Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) (52 page)

Yugo stopped caring one day eight years ago, ever since Lucretia began wearing the lace bands and a black cloak as her only clothing. Yugo felt it was a way for her to drive them further apart. Which was exactly what it did. Lucretia made a prostitute of the era look like a timid prude in comparison. She was lust itself, bound in flesh.

The three of them had made their way to the eastern coast of Ireland. The weather was colder than central Europe. A fact that didn't bother Orhn. The cool sensation of his gift canceled any discomfort that Yugo and Lucretia constantly complained about. Orhn spent most of his time in the rain without his shirt. Something that taunted Lucretia. A fact that she used to heckle Orhn about every chance she got. Lucretia would bring attention to his apparent lack of muscle tone. Orhn had become increasingly lean over the larger portion of the century. Not even Yugo gave a suitable reason for it, only that Orhn was still settling into his vampire body. Lucretia constantly compared Orhn to a twig with well hung berries. Orhn didn't enjoy the euphemism.

On an overcast evening in Ireland, Yugo sat at the edge of a long dock. It was early dusk, and there was a thick fog obscuring everything for miles around. The sun was fleeting from the borders of the mist around them. Orhn was swimming freely in the water near Yugo's feet, more than a yard below. There was enough ambient daylight to clearly allow for anyone still wishing to take an evening stroll. Unless they had need to see more than ten feet in front of them that is. The fog concealed all, it was protecting them and letting Lucretia enjoy herself in a simple self-sadistic act. Lucretia found pleasure in a very particular feeling. Under the waves at the dock, she continually drowned herself.

Lucretia popped up to the surface. “How long was it this time?” She was coughing up water. Her white hair was wet and flat against her skin, she had just revived.

“Orhn was able to make twelve laps between the dock and the buoy. I think that makes a record for you.” Yugo told Lucretia.

The water undulated as it pushed and pulled the lace bands to and from Lucretia's body. Yugo took a moment to stare willfully.

“You're staring again, Yugo.” Orhn spoke up while leisurely swimming.

“I know, and she'll take it out on me later tonight.” Yugo explained with a sigh.

Lucretia dove again.

“Why does she do that again?” Orhn asked.

“You mean consciously fill her lungs, then wait for her heart to stop beating?” Yugo said, not caring as to the reason for Orhn's sudden inquisition.

“Why would anyone want to actually drown? She keeps doing it as if it's fun. Lucretia's sick, she truly is. I mean does she actually die, can we die from drowning?” Orhn pressed it.

“Yes. Our lungs can die, but our blood revives us. It keeps us alive when our parts fail. So she is actually killing herself and she can if she wants to. That's her choice.” Yugo did not seem happy for her recreational habit. It bothered him.

“Yugo.” Orhn swam in place, thinking of how to word his next question. “Can we live if we have our hearts ripped out?”

Yugo answered quickly and without thought. “Do you plan on ripping out your heart to find out?”

“No, I want to know.” Orhn was eager.

“Our bodies have an indomitable knack for surviving unless great damage is laid upon us. That's all you need to know Orhn. It takes a hell of a lot to stop one of us, an enormous amount of power. What Lucretia is doing is tempting death. Flirting with the one thing she fears most, and trying to familiarize herself with it. She is troubled, but not sick. She's preparing for something that will come so quickly that it will render all the preparation she has undergone useless. We are truly alive until the very moment we are not.” Yugo said while gazing off into the distant clouds above the mist.

“Is it really okay that she does that to herself? Will she ever not come up? Is there a limit to how many times you can be revived?” Orhn battered Yugo with more inquiries.

Solemnly, Yugo answered. “No.”

A loud gang of footsteps echoed from the shoreline. Yugo and Orhn looked back. The sound of someone being chased was clearly heard. Through the shouts to stop, the angry rants of religious folk were cursing a fleeting monster. The crowed was screaming that the bloodsucker killed the child. Everything pointed to a large mob hurrying after a fledgling vampire.

This raised Yugo's spirits. “We should see what's going to happen.”

“Are we going to help?” Orhn was excited as well.

“No, we're going to watch.” Yugo corrected him.

Lucretia popped up from the water again. “What did I miss?”

“The locals are chasing a new vampire.” Yugo informed Lucretia.

“Let's go, if we hurry, we can see them burn it.” Lucretia obviously had no compassion for other vampires.

Orhn swam to the dock as Yugo helped both him and Lucretia up. Orhn put his shirt and shoes back on, while Lucretia simply shook off like a wet dog drying itself. Orhn could see her entire body from where he was standing. She was luscious, sleek, and perfectly damaged. Lucretia threw her black cloak around her shoulders as Orhn placed his second shoe on and buttoned a single knot on his shirt. Lucretia had noticed Orhn's eyes on her.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Lucretia said to Orhn with a smile.

Taken back by Lucretia's sheer audacity, Orhn paused.

“If you want your hands to experience what your eyes just did, all you have to do it let me know.” Lucretia was propositioning Orhn in front of Yugo. Something Yugo did not appear to like.

“You two don't want to arrive as a pile of ash do you?” Yugo barked.

Orhn came to his senses. “No, let's go.” There was a moment, however brief that a part of him did consider Lucretia's offer. He thought he had become immune to her constant state of dishabille. Orhn had never been with another vampire and it was tempting, she was tempting.

Yugo perched himself on the roof of a two story apartment with a clear view of a large open pile of timber that had been placed in the shape of a cone. There was a young woman lashed to a center post. She was wearing an off-white long cotton dress. She had long, wavy, pure red hair. Orhn and Lucretia came as the mob gathered around to make a small speech before setting the presumed vampire a blaze.

One of the shorter men in a big flowing brown coat spoke first. His hair was as red as the girl's and his beard was short, yet full. He was an ugly man, and carried a tall knotted walking staff with him. “We are gathered here today to see this creature burn before god almighty.”

“Those words were never the start of anything good.” Lucretia said pessimistically with a smirk.

“Do they really mean to burn her alive?” Orhn was worried for the girl.

“That's usually how these things go, Orhn.” Yugo broke the news to him.

“Then why don't we go down there and save her? She's a vampire right?” Orhn suggested.

“Yeah, and let the whole city know there are three more? No thank you.” Lucretia explained. “That is not what I'm doing tonight.”

“By the hand of god, we shall burn this unholy demon!” The religious figure shouted.

The girl strapped to the wood pile was struggling to get free. “No! You can't, I'm not a vampire! I'm just a girl! Please don't do this, don't kill me!” She was crying as she spoke. Her voice was faint, feminine. It was honey to Orhn's ears.

“Does she know what she is?” Orhn asked.

“No, of course not. This is the work of some sloppy vampire that probably bit his own hand as he was drawing blood from her. She's a mistake, not a vampire or a person now.” Yugo was heartless.

“And now she's gonna die.” Lucretia said bluntly.

“She has no idea? Then why did I hear one of the town's people screaming that she killed a baby?” Orhn asked.

“She might have in a momentary need for blood. When we are young, if we go too long without blood, we eventually lose it and murder the nearest person. It may seem odd she doesn't remember. But if you were a sweet innocent twenty something, would your mind want to recall the sight of tearing the entrails out of your neighbor's child and enjoying it?” Yugo saw the disgust on Orhn's face. “I thought not.”

“Why can't she just break free of those ropes and tear them all apart? Since she's already had a full meal?” Orhn figured it was still possible for her to save herself if Yugo and Lucretia weren't going to.

“No, she's too weak.” Yugo said plainly.

“She'll burn for sure.” Lucretia stated.

“She'll die if we don't do anything?” Orhn was distressed, he didn't want to see her die.

“Now by god, let this monster burn in hell! Set the fire and shut your ears to her screams. She is no longer human, she is damned.” The stout religious man commanded.

“Yep.” Lucretia answered Orhn's question.

Orhn watched as a small boy with a torch, set fire to the many branches at the girl's feet. Yugo viewed not the scene, but Orhn's face. Orhn wasn't accepting her fate. The girl began to scream loudly as the fire slowly caught the surrounding twigs. Orhn clenched his fists, he was angry. Yugo watched his reaction well up inside. Lucretia gazed onward as the fire claimed more and more area. The girl pleaded to god, the town's people, and anyone that would make eye contact with her. She knew she was going to die, she wanted to be saved.

Orhn answered her call.

Orhn leaped down into the crowd. Lucretia and Yugo ducked, but kept an eye on what was happening from the corner of the rooftop. Orhn immediately rushed to the burning fire. With one thrust he broke the ballast she was tied to. The girl fell a few yards away from the danger of the fire. Orhn stood with purpose as his clothing was engulfed in flames. He was quickly overtaken by it. The people cried out and cursed him.

The short man cussed at Orhn. “Away with you monster! Do not trifle with god's work!”

The rest of the town's people flocked around the man and Orhn. They were ready to attack him at the man's order. Orhn moved first and once. Appearing so fast at the man's throat that the flames nearly extinguished themselves. Orhn paused, saying nothing.

“You can't harm me vampire! I have the fire of god within me!” The man proclaimed to Orhn.

“Poor choice of words.” The blue stunted flames on Orhn's body began to reignite into brilliant reds and yellows.

As the fire re-grew, it spread. The flames ran up Orhn's arm, catching the stout man's robes on fire, taking with it the short preachy man himself. His screams were effeminate and undignified compared to the young girl.

No one dared contest Orhn as he stood there literally burning with the desire to save the woman. His clothes burned to ash as he walked to the still restrained girl laying on her right side. Orhn's skin had not been damaged, nor his hair. Regardless, as he struck the post with his fingers, breaking the rope binding her, he was completely naked.

Orhn scooped up the young woman in his arms and looked back at the mob. “You people are the reason I find pleasure in finding my food.” He sped off away from the group with the newly rescued girl.

Yugo and Lucretia followed Orhn above the streets to a dark alleyway. The sky had lost its daylight hue and it would be hard to find them in such a dim place. Yugo and Lucretia jumped down and stared at the young girl. She was sitting, staring only at Orhn. She was marveling at his sight. She was awe struck by his sheer presence, by his will. This girl, that was stunning in her own right held her attention to Orhn. Her skin was dotted with bright red freckles a plenty. Her eyes as she stared at Orhn, showed a dark blue. She was well proportioned, with cleavage that made Lucretia feel shy. Her face was tall and slender, her eyes round, her nose sharp and pointed. Her jaw thin and attractive. She was perfection before Orhn, and this girl seemed to think the same of him.

“What's your name weakling?” Lucretia asked unsympathetically. “Or should we just call you, neophyte?”

In a shy sultry voice she spoke. “Moira.”

“Last name child?” Lucretia was being harsh, she was nearly making Moira cry after being saved. Lucretia disparaged her.

“Moira O'Brien.” Moira said a little louder for Lucretia to hear.

“Great, a commoner. Wonderful Orhn, you could have at least rescued the daughter of a wealthy family.” Lucretia was ranting now, making piss out of rain.

“Ignore her, Moira. My name's Yugo.” Yugo introduced himself with a slight bow. “This is Lucretia. The man not wearing any clothes that saved you is Orhn.”

“I know.” Moira happily proclaimed. “When she said his name, I took mind to remember it. I owe him everything. He saved me when they all called me a monster. They called me a vampire. I don't even know what a vampire is.”

The rush of what Lucretia could do in this situation was palatable to her. She smiled. “Well, well. Where do we start?” Lucretia's face twitched, her hands began to rise as she eased forward with ill intent.

“Be nice Lucretia.” Yugo warned. “Orhn had the will to save her, he has the right to explain this to her. Let him talk.”

Lucretia glared at Orhn. “You better tell her what she is, or I will.”

Orhn helped Moira up to her feet and put one hand gently on the small of her back. Still nude, Orhn's well proportioned and toned body made Moira blush. “I'll take care of her.”