CHAPTER 3
They tip toed down the corridor and slowly made their way to the library. They reached the door and Aurora opened it carefully. She got inside first and after a quick inspection she told them to follow her.
Aurora walked to the corner of the room and stood in front of the large crystal case which was placed against the wall. The case covered a big part of the wall and inside it were many weapons, mostly swords and silver stakes. She opened it, took her sword from her belt and pushed its blade inside a tiny, almost invisible hole. She twisted it and in an instant the wall moved slowly from the way revealing another room.
''Come.'', she said quietly. The cousins were stunned and followed the little girl inside. Once the three of them were in the room, Aurora placed the sword in another hole and the wall moved in front of the entrance. She placed the lamp she was holding on the table in the middle of the room. The light, although dim, was enough for them to see.
''No one knows about this place. Not even my father.'', she said and looked at the men. ''This room was built secretly when my parents got married. My mother was a Dragon Cavalier too. She told me everything. You see, I am a member of the Order too... by blood.''
''How is this possible?'', asked Greg curiously. He had heard father Alfonso talking about blood members, but when he had asked, Alfonso had dismissed him saying that the Order's history was far more secret. Even for the members. Aurora walked and took a dusty book from the old bookcase. She placed it on the table and cleaned its surface with her hand. She opened it carefully, fearing that the pages might fall apart.
''Here.'', she said and pointed a family tree on a page. The cousins approached to have a better look.
On the page was a Dragon's head breathing fire. The fire was connecting small portraits of people, like branches, thus showing the family bonds between the members. The cousins approached and took a better look at the name which was written above the Dragon's head. Rhaegar.
''Rhaegar?'', said the two men in sync.
''My mother's family name. My ancestors fought with the Order from the beginning of its existence. My mother was a member, not because she was chosen like you, but because her family was a fundamental piece of the Order's history.'', she said. ''My mother, Aurelia, kept her membership secret from my father, in fear of someone might discover the Order. She trained me and told me everything I needed to know. She died four years ago, when I was nine.''
Aurora was silent for a moment and Greg placed his hand on hers. ''I'm sorry.'', he said quietly. The little girl looked him.
''Don't be. I will meet her again.'', she smiled. ''I must reach the age of fifteen to join the Order. I'm the last member of my mother's bloodline! It's my right and duty! But unless I can assure my father's safety, I can't leave Romania!'', she continued.
''Did your mother agreed with the truce?'', asked John.
''No! She hated it. She always tried to convince our young villagers not to go to the castle, but everyone dismissed her. They said that it was better for all of us, but frankly they did it because they liked to be bitten.'', said Aurora with disdain in her voice. ''She spent most of the time reading all these books, trying to figure out a way to kill the Vampire Lords. A fever took her away, before she was able to finish. I've been searching every corner of this room and each room in this house to find something about her discoveries. She must have left a clue!'', she said and brushed her thump over the small picture of her mother. Aurora was the spitting image of her mother. Same crystal blue eyes and sweet face, their only difference was the hair. Aurelia's hair was golden like the color of wheat, whereas her daughter had inherited her father's raven hair.
Next to the oval picture of Aurelia were two names: Edward and Richard Rheagar. The picture though was burned.
''Why is this burned?'', asked John.
Aurora shrugged. ''They were my mother's twin brothers. She was very young when they died. She never told me anything, because she didn't know! The picture was mysteriously burned the next morning after their death.''
''How did they die?'', asked Greg.
''No one knows. My uncles disappeared from their home when they were ten years old. It was winter. They sent a search party to find them but they couldn't. They only found their hats at the river bank, so everyone assumed that the poor boys must have drowned. My mother was only three at that time. That was almost forty years ago. No one knows and eventually they forgot everything about them.''
They were quiet for some time thinking about the things that Aurora had revealed. ''We should lure Lady Anthea and kill her somehow.'', said John eventually.
''John, you know we can't do that. Lord Valerious trusts us. If we kill his wife then our mission will fail. We will have to leave the village or we'll get hanged!'', replied Greg. ''The only solution is to wait until the Vampire Lord takes her as his bride.''
''We can't wait for that long! What if he attacks tonight?'', said the girl worringly.
''The only thing we can do is guard your father day and night, starting from tonight. I'll take the first shift.''
''No. I'll do it. You'd better stay here with Aurora and start searching the place. I'll have to find an excuse to tell your father. I'm sure he will wonder why I'm in his room, guarding him.'', said John.
''There is no need for that. My father's room has no windows or other passages. You only have to guard the door from the outside.'', replied the girl.
''Good! Now do we know how these Lords look like? Have you ever seen them?''
''Only one of them. They never came to the village, since everyone went willingly to the castle. The one I saw is the elder, Lord Mycroft. He is very tall and has auburn hair and blue eyes. As for the younger, his name is Lord Sherlock and I know only from the descriptions that the villagers gave me, that he is very beautiful. He is also tall, not as tall as his brother though. He has black hair and weird eyes.''
''What do you mean by weird?'', asked Greg.
''I don't know! That is what Molly, the baker's daughter told me once. She said that his eyes were able to pierce through her soul and see every little secret. She said she felt... feeble.''
''I better go. You stay here for now. I'll guard Dimitri for the first two hours. Be careful.'', said John and headed for the entrance.
''You can pick a sword from our collection. Use a cloth and cover it with Holy Water. It will help.'', said Aurora and followed him, placing her sword in the hole and when John left she closed the portal again.
John found himself outside Dimitri's room, sitting on the cold floor. He rested his back against the wall and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible with little success. He placed the sword next to him and sat there waiting. The minutes passed and without realizing it, he fell asleep.
He woke up. He gripped the sword's handle tightly, listening carefully to the sounds of the mansion. There was stillness. Suddenly he saw something like black smoke coming from the window down the corridor. He stood up and approached. He quickly drew back though when he saw something materializing. He felt the blood draining from his face when the form of a tall, black haired Vampire appeared only ten meters away from him.
The Vampire Sherlock raised his head and looked at him smiling while licking his lips. Then John did something that he had never done in his life as a Dragon Knight who fought wizards, werewolves and other creatures. He ran.
John ran down the complex corridors of the manor and eventually reached the study. The study was big like the library and had large bookcases around the room and in the middle, thus creating many hiding corners. The moonlight that came through the stained glass of the round windows was sufficient and he was able to see around the room and hide from the Vampire. He then saw the same black smoke coming inside the room from the keyhole, slowly transforming into the Vampire. John hid behind a bookcase. He could hear his steps, as he approached his hiding corner.
''I can tell the character of a man by the sound of his heartbeat.'', he said in his baritone voice. ''Usually when I approach...'', he continued and started clapping his hands fast and rhythmically, ''I can almost dance to the beat!'' He then started to clap his hands slowly. ''Strange that yours... is so steady. Interesting.''
John got out of his hiding place and nailed the sword to his heart. The Vampire Sherlock was surprised and clutched the weapon with both hands.
''May you rest in peace.'', said John, but then the Vampire pulled the blade out of his heart and smiled at John. He licked the blood from it and tossed the weapon away. John started slowly stepping back, as the Vampire approached with the smile still on his lips. His shirt was now open and John saw how the wound heeled almost in seconds. He was so pale! He had never someone so pale moving.
The vampire stopped and in the light of the moon he looked ethereal. His black curls were like a halo around his face and his gray eyes were shining. But John wouldn't cry for help or run away again. He was a warrior, a Dragon Cavalier and he was here to kill this undead demon.
''The young archer in front of me... it is such an honor to finally meet a true Vampire Killer.'', he purred and took a step. John remained calm and looked at his enemy with cold eyes. The Vampire merely smiled and bit his bottom lip. He then breathed deeply through his nose.
''Your blood smells so good. So rich in experience. You've seen so many deaths. Far too many.'', he said and took one more step. John was only two meters away from him.
''I like your eyes, archer. They seem cold, yet you are so sensitive deep down. You are strong! Very strong! I wonder how it would be when I break you!''
John realized that any moment now, the Vampire was going to attack. Luckily he had a blade in his boot. It wouldn't be much help, but it could distract him and give him time to get away. If only he could reach it. There was only one option and that was to move fast the moment he would approach him.
''I haven't tasted a man like you in years! So brave and so beautiful.'', he took one more graceful step and John quickly dived and retrieved his dagger. As he rose, he was pinned against the wall, next to the window, by two strong arms. He only managed to strike him on his left side. The Vampire trapped both of his hands above his head with one of his. He then pulled the blade from his body and smiled once more.
''Tut, tut, tut that wasn't very nice.'', he said in a seductive tone. ''I like you, you know. I would like to have you tied up in my bed and do various things to your body all... night... long.'', he said as he planted kisses on John's jaw line. ''I could make you moan and beg and scream!'', he continued and trapped the mortal's lower lip in his mouth. John twitched angrily but the vampire ignored him and sucked. After a while he released him, examining his work. John's lip was red and sore.
''Look at me!'', he said in a firm tone. John looked into his eyes. He realized what Aurora meant by weird. He felt like the Vampire could see everything! ''NO!'', he cried and the Vampire's head jerked like someone had punched him. He looked him again and smiled.
''Oh you are strong! Very strong! And so warm.'', he moaned as he moved his long, index finger from John's lips to the crook of his neck. He then gracefully unbuttoned his shirt and saw the silver cross hanging from John's neck.
''Shit! How could I forget?'', thought John. Unfortunately, the cross was so light that John couldn't feel it.
''What do we have here?'', said the Vampire Sherlock and pulled the cross in a swift move. He examined it and pressed the sapphire revealing the secret weapon.
''Nice toy archer! But it won't help you!'', he said innocently and tossed it aside. He continued exploring John's body with his cold finger. He stopped over John's right nipple and started stroking it gently. John shivered under his cold touch and that earned him a smirk. The vampire continued his exploration and stopped over John's belt. He looked at him and licked his full, bottom lip. John narrowed his eyes to hide his distress. The vampire brought his mouth to John's ear and John could now feel his hot breath.
''I can make you mine right now. Would you like me to?'', he whispered and looked him in the eyes.
''Fuck you!'', growled John.
''I fully intend to!'', smirked the vampire and at the same time licked John's jugular vein. John saw his fangs elongating and knew it was time. As the vampire was inches away from John's neck, John kicked him with all his might, thus making the vampire release him.
He then gave him a punch and his ring scratched deeply the Vampire's alabaster skin. The Vampire stretched himself. His blood was running, his fangs were showing, but he was no longer smiling.
''You are mine mortal!'', he said viciously, his eyes becoming from a frosty green to a fiery red. Now John was completely scared. He took a step back, only to bump against the wall again.
The Vampire sprang and John covered his face protectively with his arms.
Upon seeing the ring on John's finger, he flinched and hissed. He then turned into an anthropomorphic huge black bat and flew through the window to his castle, leaving colored shattered glass on the floor.
John took some deep breaths to calm down. The cold wind blew through the broken window and John felt chilled to the bone. His left hand was clenching his shirt, which was still unbuttoned. He swallowed and looked at his copper ring. ''What the hell happened?'', he thought to himself.
Mycroft quickly opened the window and moved aside to allow his brother to enter. Sherlock flew inside and fell on the floor with a big thud. He transformed back to his human appearance.
''I saw it brother! I thought they had all been extinct! How is this possible!'', he cried, still lying on the floor.
''Sherlock what are you saying?'', asked Mycroft and Sherlock jumped to his feet and started pacing quickly, mumbling incoherent words. ''Brother!'', said Mycroft firmly and Sherlock stopped abruptly. ''Stay calm. This is unacceptable.''
He came close to his brother and softly grabbed his shoulders. He looked him in the eyes. In an instant Sherlock was calm. ''I saw it. The ring. They are here!''
Mycroft stayed perfectly still. ''Are you sure?'', he asked.
Sherlock nodded and released himself from Mycroft's grip. ''I saw it. The triangular copper ring. These two are Dragonians. How is this possible?'', he hissed.
Mycroft was at a loss for words.
''How Mycroft? How?'', continued Sherlock with persistence. ''Are you telling me the twins survived?''
''This is not possible Sherlock and you know it. I drowned them myself!''
''Then how the Order found other executioners? How?''
''I DON'T KNOW!'', shouted Mycroft. The brothers were now silent and still, looking at each other. ''I don't know.'', he whispered. He went and sat on the velvet couch. Sherlock was still standing. ''We will have to kill them all. Those two strangers and the girl.''
''Please!'', scoffed Sherlock. ''Aurora is just a girl. What can she possible do to us? Just kill her the same way we did with her mother. Tell your lover to pour the same drug in her water as we did with Aurelia. She will die peacefully.''
''Peacefully?'', said Mycroft sarcastically. ''This was the most craven act I've ever done. She was a worthy woman. She never deserved to die the way she did.''
''She should have never discovered our secret! That's why she died. And don't tell you feel sorry.'', smirked Sherlock.
''And if I did?'', he replied melancholically.
Sherlock was now dead serious. ''That was four years ago. You cannot grieve over the past.''
He came and sat next to his brother. Mycroft turned to look at him and saw the deep scratch that adorned his cheek and cheekbones. ''You didn't heal properly Sherlock.'', he said.
Sherlock touched the wound with his long fingers and smiled, making his brother raise an eyebrow. ''That little man did it. Copper is far more toxic to us than silver. I might need a little of your blood later to heal fully. We will kill his cousin and the girl, but he is mine. And I mean it! No one will harm him.''
''Are you serious?''
''Yes.''
''My, my! My little brother in love.'', laughed Mycroft.
''He is a worthy man and I'll take him as my mate. He will become a vampire once I get my hands on him.''
''Fine, fine.'', said Mycroft and raised his hands in surrender. ''We'll keep your toy-archer. I give you my word that no one in the Family will harm him. But the others… they must die.'', he said and stood up, walking to stand in front of the fire place. The flames did nothing to suppress the cold feeling he felt since the day he was born. He sighed.
''Brother.''
''Hmm.'', hummed Mycroft.
''We should inform Mummy and uncle Moriarty. They won't be satisfied.''
Mycroft sighed deeply. ''Indeed.''
