Bliss (The Custos)

by Melanie Walker

  Before I could think of what happened I was jerked by the hair so quickly, as air rushed my lungs as if I hung my head out of a speeding car. When all the rush stopped and I was able to breathe I knew the scent. Only one person would wear this much cologne, I looked up into the white, blood swirling eyes of my Brother. "Conlin." I breathed and Cash went quiet, or maybe not, Conlin’s cackle filled the sunny morning light in the front seat of the car and then he lunged.

  I didn’t scream, I didn’t get a chance. He struck at my carotid and drained me in seconds and all I seen was black, my last thought was Cash telling me I was beautiful. The only sound I could hear was the slow beating of my heart.....Thump. Oh god he is going to turn me......Thump. Oh god Cash, I just want Cash................Thump. Ye though I walk through the valley.... of the shadow... of death.......Thump. I will... fear... no evil.........Thump. For thou...................

  *

  Chapter Thirty

  Cash

  Never in my long life had I been entirely helpless. I was now. I called Leushus the minute London's phone went dead and he and Bastian made it back in record time, the little waitress from the PALMS in hand.

  "Bastian you are the only day walker here you have to go try and find her scent." I said and paced the floor, the walls, and the fucking ceiling if I could.

  Leushus shook the waitress by the arm. "Speak now or I will let him kill you."

  To her credit she was terrified as she should be but I would kill her anyway. "You won’t find her scent. He will mask her the same way he can mask his."

  Leushus shoved her towards a chair and she sat. "Tell him what you told me." He said a truly frightening voice vibrated the walls as he spoke.

  "Walter gave him everything he needed to create a new and better army. He made creams for skin to walk in sunlight, nasal spray that would allow him to mask his scent in human colognes and not be affected by the smell. He knows how to mask her, to mask anyone he wants and he will kill her, turn her I'm certain he did already."

  "And how do you know this?" I asked my voice matching Leushus.

  "I've been masked, you thought I was human in the club because of the heartbeats and scents around me, only now can you sense that I am a Nex."

  "Fuck me." Preacher said and pulled at his hair the way I do.

  "Where did he take her then?" I asked trying to stay calm but I had a good idea. I was right.

  "Bliss. She'll be turned and will have fed before sundown." The little bitch smiled and all rational thought escaped me. I took her head as a justice.

  "Bas...?" I motioned to the girls head and body and how I would appreciate the sight of the evil little bitch out to the sun. He was happy to oblige.

  Good. Dog.

  "Look its six hours to sunset. Bas and I will head out now and look for her. They won’t recognize us and Bas will faze if they do." Leushus said and Bastian snorted in glee of the statement.

  Real good dog.

  "I can’t sit here for six hours and wait." I said frustrated by my own prison. I hated the sun now more than ever.

  "No choice. I'll call you if we get anything." Leushus said and he and Bastian dashed from the room. They traveled through shift spheres and I wondered how close one was. Bastian would have to travel through one but Leushus I hoped was shifting there now.

  I looked to Preacher and he bore the same anger I felt. "We will find her mate."

  I brushed my hands over my head and scrubbed my face but I couldn’t hold back the anger and roared. "Fuck, I think she was right. She'll be gone before we find her and so help me Preach I will kill them all."

  *

  London

  I woke in a room rich on comfort. A four post mahogany bed with a blood red satin duvet where I lay. The walls were a pale gold with marble molding at every corner. A large king Henry fireplace took up the main wall of the room where a fire blazed and softly lit my surroundings. I could see everything so clearly, the colors were so bright and the feel of them against my skin, was amazing. I had to be dreaming to have senses like this, so attuned to my body and mind. I could smell, literally smell sulfur, covered, masked by thick cologne that made my eyes burn. Maybe if I plug my nose.....

  The second I thought the words I stilled, in fact I was far too still. I touched my skin, it was softer sure but not cold like Cash and Preacher so I couldn’t be a Vampire. I took a breath, by force and a searing pain shot through my body, it burned and my eyes became so sensitive. The cologne, it was too much for me, but why?

  Then I felt it, or lack thereof. I had no pulse, no heart thundering in my chest and the thought of blood rushing in my veins made my throat burn and my mouth dry up. Jesus, God in heaven it all came back to me, every second of it. Conlin, my soulless Brother Conlin. He bit me outside of Walgreens, the town of perfect my ass.

  He turned me.

  I opened my mouth and felt my fangs for the first time and wanted to cry. I only wanted this from Cash, Preacher as a last resort but never a member of The Nex. What would they do to me? I couldn’t go too far to be in bloodlust. I needed to feed, oh God how could I do it though? I missed my Vampire more now than ever and hoped like hell he could feel my essence or something, anything that had him busting the doors to this room to splinters and using the wood as a stake.

  I jumped and knew before my thoughts could process that Conlin was in the corner, squatting on the ground and that he held a wine glass with human blood in it. Jesus how did I know it was human?

  "Because sister a Vampire knows."

  *

  Cash

  I stood in the living room, strapped to the fullest and ready for war with Preacher at my side. We heard from Leushus a few hours ago and he confirmed that London had been turned. Every fiber in my being was itching to get to her but I was no good dead. Jesus the things that ran through my mind, I was beyond bat shit crazy and desperate to get to her.

  We didn’t feed, what was the point? Where we were headed there would be blood and nothing took the taste of bitterness from a Nex like their blood did. the instant I felt the danger o the sun slip behind the shadow of day I looked at Preacher. "Make sure you kill first and send souls later Preach."

  He laughed. "I'll send nothing into a good death tonight Cash."

  I checked my weapons one last time and we disappeared landing a hundred yards from the door to Bliss.

  I could feel her essence, I knew the minute I got there that she had been changed and I knew that I wouldn’t leave with anything less than the blood of Conlin on my hands, and anything else that stood in my way.

  With Preacher to my right and a dagger at my left I stormed through the doors of Bliss and the wrath of hell came with us.

  Cash

  The club looked like something from a Vegas brochure for the Gothic and Emo crowed. Though it was sheik and full of Nex it wasn’t a place to cozy up. The walls were blood red with black trim and the music was loud, almost too loud and Preacher and I had our guards up. Music that loud meant they were masking screams. Screams we could hear, coming through loud and clear from under the bass and distortion. It was easy to see our way, the club was dark with black lighting and red flashes over the large dance floor that was covered in leather clad women and men with black makeup and black hair. Everyone wanted to be a Vampire these days, none of them knew how close they were.

  I spotted him immediately, not by scent but by sight. Walter Chase sat perched in a large chair in a roped off VIP section. That rope would do nothing to keep him safe from me. I walked to where Preacher stood by the bar scoping and using his senses to pick up on London.

  "I found Walter." I said so low that not even a Nex would have heard me, Preacher only did because of the close proximity to his ear where I spoke it. Before he could answer the energy in the room shook and vibrated against any of the un-livings spine. But I knew who it was and I felt relief.

  "Good to see ya made it boys." Leushus said just as low, he could chose who heard him though unlike the rest of us. Hon
estly a Vamp as old as him had some bad ass powers. Thank God he was on our side tonight. Bastian stood beside him dressed in leather and black makeup on his eyes. I was certain nothing would make me laugh tonight. Bastian did.

  "What the bloody hell did you do mate?" Preacher asked and walked around Bastian taking in the sight of his gothic appearance. He looked more like Danzig than an Emo.

  "Fuck off. The waitress could have given my description and while we were here looking around I couldn’t risk being spotted." He looked at me and I was holding back a laugh. "You should say thank you."

  Like that I was back at the task at hand. "You’re right. Sorry." I looked around. "So what’s the plan?"

  Leushus shrugged his shoulders and the three of them looked at me. "You tell us, this is your raid."

  "Walter Chase is in the VIP corner to the right."

  They all looked back to me. "I haven’t seen Conlin, but we have a lot of eyes in here tonight." Leushus said. "Klem and a few of his guys are looking around, as are some other Custos I could get here in time. We have maybe twenty, all old all dangerous. Klem is looking for Conlin now, wants to get him aside to talk about Bliss distribution in his club, Bas is watching him close. We'll know when he finds him."

  I was thankful for Leushus but I knew being here was costing him more trouble than he bargained for. "Leushus I appreciate everything but I know what this fight will bring and I don’t think it's wise for them to know you were here fighting."

  "Fuck that. I adore Miss Chase and I have wanted to kill a bunch of these fucks for a long time. I'll deal with repercussions later."

  I nodded; we both knew this would most likely start a war. Custos and Nex had fought diplomatically for the last two thousand years, fighting only with permission. When we killed it was because they knew we were doing it. Any Vampire regardless of sides, killed without reason, became the target of the Mercenaries. This was not on the books and the Nex would fight back. Absolutely.

  Bring. It.

  "Ok I get Chase and Conlin. If anyone see’s London run with her. Don’t look for me don’t look for anyone. You find her you take her." They all nodded and suddenly I could see the Custos and few Nex that were there to help. They were all in close but not noticeable and when I spoke they all nodded. "Go and kill any Nex that try and stop you or block you from my Princess."

  I didn’t wait. I saw my target sipping a Johnny Walker Red on the rocks and slapping the ass of a working girl, a human completely blissed out. He didn’t see me coming; neither did the Nex beside him. I took him from behind the neck and spun him around. By now his security seen me as a threat but Preacher and another Custos by the name Shamus took them down.

  I took Walter kicking and screaming further back behind private rooms blocked off by curtains for blow jobs no doubt. I tossed him twenty feet and he landed on his ass on the couch. I was fast and in his face before he could blink. This man made my insides crawl when no human ever had. But not from fear, he had treated my Princess so foul, so completely ruthless that I would show him no mercy.

  "Wwwhat do yyyyou wwwant?" The old man asked his tongue tying as he stuttered. I smiled and showed my fangs.

  "Tell me Walter, do you know who I am?" I asked my voice completely distorted and I seen Preacher's eyes bulge momentarily. Yeah I sounded like satin himself.

  Walter feared me as he should and as he drooled and cried knowing this was his end he shook his head no. "I am Cacius Troy and I am in love with your daughter London."

  He looked at me as realization hit. Conlin had to have known me and my reputation and I would thank him before I killed him for doing me justice, I was scary but Walter was shell shocked with fear. "Now tell me where she is."

  Walter shook his head no. "III ddddont kkkknow."

  "Tell. Me." I roared and Preacher and Shamus stood on guard if anyone heard me. "Tell me or I will rip your throat out."

  He still said nothing and Preacher stepped in. "I was a Father, I had two beautiful children. Cacius here had a son. I loved my children and gave them everything I could to see them thrive and adapt to a good life. Cacius’s son asked him for one thing only and he gave it regardless the cost." Preacher stepped in and he knew I would let him. He would give me the death blow, besides his calmness was scaring Walter. "You are a feeble excuse for a man and never would I call you a Father. Tell me… do you know who I am?"

  He shook his head no and I was actually excited. If he knew about me then he definitely knew about Preacher. "They call me Preacher." He pulled out his cross/stake and scraped the edge over his middle finger.

  "Honor your cloth then Father and don’t let them hurt me." Walter cried. Did he really not know what Preacher was all about?

  Preacher tipped his head and looked at me with a smile and laugh. Turning back to Walter he said, "Sorry but you did this, God would smite me himself if I intervened, but..." He paused for effect only. "Maybe if you tell us where London is I may grant you freedom."

  Walter nodded and took a deep breath. "Upstairs, room 119."

  "Thanks." Preacher said and crossed his heart with his cross in hand. He was a man of his word. "You’re free." Walter went to stand but Preacher stopped him.

  "Your freedom is from my wrath, not his." He handed his cross to me and asked. "Please use my stake, then I can look at Cookie in the eye and know I helped avenge her."

  I nodded and felt the warped cross fit in my hand like no other has. I stood before Walter and gave him nothing but my hate. Cross in his chest and killing him the way anything stabbed through the heart would, I lowered my head to speak directly in his ear. "I hope the gates of hell burn when you open them."

  *

  Chapter Thirty One

  London

  His voice was different from the night he fooled me into believing he was helpless, that kid seemed sweet and innocent this was another nameless, soulless member of The Nex and I hated everything he stood for, more than I hated my Father, our Father. "I believe you hate me, I can feel it as well as read it. Tell me London can you read my mind as well?"

  He was close, to close. From a distance I seen his every feature but up close I seen his every pore. "I hate you." I said through gritted teeth, er...fang.

  He laughed at me, a cackle that made my skin crawl then slapped me across the face. My first thought when he hit me was like Father like son, second was I better not bruise and my third was Cash is gonna kill you slowly. But said nothing, he knew. And hey here’s a shocker, the slap, it didn’t hurt. It was like a leaf fell from a tree and gingerly landed on my cheek.

  Bad ass.

  He only laughed again. "Remember when I told you of my friends who were such big fans of yours?"

  I knew what he meant but I was totally pleading the fifth. "Well London, they are here and desperate to see what you have in store for us."

  No longer able to keep my mouth shut, true to form I snapped back to my normal self and went off. "I could care less about you and your undead groupies Conlin. All I care about is you getting to the point because I am fucking bored of you." He slapped me again this time, and I laughed. "Too much? Sorry Brother, I have a problem saying the first thing that comes to mind. Like right now I find it disturbing that we could be related, based on your cheap target brand Khakis and Hanes T shirt." I spoke flippantly because I knew what they were going to do to me and I shielded my thoughts the same way I shielded Cash and Preacher. It didn't work though.

  "No, you’re wrong London, you are so far off from why I wanted you, scratch that. I don't want you anymore than Father does, I need you."

  "Why? You think I would help you?" Conlin was statistic proof that crazy starts from the home.

  "No, but you don’t have a choice." He leaned into my face again. "I chose for you." He pulled a flip phone from his pocket of the cheap khakis he wore and scanned the screen before flipping it shut with a smile. "See we share the same genetics and when our Father met our Mother he had one thing in mind and that was money. You were given the s
potlight while I was trained."

  "For what?"

  "Well Father is a very powerful man and a genius. He had planned originally to create a pill to erase the long term effects caused by sexual assault by using the pattern in all males against the pattern in all females; the senses and what not. Then when he was close, a member of the Nex who had been working in the lab swiped the applications for the drug. They loved what they saw and asked him to create a drug similar."

  He took a seat at the foot of the bed I was in and only then did I notice the shackles on my feet. I knew I couldn’t budge them and groaned, making Conlin laugh. "Anyway.... so Father accepted the deal, Infatuation is a bitch. But try as they might the application worked best with our blood, the similarities in it. Long story short, I became a lab rat and you became a bitch."