Rise of the Dark Sun (The Blood Lust Plague Trilogy Book 1) (11 page)

Confused, Samantha asked, “See what?”

“You know…” Micah smiled. “Your fangs.”

Samantha laughed
. “Oh, okay. I think…” Samantha opened her mouth and looked up to the sky, thinking of how to make them grow. There was a small chirp and there they were: Samantha’s fangs fully extended. Again, Micah had thought that his beloved Samantha could not get any more beautiful, and again, he was wrong.

Micah laughed, leaned in and kissed Samantha. Samantha kissed him back with fe
rvor. The two began to explore each other’s bodies as though it were the first time. However, for Micah, it almost was the first time. Samantha’s vampire body was chilled to the touch and built more solidly. Micah’s wandering hands traveled down her torso while Samantha enveloped him into her arms, continuing to kiss him passionately.

Eventually, Samantha’s lips traveled down his chest and Micah pulled their entwined bodies tighter, feeling her breast. Samantha’s moans of pleasure directed Micah and soon, without having the urge to bite her, the couple was just as immersed in passion as they had always been.

Samantha’s fingernails pierced into Micah’s shoulders as he entered her, and the two of them rocked into a world that had become all their own. As their passion and excitement grew, the thought that this would probably be the last time they would be able to indulge in one another crossed Micah’s mind. Having no idea whether Samantha realized this or not, his thought made Micah slow down and enjoy having her all to himself, alive and well, even more than he usually did.

On top of her, Micah took in her naked body. Like an ancient sculpture or painting of a beautiful, gothic vampire-princess, the sight that Micah beheld was otherwise unimaginable. Her pale skin lying against her crimson hair was so tragic, artistically speaking, so magnificent and so perfect. Micah stared at Samantha, drinking in her sights as their passion deepened for quite a while
, and then, the euphoric moment cascaded through them both, making them seemingly bound out of their own bodies and sharing a soul.

The orgasmic climax lasted far longer than ever before
, and the couple enjoyed every moment of each other’s passion being released into one almost death-defying act of disembodiment. Together, for that long moment, they were one. It was as though their fate ahead had given them this one final gift to share together.

Now, they could be complete.

After the moment passed and the rush of euphoria and post-lovemaking bliss overtook them, Micah held Samantha tightly in his arms. She clung to him as well, waiting with bated breath on the moment when he gave the command that it was time to go.

However, Micah wanted to stay like this forever. Everything about this moment was perfect. He could not bear to see it end, even as he knew it must. Finally, Micah began to break away from Samantha. “It’s time
.” Micah nodded, kissing Samantha on the forehead.  “Constance does not have much time left. We have to be there when the time is right.”

Samantha nodded and smiled
. “Our destiny awaits!”

The street outside the consulate was packed with people
: true humans, going about their daily lives, completely unaware of exactly who walked among them. Entirely cloaked for protection until the right moment, Micah and Samantha already stood out, but as long as their hoods did not reveal them to the sun before their chosen time, neither of them cared about the looks received for their strange dress.

Among the crowd, the couple spotted Constance, getting the video camera ready for their final adieu to this world. Micah waved to her in acknowledgement and she returned the gesture.

Squeezing Samantha’s gloved hand, he asked, “It’s almost time. Are you ready, my love?”

Samantha nodded and concurred, “This is the only way to make our stand.”

“Yes, if there was any other way…” Micah began but Samantha hushed him.

“No doubts. There is not any other way. We are doing this for the betterment of vampires, Quenchers and true humans everywhere!” Samantha replied
, and Micah nodded in agreement.

The sun beat down on them
, and even through the heavy cloak, Samantha could feel its burning rays.

Almost noon, the square in front of the consulate seemed to continue to fill with people. Bustling happily, most had no idea what they were about to witness. Samantha took in the sights of the true humans just going about their business
, and she thought about how long ago it seemed that those people were her. If Samantha had come to Europe with only the knowledge she had when she graduated high school, chances are that she would be one of the clueless true humans walking around, blissfully ignorant of what revelation was dawning. It seemed like a lifetime ago, even though it had barely been two months.

“Find her! How could you have let her escape?” the purple-eyed vampire screamed, pacing back and forth in front of the consulate windows on the top floor, overlooking the square. This was one of the few times when his patience had really been tried and he was livid.

“Sir, we do not know how she escaped. She was there last night, when we switched posts,”
the guard responded, with fear welling up in his eyes.

Calming himself, the elder vampire took a deep breath and growled, “I knew I should have made good on my threat to that Quencher. However, really, I thought she was worthless. I certainly did not think she would escape and realize that her friends were still alive and entirely unharmed.” Visibly fuming but seemingly soothed, the elder vampire looked over at the guard
. “I suppose it was partially my fault…” He stepped toward the guard, “I shouldn’t have underestimated a Quencher with that much spunk. Though, I thought I had sucked the life out of her. Apparently, I was wrong about that as well.” Coming dangerously close to the guard, the vampire asked, “Do you think I am losing my touch?”

Before the guard could take movement towards any type of response, though, the elder vampire grabbed the guard, peeled his head to the side and bit down, ripping out a chunk of his throat. The guard yelled out and dropped to his knees. The elder vampire then took out a dagger and stabbed the vampire in the chest so much that he created a gaping hole.

The guard screamed and fell back as the elder vampire forced his hand through the hole in his chest and ripped out his still-beating heart. Holding it in his hand above the dying guard, the elder vampire ensured that the last sight the guard saw was his heart being crushed by the oldest vampire to ever live.

The elder vampire than drank of the soiled blood, taking in the fragments of the heart, which was still throbbing with an occasional spasm. Disposing of the uneaten portion of the heart by flinging it back onto the guards chest, the elder vampire mused, “No, of course not. One mistake does not possibly mean you are losing your touch. Do not be ridiculous.”

At that moment, more guards came through the door and stopped, aghast at the dead guard before them.

“Gentlemen, what is the meaning of your urgency?”
the elder vampire asked, ignoring the heartless guard bleeding out on the floor, but instilling the threat, nonetheless.

“Uh…Sir, there is something…going on outside…
you should see…” the senior guard sputtered, and as soon as the elder vampire turned to look out of the window, the three guards turned to leave in an effort to escape the same fate.

The elder vampire let them go, for as he peered out at the square, noticing two hooded figures standing on the statue that resided outside of the walls of the consulate, his mouth gaped as he realized the true depths of his one possibly fatal mistake.

As noon approached, Samantha became antsy. In her mind, she was unsure of whether she wanted time to move faster or slower. In a way, she longed for noon to approach so that she may be done with this task, but more, she wanted time to stand still so that she may hold Micah’s hand just a little bit longer. As they climbed up on the statue, Samantha felt herself begin to physically shake, the fear of death now undeniable.

Micah looked at her and asked, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

However, Samantha was absolute. She knew that if she did not die here with her beloved, she would die at the hand
s of those terrible vampires, and she would not give them that satisfaction. “Yes. I am sure!” Samantha replied, squeezing Micah’s hand and forcing a smile.

Micah smiled back and then looked at the sun. Grasping both of Samantha’s hands, Micah looked back at Constance, who was already beginning to wither from direct exposure to the sun.
The small amount of Samantha’s blood she ingested was barely enough to stop the sun from burning her skin, but she gave the word that the plan was in motion as she backed away from the recording camera, so as not to damage it when the sun overtook her.

A curious crowd began to form around the couple as they climbed atop the statue. 

Looking deeply into Samantha’s eyes, Micah asked, “Are you ready?”

Samantha nodded
. “Yes.”

“I love you,” Micah said.

“And I love you,” Samantha replied.

Then together they threw off their cloaks and exposed their fangs,
and hand in hand, the lovers turned to face the sun.

It took only a moment for the sunlight to take its affect
, and as this happened, the crowd gasped in horror.

The more it burned, the tighter Samantha clung to Micah’s hand.
But the burning of death was not nearly as terrible as Samantha or Micah imagined it to be. Blackness consumed them as the flames devoured their flesh, but soon enough, there was no pain. In little more than the time it took for the burning to intensify to a traumatic level, it dissipated, leaving Micah and Samantha feeling free. Their pain was overcome by not only the love they had for one another, but for their cause. They knew that they were doing the right thing. They had to do their part to stop Operation Dark Sun, and this was the best way any of them knew how.

Even as the fire engulfed their bodies and grounded their remains to ash
, it was not the burning that they remembered last. Rather, their final mutual memory was the feel of the other’s hand, leading them into the rest of eternity.