Heavenly Blood (Roseville Vampires, #2)

by Brighton Hill

  When midday break came, Violet found her way to the lounge area. She had a short break before her last three classes: clothing design, jewelry craftsmanship, and combat. The lounge was a big room on the third floor of the high school with lots of plush sofas, chaise lounges, pool tables, hockey tables, and video game machines. Su-Jin met her at the entrance and led her to a corner of the room where the Fatals hung out until classes resumed.

  Zeta, Destiny, and Camila were shooting pool with the Dirts before the sofa where Su-Jin and Alexa were relaxing and snacking on rose nectar. Observing the boys, Violet was surprised to see that Eric’s face seemed perfectly healed now. He was joking around with the guy with sad eyes who she nicknamed James Dean as Eric pulled the pink thread out. Apparently, vampires heal quickly, Violet surmised. But the other Dirt who she named Bulldog in her mind, was watching her. A chill ran down her spine. His eyes were just too focused.

  Looking away, she was interrupted from her discomfort. “Try this,” Alexa said to Violet as she handed her a long stem red rose she had retrieved from one of the rose bens in the room. “It cuts the edge off the burn in your throat.”

  Taking the flower from her, Violet thought back to the time she saw Radley with his lips pressed against the stamen of a violet colored rose at the mall. That was before she knew he was a vampire. Now she realized he must have been sucking the nectar from it to keep from devouring humans in the mall. The idea seemed almost funny now.

  “Go on—try it,” Su-Jin encouraged.

  Just the scent of the rose made her teeth itch and in no time, her canine’s elongated. She pierced the bulb and sunk her teeth into the stamen. Oh, so luscious… “Mmmm…” she couldn’t help but mumble euphorically as she drank. The nectar was incredibly delicious. When she closed her eyes, she saw sparkles of light in her mind and it gave her an erotic tingling sensation in her body that made her yearn for Radley even more.

  Alexa fluffed her curly strawberry blond locks. “How was your first day?” she asked after Violet finished with the rose, letting it fall to the floor.

  “Mr. Wright in my art of killing class said we have to kill someone today and write about it.” Violet bit her lip and looked at Alexa and then Su-Jin.

  They both laughed. “Have you killed anyone yet?” they asked at the same time.

  Violet’s chin jutted back at the question. “No,” she said flatly, without emotion.

  “Well, tonight should be fun,” Alexa smirked. “We’re going to a San Diego dance club for dinner. You can write your paper after that.”

  Violet’s lips pressed together. “What if I just want to feed on animals instead of people?”

  Su-Jin shook her head, her brown eyes casting down to her hands for a moment before looking up at Violet. “Lord Viparado won’t allow that.”

  “It’s a sure way to end up as a maid,” Alexa said.

  At that piece of information, Su-Jin turned to Alexa. “Why?” Her voice was higher in pitch. “How did the servants end up in their positions?”

  “Didn’t anyone explain it to you?” Alexa asked, her forehead wrinkling at the question.

  “No.” She paused and looked around. “And I’ve been afraid to ask.”

  “We don’t know for sure about the maids or guards, but it seems like if you don’t do well in school or if you cause problems for Lord or Madame Viparado, they will take you out of training and make you a servant if you are a girl or a guard if you are a boy.”

  Su-Jin nodded and glanced at Violet. “That’s what I feared.”

  “What happens to us after we finish our schooling?” Violet asked Alexa wondering if she shouldn’t have.

  But Alexa didn’t seem to mind her imploration. “You start a profession and make money for our coven. Once your debts are paid for the time you lived under the Viparado roof, you can go out on your own, stay if you are invited, or start your own coven. But the problem is that the debts accumulated over the process become extensive. It might take you a hundred years or more to pay them back.” She ran her fingers over the petals of her rose. “I’ve been in this coven for two years and the amount of jewels, designer clothing, stays at hotels, etc. has already been hundreds of thousands of dollars. I really don’t know what kind of profession would give me enough money to pay back my debts. We’re not permitted to work while in school and the training takes years. By the time I graduate, I will owe millions.”

  “How does Lord and Madame Viparado make their money?” Violet asked somewhat hesitantly.

  Leaning in closer to them, Alexa whispered, “I have a feeling they make their bucks off of newbies after their schooling, but I don’t know how.”

  “Why do you think that?” Su-Jin whispered as she looked over at the pool table where the other Fatals and the Dirts were playing.

  “I see they sell body parts to ogres, but even though that brings in a lot, it in no way covers all the expenses. So I’m thinking maybe they have other converts they sent through training working for them somewhere else. Maybe they are bringing in incomes for the Viparados. Because why would they bother schooling us unless it benefits them in some profitable way. Lord Viparado is completely selfish. Why would he want to take care of a bunch of newbie vampires if it didn’t help him?”

  A cold chill ran up Violet’s spine as she considered virtually being enslaved to the Viparados for who knows how long—a hundred years, two hundred years, forever? It all seemed so unjust.

  “But whatever the professions Lord Viparado employs graduates in…” Su-Jin added, “…it has got to be a whole lot worse to be his maid living in those dark rooms, wearing their haggard clothing, and drinking the leftover blood from the carcasses we bring home. That is no life. I think…”

  Before she could finish her sentence, the bell rang and without any hesitation whatsoever, everyone rushed to their next classes. Violet found the urgency odd and wondered what would happen if someone was late. She hoped she wouldn’t find out.

  Chapter Eight

  After finishing their afternoon chores, the Fatals and the Dirts rode to the Italiano’s pizza place to hang out for a short while to drink beers with their fake I.D.’s. When they walked in, Violet was so relieved to see Ariel socializing with Angie at one of the tables. Apparently, Ariel tagged along in hopes of seeing Violet when Angie met up with Spider.

  Violet rushed over to her sister and threw her arms around her. “Oh, Ariel—are you doing okay?” Violet asked.

  “She’s just peachy,” Angie scoffed, running her fingernails through her long dark hair, and walked away over to Spider.

  Ariel continued to hug her sister, ignoring Angie. “I’m fine, but the question is are you?” She pulled her sister back by the shoulders as she looked into her eyes. “I’ve been so worried about you.”

  At that, Violet’s eyes welled up with tears. “I’m fine,” she lied. “How are Radley and Drew?” she asked anxiously.

  “Lord Dyson keeps Drew locked up in a dungeon and only feeds her rat blood,” Ariel expressed.

  Her lip quivered. “But why?” She held her hand against her mouth as she thought of her friend.

  “He is punishing her for turning you into one of our kind.”

  Violet felt a pinch in her heart. “Oh, God. It’s my fault.” Her head shook side to side as heat rose up to her cheeks.

  “Don’t worry. I heard he might release her tomorrow.”

  Her mind ran with thoughts of what it would be like to be locked up for days in a dungeon, maybe chained to a wall. “Poor, poor Drew. We have to help her.”

  “Don’t you even think about it,” Ariel said sharply. “Over my dead body.”

  “But we can’t leave her in a dungeon.”

  “Lord Dyson isn’t going to kill Drew. Soon she will be released. If you try to rescue her, you will just put her in more trouble with Lord Dyson. If we keep his rules, he treats us well. Drew violated his trust and in his eyes she has to pay. And just know, her punishment is nearly over.”

  Violet�
�s eyes cast down. “And Radley?”

  “I didn’t see him today.” She scuffed the ground with her shoe. “Both he and Nathan haven’t been around.”

  Lifting her eyes, Violet’s throat tightened. “How is Nathan treating you?”

  At that question, Ariel smiled crookedly. “Those are my dirty little secrets.” She put her hands in the back pockets of her tight jeans.

  Violet couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Ariel’s comment. “My sister, the beautiful slut.”

  “You know it,” Ariel teased. “As much as you piss me off, it kills me that you aren’t with me.”

  Before Violet could respond, Lord Dyson walked into Italiano’s. Violet bit the inside of her cheek so hard that it started to bleed. Just the sight of him caused goose bumps to prickle all over her body. But Lord Dyson didn’t come for her. He walked over to Angie and Spider who were making out in the hallway near the bathrooms and pulled Angie away. “Don’t say a word,” he whispered as he led her out of the restaurant.

  “I have to go,” Ariel said to Violet. “We’ll meet up again soon. Be careful.”

  “I love you,” Violet whispered, her heart aching, as Ariel rushed away and out of Italiano’s.

  The rest of the time at the pizza place, Violet felt like she was in a haze. She was worried about her sister. The idea of not being able to look after her bothered her immensely.

  And poor Drew—suffering because she helped her. Drew was a true friend. Sure, at first, all she cared about was stealing Violet’s Rose of Life necklace from her, but when Violet was in real danger, she saved her by turning her into a vampire and thus stopping Lord Dyson from using her as a plaything and then murdering her as he likely had intended.

  If only she could help Drew, but Ariel was right, if she tried to release her from the dungeon, Lord Dyson would likely hurt Drew worse. Violet would just have to wait and see if he released her tomorrow as Ariel had surmised. If he chose not to, then she would have to save her, somehow, someway.

  And her worries didn’t stop there. Where was Radley? It bothered her that he and Nathan didn’t go to school that day. Lord Dyson wouldn’t like it if they ditched school. And what were they doing?

  She also couldn’t help but wonder what Lord Dyson was going to do to Angie. Though his demeanor seemed calm when he entered the restaurant, his eyes looked cold. This was the first time she had seen Lord Dyson come after someone in his coven and actually force her away. He must have been terribly angry with Angie. Certainly, he wouldn’t approve of her dating a boy from Lord Viparado’s coven. He hated Lord Viparado. Would he see Angie’s behavior as a personal betrayal? Maybe he was going to punish her for it. Even though Violet didn’t like Angie much, she didn’t want her to suffer at her enemy’s hand.

  ***

  “Let go of me,” Angie demanded as Lord Dyson pulled her by her arm into his Lamborghini.

  He shut the door and locked it before walking around the vehicle and getting into the driver’s seat. “You think it wise to date my enemy?” Before she could answer, he started the car and backed out of the parking space.

  “What difference does it make?” she snapped. “I like him.”

  He turned up the mountain, driving fast around the curves, coming close to the edge several times. “You make a mockery of me. I created you and I can release you.” He stared straight ahead at the winding road.

  “What do you mean ‘you can release me’? It’s against the law to kill a vampire.” Her voice was sarcastic as she ran her fingernails through her long dark hair and shook her head in annoyance.

  “I am the law, dear child.” He pulled the car over to the side at a bend in the road and walked around to her side of the Lamborghini where he opened the door and jerked her out and up into his arms.

  “Let go of me,” she screamed, flailing her arms and legs.

  He stepped over the side rail and stood right at the edge looking down at the steep drop. “Are you sorry for betraying me?” he asked.

  “Yes!” she cried out. “Stop it—just let me down.”

  “Gladly,” he said as he dropped her over the side of the cliff.

  He watched her fall through the air with wide eyes and hit the sharp point of a boulder that poked out of the ground like a dagger. “Perfect shot,” he said as the rock pierced through her back right through her chest. Her body arched backwards over the sides of the sharp stone, lifeless.

  When Lord Dyson arrived home, he had some of the guards bring Drew up to his den where he was reading the novel, Wuthering Heights. Poor, poor Heathcliff, he thought about the cruel heartbroken character who just wanted to be with his soul mate. If only Catherine hadn’t been such a fool to choose Edgar Linton over him.

  “Well, hello there, Drew,” Lord Dyson said, closing his book and setting it on his nightstand as he greeted the girl standing in his doorway with her shoulders slouched and her eyes cast down.

  “Hello, sir,” she whispered, not looking up at him.

  “I expect that you won’t betray me again. Am I correct?”

  “Yes, sir,” Her eyes kept to the floor. “I am your servant.”

  “That’s better.” He stared at her for a long moment. “Very, well. Carry on as you would.”

  She glanced up, not looking directly at him as he shooed her away with his hand.

  “I’m sorry… Yes, sir,” she said as she shut the door behind her.

  Chapter Nine

  As Violet rode along in the plush limo speeding up highway 8 with the girls, she bit her nails like a mad woman. Her cell phone vibrated in her other hand. Ariel had just texted her. At once, she read the message: “Drew was released!” Violet sighed. What a relief. At least, now she didn’t have to worry about her friend.

  If only the Fatals would have allowed Violet to hunt for an animal in the woods before they left to the Bay View Bar in San Diego, about an hour drive from the Viparado’s home. Her throat felt like it was on fire. They must have done this to her on purpose expecting that she would more eagerly make her first human kill without reservation. The idea horrified her.

  When they arrived at the nightclub in their limousine, the driver let them off in front of the busy hotel that led up to the bar “in the sky.” Because of the Show Festival, the nightclub was packed with all sorts of music, art, and film industry people. The Fatals rode up in an elevator with Chase Stone, the hot young film director who always had a new model on his arm. Tonight Oceana Steel, a Playboy pin up model with a butt that stood out so far that he actually set his coffee cup down on it for a second, was kissing him up and down his neck as he talked on his cell phone to another girl not paying attention to Oceana at all.

  But before the bell dinged to the elevator, Chase glanced over at the Fatals. For a second, he actually looked dizzy as he not so suavely steadied himself and gazed at Violet. “Mother fucker,” he said and hung up his cell phone on the girl he was talking to.

  If the burning in her throat wasn’t agitating her as much as it was, Violet would have felt even more embarrassed than she did. She looked away as the heat rose to her cheeks. Her eyes immediately fixated on the numbered buttons on the front side panel. She knew who the director was. Everybody did. Pictures and articles about Chase Stone were everywhere. She couldn’t check her email without seeing the latest story about him on the Yahoo page.

  If only he would stop staring at her. She couldn’t help but feel his eyes boring into the side of her face as she tried to ignore him. It must be the way she was dressed, she reasoned. Her body was clad in an embarrassing short black plunge dress that showed way too much of her breasts, just barely covering her nipples. Alexa was in charge of her tonight and she insisted she wear it even though Violet protested. It was seductive, she maintained.

  With her life so unstable, Violet succumbed, afraid to take too strong of a stand against her. But what didn’t make sense was that this swoon worthy guy had probably seen half of Hollywood naked. Why would he be so shocked with a stupid little plunge
dress? Even though Violet wasn’t much into current fashion, she couldn’t help but notice the risqué attire worn by celebrities on the covers of magazines at the grocery stores. She wasn’t showing any more than the movie stars and rock musicians did. Now with everything in her life so out of control, she just wanted to crawl in a hole.

  The Playboy model stopped kissing Chase Stone’s neck and stood with her hand on her hip while the Fatals ignored the guy, checking their text messages and talking amongst each other. Apparently, they were used to prominent young men losing it before them. “You want something?” Destiny finally asked the young director.

  That must have broken his stare because he leaned back on his heels and chuckled, shaking his head. “What the fuck is your name?” he said to Violet as he raked his hand through his hair. “The ‘it’ girl for 008 Silverthumb!”