The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 54/The darkness falls in the nerve garden

The familiar screamed in agony again as I pulled the lever hard.

"What is it?" I shouted.

I felt nothing at his tears and pleadings. I had punished the guilty before in the nerve garden and strangely felt nothing but the desperation to . I looked over at the guards I had brought from the dock, sometimes the weaklings winced at what I was doing.

"I.. don't...know," said the Duchess's familiar through gritted teeth.

I let out a long invective in the black tongue, it sounded worse than a thousand of hells curses. I was finding the stone floor, hard to stand on, greased as it was with the familiar's own blood.

"One more circle then it will not be undone. Then I start on the next one then I will poll you" I promised.

"Never..."

I then pulled the leaver to his screams. I was so used to them by now, I was angry and they failed to affect my sprit. His intransigence did vex me bitterly. A bell tolled, I thought it might be for the wedding and moved onto the other parts of his anatomy.

"This is your last chance before I birth my self a maiden" I promised.

Mary arrived as the worst was in progress. The Duke wasn't with him.

"Has he spoke?" she said.

"Not yet but he will" I promised amidst his cries. I needed something. Something which would touch his soul.

Then a bell sounded.

"What's that?" I said.

Mary froze. "Shit. Some immortal is releasing the red-dawn. the ceiling poison, but the red-dawn is only for the case of insurrection. There might be a break out from the dungeons or something." Mary said rushing to a statue. She twisted a special part and released the familiar's gas masks. She pulled out three. Put one over her own head and then helped me on with the other. I took the mask clearly intended for the life of the familiar who was strapped.

The Dukes long coats who each stood still by me during the torture, made sure their own masks fitted tightly.

"Stay I'm going to find out what is happening," Mary said muffled by the mask.

Mary ran out to find out what was going on.

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Mary went down the corridor and heard another alarm bell. She looked down the stairwell and saw bedlam at the bottom. Some guards rushed up the stairs.

"What's happening?" shouted Mary.

"The lower floors are full of Defiance, they are attacking with masks against the red-dawn. " said one.

"Fuck! who is releasing the red-dawn?" demanded Mary.

"They are doing it" said the other.

Mary grabbed the long coat before he could go.

"In that room is the Princess. We will form a defensive parimeter about her at the door. If you run they will just see your mark and kill you, if we stay together protect her then we can use her to negotiate a way out. Die or have a chance to live, Your choice. Now move."

The man dropped the rifle to the floor.

"Pick that up" said Mary.

"It's useless. We don't have any ammunition, it's for show; I need a knife or something." The wolf said through the mask.

"Pick that up, block the corridor, and I will give you these," said Mary. She reached into her clothing and pulled out two rounds and pulled them out. Ammunition was always in short supply so she always carried a few rounds hidden on her. Handing the brass cylinders over the long coat was persuaded.

Mary came up to me "Shut the door. Lock it. I'll keep them away as long as I can to give you time."

I looked at her. "You're not going to sacrifice yourself for me?"

Even in the mask I could see that Mary smiled "Hell no. I'm going to get their attention and pull them away. You need to get to Duke."

I looked at the bloodied familiar "I'll get him to talk first" I said. "Where is the Duke?"

Mary looked up for a second "I guess he will be in the temple. Be careful. The Lobishomen will be thinking it's another betrayal, the red-draw will be over soon."

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The guards were now near the door. I was left alone with the familiar. I knew he talked. I just didn't know how.

"Hear that" I said through the mask "Its red-dawn soon it will get in here and the only thing that will stop it is this" I said holding up the mask. "Ugly death by red-drawn I hear coughing you guts out drowned in your own blood. "

I held the mask up in front of him.

"No one is going to save you they are all too busy saving them selves." I told him.

The pain finally became too much for him he pleaded.

"Then tell me," I said.

"The Duchess was born a man, she was carved and crafted by her mother as a suitable mate for the Duke. She can not have children. Now give me the mask" he said. I paused "Please, Give me the mask I can smell something" he pleaded.

"I don't think so" said I casually, then dropped the mask "I don't need you now.".

I didn't care about him. The gas took him and I noticed him impassively as he froth at the mouth then his lips went black. I can't explain how I felt. The vampires had killed Ella, I had watched her die in my hands and I needed to hurt them in return.

"We need to find the duke" I shouted to Mary who was outside.