"Powerful, isn't it?" Carl asked as he stepped through the curtain. Le Doux followed.
"It…It is so real," she said.
"Yes, they have re-created first and third class cabins along with a re-creation of the Grand Staircase. Unfortunately due to the limitations of this building, it had to be excluded from this part of the traveling exhibit. However, I have seen it personally at a previous stop on the tour and I suggest that you visit again for that experience alone," Carl said as he handed her a piece of yellow cardboard.
"Yes, the Grand Staircase was breathtaking," she said as she suppressed giggle. "What is this?"
"You will find out at the end of the hallway," Carl said.
She ignored the piece of paper as she continued to admire the re-created interior of the ship. She had to admit that the exhibit had changed her mood. She slid her fingers along the re-created walls. The furnishings were remarkable. If she didn't know better, she would have believed that she was walking along the same hallways that she had graced nearly one hundred years ago. As she approached an archway, a man, dressed in era attire, smiled.
"Good evening ma'am," he said as he tipped his beige derby, "How are you this evening?"
"I am great," she said.
"Isn't she a marvel?" he asked.
"Yes, it is just marvelous."
"Are you traveling alone?" he inquired.
She giggled disbelievingly. "What?" she asked.
The man smiled behind his round glasses. He tilted his head towards the card in her hand. She looked at the card. She nearly gasped. The card was a perfect re-creation of the tickets that had been purchased by the passengers on their voyage. It was perfect down to the typewriter font used at the time. Mikhaeli put her hand over her mouth when she saw the name on her card.
"And you are, ma'am?" the smiling man asked.
She cleared her throat and suppressed a giggle. "Mrs. Eleanor Whitner," she said.
"Oh yes, Mrs. Whitner. I do apologize. I should have recognized you. You must be very proud of your son, Harry," he said.
"Yes, he was…er…I mean is a wonderful man. He has such a fine taste in women," she said.
The actor chuckled. "I see. Well, enjoy your voyage. I hope to see you at dinner."
She curtsied. "Yes, I look forward to dinner this evening," she said as she disappeared through the archway. If my luck holds, I'll have you, like I had Harry, for dinner.
Her smile, despite her still growing hunger, remained as she continued through the exhibit. Room after room was filled with artifacts recovered from the ship. Sinks, wine bottles, and even playing cards, all in remarkable condition, filled the cases. Several times she got too close to a display and an alarm went off. One of her placed security guards emerged from behind a curtain and he silenced the alarm. She nodded to him and he nodded back. They made eye contact and she continued through the exhibit.
During the next thirty minutes, she marveled at her voyage back in time. She had been only reminiscing about her brief voyage on the ship just days ago and now she was walking amongst the ship's artifacts. She even remembered the wine bottles. They were not in the same pristine condition that she had remembered from her voyage, but they were still remarkably well-preserved. The bottles, like all the artifacts on display, had voyaged two and half miles to the ocean floor. The ship had impacted the ocean floor with such force that the bow section was deeply imbedded. The force collapsed the decks, which made it even more remarkable that any of the artifacts had survived.
She continued on her tour. The amazing display of artifacts continued to walk her through her past. Luggage, floor tiles and even a window frame from the Verandah Café dazzled before her eyes. Carl, who was extremely knowledgeable of the ship, played the role of the perfect tour guide. Their tour concluded at a wall which listed every name from the voyage and their fate. Mikhaeli was disappointed to learn that Mrs. Whitner had survived the sinking. However, she had spent the last hour on the tour and she had not seen what she considered the prized jewel of the collection: Lord Visigoth's tome.
"Carl?" she asked.
The museum employee, who had been admiring the wall of names, turned to her. "Yes, Michelle?"
"Thank you so much for the tour," she said.
He smiled. "You are quite welcome."
"However," she said as she pretended to clear her throat, "I came to see one piece in particular and I don't see it anywhere."
"And what piece would that be? Maybe we passed it earlier," he asked.
"It is the book that was recently found in a safe. It looks so fascinating!" she said excitedly.
He frowned. "We do have it, but unfortunately, it is not available for public viewing."
"But I saw it in the paper…"
He nodded. "It was put on display for the press conference."
She touched his arm and she rubbed softly. She batted her eyes. "Come on, let me see it. I promise not to hurt it."
"I cannot," he said firmly.
She grabbed his right arm and squeezed. He wailed. Her vice-like grip drove her fingernails into his flesh. Her face transformed. Her beautiful visage became demonic. She hissed.
"Fuck this nice shit," she growled. "Where is the fucking book and I promise that you will die quickly."
She squeezed harder and he screamed as he dropped to his knees. His eyes pleaded with her. His blood oozed down his arm and stained his white shirt. The actor, who had greeted Mikhaeli when she entered the exhibit, dashed into the room.
"I heard screaming," he said.
Mikhaeli snapped her head around to face their visitor. He gasped when he saw her vampire face.
"Le Doux," she called.
Within seconds, the actor was surrounded by her security team. Their demonic features stared at the frightened actor.
"GUARDS!" he called.
"We are the guards," one of the vampires growled, "Or at least what is left of them."
He screamed again as the vampires pounced on him. Mikhaeli pulled Carl's arm behind his back. Several bones snapped and he wailed again. She grabbed his head with her free hand and she held it firmly in place. The museum employee watched in horror as the vampires ripped the flesh from the actor's body. His blood sprayed around the room. Blood splashed across Carl's face as he tried to look away. Mikhaeli grew excited as she licked the blood from his face.
"You can save yourself from the same fate," she said as she whispered in his ear.
Carl vomited as the vampires continued to feed like a pack of wild animals. The actor cried as fangs and claws continued to penetrate his body. A vampire ripped the entrails from the dying actor and fed. His limbs trembled. Carl watched his right foot twitch until it came to a rest. The six blood soaked vampires stood and they turned to face their terrified captive. They licked their blood stained lips and smiled.
"Now, where is the book?" Mikhaeli hissed into his right ear.
"O…O…Office," he stammered from pain and fear.
She angrily yanked him to his feet by his broken arm. Ligaments snapped and bones splintered through his skin. He moaned and tears began to form. The bloody vampires grinned at their potential next meal. He became weak and he fell back to his knees. Mikhaeli pulled him to his feet again. He began to weep as she pulled him along. The vampires laughed until she sneered.
"Get out of my way, assholes," she demanded.
A vampire snarled at Mikhaeli. She threw Carl to the floor as she leapt at the vampire. She tackled him through a glass case. Relics from the Titanic were strewn about the room. Another vampire started to help his friend but Le Doux grabbed him by his security uniform. The vampire looked at his leader for an explanation. Le Doux shook his head. Mikhaeli slammed several fists into the stunned vampire. She punched her hand through another glass case and the alarm sounded. She grabbed a pair of ancient pliers. She grabbed the vampire by the throat and she squeezed until his mouth opened. She latched the pliers onto his fang and yanked. The vampire howled.
She smi
led and stood. She tossed the pliers onto the floor. The vampire tooth clicked along the floor. The tiny alarms from the broken cases tweeted. Le Doux disarmed the still standing broken case alarm as Mikhaeli crushed the other annoying alarm with her heel. The battered vampire stood slowly as the pain from his removed fang filled his vision. Mikhaeli grabbed a broken piece of the wooden display stand and slammed it into his chest. The vampire wailed as he began to die. The dying vampire fell forward. Mikhaeli watched him in disgust.
She looked at the other vampires. They firmly gasped Carl who had tried to flee in the confusion.
"Anyone else want to be stupid?" she asked angrily.
"No, My Queen," Le Doux stated.
"Take him to the office. I have a book to read," she ordered.
The vampires dragged their struggling captive behind their enraged queen. Carl saw the gaunt and frightened faces of the murdered security team. Their blank stares caused his stomach to churn. Their ravaged throats dripped a mixture of their blood and vampire saliva. Long red strands hung from their wounds. Bile raced up Carl's throat. The vampires stopped dragging him to allow the contents of his churning stomach to explode over the expensive museum carpet. When he had finished, they dragged him towards his office. He started to cry again when he saw the dead face of the young ticket girl. His tears streaked his face as they pulled him into his office.
Mikhaeli watched as the vampires threw him into his office chair. The chair tipped over and the battered man fell backwards. Unable to use one of his arms to brace himself, his head slammed onto the hard floor and a deep wound opened in the back of his head. Unrelenting, the vampires yanked him back to his feet and placed him in the chair. One of the vampires, who were searching the room, paused to toss a roll of duct tape to his fellow vampires. A vampire caught the tape as his partner held down the struggling museum employee. They restrained his hands and his feet to the chair. His arms and hands were held down so firmly that he could barely even flinch let alone move his arms. The two vampires stepped aside as they heard their queen's high-heels clicking on the hard floor.
"Enough," she ordered and her minions stopped ransacking the room.
Carl panted in his chair. His broken elbow had been forced back into its original position. Mikhaeli strutted towards him. His brain sent confusing signals throughout his body. Walking towards him was the most intoxicating woman that he had ever met, but she was also extremely dangerous. He didn't know whether or not to be aroused or frightened. When she smiled and she bared her fangs, he decided on frightened. However, as she approached, her beautiful and youthful appearance returned and she smiled again. He was confused.
She crawled into his lap. She purred seductively. She kissed along his neck. He panted out of fear. She rubbed his right thigh with her hand as she licked along his neck. The tip of her tongue flicked along his skin. His panting increased. He was becoming aroused but he was still terrified. She licked along to his mouth and then she kissed him passionately. She broke the kiss and caressed his face.
"I am a beautiful, am I not?" she asked.
He nodded as she rubbed his face.
"I am not used to waiting, so where are you hiding my book?" she asked sweetly.
He shook his head.
"Hrumph," she squeaked.
Before he could say another word, she slipped from his lap. She swayed away from her captive. She smiled at her minions who looked at each other and shrugged. She hummed a merry tune as she approached his office desk. The desk drawers were removed and their contents were tossed around the room. She giggled and shook her head. Fools, she thought. He wouldn't keep a relic from the Titanic in his desk drawer. However, she had enjoyed watching the carnage. She propped herself onto his desk and crossed her legs. She removed his penknife from his pen holder and she began to clean her fingernails.
"Now, I know why you didn't like me," she said as she continued to clean her long, red fingernails, "I have dirt under my fingers."
She hopped down from the desk and she approached her captive again. She continued to clean under her fingernails. The sharp blade continued to scrape away any dirt. She blew on them and smiled.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" she asked as she fanned them out for Carl to see.
"A…Absolutely," he said as he continued to pant heavily.
She smiled and then frowned. "Oh it appears that you have something underneath your nail."
He barely lifted his fingers and glanced at them. His fingernails were chipped from crawling on the floor but they didn't have any foreign matter trapped beneath them.
"Huh?" he grunted.
She crawled back into his lap. She breathed in his ear. She rubbed her hand along his right arm. Blood continued to seep from the splintered bones that protruded through his flesh. He winched in pain. She pouted. She used the penknife to slash the tape from the chair. She lifted his shattered arm and she kissed each finger. He panted from the pain.
"Does that feel better?" she asked.
"Y…Yes," he lied.
"Liar," she said as she smiled.
She slowly lifted his arm and she held his hand. His arm was limp. The pain was excruciating. She caressed his right index finger and cleaned it slowly. The blade scraped against his fingernail. Repeatedly she cleaned his fingernail. He turned his head away due to the pain in his arm.
"Something is still there, I see," she said as she held his hand out for him to view.
"I…I…I don't see anything," he admitted.
She smiled wickedly. She slammed the penknife underneath his fingernail. Carl wailed. Blood oozed from the wound. She squeezed his broken arm. Bile raced up his throat. He gagged as his body convulsed from simultaneously attempting to scream and vomit. She laughed as she slowly twisted the blade underneath his fingernail. He screamed louder. She laughed even louder.
"FUCKING STOP," he screamed as his body thrashed from the pain.
"You would like it to stop?" she asked softly as she squeezed and twisted.
"YES! YES! YES!" he screamed louder as he began to cry.
"Oooooo," she purred, "I love it when they scream. It makes me so fucking wet."
Carl continued to cry. She turned the blade again and he screamed even louder.
"STOP!!!!!" he wailed.
She flinched and pain shot up his arm. "I will stop if you tell me where my book is located.
"I…I…I…c…can't…t…"
She twisted harder and his fingernail popped from his finger. Blood streamed from the wound. He screamed again as she ripped the blade from his finger and promptly jabbed it underneath another fingernail.
"WRONG FUCKING ANSWER!"
"SAFE!!!!" he wailed.
"Find it," she ordered.
She stopped twisting and he stopped screaming. He cried. The vampires resumed ransacking the room. Two vampires exited the office to search the other rooms. Tears streamed down his face. He panted. He hung his head and cried harder. He had dedicated his life to protecting history. He knew he was going to die. Mikhaeli waited.
Le Doux found the safe in a closet. "Found it!' he called.
"Bring the tome to me," she ordered coldly.
"Locked!"
She turned her attention back to Carl. She lifted his tear soaked chin and kissed him softly. "The combination, darling," she said softly.
"F…Five," he said before his eyes rolled back into his head.
She yanked the penknife out of his finger and she slashed it across his left cheek. "NO FUCKING DYING YET!"
He snapped back to consciousness. "FIVE!"
"I KNOW THAT ONE!" she hissed as he grabbed his throat. Her fingernails bit into his skin.
"F…Forty-t…two," he gurgled, "And…twenty…"
Blood filled his mouth. Her thumb had pierced his throat. Blood poured from the wound. The scent of blood enraged her. Her anger had overtaken her. Her vampire visage returned and she plunged her fangs into his neck. She drained him completely.
She licked her lips. "That w
as fucking fun," she said as she stomped into the closet.
Le Doux was turning the dial on the safe when she entered. She pushed the kneeling vampire out of the way. He grunted in disgust.
"Know your place," she ordered as she took over from the French vampire.
"Of course, My Queen," he said as he stood and watched her.
Blood Reign Page 38