Rise of the Vampire Queen
Chapter Eight
Growls and shouting echoed through the halls of the mansion as Bacchus punched thought walls turned over tables and thought chairs while rubbing his chest where his heart is.
Natalia and Jeffery, along with the other vampires, could only watch as the king of vampires destroyed everything in his path. Natalia tried to move toward him only for Bacchus to glare at her, and she backed away. She looked at Jeffery for once at a loss for she had no idea what to do.
Elizabeth emerged from the hallway; she ducks just in time as a chair was throwing over her head.
"What is going on?" she asked.
"Elizabeth, go back to your room," Natalia commanded.
"But," Elizabeth protested.
"Go!" Natalia shouted.
Elizabeth ran back down the hall as Bacchus let out another roar.
Bacchus thought a table prompting many vampires to leave. Natalia and Jeffery did the same. Tears ran down Bacchus's face as he dropped to his knees. He screamed while his mind screamed only one name… Celeste.
Laying on the couch in a loft above the tavern, Celeste continued shaking with each breath she took. Sadness and despair raddled her body, for only word filled her mind Dionysus.
Sitting beside the couch, Annabeth placed a cold washcloth on Celeste's forehead as Grover sat in a chair, watching Lydia pace back and forth.
"How to fix this, oh dear must think," Lydia said a loud.
"Well, your pacing is giving me a headache," Grover said.
"Sorry, Lydia said, stopped pacing when a thought came to mind. "The past might be the key.
Annabeth moved out of the way as Lydia sat down, placing one hand over Celeste's heart and one over her head. Lydia closed her eyes. Within moments, Lydia's eyes shifted from left to right for a few moments before snapping her eyes open. The image around the three of them changed. They were no longer in the loft of the tavern, but out front.
Grover looked around at the people walking by and noticed the cloth, clothing and horses, and donkeys trotting by being led by men. Annabeth appeared beside him as Lydia did as well.
"Where are we?"
The Hawk Moon Tavern, over a thousand years ago." Lydia said,
Grover and Annabeth eyes widen as a smiling Dionysus pulling a reluctant Celeste toward the tavern.
"Dio, what is this?" Celeste asked.
"Aw come on, humor me, huh?" Dionysus said, with a pair of puppy dog eyes.
"Fine," Celeste said, followed with a smile.
The two came to a stop in for the Hawk Moon Tavern. They noticed a sign out front along with various boxes of seeds.
"Pick a seed," Dionysus said.
Celeste looked through the seeds and picked up the last seed in the boxy to the far right,"
"Lavender, huh?"
"I love lavender."
Nodding, Dionysus pulled out a small towel and picked up some of the dirt. Celeste placed the seed down and covered it up. While Dionysus dunked a small bowel into a barrel of water. Celeste placed her hand on the edge of the bowel over Dionysus.
"Let's make a promise,"
"Of lasting love?"
"Ew corny,"
Dionysus and Celeste chuckled they stared at the patch for a few moments before Dionysus smile disappeared.
"How about if either of us should stay from the light One must end the other's life to ensure peace."
Celeste looked at Dionysus, seeing the seriousness in his face while her eyes held shock and uneasiness.
"Dio… that's…"
"Please… promise me,"
Looking away for a moment, Celeste sighed. She nodded, but before Dionysus could speak, Celeste cut him off.
"Only if the one that turns grants the same to the other for they cannot live without them,"
The two stared at each other for a few moments, their eyes holding tears.
"I promise," Dionysus
"I promise," Celeste said,
Celeste and Dionysus sprinkled the water over the patch.
The scene disappeared. Grover remained silent as Annabeth looked at Celeste with tears in her eyes. Lydia removed her hand from Celeste's chest as a word escaped Celeste's lips.
"Dio…"
Lydia rose to her feet and left the room. Walking down the hall, Lydia wiped her tears.
"Oh dear, how am I supposed to fix this?"
Back at the mansion, Percy opened the door to his room and peeked out into the hallway. He could still hear the screaming. Natalia came with his medicine earlier and told him to stay in his room. But he couldn't stop wondering what this was all about.
"He's still at it," a voice said.
Percy looked up at Elizabeth at his door.
"I know Natalia told us to staying our rooms,"Percy said.
"I want to know what's going on too,"Elizabeth said.
"Let's find out," Percy said.
Nodding, Percy and Elizabeth walked down the hall. They hugged the wall the moment they spotted a few vampires walk by. As they grew closer to the lobby, they were surprised at how empty it was. Mostly because of Bacchus's rampage. They did spoke Natalia and Jeffery who tried to get close to Bacchus but ended up backing away.
"If this keeps up, we won't be able to complete our plan." Jeffery said.
"True, but maybe we are not supposed to." Natalia said.
Jeffery looked at Natalia
"Let's go, I need to think,"
Nodding, Jeffery and Natalia continue on down the hall. She stopped for a moment when she thought she smelled something familiar, but shaking it off, she caught up to Jeffery and kept walking.
Peeking out and looking up and down the hall. Once the close was clear, he waved to Elizabeth, and the two entered the lobby.
"Cel….Cel must see her," Bacchus said before throwing another chair.
"Cel, who's that?" Elizabeth asked.
Bacchus turned to the voice seeing Percy and Elizabeth.
"Do you mean Celeste?" Percy asked.
"Yes, Bacchus said.
Elizabeth looked at Percy.
"How do you know that?" She asked.
"I don't know. The name popped into my head." Percy said.
"If we take you to Celeste, will you calm down?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes…. must see her. It's breaking," Bacchus said, rubbing his chest where his heart is.
"How are we going to do that?" We don't even know where Celeste is?" Percy asked.
"I do, but she won't let me see her. She keeps her from me," Bacchus said.
"Who?" Elizabeth asked.
"The witch." Bacchus said.
Elizabeth sighed. Shaking her head, her curiosity only seems to make things unclear.
Sighing again, Liza sat down, trying to figure out what to do next.
"The snake won't let me either she want the world…." Bacchus said. He looked at Percy. "With you as her weapon.
Percy backed up a little as he looked at Elizabeth, who was still deep in thought. But she heard Bacchus words. A piece finally made sense.
"I was told by Natalia to take you from Camp Half-Blood. You were important she said. Oh, how foolish of me but a snake? Liz asked.
"Natalia is a snake…Apdroph an immortal snake that has the same smell as you."
Elizabeth looked down at the floor, blinking away her tears. She looked at Percy, whose eyes held so much confusion. Standing up and taking a deep breath, she looked at Bacchus.
"Take us to Celeste," Elizabeth said.
Percy nodded, Bacchus moved closer and closer to them, and within moments, they disappeared.
Natalia noticed the silence and made her way to the lobby. Perhaps Bacchus had calmed down. Walking into the lobby, she noticed he was gone. Closing her eyes, she tried to seek his essence, but she couldn't sense him.
"Mistress, Bacchus…" Jeffery trailed off as he walked in.
"I know," Natalia said.
"Elizabeth and Percy are also gone."
Closing her eyes again, Natalia balled up her fists as a surge of anger ran through her body. Snapping them open, they reptilian red.
"Gather everyone. The plan has changed."
Jeffery nodded and disappeared.
Opening the main doors, Natalia looked up at the full moon in the night sky.
"My king, you have betrayed me, now its time for the queen to rise,"