Battle Plans
Maria watched from the window of the room she had claimed as her own private sanctuary, its trappings of pilfered elegance both regal and decadent. The four poster bed belonged to the former occupants of the home whose blood she had long ago feasted upon, the satins and velvets strewn across it obtained in a variety of ways, all of which began and ended in death.
Her skin shimmered in the fading daylight cutting through the glass before finally returning to a luminescent ivory under the rising moon. Her eyes shifted to the barn below and she tilted her head as she listened to the rather subdued sounds within. The barn had always been a chaotic, snarling nest of violence and it was not uncommon for her to lose at least two newborns for every three she created due to the fighting that erupted at almost regular intervals both day and night. And yet a whole day had passed and it had remained quiet, however inexplicably.
Maria's brow furrowed in thought. Perhaps it wasn't so inexplicable after all. Jasper was gifted. He could sense emotions. That she knew. But he had explained his ability to take control of her fledgling army from Isaac by saying that somehow he had convinced them to follow him. Newborns, by their very nature, were not convinced easily unless one was prompting them with blood of which Jasper had had none. Just promises…promises made to vampires without the ability to concentrate on much else but their thirst. Potentially empty words meant little to them and they all feared her enough that words would not have been enough to sway them.
She considered the possibility that his gift ran far deeper than she had realized, a smile quirking her lips. Whatever it was it was allowing him to focus at a far greater magnitude than any day old newborn should have been able to manage. He was quite a unique creature. One that needed to be groomed properly for his place at her side lest he seek to overtake her…
The sun completely set, she turned and made her way down the stairs and outdoors, walking to the barn with a purpose. Reaching the double doors she flung them open, her calculating gaze sweeping the interior in search of her newest creation.
Jasper's thirst, magnified by the thirst of the five newborns in his care, was almost intolerable. His throat constricted against the fire in his throat to the point of driving him mad. All he could think about was quenching that fire with as much blood as he could get his hands on.
The training had gone on for most of the day until his thirst had taken a firm hold on his conscience and willed him unable to concentrate on anything else. Having allowed them to retire for the remainder of the day, Jasper had moved off on his own. Leaning against the wall at the back of the barn, he kept an ever watchful gaze on his charges with an expression awash with pain. One hand found its way to his throat as he attempted to smooth away the discomfort but to no avail.
Maria's entrance registered with him on a deeper level than merely sight. Her presence meant that he would get to quench the fire raging within his throat and without much aforethought, he found himself shrugging away from the boarded wall and moving toward her.
Maria graced him with a seductive smile before turning her eyes to Lucy. "You're with us," she commanded. "David, you're in charge while Jasper is gone. If I lose even one in his absence, you'll burn for it." She turned and walked outside, standing with hands on her hips as she waited for Lucy and Jasper to join her.
The hint of a smile curved Jasper's lips at the sudden jump in rank he'd managed during his short life as a vampire. He was barely a day old and had successfully gone from being no one of any importance to second in command in just a few short hours. "They should be fine..." he assured David, casting him a side long glance before following Maria out of the barn and into the night air.
"Jasper, I think we could manage three for you tonight without causing too much trouble if we keep to the northern most part of our territory. It's been more than a month since we hunted there," she said without turning to look at either of them. "Lucy, you get one so make it count. Also, I will need your help tonight in procuring potential newborns. We need to build up numbers and quickly."
Her throat ached more tonight, so much so that it made her voice rough. It had been nearly three months since she had fed and was reaching the end of her ability to endure the pain. Still, she was determined to hold off for as long as possible. The only person she had to fear an uprising from though was Nettie and she was carefully hiding her slowly growing weakness from all of them. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make as their leader to shore up her defenses. There were forces moving against her and she needed her newborns to be well fed and ready or they would all die.
The raw ache flared at the very thought of getting to feed and quenching the thirst that was almost maddening. He managed to nod, unsure if he could push through the fire enough to will himself to speak. Venom pooled in his mouth at the very prospect of the blood to come, both excitement and hunger sparking in his eyes as he shifted his gaze to Lucy.
Maria turned her head to look back over her shoulder. She nodded at them before she burst forward, running so fast her feet barely touched the ground, her black hair streaming out behind her blurry form. The night air was laden with scents and even though it was far off, the smell of human set her throat ablaze.
Jasper took off behind Maria with a burning in his throat that flared mercilessly as they crossed the human scent laden trail. Instinctively, he drew in a breath of the delicious scents and allowed the raging fire in his throat to determine his course and take over his senses. He flashed forward, locking onto to the delicious flavors in the air.
Lucy followed Jasper closely but hung back from him. She, too, had scented the humans, determining they were a few miles off. Two if she were correct… Her eyes narrowed as she shifted her gaze to Jasper's back, the ground flying away beneath him as uncertainty sparked in her eyes. Would it be now that she could ease the ache that threatened to tear her apart? Or would she have to wait?
His feet flew across the ground so quickly that they barely touched the earth beneath them. Lucy's scent drifted from behind him, mingling with the delicious smells in the air. Two in fact…a third one more bitter and not at all appetizing mingled in between them. Jasper's nose crinkled slightly but he couldn't stop the venom pooling in his mouth over the others. The faint sounds of three hearts twined together in rhythm caught his ears. Casting one backward glance to Lucy, he upped his speed.
Lucy pushed herself forward to match Jasper, her face pained as the scents grew ever closer. She grimaced as she swallowed a mouthful of venom, the sting of it like swallowing ground glass. She stopped breathing to calm herself. It wouldn't help her to lose control and take a kill that wasn't meant for her, possibly getting a limb ripped off in the process, if not worse. Jasper was in charge now. She would have to defer to him. If he took them both then so be it. She had no choice but to wait and given the look she had seen in his eyes earlier, he was not someone she wanted to cross.
The faint outline of a carriage came in to view followed by the distinct sound of the horse's hooves striking the dirt road. His eyes sparked wild with hunger as a sinister darkness clouded over his face. His bright crimson eyes zeroed in on the couple up ahead and his mind shifted from searching to predator. Slowing his pace to shift into a crouch, he sent Lucy a look of warning to keep her distance while he fed.
Lucy skidded to a halt, shrinking backwards from Jasper as he glared at her. Apparently she was to wait. Her eyes darted to the two humans with longing, her lips pulling back from her teeth and a low growl coming up from her throat despite all her effort to stop it.
He left her there in the road without a backward glance and launched his charge on the couple in the carriage. Screams echoed across the vast space as an invisible force knocked the woman's husband from the carriage, materializing over top of him on the ground. An animalistic growl erupted from Jasper's throat as he pinned the helpless man to the ground and ripped his teeth into his throat. The sweet, succulent blood flooded his mouth and coursed down his throat, quenching the undeniable thirst inside of him.
Maria stood nearby watching the scene in front of her, gripping a nearby tree to keep herself from rushing forward and taking the humans for herself. Her breathing came in fast, hard pants as the scent of their blood threatened to drive her mad. She closed her eyes and concentrated on pushing the bloodlust away for the moment, giving Jasper the opportunity to feed instead. She needed him strong and focused now that he was in command. Still, in the face of the full force of her apparent hunger, she doubted she could turn any more humans without feeding herself. Perhaps they could afford to take four instead of three, she thought. The very idea of finding relief in the warm, wet throbbing of the twin pulses sounding before her made her tremble.
Lucy watched as Jasper drained the male dry, her thirst flaring out of control as the scent of blood filled the air. Movement tore her gaze away, however, when the female jumped down off the carriage and started to run. She was Jasper's and yet the urge to chase her was irresistible as she watched her flee. Her hands twitched at her side as she gritted her teeth against and overwhelming burn of hunger. Finally, unable to fight it any longer she took off after the woman, a wild snarl breaking from lips curled back in anticipation.
The meal whetted Jasper's appetite but nowhere near satiated his thirst as he drained out the last few drops. His gaze immediately snapped up, his eyes following the scene ahead of him, one that caused a wild snarl to rip from his throat. Lucy was after his other meal. Before he could even think about it he was on his feet and blurring after her, taking several leaps and bounds to catch up. Taking one final leap, he landed on her back and pushed her face into the ground with heel of his boot.
Lucy screamed to find herself flying through the air, a scream that was ended when her face was smashed into the dirt. Her hands came up, grasping to catch him. She lifted her head to find him out of her reach and she gnashed her teeth in frustration at having been thwarted in her attempt to take the human female for herself.
The sound of a sharp growl escaped his lips followed by a backward glare in her direction as he overtook the human woman and pulled her into a tight constricting embrace. She let loose a wild scream as Jasper swung her to face Lucy. His eyes focused unwaveringly on Lucy as he cut off the human woman's cries for help in a strangled gurgle, his razor sharp teeth piercing her neck.
Lucy seethed as she stared Jasper down, the triumph in his gaze as he watched her adding insult to injury while her throat burned with thirst. Soon, she told herself as she worked to calm her anger. Soon…
The blood was warm and sweet, made even sweeter by the victory over Lucy and the clear anger it caused her. His gaze, alight with humor, never traveled away from the female vampire in front of him and with his thirst finally slaked, he dropped the woman's body like a sack of potatoes. "Maybe next time," he chided, smirking and brushing past her to leave her with the body.
Lucy's eyes were like daggers shooting into Jasper's back as he walked past her. Had she not tried to be of comfort to him? Had she not sympathized? But he was unrecognizable now from the confused newborn who had been trying to make sense out of suddenly finding himself in a world he had never imagined. No, he had shed that persona and had given into instinct, to thirst. He had let the monster inside of him take over and she knew now that she could never let her guard down around him. Bloodlust combined with an unnatural control and a healthy ambition; he was more dangerous than any newborn she had ever encountered.
Maria's nails dug into the sides of the tree, her eyes focused intently on the woman's body, her teeth clenched against a wave of desire. Even drained and paling before her, the temptation stayed as strong as it had been moments before when she had been kicking and thrashing in Jasper's arms.
Releasing her hold of the tree trunk she cast her gaze briefly to Lucy. "Clean it up," she whispered, turning her back on her and following after Jasper.
Lucy shot Maria a sullen glare before standing and walking over to the woman's body first. Taking a knife from a belt at her waist, she drew it across the woman's throat slowly, the feel of the skin giving way beneath it serving to purge her anger. Calmly walking over to the male she did the same. If anyone were to find them they would assume they had been robbed on the side of the road by bandits. In order to complete the scene she pocketed the man's coin purse and removed the woman's jewelry. She admired a silver bracelet in the moonlight before breaking out in a run after Maria and Jasper.
Giving in had been surprisingly easy and the freedom that followed felt as if a burden had been suddenly lifted off of his shoulders. All he could think about was blood and how to get more, the need much stronger than anything else he'd ever known.
His acute hearing tuned into the sound of whisper quiet feet fast approaching behind him and his body instantly stiffened in response. Digging his feet into the earth, he spun to face his attacker and instantly dropped into a crouch, having cut loose a wild hiss. Surprised crimson eyes focused on Maria, assessing her in a scrutinizing fashion. Drawing in a breath of her scent brought with it the realization that she wasn't a threat, allowing him to relax his posture.
Maria didn't even flinch at Jasper's reaction to her approach. She was far too experienced with newborns to feel any fear, even in the face of one as vicious as Jasper was turning out to be. Besides, she was confident in her hold over all of them. Few had challenged her and those who had had died swiftly and without mercy. Even weak with thirst she was deadly and even as her expression remained calm, the hard glint of power never completely left her eyes.
Those eyes observed him now as he straightened out of his crouch, calculating even in their stillness. "Are you quite done?" she asked, her voice even.
Jasper's lips twitched into a smile. "Quite."
Humor flickered in Maria's eyes, mingling with the darker things that lurked there as she returned Jasper's smile. She turned her gaze back to Lucy who came to a stop by her side. "Our next target should be far from here to be cautious."
His gaze shifted to Lucy's arrival. The little vampire, whom he'd nearly fought with over a meal. Such treatment of a lady of any means would be inexcusable if, in fact, he were still human. The lingering emotions that had clung to him after his change had died off rather rapidly with his first kill and the promise of more.
Without another word Maria took off, hunger fueling the speed at which she ran. Jasper regarded Lucy with a wary look before taking flight after her.
Lucy narrowed her eyes at Jasper, her face otherwise impassive. She didn't trust him and she was beginning not to like him either. Even when Isaac had been in charge she had never been made to feel beneath him. Her true place had been such in the order of things but she felt more his equal being that she was far older and had been with Maria longer. Jasper was a little over a day old and yet she felt as though her presence was merely being tolerated on this outing. It was Jasper and Maria together and she just happened to be there.
She ran after them, her mood uneasy. She and Nettie were in a precarious position, she realized. They weren't above the newborn army anymore, standing at Maria's side and held in a place of honor. They were beneath it, just as desperate as the whores they had once been following after the Confederate campsites. Only now it was an army of vampires instead of young human men...
Maria turned to look at Jasper as they ran, an appreciative gleam in her eyes. He was truly a thing of beauty, especially under the moonlight with the wind in his hair, his eyes red and glowing from a fresh kill. He was now her prize possession, all anger she had felt initially at Isaac's demise a distant memory. She had sensed his potential and while she had thought at first that she might have been mistaken, he had proved her correct in her assessment. She couldn't be happier.
Jasper caught the look in Maria's eyes and pressed a slight smile in response. Running beside her as an equal seemed right and the way she looked at him sent a wave of desire through him that he felt helpless to temper. The gleam in his eye sparkled, hungry for more than merely blood.
A farmhouse came into view and a wide smile broke out over her features. She came to a stop, turning to look at Jasper and Lucy with eyes that spoke to her predatory nature.
The farmhouse held the promise of blood as three delicious scents twined together in such an enticing manner that he couldn't help but draw in a breath of the delicious aroma, the burn in his throat flaring at the sudden anticipation of silencing the music the three pulses within created.
"Three," she announced. "One each." Her fingers curving into claws in anticipation of the kill she strode off toward the house. "Jasper," she called over her shoulder. "You're with me."
Jasper nodded in agreement. Venom pooled in his mouth in anticipation as he moved off after Maria, Lucy now forgotten and left behind to watch.
Standing under the second story window, Maria tilted her head back and inhaled deeply. The scents were unbearably sweet and for a moment her hunger flared to the point that she considered fighting Jasper and Lucy for all three humans. She shook her head to clear it, her raven black hair tumbling down her back.
Joining her under the second story window, Jasper's eyes shifted to Maria and patiently waited for her orders. His throat flared mercilessly, almost to the point where he considered mutiny, claiming them all for himself. He was quite positive that he could overtake Lucy and possibly even Maria, who was weak from hunger. He cleared out the dark thoughts in his mind and shifted his predatory gaze back to the window.
She turned her head, her feline eyes roving over him. "Ready?" she asked.
Orders given, Jasper nodded with his gaze locked on the upstairs window. The window that separated him from his meal as his thirst once again flared... His lips curved into a wicked smile as he launched himself off the ground and scaled up the side of the house.
Maria was right behind them, reaching up to grab the eave of the house and swinging backward, her feet smashing through the window a second before she landed inside the bedroom. The husband and wife in the bed there sat up, startled and immediately began screaming upon catching a glimpse of her standing before them. She tilted her head to the side, studying them with glittering red eyes as she drank in their fear. With a feral snarl she flew across the room, pouncing on the man and snapping his head to the side with a savage yank of his hair. Her lips parted, caressing the sensitive skin of his neck almost in a kiss before her teeth sank into his throat, piercing the artery and filling her mouth with the sweet taste of his blood. Maria moaned low in her throat, the sensation too long denied her and causing a wave of sheer ecstasy to course through her body.
Jasper materialized in front of the open window, right behind Maria. The humans in the room terror stricken and screaming gave him a sense of superiority as he flashed to the side of the bed where the female sat. She was frozen in terror, watching as Maria drained her husband. The sweet smell of his blood matched with her scent caused him to lose all sense of control. His eyes darkened in desire as he snatched her from the bed and roughly snapped her head to the side. He parted his lips gracefully and slammed his teeth into her neck with instant gratification as the blood flooded his mouth. Having effectively cut off her screams in a strangled gurgle he tightened his grip around her, pulling her closer to him in an almost intimate manner.
Lucy growled at Maria and Jasper's impatience. Her human was probably awake now and possibly attempting to flee. She cocked her head to the side, listening for movement within above the chaos inside the room Maria and Jasper had entered. Then she heard it...a human heartbeat and screaming separate from that taking place elsewhere in the house. The third human... Her human... With a dark smile, Lucy scurried up the side of the house, busting through the window there and slipping inside the room.
She was about to attack when the sight of her intended meal sent her reeling backwards. A young boy with sandy blond hair, probably no more than fourteen, stood pressed against the wall, his blue eyes wide with terror. Hair blond like hers and eyes blue like the soldier whose name she never knew... She stared at him in horror, this boy who could have been her own lost son.
Maria broke away from the man with a wild gasp, shifting her eyes over to Jasper and watching with sadistic pleasure as he held the woman against him, draining her dry. His embrace was almost sensual and even though he was killing the poor human, she felt oddly possessive as she crawled across the bed and knelt on the edge. She trailed her fingers down the nape of his neck while he fed before leaning forward, her bloodstained lips brushing against his ear.
"Jasper..." she whispered seductively.
Jasper ripped himself away from the woman's neck and let go, her body tumbling from his grasp and hitting the floor with a sickening thud. His gaze, still alight with the adrenaline from the kill, turned toward Maria's alluring voice.
Blood smeared across his cheeks and lips contrasted drastically against his alabaster skin. Desire overtook the hungered gleam in his eyes as his gaze ticked across her seductive posture, her scent more alluring than he'd ever imagined. The seduction in her tone only served to drive that desire up further as an animalistic snarl escaped his lips. He flashed his hands out and grabbed her by the shoulders and roughly pulled her to him, instantly seeking out her lips, his tongue sliding across to lap up the blood.
Maria grabbed handfuls of Jasper's hair as she shamelessly pressed herself against him. She snarled back at him as she sunk her teeth into his lip before gripping his arms and hurling him onto the bed. Straddling him she claimed his throat with hungry kisses, her nails raking down his chest and digging into his marble skin through the fabric of his coat, vest and shirt.
A low moan escaped his throat in response to Maria's bite. His lips worked eagerly, far more hungrily, against hers and soon he found himself being shoved backward onto the bed. He was helpless, no more than putty in her capable hands. The sensation of her nails biting into the marble of his skin caused him arch his back in pleasure beneath her with another low groan escaping his throat. His head twisted to the side as he arched his neck against the hunger in her kiss, desire ruling him. Locking one hand firmly around the back of her head and knotting his fingers into her hair, Jasper reclaimed her lips.
Maria smiled against his lips, a shiver running through her at the sensation of his fingers yanking in her hair. She pulled away ever so slightly, fixing him with a red-eyed stare.
"See?" she whispered, skimming the tip of her nose against his and baring her teeth at him. "Belonging to me doesn't have to be…unpleasant."
She began to lower her lips back to his when suddenly she froze. The house was quiet except for the sound of a single heartbeat. Lucy's scent, however, was thick in the air.
"What is she—"
Maria leapt from the bed and flew out of the room, flashing inside the next bedroom in a blur. The sight that met her eyes caused a sharp hiss to escape her lips.
A human boy sat on the floor, curled into a terrified ball and trembling uncontrollably. She held no pity for him but an incredible amount of anger swelled within her to spot Lucy standing across the room, blankly staring at the boy like an idiot.
"What are you doing?" she spat, her confused gaze darting from Lucy to the boy and back to Lucy again.
Lucy shook her head helplessly, swallowing back the venom that pooled in her mouth and pressing herself even more closely against the wall.
Jasper's lips curved into a menacing smile, the calculation in his eyes sparking at Lucy's glare. His head tilted as faint feelings of sympathy hit him, absorbing into his skin from across the room. "How sweet…" his voice hissed out, in mock awe.
"He's just a boy!" Lucy cried, staring at Jasper in disbelief.
"You're thirsty!" Maria hissed. "Kill him!"
Lucy's eyes darted to Maria, her face crumpled in pain. "Please, Maria... I'm begging you. Don't make me do this thing."
Maria assessed her for a moment, her eyes going completely cold as she took a step toward the boy. "Fine. I'll change him then."
Lucy snarled as she launched herself into the center of the room, crouching in front of the boy, her lips pulled back over clenched teeth which she bared threateningly at Jasper.
"No!" she screamed. She couldn't bear the thought of Maria turning him into one of them, of seeing his baby blue eyes become red with blood, the innocence wiped clean off his young face. She couldn't bear the thought of him standing amongst the other newborns, so small in comparison to them and enduring their violence like Daniel. Seeing the barely contained rage seep into Maria's gaze and feeling Jasper's eyes upon her she lowered her head in submission. "No," she repeated softly. "I...I'll do it." She turned to look at the boy, hesitating. He began to sob and Lucy flinched, clenching her teeth against her own.
Jasper's lips turned up into a menacing smile as he slipped into a crouch and slunk forward, his own lips pulled back over his teeth and a threatening hiss slipping out through them. "Kill him, or I will," he ground out, gritting his teeth together.
Lucy snapped her head around to fix Jasper with a look of pure hatred for in that moment hate was almost as prominent as her pain. She hated them both...Maria and Jasper. But more than anything, she hated herself.
Jasper backed off almost immediately, his expression turning to one of confusion and concentration as if his brain were trying to compute something he couldn't quite understand. It wasn't the strength of her feelings toward them that had him confused it was the pain rivaling it. Discomfort in taking the boy's life, something that shouldn't even come into question. They were vampires, meant to feed on people and not coddle them as if they should be felt sorry for. Humans were food, like cattle to humans, below them in every way, not equals.
Turning back to the boy, she crept closer and crouched in front of him, her eyes once again softening. "Sshhhh..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "It won't hurt, I promise..."
She reached out as though to caress his cheek, her fingertips hovering just above his tear-stained face. A sob broke forth from her lips in the same instant that that hand flashed out, gripped the boy's neck and quickly snapped it. His lifeless body pitched over and fell to the floor. Lucy closed her eyes and didn't open them until she had stood and turned away from the sight. When she did, her eyes were full of contempt, lingering on them both before she left the room, her thirst intact but a piece of her soul left behind.
The scene played out slower than he would've liked and he felt his lips crease at the corners in impatience. His gaze never left Lucy as she comforted the boy, so much so that it was almost sickening to watch. The pain she felt continued to flicker into his own emotional climate despite his efforts to keep it out. Her thirst was almost as prominent and he was sure it took every bit of control she possessed to keep from feeding. Shock replaced the repulsion on his features as she proceeded to just snap the boy's neck and turn away. What was she doing? He growled, gnashing his teeth together as she turned a contemptuous look to them both before leaving.
Maria seethed as she stared at the boy's body. Lucy had killed him and robbed her of a newborn. That she wouldn't have cared about had Lucy fed from him. But she hadn't and her refusal to do so had sent a message as clear as the look in her eyes.
"Find out what that was about," Maria hissed, her eyes burning as she turned to look at Jasper. "I will not have weakness in our coven."
He nodded and without a further word turned on his heel and exited the room to find Lucy in the hall. "What the hell was that?" His southern accent layered his words as he gritted his teeth.
Lucy glared at him before turning and walking away. She reached the stairs and ghosted down them making her way for the front door.
He caught her by the arm and spun her to face him, halting her in her steps. "That was a perfectly good meal you just wasted," he seethed.
Lucy looked up at him, her eyes sparked with anger to rival Maria's. "Get your hand off me," she growled, enunciating each word as though to burn him with the venom they contained. "I have no qualms in fighting you. You'd surely kill me but in this moment I find that I don't give a damn."
She wrenched her arm from his grip and ripped the front door of the house off its hinges before going through it and striding into the trees.
Jasper growled in frustration as she ripped her arm free and stormed out of the house. With a shake of his head, he followed. She wasn't going to get off that easily, not by a long shot. He strode out across the lawn and into the trees behind her. However, somehow he felt his anger dissipating into something else…curiosity.
"What was that?" His voice wasn't nearly as cutting, but it still held an irritated edge.
"That was the most disgusting thing I have ever done," she said quietly as she walked. "I have killed hundreds, probably even thousands. I have no problems with killing nor have I ever felt guilty. But that was wrong. He was just a child…"
"Why?" he questioned as he moved up along side of her. "They're food. We're vampires. It's what we do." In his mind the answer was as simple as that and there was no room for feelings. "Your feelings were..." He narrowed his eyes. "Pained," he concluded. "I would've thought the prospect of taking a child would've been sweeter then wine..." The smile spreading across his face turned whimsical. "Much like veal. Young, tender…untainted by anything. Pure..." His voice moved to reflect his expression as he took her by the arm to bring her to a stop. "Given your... state, I can hardly see how you'd resist."
She shook her head to try and free it of the image of the boy's face but it remained, burned into her mind. She knew her vampire memory, so accurate and infallible, would never allow her to forget it. It would remain there for all eternity and in perfect clarity. She shuddered at the thought, knowing it would torture her for the rest of her days.
"So you choose to starve, rather than quench your thirst?" he questioned and narrowed his crimson red eyes, scrutinizing every shift of her expression.
"If that was the only meal that I am to be graced with this night, then yes," she replied simply. "If I am allowed to live then I will wait until I am given permission to hunt again."
"Is it worth it?" Jasper questioned. "It could be weeks until you're able to feed again. Your thirst will surely drive you insane."
Lucy shrugged, not caring what the consequences might be. She would deal with thirst if need be. She had decided that being thirsty was preferable to feeling the boy's blood coursing within her. The very idea made her want to retch.
"Are you faulty, then?"
Her eyes flashed to his face, her expression unreadable. "Faulty?" she asked, laughing darkly. "You sound like her already." She turned and resumed her course, not sparing him another glance. "Is it faulty to have a conscience? Or is it more of a defect to have none…like you? You weren't like this last night. You were…almost still human in some ways. What changed?"
Her words were biting, hurtful, but he found it easy to deflect the human reaction to be affected by them. "Human emotions have no place in our world," he sighed, casting his gaze toward the ground. The crash course he'd received from both Maria and Nettie had firmed that thought fully. There was no place for feelings, nothing except for the lust for blood and herd lands. Greed and violence were a part of the vampire existence, a constant war that never ceased. "What changed was the fact that I realized in this world, it's kill or be killed. My conscience made me weak, easily defeated. So I got rid of it," he replied simply in a voice as soft as feathers.
"Sadly, it's probably for the better that you did given what she has planned for you," Lucy remarked cryptically. "I'm simply bait but you… It's sad actually. From the small glimpse I received of who you used to be, you were a nice young man, far removed from what she will make of you."
"What do you mean?" Jasper asked, narrowing his eyes. What could Maria have planned for him? There was more to what Lucy was saying given the way she trailed off her words and he couldn't help but pry, curiosity getting the better of him. Maria hadn't told him everything and there was probably a lot more that he needed to know. "I'm not sure that I'm following."
"Killing Isaac was nothing. You barely even had to get your hands dirty. Your little newly acquired band of newborns did it for you. But newborns don't stay as they are...strong, vicious… They aren't always…desirable. Their strength begins to wane after the first year. And you will be tasked with culling the herd, making way for new ones. That is, if she decides to keep you after your own one year mark. You better prove yourself useful or you'll meet the same end." She shifted her gaze to him. "So you see, perhaps it is better that you don't have a conscience after all…"
"Cull?" he asked, eyes widening in surprise. "You mean that I'll have to kill them?" His question came off more as a statement, an affirmation rather than a query. Suddenly everything seemed to make sense. Lucy's words held a truth that he found himself trying to deny. He faltered in mid step and stopped, turning toward her. "Maria's not like that…she can't…she wouldn't do that to me. She's proud of me. She said so herself..." He shook his head, denying her words. She couldn't be speaking the truth, not after all the kindness Maria had shown him, not after the way Maria had looked at him. The way he viewed her was almost like the way a worshipper viewed a god in the face of her beauty, her kindness, undeniably good and easy to follow.
"Have you had your eyes open at all?" Lucy asked in disbelief. "She's kind to you when you do what she wants! She threatened to kill you only last night after Isaac was ripped apart! She only allowed it because you're the new blood. Isaac was losing his strength and his ability to lead."
Jasper's clouded thoughts began to clear out as the memories of his first day filtered into his mind. The scars that both Nettie and Lucy sported under Maria's wrath evidence to the very words she spoke. Recognition sparked in his eyes as her words finally began to sink in. "She did," he affirmed, sighing heavily. Maria's threat had chilled him to the bone without a doubt but surely she hadn't meant it. "But she was angry, surely she wouldn't..." But even then, deep down, he didn't believe his own words. She was that dangerous. He just wouldn't see it.
"Believe what you want. It doesn't matter what the truth is. If you want to live, then do as she says like I've told you from the beginning. You'll lose yourself in the process but then we all have a story of how we came to be what we are, how she corrupted us into these...things. Mine is no less tragic than anyone else's."
"And what is your story exactly?" Jasper asked, twisting up his lips into a smile.
Lucy sighed, staring into his eyes. "She sent you here to find out why I wouldn't kill that child. I heard her. Fine then. I'll tell you. If she's going to kill me for my perceived weakness then it will be for the truth and nothing less."
She leaned back against a tree, turning her eyes up to the sky. "It was during the time of the Mexican-American War. I worked in a brothel in order to survive, like many other unfortunate young women of little means. The money was decent and it kept us fed. The soldiers would come into town when they were able, more than happy to spend a few hours in our arms and forget the horrors of the battlefields. I'm sure that's something that you can understand though you proclaim to have never indulged in such things…"
"No, never," he confirmed. "But women did hang around the camps at all times of the day. Most men hadn't seen a woman in weeks if not months so any woman who was willing to show him a good time was a welcomed sight. Being raised the way I had been I didn't participate in such things. No, I abstained in the hopes that after the war I would marry someone and sweep her off her feet and have children, lots of children. I had plans to move to Aqua Dulce and start my own ranch…" He trailed off, beginning to choke up tears that would never come.
Lucy listened to him, a quiet smile forming on her lips to see that the young man she had spoken to the night before was still in there somewhere even if it wouldn't be for long.
He drew in a deep breath and wiped clean his expression. "But, I guess that was foolish wasn't it? It'll never happen. I wished so much to say goodbye to war and couldn't wait for it to be over. Now it looks as if I'm destined to it for all eternity." His words trailed off into a soft whisper.
"I thought I was going to have those things," she whispered. "Even now I don't think it was silly to have wanted them, even for someone like me."
"Yeah…" he agreed quietly, nodding. "It's not silly at all. It's not fair, either," he mumbled, in a sullen voice.
Lucy looked away from him, staring at the ground. "One soldier in particular saw past what I was, saw the young and frightened girl underneath. He pledged his love to me and eager to escape that world, I believed him and I left. His regiment was camped near the town for a time and it wasn't long until I found myself with child. But he had to move on with them and I couldn't go along."
She took a deep breath, her eyes turning sad. "He wrote me and promised he would come back. But then the letters stopped coming and the money I had ran out. Desperate I returned to the girls at the brothel where I had lived. They hid me in their rooms and shared their food with me. The night my child was born I tried in vain to stop from crying out but I couldn't contain my screams. The brothel owner found me and she was furious. Times were hard after all because of the war and while I could earn my keep again a child was but another mouth to feed. She ripped him from my arms but not before I saw him."
Lucy's face crumpled in pain and she bit back a sob before composing herself enough to continue. "Many of my human memories are vague but I remember his face. I don't know what became of him. I never got the chance to find out. I became a vampire soon after. But I think of him often and wonder if he knows that I loved him for that one brief moment. If I'm capable of love in this form, as this thing, then I love him still…"
She turned her eyes to Jasper, the sadness gone from them. They were cold, unapologetic and full of challenge. "I didn't want to kill that boy because he reminded me of the son I lost. But I did because what other choice was there? We don't have choices anymore."
Jasper was silent, his eyes focused off into the distance as he listened to her story. Her words were soft and musical yet touched by sadness, a pain that he, in his human life, could have related to. War was violent, not meant for the meek or weak hearted, turning boys into men or killing them in the process. He was as still as a statue, reliving the horrors that had for two years almost consumed him. As if snapping back to life he shifted his gaze in Lucy's direction, catching the emptiness in her eyes, something that he recognized and knew.
"I see." It all he could manage as his mind computed this knowledge. What more could he offer her? What could he possibly say to comfort her?
"I'm sorry for what has happened to you…truly, I am," he said quietly, sincerity in his tone.
Lucy nodded in acknowledgement. "You're going to kill me now, aren't you?" she asked, her voice oddly calm as she linked her hands in front of her, her eyes never leaving his face.
"No, I'm not," he promised. "That is Maria's decision, not mine."
"Go to her then and see what she wants you to do with me," she said, her voice flat. "Right now, in my grief, I am not afraid to die but I might be later when my head clears. I'd rather get it over with now if that's to be the way of things."
"She will ask when I return to her…" he warned with a heavy sigh. "I can't lie to her or I risk my own life in doing so." Worry colored his tone as he contemplated the predicament. He wasn't quite sure what to do. If he told her the truth, Maria would most likely kill Lucy and if he lied then she would see through it and kill them both. Neither could win. But he couldn't justify turning her in to save his own skin. It was cowardly, something even in his human life he couldn't allow himself to be.
Lucy shrugged. "She brought me along tonight because I have my uses. With my luck she'll decide I'm worth hanging onto. I wouldn't worry yourself."
Jasper's glimpse of reality would be short lived. The fog had cleared for now, revealing to him the true nature of what lay before him, but it wouldn't be long before Maria got her hooks back into him, drawing him back into the darkness. Sighing heavily, he nodded. "Yeah, I shouldn't…" he agreed knowing his time was limited before he would once again be deluded. "She will get to me..." he admitted in a soft voice.
"When you become thirsty," Lucy agreed. "And it will become harder and harder to remember who you were. Human memories become dim and all that matters is blood. And then in a few years you won't even be able to remember having ever been anything else... Yes, I'm very familiar with how it works. Let's just hope you don't end up like me...torn between who you are and who you were. It would be better for you to feel nothing than to live with the stirrings of a conscience."
It had begun to dawn on him that each time he fed he became less connected with his human emotions. His human memories of the war, however, had thus far failed to dim. Instead they became more prominent like flash backs from the trauma he'd endured. Each violent act he committed in his vampire life seemed to bring them on stronger, spurring him on as if he'd known nothing else but war. The less violent, pleasant memories, however, had faded just as Lucy had described, becoming nothing but shrouded, vague recollections. He frowned at the realization.
She tilted her chin and managed to look down her nose at him despite their height difference. "You think you're different. But you're not. We all belong to her. And we always will."
"No, I suppose I'm not. We're all monsters. I understand now that being a vampire means fighting for your life. Perhaps it doesn't matter who we belong to..."
"If not to her, then someone else," Lucy confirmed. "Another coven, if they defeated Maria, would assess which of us to keep and which of us to destroy and we'd simply become bound to another master. For all her evil, I suppose the devil you know is better than the one you don't. I've heard stories about the others like her who control the neighboring covens that would terrify even the bravest among us."
"Like slaves?" he scoffed. Slavery was no new concept. It had abounded in the south for years. Only recently had it been declared that they all were to be set free and with that the war had broken out, among other reasons. In his human life he'd been ignorant, misguided and only now could he see how wrong it was to own another because, like the slaves on the farms in the south, he was a slave himself in Maria's service.
"Very similar to that, yes," Lucy agreed, quietly regarding him. "You'd better run along back to Maria or she'll become suspicious as to what we're doing out here. She wouldn't like us talking this way. She can be extremely paranoid about uprisings…"
Jasper was stronger willed then what Maria liked, given her level of control over him was shaky, at best. So it wasn't out of the ordinary that she would suspect them of an uprising. Given how he'd already angered her more than any other newborn she'd created she would be extra paranoid. He nodded, managing a weak smile as he shifted his gaze toward the ground and shifted his feet uncomfortably.
Lucy stopped and sniffed the air, her expression becoming confused as she looked back in the direction of the house. "I smell smoke…and fire…"
Noting the confusion coming off of Lucy he shifted his gaze back in the direction of the house. The distinct smell of smoke was faint but evident in the air. His eyes widened in horror as he turned to Lucy before he took off in a sprint back toward the house. Was Maria destroying the evidence? Or was she angry? His breath came in slow, even puffs as his feet flew across the ground, barely touching it in his flight through the trees. Branches smacked his marble hard skin but to him it was like being caressed by a feather.
Breaking through the trees and onto the lawn Jasper found the house in flames, billows of smoke reaching to the sky and choking out the stars above. His steps faltered bringing him to a stop several yards away. "Maria?" he yelled before he stopped his breathing, the acrid scent burning his nostrils and throat.
Suddenly Maria was at Jasper's side, her lips pressed to his ear. "There you are," she purred, wrapping her arms around him. "I was beginning to wonder what was taking so long. Did you find out why Lucy was being...difficult?"
"Yes," he stammered nervously. His body stiffened as she slipped her arms around him, her sweet, seducing words like music as she whispered in his ear. Despite his best efforts to uphold himself against her siren song, he found himself falling back under her spell. "She'd lost a child before she'd been changed, a little boy. The child reminded her of her son and she didn't want to take his life. That's all."
Maria narrowed her eyes as she stared past Jasper into the flames. "I see," she sighed, her eyes expressionless. "Hmmm…what to do, what to do?" She let go of Jasper and took to pacing, linking her hands behind her back and shifting her gaze to the burning house. If Lucy had decided to renounce her life here it would be convenient to simply push her into the fire. It would simply mean one more charred body amongst the ashes, if there was even that much left of her when the flames died out. It would be a shame to lose one of her best bits of bait though, she thought, feeling annoyed. Nettie was so volatile that she often killed more than she brought back to be changed.
The blank expression on Maria's face was a cold reminder of the story Lucy had told him. For the first time he was chilled by it, enthralled even, and unable to take his gaze off of hers as if waiting for a shift in her stony features. The calculation in which she moved, pacing a line in front of him as she contemplated Lucy's fate gave credence to her lethal nature. Had he said too much? He pressed his lips together as anger filtered into Maria's emotional climate though she remained deadly calm.
Jasper's eyes slid back over to the roaring fire. The blazing orange flames reached into the air like arthritic fingers, curling against the sky and covering the moon in a blanket of darkness.
"What is your opinion, Jasper? Should she live or die?" She walked over to him, trailing her fingers down his chest. "The fire is already set. She would be easily dealt with..."
So she was placing Lucy's fate in his hands and making him responsible for it? He grimaced as bright crimson eyes scrutinized her expression. "I see no reason why she shouldn't live…" His voice was shaky, his eyes sweeping across her delicate fingers trailing down his chest. He suddenly felt nervous under her touch, a feeling that had escaped him before Lucy had opened up. "She has her uses," he reminded her, managing a weak smile.
Maria's eyes looked deep into his for a moment, their unblinking and hard gaze speaking volumes, as though she were searching for a hint of deception in him. Finally she smiled though that fact made her look more frightening rather than softening her expression.
Her expression was unnerving yet his own didn't waver, his eyes transfixed on her as if he couldn't look away. The cool calculation in her smile chilled him, sending a shiver up his spine but his expression remained unreadable, giving no indication as to the sudden nervousness flooding through him.
"That's true," she mused, pursing her lips in thought. "She lives then...for now. But I want you to keep a close eye on her and Nettie as well. I'm not so sure that they are always deserving of my trust or my generosity."
"I will," he promised with one sharp nod. "I doubt there'll be any trouble," he assured her. Despite the cold, unnerving looking in her eyes, he managed another weak smile.
"You must never let your guard down, Jasper," Maria said, her tone grim. "Turning your back on them, even for a moment, would be a grave mistake. Let's hope there isn't any trouble but be expecting it nonetheless."
Walking away from him she swept her gaze through the trees behind him, placing her hands on her hips. "Lucy!"
Silence greeted them at first but soon Lucy came into view, stepping out from the tree line, her face still devoid of any emotion, resigned to her fate. She eyed the fire with a slight hint of trepidation but only for the briefest of moments.
Lucy's figure soon cut through the trees, silver blonde hair fluttering around her. She looked just as angelic as she had when he'd been turned. The image of she and Nettie taking flight on the breeze was burned into his memory, ethereal, flawless. Now as she approached a sense of foreboding surrounded her very sullen figure.
Lucy ducked her head. "Yes, Maria?"
"I have good news for you," Maria announced. "Despite your blatant insult to me, Jasper has decided that you shall live. Hopefully you will prove this to be a wise decision on his part and not a momentary lapse in judgment due to the delightful little chat you had with him regarding my perceived cruelty..." Her smile widened as she took in Lucy's shocked expression as Lucy realized that Maria had, in fact, heard everything.
Jasper turned shocked eyes toward Maria. He'd not even given a thought that she would be within ear shot and suddenly a knot formed in his stomach at the realization. He chanced a fleeting glance in Lucy's direction to find her staring at Maria with the same look of terror.
"I think we should be going now. The fire will attract attention." Maria began walking towards the trees, her steps measured and full of purpose. "Lucy, you know what task I would have you do. Let's hope you impress me by showcasing your much touted usefulness."
The shock faded from Jasper's eyes as he cut them to the billows of smoke coming off of the fire. The smoke would draw others in, rising above the trees in a silent plea for help. But help would come for these humans too late, being already dead and burned to a crisp before people could arrive. He nodded a silent agreement and snapped his gaze back in the direction Maria was heading, his own feet flying across the ground as he ghosted after her.
Lucy cast one final regretful look at the burning house and followed suit, running alongside Jasper. "Do you know of any Confederate camps in the area?" she asked quietly. "Soldiers are preferable for their military experience."
Jasper's gaze cut to Lucy as she caught up. "There are a few, yes," he confirmed, nodding. "There's a camp twenty five miles from where you found me near Galveston," he informed her as they ran.
"Could you take us there?" she asked. "With you present, you could even point out which ones you think would make the best newborns. You'll be the one training them after all."
He pressed his lips together as if he'd said too much. "Sure," he agreed quietly, hesitant. Suddenly he felt as if he were the one leading the lambs to the slaughter. His frozen heart felt as heavy as if it were a solid block of ice.
Lucy's eyes flickered to Maria's back and then back to Jasper as though she wanted to say something but feared doing so. "Will these be...men from your unit?" she whispered, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible even to their ears.
The apprehension in Lucy's eyes paled in comparison to her weighted words, words which he found difficult to swallow and he almost immediately regretted hearing them. Cautious eyes flickered to Maria's back and then returned to Lucy, turning slightly pained. He pressed his lips together, not sure if he particularly wanted to answer as if his silence would make it less monstrous. "Yes," he whispered in a voice colored with sadness. Those that were not changed would be killed and in some way Jasper felt almost like an angel of death.
Lucy's eyes grew hard as she nodded. "Then you should know who the best fighters are," she surmised. "Those are the ones we want."
Jasper's eyes narrowed as he forced out the preemptive guilt for what he was about to do. The world he'd been inadvertently born into had no room for sympathy or regret. "I do," he confirmed with a hard edge to his voice. "Follow me," he mumbled in a voice as soft as feathers before he blurred ahead of Lucy.
Maria glanced over her shoulder, her eyes lighting up along with the wicked grin that spread across her face. "Very good thinking, Lucy," she chuckled. "You might redeem yourself by the end of this night."
"This way," Jasper directed, suddenly splitting off from Maria and Lucy, making a sharp right turn. His feet flew across the ground, the greenery around him becoming no more than a streaky blur as he headed east.
Jasper slowed his pace to a crawl, shifting into a crouch as the smell of fire and alcohol reach his senses. Whiskey was a staple, something passed around between comrades every night as the fire blazed. Guitar picking and bad singing could be heard, all things to keep everyone in high spirits. When these sounds reached his ears, he knew he was close.
Horses from the cavalry were picketed along the tree line, just in sight of the supply wagon containing salted strips of beef, flour, beans and coffee. Jasper crept along the edge of the trees, keeping to the shadows as he surveyed the scene laid out before them. The horses moved nervously, jigging around and prancing their feet in slight agitation. However they were the only creatures aware of the danger.
The fifteen Confederate officers sitting around the fire were oblivious, the scent of alcohol coming from the whiskey bottle being passed. His thirst flared as fifteen thrumming hearts beat as one, calling to him like a song. Two more hearts beat nearby in the Officer's Quarters, where they were probably going over future strategies while the men relaxed.
Jasper's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the soldiers gathered around the fire. "The man with the curly black hair, the one furthest to the left... Horace is his name. He's strong, holds up well in battle. The wiry redhead in the middle, O'Donnell, is fast…" he explained without taking his eyes off of them.
"O'Donnell is an Irish immigrant. He moved over here a couple of years ago from Dublin with his folks. He's gullible, too gullible for his own good. Horace is a little more strong willed but like every man in the unit he's in sore need of a woman. Most haven't seen one in months, except when we happen to pass through a town…" Jasper explained, his eyes shifting toward Maria.
"Lucy would probably draw them out quicker. Given her...assets…" he mused.
Maria shifted her eyes to Lucy and nodded to her before she slipped her arm through Jasper's and favored him with a delighted smile. "You and I will wait in the shadows while Lucy does what she does best. It shouldn't take long."
Jasper nodded in agreement, shifting a quick look to Lucy. She was older, controlled. He was not and he could very easily see himself killing every man in front of that fire within a matter of minutes. He could already feel his thirst flaring at the sheer thought of such a feast, venom pooling in his mouth. He was too preoccupied to notice Maria slipping her arm through his. Longing sparked in his eyes as they roved over each and every one.
"You're going to have to control yourself," Maria reminded him, leveling her gaze on him. "We need them if we're to be able to defend ourselves..." She came to stand before him, curling his fingers around the back of his head and bringing his face down to hers. "If we're to gain more land, more blood..." she whispered, her lips a scant breath from his.
Control was the furthest thing from his mind. Sharp, heavy pants escaped his lips as the flames licked down his throat and left a feeling of being parched. The only thing that kept him from killing every man in front of that fire was Maria's grip anchoring him in place. "I'm so thirsty," he pleaded, swallowing.
"I know, my love," she cooed, running her fingers through his hair. "Things will be better soon. We just have to wait a little longer, build up our forces. I know you can do this for me. Soon we'll be the largest coven in all of Texas and then..."
Maria's bright crimson eyes soon blocked his view from the men around the fire, serving as a distraction to his thirst. Nodding weakly, he leveled his gaze on hers to temper his lack of control. "More blood," he rasped in a pained voice. Nodding vigorously, he complied.
Lucy took a deep breath, her face going blank as she closed her eyes. By the time she opened them her expression had completely transformed into one that was coy and inviting, all traces of sadness and anger over the death of the young boy earlier wiped clean. Untying a few laces from her bodice and allowing a few blonde curls to tumble over her shoulders she sauntered out of the trees and towards the men gathered around the fire.
The flickering firelight kept her red eyes in shadow as she came up behind the man Jasper had called Horace, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning down to press her lips against his ear. "I think I can warm you more than that whiskey, soldier," she purred. "It will only cost you but a crust of bread."
"Well, hello sugar," Horace boomed in excitement. His head turned to meet the gaze that belonged to the alluring voice. Her silver blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing angelic features. He was in love already having been without a female for so long. His eyes traveled down to her bodice and lingered there for much longer than necessary. "Can ya now? Honey, for you I'd give my right arm!" he boomed, laughing. "Name's Horace. What's yours honey?"
"Lucy..." she breathed, purposefully letting her breath stir the hairs at the nape of his neck as she brought her lips across the rough skin there, weathered by the sun and wind. His pulse was loud and only inches away from her razor sharp teeth. An almost unbearable ache clenched in her stomach still she kept her seductive smile in place.
"Lucy, eh?" he nodded. "Well now, little darlin', how about me and you make some music?" He could already see it now, the sweet surrender in her arms too tempting to pass up. His ache for a woman was almost as strong as the one to end the war and the blast of her breath against his neck caused him to swallow reflexively in anticipation.
The others sitting around him were far too shocked to speak. A woman was like a novelty, especially one that looked like this. Young, beautiful and apparently well bred. Most were strung out like forty miles of bad road. "You are a sight for sore eyes…" one drawled in awe, dropping the bottle of whiskey.
She could have them all. That fact only served to increase her hunger while also instilling her with an undeniable surge of power to realize the hold she had over them. They would all bare their throats for her willingly, probably not even minding the feel of their lives draining away to have her in their arms.
"Come with me," she whispered in his ear. Standing she cast a glance at the red haired soldier Jasper had indicated. "You too, sweetheart..."
Horace stood almost immediately, ready to get the show on the road however his feelings of excitement quickly soured into jealousy as she also called O'Donnell. The red haired boy glanced around as if she had to be mistaken, surprised and shocked as were the others around him. He stood up, casting nervous baby blue eyes to Lucy. "Yes?" he squeaked.
Sensing Horace's disappointment she cast her gaze back toward Maria. Her vampire eyes easily found her in the shadows. "My friend Maria would love you," she said, crooking a finger at O'Donnell and calling him closer. She let her gaze rove over him appreciatively, a wicked smile curving her lips. "Oh yes, very nice..."
"Oh really?" Horace brightened up. "She just as pretty as you, honey?" he asked with keen interest. "So where is this friend of yours?" His disappointment had given way to excitement once again after finding out there was another.
O'Donnell regarded Lucy nervously as she eyed him. Women always made him nervous and as she raked her eyes over him in appreciation, his heart kicked into top gear.
Maria shook out her hair, her eyes focused on her two prospective additions. "Hide and don't let them see you," Maria whispered, pushing against Jasper's chest. "I'll be back in a moment. There will be blood so you're going to have to try very, very hard to control your thirst. Can you do that or do you need to leave?"
Jasper nodded weakly, swallowing a mouthful of venom. He wasn't sure if he could handle it but they needed the numbers and if they were going to take more land then he would have to make himself find the control. "If it gets too difficult, I'll leave," he promised and ducked into the shadows, disappearing out of sight.
Maria took a deep breath to calm her own thirst before stepping out of the trees, her bodice unlaced just enough to show a tantalizing amount of cleavage. "Hello boys..." she growled seductively, her hair in a wild tumble around her face. She took them in feeling very satisfied with Jasper's choices. "Tonight might just be your lucky night."
"Well, well, well…" Horace mused, eyeing Maria appreciatively. He sauntered up to her with overwhelming confidence, leaving Lucy to O'Donnell. "You are quite the looker, aren't ya?" His eyes raked over her, lingering on the cleavage. "Wow, you have some goods." His grin widened to spread across his cheeks.
O'Donnell's heart pounded against his chest as he glanced between Lucy and the new arrival, Maria. Whores weren't anything new to the camps but these two seemed different, somehow.
The sound of O'Donnell's heart as it accelerated with nervousness nearly drove Lucy insane with thirst. She couldn't chance exposing them. Anxious to get them beyond the tree line she leaned in and whispered something quite lewd in O'Donnell's ear and followed it with a girlish giggle. Turning from him she walked back into the forest with a suggestive swish of her hips. Once in the shadows, she spotted Jasper and leveled him with a warning glare.
O'Donnell gulped loudly, unable to contain his nerves as his hands began to shake. He shifted a quick glance to the others sitting around the fire all of whom looked expectant. He nodded, trying to reign in those nerves and reassure himself. Wide eyes traveled back to Lucy's sashaying form disappearing into the trees and he followed, trepidation in his steps.
Jasper stiffened as Lucy walked into sight with the first victim. O'Donnell. His fingers dug into the bark of the tree, splintering it beneath them. Wide, pained eyes locked onto Lucy's warning as another flare of flames licked down his throat.
Maria grabbed Horace by his shirt and pulled him into the trees with a devilish smile, wasting no time in backing him up against one and pressing herself against him as one nimble hand traveled down to his belt buckle. "This will be a night that you will never forget..."
The eager glint in his eyes sparked as she backed him against a tree and suggestively pressed herself to him. "Ooh, yeah," he mused, his lips curved up into an excited smile as she began working the buckle on his pants.
Horace was so preoccupied with Maria's hand working loose his belt that he didn't notice when her other hand grasped the knife strapped to her thigh. In one swift motion she slipped it between his ribs, piercing his lung, before she whirled in a blur of movement to stab O'Donnell in the same place, her eyes sparking with hunger and malice.
The excitement on Horace's face turned to shock as his eyes widened from the pain. Shock followed by burning flooded through him from where the knife had pierced him. He dropped to his knees like a bag of bricks, any screams for help cut off by the gurgle of blood bubbling up his throat and out of the corners of his mouth. O'Donnell was soon to follow suit in dropping to the ground. Burning, followed by weakness from blood loss consumed him, his screams also cut off by the blood choking his throat.
Hunger sparked in Jasper's eyes, glowing violent and red in the darkness as the blood flowed and filled the night air with a scent so appetizing his mouth flooded with venom. He dug his fingers further still into the bark, trying desperately to keep himself anchored into place.
Lucy's thirst flared at the scent of their blood but she quickly pulled herself together, her eyes flashing to Jasper nearby. "Hold your breath," she cautioned.
Following Lucy's advice he held his breath but even that didn't quell the temptation. Blood stained his mind, filling it with every dark scenario he could think of and fueling his desire to have their blood.
"There," Maria said, sliding the knife back into its sheath and admiring her handiwork. "They won't be able to scream with punctured lungs." She knelt next to O'Donnell first, trailing her fingers gently over his agonized face. "This is really going to hurt," she hissed, enjoying every second of his terror. It was almost as delicious as the taste of his blood as she sank her teeth into his neck with a groan near ecstasy.
O'Donnell's mouth worked uselessly as he tried to yell for help. Nothing came out, only another fresh gush of blood as he coughed it up, trying desperately to rid himself of it. A new wave of burning went through him as Maria's teeth cut into his neck.
Standing she made her way to where Horace writhed in pain. She kicked him onto his back before she straddled him, leaning forward to brush his lips with hers. "I believe Lucy told you that her fee was a bit of bread but I'm afraid I require much more..." She flashed him a terrifying smile, her venom coated teeth glistening in the moonlight. "I want your soul."
She wrenched his neck to the side, piercing his flesh with her teeth and enjoying one sweet mouthful of his blood before she forced herself to let go with a wild gasp and let the transformation begin. She stood, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her eyes glowing a horrific red as she turned them on Lucy and then Jasper. "Let's get them back before someone comes looking."
As he watched the scene unfold in front of him, Jasper found himself locked in place and unable to move for fear that he would lose control. Deep cuts were carved into the bark where his fingers now held firm. He didn't breathe, only shook his head in protest. Worry stung his eyes and penetrated through the pain. He didn't trust himself enough to find the strength to let go of his strong hold on the tree.
Maria eyed Jasper warily. She had already assessed the hunger in his eyes and judged him to be useless in helping to carry the two men back. Reaching down she grabbed one of Horace's arms and slung him over her shoulder while Lucy easily did the same with O'Donnell.
"Jasper!" Maria whispered harshly. "Get a hold of yourself! Run ahead of us so the humans stay downwind," Maria ordered. "By the time we reach the barn their scents will be dramatically different and you won't want them anymore."
Jasper reluctantly released his grip on the tree as his eyes roved across Maria, Lucy and the humans who were bleeding out over the ground. His mouth pooled with another flood of venom at the very thought of sinking his teeth into them and relishing in the sweet, warm liquid. He shook his head to push away the dark thoughts threatening to take over and took off running, ghosting past Maria and Lucy in a blur. He didn't chance taking a breath until he was far out of range, not wanting to rethink his decision and turn back to claim them. Once out of sight, he drew in a breath of the dry night air, trying to cleanse his body and mind of the sweet, delicious scents laden heavily in the air.
Somehow he wondered if he ever would…