《Fallen From Grace - Blood Beginnings - Book 1》


 Chapter 1 Part 1

    ¡°And, and you know what ¨C what else?¡± he asked, his words slurred slightly as he sat swaying in his chair.


    Aleria looked over at Gnash, the leader of the Fallen From Grace coven and master vampire of the city. He had been a regular at the Leather and Lace Gentleman¡¯s Club for the past two years, maybe longer. He was there every Friday and Saturday night during her regular shift, from sundown until just past three in the morning, a few short hours before dawn. He always sat on the same stool, wearing the same leather jacket, jeans, and black shirt, his shoulder-length straight black hair half-heartedly pulled back away from his face.


    The longer he sat on his stool, the drunker he got, which was the whole reason he was there. In the past few years, they had talked about a great many things ¨C her life, his life, her goals, history, music, politics, and any and everything else which popped into their heads. The drunker he got, the more he talked, and the funnier he got. They had become pretty close, and she had her suspicions a less-than-ideal home life was the driving force behind his consistently more frequent visits in recent years.


    ¡°Gnash, darlin¡¯, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time you headed to your coffin?¡± she asked as she wiped down the bar. It was nearly four in the morning, well past Gnash¡¯s usual self-imposed cutoff time. The place was almost empty of vampires, fang whores, and the usual vampire club Goth kids, the last few incapacitated humans being roused from their fang-gasm induced slumber and dropped into the club¡¯s own personal cab service.


    She glanced over at the manager as he hefted a young man from one of the corner booths, her bright blue eyes drawn to the movement more so than anything else. The young man¡¯s glazed-over eyes caught her own, and he sobered up just enough to wave. She tried not to smile. It seemed no matter where she went, if there was a supernatural in the area they were going to find her. Vampire, werewolf, it mattered not. They all seemed drawn to her like a moth to a flame.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Gnash said in answer to her question, the word slurred as his body tilted so far to the left she thought for sure he was going to fall right off his stool. ¡°I¡¯m gonna, gonna stay right here until I finish this drink, and then, then I¡¯m gonna ¡­¡± his words trailed off as he glanced down at the empty glass sitting in front of him. ¡°Who the fuck drank my Black Leather?¡±


    Aleria snorted, grinning at him as she shoved a stray piece of hair out of her face. ¡°You did, G, about fifteen minutes ago.¡±


    He looked at her, his dark brown eyes taking in the strawberry-blonde hair which was barely still held in its elastic band, the tendrils outlining her heart-shaped face like a halo. She was wearing the same black shirt she always wore, with the little ¡°L&L¡± embroidered on the left shoulder, her light skin and hair a stark contrast.


    ¡°Damn,¡± he muttered before he hiccupped rather loudly. ¡°Guess my blood-to-alcohol level ¡­ finally, finally ¡­ tipped over in favor of the sauce, huh?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    She giggled as she took his glass and tossed it in with the other dirty glasses. ¡°You gonna be ok to get back to the coven?¡± she asked as she began cleaning up the bar in earnest. ¡°I can get you a cab if you need it. It¡¯s only about an hour until sun-up. Don¡¯t want you getting your ass-cheeks toasted.¡±


    He sighed as stood up, grabbing hold of the edge of the bar to steady himself. She eyed him suspiciously. ¡°You know we got a few coffins down in the cellar in case of emergencies.¡±


    He shook his head as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few twenties. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine, but thanks. This shit wears off entirely too quickly. Guess it just comes with age.¡±


    ¡°Guess so,¡± she said as she watched him lay out three twenty-dollar bills. ¡°You know your money is no good here, Gnash,¡± she said as she shoved the wad of cash back across the bar.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. It¡¯s not for the drinks, it¡¯s a tip for you having to put up with my drunk ass all weekend.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°You know I have to share my tips with all the rest of the shitty staff around here, right?¡±


    He took the bills and rolled them up, leaning over the bar and covertly stuffing them into the front pocket of her jeans. ¡°Then don¡¯t tell anyone, ¡®kay?¡± he asked as gave her a wink.


    She shook her head as she laughed. She wasn¡¯t sure how many times he had slipped a twenty into her jeans pocket over the years, but she was very grateful. If it hadn¡¯t been for him, there were plenty of times she would have gone hungry. The job didn¡¯t pay too damn well, and since she was forced to share her tips with literally everyone else on staff, it didn¡¯t take long for the really good tips she earned from some of the vampires to wind up in the other staffs¡¯ pockets, leaving her virtually empty-handed at the end of her shifts. Gnash was the only one who knew she was forced to share her tips and started sneaking them into her pants pocket every chance he got.


    ¡°See ya around, kiddo,¡± he said as he turned to leave. ¡°Stay outta trouble.¡±


    ¡°You too, G. Good night,¡± she said as she waved, watching him stagger down the steps toward the exit.


    She sighed as she looked around the bar. With the exception of the dirty glasses, she was done for the evening. She picked up the heavy plastic flat and hauled it back to the kitchen. She debated on just leaving it for the kitchen staff, but thought better of it. Last time she did that she ended up getting her ass chewed out for not ¡®pulling her weight.¡¯ Sighing, she loaded down one of the heavy-duty dishwashers and clocked out for the evening, yawning as she flung open the back door.


    She stopped for a few seconds and stretched, letting the cool breeze wash over her skin. She could already feel the slight difference in the temperature change, the coolness of the night giving way to the warmer patches of pre-dawn air. She yawned again as she shoved her hands into her pockets, walking slowly down the back alley toward her small apartment two streets over from the club. She whistled quietly to herself, enjoying the short walk. She really loved this time of day. She thought maybe she would climb the fire escape to the roof when she got home and watch the sun rise as she oftentimes did.


    She heard the sound of shuffling feet and raised voices as she rounded the corner of the building. She stopped, staring in disbelief at the scene playing out inside the small back alleyway. She could see him, Gnash, half-collapsed over the side of a garbage dumpster, his body limp and flopping around like a rag doll as he tried to right himself, two unknown figures standing to one side. His head was bleeding, his shoulder length black hair matted on one side where his skull was caved in slightly, the white of his skull looking very out of place amongst the dark hair and red blood. He was struggling to get his feet back under him, his impaired balance putting him at a great disadvantage as the other two vampires closed in on him.

 Chapter 1 Part 2

    Aleria didn¡¯t think, she only reacted. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out the small can of vampire mace she carried on her at all times. It was the one thing Gnash himself insisted she always have with her while working at the club. Safety, above all else. She had never had reason to use it ¨C until now. She rolled back the safety lever on the small hand-held can, simultaneously bending down to scoop up a large chunk of brick as she walked toward the three of them.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she yelled as she came upon the two vampiric vultures hovering over Gnash, their backs to her. One of them turned, and she swung her arm as hard as she could. The brick contacting with the vampire¡¯s skull made a sickening, crunching sound, the thought of what she had just done making her so sick to her stomach she thought she might vomit. The kickback vibrations from the blow traveled up her arm in record time, the pain so severe she screamed as the brick went flying out of her hand. She cradled the injured arm against her chest, watching the vampire as she took a precautionary step backward. He didn¡¯t make a sound as he crumpled to the ground. The other vampire turned just as she straightened up, her body pivoting as she depressed the button on her can of mace, aiming right for the guy¡¯s eyes.


    The sickly smell of rancid butter and garlic hit her nose as the fine mist flooded the other vampire¡¯s orbital sockets, the allergic reaction instantaneous as his eyes immediately grew red and swelled shut. He screamed, his fingernails clawing at this face as the combination of concentrated garlic oil and silver nitride burned his corneas. He stumbled back, falling to the ground next to his friend and thrashed about on the ground as he howled in agony.


    She wrapped her good arm around Gnash¡¯s waist, bracing herself against the dumpster. She pulled at him, trying to help him back to his feet as he mumbled incoherently. A second later she felt a cold, heavy hand on her shoulder, the nails digging into her flesh as she was pulled back so quickly she had time to do little more than gasp. She felt herself rushing through the air, as if she was flying, and then the pain engulfed her neck like a white-hot branding iron. She tried to scream, but the arms around her waist were crushing the air right out of her.


    She could smell the metallic scent of his blood. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew the vampire she thought she had knocked out cold had bitten straight into her jugular. There was no escaping him, his bite, or what he was about to do. His hand grasped the waistband of her jeans, popping the button off and ripping the fabric as if it were nothing more than paper as he shoved the cloth down around her upper thighs. He bent her over slightly, all of this happening in less time it took her to blink. The realization he was fucking her barely had time to register in her muddled mind as he hammered into her, over and over again, his cock harder than steel as he sucked the life right out of her.


    The piercing pain in her neck gave way to a splintering euphoria which quickly morphed into the most intense sexual pleasure she had ever felt in her short twenty-six years of life. She knew the vampire was quickly draining the very life force from her body, and yet she hardly cared. She knew he was fucking her like she had never been fucked before, hammering so hard into her he was bruising every inch of skin he touched. She knew there was the very real possibility she may die in the next few minutes, and she was utterly powerless to stop it. As the crashing waves of pleasure settled in her midsection, her body suddenly exploded, her entire groin pulsing and throbbing as the vampire induced fang-gasm spread out like a burning wildfire. She moaned, her body convulsing around the vampire cock as one of the hands holding onto her waist slide down, cupping itself over her pussy as the heat radiated out of from within her.


    She couldn¡¯t breathe, couldn¡¯t cry for help. She was completely trapped within his embrace as her life was taken from her, even as his bite and crude thrusting forced her body into the most intense pleasure imaginable. The waves of pleasure crashed over and over again, each orgasm barely ebbing before a new one crashed down around her, each more powerful and intense than the last. She was slipping away, her vision growing dark even as her body yearned for more.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The air came rushing back into her lungs as she discovered herself in a small heap on the cooling ground. She rolled over, pulling at her pants as she tried to look around but her vision was so blurred, her head pounding as the small amount of blood left within her rushed throughout her body, trying desperately to save itself.


    ¡°Gnash,¡± she whispered, her voice barely more than a cracked whisper. She tried to reach out to him, but her arms felt as if they were made of lead. In the back of her mind she knew she was dying. She thought she should be scared, should be fighting this more, but she was so tired, and so cold, and in so much pain. She just wanted the pounding inside of her head to stop, to give in to the tempting slumber and never awaken.


    Someone was saying something right beside her ear, but she couldn¡¯t make out the words. She was suddenly moving, the wind flowing over her body so quickly she began shivering uncontrollably. She moaned, the pain nearly unbearable. Her body felt as if it was made of glass, each step putting her in more pain than the last. She felt as if her entire being was a split second away from shattering into a million pieces.


    Something hot and wet slipped past her lips, the taste metallic and oddly sweet. She tried to push the object away, but it persisted. ¡°No,¡± she murmured, her open mouth allowing more of the elixir to flow down her throat. She involuntarily swallowed the concoction. It burned as it flowed down her esophagus, her body immediately growing warm as if she had drunk a shot of whisky. The warmth was quickly followed by the same intense sexual pleasure, her already over-stimulated nerves and raw body responding rapidly to the fresh vampire blood slipping quickly past her lips.


    She wrapped her hands around the wrist pressed against her mouth. She sank her growing fangs into the hardened flesh, only vaguely aware of someone swearing beneath his breath as he stumbled. Suddenly they had stopped moving, the two of them pressed into the corner of a building as she drank the life-giving nectar as quickly as she could, pulling harder as she drank down each mouthful. She could feel him inside her mind, the barest of glimpses into his. She saw the two of them standing in the shadow of the building, feel his arm wrapped around her waist as he held her tightly to his chest, his face buried in hair.


    The pleasure inside her body intensified until she was once again moaning in pleasure, her core pulsing and throbbing so intensely it was almost painful. One of them was moaning, and she wasn¡¯t sure if it was him or her as he pulled her closer, his twitching cock pressed against her stomach.


    The arm she had been drinking from was suddenly wrenched out of her grasp, causing her to hiss. She squirmed within the arms still holding her, trying to get away.


    ¡°Be still, dammit. Fuck, Skitz is going to crawl my ass for this,¡± she heard him say quietly next to her ear.


    ¡°Gnash?¡± she asked as her vision began to slowly clear, the entire night exploding inside her line of vision in high-definition.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. Be still for a few minutes, let me get ahold of myself. We¡¯ll be home soon, but I need a minute okay?¡±


    He held her for a few more seconds before he adjusted her weight in his arms and took off running, her head bobbing up over his shoulder for a brief second. That¡¯s when she saw it, the blinding light inching its way over the horizon. Fear immediately set in.


    ¡°Gnash, is that ¨C is that the sun?¡± she asked, feeling her erratic heartbeat jumping around inside her chest.


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve got maybe three minutes before the first rays hit the city.¡±


    She shivered. ¡°Are we going to make it?¡±


    ¡°Not if you don¡¯t shut up,¡± he said as he jumped down from the rooftop.


    She nodded, hunkering down closer to his body. Everything was so bright, but the horizon was like nothing she had ever witnessed before. It reminded her of being inside a train tunnel with a runaway locomotive barreling down on them. Only this one wasn¡¯t just a train, but a red-hot laser of death waiting to scorch them all straight back to hell. She imagined witnessing a nuclear bomb detonation first-hand would look very similar.


    Aleria suddenly felt their bodies lifted into the air, the feeling of instant weightlessness causing her to gasp. And then they were flying down a tunnel, sliding past the stairs so quickly it was all little more than a blur.


    A second later they were still, and she discovered herself standing inside a covered courtyard, the warm glow of gas-powered street lamps giving off just enough light for her adjusting eyes to be able to pick out the centuries old crumbling brick holding up the wrought-iron gates. She looked around as Gnash set her on her feet, giving her a few seconds to just take it all in.


    ¡°Come,¡± Gnash said as he took her hand, urging her gently forward. ¡°You¡¯re home now, Aleria. And you¡¯re safe.¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯ve known her for her entire damn life, Gnash. I honestly can¡¯t believe you did this. We¡¯re supposed to talk about these things first.¡±


    Aleria looked over to the small, round woman with the dark hair who was glaring at her new sire. Saying she was mad was an understatement. Aleria fully expected steam to start coming out of the woman¡¯s ears at any given moment. She tried not to eavesdrop, but it was pretty impossible with her new vampiric senses to not hear them. Hell, she could practically hear the woman rolling her eyes. Despite her standing a good fifty feet away, Aleria could still make out every word which passed between the two.


    ¡°You mean like you asked me before you brought Ru home?¡± Gnash asked, one dark eyebrow raised. There it was, that tinge of sarcastic undertone which caused her to smile. It was one of many odd qualities which endeared him to her so much.


    Skitz hissed at him, obviously getting more pissed by the second. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. Ruroni was the last of my mortal kin, and he was dying. If I hadn¡¯t embraced him then my entire line would have died with him. Is that what you want, to see my entire mortal family destroyed?¡±


    ¡°And how is this any different?¡± Gnash asked, grinding his teeth together as his blood mate rolled her eyes. ¡°I was attacked, Skitz. Aleria risked her own mortal life trying to save my immortal one. And for that selfless act, you would have had me leave her amongst the garbage, slowly bleeding to death? It¡¯s bad enough she¡¯s being forced to give up her entire life and go into hiding to keep from being hunted down by all the damn hunters all because she tried to save a friend in trouble.¡±


    Skitz grunted at his words. ¡°Which begs the question of exactly why a mortal would risk her own life trying to protect someone who is immortal. What is she to you exactly, Gnash? I know what kind of people frequent that bar you are so fond of. So what is she, another one of the little vamp tramps eager to get her fang-gasm fix?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Aleria said loudly as she stood up straighter from where she had been lounging against the doorframe of the living quarters. ¡°I¡¯m not a vamp tramp, honey. And let¡¯s get one damn thing straight. Gnash is the only vampire I¡¯ve ever tasted, thank you very much. There¡¯s a reason why bloodletting has been outlawed you know. Do I look like I wanted to die in the prime of my life? For fuck¡¯s sake, I had just paid off my damn apartment, and now just look at me,¡± she said as she held out her arms. ¡°I¡¯m permanently stuck with this body without any way to tighten up my abs or hitch up my sagging ass.¡±


    Skitz scowled at the girl. ¡°No one is talking to you, honey. So butt out of this conversation until someone speaks to you directly. You¡¯ve got a lot to learn about our societal laws.¡±


    ¡°What-the-fuck-ever, bitch,¡± Aleria muttered as she walked over to the bookshelf, taking in all the handwritten, leather-bound books.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a friend, Skitz. She¡¯s been working at the bar for the past two years that I know of-¡±


    ¡°Eight,¡± Aleria interjected. ¡°I¡¯ve been there for eight years.¡±


    Gnash frowned at her, but she seemed unfazed by his mild annoyance. ¡°Aleria, why don¡¯t you go out to the kitchen and see if there¡¯s any blood substitute in the fridge. You¡¯ll need to feed once nightfall hits. I don¡¯t think it would be wise to take you out without a little bit of sustenance in your system. Can¡¯t put the humans at risk, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s not risk the precious fucking humans,¡± Skitz mumbled sarcastically, but Gnash ignored her.


    Aleria looked over at him, her bright blue eyes even more so since he embraced her. ¡°Fine,¡± she said as she replaced the book onto the shelf. ¡°But if your little ball-and-chain calls me a vamp tramp one more time-¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Look here, you little coffin cunt, no one asked for your damn opinion, so get the fuck out of here.¡±


    ¡°Skitz!¡± Gnash said harshly as he grabbed her arm before she could take more than a few steps toward Aleria.


    ¡°Damn, jealous much? No fucking wonder he stays at the club every chance he gets. I¡¯d be avoiding your bitchy ass, too,¡± she muttered as she turned and left the room.


    ¡°Skitz, please,¡± she heard him say as she moved deeper into the house. ¡°You¡¯ve got this all wrong, and you are making a scene. I¡¯ve never once been unfaithful to you in all these years. She saved my life, pure and simple, and I wouldn¡¯t be much of a vampire, a man, or a leader if I had left her there to die.¡±


    Aleria shook her head as she wandered into the kitchen, smiling despite the scene playing out in the living area. Gnash was really something else. She had liked him instantly, though she hadn¡¯t been physically attracted to him. That¡¯s not to say he wasn¡¯t attractive ¨C he actually was very easy on the eyes. But something had just clicked with them, like two old people who had been friends their whole lives. She had always had a very odd sense of humor, and he not only shared her warped sense of self but also a great many other things as well. They had literally talked into the wee hours of the morning every week for the past two years. She felt like she had known him forever, and if she was going to be forced into a life of immortality, she couldn¡¯t think of a better person to have embraced her than Gnash.


    She looked around the spacious kitchen, silently wondering why a coven of vampires needed so much space. She opened a cabinet nearest her, finding it filled with different brands of blood substitute ¨C New Blood, Blood Zero, Blood Light, Blood One, and some fancy shit called Don Blood Peria.


    She slammed the door shut and moved to the large side-by-side refrigerator, taking a peek into it. There was actual food in it, lots of it in fact, another surprise which had her wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into.


    ¡°Aleria.¡±


    She turned around at the sound of her name, closing the fridge door behind her. Gnash was standing in the doorway, looking weary and worn with the dried blood still caked in his hair. Thankfully his skull fracture had already healed, the gaping wound knitted back together as if nothing had happened, the matted hair the only sign he had ever suffered an injury at all.


    ¡°Damn, you look like shit, G, no offense,¡± she said as she straightened up. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she asked, her voice softening. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry I picked a fight with Skitz. I¡¯m kinda sensitive about people automatically assuming I¡¯m a fang whore because I work at the L&L. That¡¯s still no excuse for being a total bitch to your wife, and I¡¯m sorry. If my being here is going to cause trouble then I don¡¯t mind leaving. Give me a few days to get my shit moved to the basement of my apartment complex and I¡¯ll be out of your hair.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Aleria. You¡¯re my childer, my family, just like Skitz and Ru. She just needs some time to adjust to you is all. She¡¯ll come around, you¡¯ll see. You¡¯ve done nothing wrong and I won¡¯t see my one and only childer tossed into the streets because she¡¯s hormonal.¡±


    She looked at him with more than a little bit of concern. ¡°Hormonal? Fuck me, you mean I still have to put up with my period? Dammit, I thought for sure being embraced would take care of that, along with permanent birth control.¡±


    Gnash blinked at her a few times before he roared with laughter. ¡°No, Aleria, you¡¯re right. Vampires don¡¯t have to worry about any of your human bodily functions any more. No more menstrual cycles, no getting pregnant, none of that. But you still secret hormones so yes, I guess you can still get the vampire equivalent of PMS. Or at least Skitz does.¡±


    She grimaced. ¡°Great, just what I wanted with my immortality, a craving for chocolate and red wine, neither of which I can have any more.¡±


    They looked at each other for a second before they both burst into perils of laughter.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show you to your room. After a good night¡¯s sleep I¡¯ll show you around and introduce you to the coven. They are all going to love you.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not tired,¡± she said before she suddenly yawned, her body feeling as if it weighed a ton. ¡°What the hell? Why do I suddenly feel like I¡¯m about to lapse into a coma?¡±


    ¡°Mmm hmm,¡± Gnash said with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ll find you don¡¯t have much choice about sleeping during the daytime hours. It may take a few days to catch up with you, but by this time next week you¡¯ll discover yourself falling on your face as soon as the sun comes up. I strongly suggest you be in your coffin before that time. I can¡¯t be held responsible for what antics some of the younger members may pull if they find you sprawled out in the living area, dead to the world.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Aleria awoke with a start. It was dead quiet and as black as ink, two things which were very uncommon for her small apartment bedroom. She should be able to hear the sound of cars passing by with their horns blaring, see the annoying glow of the neon sign from the store across the street penetrating the two sets of black-out curtains she had hanging over the large window behind her bed. For a brief second she couldn¡¯t remember where she was. She tried to sit up in her bed only to hit her head on the top of her modified coffin. She yelped more in surprise than pain, feeling the panic settling in for a split second before that morning¡¯s events came flooding back to her.


    She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down as she fought against the claustrophobia threatening to take control of her mind. She felt around in the dark until her hand came across the hidden lever inside her coffin. She flipped it, the entire lid sliding back silently. She bolted out of the contraption, her heart lurching over oddly inside her chest. She stood up, stretching as she looked around her new room. Her ¡°coffin¡± was a solid metal box built inside a regular four-post bed sitting at one end of a large, rectangular room. There was a huge walk-in closet on one wall, a vanity and mirror on the other along with a few chest of drawers and an entertainment center. The floor was antique brick, as were the walls. The entire placed looked like a seventeenth century English castle, except this one had been built underground inside the abandoned subway tunnels of Abyss City. She even had her own balcony looking out over a yard filled with plants which grew in the damp darkness of the perpetual twilight they lived in.


    She yawned as she walked into the closet, surprised to find a few outfits which actually fit. It wasn¡¯t her usual metal-meets-Goth style, but it would do in a pinch. She grabbed the clothes and strolled over to the bath, eager to clean off the previous night¡¯s dirt and grime. She was half-way through her shower before she realized she hadn¡¯t turned on any cold water, ultimately causing a few burns on her back which healed nearly as quickly as they formed. Feeling refreshed, she donned a pair of ripped jeans and shirt, walking aimlessly out into what passed as the back courtyard of the establishment.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the absence of the moon and stars, she would never have known she was still underground. She expected the air to be stale, but there was a light breeze blowing, no doubt created by the large ventilation fans built into the tunnels. Vampires didn¡¯t really need oxygen, so she had no idea why they would do this, unless it was just another attempt for them to pretend to be as human as possible.


    She pushed on, passing by a large water fountain, several flowering vines, and a colorful array of bushes, plants, and assorted foliage. The garden eventually became dense vegetation which resembled miniature flowering trees, their limbs barely hovering more than a foot above her. This small forest gave way to a clearing some hundred plus yards from the main house. A mild grunting sound caused her to pause as she entered the back portion of the courtyard.


    Aleria approached the area with caution, wondering if someone were hurt, or worse. She honestly had no idea who, or what all could be down here. Gnash hadn¡¯t warned her against staying away from any area within the tunnel, but she also hadn¡¯t exactly asked before she began exploring. Any number of things could be lurking within the walls of their manor, her mind running wild with thoughts of what could potentially be down here with her. There could be a pack of mutated pet werewolves only a few feet away ready to maul her to death for all she knew.


    Moving forward, her foot slipped over a precipice, and she suddenly discovered herself lurching forward into an inky, black abyss. She gasped, her newly formed vampire eyes kicking in and the formerly unseen chasm gave way to a lightly lit twenty foot by thirty foot rectangular hole a good fifteen feet deep.


    She righted herself quickly, staring with her mouth open at what lay at the bottom of the depression. The entire length of the thing was filled with various traps and hurdles, everything from swinging logs with metal stakes sticking out of them to shooting arrows and spinning saw blades which came up out of the makeshift wooden floor. She could smell the stale, metallic vampire blood which clung to some of the metal spikes, the entire scene causing her to shiver.


    The young man standing at the bottom of the hole turned, staring in astonishment at the female who had appeared out of thin air right above him. A tiny click sound came from somewhere within the torture chamber, causing the young man¡¯s head to turn quickly. Aleria opened her mouth, trying to warn him of the shooting spike which shot out at him, but she was too late. The man merely side-stepped the object, his body moving so quickly he was but a blur for a brief moment in time before reappearing exactly where he had been less than a second before.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± he asked, his voice deep as he bent his knee slightly and jumped, propelling his body up and out of the cavern. He landed silently a few inches from her.


    She gasped again, her body jerking uncontrollably as she watched him, his movement so quick he literally disappeared and reappear instantaneously right next to her. Knocked off balance, she nearly fell into the pit. His hand reached out to steady her. She looked at him sheepishly as she shoved her strawberry blonde hair out of her face.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You¡¯re new,¡± he said as he righted her back onto her feet.


    She tried to smile, but it came off looking more like a grimace. ¡°Yeah, I just got here last night ¨C err, this morning?¡±


    ¡°No, I meant you¡¯re new as in a new born vampire,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°But yeah, you¡¯re new to the family as well.¡±


    She laughed with him, the two of them grinning at each other. ¡°I¡¯m Aleria,¡± she said as she held out her hand. ¡°Fresh off the flesh train.¡±


    The young man looked at her quizzically as he took her hand and shook it. ¡°I¡¯m Ruroni, but everyone in the family just calls me Ru.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Skitz¡¯s childer,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah. Who do you belong to?¡± When she just stood there looking at him with an odd expression he elaborated. ¡°I mean, who embraced you? Who is your sire?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± she said, suddenly looking embarrassed. ¡°Sorry. You¡¯d think I would be used to the slang jargon by now. Gnash embraced me, just last night, or rather, just this morning, right before sunup.¡± She tucked her arm behind her back, fidgeting with the belt loop on her jeans, something of a nervous habit.


    Ru stared at her for a few seconds before he whistled real low. ¡°Damn, can¡¯t believe he finally broke his own rule. Took him long enough. Unfortunately, looks like I lost the damn bet.¡±


    She looked at him blankly. ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±


    He laughed. ¡°Gnash has always had this rule about embracing humans. He¡¯s never done it for two reasons ¨C the first being he promised Skitz when they were bound that he would never have sex with anyone else, and two, because he didn¡¯t want the responsibility which comes along with embracing a new vampire. The entire house has had a running bet for years now as to when he¡¯d cave and embrace someone. I said closer to three hundred years. I was so far off it¡¯s not even funny.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said as she blinked at him before shaking her head violently. ¡°Oh, no. No, no, no, you got it all wrong. We didn¡¯t, he didn¡¯t, that is, it¡¯s kinda a long, complicated story-¡±


    Ru held up his hands. ¡°No need to explain. We are very well aware of how other vampires are created. But if you have any hang-ups about having sex with random strangers, then you really don¡¯t need to ever taste real blood. We do get the occasional prude, not that you are a prude mind you, but it¡¯s just another reason to develop a taste for the substitutes instead of the real thing. But I¡¯m gonna warn you, it¡¯s a lot harder to kick the habit once you¡¯ve fed. So if you have any doubts whatsoever about sleeping with a whole shit-ton of random people, do yourself a favor and just go for the fake stuff right off the bat.¡± He paused, a surprised look on his face. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m telling you all this under the assumption you know about vampire feeding habits.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m very well aware of them. I¡¯ve worked at the L&L Club for eight years, so yeah, no surprises on most of it.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s how you met Gnash?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s been a regular for years now. We started talking one night while I was tending bar and just hit it off. Felt like I¡¯ve known him forever.¡±


    Ru raised an eyebrow, and she groaned. ¡°Not you, too,¡± she said as she rolled her eyes. ¡°Look, he comes into the bar, we talk. That¡¯s it. But over the years we¡¯ve talked a lot about a lot of things. Earlier this morning he had way more to drink than usual. I left several minutes after he did, on my way home - alone. I rounded the corner of the back alley and found him bleeding from the head and being wailed on by two other vampires. He was still so hammered, I was scared they would kill him. I sprayed one of them with vampire mace, managed to smack the other one with a rock. But before I could get Gnash back onto his feet and out of there, the one I beaned with the chunk of brick snatched me up and had me drained in less than two minutes. I was dying, end of story. For whatever reason, Gnash chose to embrace me. It¡¯s really as simple as that. We both acted on instinct. Now whether or not he¡¯ll come to regret it, well, we¡¯ll see won¡¯t we?¡±


    Ru stared at her for a second before he nodded. ¡°That sounds a lot more like Gnash than him guilt-embracing someone after he had fucked them and nearly killed them.¡±


    She grimaced. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t see him being the type.¡± She looked down into the pit he had been in earlier. ¡°What is this thing anyway?¡±


    ¡°That?¡± he asked as he glanced back at the hole. ¡°That¡¯s the training pit.¡±


    ¡°Looks dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re mostly immortal so no harm no foul.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Yeah, okay, if you say so. You¡¯d have to be nuts to want to actually go into that thing.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you are going to be part of the Clan of the Fallen, you are going to have to learn to defend yourself. It¡¯s kinda the rule these days.¡±


    ¡°Why is it a rule?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? There¡¯s a rival coven trying to take over the city. The lead vampire is gunning to take over as the master of the city.¡±


    ¡°Really? Yeah that¡¯s news to me. Gnash hasn¡¯t said anything about it, and I haven¡¯t seen any new vampires in the club in weeks now. No news in the underground either.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s strange. You¡¯ll have to talk to Gnash about it. Bottom line, these idiots are trying to move in and take over. The master vampire is a real dick to boot. He¡¯s hardcore.¡±


    ¡°Hardcore? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Hardcore like seriously old school. He¡¯s more than a millennia old. Let¡¯s just say he hasn¡¯t really changed with the time. He still believes in taking humans without their consent, embracing whomever he wants. His considers the donors and companions of his coven to be property and anyone caught trying to escape or going against him is marked for death. He chooses who lives, who dies, who leaves, who stays, and who he adds to his ranks. No one goes anywhere or does anything that he doesn¡¯t know about it. He¡¯s got spies all over the city, so just be careful who you talk to. Never tell anyone where our coven is located, and never divulge any family information. You never know who could be one of his spies, just waiting to take one of us out first chance he gets.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°Just what I need in this brand-new immortal life of mine¨C more jackasses trying to kill me.¡±