Victim of the Night (Night Trilogy Book 1) (2 page)

             
“Lord Obsidian, I have a question?” I said, looking around at the room.

             
“What is it?” he said.

             
“I see that everything in here has dim lighting, and I understand that, but it’s in the afternoon. The sun is still up. Doesn’t that hurt you?” I said, looking at him now.

             
“Yes and no. Let me explain. Full-fledged vampires are normal vampires to us. The sun, garlic, holy water, wolfs bane, silver, and crucifixes can harm them. They only come out at night. They sleep during the day, but they can be awake during the daylight, but they must remain hidden in the shadows. That is what you’ll become. So be careful. Next, are the lord vampires. That’s what we have been calling them since I can remember? I’m one of them. The lord vampires can do what the normal vampires can. Except, we have an immunity to the sun, garlic, wolfs bane, holy water, silver, crucifixes, and we have dark powers. Finally, there’s the king vampire. They have everything the normal and lord vampires have. The king vampires have more power abilities, and can turn into a demonic form as well,” he said, summarizing.

             
“Is that why you’re Lord Obsidian?” I asked.

             
“Yes and no. Just because I’m a lord vampire doesn’t mean I get to be called Lord Obsidian. Only a few vampires here are lords, like Mr. and Mrs. Pixy. I called them by their normal names. I earned the title lord by being loyal to Lord Erebus. I am his second in command. Lord Erebus is a king vampire, and our vampire king, but he prefers to be called lord instead of king. I don’t know why, and I don’t question him,” he said, turning around as we heard something coming towards us.

             
“Blaze, where have you been? We had trespassers about an hour ago at the garden. Luckily, one of the guards scared them off,” an old lady in a wheel chair said.

             
“I’m sorry. Something came up, and that’s why I had to leave,” Lord Obsidian said to the old lady.

             
“It’s all right. We just couldn’t locate you on the property. Well, who is this lovely young lady?” the old lady said, paying attention to me now.

             
“Um, Rose, this is Starr. She will become a vampire here in a couple of days, and is going to help out in the kitchen soon. Starr, this is Rose, my mother,” Lord Obsidian said, introducing us.

             
“Fabulous! We need all the help we can get in the kitchen. How old are you?” she asked, excited.

             
“I’m 21, and I am looking forward in working in the kitchen. I love working with food,” I said.

             
“Good to hear!” she said, looking at her son. Lord Obsidian smiled, and looked away from both of us.

             
Rose looked back at me and said, “I’m happy that you are going to be part of the family. I’ll be seeing you soon.” Rose left us and disappeared into the kitchen room.

             
“My mother is a lord too…anyways, let me finish showing you around,” Lord Obsidian said, walking.

             
I followed him. We went to the far corner of the room. There, a door is closed. Lord Obsidian opened it, grabbed my hand, and said, “We are going downstairs. Watch your step.” The stairs are made out of concrete, the walls are lined with dim bulbs, and the smell in the air is of fresh roses. I didn’t know why, but when we got to the bottom of the winding stairs, I had my answer. A hall stretched out with rooms on either side. There are scented rose candles burning, and vases of roses along the walls. It looks so calming.

             
“My room is the first room to the right. In case you need me, you’ll know where I am. The room to the left is Lord Erebus’s. Don’t ever disturb him, unless it’s very important,” he said.

             
I nodded, and continued to walk with him. We stopped halfway at the same hallway. He opened the door, and we both went in. “This will be your room. You’ve got a bed, a closet, a drawer, a bathroom, a nightstand, and a small desk with a chair. That is all that we need, and this is your key,” he said, opening the drawer. He reached in and grabbed the key that have been kept in there. He handed it to me.

             
I took the key and placed it in my jeans pocket.

“I thought vampires slept in coffins?” I asked.

“Some of us do. I prefer a bed. I can stretch out more, and I must say, they are comfy,” Lord Obsidian said. “If you want a coffin, we can arrange that.”

“Oh, no I like beds. I was just wondering is all,” I replied.

Lord Obsidian nodded. “Stay here while I get somebody to help you out with some clothes. When you are done, come to my room. We still have to discuss some things,” he said, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Clothes? I wonder what kind of clothes? I sat the edge of the bed and waited.

Chapter 4

              I heard a knock on my bedroom door. “Come in,” I said, standing up. The door opened, and in came a young woman. She looks to be the same age as me. Her height is average, her hair is black and flowing, and her eyes are brown. She closed the door behind her. She carried a large suitcase, which she put on the bed.

             
“Hello, I’m Nyx. I’m Blaze’s sister. He says that you need clothes?” she said, staring at me with bright eyes.

             
“Yes, I guess I do need clothes,” I said, looking down at what I was wearing. It’s faded and over worn clothes. I wouldn’t mind new outfits. I have no reason for saying no to them.

             
“Okay. What type of clothes do you want to wear? Do you want robes, dresses, or skirts with cute tops? As a vampire, we tend to dress elegant,” she said, opening the large suit case.

             
“Really? I…don’t know? I’ve never worn anything like that? Wait, I have to wear those every day? I’ll be made fun of in school,” I replied.

             
“School? Oh…then you can wear skirts and tops for school. For beginning vampires, we recommend them having at least ten outfits. How many days of school do you attend?” she asked.

             
“Mondays through Thursdays,” I answered.

             
“Okay, so we’ll make you four skirts and tops, and the rest dresses. Come, pick out the fabrics,” she said.

             
I neared the bed and looked in the suitcase. Scraps of different colors and designs of fabrics are all piled up in there. They are all pretty. It’s hard for me to choose! I took my time though. I picked out several fabrics and handed them to Nyx. She looked at them and said, “You’ve got great taste! We’ll try to get them done as soon as we can. When will your first bite be?” she asked.

             
“First bite? You mean, when am I supposed to become a vampire?” I said to her, heart throbbing. Bitten? That’s not going to be fun.

             
“Yes, do you begin tonight?” she said, searching for something in the suitcase.

             
“No. I got injured and lost a lot of blood today. Lord Obsidian said in a couple of days,” I answered.

             
“Oh! What happened? Tell me while I get your measurements,” she said, finding a tape measure.

             
I told her the story while she did that. She wrote them down, closed the suitcase, and said, “I will go now. My room is in the far left corner. If you need anything, you are welcome to ask me.” She left, and closed the door behind her.

Chapter 5

              I knocked on Lord Obsidian’s door. He opened the door and let me in. “Take a seat. We need to discuss a few things,” he said, mentioning to the bed.

             
I sat at the edge of the bed while he pulled out a chair and sat in front of me. “Let’s talk about you going to school. How are we going to do this?” he asked.

             
“You’re right…oh! I can take night classes. I only attend school Mondays through Thursdays. I already finished this semester. The challenge was the final exam, but with an added bonus of the prize. Thing is, I need to sign up for the next semester, but I don’t have the money,” I said, remembering that I lost everything when my parents died.

             
“That’s fine. I’ll cover the cost as long as you promise me that you will work hard in the kitchen for us,” he said.

             
“Are you serious? Thank you!” I said, so happy that I could hug him, but I didn’t. I was still scared of him. He’s a powerful vampire, and the second in command. I wanted to respect him as well.

             
“Now that we’ve got that covered, what of your check? You said that you needed to pay a funeral?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow in confusion.

             
I looked down, and felt all the sadness sweeping over me again. “About a month ago, some idiots thought it would fun to start a fire at some apartments. I was at school when that happened, but my parents fell victim to them. They didn’t make it. We’ve always been poor, so there wasn’t enough money to cover the cost of the funeral. I had to take a loan from the bank. I owe them $10,000, and now I have enough to pay them back,” I answered.

             
“I see. Did they ever catch the crooks who did that to you?” he said, eyes not leaving me. He must be very interested in my story. I like that. I’ve never had anyone pay attention to me before?

             
“No. They escaped. I’ve been living in a cheap motel for the past month. I’ve only got enough money to stay for one more month. Afterwards, I’ll be out of money,” I said, anger rising in my chest. “I wish I could kill those people that did that to me. They hurt me so much. I bet they’re off somewhere laughing that they escaped. One day they’ll pay.”

             
“Indeed. I feel you. Don’t worry about a place to stay. You’ve got one already, and it’s free,” he said.

             
“Thanks again. I really appreciate what you’re doing. I have to ask though, what do other vampires do that can’t cook or blacksmith?” I said, wanting to know.

             
“Ah, they are other jobs they can do. Like my sister, Nyx, she is talented in making clothes. She and a small group of vampires make clothes and blankets. They can choose that. We also have vampires that clean the inside of the fortress, and others that tend to the outside with the gardening. We have guards, and vampires that do the laundry and wash dishes. We have small jobs like that. Everyone does something. That’s how we help each other,” he explained.

             
“That makes sense. What do you do?”

             
“I tend to the gardens and guard at the same time. That’s why when you got on my property the other night, I spotted you. Luckily it was me and not another vampire. They would’ve scared you off. I’m also the owner of the fortress.”

             
“Why is it you, and not Lord Erebus?”

             
“Lord Erebus…he feel into a deep depression when he fought the warlock that changed him. I had to step up while he recovered. He still is, and that’s been over 500 years ago.”

             
“How old do vampires get to live!” I exclaimed.

             
“Eternity. Yeah, as a vampire, you have immortality. I may look like I’m 27 years old, but I’m actually 800,” he said, smiling at me.

             
“Wow!” Is all I could say. I was stunned. 800 years old? Imagine how old Lord Erebus is! Or even Lord Obsidian’s mother!

             
Lord Obsidian yawned and said, “I’m tired. I’m going to take a rest. You should too. I’ll wake you up so you can meet Lord Erebus and the other vampires.”

             
I nodded, got up, and left his room. I went to my room, got under the covers, and slept.

Chapter 6

             
Loud knockings on my bedroom door awoken me. I got out of bed and opened the door. Lord Obsidian stood in front of me, well rested. “Are you ready to meet everyone?” he asked?

             
“I think so? I’m really nervous,” I said, a bit shaky.

             
Lord Obsidian put a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me. “Relax,” he said as we began walking. We went upstairs into the huge room where the throne is. I felt scared. The tables are filled with vampires. They are all eating blueberry muffins and apples with orange juice.

             
“Let’s go to the throne. I’m sure Lord Erebus is there,” Lord Obsidian said.

             
We walked over to the throne. I’m dreading meeting Lord Erebus. What if he’s hellish looking? I hope not. I took a deep breath as we stood in front of his throne. I looked down, but I was confused on what I was seeing.

             
“Lord Erebus, this is our soon to be vampire, Starr,” Lord Obsidian said, bowing his head.

             
“Starr…it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lord Erebus, the vampire king here,” he said, swishing his tail slowly while purring. Yes! Lord Erebus is a cute black kitten with huge adorable yellow eyes!

             
“Thank you. I won’t disappoint you,” I said, bowing my head too.

             
“What lovely manners! I like you! I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine,” he said, purring still. “Stand aside while I do an announcement.”

             
Lord Obsidian and I did what he commanded. “Listen up! Everyone!” Lord Erebus yelled. Everyone stopped eating and turned to face the vampire king. “This young lady here will soon join our family. Everyone, meet Starr!”

             
Everyone in the room stood up, bowed, and said, “Pleasure to meet you, soon to be sister!”

             
I smiled shyly and waved at everyone. They all smiled, sat back down, and continued eating. Lord Erebus turned to us and said, “Go and eat while there’s still food.”

             
Lord Obsidian nodded. He and I walked to an empty table and sat. There is food already out on the table. All tables must’ve been set beforehand, so the vampires can just pick somewhere to sit and eat immediately. Sounds like a good plan.

             
I picked up the blueberry muffin and began eating. “Starr, tomorrow morning I will take you to school for your enrollment…or whatever you call it? After that I’ll take you to the bank, and last, to your motel to get your belongings,” Lord Obsidian said.

             
“Thank you. I feel so much better now,” I said.

             
“Yes, we all have manners. We are kind…just don’t mess with us…” he said, trailing off.

             
“What’s the matter?” I asked, biting into the apple.

             
He looked at me, shook his head, and said, “You remember what I told you about the warlock? The one that turned Lord Erebus into what he is now? His name is Onyx. My father, he was killed by him as well. I was there, but I wasn’t strong enough back then. That’s why I hate that warlock as much as Lord Erebus does. I have to admit though, the hatred made me stronger. If I ever find Onyx, I will kill him.”

             
“I’m sorry to hear that. I feel the same way,” I said, sipping my orange juice.

             
“Yeah, but I have something important to tell you. When Lord Erebus got turned into a kitten, we tried everything to change him back. We used our dark magic, potions, spells, and goodness knows what else? One night, a healer came to us. He also had the ability to look into the future. He told us that one vampire will figure out the cure for Lord Erebus. He said that Lord Erebus had to wait 500 years. That time is now. I think it might be you?” he said, staring at me.

             
“What makes you say that?” I asked, not understanding.

             
“The healer turned to me, and said that I will encounter the person. That the person will want something of mine, and that the person would be suffering from a tragedy. He also said that when the person figures out the cure, that Lord Erebus will give me his blessing!” he said in a low whisper so no one can hear.

             
“I still don’t understand how that person can be me?” I said, finishing up the apple.

             
“You work with food. The cure has to be in a food. That’s all I remember. I know he said something else, but I can’t seem to figure it out? It was a weird word? I should’ve written it down…” he said, drinking the orange juice.

             
“Wait, so are you using me to get the blessing? Am I your victim right now?” I said, angered.

             
“No, no! I know it sounds like that, but it’s not…it has to be done!” he said, getting nervous.

             
“Oh yeah? What happens when you receive the blessing?” I said, wanting to know now.

             
Lord Obsidian sighed and said, “It means that if he ever dies, I will be king. I will become a king vampire, I will get powerful, and I will get the throne.”

             
My eyes started to tear up. “Either way, I feel like I’m being used,” I responded.

             
Lord Obsidian put a hand on my shoulder and said, “I get what you’re saying. Listen, you may, or may not be the one? That was told to us years ago. It might not even be true anymore, but I want to try to get Lord Erebus back. You want to know why? Not because I’ll get his blessing, but because when my father passed, he was there. He saw that I saw when my father got killed. He felt sorry for me, and he trained me for combat. He was like another father to me. That is why I respect him more than anyone. I have, and will always remain loyal to him. That is why I am his second in command.”

             
I remained silent for a while. I see. It’s important for everyone. I kept thinking about it though. It is like I’m being used, but at the same time, I understand what they are going through. I don’t why I shouldn’t help them? I owe Lord Obsidian anyways? He saved my life, he’s going to pay for my schooling, and he’s letting me stay at the fortress for free. I guess I can give it a shot? What do I have to lose? I’ve already lost everything.

             
“Lord Obsidian, I get it now. I’ll try my hardest to help you, and Lord Erebus out. No one should be trapped in a body that is not theirs for so long. It’s the least I can do for all the things you are giving me,” I replied.

             
“I still apologize for what you have to do. It’s not going to be easy. Thank you,” he said, taking my hand and kissing it.

             
“Oh…” I said, blushing.

             
“Now, I think we should turn in. We have to be up for tomorrow morning,” he said, getting up.

             
“Yeah, you’re right. I still need rest. I still feel a bit weak from all the blood loss from today,” I said, standing up slowly.

             
“Yes, and when you start turning into a vampire, you’ll feel like that at the beginning. I’m sorry for that too,” he said, taking my hand to help me not fall over.

             
“I’ll get used to it, I’m sure of it,” I said, walking with Lord Obsidian.

             
Lord Obsidian and I went downstairs, into our rooms, and slept.