  “In her quarters,” she replied. “Help me with Jasmine.”

  Chloe didn't move. “I will go get Stormy.”

  “No, I will get her. You stay and see what you can do to help Jasmine.”

  While Hunter was gone to look for Stormy, Chloe just stood there looking down at Jasmine. She had no intention of touching the Fire Angel. Especially after what she had witnessed earlier that day.

  Hunter and Stormy found Chloe standing over Jasmine. “Why are you not helping her?” Hunter asked.

  Chloe didn’t reply to his question she looked over at Stormy. “I am afraid to touch her,” she told Stormy.

  “It was a wise decision, we don't know how much stronger her powers have gotten.” Stormy knelt beside Jasmine, she slowly placed her hands-on Jasmine to examine her. She could feel the electrical current running through Jasmine's body. Luckily, Jasmine was unconscious and this Stormy believed made it possible for her to touch Jasmine without fear of a magical interaction.

  Stormy stood up. “I think that she will be fine, she just needs to rest. She has been through a lot recently and then the collision with y
ou Hunter. I think its best that we take her back to her quarters and I will stay and watch over her tonight.”

  “We shall take her, but I will be the one who will stay with her.”

  “You?” Chloe spoke up. “Why would you want to stay with her?”

  Hunter didn't answer her. Hunter slowly picked Jasmine up off the couch, as he did the electrical tingling sensation once again was sent throughout him.

  He glanced at Stormy. “Let’s go,” he ordered.

  Stormy did as she was told, Chloe followed along behind them.

  After getting Jasmine settled into her bed, Hunter demanded to know all about Jasmine.

  Stormy told him of how they met and of all her suspicions of her being a Fire Angel. She told him of their experiments in trying to find out if she was a Fire Angel.

  He turned to Chloe. “So, therefore you didn't want to touch her earlier?”

  She replied with only a nod of her head.

  Hunter stood and walked to the door. “You both should go now.”

  Stormy knew not to disobey a command made by Hunter Blaise, but she could see that Chloe was not happy to leave knowing that Hunter would be all alone with Jasmine.

  Before they existed, the room Hunter gave Stormy instructions to check on Jasmine first thing the next morning.

  Tonight, he would spend time watching over the one who might be the one he had waiting centuries for.

  Chapter 24

  Laying there with her rhythmic breathing, he watched over her. She was a stunningly beautiful woman with long strawberry blonde hair. Her complexion was just like porcelain. He could see the outlines of scars that ran along her face. Stormy had told him of her recent transformation. He wondered why she had inflicted herself with such drastic measures. Was it purely for the sake of vanity?

  Hunter cautiously placed his hand on her wrist, he instantly felt the electrical static pulsating into him as he slid his hand slowly up her arm.

  His touch roused her slightly, he quickly withdrew his hand.

  He continued to sit there in the dark beside her bed with only the light from the fireplace. The flickering flames cast dancing shadows across his sleeping Fire Angel.

  He felt a connection to her, a connection that he could not quite understand.

  He himself had been privileged to have known only one Fire Angel in his many years on this earth. Unfortunately, her fire was extinguished many, many years ago.

  Hunter stayed by her side until close to sunrise. He would have to leave her to go feed then he would have to retire to his sarcophagus while the sun shined his rays down upon his mountainous terrain.

  He needed to ensure her safety, he knew that if word got out that there was a Fire Angel here in his castle she would surely be in grave danger. The Fire Angel's power is a power unequal in the magical world. The Fire Angel's blood is also a power source for vampires. Any vampire alive would kill her just to relinquish her of her blood.

  Hunter wondered if this was why he had heard screams the night before. Could his dear friend Emrick know that she was a Fire Angel? Was this what the fighting was all about? He needed to find out the answers to these questions.

  Leaving Jasmine was not an easy thing to do. He pulled the curtains around her bed and closed the door quietly behind him.

  ****

  After having his fill from an unknowing victim Hunter went in search of Emrick.

  Hunter went to Emrick's room, he knocked on the door. Emrick came to the door, he to seem that he had been in one hell of a fight. A fight that he was on the losing end.

  “Hunter! What are you doing here at this late hour?”

  “I am here seeking answers.”

  “Answers to what?”

  “Who or what have you been fighting?” Hunter asked.

  “Won't you have a seat?” Emrick asked. Hunter took a seat as did Emrick.

  “Hunter, you cannot believe what has happened to me. Tonight, I thought that my Sophia was had come back to me.” Hunter gave him a look of disbelief, no really Emrick continued.

  “I could smell her scent, then I saw what I believed to be her until I got closer, she was a beautiful fiery blonde with brilliant green eyes.”

  Emrick paused for a moment.

  “Go on,” Hunter said.

  “I tried to enthrall her, but it didn't seem to work. I could not resist the smell that her blood gave off, it was too intoxicating, so I went to forcefully take what I desired.”

  Hunter could feel the rage building up inside of him. He had to hold back his anger. He needed to find out if Emrick already knew Jasmine's secret.

  Emrick knew that there were great consequences for forcefully taking the blood of a mortal.

  Emrick continued, seeing that Hunter made no reply after his last comment. “Before I could drink from her, a giant Hellhound attacked me. We fought until eventually was able to get away.”

  “And the woman, what happened to her?” Hunter asked.

  “I don't know, the last I saw of her she took off back up the mountain.”

  “Hunter, do you know who she is? I need to find out why she reminds me of Sophia so much.”

  Suddenly, Hunter was on his feet, he had grabbed Emrick and held him up by his neck against the castle wall.

  “I most certainly know who she is, and she belongs to me,” Hunter's voice was almost unrecognizable. “You are to be grateful that I am going to let you live.”

  “I am sorry I didn't know,” Emrick barely squeaked out.

  Hunter tightened his grip on Emrick's neck. “You will be one of those that I choose to guard her. You will give your life if need be to protect her. Do you understand?”

  Emrick could not speak at this point, he just nodded in agreement.

  Hunter released his grip and Emrick slid onto the castles floor. Then headed back to his wing where he found Stormy entering into Jasmine's room. He gave her further instructions on what to do while he slept. He didn't have to impress on her the importance of Jasmine. He now understood why she had brought Jasmine Willow to this castle, to him.

  Chapter 25

  Jasmine woke early, as usual, her head pounding. Peeking through the canopy she saw Stormy sitting in the chair next to her bed sound asleep. Jasmine lay back down onto the bed. Her thoughts running wild. Jasmine would rather have forgotten about what had transpired the evening before. Unfortunately, she could not erase the previous night’s events no matter how hard she tried.

  She now had to face the realization that there was a whole other world that was hidden in plain sight.

  She could not get over her nearly being bitten by a real vampire and knocked out by another. The last thing that she remembered from the previous night was colliding with a being she could only describe as one of her fictional vampire characters from one of her vampire novel's.

  She had only gotten a glance before she had been knocked out from the force of his impact, but even in that fraction of a second of time his image had been forever burned into her mind.