PART SIX "The enemy?" I asked dumbly. "Nick is not our enemy!" The Goddess Mother's sons looked to the blond guy that kidnapped Nick. Their eyes were actually accusing, bitter. "This is Vincent." So the lustful bastard's name is Vincent. "Vincent is one of our higher ranking officers," the sons began. "He has taken on the job of finding Nickolas and capturing him." "But, why?" Kevin asked confusedly. "Why are you after Nick? Who is he?" The sons looked at each other before replying. "He is the heir to the soul-snatchers! He is the son of the leaders of the Alma race!" "What?" Howie croaked. "Impossible." "We understand that this is hard to accept!" The Goddess Mother's sons explained. "Nickolas is a very attractive creature. But he is extremely dangerous. He has killed countless vampires, crushed their spirits without mercy. We have tried very hard to track him down . . . that is, until this past week. Once we found out that he had hidden himself behind you four, we immediately sought him out to destroy him. We were very successful as all of us were able to suck his blood dry!" "That was when I found him on the bed, right?" I whispered. "Yes," the Sons replied. I looked up angrily. "And while you were at it, your people soiled his chastity and raped him! I saw the disgusting . . . " "Brian!" Kevin warned me. I let my anger drop. The Sons continued calmly. "He lures vampires with his beauty . . . and his blood. His blood is very delicious. His looks very enticing. And once they come to him, he destroys them swiftly, deftly. Countless vampires have disappeared, destroyed by him. We were all too happy when we thought we had killed him. But then, you four had given him back his life, had fed him your blood!" The Sons tones suddenly became sharp, accusatory. Howie looked at the Sons confusedly. "He is our little brother. We wouldn't let him die like that! We . . . " "Howie!" Kevin stopped Howie in midsentence. "I'm sorry," Kevin continued. "It's just that we didn't know who he was. You must forgive us, but you did not give us any warnings either. I mean, we had lived with Nick for quite a few years. Naturally, we developed a bond to him. We didn't want to see him die!" "So what is he, now?" AJ asked softly. The Sons looked to the Goddess Mother. She sighed. "In all my years, I have never encountered anything stranger. A soul-snatcher who carries the blood of a vampire. This is truly an interesting situation we are in. However, this incidence is also the reason why we are now officially at war with the Alma race. We have sought to destroy their prince and they are now demanding us to pay for our deeds." "But Nick is not dead yet. If we return him to them, maybe . . . " Howie reasoned, but stopped as Kevin once again gave him a stern look. "But he doesn't look nor act like a vampire. I mean, I don't see any incisors in him," I stated. "Does he drink blood?" AJ asked. "No. We tried to feed him blood, but his body refuses to take it," the Sons commented. Kevin suddenly looked up at Vincent. "And where does Vincent fit into this whole picture." Vincent sighed before making his speech, which I thought was fake. "Well," Vincent began. "I actually fell in love with Nick when he was first presented to the world. I had found out that he was the son of the King and Queen of the Almans. Everyone from their race was very proud of Nick. He symbolized everything that was beautiful in their race. He was extremely youthful then. I was very powerful. Mind you, all this time, the vampires and the Almans were still at war. I offered Nickolas a way out. I offered for him to come and live with me, and that we would both forget about the conflicts between the vampires and the Almans. He refused, and . . . " "And I wouldn't blame him," I blurted out. Vincent glared at me. "Excuse me?" I glared back, equally upset. "It's his right if he didn't want to have a relationship with you." "I was trying to give him a way out. Us vampires would one day wreak vengeance upon the Almans for destroying our ancestors. By offering Nickolas to run away with me, I was giving him a way out," Vincent boldly declared. I had to barf. What kind of stupid reasoning was that? Why would Nick, who is prince of the Alma race, want anything to do with Vincent. "So Nick fled, rather than agreeing to be with you?" Kevin asked Vincent sharply. Good one, Kev! Vincent looked at Kevin angrily. "For your information, I am a very high-ranking vampire. I am also ten times more powerful than you. I would watch your tongues. I am not a nobody who happened to offer Nickolas the chance of having a family. I actually do deserve him! Don't think that him being royalty should make him that much more difficult to marry." I was getting irritated with Vincent. Could he be any less arrogant? The Goddess Mother drew our attentions back to the main issue. "The point is that we are now officially at war with the Almans, if not for trying to kill their son, then because we have replaced his blood with our own. We have tarnished their poster child. We will have to fight back now. In the meantime, we will keep Nickolas as a hostage. I will not apologize for what we have done as the Almans have murdered so many vampires over the years. They have destroyed everyone in our royal family. It is only right that we fight back. Ruining their son's chastity is not enough. We will tarnish, and even soil, Nickolas' purity. We will publicly humiliate Nickolas and broadcast it for all vampires and for all Almans to see. Tomorrow, at the Coliseum, we will allow all our soldiers to use Nickolas for pleasure and see how the Almans react to that." I didn't know what to say. Howie's and AJ's faces paled even more. Kevin was the only who knew how to speak. "Why? You're instigating war. You will only make them angrier than they already are." The Goddess Mother looked at us coldly. "They should have thought about it when they destroyed our entire family. They should have thought about it when they murdered all our vampire brothers and sisters over the years. It is only fitting that we show them our rage. We must destroy their esteem and their pride. We will humiliate their child. That is the only way our anger can be soothed. Tomorrow will be a vision." The Goddess Mother looked down at Nick's sleeping form with cruelty. Suddenly, I didn't know why we called her the Goddess Mother anymore. If anything, she did not look so just. Nor did she exude with heavenly features. Her sons looked at us sternly. "We know that you have developed a bond for Nickolas. However, you must remember that his innocent looks can be very deceiving. As we said, he has murdered countless vampires. He is not innocent. He will deserve everything that happens to him tomorrow. Please show your vampire community some nationalism and do not thwart our plans. The Almans need to be shown the way. We must take action." I looked down at Nick's sleeping form, my heart aching for what is to happen to him under this government. I reached my hand out to touch him, but I was stopped in midair by the Sons. They looked at me almost angrily. "Do not get too near him. He has an eerie halo about him. He will bewitch you." "Or maybe, he has already been bewitched," Vincent offered disgustingly. I looked at them defiantly. "I am not bewitched!" "Tell us that you do not love him!" Vincent pushed. Thank goodness Kevin stepped in because I was inches from killing that fiend. "Please Vincent, sir. You have avery good point, but Brian here is very level-headed. He would never want to put our race in jeopardy. Besides, you yourself have declared your love for Nick." Vincent glared at Kevin angrily. However, he wasn't smart ebough to make a comeback. "Enough!" the Goddess Mother spoke. "This little devil will lay in these chambers tonight," she said as she pointed at Nick. "No one is to tamper with him without my permission! Understand?" AJ and Howie looked at Kevin uncertainly. "Yes," Kevin replied, stinging my soul. "And you?" the Goddess mother said, looking directly at me. I nodded weakly, realizing that there was no negotiation. "Good," the Goddess Mother said as she turned around to leave. "You, Vincent, may have him for one more night then." What?!!!!!! "Excuse us?" Howie asked unheedingly. The Sons of the Goddess Mother turned around and glared at Howie. "You heard our mother. She wishes for Vincent to have that creature for another night. And Vincent?" they turned to address Vincent, "Don't be gentle on him. This will be your last chance before he will be completely devalued!" The two sons laughed wickedly. My body froze in anger. This is an unfair fight. I don't care how many vampires Nick killed, but this is disgusting and humiliating, not only for Nick, but for us vampires as well! How could our race have any pride in what we're doing? I stood rooted to the ground before Kevin crept up behind me and forced me to leave the chambers. "Come, Brian," he whispered softly. "There is nothing more we can do here." I saw AJ shed a single tear as he watched Nick. But he, too walked out of the chambers. I slowly yielded, realizing that we were powerless to protect Nick tonight, again. With a heavy heart, I walked out of the chambers. The last thing I saw was Vincent's evil grin as he closed the door to the chambers. And then, I heard the sound of clothes being ripped off. At that moment, I was too nauseous to even walk, but Howie held onto me tightly. ********************** I stormed into the hotel room in agitation. "I cannot believe that! The nerve of those people!" My voice was fluctuating wildly from my commotion. Kevin stepped in front of me to calm me down. "Realize, Brian, that what is happening to Nick at this moment will not be the end of the world. He was completely sedated these past few days. He probably will not remember a single thing that happened in those chambers." I closed my eyes in complete sadness. "How do you know that? Maybe they didn't put him to sleep. Maybe they just paralyzed him. And what of tomorrow? Can we really sit back and watch as vampire after vampire touches him?" Howie sighed. "I don't want to go tomorrow. I don't wanna see." AJ seconded that. "That was downright disgusting to even suggest that. This sounds like an all out war! If Nick is truly that important to the Alma race, then we are really heading into a big disaster." Kevin shook his head. "We must go tomorrow. We have no power to stop what is to happen to Nick, but at least, we will understand exactly what went on. We cannot just hide in this hotel." "You want to go?" AJ asked, disturbed. "Why? To see Nick's body tortured in front of how many people? To see them strip him and use him as entertainment?" Kevin quickly glared at AJ, his eyes showing hurt. "I do not have that sick a mind. I am not that heartless. You guys don't even realize what you're trying to do. Have some common sense! You cannot always live in your own world. Our world is dominated by powerful vampires. Go try and thwart their plans. See if you get out of Sangria alive. In the end, you foolishness will not save Nick!" "If we let them rape Nick, we will allow our race to go into a dangerous war with the Almans," I remarked. "What should we do?" Howie pondered out loud. "Rescue Nick before he reaches the Coliseum," I whispered. Kevin looked at me. "Why would the royal family let us know what they will do to Nick, Brian? Tell me. Did you really think that they were stupid enough to tell us about Nick without some ulterior motive? They must be very ready to prevent Nick from escaping." "I think their reason is to mentally prepare us so that we don't have a fit tomorrow! I don't think they realize that we will try to rescue Nick!" Howie said. Kevin shook his head. "How do you suggest we go about rescuing Nick?" AJ shrugged. "When Nick leaves the palace, we will try to . . . " Kevin shook his head again. "The security is too tight. We will end up being captured. Do you think we will be able to help Nick then?" "So you're saying that we shouldn't try until after the events at the Coliseum tomorrow?" I asked cautiously. "Yes!" I felt the tears well up in my eyes. "Is there no other way?" Kevin gazed at me calmly. "This is the only way. Once they use him tomorrow, I'm pretty sure they'll let him go. He will serve no other purpose. And when they let Nick go, we'll be there to help him." I turned around and crawled into bed. I had heard enough for that night. ************************ Early the next morning, all four of us were awake. We cleaned up without exchanging any words. After a quick breakfast, we all filed out of the hotel room and headed towards the Coliseum. The streets were filled with people! There was so much excitement in the air. "We're going to destroy those Alma bastards!" "No, we're going to trash them until they beg for mercy!" "Yeah, our government won't fail us!" "To the destruction of the soul-snatchers!" All around us, vampires were screaming out their minds. I felt sick just listening to them. Not that I didn't have any pride in our vampire society. It's just that none of them have ever been around Nick to know that at least one of those "Alma bastards" could be exceptionally charming as well. Finally, we arrived at the Coliseum. It was huge! I mean, we were pin points compared to the entire Coliseum, which had to fit at least 1,000,000. I never imagined there to be that many vampires, but I was wrong. The whole stadium filled up within the hour. We were barely lucky enough to have seats that were close enough to the stage. It didn't take long before the fanfare started and the royal family entered the stadium. There was a huge procession. And it took an entire ten minutes before the royal family flew to their seats. The Goddess Mother gracefully landed on the podium and silenced the crowd with her hands. All became deathly quiet as she once again gave her speech. "My children! I have gathered you all here today to inform you that the war against the Alma is official. And today, we shall celebrate the first day as we have the first victory! We have captured the prince of the soul-snatchers! We have captured and soiled their most prized being, and we shall dote on this victory today!" The crowds roared in approval. I felt my stomach tighten. The Goddess Mother once again silenced the crowds. "Yet new times demand new leaders. I hereby declare this day as a day we choose a new individual to follow, a fresher face to relate to. I wish to relinquish my throne to one of my three distinguished sons. So before the sun sets on this Coliseum, we shall begin a new era!" The crowds went wild by now, whistling and cheering like mad. All started to throw flowers into the stadium to express their support for the Goddess Mother and her sons. "Let the celebration begin! Bring him out!" the Goddess Mother cried out shrilly as eight vampires drifted back behind the gates to help present our captive. My stomach was pulled into knots when I saw him! Nick . . . he arms were tied above and his legs were each strapped to one end of a huge frame. He was completely naked save for a very thin piece of cloth draped over his waist. His body was still magnificent to see. His eyes were still their nice lavender hue. His face was even more ethereal than before. The crowds became silenced by the sight of him, probably in awe at our very first prisoner. I could tell that Nick was struggling to get out of his chains, but he was unsuccessful. A big cloth had been shoved in his mouth. Suddenly, I heard the crowds erupt into joy as people started cheering from left to right again. The noise level was deafening. If it were possible, the noise level actually jumped up a notch when ten guards grabbed Nick and forcefully threw him onto the ground, the soil now tainting his fair body. They quickly removed the last piece of cloth that covered Nick's bare body and now, Nick was completely barren. He struggled, his face full of anger, but he was not able to say anything since the cloth was still in his mouth. Finally, three guards held him tightly, pinning him down. The Goddess Mother smiled victoriously. "This is our most important prisoner yet! He is the son of Deus and Sha, the leaders of the Almans. Look as we completely expose him to our vampire society. The Almans should look upon today with shame as one of their prized citizens has been used for pleasure again and again, and today is no different. Let them bury their heads in shame for their symbol of pride is nothing but a tainted soul from this day forth. Let our soldiers show our noble and loyal citizens how defiance and hostility towards the vampire race will be treated! We show no mercy; we reveal no fear; and we shall not regret! From this day on, the Almans will spiral into their tragic and inevitable defeat!" All stood up to give the Goddess Mother a strong and supportive ovation. All screams were of joy for the Goddess Mother's courageous decision and oustanding speech. The Goddess Mother laughed and I had to choke. I looked helplessly as three soldiers pulled one of Nick's legs, dragging his body to the center of the stadium, letting his body plunge through the dirt and grub. Then, all at once, twenty soldiers jumped at Nick and began to grope him. I felt so sick seeing Nick's futile struggle. They did not even give him the chance to defend himself. I could not see everything, but I definitely saw the blood-soaked soil. Nick was fighting extremely hard, fending himself from the soldiers. And once he started frustrating them, they began to punch him, using their fingernails to rake his skin off. I looked to my right bitterly. I saw the people who sat next to me scream out in approval, urging the soldiers to be rougher. All eyes were focused on the unevenly matched fight. Howie was burying his head into me, trying to hide his concern for Nick. At this moment, any show of affection for the Alman prince would make us easy targets for ridicule and hatred. I fought hard to hold my tears. It wasn't until the crowds started silencing that Howie and I looked closely at the fight and realized that something was terribly wrong. Three soldiers that had been clinging on to Nick had fallen back from a big impact. All three landed painfully on the ground. The other soldiers simply stared in shock, as did everyone else in the stadium. Then, two more soldiers fell backwards and out of the circle as well. That was when I saw that Nick was on his feet, fighting all the soldiers with an anger I had never seen in him. His eyes started to gleam a rich lavender hue. Another soldier threw a punch at him, only to have Nick grasp his fist and squeeze it until the soldier screamed in pain at Nick's attack. Nick twisted his arm and the soldier fell backwards, clutching his hand in pain. Another soldier attempted a kick, but was cut short by Nick's knee. With a strong elbow, Nick aimed for the vampire's chest and knocked him 10 feet away. Another soldier jumped at Nick, only to have Nick swipe his feet. The next thing I knew, Nick's foot was dangerously placed on the guy's neck. With one move, Nick could have crushed the life out of him. But Nick reached down and ripped the guy's shirt off. Nick quickly tied the piece of cloth he attained around his waist, and I sat there in awe. Two more soldiers lunged at him, and he deftly broke their arms with a simple move. All the soldiers, by now, were slightly afraid of attacking and so they formed a circle around him. But Nick no longer seemed preoccupied with them. He looked up to the Goddess Mother spitefully and addressed her as if she were anyone else. "Cassandra!" he called out her name boldly. All vampires gasped at his disrespect, but no one countered him. The Goddess Mother stared coldly at Nick, her eyes bulging from anger. Unintimidated, Nick continued, although his lips dripped blood. "Speak your true mind! Just what kind of war are you waging? One in which you use my humiliation to feed the pride of your people? Is that the honor that you base this entire war on?" The entire Coliseum was deathly quiet, awaiting the Goddess Mother's reply. The Goddess Mother looked at the audience rather than condescending to reply to Nick's question. "My children . . . " she began, but was cut off abruptly by Nick. "Speak to me!" Nick's voice boomed above hers. Nick was full of fury, and he wanted an answer. "I will not condescend to speak to a man whose body is but a prize of war. Wouldn't you say it is rather embarrassing that you speak so boldly when you're half naked and have been used as entertainment for nearly half of the castle staff?" The Goddess Mother taunted menacingly. "If you ask me, it is more humorous than anything else!" The Goddess Mother's lips tilted into a smile. "Half of the staff that just happened to include you?" Nick remarked harshly. The Goddess Mother was inflamed by the insult. I could tell by the way she held her breath, by the subtle changes in her expression, by the clenched fists that she held. However, some of the vampires sitting next to me gasped. "You vile, insolent, pesky, spoiled brat!" one of the Sons of the Goddess Mother spat vehemently. "How dare you speak so insolently when your evil race has killed ours with no remorse . . . when your own hands are soaked of the souls of thousands of vampires?" Nick looked at the royal family with an expression that seemed to be more of disgust. "Then why do you try to hunt me down?" he countered. "Why do you lure our vampires with your blood?" the Son replied. "If I had the choice, I wouldn't lure any of you!" Nick said, barely audible. Then the entire stadium became deathly silent again. Nick stood rooted to his position, but I could sense his surrender already. He may be prince of the soul-snatchers, but he is still no match for powerful vampires, like those of our royal family. I could tell from his eyes, from the softness of his facial expression. His bold words were only to reclaim whatever dignity that was left for a half-naked creature under the merciless stares of a blood-thirsty race. The Goddess Mother once again addressed Nick with wariness. "You shall accept the punishment for your people. You may be innocent, but your heritage is not. You people have sacrificed countless vampires and nearly destroyed our race in a jealous fit. You will pay us first with your blood and soul. And when your people come to fetch you, they too shall pay." Suddenly, Nick's eyes looked haunted, grim. There was no solace in his silent agony. There was no spark in his words or actions anymore. He was turning over the Goddess Mother's words in his head with solemn amusement, as if her comments didn't make sense. I felt crushed as I looked at him folding his arms up to prevent himself from shivering. Not one soul in the Coliseum dare look away from his fragile figure. He closed his eyes briefly before looking up. "Then you shall wait for a long time for that payment." Nick knew something that we didn't; I dreaded to know the reasons for that last statement, but at the same time, I was consumed with curiosity. No one budged, and the air wreaked of an intoxicating tension. A stream of blood started to trickle down the inside part of Nick's leg. I was ashamed . . . ashamed for the cause of that stream of tainted blood that slid down his thighs, ashamed for our indecency, and ashamed for my helplessness to act at that moment. None of us-me, AJ, Howie, Kevin-had lifted a finger or raised our voice. Instead, we simply sat in our seats, watching Nick fight a lonely battle with no friends and all enemies around him. He had truly lost this round. And the consequences were extremely unreasonable. But there he stood, accepting the consequences now without any further struggles. The soldiers began to zero in on him, like hawks centering around an easy target. Each soldier ready to lash at him and complete his punishment with more cruelty and pleasure. His light blond hair was now a dusty brown from all the soil that collected on him. His fair skin was mottled with his own crusted blood, evidence of his fleeting, but courageous struggle for his own justice. And the piece of shirt that precariously hung on his hips appeared loose and paper thin, allowing the entire vampire race a rare chance to play the role of a Peeping Tom. I didn't think anyone in the Coliseum would deny the anticipation of seeing for themselves the nude body that lay beneath that unwanted piece of cloth. And I was ashamed to admit that my heart too swelled with that anticipation. I slowly turned to face the other Boys as a last ditch effort to repress that desire, but I was shocked when I saw that they too wore the face of an expectant voyeur. I realized something that day. No matter how virtuous and civilized we may look, the inherent beasts were still within us, controlling our very emotions and desires. Our morals hadn't just decayed on that one single day. Rather, Nick had unintentionally unmasked an already decadent race. Perhaps us vampires truly represent the fundamental instincts of life--aggression, sexuality and insatiable hunger--in a boldly honest way. PART SEVEN Nothing would ever wash our hands of the sins we had committed that day to the one soul who deserved it the least. After the torture was complete, they tied Nick's naked body to a giant pole, high above the stadium hundreds of feet into the air. The sun slowly burned into his delicate skin as the royal family continued their agenda. But no one was listening to the Sons nor even the Goddess Mother herself when she started to speak again. Only one creature caught the vampires' attention that day . . . the Prince of the Almans! Prince . . . Nick was actually a Prince. All I remembered were stories of glory and magic. I never recalled a folklore with this kind of sick, twisted, dark ending. "We shall now end the ceremony with the crowning of my eldest Son, Vladimir! May he bring upon our race victory and wisdom," the Goddess Mother announced in her eerie voice. I had to choke back my disgust at her statement. What wisdom could he possibly have when his mind is filled with sick torture strategies for someone who was defenseless against him? The fanfare began again . . . this time with the crowds screaming twice as loud as before, perhaps their fire rekindled by the fact that Nick was strapped mercilessly to that pole. My mind raced liked thunder, thinking, plotting. But within seconds, I stood up. It was a strange feeling that consumed me, strange and enlightening. I deftly flew to the stadium down to the pole where they strapped Nick's body. To my surprise, I was so quick that not even the guards got to me before I stood my ground below the pole that carried Nick's body. I looked up to the royal family in defiance. The crowds suddenly hushed in silence at my move, wondering what the hell I was doing. I gazed intently at the royal family and raised my voice. "You have executed his punishment. And so you have celebrated your victory. Do not ruin this day by prolonging this punishment. Let the Alman Prince in my care." I was glad that my voice did not betray the sadness and disdain I held within. I waited for the answer. But before the royal family responded, I heard the crowds roar again. "Hey, how come he could ask for that and I couldn't?" "That's not fair. Leave the Alman Prince in my care," cried a wretched female vampire. "I say burn that oafish thing!" cried out an old vampire. "We must feed him to the Gringe Monster! He would be good fodder!" cried a haggard old woman vampire. "I say he'd make a fine meal for our heroic vampires!" cried a young male vampire, who drooled as he said that. "DAMN YOU ALL!" I heard. It was my voice crying in fury. Again, I managed to miraculously silence this sickening crowd. "You've had your share of your sick entertainment. This is not a savage orgy! We're a race that so many people actually find mystical. Yet I don't see anything so noble in what we have done today." I was getting too angry to say anything. I didn't want to say anymore. I quickly looked up and gauged the distance between Nick and the ground and began climbing the pole furiously. Within ten big pulls, I was by Nick's side, ripping off the ropes that held his delicate body dangling. I slipped one arm around his waist and placed him on my hips. I turned to gaze into his lavender eyes, only to see an expression I could not fathom. He did not cling to me. He let his hands rest beside his body. I wanted to cry, but was afraid to choke it all out. I didn't know what to tell him. As if beyond reason, I turned to face him and leaned in for a gentle chaste kiss on his lips. It was the only way I could think of to reassure him that I was on his side. But he only turned his face to look at the pole, perhaps finding it a lot more intriguing than my face at the moment. I didn't mind. I slowly climbed down the pole, never once diverting my eyes from his soiled face. We made it to the ground without any problems. By now, the soldiers had formed a circle around the pole, eager to fight. But at that moment, Vladimir hushed the crowds and beckoned the soldiers to leave me alone. The stadium became silent as all eyes rested on Nick's soiled body that I held so gently in my arms. I made my exit with suppressed anger. I heard footsteps behind me closely. But they didn't belong to AJ, Howie or Kevin. Strange. I stopped in my tracks and turned around, still holding on to Nick's body with both of my arms, his barren skin pressed hard against my clothes. "So you've brashly defied the royal family," Vincent smiled sinisterly. "Not so smart, yet not too stupid." I let my fury slide because my soul goal was to get Nick back to the hotel safely. Vincent was an obstacle I could do without. "I couldn't say the same for you. You're just plain stupid." Vincent snarled viciously. "You want to take Nickolas, but you forget who really owns him." This was ridiculous. Nick? Being owned? I snorted and turned around. This conversation sickened me. I felt Nick shudder against my body and realized that up till now, he was still unclothed. However, I didn't want to release my grip on him, so I merely held him tighter, pushing his body into mine. "Do not force me to use black magic to retrieve his body from you," Vincent cried out venomously. I whipped around in fury. "If you wanted him so bad, why didn't you stand up to the royal family? Why wait until I did something? You don't deserve to take him home!" Before I knew to duck, a wave of deadly energy hit me square on the jaw, forcing me and Nick to part. Both of us landed with a terrible thump. I didn't mind the pain, but I was infuriated that Nick was hurt in the process. I summoned my innermost rage, not really sure where that would get me, but I was desperate to try something. To my surprise, a bolt of lightning escaped my fingertips and took Vincent by surprise, knocking him down to the dirt and nearly making him unconscious. I quickly made my way to Nick, only to see his lavender eyes widening in confusion. "Brian?" he asked weakly. I smiled excitedly. "Nick! You're okay?" Stupid question, but I needed to keep him talking. He blushed wildly at his nude state. That was when I heard AJ's and Kevin's voice screaming madly. "RUN!!!!!" I looked up in horror to see an entire mob racing towards me and Nick. I gulped nervously before running up to Nick and pulling him in the direction of the gates of Sangria. We ran as if each breath were our last. I tried to use my levitation powers and thankfully, it worked. Before long, we were nearing the gates, Nick's hand grossly entwined in mine. I gave him a gentle squeeze before we bursted out of the gates of Sangria and into the forest, all the while not realizing that AJ, Kevin and Howie were right behind us, giving us the extra burst of energy. We ran for about one minute when I realized that the mob did not follow us out the gates. Funny. They were so gungho about following us. What made them change their minds? ******************* After what felt like a day, we all made it to a hidden cave, buried under a huge forest. The winds started to settle a little, but the cold seeped into the atmosphere pretty fast. I looked at Nick and saw his skin crawling with goosebumps. Before I could offer him my shirt, Kevin had offered Nick his jacket, making me rather envious as Nick grabbed it gratefully. "Thanks," Nick whispered before turning around and placing the jacket around his waist. I tried my best not to stare, but my will was as strong as a flimsy leaf. I stared. "So, are ya hungry?" Howie asked uncomfortably. "What do you think?" AJ mumbled in reply. At this moment, Nick swallowed and offered his blood. "If you guys are hungry, you can try to drink some of mine." All of us stared hungrily at his neck, but none of us budged. "Uh, maybe we shouldn't. We can go hunting!" Kevin suggested. "Uh, yeah, hunting," AJ replied disappointedly. I guess he wanted to taste Nick badly. I didn't though. Nick was exhausted. He needed to recover. We had to get him something to eat. "Why don't we go ahead and hunt," I took the initiative. Nick nodded and was about to head out of the cave when I held him back. "Woah there, bud. You're staying in here where it's safe. The rest of us will go." "But shouldn't someone look after him?" Howie asked. Kevin looked at me. "Why don't you, Brian. The rest of us can handle this." I nodded gratefully. "Thanks guys." I was not going to fight that decision. I quickly urged Nick to sit back in the cave while the others left. We sat in silence for quite a while as I pondered something intelligent or touching to say. My mind drew a blank. "Thanks," Nick whispered. I hung my head in shame. "I'm sorry about what happened today. I know it probably doesn't mean much to you now, but I truly . . . " "Don't." Nick's voice suddenly became eerie. "Don't apologize for them. I don't want to hear it." My tongue froze as I felt Nick's anger deeply. I was actually afraid of him at that moment. Nick sighed and tried to find a more comfortable position. "I'm just tired today." I failed to respond to his statement and the silence pervaded the atmosphere. Nick looked at me with a hurt expression. "You seem a little distant." I cringed at his choice of words. "Same to you." "Listen, Brian. You . . . should be careful. Your people should not try to taunt the Almans any further. I don't think that a bloodbath will solve anything." Nick's voice was quiet, lulling. I raised my face sharply to peer at his eyes, only to see an unreadable face. "It's a war that I have no control over. I guess we can only blame it on our ancestors." Nick became quiet all of a sudden. I felt my hairs stand on end. We had never had problems carrying a conversation before. So what had changed? Nick looked at me, as if analyzing every wrinkle on my face. Then, in his soft-spoken voice, he said, "Your race dwells on the past too much." I opened my mouth, but held my tongue. In a way, I wanted to argue with him. It was a nationalism thing. But I thought about what he had gone through today and felt too undeserving to counter it. Instead, I changed the subject. "So why have you killed so many of our kind? They don't call you the soul-snatchers for nothing. Tell me why and how you ruined them!" Nick sighed. "I need to defend myself. There is no other way." I looked at him, a little more critically than I had wanted. "But you lured them in the first place, and then you kill them for approaching you?" I was sorry the moment those words escaped my mouth. I waited for Nick's response nervously. He stared at me nervously. "I never intended to lure anyone. I . . . " "Nick, don't explain. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. I just don't know why we have to be enemies." Nick suddenly looked up, rather startled. "I didn't think we were to that point yet. We aren't enemies, are we?" I had to pause to think. "No, we aren't," I mumbled weakly. The silence was overwhelming by now. I sensed the fragility in Nick's spirit now, the uncertainty. Nick looked at me cautiously, as if disturbed by my subtle invasion of his mind. "So what are you planning to do now?" I asked, trying to break up the tension. "I'm at your mercy," Nick said softly, his voice sounding like he had surrendered already. "You know that's not true," I urged. Nick gazed into my eyes, as if challenging me. "Then I will go back home." I stared at him sadly. That's right. He had to go back to the Almans, had to warn them to prepare for a nasty bloodbath so that they could kill all the vampires in return. Or maybe, I could convert him . . . make him fall in love with me . . . make him love the vampire race as his own. Why not? He already had our blood running through his veins. He was now a hybrid. How could his people accept him now, knowing that we planted our seed in him? I walked over to sit closer to him. I let my hands slide up his thigh until they found his hands resting comfortably on his lap. I had to seduce him. I needed him to love me. Maybe then, we could change from being enemies to friends. I pulled his hands until they were millimeters from my lips and I kissed them ever so gently. He smelled so good. I hungered for his blood so bad, but I didn't let my fangs dig into his soiled skin. "Then I will go with you." Nick quickly pulled his arm away. "Why?" Why? What did that mean? I quickly looked at his face, only to see the expression of a young boy who did not know the power of his attractiveness. Every inch of his body was crying out to be touched, yet he was completely ignorant of it. Huh. Typical teenager. Clueless. Blonde. Just because he was Alman prince didn't mean that he was sharp. "I want to be with you. Nick . . . I like you a lot." I didn't want to say love and scare his already violated body away from me. "What about Kevin, Howie and AJ?" Nick bit his lip uncertainly. "I'll leave it up to them. But seeing as they also kinda helped me rescue you, they're probably banished from Sangria as well." I thought he was going to jump up and run away from me, but instead, he had a small smile on his face. "You might regret this some day." I smirked. "Well, that some day is not today." Nick simply stared into the fire. "When that day comes, I'll remind you of what you said today." I felt my heart skip a few beats. Something about the way he said that line made my skin crawl. "You're scaring me." Nick smiled. "I have every intention of scaring you. You're no longer living in a sheltered world, Brian." Then, Nick's expression saddened. "You'd wish your parents were here to help you out, to show you some love." I tried to hug Nick, realizing that our vampire race had pretty much destroyed his confidence, his modesty. I felt him shiver under my embrace. Why did he have to suffer so much more than anybody else? I felt something hot on my skin as I realized that Nick's tears were falling freely onto my body. I was scared, scared that he would lose his mind. I gently pulled him back. "Nick, back at the stadium, you . . . said something about your people, that we would wait a long time for your people's punishment. What did you mean by that?" Nick looked at me with an emotion that I couldn't fathom. "Do you think that by having the royal family completely humiliate me that my parents will come and save me? Brian, they have took my virginity away. They stole my wholeness. Plus, I now carry the blood of a vampire. The penalty for converting is eternal torture!" I swallowed, afraid to even ask what kind of torture was in store for him. "Then, what did you mean when you said that you're going home?" Nick's expression softened. "Back to the U.S., back to where we had a fun life! I mean I don't have to sing again. I'll be content to just go back to my home in Florida. And I must do that before word of my rape gets back to my people. They'll be furious with me once they've found out." I had to stop him. "How do you know your parents will try to hurt you. They're probably worried about you." Nick's eyes changed from their nice lavender to a mysterious gray. "Instinct." I knew he was lying! I could tell by the waver in his voice. He was holding something back, but I couldn't tell why. "So you wanna go back home, huh?" I repeated stupidly. Nick nodded his head. "I thought I could change the stars, thought I could change my fate. I believed that if I wanted a normal life enough, that I would get it. I never wanted it to be this way, Brian. But it's starting to happen all over again." "What's starting to happen?" I asked nervously. Nick looked at me sharply. "The next big step in evolution. Everything happens in a step-wise manner. A catastrophe occurs, and then we adapt. That's what defines Earth." I started to shudder, wishing that Nick was only being delusional. "So . . . something bad is going to happen soon?" Nick suddenly leaned into me, his head resting on my shoulders. "Brian?" he whispered. "Will you always remember me this way?" He snaked his arms around my waist. "Nick!" I chuckled. "I'm always going to love you!" But then, I thought about what he said and frowned. "You're not going to die!" "No." Nick answered disappointedly. "Unfortunately not." With that, he pulled away leaving me in utter confusion. His eyes became a purposeful emerald this time, which made my muscles start to twitch, especially in my groin area. What kind of an effect was he having on me? "So . . . ummmm . . . when do we leave this place?" I asked timidly, trying to hide the lust that was surfacing in my mind. It was as if Nick could turn on and off sexuality like turning a light switch on and off. "Once the others get back," Nick answered absentmindedly. But then, he looked at me carefully, and said, "Oh, sorry." His eyes turned from an emerald to a lavender again, and the intense horniness that I felt went away, only to be replaced by a strong desire to touch him. "What just happened?" I asked him. He looked at me sheepishly. "Apparently, my body produces an aura that evokes lust in the people around me. It just takes a lot of energy to suppress that aura. Sorry about that." "So when your eyes changes colors, that's what that means?" I asked, really confused now. Nick shook his head. "No, the change in my eye color means something different. No, I usually am able to suppress the aura, but when I lose my focus, I sometimes, forget . . . and you know . . . " Nick blushed. "Well, I don't think you're suppressing your aura enough," I said as I embarrassingly look down at my raging, throbbing proof of my lust. Nick blushed even more and looked another way. I wanted relief. As inappropriate as it may sound, I wanted him to do that relieving. But before I had the chance to vocalize my innermost desires, he walked to the opening of the cave and muttered, "I'll give you some privacy." I stared in total disbelief at his immaturity! How could he? This was an outrage. Was he not sensitive to all of this? Did he just walk out on me? But then, I became more rational. I knew I couldn't rush into an intimate relationship with him too soon. He was too fragile. But I couldn't help thinking that maybe, once he's recovered from all of this, that he would one day accept my love. I smiled, thinking that in a way, his action was cute, naive, simplistic. Funny. In all the years I've known him, I've never seen him in such a different light. BACK NEXT |
| Heir To The Darkness |