Bride of Blood:: First Kiss (34 page)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Felix was as bad as bad could get.
 
It was rumored that he was “connected” and that he had once worked as an “insurance policy” for a local mob boss.
 
He wasn’t above shooting a partner in the back instead of splitting a score.
 
As they were digging he thought, “If this kid hits pay dirt on this grave, I’m going to plug him.
 
He’s more trouble than he’s worth.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Come on, kid!” Felix yelled as he lit a cigarette.
 
“Open the casket and see what the old broad’s got with her!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Alright!” Carl answer as he wiped sweat off his forehead.
 
“Give me a minute!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Time’s money, kid!” Felix barked.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Without another word, Carl grabbed the crowbar beside him and started to open the coffin.
 
He thought, “If this old bitch has some jewels or shit I can hit this old fuck over the head with the crowbar and bury him here!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Carl peered down into the open casket and saw that Felix’s hunch had been right!
 
The old woman was buried with all sorts of jewels.
 
I guess she didn’t want her family to get any of her shit, he thought.
 
He turned to say something to Felix, but he was gone!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Carl got out of the hole and looked around.
 
No sign of Felix.
 
“Hey, old man!” he called.
 
“Where the fuck are you?”
 
There was no reply.
 
Where did he go?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
He shook his head and turned back towards the grave.
 
Anton was blocking his path.
 
Carl was surprised to see him, but didn’t get a chance to react.
 
Anton grabbed him and flung him hard into a large headstone.
 
He died instantly.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Anton closed the casket and said, “Sorry, ma’am.”
 
He got out of the hole and then threw both of the corpses into it.
 
He thought it was disrespectful to bury the two in the casket with deceased woman they were going to rob.
 
Plus, he didn’t want to deal with The Cleaners twice in 24 hours.
 
He just decided to bury them on top of the casket.
 
Besides if someday the police discovered them, they would probably just think it was a mob hit.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
After finishing the job, Anton tossed the shovel into a dumpster.
 
He walked over to the north side of the cemetery and found a large crypt.
 
It was very old and very big.
 
Some rich family with the name Green had used it until the family had died out.
 
It didn’t look like anyone had been placed in it for decades.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Anton twisted his fingers in a quick motion and he heard the lock inside the crypt turn.
 
He pulled open the old, creaking door and went inside.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The room was very dusty and smelled stale.
 
He observed that the one window it had was stained glass and was dark blue.
 
Not really capable of letting in any significant amount of sunlight.
 
Besides the open slab that he chose was not in the pathway of any sunlight anyway.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
He climbed onto the slab and lay down.
 
He didn’t require much comfort to be able to sleep although the hotel bed he’d slept in the day before was nice.
 
Still it was sleep that he required, not comfort.
 
And there were vampires who would actually bury themselves in the sand if they were desperate enough.
 
For good measure, he used the same concealment spell that Velara had used earlier.
 
The same one that Prince Vlad had taught him and that he in turn had taught Velara.
 
It would make him appear to be a decomposing, lifeless corpse to mortal eyes.
 
Velara always chose to use a variation where she appeared to be a stone statue for some reason.
 
As the spell took effect, Anton felt himself fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In the shadows, something stirred.
 
Anton hadn’t noticed the vampire in the corner of the crypt.
 
Of course he hadn’t.
 
The spell that this vampire used was similar to his but was powerful enough to even stay hidden from vampiric eyes.
 
The vampire looked at Anton and smiled and then returned to the invisible state.
 
For a while, anyway.
 
Until the time was right.
 

***

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A few miles away, Alexander and Rachael were wrapped in each other’s arms in Alexander’s coffin.
 
They were both naked and content.
 
Alexander felt Rachael’s breathing slowing down to almost a soft whisper of air.
 
He knew that she was asleep.
 
He said a prayer for Anton, for the coming war, and for himself and Rachael.
 
Lastly, he prayed that Velara would be safe on her mission.
 
Then he joined his beloved Rachael in dreamland.

***

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Many miles away, Chelsea was standing in a warehouse as two men carried Velara’s coffin from her van.
 
A very tall man with long, dark hair holding a clipboard was talking to her.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Okay,” he said, “that is one casket bound for Africa, right?”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
She nodded and handed him the money.
 
He took it from her and quickly counted it.
 
He nodded in approval.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Thank you,” she said and turned to go, “take good care of it, will you?”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Don’t you worry, my dear,” the man said, “we will take good care of it…and you!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chelsea turned around just as the other two men closed the warehouse door, trapping her inside.
 
The man suddenly changed his appearance.
 
His face grew longer and narrower.
 
His eyes were white and had no pupils.
 
He smiled at her, revealing long fangs.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Before she could say anything, the other two men were holding her arms.
 
She struggled to get free, but couldn’t.
 
She surmised that the two were probably fledgling vampires.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The large vampire walked towards her and touched her chin, “Yes, my dear, we will take good care of you and your master!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chelsea was scared, but kept up a brave front.
 
She was prepared to give her life for Anton.
 
She realized who the vampire was, and looked defiantly at him and said, “Drago!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Yes, my dear,” he touching her cheek with his long nails.
 
“I warned your master that he would regret not killing me, and he shall!”
 
He laughed loudly, as did his fledglings.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chelsea clenched her teeth and tried to remain defiant.
 
But she was scared.
 
She was more frightened than she’d ever been in her life.