The Familiar || ONC 2022

Chapter 3

He grabbed her by the throat, only to drop her coughing on the ground as his soldiers returned with the remains of Wilfred's coven.

Arius's soldiers led a group of fifteen vampires into the room and forced them to kneel. The entire crowd looked absolutely gorgeous and had no trouble dressing up to fit into the club scene. Thirteen of them possessed glowing red irises, a sure sign of newly turned vampires. A few of them looked quite powerful too; Wilfred had definitely been trying to bolster his ranks.

It was too little, too late.

"It seems you are all without your Sires." Arius smiled down at the the mid and low level vampires kneeling in front of him.

"Luckily for you, I now possess the blood of your coven's Original Sire." Arius eyed them all as he dragged a sharp fingernail across his palm. "Join me."

"Why would we give up our new freedom? We know what you have done to the other Originals." Said one of Wilfred's old coven members with normally colored eyes. She was a beautiful, leggy brunette, just his type.

Arius smiled at the outspoken vampire. "I gave their covens the same choice I am giving you. Do you not think vampires are stronger when we are united towards a common goal instead of squabbling over our future? Who better to help you learn about your wonderful new lease on life than the most powerful Original?"

The woman crossed her arms, unconvinced by his generous tone. "You mean cursed life. The thirst never ends."

"Exactly why your friends need a Sire to help control their bloodlust. They might become depraved if their thirst cannot be controlled or appeased. It takes a while for the bloodlust to fade." He sent her a charming smile. "Though I personally see no reason why they shouldn't be able to hunt as they please instead of hiding in the shadows like monsters." Arius saw the hunger-driven approval in some of the newly turned's eyes.

"We are monsters." The brunette argued. "We hunt what we used to be just to satisfy a fleeting need. It's disgusting."

"Then you shouldn't have been stupid enough to get turned in the first place." Arius's eyes flashed in anger, and the brunette's heart was separated from her chest in a second. He tossed the organ aside and turned to the waiting vampires with a smile. "Does anyone else share her opinion, or do you want to live?"

The others shook their heads in fear before taking the blood he offered them, forever binding them to his will.

Arius dismissed his new children, leaning back in his chair. He glanced down at the witch, who stilled for the same reason he smiled.

The one he searched for was using magic again.

He could feel it even now, a pulse in his chest. "Map!" He ordered as he closed his eyes and focused on the link that had finally woken after 827 years, sending his decrepit heart beating once again.

A sign, spark, omen, signal; whatever it was, the feeling of that magic started his crusade.

The other Originals at the summit four years ago had disagreed with his plans. All but Ellie, who was intelligent enough not to show. Now the power of four other Originals resided in his body and their children joined his army. He had coven members searching all corners of the globe for the last piece of the puzzle.

Patience, he reminded himself. All good things come to those who wait.

His second in command led a stumbling blonde into the room and a rolled paper. "As you requested Sire."

The girl looked around the dim room, her vacant gaze appraising Arius. Liking what she saw in his pale but striking features, his prey swayed forward in a drunk end attempt at seduction. The vampire ignored her, unrolling the paper and pinpointing a location just above Montana's northern border. "She keeps heading North. Send a group and alert the Canadian faction. This has dragged out for long enough."

The other vampire bowed before disappearing. The blonde leaned over the desk before her gaze landed on Wilfred's crumpled form and the pissed off witch nursing her wounds. She let out a piercing scream and backed away, only to be met by a locked door. Arius smiled cruelly as he stalked towards her. It wasn't much of a chase this time, but fear brought out a spicy flavor he tended to favor in his meals.

As he bit down on the poor girl's neck to bleed her dry, he was vaguely thankful Wilfred thought to soundproof the rooms.

Ten minutes later, he ordered his minions to remove the bodies and the witch. A club wasn't too bad of a place to wait for news that his search had come to an end. He had waited for so long, a few more weeks were nothing.

Word Count: 1486