The door to her room creaked open, and Lilith’s eyes widened. Did her captor know that she was awake? What would they do if they found her conscious? Would they… would she be… Lilith couldn’t even think it. The thought of what they might do to her, the fear of what they could do, was too much to bear.
While Lilith sat paralyzed by a combination of indecision and fear, the door opened fully. No light spilled into the room. The area beyond her bed was even darker than the bedchamber. Two shapes eventually formed out of the darkness, solidifying into a pair of silhouettes, as the sound of footsteps echoed through the room. The figures soon became visible as they stepped into the light cast by the small candle, and Lilith could only stare in surprise when she saw who the figures were.
“Maria?! Stacy?!”
Relief flooded her at seeing them alive, and at knowing that she was not alone, but she also felt worry. If these two were here, then that meant…
“Whoever kidnapped me must have taken you two as well,” Lilith reasoned, her mind boiling over with a surprising amount of anger, which almost completely negated the fear. Someone had taken her friends. It was one thing to kidnap her, but to kidnap her friends was something else entirely. If she found out who did this she would… would…
Well, she didn’t actually know what she would do, but it would not be nice.
Shaking her head and ridding herself of those negative emotions, Lilith made to climb out of bed and stand up. It wasn’t long after making this attempt that she realized how impossible the task was. She could hardly sit straight, never mind stand up.
Unable to so much as move from her position, she looked imploringly at the two girls standing on the left side of her bed.
“Help me up, you two. We need to hurry if we want to get out of here before whoever kidnapped us realizes that I’m awake.”
The two girls did not move. They stared at Lilith with blank, dead eyes.
“Maria? Stacy?” When they still didn’t answer her, Lilith knew that something was wrong. It should have been obvious from the beginning. Had they been themselves, Maria would have already said something about pounding the person who kidnapped them into the ground, and Stacy would have been complaining. “What’s wrong, you two? Why won’t you help me?”
“The reason 'tis because they cannot help you.”
Lilith’s entire body froze. An icy cold chill rushed through her veins, freezing her blood. Terror filled her, causing her body to tremble in trepidation.
That voice. She knew that voice. It was one that had haunted her nightmares for years; a voice that she had hoped to never hear again.
Lilith looked up, dread welling inside of her. Above her, standing on the ceiling as if it were the floor, was a frighteningly familiar figure—a creature who appeared as a young man with ghost-white skin and long black hair. His black suit conformed to his slender frame and ended in a pair of coattails. Large black wings, like those of a bat, were folded against his back. Long elven ears parted his hair.
His dark-red irises were surrounded, not by the usual white, but black. His entire sclera was the color of darkness, blacker even than his hair. As Lilith stared into those carnelian orbs reminiscent of blood, the urge to flee nearly overwhelmed her.
Those eyes were inhuman. Unnatural. Monstrous.
He stared at her, his eyes filled with hunger.
“My dearest Eve.” His voice sounded like velvet, smooth and rich. Lilith shuddered as her heart threatened to explode from the absolute, indefinable terror that threatened to overwhelm her. “You look exquisite. Truly, thou hath grown into a beauty beyond compare.”
“Don’t… don’t call me that…”
The man tilted his head. “Don’t… ah, right. I hath forgotten. You no longer go by that name, do you?” He chuckled. “You call yourself Lilith now. Very well, then. I shall indulge thee, Lilith.” He smiled, and Lilith nearly hyperventilated at the sight. “Anything for my Queen.”
“I’m not…” Lilith gritted her teeth as tears gathered in her eyes and began running down her cheeks. “… I’m not your Queen.”
“I see that you are still being stubborn.” The man appeared remorseful. “It seems that I will need to reeducate you.”
Lilith’s eyes widened as the man who inspired more terror in her than anyone else vanished, his form dematerializing in front of her eyes. Not even a second passed before he stood in front of her, staring down at her with a look that made Lilith want to vomit and scream at the same time.
“Allow me to remind you, my dear Eve, that you belong to me.”
His hand reached out toward her. Sharp, claw-like nails inched closer to her skin until they made contact with her face.
Lilith’s screams echoed throughout the mansion.
Chapter 23
Christian woke up with a gasp. Sitting up in his bed, he looked around wildly, his eyes scanning the vicinity for the source of his unease. When he saw nothing, he relaxed and closed his eyes. Then he pressed a hand to his sweaty face and tried to calm his racing heart.
What was that? A dream? Where had that scream come from? It had sounded like Lilith.
The cold morning air from the open window hit his sweat-covered body and caused goosebumps to break out on his flesh. Christian walked into the restroom and took a quick rinse. Then he dressed in his Executioners uniform sans his weapons, which he began checking and double-checking to ensure they worked properly. It was a mindless task. It was also the only thing he could do to occupy himself and keep from going mad.
Two days had passed since Lilith had been kidnapped. The SIU had been working to uncover her location, but so far nothing had come of it. It seemed that whoever had taken her was not within city limits, or was just doing a phenomenal job of remaining hidden. The police had expanded their search, but Catherine had informed him that he shouldn’t expect anything to come of it for at least another few days.
Christian was not an investigator. He was good at tracking his prey through the streets, but gathering clues to deduce someone’s location wasn’t his forte. Because of his lack of talent in this specific field, he’d been sidelined until they had need of his strength.
It was so frustrating! They had forced him to remain on standby, unable to do anything for Lilith. He felt helpless! Seldom had he felt so weak, so powerless—not since his hometown had been burnt to the ground. He hated this feeling. He never wanted to feel this helpless again.
On the nightstand, his phone began vibrating. He rushed over as it jittered across the nightstand and grabbed it, noting the caller ID.
“Catherine. Have you found anything?”
“We think we’ve got a lead on the kidnapper’s location.”
Christian’s spirits rose. “That’s good.”
“You would think so, wouldn’t you? But we’ve also found some information that might be cause for concern.”
“What kind of information are we talking about?”
“There have been a few sightings of the creature that we believe kidnapped your friend, and it looks like we’re not dealing with some standard monster. Judging from the description we’ve been given, I can only conclude that we’re up against a No-Life King.”
***
No Life King—the title coined for vampires who had lived for over five centuries and gained incredible power. Known for their overwhelming physical strength, which could pulverize entire buildings with a single punch, No Life Kings were nearly at the pinnacle of vampire strength. Only the Ancestors, the oldest vampires in existence, were more powerful. Tristin had put it best when he said, “No Life Kings are like vampires on steroids.”
***
Christian walked beside Catherine as they made their way toward the suspected hideout of the creature that had kidnapped Lilith.
As they moved up a steep roadway carved into the side a small mountain, Christian wondered why the No Life King hadn’t left yet. He already had Lilith, and if she was his objective, then leaving before they could find him
was the most prudent course of action.
Perhaps he’s too preoccupied with something… or someone.
At the thought of what that thing might be doing to Lilith, a chill ran up Christian’s spine and rage boiled in his heart. Images of Lilith, helpless, naked, and chained to a bed as the No Life King raped her over and over again filled his mind. Just by existing, that monster had signed its death warrant, but if it hurt Lilith in any way, harmed even one hair on her head, then he would make sure it suffered greatly before meeting its demise.
“We’re here.”
Catherine’s voice snapped Christian out of his vengeful thoughts. They had arrived at a large set of gates, iron-wrought and imposing. Beyond the gate lay a road.
“It took us a while to find this place,” Catherine said. All around them, police officers were securing the perimeter, checking to make sure no one could catch them unawares. “No one’s come near this mansion in years because of what happened to the last occupants.”
“And what happened to the last people who resided here?”
“They died, of course,” Catherine said. “According to the reports, the eldest son was taking hallucinogens. His visions slowly drove him insane and made him think his family were a bunch of monsters. One day, his paranoia became so great that he came home with a gun and killed his parents and younger sister. He’s currently imprisoned in a psych ward for the criminally insane.”
“I see.”
“Ever since then, this place has been abandoned. No one dares to go near it.”
“Which would make it the perfect place for a vampire.” Christian nodded his head toward the gates. “Especially for a No Life King. They despise humans. They would want to stay as far from humans as possible, until it’s time for them to feed.”
“Those were my thoughts exactly.”
Just then, a police officer came up to them and saluted Catherine. “Ma’am, we have just finished securing the perimeter.”
“Excellent.” Catherine clapped her hands together and began barking out orders. “All right, people! This operation will be starting at exactly oh-nine-hundred hours. We’ve got one hour to get ready. Check your equipment, and check your weapons. I don’t want any of you getting yourselves killed because your gun wouldn’t fire!”
“Ma’am!”
As the officers saluted before returning to what they’d been doing, Catherine turned to him.
“Christian, I’m going to want you on standby for now. My men will secure most of the house and search for this No Life King, and then call you in to deal with it.”
“Catherine, I really don’t think―”
“I am not leaving you out of this mission.” Catherine forestalled Christian’s protests by raising her hand. “Your job will be the most important one here. My men are good, but they don’t have the training necessary to take on a creature like this. After they find him, it’ll be your job to engage him and take him out.”
Christian frowned at her. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
Catherine returned his frown with one of her own. She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off.
“Lilith and her friends are somewhere inside. Before I even think about engaging the No Life King, I need to make sure they are safe and out of harm’s way.”
The look on Catherine’s face said that she disagreed. “I can assure you that my men will find them and―”
“Your men will not go near Lilith.” Christian’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the woman.
When Catherine took several shaky steps back, he realized that his emotions were getting the best of him, and he took several calming breaths. “I am not questioning your men’s ability to locate the girls who were kidnapped. You need to know that Lilith has androphobia. Men terrify her. I’m actually the only man whose presence she doesn’t seem to fear. If your men go in and find her, her panic will escalate.”
Christian stared into Catherine’s eyes, willing her to understand why he needed to be the one who rescued Lilith.
After several seconds passed between them, Catherine looked away and sighed. “If that is how it is, then I suppose there is no choice but to let you locate and rescue the girls.”
Christian sighed in relief. “Thank you.”
She tuned back to look at him with a small smile. “I can see that this girl means a lot to you.”
The words made Christian pause. Lilith did mean a lot to him, that much he wouldn’t deny. But her words also made him wonder: How much did Lilith mean to him really? What were his true feelings for her? He honestly didn’t know how much she meant to him, but he knew one thing for sure.
“She is more important to me than anyone else.”
There was no point in denying it anymore, not after everything that had happened. Christian didn’t know what this meant for him, or for Lilith, but there would be a time to figure that out later. The only thing on his mind in that moment was rescuing her.
“I see.” Catherine paused long enough to show him a bitter smile that must have a story behind it. “To be honest, I think I’m a little jealous of this girl. I doubt there are many people who are willing to face such a powerful creature for another person’s sake.”
“I-it’s not like I’m doing this just for her.” Christian’s excuse sounded flimsy even to him. “I’m also an Executioner. Slaying monsters is my sworn duty. And besides, there is more than just a No Life King in there. I can’t say for sure, but I believe it has an accomplice.”
“An accomplice?”
“Yes. This person might not be as powerful as the No Life King, but he’s definitely much stronger than any normal human. I’ll have to deal with him as well as the No Life King. Chances are this person will be guarding Lilith, so it would be best if I take point.”
“If you say so.” Catherine shrugged in resignation. “In any case, you had better get ready. Our assault begins in fifteen minutes.”
Christian nodded and began mentally preparing himself for the upcoming mission. He would need to be at his best.
***
Getting past the front gate was a simple matter. The SIU had apparently brought plastic explosives with them. A little C4 glued to the lock granted them easy access.
A large fountain sat in the center of the driveway, once elegant, but having since fallen into a state of disrepair. Chips and cracks ran along the surface of the beautiful woman, the fountain’s centerpiece. The basket she held, from which water used to pour, had crumbled, along with half of her left arm and right hand. Water no longer ran in the fountain. The interior, cracked and pitted, showed where the water had leaked onto the driveway.
Much like the fountain, the mansion looked like it had been a grand and stunning example of European architecture reminiscent of Victorian homes owned by nobility. Dull gray tiles sloped down from the roof, weathered by age and ravaged by time. Two large towers jutted from the earth like giant monoliths, spires that speared through either side of the manor. The light tan bricks composing the walls were chipped and pitted, old and worn. Columns lined the front porch, lifeless marble that had long since lost its luster.
Chances were good the No Life King was already aware of them, and Christian told Catherine as much. “No Life Kings have the ability to sense life, which helps them track down humans when they need to feed. The stronger a No Life King is, the greater their range at sensing humans.”
As if emphasizing his point, the doors leading into the mansion burst open and almost a dozen people dressed in blue police uniforms rushed out. Even though all of them had guns strapped to their holsters, none of them grabbed their weapon. They simply charged at the SIU members.
“W-what the hell?! Those are the uniforms of the Seal Beach police department!”
“They’ve probably been turned into ghouls.” Christian’s eyes narrowed in disgust as his hands reached for his guns. “When a person has all of their blood sucked out, a No Life King can inject them with their own to reanimate the corpse. W
hen this happens, the person becomes a ghoul, an undead monster that’s under the thrall of the one who created it.”
“I wish you would have told us that sooner,” Catherine snapped as she whipped her own gun out of her holster.
Christian shrugged. “You are aware of what a No Life King is, so I thought you already knew.”
“Tch!” Catherine peered at the charging group of ghouls. Christian studied her, and then observed the other officers. None of them had their guns out, no doubt hesitant to open fire on fellow officers. “Christian, are you telling me it’s okay to open fire on these things?”
“Yes,” Christian said. “they aren’t human anymore, just empty shells.”
“Right. Open fire, men! These aren’t your comrades anymore! Just a bunch of soulless slaves!”
Turning words into action, Catherine fired several rounds into the group of ghouls. Several fell as they were shot in the leg, or spun around as they received a bullet to the shoulder, but none of them stayed down for long.
“I would suggest aiming for the head.”
“Tell me these things sooner!”
Seeing their commander fire at the incoming horde caused the other SIU members to overcome their own reluctance. Watching one of their own getting ripped apart may have also played a hand in snuffing out their inability to open fire.
“Can you handle things from here?” Christian asked over the sound of gunfire. Catherine grunted as her gun, a magnum, blasted a hole through one of the ghoul’s heads.
“Yeah. Sure. Just leave these things to us. Don’t worry. We’ve got it all covered.”
“Your sarcasm is unneeded,” Christian said, “and you should be thanking me. The creatures I’m going to be facing inside that mansion would tear you and your men apart without even slowing down.”
“Just get in there already!”
Christian didn’t answer the woman’s annoyed shout with words. He rushed out from behind the fountain and toward the ruined doorway, avoiding the ghouls by circling around them, letting the SIU officers grab their attention. He reached the door in record time and charged into the building without looking back.
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