Blood Lust II: Fragments of a Flame

Chapter VII

All of us, Altairs, Cornelious, Zaheda, and I went into a limo. Despoina had to stay home and well babysit Maddox while Bovery watched over her newborns. I didn't think that a car could come down underground and travel but somehow it worked. As I sat there with Altair's hand on my thigh, I felt bittersweet. I was happy I found someone but sad it wasn't with a human. Sad that the world is the way it is and that my blood was the only way to get the world back to the way it once was but was that necessarily a good thing? Things were bad even before vampires came into it but now instead of picking minorities they were picking vampires. My hate for vampires subsided and I grew to like them. Maybe if everyone stopped with hate and grew to understand each other the world would be a better place but humans were consumed with power, greed, and lust and I'm not saying vampires aren't either but it's more natural for them to be like that as it is their nature to be lustful and selfish or so I thought.

I wasn't able to see clearly out the limo's window as everything was dark, to begin with, but once the gates opened and the limo went into the mansion's grounds I was astounded by how beautiful everything looked. The trees were cut into shapes, yellow fairy lights were everywhere, the mansion was huge, touching the very top of the underground ceiling, and a waterfall was in the middle of the front yard. Vampires were dressed up in such elegant gowns in different colors that matched their masks. Their hair was up in all sorts of styles and the male vampires had different types of suits on. Some with patterns, just colors, fitted, it was the most visually striking thing I have seen.

"You can see everyone's colored eyes through the mask. I'm going to stand out like a sore thumb," I said out loud. Cornelious then took something out of his pocket. Two yellow contact lens was sitting in a case on his palm.

"They are going to know she is different regardless of the contacts... Her sent." Altair pointed out.

"Some vampires have better noses than others. Some have a better ability to fight then seek out a human. I say it's better she put these on. She won't stand out as much." Altair just stared at me curious what my choice was going to be. I took the contacts and popped in the gold color contacts. It stung at first since I never had to wear contacts before but after I blinked a few times my eyes became clear. Altair's gaze was on me. Did he find me more attractive cause I looked like a vampire? He took my hand and out all four of us went. We headed inside the mansion and just as they did back in the Victorian Era two men called out our names after Cornilious told them who we were. Altair walked with me in hand and Corilious walked behind us. So many different colored eyes were on us as we carefully took each step. 

As soon as we made it down to the floor a couple who looked like they were inseparable came up to us. 

"So you're the famous Lia." The man said.

"How do you know?"

"Well, aside from the announcement word spreads quickly underground. We don't know whether to applaud you for escaping that facility or condemn you for being apart of it, to begin with." The woman told me with disdain in her eyes. Altair came up to them after speaking with Cornilious about something. I stood standing there in shock. I didn't know what to say or do. Vampires had no filter it seemed. They could say anything and not be bothered by how it affected me. They both walked away with their drinks in their hands. Altair took my hand and guided me to a table that had our name on it. We were the guest of honor. The fact that so many people arrived on such short notice made me realize how much they respected their elders. 

I adjusted my mask as it was pinching my nose. Altair and I looked on at the crowd of people they kept entering the mansion. 

"There are so many vampires." I pointed out.

"As there are humans," Altair replied.  

"Where is the elder vampire?" I asked. Altair and I whispered into each other's ear.