Darkness Is Rising

by C. M. Sipes

  As if she knew what Vittoria was thinking, she responded to her silent inquiry. “You are more gorgeous than you can imagine,” she began, “Especially now that you are—how should I say—otherworldly.” Marcella smirked before approaching.

  Vittoria could see her reflection in Marcella’s eyes and she felt her own widen. Her eyes were the same blood-red that Marcella’s had been the night before.

  “We need to clean you up. But, first, we need to dispose of your dinner,” Marcella explained. She walked to the dead boy and effortlessly picked him up and licked the wound Vittoria had made before carrying him to the now empty grave. She dropped him into the hole, and with a speed Vittoria could have never imagined, covered the grave back up.

  “Always make sure you properly dispose of your meals,” Marcella added before dusting her hands off. “Now, let us get you cleaned up.”

  “Why did you lick the wound?” Vittoria asked in confusion.

  “For whatever reason, our saliva seals our puncture marks. Most likely, it is a way to avoid detection. The wound is healed, for the most part, but if one would look close enough, the puncture marks are still there. They are just incredibly tiny; only a skilled eye would notice it,” Marcella explained before leading her away from the cemetery.

  Vittoria followed her to a nearby stream and stopped just before it. Something caught the corner of her eye, and she looked quickly to see what was the source. Marcella was holding up a new dress, one that was fit for nobility. She felt her eyes widen at the sight.

  It was made of green silk with green velvet accents, as well as had an accompanying pair of leather shoes.

  “Marcella, where?” Vittoria managed to ask, her new eyes taking in every little detail on the dress. Never in her life would she have enough money to own such an item.

  “I will explain once you clean yourself up in the stream,” Marcella said with a nod toward the flowing water.

  Vittoria’s eyebrows rose in amusement. “It is fall, the water will be freezing.”

  “You are dead now dear, you will not be so affected by it as mortals,” Marcella replied smoothly before nudging her toward the stream. “You clean up, while I go back to the cemetery to make sure nothing is out of place.”

  In a flash she was gone, leaving Vittoria alone in the night. She looked at her reflection in the stream, gasping at the image she saw. Her features were smoothed and pure, like the flesh of a newborn child, while her cheekbones were chiseled. Her green eyes almost sparkled in the night while her hair fell just above her breasts in large loose curls. She hesitantly reached a hand up to her face and traced her features, as well as the bloodstains around her mouth and cheeks.

  She looked like a goddess.

  Vittoria shook herself from her reverie and quickly removed her clothing, standing bare before the stream beneath the moonlight. She tentatively touched the water with her foot, testing the temperature, and found that it was nowhere as cool as she had expected. She submerged herself quickly beneath the water, re-emerging a moment later and pushing her wet hair back away from her face. She began to wash the bloodstains from her mouth and hands before cleaning the rest of her body. Once she had finished, she leisurely floated in the stream while she awaited Marcella’s return.

  “Enjoying the night?” Marcella asked with a smirk. She had just sat down on a nearby rock and watched on with amusement.

  “Indeed. I feel very much alive,” Vittoria began, “How long do we have before sunrise?” she asked as she gazed up at the stars. She never was very good at telling time by the position of the moon or sun.

  “We have some time before sunrise,” Marcella answered. “However, I would like to be away from this city long before the sun rises. We have a small journey to make.”

  “Where are we going?” Vittoria asked. For the first time she realized that she would be leaving her family behind, most likely to never see them again.

  “Your parents have already buried you, my dear. We cannot linger,” Marcella stated softly.

  Vittoria nodded in response, understanding why they had to leave. However, that did not make the decision any easier.

  “Where are we going?” she repeated.

  “To sanctuary, my child. I will explain more once we are away from here,” Marcella explained. “Now come, let me help you dress.”

  Vittoria rose from the stream and made her way to Marcella, drying her body off with her old dress before tentatively stepping into the new, and watching with fascination as Marcella slowly helped her with the garment.

  “It is a beautiful dress. I thought it matched the color of your eyes,” Marcella explained as she began tying the back of the dress. “I need to change myself, this peasant cloth is quite itchy.”

  “Marcella, why did you dress as a peasant if you were not so?” Vittoria inquired as Marcella finished lacing.

  “It is hard to mingle with the common rabble if they see that you are not one of their own.”

  “So, are you a noblewoman then?”

  “You might say that.” Vittoria could feel her grin behind her back. “As I said, my dear, I will explain more once we are gone from here. Now, let me see you.”

  She turned around with a twirl and watched with fascination as the fabric rippled smoothly. She had never worn something so beautiful or fine in her entire life.

  “Thank you for this, Marcella,” Vittoria said softly.

  “For the dress or immortality?” she asked with a light laugh.

  “I suppose both. Not only did you give me my life, but now a fine dress? You will spoil me,” she teased as she fingered the fabric. Vittoria glanced up, witnessing the frown that graced Marcella’s face.

  “Do not thank me yet for your immortality. You are not even a day old,” she said gravely. “Many of our kind have gone insane, unable to handle the weight of the world or the lust for blood. Drinking too much from the body can cause insanity and constant hunger. Once you feel them dead in your arms you must not drink of them anymore. That is why I instructed you to stop once the heart is done beating.”

  Vittoria nodded in understanding. “Do you personally know anyone who went mad?”

  Marcella ignored her question and changed the subject instead. “Did you dream at all while you slumbered?”

  Vittoria found the question odd but attempted to remember regardless. “No. I do not believe I did.”

  Marcella nodded. “All of your questions will be answered in time. Just know that for many days hereafter, you will dream. These dreams are my memories—my experiences, passed on to you through the blood. You will not only have my experiences and memories, but of those who came before me as well. It will be confusing and frightening, but they are necessary for you.”

  “Why?” she asked softly.

  “If I answer, will you refrain from asking any more of me until we reach our destination?” Marcella asked seriously.

  Vittoria nodded in agreement, anxiously awaiting her answer.

  “When I told you that I needed a successor, I was not lying,” she paused, “I need a successor because it is required by our laws. You and I are not like the other vampires, Vittoria. You and I are royalty.”

  Vittoria’s eyebrows rose in amusement; she was sure she was joking. “Royalty? Is there some sort of vampire monarchy?” she asked with a laugh.

  Marcella’s expression remained stone cold. “Yes.”

  Her face fell at her seriousness. “Oh” was all she could manage.

  “Since vampires have existed, there has been someone in power, a Queen, or Queens to be exact. The Queen rules alone until she chooses a successor and once she perishes or decides to step down, her heir will rule alone until she chooses an heir. The blood that runs in my veins, and in yours, has been passed down since the First was created,” Marcella explained, watching Vittoria’s face closely as she spoke. “Our blood is royalty, more royal than any King in this world. It is the highest honor that I chose you as my successor—because one day whenever I perish
or step down, you will have to choose a successor. Our red eyes are the mark of royal blood.”

  Silence encased them for a moment before Vittoria spoke. “Should you not have some sort of court attending you? You travelled to Verona by yourself! What if something had happened to you along the way?”

  “You will find that I do not listen to council, unless we are in times of war, of course. My council knows this, and before I vanish, I make sure that everything within our coven is in order. The council handles any matters that may arise whilst I am gone.”

  Vittoria sat down on a nearby rock. “Coven? I have never heard this word before. What matters could vampires possibly need attending to?”

  Marcella’s eyebrows rose in amusement and she sat next to her on the rock. “My dear, there are other creatures that lurk in the woods, not just vampires. Within our own ranks we have matters to attend to; the vampires who have gone mad, ruthlessly kill, and threaten to reveal our entire existence to the world. We spend much of our time tracking them down and disposing of them.” She paused. “Coven is a strange word that none outside of our ranks understands. It is derived from the Latin word convenire. It is used in reference to gathering together. However, we use it to describe our order—our kingdom, for a more relatable term.”

  “So, the rumors of other supernatural things, are true?” Vittoria asked slowly.

  “Yes, everything you have heard in rumors and tales to frighten children, are true,” Marcella explained. “There are tensions among our kind and two others. You will learn more as time passes. But for the most part we attend to our own as it keeps the peace.”

  Vittoria nodded in understanding. “These dreams you mentioned. They will begin when I next sleep?”

  “Yes. Now that you have fed, when you next slumber you will relive the memories that have been passed down from the First. What order they shall appear in I cannot say—it is different for everyone—but they will change you, Vittoria. Make no mistake, you will not be who you were before,” Marcella commented gently.

  Vittoria nodded once more before standing. “You said we must depart.”

  “Indeed I did. Come, we have a wagon awaiting us on the outskirts of the city,” Marcella instructed. She took Vittoria’s hand and set off at a run.

  Even with her newfound speed, Vittoria struggled slightly to keep Marcella’s pace. A smile broke across her face as she took pleasure in the race. They flew down the road, blurs to anyone who would catch their movement, as they left Vittoria’s home behind. Gradually the road began to spread into the woods, and she spotted a wagon up ahead. It sat off to the side of the road, the horses anxiously neighing at their presence.

  They came to a halt, Marcella instructing her to wait at the back of the wagon while she spoke to the driver. The wagon was quite large, one that Vittoria knew to be used in transporting large shipments, and made of wood with wooden arches to create the top. Atop the arches sat a cloth covering, hiding whatever was inside from view. Marcella only took a moment before returning and lifting the fabric.

  “Inside dear,” she ushered.

  Vittoria’s eyes widened at the sight of two coffins. One was pure black and elegant, while the other was a simple wooden coffin, much like the one she was buried in. She entered the wagon and sat atop the wooden coffin, raising her eyebrows expectantly at an explanation.

  “Whenever we travel, if possible, we take coffins with us so we may sleep in peace during the day. However, if we are unable to, we can find purchase in the earth,” Marcella explained as she sat atop her black coffin. The wagon gave a lurch as the horses began to trot down the road. “Once we are at our destination we will have a proper coffin built for you for travel,” she finished with a soft smile.

  “Where is our destination?” Vittoria asked.

  “Buda,” she replied simply.

  “And that is where this coven is?”

  “Our coven,” Marcella gently corrected. “But yes. For now, we are in Buda.”

  “For now?”

  “We move every so many years. Whenever the locals begin to grow suspicious or we fear we may be discovered, we move elsewhere. Our next move will be to France, then Germany, then Spain, and then England.”

  “You have this all planned?”

  “England is the newest addition to our…rotation. Once we move to France I will give the order for the construction of a sizable manor with vast tracks of land.”

  Vittoria’s eyes widened. “You purchased so much land?”

  “Indeed. My dear, I am quite wealthy, as are you now. Our money is passed Queen to Queen.”

  “But where does it come from?”

  “I have a large sum of gold and silver I acquired myself through deals during the Roman Empire. I managed to stow large sums of it away with the coven. The rest of the riches have been passed down from Egyptian times. My predecessor was an Egyptian—a very wealthy Egyptian at that—so we still have large sums of Egyptian gold.”

  “So you use that money to restore and build property?” Vittoria asked, taking in as much information as she could.

  “Mainly. The rest can be used for travel expenses or necessities for the coven,” Marcella concluded, raising the cover slightly to peer outside. “We still have some time before dawn rises. Is there anything else you wish to know?”

  “What happens to the vampires who have gone mad? You mentioned earlier that you dispose of them when necessary?” she asked suddenly.

  Marcella nodded. “They become mindless savages. All they care for is the blood; one single vampire could take out a small village if they would so wish to. They gorge themselves on bodies, one after the other, and they are never satiated. Their thirst knows no bounds and they go mad with bloodlust. We try to keep track of them the best we can and can usually stop them before they cause such carnage. They do not bother to hide their kills, and risk exposing our kind to the world—or those that hunt us. They are incredibly dangerous, as well as strong.”

  “How though? How do you track such things?”

  “Vittoria, we vampires are at the top of the food chain. We are the perfect predators. Fast, strong, cunning. We have perfect eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell. Our only weakness is sunlight, when we are at our most vulnerable and susceptible to attack.”

  “Who would actively search for vampires though? I myself did not even believe they were real until you.”

  “There are those who actively pursue us. They track us, look for our kills and any strange behavior. They believe that we are real and not myth, and so they seek to destroy us. That is why I am so adamant about properly disposing your kills. No evidence must be left that a kill was made, no one must see you and if they do, they too must be dealt with. We cannot be exposed. No matter the cost.”

  “Are there many?”

  “Not many. But the ones who are searching, they are skilled. I will give them praise for that. You will learn to gain a sense for people as you go. You will be able to meet someone or gaze at them across a room and sense their intentions. It is another feature of our primal behavior. You also will be able to lure men and women to you through just a look or a few words. We hold a power over mortals that they would only believe the Devil possesses.”

  “You told me you were the Devil,” Vittoria added with a smirk.

  “Ah, so I did,” replied Marcella with a light laugh. “I am the Devil, as are you now. We all are the Devil in one way or another, even the mortals. Such is the way of life. Every person has good and evil inside them.”

  Silence encompassed them for a few beats before Vittoria spoke, “I asked you earlier if you personally know any mad vampires. You never answered my inquiry.”

  Marcella lifted the cover of the carriage again and looked outside. Vittoria knew dawn was approaching from the tiredness she had begun to feel in her bones some time ago. She struggled to stay awake as she awaited Marcella’s answer.

  “You will have that answer when you dream. I cannot say when you will have your inqui
ry answered, but it will be in time.” Marcella released the cover. “Now, it is time to sleep. I know you are exhausted and fighting it at the moment. Into your coffin, my child,” Marcella instructed, helping her stand before removing the lid so she could lie down.

  “How awful it is,” Vittoria began as she lowered herself into her coffin, “I was buried in one just this past eve and now I am to willingly be placed inside one once more.”

  “Life is filled with moments like this,” Marcella replied as she lifted the lid and began to close her in. “We shall talk tonight. Sleep now.”

  The lid closed above her, encasing her in darkness. The tiredness in her bones made her feel heavy, as if she was weighted down with lead. Her eyes began to close and she welcomed the slumber that was fast approaching. At the time, she did not realize that she would not have a peaceful night’s rest until hundreds of years later.

  * * *

  It was warm, and there was a steady breeze swirling about. The land looked like a desert, with very little foliage decorating the landscape. She began to walk, feeling a pull toward a certain direction, and she followed it gladly. She was thankful for some sort of guidance in the strange land. Her eyes narrowed to focus on a body up ahead. The figure was hunched over and looked as if it was cradling something in its arms. She ran ahead, quickly reaching her destination and realizing that there were two figures. One was female, and the other was a young man—blood pouring from his neck.

  She felt an ache in her stomach as she gazed at the blood and walked closer to them. Her eyes lingered on the female figure, finally noticing that she herself was quite bloody and ravenous in her kill. She could not hear the man’s heartbeat and reached out to touch the woman, wishing to tell her to stop or she would go mad. She suddenly dropped the body and took off at a run, slowly disappearing in the distance. Vittoria ran after her as fast as she could, wanting to know who this mysterious woman was. She slowed her pace as she rounded a corner near a hillside, realizing that she had lost her target. Her eyes darted across the landscape, unable to locate the woman she sought.