Fleur Di Lis

Chapter Eight

"Well, well, well. What do we have here, boys?"

He stepped forward, grabbed a fistful of my hair and hauled me up. I let out a yelp of pain as I was lifted to my feet and dragged to face the two henchmen that Bax had brought with him. During my attack, the front of my dress had ripped, showing a lot more cleavage than I would've liked. The men, obviously, were loving it.

"Let me go, you son of a bitch," I snapped through gritted teeth.

"Ooh, someone's feisty," Bax chuckled, grabbing my throat and tightening his grip just enough to catch my breath. "The last woman who spoke like that got her heart ripped out." He examined me for a moment. "I see why Nathaniel has taken a shine to you; you're positively gorgeous. Pity, you won't be seeing daylight."

"Oh, yeah?"  I choked, clawing at his hand to no avail.  "Go ahead. Kill me. Because, if you do, I will haunt you for the rest of your goddamn life, asshole."

"Oh, honey," Bax clicked his tongue. "Did dear old Nathaniel not tell you? I'm already dead."

Veins began to appear and protrude around his eyes, which were turning completely black. Even the white of his eyes were blackening. His canines began to elongate to a point, like fangs, and he started to lean in towards my throat.

Shit, shit, shit!

Fear pumped through my veins, and my flight instinct began to kick in; I wriggled and squirmed in an attempt to free myself from the guy -- monster, whatever the hell he was -- but it was useless; he was too strong. The two guys were closing in, their eyes and teeth doing the same, an animalistic snarl coming from their chests.

Suddenly, I was flying through the air once more and landed on the ground in a heap, hearing the sound of pounding flesh as a fight broke out in the middle of my apartment.

It was quick; as soon as I looked up, Bax had disappeared and the two henchmen lay on the ground with their heads positioned at odd angles. Broken necks, I guessed, glancing up to see Nathaniel Carey striding towards me purposefully.

"Nicki," he began, scooping me up in his arms like a child. I didn't protest; every bone in my body ached. It was nice to get carried around. "Are you alright?"

"Well," I began. "If by alright you mean battered and almost eaten, then I'm dandy."

He let out a sigh. "We need to get you some place safe."

We exited the apartment and down the elevator, where the blood of the concierge had been splattered across the floor. I turned away, burying my head into Nathaniel's shoulder as he carried me out of the building and into a car.

"Rest now," he said monotonously, his eyes boring into mine. "Get some sleep."

My eyes fluttered as weariness took over, and I dozed off just as he began to drive away from the horror scene that was my home.

***

I jerked awake, inhaling sharply. The views of the dark highway was in front of me, and I looked around me. Car, Nathaniel, dress. Slowly, events from -- I checked the clock on the dash, one-thirty in the morning -- last night coming back to me. Nathaniel, Masquerade, Fleur Di Lis, Natasha...

Bax.

My heart started to pound, fear of the memory of his eyes blackening and his fangs appearing lingered in my mind. What the hell was he? It would explain the grotesque nature of the murders; they had been carried out by a monster.

Which was exactly what Bax was.

A hand, warm and inviting, laid over my own in reassurance.

"It's alright," Nathaniel soothed, not taking his eyes from the wheel. "You're safe."

"Where am I?" I asked. "Where are you taking me?"

"Some place safe," he replied. "Away from the city; he won't find you there."

I licked my dry lips, turning to him. "What is he?" I breathed. "His eyes... They were black. He was gonna kill me. He was gonna eat me."

"Not eat you," he amended gently. "Just drink you dry."

I scoffed. "Oh, lesser of two evils, huh? Doesn't answer my question: what is he?"

"He's a vampire, Nicki," Nate said finally. "Like we all are."

"Vampire?" I repeated, blanching, sinking into the bucket seat. Of all the the things he could've said, that was the last thing I ever expected.

Vampire.

Vampire....

Vampire.

It couldn't sink in; vampires weren't real. They didn't exist; Bram Stoker was famous for portraying Dracula, and was every kid's nightmare.

But, that's all they were. Nightmares.

Or, were they?

A voice, small yet strong, appeared in my head. How else could I explain the black eyes, the fangs, the speed and the iron-like hold? How else could I explain the occurrences of tonight? How else could I explain the gruesome murders?

No human in their right mind would do something so horrid.

"I understand this is daunting for you," Nate began, his smooth voice jilted with concern. "But, you don't have to be afraid of me -- I'm in control."

"You're a vampire," I blurted out, turning to him. "How can a vampire be in control?"

He smiled -- it didn't reach his eyes. "Centuries of practise."

I exhaled, shaking my head. Centuries. How old was this guy, exactly? No -- scratch that, I didn't want to know. "How..."

"It's a lot to take in," Nate said quickly. "Don't worry, where I'm taking you will allow you to come to terms with it. I have someone on hand to help you whilst I keep an eye on Bax."

"Where are we going?"

"I have a place in Williamsburg," he explained. "It's out of Dodge, and it'll keep you out of harm's way, which is exactly what I need when I'm looking for Bax." He glanced at me, his features softening slightly. "I can't be worrying about your safety when I'm confronting him."

I said nothing; I didn't know what to say. My head was buzzing from what Nate had told me, I just didn't know what to make of it all. I was going from not believing in the supernatural to discovering that vampires existed, and one of them was now after me.

What can you say to that?

I remained silent as we continued down the highway towards Williamsburg, where we took a turn into what looked like a reservation camp hidden in thick woodland. We drove at snail's pace, careful not to scare the wildlife that called this forest home. At the end of the woods, near a lake, there was a gorgeous bungalow made out of grey stone and dark wood, with the sash windows emanating a warm honey glow from inside.

It was beautiful.

The front door opened, and a small brunette girl came bouncing out into Nate's arms, embracing him tightly.

"Cousin," she breathed, holding him at arms' length and examining him with concern on her oval-shaped face and glittering in her hazel-coloured eyes. "Are you alright?"

He sighed heavily. "It's Bax."

She exhaled sharply, anger flashing across her face. "Why am I not surprised?" She turned to me, eyes wide. "Is this her?"

"Nicki," Nate began. "This is my cousin, Michaela."

"Are you a vampire too?"

Michaela gave me an abashed look, shrugging her petite shoulders. "We all have different ways of living with the condition." She gestured towards the house, a soft smile on her face. "C'mon in, honey -- I'm sure we have a lot to talk about."