The Vampire's Rival

Too much future, too much past, no present

In the span of just a few hours, I had sampled some of the best blood I'd ever drank in my life, that is, the blood cafe's illegal Wildling blood and Tristan's vampire blood. But nothing could have prepared me for Kitari's blood. It lit up every part of my being. The fact that we had a history between us and thus a natural, familiar and nostalgic mental link, didn't help. It took a lot more control to stop myself from draining her because I couldn't get enough of the tangy, sweet, creamy, rich liquid. It still surprised me that I even had an inkling of control. After I had pulled my fangs from Kitari's neck, I took a moment to savour the taste of the last few drops of her blood as it moved down my throat and had to really focus to stop myself from going back for more.

I didn't need to seal the healing bites, but I kissed her anyway.

"This is going to cost me, isn't it?" I whispered in Kitari's ear.

"It's only fair that it does, don't you think?" she whispered back.

Her voice and her breath against my neck rippled through me and I felt my fangs drop before the thought even crossed my mind. I moved away just before I bit her again, and was never more glad than right at that moment for the recent dulled control of my Venom.

I turned to Sleritu.

"What was that question you asked, Sleritu? I think it went something like, 'I have an army, what do you have?'." I looked around at all the knees bent to serve me and grinned. "It looks like I have yours."

Sleritu's eyes blazed with rage, but nothing could change what had just happened. I had the numbers. Attacking me would be suicide and would mean leaving her Enclave Baron-free and right there for me to conquer, just as I had this one. There was no way she was going to give me that satisfaction.

"And Sleritu, I would appreciate it if you strictly imparted to your people that the Accords must be upheld! If I find any more of them killing Wildlings, I will kill them all, just like I did their friends." I said, my jaw squared and my stare hard. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

"Troiwa!" she said, her eyes wide.

A Master always felt the death of any mind-bonded Fledgling they sired.

She was infinitely angrier, radiating the feeling telepathically too, as if she couldn't hold it back. I pushed back with my own mind, letting her know just how much I meant the words I'd just said.

"You were there when those Accords were charted, Sleritu! You know why we do this! Why the Wildlings must live!" I would have screamed the words, but I laced them with ice instead. She was risking it all, and for what? Her hate for me and the thrill of hunting humans as prey and drinking from the vein wasn't worth losing everything we had built after the UV Wars.

"You believe that horse shit? That the humans will always stick to the rules? They wield a weapon that can kill all vampires! They're human! Mortal, weak and corruptible! Power hungry! Did you forget that those same Wildlings you so vehemently defend, under the leadership of none other than Barret Fisher, threatened to use that weapon against us only two decades ago. His untimely death was the only reason we didn't surrender to the humans!" she screamed. "Your naivete makes you a slave to them, Ruqwik! But try as you might to ignore it, vampires are the true Apex predators! We rule this world! And it's about time humans knew their place!"

I looked around at the crowd of vampires.

At my army.

"Break the Accords once more," I said, exploding into her mind and enunciating every word with a telepathic punch of fear. Her uncontrollable anger had weakened the mental shield that she painstakingly maintained around her emotions, especially from me, thus opening her mind to mine. "And I will rain holy hell down on you and everyone who follows you."