Augusta Fern's Blog - Posts Tagged "hunting"

“It’s like the single largest vampire buffet in Louisiana.” Estella joked, but I felt the tension rise and in the direction of where Sophia and I met initially. She knew what was to take place now; she was wringing her hands and breathing heavily. She knows that if any sort of battle is to take place, she will be the tool Madliene uses. I turned to look up the balcony stairs, where Madliene could be seen pompously observing the feast she had displayed. She caught my stare and nodded to me before casting her gaze to the West corridor, where an iron gate had been installed since I was last here. I nudged Estella to the west and as I thought she hadn’t known of the gate. Estella and I both looked back to the balcony and were promptly beckoned to the Queen’s side with a wave of her hand.
Reluctantly Estella and I played the part of loyal subjects and on the way up I whispered to her that the possibility of the creature being caught is already accomplished and this is the exercise to see how well the animal can behave, the gate was the dead giveaway.

“My dearest Estella and Cian! Come and treat with me, Xavier and my new friend….?” She waved her hand toward a scared young girl who fearfully told us her name was, “Beth.”

“Ah, yes, Beth! I am so enamored with you tonight my dear,” she says to the poor frightened girl, “ it’s going to be an exciting evening and I am fondly looking forward to the festivities, aren’t you, Beth?” She said sliding a bone finger under the girl’s quivering chin. Madliene is looking up at the girl like she was the Queen’s long lost Mother before jumping up at the sight of Keane’s arrival.

She ran to the edge of the staircase shot her slender arm into the air calling for him to of course join her wonderful party. He nodded to her and then looked to me tilting his head toward the West corridor; I quickly acknowledged that I was aware of the newly added gate. He made a gesture indicating he was going to take a closer look, when I raised an eye to hinder him from making such a mistake.
On the battlefield this way of communication can be extremely helpful when trying to conceal your location. Keane and I had had enough practice at this that we were basically in each other’s mind when doing so. He was finally making his way through the sea of humans, also observing that he was the only vampire male on the floor his pace quickened, almost reaching the staircase, he was grabbed by a thin flamboyant man with a black net shirt and tight leathers.

His fingerless gloves dressed the brightly painted finger nailed appendage, which was at the moment caressing Keane’s rugged face. I couldn’t help but snicker to myself a bit. But Keane is a smooth one and simply brushed the sticky black hair from the man’s face and just from the mere touch of Keane the man’s knees began to weaken. That is until Keane nailed his coffin by turning the man away from the eyes of the other patrons nuzzling into the man’s neck, sinking his teeth in to feed.

Upon the little man’s extinguishing and a snap of the fingers from the Queen; Damien was there to drag the body away before anyone was the wiser. Keane licked his fingers upon his ascent like he had just eaten a plate of fried chicken, “Mmm, smoky, a hint of cannabis I think.”

All of us, except scared little Beth, smiled at the joke. Madliene expressing the most enjoyment, laughed manically before addressing the crowd below her.
“Good Evening everyone!” she called out to the conglomerate.

“Good Evening Queen Madliene!” the roar from the humans below was deafening.

“I have a wonderful surprise for you all.” And she paused, smiling devilishly at them. “You are all going to die tonight!”

A silence fell before the people who looked around at each other for reassurance, and then the eruption of glorious adoration for the majestic being holding court high above them rang through the club. I turned to Estella simply shaking my head at the pathetic ignorance. Madliene gestured to Damien and Romeo who instantly abided her, locking the entrance door. The sounds of the locks rang clear and as adoration became panic I noticed the West corridor gate was open the space behind it black and impenetrable.

Not even the gift of vampire sight could decipher what lay behind that blackness. The house lights fell and the music beat away any sound other than blood curdling screams. From then we all stared as an unseen force tore through the crowd, splaying decapitated heads and limbs as it fed. Torn clothes flew about the club like a tornado of Goth attire while a sparkling heel caught the light as it flew up over the balcony railing forcing Estella to duck for cover.

It wasn’t ten minutes before all noise ceased. No more screams or gurgling of throats and the perpetrator of the fray was missing. I raced to the railing looking over and down, from the west corridor to the east and then to the haven doors.

“Keane, you with me?” I said as I raced down the staircase toward the broken Haven doors.

“Aye, behind you.” Keane called as I reached the last step.

“I’m coming too,” Estella called, her heels clicking down each step “Soph...” she called before looking back up to the balcony for the Queen’s permission, which was granted after a long angry look from Madliene.

Sophia followed Estella meeting Keane and I at the top of the stone staircase leading to the havens. Estella and Sophia, being the most familiar with the layout of the interior and exterior corridors broke us off, she and Keane went east along the interior and Sophia and I would go west along the exterior. As it seemed like a lost cause for Sophia and me, we returned to the area outside of Estella’s chamber. I felt a twinge of pain coming from the other side of the carved door.

“Call Estella…” I began to say before she and Keane appeared behind us.

“Don’t bother, I saw it…go inside.” Estella said as she nodded toward the door. We all stood staring at the lock as Estella produced the key, sliding the long iron trinket inside turning it to free the wood from its bonds. Estella had, while exploring the west corridor read the immediate energy of the creature, following it to her own home.
“It came through here…” her words trailing off.

“What is it Estella?” I asked.

“It’s…..one of us….” She said disgustingly.

“What do you mean, “one of…us?” Sophia inquired.

“I mean, while he ran through the corridor he was muttering to himself about a woman, maybe Madliene, maybe Babet? He kept asking, “Why?””

“What did he say exactly?”

She closed her eyes, turning her head away from a vision in her mind. Her body began to slump, one arm hanging lower than the other, her fingers forming claws, “Why did they do this? Where is she?” over and over again. We all observed as Estella’s vision faded, her posture returned and her eyes cleared. She pushed open the heavy door, swiftly walking toward her dressing screen.
“Estella, wait.” But before the words left my lips she disappeared behind it. Over the top edge we could see her push back the long tapestry hanging behind the screen. Behind the tapestry an arched stone doorway whose blackness enveloped Estella as she passed under it. Waiting we looked to one another for some sign or sound from Estella then a soft screech came from the darkness and we all started to dart through when she emerged dragging behind her, the creature.

Its body is mangled with multiple bite marks and burns. It lay on the floor at Estella’s feet in a fetal position as if it was expecting us to annihilate it, which wasn’t the case when it began to laugh. And speak.

“You won’t hurt me,” it whispered and it was apparent that at one time it was a man. His head was down but we all could hear his next words very clearly, “not your own brother.” The word echoed my ears and I felt a familiarity about him other than our encounter in the Quarter. I pondered this until my thoughts were interrupted by Sophia’s eerily sweet voice.

She crouched to meet his gaze, stared into his open eye; the other had been badly scarred and no longer opened as a result. She stared into him silently; she then picked herself up from the floor, brandishing the iron knuckles, gaining the momentum to strike him unexpectedly, “Your kind does not relate to me.” She said before spitting in his face. “Call Damien, get him out of here, his flesh disgusts me.” Sophia had never expressed such hate toward anyone or anything, unless provoked by the Queen, which since she was not in the vicinity of the Queen, is impossible.

The creature is rendered unconscious, his body slapping the stone floor and without word to any of us, Sophia turned and left Estella’s chamber. We all stood a little dumbfounded by what just occurred and before anyone could speak I made a brass suggestion.

“I think we need a trip to the swamp.” I look to Estella, her face turning sour at the thought of it.

“Cian, he’s vampire, of some kind and sure to survive a gator attack.” She stated; her tone obvious.

“Not what I meant Estella, not what I meant at all. I think it’s time Keane met Penelope.”

Estella’s reaction wasn’t an agreeable one, but she knew I was right. “Okay, but what are we going to do with this?” she said pointing to the mass of twisted flesh and bone lying unconscious on her chamber floor.

“Where does Madliene keep the not so welcome guests?” Keane said jokingly yet with great inquisition, placing this thumb and index finger around his chin.

“On the lowest level, the hall opposite the wine cellar is gated cells, we can place him there. Should we provide a meal, lest he wake? Oh that’s right, he just slaughtered an entire hall of humans, he’s good.” Estella really had a knack for speaking when she so desired.

“Do it.” I say to Estella, who doesn’t seem too happy to oblige. “We’ll meet you outside.”

http://www.amazon.com/Revelations-Cia...