The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 14/ The labyrinth in the Library

I was wearing my silver collar on and out. It was a few grueling weeks later. The coven seemed back to normal after the assassination attack, if a little quiet like a graveyard.  Mary had told me it was safe to return to making my personal pilgrimage to day light. I walked down the corridors swishing in my long dress. Each vampire I passed tried to hide their disdain for me. Hissing as silently as possible at the sign to my silver collar necklace. The only thing which seemed to calm them was walking as dignified way possible. 'You're a princess, own the corridor' said Mary and she had been right.  Only walking down those cold solemn corridors like I owned them brought anything like respect and tolerance.  We followed my usual route up to the observation deck to watch the sun as was my weekly right. Mary stood with me and the two guards more used to life in the gloom stood near the elevator. Today we had new plans.

After my allotted time was over we continued to the  middle floor tower where Sadismann's rooms were. I had been a quick learner and had practically memorised the books I had begun with.  We were to visit the library to find new books to continue my education. My original intention was to find a book which was a bit more than a catalog of smut after smut. We arrive to see shelf after shelf covered in book beyond book.  Lined up like soldiers marching shoulder to should into war. Each one was old, leather bound. The library smelt of equal part mold, dust and that nose twitching sense of the forbidden. There was carpet here and even sound it self changed, it made you feel the space was uneasy about being disturbed but in a familiar almost inviting way. 

I walked down the library between the stacks.  The space was so narrow my dress brushed against each stack of shelves either side of me. It was like strolling in labyrinth. Back home at harvest the kind the adults sometimes built one from hay bales. As children we would spend a few hours  running around giggling getting lost forgetting the dangers on our borders.   I walked down reading the gold title written on each leather book. I hadn't really expect the library to be so densely devoted to smutty fiction as it was. Wall after wall of old leather bound books on solid dark wooden shelves.

I walked reading the binding of some books with Mary following.

"The something training manual" I translated as I walked.

"It's good, but it will make you wince but we need something with fewer long words" said Mary.

My brain was throbbing from the weeks of learning but I was keen for more. During the way my father had captured the odd messenger but we could never read their messages. Perhaps if we could talk in their language we could negotiate a better peace treaty to both our advantages.  

 I was not  able to understand the word written on the sign here, I thought it might be something to do with the lore of the Blood god. I was hoping to find something which could help me understand more of them, possibly find a weekness. Mary said there was also partial autobiography of Sadismann  in the library some were. The lives were so long they like to record everything before they forget their own selves. I struck me that was a good definition of Vampire - a person who has forgotten everything about them self, even their compassion.   Not that it wasn't there, it just needed someone to have faith in them to draw it out. 

I was unsure about his intentions, he seemed like he wanted me. This unnerved me, did he intend to make me a Vampire? If so why did he hang around. Was he really afraid of my father as much he said, was the contract as vital to him he made out? I wasn't sure about how I felt. When he was near I wanted to throw my arms around him when he was gone I was able remember he was a blood sucker who had crushed a third of the Kings's lands. 

"What's down there?" I said.

"I am" said a voice emerging from the shadows. It was Duke Sadismann emerging wearing a suit and tie which he filled out like obsessive bodybuilder under a long floor length coat. His long hair hung down plainly with a slight curl to it. Over his nose a pair of circular wire sun glasses