"Are you sure you really want to do this?" Julius asked as we turned left onto the Key Bridge from the highway.
"Yes, and I think you should as well. Silas wouldn't just abandon you because you were human. What, do you have some pea size shell of a brain?" I replied rather sharply.
"No, I just don't think it's a good idea for you to go there. You may not like what you see," Julius said in a cold tone not looking away from the road where we made a right turn onto M Street in the heart of Georgetown.
It was a busy night for a Wednesday and the streets were crowded with cars and people that roamed from shops to restaurants to clubs. I had never been to the Washington, D.C. area before so it was a new experience. Being from New York, I was all about the big city so I was excited.
"Oh! Georgetown Cupcakes!" I grabbed Julius's hand as he shifted into a lower gear. A breif flash of him looking at me at the pasture, and my reflection back at him, as if my eyes showed all the love in the world for him.
When I snapped out of the vision and let go of his hand Julius looked at me in a odd way. "Would you like to stop? I hear they are delishious."
I knew he was trying to twart me into forgetting about going to Ilona's, but I wasn't about to be put out, "No, we have somewhere to go and be, we can maybe stop on the way out?"
I tried to put on my best pouty face and blinked about a million times it seemed as Julius just laughed at me. "Yes, of course we can stop on the way back. But please, stop with the blinking or thing with your lashes because it makes you look like you have epilepsy or something."
"What you don't like my pretty please face?" I joked as we stopped at the light to turn onto Wisconsin Avenue. I noticed all the people gawking at the car, as if they had never seen a Vauxhall before. Well, I take that back, they probably haven't because they weren't a normal car around here. We had Fords and Chevy's, the Brits had Vauxhalls and they were amazing! Too bad that wasn't an import that the U.S. would consider. Forget Japan, bring on the British cars! Brit's created some wonderful cars, most which we do use in the States, but are larger in countries all over the world. The Astin Martin, Alfa Romeo, Bently just the name a few. Then you have the Aussies, who have created the best thing since sliced bread, the Holden Maloo, which was basically a crossbreed between a Corvette LS2 and a Toyota pickup truck. Why can't we have those kinds of cool cars here? Anyways, the Vauxhall probably looked like a suped up Saab or a Lancer that most people seemed to enjoy driving around this town. And it was crowded as all get out for a weekday. I would hate to live up here now that I was so used to being out in the country with land for as far as you can see and hardly any traffic to speak of. This would drive me nuts.
I continued to stare at the sights and sounds of the mini city in front of me as we took a right onto Q Street. There wasn't much here except the back side of stores and row homes and a line of hedge bushes, to which Julius told me that was the front end of the property of the Tudor House, residence of the King and Queen who we were about to visit. When we got to the four way stop we turned left onto 31st street. There was a gorgeous red brick house on the corner with rounded bump outs and tall pointed roofs that looked as if a witch had lived there centuries ago. But we all too soon past it and were pulling up to a gated fence where two guards were stationed.
The guards were in all black, you wouldn't have even seen them until they moved to order you out of the car and search you. They had me spread open on the roof of the car as they rubbed their grubby hands all over my body, and let's not forget to fisk me quite well in my upper and lower regions. I was feeling violated and I could see the heat radiating off of Julius's face as he could feel what I was feeling as well. I could tell he was growing angry, knowing that the men were over searching and touching more than they needed. "Enough!" he yelled, "The Queen is expecting us."
The two guards didn't say a thing and through their bulky and dark helmets that shielded their faces, you couldn't tell what kind of expression they had on their face. Whether they were satisfied with the amount of boob they grabbed or the amount of balls. Either way, I didn't want to think any more of it as we climbed back into the car and they opened the gates for us.
To say that I was surprised by the location of the Vampyre King and Queen was an understatment. I was surprised to say the least that they lived in Washington and not in some very remote part of the world where no one could hear the screams of the humans they were injesting. No, the house they lived in was a beautiful home that was built by none other than the granddaughter of Martha Washington herself. The wife of the late General George Washington and founder of the United States. The grounds were beautiful with the lush gardens to my right with all the night blooming flowers that were being tended to. A very low melody was playing outside as the doors to the car were opened for us by butlers dressed in red button outfits fit for a luxury hotel in Las Vegas. By that I mean they wore pants and just a collar. Yes, bare chested humans who served the Vampyre's, hoping to one day be one. Or at least I got that much from the young man that took my hand to help me out of the Vauxhall.
"Good Evening," a cheery voice boomed and I looked up to see Julius greeting a small petite woman with a very mousy voice. Her hair was a dark blond almost grey looking color with many streaks of white throughout. Her small body was crammed into a tight fitting white suit dress that accentuated her every curve. "Welcome to Tudor Place. The King and Queen will be with you shortly. Meanwhile, I'll usher you inside for any refreshments you may need."
Her smile was broad and large and she had a hint of a southern dialect that made her sound like a pure breeded Kentuckian. We were brought through the door and into the vestible which had stair cases on either side. In front of us was the Saloon and amid my curiosity, I walked towards the floor to ceiling windows to peir outside at the long expansive lawn. "Wow."
"Yes, quite nice," the woman interrupted my thoughts as she came up behind me, "The house is on eight and a half acres of land. Beautiful gardens we have here. Almost hard to believe your in the middle of the bustling capital of the U.S. of A. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. You must be Julius's friend that Ilona keeps talking about."
I didn't stick my hand out for greeting, honestly, I was kind of scared at what Ilona might be talking to this woman about, "I'm Anabelle Dammen, you are?"
"Sandra Levy. Please to make your acquantaince Ms. Dammen. The King and Queen will be with you both shortly," Sandra said as she walked away and down the hall to the right.
"Please tell me she's a Vampyre, otherwise, she's just creepy," I asked Julius who came up to the window next to me. I could sense that he was conflicted with something so I turned to face him. "What's wrong?"
"I forget you can feel me, I need to work on blocking my emotions from you," he said quietly.
"You didn't answer my question," I tapped my foot as I crossed my arm across my chest giving him a big dose of attitude, knowing he could very well feel how aggrivated I could get as well.
Julius just laughed at me, "You know, you are beautiful when you're angry."
"Evading the question again," I pressed and tried to hid the smile from my face.
"I just..." he started before being interrupted by a door swinging open.
"Welcome!" a deep man's voice boomed.
They both came around the corner like graceful ballerina's. As if they floated on air. I recognized Ilona, who had the biggest smile on her face, as I had met her just a few days ago. Vlad was everything that every book or nightmare could dream up. Like Ilona, he had long, curly ebony colored hair and dark, deep set eyes. He had a mustach that grew straight across his face and twirled up at the end, no doubt from rubbing with his fingers. He wore a single ruby colored robe that was open in the front and had large puffs of fur down the ends, the collar and sleeves. His chest was hairy and thick and his only saving grace were the pants that he wore that were so tight, not even David Bowie could pull off a better bulge.
"Welcome! Welcome to our home," Vlad's thick eastern European accent wafted around us. "What do we owe the pleasure?"
I stepped forward, not willing to hid behind fear and just said it, "I know Silas is here, where is he?"
Ilona and Vlad's faces went from happiness to confusion in a second. "What ever do you mean child? We have not seen him." Ilona answered.
"He was here, you said he came to leave me," Julius spoke up thankfully. I had almost thought I was here on my own.
"Ah, yes. Silas was here, many, many hours ago. However, he has sense left and gone home. I suggest you look there," Vlad answered with contempt. As if he was hiding something, I could feel it.
"No, he never came home. What have you done with him?" I yelled as Julius grabbed my arm to hold me back. I would have spat right in Vlad's face if I had the chance. I knew they were lying. With the touch, visions came to me, holding me, comforting me. I shrugged him off.
"I think you are mistaken. I may have liked to get to know you better, but if I had known you would come to our home, threaten us, then I would have finished you all in that cabin," Ilona said coming from behind her husband.
"I'm still quite famished my wife," Vlad said as he licked his lips.
"Do you really wish to become the next meal of the Vampyre King?" Julius warned me.
I turned around and pointed my finger at him, "You should ask more questions. They are eluding us and I know it!" I turned back to Vlad and Ilona, my temper flaring, "I know you did something, now tell me where he is!"
"What proof do you have Halfling?" Vlad said, teasing me.
"Halfling?" I questioned, startled by the word choice, "Who told you that?"
"Why, only the one you seek. He said he was done with his human cousin and done with the human woman that kept his emotions so tied down. He wished to leave and not be heard from, so we helped." Ilona answered with an icey cold tone to her voice.
"I don't believe you!" I spat back at her as I rushed past the saloon and tried to follow the entrances until I came upon what looked to me to be a bloodbath.
Vlad was not far behind as he grabbed my arm and pulled it behind me straining my shoulder. His other hand on my head pulling my neck to the side, "See how easy it would be for you to just let me have a taste."
He licked my neck and I screamed, hoping to get out of this, that somehow Silas would show and make it all right, but it was Julius that was my savour as he pulled Vlad back from me. "Do not touch her!"
"And what are you going to do you little human? You're not an original anymore, nor can you ever become one again," Vlad hissed as he swiftly caught hold of me again.
"Boys, boys!" Ilona's captivating voice boomed over all. Julius froze, anger played loud and clear on his face, Vlad enjoying the game he was playing froze as well at the commanding tone in her voice. "I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement. No need to be brass. Why don't the men go in search of Silas in the house, Anabelle can stay with me, here, in the parlor to wait your return."
"No way, I'm going," I bravely spoke though Julius's eyes and all the feelings he possible could were telling me to stay quiet.
"No, my dear, you must keep me company," Ilona's voice turned to butter as she took me away from Vlad's grasp and ushered me towards the sofa and chairs on the opposite wall. "Go on, show Julius that his Cousin is no longer here and come back quickly."
"I really think..." I said as Julius was being ushered away by Vlad and I was taken in another direction. I locked eyes with his and focused hard.
"I'll be back for you" was the last thing I heard as Julius was pulled around the corner and out of sight.