A Vampire's Life Book 4

Chapter 2 - Ethan

Days of late had lingered from one into the other and I was beginning to find life dull. The most excitement I could find in my day was stalking these streets to find my next meal. My days consisted of very little, as the eldest son of the king for this kingdom of vampires, I had little to do anyway. My father and I were members of the council but that was a once a month for a few hours thing. We owned a club which kept my nights occupied but there was little else that made life worthwhile. I am Ethan Blackwood, one day everything in this town will be mine to care for but it is a day that I do not wish for. For me to be king, it would mean that my father would be dead or that he had stepped aside to allow me to rule. For that to happen a thousand years of his rule would have to pass and that was a long way off. I was happy just to sit on the side lines, happy to be the son of the ruler and nothing more. Our world was ruled by one man, Lucian Eliade. He presided over this world, to vampires it is known as Elm'nyth and all of the little kingdoms flourished under his care. Vampires are still an unknown species, in fact all of the dark beings are. After seeing what the humans did to the witches, we all chose to remain hidden. No one wanted to suffer like they did.

Much like other vampires, our family still lived in one house. We had a grand castle that sat against the mountain side surrounded by a very deep forest. In the castle lived my parents and myself, my brother Claude and my sister Montana. We had a household staff of about ten, some of them resided in the staff accommodation, others lived with their own families. There were also the standard guards that every royal family had to have, they protected our property and ensured the humans stayed out. Our living arrangement wasn't out of need, we were an affluent family, it was out of security mostly. Even though our species was a hidden race, there were humans that knew of our existence. Slayers had haunted my family for many years and I had lost many friends and family to them. We were yet to need personal guards but I knew that it was coming. Slayers liked to remove the royal families, thinking that if there was no royalty, the vampires in their kingdom would wither and die without them. It was rather farcical but we weren't going to tell them otherwise. Better they direct their attention to us, who could afford protection, then to others who couldn't.

Today I and my brother Claude were sitting in the brisk afternoon weather, soaking in the last of the sun's rays. Soon I would be needed in the club, soon I would be engulfed in the world of loud music, humans dancing and far too much alcohol. Across the street was a clatter at the door, a woman stepped out looking like her world had just crumbled around her. She wasn't in tears but I knew it wasn't good. Claude looked sideways at me as I watched her exit the medical centre. I watched as she tightened her jacket, her long black hair falling effortlessly down her back. I smiled looking at the tips of her hair, pink. It looked like she had dipped her raven locks into a tin of candy pink paint. She was beautiful, pale skin with ruby red lips, the jeans tight to her body showing the gorgeous frame. I could stare at her all day, but then again, there were much better things to do with a woman as fine as her.

'What is it with you and women that are marked?'

I frown at Claude. 'What are you talking about?'

'Did you not see the red mark on her wrist? The mark of death, it's bright too.' he said eyebrows high.

'Bright?'

'Death will come soon.'

He can see the change in my demeanour.

'Oh please tell me you are not considering it?'

I look at him as he gestures to the fellow passing us to come over.

'Good afternoon gentlemen, how may I assist your reading needs this fine afternoon?'

The man is old for his time, but so much older than what the humans think.

'Fangs and fur, my good man.' my younger brother says quietly.

The old man nods, taking the money. He puts the magazine into a human newspaper and passes it over.

'Good day gentlemen.' he nods and departs our company.

'Why on earth did you buy that trash?'

'Because...' he flips to the back pages. 'This is where you will find out what witch is on the loose, what's popular with spells at the moment. That mark is so damned bright, it has to be a curse.'

He gets up from the bench as we begin to follow the girl. We bustle through the crowded street, a quicker walk than normal, trying to catch up to the fair skinned beauty. My cold heart shivered when she stepped out of the medical centre. An unusual thing to happen, a human to invigorate a dormant heart. My brother might have scoffed at my penchant for marked women, but it seemed easier to take the life of someone that was already dying. That's mother coming out in you he teases me. My brother of course preferred beautiful young women, virgins were what he lusted for the most. Take them and kill them. These poor young things were wooed by his charm, and he was a real charmer, they would submit and consent to him, giving him their virtue and in return he gave them a very good time before draining their body.

'Here we go.... What's she got?'

We all possessed many similar abilities but there were some abilities that not everyone got, sometimes everyone in an entire family would have a different ability. I saw her in the distance, the closer I got the easier it was to enter her mind.

'Cancer, aggressive.'

As he reads through the tiny text in the magazine, I stay in her mind, learning about her. Disowned by her parents, living with a dead shit boyfriend, no money, and hot dog... she's a stripper. I chuckle.

'What?' my brother looks at me curiously.

'Promise me one thing little brother.'

'Yes.' he says very drawn out, a little dubious to my statement.

'You will not charm her, you will not lure her, you will not take her.'

'You want her?'

I nod salivating at the thought.

'Fair enough then, I promise I will not chase after her.'

She walks into the apartment, my brother starts to rattle things off and I forget to leave her mind.

'Ok.' he tucks the magazine under his arm, watching a blonde beauty pass us.

She winks at him with a suggestive look.

'I'll go and collect the supplies and meet you back at home.'

He cranes his neck to watch the woman.

'We can make the mixture and give it...' his distraction gets the better of him. 'I'll uh, see you later.'

And with that he disappears into the crowd of people that pass us, chasing after the blonde. I can hear her crying in her mind, she has caught him in the arms of another woman. She is suffering from this horrid human disease and the prick cheats on her. But what about the cancer? I will have no one if I leave she whispers in her mind through the tears. I know it isn't right, to speak to a human that doesn't know we exist, but I cannot let her suffer. I will look after you I whisper back to her. Her mind becomes strong, resisting the temptation to crumble, I can hear her talking to herself in her mind as she decides what of her possessions she wants to take, to leave him. Good on you girl, don't hang around a jerk that doesn't love you. Before I realise it, she is out the door, barrelling into my chest. Hello gorgeous.