by Claire Marta
Crushed.
My beloved’s lifeless form lies broken. Blue eyes glazed, a thin line of blood trickles from her mouth and nose as she’s swallowed up by the hungry flames. The scent of burning flesh heavy in the smoke laden air, makes me gag from the stench of it.
“No! No!” I cry out, fingers entwined in my hair, tearing at it maniacally. It’s as if something has reached inside of my throat and ripped my beating heart from my chest. For all my power, I haven’t saved her.
The fire eats at my skin and hair, but I’m numb to it. Let it have me. Let it take what it’s already stolen for all that’s left of me now is an empty shell.
“Master.” Arms bind themselves around me tightly. Wheezing, coughing, Renfield heaves me from the wreckage with all his might. I want to tell him to leave me. Let the blaze take me to hell, but I cannot find my voice.
From the searing heat comes icy shards. The rain pelting my ruined, open flesh in a horde of sharp ceaseless needles. Time loses all meaning. I drift on suffering, my mind fevered and barely aware. Unconsciousness claims me. Blessed oblivion.
When I return to awareness, the world is a blur of dull colors and hurt. We’re no longer outside the cottage. The scent of smoke and blood clings to what’s left of my ragged clothes. Beyond that the briny air of the sea filters into my raw, wrecked senses.
“Rest, Master.” Renfield’s croon is gentle. “I have arranged a boat. We’ll be at your estate in Budapest in a few days.”
I hear the scrape of something being closed. A lid above me.
Wood.
The smell is strong. Unable to move, the sides of the box enclose me, preventing my movements.
A coffin. Soft silk should cradle me, but my nerve endings still scream out from the scorch of the flames.
Sanctuary.
I long for the cool embrace and silence of the earth. The thick soil packed tightly around me, stealing away the searing that rages through my flesh. Hand moving feebly, it encounters something round and smooth hanging from my neck.
The locket.
Somehow it has survived unscathed, the metal chain unbroken.
Mina’s gift to me and the only thing I have left of her. It brings me no solace. Grasping it tightly, I weep silently, grieving for my Mina. Mourn the loss of my beloved. A celestial light stolen from me too soon.
A beautiful soul destroyed.
My love.
Snatched from my arms by my vilest of enemies.
The last vestige of what made me human has been snuffed out in a blink of an eye. Fate is a cruel bitch. Does God mock me? Or was it the Devil who brought this twisted circumstance to such an end?
My heart aches beneath my blackened flesh, bleeding and twisting with torment.
How I wish the fire had claimed us both.
Chapter 14
Present Day
Lights glow brightly through the darkness of the rain-washed window as I stare out into the night beyond.
The City of London breathes like a restless beast. Old, timeless, it never loses its charm. It’s been centuries since I walked the streets. Delved into its beating heart. Listened to its pulse.
My recollection of the boat crossing the day Mina died is vague. Dotted with flashes of the Renfield who had been my servant in that era. Agony had been constant. Blazing pain every time I had opened my eyes to feed from the victims he had lovingly provided. I’d been greedy for them. Hungering, ravenous. My body demanding it to spark the healing process before collapsing into a fitful slumber. Day by day, I had grown a little stronger, my skin restoring itself to vitality and perfection. Yet even then it had not been enough.
Time healing after injuries inflicted by my foes drove me deep into the salvation of the soft yielding earth for years. A haven away from my tormentors and the misery of my loss. Nightmares plagued by the burn of fire have been my constant companion. Memories of Mina and her sweetness are bittersweet.
The knowledge that my brother, Radu, did not survive the flames brings me a tiny sense of satisfaction. Yet the damage he wreaked is done. An organization of humans has the knowledge of my kind’s existence. They toil relentlessly to destroy anything they deem as evil.
My enemies think I’m weak.
They hunt for me in the shadows, not knowing I reside among them now, not cowering in the dark like a mindless animal. Why in this day and age would I hide? I’ve given up walking in daylight. There is no longer the need for the charade. Not when the modern world never sleeps.
In truth, I have grown weary.
What is immortality when you walk it alone? Ageless. Beyond death’s touch.
Things for me never change. Yet all around me, the human race is in a constant flux.
Birth. Death.
A constant increase and decrease as they live out short mortal lives. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.
I’m a predator living among sheep.
A forgotten prince whose throne is masked in secrets and lies. Power and privilege.
A monster.
Blood is the life.
It nourishes me.
“Sir, we’ve arrived.” The voice of my chauffeur over the intercom pulls me from my musings.
I’ve already registered the deceleration of the limo. The smooth way the car draws to a halt around me.
Pressing a button, I give him my response. “Thank you, Renfield.”
His family has always served me well. Devoted to their undead Master, they obey my will without question. A trait I seek in my minions. Like his great-great-grandfather before him, he is my dedicated servant.
Evenings like these, I never get much work done. The past comes back to haunt me. Regret, guilt. Things, that by now in my eternity, I should no longer feel with what’s left of my humanity gone.
Shaking off my melancholy, I reach for the door handle with a sigh.
Money makes the world go around. I have wealth and power in spades.
Humans continually perfect their machines. Very few corners of their lives are now untouched by it. Cameras, videos, texts, social media. It makes things harder to hide when you’re an immortal. Inconspicuousness is not as easy to achieve as it was in the old days.
Even living the life of a recluse, I’m still a sought-out man.
Stepping out onto the street, not waiting for Renfield to assist me, I narrow my gaze at the flash of the cameras. They hurt the sensitiveness of my eyes, sending pain stabbing through my temples.
Paparazzi, the latest thorn in my side.
A ring of them crowd the pavement from the vehicle to my favorite gentleman’s club. Cameras at the ready, they pace like animals, waiting for prey beneath the orange glow of the artificial street lamps.
My staff are under strict confidentiality contracts, yet someone has betrayed me.
“Mr. Alucard, is it true you’re the one who’s been anonymously donating millions to charities in the last few months?”
Straightening to my full height, I push the first few aside. “No comment.”
“Mr. Alucard, would you like to give us a few words on your latest business venture?”
“Mr. Alucard, can you spare us a few moments of your time?”
Sharks. I recognize them for what they are. Young and ambitious. Bent on carving names for themselves in their chosen field. I have become their latest target. Not content with pop stars and celebrities, they have turned their eager sights on me.
“Mr. Alucard!”
Reining in a growl of annoyance, I swivel to confront the owner of the feminine shout.
Shock freezes my clipped reply. Thoughts free fall through my head. The woman pushing herself through the eager crowd is my sole focus.
How is it possible? The face staring back at me is one I thought I’d never see a third time.
Eyes large and bright, the blue irises are lit with an intelligent light. The features are dim in my memory, but now seeing them again after so much time, I feel the urge to weep.
She’s beautiful. An angel i
n the flesh. Has she come to redeem me? Am I dreaming?
Hair loose and ebony black, it cascades down her slim shoulders, rippling as she moves. Freckles kiss a path over her pert little nose.
“Please let me through. This is an emergency!” Her desperation is clear, transmitting itself to me across the distance. Fighting her way free, she lunged at me with purpose.
Just as I reach to intercept her, the sound of a gunshot registers.
Arms wrapping around the female, I drag her protectively into my embrace.
With screams, the people around us scattered like frightened cattle, their hysteria setting off passers-by and the rest of the humans in the street.
The metallic scent of blood fills my nose. It’s sweet tempting smell sends my thirst roaring.
Red and sticky, it’s all over my hand.
Even though a bullet won’t kill me, I still experience pain, yet this time it’s absent.
Not mine.
No.
The slight fragile figure so carefully cradled to my chest crumples as she goes limp.
“Miss? Miss, can you hear me?” Inching her body back from mine, the spreading red on her dress around her shoulder becomes visible.
Panic and indecision collide within me. My only solace is that I can hear her heart still beating and see the gentle rise and fall of her chest.
“Renfield, call an ambulance,” I bellow, a sick feeling of fear I haven’t experienced in centuries racing down my spine.
Chapter 15
Standing at the end of the hospital bed, I watch the woman sleeping. Her hair is spread out over the pillow in a dark silky wave, and although she’s pale, she slumbers peacefully.
A flesh wound.
She’s lucky the shooter didn’t have better aim.
It’s still unclear who the culprit was. With my hands full, there was no time to seek out who had taken the shot. I could not have handled seeing her die a third time. Twice is a burden I already carry to my shame.
Eyelashes fluttering against her wane cheeks announce her return to consciousness.
Blue eyes open, and once more, they steal my breath.
How I’ve missed them. Even the color is the same. The blue of the wild flowers that had once long ago grown around the castle I had called home.
Blinking, she stares up at me.
I know what she sees. A sinfully handsome stranger. Black hair, dark brown compelling eyes, a bearded, angular jaw with high cheekbones. Tall, broad shouldered. A body sculpted with muscles from a youth training with the best weapon experts my father’s money could buy in that time period. It’s the raw alpha magnetism I possess that hooks them in. Combined with my powers of seduction and the deep accented baritone, it’s a lethal combination.
“Easy now, dragă.” I reply, finally finding my voice, my accent thickening, which hasn’t happened in a very long time. “Do not move. You need to rest.”
A frown dips her brows. “Where am I?”
“Hospital. In a private room.”
I see my words sink in.
Trying to sit up straighter, she winces when it jolts her shoulder. “Mr. Alucard…”
“Please call me Vladimir.” I move to her side unable to stay away any longer. “What is your name?”
Extending my hand, she doesn’t hesitate in taking it to shake weakly. “Emma…oh, your hand is so cold.”
“You know what they say about cold hands. Warm heart,” I murmur, unable to contain my amusement.
I should have fed before coming to her. Skin chilled, human’s always find the first touch unsettling. As if some primitive sense warns them of something unnatural.
That had been my plan on visiting the club this evening. A warm neck and some willing pussy. To slake both my hunger for blood and a need to fuck. Being this close to Emma stirs my lust for both. I’ve never denied myself before. Always indulged my needs and nature.
Yet instead of letting her see the monster I am, I want her to know the man.
Her Vladimir.
Three times I have now found her. Tragedy has been our bitter tale; are we doomed for a third?
A pretty pink blush stains her cheeks. The small shy smile Emma flashes me captivates me further. “You foolishly risked yourself to save me. What can I do to repay you?”
Anything and everything. Her heart’s desire, I will lay at her feet.
The pulse beating in her wrist is strong, fluttering like a trapped bird. Not only do I feel it where I still hold her, but my sensitive hearing picks up the sound of her heart.
I linger over the handshake longer than is needed.
I don’t want to let go now that I have a hold of her. I’m frightened this might be a dream. One that still torments me now and then.
Emma notices. Lips parting, she slowly withdraws her hand, her eyes dropping from my intense, searching gaze.
There’s no wedding band on her finger. That, though, means little nowadays. Does she have a lover? The thought sends unfamiliar jealousy spiraling through my veins. In our last encounter so long ago, she had been a school teacher set to wed. Mina. Gentle and kind, she had been unable to resist my charms.
“It was nothing.” Biting her lip, she can’t hide her fluster. “I know you’re a very private man. I just…I had to warn you.”
Brave, reckless. She had endangered her life for a creature that did not deserve her selflessness.
Echoes of the roaring flames from the past, which had consumed the cottage she had once called home, flash through my mind. Mina’s screams. My kind-hearted schoolteacher swallowed by the fire. The burn searing my flesh.
Pushing the unsettling memories aside, I release a shaky breath. “And how exactly did you know there was an attempt on my life?”
Emma falters fractionally before she answers. “I saw a man on one of the roofs, he had a rifle…”
I listen to her breathing change. The subtle rise of her shoulders, a reflex action as her body tenses. She’s not a very good liar.
“I’m sure the police will find the one responsible.” My smile doesn’t reach the hardness in my eyes. “A detective has been waiting outside to speak to you once you were awake.”
She knows something. Who my attempted assassin is? Or another piece of information linked to it, though she seems unwilling to speak of it.
Before I can probe for answers, the room door is thrust open, and a man hurries inside.
“Emma, thank God you’re all right.”
“Charles!”
The smile she bestows on him, the relief shining in her eyes, tears at my guts.
She loves another.
My good intentions die as quickly as they had manifested.
“Mr. Alucard, this is my fiancé, Charles Barker.”
Politely, I hold out my hand.
There’s strength in his grip when he shakes it. “Mr. Alucard, I’m pleased to meet you, sir.”
Dark brown hair cut short, his whisky colored eyes sparkle with vitality. His handsome features hold a charm that I know would appeal to females. It’s easy to see why she’s attracted.
“Emma is a very brave woman to risk herself to save me,” I tell him, removing my hand.
The boy’s laugh is full of confidence. “Normally she has her nose buried in a book at the library she works in. This is the kind of excitement she doesn’t experience. What were you thinking, love?” he scolds lightly, turning back to her.
Emma flushes a deeper shade of pink. Her embarrassment is clear, but he doesn’t seem to notice her discomfort.
They make a striking couple. Youthful, so full of life.
Envy at their closeness wipes away the rest of my good mood. She has a life. A suitor for her hand. I was foolish to hope otherwise. Why would this life be any different than the last?
“I will let you rest.” Giving them a stiff bow, I withdraw from the room.
The darkness that I have fallen so easily into in the past swirls at the edges of my mind. Pushing down the impulse to rip the
boy’s throat out, I know I must bide my time. Now I have found her, the woman I crave, she will not be long out of my reach. This time she will not escape me.
I find Renfield skulking not far along the corridor.
“Master, I have everything you wish to know about Miss Emma,” he tells me in a hurry, his desire to please me in any way transparent. “The police have found no trace of the shooter as yet.”
The vampire hunters are getting sloppy, if they’ve taken to public assassination attempts.
Do they know of Emma? This reincarnation who not but a few hours ago stumbled into my arms?
“I’m sure those hunters we ran into in Budapest had a hand in tonight.” I rub a palm over my bearded chin in annoyance at the thought. “They do nothing but hound me.”
Hovering at my side, my servant looks uncertain at this new outcome of events. “You think they followed us?”
Budapest was the last city I resided in before deciding to move here. For so long, I called it home until an ever-present restlessness had urged me to uproot. It had been for the best. Too much time in one place can always draw suspicion. Traveling gives me a chance to sample all the world has to offer and fresh necks to drink from.
“Obviously Lucrecia failed in her task to put an end to them once and for all.” Not waiting for Renfield to follow, I stalk for the car park.
Sara will mourn her loss.
Lucrecia, the more brazen of my two new brides, took it upon herself to destroy our enemies. We had parted in Budapest with the agreement she would join us. Her failure is not a surprise. They’re trained to kill our kind without mercy.
Turning my new brides in the centuries after the loss of Mina came from a sense of loneliness and despair. They could never replace her, yet for a while, they filled the aching void.
Hunters are a complication I don’t need. Not now.
I need to fuck and feed. Emma has left me hungering like never before.
“Renfield, send for one of the girls and have her meet us at the mansion.”
Giving me a bow, he fishes his smart phone from his pocket.
Chapter 16