The Vampire Sactuary

Chapter 1:

The thirst is strong this night, Xanthe thought as she changed from her bat to her human form.

She glanced around, taking in the bright light of the full moon and the deep shadows that the light cast. The spring air was crisp with the scent of rain woven into the currents. Life was in full bloom with night insects chirping and nocturnal wildlife scurrying to and frow.

"This is the perfect night for feeding my hunger," she murmured in her soft, singsong voice.

It was time for clubs to close and that meant that there were plenty of young, drunk people waiting to be her victims. Xanthe blended in nicely with the kids leaving the goth club known as Von Silver's with her ankle length black leather, high-collared coat and knee high, high-heeled boots with ribbon laces all the way to the top of the boot. Though her pallor was a little paler than normal due to her being undead, the goth kids', makeup mimicked her natural skin.

She gave tight smiles to the appreciative looks she got from both men and women as she trolled for her victim of the night. Not because she was uncomfortable, but because she didn't want to accidentally reveal her fangs.

Not that any of these kids would think anything of it, she smiled to herself. There were several humans with fake fangs and even some with the pointed ears of the Elven folk. She shook her head.

Today's youth was so different from those back when she was young, over 700 years ago. They thrived on being different. Embraced their bodies and sexuality and were more carefree than any generation before them. It was refreshing and made reliving the memories of her victims a thrilling experience every time.

She sat and watched as the club emptied from a bench located across the street, trusting her sensitive nose to pick up on the sublet scents every human gave off. Most of them gave off the acrid scent of drugs and alcohol. The chemicals tainting the blood made it taste terrible and didn't sate her thirst the way that pure humans did.

The sun was coming up soon, so she needed to choose someone soon, otherwise she would have to go another night with this almost insatiable hunger. But just as the last person was leaving the club, Xanthe's nose twitched as she caught the pleasant scent of lavender.

The woman was tall and shapely, with locs that fell down to the middle of her back. Her chocolate skin shone in the moonlight as she locked up the side door and pulled down a large gate to secure the entrance. She bopped to the beat of music pumping through ear buds.

"Oh goodie, she's completely unaware,"

Xanthe blended into the shadows and followed down the alley as the woman headed for her car. Xanthe's movements were fluid as she drew closer and closer to the unsuspecting woman.

When the woman was about two feet away from her car, she paused and looked around as though she could sense her impending doom. "Hello? Is someone there?" The woman asked with a slight tremor in her melodiously, throaty voice.

Xanthe almost laughed at the surprising awareness of the woman. She thought for sure that she would be able to strike without the woman putting up a fight, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Stop playing around! It's not funny," the woman called out.

"No one is playing around," Xanthe told her in a low voice. The shadows seemed to melt down her body as she appeared to the woman who gave a small 'eek' in surprise.

She backed up until her back hit the white car she'd been walking toward. "Wh-wh-what are you?"

"I am your death," Xanthe murmured almost lovingly as she approached the woman.

She shook her head in disbelief, and the sweet smell of her fear filled the air.

Xanthe smiled, flashing her fangs and took a menacing step toward the woman. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt. I've even been told that my bite is pleasurable..."

Xanthe's brown eyes flashed red as she wrapped the woman in a hypnotic trance. She couldn't have her calling out and possibly alerting passersby. Within seconds she fell under Xanthe's spell and went limp, her keys and purse falling to the ground. Xanthe glided across the pavement until she was close enough that if the woman had been conscious, she would have felt Xanthe's cool breath on her skin. She floated a few inches off the ground and pushed her fingers into the woman's long locs, using that grip to expose the large, throbbing jugular vein.

"Please, I don't want to die," the woman said, fighting through the trance surprising Xanthe enough to make her pause mid strike.

"What a remarkable young woman you are," Xanthe commented. First the woman had sensed Xanthe's presence and now she was conscious enough to speak when most humans wouldn't have even been able to breathe if Xanthe willed them not to. "What is your name?"

"Isis, Isis Von Silver," Isis said, amber brown eyes still very much blank.

"Isis, how would you like to live forever?" Xanthe offered without thinking about it too much. She had been alive and alone for over 700 years, collecting knowledge and gaining wealth with no need for companionship, and now here she was offering to turn a human into one of the undead.

Isis nodded, and Xanthe broke the trance. From what her master had told her so many years ago, a human had to be fully aware if they were going to survive the transformation. Isis still trembled, but the scent of fear coming from her was fading even as Xanthe reared back for her strike.

Then Xanthe's fangs tore through Isis' flesh and an explosion of flavor akin to fine wine hit her tongue. A rush of memories flooded Xanthe's mind as she guzzled down Isis' blood, causing her head to spin. It was a high similar to what humans experience when they shoot heroin.

After what seemed like forever, Xanthe pulled away, licking the wounds closed first. Isis weaved weakly and if Xanthe hadn't still had a hold on her, she would have fallen to the ground. Xanthe bit into her own wrist, drawing crimson blood that was laced with black, and forced it to Isis's lips.

"Drink and become like the night," Xanthe ordered, power filling her voice.

She knew the moment that Isis swallowed, feeling her own strength waning as it flowed into the new life that she was both creating and taking. After what seemed like a lifetime to the two women, Xanthe wrenched her wrist away.

Isis howled in pain as her cells died and changed. Her skin, nails, teeth, and bones hardening to near stone. The curl of her hair tightening even more. Her skin and eyes brightening and losing some of their warmth at the same time.

Xanthe waited patiently, holding her fledgling as though she weighed nothing, even though she was so much bigger than Xanthe. After twenty minutes or so, Isis stopped writhing in Xanthe's hold. Her breathing halted and her heart stopped beating. Xanthe held her as she died. Within seconds, Isis let out a gasp as she reanimated.

"I am your master Xanthene Bloodsworth. Welcome back," Xanthe smiled at the newly made vampire.

"This is amazing!" Isis looked around in amazement as she saw the world through her newly transformed eyes.

Xanthe wished they had time for Isis to explore her strengthened senses, but the sun was coming up and they had far to go to return to her compound.

"I have much to teach you, but not tonight. There is only one lesson for you to learn, and that is how to transform so that we can cover an enormous distance to our daytime resting place." Isis nodded. "First, I want you to close your eyes and search inside yourself for the power that is now growing within you. Second, I want you to grab that power and spread it throughout your body while picturing a bat."

"A bat?" Isis questioned, opening her eyes to look down at Xanthe.

Xanthe nodded. "I know it sounds like a myth or a vampire stereotype, but we can absolutely transform into a bat and a wolf."

Isis nodded and went back to concentrating.

Xanthe felt the rush of power as Isis' human form disappeared in a puff of smoke and was replaced by a small brown bat. "Very good!" Xanthe transformed as well, and the two flew off together.