The Devil's Kiss (Chapter One)

Rome

Two Weeks Earlier

Chapter One

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched the coffin descend into the family crypt. The moon light reflected off of the dark glossy wood. The moonlit ceremony was solemn and tension was thick under the harvest moon.

A heaving sob came to my ears from behind my shoulder. I turned to see Aria, also clad in black, sobbing into a handkerchief. Her eyes were puffy and red even in the moonlight. I pulled her into my shoulder and let her cry. A girl of sixteen should not have to have this in her life.

I stroked Aria's hair and let my tears mingle with hers. As I rested my chin on her head I saw Maxim Trolie. The gruff looking man stood as a torch barer at the entrance to the tomb. He stood with a strong stance as if he was commanding every movement. His wavy hair was longer than an average man's and was allowed to hang loose at his shoulders.

He must have sensed my gaze for he looked up at me. I held eye contact with his striking blue eyes. Though those eyes seemed lifeless and unemotional at first, they softened the longer I looked into them until the were warm with compassion. At this point I had to turn away from the man that had caused this event.

The coffin bearers returned to the crypt door and pulled it close. Once the others had started to disperse Maxim turned to leave as well. I panicked as he left, there was so much I wanted to know about my father's death and this mysterious man knew the answers.

“Trolie!” I said in a hushed voice as I came up behind him. If he heard me he ignored it and kept walking. “Maxim Trolie!” I said louder and gripped his shoulder. He turned slowly and looked down at me. My heart momentarily stopped as I took in his intimidating figure.

As I stared right back into his eyes he raised an eyebrow and I came out of my trance and felt embarrassed. I swallowed and surged on with all of my questions that raced through my brain. “I want to know who...caused...my father's condition.” I said loosing my confidence because the thought was strange and brought pain with it.

“You mean who turned him into a vampire?” Maxim said in a gruff but firm voice. The statement brought a finality to the situation that I did not want to face. Tears stung the corners of my eyes again, but I did not loose my composure.

“Yes, do you know which one did it? Who...turned my father into a vampire?” I asked glancing back over my shoulder at the now vacant crypt. My breathing became harder and harder to control. Maxim's mouth twitched like he was annoyed that I might start blubbering again.

“Yes, She is a transylvanian vampire.” He started but I cut him off before he could utter another sentence.

“She?” I inquired. I had no idea there were female vampires, now that I looked at it I guess it made sense.

“Yes, I don't know which but I am sure she is one of Dracula's brides. She turned him about two months ago and I was called to destroy both of them about two weeks afterwards. As soon as she found out I was here she fled. I vanquished Troy and now I am going to back to those who sent me. Then I get the wonderful task of killing another monster.”

“How can you make a joke of this? My father is dead! You killed him because you and your people deemed him a monster.” My blood felt as if it was boiling. My chest heaved with anger.

“Your father was a monster, he killed thirty people in two months. That is above the amount that a normal vampire needs to consume. He was doing it for fun.” Maxim's calm but assertive voice rang through my mind. 'Thirty people in two months...monster...he was doing if for fun.' I looked at the ground. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks again.

Aria held my shoulders as she looked up at Maxim with a fire in her eyes that I have never seen before. “How dare you! Do you know how hard this has been on her? Our father obviously could not help him self. He has not been him self ever since Mother died, but this was different. He was no longer solemn or sweet but avid and angry. I have never seen my father as such. It tore Alison apart!”

At the mention of my name I looked up from Aria's shoulder. She was inches from Maxim's face and looked ready to kill. Maxim had not even flinched as she screamed in his face. “Aria, it had to be done.” I said coolly, not revealing the emotion on the surface.

“I apologize but as your sister addressed it had to be done.”He said as he addressed my sister. Maxim's calm voice could have been easily taken for indifference but I noticed not in his words but in his eyes that he sincerely looked apologetic but did not want to express it.

“Will you track her?” I asked hopefully. I wished with all my heart that the vampress payed for what she had done.

“It depends on what my superiors want me to do next.” He said in a too casual voice. My shoulders slumped. I wanted this demon to die and rot in hell. The anger boiled under my skin once again. “Dracula is not exactly our top priority right now. He and his brides don't kill more than they need and they don't attract too much attention normally. We concentrate on those that cause wide spread panic.”

“So are you saying that you don't care who die just as long as people don't know?” Aria asked with bite, her anger obviously not subsided.

“No, we care about all that die at the hands of evil. It is just more of a priority if they are causing mass panic which causes people to kill other people out of fear. Which intensifies the situation.” Maxim's eyes were stone cold and his tone reflected a kind of business mentality that unnerved me.

“I want her dead and I want to do it.” I said in little more than a hiss as I stared at the ground with clenched fists. I exhaled the cool fall air slowly. I looked up at Aria and her face reflected the same desire as the moon reflected in her deep brown eyes.

A light breeze took up the empty silence as Maxim considered my statement. Aria's white blond hair swayed with the wind and the contrast was startling against her black lace bodice. Her hair as straight as a stick was the total opposite of my tight black curls which blended in with my black bodice accompanied by a tight black lace corset.

“No.” Maxim said firmly, almost comically. He turned and walked with a determined gait into the shaded darkness of the wood behind him. Almost the leather clad figure disappeared into the darkness.