Broken blood

The Paravé

A long night passing, alone in a dark unfamiliar room, after Amber left me with questions and a scar upon my lips.

I waited for her to return.

Hours upon hours passed and I fell asleep. In my dreams she still haunted me... taunting me. Dreams and nightmares began blending into one as I awoke startled from her pressing her lips onto my neck. She was not there.

I told Amber I wasn't afraid, and it was true. But subconsciously my brain comprehends that I'm not in a safe situation and I'm clearly getting into something unnerving.

As I sit up in the large bed that wasn't my own, the door creaks open and my eyes dart to it. My heart flies for a second before it sinks. A peculiar man's eyes meet mine and as my mind processes, I realise this was the man I saw that day at the factories. The first day I met Amber he was chasing me. He must've been a vampire trying to kill me.

My mouth suddenly goes dry and I begin praying that Amber would show. My thoughts are cut off before I can finish my prayer as the man motions with a single pale finger for me to follow him.

Through the corridor the long halls beckoned the sound of our footsteps back to us. The interior matching the room I was in, a certain gothic romantic theme flooding my vision. Dark oak and an oxblood red complimenting eachother beautifully.

My legs carried me towards where the man was heading, my mind was lost and unable to stop the compelling nature of what was happening. We approached a large door and as the man got closer they opened up almost as if the doors could see him coming... watching our every move.

Upon entering, my eyes grazed along to map out the situation. A large table with which maybe 5 people sat and in the centre stood an old looking man. Amber stood sheepishly behind this man and with further inspection I realise he was also there that day at the factories.

"Ah you made it!" He said grinning and flaunting his arms slowly. "I hope your room was comfortable Sam." He looks me up and down, almost like he was checking my portion size... almost like I was prey.

I look to the ground, unsure what to say before reverting my attention back to Amber.

"I see you've taken a liking to Ambrosia, Sam." I didn't like the way he used my name. It sounded like I was a parasite, in need of extermination.

"Father stop, leave Sam be." Amber says, nerves settling on her face.

He turns to look at Amber, rage visibly brewing.

"How dare you Amber!" Scowling as he screams out. He turns to look at the others sat amongst the table, almost like he can't look at Amber, and says "This boy could be responsible for the fall of The Paravé and you want me to leave him be!" His voice growing louder.

The fall of the Paravé?

"Look at him! He is a pesky good for nothing human and we should dispose of him as quickly as possible!" Still shouting as he looks around to see the opinions of everyone gathered around the table.

Mixed faces fell upon everyone.

"Sire with all due respect, this boy could be of great use if we make him one of our own." Another old man speaks. A little relief begins to form in my spirit and I want to latch onto it as quickly as possible, but it's soon lost as another outburst begins.

"Do you not think that I know best Lorce? Are you questioning me?" His passive aggressive tone ringing through the room and everyone falls silent, staring at Lorce.

"No sire, not at all it's just-" he tries to explain but is cut off.

"How dare you question me!" And before I can blink the man was stood next to Lorce and picks him up using only his index finger and his thumb with Lorces face grasped in between.

He lifts him out of his seat above his head and crushes his skull with a single clench. Everybody else around the table unphased.

"Where were we?" He says slowly returning to where he was originally stood, gathering his thoughts as he does so.

He spins around "Ah yes!" This time with glee in his voice.

"You Sam."

I feel as though I needed to say something, as composed as I could, without trying to offend.

"I'm not sure what you want with me and I know you're going to kill me, all I ask is that I finally get some answers. Please, I'm begging you." I say.

My heart is racing and he was either going to kill me now for speaking or I may just get what I want.

He looks at me curiously and smiles softly... an uneasy smile.

"I appreciate you being so polite Sam, and your dignity of knowing your fate." He pauses. "So I will grant you to know everything about us and we will grant you to know everything we know thus far about you."

Finally.

"We are a group of vampires that have been around for centuries, we know everything and everyone within our community. We are known as the Paravé. A revered group... if you are apart of this group that means you are an original vampire of bloodlines that created every single other vampire there is out there.

I am the first vampire in existence Sam, although humans state Dracula is... those books were never true, created for horror and entertainment purposes. Human filth.

Heer Van De Duisternis, Dutch for lord of darkness. The humans are always so far off... As we develop and create new vampiric life, we shorten our names. Ambrosia to Amber, Heer Van De Duisternis to Van Heer, you see?

Our job as part of the Parvé is to keep vampires a secret and to keep vampires existences generationally operational periodically. This is where you come in Sam. We have intel you share a bloodline with people who destroy our kind... this is all we know about you.

So... now you tell us your story."