The rhythmic sound of water drip, drip, dripping from the stalactites overhead into the vast underground lake echoed throughout the dark, damp cave. Emilian Marin woke with a start, confused by the sudden jolt to his senses. In all his six hundred years and his travels through his native Spain, Europe, and now England, he had never experienced this captivating emotion. He certainly had never been roused from such a deep sleep without cause, or an instinctual sense of imminent danger. He sat very still, closed his red eyes, and focused on the tempo of the dripping water, hoping to find the source that sparked such a reaction within him.
After only a few short moments of meditation, the sensation struck him like a bolt of lightning. A sweet, decadent aroma rode the breeze, as it circled and whistled over the rocky surfaces of the cave. It caressed his pale, alabaster skin, causing him to shiver with from the chill and goosebumps to rise upon his whole body. A sudden exhilaration filled his being. An uncontrollable need to possess and command the source of this aroma quickly overran the excitement—much like a dam full to the brim and fighting to keep the water contained.
Marin rose to his feet and quickly crossed the expanse of the cavern. The only thought on his mind was finding the source of his euphoria. He placed his palms against the massive boulder blocking the cave entrance, closed his eyes, and concentrated on locating and focusing the energy within his tensed, toned muscles. He called it forth and sent the energy into the palms of his hands. In opposition with his slim build, the immense structure rumbled and shifted, sending rocks, pebbles, and dirt raining down on him.
As the boulder began to move forward, the blinding silver light of day cut into the darkness. Marin’s right hand lit up with the white-hot shock of pain. He cried out, and quickly retreated to the shadows, holding his blistered and bloodied hand. He cursed at himself for allowing his emotions to distract him so completely.
The outcry and exclamation from Marin woke the others with a start. Emmaline Normandeau was at his side in an instant. She took his hand in hers and surveyed the damage the sun had done to him. “It is not too serious, but you need to allow me to mend it now, before the poison spreads,” Emmaline said soothingly in her thick French accent.
She led Marin quickly past the small group who had begun to gather— curious to see what the commotion was about—to the make-shift clinic on the edge of the underground lake. “Sit here while I collect some fresh water,” Emmaline said, as she picked up a pail and headed to the lake’s edge. She drew out some water, walked back to where Marin was seated, and then gently cleansed the severe burn by patting the area with a clean, wet cloth. “Lian, can you gather some fresh moss for a poultice?” Emmaline asked the small Chinese woman approaching them from the enquiring assembly of vampires.
Lian Fěnhóng sè gave the two a small bow, then turned and walked hurriedly toward the far side of the lake. It did not take her long to find a good patch of the damp moss. She was quite skilled in the apothecary profession, and even more so in the identification and proficient use of plants, roots, herbs, and other ingredients needed for healing and attribute enhancement. She had learned even more over the last few years from Emmaline, as she familiarized herself with the herbs and plants of the small continent of England. She hurried back to Marin and Emmaline, pausing a moment at the herb table to grab some dried red seaweed and some aloe fronds to add to the poultice.
Vampires rarely needed medical attention because of their seemingly boundless constitution, however, there were exceptions. Their kind was very cautious with showing weaknesses around those of other species, especially humans. Regrettably, the violent allergic reaction to sunlight that plagued much of the vampire race was impossible to hide from them. Humans contributed it to God’s punishment for the evil atrocities committed by the vampires. In actuality, the vampire virus caused a reaction within the body that changed its chemical make-up. Like their eyes that changed to red or violet due to the blood that seeped into their irises because of their diet, these new chemicals within their blood—when exposed to sunlight—become very volatile, and in some cases, combustible.
However, every vampire had a different chemical makeup, causing a varied reaction to the sun. Unfortunately for Marin, his reaction was among the most severe. Even with the wound located primarily on the back of his hand, the poison could easily spread throughout his body to make him extremely ill or even kill him. Had he been exposed further, he may have died, regardless.
Emmaline took the moss and other ingredients from Lian. “Thank you.” She laid the moss on top of a clean cloth, and put the seaweed in the mortar, grinding it into a powder with the pestle. She cut the aloe fronds open and scraped the pulp from them. She added it to the seaweed powder, and mixed it together, forming a paste. She looked sympathetically at Marin, her violet eyes conveying her apology, and spoke softly, “This will sting pretty badly, but it will help draw out the poison.”
Marin nodded his approval, and watched with gritted teeth, as Emmaline smeared the paste carefully over his wound. She, then, picked up the moss, and placed it over the burn, before bandaging his hand with pieces of clean, dry cloth. He took her hand in his, “I guess I should be glad that we heal quickly,” Marin said with a weak smile, then raised her hand to his lips, and kissed it gently.
Emmaline dusted the rock and dirt from his wavy black hair with her free hand. “Why would you do such a thing? You could have been killed, mon amour.”
His brows furrowed. “It is hard to explain. The scent of a human awakened me, and I was overcome by this insatiable need to find it. I have never felt anything like it.”
Lian’s quiet voice broke into his musings, “I have heard of this… lust for the blood of certain humans. It has been known to drive the… affected vampire into madness if it is not… satiated. You should be very wary of this… affliction.”
Marin grew rigid. “Explain.”
Lian rarely spoke to anyone outside of Ju-long, and often struggled with the vampiric dialect, so her pause was one born of awkward shyness and uncertainty in how to communicate further. She stepped closer to Marin and Emmaline, all too aware of the numerous eyes watching their exchange. “Ju-long and I have traveled many… continents?” She looked to Emmaline to ensure the word was the correct one, and when she received a quick nod from her, she continued, “It is very rare, but there are some humans who…” Her brow furrowed in frustration, as she searched her memory for the words she was looking for. She thought of switching to one of the human languages, but Marin always looked down on her for using them. “I cannot… I am… I need Ju-long.” Lian blushed deeply, as she stumbled over the words so quietly that Marin almost missed them.
He stood, grabbed her hand gently to reassure her, then stated quietly, “It is fine, Lian. He should be back from scouting soon, and then you can explain.” He was annoyed at the woman for her inability or lack of interest in learning their language—after all, she and Ju-long had been with them for two decades—but knew that many vampires from the Asian continent had difficulties speaking it. Ju-long was no exception, but he was outgoing and charismatic, whereas Lian was compulsively shy, whether by choice or condition.
Raised voices from the cave entrance turned everyone’s attention away from the exchange. More than one spectator instinctively dropped into a crouch and brought teeth and claws to bare, as they turned to face the unexpected company. They relaxed, as the voices registered in their minds.
Ju-long and Granger jogged into view, worry plastered across their faces. Granger was the first to speak, a tangle of curses spewing from his mouth, as he saw the group gathered in the center of the chamber. He scratched his bearded face, and spat, “What Doddypol left the bloody door open? We thought the shire reef had found you. Ju-long was ready to gnaw my arm off for keeping him from rushing head-long into the cave!”
Ju-long had reached Lian’s side before Granger could finish his tirade. He pulled her into a tight embrace, as he looked to Marin questioningly. “What has happened?”
Lian stepped away from Ju-long, drawing his attention, and began speaking in Cantonese, “Lán sè, Marin has experienced the Núyì. He asked me to explain, but I cannot speak the words in a way that he will understand. You must explain it to him.”
Lian grabbed Ju-long by the wrist, as he began to turn away. She saw the wary look on his handsome face when he turned back toward her. She took a deep breath and continued anyway, forcing herself to lock her lavender eyes on his red, as she released his wrist. “Lán sè, that embrace was inappropriate. You will refrain from such actions towards me.”
Ju-long tried to hide his wince but knew that she had seen it when she looked away ruefully. He sighed, and answered quietly, “Yes, Fěnhóng sè, if that is your wish. Please, accept my apology for the indiscretion.”
Ju-long quickly pushed the chagrin away and turned to face Marin. He spoke in Vampirese, as he explained, “It is called the Núyì by my people. Roughly translated, it means the Enslaving. It is extremely rare, but sometimes a human can have a drug-like effect on a vampire. Something in the content of their blood calls to them, and he will do whatever it takes to claim the human. Some become insane and have been known to slaughter entire towns and even their own kind in search of the one that entices them. Others have tried to imprison the human, draining them slowly to draw out the ecstasy the blood brings to them, but indulging leaves them vulnerable. They suffer from rage and paranoia, if they stay near the human—that is usually their undoing.”
Marin puzzled over the explanation, concern clear on his pale face. Murmurs from the other nine vampires watching the exchange did little to ease his tension. “I see…” He was quiet for a long moment, thinking of the incident, Ju-long’s words, and looking at his bandaged hand. “This creature must be destroyed. The draw to it was strong enough that I nearly walked into the light of the sun without thought. To allow it to live would be inviting my death, as I cannot control myself, when under its influence. We shall leave at sunset to hunt.”
“Marin, you should not go.” Emmaline was watching him closely, as she spoke. “If the human can influence you so from afar, it could be too dangerous for you to get close enough to kill it.”
Marin’s smile held little amusement, as he looked at his mate. “Dear Emma, I understand your concern. I have reservations of my own, however, I cannot allow my people to undertake this mission, while I wait in this cave. I must face this threat and overcome it.”
“Then, I will hunt at your side.” Her decided look and uncharacteristic frown left no room for argument.
Marin sighed, as he watched triumph replace the determination in her lavender eyes. She always knew when she had won the argument, even before he voiced the confirmation. “Very well, we will all hunt. The human dies tonight. How long before sunset?”
Granger’s wide smile and the waning light from the cave entrance was answer enough, but he voiced his thoughts anyway, “The sun has begun to set, even as we speak. Shall we take to the woods?”
The dozen eager people surged forth from the cave at Marin’s acknowledging nod. It had been a long while since they had all—excluding the five within their coven who were away on a supply run—hunted together. The thought of pleasing their leader by exsanguinating this troublesome human encouraged that eagerness. Unfortunately, the feeling quickly faded the farther they traveled toward the scent. The trees began to thin, and the group became ever more cautious. They all halted when Marin threw up his hand.
He called Granger and Ju-long forward, warily watching the surrounding forest. As soon as his scouts reached his side, he asked, “How far are The Guard?” He let the venom penetrate the name of the military detachment that patrolled this part of the forest.
“Not more than two miles,” Ju-long answered softly, not wanting his voice to carry back to the nervous group behind them.
Marin nodded grimly. “It would not be wise to continue with so many into their territory. We need to split up.” Those humans spent years training and studying to learn the art of killing their kind, and Marin was wary of bringing thirteen vampires into their midst.
Granger’s brow furrowed, then he stated indignantly, “Do not look at me, I will not leave your side, Marin!”
Ju-long opened his mouth to make a similar argument, but closed it again, as his gaze drifted toward Lian. As much as he wished to stay and help Marin, he could not justify leading Lian further into The Guard’s territory. It was far too dangerous. He also did not think he could face another night away from her right now, not after the scare he had experienced, as he returned from scouting. That displaced boulder had affected him more than he cared to admit. He could not lose her, and he was not ready to leave Marin and the coven.
Marin saw the turmoil there, and quickly ordered, “Ju-long, you will take most of our group and head southeast. We will meet up with you at the cave, just before dawn. Be careful, my friend. I do not wish The Guard to learn that such a large coven has settled so close to their doorstep.”
Eyes hooded and lips thin, Ju-long nodded and returned to the group. Marin watched him go, but called out, “Veronica, Granger, Sybil, and Emmaline, you are with me. The rest of you will go with Ju-long.” Without another word, Marin turned and ran out into the trees. All other thoughts and worries disappeared from his mind, as the wind blew the intoxicating scent—now so strong it was as if he could reach out and touch it—into his waiting nostrils. He would devour this human, he just had to find it before the others did.
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