Blood Rite Saga, Season One Box Set

by Dylan Keefer

  Madi frowned. Coincidence? Compulsion was a vampire’s way of manipulating a creature’s mind so that they could not remember certain events or remember them a certain way. Had Larent Smith found a way to create compulsion himself?

  “That seems like a big theory,” Kevin said. “I understand you’ve tested it at different levels.”

  “I did,” Larent said with a smile. He looked at Madi. “I haven’t told anyone about my latest discovery because I just did it before I made my trip here.”

  He took his computer bag and pulled out a notebook and a small vial of liquid. Everyone sat up straight. Madi narrowed her eyes. Something didn’t feel right.

  “The lady that was attacked. I found her. She still had no memory of what happened. It was like her mind went blank. So, I asked her to take this—this is a formula that I have been working on. There was nothing that happened when I was with her, but on my way here, I got a call from her. She said she remembered everything. Everything. The only thing that didn’t make sense was what she said happened.”

  “What did she say?” Marcy asked. Something caught Madi’s eye in the corner of the room. A red light flashed. She wasn’t aware of the cameras in the room before. Madi stepped back from the group and started to look around the rest of the room as Larent spoke.

  “She told me that it wasn’t an animal. It wasn’t human, but it was human-like and it…”

  Madi’s phone vibrated. She read the text but didn’t have a chance to react.

  Then it hit her. She turned too late. A gunshot sounded in the lab, and stab of pain tore through her side right above her hip. Madi went down to the floor. Pain exploded inside of her. She cried out loudly. She was afraid to put her hands on the wound, but she could feel herself starting to bleed. Deep breaths.

  “What the hell? You trying to kill her?” She heard Ginny’s panicked voice.

  “Look at your phone! That idiot Boyle texted the entire group by accident including Madi.” Kevin responded.

  “We’re supposed to kill her anyway,” Dana said nonchalantly. Madi heard several footsteps coming close.

  “Sorry, you had to see this Larent. We were going to get you out of the room before we killed her. Don’t worry. They want you alive.” Marcos was talking to someone. Larent.

  “What the hell is going on here! You shot her!” Madi swallowed back tears. They were working with Dr. Boyle. They were working for the Dominion. They were going to kill her.

  Marcy’s face appeared over her followed by the rest. Marcy smiled empathetically. “I’m sorry. I bet you’re shocked, huh?” Madi started to speak, but Marcy put her foot on her throat cutting off her voice. “Hush, now. Don’t talk. Let me.”

  “You don’t have to be cruel,” Ginny said. Marcy sighed and removed her foot.

  “Dr. Boyle sends his regards. He knew you were a snoop and smart. He just didn’t know how resilient you were. You know who the Dominion are, and yet you still try to meddle?”

  “What are you going to do with him?” She croaked; her eyes looking at Larent. Kevin held the gun by his side.

  “He’s come on the radar of the Dominion with his experiments. And if he can cause someone who has been compelled to remember being attacked by a vampire, then that doesn’t look good for them.”

  “Vampire!” Larent backed up a few steps. “You people aren’t just dangerous. You’re crazy! I’ll give you whatever you need, but I’m out of here.”

  Kevin’s gun went up again in Larent’s direction. “Stay put. They want you alive but injured isn’t off the table.”

  “Why are you helping them?”

  “Them? The Dominion?” Marcy said. “Why help the oldest sect of the most powerful creatures on Earth? C’mon, Madi. You’ve done enough research to know why?”

  “How did you escape that vampire last night?” Dana questioned. Madi closed her eyes. She had to do something. They were going to kill her, or worse.

  “Priores vocat potentiam,” she whispered. Her eyes opened. The others jumped back, and Kevin raised the gun to shoot again. Madi was quicker. She flicked her finger, and the whole group flew back. Madi stumbled to her feet. She reached out and pointed to the tables. “Move.”

  Table and chairs pinned Ginny and Marcos to the walls. Kevin reached up with the gun again. “Adolebitique.”

  Kevin yelled as the gun dropped to the ground. Marcy‘s arm snaked around Madi’s neck, and her fist punched her in her wound causing the red-head to cry out. Kevin started to run at them, but he was tackled by Larent hard enough to slam him into the floor. Kevin’s head bounced off the floor. He was out. Madi dug her fingers into Marcy’s arm.

  “Serpentibus Perierunt.” Marcy let go immediately and began rubbing her body as if wiping something off her.

  “Get them off! Get them off me! Stop!” Madi hobbled over to where Ginny stood. The girl fell to her knees.

  “Please. Please, don’t hurt me.” Madi listened to the girl beg.

  “You chose the wrong side. I won’t hurt you, but they will.” Madi pulled back her fist and punched the girl in the face, knocking her out. Immediately, she felt weak. Larent caught her as she started to go down.

  “I’m on your side,” he said quickly as she started to say something. “I’m here. What the hell! Um. C’mon. Let me help you.”

  “Calm down and let’s get out of here.”

  He wrapped her arm around his neck and hoisted her up. She grunted and looked in his eyes. He nodded. “Okay. Okay. Um--what about them?”

  She waited until they were at the doorway before she turned around and waved her hand around the room.

  “Don’t worry. They won’t remember what happened here.” Larent shook his head as the two of them walked out of the lab.

  “Who are you?”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Mei stared at the toilet. What a strange invention. Its sole purpose was to take people’s shit. At this point in time, she didn’t know what her purpose was. All she knew is that she was messed up, and she didn’t know why.

  “They’re gone now,” Clayton’s voice sounded through the door.

  “I know. I heard.” There was silence for a moment.

  “It’s safe to come out now.”

  Mei closed her eyes tight to keep from crying again. She had been letting loose so many tears that it felt like she could never cry again. “I almost killed Anya. I almost killed that little girl.”

  “No, you didn’t. You scared her a little bit, but I know you wouldn’t have hurt her.”

  “How do you?” She asked placing her ear against the door. She could hear his heartbeat and his breathing. His head bounced ever so slightly against the door.

  “Because you have the most beautiful and pure heart.”

  She placed her hand against the door. He was so good to her. Everyone had been. Her only concern was that he would end up like Milo and Charlotte. Either he was going to leave because he needed to be safe, or he was going to leave because she was toxic.

  “You should leave,” she whispered.

  “What?” He asked through the door.

  “I said,” she yelled out. “You should leave! It isn’t safe for you. I’m not safe for you.”

  Clayton didn’t respond, but after a few minutes, she heard him move. Was he actually going? Panic gripped her heart when she heard him opening a bag. He was going to leave. She leaned her head back and swallowed hard. It was for the best. If she was going to find out who she was, she didn’t need to bring a vampire hunter to confront the Dominion with her. That would certainly spell out death. Sitting up straight, Mei felt the determination grow in her. She could do this alone.

  The door opened slightly, and Mei shrieked as something was dropped in. She scrambled to the other end of the bathroom. Then she saw that the items that were dropped onto the floor were nothing but pieces of cloth materials. She stepped to examine them closer before she blushed. Charlotte had told her that girls of the day didn’t wear the same thing that girls did back in t
he 1600’s. Mei picked up the small, silky material from the floor. One of them went over her breasts, and the other…

  “You should put it on, and then come out.” She heard Clayton’s voice through the door. She smiled at the connotation in his tone. She could picture his intense, but caring gaze as he waited impatiently sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “Are you sure?” That was all she could get out, but his response was silence.

  Mei smiled as she started to take off her clothes. It felt good to be stripped down. She slipped on the soft, white bra over her breasts, and stepped through the leg holes of the tiny thong. Her eyes widened as the string disappeared in her butt, and the small patch barely covering her vagina. She felt vulnerable. Looking in the mirror of the bathroom, Mei stared at herself. She wasn’t sure who it was staring back at her. The woman should look more confident, and sure of herself. She should have no doubts about her powers and abilities, or the fact that there was a man out there who seemingly loved her enough to be putting his all into seeing that she got the answers she needed.

  “Are you okay, Mei?” Clayton’s voice gently seeped through the crack in the door.

  “I’m not sure I’ve got everything on right,” she said. That was a stupid lie. It wasn’t a difficult task, and there were two pieces of material that’s all. She sighed and pushed her hair back behind her ears.

  When the door opened, Clayton once again stood by the balcony doors. His shirt was off, and he only had boxer shorts on. Mei cleared her throat.

  “Don’t you want to see?”

  “Not yet,” he said. “I want to feel you before I see you.”

  A tingling sensation flowed through her body. Her feet danced slowly across the carpet until she reached him. Her hand touched his back. He took a deep breath. Mei traced her finger down his shoulder blade and caressed the muscles of his back. Clayton reached behind him and grabbed her arms pulling her close until her chest was pressed against his back. Mei placed her chin on his shoulder and let her hands wander across his abs.

  “You feel amazing,” he said. She swallowed hard before pulling away and turning him to face her. This time she took his hands and brought them around to her butt. He gripped her flesh and pulled up until she had to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist. She smiled. He had his eyes closed the whole time. She leaned forward and brought her lips to his. His eyes opened.

  “So, that was the secret password,” she whispered. Clayton quickly unclasped her bra and let the material fall off her shoulders. Mei wanted to scream from whatever emotion she was feeling when his mouth closed over her breast. His tongue devoured her flesh causing the tingling sensation to feel like jolts of electricity throughout her body. She didn’t notice that he was moving as her back suddenly hit the bed. He was on top of her; kissing her neck and throat, caressing her nipples. The warmth of his body covered her in a way that was both comforting and drove her wild. One hand ran through his hair. The other hand gripped his arm as she felt herself getting wet.

  The door to the hotel room burst open. Mei felt her fangs come out as she went airborne and landed on her feet ready to fight. Clayton, partially jumping and partially knocked over from Mei’s jump, was able to pull out his gun from his bag with lightning speed.

  Madi hung onto Larent as they stood in the doorway. Both had wide-eyed looks and could not seem to look away from the scene that was before them. Clayton kept his gun aimed at them, but Mei stood up straight with a confused look.

  “What are you doing here?” Clayton demanded.

  Madi shook her head. “Well, not trying to see supernatural porn.” She shuffled into the room and fell onto her back on the floor. “I really hope this is the one place where you haven’t done it.”

  Larent stepped in embarrassed. “I’m sorry for barging in, but Madi insisted.” He shrugged. “Can’t really stop her because she’s a something, and I’m human.”

  “Could you guys get dressed or something?” Madi groaned.

  Clayton put down the gun and grabbed a shirt and shorts while Mei grabbed the first dress that she could.

  “You’re bleeding,” Mei said.

  “She was shot,” Larent said. “I need to get the bullet out, but I’m going to need some things to get it out.”

  He listed a few things, and Clayton assured him that he could get all of it together quickly. Madi took her shirt off and whimpered at the pain. Mei had forgotten about her blood until the smell hit her. It burned her throat. She backed up a little. Madi noticed.

  “I’m sorry,” she said apologetically. “I really didn’t know who to come to, and I’m pretty sure that we got some very nasty vampires after us.”

  “You’re a witch, aren’t you?” Mei said.

  “Yes, a witch. I’m not the all-powerful Wizard of Oz, though.”

  Mei frowned. “Who or what is that?”

  Madi nodded. She forgot that Mei was a little behind of movie references, and movies in general. “Don’t worry about it. I just have to get some things out of my apartment. It will help keeping me alive if the Dominion are after me.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Larent said. He knelt beside her. Madi leaned back and lay on her back. Clayton returned with some supplies and handed them to Larent.

  “Why don’t you start from the beginning of the story while I do this? Maybe I can catch up, too.”

  Madi gave a quick rundown of the situation that Mei and Clayton had walked into the previous night and what had happened that night to her and Larent. Mei started to realize why the girl hadn’t wanted to give her any information about the Dominion. From what Madi knew, the Dominion were vampire royalty. They were the top of the food chain. The oldest vampires who sired royalty and power, who came over from Europe when America was settled. They settled here and made claim to several areas of the United States.

  “I’m not sure what triggered having them come over to America other than maybe wanting to set up some sort of dominance here just in case other creatures decided to make the trek over here. And, yes, other vampires came to America, too, but they knew better than to try to challenge the Dominion for any territories. The Dominion aren’t like normal vampires. They are all day walkers due to the spells that the Summoners put on them long ago, they don’t have nearly as strong cravings and can last longer on little blood, and their compulsion is stronger. As royalty, they had access to the strongest witches, and they had the best slaves. They stayed out of human affairs including wars, riots, and anything else. They do live daily lives to blend in, but the only time they interfered in the human world was to get blood and if the humans tried getting into theirs.”

  “How have they escaped vampire hunters and other supernatural beings trying to come against them?” Clayton said.

  “They killed them,” Madi said. “You don’t understand how old these vampires go back. Mei here is a child compared to a lot of them. We’re talking about a line tracing back to the early fall of Rome. A line that has lasted because of its power to stay out of human affairs.”

  “This isn’t possible,” Larent said. He sat on his knees staring at the bullet in his hand. Madi looked down at the wound. She glanced at Mei.

  “You wouldn’t happen to be able to spare a little blood, would you?”

  “I can do that?” Mei asked cautiously. Madi nodded.

  “Just put it in something and hand it to one of the guys. I don’t want you to get too sick.”

  Clayton grabbed an empty plastic water bottle and gave it to Mei who sank her fangs into her wrist and let the blood drip inside.

  “How much?”

  “That’s plenty,” Madi said. “I don’t need much.” Clayton gave her the bottle, and Madi drank the few drops. Larent gasped as the bullet hole healed itself. He jumped up.

  “Okay, I’ve seen some crazy shit, but…” He looked at Clayton and Mei. “I’m sorry. I’m still trying to process this all.”

  “It’s okay,” Mei said. “I’m trying to process that I might
be a part of a royal line of vampires.”

  “You’re half vampire though,” Madi explained. “So, your mom was human, and your dad was Dominion.”

  “How did you figure that out?” Clayton asked.

  “Because genetically, your father passes on more genes than your mom. He would have passed down the vampire gene.”

  “And in all of your studies about the Dominion, you never heard about a Dominion vampire who fell in love with a human?” Mei asked.

  Madi laughed as she sat up. “Clayton, you did tell her that there had never been a vampire birth, right? Vampires aren’t born. They are sired. They are created and made. Not born.”

  Mei looked at Clayton, and he nodded. “That’s why you’re so special,” he said. He looked at Madi. “But the Dominion don’t know that she’s alive.”

  “I really don’t care. My goal is to destroy the Dominion. Of course, that was easier before my cover was blown.”

  “And how did that happen?” Clayton asked.

  “The Summoner’s line is very different,” Madi explained. “We don’t have the powers passed to us through blood.”

  “You mean, you aren’t born with it?” Mei asked. Madi nodded.

  “Remember what I said yesterday,” Clayton said. “A Summoner isn’t a witch, it’s more like a leach.”

  Madi glared at him. “Thanks,” she said sarcastically. “We are given the ability by another Summoner. When that Summoner dies, then the power that they had amassed in their lifetime is transferred over to the new Summoner. It’s not a pleasant process. And you don’t have a choice. Destiny has mapped out who and who cannot wear that mantle.”

  “And you got the mantle,” Larent said softly. He had tried to take in everything that had been going on but was still missing some key things. “So, Dr. Boyle?”

  “I found out that the Dominion control a book of supernatural history. It could also be considered a supernatural bible. It’s been hidden by the church for centuries. It was brought over by the Dominion, and from what I’ve researched, it’s here in Boston or somewhere in a surrounding area protected wherever the Dominion reside. Those who serve the Dominion are called the Fallen because instead of God, they serve the dead.”