by Zara Novak
“We have to save her…” Edmund said mutely. “…we have to.”
“And we will.” Rubago looked into the distance as she communicated with her sister beyond the grave.
“There is one way to save Ruth.” Rubago said. “There is another gateway to the east of here. Troubles rises there. A great family needs our help. A dynasty that has fallen into trouble. Two Houses, locked in struggle. Belmont & York. They need our help.” Rubago rose to her feet, bringing Edmund with her. She turned to Kat and Ansel. “They need all of our help. If we lend our hands, destiny may smile on us.”
“But Ruth…” Kat said.
“She’s a smart girl, and from I’ve seen she has a wicked edge.” Rubago looked at Kat with a sharp and knowing smile. “I wouldn’t be too worried for her. I would be more concerned for Igo Kasper. He will strongly regret taking Ruth Summers as a prisoner.”
A small laugh came from Edmund behind her. Everyone looked at him, renewed that his spirit seemed to have lifted slightly. “That sounds like Ruth alright.” Edmund looked up at Kat. “I’ve only known your sister a few days Kat, but if she gives him any of the hell she gave me, she’ll be alright.”
Kat smiled. “She’ll be alright. But I won’t rest until we get her back.”
“Neither will I.” Edmund said fiercely. “You have my word on that.” Edmund stood and turned to Rubago. “These vampire families in the east of this country… if we help them out, will it help us save Ruth?”
“There are no guarantees in this life.” Rubago said. “But from what Azu has told me, it is our strongest chance.”
“What is this trouble?” Ansel asked. “Why do we need to help these families?”
Rubago’s face grew serious. “There is a much bigger story at hand, and we all play a small part in it’s telling. There are great powers in this world that seek to destroy all vampires for good. If we do not help now… this could mean the end for your kind in it’s entirety.”
Edmund stared at Rubago in shock. “You must be mistaken, we are just ordinary vampires, we play no part in a story like that.”
Rubago smiled. “There is no such thing as ordinary in this world Mr. Volks. The destinies of each person in this room are entwined in a much larger story. You may not be able to see the golden threads of fate. But I can. They lead us there. It is up to all of you now if you want to follow them.”
Kat turned to Ansel and looked her lover in the eyes. “What do you say? Are you in this with us? Will you help get Ruth back?”
“Ruth is your sister.” Ansel said boldly. “If she’s your family, then she’s my family.” Ansel turned to Edmund. “If we have to take a journey to the Red Keep, I’ll be the first one on that ride. You all know me, the only thing I want more is to disband those crooks. Now I’ve just got another reason to pay them a visit.”
“Then it’s agreed.” Rubago said, facing the group. “We will journey to the dynasties in the east of this country and help them in their time of need. To help the family Belmont, to help the family York…”
Rubago paused. “…to save the vampires.”
Edmund stepped forward. “To save Ruth.”
Ansel looked up. “To destroy the Red Circle.”
Kat took a deep breath and looked at the place where her sister had last been standing. “To free the Vampire’s Prisoner.”
Epilogue
Two days later, the group had returned back to Ansel’s stone house on the side of the hill overlooking Dead Rest. Rubago had opted to come with them. In another two days time they would be making their journey to help assist the families in the east that were in need of their help.
They were sat around the fire one night, discussing their plans going forward when a strange revelation was made.
“We will travel by train.” Rubago said. “There is a track that will take us through the mountains to a point that is fairly close to the Belmont family castle.”
“This Belmont family.” Ansel said, brushing his hand over Kat’s thigh as they sat in a chair together. “Who are they? Can you tell me more about them?”
“Do you know much about the vampire dynasties in this country Ansel Draco?” Rubago asked, taking a small sip of wine as she sat in her chair by the fire.
Ansel shook his head. “No. Apart from being a vampire for only a year, my coven didn’t teach me much of our world. When it came time for me to learn such things, the Circle ordered my death and my coven confined me in the dungeons.”
Rubago nodded, seeming to understand. “Vampire have been around for a long time. At least ten thousand years. Witches like myself, we are assigned to protect the vampire species, help keep them secret and help them from destroying each other. There are several vampire dynasties in this country, old and powerful families that have existed for thousands of years. The Belmont family are one of these families, and they are perhaps the most powerful…”
“An elite class of vampires?” Ansel ground his teeth. “I don’t suppose you know if they have any connections with the Red Circle?”
Rubago shook her head. “That is something you must discover for yourself, if such matters are what concern you. It might be more important that for now, we put our differences aside and focus on the greater issue at hand.”
“And what is that?” Kat said. “So far you’ve only told us that the fate of all vampires might be called into question. What is happening exactly?”
“I can’t tell you everything because even I myself do not know the full picture, but I do know this much…”
Pulling herself out of the chair, Rubago stood and looked into the fire while taking a sip from her glass. Without turning back to look at them. She spoke.
“There are prophecies that exist in this world. There are many of them. Some of them come to pass, some of them don’t. There is a library of prophecy, hidden in a world that is only accessible to witches. Amongst those grand and infinite hallways there is one prophecy that is most concerning, and it seems as if it may be coming to pass…”
“What is it?” Kat said, nearly sat on the edge of her seat.
Rubago turned back to face them, the glow of the fire flickering over her face. “All vampires are sterile.” She said. “But there are rare humans out there that exist, called Breeders, these Breeders have the rare ability to mate with vampires and produce off spring.”
“I thought that was just a myth.” Ansel said, stirring in his seat slightly.
Rubago shook her head once more. “No. It is not myth… breeders are discovered every now and then. Maybe one in a thousand years. They exist, but they are rare.
“The prophecy dictates that three will come to be found in very quick succession. Three sisters that were separated at birth long ago. We have reason to believe that the first of these three breeders was found recently.”
Kat and Ansel both sat forward.
“What happened?” Ansel asked.
“The family Belmont. The very family that we have been called to assist. The Prince of their family, a very powerful vampire by the name of Eric Belmont - he recently had children with a human woman named Claire. We believe Claire is the first of these three sisters.”
“And what of the prophecy? What does this have to do with us?” Kat asked.
“There are two more out there who are waiting to be found.” Rubago said. “We do not know who they are, or where they are. All we know is this.”
She stepped forward from the fire, setting her glass down onto the table.
“The prophecy of the three will either bring about a resurgent of the vampire kind, or bring it’s end completely. If the three sisters are found, and bring children into this world of vampire lineage, it will signal a new dawn for the vampire.”
“And if they aren’t found?” Ansel asked.
“It could mean the end of the vampire forever. Unfortunately for us… there are groups out there that are doing everything in their power to try and obstruct the prophecy. By doing so, they hope to destroy the
vampires. I have seen the golden lines of your destiny… Ansel, Kat, Edmund and Ruth. Each of you is required to help save the fate of the vampire kind. Without you, the prophecy will fail and darkness will win.”
They both sat for a moment in quiet, dumb founded.
“I’m not sure if believe in prophecy.” Ansel said. “But if helping these families means we can help get Ruth back. I’m all for it.”
“I agree.” Kat said. “I just hope Ruth is okay.”
A moment later, the sound of heavy footsteps hollowed down the stone staircase, and Edmund ran into the living room.
“Edmund.” Ansel raised an eyebrow. “Have you been sleeping again? You are curiously prone to slumber for a vampire…”
Edmund’s face was white as chalk, whiter than usual.
“Is everything okay Edmund?” Kat said leaning forward. “You look as if you’ve had a nightmare.”
Shaking his head slowly, Edmund stepped forward in half daze to join Rubago by the fire.
“Not a nightmare,” He said, “I’ve been dreaming.”
Rubago raised an eyebrow at this.
“Dreaming?” Ansel rolled his eyes. “Vampires don’t dream Edmund.”
“I have been dreaming.” Edmund said shortly, staring daggers into Ansel’s eyes.
Edmund had kept to himself the last few days, and since they had returned to stay at Ansel’s house briefly, he had spent most of the time locked in his room, confined on his own. He turned to Rubago.
“When we first got back here, I fell asleep the first night. That night something strange happened. I had a dream… it’s the first I’ve had since I’ve been a vampire.”
“Curious,” Rubago mused. “I’ve never heard of vampires having dreams before. What was in this dream?”
“I was there, I was at the Red Keep. I was with Ruth. I saw Igo bring her through the gateway on the other side, I saw him drag her into a cell in his personal chambers.”
Rubago gasped. “You saw the Red Keep? Could it be…” She trailed off, allowing Edmund to finish his story.
“Every night I’ve gone to sleep, and I’ve been having these visions of Ruth. They’re not ordinary visions however. They feel real. They feel as if I’m there. I tried to reach out and touch her last night, I tried to talk to her. I think she knows I’m there, but she can’t see me or hear me.”
“And what is she doing in these dreams?” Rubago asked. “Does she look okay?”
“Well that’s just it. For the first few nights, she was just confined in this cell. They brought her blood every so often, but she seemed okay. Last night I saw Igo come to her cell… he was threatening to do bad things. He set upon her and I felt my blood boil, but then something amazing happened. She kicked him in the face! She escaped from the cell and then she started running… the dream faded away at that point and I came down here.”
“You believe these aren’t dreams at all.” Rubago said. “You believe they are visions. That is what you came down here to ask me.”
Edmund nodded quickly, staring into the witches eyes with intensity as he craved an answer.
Kat sat forward. “Is is true Rubago? Are these more than dreams? Is there a chance that my sister is okay?”
The witch looked from Kat back to Edmund and raised a hand to his forehead. She closed her eyes for a moment. A second later a flash burst between her fingers and Edmund’s head, and Rubago pulled back. She stared at Edmund wide eyed, her mouth hanging open.
“It seems you are correct Edmund.” She said. “You must have formed a telepathic bridge with Ruth when she was taken. Such things can occur in times of great emotional stress.”
“So his visions are real?!” Kat jumped out of her seat, a smile on her face. “She’s okay, she’s escaped!?”
“There is no escaping the Red Keep child.” Rubago said gravely. “The only way back is through the gateways.”
Kat head sank in disappointment.
“The news you have brought us is encouraging however Edmund.” Rubago said. “The Red Keep is a sprawling labyrinth of stone and shadow. If Ruth can find a way to survive and hide… she might be okay.”
“She’s a fighter.” Edmund laughed to himself. “I knew she’d give those bastards hell.”
“Did she look okay Edmund?” Kat asked. “Was she hurt?”
“Not hurt.” Edmund shook his head. “But that sick fuck Igo was going to hurt her, I could see it in his eyes. He enjoys it… he’s sadistic.”
“She’s managed to escape his grasp though.” Ansel said. “That’s promising right?”
“It’s encouraging.” Rubago said. “It proves to us that she is safe, for now at least.” She turned to Edmund. “It’s important that you carry on forming this telepathic bridge with Ruth. Your link will only get stronger with time.”
A smile of encouragement flickered over Edmund’s face. Rubago continued.
“It’s very possible that Ruth will have these visions in her sleep too. It’s very possible that she is watching us now…”
Everyone in the room apart from Rubago seemed to look up at the ceiling at this comment, as if Ruth would be looking down on them from there.
Edmund took a deep breath and clenched his fists. “In that case… I want you to know this Ruth. I’m watching you, and I want you to know that I’m coming for you.” He glanced back at Ansel and Kat. “We all are. We’re going to save you. Keep running, keep hiding, keep fighting…”
Edmund stared into the yellow flames of the fire. The dancing tongues of flame reflected in his blood red eyes.
“I’m going to save you, and I won’t stop until I have you in my arms.”
Thanks for Reading
I really like writing about vampires, and I’m extremely grateful for the great reception that Tales of Vampires 1 had. I hope you enjoyed this book, I’m excited to announce the next one will be on it’s way very soon.
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