Fraudulent Affinity

Chapter 17: Fraudulent Affinity1

“I know about you and the Faye,” said Darius quietly, eyes cast downward. “You surely did not think your displays of affection would go unnoticed.2

Romericco put his head to his knees, his mind racing. Darius’s eyes were dark, ashen, his lips pursed in anger. 3

“You nee not be a part of this,” Romericco answered in a low rumble.4

Darius’s temper rose. “If that was not your intention, why did you not conceal it? In fact why would you do this in the first place? Damn what you want. I am apart of this now, and you will not keep me from it,” He said, teeth clenched in rage.5

“Then you can help us brother!” Romericco cried, his head up, hands gripping Darius’s coat, his eyes shining with hope.6

Darius jerked away, the fire rising in his eyes. “I am NOT your brother!” He cried, nostrils flared. “No brother of mine would silently seek to murder me! It’s her! It is that obscene lust for her that grows within your breast! You condemn us!”7

Darius reached within his coat and pulled out his dagger. He grabbed the scruff of Romericco’s shirt and pulled him to it, death sparkling in his eyes.8

“You see this? You know what this is, don’t you? One of six identical blades pulled from the belly of a Hydra. Infused with gorgon venom! You see it? It will be the last thing you ever lay your mutinous eyes on! You toy with our lives! I will not let you forsake those whom you have no supremacy over. I end this now!” Darius had the blade poised over Romericco’s chest. As it came down like a viper, Romericco twisted from his grip, and forced him to the ground breathless, while the dagger flew out of his hands. Romericco caught it and held it over Darius as he squirmed over on his back.9

“Please…you must listen…I will not let you perish because of me,” Romericco said, his eyes soft. “You must trust me…I beg of you…”10

Darius gulped down hot tears as his expression melted.11

“Are you with me?” Romericco asked flipping the blade around so that he held the blade carefully, the hilt at Darius’s eyes.12

Darius sighed, and took his blade back from Romericco. “I’m with you, though you are a fool of a vampire.”13

“Thank you my friend” said Romericco putting a hand on his shoulder.14

“My dear friend, it is out of this sadistic kinship that I don’t cut your throat on the spot. You really are a terrible vampire.” Darius said.15

Romericco grinned and slapped Darius on the back. “That I am.”16

“So what’s this girl’s name? You really must be taken with this one if you’re risking both of our necks for her.”17

“Mikhaia Arcadia Demitrius Greenwood”. 18

“That a family name I suppose?”19

“She’s a princess.”20

Darius’s eyes widened. “What? A princess? Do you realize what this means?”21

“Yeah. Her family lives near by.”22

“Would she show you where it is?” Asked Darius curiously.23

“What are you implying?”24

“Well” Said Darius. “The Queen hasn’t seen this princess yet. If you could abduct another Faye, and pass her off as the princess.”25

“I couldn’t do that Darius! This is here people we are talking about! I can’t kill anyone she holds dear!”26

“Romericco, it is either this or death.”27

Romericco went silent, his mind racing and searching for another topic. Just so Darius would stop looking at him that way…28

“So your love, the wolf child, how are you both doing?”29

“The secrecy is agonizing to us. Esmerelda can only see me when she is out with her pack, and out of her Shaman’s glance.”30

“You can’t keep this up forever…what are you going to do when it is time for her to choose a mate?”31

Darius stood silent for a minute. “I didn’t want to tell you this Romericco, but we have a plan.”32

Romericco raised his eyebrow.33

“We plan to run. Leave this country entirely. I hear the laws in America are less strict.”34

“Run? When? How?”35

“I can’t say. It could happen any day. If I am gone one night though, do not say anything to the Queen. It will be days before she will be able to find where we have gone.”36

“I swear I won’t tell.”37

“She and I both are counting on you to find a way to keep us alive. You and I both know if the Queen doesn’t get her sacrifice, we don’t get our lives.”38

Romericco nodded, his eyes glazed over.39

“You’ve been losing sleep over this haven’t you” Asked Darius.40

He nodded, and rubbed his eyes.41

“Well then, it is early. I suggest you sleep. I already see the moon dying. You look exhausted.”42

Darius exited in a trail through the forest that led him where even Romericco didn’t know. Yawning, Romericco got up and went to his hut, just making it before the first rays of light stretched above the horizon. 43

Demitri was sleeping when Romericco entered, her hands at her side, a book open in front of her. Romericco strode to the Faye sleeping on the hearth, and kissed her forehead delicately. Honey danced across his lips as he went to his small cot, pulled the covers over his head, and went to sleep.44

Romericco’s eyes drifted over the horizon. It was full of golds and purples, and a blood red rim circled the sun. He saw his brothers out the window ushering the horses back into the stable, preparing for the night. His eyes were heavy like the soft velvet of the curtains covering his four-poster bed. Drifting off into the sunset, he lie down on his bed, and shut his eyes. 45

His peaceful sleep only lasted until the moon’s welcoming face was taking its place in the sky. In a second he was pulled from his welcoming blankets from warming bliss and plunged into cold and stinging pain. He gasped for breath as he heard a solid bolt of pain sink into his chest. He was only partly aware of his surroundings. He could hear many things. In the hall, he heard a woman’s scream then a swift motion of air, and finally a slump that hit the stone floor and echoed. The voices finally grew near.46

“Is that the last of them?”47

“Two on the first floor, six on the third. And then some servants. Probably aided them in their offerings to Satan.”48

“Did they find the demon girl?”49

“No, she probably escaped. Vanished into thin air.”50

“At least we’ve sent the rest of them to hell where they belong.”51

The voices echoed down the hall until there was silence. The air reeked of dead flesh and ransacked lives. The pain in Romericco’s chest grew with each passing moment. Questions flooded his mind. Who had those people been? What had happened? Why were there strangers in his house?52

It was then he heard a great noise from outside. Then a man’s voice echoed through the rancid night.53

“The demons have been slain! Rejoice, for Christ has paid his vengeance!”54

A great cry came in response of what must have been the whole village. 55

Romericco groaned, his vision failing him. His last sight was of the crimson blood slathering his sheets, and the blade grossly protruding out of his chest.56

“Romericco! Romericco” A voice cried in his mind. It was Aletta, golden light surrounding her. An angel to guide him to heaven had come. 57

“Romericco wake up!” The light faded, and Romericco lifted his eyes slowly. Aletta was standing over him her eyes worried. 58

“Praises be to God! I thought I had lost you. Don’t speak, you are very weak. Romericco I can save you. Just do what I say and you will live. Do you want to be with me forever?”59

Romericco nodded, his eyes closing again.60

“Do what I will you to” she said, as Romericco plunged into darkness.61

A sharp poke in the ribs woke him. He opened his eyes to a dark cell in a dungeon. The dripping of iron pipes wracked his brain as he felt the cold damp stone floor under him. He looked up to see Aletta standing over him. Her robes were a deep red, and there was something different about his eyes. His body felt curiously different and his jaw ached with a burning.62

“Aletta?”63

She laughed, but not like she usually did. This laugh was cold and high pitched and it made Romericco shudder. “You fool” She said.64

“Who are you” Romericco asked astonished. “Where is my Aletta”.65

“My dear, the Arabian Nymph Aletta has been dead for nearly four years. I am Ursula, your sire and mistress.”66

“What? What are you saying? Aletta said we would live together forever.”67

“And you will my dear boy. Just not with Aletta. You are in my services for the next eternity.”68

“What are you talking about?”69

“You are a newborn vampire my dear. You serve I and only I. For I am the Daemon Queen, mother of all vampires.”70

Romericco stared dumbfounded, rage coursing through him. “Demon! Hell creature! You deceived me! You signed my name in the devil’s book!”71

Ursula laughed and turned, unlocking the door to the cell and stepping out. “Darius of Winged Daemons will be here soon to teach you about your new endowments.”72

As she walked into the darkness, Romericco noticed the chains tying him to the ground. In rage, he bellowed from the pit of his lungs and shook his chains. 73

“Barbaric, aren’t you” A voice said from the shadows. A figure with long brown hair stepped foreword, his eyebrows raised.74

Romericco stopped, and burst into tears. “My family…what has become of them…tell me!”75

The man sighed and said one word. “Dead.”76

Romericco wiped his tears and gave a great yell that echoed.77

“Come friend” The man said, unfastening the gate and kneeling next to Romericco. “The night is young. For I am Darius of Winged Daemons, here to bring you into life.”78