The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 48/Electra

After returning to the red tent to cover my self in heavy makeup and telling Isha/cub what was happening I rushed with the others to an abandoned church that Malphas had repurposed as his temporary court. The ancient stone church stood as a witness to centuries past, its weathered facade telling stories of forgotten rituals and solemn ceremonies. The once-holy ground now bore witness to the dark dealings of the vampire lord and his entourage. They hated the Church who were once were a strong foe but they were largely unaffected by any symbols of the Church.

Inside, the atmosphere was heavy with the weight of history and the lingering presence of ancient powers. Shadows danced eerily across the worn stone walls, cast by flickering torches that lined the makeshift aisles. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay, mingling with the faint aroma of incense from long-extinguished candles.

Malphas, in his quest for dominance, had transformed the sacred space into a macabre parody of its former self. The altar, once a symbol of divine worship, now served as a throne for the vampire lord, adorned with sinister trinkets and symbols of his authority. Dark tapestries hung from the rafters, their intricate designs depicting scenes of bloodshed and conquest.

The pews, once filled with devout worshippers, now sat empty and desolate, their wooden frames bearing the scars of neglect and misuse. The stained glass windows, once aglow with the vibrant hues of religious iconography, now stood shattered and fragmented, casting fractured patterns of light across the cold stone floor.

Despite the desecration wrought upon the sacred space, there was an undeniable sense of power that permeated the air, a palpable aura of otherworldly energy that seemed to pulse with each beat of the vampire court's collective heart.

Malphas organized everyone to appear more numerous than we were. Everyone to stand arranged in a pale imitation of the formal arrangement of the court. He moved his advisor, the one they called Uncle Jimie, from the chair on his sinister (left) side to the prime advisor position. Uncle Jimie looked disturbed but positive.

Malphas placed a camp chair next to his sinister side to hold his guest in high honour. I picked a hidden spot nearby and got out a board and pen to write upon if called upon. I pulled down the hood and partial veil, which the familiars used to mimic their owners' dislike of sunlight. I knelt down and looked at the floor. Through my veil, I watched Electra come in. She certainly seemed in a happier mood, better than she was at court. She walked towards Malphas, and as I suspected, did not look at me.

"BROTHER!" shouted Electra as she approached, striding in boldly. Her clean, new clothes were a contrast to the rags the court of Malphas wore.

"ELECTRA, my dearest sister," said Malphas, equally loudly.

These public declarations were common among the vampires. Their conversations often followed dark scripts.

"How was your journey? Was the moon kind?" said Malphas, in a ritual greeting. He spoke in the shadow tongue, causing people to flinch at its intonation. "Welcome to my squalid exile. If you had sent a message ahead, I could offer you a feast maiden to share with me," he added, indicating the court.

They came together and embraced, both elegantly and a little formally. They continued to speak for a while, and every second I plotted what to do in case of emergency. Then the ritual turned into real conversation. She seemed more relaxed with Malphas than with the Duke.

"Your brother..." she said.

"The usurper," he corrected.

"Our mutual enemy has sent an offer. He gives you and your court a week of free passage so that you might attend his wedding," she said, handing over a letter.