Heavenly Blood (Roseville Vampires, #2)

by Brighton Hill

  Beside that was a dining area with one long wooden table. It was dressed in a red velvet cloth with a large lace doily and drip candles in the center. She noticed a dagger stuck through a cockroach into the table. King style wooden chairs lined the sides.

  The almost endless living room was next, extending across the entire length. It displayed old sofas draped in white gauzy fabric. Before the couches sat one long coffee table with numerous candles of varying sizes. Off to the side, rested an old fashioned sewing machine on a thin table against a wallpapered wall with crown moldings. Headless mannequins stood beside it clad in torn wedding dresses.

  But above the fireplace with its last sparks waning out in the blackened wood, was an array of skulls from humans to animals. And before that, on the floor, lay a fur rug with the stuffed bear head still attached. But all that wasn’t as startling as the dead naked girl with bite marks in her neck who lay atop the rug with a whisky bottle at her side.

  “Come on,” Zeta said, snapping her fingers at Violet. “Stupid Dirts didn’t clean up.”

  Her cheeks flushed as she jogged to catch up to the girls who were leaning on the wooden rail of the stairway watching her.

  “Like the house?” Camila asked, snickering.

  Violet didn’t answer for she assumed she was messing with her. “What did you think of it the first time you saw it?” Her voice was steady for fear of revealing how horrified she actually was.

  The others giggled quietly, some covering their mouths like they didn’t want to make noise. “Camila fainted,” Alexa said raising an eye brow.

  Violet’s lips turned up into the slightest smile as she nodded lightly. But instead of laughing, she felt an ache in her chest as she gulped.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Su-Jin said, looping her arm through hers as she led her the rest of the way up the stairs.

  As they were walking down a long hall, she thought she heard faint crying in the distance. “Here’s our quarters,” Destiny said as she turned the door handle. Violet was watching her carefully to make sure she didn’t stab her with another needle or something worse. They walked into the bedroom.

  “What was that sound?” she whispered as Zeta shut the door behind them and pressed on the lights.

  Before she could answer, Violet’s eyes widened as she looked at the six black satin recliner beds set up in a row and the high beam ceilings. So many beautifully crafted mannequins clad in sexy nightclub attire of the finest qualities were arranged around the room like they were attending a party for movie stars. Off to the side, impressive display cases like what you’d see at a fine jewelry store like Tiffany’s showed off some of the most remarkable necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. Beside that was a long black vanity table with designer makeup and perfumes of every type. Violet wondered why they had so many exquisite clothes and adornments—whenever she saw them they were dressed in cheaper, plainer attire like jeans, tank tops, or mini-skirts.

  “That whimpering you were asking about is Madame Viparado,” Su-Jin whispered. “She cries every morning as the sun rises. Rumor has it that she has a broken heart.”

  “But, don’t say such a thing to Lord Viparado or he’ll kill you,” Zeta warned.

  Violet’s eyebrows furrowed. Hopefully, she was joking about the murdering thing, she thought. But the way Zeta’s lips tightened, she got the impression she was being quite literal.

  Her chest tightened at the thought of a broken heart. She could imagine feeling that sad if she never saw Radley again. He couldn’t have meant what he said. Wasn’t it possible that he just didn’t want to put her in danger another time? If they were caught together, they could get into big trouble. Maybe he was just protecting her. If that was the case, she had to convince him otherwise. She felt like she would die without him.

  The early morning light was coming through the windows now. “Stay away from the beams,” Su-Jin warned Violet. She was relaxing on her recliner bed now playing a game on her iPad, while the other girls, aside from Alexa, were showering and getting ready for the school day in their multiple adjoining bathrooms. “The sunlight won’t permanently damage you…” Su-Jin continued, “…but as long as you’re in it, your skin will wrinkle like an old woman’s.”

  Violet thought about the first time she met Drew at Roseville High and how she had all her hair in her face. At the time, Violet couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. She looked like a shaggy lion. But now it made sense. Drew must have been covering her face so to not expose her wrinkles from the sunlight. Shortly thereafter, Violet saw her in the school office with her hair in its proper place and her face was as beautiful and smooth as a porcelain doll’s. That must have been because she was not exposed to the outdoor rays of light anymore.

  Alexa walked over to the window and drew the curtains closed. For a moment when her skin hit the sunlight, sure enough, she looked hideous, with such sagging creases and folds. But it didn’t seem to hurt her. And once the curtains were closed, her skin smoothed and she looked as youthful and gorgeous as ever.

  “Take the bed next to me,” Su-Jin said to Violet as she motioned her over. “Soon the morning chores start.”

  “What do you mean?” She looked first to Su-Jin and then to Alexa who was standing before a full length swivel mirror trying to pierce another hole in her upper earlobe with a needle.

  “Before school house cleaning.” Su-Jin responded not looking up from her game.

  Uncomfortably, Violet sat down on the edge of the plush mattress. Her mind was racing with thoughts as she watched a trickle of blood slide down Alexa’s neck.

  “Let me do that,” Violet said as she walked over to the girl.

  “You know how to pierce an ear?” Alexa chuckled as she shagged her strawberry blonde hair with her hand.

  “Sure do.” Violet was looking at the display cases of jewelry. “What earing do you want to put in?”

  Alexa opened one of the cases and took out a diamond stud. “This,” she said handing it to her.

  Violet took it from her. “Now just hold still so I can get it in.”

  Her eyes widened. “What are you going to do?”

  “Just don’t move.” She took the edge of her ear in her fingers and stretched the skin. Before, Alexa could complain, she pushed the platinum stem straight through the skin to the other side.”

  Alexa flinched at the quick penetration. “Did you get it through?”

  “Sure did,” Violet responded, stepping back.

  Her eyes narrowed as she turned to the mirror to take a look, touching it with her fingers. “Damn, you are good. I hardly felt a thing.”

  Violet nodded and lied down on her bed and closed her eyes. As relaxed as she pretended to be, her insides were actually feeling all twisted up. She felt on edge with these girls and wasn’t sure if they could be trusted. They acted like now that they were sisters, they were all in it together, but Violet needed more time to see if that was true.

  And anyway, what kind of vampires were the Viparados and their newbie gangs? Drew explained to her that the gangs under Lord Dyson’s rule mostly drank the blood of animals rather than human’s. There were times that newbies lost control, but that wasn’t the intended practice.

  After seeing the dead girl on the floor downstairs and the human carcasses hanging in the kitchen, she could only assume she was now a member of an entirely different sort of coven. She didn’t want to kill human beings. Only days ago she was one. Her father was human and even her lost mother. If only there was a way to leave this gang. What could happen to her if she just walked out?

  From the way Radley acted, it didn’t seem like that was possible. Surely, if it was he would have helped her to leave. Lord Dyson was a scary guy. It wouldn’t be easy to walk out on him. From what she heard, Lord Viparado was worse. Would he kill her or torture her if she tried to escape? She wanted to ask the girls about him and their ways in the coven, but she was afraid. It seemed best to keep her mouth shut and watch for a while before s
he did something she might regret.

  Suddenly, an alarm rang. Su-Jin jumped out of bed and the others all rushed over. “Get in line,” Zeta said looking across the room back at Violet.

  But before she could even get out of bed, a tall man with sinister eyes and blond hair walked into the room. He looked to be in his early thirties and he held a long whip in his hands.

  Chapter Six

  “What’s this?” Lord Viparado asked suddenly. His voice was sharp and his grey eyes turned fiery as he pointed at Violet.

  The other girls stood perfectly straight in a line like they were standing at attention for military call. “Violet, sir,” they all said at once, yelling out the word sir.

  Keeping his eyes on her, he walked around the lineup and continued to the row of beds. At once, with great strength, he pulled Violet by the arm onto the floor. And before she could even figure out what was happening, he started whipping her across her back.

  It hurt so much. She bit down on her lip so hard that it started to bleed. He must have hit her six times.

  “Every morning stand in line or you’ll be punished,” Lord Viparado said. With that, he walked out of the room.

  “You better hurry into line,” Su-Jin called over to Violet who was attempting to hold back the whimpers trying to push their way out of her throat.

  Even though she was in terrible pain and the back of her dress was torn from the whippings, she rushed over and took a place at the end of the row of girls.

  Madame Viparado walked in with a stern expression on her flushed face. Her eyes appeared bloodshot. “Cut up the bodies and jar the pieces with vinegar. I expect you to return home by four-thirty for chores.” Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heal and left the bedroom.

  Violet heard a young man screaming and crying through the wall from an adjacent room. Her heart was pounding fast against her chest. The sounds were blood curdling.

  As the girls started to head out of the bedroom, Su-Jin and Alexa walked over to Violet. “That’s Eric,” Su-Jin said, her eyes filled with tears. She held her throat. Her face was so pale that Violet wondered if she was going to faint. “He was probably the one who didn’t skin the girl last night and hoist her up with the other bodies.”

  Violet nodded and wiped her own tears and blood from her lip that had smeared on her face during the whippings. She wondered what was going through Su-Jin’s mind to make her so upset. Was she close with the boy who was being beaten?

  Alexa stepped behind her and examined Violet’s wounds. “They’re not bad. They’ll scab over and heal in no time. I would have warned you about Lord Viparado, but it wouldn’t have helped. He would have found any reason whatsoever to beat you. He whips everyone upon joining. A way to show his dominance. It could have been a whole lot worse. You got off easy this time.”

  Violet nodded and walked with Su-Jin and Alexa down the stairs. They caught up with the others before stepping into the kitchen. Violet looked across the huge room over to the bear rug before the fireplace. Zeta lifted the naked girl’s arms while Destiny lifted her legs as they carried her to the kitchen.

  “One, two, three,” Destiny called as they swung the body back and forth to get momentum before dumping her on one of the long counters. The dead girl’s eyes were a warm brown color as she stared vacantly up at them. Her body was already stinking.

  A tear rolled down Violet’s cheek as her stomach knotted; she wondered if the girl had any siblings or parents who would miss her. She actually looked like a very nice person. Her face reminded Violet of a babysitter she had as a child.

  “Stop thinking about the bitch and pay attention,” Camila called out to Violet from across the kitchen while she and Su-Jin took down one of the hoisted up carcasses that dangled from the supporting ceiling racks. Su-Jin was waiting at the counter with three chopping knives.

  Violet looked away and held her throat. “Get two scalpels from the holder for skinning,” Zeta told Violet.

  She did as told and handed the blades to them. But Violet’s nausea overtook her as they started cutting into the flesh. She threw up right there on the floor.

  They laughed. “Better get used to it or the beatings will turn to needles in the stomach or worse,” Destiny whispered.

  “Pay close attention because this is your only day of in-house training,” Zeta explained. “Next time you’ll have to join in with us.”

  Violet tried to watch as she wiped up the red colored vomit with paper towels, apparently a mix of bile and blood from the possum she drank the night before. She felt so queasy. Her eyes kept rolling back in her head and her knees wobbled making her feel like she might pass out. “I don’t think I can do this,” Violet murmured.

  “Better get used to it,” Destiny said. “Or you’ll find yourself being the one skinned. And it hurts a whole lot worse when you’re still alive.”

  “Where are the Dirts?” she managed to ask.

  Zeta licked her lips. “Would you like to check on them?” she said sarcastically.

  “Uh, no,” Violet retorted in a wry tone.”

  “Never mind,” Destiny said. “They are in the dungeons cleaning up.”

  With that in mind, she couldn’t help but wonder what was in the dungeons. Were their prisoners down there? But she feared she had already asked too much.

  After the Fatals were finished jarring and pickling the body parts, they packed them up into boxes for Lord Viparado to ship out. He made a lot of money from the delicacies. Ogres loved pickled pieces and paid generously to satisfy their cravings.

  Violet shuddered. Only days ago she didn’t know vampires existed and now she was learning that ogres were real too. She couldn’t help but wonder what else was out there lurking around in society.

  “Time for school,” Su-Jin snapped her fingers, trying to pull Violet out of her day dream as she stood over the boxes staring at nothing.

  She shook her head for a moment. “Oh.” Her eyes cast down at her clothing with the rips in the back. “I’m not dressed properly.”

  “No need to fret,” Su-Jin ran her fingers through her long black hair. “As you must have noticed, there are more outfits upstairs than you could ever possibly want—one of the benefits of being a Viparado.” She smiled faintly and then motioned her to follow her back up the stairs.

  Violet thought they might spend a little while trying on clothes, maybe even play around with the makeup, but Su-Jin was quick. Once they got into the bedroom, she grabbed some things from a dresser drawer and tossed them to Violet without asking her if she even liked her choice of attire.

  The clothing was considerably sexier than Violet’s former prairie skirts and high neck blouses she usually wore before becoming a vampire. She slipped into the black tight pants and black halter top. The crisscrosses on the top and along the sides of the pants showed way too much skin in Violet’s opinion, but she didn’t say anything.

  “Surprised how well they fit?” Su-Jin asked as she eyed her up and down.

  “A little tight,” she whispered absent mindedly. Her thoughts were now focused on what might be in store for her at Wicked Valley High. That school couldn’t be much fun. She heard it was some sort of reform school for problem teenagers, the last stop before prison sentencing.

  “You look hot.” She smiled, but her brown eyes looked worried. “Madame Dyson keeps the wardrobes stocked in many sizes. It makes me wonder why…” Su-Jin’s voice trailed off. “Considering the Fatals are all newbies and haven’t been a part of the coven for all that long, I can’t help but think there must have been other groups here before us.”

  With that in mind, Violet’s body tensed. A part of her was afraid Lord Viparado might hear her speculating and punish her somehow. “I don’t know—maybe,” she whispered. “How long have you been a vampire?”

  To Violet’s surprise, Su-Jin blushed. “I’m new too. I met Eric at a club in Beverly Hills. I had no idea who the Dirts were and I didn’t even believe that vampires were real. Eric an
d I had an instant connection. He was so good looking with his blue eyes, chiseled features, and nearly shaved head except for the blond short out growth. We started seeing each other regularly. Every weekend he’d come stay with me.”

  “Where were your parents?” Violet asked.

  “My mother is dead and my dad is in the film industry and hardly ever home. He didn’t mind if I had guys over anyway.”

  “Sounds kind of like my life except for the guy thing. My dad was over protective in that way.” She sighed as she scratched the back of her neck thinking back.

  “So anyway,” Su-Jin continued as she sat down on the edge of her recliner bed. “Eric and I got closer and eventually, I figured out what he was. He denied it. I begged him to turn me, but he wouldn’t even consider it. So I went behind his back and got Zeta to do it.”