"Welcome back Mother, Uncle, and brother." the twins greet us as we enter the manor dressed in their current school's uniform. Adam's french braid hangs to his right side and Amethis' hair hangs freely with bellowing curls dancing around the lower collar of his navy blazer.
"How was school today, you two?" I ask while at the same time going in for a hug from both of them and kissing them on their cheeks.
"Ah…" Amethis breathes, "It was ok. Same routine."
Martheos begins to head for his study while Ahriman makes his way to the living room. The boys and I followed after him. Taking our seats facing each other, Ahriman pours himself a glass of whiskey and walks next to the fireplace where Lucian is waiting.
"So how are the tests results from our little experiment?" he asks us nonchalantly.
"All is well." Ahriman gives him an answer, "Most of the results are quite surprising…," he continues, "For instance," pausing he takes a sip of his drink, "the girl Marissa is now an EXACT copy of Kastiah instead of becoming something different like the Vampires."
"The effect of one bite and no exchange of blood is very interesting." Adam intercedes with an honest look upon his porcelain face.
"Yea," Amethis (Lucian 2nd) nods.
"So now we have two of them." Lucian states with a stern look. He peers down at his glass of water with lemon as though he is weighing his last words.
Adam lifts both brows. Amethis looks to the side and folds his arms as if refusing to speak.
"Yes...two of them…" I repeat.
"Should we move the girl out of the building away from Kastiah?" Lucian asks modestly.
"I think it would be prudent to do that. It will also serve as another test to see if separating them over great distances will have any kind of effect on one or the other." Ahriman replies, moving his glass in a small circle watching the whiskey inside swirl around.
"Maybe someone should send her to the other side of the planet to test the theory." Amethis suggests before taking a bite of the red apple that Sebastian just served to us.
"Hmm, that's not a bad idea." I agree, rubbing my chin with my left index and thumb fingers, glancing down in thought. "Seon Deuk." I call her in a moderate pitched voice.
On the other side of the manor she is training a few more new Zarit recruits. Hearing my call she comes immediately appearing in front of me in a flash.
"Greetings Masters." She greets everyone in the room bowing with one knee to the floor and her right fist to her chest.
"Greetings Seon Deuk." all of us say in unison.
"Seon Deuk, I would like for you to do something please." I start, "There is a girl by the name of Marissa at the Domenici building. Take her somewhere far from this country."
"Yes Mistress Harimah." Seon Deuk obeys and just as she says those words she is gone instantly to set off for her journey.
Upon returning a few hours later, she tells everyone that she has placed Marissa in a hole in the Serengeti.
"Good work Seon Deuk." Ahriman praises.
"Yes, nicely done." Martheos chimes in, having left his study to join us in the kitchen as we start to prepare dinner.
****
Waking up I look around not knowing where I am. I can't really see anything yet. My eyes still haven't adjusted to the darkness. As they start to adjust I hear a strange noise above my head. I look up to see a black bird perched on the rim of the hole that I now realize I am in. Our eyes meet, Hello. I hear a voice inside of my head. Hello, I reply. The black bird begins flapping its wings and descends down the long spiraling hole.
It didn't take me long to realize that it was the black bird, that I can now see is a crow, speaking to me. She lands on my left shoulder and looks at me.
Why are you in this hole, human?
I'm not sure. I think they are still testing me.
Do you need help getting out, human?
Just a little please. I'm still very weak from being drained of my blood.
Okay, I will call my family to help.
Thank you.
Not long after the first crow descended did a murder of crows appear flying above the small hole. One after the other the crows began their descent, each of them grabbing my arms, shoulders, legs, and thighs with their large claws. Flapping their wings we slowly begin to rise until we are finally at the top and out of the hole. As we rise I can see that the ground forming the hole is very smooth almost like hardened clay, I reach out to touch it and yes, it feels like smooth clay. I wonder how they formed such a hole?
Yes, this hole is very odd. Almost as though created with fire.
I jump a little. Hearing the crow's voice in my head. Did I speak to them? I didn't know. But the one that answered me has a monotone voice unlike the sweet high pitched voice of the female that came first.
Which one of you spoke? I ask curiously, looking from one to the other as they gently place me on my feet to the ground outside of the hole.
It was I. Says one of them. Landing on my outstretched arm is a black crow with a slightly silver feather above his right eye. I am Kalis. He introduces himself.
The others begin to introduce themselves to me one at a time. I learn that this murder of crows saw me being shoved by another woman deeply and hard into the ground creating that hole in the progress and then leaving me there.
After talking more with the crows I find out that I'm in the Serengeti! Thousands of miles from where I was moments ago. Was it only moments? I'm not sure how long I have been out much less how long I was in that hole.
Oh..,you have been down there for days sleeping. I watched you from the top of the hole after you were put there. I left for a little while to fetch some food. It was two days ago that I last ate. The one named Chai, that I met first told me after I asked her if she might know how long I had been down there.
Wow. I don't believe it! I reply. Just then I feel a sharp pain surge throughout my entire body! Grabbing my sides I collapse to my knees and groan loudly. What is wrong with me?! At the same time I start to hear my heart beating extremely loud as though it is right next to my ears. But wait….that isn't my heartbeat. Still on my knees I look around breathing wildly, my eyes moving at a speed unlike ever before. Then, I spot the heartbeat that I'm hearing. It is a teenage boy who looks to be from a tribe, hunting one of the gazelles that had been grazing not too far from us.
Before I realize it, the crows have him surrounded. The gazelle that he was hunting runs off quickly. Then within an instant I'm face to face with the boy. I can hear his heart beating even louder and faster than before. I start to feel my teeth elongate, all of them almost at one time are getting longer! The boy's face wrenches in fear! Lunging towards him I bite into his neck without mercy, chomping down viciously, I begin to feel the warm flow of his blood gushing into my mouth! Ahhh….this is so delicious! I'm feeling much better now!
We knew that this is the food you must eat. I hear Chai say.
Yes, when we saw how you looked at him. Swarta adds, We look at our food the same way.
I finish draining him of all of his blood. Releasing him, his body drops lifelessly to the ground.
Do you not eat the meat? Kalis asks me curiously, watching the body fall intently.
No. I have no need for his flesh.
Then may we eat him? Mala asks me.
Yes, do as you wish.
Almost simultaneously, the crows are on top of the body devouring every single bit of flesh. I want to turn away but I'm too entranced by their systematic pecking. The sounds of ripping and tearing flesh are all too vividly clinging to my ears. But for some reason, I feel the same thrill of watching and listening to them eat the flesh as I did when I drained him of blood.