The Crucivire

Chapter Twenty Five: The Mind of a Vampire

Having his mind overwhelmed by an elder vampire was a completely different experience from a newborn. Before, Gary had felt that there were moments he could resist direct interference. He just couldn't afford to with so many vampires around. When Fara Duvall sent him a mental command, Gary simply could not disobey.

Worse still, she could create an entire mental world around him, even when he was awake. Fara kept putting him in elaborate visions that transformed him into some type of warrior. He would be a knight one moment, and a World War Two soldier the next. Every time, he always answered to her, his service to her made to seem magnificent and glorious. He saw through each illusion, however, and the visions would shatter. Was this it? Was this her strategy to break his mind? It seemed so obvious.

Fara, seemingly frustrated, threw him into a bedroom by himself, letting him land on the floor face down.

"You'll see reason soon enough," said Fara sternly. "Just give it time."

She slammed the door, and Gary turned over, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't distraught in the slightest. Penny had gotten out, and that made Gary all the more determined to resist this until Alice and the other hunters could come after them.

Gary lay there for a moment, just resting, when he heard something. Someone was crying nearby. The sound was muffled, but Gary could just make it out.

He sat up and crawled toward the wall, following that sound. When he reached the wall, he put his ear to it. It was definitely a young woman crying.

"Hello?" asked Gary. "Is someone there?"

"Who's there?" asked the young woman on the other side of the wall.

"My name's Gary," he said. "I'm a prisoner here."

"Then you're trapped, like me," she said, beginning to sob.

"Hey," said Gary. "What's you're name."

She sniffled, "S...Sierra."

"Sierra, we're going to get out of here. People are on their way to help. We just have to outlast them."

The young woman kept crying, but that sound just strengthened Gary's resolve. He was determined to save anyone he could.

Out in the hall, as the scenario played out in that room, Fara Duvall grinned.

"I don't understand, mistress," said the blonde vampire who had taken Gary before. "That thrall, Sierra, has been one of yours for a while. What do you hope to accomplish with this?"

"Patience, dear, patience," said Fara. "Just pay attention and see if you can figure out what I'm doing."

"Aw, don't be like that," said a deep, mocking voice. "Tell me now."

Fara hissed, "Jackanape."

She angrily turned in the direction the voice had come from, but no one was there. A moment later, Archibald Jackanape whispered something in her ear.

"Behind you."

Fara hissed again and turned, revealing the claws in her hand and swiping at him. Archibald backed away, letting her swipe empty air and laughing the whole time.

"Fara, my dear," said Archibald. "You should see the look on your face. It's absolutely priceless."

"Archibald Jackanape," Fara hissed. "If you come near me again, I will rip your heart from your chest!"