Page 10 of My Master
Isis started to shake her head and yell, the only defense mechanism she had when she was with him, but found herself frozen in place, for some odd reason. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, it was like time had stopped and there was only her and Caesareon, and he was staring at her, his eyes flaring red.
“Come to me,” he purred in his rich chocolate voice.
And Isis did. No matter how loudly she screamed at herself not to, no matter how many times she tried to dig in her heels, nothing happened. She moved, not by her own volition, towards Caesareon; as if invisible chords were tied around her waist, tugging her towards him. She felt an odd tug at her temples, stronger than what she had felt before. With a sudden horror, she realized what it was.
Caesareon smiled triumphantly when she was standing in front of him. “You like my little trick? I learned it recently.” He circled her like a vulture. “Apparently, if you’re strong enough, you can control a vampire that you’ve created. It’s a simple mind trick, really.” He stopped in front of her, smiling.
Isis could only stare.
“Don’t look at me like that.” He reached his hand out and stroked her long hair between his fingers then trailed his hand down her cheek. “You asked for simplicities and you got them. And this is merely a demonstration. Now, kiss me.”
So Isis did. She stepped forward without any hesitation and pressed her lips against his.
His reaction was triumphant. He grabbed her by the waist and ground himself into her. Isis only felt revulsion at his touch. There was nothing comforting about it, nothing to like, but still, her body melted into him, as he commanded her to do vile things that she would have rather fought until the death than do for him.
Caesareon pushed her away. “Imagine if I had armies at my disposal! Thousands of humans, turned into vampires, under my control. All I have to do is slip into their minds, like I did with yours just now, and take this world for my own. Simplicities, Isis.” He dropped himself back down into his chair. Seconds later, the door to his room opened and in came one of his servant vampires.
“My Lord?” She curtseyed. Isis eyed her. She was kinda cute, with brown hair cropped really short and a pale face. Her eyes were blank, black; she sounded and moved like a robot. Isis assumed she was under his control.
“Bring me a snack,” he commanded with a sly smile on his face. “Preferably of the fresh supply we just got in today.”
“Yes, my Lord.” She curtseyed again and hurried out of the room. About a minute later, she came back inside, but she wasn’t alone. Clutched in her hands, was a long, black braid, and attached to it was a person. A girl was being hauled against her will into the room. She was kicking and screaming and crying for someone to help her. The robot-like vampire girl tossed her at Caesareon’s feet. “Food, my Lord,” she said.
“Very well, you may go.”
The girl curtseyed and scurried out of the room.
Caesareon looked down at the girl. Black strands of hair were out of place and matted down on her cheeks with sweat and blood. The right side of her face was black and swollen, as if she had been hit repeatedly.
“Please don’t hurt me!” the girl pleaded, reaching for his feet and clutching onto him. “Please don’t! I’ll do anything, I swear. Just, please don’t hurt me!” She begged and she begged and the more she did so, the more human and childish she sounded.
Isis didn’t blame her.
“You see, Isis? These low life creatures are beneath us.” He nudged the girl with his foot, sending her hold on him flying off. She fell backwards and stared up at Isis too.
“Please, help me! I don’t want to die!” she begged and tried to reach for Isis but Caesareon knocked her on her back with his foot. Isis wanted nothing more than to help her, but she couldn’t move, she couldn’t lift a finger, couldn’t even blink.
“Humans are so pathetic.” He bent down and took her braid in his hand, pulling at it, hard, until her neck was arched and ready for him. “They are only good for food supply.” He looked at Isis now. “And you love her so, that human of yours, the redhead. Why?”
She couldn’t answer.
“Never the matter.” He looked back down at the girl. “She’ll die soon enough.” He lunged for the girl’s throat, showing no mercy as he drank to his pleasure. She screamed a shrill, gut wrenching sound that Isis knew would haunt her forever.
Caesareon fed.
And all Isis could do was watch.
6
“Isis! Help me! Help us!”
Isis’s vision dripped in red, as if someone had placed a crimson veil before her eyes and that was the only thing that she could see. She pressed her fingers against her eyes, wiping at her vision and when she took her hand away a thick dark liquid came off with it. Blood, she thought. She wasn’t sure how she knew, when her vision was the way it was, but somehow she knew.
Suddenly, the smell assaulted her nose, metallic and tangy but under that coat, something sweeter, something dark and rich and sweet all blended into one. She put her lips to it and sucked. There was an explosion inside of her mouth. Like a weird type of fire had ignited her taste buds, causing her mouth to water and crave more. Blood? She thought with a weird revulsion, pulling her fingers out of her mouth. She was cravingblood?
“Isis! Help us!”
Isis turned to the voice that spoke. Even though it was dark out, she could see who it was as clearly as if it were daytime. It was a child, no older than eleven, with dark skin and dark hair. His eyes were widened with shock, tears streaming down his face and he was leaning over a dead woman.
