To say I wasn't afraid would have been a lie. Just because I was immortal, didn't mean that I didn't sense or feel fear. I could feel the anxiety over what would become of my cousin, Julius. I could feel scared for Anabelle and just how she fits into everyones plans. Most of all, I felt the trepidation that Portia felt from my taking. I had to try and remain as calm as I possibly could to keep those that I loved out of harms way.
Vlad wasn't a nice person, never was as a human, and isn't very merciful as a Vampyre. Granted, he was a good choice to be made by one of us, but his blood-lust was strong even before the need for it. He was someone to point the finger at, to call the name to the word Vampyre. They did call him Dracula afterall. He was the one that Bram Stoker wrote about, however, he had the mysterious Mia all wrong. Mia was the beautiful raven haired beauty that Jonathan loved. However, Mia was already a Vampyre. An Original as a matter of fact and her name was Ilona.
The guards that brought me down here, Seti and Setahkt, were Ilona's guardsmen long before she came to Romania. They were Egyptians and ancestors to the Royal line of Rameses. Ilona picked the perfect two to do her bidding for all these years. Their grip was strong and fierce. Egyptians weren't men to want to meddle with so I went along with them without resistance, as much as I wanted to push them both away and run from this house and find my Cousin and keep Anabelle safe. I just had a very bad feeling that Ilona was doing this to get at Anabelle, as it seemed everyone was. I couldn't be too cautious.
I was led down a very long corridor from the stairs in the back of the Butler's Pantry. The smell was rank that wafted the air and I found myself practically about to choke from it. The walls were a dark grey and there was not a speck of light to be seen. Since we are supposed to be creatures of the night, we can see fairly well in the darkness. I was no exception either though I could walk in both the light and darkness. Each man had a firm hold of my biceps as we walked further down the hall. It's small quarters were cramped. There was no going back, no fighting and no getting away. From what it seemed, there was only one way in and one way out.
We finally reached a door at the end of the hall, a soft glow from a torch lite on the side let me see that the door was heavy and thick. There was no getting away from this place. I had really dug a hold for myself to lie in now. What would Anabelle think if I didn't return? I had promised to go to her work if I could. That's when I realized that I still had my blackberry in my back pocket. They hadn't thought to frisk me for any devises that I could use to call out. Though, for how far down we were, I doubt I would even get a signal, therefore, they wouldn't have to worry about me calling anyone, none the less yelling for help as no one would hear the screams down here.
The two heavy, dark skinned men lead me down yet another corridor that was lined with doors. Each was a heavy door with a very small window at the top. Faint moans and yells which were muffled by the thick egress, obviously occupied by someone that was meant not to see the light of day again, just as I was being treated.
At the end of the hall was a final door that was open. I was pushed inside and the door was slammed shut before I could turn around. There was no handle on the door and it wouldn't budge when I would push on it. Not even my immortal strength of over five thousand years could make this door move even a tiny bit. I turned with my back to the door and looked at my surroundings. There was no light in the room, not even a switch. It was dark, pitch as night, but that didn't deter me from being able to see the shapes of a makeshift bed and a small hole in the ground, I assume to use for bathroom purposes. There was no window, no chair, just a dirty overturned bed that was made from Silver. I slumped down on the floor, my knees in my chest and I flung my arms over my knees and sighed. What had I gotten myself into.
I pulled my blackberry out of my pocket and turned it on. The screen was a picture of Anabelle at the bar the night we first met. She didn't even know I took her picture. I smiled looking at her, her beaming smile, her beautiful sun-kissed skin and her long blond hair that shone like the gold. My fingers traced her body on the screen. I slumped my head down between my arms and put the phone down on the ground as I still continued to look at her.
"Move, scum!" Seti yelled at me as he pushed the door open, causing me to fall foward onto the cold concrete floor and pushing my phone out of reach. The yellow light of the flame licked his face.
From the glow of the torch I saw the face I dreaded. Vlad. He was licking his lips and his fingers as if he had just fed as he strode into the room and snapped his fingers at Seti, who in turn signaled Setahkt to place a large wooden chair in the room where I was held.
"I hope you like your room," Vlad said, his Romanian accent still very thick.
I said nothing but looked at Vlad with contempt. He meant to do something about me, and about Julius, I just must find out how. By fighting him, I wouldn't escape and I wouldn't gain the knowledge that I would need. I kept looking down to my phone that was still lit up on the floor by Vlad's feet. I hope he wouldn't notice it. However, my hopes were crushed.
"Ahh, what is this?" Vlad picked up the blackberry and eyed the background. "She is more beautiful than Ilona described. I bet she is a tasty morsel, is she not?"
I stayed silent, not wanting to give him any sort of information he could use to harm Anabelle.
"Are we playing mouse?" Vlad asked as he sat down on the stiff wooden chair and crossed his leg over his knee. "Or has a cat caught your tongue?"
"I do not wish to talk about her," I said in a cold tone. "I came here to seek aid for my Cousin, she has nothing to do with this."
"Ahh, but you are wrong. So very wrong," Vlad said as he licked the screen of the phone. "I would love to have a taste of her."
"Never," I said through ground teeth.
Vlad's brow raised, "Really? I think so. As a matter of fact, I have a feeling that she might come for a visit soon."
"She knows nothing of this place, she can't come here," I said angrily. Him trying to drag Anabelle into this mess with Ilona, him and I, I wouldn't let him.
"That is where you are wrong again. Julius will collect her for Ilona," Vlad admitted as he stood and flipped through the documents on the phone. "You have lots of pictures of her, she seems unaware. Very sneaky. She is most beautiful. Reminds me of a Queen I once knew, known as the most beautiful woman in all of England."
"She does resemble Catherine, yes, you are correct, but please, she has nothing to do with this," I pleaded as I shuffled my way towards him, reaching out to grab the phone.
Vlad noticed my movement and then crushed the phone in his palm, letting the bits and pieces to fall to the ground. "Tsk, tsk, Silas. Try to take phone from me. Don't worry, I will take all from you."
"Please, just don't hurt her. Do anything you want to me, anything as long as you just leave her alone," I pleaded again.
"Oh, I will have everything, but I won't leave your little Queen alone. She is elemental to our plan," Vlad said as he walked pasted me and snapped his fingers.
Seti came into the room with Setahkt, the glow from the torches lit up Vlad's face as they handed him the fiery stick and marched towards me. Each man grabbing me by the arm and throwing me up against the wall with smiles on their faces.
"It's is very unfortunate that it comes to this Silas," Vlad said as he paced in front of where I was contained with the lighted torch in his hands, "I have to admit, I liked you. But you are in the way."
Vlad nodded as Seti ripped the front of my shirt open as Setahkt held me still against the wall. I stood there, held between two large, powerful Vampyre's who wished me harm. My muscles were hard and I braced myself for the beating I was sure was about to ensue. Only, I wasn't about to be beaten, I was burned. Vlad thrusted the fiery torch at my chest and let it sit there while my skin bubbled and smoked. I screamed out in pain. I could smell my own flesh burning away. Seit and Setahkt stood there, laughing at my misery as Vlad went in again and touched the fire to my skin, another spot that had not been marred. Again, I screamed out in pain, knowing that no one could hear me, but I still yelled all the same.
"If only Ilona could have found Lilith that night she was attacked, she could have convinced her to destroy you both, then these kingdoms will be ours," Vlad said as he held the torch in his arm, up to see the damage he had caused.
I looked down, my lips trembling, my body shaking as the bits of flesh that had flaked off were regenerating and healing. Vlad clicked his tongue and burned me again, this time harder so that he could move past my outer skin and towards my insides that would soon be consumed by the fuel of his rage.
Vlad continued to chat as he burned and ate at my flesh. Licking his lips all the same as blood would pour from my wounds and my screams would deafen the walls. "See, we know you can take back this throne should you want it again. We are merely seeking a way to insure you never do. We can kill you, kill your cousin and all your children, loved ones, acquaintances. We are not picky."
"Why..." was all I was able to mutter out in between breaths as blood started to spittle out of my mouth from the amount of damage done to my body, I wasn't producing enough blood in my system to regenerate.
"Why, I just told you. We want the kingdom. We want no interference. Free to do as we will. Then, once the Vampyre kingdom is ours and solely ours, we can begin to herd the cattle in," Vlad smiled as he thrusted the torch at me once more as my body seized and gave up. I fell limp in Seti and Setahkt's arms and they dropped me to the floor. "What a pity, I was about to have so much fun. Put him on the bed. Make sure he can not move."
I was in and out of conciousness as they dragged my almost lifeless and crisp body to the bed. They laid me down on the metal frame which scorched my skin even more as they restrained me. The metal was seeping into my blood, into my open flesh. "What...do you...need...of...her?" I gasped as the last restraint went around my ankles.
Vlad turned, a giant smile on his face, just at the door, about to walk out, "She is merely cattle, Silas. We have made a bargain with someone who would love to have her in her service. If we gather the girl, then she has offered to get rid of your Cousin since we have you in our snare."
"No!" I cried but fell on deaf ears as the door was slammed in my face. I was left, tied to a bed, with no way to warn the woman that I loved and cared for that she was in danger.