“Very well. Thing One and Thing Two can join in the fun.”
Xavier shot me a dirty look, but didn’t take my bait. Darn. I’m feeling feisty. He brought me to a heavy wooden door.
A snarl responded to the knock, but it remained shut.
“Come now, Piers, you said we could chat,” said Xavier.
The snarling got louder and there was nothing rational or human in the sound.
“Don’t make this difficult,” said Xavier.
Piers finally opened the door and I couldn’t hide my surprise.
“Not a pretty sight,” he said.
“It’s not that. I just didn’t expect you to be so big.”
“You lie well, but not well enough to fool a vampire. Come in or stay out, I don’t care which,” said Piers.
The vampire was huge. He had to lean over to keep his head from brushing the ceiling. His room was dark and only a pair of candles glowed.
“What do you want to know, so I can get back to sleep?”
Vamps didn’t sleep at night. He sat stooped over as if he lacked the energy to sit up all the way. His hair was knotted together, but it didn’t hide the bald patches.
“I’d like to discuss the events that led to you getting sick.”
“Nothing. I drank from Maribelle and detected a taint of something that didn’t taste normal. I ignored it. She’s a lusty wench and was more concerned with satisfying her itch and I indulged her. I drank more than normal. And fell into a sleep.”
“When Maribelle couldn’t rouse him, she came to me,” said Xavier.
“And you see what the result of that is.”
“Did you try to drink from her, Xavier?”
“We didn’t make that connection. It seems obvious now, but what Piers describes isn’t anything alarming. She could have drunk a lot of wine or partook of drugs – either of which would affect the way she tasted,” said Xavier.
“So, no one other than Piers drank from her? Would you be willing to try?”
“Bring Maribelle,” barked Xavier.
The guard brough a short, but willowy red head.
“Drink, Vicks,” ordered Xavier.
The vampire leaned into the woman’s neck and grimaced.
“Not the neck,” said Piers. “Only I drink from her neck. Use the wrist.”
The guard gently brought the woman’s arm to his mouth. He lurched backwards, spitting out the blood and wiping his face. Maribelle burst into tears.
“I’m still damaged,” she wailed.
“Return her,” said Xavier.
“I guess that clears things up. It is something with her. Are you done, Marty?”
“I’d thought to ask more questions.”
“Piers needs to rest. Send me a list of your questions. I’ll get the answers for you.”
It wasn’t an ideal solution, but it would have to do. Xavier wasn’t going to bend on this.
From here, the night continued to be useless. I conducted the donor interviews, which went as well as I expected. None of the donors were older than their late twenties. And most of them were stunningly good looking, like Maribelle. Guess vamps didn’t care for ugly food. The donors lived very boring, but privileged lives according to what I was told. They were treated like pampered pets and enjoyed every bit of it. You couldn’t pay me enough to be a vamp’s chew toy.
Yes, the donors seemed content, if not happy, they were also very docile. Something about the bond between them and the vampires dampened their natural fear response and almost made them mindless.
Each one praised the vampires for the care and generosity. The donors rarely left the house and when they did, it was usually in groups and with guards. There wasn’t a single activity that was out of the ordinary or even remotely risky or dangerous. They went shopping and occasionally to their places of religious practice. Heck if I knew how they were getting contaminated.
I tried to get more information about their religious practices, but they were tip-lipped about that. I’d need to ask Xavier about this.
By the time I left Xavier’s coven, I had a throbbing headache and a grumbling tummy. I’d learned nothing and only had more answers than before. I wanted to punch something. I really didn’t want to go back to Sterling to tell him about the evening’s failure, but where else did I have to go?
“Hello daughter.”
I shrieked, but managed to instinctually pull out my sword.
“Oh my, are we to fight? I doubt you’d be a match for me. Your skills have atrophied without my tutelage.”
“What do you want?”
“Why isn’t that clear? I want my daughter back.”
“I want nothing to do with you, not now and not ever. I wish you’d died.”
“Tsk, tsk. At least, you haven’t lost your edge. I’d despaired that your abilities had dulled being out here with the peons.”
“You always were an elitist snob on top of being abusive. If you come for me, I’ll kill you.”
“How delightful. My savage, little one.”
“I’m not kidding. I have every intention of making sure you die and stay dead.”
“I didn’t think you were joking. I have no doubt that you’d try your best to kill me. We both know that I’m the stronger of us – physically and magically.”
I gripped my sword, preparing to launch an offensive at my father, when Muffin attacked. My father and I were equally startled. The devil dog latched onto my father’s arm and wrenched his head back and forth. He tore the skin and muscle and spewing my father’s blood everywhere. My stomach rolled. Seeing the wildness and destruction he was enacting against my father was a grim reminder of what Muffin was capable of.
My father clubbed Muffin with the flat of his sword. Luckily, he couldn’t get a good angle to stab Muffin. I wasn’t about to let him get the opportunity to take out my animal. I put a hand out to unleash my magic when a searing volley of flames hit my father. He swore, but continued doing his best to smash Muffin’s brains out. I lowered my hand and I searched out the source of the magic. There in the shadows was Miles.
Miles sent out another round of fire attacks. One of the
