A/N: Okay, this is where it starts to heat up! And before anyone complains, I asked a large audience if this story should contain lemons or suggestiveness and people surprised me by saying "YES!". If you don't wanna read on, I completely understand but don't complain to me about it. You have been warned.

Chapter 6

The Final Lessons

The days passed into weeks and then months and in that time I had never seen death in its fullest. Yes, I had been aware of death; my time spent cleaning the bedchambers were enough to make me aware of that, but I had never seen someone die... Until I was fifteen.

It was known that the worshippers would sometimes not return from performing their tasks and I always put this down to the bloodletting; but one day as I brushed my hair ready for my lessons I heard the shuffle of heavy footsteps faintly over the sounds of my friends. Their voices gradually became silent and I turned around to see a young girl, who looked very similar to Selena walking towards me, her robe was covered in her own blood it would seem that pumped effortlessly from her neck. Her dark hair was matted with blood and her eyes were dark, ringed and glazed over. I could tell something was terribly wrong before she even fell to the ground. I ran to her lifeless body and rolled it over. Someone screamed in the realisation that she was dead.

We were asked to leave the room where the girl's body lay on the cold floor, but I was too intrigued by what happened to leave now, so I hid behind a drape as the others left. Hecate and the other Higher Concubines stood around the corpse discussing the situation.
"Does anyone know who she is?" Hecate asked in a calm but cold tone.
"Her name is Mary," Isis replied, she knelt beside the young girl's body, "She was one of Aleya's group, a Rahabim worshipper." It did not surprise me that Isis knew who she was, Isis remembered everyone she encountered.
"Where is Aleya?" Another of the young women asked, I believe she was Zephon's Higher.
At that moment Aleya entered the circular chamber, her features revealed her to be of Eastern origin with slight build. Lord Rahab referred to her only as His 'Siren' for she had a most peculiar but haunting singing voice. She only took one look at the body on the floor before she recognised her.
"Oh Mary..." She sighed as she approached and knelt beside the lifeless husk, there were no tears shed but her voice trembled slightly at saying her name. The other Higher Concubines gathered around her, even Dinah much to my surprise, "Only seventeen years old, what a pity. I was going to name her as my successor."
"Aleya, you are not old enough to be thinking of such things." Isis said softly.
"I never got to..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes grew wide at some realisation, "Wait. Wait. This is not the work of my Lord!" She exclaimed and looked at the curious faces surrounding her "Lord Rahab would not do this."
"Aleya," Hecate said softly, "It is not shameful, she has passed on by the blessed hand of one of our Lords. It is an honour."
"Hecate, you don't understand!" She pleaded, "I know how my Lord kills, I know his mark, I have enough scars on my body to know his touch and this was not the work of his hand," The other Highers looked at one another puzzled, "I tell you, my Lord did not kill this girl!"
Hecate breathed deeply before she next spoke, she looked down at Isis who still knelt beside Mary, "Isis, what was the cause of death?"
Isis adjusted the red band she always wore around her hair before kneeling down to examine the body, turning the head, opening the mouth and opening the eyes, "There was massive blood loss, she was definitely bitten, her neck proves that... But I have seen blood loss before," She looked up at the Highers, "She was a healthy young girl, there is not enough blood here to suggest she died of that. Wait a moment," I watched horrified as Isis lifted the girl's dress and placed her hand between her dead thighs, I could only think of when I'd be 'examined' by the old woman three years ago. Isis withdrew her hand and looked at her fingers which glistened in the light of the flames with some sort of fluid, "She has been with Him, or at least she's been with someone."
An eerie silence spread through the group, everyone looked at Aleya, "No!" She said sternly as she grabbed the body and held her close, "No, she was good girl, she loved Lord Rahab, she wouldn't do that."
"You say that she was not killed by your Lord, Aleya," It was Turel's Higher who spoke, a tall brunette by the name of Cerce, "That can only mean that she was with another."
"Blasphemy!" Dinah whispered with spite, "No one is worthy of the love of two Gods."
"She was not a blasphemer. She was satisfied to be His."
"The evidence suggests otherwise." Isis said finally before she began to cough terribly again. These days the cough sounded worse, deeper and more prolonged.
I couldn't let this go... not when I knew something. I stepped out from my hiding place, "Excuse me?" The Highers looked up to see me standing in my robe which was still too big for me, "This was not the work of a God."
"Ana, I told you to leave," Hecate said firmly.
"I'm very sorry mistresses, but I must speak. I worked mostly in the vampire bedchambers during my time as a servant, I know how they kill. All of them. This was not a vampire."
"What makes you so sure?" Asked Cerce.

"Don't speak to her!" Dinah snapped, "She is an attention seeker."
"No." Isis said as she rose to her feet, clearing her throat as she did "Let the child speak. Ana? What do you wish to say?"
I gulped before I spoke, everyone was watching me, a most daunting memory, "Before she fell, Mary... I thought it was the blood on her neck but it's not," I breathed deeply, "The blood, in her hair... It was there before she fell. She didn't hit her head on the ground... I saw..."
Isis was the first to move as she knelt down again checked Mary's hair, "Ana is right. The skull is crushed. No vampire kills like this."

Silence... My Elders regarded the situation for a moment.

"The Matriarch would know whose hand caused this, we should go to her," Aleya insisted.

"No," Isis said simply as she stood up wiping her hand on her robe, she stood silent for a while and closed her eyes, mouthing a message silently to herself, when she opened them again a look of acceptance had crossed her face, "She knows who did this, and she will deal with them."

"How does Mother intend to do that?" the young blonde girl asked, having gone up the ranks due to her immense servitude the girl who had presented herself before the Priestess with the missing skin was now Lord Melchiah's Higher Concubine at the age of eighteen, "Surely we must purge this from the sisterhood immediately?"

"The fallen one shall make themselves known, we will wait for them to reveal themselves and then we will purge them. In the meantime..." Isis looked down again at the body of the young girl.

"Yes," Hecate responded coldly, "We must dispose of her. Aleya, you may bless her and then we will cast her into the world for the children of the Gods to feed upon." Aleya simply nodded.

Hecate walked to me quickly before the other Highers could and she led me away. The sound coming from Isis' lungs disappeared behind us.

"That was a very brave thing you did my dear."

"What will happen now?" I asked as I looked back at Mary one last time.

"Now, my dear child, we wait for the culprit to show their face... And believe me, they most certainly will."

She was not incorrect about that and it was the first time I saw the true power of our Mother.

No one slept that night, with the knowledge of a murderer in our midst and also because of the crying. It had started as a slight feeling of sadness but had gradually grown to more than that. Each of us began crying in our beds for what would appear to be no reason. I was scared and curled myself up to block out the horrible feelings as a force upon my mind leeched out the memories of my mother and father.

Selena was with me on my stone bed, rocking back and forth, her eyes glazed in misery. I was too involved in my own depression to comfort her or anyone else.

The crying was not isolated to our chamber; the corridors were filled with the sounds of everyone; from the servant girls to the elderly women who dwelled in the Blood Pit.

I watched helplessly as my friends in their turmoil began to turn their emotions towards themselves physically. Selena who held her arms around her started to claw at her own skin to stop the agonies of her mind and I thought I witnessed Thea place her small hands to her face, indenting her fingers and nearly plunge them into her eye sockets; but before she could, someone screamed.

The veil of darkness lifted from us almost immediately after the scream had started but it did not stop. Someone was screaming over and over again.

As I struggled to regain my own mind, several young women ran past us towards the blood curdling sound.

Thea removed her hands from her face and looked startled at them. Realising what she had almost done to herself she began to sob again, muttering something about how she would've never been able to see him again…

The screaming girl was a sixteen year old Rahabim worshipper. Her noise did not seize as she was led from the human quarters by the Highers, kicking and trying to bite her suppressors. She was forced away, her mouth gagged before they took her through the vampire areas of the Sanctuary. They cast her into the world still screaming and locked the great doors behind her. Never to be seen again.

She was the one who had killed Mary, a jealous rival within the hierarchy who'd wanted to be named as Aleya's successor. She had waited until Mary was weak from blood loss, having gone to serve Lord Rahab in his chamber and then had ambushed her; hoping that the sudden death would be put down to the over-excitement of Lord Rahab.

How do I know this, you may ask… The Matriarch has her ways of letting us know; and the feelings of sadness? A ploy to probe our minds for guilt and regret, hence why she had screamed so when it was revealed. I had not doubted Mother's powers but from that moment I dared not put a step wrong lest she make me go mad too.

Alas, this was not my final lesson, that was yet to come and like Selena before me, this would change my perspective on life, my purpose and my body…

My body was finally beginning to blossom into a woman's and I loved the way clothes were starting to look on me. Hecate had her seamstress make me new dresses as my figure changed which I was thankful for. I began to enjoy looking at my developing body in the mirrors of her bed chamber.

My days were filled with learning about makeup, hair styling, singing but most of all worship. If I were going to be the best I could possibly be then everything about me would have to be flawless even the way I walked. Many an hour was spent walking with a book balanced upon my head as Hecate watched me.

"Keep your back straight Ana. Relax your arms. Drop your shoulders, girl, you look like you're sweeping the floor with a broom up your backside!" I think I eventually managed to acquire a graceful step but I reckoned that I still looked clumsy next to my teacher.

She along with all the other higher concubines were determined to teach their Followers to the best of their abilities. If we performed badly then it would not reflect well on our teachers; their level of devotion was displayed through us.

The nights were spent talking to Selena and Thea who had both become my equal best friends.

Selena was much more settled these days. Lord Turel's higher concubine, Cerce was only eighteen but well versed in worship, she had taught Selena that worship was more than just the offering of blood, worship must come from your soul, for our devotion was necessary. We should not be afraid of the things they ask of us. Selena was gradually returning to her normal self now she was away from Dumah, but her desire to be touched would know no limits in later life.

Thea was gradually learning the trade but Dinah was not fond of her apprentice and refused to let her accompany her on her errands which was leaving Thea behind in her learning so Selena and I had begun to train her ourselves. In all the time that she had been assigned to be Dinah's Follower, she had not seen Raziel once which made me very happy. Thea was often persistent in her questions, at the time I took this to be nothing more than her endeavour to learn from me.

After much interrogation I finally admitted my particular want to serve Lord Raziel and from then on she hung on every word I said.

We discussed the approaching presentation ceremony and wondered whether we should do a group act for Thea now played the flute beautifully, I sang with the voice of an opera singer and Selena had by some strange coincidence learnt the grace of dance.

I was amazed at how quickly the day was approaching. I was sixteen now and I was well developed for my age but I still had to wait another two months while the others came of age. I was having my ceremonial gown prepared and I stood on a stool while a young girl measured material around me.

I had just explained to Hecate that I wished to perform a group piece with my friends during our presentation. She was not fond of the idea for she believed that a dancer may take away the focus from me; unless there was a way to make me the centre of attention she refused.

I could understand her point. I wanted all eyes to be on me as I sang, I wanted to sing to Lord Raziel and have him watch me sing. We decided that I could perform a very basic dance while I sang which would involve me walking up to each of the vampire masters and singing and dancing in front of them as I carried two large fans made of white feathers. By doing this it would create the illusion of dance without me having to exert myself too much while I sang.

We would begin practising the next day and would not stop until the day of my presentation.

Hecate summoned me late one night, only a week before the presentation; luckily I had not gone to sleep yet. As I left the followers' bed chamber I noticed that Selena was watching me, I smiled at her as I left the room.

Hecate was waiting for me at the door leading to the Sanctuary. She looked me up and down briefly.

"Good, you're wearing something decent at least," she seemed slightly anxious as if we were going somewhere important and I noticed that she was not wearing her traditional worshippers robe, instead she wore a revealing red dress made of thin silky material that looked like it was ready to just fall off her.

"Where are we going Hecate?" Although I had not slept I was tired from a day dancing and I rubbed my eyes.

"Kain has summoned me to his private bed chamber," My head snapped up, this was unexpected for I'd never known Hecate to go to Kain's bed chamber, she was only called upon to give her blood in the throne room, "It is time for you to learn your final lesson, Anastasia." She held my hand and led the way.

"I don't understand. Why has Kain asked you to go there? You always give your sacrifice in the...?

She turned suddenly and grabbed my shoulders, "You think this is a blood sacrifice?", she was scaring me now.

"What else would it be?" I asked. My mind flashed back to the image of Zephon and his concubine which had burned itself into my eyes all those years ago. I looked at her wide eyed as it all came back to me with such clarity that I might as well have been back in the room with them.

"Has no one told you the other reason why you're here?" there was urgency in her voice.

"No one has told me... but one time while I was a servant I accidently walked in on Lord Zephon and his concubine and they were..." She put her hand up to stop me.

"There is no time for this. We must go quickly." She turned and dragged me at a brisk pace, "I want you to watch what I do very carefully Anastasia, for what you will see tonight may save your life one day."

We reached the room which was dark save for a single torch and I slipped silently through the great door behind Hecate and waited behind a pillar in the room. Hecate walked to where Kain waited. He was lying in the bed, the lower half of his body covered by a dark sheet; he smiled as he beckoned her forward. I watched as Hecate edged nervously towards Kain. There was an obvious change to her behaviour; this was the first time I'd seen her looking genuinely scared. She removed her dress and then lifted the sheet thus entering the bed with Kain.

The words to describe what I saw that evening escape me to this day, I can only make do with the words I know, for the language of angels is not known to me. They seemed to move like liquid against each other, in perfect synch. I watched as Kain dominated my teacher with his body, he tore at her flesh with his claws and bit her hard, drawing blood across her oh so perfect figure. Kain's movements astounded me, such force, such brutality. I observed their actions silently and found myself thinking the strangest things.

If only it were me in that bed instead of Hecate. Oh my Gods, did I find Kain attractive? I had not thought of my God in that way before now, I was puzzled by my own emotions.

It was not what I'd witnessed from Zephon and his mistress for that was a vile sight to remember, whereas this was almost beautiful to behold.

Hecate screamed with a mixture of pain and ecstasy and Kain only smiled at her screaming. He placed a large hand over her throat and held her like this as they moved with and against one another. He choked her, bit her, drank from her, he was ruthless and dangerous but oh what I wouldn't have given to take her place with him. Blood stained the sheets and her white skin which he licked off her full breasts before he made her sit upon him and drove her down again and again.

I couldn't take my eyes from the scene as it unfolded, the minutes came and went with each delicious sound that came from them and for the first time I felt a strange sensation within me, a mild tingling between my thighs. My own breathing seemed to get quicker as their movements did until they reached climax all too quickly. I was disappointed when it came to an end although the act itself had lasted for some time. I felt light headed from watching them.

After a moment to catch her breath Hecate rose from the bed and wrapped her dress around her, I heard her thank our Lord gracefully before she walked towards me. Her steps were awkward and small. She reached out her hand to me and I grabbed hold of her as she collapsed into my arms. I supported my teacher from the room, noticing that she was clutching at her side and she had started to cough up blood. I looked back over my shoulder to see that Kain was watching both of us from his bed. Hecate's flawless skin was covered in bite and claw marks. I had to almost carry her back to her bed chamber that night.

So this was why I was here... This was what it meant to be concubine. I was to be a mistress... a slave to their desires.

When we got back and started nursing her wounds I asked her how often this sort of thing happened.

"We are fortunate," she responded, "Lord Kain does not require our physical affections as often as the younger vampires. Luckily my responsibility is shared with the other young girls, and soon it will be shared with you too, Ana."

Despite her obvious pain from her injuries, Hecate smiled. She held my hand while an elderly woman nursed her wounds and she told me how much of an honour it was to be used by the Gods in this way, "Ignore what the Priestess tells you Ana, she has her own methods and we have ours. A woman like her is only jealous that we offer them more, we are here for them constantly."

We realised later that she had broken a rib. She explained to me that this was a common occurrence after an evening with him. In fact he was gentle in comparison to some of the vampires who often tore their mistresses to sheds during the act, but this explained why she was so scared to go there. You risked your life every time.

My mind replayed the scene over and over again, only the more I thought of it, the more my perception changed. After a while I began to imagine that it was me who our Lord had taken to his bed. I felt that tingling sensation between my thighs from earlier the more I imagined it which I'd never felt before.

How can this be happening? What's happening to me? I couldn't stop the thoughts as they drove through my mind. I could see myself as Hecate had been writhing up and down upon my master. Why was I thinking about Kain in this manner and why was it doing this to my body? My inner thighs burned but thinking about that only made me envisage Kain kissing me there. I wanted to know how he felt, where else would he kiss me, where would I kiss him?

I squirmed in my sleep, unable to rid myself of these feeling. I crossed my legs to try and stop the tingling but that only seemed to intensify it more. I was concerned in case someone heard me. I placed my hands behind my back and lay on them and tried think of something else, anything else. So I thought of my beloved Raziel… but that only made the situation worse. He took the place of Lord Kain in my mind and my body began to shake. I couldn't give in. This must be wrong and if the Matriarch knew what I was thinking of doing… I don't think I was even aware of my hands moving to the front of my body, pulling up the fabric of my nightgown... I bit my lip and succumbed to my desires to touch myself under the cover of darkness while I thought of Raziel and how we would be together…