The house was very dark this time in the evening. Though I knew that Vampyres could see in the dark, it made it increasingly difficult as a human to be able to see where I was going. Once we left the parlor we went to the left and around a pantry to a heavy set door that lead downstairs to a basement of sorts. The stairs were narrow and short, which I knew that at any moment I could slip and fall right down the concrete steps. Once down the stairs I was lead to a corridor. I could see just the faint glow of Vlad's skin in front of me as we continued to walk. I saw a small glow at the end of the hall and as we got closer I noticed the glow was getting larger, as if it was a torch or flame against a wall or doorway.
The door was a heavy wood and had a single torch on the left side which Vlad took as he pushed open the door. I looked back behind me to see nothing but a dark black hole from which we came.
"Do not worry, your little pet will be fine with Ilona, she would not harm the girl," Vlad reassured as we walked into a chamber of several rooms.
"I'm not sure I completely believe that," I mumbled as I entered the chamber and then to the immediate right to which Vlad opened another door.
The door was the entry to an expansive room. All thick concrete, but rugs and tapestries hung on the walls. Old throne chairs that were scattered throughout the perimeter and there was a soft glow from the candles that were lit from the table in the center. Along the right wall was an expansive bar that held bottles upon bottles of ancient royalty bloods, each labeled; King Herod, 4 BC; Mehmed II, 1481; Mary I, 1558, Isabella II, 1868; among many other notable brands.
"Quite the stash you have done here," I noted as I grabbed a bottle of very ancient, aged blood. At one point in time I would begged for a sip of something so old and rich. Very much like a vintage wine, it could be savoured. Now, I have no appetite for such things.
"Yes, it is a unique collection. Many have been saved by Ilona for thousands of years," Vlad boasted as he walked around me, sniffing my hair and lightly touching my back.
I felt uneasy in his presence as a human now. I just wanted to find Silas and get Ani and get the hell out of this place. If I was of my normal strength I would be able to challenge Vlad and I would have no qualms about it. I had thousands of years of experience on him. He couldn't thwart me.
"Would you like something to drink?" Vlad asked as he crossed the room to a smaller bar, most likely for unlucky humans that came with him down here, just like myself.
"Yes, I would be appreciated. However, I think we should really look for Silas."
"Yes, yes. We will search soon and you will see we do not have him here. Come, we have time for a little drink, do we not?" Vlad asked as he turned his back and poured a thick and dark liquid into a small glass with a few cubes of ice.
Vlad turned around with the glass in his hand. The small tumbler for me and a wine glass for himself which he poured some of the vintage blood into his glass, swirling it around as it coated the edges in a thick, crimson stain. "So, how attached are you to this...human girl?" he asked.
"We are bonded, that should tell you enough," I replied, not liking how the conversation was starting. "Why are you and Ilona so fascinated by Anabelle? What do you want with her?"
"Oh...nothing," Vlad retorted and ignored as he took a long sip of his liquid courage.
It was in that moment that I felt it. A spike in fear. I knew it wasn't my own. I wasn't afraid of Vlad. I had known him for centuries. I knew of his capabilities, but I wasn't afraid of him. If I was a Vampyre still, I could have killed him and Ilona without much thought. No, this fear was not my own, it was Anabelle. Anger and frustration burned through me and I felt her anxiety raise as I stood up abruptly as Vlad sped to me and pushed my down by my chest. "Anabelle!"
"She's fine," Vlad insisted as he tried to catch my gaze.
I knew what he was trying to do, he was trying to glamour me. I couldn't allow it. I struggled against his hold, but he held me there effortlessly as he took another sip from his glass.
"Let me up!" I commanded, "I need to go to her."
"She will be fine. I assume the girl can take care of her own, is that not correct? Isn't her level of anxiety decreasing as we speak?" Vlad asked as he arched a brow.
I took a large breath in, thinking back in my head, yes, her fear levels have dropped, but why the sudden flash of it? Something wasn't right, wasn't right at all. I took another calming breath as I sat back in the chair that I had been pushed into.
"See, was that so hard?" Vlad teased as he sat next to me on throne seat with his legs crossed and arms draped on the rests to either side of him. He looked as much the Emperor that he was centuries ago.
"What is really going on?" I asked, finally taking a sip of the dark amber liquid that filled my short glass. It's harsh and oak taste filled my throat.
"You see, we may have fibbed to you and the girl just a tad," Vlad said as he pinched his fingers almost together as if showing a unit of measure.
Taking another deep breath, I gulped down another swig of the amber liquid. My head was starting to swim a bit. I knew as a boy my tolerance for Meade and wine were much greater. This stuff made my vision fuzzy and my head dizzy. "What are you talking about?"
"See, we do have Silas. He is in the room just down the hall actually. The last door of the right to be exact. We needed to hold him here until you were able to bring the girl back to us," Vlad continued.
Gas rose in my throat as I let out a large belch. My head still swimming. "What do you need with Anabelle?"
Vlad's eyes connected with mine and he smiled, "She is the key. With her, we can make sure Silas won't return to the throne and it will be ours. Her gifts could assist us greatly with our plans for a new world."
"And what of me? I am still a rightful heir," I asked, the room starting to slightly spin.
"You, well, you are of no consequence anymore. See, you have been bitten by the Were. And unless you find the Were who bit you and drink his blood, you will never become what you once was or unless you find your Maker, which I shall say, we have searched for thousands of years and she is no where to be found," Vlad explained. "So sir, good luck on that venture."
"What did you give me?" I asked, my vision was everywhere. Three of Vlad, four of the flour and several more of all the items on the walls. I felt as if I was going to be sick.
"Oh, just a little cognac. It's quiet strong isn't it?" Vlad smiled.
"I feel sick," I doubled over and placed my head between my knees feeling as if my stomach was going to heave into my throat. "Water..."
I heard Vlad mumble as he rose and went to fetch me some water to drink. I stayed in my same position until I saw the long slender glass of clear liquid in front of me. I took it and gulped it down as if I had not had water in centuries and was dying of thirst. I suppose being able to drink alcohol when it didn't affect you as a Vampyre was different from drinking alcohol as a human and haven't had a drink in over five thousand years. I could affect someones tolerances. The water had a metal taste to it, but it quenched my thirst and settled my stomach as needed. I knew I should have eaten, but my new human habits and necessities weren't on my top priority lists. I had to re-accustom myself to actually taking breaths and eating food and drinking water. Silas would have had a better time at this than I would.
"Better?" Vlad asked.
"Yes, thank you," I rested against the throne chair that I sat with my eyes closed for a second, processing all that I had been told. "So, you want Anabelle to be a tool to keep Silas from the throne."
"Yes, well, a tool for us that is," Vlad explained as he crossed his leg over his knee and took another sip of his blood.
"As much as I hate to admit it, you realize that if you had only just left her alone, that he would never have returned, he loves her," I explained.
"We couldn't take the chance of him turning her and using her against us. So, you brought her to us, we will take her now and just dispose of your cousin," Vlad waved his hand as if he didn't care at all about using a human for his evil plots. This was exactly why I told Silas to let me kill him ages ago.
"And what of me?" I asked again.
"You, well, you are only human. Unless you know the wolf that bit you, good luck in turning back," Vlad gulped down the last of his drink and stood, "But you do realize that you will no longer be and Original that is allowed to walk in the day and process foods and drink. You will be one of us. The undead. The ones restricted to the night, feasting only on blood. You will become what you have created."
"Unless I can find Lilith correct?" I asked, making sure I understood correctly.
"You won't have enough time to find her. See, now that you are human again, your body will begin to accelerate the aging process. You've been human for how long now? A few days. Don't you feel a little drowsy? Tired? Excessively hungry? Soon enough, you'll start to have signs of aging, wrinkles, sagging skin, grey hair and so forth, until you wither and die like a human."
Taking in what Vlad was telling me, he was saying that I was going to age and die at an accelerated state. As if my body was playing catch up for the past five thousand years. Who knew how long I really had. I started to panic. I couldn't just wither away into nothing, I had to find this were and I needed to be changed back. I didn't have time to find Lilith, he was correct. Then there was Ani. What to do about her. I couldn't leave her here and I couldn't just leave Silas either. I had a duty and obligation to them both. I loved Ani, and I couldn't leave her, not here, not now and not ever. If there was anything worth fighting for, it was to see those crystal blue eyes once again and her smiling face.
"If I promise to convince Silas to relinquish the throne, will you take me to him?" I lied. No way would I try to get Silas to make that promise, because I knew that once I was a Vampyre again, no matter what kind of restrictions I may have, I would hunt Vlad and Ilona down and kill them myself. I would take the Throne again, or at least I would make Silas give it to me. I would see that things were set right. And if I had to, I would give Anabelle to him as payment for it. I had to make things right.
"Of course," Vlad smiled. "It's nice to be able to cooperate, isn't it?"
"Certainly," I said as I staggered to stand. My legs still felt wobbly underneath me. The metal taste in my mouth wasn't going away so I took another sip of the water that Vlad had given me as I followed him out to the hall where my cousin was being kept prisoner.