The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

It snowed heavily during the day, and any tracks Nikolai may have left were completely covered over. Damien cursed to himself, bent in the pathway, surrounded by the snow laden trees. His hair whipped around him in the wind, and stung at his tear-stained face. He kept his head lowered to the path, and closed his eyes.



Gone. She was gone.



He sucked in a harsh breath, and touched his hand to the path. His fingerprints left their mark in the fresh, cold snow. There were no smells other than the heard packed earth and the snow. He detected nothing of the vampire scent, nothing of Marie’s faint perfume. He removed his hand, and stood slowly. His eyes lifted up, and stared at the moon as it rose into the sky.



The sun had been down for hours, and he was no closer to finding Nikolai than he had been before reluctantly returning to his crypt. It would seem that all hope had failed, that Marie would never be safe. He knew he had failed. His warning had come too late. She would never be safe.



He clenched wet fists tightly at his side, and moved forward with all the preternatural speed he could muster. But he wasn’t without hope. Somehow, he would get her back, and he would put Nikolai in his place once and for all.



He bent his head against the burning cold wind and hurried forward, all the while his senses open and aware for any subtle change, any clue that would lead him to her.





~~*~~



She had awoken in the darkness. It was inky black and smothering. It was cold and unyielding. She was afraid. Her hand groped for anything comforting, but she only found cold stone. It surrounded her.



She panicked, gasping for air in the stifling dark. Hot tears streamed down her face, and burned when the fell on her naked arms. She pounded her fist against the stone until her hand hurt. She screamed.



“Help me! Please, someone! Help!” She tried again, hitting her fist against the heavy stone. Her screams only echoed loudly. She sobbed, and sank the cold, dirty floor. “Please.”



But no one came. Hours passed, and she curled up silent, with her arms as a pillow.



She was tired, cold, and hungry. The floor beneath her was wet in places. It s

smelled of earth, musty and rich. She wiped her eyes with the back of hand. She screamed again, and waited a few moments. There was no answer.



When the door finally opened, she was hoarse from screaming. Her eyes were dry. She could cry no more. Her hand was red, swollen where she had continually banged at the walls and door. Twilight filtered in, bright with the moon hanging overhead. A shadow loomed before her.



Him.



She had not forgotten him, but had prayed in her solace that he was only a bad dream. Now, she could tell he wasn’t. Marie opened her mouth, and scrambled back from him. Her screams did not come out.



He laughed, and came forward, quicker than she was ready. His icy grip held her tight, though she struggled and fought to be free. He pulled her against him, and at once she could smell that earthy and musty scent. She could see where they were in a decrepit cemetery. He pulled her to his chest and ran a hand down her back.



“Shh, shh.” He whispered, caressing her hair as if to silence her cries. “Don’t be afraid, young one. I won’t hurt you.” His words, meant to be soothing, were cold and callous. He laughed again.



She trembled in his fierce arms, and in vain she tried to pull away again. He crushed her to him.



“Now now, don’t do that. Don’t you believe me?” He looked down, and her eyes met his. She froze. His eyes were unnatural, like Damien’s, but these eyes fostered no peace, no happiness. They were empty, and evil. Golden rimmed with blood-red, and no compassion. They mocked her.



“No.” She said, suddenly defiant despite the evil burning stare he was giving her. “I don’t believe you.”



“Do you believe I’m the devil?” He said. His eyes did not mock her any longer. They were angry and intense. She shivered as his hand pressed to the back of her neck, tilting her head back to look at him. The moon shone above him, and there was just enough light for her to see his eyes and the lines of scars across his face.



“You are something evil.” She said, “I know not what…” She tried to shake her head, but he held her neck fast. Her feet, pressed against the icy stones beneath her were numb. Snow had fallen during her imprisonment, and she was dressed only in her undergarments. She shivered in fear and in cold.



“You do not understand,” He replied, “what I am, but know this: You can pray for your salvation, for Damien to save you, but in the end, salvation will elude you. You will die. You think he will turn you? He won’t.”



“I…don’t…” Her teeth shook so much when she tried to speak. His words confused her. He was looking down at her.



“I look hideous, don’t I? Some horrible, disgusting monster….” He tightened his grip on the back of her neck. “Well, you have your Damien to thank for that. He did this to me. I’m keen on seeing him once again and extending the courtesy he gave to me.” He chuckled, and looked down at her. His grin became crueler, and she could see fangs protruding from his canines. “You will be there to see it, darling heart. Never worry about that.”



She was so confused, so scared. He was some kind of monster. She wanted to scream, but her throat closed up. She could only stare at him in horror. He continued, his voice growling.



“Enough talk.”



He bent down, pulling her close to him. She tried to scream, but again, nothing came out. His teeth sank into her throat, and the pain shot through her. She tensed, pressing against him. His arms enfolded her, and she felt weak suddenly, and she fell limp. His lips remained fastened to her neck.

Marie stared up at the starry sky. The moon hung overhead, and she sought to focus upon it. Her eyes fought to stay open, but they grew heavy, and then became slits.



She wasn’t aware when he withdrew from her, but the next thing she knew he had scooped her up in his powerful arms. She dangled limply, her head tilted back. She couldn’t even struggle. Her eyes remained open, only slightly, and stared into the darkness around her.



He carried her, lifting her high in his arms, and slipping away from the mausoleum he had imprisoned her in. He moved fast, much faster than she had ever moved in her life, and the world swept by her in shadows and white.



Then everything went dark.





~~*~~



Damien followed the trail, but he was getting nowhere. More than once he stopped, sniffed the air and got a hold of his bearings before setting off. Was this the right way? There was only once place he knew his brother would go to.



The Coven.



But it seemed blasphemous. He would not dare return there after years of being gone. There were few there that supported him now, but Nikolai was manipulative. Support or not, he would gain what he wanted in a very short amount of time. Damien was afraid of that.



He tried not to think of Marie, helpless in Nikolai’s grasp. His vision blurred in his anger, and he pushed himself forward. He would not let him kill the only thing he had ever loved. He would not let it happen to his Marie.



Soon, he followed a more familiar path. The way was overgrown some, from lack of travel, but it wound the same way. He passed the same dead trees, the same low hanging branches that snagged and snarled his cloak and hair. He knew this place now, and he slowed his steps.



He came to a standstill, and stared ahead of him. There were fresh footprints in the snow, leading from another ill-used path. He brought his eyebrows together as he studied them. His breath left him in angry gasps.



So he had come back. Quickly, Damien scanned the area but saw no sign of Damien or Marie. A fierce determination started in him, and he moved forward, pushing himself onward.



Shortly, the top of the Coven building loomed before him. The stones rose high into the sky, snow drifting from the rooftop when gusts of wind hit it. He stopped when he came to the ridge overlooking the Coven, and stared at it. The front door was wide open, and snow swept into it. The footsteps lead into the building.



Something was wrong.



The Council and the Elders would not allow the door to remain open, even at night. It meant discovery, and it was against their way of life. If one were foolish enough to do so, he or she was brought to death immediately. It could not be risked. He pulled his cloak to him, and the wind thrashed at his hair. He narrowed his eyes, and allowed his senses to take it in.



He could sense her there and Nikolai near her. He could smell spilt blood. No one else stirred. They were alone. The Elders were not there; he could not sense them. This was most unusual.



He would find out just what was going on, and get Marie back. She was alive.



He swept down the hill, a shadow among the snow, and reached the entrance.



The stone chamber was as cold as a tomb, and there were no signs of life. He walked slowly, his boots making hardly a patter on the stones. The fire grate was empty, and snow clung to the logs. The chairs were turned over. Everything was in disarray.



They were above him, in the Council Room, the place where the Elders gathered. He had her there. Damien wasted no time in taking the stone stairs and ascending to the highest levels. He heard laughter before he even reached the room. The hall was empty and dark. Then everything became silent.



He walked the long corridor, heading to the Council room. Everything was silent, too silent. He didn’t like it. He set his jaw and stood outside the open door to the room. He did not look in just yet, but instead took a deep breath, preparing himself for what lay ahead.



Damien entered the doorway, stopping once he was inside.



There she was, seated in the chair once occupied by the head of the Council. She was slumped back, her head inclined toward the high back. Her eyes were closed, and her skin was whiter than he had ever seen. On either side of her neck were the tell-tale marks of Nikolai’s torture. The identical bite marks were tinged with bluish bruises.



Behind her, the severed heads of the vampire Council and Elders stared unblinkingly at him. At the end of the row was the familiar eyes and dark hair of Alaster. His mouth gaped open in some horrible grimace. They were all dead.



Damien saw red. He clenched one hand into a fist, while the other slipped around the hilt of his blade. Nikolai was nowhere in sight. He could not see him. Damien removed the sword, and moved slowly forward toward Marie. He looked around him, and tried to sense Nikolai. He couldn’t.



He reached her, and knelt to the floor beside her.



“Oh Marie.” He unclenched his fist and touched her cheek. She was cold, like ice, but she was alive. Her chest lifted with every shallow breath, but her heart beat strong. Quickly he removed his cloak and draped it around her. She did not stir.



He heard the footsteps behind him first, and then the ringing laughter. He jumped to his feet and spun. He held the blade out, and his dark eyes darted. There was nothing behind him.



The laughter sounded all around him, and a brush of cold air hit him. It stirred the cloak about Marie’s shoulder. Again, Damien spun to meet only empty air.



“Nikolai!” He shouted into the dark corners of the room. “Come out and face me! Damnable coward!” His voice betrayed him with a tremor of fear. His eyes darted about. Nikolai only laughed, and it echoed from the stone walls.



“Coward?” He hissed, and then Damien saw him. He stepped from the darkness of the doorway, his own blade extended at the side. He looked the same as always. He was just as tall, and wiry. His long hair was the same length, but his eyes and face had changed. “You call me a coward?”



Damien tensed when he saw him. The yellow and red eyes peered at him, not hiding the evil of his soul. His face was hideously disfigured with scars. Damien knew he had given them to him, and defiantly he smirked.



“You look like a new man.” He said in a low voice. He ignored Nikolai’s demanding, and the sneer that followed his remark. He readjusted the grip on his sword.



“I am no coward.” Nikolai spat. “It’s good to see you again…brother.” His grin was demonic. Damien narrowed his eyes as he stared at him. He went on. “Yes, very good to see you again, Aleksander.”



“That is not my name.”



“But it is, brother. You’ve forgotten so much, haven’t you…”



“No…” Damien spoke through clenched teeth. He had not been called that name in a long time, but he remembered it. Somewhere in the depths of his soul he recognized the name. He gave a shake of his head. He would not let Nikolai confuse him now. “Enough of that, Nikolai. Let’s finish this.”



“Let’s not. Not yet. If you do not remember your name, do you remember this?” In his free hand Nikolai held something Damien readily recognized. It swung from the leather string in his hand, glinting faintly in the shadows. He watched it swing like a pendulum, and he narrowed his eyes. He did not answer.



“You’ve had it with you, all this time. You stole it from me!” Nikolai shouted. He curled his fist around the pendant and obscured it from his view. “You took it from me, and you never even knew what it was…”



“What is it?” There was an edge to his voice. He curled his fist tighter around hilt of his sword, and he risked a sidelong glance at Marie. She stirred, very faintly, but was still out. He blinked his eyes, and turned back to Nikolai. It would not be wise to turn his attention away from him.



“What is it?” Nikolai repeated, and he laughed. He gave a shake of his head so that his hair fell into his burning eyes. “You remember mother? And father? Do you remember your family at all?”



“I try not to.”



“You try nothing. You can’t remember them. But I can.” He shook his closed fist at him. “This! This was our family crest. It was a sacred symbol of a great family, our family. And you gave it to some filthy whore…”



“Don’t call her that!”



“You have taste, I give you that, but she is a whore, no matter how you worship her.” Nikolai’s eyes hardened, and he gave a slight tilt of his head at his brother. He smirked at his rage.



Damien took in his words and thought them over. He suppressed his rage. It would not help him or Marie if he suddenly lunged. He knew how level-headed his brother could be in battle.



His brother…he had never been a brother to him, even if there was some claim to blood-kin. How was it that Nikolai could remember these origins and he could not? He tried to put it out of his mind. He would not allow him to confuse him further.



“I have no family. And neither do you. What was left of our family you so ungraciously dispatched…” He gestured toward the wall of vampire heads, blood gleaming black in the shadows.



“They were never my family, and it was necessary to be rid of them. They would just stand in my way. I’m talking about blood-kin!” Nikolai took a step to the side, beginning to circle Damien. His eyes followed him. “Blood-kin! The same blood that flows through my veins flows through yours! I know all about our family, Aleksander. I remember them well.



“I did a lot of reminiscing when I was in the grave. I remembered a lot. We were brothers, you and I. We shared a home. We grew up, and we were chosen to become what we are now.”



Nikolai paused in his speech and his steps, and looked at Marie. Damien set his jaw as he watched him.



“Somewhere down the line, you forgot everything. You forgot your mother and father. You forgot your name. You forgot who you were. I didn’t.” He leaned forward, his hand reaching forward, hovering over Marie. For one moment, Damien thought he meant to grab her, and he tensed and took a step further. But he did no such thing. He dropped the pendant in her lap. He continued to stare down at her.



“No…you forgot everything, while I remembered everything…”



Damien was becoming anxious now. Nikolai continued to stare at Marie. His face was thoughtful.



“Why do you talk of this?” Damien asked.



“Why?” His eyes flashed away from Marie, and stared hard at him. Damien turned fully to face him. Marie stirred again, moving her head to one side. The cloak slipped slightly from her shoulder. “Why not? Because I want to forget! I want to forget everything. I am not allowed that luxury! Why were you chosen to forget mortal life?”



He gave a bold shake of his head and laughed. “Listen to me. I sound more and more like you every day. What has happened to me?” He did not wait for Damien to respond. He remained in silence for a moment longer, mulling over his words.



“You tried to kill me before, and I continued to thrive, trapped though I was. And all I had was a memory.” There was a shake of his head, and he continued. “You upset my plans. Now that I’m back, I can continue what I started…after I finish with you.



“The time for reminiscing is over. I came here to finish what I started. You’ll soon meet mother and father in the after-life. Maybe you’ll remember then.”



Nikolai moved too fast for Damien, even though he was poised and ready for his attack. He lifted his blade, bringing it down toward the helpless Marie. Damien moved quickly, taking his sword in for the block. It clashed with Nikolai’s blade, inches from the top of Marie’s head.



He strained against Nikolai’s amazing strength, pushing the blade up and away from her. Suddenly, there was no more resistance, and he nearly toppled forward. Nikolai and his blade were gone. Marie moved again, her eyes opening into slits. She stared, uncomprehendingly at the man before her. Damien turned quickly.



He swung his blade just in time to block a thrust from Nikolai. The sound of metal upon metal clanged in the darkness. Nikolai laughed, and it echoed all around him. Marie was waking.



“What…?” She said softly. She was becoming gradually more aware of her surroundings. She moved in the seat, the cloak fully slipping from her. She strained to see in the darkness.



“Aleksander…” his voice mocked him from somewhere he could not see. Damien turned toward it. From behind him, Nikolai continued. “You’re not afraid are you?”



“That is not my name!” Damien shouted into the darkness. Nikolai kept moving. Damien could not focus in on him. He was a shadowy blur, blending in too well with the black walls. “And I am not afraid!”



“Damien?” Marie’s soft voice answered. There was a whimper of fright from her. He could not answer her just yet. He couldn’t soothe her until Nikolai was gone. The fear in her voice pained him.



“Stay where you are Marie. Don’t move!” He warned. He turned from her, searching for Nikolai. He could hear the pattering of his boots as he moved swiftly around him in circles, but he never saw anything more than a blurred shadow. “Stop this game!” He shouted. “Face me!”



Laughter followed Damien’s words.



“Who are you trying to fool, brother?” Nikolai said at the same time Marie whimpered. Again, Damien turned. Nikolai had a hold of Marie. He pulled her unceremoniously upward, his forearm across her chest and his free hand held at her throat. He held his blade outstretched. His eyes were locked on Damien.



Damien froze. The sight of Marie in his enemy’s clutches was enough to tear his heart out. Rage and pain swept through him, but he kept them at bay. He lowered his sword.



“Will you face me now?” Nikolai asked. His long fingers stroked Marie’s throat. She was locked in his grip, and tears were streaming from her eyes. She could not see as well as he in the dark, and she was terrified.



Damien’s throat locked up. “No.” He choked out. “I will not fight you.”



“Oh, how chivalrous of you. You won’t fight me while your lady is in danger’s way, hmm?” There was an evil chuckle in his voice. Damien watched him lean forward, his lips caressing the top of Marie’s ear. She let out a whimper, and tried to move out of his arms, but he held fast to her. “That won’t be much of a problem soon, I think.” He whispered heatedly into her ear.



Marie’s eyes sought to find Damien in the shadows, but she could not see him. She let out a sobbing cry as Nikolai tightened his hand around her throat.



“Let her go, Nikolai.” He said, defeated. “I will not fight you. You have what you wanted. I am defeated.”



“Then put down your sword.” He stated. His blade did not ease away.



Damien hesitated, looking Marie in the eyes. She could not see him, but her mouth formed the silent words. “Please…”



He lowered the sword, and Nikolai laughed.



“You can always trust the charms of a woman to get things done.” And he shoved her forward. She let out a cry as she stumbled forward, and Damien caught her in his arms.



She sank into the safety of his arms, sobbing against his hard chest. Damien wrapped him arms around her back, and pulled her to him.



“Shh…” He whispered to her, stroking her head. Her tears were wet and warm against his neck. Fiercely, Marie clung to him, while Damien stared over her head.



But Nikolai was no longer there. The room has become even colder and more silent, and Damien could not sense him. He was gone.



And he knew it wasn’t over yet. He broke away from Marie only a moment, to put his sword away and then he lifted her carefully and gently. Then he stepped out of the room, and into the darkness of the corridor.

Her skin was like satin, soft and warm to the touch. He had to fight himself to keep from bruising her delicate flesh. He would devour her. He knew his strength was like a vice, holding her, and he released her from him. His touch was like ice.



Her shivering betraying the warmth that came from within. When she parted her lips, he tasted the fire there. It was almost too much, and Damien found himself pulling back before he became consumed. Marie’s lips were red and swollen from his kisses and her eyes glistened, concerned.



She touched him without saying a word. Her hands were hesitant in their movements as they rested on his chest. For the first time, she felt with her finger tips the hardness of his skin and muscle beneath his tunic. She was surprised and afraid.



Sweet Marie. He pulled her close, gently now, and rested his cold chin against her forehead. His lips pressed to her skin, and he smelled her fragrant and warm hair. He held her in his embrace, now truly realizing what was happening.



She was his.



She was no longer a fantasy of his mind and heart. Here she was, in the flesh, alive and in his arms. He wondered when he would wake from this dream…



“I do not know why you haunt me…” She was speaking. Her voice was soft, and muffled against his chest. He felt her take in a deep breath and exhale. Her breath was warm. “I see you in my dreams, when I try to sleep at night. I see your eyes…I don’t know what you are. You are something…” She faltered for the word, “…Unnatural…”



“There are many names for what I am. Some call me the Forsaken, because I have given up upon life, and forsaken myself to a life of the damned.” He spoke into her hair, but then forced himself away. “I am many things.”



Marie looked up at him, and he now saw that her eyes were red. He touched her cheek. It was wet.



“You frighten me. Your cold skin and empty eyes…Are you a demon?”



He smiled wistfully at the word, but it soon faded. He lowered his head, avoiding her eyes. “Some call me that.”



“But, you say that you love. If you were a demon, would this not be true?”



He considered her words a moment. Her heart was beating fast against his chest.



“No, it would be true, for demons are fallen angels, and angels once looked upon God with adoration. Demons can love. I can love.” Damien could see it in her eyes when he looked at her again, that she had so much more to ask, and the answers to her questions would continue to vex her. She began to pull away from him.



“I’ll do what you ask. I will go…” She spoke the words slowly. “I know not what you are, angel, or demon, but I will go…”



“Thank you, Marie. Leave as soon as you can, and do not return to this place. You can start a new life, elsewhere.” He began to pull away from her. He could not stay any longer. He had wasted much time already. Damien turned away.



“Damien…” She said his name in a whisper, and he turned back. Tears once more were falling down her face. She said the words he had longed to hear her say for so long.



“Please don’t leave me…stay here, with me.”



He froze a moment, closing his eyes as her words fell into silence on her glistening lips. Her cheeks shone in the flickering light of the candle. When he didn’t answer her right away, she turned her gaze. Her eyes became downcast, and she gave a shake of her head.



“No, never mind…I couldn’t expect you to…”



“I’ll stay.” He surprised himself when he said this. His eyes flashed to the window, and peered through the breaks in the shutters. It was still dark, and dawn was hours away. He could stay, but only until then. “…Until near dawn, and then I must go.”



She was nodding. She did not hesitate as she crossed the room and he held his out his arms to her. She pressed herself against his chest, and let out a shaking breath. He stroked her hair, and kept her close.



He lay with her on the bed, with her head against his chest. She was warm against him, and soft. He found himself smelling her skin now and again, but if it bothered her, she gave no notice. She said nothing, and soon her breathing was slow and peaceful. She was asleep.



He smoothed a strand of hair away from her eyes, and closed his own. He held her still, for more than an hour, never moving lest he disturb her. He was fully content to just hold her.



As he did so, his mind raced back to the night when Alaster showed up unexpected. His words still rang in his ears. Even if it wasn’t true, it gave Damien something to think on. If Nikolai did return, it would mean everything would change. Not only would Damien be in trouble, everyone he had been around would be. The Coven would suffer. He let out a deep breath, remembering…



It had happened several hundred years ago, and they were both members of the Coven Council. Damien sought to find peace with the growing mortal population surrounding their lifestyle, and Nikolai, his brother by The Blood, thought otherwise. It was his reckless behavior and ideals that rallied the other vampires into joining him. Villages were laid to waste, and bodies were scattered. Horrified, Damien and the other Council members had sought to end his dangerous crusade.



He would have them discovered. Already suspicions were rising, and Nikolai was oblivious. He lived for chaos, disorder and blood. He killed the innocent at random, women and children, caring not if they were rich or poor. Others followed him in his fast and destructive manipulation.



Soon the Coven became divided. While Damien sought to keep order, the vampires were joining Nikolai in his bloody rampage. He remembered this, if nothing else. It was clearer to him in his mind than most of his other memories, perhaps because it was the worst.



They went to war, and Damien emerged victorious. He told no one in the Council what had transpired, only that Nikolai was gone, and not to return again for a very long time. There had been silence when he walked the great stone hall, so silent the blood from his sword could be heard dripping as he stood there.



He understood why they alienated him. He had killed a fellow Council member, his own kind, and his brother, and all for the sake of the mortals that lived nearby. His trial lasted many months, and Damien grew weary of it all. The Council was full of bureaucrats, and none could understand his point of view. He had done it to save the mortals, and he had done it to save the Coven. They thought him foolish, instead of noble. A dreamer and not a hero. So he left the Coven, and became a rogue.



But, if Nikolai was back, he would finish his dealings with the Coven and Damien, before resuming his pillage of the mortals…



He let out another sigh, his breath brushing a strand of Marie’s hair. She was still asleep. He had not expected to have her so close to him. It had been impulsive of him to think she would even love him, would give herself to him in a lover’s embrace, and he was thankful that he could just hold her.



Once more he stared to the window. It was growing lighter outside. Dawn would be here soon. Not wanting to disturb her, he slipped away from her form slowly, rearranging her limbs and head upon the bed. She stirred once, and whispered something he didn’t catch. When she would wake up, he would be gone.



He smiled grimly to himself, and leaned forward. He placed a small kiss upon her forehead, and then stepped away. “Goodbye, Marie.” He said, then slipped out the door.



Damien left the inn, moving with swift steps. Dawn would arrive in half an hour, and he had to return to his sanctuary to rest. He moved with his head lowered, his face bent against the blowing snow. He turned down a familiar path, and entered the darkness there.





~~*~~



There were many towns along the river, and Nikolai had been to them all. He had seen nothing of his brother, had not even sensed his presence among the dim-witted mortals. He searched each graveyard, each mausoleum but found nothing.



In the dark alleys, he found many victims to satisfy his thirst, and too note of many more he could claim in the future. But they were not what he was looking for. After he dealt with his brother, he would deal with them, as it should have been.



He touched the stone wall beside him. Damien’s presence lingered here. He had been here, only a short time ago. Snow continued to fall, but Nikolai’s burning eyes stared past them. He stood where Damien had stood, and looked where he had looked, and tried to gauge what his brother must’ve thought.

Nothing.



He knew he was in the inn. His vantage point was directly before the hideous place. Nikolai sneered to himself, but why this place. He took a deep breath, and listened. All other sounds and sensations left him as he focused only on Damien. Yes, he was there, but there was someone else…a woman. He could hear her steady heartbeat. A lover, perhaps?



A grin replaced his sneer, and a plan was already formulating in his mind. Beautiful, he thought to himself. Beautiful.



He saw the door open, and the familiar form of his younger brother slip from the shadows. He moved with a quick gait, his head down, and eyes to the path before him. He turned down a shadowed lane, and disappeared. Nikolai smirked, and when Damien had fully sunk into the shadows, he stepped out. The sky was turning blue and purple. The horizon was lightening.



It took him only a few steps to reach the door, his monstrous speed compensating for the lightness of his tread. He slipped in, unnoticed, and swept up the stairs. He found the room. The door was unlocked.



It only creaked slightly as Nikolai entered. The scent of fresh blood awakened the beast within him, and he nearly salivated. A sumptuous, half-clothed flame-haired nymph lay in the tangled sheets of the bed. There was a faint scent of vampire lingering here. He recognized it as Damien. He smiled.



He moved forward, sweeping his cloak into the room. The girl stirred only a little as he leaned over her. Then her eyes flew open, and she stared up. His stark white and scarred face was surely a horror to look upon. Her green eyes filled with fear, and he leered at her, prominent fangs gleaming. He was a monster.



She screamed, and he let her. He wanted him to hear. It was enough. He clamped his icy hand over her mouth, and drew her to him.



“Hush, little one.” He crooned, easily lifting her. She could not struggle in his tight grip. “Your screams could wake the dead.” And he laughed.





~~*



Damien returned to his daytime sleeping area, soon after leaving the inn. He had just reached the iron gate of the cemetery when her scream rang out. He knew it was Marie. Terror welled in him.



He called upon every ounce of his preternatural speed to carry him. He brushed past people, early morning commuters, and lowered his head against the stinging snow. They only saw shadows passing.



He reached the inn, and as if waiting for this very moment, Nikolai burst through the upstairs window. Glass shattered, and someone screamed. Splinters of wood and beads of glass showered upon Damien. His brother landed before him on the ground, his laughter ringing loudly in the cold. His lips were stained with blood.



In his arms was helpless Marie. Her head was inclined back, her skin whiter than he had ever seen. He saw the all too familiar wound of his victims upon her delicate throat and hate welled within him. She dangled precariously. Her eyelids fluttered.



“No!” He screamed, and lunged forward.



But there was nothing there.



In a wild, delirious daze he spun around. If it hadn’t been for the broken window above him, and the glass and wood at his feet and in his hair, he might’ve thought it to be a dream. They weren’t there. They were gone.

The sky was growing pink. The sun would rise soon, and Nikolai had Marie.



There was nothing Damien could do. He returned to his crypt, and angrily clawed at the stone and marble until he left inch deep indentions. Then he fell into a dreamless sleep.