The Kingdom of the Nine; The Vampire Legacy IV

by Dawn Gray

  “I know, and I'll see him, soon, just not now.” Nick stood up and walked over to me as I stood near the window. “Have you told Julian?”

  “He knows something, but nothing that would confirm it.”

  “I meant about the baby?” He said, looking down at me.

  “I told him the other day.” I looked up at Nick and smiled. “He'll find out the rest in due time, but it's hard to just come out and say something like that.” I walked away from the wall, and then looked back at him. “Are you coming down?”

  “No, I think I'll just sit in the shadows and watch what events unfold.” He smiled. “Then, maybe I'll pop out if you need me.”

  “Always the protector.” I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “I should go and make my appearance.”

  “Watch yourself, remember, she's vicious.” Nick laughed.

  “Please.” I replied, waving him off as I left the room.

  13

  The dining room was set up just as I thought it would be, eloquently, with a little table for the children set over in the corner. The other people in the house had already gathered there when I stepped into the room and I felt a bit awkward as I looked at the power that seemed to surround me. Julian walked over and stood next to me as I smiled up at him.

  “You look lost.” He pointed out. I shook my head.

  “Not lost, just observing.” I replied and looked at his outstretched hand. Slowly, I reached over and took it as he looked me in the eyes.

  “Things will get better.” He whispered as the rest of the room seemed to disappear and the two of us concentrated on only each other. “I promise you that.”

  “Can you really make that kind of promise, especially at this time, in this house? Take a look around, Julian; look at the power here, the only thing that can be promised is that things are going to happen. Things that are out of our control, yours and mine.” I sighed and looked back at the crowd. “She's vengeful.”

  “She doesn't mean it, like you said; she thinks she's had me all to herself. Think about how you would react if you thought that way.” He answered. I smiled as I looked at him.

  “See, that's the difference between her and me.” I laughed. “I've always known that I couldn't have you all to myself.”

  “Come, it's time to eat.” He smiled as he walked me to the table.

  I sat on the side closest to the children so that I could watch Damien. Dinner went uneventfully slow and the conversation around the table was that of anything but of what happened two years ago. After dinner and shortly after the nanny took the two boys to the large playroom that Julian had set up across the hall from the sitting room, the six of us sat around, having drinks outside on the patio.

  “So,” Julian said, softly, as Ashley pulled up a seat beside him at the table. I looked over at him from where I stood looking out at the backyard, and then I leaned against the wall. “Shall we begin?”

  “That's up to you.” I replied, shrugging, and then I looked at Ashley. “Or, you.”

  “I'm interested to see where this whole thing is going.” She smiled, placing her drink on the table beside her. The others seemed to find seats around the table, also, and I crossed my arms, hugging myself as I looked at the candle's flame that sat in the middle of the table.

  “Where were we last?” I questioned myself then I looked up at the window just over the patio and smiled at Nick, who stood there, half in the shadows, staring down at us. “Oh, yes, the fourth person, and Larado.”

  I closed my eyes, and concentrated on that day, and the strange events had led me to believe that something about Larado wasn't right.

  * * * * *

  I stood there, in the small room that Nick and I had been talking in, looking at Julian, who was, at the moment, biting on his finger, thinking to himself.

  “So, what are you thinking about?” I asked him.

  “Witchcraft.” He whispered and turned to face me. I looked at him, eyebrows raised and then I sat down.

  “Witchcraft? How do you think that's involved?” Julian walked over and sat beside me as I turned, on the couch, to face him.

  “Have you ever had any experiences with magic?” He questioned me. I shook my head. The extent of my magical experiences was making a coin appear from behind someone's ear. “Well then, let me start from the beginning and explain some things to you. Witchcraft uses the elements of the Earth and the directions of the poles, earth, air, fire, and water, each with its own direction, north, east, south and west. Now, it doesn't strike me as odd that Larado might use some of those things in his prophecies because his mother was a witch, but this one seems to have the most I've seen in it in a long time.”

  “Of course, earthly brown for earth, blue skies for air, green seas for water and circles of fire for, well, fire.” I said, nodding, but then I thought about the fourth person and the fact that there seemed to be five elements. “Okay, you said earth, air, fire and water, all of them we figured out, plus the fact that there are four people involved, one for each element, but, what gets me is that the fourth person doesn't have an element, all it mentions is a soul.”

  “There is a fifth element, in the Craft. The spirit. Some call it Akasha, some call it spirit, and still others call it the heart. Therefore, it would make sense to say that this “soul” is the fifth element.” Julian answered, looking at his fingers. “But, that still doesn't answer the question about whom yet.”

  “Can I ask you a question?” I whispered, softly. Julian looked at me and nodded. “Have you ever experienced anything like the red clouds before?”

  Julian thought a moment, then sat forward and closed his eyes as his hands covered his face. These actions made me think that he had, but it also made me wonder if he was going to tell me or not. Slowly, he sat back, opened his eyes and looked at me.

  “It was a long time ago, and you know, I've never actually thought much of it.” He got up and walked over to the window, where he looked out at the bright blue sky. “It was when Larado was still alive. We had just finished moving the “clan” out of Russia to the United States, to a large mansion that Larado had purchased in the mountains of Colorado. One night, while I was on the roof of this “castle” that we all lived in, I noticed the clouds as they came rolling in, like a sudden storm had just popped up, and I watched them stop, just above the house.

  “I ran in to find him, to tell him of this strange abnormality of the weather, but he was already outside, on the front terrace, watching it come closer. The clouds turned red and Larado moved to the courtyard where he stood, confident.” Julian glanced over at me as I stared at him, caught up in the story. “Lightening flashed down and a fire began to burn in the dirt, right in front of him. I watched a figure step out of the blaze and he raised his hand to Larado, but he just dismissed it. There were words exchanged, but I was too far up to hear them or they were speaking too low on purpose.

  “The man stepped back into the flame and it virtually disappeared, taking the clouds along with him. He never spoke of it to anyone of us, he just pretended it never happened and we put it out of our minds.” Julian walked back over and sat on the couch next to me, then gave a little shrug. “That's all I remember, except that shortly after that, he stepped up his work, making sure that everything he had known was down on paper, and that the arrangements had been made for the house to go to the next in line if anything should happen to him.”

  “Something did happen, didn't it?” I whispered and Julian nodded.

  “One day, he burst into flames for no apparent reason. He had gathered us together, told us of most of the recent prophecies and handed me his latest compilation, then he stepped back, smiled, told us all to be safe, and, Poof! He went up in flames.” Julian shook his head as his eyes clouded over, but, then he drew in a deep breath and raised his eyebrows as he looked at me. “So, now you know. Would you mind telling me why you asked that?”

  “Before I answer, can I ask you one more thing?” I questioned. Julian gave me a
strange look, trying to determine what I was up to, and then he nodded. “Bite me.”

  “What?” He asked, standing up, quickly. “Are you insane?! I'm not going to bite you!”

  “Listen to me.” I said calmly, and watched him pace. “You said yourself that I know your past, everything about you and your kind, well, I think I need to take advantage of it, because there's a reason this is happening. I mean, think about it, why would Larado tell you when you could have just looked it up, about a prophecy that wasn't going to happen for a hundred years. Something bigger than us is in the works, Julian, and I may hold the key to what it is.”

  “Let me go on record as saying this is the worst idea I've heard in decades.” I laughed as he came over and sat on the couch, then looked me in the eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “As sure as I'll ever be.” I answered, softly, as he reached over and put one hand on the side of my neck and the other on my lap. I closed my eyes and waited as he drew closer to me. I heard him breathe in deeply next to my ear, and then I felt wet kisses on my neck.

  Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked at him as he backed away, then cast his green eyes to the floor.

  “I'm sorry.” He whispered. “I can't.”

  “Why? You did it before, in the bedroom that first night, why can't you do it now, when it counts?” I asked, softly. He looked up at me, quickly, and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me. I could sense the nervousness from him and this made me smile as I caressed his cheek with mine. I felt his heart begin to beat faster against me, and his teeth as they gently stroked my neck. “It's alright, Julian. You won't hurt me.”

  “Don't say that.” He whispered in my ear. “You don't know how hard it is to control your nature when you’re one of us.”

  “No, I don't, but I know how hard it is to control anything when you feel like I do towards you.” I smiled and closed my eyes, holding him closer to me. He kissed my skin as he nuzzled against my neck.

  “How do you feel?” He asked, quietly. “You've never told me before.”

  “I love you.” I replied, and then gasped as he bit down on my neck.

  Instantly, the room in my mind went dark, then slowly, a red light came on, giving it a strange, eerie glow. I looked around for only a moment before I heard my inner voice, the one who sounded strangely like Julian.

  Think about what you wish to know and it shall come to you. His tone was light and airy, almost as if he were whispering in my ear. Tell me what it is you’re looking for.

  As I thought to myself, about what exactly I wanted to look for, visions came to me, then, as if my mind had hit the rewind key, I was taken back through time, passed places and things that I, myself, had never seen before, until it came to a dead stop, in a thick patch of woods, on the outskirts of a little village.

  I stood still noticing as fires burned in small stone structures outside the homes. I stepped closer to the edge of the woods, feeling the heavy black cloak that I wore around me, and I watched the people in the village gather in what looked like the center of this place.

  Someone was yelling to the others as he stepped up on a wooden platform in front of the crowd. He was tall, with long light brown hair, and his facial features almost matched those of my biological father. I moved out of the woods, inching ever closer to the crowd.

  “We're tired of being terrorized, Klamara!” A man in the crowd shouted, and this one that was on the platform raised a hand to him. “It's your job to put a stop to this, that's what we're paying you for.”

  Hollers of agreement sailed out from the people around him, but with just a stern look, the voices died and he folded his hands, casually in front of him.

  “You're right; you have paid me to take care of this problem, and I am doing so, but you must have patience.” He answered; his voice low, but powerful. “I have taken the necessary steps to ensure the safety of this village.”

  “Oh, yeah!” Another angry voice yelled, making me look up towards it. “Then, what's that?”

  All heads turned in my direction and I desperately looked for a place to hide, but as I turned to move back towards the woods, I noticed the young woman, dressed in ragged clothing that was moving towards them, slowly. Her stance was that of a predator as she, quietly, made her way through the brush beside me. The villagers began to move, heading back toward the safety of their homes, but Klamara waved his arms and smiled.

  “Have no fear, my friends, for it cannot enter the village.” He laughed. People stopped, some wanting to see if it were true, others wanted to find out what direction it was coming from so they could run the opposite way, but it stopped, just as the edge of the light that separated the village from the dark forest. “Behold, it is unable to pass, you are safe.”

  And, the villagers all seemed to believe him, but as my vision changed, I found myself deep in the dark pits of a cave, lit only by torches, and, I can only assume those were for the benefit of Klamara's eyes. I watched him walk in, through the vine covered entrance, and then pass me without a thought, and since I was invisible, because this was only a memory; I walked right next to him, following him down further into this maze without a second thought.

  He stopped in a large room, and looked around at the twenty or more people who lounged in different spots. It wasn't furnished, except for the few blankets scattered here and there, but it seemed to fit these people just right. They were vampires, all of them, except for one, who stepped out of the darkened corner of the room. She was dressed quite eloquently, in a long flowing dress that seemed to show off her curves, this person was, without a doubt, a witch. Klamara walked up to her and stopped, bending down on one knee; he bowed his head, then looked up at her.

  “I have done as you have asked; the villagers trust that none of your clan can enter their houses. They are yours for the picking.” He spoke softly, then stood up and faced her as a man. “I've kept my end of the bargain, Witch; you may feast at will, now I expect you to keep yours.”

  She laughed at him, throwing her head back and opening her mouth wide to let out the most noise, and then she stopped, suddenly, and looked at him.

  “You have done well, peasant, but this was not all I asked of you.” She smiled. “I told you to bring me a child of the village, but, behold, I see none.”

  “I've done enough to satisfy your demonic hunger for blood, woman, I refuse to aid you in your sorcery by helping you to sacrifice a child.” He yelled, making the vampires in the room begin to stir. “Now, let my wife go!”

  “Your wife.” She laughed and watched two of the vampires bring a pregnant woman out of the dark room that she had just been in. “Your wife can not leave this place.”

  I looked at this woman, who had at first looked as though she had been dragged out, as she stood there smiling down at him, her vampire teeth exposed. Klamara screamed in agony and ran at the witch, only to be taken into custody by others in the room.

  “On my word as a man of God, Witch, all of your demons and you shall pay for this!” He screamed.

  “And, your child? Shall it be punished, also, for it will be born both human and demon?” She smiled.

  “It is not a child anymore, but an abomination, and I shall destroy it and anything it produces!” He screamed. “It shall burn with you in the fiery pits of hell.”

  I watched her smile and nod, as if she didn't believe him, then she waved her guards to take him away. I followed closely and watched as, half way down the hall, he got loose, grabbed two torches and took off down the hallway, setting vampires on fire as he went.

  Suddenly, I was outside, watching the fire erupt from the cave. I knew then that Klamara hadn't escaped, but out of the corner of my eyes, I caught movement, and watched as his pregnant, vampire wife disappeared into the trees.

  The scene changed once again, as the years set into fast forward and centuries passed before my mind came to rest at a pond, where a girl sat with her feet splashing in the water. She looked much like Klamara, much like my father, and
I knew that she must be from his bloodline. The line that had been preserved when his wife escaped the fiery tomb her makers had been caught in.

  As I observed her for a short time, from where I sat in a nearby tree, I listened to her as she hummed a familiar song. I noticed her hair was golden blonde and her eyes, a piercing green, and she looked over the landscape with a smile on her face, but slowly that smile faded and a look of terror caught her eyes. She stood, quickly, as the darkness rolled in and made a break for the nearby path, only to have it blocked by a cloud of heavy fog, which seemed to glow a bright red color.

  She turned, as fire erupted around her, and walked back towards the small dock, she had been sitting on. It was then that I saw him, walking out of the red fog, a man with long hair and he raised his hand to her, gathering strength from the clouds around him. Evil seemed to pour from him, as his words, spoken in that old language that he had used when he was alive, but understood by my ears, boomed out across the quiet pond.

  “Demon child, brace yourself, I have come to vanquish you to the pits of hell, as I have done to your ancestors before you!” He spoke calmly, with as much power in his voice in death as he had once possessed in life. “Do you repent sinner?”

  “I've done nothing wrong!” She pleaded with him. “Please, leave me alone!”

  “Wrong, Child, you are evil.” He scolded. “And, therefore will be punished.”

  From his hand came a bolt of lightning that struck the girl in the chest. She flew backwards into the water, unable to move as her body slowly sank into its dark depths.

  Once the girl was out of my sight, the memories changed, flashing quickly at each death by Klamara's hands. He had placed a curse on this family line that they would all parish by his hands, and now I understood exactly why Larado had told Julian the prophecy.

  Klamara was coming for me.

  14

  My eyes flew open and I sat up, quickly, as I looked around the room. I was no longer in the small room I had been in before but was, instead, in Julian's bedroom, on the third floor of the house.