THE KILLINGS

EPISODE FOUR

"Have you not found Franco?" King and Vampyre Vlad asked Leon again

"I sent Vicktor out for him father but have received no news"

"I am worried for that boy and how much of his conscience he is ridding himself of"

"Father, we are Vampyres, we have no conscience according to the scriptures though"

"But do you not?" Vlad asked his son Leon

"I would rather not answer, the crops are failing this year"

"Failing? What do you mean?"

"Wild animal attacks, dead people springing up here and there due to that and farmers have become scared to go to their farms."

"Wild animals? When did this report start?"

"A month ago and it has not stopped since then, the people think it is us again"

"And when were you planning to let me know about any of these"

"I wasn't, you have been worrying about Franco lately for all of us so I was thinking you the news and handling it myself and seeing that the people are seeking out the witches for help, I could not have you within their sights"

"You should have let me know about this. Have you gone over to an affected farm and surveyed the body?"

"I have and believe me father, I have never seen that kind of death in all of my years and I have lived a very long time, it was very brutal and the person must have suffered a great deal before being killed."

"I fear this is the work of our enemies the witches and this is their own way of paying us back for the law we put up."

"Believe me father, witches could not have inflicted the wounds I saw on the dead body."

"So what do you think it is?"

"A very Wild animal that if we do not hunt as protectors of the people, is going to destroy everything we have worked and slaved for over the years."

"Do you think we should consult the witch?"

"I was just thinking that and permit me to say but I smelt something quite distinctive while I was checking out the body, it was so overpowering I had to restrict my sense of smell."

"What was it?"

"I don't know for I have never smelt such before."

"Set up a meeting between myself and the witch, I would want to put an end to these animal attacks once and for all."

"Okay father, I will do that."

"And if Franco comes in here, tell him to meet me in my chambers."

"I will try, you know he doesn't adhere to anything I say."

"Tell him his father would like a word." King Vlad said looking every bit the towering king he was, Leon wished he would show this part of himself more often and maybe his baby brother would learn to respect their king.

Franco entered the palace with something strapped to his shoulders, not something but someone.

"Where have you been?" Leon asked him but as usual did not get any response, Franco just walked on as though nobody was speaking to him.

"Anyways, our father would like a word, he says you are to meet him in his chambers."

A grunt was Franco's reply that he had heard what was said and would heed to it. Leon shook his head in disgust, another prey for his brother to have his fun with. One day he will be stopped but till then they all had to watch him be an animal.

...

Franco walked steadily in the hallway and even though it was pitch dark he could sense his way around like he had always done, his senses were more heightened than that of an average Vampyre and he could not die, he did not know why that was but he knew that the normal things that killed an ordinary Vampyre like the witches potion and a stake to the heart did nothing to him.

He stepped into his room and dropped the girl slowly into his bed watching her take a sharp breath, it wasn't very visible that she was awake because she was trying so hard to level her breathing but he could hear her heart pounding wildly and the vein in her neck beating frantically.

"You must think me a fool little girl, I know you are awake." He said as he sat down on a stool beside the bed.

Alaska opened her green eyes and turned to stare at her captor

"If you want to kill me, best you get on with it. I don't even have long to live anyways."

"Now why would I kill you now and so quickly, what is the fun in that?" Franco replied smiling

"I could be older than you in the normal human world only this is not normal, you are a vampyre and I am a witch."

"Best you do not say the word witch out loud, my family will not take kindly to bringing a witch into their territory, they could kill you before I even have the pleasure."

"That is true, I heard about the law your father put against witches and I know why. Well you don't have to be afraid of that although I am a witch I cannot use my powers, I don't think I even have any powers."

"Aren't you a smart one?" Franco said dryly throughly enjoying his conversation with the girl for he had never spoken to any of his victims, he merely tortured and killed them

"Well if you are not killing me yet, what use do you have for me?"

"I want to know how you could have heard me in the woods, I was very quiet"

"Not too quiet for me I guess, I have always had heightened senses and it had served me well in the past "

"Interesting" Franco replied pondering about that

"Your eyes are very beautiful"

"You have said that before and now again"

"It is the truth, how did you come about them, they are very strange and mysterious. Depicting danger and also innocence."

Franco was unnerved by her analysis of him for she was right

"Stay here, I would be back"

"Not like I could go anywhere" Alaska retorted

"What is your name little girl?" Franco asked

"Alaska, what is yours?"

"Alaskaa…." Franco breathed trying out her name.

Heat surged to the pit of Alaska's belly as she heard him pronounce her name with that very deep voice, she was in deep trouble and it wasn't even about being killed. She feared she was going to like being kidnapped by him very much.

...…

"You asked for me?" Franco said upon entering his father's chambers

"Yes I did, where have you been"

"I did not know I had to report my whereabouts to you" Franco drawled

"You don't, except we have had reports of animal attacks in the area and it is beginning to look like something the witches must have conjured, I am merely trying to look out for all of my children."

"I am part of your children now? I must have missed the memo"

"I would not apologize for how I treated you when you was but a child, the only thing we can do now is to move on and put an end to our witch problem once and for all."

"Our witch problem? You are the one with a witch problem, you and the rest of your sons and not me so if you do not mind, I would like to return to my chambers. My meal awaits"

"Another red haired girl? When will you stop"

"I am never stopping father except I am dead which is not anytime soon as you know, now excuse me"

Franco exited his father's chambers with one thing in mind, he needed to get back to the girl. He had a feeling she was doing something extremely stupid at the moment and true to his words when he got into his chambers she was no where to be found. Franco growled in rage

"Where is she?" He asked a maid he met in the hallway

"I have no idea whom you speak of my lord" the maid bowed in fear

"The girl I brought into my room, I can't seem to find her."

"I saw someone run out but only assumed it was you who was chasing her, I don't know where she went as I had my head bowed, my lord"

Franco tried not to run as he searched frantically for the girl, to think she had eluded him and somehow escaped, he was going to find her. There is no way she would have gotten far.

.....

Alaska walked briskly trying hard not to look over her shoulders, she had escaped the room where she was locked in by sheer luck and was now making her way to the exit of the palace. There was no one around to stop her and the few people she saw on the way did not seem to notice her flight which was all for the better because she could hardly explain why she was walking so fast if she was called upon to answer.

"Off so quickly?" A voice said behind her and Alaska spun in shock going off balance, she fell forward.

Franco caught her just before she hit the ground and turned her towards him, his mismatched eyes glowing in anger.

Alaska breathed as she looked into his eyes, she could finally see that they were red and blue and other colors too hard to discern

"I thought we were rather having a conversation, did I scare you off little one"

"You are a big bully" Alaska said extricating herself from his grasp, the places were his hands had touched her felt burnt or maybe it was her reacting to his sheer male power.

"I have been called plenty things but never a bully."

"Well I am telling you, you are a bully." Alaska said as she turned and began walking back to the palace

"Where were you off to before I caught you?" Franco asked following behind her

"Running away of course before you kill me, I have to explore the world before I die."

"You talk about death and dying all the time."

"That is because I am going to die soon, you don't have a problem with death do you? You are immortal"

"We aren't immortal, some things can kill us." Franco argued

"What things? The witches potion that I cannot even make because I am a witch that is not a witch."

"There is something else but I am never going to tell you."

"Of course, you think I would use it against you"

"Wouldn't you?"

Alaska stopped walking and turned her green eyes to him

"Of course I would" she smiled and continued walking

Franco closely behind her, this was one prey he wasn't about to get rid off easily, she was interesting