"Very well, Ivan," she replied seductively. "The plan had been for you to become a father." She stopped there, letting it sink in. For some reason though, It wasn't. Me, becoming a father? What kind of stupidity was that? The last thing I wanted was to have someone to take care off. And not in the same way as with the girls to add.
"You're joking, right? And did her plan succeed from the one time we'd been together?" I asked as the corners of my mouth raised slowly. She didn't reply, but instead, she gave me a slight nod.
"So, what did we give birth to? A moth-kid?" I asked.
"This is the form I chose to take. I might as well have been a dragon or a hydra, so there's no use in trying to insult me!" she hissed at my crude remark.
A strange power radiated from her, pushing me a step back with ease. My eyes and mouth opened wide and ended in a broad grin.
"Won't you look at this!" I mocked. "The little girl got some spine!"
I never even saw her hand move, but I felt her palm connect with my right cheek. My own hands shot up reaching for Freya, but she wasn't there anymore. All I managed to get my hands on was the thick, black smoke.
"If one day you manage to show me enough courtesy, I'll tell you who I am. Maybe we'll even have some make-up sex, but not before then, you brute!" she snapped and hit me again.
I closed my eyes, trying to push down the rage I felt. But it wasn't working. I wanted to rip Freya's arm off and sink my teeth in her neck.
"You have a son," she whispered. That sure got my renewed attention.
"You're fucking with me, no?"
She shook her head sadly as if reporting a great tragedy.
"I'm afraid not, Ivan."
"Well, what is he then? Human?"
"No," Freya replied as she appeared right before my eyes shaking her head. "He is far from human, and so are you. We could say he's a mixture of a powerful-- deity, and someone who possesses the Dracul gene, just like you."
It was as if she slapped me across the face again, and again. What did she mean with a deity? And even more, with the same gene as me? I knew Freya liked to play games, but this wasn't something to joke about. Surely, she would have smarter things to do, I reckoned.
"So, he's a god?"
"Not fully, but he might become one. See, the Countess has been feeding him with stuff that isn't-- for the weak of heart, or mind. She--"
"Wait. Why are you even here, Freya? Aren't you that wretched woman's servant?"
She looked at me for a long moment as if she'd just seen the most disgusting thing in the world before bursting out with laughter.
"You have it all wrong, my dear. No, she is my servant. It was just that I owed her a favor for a large offering. Now that we've settled everything, I would suggest you retrieve your son and try to correct everything that's wrong with him. It's not like you'll succeed anyway, but it won't hurt to try."
"A son, huh?" I murmured half-absently. "Say, what's he like? How old is he? Ten?"
"He's twenty due to his unfortunate circumstance of being a strange breed. Though I've stopped him from growing any further, or rather delayed if you want me to be precise. He's as tall as you, muscular with short black hair. His eyes are nothing short of my own."
I was unable to come to terms with what I'd just learned, it almost seemed too unreal. So, I had a son, huh? Was this how dad felt back then when he found out that mom had become pregnant? Or had he been sad?
"Where is she? I mean, where is she keeping him?" I demanded. It finally sunk in what we were talking about, and that my son wasn't so normal. I would have to reach out and see who he was and if there would be a way for us to get together.
"There is a small region ruled by the Countess, called Orsova. It's the westernmost point between Wallachia and the civilizations of the west. That place is where the clerics enter en-masse and imagine this, it's just South-East of there that they have built a stronghold for this region. What's worse, they've created some kind of portal that can be used to send their 'creations' in and out as needed."
"You know about them? The duplicates?" I asked curiously.
"Of course, I do. I also know that someone very powerful is behind the recent changes in the Vatacan. But that's not for me to pursue. After all, none of this matters to me at all."
I nodded my head as I tried to wrap my mind around all the revelations.
"And why is that? Why doesn't it matter to you?"
"Maybe I'll tell you one day, but let's just put it like this. I'm far beyond what you'll ever be, Ivan. And when you compare the two, those replicas in comparison to your soldiers, are little more than ants. So why would I bother dealing with them when you'll be doing it for me?"
I growled at her baring my fangs, but I knew that unless she'd let me, there was no way for me to catch her. At least I had a solid lead of what to do next. But we'd have to be careful if I decided to move out, or I might not have anything to return to if someone attacked here.
"And my son is there?"
She nodded and swirled around me once more before turning to smoke, the two embers lingering for a moment longer.
"His name is Vlad. Be sure to remember it, as it's the only thing that could make him trust you. After all, no one knows about who he truly is but the three of us."
"Vlad. I see. Thank you, Freya. Thank you for sharing this with me. I'll make sure to pay you back when the time comes," I said honestly. I might be an ass sometimes, and a power-hungry Vampyre, but I repaid my debts to everyone.
Freya's presence disappeared into the cold of the night as if taken away by an invisible hand and swallowed by darkness. Again.
"It isn't very smart to listen in on me, Katya," I said after Freya's presence entirely disappeared. I turned to face her and did my best not to show my anger.
"It's not my fault; she triggered all kinds of protective wards. For all I knew, she was a spy with ill intent toward our Lord."
"So, do you want to come with? Or will you stay here?" I asked as I put my arms around her. I couldn't help but see her as my favorite of the three. She was soft, gentle, and kind, yet sturdy and rough where she needed to be.
"What do we tell the rest? And shouldn't we first wait for Boris and Selene to come back?"
"We will, indeed. I reckon they're hot on her trail by now. Being it midnight, they have a while longer to catch up."
She nodded and leaned into my neck, nibbling at the skin.
"How about we make it about the two of us? It's been a while since you and I went somewhere alone, no? And please, don't tell me that you don't miss stumbling through life after you were just reborn?"
She had a point. I did enjoy it to an extent, especially in comparison to what my life had turned into right now. All these raids were becoming more and more frequent, and with that, more annoying by the day. If I'd want a semblance of peace around here, then I would need to take out the fortress, or rather the portal.
"Once Boris and Selene are back, you and I are going to hunt, my dear. And you're right, I do miss the small things in life that only you can bring."
She sat down on the chimney's edge looking out over the town. I joined her and thinking back on how it used to look like a year ago. All the tall buildings, the fortified iron and stone walls, the manor, the barracks for the soldiers and the big stables. Most of all, the population was still predominantly Human and satisfied with life.
"I'm proud of you've held up your word," she said, breaking the silence. So was I, but saying so out loud wouldn't feel right.
"Thanks," I said instead while stretching my arms and back. "You know, she was my first," I added more lightheartedly.
"What? The moth woman?"
I nodded with a grin plastered to my face. And what a good time it was. Wicked and dark, but good.
"Yeah. Her name is Freya. Or at least that's what I've come to know her by. What or who she really is, still remains a mystery to me."
"Figures, though there was something really off about her. She trigger
ed my strongest ward. I put it up for fun, just to see if it would work."
"And it did?" I asked.
"Yes. It kept going off like a bell in my mind, almost driving me crazy. I'm sure she noticed me as well though but pretended not to for some unknown reason. We need to be careful when dealing with her, Ivan. She's strong. Really strong."
"Which is good. For now, Freya is on my side, and that's all that matters. If she has ulterior motives, we'll eventually find out. And besides, everyone seems to be chasing something these days."
"Tell me about it. She remains a mystery to me, no matter how hard I try to understand more of her. The power she wields is nothing short of mine, so it's not like I can do much regarding her."
I raised my right eyebrow and looked down at her.
"What? You're talking about Selene?"
"Who else?" she hissed. "I don't like her, and that's that!"
I couldn't help but laugh. There had been so much darkness in our lives lately that I'd forgotten to laugh every now and then. I should appreciate these moments much more.
"Katya, you know you're my favorite, right? No matter what, or who might happen for that matter. Even if Freya turned out to be Chernobog herself, it wouldn't change a thing about us."
"You better mean it, or I might sneak an icicle through your you know what and all up into your brain while you're asleep!"
"Yeah, yeah," I replied, taking her in my arms and throwing her over my shoulder. I slapped her tight ass a few times, which she seemed to love by the way she asked for more. But not now that I could feel Boris nearby. For some reason, he was moving fast if he was being chased, or could she have been so dumb and stayed somewhere nearby?
"I can feel him too. There's only two of them, though. Three if you include the cleric woman. She's barely alive."
"Come on, let's give them a proper welcome after the hunt," I said and dropped from the roof, only to land with a cat-like grace on both feet. Katya straightened out her dress before she followed after me, murmuring something about rough landings.
The massive courtyard double doors opened as if struck by a battering ram. Luckily, I had them reinforced after Boris shattered them last time. They creaked and screamed, but held as the beast appeared. Blood covered his body, but mostly the claws, face, and chest.
Selene rode in after him on horseback. Her pale complexion reflected under the bright moonlight. Her body remained clean without a single drop of blood to be seen. Not that it said much, as she could easily absorb any blood that her skin touched.
The female cleric leader was bound in a magic rope to the horse's back and neck, making it very hard to even move. Selene sure knew how to prevent someone from spewing crap, I thought.
"Ivan, we got problems," Boris growled as he stopped in front of me.
"What kind?" Katya asked as she hurried up to him, inspecting the big brute's wounds.
"Fifteen feet tall problems. And they aren't far behind us."
Chapter Four
"What do you mean? Fifteen feet tall? That's a giant!"
"Just pulling your leg," Boris said, bursting into laughter. Katya wasn't so amused by his teasing and provoking, so she shot an icicle at him. He yelped and growled in turn.
"Easy," I said and stepped in between the two. Boris was a good two heads taller, so I rose to his height using my shadows. "Where's the rest of your group?"
"An hour or so behind. There was a score of the buggers. It took us a while to kill them all and hunt this lady down a second time. She sure is a slippery one," he said.
"Bring her in. If she tries anything stupid, break both her arms and legs," I ordered. Boris turned to the woman and lifted her off the horse.
"Already did."
"Did what?" I asked, giving him a sharp look. "Break her limbs?" He nodded as he walked past me. "She killed the previous horse trying to escape. Selene got mad and broke her arms. She kicked out and caught her on the jaw, so then Selene broke her legs. At the knee joints."
I sighed. Had I become that predictable that my underlings knew how far they could take it without being punished? Oh well. I didn't mind as long as she could talk. At least her tongue was still there, I hoped.
Hana and Vera waited for us in the main room along with Andrej. They were playing some type of card game at the oval table, the one we used for business. Seeing us enter, he quickly gathered the cards and stood beside Vera.
"No need to stop playing. We'll be down in the cellar, Andrej. Hana, I'd like you to come with us, though."
Hana nodded and placed her cards on the table with a grin.
"I won anyway," she said before rubbing Andrej's shoulder. "Better luck next time, rooster." He looked up at her, visibly more relaxed as he smiled back.
"Tomorrow I'll beat you for sure!"
"Dream on, kid!" she called after him. Cards. I hated them. They were a weakness I stayed away from after losing my food a couple of times during my youth.
The cellar hadn't changed much from when I visited the first time. Three cells sat back-to-back on the far wall. A comfortable sitting area on the wall opposite them with an improvised shower and closet. We'd seen an improvement in the prisoners if given 'humane' treatment. But only to those who deserved such treatment.
We fitted the cells out with a single bed and hay-filled mattress. A big bucket with a lid on top sat in one corner, the one closest to the door. There was no shame, as there had never been more than one prisoner at a time in there. At least not until now.
"Heal her limbs first. One leg and one arm. If she behaves you can do both," I said and walked over to one of four chairs looking down at the cell.
"Will you do it the easy or the hard way?" Katya asked, offering the woman blood.
"I'd rather die than-- ahh! What are you--"
Katya pulled at the woman's hair opening her mouth, pouring the blood down her throat as she cast an incantation. The bone set back forcibly through magic and healed in mere moments. By her screaming, I figured it hurt like mad, but she didn't deserve anything less for attacking us. Unfortunately, she fell unconscious during the process, so the screams died out pretty quickly.
"Wake her up," I ordered.
Hana stepped in and slapped the woman across her face three times. She shook awake and cried out as the pain kicked in. The grin on my face was more than enough to send chills down her spine, but seeing all of her opponents alive and well from her last battle should be more than enough to break her.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but her defiance was set in stone. She wouldn't give in; she wouldn't give us any information. I could see as much in her eyes.
"I doubt we'll get anything out of her. She's not the type to spill any secrets," I murmured. "Such a shame, though. I might have even let her and that big guy live."
"So they're right after all! Nothing is holy to you, the reincarnation of Dracul! And what is with my comrade?" she asked, pointing at the big brute of a cleric whom Boris knocked out earlier. He was in bad shape, but still alive and out of it.
"Oh? They told you who I am? Or rather what I am. Good, this saves us a lot of time," I replied, leaning in closer. "Regarding your friend, well, let's just say his life depends on what you do and tell us."
My eyes started glowing an unnaturally yellow and red, blazing like the sunset. "I know about the fort and the portal. I know about the duplicates or whatever you call them, and in all honesty, I know everything worth torturing you for."
She tried to hide it, but the flinch was apparent, even if only for a fraction of a second. She sat upright, her eyes darting in between us. Sweat dribbled down her forehead and her chest. Still, no matter how big of a zealot anyone was, the imminent death they faced brought most of them down from their illusion of grandeur.
"Then you don't need me anymore, do you?" she asked, trying to keep her sense of self-import up for whatever reason.
"Maybe I don't. And maybe I do. Depends on how far you're willing to go. What do you value more? Your life?
Or your calling?"
The woman bit down on her lower lip, causing her to draw blood. It must have been accidentally, as they weren't much into self-mutilation, even if under threat of death. I decided to drive the nail home and entered the cell by turning to shadow, then appeared right in front of her. I pressed my lips against hers, tasting the unholy blood that coursed through her body.
She brought her right hand up and tried to push me off her, but there was no way in hell she would be able to do so. For one, she was wounded badly, but even if she weren't hurt, I was much stronger than her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get off me, you freak!"
I remained only inches away from her, still holding her arm with my right hand and squeezing just hard enough for her to feel uncomfortable.
"What's your name, little girl?" I whispered, my cold breath caressing her left cheek.
"Like I'd tell you!"
"It's Harma," Katya replied in her instead. I could feel how annoyed she was with my little act, but it had been necessary, or so I thought. "She's a rank three in their organization or a so-called Bishop."
"H-how do you know such--"
I pushed her down to the bed and left the cell the same way I'd entered. She cried as her broken arm hit the wooden frame and cursed. It didn't take long for her to try and get up.
"Probe her mind, Katya. First, you make sure to break her, then we'll have another chat. As for the rest of you, I have private matters to attend. Once we're done with this-- Bishop, Katya and I are leaving on a short trip. Hana remains in overall command."
"Thank you, my lord," she replied and nodded slightly. At first, I was annoyed by the lord this and lord that, but now I barely noticed it anymore. Boris growled something I couldn't quite make out, while Selene just nodded and went back to staring at the woman.
"My lord, she doesn't know anything of real interest. Though she could fulfill a vital role. You can't get into the keep without a rank three or higher cleric to accompany you. They don't open the gates for anything less."
"I'll never--" Harma shouted, but Hana stepped into the cell again and backhanded her. I looked over at Katya questioningly.
Lord of Shadows book 2: Bloodlines Page 3