The prison cells were located beneath the temple floor and the captives I found showed fresh signs of torture. A few were near death. Altogether, I found fourteen people—both men and women. I wondered if any of them knew how to drive the vans the priests owned.
"Can you drive?" I stood before a man who sat dejectedly on the stone floor of his prison cell. At least he appeared mostly whole; I didn't think he'd been there very long. His six-by-six cage was at the end of a long line of identical cages beneath the temple's marble floors. Gabron's library was more than two hundred feet beneath the streets. These cells were around thirty feet down and nobody cleaned—I got that right away. The smell of blood, mildew, excrement and rotten food offended my nose. It was extremely dark there, too, preventing the prisoner from getting a good look at me. The only light in the entire place was a tiny bulb burning in a single socket at the opposite end of the cages. The walls surrounding the cells were formed of huge, sixteen-inch blocks of stone. There was no way for these poor schmucks to claw their way to freedom.
"I can drive," the man lifted his head and squinted at me, trying to bring my face into better focus.
"Good," I said. "Do you know how to get to the hospital from here?"
"Yes."
"As soon as I get some of the others loaded into a van, I'll take you out of here and you can drive them," I said, misting away to do just that.
I got seven in the first van before going back for the driver. He was shocked when I razored through his chains with claws that he couldn't see; he only heard the metallic chink of them dropping around him. "Go straight to the hospital," I placed compulsion after misting him into the front seat inside the van. "None of you remember who got you out," I added, watching as the driver took off; he pulled away from the garage where the vehicles were kept. Now I had to go down and talk to a second driver.
"I'm not sure this one's going to make it," I said, pointing out one of the women I'd found. God only knew what had been done to her. She was nearly naked, had brands and burns over most of her body and blood just about everywhere. It made me want to kill the six priests all over again—only slower this time. The driver—a woman this time—shook her head. She'd been tortured a little but not nearly as much as some of the others. "You won't remember me," I said, closing the door of the second van so she could drive to the hospital. I was thankful the vans were solar powered and made no noise as they slipped silently away from the temple complex.
Misting overhead, I followed the last van until it reached the hospital. It was greeted by a horde of medical personnel under the porte-cochere. I went a bit lower and heard quite a bit of conversation concerning the first van and now this one. A lot of cursing, too, aimed at Solar Red. The dying woman was taken in first on a gurney and almost at a run. I heaved a mental sigh and headed home. I hoped the authorities wouldn't take the vans; I'd been careful to close doors with my claws but who knew if they might pick up a stray fingerprint here or there? My bed was calling, dawn was getting close and I wanted a shower to get the scent of blood and bits of skin off me.
Karzac was up again, having tea at the small kitchen table when I came in. "Honey, don't you get any sleep?" I asked.
"I received a call—something about fourteen torture victims brought in with some needing my attention," Karzac said, his green-gold eyes studying me. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"Who, me?" I pointed to my chest with a finger. Not that my bloody clothing wasn't a giveaway or anything. Carrying torture victims and placing them in two vans had ruined my outfit. Not to mention the flying blood I'd been spattered with after decapitation six priests. I'd put my last bloody set of clothing in the cooled trash collector, along with my used blood bags. This outfit was going in there, too.
"Go get your shower, I'd hate to find you in the bath with cold water running over you when I get home tonight," Karzac smiled.
"Honey, did you just make a joke? I'm so proud of you," I said, smiling brightly. "I'd hug you, too, but you're clean." That made him laugh out loud. Karzac left and I went to get my bath.
* * *
"Karzac says to tell you the woman didn't make it." Dragon informed me as we walked six blocks to his dojo where he taught self-defense.
"I didn't think she would; she was in terrible shape," I blew out a sigh. "This is probably better for her; she'd more than likely be maimed physically and emotionally if she did live over it. At least she died with nicer people around her." I didn't want to say what I was about to say out loud while we were on the streets, so I used mindspeech as I explained to Dragon what I'd heard from the vampire prisoner the night before. Dragon received all the information I had concerning the impending Solar Red ritual.
He didn't know how they planned to do the sacrifices, I sent when Dragon asked.
How did you come by this information? he asked.
I attended the Blood Council meeting, I replied.
There are vampires here?
Duh.
I'll take that as a yes.
A good supposition, I agreed.
I cleaned Dragon's office, the showers and the dressing rooms as Dragon taught his last class of the day. There were several women taking the class, some of whom were there to stare at Dragon, mostly. Who wouldn't fall for those wide shoulders and the handsome face—when he wasn't scowling, that is? Even a couple of the men kept their eyes on Dragon. I think one of the young women was about to swoon when Dragon put his hands on her. He was all business as he proceeded to demonstrate a particular move designed to escape an attacker. The girl's hero-worshiping gaze didn't seem to affect Dragon at all. Ignoring the batting eyelashes and the attempts at flirting, Dragon helped her complete the move. The man was focused, I'll give him that.
I polished the wood floor when Dragon finished with the class, then rolled up the large mat they'd practiced on and swept and polished that part, too. The studio was one big room with nice wood floors, half of which was covered with the padded mat, similar to that used by gymnasts, I think. There were no windows inside the studio itself, with mirrors covering one wall.
"My office looks much better," Dragon said, coming out to survey the studio; I'd just finished with it. "I don't suppose you've ever swung a blade in your life?"
"No. Why do you ask?" I carried my broom and floor-polishing machine to the tiny closet where they were kept.
"I wouldn't mind sparring with someone and there isn't anyone available."
"Well, I could probably block okay. I think I could see your blows coming."
"You think so?"
"I can try. I saw you fight with your blades the other night, remember? Just don't expect too much from me."
"I have wooden practice blades," he said, going back inside his office. He brought out four wood practice blades that had decent handles on them. He even showed me how to hold them, telling me to parry with the flat of the wooden blade and not the edge. That made sense; you whack any metal edge, I don't care how tough the metal is, you're likely to knick it.
"Okay, have at it," I said. He came after me. I learned that Dragon could move pretty fast. It was my guess he'd been doing this a long time. A really long time. He was grinning after a while when he backed off for a breather.
"I'd like to see my brother's face if he had the chance to do this," Dragon said.
"You have a brother?" I asked. "Does he do the same thing you do?"
"No. He is immortal, though, and my twin."
"What's his name?"
"Crane."
"Ah. Does he have the decorations going too?"
"If you mean the tattoos, then yes, he has cranes where I have dragons. Crane has been instructing students in the art of the blade for a very long time."
Dragon got the workout he wanted, I think. I managed to block all his blows. No way I wanted to get whacked, even with a wooden sword. He wasn't holding back after a while, getting comfortable with the fact that I had the strength (and then some) to handle what he could dis
h out. "We'll do this again," he said, wiping off the practice blades and putting them away.
"Whatever you say, boss. Now, if we're done for the evening, I have a few things to check into." I took off as mist.
The restaurant near the hospital had a bar and I discovered that there's nothing in Solar Red's religion to keep its priests from drinking, or even drinking heavily. There were four of the red-robed assholes sitting at the bar when I wandered in. They were drawing dark looks from some of the patrons, too; a few of whom were off-duty medical personnel.
Karzac, honey, are you still working? I sent. I was hoping he was at home, actually.
I am at home having a meal, he returned.
Good, I sent. I think you need to turn in early.
You would have made a good physician, he replied.
Nah, I used to freak at the sight of blood. The perfect person to become a vampire, I know.
Your other torture victims are recovering.
I imagine the priests aren't happy about that. There are four Solar Red priests here at the restaurant, I informed him.
I ordered a glass of wine and sipped it while the priests drank their bourbon straight and glared at anyone that gave them more than a cursory glance. They were still sitting there, ordering more drinks when three people walked into the bar and what happened next might have been the strangest thing I'd ever experienced. The man was tall—nearly as tall as Gavin, about as wide across the shoulders and Flavio was now the second most gorgeous man I'd ever seen in my life. This one, though, had a scent about him that I'd never come across. Power radiated from him. He wasn't Ra'Ak; I'd know a Ra'Ak's scent anywhere and it was pure evil. This one—it was like scenting an entire planet at least, maybe a whole universe—with earth, oceans, mountains, snow, deserts, everything. While I was working out in my brain how a single being could hold all that inside him, the two shorter men with him (at least I thought they were men, they looked a little androgynous) zeroed in on me. The tall man had to hold them back; otherwise, I think they would have run straight to me. The man brought them to me at a walk and one of them dropped into the floor right in front of me, started gabbling in a language I couldn't understand and then kissed my feet. That wasn't uncomfortable or anything.
"Honey, what's wrong?" I knelt down next to him and lifted his face in my hand. He was crying, as was the other one. Neither was much taller than I was, but one had dark brown hair, the other nearly blond. The tall man they were with had dark, beautiful, exotic features. I almost couldn't tear my gaze away from him to tend to the dark-haired one weeping on my shoes. I had to pull him up—he was kissing my feet again. "What's wrong with him?" I asked the man when I couldn't get the little guy to stop crying.
"Here." He tossed a credit chip onto the table for my drink and motioned for me to follow him from of the bar. I didn't like leaving my drinking priests behind—I had plans for them when they left. This was just too puzzling, though, and I didn't need the attention these three were bringing to me. A few bar patrons were beginning to stare and whisper. Both small men hooked an arm through mine and escorted me behind the taller one.
We found a table in a secluded portion of the restaurant and the two smaller men sat as close as they could get to me while the tall man sat across the table. "I am Kifirin," the tall, handsome one introduced himself. "These are comesuli, or companions in your language," he informed me, indicating the two shorter ones. "Their kind has not seen a Queen in a very long time." I nearly froze at Kifirin's words.
"How would they know something like that?" I scoffed, not sure at all how the man had come by that information. It worried me, too—it could at best bring me unwanted attention and at worst get me killed. Somehow, I knew (without knowing how I knew it), that compulsion wouldn't work on Kifirin. He held confidential information—and my life—in his strong, long-fingered hands.
"If any mortal would know you were a Queen, they would," Kifirin replied smoothly. "The comesuli still teach their children that a Queen will come some day and rebuild Le-Ath Veronis."
"Le-Ath Veronis?" I had no idea what this man was saying. And how did he know what I was and how did these two little guys? They were staring at me with adoration. I had no idea what to do with that.
"In your language, it would translate to Heart of the Vampire." His dark eyes studied me, as if he were weighing my character and intentions. I shivered at his explanation.
"That information, loosely tossed about could get me killed," I snapped, angry in an instant. Frantically I searched for any logical reason why these three would have information on me, as well as what they intended to do with it. All they had to do was hand my information over to four drinking priests in the bar nearby and I'd be on the run.
"As if I would harm one of my own," Kifirin snorted. I swear—a bit of smoke curled from his nostrils. "And these two—they would be your devoted companions and would die before any harm could be brought to you," he added.
"Honey, I don't have any idea what to do with that information," I muttered. A waiter came over and offered Kifirin a menu, placing others in front of the rest of us. Kifirin opened his and looked inside.
"In a little while I will come to you again and make an offer," Kifirin said, gazing at me over the top of his menu. "You may decide what to do with the information then. In the meantime, it would mean the world to these two if you would bite them and take a bit of blood. The comesuli cannot have sex any other way; they have no genitalia."
His words shocked me more than a little. There were people who didn't have genitalia? "But you just said they have children," I pointed out, still unsure what to do. If I were capable of dreaming, that's what I'd imagine I was doing.
"A good Queen," he smiled and kept reading his menu. "They are self-sufficient in their reproduction. They develop a sac on their left side; the child grows inside that. When it is time, the sac detaches and the child makes his way out, similar to a lizard hatching from an egg. Now, these two want the bite."
"I can't bite anyone, this is a public place," I hissed, realizing Kifirin was serious. Meanwhile, the other two were begging with their eyes for the bite. "And stop saying that where anyone can hear."
"I am shielding us; no one will see, hear or approach unless I permit it. Go ahead, it will only take a bit of blood; this is what they were created for—to be companions to the vampires. They had a symbiotic relationship with them on Le-Ath Veronis. It rotates on its side, you know, so that the southern hemisphere is always in twilight. Perfect for the Veronis, wouldn't you say?" He spoke to the two small men, and they both rose and came to beg in whatever language they had. They wanted the bite—were desperate for it.
"How long has it been since they, well, had sex, I guess?" I looked across the table at Kifirin. He'd set his menu down.
"These have never had it. It is only a tale to them, a myth, almost. The vampire is the only one who can do this for them."
"You didn't want to take them to one of the others?"
"Little Queen, you are the one I brought them to, with the anticipation that you might grant their wish. This will allow them to carry the tale back to the others. To give them hope."
"Hold on, honey," one of the little guys was rubbing against me, and it was almost like detaching a determined kitten from your clothing. Once they get those little claws into you, they don't want to let go.
"They are begging you, in their language," Kifirin coaxed as the two gabbled imploringly.
"All right," I sighed. "You're sure you have us shielded?" I was taking a big chance; I could see other people inside the restaurant. And why was I believing this? Reality had been suspended, somehow, and Kifirin seemed quite convincing.
"I do have us shielded," Kifirin smiled slightly at me. To be honest, once the little guys had gotten that close to me, I could scent their blood and it smelled spicy sweet, like cinnamon rolls used to smell.
"Come here, baby," I said, and took the dark-haired one by the neck, holding his head in my hand. Th
e worship in his eyes was frightening in its intensity. I kissed him, causing him to moan a little, and then holding him tightly so he wouldn't struggle with the bite, I sunk my fangs into the pulse in his neck. His blood was the sweetest I'd ever tasted; warm and scented, it almost made me climax as well.
His orgasm was explosive. If this was truly the first time he'd had sex, I could see that. I didn't take a mouthful of blood, even, but he certainly got pleasure from it.
Kifirin helped me get the little guy back in his seat afterward. "They replace blood faster than any other species," Kifirin explained. The other one was now waiting, so I did the same for him. If I thought they worshiped me before, they really did now. "Can you make sure they eat something?" I asked. The priests were about to walk out the door and I was standing, preparing to go after them.
"I will make sure they eat before I take them home," Kifirin smiled at me. "Be careful, avilepha. We will see one another again."
"Thanks," I said, leaning down to kiss my two donors again before rushing out the door behind the priests.
These I handled a differently. I hauled them off to the nearest city guard station, gave them compulsion to go inside and then instructed them to confess their crimes, along with forgetting they ever saw me. They were nodding eagerly at me; it was easy to place compulsion since they were a bit drunk. I went home after that.
* * *
"Dragon, have you ever heard of someone named Kifirin?" I asked the following evening as we walked toward his dojo. I was going to meet with Gabron after I did my cleaning. The news had been all over the local stations regarding the four priests who'd confessed to killings and rapes. The police were holding them, of course, but I figured their cronies might come and either try to get them out or kill them. Of course, the Solar Red temple was labeling the ones who'd confessed as renegades and no longer a part of their order. Regardless, the police now had information they didn't have before.
Blood Domination (Blood Destiny #4) Page 9