Balance (Book 9 )
Chapter 2

I hid in the god’s realm hunting my prey and striking out with my spear randomly. I started with areas heavily populated with drug addicted people and found covens among them. As people fell, vampires came searching for the one who killed their life stock.

One coven housed a very beautiful red-headed vampire. This soul is an ancient soul from the time of the male vampire rulers. She was reincarnated shortly after my ascension. She is strong and powerful and befitting a matriarch title. She had become desired by the males. They sought to conquer her and live to boast about it. She went by the name of Casandra and fed off humans and vampires alike. The vampire began to fear her and sent their criminals to her to feed on. This attracted me.

I came out of the god’s realm in front of her in Lara’s image and sent my tendril to her. She sat proud and tall like a queen on a throne chair in the back of a large room where she watched the coven. Like most covens, this room is black and gothic. Vampires with dark clothing and black make-up lunged around the room. Some had humans they fed off of. Some are enjoying each other’s company, intimately.

“Greetings, Casandra. I have heard of your reputation, and I wish to join you on your endeavor.”

“Leave me before I feed on you.” She waved a hand like she was shooing a fly.

“I do not fear you, Casandra. I will not allow you to feed on me.” Her eyes glowed with hunger and anger at my defiance.

I allowed my skin to pulse and glow at her response. Her eyes narrowed and lost their anger.

“Only one being has ever glowed like that.”

I ignored her assessment. “I will tell you secrets, and you will help me feed on vampires and humans. We will engorge ourselves and become fat off their pain.”

She sent a tendril to me to connect. I accepted her and held on to her. She will not be able to escape me.

“Tell me a secret.”

I turned from her and went to two lovers in the act. They stopped and looked at me. Before they could react, I had my hands on them. One hand on each lover. I turned their blood into crystals and commanded the shards to tear them from the inside. They began to scream a sweet sound. It excited me like nothing I have heard. The screams came to me like a long-forgotten favored desert. Delicious chills coursed through my body, bringing a desire I have not felt in decades. I slowed the torment to relish in my passion.

The vampire in the room stirred and came to their aide. I lifted my hands from the lovers, still concentrating on the shards, and used my spear to cut any who would attack. Only three came to their deaths. I commanded the blood crystals to grow slowly until it pierced the body and killed the vampire. The two lovers could not fight me. They had no choice but to feel their body shred from the inside.

Their cries for mercy ended as dozens of shards pierced their skin. I took two shards of the crystal and walked back to Casandra, ignoring the crowd around me. Casandra had fear in her eyes. I slowly handed her the shard and sucked on the second like a popsicle stick. The blood was sweetened from the shards. It was like eating pure sugar.

Casandra sucked on her shard, and her eyes glowed with passion. I could feel her contentment and pleasure through the tendril.

“This may be my new favored way to feed.” She projected. ”Show me.”

I pulsed power and quickly grabbed a vampire by the neck and brought him to Casandra. The other vampires began to run. I closed and locked all the doors.

“You will remain here!” I commanded. They all huddled and screamed by the doors, trying to get out. I laughed at them. Casandra stood up from her chair and came close to me, smelling my neck and touching my arm.

“You are much more than a vampire.”

“That is a secret you will not know. I will show you how to create the delicious shards.”

I took her tendril deeper within mine to show her what I saw and sent power into her.

“Hear the blood flowing through the veins. Take it into your mind and see it with your mind’s eye. It flows through the body like a river,” I projected to her.

I watched her as she did what I instructed. Once she could see the blood, I continued. “Imagine the blood hardening and becoming crystal like. Use the body’s natural sugar.”

Crystals started to slowly form. The vampire began screaming from the fire that burned within.

“Now, command it to grow.”

I let go of the vampire’s neck and watched her as she concentrated on the crystals. The vampire’s scream delighted me. I allowed it to course through my veins and give me chills.

The vampire’s skin began breaking apart as the crystals emerged. It ended much too quickly. Casandra took a shard and sucked on it. The room was silent as the other vampires watched in horror. Casandra came to me and kissed my lips passionately. I returned her kiss and sent a flow of pleasure to her.

She looked at the crowd and began walking toward them. I followed her hungry for blood. There were ten other vampires in the room. By the end of the night, they were all drained of their blood. Casandra and I both felt drunk and more alive than ever. We both wanted to continue.

“You must burn the bodies. You do not wish the stench to consume you.”

Casandra wordlessly burned the bodies. Once she was done, she returned to me with passion in her eyes. She took my jaw and began kissing me, demanding my lips to return her passion. I gladly did and roamed her body with my hands. Her hands traveled down to my breast. I took her hand and stopped her.

“I will give you pleasure if you wish. You do not touch me.” I projected and continued roaming her body. No matter the strain on my marriage, my heart and body still belonged to Anubis. No one but him could have me. Casandra wore black leather pants and a chain-link shirt that left her tight belly exposed. She had a black bra under the chain-link shirt. I slipped my hand under the shirt and bra and massaged her breast, giving the nipple a small squeeze. Her body shook from the pleasure. I sent power into her to intensify the feeling of pleasure. I was rewarded with a small moan.

I sent my hand into her leather pants and explored her privates. She was very swollen. Her arms embraced me as she tried to contain herself. I massaged her and nibbled on her neck until her desire came forth. A loud moan came from her as she spasmed against me. Her heart raced in her chest, and her breathing was rapid.

“You and I are going to be good friends. What are you called?”

“You may call me Lara.”

“Lara? Ancient vampire and matriarch Lara?”

“You know of the story? Then you know she is dead.”

Understanding came from her through the tendril. I killed the old Lara and became the one she saw. She has made such changes before. She could think what she wants. She will never know the truth.

“I must rest for the morning. Can we meet tomorrow night?” She asked.

I felt disappointed and delighted. My taste for blood has not been sedated. I forgot the living must sleep. To know she is willing to continue when she rises brings me comfort. I could continue my blood bath without Cassandra; however, she is beautiful, and I will feel her joy as she feasts, increasing my own joy. The screams in my mind will not quiet until every living thing is dead.

“Where would you like to meet?”

Cassandra looked around and waved her hand at the room.

“Here would be ok.”

“I will be here at dusk.” I responded then entered the god’s realm to continue my feast.

The following evening I came to the home where the coven was and waited for Casandra to show up. She arrived shortly after dusk.

“I hunger for blood. I hope you have brought your appetite” I told her.

“I have. Would you like virgin blood? There is a children’s theater near here.”

“I do not drink virgin blood. It clouds the mind. However, we could go to a theater and have our fill. No one would see us.”

“Excellent. I know a place.”

She excitedly took my hand and walked swiftly down the street in her neighborhood and opened a car door. The car is a classic car that has been restored. Black seems to be her favored color. Bats and vampire symbols hung from her rearview mirror.

“Get in, Lara. I will drive.”

She drove several miles to a theater that was showing a horror movie. The area is no better than the rest of the city. Humans and vampires leaned on the walls of the theater offering drugs or sexual favors. The stench of them seeped into my skin. I felt as though I would die of disease if I stood among them too long. This is, of course, impossible for a goddess.

I followed Cassandra to the back door. She knocked on it, and a male opened the door. He immediately stepped aside and let us through.

“If you speak of our arrival to anyone, I will know it was you and come for payment.”

“I will tell no one.”

“Follow me, Lara. I will show you my favorite spot.”

She took me down a hallway and entered a door marked 5. The theater was dark, and the big screen played a movie to entertain everyone in the room. There are not many humans in the place. Perhaps twenty in total sat staring at the screen. Still, it will satisfy my hunger for the time being. I wordlessly left her and went to the top row. A man sat by himself watching the movie. He will be my first victim. I invited myself onto his lap and pushed a finger to his lips before he could protest.

“Do not speak or make any noise.” I commanded him.

I fed off him feeling the warmth course through my veins. I do not know how I could have stopped feeding on human blood. I only wished Gabriel could be here and feast with me. His green, piercing eyes would have glowed in ecstasy, and then we would have explored our passion.

The fantasy of a lost love vanished with Cassandra’s moan. I could feel her pleasure as she took her fill. By the time the movie had ended, we had finished our feast.

“Tell me a secret.” Casandra said giddily.

“I can tell you a secret that will give you much power. You will be feared and respected by all. This secret could make you a queen.”

“Queens do not exist any longer.”

“No, they do not, but you would be treated as one.”

“What is it?”

“I can show you how to kill a vampire without touching it.” Her eyes lit up

“How?”

“Take me to another coven.”

“There is a hive down below this building. They do not like me.” Her face pouted.

“Well now, they do not need to like you. They must respect you. They will do as you ask.” I said dangerously.

“Follow me.”

I could feel her excitement. This was a personal vendetta. She would have her revenge on this coven. She led me to stairs that led underground and opened a door. Loud music played, and human dancers entertained vampires from behind cages. The room stunk of rotten blood. I will see to it they never survive this night. A vampire recognized Casandra and came to attack. I grabbed the vampire by her neck and made her kneel in front of Casandra. I slammed a dagger tendril into her and commanded her to stay put. The room erupted, and angry yells to leave, came. A wicked grin crossed my face as I closed the door and pulsed power into it, sealing it.

“Come to me, my pets. Take me if you can!”

They began attacking, and anyone who did was cut in half by my spear. One by one, they fell to my feet. The last few vampires left, hid from me. I allowed them to hide for the moment. Casandra looked wide-eyed at me.

“I have heard stories of your power. I did not believe it.”

“Lara is dead. Whatever you think you know about me, know it to be wrong. Do not compare me to a dead vampire.” I said angrily.

“Forgive me.” She cast her eyes down from me.

“You are forgiven. Do as I say, and you will become the strongest vampire on this content. None will be able to take you.”

“I will do as you say. I will follow you.”

The scent of submission is a fine scent, indeed. She only needs to give her life to me, and I will feed on her for as long as she lives.

“This secret comes with a price.”

“What is it? I will pay anything.”

I love hearing those words. ‘I would do anything you like.’ It is music to my ears and intoxicating. My heartbeat quickened in my chest as I accepted this vampire now belonged to me. She will be my destructor.

“You will use this secret and the one before and any other secrets I will tell you in the future to kill as many vampires and human you can in your waking hours.”

“How am I to have followers if I kill them all?”

“That is not my problem. Do you want to know or not?”

She thought only for a moment. “I will do as you ask.”

“Look into this vampire’s mind and see her tendril.” I commanded.

I watched as she sent a dagger tendril into the female’s mind.

“Sharpen your dagger and cut the base like cutting a head off.”

The tendril disconnected, and the vampire fell to the ground staring at nothing.

“Feed off her power and make it your own.”

Casandra bit into the neck and drained the female of blood and power.

“She looked up at me and smiled. I will gladly do as you ask. That is a rush. It is getting late. I must rest.”

“You must take the female down below first. She waits for you.”

Cassandra rose from the body and began walking down a hallway and down a set of very dark stairs. I followed calmly behind excited to watch and feed on Casandra’s blood lust. The stairs ended at a narrow hallway with several doors sporadically set down the hallway. Each door led to a torture chamber that was used to breaking lovers of powerful vampires. Some things have not changed in two millennia. One door at the very end of the hall was closed and fortified. Casandra tried to open the door by the handle.

“Use your power to open it.” I commanded.

Casandra tried several attempts from forcing the door open by damaging the hinges, to crushing the handle.

“Stop and think about what you are doing.”

She turned to me and looked confused. “I am trying to open a locked door.”

“You are trying to force the door open instead of simply unlocking it.”

Her eyebrows raised at the thought. ”I did not think of that!”

She turned, and I could feel her concentrate on the door itself and imagine the locks. I could tell she strained with the power she summoned to move parts with her mind. She imagined her hand unlocking the locks slowly. They were heavy to her. She will need training to strengthen her power.

The locks moved one by one. I heard movement from inside and sent a dagger tendril into the female. I commanded her to stop so she could not lock the doors once again.

Casandra stopped her power and stood in front of the door, breathing hard and sweating.

“I do not think I can kill the female behind this door. I am weakened.”

“You do not have a choice. She will torture you and kill you if you show weakness.”

“Please mistress. I cannot continue.”

“You disappoint me. If you cannot kill a coven protector, then you are of no use to me. I will replace someone else who is worthy of sharing my secrets with.”

I could feel her pride swell. She did not want to disappoint me. She wordlessly opened the door and found the female standing still near the door. She startled at the sight of her, then looked closely. The female stood staring at nothing. Casandra cautiously circled the female and smelled her, then looked at me.

“I can smell you on her.”

“You must kill her in the manner I showed you, or perish.” I said dangerously.

Casandra immediately took the female’s head in her hands

“No!” I demanded.

Casandra jumped at the furiousness in my voice.

“Do not touch her. Kill her in the fashion I showed you.”

Casandra sent a dagger tendril into the female’s mind and went down deep, bypassing any defenses she had and severed the tendril at the base. The female dropped to the floor, and Casandra fed off her taking her power as her own.

“I am sorry, mistress. I must rest.”

“Then go. Tomorrow you will start your feast on blood.”

“Would you like me to take you somewhere?”

“No. I will replace my way from here.”

I watched as Casandra left.

The remaining vampires in the hive were of no consequence. I allowed them to live for the time being and went back into the god’s realm to hunt during the day. I darted out and killed a sleeping homeless person. People who are too involved with their handheld computers never saw my blade. The streets began to run with red human blood. The local government sent it’s protectors to investigate the murders. They fell as well.

The fear from the city rose like a fragrant flower. Screams turned into lullabies. The earth beneath my feet begged for more. I must act quickly. I will rid this world of its parasites and feast on the destruction.