by C. M. Sipes
She sniffed the air again, catching the smell of the man and walking toward a crumbled structure. “Antonius?” Samia called out as she and Nuru moved forward.
“There,” Nuru said as he pointed to a charcoal-smeared uniform lying among some burnt rubble.
Samia quickly moved to the debris and tossed them aside, revealing the body of Antonius. His face was bloody but recognizable, and his arms and legs were badly burned.
“Recently deceased,” Nuru whispered sadly. “First her girls, and now her husband. The prophecy was correct.”
“Indeed.” Samia pulled his body from the wreckage and gathered it in her arms, carefully cradling it as they raced back toward the temple.
“The fire is spreading. It is growing closer,” Nuru called as they ran. “We may need to abandon the city.”
Samia did not answer as they came to a halt outside of the temple, carefully adjusting Antonius’ body in her arms before walking inside.
Marcella glanced up as they arrived, her eyes immediately drifting to that of her husband’s lifeless body. She felt the last remnants of her heart shatter at the sight, tears leaking from her eyes as Samia gently laid him on the ground next to his daughters.
“Was he already gone when you found him?” Marcella asked, her voice cracking slightly.
Samia nodded as she gently placed her hand on Marcella’s shoulder. “The fire is spreading quickly through the city. It would be wise for us to evacuate.”
“Where was he?” Marcella asked, ignoring Samia’s advice.
“Trapped under some rubble and charred wood. I assume he was trying to save someone from their burning home,” she replied.
Marcella mutely nodded before asking, “Where will you go?”
Samia sighed. “I was actually considering returning home. I have not been to Egypt for some time.”
Marcella eyed the High Priestess a moment before looking to the bodies of her husband and daughters. “How long until you need to leave?” she asked, her eyes remaining trained on their forms.
“The pace of the fire is fast. I believe we may only have a day at most before the fire reaches this district.”
“The soldiers and everyone who is able-bodied are attempting to put out the fires but they are unsuccessful. They are having difficulties accessing the water supply,” Nuru added quietly. “I believe a day at most is a reasonable estimate, Your Majesty.”
Samia nodded in agreement with Nuru before looking back at Marcella. The woman still would not look up. Her eyes were distant, focused on her family’s bodies, a hazy glaze appearing over hazel.
Marcella remembered every word of the prophecy that Nuru had given. It haunted her day and night, and now it had finally come to fruition. Her young lie in red, her husband killed by the orange flames…
Marcella looked over their bodies, her mind coming to a decision.
“Is a day enough time to make me what you are?” asked Marcella quietly, knowing full well that Samia heard her.
“Are you accepting my offer?”
“My husband is dead. My daughters are dead. That…witch is still out there…living, breathing, and my family is not,” Marcella said lowly, her teeth clenching in anger. “I want nothing more than to find her and rip her head from her shoulders.”
“So you wish to be turned for revenge.”
“I want justice!” Marcella yelled, her eyes finally looking at the High Priestess.
Samia looked at Marcella thoughtfully before giving a small smile. “I believe you will make an interesting Queen, Marcella.”
“Then you will turn me?”
Samia nodded. “Indeed. We must act quickly though, so we have enough time before the flames reach this area. Follow me.”
Marcella stood on shaky legs and followed Samia through the temple, heading toward a door that led down stone steps. Nuru followed behind, torch in hand, as they navigated the stairs.
Once they reached the bottom, he lit the wall torches—light flooding the room.
A golden sarcophagus rested in the middle of the chamber. Intricately carved hieroglyphics littered the outside, covering the body of the coffin. The face, Marcella noted, looked eerily similar to its owner, shining in the low light of the torches.
Samia moved to the sarcophagus and pushed the lid open before looking at Marcella. “Come.”
Marcella moved to Samia, stopping in front of the woman and awaiting her instructions.
The Egyptian carefully brushed aside Marcella’s hair and tilted her neck to the side. “You are sure?” Samia asked. Once she received a nod of confirmation, she said, “This will hurt.”
Marcella nodded in understanding, waiting for Samia to make her move. The High Priestess looked at Marcella a moment longer, searching for any leftover sign of hesitation. When she found none, she licked her lips and eyed the steadily throbbing vein before her.
Teeth sunk into flesh and Marcella gave something between a whimper and a scream as hot liquid ran down her neck. She felt her knees buckle slightly from the pain as Samia carefully drank from her. Her head began to feel fuzzy as dizziness washed over her body. She felt Samia pull back, and with heavy eyes she took in the appearance of her friend.
Bright red eyes stared back at her, complementing the redness of blood smeared across Samia’s mouth and lightly dripping down her chin. She watched as Samia bit into her own wrist, blood rising to the surface as she held it to Marcella’s lips.
“You need to drink,” Samia instructed.
Marcella eyed the red liquid a moment before tentatively opening her mouth and placing it over the wound. The taste of iron invaded her senses as she carefully began to drink the blood offered to her, fighting the sudden nausea that rose in her throat. Slowly, the taste of iron left, and was replaced by sweetness unlike any other. She craved more, her cautious drinking turning to desperation as the taste continued to fill her.
“That is enough, Marcella,” Samia said as she gently pried her wrist from Marcella’s mouth. “You may want to sit down.” Samia carefully pulled at the pin holding Marcella’s dress, releasing it and leaving the woman standing in only the cloth covering her lower half.
Marcella’s eyes widened and she looked at Samia with shock. “Why did you remove my dress?”
“You are going to die first. I doubt you would want to soil your dress. You should remove the cloth as well.” Samia carefully laid the dress on a nearby chair as Nuru brought in a bowl of water. Marcella looked at Samia curiously, awaiting an explanation. “I will not have you lying in your own soil inside my sarcophagus. It should happen any moment now. When you awaken you will be a Queen, Marcella.” Samia offered her a soft smile.
“Will it—ow!” Marcella yelled, her hands going to hold her lower abdomen. She cried out once more, falling to her knees as pain racked her body. She felt her muscles tense and relax as everything throbbed painfully. She could feel her own excrements running down her legs, but could not bring herself to care as the pain washed over her.
The last thing she saw was Samia’s careful stare.
Marcella awoke to darkness. The soft feel of cotton below her naked body was the first sensation she experienced. She could hear Samia and Nuru speaking, clear as day, despite the separation of the sarcophagus between them. She turned her head to the side, listening to the various sounds above them outside the temple. She could hear the fires raging still; men, women, and children screaming in fear, the sounds of their steps racing across the stone streets to safety.
The fire was close. They would need to evacuate soon.
A sharp pain to her bottom lip drew her attention, and she carefully reached up and fingered the new fangs that resided in her upper row. She smiled to herself, happy that she was now like Samia and could find the witch Circe and have justice.
Her stomach ached with hunger and her mind wandered to the sweet taste of Samia’s blood. She craved more of the liquid, needing it more than she had ever needed food or water. She pushed at the sarcophagus, g
rinning to herself as she easily moved the heavy lid to the side. She sat up, eyes focused on the careful stares of Samia and Nuru standing a few feet away from her.
Samia looked Marcella over, her eyes finally settling on Marcella’s face. Brown eyes met bright red and she smiled. “Welcome to the world, Your Majesty.”
Chapter IX
Seattle, Washington, USA
Present Day
Two weeks had passed in Seattle since Vittoria and Lilith had told Emma about Marcella’s past and deep-seeded hatred for witches. Emma had been less than surprised to say the least, as she figured that something horrible must have happened for Marcella to hate witches with such passion. However, she had become solemn at the information, feeling guilty for what happened to Marcella’s family, even though she herself could not be responsible.
Vittoria and Lilith had settled in to an almost domestic routine at the apartment. The ancient seemed to grow more comfortable with each passing day, taking small steps outside of her normal steely exterior. Vittoria was pleased with the development and insisted that since Lilith was more content, they should go to a bar and pass as mortals for an evening. The ancient had merely rolled her eyes, but nodded nonetheless. They needed a little bit of fun before the council meeting the next evening, when they would learn more about what was transpiring with the infiltration.
Lilith stepped out of the bedroom; tight dark blue jeans clung to long legs, a low cut black tank top hugged her torso, and black high-heeled boots adorned her body. She brushed her hair from her face, revealing the dark sultry makeup that highlighted her appearance.
At Vittoria’s slack-jawed expression, the ancient chuckled and raised an eyebrow in query.
“You act as if you have never seen me before,” she said, pleased.
“Well, seeing you in memories and in person are very different things,” Vittoria countered. She stood, revealing her own tight pair of blue jeans and loose grey tank top. “Also, don’t act like you don’t like the attention,” she said as she put on her high-heeled boots.
Lilith merely chuckled as she walked to the couch and took a seat. “Everyone likes to be admired, Vittoria.”
Vittoria glanced up, her eyes catching Lilith’s lingering gaze. “Says the vampire who is the closest thing to a goddess on earth.”
Lilith rolled her eyes but smiled regardless as she stood and moved to the door. “Where are we going tonight?”
Vittoria followed suit, locking the door behind them before heading down the stairs of the building. “This bar called the Saloon. It’s in Capitol Hill. I never had a chance to check it out.”
They rounded the corner from Vittoria’s apartment and entered the alleyway. Vittoria shifted easily into her swarm and took flight. She could hear the soft flap of Lilith’s wings from behind her as they quickly flew over the canal. She shifted back as her feet hit the ground on the other side in Capitol Hill.
They resumed their walk, continuing in silence for a few moments before Lilith spoke.
“I have to say,” Lilith began, “it feels good to be awake once again.”
Vittoria looked at her companion, a curious expression on her face. “About that, why would you continue slumbering if Enki had disappeared? Why not enjoy your immortality?”
Lilith eyed Vittoria a moment. “You know that I enjoyed my immortality for many years, Vittoria.”
“I know. I just don’t understand why you slept through so much of the world when you could have been walking it.”
Lilith continued to stare at Vittoria until the blonde met her gaze. “You want to know why I slumbered through so much of your life when I have been waiting for you—you mean.”
Vittoria broke the gaze and glanced to the ground. “Yes.”
“I told you I was awake after Marcella’s betrayal for some time.”
“I know. I merely meant…that if you had been waiting for me, for all these years, why not walk the earth with me instead of slumbering in the dirt?” Vittoria asked as they neared the bar.
Lilith stopped walking, waiting for Vittoria to pause as well before she spoke. “Marcella is your maker and your teacher. She needed to nurture you and impart her wisdom. What happened with Isabel was a blunder on her part, but I was still not going to step in when she is your maker.” Lilith searched Vittoria’s eyes. “I still am not sure of everything in my plan, even after all these years. If I stayed awake, there would have been a fair chance that Enki would have found me. It was safer for us both if I kept my distance and only awoke for a short amount of time.”
Vittoria looked her over a moment before nodding in understanding. “You did what you thought was best. I was merely curious.”
Lilith gave a curt nod.
“I am also flattered that you were so worried about me. You are a softy after all,” Vittoria teased as she approached the door to the bar.
Lilith gave a low growl in her throat as she followed. Vittoria chuckled at the sound and held the door for the older vampire, allowing her to walk through and enter the bar first.
The space was fairly large, with the expanse of the bar stretching from one end to the other. Bottles littered the shelves, as well as glasses, and two bartenders stood behind the wooden chestnut structure fixing drinks for their patrons. There were multiple tables inside, with all but one occupied by couples and friends. Vittoria could see through the glass door in the back that there was an outside seating area with a few patrons enjoying the slightly chilled air.
“Would you like to sit at the bar?” Vittoria asked. She rolled her eyes when Lilith didn’t answer; instead, the ancient just sauntered to the bar and gracefully sat down on a stool.
“What can I get for you t—” the bartender stopped suddenly when she made eye contact with Vittoria. “Vittoria, right?”
Vittoria gave a friendly smile. “Ashley. I forgot that you said you bartended here.”
“Yeah, I was hoping that you would show up sometime, especially since I misplaced your number, but you never did. Now I see why,” said Ashley, smiling as she gestured to Lilith. “Your date is hot.”
“Thank you,” Lilith chimed in before looking to Vittoria and arching an eyebrow.
“So, what can I get you two?” Ashley asked again.
“Whisky sour,” Lilith replied.
“Make that two,” Vittoria said before turning to look at Lilith. “I see you like that drink.”
Lilith grinned. “So how do you know the bartender?”
“I met her at the nightclub a few months back.”
“Ah,” Lilith commented simply, her lips pursing slightly before the expression quickly vanished from her face.
Vittoria eyed her for a few moments before grinning and bumping the ancient’s shoulder. “You’re jealous.”
Lilith scoffed. “I am no such thing.”
“You are.”
Lilith rolled her eyes, but said nothing more.
“She had the potential to be fun,” Vittoria continued, watching out of the corner of her eye the way that Lilith’s body tensed slightly. “She was really just going to be food and fun anyways. Nothing more.”
Lilith relaxed slightly but remained silent.
“Here you go, two whisky sours,” Ashley said as she sat the drinks in front of the women. “So, how did you two meet?”
Vittoria smiled slyly before looking to Lilith and raising the drink to her lips. “Why don’t you tell her the story?”
The brunette’s eyes widened just a bit before she plastered on a smile and looked at Ashley.
“Gives you practice dealing with humans,” Vittoria whispered behind her drink glass so only Lilith could hear.
“It was some time ago,” Lilith began, thinking of what she could say. “We never really met face to face, only in passing…but I knew that there was something very special about Vittoria.” Lilith glanced at her companion, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Vittoria’s pleased smirk. “Finally, I approached her and we just hit it off.”
&nb
sp; “Have you two known each other long?” Ashley asked.
Vittoria took another swig of her drink as Lilith mimicked the action.
“Only for a short time, but it feels like centuries,” Lilith explained with a small smile before glancing at her companion.
“So, what is your name?” Ashley asked the brunette.
“Lilith.”
“Lilith? Like in the Babylonian Talmud?”
“You’re familiar with that text?” Lilith asked, eyebrows rising in surprise.
“I like to read.” Ashley shrugged. “Interesting choice of name by your parents, though.”
“Indeed,” Lilith replied as she took a swig of her drink.
She went to take another when her hand froze, the glass just an inch from her mouth. She whipped her head to the side, eyes boring into the front door.
“You okay?” Ashley asked.
Vittoria trained her eyes on the entrance as well, focusing her hearing and attempting to hear whatever it was Lilith had.
Her eyes widened when she heard the howl in the distance.
She could hear the paws hitting the ground like thunder now. “We need to leave.”
The door to the bar burst open, flying backward off its hinges and slamming into a nearby table. Patrons began to scream in terror as the wolves descended inside.
Vittoria and Lilith were off their seats in seconds, rushing quickly at the few wolves that entered first. Vittoria’s hands tore into a nearby wolf, blood splattering her as she ripped its jaws apart and tossed it to the side. Another ran at her, snarling and growling in its madness. She spun quickly, her hand reaching out and pulling the beast to her as she put it in a headlock. She squeezed tight, the sickening crack of bones breaking resounding in the air before she let the body fall to the ground.
Patrons continued to scream in terror, some of them managing to successfully hide. However, the wolves that had descended on the bar were quickly devouring many of the customers. Their teeth ripped into flesh, tearing it apart and splattering blood on the floor and walls. Sinewy muscle dangled from their bloodied maws—roars resonated from their chests.