Chapter 11 – Predator and Prey

Dale sensed that something had gone amiss when he came to a halt just a few steps from the boundary; things were too still, silent as they were supposed to be. He was sure that this was definitely the location where the screech was let out to traverse the night, but he couldn't sense any presence. Then he realized there was something in the air, he could smell it. Perhaps he didn't recognize the danger immediately because the scent in the air was too unfamiliar, but now as he began to acknowledge the smell, he looked up with alarm. A sudden just of wind blew down at him; a harpy hovered above him, so close to the ground that he could feel every single powerful beat of her wings. The hideous creature screeched, her beady black eyes stalking him as he moved toward the shadow. With a low hiss, he let his claws slip out from his fingertips and his fangs grow to their full length. He crouched, his eyes following the harpy as she circled the air above him all the while searching for him on the shadowy ground. He was ready to lash out at the creature if she would swoop down at him, but she never did.

Instead of attacking, the harpy gave a rough shriek that sounded like a laugh, then she flapped her wings, pushing down harder on the air so she became high aloft above the tree tops. The harpy took off, her dark shape sailing across the sky and gradually out of his sight. He stayed still, listening attentively to the sound of her beating wings until the air grew still again and the sound faded. He stared into the sky where the harpy had circled, baffled by her appearance here. In his realm, the Realm of Vampiria, there were not many intelligent species aside from the vampires themselves; other creatures were wary of vampires and would rather not set foot on here, that was why the smell of the harpy was so unfamiliar to Dale. The harpy wasn't supposed to be here, even if she strayed from her path and wandered by accident into this realm, she would not have made such an encounter, for her race had a tendency to be away from other species.

His brows furrowed with deep thoughts, pondering on the reason that the harpy was here. Then he began to see the truth unfolding itself.

"A diversion," he snarled venomously, suddenly sensing Xenia's presence gone from the forest.

The vampire sped into the woods, running as fast as he could that his feet barely acme into contact with the ground. Rancor and fear tumbled into an explosion in his chest, he could feel the enormous pressure building up there that threatened his control over the bestial side of him. He was raging with shame – how could he had been so careless? She was in danger and he was not there to help her. The thought of her dead tormented him, tearing him apart.

Soon he was in the clearing, and found nothing there but the little cottage. She was gone. He dropped to his knees, feeling as much ire as fear.

"No…." he choked, trembling. But what frightened him the most wasn't her abduction, but her abductor; he sniffed the air and confirmed his fear. He caught the faint scent that lingered there, that smell belonged to no other than the most dangerous vampire in the Empire – it was his brother, the King.

Xenia woke up in the dark. The first thing she knew was the pain in her head. She moaned loudly with rasp voice and rolled of the soft material she was lying upon. The pain grew unbearably severe with a sudden jolt as she hit the stone floor. She cried out in pain, pressing her forehead to the icy floor in an attempt to ease the searing pain, but it was a futile attempt. It was as if someone clamped his hand over her head, squeezing so hard that the pressure burned wildly to make her head explode. She rolled in pain, flinging her head side to side as if that would help. Something cold pressed down gently on her forehead, and the pain stopped abruptly, not a single hint of twinge remained.

She panted; her body numb and light. A voice chuckled, and she remembered. No… this can't be real, it's just a bad dream… She tried to convince herself that it wasn't happening, that none of it was real, but she couldn't escape the feeling of dread. She couldn't move, enfeebled somehow by his chilling touch, she could only tremble and gasp.

"What a beautiful thing you are," her captor sighed as if enchanted by her, but she heard the malice in that dark and musical voice clear enough. It was a vampire, she knew that long before she heard his voice – she had met him in her sleep.

"You look and smell so ravishing, has anyone told you that before? Such a pretty thing you are, and very appetizing as well…"

She felt him leaning down to her his lips brushing against her throat. He exhaled slowly, his cold breath tickling the skin on her throat, and she shivered from the arctic breath; he laid a kiss there, then another on her collarbone. She sobbed, and he purred with pleasure as he laid his head on her chest, one ear pressed against her flesh. He remained still in that position for what seemed like an eternity, tormenting her.

"I can hear every single heartbeat,"

She felt him smiling in the dark, taunting her helplessness like he did in her dream.

"I can hear the air moving in and out of your lung, and the blood rushing back in forth in your veins. I wonder what would happen, if I drink you dry…" he hissed menacingly all of a sudden, causing her to tense with a violent tremor. He laughed at her reaction, sounding entertained by her fear.

"But don't worry, my sweet, sweet Xenia, you are far more valuable than that. I brought you here for a greater purpose," he cajoled, his voice softened into a loving gentleness. But she knew better than to surrender to his endearing words, a vampire's falsely coy words.

He moved slowly, once again to touch his lips to her throat. She tried to fight her fear, but it made her tremble. He nuzzled the hollow beneath her chin, and kissed her there once more.

"You taste so much like sunshine, Xenia, a rare one indeed. Perhaps that's why Dale is so enchanted by you." He said with a soft laugh.

"Dale…" she gasped in a whisper, and felt him pulling away from her. Xenia heard him sigh and he left her there. She could still feel him sharing the dark space with her even though she couldn't see or hear him anymore. A few moments passed, and she managed to find the courage inside her. The little strength she wrested from that drop of courage allowed her to push herself up from the floor. She leaned back cautiously and found something to support her back. Remembering that she was lying on something soft when she first awoke, she guessed that she was leaning against the side of a bed.

Suddenly, he spoke, "I see that you don't like darkness, do you?"

She heard a sound, so soft and faint that it would have been overcame if not for the grim silence in the dark. Then she realized that the sound came from the curtain being pulled aside as moonlight spilled onto her. The vampire tugged gently on the thick velvet curtain to reveal more and more of the night sky to her; the pale light reached into the room she found herself in, casting a diaphanous veil upon anything that it could claim in the chamber. The moon hung above the semi-circle-shaped balcony, round as a china dish with a silver hue to it.

"You can have all the light you like, that applies to moonlight only, you will not see the sun here." He chuckled, remaining in the darkness with a hand still gently clutching a fistful of the crimson velvet. She stared at his vague figure, the beauty of the night placated her fear not, she barely noticed anything aside from the vampire.

"Romantic, isn't it? Just the two of us here… Such a pity that you fear me so, we would have made a wonderful couple." He said, stepping into the light so that she could see his face. She wasn't surprised – she knew that face all too well, etched into her memory by her nightmares and her times with Dale – yet she still could not suppress the gasp that had tried the hardest to hold back. Any hope she had that he was an illusion shattered, leaving her to face heinous truth. His blond hair was golden like Dale's, only it was long enough to fall to his shoulders. There was that same mocking smile, that came sharp feature, only those eyes were blood red instead of ocean blue, just like in her dreams.

"Surprise!" he laughed as if he was truly having fun, extending his arms in a friendly gesture that was clearly pretended.

"You and Dale are…" she mumbled to herself, unable to finish the last word. How was that possible? It just could not be, they were so different…

"We're twins," he said archly, grinning.

Suddenly he was in front of her, kneeling down so their eyes met at the same level.

"He is a vulgar one, living in banishment, despised by the entire Empire, Xenia. I don't see how he can be good enough for you, you'll find yourself grateful that I brought you out of that misery." He smiled and reached up to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear, and she slapped his hand away with a sudden flare of anger, glowering at him with fierce eyes.

He only laughed contemptuously. "My little flower is angry with me, what did I do wrong, my sweet?"

"Shut. Up. Listen up, I am NOT your babe, so stop calling me that. And Dale is anything but what you said he is. I don't care if he's banished or not, he maybe rude and obnoxious, but he's everything more than you are!" She screamed at him, her consternation gone. It surprised Xenia that she was so enraged at his comments about Dale, but she ignored the fact and concentrated on glaring at the vampire before her, the fiend in her nightmare.

He sighed and wagged his forefinger at her like a father would a child, shaking his head as if amused. "You need to learn some manner, young lady; being rude to those around here would only bring you troubles, and you wouldn't want to end up dead, would you?"

She shivered, her shell of bravery crumbling.

He smiled complacently and stood to his full height, staring down at her with satisfaction. "I didn't think so."

Then she was suddenly cognizant of his lingering gaze upon her. She watched, alert, as he inspected her from head to toes like buyer would examine a horse. Hugging her knees to her chest, Xenia tried to make herself smaller, to hide from his watchful eyes, and all the while glaring.

"What do you want?" she spat.

He smiled and shook his head disapprovingly, obviously disgusted by what he had seen. "A girl like you should not be dressed in such tattered and soiled clothing. Now…" He disappeared and was immediately back again with a grown draped over his forearm.

"There's a closet and a bathing room here, I have faith that you will find it comfortable here, more comfortable than that little hovel of my brother's." he sneered as he mentioned Dale.

"I'd rather be in that little hovel than in this damn room with you." She muttered with venomous hatred, looking away.

"Well, you're not going anywhere unless I will it. Tomorrow night I will be expecting you at dinner, I'll send a maid to guide you to where we will dine and you, my dear Xenia, shall be wearing this clean and elegant gown I chose for you. I assume that you will take care in cleaning yourself?" It wasn't a question, Xenia knew, it was a demand, an order. She rolled her eyes in ire, her right hand griping her left upper arm while her left hand balled into a fist.

"You can't make me do anything. I will not have dinner with you and I will not wear that 'thing'. What are you going to do about it?"

"Whether you want to or not, it is my biddings that you will do. If you refuse to dress up and come down to have dinner with me," he grinned mischievously with malice, staring down at her intensely. "I will come up here and dress you myself, then I'll drag you down there and tie you to the chair. Does that satisfy you?"

She flinched, looking down at her knees in defeat, angry tears forming in her bright green eyes as animus stirred inside.

"It seemed that you have consented to my request, that's wonderful. I will send a maid to take you there, and if you need any help with your hair or makeup, you can ask the maid as well."

He dropped the gown on the bed, letting the soft and light material fall gracefully.

"Most address me as Lord Darren or King Darren, but you can call me Darren if you like, we can discard the formality between us."

Then he was gone, leaving the bewildered girl behind to gnaw on the title he claimed.

Author's Note: Sorry that this chapter is kinda short, well, shorter than the ones before. School just started and I'm gonna get really busy, but I'll try my best to update often. Thanks to those who've been reading and reviewing, love ya!