The Return: Volume II

Chapter I: Wisteria

A chorus of commotion had me and Jarin running for the courtyard. It felt very odd to be on the same page as him for once. Despite who he is, I will give him this. He does care about doing his job.

We came to a dead stop at which we were met with a site I imagine he found horrifying, but I found equally disturbing, thrilling, and beautiful. Within the stone corridor that channeled out to the courtyard, where the crescent arch of the hall framed everything so perfectly and the thundering storm outside provided the perfect backdrop, I saw the love of my life had returned to me. Ricky's long black hair was drenched from the rain. It clung to his face like a stigmata on his skin. In the dark of the night, the black fire behind his eyes had never looked so deadly, so angry. He was a pissed.

The General Major laid out on the ground like a pathetic, weak animal. He barely looked like a demon with my love's heel crushed onto his temple. His low, agonized groans were soon silenced when Ricky dug his heel in and explored his skull like a rotted melon. I had to restrain myself from any visible reaction. Sure, I'd seen Ricky vicious, but he'd always been one for the romantic kills like me.

But in all of my excitement and desperate desire to finally see him after months apart, I suppose I am getting a little ahead of myself. Let's rewind six months, to the day I'd woken dazed and confused, met with the first fellow vampire I'd ever laid eyes on in Valavana.

~

That man had a name. In all of our intrigue of each other, he'd forgotten to introduce himself. He later apologized, going on to say, "Over the years, I've been given many names, but I prefer the one my mother gave me. My name is Deacon. In the human world, it was a name for the selfless and devote, of which I try to be." That much was apparently. Beneath his long black coat, several chains hung from his hips and pants, each adorned with a series of charms. I saw crosses and ankhs, among several other ornate trinkets.

"Why did you want to see my eyes and fangs?" I asked him.

He answered honestly, effortlessly. As if he had nothing to hide from me. "I wanted to see how far removed you were from the original. You are... concerningly close. Two or three sires removed, I'd wager."

"Tesla said the original was still alive, to his knowledge. Is that true?"

"Oh, very much so, but he has little to do with vampire affairs. I don't believe he even identifies himself as one of us. Soon, you'll meet a vampire he sired directly, and you'll see his power for yourself. But, I'm getting well ahead of myself."

I sat on the end of the bed, Deacon just across from me in a chair. His accent perplexed me even further when he said, "I am a very old man, even for a vampire. I've seen the rise and fall of many of Telsa's schemes, and in the shadows, I've watched the Warden build and destroy many games and their players. I've hesitantly stood with the Warden many times, despite my resentment towards his treatment of me and others. Those who are loyal to him are his property to do with as he pleases. Tesla, and the Demon Queen for that matter, see the entire world that way, not just their allies.

"Recently, the current acting Master Vampire married the Queen's brother. It was an arranged marriage, intended to convince the public she was interested in our liberation. All the while, orchestrating our genocide in secrecy. I'll be sending you to join that vampire's cabinet. I apologize if you're not much for politics or the spotlight, but it's the safest place for you. Those of us that are being slaughtered in the pits and valleys mean very little to the public, but a high profile death such as that of the prince's trustee advisor would cause a sea of issues that our opposition would rather avoid.

"They'll all still have questions about where you came from. They watch our numbers perhaps even closer than we do. They'll notice you aren't like the rest of our kind, and you'll give them a convenient amount of honesty. Ezdell is all you've ever known. You don't know why there isn't other vampires outside of Mortuairum, and you don't know what became of your sire. From what Asher told me, that much is all true, correct?"