Rise of the Dark Sun (The Blood Lust Plague Trilogy Book 1) (6 page)

Constance nodded. “Of course.”

So the next day, Samantha met her parents at the airport. Immediately, they noticed their daughter’s paleness. “Honey, are you okay? You look sick,” Samantha’s mother said after their initial embrace.

Smiling, Samantha said, “I’m fine, mom. I just haven’t been eating all that well. On vacation, you know. I had a lot of junk food.”

Samantha’s mother shook her head. “No, dear. I think something is seriously wrong. You look anemic. Are you sure you shouldn’t hold off on this trip, just for a little while? Just until you regain your strength?”

Samantha clasped her mother’s hand and replied warmly, “Mom, I couldn’t be more excited for this trip. I am fine. If I wasn’t, you know I would not go.”

Smiling in forced agreement, her mother squeezed her hand. “Alright, well just be careful, my baby, and learn a lot!”

“We are very proud of the woman you have become,” Samantha’s father said as she embraced him.

“I love you both! I will call as often as I can,” Samantha said with tears coming to her eyes. It was not that she was having doubts about her trip, but in this moment, she felt as though her parents were truly supporting her cause. She felt at peace and at home with them, and after everything that had happened she wished she had gone home to be with them a little longer before she had to go.

“We love you too,” Samantha’s mother replied.

The final boarding call came and Samantha knew that this was it. So, again, she hugged and kissed her parents, and then she made her way down the ramp and onto the plane.

As Samantha took her seat, a mix of emotions swirled around inside of her. Somehow, she felt strangely at peace, excited almost to the point of combustion, eager and downright scared. Although she knew that Micah and Constance would be there waiting for her when she arrived, Samantha feared the time she would be without them.

Although she knew in her heart she had no choice but to take the Vampire Government’s offer, like Micah, she felt ill-at-ease with the whole idea. Without the vampires, it is true that Samantha would probably receive much better, more reliable, first-hand information and accounts, but at what cost? Samantha was not sure, and she feared what it was going to take to find out.

However, at the moment, she felt faint, tired and overwhelmed. Samantha concluded that a nice nap to help her pass the time would be just what was needed to calm her nerves and swipe away the cobwebs she felt growing and attaching to the forefront of her mind, causing her thoughts to be fuzzy and inconsistent. So, at least, thanks to her
Vampire Government upgrade, if this was going to be her last plane ride, at least she would have experienced the ease and comfort of first-class flying.

Samantha settled back into her seat smiled at the thought.
Maybe they really wanted me to learn. It would benefit them after all…I am one of the last of my kind. Teaching me about who I am going to help would save a lot of aggravation for us both.
Seriously doubting her own thoughts, but willing to believe, Samantha smiled, shook her head and drifted off to sleep.

Samantha slept soundly for a few hours and when she awoke, it was dark.
Great! Now even I am becoming nocturnal,
Samantha thought, dabbling in the wonder of what Scandinavian Europe would look like. All she had seen were pictures of Denmark, Finland and Norway, but knew little else about what to expect.

Samantha imagined the rolling hills and sharp, almost fake green grass that was present in almost every picture she had seen. To her, if the pictures were true to the layout of the land, it would be like entering into a fairy tale. There was so much history buried in the valleys of those hills and in the roots of that grass
, and Samantha could not wait to unearth all of that hidden knowledge. However, with a pang of sadness, Samantha hoped that she would be able to experience the brightly shining sun melting over the rolling hills that her imagination wrought. For she was going to be working mostly at night. The whole reason they were going to Scandinavian Europe instead of the land which had sewn the thickest vampire roots, Transylvania, was because the nights were longer. If the nights were longer, Samantha would not have to sustain Constance and Micah for long.

Constance had said that she
distrusted the sun, even if it was not going to hurt her, and had no interest in drinking from Samantha. Additionally, since they were friends, Constance wanted to keep their friendship as debtless as possible. According to Constance, by Samantha allowing her to drink, she was forging a debt that Constance would never be able to repay and, as a friend, she would feel as though she used Samantha.

Samantha did not feel this way at all, but she also wanted to preserve the wishes of her friend
, and so she did not argue with her. Plus, she was sure if she asked, Constance would rest in their vampire-protected dwellings while Samantha and Micah explored a bit of day-time sightseeing.

Although a Quencher, Samantha was still a true human
, so her skin needed the nutrients of the sun and, at the very least, vampires should understand that.

Even as her thoughts settled, thinking about spending time in this beautiful land with Micah and Constance by her side, studying the passion that Samantha had acquired, she still felt a churn of unease bubbling deep within her bow
els. She wanted nothing more than to be rid of this feeling of dread, but nothing that she thought about would relieve it, so it made her slightly sick.

However, Samantha knew that she must ignore it, because from the moment the sponsorship was offered, it was not to be refused. Samantha would just have to deal with whatever consequences came of her interest in vampires.

Samantha loved and trusted Micah with all of her heart and soul, so she knew that he would protect her as best he possibly could. Samantha also knew that Constance loved them both and would do anything for Micah, so she felt safe in her hands as well.

With that realization and affirmation, Samantha took a deep breath and rested back into the comfortable, first
-class chair and awaited the arrival of her destiny.

As promised, Micah and Constance met Samantha the moment she walked off the plane. Their welcoming faces did her a lot of good, and they said she looked well rested.

On the way to the vampire
-safe accommodations Constance said, “So, Samantha, are you ready?”

“Ready as I will ever be,” Samantha replied earnestly as Micah squeezed her hand encouragingly.

“Well, then here is your first lesson: When porphyrias, the disease which plagues all vampires, broke out in Transylvania, true humans said it was a curse of the gods because everyone who had become inflicted were cannibals. There were bouts of starvation and extreme famine which plagued the Transylvanian people often. Sometimes, they feasted on humans for pleasure, but unfortunately, most of the plagued were desperate parents who were only trying to feed their families. They were reprimanded not through the law, but by being poisoned with porphyrias. It was sad. Now, instead of being allowed to hunt and gather as they normally did in harvest, they and their family were forced to continue their bloodlust. Else, they would be given away by their terrible disfigurement and usually slaughtered before they had a chance to die.”

“So, vampires are not undead?” Samantha asked. Although she had her suspicions, vaguely hearing about
porphyrias throughout her studies, she was never given a straight answer.

“No,” Constance said with confidence. “Micah and I are still as alive as you are, but we are infected with something of a cancer. However, instead of deteriorating our bodies and shortening our lives, as long as we are nourished by human blood, o
ur bodies and minds remain unblemished and possibly immortal.”

“So, how did the
Vampire Government come to be…if all who were afflicted were being hunted?” Samantha asked.

“After
some time, vampires knew that they had to go underground. Since people did not know much about porphyrias, when people disappeared, people just let them go. No one but those infected knew that we could not be out in the sun or anything, like what we know today. This is how all the vampire lore came about, and because we look dead, people assumed that we were. Once all of the vampires went underground, they started to form their own government. The oldest of the vampires were elected to serve in various parts of government; however, it became a monarchy very quickly. Fortunately, the first ruler truly was for the betterment of the vampire kind. He ruled fairly, allowing opinions to be heard and discoveries to be made. We learned a lot about our kind throughout his rein. Sadly, he was eventually betrayed by his son, who ascended to the throne and was hated so much that he had to go into hiding. After that, there have been decrees out of Transylvania, where the throne of the Vampire is still perched, but no one is sure who the king is, or if he has ever sat upon that throne.”

“Then how does the king rule the vampires?”

Constance shrugged. “Through a few trusted advisors who relay his will to the masses? For being nameless, he knows a lot.”

There was quiet and then, Samantha asked,
“So, there is no cure?”

“No,” Constance answered
. “There is no cure.”

Once the three had arrived at their vampire-safe hideaway, they decided it was best to rest for the remainder of the evening, into the next day. It seemed to Samantha that there were a lot more obviously safe vampire resting spots in what little of the Scandinavian nations she had experienced. Samantha wondered why that was: Was it because there were more vampires here, or because vampires held higher positions in the formation of Europe in general, and thus provided the means for an easy day’s rest while the true humans were none the wiser? Although Samantha wanted to know, that could wait for another night.

Even after her rest on the plane, she was still exhausted from the whole ordeal and just needed to rest. So, she cuddled closer to Micah, wrapped her arm around his, lay her head on his shoulder and fell to sleep almost instantly. The last thing Samantha remember
ed was the light brush of Micah’s hand moving through her hair. Samantha smiled at his touch.

The two vampires and the Quencher slept soundly far past dusk and awoke in total darkness.

“I’m looking forward to this,” Micah said to Samantha with a smile, reaching for the light so that Samantha could see.

“Me too! I am so excited,” Samantha replied, “I have waited so long for this day and now, to be able to spend it freely with you, it is perfect.” Samantha
leaned in eagerly to kiss Micah.

“Well, I don’t know about you kids, but I have one vampire in particular with a killer accent and a sense of romance that only four hundred years’ experience could mold into perfection
, and he is awaiting my arrival,” Constance said as she dug in her suitcase, “So, if I can be of no further assistance to you, I am going to go.”

Samantha and Micah laughed, happy that Constance would have someone as well. “How come I had never heard of him?” Micah asked.

“Because you never asked, and besides, I haven’t seen him in over one hundred years. He sent a message for me when we arrived last night.” Grabbing a garment bag and going into the bathroom, Constance added, “Another plus is that he is a wealth of information on our kind, so meeting him could prove useful in more ways than one.”

When Constance returned, she had transformed. Her clothes still held a modest old-fashioned vibe, but her beauty radiated off of it. The black evening gown covered her arms to her wrists, but the material glimmered and flowed, amicably attending to the tone of Constance’s skin, causing her to look almost as though she w
ere glowing. Her hair, although normally either let free or bound in a bun was now styled perfectly around her small features. Constance had also applied a light layer of makeup, which was also a first for Samantha. Her fangs fully extended, she looked the picture perfect of a beautiful, alluring vampire.

“Wow, you’re really pulling all the stops for this guy, huh?” Micah smiled.

“Well, when you are four hundred years old, simple beauty becomes boring.” Constance looked down and pulled at the bosom of the dress to give herself more cleavage. “However, to a man, the allure of sex never fails.” With that, Constance moved out of their dwelling, leaving Samantha and Micah alone.

Samantha jumped out of bed, eager to begin her day. “Where should we go first?” Samantha asked.

Micah thought a moment and then replied, “Well, it would be pretty cool to actually see some vampire relics and experience first-hand the story we have been telling you all this time. Europe is covered with vampire history, and true humans have no idea.”

“Perfect! It never hurts to know where you came from, no matter who you are,” Samantha replied
, moving for her own suitcase.

After getting ready, the two headed for the door, only to find a letter stuck in the door. Samantha showed Micah and he grabbed it from her, opening it carefully. Once he realized no harm should come from it, he read the letter aloud.

“Dear Samantha,

We thank you for making the trip and we hope that this letter finds you well. We are just as excited to find you here as we know you are to be here. We are confident that you will be a true asset to our race. We have waited many years for a Quencher to hold such an interest in us
, and we are truly honored.

You are free to investigate as you wish here in Europe. We have nothing to hide and the more information you uncover, the better it is for us all. So, do not be afraid to ask questions. If you need us, we will never be too far away.

Take care and give our best regards to Constance and young Micah.

As one vampire and as a vampire race, I thank you for your loyalty, time and sacrifice.

Forever yours,

Albert Seinzure
.”

Micah seemed impressed
. “This man, last I heard, was the right hand man to the elusive king.” He looked up and smiled. “See that, you’re already making friends.” Although Micah hoped this letter was as genuine as it appeared, he seriously doubted it, and that scared him. To Micah, this letter was proof that they were watching their every move. By telling Samantha she had nothing to fear and that they had nothing to hide, it almost seemed as though that was exactly what they were doing: hiding in plain sight by catching everyone off guard.

Yet, Micah would not be fooled. The cause for alarm may or may not be warranted
, but it was not something that should be taken lightly. Like most governments, the Vampire Government was all-powerful and generally had a hidden agenda, masked by a smiling face.

However, despite Micah’s fear, he had no cause for immediate alarm
, so he did not want to ruin this moment for Samantha. Thus, he smiled and played along as her face lit up and she seemed very pleased, not only with herself so far, but with the prospect of her journey ahead.

“That is so cool! This is good news, right?” Samantha asked, so excited she looked as though she may combust.

Micah laughed. “Yes, Samantha, this is great news. They just gave you the freedom to investigate however and wherever you want, with their support. I would say that is pretty good news.”

“I can’t believe this is all happening, Micah. I’m so nervous, but I am so excited. I just want to help people in whatever form they come and in whatever way I can, so that I can make a difference
, and it seems like my dream is really starting to come true!”

Micah nodded and smiled softly. The pride Micah held for Samantha and all that she ha
d accomplished thus far overwhelmed him. Even if the government was up to no good in their pursuits and loyalties, it did not matter at this moment because Samantha was genuine. As of this moment, everything she had hoped for in her life was coming true. Micah knew that all good things must come to an end, but he hoped that they would last, just long enough so that Samantha could get the full effect of the happiness Micah wished to bring her every second of her life. Taking her in his arms, Micah replied, “You are a beautiful soul, Samantha. I know that if anyone can make a difference for these vampires, it’s you. You have already become the difference in my life. That is why I fell in love with you. You changed me and you completed me. Not just because of the blood that pumps through your veins, but because of the heart that pumps it.”

Samantha smiled up at him and then snugged into his chest. The two lovers remained there a moment, just embracing each other and feeling the love emanating between them and feeling at peace.

For a time, neither of them spoke, and neither of them wanted to break away. Although they were standing, they were completely comfortable in each other’s arms.

Every day, their love proved to be more potent than either of them had ever imagined possible. For Micah, the day he had tried to commit suicide after lamenting the breakup he had endured with Constance seemed like three vampire lifetimes away, although it
had barely been a week. Micah felt changed, as though new life had been breathed into him. If it was not for the wonder of Samantha’s love, if Micah was not dead, he would certainly not be the person that he found in himself today. He would not find the man who would do anything for the woman in his arms or the man who, although cold and pale, felt a warmth coursing through his body at all moments of the day. Micah was entirely happy and entirely at peace. In this moment, Micah was whole.

Samantha also felt this completion. For prior to meeting Micah as a vampire, she felt as though she w
ere an outcast. She had always been interested in vampire lore and people just did not understand. A part of Samantha thought that they feared what she may uncover, so they dismissed what little findings she made. Then, to find Micah and to have him pour out his heart for her was something she had all but given up on. Growing up, Samantha was a modest, wholesome girl. So, to give herself to Micah in the manner that she did was almost unlike her. Although she had done so freely, she had not been sure why until she found out about his condition. Now, she did not love Micah because he was a vampire, but rather, because of the freedoms he allowed her. Around Micah, she could be herself easily and entirely. There was no mask of feminine charm; there was only a love and a lust for a man who felt the same. There was no pretending, there was genuine, mutual interest in everything the pair stood for. There was no fear of being found out; Samantha was able to speak her mind and Micah did not only listen to her, but he took her opinions and thoughts into careful consideration before making any decision.

Neither vampire nor Quencher knew that this love existed until they had truly found one another
, and now they knew that they would be inseparable for all eternity.

“Come on,” Micah finally said, softly, “we should get going. I do not want you to miss any opportunity on this trip and we have already gotten a late start.”

Samantha smiled in agreement and turned to open the door. “You lead the way!” Samantha replied happily.

Micah playfully bowed and stepped in front of her.

The two caught a public mode of transportation, which dropped them off near a graveyard. Walking up to the graveyard, Samantha had the thought that it was beautifully tragic. Even in the darkness, Samantha could make out the rolling hills and beautiful scenery.  However, being that they were entering a graveyard, the sight seemed both fitting and ironic. Samantha had always found that there was a certain beauty and peacefulness to death that could not be explained. Although she knew that death was the end, she often wondered what beginnings, if any, it would bring.

Before meeting Micah and Constance, Samantha, as the rest of the world, assumed that if vampires did truly exist, they were undead. To find out that vampires had spawned from a disease and were never really dead to begin with was an interesting find. However, although vampires had the potential to be immortal, they were still forever bound to the concept of death, despite their actual state. This had always intrigued Samantha, and as the two of them ventured into a graveyard, this thought was abundantly apparent within Samantha’s mind.

The graveyard seemed to go on forever
: a never ending plane of graves and grass, encased by a black, iron fence which seemed to have no back. Samantha looked over at Micah, who seemed to be concentrating heavily on his task. Not wanting to bother him, Samantha instead continued to tag along behind, not saying a word.

Micah led Samantha up one hill a
nd down another, past large mausoleums and small plaques of freshly dug graves. As they passed these graves, Samantha made an effort to read them and take reverent interest in what she could gather from their lives as well as their deaths. Some told sad stories, such as short lives and lonely graves, and some told of a lifetime of happiness, separated only by a short time before entering into an eternity of bliss. Some even had parting words that were funny, and some that were wise, even beyond the years inscribed on the headstones. Some headstones were older and some were almost fresh enough to feel a spirit still present under the ground.

However, throughout all of these different lives, Micah moved on, seemingly steadfast in his pursuit of the task at hand.

Finally, after it seemed as though they had been walking for the better part of an hour, Micah stopped. “Here,” he said.

Samantha looked down. “Here?”
she said to an empty patch of grass. “What about here?”

“Here…” Micah paused to ensure that he had the story right in his mind
. “Here is where they replaced what would have been the first known vampire.”

“But I thought you said vampirism began in Transylvania,” Samantha replied.

Micah nodded. “It did. However, since this man did not drink blood, once he came down with porphyrias he died of a quick but painful and disfiguring form of old age. This man was one of those who was just trying to feed his family when famine struck. As the story goes, even though his entire family feasted on the human, unknowingly, he was the only one who was ever recorded as becoming sick. Once he realized that this sickness was caused by what he had done, he was guilt-ridden, and as his thirst for human blood grew, he refused to drink more. He told his family this was his punishment. Although, instead of going out into the sun to kill himself, he decided that the only fitting death would be starvation from the one thing he desired the most. One drink of a human’s blood would have saved him, but he thought that his punishment should be to deny himself that drink, waiting in the darkness for whatever punishment he would be subjected to. A month later, he died at the age of twenty-four with the body of a ninety-year-old man. It was a terrible sight, having him deteriorate by the minute, especially towards the end. However, he was true to his decision, and his family did not receive the disease. Rumor has it he still has descendants who live as true humans for a normal lifespan.”