Chapter One...
By: DarkQueenBulma
We moved through the field of ivory like shadows, not making one plant whisper as we passed. We moved weightlessly, like we weren't there. Perhaps we weren't; I had long forgotten where I was and who I was. I had been feeding for over a thousand years. We came up on two men guarding something. It didn't matter what it was. We weren't theives. Well, in a sense, we were but we didn't steal anything tangible. We stole life.
Centra moved to the left out of the formation. The others didn't notice her absence, but I did, and so did Snake.. We weren't supposed to leave the formation. Snake looked at me with sad eyes. We both knew where she was going. To see a mortal. Snake moved in further to talk to me in a whisper.
"When Pharis finds out, he will kill the one she goes and sees.
"I know, but there is nothing we can do" I told him harshly, eyeing him stonily.
"Yes, Marron, I know" he said and moved back to his position.
Pharis turned from the head of us all and eyed each one of us with love and caring. Sadness in his eyes.
"There are two of them on guard, today. Centra, Talin, they're yours"
Talin moved forward, expecting Centra to cover her while she made the kill, but she was not there. I couldn't let Talin go in alone, I had to say something.
"Wait," I called quietly, "Centra is gone."
Pharis turned around, worry creasing his face. "Where is she, Marron."
I looked to Snake for help. He looked just as confused as I did.
"Marron!" Pharis said low and deadly. "Where...is...Centra".
I looked at the ground. "With a mortal."
Pharis yelled out a battle cry that would break any normal mans eardrums. Everyone backed away fearfully. Pharis was scary when he was angered, and there was only one thing that could anger him. When one of his children was in danger.
His wings spread and he was about to take off. I grabbed his arm. He looked back at me, with deadly red eyes.
"What is it, Marron," he asked angrily, yet caring lacing it as well. I smiled inwardly, he really did care about us.
"She loves this mortal, Pharis, please don't kill him, for her sake. She said that if anything were to ever happen to him, she would let the sun kill her."
His eyes flared and so did his power. He turned around to address everyone.
"Who thinks this mortal should be eliminated?" He looked around expectantly. Everyone raised their hand, excluding Snake and myself.
"You see, Marron? Everyone wants him dead, and dead he shall be."
I looked down at my feet and quietly said "She carries his child".
If I thought that would change his mind about killing the mortal, I had been terribly mistaken. Another battle cry, and a push-off from the ground later, he was soaring over the horizon, on his way to bring Centra back, and kill the mortal she loved so dearly. I felt for her, but could do nothing against Pharis. He cared for us all, but didn't understand love between an immortal and mortal.
Maybe one day he would see. Everyone headed back to the pyramid, before the sun came up. Pharis and I were the only ones who could survive in the sun, the others were vulnerable, which was why we were their protectors. Pharis was our leader. He was the strongest and the most intelligent. I just hoped he would go easy on Centra.
I settled everyone into their rooms and shut the stones to keep out the sunlight. The children were fast asleep when the hunting party came back. They would eat the next night. We had been late, due to Centra. Again, I prayed to the gods that he was easy on her.
I laid down on the floor of my room and stared at the carvings on the wall. I remembered the first day I was bit by Pharis. I had been nineteen years old. My parents had been high nobles, and had hated me from my birth. When I was fifteen years old, I ran away from home, hoping for a better life. It never came. I was walking through the Market when I spotted Pharis. Dressed in a cloak, his hood up. His head had been down and he just glided through the crowd. No one paid him any attention, and I vaguely remember wondering why. People there were suspicious of everything. Then it happened, he picked up a girl, around my age and held his hand over her mouth while she screamed and kicked. He just kept gliding and no one even batted an eyelash. That's when I knew something was up. I chased after them, swiftly, like a cat. I made no sound as I came up behind him and pounced. He was a second too late with his dagger and I had him face down on the ground his arms spread out, one holding a ruby encrusted dagger. The girl had taken a nasty spill but got up and ran anyways.
Pharis laughed and turned us over so I was on my back and he was straddling me, his dagger to my neck. "Hello, Spitfire," he had said. I glared best I could and replied with "Hello, Asshole". This seemed to suprise him. He leaned down like he was going to kiss me. I held my breath but kept my eyes fully opened. Instead of kissing my lips, he went for my neck and sunk his teeth into me. He sucked my body dry, and just when I thought I was dead, he took his dagger and slit his neck open. I latched on without thinking, drinking him hungrily. All the while, the people around us didn't seem to know what was going on. They continued with their daily lives, laughing, and talking, while the world stood still for me.
I don't much remember what happened after that. One minute I was drinking his blood and the next, I woke up in a pyramid with many children around me. Pharis had explained everything to me. Explained I would never die. Others told me that he had never let anyone take his blood before, that I was special.
I saw a whirl of white and looked up to see Pharis leaning over me. His shoulder length white hair was dangling over his shoulders as he bent down to kiss my forehead.
"Hello, Spitfire"
"Hello, Asshole" I replied back.
He smiled at me and climbed into bed with me. I threw him a glance and lifted an eyebrow. He pouted at me. "It's cold, Marron!" he complained. I just laughed and laid back.
"How is she, Pharis" I asked slowly.
"I took care of what was necessary. She will be fine soon enough. She can't very well cry for eternity." he replied solemnly.
"Eternity might not be very much longer for her," I said, turning over.
Pharis leaned over me, pulled my chin back so he was staring into my eyes. "Don't question what I did, Marron, or be angry at me for it. I did what I had to, to keep this family safe."
"I know, but there could of been other ways," I said with a sigh. He got up from my bed, and headed for the door. He looked back at me sadly, and said "I hope you are not angry with me, Marron. I love you, daughter. Good night.
"G'night," I mumbled back, trying to fall asleep but having no luck.
It was the year 1996, a team of the most respected scientist were doing a wide research on vampires. They didn't know exactly what they were getting themselves into.
The team, five scientist from Europe, led by a man named Trunks Briefs, landed in Death Valley, on the outskirts of a large Egyptian city, Cartos. They were there to talk to the Pharhoa, about an infamous pyramid. The city had been getting complaints about cloaked men stealing family members for over a hundred years. They would always turn up, dead, in the great Nile River.
The Pharhoas refuse to open up the pyramid to look for these people for fear of upsetting their ancestors, and becoming cursed. Instead, they claimed it was a Cartos urban ledgend, and should be ignored.
Trunks was there to come before the High Council to plead his case. A new pharhoa had come into power, his name was Pharis.
Trunks rented four rooms at a hotel in the city. One for himself, and three for the other four scientists, two of which were married.
I knocked on door and yelled "house-keeping". He called for me to come in. I expected to see an older man; I mean, not just anyone can come before the High Counsil of the great Egyptian Empire, but it wasn't. It was a young man in his twenties. He looked bothered by something, but I didn't say anything. It was my job to collect information.
I hurriedly got to work and he sat there silently, watching me. I felt very uncomfortable with this guy staring at me, even though he was very cute. 'He's a bit too young for you, isn't he?' I joked to myself. I snorted some.
"Is there something wrong, girl" he asked me harshly. Wow, he was rude.
I turned around and eyed him strongly. "No, why would there be?" I asked him.
"Nn" was all he said back. I went back to work, grumbling to myself. Gods, this guy sure was messy. Beer cans and liquor bottles littered the room. I was in the process of picking up some papers from the kitchen counter, but slipped on some water on the floor and fell. My shirt rode up a bit on my back. I pushed my hands to the flood to lift myself up, when I felt fingers on my lower back. I turned around to see the man squatting down, examining my tattoo. I rolled my eyes. It's not like he would actually be able to tell me what it means.
"Who are you," he asked. My eyes widened considerably. Could he know of our clan? Well, the clan I left...
"How could you, Pharis! I loved him. Why did you do it" I pounded my fists against his chest, not really expecting to hurt him.
"It was the only way to keep this family safe, Spitfire," he screamed at me.
Tears flowed from my eyes. "I will never be able to forgive you, Asshole". I turned and never returned.
A hand was being waved in my face. It was the strange man with shoulder length lavender hair, and peircing blue eyes.
"Did you hear what I said, girl?" he asked me harshly.
"Not really," I replied nonchalantly, getting up and returning to my work.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me back within conversation distance. I glared at his hand and pulled it free. What did he think he was doing? I was just here to clean his room. My stomach growled loudly. Hm, I was so hungry.
"I have food, are you hungry?" He blinked. I blinked. What was this, fifty questions?
I laughed outright, and smirked at him. "Nothing you've got in your kitchen, I guarantee you that".
He lifted an eyebrow but went back to the bed where he had his laptop.
"What is your name, anyways?" Great goddess, did he ever shutup?
"Marron," I replied, "I'm almost done."
"When do you get off of work, Marron?" This was getting ridiculus.
"In an hour," I replied yet again.
"Do you have plans after you get off of work?" If he asks one more question, I'm going to strangle him.
"Not really"
"Would you like to show me around the city, I've never been here before?" Ok, that's it, I'm going to...did he just ask me out? This could work to our advantage.
"Are you asking me on a date, sir?" I asked slyly, smirking at him.
"If you want it to be, sure" he threw back. I rolled my eyes. Such a rude guy. He won't be so rude when I'm sucking the life out of him, later on.
"Sure, I'd love to show you around," I replied sickenly sweet, adding a small giggle in there.
"Good, good, where do you live, I'll pick you up later" Oh, he can't come to my apartment, er..
"I'll just drop by here when my shift ends," I said slowly, giving him my best fake smile.
"Ok" was his reply. This would be the easiest meal, I ever earned.
I left the room quietly after finishing with the vacuming. I threw off the hotel uniform. House-keeping indeed. I pulled my cell-phone from my purse and dialed Snake.
"Marron" I heard through the reciever.
"He's at the Bledgon Inn. I got asked on a date, shall I 'take him out' tonight?"
"No, get closer to him. We have to know who is fronting the money for his little expedition, because it sure as hell isn't him. I did a background check on the five scientists. None of them are worth the amount it is taking to pay for this little adventure they're on."
"The guy is an asshole, Snake" I said sourly.
"Marron, this is important. The family is counting on you."
I growled into the phone.
"That's my girl," He said brightly,"Pharis would be proud of you."
"Don't mention that name in my presence or you will get no help of mine," I told him harshly.
"When I went into his apartment, there were beer cans and liquor bottles everywhere. He must be a heavy drinker. Maybe if we go to the Chlorin Club, and he gets nice and intoxicated, I can get some answers out of him easier."
"Perhaps, but Marron, be careful."
"I will do whatever I can to help the family, I only have one request."
"Anything, love."
"Pharis will never know."
A sharp intake of breath on the other end of the receiver told me he was thinking it over. If Pharis found out that I was helping, he would punish Snake for not telling him, and if he did tell, I wouldn't help him. I felt bad for putting Snake into this position. He was too kind for his own good, and didn't deserve this, but it was the only way to keep Pharis out of my life...for eternity.