I left the club shortly after my phone call to Ilona. She insisted the Julius came up there of his own free will and he was welcome to stay as long as he liked, that my presence wasn't necessary. I knew there was some other underlying reason why she would want to keep him up there and not drain him dry. Or maybe she was planning to share the way to turn him back, which she told me wasn't possible. I knew better. I knew she had once been bitten, long ago by a pair of wolves, however she still lives as an immortal beauty. There had to be a way back and Julius figured it out just like I did, that Ilona would have the answers to it all.
For the first time in a few hours, I finally checked my cell phone, who's light was blinking incessantly. I suppose I had messages then. It was on silent so I didn't know that anyone ever called and honestly, I'm pretty bad at checking messages. I saw a message from Anabelle. I didn't even check my phone after I sent her a text letting her know that Julius wasn't at his house, which I texted her on my way to the club.
NEED 2 TLK. CALL SOON.
Damn. I didn't have time to call her now, since I obviously didn't have any answers to give her. So I placed the phone down, without a text or a quick call and continued up Route 29 heading towards Washington, D.C., where the Queen and King lived. It wasn't a very long trip, only a couple of hours at the very most, and in Julius's LFA, I would be there in no time. Cops really didn't sit out on this road late at night, and it was becoming later in the dark hours of the evening. A time where my kind generally came out of the shadows. This was our day; the humans night.
The Royal House is in Georgetown, along the Canal in the Southwestern portion of the city. It is perfectly situated amongst shops and restaurants that are teaming with humans during all hours of the day and night. Ilona and Vlad took up the Tudor Place as their residence. It was a nice, quaint home in the Washington, D.C. area. It had large gardens and a beautiful sculpted lawn. You came up through the Boxwood Eclipse, next to the Flower Knot where cars were normally parked and visitors were greeted. Ilona had all the flowers dug up and replanted with flowers that would normally bloom in the night. Their soft fragrances wafted in the air as I stepped out of the car and gave the keys to a lowly human hand that worked for the Royals.
The house was grand. It's tan color and copper color roof blended with the bright greens of the grasses that were still visible in the darkness. Gentle lampposts were lite at either side of the large double doors that granted entrance to the house through the vestibule that leads straight into the Saloon. The Saloon is a porminent architectural feature of the house with it's large circular portico that extends into the space with it's floor to ceiling length windows. The lights from the outside illuminated the Saloon area where I was soon greeted by Sandra, the Queen's servant.
"Your Highness will be with you shortly. There are pressing matters she must partake. However, his Kingship extends his own invitation of welcome," the short woman with the thick raspy voice said. Sandra wasn't a very pretty woman, but she was tough. Her thin and short exterior was no match for the kind of fiestiness and large ego she had on the inside. She had dark auburn hair that was extremely curly and unmanageable with small and deep, dark blue eyes that almost looked black when you looked upon her. Her freckled face was thin and concave with an over-sized pair of lips.
"Thank you," I nodded as the small woman lead the way.
We went down a long and narrow corridor to the right as we entered the Butler's Pantry, which was supplied with several jars of Crown Royal, all labeled with dates and names. A freezer chest that I could only image would be stocked with bags of blood or bodies for all I knew. We past threw the pantry and to the left towards the dining hall where at the corner of a very large sofa like piece of furniture was Vlad, licking his fingers.
"Your Kingship, Silas Bigge," Sandra bowed and then exited the room.
I looked around to see human's scattered on the floor. Many unconscious or dead, others were whining, wanting the fulfillment of being fed upon, feeling the high of our endorphins as they pushed through their system. To my left was a large stake that had a body impaled through it. The stake went up through their rears and then up and out of the head, just as Vlad had done in the mid 15th century. Blood dripping down the pole gathered into a large bucket on the floor or out onto the rug, creating a mess everywhere. I was appalled.
"Are you hungry?" Vlad thick Romanian accent asked as he pushed away the next human vessel that would attempt to quench his blood lust.
"Thank you, but no," I answered as I tried to find a seat closest to Vlad without being so close to the bleeding cattle that crawled along the floors.
Seems no matter where I went, they herded to me, arms and hands reaching, touching in areas to create pleasure, hoping that I would swoop them up and give them the desire they yearned for. Fangbangers. I couldn't stand them. Always wanting that high, that need, hoping that someday we will just turn them instead of just feeding off them. Why would Vlad do that? He enjoyed the killing. He enjoyed it even before he was turned. It was rumored that he even drank the blood of his enemies as a human. I wouldn't be surprised considering his blood lust now as a Vampyre was insatiable.
"What brings you to our humble home?" Vlad asked as he pushed away yet another human from his realm.
"I come in search of my cousin, Julius. Ilona said he was here."
"Julius," Vlad's bloody hand touched his chin, leaving a print mark on his beard, "I have not seen him, though I would very much like to taste him now that he is available."
Exactly what I didn't need. I didn't need Vlad interested in trying to hunt down Julius, I needed to find him and quickly so I could protect him. I had to figure out a way to get Vlad to help me without fulfilling his portion of the role he'd like to play, such as, himself, Vlad the Impaler.
"Actually, that is the very reason I have come. Seems there is a way to help my Cousin before he withers and dies, I just need to find out how and get him back to me," I explained, "If you would be willing to lend a hand, I can make you an counter offer you won't be able to refuse."
This caught his attention and Vlad, who was eyeing the thin blond woman laying on the floor, groping herself in the middle of the feeding room, perked up and twisted the end of his mustache, "Go on, I listen."
"As rightful heir to the court, I will relinquish my throne that you and Ilona so graciously keep warm in my steed, if you will help me find Julius and bring him back home, unharmed so that he may find a solution to his...predicament," I suggested. I wasn't interested in coming back to Court, but I could have if I wanted to. I was the rightful heir. I was their rightful King and ruler of all, but I had given it all up to be alone. I wanted out of politics for a while. I had been in politics for over four thousand years, and you grow tired of the bickering. With this solution, I wouldn't be drug back here to do the bidding of my people if something should happen to Ilona and Vlad. Next to them, Julius and I were the oldest living beings that roamed this earth. If I gave them total control, as much as I hated to do it, I would be relinquishing all my powers.
Vlad smiled at my offer and he continued to twist and twirl his mustach in his forefingers, which were still dripping with thick, red blood. He licked the tip of his finger and began to say, "That is quite a proposition you have offered. However, how am I to be assured that you will follow through? How will I know you won't show up to Court and say, 'Hey, I no like what you are doing. Stop'. How do I know that?"
"I give you my word, as maker of all, I pledge my honesty. I will give up my title as long as you help me find Julius and aid me in getting him home so that he can discover for himself how to return to our ways. The ways he so covets," I said at the feet of the man whom I hated with a passion.
I took his hand and licked the blood from his fingers then looked up into his eyes, "My king."
Vlad smiled and waved me away, "I may think on it. For now, enjoy! The blond one is very delicious."
Not wanting to offend the King, I leaned over and grabbed the naked, blond woman, that looked so strangely similar to Anabelle. It startled me at first, but then I saw the glassy brown color of her eyes that they weren't those beautiful tranquil blue that sparkled. This woman may have the same body shape and assets as Anabelle, but she wasn't even half the woman that Anabelle was. I pulled her up by her shoulders onto my lap, her back facing me. I pulled her hair behind her neck as she arched back so I could have a better view of the veins.
She moaned, "Bite me."
I looked up at Vlad, who had a large smile on his face, as I turned and bit down on the woman's neck, sucking in her life force and sweet juices as well as all the memories and regrets of her past. I continued to draw until I couldn't contain anymore. Her heart was beating so slow and dull that to any human, she would appear dead. I threw her off of my lap and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
"You like to be clean, where I do not. Keep it," he said as he threw the white cloth at me for me to wipe my hands clear of the blood that was now all over them.
"Have I interrupted?" the seductive voice slithered into the room and then with a bang, slammed the doors shut to the dining hall.
Ilona stood there with all her glory and looked down at me and Vlad as if we were right where she wanted us. Her delicate features were hardened by her cold gaze as she slinks towards her husband. She leaned down and licked his cheek where a spot of blood still lie and then licked her own luscious lips. Her sultry gaze that was lowered on Vlad flashed back to me and she turned around and walked up to where I stood. She was breathtakingly beautiful, even more so than when she was human. She had long, slender legs that were muscular from hard years as a teen. Her long, glossy black hair hung straight down her back and stopped at the bulge of her rear. She had motherly hips with a tiny stomach from all the corseting done at an early age and her breasts were naturally stiff and perky. The silver sheath dress that clung to her left nothing to the imagination. It was obvious that she was free from any garments underneath that would restrict even the slightest movements. She was graceful and entrancing as she grabbed my shirt and pulled me towards her seductively as Vlad watched on with eager eyes from the leather couch where yet another human lie at his lap for him to feed upon.
"S-Silas," she slittered out like a snake, "For what do I owe the pleasure?"
Her eyes raped me up and down as her hands snaked over my chest, "My Queen, I come to retrieve my cousin, Julius, as I told you over the phone a few short hours ago."
Her hands stopped and she backed away, hoping that I wouldn't have brought up the subject. With blood lust, came sexual desire. I could see it in Vlad's eyes as he fingered the woman on his lap as he licked up the blood that poured from her neck. Ilona was just as thirsty for both as she was trying to seduce me in front of her husband until I broke her concentration, "Your cousin? Julius? Why, he is here on his own accord."
"I would like to see him," I grabbed her hand that snaked it way towards my chest again, getting even lower.
"He does not permit any visitors at this time. Why don't we have some fun first, then we can talk business," she pushed onwards towards me, her other hand grabbing the front of my pants and squeezing.
"You are quite built, Silas. I've lusted for centuries what it would be like to bed you," she whispered into my ear.
"As I, my Queen," I lied, "However, Julius is a much more pressing matter."
Ilona pushed away angrily, "He does not wish to see you!"
"I demand to see him. I must," I demanded once again.
"You dare to come to my home, enjoy in my delights and then demand that I do yourbidding?" Ilona screamed.
"If you will not bring him here, I shall go after him myself!" I grabbed her arm as it began to rise.
At this point, Vlad had pushed away the little human girl that he was playing with. Until now, it was fun to watch his wife, Ilona, getting turned on by another man. He could smell it, I could smell it. It was potent that she wanted me. However, I've touched his mate and threatened her. I knew I was in the wrong and as soon as I realized my mistake, I dropped my hand.
"You come here asking favors and yet you insult my wife and me?" Vlad's anger was apparent.
"You should be so lucky not to end up like him!" Vlad pointed to the man, impaled on the large stake that was bolted to the ground, bleeding out. "For I would have you that way for touching my wife!"
"Seti! Setakht!" Ilona yelled as two very large, very dark looking Egyptian guards barged into the room.
"Yes my Queen," they both said in unison and bowed to her. They reminded me of the royal guards for Ramesses during the Egyptian Dynasty. These were dangerous and very strong men, but none stronger than I.
"Take him!" Ilona pointed to me screaming, "To the dungeons with this one!"
Before I could react, I was tackled by a large man, tattooed all over the right side of his body. He had me bound with silver nets that had thorns in them so that the silver could penetrate my system which left me weakened no matter how much I managed to drink from the still unconscious woman lying on the ground. I lie there, panting, not moving as they lifted me off the floor to see the face of Vlad so close that I could smell his rancid breath.
"For that, Original, the penalty is generally death, but for you, since you are so stubborn, I might just play with you a while," Vlad smiled as the guards picked me up and took me out of the dining hall. The last glimpse I had was of Ilona laughing, clinging to her husband who then began to passionately kiss her.