Prologue
In this world it was blood for blood. My Lord might have been killed, his children slaughtered, but not his servants. The vampire hunters thought they could kill our Lord and scatter us like mice, they were wrong. Now it was time for them to scatter like mice.
Flames engulfed the school as the hunters raced towards it, the muffled screams of children could be heard from inside the building itself. Not hesitating to jump through the broken windows, the hunters became one with the flames.
Smiling to myself, I tightened my grip on the girl in my arms, blood smearing her face as I looked to my comrades. The children wrapped tightly in their arms were pale or scared stiff, mine was the only one still fighting.
Even with her blood drained from her body, she fought like a hunter's kid. With blue eyes sharp as glass as she watched the hunters fall for the distraction. Nodding to my comrades, I picked up the girl in my arms and ran for the tunnels. One by one, they followed, the children had all but accepted their fates.
Hitting the tunnels quietly and quickly, careful to avoid the cameras hiding in the corners. When the tunnels went pitch black, I knew we were going to escape with our prey. A fun suggestion to catch live prey had turned into a mission to steal what the hunters stole from us, time and time again.
The hunger for blood sang in my ears as we reached the tunnel's end, but air wasn't the only thing I smelled in our way. Another vampire was here, one that wasn't part of our plan.
"You have children." Her voice was smooth like honey, but caused a shiver to run down my spine. My sister was smarter than I'd suspected.
Turning a corner, I saw her blocking the exit, teeth glinting in the moonlight as she bared them at us. Bearing my fangs back at her, I continued my stride towards the exit. Releasing a warning glare as her red eyes locked on to the girl I was holding against my chest.
Giving me a warning glare of her own, she locked her gaze with mine. "She's younger than 10."
"She's 8," I corrected her.
"Cathirn had just turned five when she was taken from us." My sister's voice was steady as I stopped 5 feet away from her.
"How many did you take?" She asked quietly.
"Twelve. Eleven boys, and one girl." Grinning from ear to ear I watched her expression as she looked at the others we had taken.
Softing her eyes, she lowered her body to level with the girl in my arms. "I know I can't stop you from taking the rest, but give the girl to me."
Sneering at her suggestion, I bared my fangs at her once more. "Why? I'm the one that caught her, I should be the one to enjoy her."
Keeping her eyes locked with the girl in my arms, she reached out a hand, touching the two puncture marks on her neck. Switching from our vampiric tongue to english. Asking a question I couldn't understand.
Surprisingly, the girl relaxed in my arms, loosening my grip on her mouth, I let her speak.
The girl replied in a quiet, tired voice. My sister nodded as she kept speaking. My sister said something else to the girl, she nodded in response.
Rising to her feet, my sister's eyes found mine. "I know you won't release the boys, but give her to me."
Dropping my sneer, I released my grip on the girl. "If I find her by sunrise, she's mine." I warned my sister before shoving the girl into her. Wrapping her arms around her immediately, my sister picked her up carefully and ran into the distance.
"Run as far as you like, that girl is mine."
Three months later
The pale moon reflected off her left eye as I covered the right eye with a white cloth. It had been months since she had been taken from the city. The hunters had blocked off the tunnel that she came from, she was now my responsibility. Without me, my family would have drained her dry. Smiling to myself, I finished covering her eye and grabbed a brush from the floor. Long black hair covered her tiny head, making her blue eye stand out like silver in the moonlight. Catherine would have loved her as a sister, but Catherine was dead
It filled me with joy knowing that I'd be the one to raise her in Catherine's place. I had yet to give her a name, but I was thinking Lilith would fit her nicely.
The rumbling of her stomach made me pause, I forgot to feed her.
Putting the brush in her lap, I walked out the door and down the hall to where the human food was kept. Gathering a basket of fruit and cooked meat, then heading out the door, back to her room. Opening the door to find my brother pinning her to the chair, his mouth close to her throat. Her eyes meet mine in a panicked state.
Dropping the basket, I ran into him hard enough that he released his grip and fell down. Bearing my fangs at him. Jumping down from the chair, she ran behind me. Extending my fangs, I watched as he got up and smirked at me.
Bowing to me, he spoke. "I was just checking up on her health, nothing more, nothing less."
Snarling at him, I wrapped an arm around her. Lowering my voice so only he could hear what I was saying."You take more pleasure in pain, have you forgotten your promise?"
"I haven't, but my hunger grows when she bleeds." He sneered, bearing his fangs.
"She bleeds because of you, you make her bleed then blame it on her when her body can not heal." I corrected him, hardening my voice as he rose to his feet.
Shrugging his shoulders, he grinned past me, looking straight at her. "Then maybe you should turn her already. If she is to be the next Catherine, she needs to be a vampire, not a mortal."
Narrowing my eyes, I looked at him with disgust. "Not every mortal is a toy, some of them are to be valued."
His red eyes looked at me, then went wide as he looked back down at her. Following his gaze, I felt my heart fill with joy. She was bearing tiny, white fangs at him, her one blue eye turning a light shade of red.
Pulling back his gaze from her's, he met mine. "I never said that she would stay mortal, nor did I say I would turn her the traditional way." Smiling ear to ear, I turned and picked her up. Cradling her to my chest, turning to face my brother, but he had disappeared from the room.
"It's time for you to learn our language, walking out the door. I grabbed the basket off the floor, heading towards the library.
Three months later
"Yes, say it again!" Lilith had been picking up on the vampiric language faster than I thought she would have, she was almost fluent in it.
"My name is Lilith BloodRose, I belong to house Leviathan." Her remaining blue eye stared at the pages on the table. Lilith could read and write the Vampiric language. Her lust for blood had just started, but within a few years, no one would question her origin.
Nodding at Lilith, I gave her the bird I had caught earlier. Tearing at its flesh, she sank her tiny fangs into the bird's neck.
Looking at her with pride, I told her. "Drink your fill, next time I want you to catch your meal."
The bird's plump body started to get smaller as she drained it of its blood. Taking her mouth off of its neck when it was nothing but a skeleton with feathers.
"Now eat this, it will help satisfy your moral side." Pulling a red cherry from my pocket, I handed it over to her. Watching as she ate it with no hesitation, she would be ready to meet the counsel in a few days. Her time to join my family would be soon.
"Clean yourself up," I commanded, "You'll need to look your best when my father arrives ."
Bowing her head, she left for her room.
I started to clean up the scattered paper, but the presence of my brother interrupted my progress.
Continuing to clean up the table, I waited for a response. When I didn't get one, I commented. "You have something you wish to state, speak now or forever hold your tongue."
"If father rejects this girl, I will offer her as a sacrifice."
Calmly, I stacked everything neatly into a pile, and turned to face him. Flashing a false smile as I corrected him. "When father accepts her, she will join our house. I've given her a name, a promise that she will have a family that will welcome her. Not block her path like the hunters have." Folding my arms behind my back, I watched him narrow his eyes at my words.
"You have given her a name, that does not promise a place in our family for her. She was born a mortal, she will die as one." Without another word, he left. Closing the door with a thud behind him.
To present a mortal to a vampire lord was a day of celebration, a show of power amongst the houses. Walking away from the table I grabbed a dress from behind a bookshelf, I'd had hidden days prior.
Picking up the dress that was crafted for this very event. The chest piece was the color of blood that melted into gold, and finally faded into black towards the end of the dress. An eye patch was attached to the top of the dress, a red base with a black eye in the center, outlined by gold lacing.
Reaching her room, I smelled the rose water she was bathing in. Sitting down on her bed, I waited till she was done showering. Taking time to examine how clean her room always was, even when she had just arrived here. Whoever her parents were must miss her terribly, but I was her guardian now. Soon her family in the city would mean nothing to her, vampiric houses are more faithful than most family units found in the city. Lilith would become my sister within the month.
Calling out to Lilith when I heard her get out of the bath, I folded the dress into my arms and headed into the room she would be changing in.
The dress not only showed Lilith's strength, but beauty she would be adding into the family. It outlined her genetics she inherited from her parents. Despite her having one eye, she would bring great power to house Leviathan.
Clapping my hands, I grabbed Lilith's attention. "Do you like it?" I asked her, a smile on my face.
Nodding at me, she smiled back. "This dress gives traits your lord will like?"
"Yes, my father will see the impact you will create on house Leviathan. You will become my sister, I'm sure of it." Offering my hand, Lilith took it. Leading the way down to the ballroom, I felt my brother's gaze on us.
The stone windows showed the sunrise through their gaps. I stayed in the shadows as the sunlight threatened to meet my skin. But walking through the rays of light, Lilith's dress caught like fire in the sunrise.
With a pep in my step, I could hear the hushed tones of vampires. "House Bastalion and Valtor are arriving along with my father. Today is a day of celebration Lilith." I said, informing Lilith of the guests that were here to witness her ceremony.
Coming to the end of the hall, a great wooden door stopped us in our path. The two guards on the sides of the door stood at attention, waiting for my signal.
Looking at Lilith one last time, I saw that everything was in place. Her pale neck was exposed, her strong traits on display for every pureblood to see.
Glowing with pride, I saw her nerves starting to act up. "Ready Lilith, this is the moment you will become my sister, blood and all." I commented, trying to assure her, hoping it would calm her nerves. But she still seemed scared. She'll feel better when she meets my father, I'm sure of it.
Straightening myself, I nodded at the guards to open the doors. As they grabbed the doors, a scream broke the silence. More screams followed the first one.
In an instant the guards released the doors and locked them with Iron bolts on the top and bottom. Just as the last guard locked the last bolt in place, something slammed against the door.
Fear pulsed through my body as a long, silver blade pierced through the thick door.Blood covered the blade, a purebloods blood coated the sharp blade.
The guard took up defensive positions, taking the positions in between the doors and us. As the silver blade retracted from the door, the fresh scent of blood filled the air.
Humans and vampires sounded through the door. Each side screaming as they attacked one another. Spinning around, I grabbed Lilith, taking her into my arms and running. The second we reached Lilith's room on the fourth floor, the door on the first floor burst open.
The force of the doors hitting the wall echoed through the castle, I needed to get to Lilith out of here. But before we could leave, I needed to do the one thing I swore I wouldn't do, at least not until my father approved of her. But I refused to lose a sister once again..
Kickin open the door to her bedroom, I sat her down on her bed. We had a few minutes at most, but I needed only a few seconds. Ripping open her closet, I grabbed the red gem, it was slender but sharp. If I finished her transformation now, the hunter could do nothing to stop it. She would become my sister, regardless of my fathers approval.
Turning to face her, Lilith looked terrified. Her one blue eye wide in fear and shock. "Lilith, it's going to be okay," Taking long strides towards her, I sat down by her side. Setting the red gem above her heart. "It's time, my father may not be here to accept you. but I'm here to accept you, and I do wholeheartedly." Taking her hand in mine. In less than a second, I flipped the crystal in my hand, The sharp end pointing to her heart. Pushing it into her heart with all my strength.
Her gasping breaths made my heart ache. This process was supposed to be slow and steady, but we didn't have time for that. Holding her hand tightly, I removed my hand from her chest and put it behind her back. Bring her body up to mine.
Biting my wrist, I watched as blood pooled from my pale skin. Quickly, I brought it to Lilith's mouth.
"Drink Lilith! Drink!" I pleaded. As always she did as she was told, drank as fast as she could.
The sound of heavy footsteps sounded from below us.
Releasing Lilith's hand from mine, I grabbed her throat and focused my power to relax it. She started swallowing fast and faster.
The footsteps below us retreated to the hallways, but that meant our floor was next.
Ripping my wrist from her mouth, I bent my neck and bit into her neck. Taking as much blood as possible, she needed to be close to death, I needed to finish the transformation.
Feeling her fading heartbeat through the vein on her neck, I sensed that I had taken enough. Pulling back, I took my hand from her throat and dug my finger into her chest to grab the red gem from her heart. Gasps of pain came from Lilith, but her transformation was almost complete.
Grabbing onto the red gem, I pulled it from her chest. Putting the gem in my hair before picking her up in my arms again and ran into the hallway. If I could stall the hunter long enough to hide Lilith, she would be found by one of the three houses, she would be safe.
Rounding a corner to stairs that reached the roof of the castle. Heavyfoot steps matched my own, but they were too late. Running into the open sunlight, I dashed from shadow to shadow as fast as I could. My body could withstand sunlight for a few minutes, Lilith's wouldn't.
Jumping into a stretch of shadow, I ran for it. It led directly into a forest's shadow, if I got into the forest, me and Lilith would be safe. We could make it underground and find a house that would shelter us.
Reaching the end of the wall, I finally heard the hunters catch up to us. Looking over my shoulder, six men in dull red armor headed our way. Blades drawn as they ran after us.
Jumping into the forest, having to tuck and rolling as I landed to protect Lilith from any harm. Running as hard as I could, slowing down when I saw a spot behind a boulder that could serve as a hiding spot for Lilith until I could come back for her. Leaping quickly onto the side of the boulder, I layed Lilith's still body down. Wiping the blood off her lip with my arm, kissing her on the forehead.
Pressing my forehead to hers I promised her one thing."I promise Lilith, if I don't come back today, we will meet again."
Looking at her still form one last time before I left as quickly as I'd come.