The Originals - Revenant

Chapter 9

»»-— 1702, Kingdom of Sicily—-««

With winter starting, the Sicilian nobility would plague the whole island with parties and, even if only the multiple Viceroys and Princes were invited, the ordinary people would enjoy it too. There were almost weekly gatherings in different villas to which the viceroy Francesco del Giudice was invited and, given that I was his guest, I would always attend.

Tonight's party was at Bianca Sciascia's house, a young woman who was actively looking for the wealthiest bachelor in the land to become her husband. She hadn't hesitated to spend such a big amount of money to prepare such a party. It didn't let anyone down.

Seafood on trays was being paraded around the room by servants, along with tall glasses of cava, a Spanish bubbly. The orchestra was playing loudly but skillfully, allowing the gentleman to pull their partners into the dance floor or to hidden corners.

I kept to myself, sipping on the alcohol and eyeing the room trying to find someone to eat with. Or from. I finally found a young man that looked attractive enough to catch my eye. He was wearing fine blue clothes, mostly silk with vibrant velvet.

"Francesco," I said getting closer to the viceroy, "Who is that young man who is talking with Miss Sciascia."

Francesco del Giudice looked around the room with his sharp eyes, detecting sin everywhere he set them, and finally reached the couple.

He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "That is Pluto Romano, prince of Naples," he informed me, leaning toward me as to not be overheard.

"Another one?" I asked amused.

He nodded. He turned toward a table with food and stuffed his face on it. Even if prude in the matters of love, Francesco del Giudice ravished in other deathly sins: gluttony was his favourite.

I walked to where Bianca was trying to seduce Pluto and locked eyes with her. "Dear Bianca, what a fantastic party. I think you are needed elsewhere." My pupils grew wider, as did hers, and she got the hint I had compelled into her. She went away without saying another word because she was needed elsewhere.

I smirked and faced the prince, reaching my hand forward for him to kiss. "Beyla Smith," I said, "You must be Pluto Romano."

He grinned. "Indeed, I am." He took my hand and gave it a too long kiss.

"This party has become quite dull," I said looking around, "I think I will go home and continue my own party there. Do you care to join me?"

"I would be delighted," he said with a devilish grin.

I didn't really have to convince my victims here, all these Sicilians were so terribly lustful and sick of covering up their appearance with religion, that with the slight enticing invitation they would fall to their knees and follow me to their doom.

We hurried back to Francesco's villa. He would remain at the party till late in the night, so I didn't have to worry about compelling him not to bother me. The service was already abed and, considering how hard they worked during the day, I was quite sure they wouldn't wake up during the night. Even if screams interrupted their dreams.

I guided Pluto to the living room, an abode so burdened with eccentric furniture, it made my skin itch just to think about all the velvet. Francesco hadn't been yet blessed with a union that lasted more than a fortnight, so no one had been able to enforce common sense on the style of the house. Because of this, I was forced to endure the ugliness of it. I could compel him to get some sense of fashion, but compelling him all the time had become dull. As had everything else.

Everything, except one thing. I could never get tired of the hunt. It made my heart race as the first day. Chasing after preys, it felt primal but exciting. The hunter stalking the hunted. It was a game, one I was exceptionally good at.

Pluto strolled behind me, looking around and nodding, approving of Francesco's style. I wasn't after him for his aesthete eye, that was for sure, but the sweet treasure that he carried around. Humans took it for granted. They wasted it. I was the only one who knew its true value. Blood. The one thing I craved. The one thing that could quench the thirst I suffered every moment of every day.

After taking in everything that surrounded us, he finally laid his eyes on me and closed the space between us. He looked at me as a sculptor looks at a piece of marvel, hungrily, methodically. Every step, every movement had to be calculated if he wanted to discover what was inside of me, what I had in store for him and only him. Would I break before he was done, leaving him with the doubts of what it could have been? Or would I reveal all my secrets?

My one and only secret, he was about to discover in a deathly way.

He placed a gentle hand under my chin, tilting my face to his lips, and he placed a soft kiss on mine. There was no doubt now as to why Bianca Sciascia had wanted him, Pluto was surely experienced in the ways of proper and effective seduction. His lips were warm and held the taste of the alcohol of the party, and he smelled of a herb that made me feel at home, warm and comfortable with him. I was so entranced by that simple kiss, that when our lips parted, my mouth was slightly agape. I almost forgot I wanted to kill him.

Pluto smirked.

I frowned. That smile —no, smirk— was so familiar, the image of him crossed my mind. I shook my head. I did not want to think of him. I did not wish to have Henrik in my head. I didn't want to think, to feel. Surely, that charming smirk of Pluto had captivated many hearts before, but it had been the last mistake he would make with me.

I grabbed him with inhuman strength to ensure he would not run. I didn't even care to compel him. He had tainted a gesture that was not his to make. And he would pay with his life.

I dug my fangs deep, ignoring the screams and pleads that came out of his cowardly mouth. I didn't think about filling my hunger, I wanted to kill him. To take back that smile. To not think of him or the other. I wanted to be void, forget those memories, and never go back to feeling anything towards them. Because they had only brought me pain.

No more.

Pluto fell down, dead.

I pursed my lips. The one plan I had with him, and we hadn't even enjoyed it. Well, I was going to enjoy it more than him anyway. Then he had to smile and ruin everything. There's no fun in death if you don't toy with the idea first. We had completely ignored the game before the end.

I wasn't over.

I needed more.

I was going to get more.

Merely an hour later, most of the untasteful furniture was covered in a thick and sticky layer of red. The service had really been extremely tired. They hadn't even noticed when I was picking them one after the other, having my fun between them.

Francesco would have to find new servants, though. I had finished them all. I had fired them to death. And I had enjoyed every second of it. This is what I wanted. The game. It would have been better with the previous hunt, but tomorrow would be a new day. Today, I was satisfied.

I licked my lips and relished in the feeling of the blood trailing down my throat. It was ecstatic. I loved it.

"Wow," a young woman said entering the room, rudely interrupting my me-time.

A wave of recognition washed over me as her figure caught my attention: she was a slim, brunette, beautiful girl. A vampire. A fantastic vampire indeed.

"I always thought you couldn't be too well in the head if you helped me, but this," she said looking around, "This is another level of crazy."

I tilted my head. "Katerina."

The brunette smiled at me.