Prince of Darkness

Chapter 5

The werewolf was silent for a moment, before letting out a snort. Walking past her, he did not look back, "Done."

Rose felt tears sting in her eyes, and let one fall down her cheek. She was now a servant to a monster...a werewolf...a beast. What is to become of me now? Will I be shut away in a tower?

The creature spoke from halfway down a dark hallway, "Are you just going to stand there, female?"

Feeling light embarrassment, Rose ran after the werewolf, her steps echoing in the quiet castle. Walking beside him, she refused to make eye contact with the beast. The young woman blinked back further tears, which only caused even more to flow down her face. Her soft sobs echoed through the quiet room. How stupid of her to agree to such a thing! She should have found some kind of weapon and killed the beast on sight! Now I'm stuck here for the rest of my life.

The werewolf asked gruffly, breaking her thoughts. "Are you cold, female?"

Rose's gaze flickered to him, "Yes, I suppose."

"Yes or no," the creature demanded. God, could the woman not make a simple decision? Was she stupid? After all, she had fought back against him despite the fact he could kill her in seconds.

The young woman huffed, "You could ask politely, you know."

The werewolf glared at her, "Are you cold, yes or no?"

Rose nodded, sensing he was losing patience. "Yes."

The creature responded, "Then I will have my servants bring extra blankets to your room."

At this, she blinked, "My...my room?" Was luck truly with her? Oh thank heavens! The last thing she would have wanted was to be locked away in a tower.

Before the werewolf could answer, a smooth, charming male voice came from beside him. "Master, did you not offer the lady a room? You're being very unkind." He added under his breath, voice coated in sarcasm, "How odd."

Rose couldn't help but giggle at the last comment. The werewolf beside her stilled, growling, "I'd watch your tongue if I were you, Vincent."'

A tall man stepped into the light, and Rose studied his appearance for any sign of a threat. He was slim but muscular and well-toned, and his skin was fair. The man had a relatively handsome face, with a slightly long, narrow nose. His dark green eyes fixed on her.

Seeing her staring, he ran a hand through his nape-length brown hair. It was lose from any ties, making him seem even more attractive...and frightening. "No need to worry about me young lady. Trust me, if I wanted to hurt you, you'd know about it."

Rose shuddered. Although he was obviously older then her (early 30s, she would guess), she wouldn't want to question his fighting skill. There was something...subtly intimidating about Vincent. Looking back at him, the young woman froze as, when he grinned at her, something in the man's mouth caught the candlelight.

Two sharp fangs.

Rose felt her heart quicken. He's not a full vampire, I can tell, but it's still in him. Hopefully he's not as heartless as this beast that has imprisoned me.

As if on cue, the werewolf said curtly, "This is Vincent. He will show you the castle from this point. I have to tend to other business."

Once the creature had disappeared back down the hall, Vincent offered her a small smile. "Come with me, my dear."

***************

They walked in silence, until Rose let her eyes fall on the man leading her through the castle. "What is your place here?"

Vincent replied, not making eye contact. "I am an assassin, and I serve Adam."

The young woman nodded. Adam...so that is the werewolf's name. "How long have you served him for?"

Before he could answer, they came to an unlit part of the castle. Rose stopped, "Could you light a few candles, please?" She could only see the outline of the man in front of her.

Vincent nodded, "Of course." He raised his right hand and flicked his wrist. Fire shot from his hand, up towards the candles, lighting all of the ones on the right wall. He proceeded to do the same with his left hand, with the same result on the left wall.

Rose stood in place, stunned. "H-How did you...?" she trailed off, realizing something. He was a vampire, but also could perform magic at will. There was only one known creature who matched such a description. Half vampire and half sorcerer. "Are...are you a Halfling?"

He looked over his shoulder and smiled, although it didn't reach his eyes. "You're a smart one. Believe it or not, most people don't realize it."

The young woman shivered. There was an implied 'until it's too late' in his sentence. She hadn't expected a Halfling to have such a dark sense of humour. Usually, even though they were half vampire, Halflings were peaceful creatures who used the magic from there sorcerer half for good purposes. But not this one.

Rose watched as he continued to assess her form. She shifted uncomfortably. Now that she knew what he was, the young woman could identify the bloodlust in Vincent's eyes. Surely he wouldn't drink from her? He seemed to like her.

As if he could read her mind, the Halfling assured. "Relax, I'm not going to bite you. I would be thrown out if I did. Besides," he flashed her a wicked smile, "My bite wouldn't exactly be painful. I'd wager that you'd rather enjoy it."

Rose felt a small blush rise to her cheeks. Changing the topic, she asked, "Are there any other servants here?"

"Several, but I doubt you'll meet any of them. They don't really like newcomers that much," Vincent responded. "The main servants are myself, Charles and Anastasia, his mate."

The young woman inquired, "Will I meet them?"

The assassin shrugged, "Shortly, I would think."

Rose felt a small smile twitch at her lips. Perhaps if she wasn't so alone...then her new life would not be as bad as she thought.