19 Welcome to hell

We arrive by cab to a large mansion, Latrell is greeted on his large piece of land covered in a well-kept topiary by two rows of maids all dressed in long black dresses.

"Welcome home Lord Latrell!" They all shout in unison.

"Thank you so much, ladies! This is Christian, please make sure he is well tended to." Lord Latrell shouts.

They all glare at me, each one of them spin around gathering around Latrell causing him to visibly blush. I stand there with Chara watching this odd display of chaos with fangirling maids assembling and chattering amongst themselves.

Some standing on their tiptoes in the back to get a look at their master and lord of the house humble enough to take a taxi home instead of a limo or expensive ride.

A bang could be heard in the back of us to find an older, but a still very attractive woman dressed in a crimson red maid dress, you could see a laid design in her dress of raised roses patterned into her thick fabric.

"Ladies! What have we talked about?" She shrieked, "Go now!"

"Yes, Lady Katherine! We know not to act out." They shout in harmony.

Dispersing the crowd with her finger flicking as though expelling a bug, Latrell gazes at Katherine in dismay, she stomps her leather red boots against the concrete walkway brandishing her horsewhip to her side.

"Lord Latrell, when will you stop acting so childish!" She scolds him.

"Maids deserve respect too! I can't help it if they love the lion!" He boasts.

"They are the cockiest maids in this part of town because of you!" She shouts.

She notices Chara in the corner of her eye, the two gawk at each other for a few moments as though they were animals in nature.

Unmoving, they make silly faces at first, Katherine smacks Chara with her horsewhip.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Chara cried out.

"I assume you must be the young master's maid here." She notes.

"I am, hit me with that again and I am going to ice you," Chara stated, raising her fingers in the air.

"A magick user…interesting." Katherine answers.

"She is adorable!" Lord Latrell excitedly smiled.

"You are creepy…" Chara mumbled.

"Well anyway, welcome to my humble abode since you will be with me for a couple of months if you are a quick learner." Lord Latrell points out.

"Quick learner?" I asked.

"He doesn't go easy, you are a tainted human I see…" Katherine said, brushing her tongue against her fangs.

"Are you okay?" I questioned.

Strolling over to me she places her hands on my shoulder, I could see her face turn red bowing her head down on my chest. I move my hands back nervously.

"Surely you are mistaken about me?" I stutter.

"You smell…so sweet…" She says.

I am drawn back by the collar of my shirt, Chara gets in front of me slapping Katherine in the face with the back of her hand.

Katherine stands firm holding her reddened cheek, Lord Latrell only stares out coldly at the scene.

"Touch my master again, I will have you decapitated!" She howls with anger.

"You are more than a maid I see…" Katherine responds.

"Don't play with me!" Chara yells.

"Chara please! Calm down, I am okay…" I replied.

"Master! How could you let yourself get caught up in a woman's presence like this!" Chara argued.

"I am sorry Chara I won't do it again!" I responded laughing.

"Maybe he has a good taste in women…" Katherine answers.

"Come now, ladies! Let's go inside pleased!" Lord Latrell begged.

"I have much to take care of, good meeting you both!" Katherine said.

Bowing she grabs a part of her long dress running inside, looking up at the large house I am amazed someone could live in such a long and wide structure.

"This is a mini-mansion compared to the rest of the others I own." Lord Latrell.

"Mini mansion? How much would that even cost?" I ask.

"If I recall this one is 4,087 square feet cost maybe hmm, this one was designed for training my lads like you Christian…this place is kept far from the eye on purpose." He explains.

The architecture was unusual, utilizing geometric patterns and simple colors of gray and white, large blue-tinted windows on each side, and an enormously huge door covered in carved depictions of fairies and naked women along the middle.

It was modern, much more so than the cottage of Saniya, I assume witches just prefer crowded cozy housing.

Chara takes my hand as we enter the threshold, furniture was minimal at best. Black leather couches and two large chairs covered in red velvet. I could make out tiny yellow stars in the lining of the material.

A large Christmas tree sits in the middle of the room, the tree is laced in golden ribbon, bulbs of gold and red hung all about its thick branches. Plain yellow fairy lights are strewn throughout fading in and out against the darkness of the room.

At the very top, a large fairy instead of an angel lays on the top, her wings faintly glowing.

"A Christmas tree…do vampires celebrate Christmas?" I question.

"Depends on who you ask Christian." Lord Latrell states.

"I missed Halloween…I forgot more about simple joys." I said with a pause.

"Would you like to celebrate Christmas with us as your first year as a vampire?" He asks.

Facing Lord Latrell I become tearful, thinking back to past Christmas I would go to my parents. We would make a roast and still practice gift giving despite being older now.

"I would like that, what about you Chara?" I answer.

"Everett's don't celebrate holidays so this would be lovely." Chara smiled.

"Then we will all have a merry Christmas this year." Lord Latrell responds.

"I would like that Lord Latrell," I said.

"For now you should be wary of every corner of this house Christian…" Lord Latrell warns.

"What do you mean?" I inquire.

The humming starts again hanging high in the air, the atmosphere becomes humid. I find myself gasping and choking trying to breathe. I tumble to the ground.

Everything goes black, when I finally wake I find my surroundings dark and damp. I lay on the hard cement gazing at the iron bars in front of me.

Moving forward I hear a chain to realize my foot has been latched to the wall. I tug and yank knowing it was useless.

"You are finally awake it seems." A voice rang out.

"Who is there?" I shout.

Katherine appears from the shadows opening the prison's squeaking door, bowing down she presses her lips against the top of my head. Lifting me into her arms she parts my collar popping her fangs into my neck.

I try to cry out but she takes her hand covering my mouth. When she is done she licks congealing blood clotting against my neck. I limp in her arms attempting to sit up.

She squeezes me in her arms, I dizzily rest in her embrace as she nuzzles my forehead.

"Now I have you all to myself…" She whispers.

A smile graces her bloodied lips, I could feel her tongue lap it up. We lay on the floor in the quietness of the darkness encompassing us.

I am too weak to fight her bringing my jaw to her mouth, we start to kiss. I sluggishly try to pull away when she starts to chew the lining inside of my cheeks.

Blood dribbles down the side of my mouth, she gently releases me from her grasp. I crumple to the damp ground on my face wheezing.

"Katherine, that's not why he is here." Lord Latrell states.

She lets out a shrieking sigh of excitement, her kempt maid's dress now soaked by the cells leaky pipe, mud-coated the bottom of her boots.

"I-I couldn't help it, Lord Latrell…if that maid let me play with him earlier I wouldn't be here now. It's been a long time since you had an 'igor' here…" She huffed out her words breathlessly.

"Don't tell the others you've been here Katherine…" Lord Latrell scolds.

Helping her stand on her feet, Latrell bends down to haul me up by the hairs on my head gawking into my eyes.

"Welcome to hell…"