by P. Mattern
Because when Adrastos became angry, people, or other creatures, around him tended to die…with a suddenness.
“Tell me again,” Adrastos said between guffaws “The part about the usurper, Castor Noble.”
Maung’s response was quick. ”As I stated, sire, he was bitten by the Oublier Demon and subsequently lost his more recent memories. He has no recollection of courting and marrying your Declared Woman Parmitsvia Elaine Rabbit and they are having the marriage annulled as a result. He’s also turned into something of an idiot, or a simpleton from what I understand from our spies.” He finished.
“Well then, the circumstances of his forgetting neatly serve TWO purposes as far as I’m concerned.” Adrastos stated happily. ”I was going to kill him by way of retribution-but since he is an empty shell of his former self, that eliminates him as a potential threat and also serves as a torturous reminder for Parmitsvia that her sins and poor decision making have resulted in most severe consequences… consequences that she will have to live with for a long time.”
“And what, Lord Adrastos, have you decided about your son?”
Adrastos smiled pleasantly.
“Many things actually. Since he will progress at roughly a year of equivalent human development for each month of life, and I cannot tolerate being around mewling crying infants, I will allow him to be nursed by his mother and stay by her side for the first seven months or so until he is walking and talking and able to have some discernment. Then I will bring him here to reside with me.”
Maung cut his eyes upward at his Master.
“Have you decided upon a name for him, my Lord?”
Adrastos smiled and seemed to get a faraway look in his eye.
“Of course I have. I have always known that I would have a son of my own flesh .He shall be called Argent-it’s a family name, and speaks of his bravery and strength.”
“And will Argent be an only child?” Maung asked cleverly, already anticipating Adrastos’ response.
“Of course not,” Adrastos replied. “I don’t believe in only children. Every child should have some sibling competition. It builds the character! I will sire another by Parmitsvia, with or without her approval. In fact, after the Great Upheaval that is coming, she will beg me to impregnate her again. It is the only way I will spare the life of her other son, the Idiot’s bastard. I will be giving her and her child more than they deserve-complete immunity for her complicity in sharing my bed for procreational purposes. We’ll work out a schedule: She will come to me at the peak of her fertility each month until I impregnate her. It is a generous offer.
To spare the life of her child, she will submit to whatever I require of her-all the infernal intimacies and long nights I desire. To spare her OWN life she would never comply-but by creating a being she loves more than she loves her own life, she has given me a way to control her forever. You’ll see how easily she yields.” He added confidently, reaching out to pick up a fragrant, fuzzy peach from a fruit bowl at his side and taking a decisively huge bite out of it.
In Lux’s opinion the ‘new Cass’ was not only NOT the ‘cleverest person in the room’ but had also managed to slide down a few rungs on the evolutionary ladder. Lux was having to remind him to BATHE (“for God sakes!” Lux said to himself.) In Lux’s mind Cass had reverted to a more moronic version of the youth he’d been at, say, the age of 14.
Cass wasn’t fit to be a husband; much less a father of two, and whether he was now just a waste of space was debatable.
It had taken a few minutes at the club the night before, after the three vamps, Charley, Lux and Cass ordered drinks, but by virtue of his manly good looks Cass had hooked up with a Fay girl-half human half Fairy. Within a few minutes both Cass and the Fay girl were missing, causing Lux and Charley to panic until they entered the men’s restroom and heard the two going at it in one of the restroom stalls. So they waited patiently outside the door until first the Fay girl came out, adjusting her clothing, and then Cass emerged. Lux immediately grabbed Cass by the back of his shirt.
Lux felt like shaking him, ”What the hell are you doing Cass?” He demanded.
“HEY HEY LIGHTEN UP!” Cass replied over the din of the music, “Just getting my swerve on brother. You know Fairies-members of the “quickie” phylum -always hot and ready to go! She told me vamps do it best.”
Lux momentarily wanted to vomit. Charley looked shocked.
“Come on,” Charley said, disgustedly shoving Cass forward, ”We need to get you out of here before her boyfriend shows up or something.”
Cass also scored at the next club they went to, but was thrown out of there after someone reported to the bartender that he was fornicating with a human girl in the open space of the women’s restroom. Lux was scandalized, even though Cass was clearly inebriated and Charley ordered another drink, downed it quickly, and then yanked Cass out into the parking lot and to the car.
“Come ON man,” Charley said angrily after he’d dumped Cass in the passenger seat.” Screwing in public? Is that what you do now?
CLASSY!” He finished, sarcastically.
“Sorry Charley, sorry Lux,” Cass said, “But I was horny and they were willing… and I’m not married anymore. Hey how come you guys aren’t hooking up with anyone tonight? “Cass added, squinting, looking at the other two vamps. ”You guys are not exactly ugly.”
Lux relaxed a little, looking back at Charley in the rearview, and continued in his longsuffering voice.
“I’m actually spoken for, Cass. Don’t you remember?”
Cass shook his head as if to clear it.
“No I don’t brother-what’s the lucky lady’s name?”
Lux smirked, ”Pierre. That’s HIS name.”
Cass’s eyes widened and he sat up straight and with a suddenness. Charley snorted as he squelched a laugh, waiting for Cass’s reaction.
“GET OUT OF HERE-you’re GAY? You didn’t used to be gay! Remember when I caught you doing Tildy Shumart in the barn when you were 15? I hate to break it to you but she was a female! Big hooters and everything!”
In spite of themselves, Lux and Charley started laughing. ‘New Cass’ was comical in an offbeat way.
“It’s just something that happened-my relationship with Pierre. And we make each other happy.” Lux explained.
“Well, okay brother, anything you do is fine with me-but I don’t want any blow by blows of your man-on-man action with Pierre-you can keep that to yourself.
And did you get that pun by the way? ‘Blow by blow’?” Cass finished, looking pleased with himself.
Inwardly, Lux sighed. It was going to be a very long night.
Earlier that same day Fressenda had arrived to see Mitzi and the twins, and after the housekeeper Maia at the Farm had brought a silver tray holding lemonade, coffee, tea and finger sandwiches and placed it in the middle of Mitzi’s gargantuan bed, she announced, with her arms full of the cooing and wiggling babies, that she was giving out the good news first.
“We have a Truce-pending an Alliance-with the Hybrids now”, she frowned slightly and corrected herself, continuing ,”although they prefer to be called ‘Cave dwellers’- and we should all keep that in mind to be politically correct. Anyway, since their leader the Mavesla was killed, the second in their command, Balik, immediately surrendered and asked for terms…”
“From WHO?” Mitzi wanted to know, ”Who was OUR leader?”
“Lux, of course!” Fress replied enthusiastically, stopping to lean down to give each twin multiple kisses, playing with their tiny toes and fingers.” That’s why Yaya- and many others-call him ‘The General’-he has an innate talent for military strategy. HE’S the one that came up with the triad formations we fought in. That decision alone saved many lives!”
“Anyway,” she continued, passing the dark haired twin Cory back to Mitzi so that she could sip her tea, ”Part of the Truce was that the Hybrid Queen be allowed to live… apparently their customs dictate that she is passed on to the New Leader if
her husband is killed. NONE of us were happy about that part of the agreement, especially since she bit quite a piece out of Kimbra’s shoulder after Kimbra killed the Mavesla. Even though Kimbra was turned, it will take some time for the wound to completely disappear. Right now she has a deep crescent moon shaped scar on the top of her right shoulder. At any rate, the creature is Balik’s Queen now that accords have been reached.”
Charley, who had dropped by as promised to check on Mitzi and was standing in the doorway of his mother’s bedroom, nodded to Fress as his lips twitched into a sardonic smile.
“I wonder what the rehabilitation statistics are on Flesh Eaters-not so impressive I’m thinking.”
Fress threw up her free hand in a helpless motion, nodding in agreement with him.
“No doubt, but apparently he’s smitten with her. Her name is Amaranth, and he was quite adamant that he can tame her feral ways.”
“Is she beautiful, this Amaranth?” Mitzi wondered aloud.
Fress nodded.
“She IS beautiful, in a terrifying way. A ‘Brutal Beauty’ as they say. All her teeth save her eyeteeth are pointed with the ends dipped in gold, making her mouth a vicious weapon. Her eyes are red with fuschia irises. Her skin is the color of a mocha latte and her body was enchanted in a surreal way. She has the tiniest waist I’ve ever seen, yet her hips and breasts are full
I can see why Balik wanted her.” Fress finished with relish, sounding as gossipy as a Hollywood reporter, picking up a small cucumber sandwich and popping it into her mouth with gusto.
Pierre had described the battle only sketchily, and actually had been sent out to assist Mitzi in labor before it was completely over-Mitzi was anxious to hear more details. Fress proceeded to describe the battle from the very beginning, just as Mitzi had requested.
The vamps had started with a relatively paltry number of fighters-perhaps 60 of them had taken positions at the Cottage, Fress recounted, including the shape shifter Avinash and a few sympathetic and armed weres and dhampirs. They were positioned in Triad groups defending every access point the Cottage offered.
Fress took Mitzi’s free hand into hers as a comforting gesture as she described the next part.
Cass had been assigned to stand with two other warriors to protect the Palladium, which Fress described as a rounded and carved stone disguised as part of the fireplace. The Palladium, Fress explained, was a mystic symbol signifying their household, and it’s capture would have greatly reduced the strength and abilities of all those fighting to save it. Additionally, it was a symbol, similar to the flag of a country, and if it had fallen into the hands of their enemies it would certainly have demoralized those pledged to defend it.
Cass had no problem discharging the hybrids that flew at him. As he had been a physically powerful man when human, he was an even more powerful vampire. Rising up in the air he hoisted his sword over and over against the hybrids, even cleaving some in two. Fress recounted that he was completely fearless as a warrior, even quickly flying over to assist HER when two hybrids attacked her at once.
The battle had raged for over an hour, and the vamps were at a stalemate with their attackers. Although they’d managed to reduce the sheer numbers of their enemies, neither side was gaining an advantage.
Suddenly there was a commotion as dozens of bats flew into the cottage. As soon as they were within the cottage walls they seemed to unfurl downward to materialize as vampires-though they still retained small black fluttering wings protruding from their temples on each side. These beings, Fress explained were the Cliff dwellers-the vampires that live only in caves at the highest altitudes on the planet. Because they kept to themselves, living isolated from other congregations of vampires, very few V-net vampires were familiar with them.
It was Fress’s opinion that Yaya had privately visited them and related the V-net vampire’s plight in an effort to enlist them to the cause, leaving it to be their own decision. It was Yaya’s way of helping the vamps within legal strictures. And because there was an ancient and abiding hatred between the Cave dwellers and the Cliff dwellers, the Cliff dwellers had decided to join the battle at the Cottage.
The tide of battle had then started to turn in favor of the vamps. Afterward, two things happened simultaneously. The Cliff dwellers began slaughtering dozens of their cave dwelling counterparts and the Mavesla, Lord of all the Hybrid Cave dwellers, appeared as if out of thin air and attacked Carey and Kimbra and Avi in their formation. He had ripped off his veil, revealing a visage too horrible to gaze upon-the skin underneath undulated and changed continuously to resemble animals and demons. Avinash quickly shape shifted to insect form-a hornet- and going behind the Mavesla was able to sting him repeatedly while Carey and Kimbra struck at him with their swords. Carey was nearly impaled by the Mavesla’s sword but managed to cartwheel behind him so that the thrust meant to be fatal became only a glancing blow.
Roaring at decibels of sound that would have shattered the eardrums of any human(even in his insect state Avi ‘s hearing was impaired for hours afterward), the Mavesla became a twirling 15 foot tall cyclone of swirling red dust and began to move toward Carey.
“Carey doesn’t breathe! “ Kimbra had shouted.
Carey was close enough to the Mavesla that some of the red dust touched the skin on his neck and hands and his skin immediately started to blister. Kimbra knew that being a newborn vampire he wouldn’t be able to heal fast enough if enough of the napalm-like substance adhered to his skin, so she had done something she’d never attempted before.
She shape shifted-to a column of light. And dove fearlessly into the core of the red dust cyclone.
It was a strange thing to witness, Fress related, and even more difficult to relate in mere words what happened next.
A loud howling ensued. The column of light in the center of the cyclone seemed to shove the swirling vortex apart, stretching it outward from its center like a spring pulled out to its breaking point.
Then there was an explosion-and the red dust flew everywhere.
The collateral damage was severe. Even as what remained of the Mavesla died and reverted to more humanoid form-actually what was left was a headless torso split wide open in the middle with no hands or legs-a phantasmagoric creature dripping with green ichor emerged from the shredded innards of the Mavesla and went straight for Cass as he stood in front of the fireplace. Cass immediately struck at the creatures head with his Magick sword, at the same time gutting it in its lower extremity with a dagger. But it was an Oublier demon, a large one, and what seemed to be its two eyes hanging from stalks attached to its head were really mouth like appendages with rows of sharp teeth that injected a venom that weakened the muscles and destroyed the memory banks of chordates.
Even though Cass had tried to dodge the bite, the top row of teeth had latched onto the back of his neck, and immediately after he had killed the demon, Cass immediately went limp and fell to his knees.
Pierre had been ordered to go immediately to the Farm at that point-ALL the vamps had picked up on Mitzi’s silent, urgent, prescient signals but were not able to release him to aid her until that moment. After the death of the Mavesla, Balik had sounded the ancient engraved deer’s horn for surrender, and all the hybrids there stopped fighting and fell as a man to their knees, with their heads down, expecting decapitation-or worse. The few rogue Hybrids, most of them the less cerebral Neanderthal ones that continued warring were killed by Balik himself, as he stood, wounded and defeated, before Lux, Fress, Charley and the rest.
Kimbra had resumed her human form after destroying the Mavesla and collapsed into Carey’s waiting arms. His blisters were showing signs of healing, though still uncomfortable, and Avi had returned to form and joined the couple in a prolonged group hug.
They had all been brave-Kimbra and Cass the bravest of all.
There were many casualties and an equivalent number of deaths. Augustine had moved away from his comrades in his triad and been attacked from three sides by hybri
ds-he was basically torn apart in front of his comrades eyes. Ian had been wounded rather severely –he had inhaled some of the red dust from the Mavesla’s cyclone formation and was recovering slowly. Fress told Mitzi that Ian had been brought to the Farm for convalescing and Mitzi immediately agreed that Ian was more than welcome to stay for as long as it took for him to recover.
Just then Maia came into Mitzi’s bedroom with Buttercup, who was recovering from a wicked dose of sleeping draught given to her by Vampire Nurse Sephla many hours before. Buttercup had been the last to awaken of all those Sephla had drugged, and was frantic to see the newborns.
“I’ve got milk!!!!” Buttercup exclaimed her flaxen hair and her pale and colorless eyes shining. ”Please let me nurse the babies Mitzi!!”
Laughing and elated to see that Buttercup was back to being herself, Mitzi passed first Cory to Buttercup, who made all the ladies laugh by latching onto Buttercups breast with a fierceness, and then after a few minutes, Absolam. Absolam was a fussier nurser, difficult to get settled down and frequently spitting up his milk. It took Buttercup two minutes to diagnose the problem.
“Excuse me for saying so, Missus, but I believe this baby wants a Blood nursing. Early for that I agree, but LOOK!”
Buttercup held out the baby and turned its pouty, perfect upper lip back just slightly. Protruding from its gums on either side was a pair of perfectly formed tiny fangs.
As Mitzi and Fress’s mouths fell open in surprise, Buttercup cooed to the infant and let him latch onto her breast directly above the nipple, where it sighed contentedly as it drove its tiny fangs into her ample breast and begin swallowing her blood.
“Yes, yes, that’s what we wanted, wasn’t it? Nurse Buttercup will give you all you need my little darling.”
Mitzi’s mind recoiled as she experienced a déjà vu moment, remembering her dreams. It was undeniable now.