Page 53 of House of Crimson Hearts
I just hope when she finds out what I did, she understands. Why I had no choice but to do it.
I still remember the first time I met her.
Three Years Ago
I was in the Montague territory. Honestly, I was minding my own business. Inspecting some of the villages for Mother. I knew it was a mistake sending me. I’d pleaded with her to send Xavier, he’s the friendly face of the family. But she insisted.
The Montague region isn’t like mine or Mother’s territory. At least there they either revere or fear me. I’m only too happy to play leader or villain. All our residents receive our protection as long as they toe the line. In my territory, my word is law and one day, my word will be law for the entire city.
I was in a small village called Elysium. It was close to midnight, and I was patrolling the minor villages near the border of the Peace Territory.
Red must have been working or training, I don’t recall now. But I was attacked. A group of villagers took it upon themselves to try and outmanoeuvre me.
I was down the end of this village, cornered by the local pub and an alley. I’d seen a kitten haphazardly trying to catch a mouse and considered helping it, given I was much faster and the youngster was clearly starving, when someone attacked me from behind.
“Filthy drainer,” he spat and swung the wooden bat at my head again.
At this point, I don’t believe he knew who I was. I think he just saw a vampire and decided to attack. Unfortunately for him, I am not just any vampire.
I was knocked to the floor, a drizzle of blood oozing from my already healing temple. I pushed myself up, turning to him. That’s when he saw my eyes.
There was a moment of hesitation. He froze, a trickle of piss leaking down his trouser leg as he realised exactly who I was.
“That was a mistake,” I snarled.
But such is the curse of humanity; in moments of danger, they freeze, flee or fight. And for some reason, this mistaken fool decided the latter was the right option. He snapped out of his frozen daze, his eyes changing from their wide-eyed panic to the narrowed squint of a man staring at a target. A man in possession of a goal and a hunger akin to a death wish.
Perhaps the fact he’d gotten a successful swing in gave him the boost he needed to attempt to beat me.
“LADS,” he shouted.
Now, I am strong. I can take half a dozen men at once without breaking much of a sweat. But twenty on one? That is a lot even for me. Vampires have their limits no matter how old we are. Not that we let the public know this, but our immortality can be taken, look at Mother’s cure she’s chasing.
A swarm of drunken louts rounded the corner. I glanced behind me, there was a wall surrounding this village, a kind of protective stone battlement that you could walk around. The Peace Territory had a similar one, keeping the humans that lived there in, and everyone who didn’t want to behave, out.
I could make it if I ran and leapt, it wasn’t that high, but it was high enough that it would hurt with the headache that was now forming.
The group of men drew closer. Some were holding pints that sloshed over the side, others spades and bats and pitch forks. This was going downhill rapidly.
I was standing in a flash, my feet sliding into a defensive stance. I poured all the arrogance I have into my voice.
“You do realise who I am?” I snarled. Of course he did, that’s why he called his friends. “You’re making a mistake.”
I made myself stare into his face, and yet the fucking coward couldn’t bring himself to look me in the eye.
Of course he couldn’t.
“Pathetic. You dare to challenge me, and you won’t even deign to look me in the eye?” I shout.
“Those filthy crimson eyes? You’re a freak. Good for nothing. Born an abomination. Someone needs to put you out your misery.”
I laugh, I can’t help it. “Do you know how many men have said that to me over the years? And you think one little drunk piece of shit is going to scare me?”
The crowd of men spills into a semi-circle around him. The air is potent with stale beer and cigarette smoke. The essence of regret. And I would make them regret this.
“Not just one of me though, is there? All you drainers are the fucking same. You’re a plague, a virus, and you… you’re the fucking worst of them all.”
“You don’t even know me.”
