Hello, I am so so so sorry for how long it has taken me to update. I could tell you all the excuses but I think you just want to read the chapter. Thank you to the mysterious people who have favourite and/or followed this story. I was actually amazed. Anyway, this is a long chapter to make up for the long wait however it is not extremely exciting but it will get more exciting in later Chapters . I promise to keep up on updates now so I will try to update at least twice a week.
I also wanted to know if anyone wanted to see a bit of Catherine's (Cate's) backstory, before she was bitten, please let me know (PM me or leave a review) .
I love reviews and I hope you enjoy this Chapter- I apologise again for the wait.
Enjoy,
Sweet
Chapter 3 –The Darkening
Somewhere, a clock struck midnight, its little hands creeping across its face slowly like a spider crawls along its web. Outside the window was darkness. A pitch dark shadow cast across the green field outside and onto the beyond forest an even darker green. Just behind them loomed the grey specks of the Carpathian Mountains, glimmering under the full glow of the moon; it was a spectacular sight. Catherine, however, was too preoccupied with her own mountain of paperwork which covered the desk in front of her. Vast amounts of letters, requests, council matters and law books completely concealed the wooden table below. Catherine had been trying to make sense of a council letter requesting a change in the head of polishing at the Fang Filing Society- it was above Catherine's head- really who cared? There were much more pressing matters such as the strange slaying incident in Bulgaria or the sinister findings of drained breathers found in Germany. No, the proud race of vampires (who prided themselves as sophisticated yet deadly biters, as Ingrid described them) thought replacing head of polishing was more necessary than finding a vicious vampire who was breaking the ceasefire and causing awful fights between the Vampire High Council and the Heads of the Slayer Guild. It was ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!
Poor Vlad had been with the council about eight times this month and had had several meetings with the slayer's guild as well; all the meetings had ended with Vlad being blamed. The poor guy was meant to be enjoying the week and looking forward to the feast in less than 72 hours instead he was shattered while still being expected to perform his duties which included signing all the letter sent to him- the letters in front of Catherine at this moment.
Catherine couldn't help but sigh as her thoughts wondered to Vlad. She glanced up again from the letter to gaze at the piles of paperwork in front of her before looking towards the sofa on the other side of the room. Vlad had been sitting their signing papers and writing replies to the items he had declined or accepted. Last time she had looked she had only seen the top part of the back of his head, his midnight hair tips brushing the top of the scarlet sofa he was perched upon. His face downwards as he had been studying the paper in front of him.
As Catherine looked now she couldn't see his dark hair or his head or anything of him. In a panic she stood up, both her long skirts and golden brown hair flicking to the left. "Vlad!" she called, pushing her chair out and walking closer to the sofa. There was no reply. "Vlad!" she said louder and in a panicked tone. Just then she reached the sofa and peered over. Catherine let out a large breath of relief, she didn't need to breathe but it was a habit that was hard to stop. On the sofa, curled up in a small heap, was the Grand High Vampire fast asleep. If he hadn't been a vampire Catherine would have thought he was dead. His body was perfectly still except for a twitching muscle now and then. A calm expression was on his face- the calmest she had ever seen him since the strange breaks of the ceasefire- as if he was at peace with the world. Locks of hair fell on to his forehead and at that moment Catherine thought he looked like a young child. Happy and care free with the freedom of the world and nothing to confine him to what was his harsh reality.
Catherine could have stared at him all night but she thought better of it. Instead she grabbed one of the pillows from the arm chair and carefully manoeuvred his head up before sliding the pillow underneath and lowering his head down again. She then reached out to one of the chairs around the table covered in papers, in order to grab his cape, that she had hung over the chair after Vlad had thrown it on the armchair on his arrival. Stroking the soft silk lining, she judiciously draped the cape over his body and tucked in the corners. A small smile was visible on Catherine's lips as she nodded at the handy work of wrapping up her monarch before walking back to the desk to continue with her paperwork. Vlad's calm sleeping face on the back of her mind.
A slow but haunting whistle came from the wind as it rustled at the soaring skeleton's branches and its leaves scattered the concrete ground and danced across the hard surface. A group of leather clad figures walked across the ground their large, bulgy boots crunching over leaves reducing them to a pile of crushed red or orange or brown sections. The leader walked a few steps in front of the others, she was short but her authority was clear through her proudly raised head and pulled back posture. Her light blonde hair hung half way down her back a lot of it tied back in a plait. Brown piercing eyes like thunder were framed by shaped eyebrows and thick lashes that complemented her small nose and red painted lips- she was a true image of beauty. Her body was shaped by the plain black leather trousers and jacket she wore; on her feet were slender boots that rode half way up her calves.
A few paces behind her were two dark haired men. The one on the left strode proudly behind his leader his dark skin and muscles would put terror into all who dared look at him. The other man had deep green eyes which darted from left to right, as if they were looking for something, a deep scar ran down the left side of his face making his features look fierce and treacherous. Both men had a large amount of stubble accumulating around their face; they wore matching dark trousers, shirts and gigantic boots that matched their towering heights.
Just to their left was the final member. She walked several paces behind. A girl who looked about fifteen with bright red hair that was tied in a ponytail that ended at her slim waist. Instead of trousers the girl wore a short leather skirt and black netted tights which showed off her lean legs. Her short black jacket and ankle boots made her stand out from the other members of the group. Her bright red lips also looked outlandish unlike the blonde leader. A large black bag dangled off her shoulders and, in her hand, she held a solid briefcase- like- bag.
They looked like a group of teenagers; however, there was an unusual aura which seemed to hang over the three persons in front. Darkness wove around them as if darkness was a vine curling around a hard and sturdy tree, keeping it in never ending gloom. Their power and predator characteristics were undeniable- they were definitely creatures of the night.
The red head behind was very different through, not only the clothes she wore, but the way she walked with the weight. The way her body dropped under the weight, her dramatic and lazy movements, the sighs and shivers that came from her body. She stood out like a sore thumb.
A loud cry escaped the lips of the red head. She dropped to the floor, her knees crumbling beneath her. She held her hands up, to stop the rest of her body being hurt from her impact with the ground, her sleeves rolled up. Along her pale, skinny arms were array of cuts and scars some a deep red from being newly cut. Others ugly black scars that showed the constant slashes of a knife. At the cry, the rest of the group turned around.
The blonde girl walked back on herself towards the girl on the floor. Her movements were swift and graceful but her eyes were hungry. "Little Nadia Lyall," her voice was sweet but laced in venom and authority. "You said you could make it, serve us and in return we would grant your wish. Do you not wish for that anymore?" The leader cocked her head to the side.
"NO! No, I do wish to serve you. I am just tired Mistress Lorelei" Nadia said, as she pulled herself to her feet. "I'm fine now."
"Oh no! You rest. Go lie back down." The blonde smiled a sickly sweet smile.
Nadia obeyed and sat back to the floor, placing the bags down slowly. The blonde smiled again before facing the men that stood behind her and at her sides. "Why don't we grant her wish early?" The men smirked to each other a slight discomfort came over their face as they proceeded towards Nadia. Nadia's crystal eyes broadened in fright, an alarming expression appeared on her face but she stayed quiet.
"Ulric and Donnchadh have decided it is time. I, myself, agree." The mistress strode forward her large smile turning into a grin with teeth. Donnochadh and Ulric bared their fangs; Ulric eyes shimmered a blue then back to green with the excitement.
Nadia's eyes widened in panic but, before she could move, she felt ice cold grips- acting as restrains- on her arms. The leader bent down to her little pet, her teeth exposed with her smile.
"Time for you to get your wish"
Vlad eyes opened, for a moment he panicked. The dream had felt so real he was surprised to find himself lying on a sofa. A roaring fire next to him; the warmth was relaxing, especially, since the last thing he remembered of the dream was the young girl's screams.
Sitting up Vlad felt a light piece of material fall into his lap. Looking down he saw his cape draped over his legs and crumpled where it had just fallen of his shoulders. He looked towards the fire in front of him and then to the small coffee table that stood before him. It was completely covered in papers and pens. The memories from the night before came back to him. He had been writing to the Émilek about the constant slayer attacks and, in addition, had been explaining why it was more important than Chevalier Drogo receiving more land - even if he had less than Marko Landgrave who was below him in society.
Rubbing his eyes, Vlad rose from the soft escapement of the sofa and began to pace across the length of the room. He noticed the piles of work on Catherine's desk, he felt sorry for her. She did everything for him, her own duties and helped out in any way she could. Now she had also taken on to perform some of his duties, such as the paperwork, as well as being in charge of planning the rest of the feast. After the council had claimed, "the planning of the feast should not fall to such important leaders of the powerful vampire race." So his own assistance had to add it to her chores along with being helped by a few of the minor members of the council and then being shouted at by Vlad's own courtiers that what she had done was wrong. Yet when it came to correcting it they said they were too significant to answer to the likes of Catherine.
Catherine! Who else could have tucked him up? Catherine- a great friend. She was always there for him doing everything. She was sweet, loyal and beautiful, in a way she reminded him of the young red head who had been in his dream. Kind and loyal, one difference, one large difference, she could not be corrupted. She was a strong, independent spirit just like his sister, just a lot nicer.
His thoughts wondered back to his dream. The girl, Nadia, had seemed loyal to the blonde haired girl but she had definitely been human: she had been breathing; struggling under the weight and those marks up her arm had scabbed over recently, dried blood had been stuck to her arm. It was a common sign for who the girl had been. She was a pet. A vampire's pet.
Vlad, at this time, seriously hoped he was wrong and that the dream was just a dream, not one of the visions he had been having recently. Breather pets had been banned for nearly seventy years and even the most deadly vampires had been against them. If they were back then the strange council member from four days ago had been right. Something was seriously wrong with the world. Vlad needed answers and he needed to get out of the falsity of being king, living in this luxury. He was due back in the real world and no one was going to stop him.
Vlad grabbed the first book that sat on the table. It read Family Trees- 19th Century and Vlad flicked through hoping to find the name of the leader- Lorelai.