Myrddin's Magic - Book One of the Magic Trilogy

Chapter Two

Bruno ran into the room.

The master looked up in irritation, as he scratched beneath his mask. It was hot, and it was making his face itch. Gaston wondered if he needed to wear the mask. His sire said that he did, and his sire's word was law. He left the mask on, despite questioning its need. What did his sire know, anyway? Gaston thought for a moment and made a mental apology to him. His sire was strong and powerful, perhaps the most powerful vampire in the country. He could even walk out in the sun. Just at daybreak and dusk, but still. That was more than any other vampire that Gaston knew of. The master hadn't even known that happened to vampires until his sire had told him about sun exposure. He wondered if, as his sire got older, he would be able to walk in the full sun.

"What is it?" said the master. Bruno kneeled in front of him, his head raised in excitement.

"I tasted the most satisfying whore tonight. Her blood was like the chocolate cheesecake to a human after a steak dinner."

"Where is she? I'm thirsty and I'm ready for something special."

Bruno bowed his head in shame. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "I couldn't bring her back with me. I have failed you."

"Why not?" he roared.

"I was tasting her. Just a bit, master. I didn't want to drain her dry", he hurriedly added. He wanted to appease his master, wanted to avoid the explosion that seemed about to erupt. "I knew that you would like her. And when I latched on, a magician came and interrupted. At first, I thought he was a vampire but now I'm not so sure. He didn't smell like a vampire. There was something different about his smell. Something human-like, but not human at the same time."

"Perhaps that's the magician's blood making his smell different from a standard human's."

"You are so smart, master. I would never have thought of that."

The master smiled. Bruno was sucking up to him, but the master didn't mind. He could see it for what it was. He had done the same thing to his sire when he was a fledgling. That's why he was so important to his sire. Toadying worked.

"So why don't you have the whore?"

"As I said, the magician came. He threatened me and threw lightning down at me. He said that she was under his protection. When the lightning hit me in the chest, I thought it would be better to leave her, find her later and take her then."

"You're a vampire. You're stronger than any magician. You should have brought her to me anyway."

"But master", whined Bruno, "he had lightning bolts."

"So? They can't hurt you. You're a vampire. You have eternal life."

"But they hurt, master! I may not be able to die, but they hurt!"

The master made a rude sound. "Find her and bring her to me."

"I did bring home something special", said Bruno, "even though she isn't as rich a taste as the other girl."

"I'm disappointed in you", said the master. "Give the offering to the rest of the kiss. I'll have one of our blood whores tonight. And next time?"

"Yes, master?"

"You'd better bring her to me. I don't want to be disappointed again."

Amalie slowly opened her eyes and looked around the most luxurious bedroom she thought she had ever been in. The walls were painted a soft dove gray, with white sheer curtains and a white duvet cover completing the airy look. The furniture was mahogany. Real mahogany – not the pressboard version that she could afford. The furniture looked old. There were two comfortable chairs next to the bay window, flanking an occasional table and a tiffany lamp. They looked like the perfect place to curl up in the sun to read a good book. There were roll-down blinds, but they hadn't been drawn and the sunlight flooding the room made Amalie think that it was late morning.