Chapter Fourteen
The week following Raymond's discovery, Vanic managed to arrange a meeting with the Magistrate. It would mean a confrontation this time, and I couldn't let him go alone. The Magistrate could, in one move, end his life, and if there were going to be hostilities, I wanted to make sure the Council understood where my loyalties laid. It wasn't with them, it never would be.
Vanic was my maker and father, he had shown me more kindness than I had ever known. I refused to stand idly by and watch him be destroyed. We discussed our options, deciding Raymond was safer staying behind with Sarah, but the young vampire wouldn't be happy being babysat instead of accompanying us into the lion's den. Neither would Sarah.
*****
“Don't know why I have to stay.” He sulked, showing his young years and the return of his human traits. He had the abilities of a vampire with the maturity of an untrained youngling. But, he would learned,. He was a survivor.
“This is the Magistrate we're going to see. A vile evilness resides in his undead soul.. If they come for us, I want to worry about as few of my family members as possible. With Sarah's link to Vanic, if you may be able to escape Chicago. You'll have a head start on the Council at any rate.” What I didn't say was that it might do little good. The idea of leaving them behind, unprotected, was a hard choice for Vanic and me. Originally, I argued for bringing them with us, and hiding them along the way, but he was right, no matter where we stashed them, if the Council sought retribution, it would do little good. Sarah was harder to deal with.
*****
“Look at it from my perspective, love. I understand Raymond's need for shelter and your need to keep us safe, but you also have to realize that if anything happens to you or Vlad, I’ll go to the Council myself.” Sarah and Vanic were in our rarely used kitchen as they quarreled about the next evening's appointment. It wasn't hard to see she was unhappy, but from the raised voices, neither was he.
“Please, just do this one thing, keep Raymond and yourself safe. Vlad and I will be fine.” He tried reassurance, finally he cursed and tugged her stubbornness into his arms. His forehead rested against hers. “Please, tell me you're okay with this. I need for you to do this for me. I can't afford to worry, and love, if you're there, worried won't begin to express how I'll be feeling.”
“I'm okay with it, but I can't walk away from you either.” She sighed. “I love you. There's only ever been you.”
“If you love me, stay safe.”
She caught her breath. “You're impossible, you know?”
“Yeah, but you still love me. And it makes everything else possible.”
They entered the room where I was still trying to convince Raymond that Sarah was his best chance to survival, undead does not mean immortal. He still sulked about being left behind, but both finally agreed, for different reasons, making the best of a bad situation. Both swore vengeance if we did not return.
In just a few days, Raymond became a bigger part of my life than I thought possible. I hoped to have served him well, taught him enough to get by should I be unable to return. It was hard to look at Raymond and not feel pride. He'd come so far in a short amount of time, and I wondered if this was a similar feeling that Vanic had for me.
*****
Together, Vanic and I returned to the Magistrates stronghold and ascended to his suites, met by the Draugen, his own contingency of golden eyed guards. Once again, we were searched and made to wait in the outer rooms that smelled of death and blood while the Magistrate prepared to greet us. The same ancient vampire entered the room.
“Vanic Tepes, to what do I owe this visit? I wish I could say it was a pleasure.” He settled upon a low white sofa that ran the length of one side of the room, choosing to ignore my presence. I can't say I was unhappy. He glanced over his pointed nails, wiping away a bit of crusted blood. When he did take in our appearances, it was as if a persistent insect had come back to bother him. He sighed and went back to examining his fingernails.
“Magistrate, I came with a request for the Council,” Vanic started. “My family needs more information to be effective in Chicago.”
“And why would you think the Council would have information to share with you?” The Magistrate's golden eyes fell upon him before he glanced idly at his fingernails once again, piercing and deadly. I wondered if he was making a point or just so bored with us, he'd rather groom his nails.
“Because the Council threw us into a position in Chicago, and immediately, it was discovered that a rogue hunted the area.” He glared at the old vampire, but there was nothing to read on his pale bloodless face.
“You think the Council has information about this rogue vampire?” He raised his hairless eyebrows, giving us a full weight of his stare, his pupils mere pinpoints.
“I think the Council knows more than they're willing to tell,” Vanic replied, “and I'd like to know why.” He pushed the ancient vampire, a dangerous proposition at best. But if we were going to police the Chicago area, the Council also needed to know we would stand on our own feet, instead of being hand fed Council misinformation.
“My, you're a bold youngster.” The Magistrate eyed Vanic with a shadow of a grin, the long fangs hung below his upper lip. A young woman was led in, she knelt before the Magistrate. “Ah, Sybil's here!” For the first time he became animated. “Would you like a feed? Sybil won't mind, I assure you.” The very young human woman cringed, lifting her wrist, and the Magistrate's hand shot out with the speed of a striking cobra, greedy with need, dragging her wrist nearer with a viciousness that made my skin crawl. She winced, pain filled her eyes. Quickly, he bent down, jerking her wrist to his face so hard we could hear a snap, and he inhaled the heady richness of her blood. With a growl, he gouged as her eyes widened, Twin trails streaked her cheeks before relaxation grabbed hold of her. With the vampiric pheromones taking root, her tears dried before they could fall. In a few moments, he lifted his head, his lips stained with the ruddy essence of her life, his face flushed with it. The young woman was visibly paler, she quivered as she knelt and her head drooped forward, scars showed on her neck. Not only was he cruel, but sloppy too, not taking the time to heal her wounds.
“Sybil, offer yourself to our guest.” She dutifully held up her other shaking wrist.
“No, thank you, Magistrate, we didn't come to feed. All we need is a few answers.” Vanic, if possible, paled at the sight of the Magistrate abusing the young woman, another homeless waif sucked into the vampire world. Her shorn blonde curls hung limp, her plump lips were fever red, her exposed flesh chalky. She was addicted to the vampire pheromones, her end would not be pretty. So many to be used and helpless to protect themselves. Promises of an undead life were made to keep the blood cows willing, until there was nothing left and they were tossed aside. Vanic didn't agree with Council practices, but unfortunately, they were the same the world over. They took what they wanted and used it up greedily, just like they proposed to use our family.
The Magistrate snapped his fingers, and the Draugen returned, lifting Sybil and starting away. But she screamed, lashing out with her fingernails, and clung to the Magistrate's robes. He turned his now red-rimmed golden eyes to his guards in disgust and motioned for her removal as she sobbed. It sickened me, the girl would perish from her addiction.
His eyes bore into Vanic. “Ask your questions then.” His voice was deadened and when his eyes fell upon Vanic this time, it was with the dead cold stare of a killer.
But he would not be deterred. “The rogue was easily ferreted out, Vlad discovered him in a single evening, nothing more than a boy.” He moved between the Magistrate and me, trying and failing to keep the old vampire's attention on himself. As the Magistrate shifted, his gazed pinned me to the white carpeting.
“Did you dispose of the rogue?” The Magistrate turned his boneless neck. His eyes pierced mine, and it became impossible to look away or to glance at Vanic. His rage leaked throughout the room tingling over my flesh.
“No, Magistrate, I didn't deem it necessary to end him.” With his eyes on me, I paused. “He was a youngling without training. He lived the only way he could.” The Magistrate's piercing glare never left my eyes, and I didn't dare to allow mine to leave his. A sickening feeling began in the hollow core of my being. This old bastard knew much more than he was telling about why our family was forced to Chicago, forced into leadership.
“Was it your decision to make?” He stood with an easy grace and blurred to meet me, face to face. The foul scent of decay permeated the air around him, he lived off the lives of others for too long, he killed as he liked, death clung to him like the stink of rotted flesh. A feeling of cold steel stole through my blood. If he meant to take my life, I would take a piece of him with me. He would recover, but it would be a slow and painful process.
“I felt it was my duty to discover what was happening. Killing the boy would only leave me with more questions unanswered.” I spoke with that feeling of icy deadness bleeding into my words, causing a hard, cold, determined state of being. Come on, you old bastard, you murderous son of a bitch, have a taste of me. Try me, my beast bellowed.
“Mr. Tepes, perhaps you did not understand me? Was... it... your... decision... to... make?” He spoke with a deadly deliberate tone, almost a whisper which clawed in my ears. The touch of his voice raised the short hairs along my arms. But my beast liked it. Confrontation, destruction, that's what it liked best, ready to leap into any fight.
“No, it wasn't my decision to make, Magistrate.” On my admission, his hand shot out, wrapping around my throat. My feet scraped on the ground and I hung above his head. My beast groaned, ready for the battle. He squeezed with the unknown power of the ancients as he stared up into my eyes. Small popping sounds wrenched from my throat. He wouldn't be able to kill me if he broke my neck, but it was going to hurt like hell to heal. Now, if he ripped my head off altogether, that was a different story.
My beast rolled within me, it roared in my ears, it would be fun to kill the old bastard. My beast might succeed, or maybe not, but what the hell, you only die twice. I growled deep in my throat, even as his grip grew tighter. My fingers itched, it was all I could do to pull the beast back, claws wanted to burst from my fingertips, but if Vanic and I planned to walk out of here alive, so to speak, it couldn't come out to play. Not yet.
“My, you're an eager beaver, Vlad Tepes. Why, we should’ve just killed you.” He grinned with his sharp pointy teeth. Death stared at me, but it wasn't the first time, and if the Gods were willing, it wouldn't be the last. The small bones of my neck popped a little more. He wanted to pulverize those small bones, I could see it in his eyes, but my beast was ready to spring. Please, it begged me, it longed to dance, and the Magistrate looked like a good partner.
With so much of his attention tuned to me, Vanic hurried to the Magistrate's side. “Magistrate, Vlad has my utmost confidence, I stand by his decision. We've welcomed the young vampire into our home. We've prevented him from continuing his rogue behavior. This is not Vlad's fault. If fault needs to be placed, it should be with the untamed maker.” His face showed his agony as the Magistrate's grip squeezed tighter, as my feet dangled above the floor, and I felt the muscles begin to burn, finally to tear. Unintentionally, my claws slipped into place as my beast prepared to defend itself, self-preservation taking hold. Vanic's consciousness touched mine, commanding patience, and trust.
There wasn't any way to beg the Magistrate for my life and I wouldn't if given the choice. Though it wouldn't be my decision to die, but if I had to, this was as good a time as any. I could feel my muscles mending, tearing, and mending again. My beast saw red, glorious red; rich, thick, blood red, coating my hands, my clothing, the floor. It was ready to burst out of my flesh. I concentrated, closing my eyes, and the beast reigned back, soothed even as it wanted to howl. I waited for death to claim me. When the Magistrate's grip loosened, unwrapping from my swollen throat, my feet touched the floor again.
His eyes glittered hard as diamonds as his gaze bore into mine. “Your maker saved your life this time, young one, there won't be a second.” My eyes burned, my breathing became harsh with the desire to cleave his head from his shoulders. If there should come a time when the Earth could be relieved of his antiquated presence, I would take it. It was a horrible promised held deep in the black recesses of my eyes, in the heart of them, where crimson coals burned. The bastard needed to die, his time had come.
My fingers soothed the burn and fresh pain blossomed as the soft tissues knitted, the small bones popped and healed. My crushed voice box heated like fire as it repaired itself and I found the ability to speak once again.
“My apologies, sir, I meant no disrespect.” My voice croaked, not sounding like my own, and I bit back the response I truly wanted to make, a promise of his death yet to come. Vanic grabbed a hold of my arm, first restraining me and then supporting me as my strength evaporated with the effort to repair my body. The old evil vampire stood in front of me, eyes sparkling with his macabre humor.
His grin widened, happy with my compliance. “None taken, young Vlad, you may learn yet.” His gaze swept to Vanic. “What are your plans in regards for the one now in your care? Am I to understand, you're taking responsibility for his future behavior?” The Magistrate continued back to the white sofa, sinking into the soft cushions with the same graceful bonelessness with which he stood. He inspected his ugly fingernails, and tisked at the one damaged from his temper.
“Yes, Magistrate, the boy remains with our family until it's determined he's at least no longer unsafe. Our community will not be exposed, our secret safe. You have my personal assurance.” He bowed his head to the ancient vampire. The power of the Council acknowledged, at least for now.
“Make sure of it or it won't only be this whelp that suffers.” The Magistrate nodded back to him, not so much as respectful, but as a promise to fulfill his threat.
“Now,” Vanic responded, “since the Council clearly knew of the rogue, what can you tell me about my perceptions that my master Loupgarin is his reckless maker?” He waited for the Magistrate's response while we exchange glances. The Council knew of Loupgarin's whereabouts, probably, and just as likely, the Magistrate wouldn't share.
“Why, Lord Tepes, what gives you the impression that the Council has the information you request?” He gave his deadened stare, unreadable and lethal.
“Are you saying the Council is unable to track or is unknowledgeable of this one vampire's presence? An ancient one at that?” He raised his eyebrows, his eyes showed his disbelief.
The Council had insisted on knowing the whereabouts of our every move, but had no knowledge of the one vampire sworn to kill Vanic? Who was extremely powerful? Who called the wolf as his beast? It seemed rather unlikely, even to a young whelp such as me. The Council would never let such a powerful being slip by unnoticed. More was going on than the Magistrate wanted to share, politics playing into our fate.
“Lord Tepes, as maddening as it may be for you to believe, the Council has been known to misplace a vampire or two.” The Magistrate used his old name, and again examined his hands, folding them neatly into his lap. “Or are you suggesting the Council decided to let this one vampire roam free, randomly killing and turning younglings, only to leave them unattended? A fool's mistake to make.” His eyes lessened to a red tint surrounding the gold, the draw of old power filled the room as he used his bloodlust, goading Vanic to say more.
“Neither is my suggestion, sir,” he replied, “but it hardly seems likely that a vampire of Loupgarin's antiquity would go unnoticed.” The sarcasm dripped from his words and bled through the room.
The Magistrate chuckled. “It would hardly go unnoticed, that is correct, but the Council doesn't have the ability to solve your problems for you, and this is your problem. I will allow we believe he may have followed you to the Americas. We suggest you find your old master and tend to the problem, we won't ask again. Nor will you have the opportunity to explain your
selves twice.” Then he made a dismissive gesture, but before the guards could be called, Vanic staunchly confronted him.
“Magistrate, do I understand you correctly that Loupgarin has gone rogue? You and the Council expect the Tepes family to take care of the problem?” Incredulousness now filled his voice, the answer was already known. Loupgarin was involved with the Council, somehow, someway. The Council had either grown too weary to control him or schemed to bring death to the Tepes family. Anything was possible with the Vampire Hierarchy.
It was now that all the pieces started to fall into place. Loupgarin was here, but the question was, would he make a direct attack or continue to amass dead bodies in an attempt to force Vanic's hand? Would the Council truly allow Vanic to kill a vampire of Loupgarin's antiquity? Again, with the old vampire's resources, it seemed unlikely.
“You have assumed correct, Lord Tepes. It was by your actions your maker lost what was left of his sanity, his reasoning abilities. The Valerian you used to escape him corrupted his mind, depraved his actions.” The Magistrate looked him in the eyes with the lie. “We will not take care of the problem you created all those years ago. It is your responsibility. If you fail, unfortunate consequences will befall you and your family. Do I make myself clear?” The Magistrate glanced back and forth between us.
“Crystal, Magistrate, it will be taken care of.” He bowed again and the guards were called to escort us away.
*****
We returned to our apartments with a renewed purpose. The Magistrate revelations were as we assumed, but with the Council, deviousness was the rule. Loupgarin was rogue, insane most likely, and they had no idea of his location. Quite unusual circumstances to find themselves in. It also explained their demand for the Tepes family to take control of the Chicago and the immediacy of their need. Loupgarin required a solution only Vanic could provide as one of his last surviving children.
Vlad Tepes, the Vigilante Vampire Page 10