Richie pulled up at the 1800s grand looking mansion. The grounds vast and two civil war cannons on the porch. He could sense humans close and with that there was a tap on the window
"Can I help you" A man wearing black military fatigue and holding an automatic gun with a uv lashlight on the end asked.
Richie wound down his window
"I'm hear to see the king"
"Hes away on business sir, I will escort you back down the drive"
Richie cleared his throat "What about the kings muse?"
the guard looked confused "Miss Kate what could you possibly want with her?" he asked suspiciously.
Richie laughed and smiled "I'm actually an old friend of hers tell her Richie I mean Richard Gecko is here"
"Wait here" the guard ordered as he went away to talk into a walkie talkie Richie waited looking at the lit up French renaissance fountain to the right of him. He noticed the moon was full and sky clear, A dark blanket awash with stars. He started to daydream.
As the guard approached the car he pointed his gun in the window to get Richie's attention and it worked "Get out the car I will walk you to the stables shes just been out riding"
Richie was shocked expecting to meet resistance on Kate's part well she had led him to believe she was dead for the last 18 months and her last words to him were she wished he burned in hell .
He stepped out of the car and started following the guard he felt on edge Santanico had told him that Kate was no longer human and some sort of demi goddess vampire hybrid. The vampire king of Louisiana was besotted with her but the feeling wasn't mutual,The only way he could see winning her affection was making an offering of her hearts desire and that was Santanico dead.
"Serious bit of hardware you have there" Richie remarked to the guard about his gun trying to make conversation and ease his nerves
"Well you can never be too careful lets just say a king centuries old has made more than a few enemies,Working for vamps who dont want the world to know what they are pays well, looking at retiring at 45 , bar on a beach somewhere"
"Ahhh me and my brother had the same idea didn't exactly go to plan but I own a bar in Texas"
The guard just smiled as they came to the stable and opened the door
"Miss Kate"
"Please its just Kate and send him in" the guard gestured for Richie to go through he walked in there was 10 stalls in all, the first four dark and the fifth on the left lit up the gate swung open
"How did you find me?"
Richie found himself tongue tied he was shocked by who stood in front of him a smouldering Kate in riding gear with a riding crop in her hand, her hair in the perfect french bun her complexion pale with scarlet lips and smokey eye shadow accentuating her eyes.
The light glistening on the diamond studs in her ears, and the air thick with the smell of vanilla and french musk which made her seem even more edible than she already looked his heart pounding as he looked on at her trying his hardest not to fang out and taste her. He found Kate attractive before but now she was stunning
"Satanico sent me " he answered his voice shaky
Kate let out a bemused chuckle
" Of course ,Its kind of cute how you are still her lap dog even though she left you, So loyal still holding onto the hope she will come back to you?"
"Im not her fucking lap dog, She told me the king has sent some of his dumbfuck vampire assassins after her, So he can give you her head as an offering in the hope you will marry him or finally put out".
Kate approached Richie slapping the riding crop on her hand
"You're right Richie I want her head and I will do just about anything for it, But I didn't want you or that asshole brother of yours involved, but I should of known she would go running to her little fuck boy to try bail her out".
Richie fanged out hissing at Kate angered by her words his skin scaly and eyes glowing amber
"Please"Kate reciprocated but the only physical change in her was the fact her canines extended
"I'm a vampire I have the blood of the Santa sangre coursing through me, Culebras are like our pet dogs dont insinuate something you cant finish. Richard be wise I know you are"
He defanged and took a step back.
"Well this is fucking awkward" Richie huffed
"Isn't it just" Kate replied as she retracted her fangs
"I dont know about you but Im parched, I have some of the best blood you will have ever tasted inside from the Crimea war you can taste the Russian testosterone in it".
Richie was uneasy at how accustomed Kate was to being a vamp, The preachers daughter was certainly dead in her place a cold hearted sadist. She still looked like Kate but more seductive more womanly and as much as he tried not to. He couldn't help but picturing what having sex with her would be like. The girl who he had once fantasized about corrupting now looked like she could corrupt him.
He vaguely hoped her invitation for blood would end with him in between her legs, but was mindful of his reason of being there was to try and talk Kate out of her blood feud with Santanico he felt it was his duty to protect her and most importantly defuse a culebra vs vampire war.
"I will join you for this drink Kate but you know why I am here"
Kate walked up to Richie and smiled putting her face close to his and looked him in the eyes hers a light glittering blue like topaz radiance pouring from her he could feel her lips next brushing his as she spoke.
"Its nothing we cant talk about over a drink, come"
She turned and Richie followed, Kate dismissed the two guards stood outside the stable, They walked through lush grounds filled with English rose bushes and ornamental topiary's,until they came to a terrace and raised porch leading to some french doors Kate swung them open to the kitchen area.
Richie was shocked to see professor Tanner sat at the table looking through a newspaper
"Two glasses of Crimea blood make it quick" Kate ordered he got up leaving the kitchen area
"What the fuck is that imbecile doing here" Richie quizzed
"Oh him well he led me here he practically worships me, Its kind of sad how much he gets consumed by his little obsessions of prophecy,Nice touch with that whole mind control trick you played on him by the way"
Richie laughed nervously " Ahh yeah well you know all culebras have a signature move" He joined Kate and sat at the table
"So I assume you are here to plead with me to call off the kings search for Santanico, Who I also assume you are hiding underneath that bar you acquired from Molvaldo, Word of advice Richie dont get involved"
"Thats alot of assumptions Kate, You look well by the way really well"
"Stop trying to flirt with me in the remote hope it will stir feelings that died along with my humanity"
Richie couldnt help but smile at Kate's sass "No it was just an observation,Its been 18 months Why didn't you let us know you were still alive?"
They were interrupted by Tanner bringing them there drinks
"two cossacks straight"
"Thank you now go see to my birds and then you can feed off Arianna "Kate ordered clicking her fingers. She certainly had him wrapped round her little finger Richie thought and she was one assertive piece of work now
she picked up her glass taking a sip " Thats better,Try its good I promise"
Richie looked at her willing her to answer his question before picking his glass up
"I fucking hate you Richard, Why would I want you too feel anything but guilt. The only reason you aren't dead is because you dont deserve the peace death brings"
Richie put his glass down taken aback by Kate's forwardness
"Wow you really have no filter now I guess, I know I messed up but you were not meant to be there I told you to get out, And what were you thinking trying to outsmart Carlos?. You know Scott lives and works with me now "
"Is that supposed to make it better that little shit didn't show any remorse until it was too late, I'm sure you and him get along swimmingly, both egotistical, power hungry, insignificant younger siblings"
"Thats rich coming from someone who is using there power and feminine charm to get exactly what she desires"
He saw a change in Kate's expression a sadness dulled the sparkle in her eyes
"Do you think I wanted this, if only I looked as dead on the outside as I am on the inside, The only piece of humanity I cling to is my grief and anger for her,I have to kill her to kill it and then I can finally be at peace"
The sincerity in Kate's words pierced him like a knife, But he was that consumed with the power being a culebra had bought him, He never really stopped to think about all it had cost him. But he still tried to convince her it wasn't that bad.
But he wasn't sure who he was really trying to convince her or him
" were immortal,powerful ,important and top of the fucking food chain, It could be worse"
"Please tell me you are joking?" Kate's eyes filled with tears that began to leak down her cheeks, Richie sighed at his terrible efort of trying to soften the blow
"Ill never feel the rays of the sun on my skin again, Never hold my own child in my arms, I get these impulses to do terrible things. I spent my entire human life trying to stay on the right path and for what?".
Richie didn't know how to respond, guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders and he couldn't help but sympathize. How could he preach to her about killing Santanico when she has lost everything. He loved Santanico but if came to a choice he honestly didn't know what he would do
"Well I guess I'm wasting my time trying to reason with you on her behalf" Richie stood and pulled a handkerchief from his inside pocket and walked around to Kate putting his other hand on her shoulder and holding it out to her, She looked up at him misty eyed, He felt like her gaze was looking straight onto his soul, She took the handkerchief and dabbed her cheeks dry.
She stood and folded it, opening Richie's jacket and putting it back in the inside pocket. Richie looked on at her as she did his jacket buttons up and then straightened his tie
"Please dont stand in my way. Don't let her use you again"
Kate pleaded as she looked up at Richie her hands flat on his chest, he brushed his hand down her neck.
"You know I cant promise that"
"Miss Kate the King said he should be back within the next 4 hours from his trip to Tennessee" One of the guards informed bursting through the french doors. She took her hands from Richie's chest and looked on at the guard with a scowl
"Don't you morons ever fucking knock? anyway escort my friend Mr Gecko here to his car and off the premises"
"erm sorry mam I didn't think mam and of course"
Kate watched as Richie left with the guard without exchanging goodbyes knowing this was probably only the beginning