Book Three, Chapters 0281 to 0290

The Vampire's Daughter
Book Three

Chapters 0281 to 290
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0281

“So the Keeper is real?” asked Sol.

“Oh, very real,” answered Henry, who stood up and walked to look over his army again.

“Have you met him?”

“Yes, I have met the Keeper. A milk toast little fellow who truly loves what he does. Or maybe he’s been doing it for so long that he only knows what he does. I don’t know which it is. He doesn’t even use a modern language, preferring ancient Greek. I don’t understand why. He uses a computer now, but still uses that old language.”

“I guess he’s eccentric,” Sol suggested.

“That’s an understatement. Most people think he’s just strange. No, that’s being too polite. Crazy. That’s what most people think of him. They think he’s a nut job.

“In fact, there are many among us who don’t believe his role is even necessary any more. With modern technology, we have so many different versions of our history floating around that no one knows what our true history is anymore.”

“I’ve noted that,” said Sol. “My sire, as you mentioned, believes in hard facts. To her the idea of God and prophecy is silly. So, to her, the old stories aren’t true. She has fashioned her own version of how we came to exist.

“If enough vampires followed my sire, but were industrious enough to write their thoughts down, we would have all sorts of history—just not a very definitive history.”

“That is, in a nutshell, what has happened,” Henry said with a smile.

Sol stood up and stood next to him. “So we have something of a colorful mosaic.” Then after a pause, he added, “But too much color and all you get is brown mush.”

Henry laughed and turned to Sol. Putting an arm on the younger vampire’s shoulder, he said, “I like you. You’re a good kid with a clear head. I hope this all works out and I don’t have to kill you.”

“Not surprisingly, I hope so too,” Sol responded, leading both to laugh.

After a moment they grew quite and looked over Henry’s army. Both thought about how grave the situation was for each in their own way. Sol a virtual prisoner in the castle, with his only protection coming from an assassin, Gan, and a collection of powerful, but long forgotten, kings and queens. Henry, also prisoner, but one caught between his allegiance to the old kings and queens and the new.

“Someone once told me that I should find the Keeper,” Sol said, breaking the silence. “That he would help me to understand our history and what role I might play in its future.”

“If you are what John Paul believes you are, that would be a very good idea,” Henry said. “But I don’t know anyone who would be able to find him.”

“What?”

“He hasn’t been seen in many years. There is rumor that he has given up his task and gone to sleep. Some even suggest that he’s handed his task on to another and chosen death,” Henry said.

“Is that possible?” asked Sol.

“Anything is possible,” Henry answered. “All I know is that he used to attend court and now he does not. That isn’t to say that he’s missed anything. In a hundred years, maybe more, there has been nothing of importance to write down as far I’m concerned.

“Hell, the royals are so self absorbed that all they would want would be stories about their exploits. Who’s slept with who and who’s killed the most humans sort of stuff. The Keeper wouldn’t write that type of stuff down. The move to the New World, that was worthy of history.

“The fact that King Idiot slept with some famous human actress wouldn’t get a mention. Rightfully so, if you ask me. But that type of editing certainly wouldn’t get the Keeper any points.”


0282

Sol and Henry stood silently for a little while longer, before Sol asked, "What do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't know," Henry answered. "My life is as much in the balance as your own."

"It seems I've gotten a great many vampires into this fix."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Henry said, "if you are who John Paul says you are, it will all be worth it."

"I don't know. John Paul compared me to Doubting Thomas before he died. I have to touch the wound if I am to believe. He knew me very well. I am almost ashamed that I have such a hard time believing."

"Don't be," Henry responded after a long pause. "Belief is hard."

"The dawn approaches," Sol said, "we should go back down."

"Yes, we should," Henry said, before turning to look Sol in the face. "You are a good kid. I hope that John Paul was right about you." He then walked back into the tower and down the stairs.

Sol stood looking at the open doorway. "Could I be the one?" he asked himself. "I just don't feel it. But then I don't know what being the one would feel like. I just can't imagine that it feels so unsure."

He turned and took one last look over the army outside the castle, sighed, and walked down the tower steps.

When he got to the main castle, Car and Melinda were waiting for him.

"Girls," he said as he hit the landing.

"We're worried about you," the said in unison.

"Really, why?"

"You haven't eaten in days," Car said.

"You must eat if you want to survive," Melinda followed.

Sol tilted his head slightly and though. It was true, he hadn't eaten in days. He had been so deep in thought that food wasn't even on his mind. "You are correct on both accounts," he replied. "Is there anything to eat?"

"Yes," the girls said together, each taking one of Sol's hands and pulling him into the dinning room. As they walked in, he saw the White Vampire sitting at the table with her back to the doorway.

She raised her right hand and the girls said, "You're welcome my lady," together. Then, "Yes," and they were off, leaving Sol with the White Vampire.

"My Lady," he said, bowing slightly. "May I join you?" He left his mind open, but she did not attempt to read him or speak to him in that way. Instead, she turned and smiled.

Sol walked over to a chair next to her and sat. "Henry tells me that your name is Meredith," he said.

She nodded her head again.

"He also tells me that it is very hard for you to speak and that you use your mind instead."

She nodded.

"I'm sorry that I didn't know that. I've been under a great deal of," he paused, "pressure lately. When you attempted to read me without first contacting me in any way, my first reaction was to become defensive."

She smiled at him at put her hand on his. He was shocked at how cold her hand was, leading him to sport a blank expression as he looked at it.

"You haven't fed in a very long time," he said, looking up at her.

She shook her head.

"Why?" he asked, then closed his eyes because of the stupidity of questioning one that doesn't talk.

She rubbed his hand and smiled.

"It is late tonight, but, perhaps, tomorrow we can talk," he said.

She nodded her head and smiled again.


0283

The next night, Sol left Jamie in their bed as soon as he got up. He wanted very badly to find Meredith and learn what he could from her. As he dressed, he opened his mind to the castle, but couldn't sense her anywhere through the clutter of vampires. He noted, however, that he couldn't sense any of the other guests, either.

He walked upstairs and into the den, finding Meredith sitting directly across from the fireplace. She smiled.

"Do you mind if we go to the tower?" he asked.

She shook her head and stood up, offering Sol her hand.

Sol took her hand and led her through the castle to the tower. The walk was silent, but strangely pleasant.

Once at the top, Sol walked out and then led her to the edge to see the small army that was outside the gates.

"Everyone, it seems, is here for me," he said.

Meredith smiled at him. She looked younger than he thought in his first encounters. In fact, he guessed she was little more than sixteen when she was made. Although her pale complexion and fine blond hair gave her an eerie look from afar, there was an underlying beauty that was captivating.

After looking her over and contemplating her beauty for several minutes, he noticed that she was watching him with a slight smile on her face, so he quickly looked away.

"I'm sorry," Sol said. "I tend to think too much."

She put her hand on his, as if to say it was OK.

"I like to come up here and look out over the horizon," he continued. "Although the circumstances of my stay are less than ideal, the time has given me a chance to think quite deeply about my life and what I've done with it."

Meredith tilted her head to note her interest in what Sol was saying.

"I've spent so much time just being that I've never thought about why I am here at all. Why was I made? Why was I made by Elizabeth? Why did I meet the vampires that I've met? Befriend the vampires that I've befriended?

"I still have no answers," he said with a laugh. "But I have a feeling. I feel like I'm meant to do something, I just don't know what yet. When I find out, I know I'll grasp it and blossom. I almost feel like a butterfly that is still in its cocoon.

"John Paul told me that I was a Doubting Thomas, even when it came to myself. I need proof. He was correct about so many things, I have no doubt that he was correct about that. I wish I could believe more than I do. I want to be what he thought I was, I'm just not convinced that I am.

"And all of you are here because he believed in me, even though I don't believe in myself."

Meredith smiled and lifted a hand to Sol's face. Touching it gently, she spoke to him with her mind, "Few have the conviction of John Paul. And the task he believed is yours is a hard one. Only a fool or a zealot would take it on lightly. You are neither and I believe that makes you a better choice for the task."

"That is very kind of you," Sol said. "I wish I knew what to do now."

"Tell me about your past," She said.

"There isn't much to tell, you saw some important events the night you were in my room."

"I am sorry for that," she said looking down. "The situation we are in is important and I foolishly tried to force myself on you. It was a mistake."

"I was very upset at first, but now that I know your situation, I am not the least bit angry," responded Sol.

Meredith smiled.


0284

"Tell me more," Meredith said with her mind to Sol as they sat overlooking the lands. "I want to know what was important to you."

"When I was young, the Church was all important. It was the only thing that was important to anyone. An odd time now that I look back. There was vice, but it was ignored and virtue was highlighted. Quite the opposite of today.

"Still, I couldn't give myself to that life. It felt wrong. So I left to become an artisan. Sculpture. I loved the stone and wood with which I worked. It was what brought Elizabeth to me. She noticed me one night and watched as I worked after all the others went home.

"I saw her and started to carve her into the stone. I didn't even know what I was doing, I was just carving. Chipping away the outer layers to reveal what was inside. I created what some would call a devil, but I didn't see it that way.

"At first she seemed upset, but then she made me into what I am today. Since that time I've spend most of my life, or death, serving her needs. I replaced Sabastian in that. But I never loved her, as I believe Sabastian did. I simply lived with her and did her bidding, which was never hard. Though childish at times, she is really a beautiful woman in her heart. It is why I stayed when I wanted to go.

"There were times we spent apart. I met Jamie during one of those separations. Jamie has been an important friend in my life. My lover, in all honesty. A calm place in a storm. I'm always welcome in Jamie's heart. Both of our faults melt away when we are together." Sol stopped and looked out over the horizon.

"Continue," Meredith said, touching Sol's arm.

"I guess the next big thing in my life was leaving Jamie because Elizabeth needed me in the New World. It was hard and ugly, but I did it. In the Americas, I met Thomas. I had met him before, but we seemed to become close as he relinquished his power, giving it all to my sire. I also met Sabastian for the first time, after an unfortunate event that seems to have driven all that has followed.

"I liked Sabastian from the first moment I met him. There were some who called him a cannibal or monster, but I couldn't see it."

"He takes his own?" Meredith interrupted.

"Yes," Sol said. "He does. But it isn't like you think. He doesn't hunt down vampires, he only takes life when he must." Pausing a moment to think, as if something just clicked in his mind, Sol continued, "And then he only takes some when he could take many more. It is almost as if he is selective."

"So he takes some, but not all," Meredith said, looking away from Sol.

"Yes. I've never seen him feed unless it was in self-defense. And even then, he takes some but not others."

"And how has he changed you?"

"When it turned out that Thomas had used me to manipulate and keep tabs on Elizabeth, I broke from my sire and went with Sabastian. He had taken in the daughter of one of his victims, a young girl, and he had decided to raise her.

"There was something he saw in her, that everyone saw in her, that made him do it. And made others help when killing her made more sense. He loved her. I was attracted to that love and they shared it with me."

"At the same time Thomas was reasserting his control of the city, which caused John Paul to wake."


0285

Sol stopped telling his story for moment, and single red tear trickled down his face. Meredith watched it, using her finger to collect it before it fell from his cheek. She licked it and then put her arm around Sol.

"It's OK," she said out loud, causing Sol to look at her in amazement.

She pulled back from him, putting her hands over her mouth in shock. "I... I... haven't... spoken... in over a hundred of years," she said, as tears began to fall from her face. A hint of color reddened her cheeks.

"Do not stop, tell me more," she said to Sol.

"I didn't know John Paul was back," Sol started tentatively, "but when I went to his coven's house to find out information about the state of the city, he was there waiting for me. He told me that I was special, but I didn't believe him. Then his chosen successor killed him and I fled.

"It was almost as if he had to die for me to believe," Sol said, forgetting about Meredith. "Oh my God," he said. "He died for me!"

Sol fell to his knees, as Meredith, still reeling from the sudden restoration of her ability to speak, watched. "He died for me," he said quietly. "He died for me, so I would believe. He gave his life so that I would live mine the way God intended."

Meredith slid down and held Sol. "Do you believe?" she asked.

"I don't know what to believe," he answered.

"Then you must discover what you believe."

"That's what he told me. He told me that you would help," Sol said, looking Meredith in the eyes.

"I will," she answered, sensing that he longed for guidance. "I must meet with the others as soon as possible," she said, helping Sol to his feet. "You must stay with your concubine for now. You will be summoned when it is time."

Sol didn't answer, he simply followed her directions. As they stepped back into the castle, however, those directions switched from verbal to mental.

"My Lady," Henry and Gan said, as the pair entered the den in which the door to the meeting room and Sol's bedroom was hidden. Jamie, in a far corner playing chess with Carmalinda just looked over.

"You," she said to Jamie's mind, causing a wave of shock in Jamie. "Take Sol to your bedroom and stay with him."

"Yes," Jamie said, jumping up and taking Sol through the fireplace.

To Car, she said, "Get your sister and guard the door."

"Yes my Lady," Car said, jumping up and running like a child out of the den.

To Gan, she said, "Get the others now and assemble them for a meeting."

"Yes my Lady," he said calmly, with a smile on his face. He bowed to her, but never let his eyes leave hers. As he stood, she touched his face and nodded her head. He ran off through the fireplace.

She walked over to Henry, the only vampire left in the room, and put her hand on his face. She then asked, "Are you loyal?" But did so out loud.

"My God," Henry said. "My Lady, you are healed."

"Yes," she said. "But the others cannot know until I am ready to tell them."

"Of course my Lady."

"Are you loyal?" she asked again.

"Yes," he said, before bowing down in front of Meredith.

She lifted him up by his hand, and asked, "Are you loyal to me?"

Henry said nothing for a moment, looking Meredith in the eyes. "Yes," he answered after a long pause.

"Then go back to your troops and await me. I will tell you what to do when I need it done."

"My Lady," he said, leaving the room, unsure of what was next to come.


0286

Although not particularly happy about the location, Elizabeth and Vein chose to make use of Elizabeth's old house as their temporary base. Alone, Vein's clan could do little to stop Thomas, if his were the only clan Thomas was fighting. Luckily, Vein's was one of many, so Thomas' troops were divided.

Indeed, there were several relatively large clans that held sizable tracts of the city. It was these clans that Elizabeth needed to unit. Unfortunately, the blocks controlled by the clans were not contiguous, so it would require a great deal of persuasion on her part to convince the other clans to give up areas that they had fought to control.

The pair were so busy discussing the different clans and brokering meetings that both had completely forgotten about Sol's messenger, who had become a favorite toy of some of the female vampires.

"Francis," one said, walking into the room in which he was being detained, "would you like to come out and play?"

"No, no thank you," he said politely to the thin blond.

"Why not?"

"Because you don't want to play, you want to mock me and I've grown tired of it. All I wish to do is speak with the Mistress of the house, Elizabeth."

"I could be Elizabeth if you want," she said with a broad smile.

"I dare say you couldn't," Francis said, turning away from the door and picking up the book he'd read three times already.

"I dare say she could not live up that standard, as well," a voice came from behind the vampire.

She turned and looked at the face behind the voice and staggered back. She didn't say anything, but it was obvious she was nervous.

"Leave," the vampire said to her, stepping aside from the door.

Awkwardly, she ran past him out the door.

Francis had turned around by now and was looking at the man standing in the doorway. "Who are you?" he asked.

"You are not a vampire."

"No, no I'm not," Francis answered.

"Yet you still live."

"So far."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to talk to Elizabeth. Do you know her?"

"In a manner of speaking," the vampire said. "What did you need to discuss with her?"

"I need to find someone named Sabastian."

"Why?"

"To deliver a message," Francis answered.

"I thought you needed to deliver a message to Elizabeth," the vampire stated.

"Only as a way to find Sabastian."

"Have you had difficulty finding this Sabastian?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Sometimes I do. Are you going to answer?"

"I went to an address I had for him, but he was not there."

"Who was there?"

Francis paused and looked at the vampire questioning him for a few moments. He looked down, then said, "I found the body of an old woman shoved in the freezer."

The vampire said nothing for a long time, then asked, "Was there anyone else there?"

"No," Francis answered, looking up.

"What else can you tell me?"

"There were signs of a struggle. Whatever happened in the house was violent."

"There was no little girl there?"

"No."

"Who is this message from?" the vampire asked.

"I'm not at liberty to say."

The vampire looked at the floor as he squatted down. "I could make you tell me," he said.

"Trust me, I'm well aware of that."

"Did Sol send you?"

The boy looked into the vampire's eyes. There was something in this vampire's eyes that he didn't see in any of the others. It was compassion, but it was clouded over somehow. Like the compassion wanted to come out, but couldn't for some reason. "Yes," he said after contemplating what to do for several minutes.


0287

"He has the girl then?"

"Why, no. I don't think he does," Francis said. "At least I never saw a little girl."

As he completed the sentence, he saw the vampire's eyes change. Gone was any fog, but so too had the compassion disappeared. In its place was rage.

"You will give me the message," the vampire demanded.

"I... I don't have it anymore," he said.

The vampire strode toward Francis, lifting him up by his shirt and taking him across the room to a wall. "You will give me the message!"

Francis, horrified and frightened, looked the vampire in the face and said, "I can't. I... don't have it." But while looking at him, Francis saw that the rage was driven by something deeper. He stuttered out, "You... you are Sabastian."

"Yes I am. Now tell me the message before I am forced to do something we will both regret."

"It is a letter," Francis said. "I... I can't give it to you because it was taken away from me by the one they call Vein. I tried to stop him from getting it, but he knocked me out or something. He searched my body and took it. I had it taped to my lower back."

Sabastian placed him on the ground and stepped back. He strode out of the room, grabbing the first vampire he found by the neck and lifting her to his face. "Where is Vein?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said, just before he ripped her head from her body, causing panic in those who saw it. They all ran from Sabastian, who followed them into the living room.

Three vampires came running at him at once, but he waved his arm, sending them flying against the far wall. He screamed for Vein, drowning out the screaming from the frightened and angered vampires running around the apartment.

Quickly Vein and Elizabeth came running out to the living room. Before he could do or say anything, Sabastain had Vein by the neck lifted high above the floor. "Where is the letter?" he demanded.

"Your sire has it!" he yelled, trying to struggle free.

Sabastian threw him across the room like a rag doll before turning to Elizabeth and saying, "Where is the letter?"

"Sabastian, calm down," she said.

As she completed the sentence, he lunged at her, grabbing her shirt and slammed her through a wall.

Elizabeth screamed in pain, but it had no effect on Sabastian, who simply demanded the letter again.

"I will get it," she said. "I will get it."

He put her down and she limped off to another room, bringing back the letter and handing to him.

He opened it and read.

Sabastian looked at the wall in front of him, saying nothing for quite some time. "I must find Susan," Sabastian said.

As he stepped out of the room, Elizabeth followed and watched as Sabastian walked out of the house. "Sabastian," she screamed to no avail. "I must go after him," she said, walking toward the door.

Vein grabbed her arm, saying, "You can't. You must meet with the other clans. If you are not here the Tribunal will never be reestablished."

She looked at him, knowing he was correct, but said, "I can't let him go alone. He's in no state for that. He needs to be protected."

"Others might need protection from him, but I doubt he needs protection. You must stay and save the city from your sire."

Elizabeth looked at Vein, then at the door. "You don't understand, I can't leave him out there alone."

"Then I will send someone to follow him."

"That won't do," she said angrily.

"Then I will go," Vein said hastily.

Elizabeth turned to Vein and took his face in her hands. Holding his head with an almost loving cradle, she said, "I will destroy you if you let any harm come to Sabastian."

Her tone was so intense, that Vein simply said, "I understand," and stepped back from her. He looked deep into her eyes and realized that he had pledged his life in exchange for the Tribunal's survival.

He ran out after Sabastian.


0288

"Wait for me!" Vein yelled after Sabastian as he walked quickly and deliberately out of the building.

He did not respond or stop, forcing Vein to run to catch up to him.

"Will you at least tell me where we are going?"

Sabastian did not respond, so Vein grabbed him by the arm. It shocked Vein at how hard Sabastian's arm was, like stone, but what was truly frightening was the look on Sabastian's face when he turned to see who was holding him.

"Elizabeth sent me to help you," he said, trying to muster as much strength in his voice as possible. "But I can't help you if I don't know what we are doing."

"I am going to my home in Rye to find someone very important to me."

"Do you intend to walk the entire way? It is quite far, I could drive us," Vein responded, causing Sabastian to relax somewhat.

"Where is your car?"

"Back at Elizabeth's apartment. It is only four blocks, we will easily make up any lost time in the car," Vein said, realizing that Elizabeth was correct about Sabastian's state of mind. He was so focused that he couldn't think beyond his end goal. What happened in-between mattered little to him. So little that he would attack those that would help him.

As they walked back, more slowly than they had left, Elizabeth was talking to Francis. "What did you say to him?"

"Nothing."

"That's a lie," she said.

"I told him I was trying to find him. That I had a letter from Sol to give him and that Vein had taken it from me."

Elizabeth slapped the boy to the ground. "I was trying to stop him from being bothered by such silliness. He cares very little about Sol. Why is he so concerned about Susan?"

"I don't even know who Susan is," Francis said, rubbing his face, though still on the ground.

"His little girl. The one that lives with him," she responded.

"If the little girl lived in the house in Rye, she isn't there anymore."

"What?" Elizabeth asked in shock.

"I went there, but all I found was an old lady's body shoved into the ice box."

"No one else? There was no one else there? she asked.

"No one."

Elizabeth looked around the room, as a cold chill flowed through her. She had kept the letter from Sabastian thinking that Mary was going to take care of the little girl. But if there was no one at the home, then Mary must have failed at her task or fled with the little girl.

"Could she have taken the girl?" Elizabeth said out loud. "But why would she do that, it makes no sense."

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," Francis said.

"If the little girl is in danger, I don't know if I will be able to contain Sabastain," she said, before turning to Francis and asking, "Does Sol know what is going on?"

"I... I don't know. He is in Europe with a friend," Francis responded, giving away more information than he should have.

"He must have run to Jamie, that little bitch. I should have killed that one the first time I found Sol..." she trailed off. "But he begged for his lover's life and I caved for my child. Again.

"What have I done," she said quietly, as she sat on the floor. "What am I doing.

"My life swirls around me and I feel I play no part in it. I simply do as is expected and never what I want."

Francis walked over to her and sat with her. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said. After a long, thoughtful pause, she said, "I want revenge on Thomas for betraying me.

"Vein will help Sabastian, he is in good hands. Besides, I don't know how to help him beyond what Vein could do anyway. However, I know exactly how to destroy Thomas and that is what I will do," she said forcefully.


0289

Although something of a surprise to Sabastian, he was able to direct Vein on how to get to his home with little difficulty. Other than directions, however, he did not speak to his companion, though Vein tried many times to start a conversation. Eventually, he simply put the radio on, as he realized trying to talk to Sabastian was a pointless exercise.

As they pulled into the driveway, Sabastian's eyes went wide. "Oh my God," he said, as he opened the door and stepped out, well before Vein had even begun to stop the car. This caused Vein to slam on the brakes, but Sabastian paid no mind to the car or anything else, as he hit the ground running.

He was standing beside the charred remains of the house before Vein had even stopped the car.

Sabastian stood looking at what remained, motionless.

After realizing that Sabastian had not only jumped out of the car, but seemingly transported himself to the house, Vein drove up to what remained of the house. He got out and walked up to Sabastian. "There isn't much house left," he said seriously.

"No, there is not. I must go to see another vampire," Sabastian responded, turning and walking toward the road.

"Sabastian!" Vein yelled. "I have a car."

Sabastian turned, and said, "So you do." He walked back and got in.

"O.K., now direct me how to get there, but promise you'll let me stop the car before you decide to jump out," Vein said sarcastically.

"I will direct you," was the reply, causing Vein to shake his head.

Sabastian took them to Mina's brothel. After the car came to a stop, Sabastian said, "You may not want to come with me. There is likely to be violence."

"Elizabeth sent me to protect you, which is a joke in and of itself, so I figure I should go regardless of who or what you intend to destroy. I can only hope I'm not on the short list," Vein replied.

"Not yet," Sabastian said seriously, stepping out of the car. Vein followed.

About six feet from the door, Sabastian stopped and looked at the camera that was anchored to the wall of the brothel. He looked intently at the camera for a minute before taking a deep breath and thrusting his right hand, palm out, toward the door.

The door ripped from the wall with such force it pulled apart the frame that housed it. The doors splintered and flew back, throwing both the doors and the guards into the wall opposite the door.

Vein looked on in shock. "My God," he said, before he even realized that Sabastian had already drained the life from one of the two guards and was now turning his attention to the other.

The second guard had regained enough of his senses, to know that his life was in grave danger. He was attempting to scramble away from Sabastian, but couldn't move quickly enough. Sabastian grabbed him by the neck and lifted him high up, crushing him into the ceiling.

Bringing the guards pained body back down so that they were looking eye to eye, Sabastian said, "Where is Mina?"

"She's left," the guard coughed out.

"Where?"

"I don't know," he answered.

Vein had walked up behind and was watching Sabastian in complete awe.

"You are telling the truth," Sabastian said, before draining the guard's life.

Vein stepped back in fear. He had never seen any vampire take another, let alone do it so easily. He was afraid, wondering what would happen to him if Sabastain didn't find what he wanted.


0290

Walking down the hallway, two female vampires lunged at Sabastian from a side room. He caught one by the neck, crushing it and simply popping her head off of her body. The other vampire he grabbed by the face, using his fingers to collapse the front half of her head. Both vampires fell to the ground lifeless.

Vein nearly threw up, but contained himself and continued to trail along behind. He noted, however, that Sabastain's body was pristine. Completely clean without any blood or other body parts on him at all.

At the end of the hallway, five vampires stood waiting. They each had drawn swords.

"Where is Mina," Sabastian demanded, stopping a safe distance from the band. The group charged.

Sabastian waved both of his hands from the center of his body to the walls, causing the five to be thrown against, and imbedded into, the walls. He walked from victim to victim, but none could answer his question and each was drained of their lives.

Standing before the door to the control room, Sabastian calmly opened the door and stepped through. There was no one on the other side. He walked calmly through to the door to Mina's private office. He tried to door, but it was locked. Vein stood well behind him watching.

Sabastian gently put his hand on the door and shoved it right off of its hinges. Two swords came down on his hand at the exact same time as the door fell. He had turned his hand up before they struck, however, and caught them both. Vein could see that the vampires were trying to pull their swords free of Sabastian's grip, but simply couldn't manage it.

With his free hand, Sabastian reached out and grabbed one of the vampires, draining him of his life. The other let go of his sword and ran toward the door into Mina's private room, but stopped as his sword came through his chest. He fell to his knees, turned his head to look at Sin, who was sitting on the couch watching, and fell forward.

"You had better kill him, too," Sin said, sarcastically. "You wouldn't want to leave any stone unturned."

Sabastian looked at her, walked over to the vampire through which he had thrown the sword and crushed his head with his foot. Turning to Sin, he asked, "Where is Mina?"

"She left."

"Where did she go?"

"I don't really know."

"Who was with her?"

"Mary and that little girl," Sin said with a smile.

Sabastian didn't speak for a moment, but looked intently at Sin.

"If you kill me, you'll never find anything out," she said.

"You would be surprised how loudly the dead can speak," Sabastian said walking to her.

"Mina was meeting with Thomas just before she took the little girl," Sin said, grinning wildly.

Her grin got wilder and wilder as Sabastian approached. Inches away, he reached out to grab Sin, but she drew a small knife across her neck, cutting her head off, just before he touched her.

Vein, who was watching from the doorway, wiped his mouth with his hand.

Sabastian stood silently over Sin, the image of Thomas etching itself on his mind.

From the doorway, Vein said, "The sun will be up soon, we should leave."

"I should have killed him when I had the chance," Sabastian said.

Vein said nothing, but walked over to Sabastian and gingerly placed a hand on his shoulder. "We need to leave."

"We must burn this place," Sabastian said. He reached down and picked up Sin's head. He held it up in front of his face and, after a few seconds it started to smolder and then burst into flames. He threw the head into a corner and watched as the fire spread.

Vein took Sabastian's arm and pulled him, "You'll never find the girl if you die in a fire."

Sabastian went with Vein, but said, "Fire would not be sufficient to kill me."

[The Vampire’s Daughter: An ongoing vampire story. Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009. All rights reserved.]