3 Chapter 03

Her heart was pounding. She could feel it in her throat, a loud and insistent pulse that warned her, pleaded with her, to run away. With a swallow she attempted to shove it aside, consciously choosing to press forward. Her movements were slow and careful as she crept around the corner towards the door. Symi had disappeared into the house, her motions dreamlike and lethargic. Lenore could only imagine what had propelled her friend to leave her home in the middle of the night and come here.

The house had not been reoccupied since Liza's passing, and the woman hadn't lived with anyone. The house should be empty, but Lenore could feel a menacing presence here that screamed at her to run away, and save herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she just saw her friend's back disappear down the stairs to the cellar.

Fear gripped her as she slowly followed, taking care not to make a sound. It crawled on her skin and pounded in her chest, even as she resolutely took the steps that would bring her closer to what she was now convinced was the monster that had been plaguing her village. As she slowly pulled the door, left ajar by the passage of the younger girl, it gave an eerie creak, that in the darkness sounded to her like a deathbed groan. She froze on the spot, certain that whoever was down in the cellar must have heard.

When no immediate reaction was forthcoming, she knew she would have to continue. Taking a deep breath to steel her resolve, she placed her foot on the first step leading downwards. It took every bit of courage within her, and her breath was hard and heavy as she moved. Surely whoever, or whatever, was down there could hear her heart beats and feel her breath already, it was so loud. All the fear in the world, however, could not have prepared her for what she saw when she reached the bottom, and moved forward through the darkness.

Two bright eyes were gleaming from the shadows. They illuminated the area immediately surrounding them, bringing to light an eerie, though not unappealing visage. She had been ready for a monster, but the man who stood there in the darkness had a handsomeness that immediately attracted her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she gave a startled cry at the sight of Symi, close to the man, his arms around her waist and shoulders. Her head was rested limply across his chest, and there was blood seeping from two open wounds upon her neck. Eyes flitting back to the man who held her close to him, she could see red staining his lips and chin.

"Symi!!" The scream left her throat before she could think, and at that sound the mans eyes turned to lock onto her. A slow, satisfied smile spread across the monsters features, his tongue snaking out to lick his lips. In an instant, the body of her friend was cast aside, limp like a rag doll, before a ghostly looking hand was extended towards her.

Lenore felt a certain pull at her mind then, as the world seemed to fall into a dream around her. Her mind became foggy and her eyelids heavy, as she looked into those glowing orbs before her. For some strange reason, she felt compelled to go to him. He really was the most attractive man she had ever seen....

As she drew closer to him, step by step, his arms extended towards her as though to embrace her, and she felt an amount of comfort. Stepping closer and closer. His arms seemed inviting, and his smile was so becoming....

One more step and she would be within his grasp. As her feet moved to close the gap between them, her eyes suddenly focused on the blood that still stained his lips, and she glanced towards the ground where the body of her friend lay. Blood still gracing the girls neck like a red lace collar, her mind snapped out of its reverie. Fear and anger returned to her in a wave. Her hand tightened upon the knife, and with a cry of passion, moved forward to drive it into the creature before her.

As the knife plunged into his stomach she felt a thrill of satisfaction. It was short lived, however, as she looked up into the face of the creature, to see that the smile had not evaporated from his features. Instead it broadened, and a deep, sinister laughter began to sound throughout the room. In horror she looked down at the blade she had sunk into his flesh, and pulling it free with a twist, discovered that it was utterly clean.

The creature did not bleed.

He advanced upon her then, no more lures and euphoria. As he moved his hands reached out to grasp at her, and she backed away from him just in time to avoid his touch. It was a short but eventful tussle as she attempted to avoid him, slashing the air with the knife in a flurry of blows. There was no finesse to her movements, no skill save the frantic viciousness of one cornered, adrenaline running through her veins.

Each time she sliced at him, she only felt fear grip her all the more at the unnatural sight of an assailant that did not bleed, or scream, or seem to feel any pain. As his hand finally gripped her wrist, the knife clattered to the ground. She screamed in terror as her back was thrust against a wall. The handsome stranger pinned her to it, her wrists held firmly against the surface behind her. All she could see was that face, grinning from the darkness at her, bright red lips and a smile that still drew her in.

"Mmm... Found me out did you... naughty naughty." His voice was like liquid, smooth as it ran across her senses. It was deep, it made her knees weak and her breath come quicker. She thought she could listen to that voice for hours. As he moved closer to her he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "Aaahhh... you are so afraid... good...."

The whispered words made her spine shiver, and she could not help a small moan of fearful anticipation slip from her lips unbidden. He eyed her playfully, mockingly, toying with her as he spoke with tantalizing sweetness. "You smell... absolutely.... delicious."

"Oh, I quite agree."

The tension in the room suddenly took a different turn, light flooding in to drive back the darkness. As she turned to look in the direction of this new voice, she saw the warm glow of a lantern, comforting in its normalcy. It was held in hand by another figure standing in the doorway. He was tall, dressed in finer clothes than the tatters that clothed the figure of the monster in who's grasp she found herself. This man was at once more elegant, more compelling, and worlds more handsome than the first. His black hair framed a pale face, eyes that glowed and pierced. Any lingering spell that had worked on her to attract her to her assailant was immediately dissipated, and she felt a sudden thrill of relief.

Somehow, she knew that she was saved.

"Now I would thank you to get your grubby hands off of my property." The accented voice immediately commanded her attention and reverence. His voice held far more authority, and moved through her mind with far more power. It was as though the first man was a mere novice at a game that the newcomer had mastered, and she no longer felt afraid of him. Not in the presence of his obvious superior. With a growl of anger the man holding her released her quite suddenly, her knees giving way beneath her to send her painfully to the floor.

"You." The creature stalked away from her, his attention now completely upon the man in the doorway. She stumbled to her feet, her instincts telling her that her hope lied in this stranger. As she shuffled closer to him, he made a point of placing himself easily between the creature and her, his shoulder acting as a shield, though his attention remained upon the monster.

"Did you think you would get away with it?" His head was held high as he looked down towards the smaller man, disgust pulling a sneer to his lips. "That I would not come to protect what is mine from lowly filth like you?" The room was bristling with tension as the two men eyed each other. One seemed to have the clear advantage; the other a cornered beast ready to lash out for its life.

"Did you think that we would be content on old blood forever?" The other retorted. His breath was heavy as he bared his teeth, long blood stained fangs glistening in the light of the lantern. With a calm, practised kind of patience, the taller man turned to her with the ghost of a smile upon his lips.

"Hold this." He passed the lantern in his hand to her, which she took, a numb kind of awe filling her mind as she watched him. Their words were strange, and she didn't know what to make of the two men, but she knew that her chance of survival depended on one of them. As she clutched the handle of the lantern close to her, he drew from his side a long piece of wood. It looked like a kind of stake, sharpened at one end. He gripped the blunt side then, holding it outwards like a weapon.

"Dogs like you should know their place." His voice was even and controlled, the unspoken threat lingering between the two men. The creature growled, gnashing his teeth in warning, his stance ready and waiting. For a moment, the two slowly circled each other, eyeing each other up, before the creature suddenly lunged, clawed hands lashing at the taller man's throat.

"I'm through licking the boots of the Nobility!" There was a flurry of movement as the two men became briefly locked in each others grasps. The creature flew at him, teeth bared to snap at the man's flesh, but the man moved with a liquid kind of grace that was difficult to follow, always a few steps away from the sharp canines of his attacker.

Her eyes were wide with wonder as she watched the surreal dance, dark and purposeful, of the two of them. The stranger's strides, ducks and lunges were inhumanly swift, and within seconds it was clear who had the upper hand here. The creature that had seemed so frightening and so compelling now struck her as clumsy and awkward, frantic as he lashed out again and again with clawed hands and teeth. In contrast, the stranger moved circles around him easily, keeping him blind and confused to his whereabouts.

She followed with her eyes the frenzy as the pair of them moved about the room. At times they seemed like they were floating in the air, their leaps and bounds so perfectly dreamlike. The room was filled with the sound of snarls, growls and heavy breathing, furniture and shelves knocking over. She had to duck for cover a few times, crouching into a corner to stay out of their way.

Finally, it seemed like the conflict was come to an end, and her heart sank as she watched the monster pin the stranger to the ground by his neck, powerful hands gripping and choking the life out of him. "I'll admit I didn't expect you to find me so soon.." the creature sputtered between breaths as he pushed his thumb across the mans throat, sharp nail bent inwards to slice through soft flesh. "But I will raise my own here to spit in the face of the Nobles.. We are savages... and I will take what I want!"

An animalistic hiss of anger sprang from the throat of the stranger. As she watched, his body contorted suddenly in the most inhuman of ways, his legs bending up and around his head, and she couldn't help but scream at the gruesome, unnatural sight. His feet launched themselves backwards at the corner where the wall met the ceiling, spinning him quite quickly around and out of the grasp of the madman, a gash across his neck. She was too focused on watching the event unfold to notice that he did not bleed either.

For a split second, the two men were facing each other, the stranger looking down on the other from the ceiling, the other blinking in shocked terror. And then, just as quickly as it had begun, it ended. The man was quite suddenly launched at the murderous creature, the sharp end of the stake wielded outwards like a lance, before he had landed upon his opponent. The stake was thrust straight through his heart. There was a gurgle and a choking sound that made her cringe and grip her mouth in an effort to keep her stomach from heaving. The creature that had killed her friend lay still upon the ground, the strange mans knee pinning his groin, his hands giving weight to the weapon.

After a moment had past, the man breathing in deeply as he looked down on his fallen foe, he stood up slowly, his hands letting go the stake and leaving it in the body. It was a gruesome sight.

"Simpleton.." he muttered in disgust, the apparent anger in his voice making her swallow back a cry of fright. "Bloody idiot. These malcontents are getting to be a problem." The words were growled under his breath, speaking strictly to himself.

Shakily, she got to her feet, her hands still clenched tightly around the handle of the lantern, which shook in her grasp. "How... how did you..." She began, a flurry of questions whirling through her mind. He turned towards her, looking her over with that gentle smile that made her feel weak, her heart skipping a beat. "Hush." A shushing motion was made, his finger lightly touching his thin lips. "We wouldn't want to wake the dead."

These ominous words made her eyes widen as she took in her surroundings. The cellar was a wreck, any semblance of furniture and stores of preserves overturned and in heaps about them. The body of his enemy still lay at his feet, a piece of wood erected from his chest like a flag, and it made her queasy to look at it. Worse, however, was the other corpse, her friend who she had not been in time to save. This she could not even look at. Instead she looked at the strange man, clad in dark clothes and who seemed to posses an innate kind of majesty that drew her to him. When she looked at him, the rest of the room seemed to not matter so much anymore.

He approached her slowly, bending slightly to be level with her. He was so tall, his head almost touched the ceiling when he stood at full height. He put his hand out and gestured minutely, and she immediately hastened to return the lantern to his grasp. She watched, unable to speak, feeling as though she were in the midst of a dream, as he stood again, and without a word turned towards the room and cast the lantern into the center. It broke on impact, and the fire did not take its time spreading. Flames began to lick up the body of the creature before they continued further, heat hastening to fill the room. She hardly even noticed, mesmerized by the bright dancing light, shock making her numb to what was going on around her.

Barely comprehending, she looked up at him as he turned once more towards her, extending a hand in her direction. "Come." he said simply, and she did not hesitate to obey. Reaching out, she grasped his hand, and he lead her up the stairs and out of the house. She walked in a daze, knowing somehow that something was changed. Life was not going to return to normal. Not for her. She stayed close to him, but the comfort she had initially felt was gone, replaced by a lingering sense of terror of the unknown.

Who was this man? Where was he leading her?

Outside was one of the strangest things she had ever seen. It resembled a carriage, but there were no horses near it, nor anything that looked like they might strap horses to it. It was black and sleek like obsidian, and it shone brightly in the light of the fire raging behind them, reflected off of its glassy surface. He lead her to its side, and just like a gentleman, opened a door for her, gesturing her to the interior. There were, she noted, two separate sections to this carriage. One for passengers, and one for a driver. In the drivers seat was a cloaked individual, his face hidden under yards of black fabric. She obediently ducked into the carriage, but the interior was strange. Soft seats, and little lights and switches here and there, that she avoided touching. As she moved to the far side the stranger came in after her, seating himself beside her with a casual ease that she found hard to reconcile with the recent events.

"Back to the manor, if you please. Our business here is concluded." Her head turned, looking to him in shock, then over to the driver in the compartment ahead of them.

"We... we're going to the manor..?" she stuttered, confusion and apprehension in her voice. Nobody went to the manor, not until it was their proper time. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before the driver spoke in response.

"Of course My Lord. Immediately."

The man beside her turned then more fully to regard her, and she blushed at the sudden intensity of his gaze. Suddenly she felt very small next to this tall stranger, and she had to take a deep breath to steady her nerves. His eyes roamed her figure, taking in her form and lingering salaciously on her breasts before he spoke, his voice a deep baritone.

"Now I know you must have questions. This is an awful lot for you to take in, and I will give you time to adjust. But for now..." As his bright eyes locked with hers she felt the carriage begin to move on its own, the sound of the wheels strange and foreign to her ears.

"Give me your hand." His tone was very serious and she felt for some reason that this man was to be obeyed. His expression certainly conveyed that he was the sort of man who was not accustomed to having his commands questioned, and as the vehicle in which she found herself began to move quickly through the village, she slowly extended her arm towards him. Her motion was shy, and she lowered her eyes to look away, unable to bear the full intensity of his gaze as she felt him clasp her hand.

Then, soft lips touched the back of it. She looked towards him in surprise, the thick blackness of his head bent over her, like a perfectly courteous gentleman. And then, he gently and slowly turned her hand over in his grasp. She blushed as she felt more than lips at that moment, a tongue pass the sensitive skin where her wrist met her palm. Her heart began to pound in her chest and she let out a moan as sensation began to overwhelm her. His slick mouth began to suck gently on the skin and - oh, what was he doing?

Then, pain struck her. As sharp teeth suddenly, very suddenly, pierced her flesh, she screamed, her world erupting in a precious kind of agony. Her face felt hot and her vision began to swim. Her fingers began to attempt to clench, muscles going taught as she tried to pull away from him, but his grip on her was hard and strong, holding her in place and preventing her from making a fist.

As she continued to scream, the driver steadfastly ignoring the commotion, her vision began to fade and go black, until darkness enveloped her completely.