DEAD SEED (AKA "Vampires Don't Exist")

TEN: Declaration

Virgil watched as Aimeric carried Aralyn away, his face dropping. He felt guilty. As if he should have done more to protect her, but what could he have done? He glared at his master's back until Aimeric disappeared upstairs. Then he pivoted, his brown hair whipping around his neck as he turned on Morgan.

"What did you tell him?" he growled, baring his fangs at the sniveling vampire.

"What makes you think I said anything?" Morgan sneered.

"He just had you down there, you must have said something." Virgil glared at the cuts on Morgan's cheeks from where Aimeric had assaulted him earlier. They were already beginning to heal, but showed the depth of Aimeric's fingertips.

"I only told him the truth of what I saw the other night. You kissin' his queen-to-be."

Virgil's eyes darkened. He grabbed Morgan by the collar of his shirt. "I'll kill you."

"You can't do nothin' to me. Aimeric put me under his protection so I can watch the two of you. You kill me, he kills you. Then who would poor, sweet Aralyn run to?"

Face contorting with rage, Virgil tossed Morgan to the floor. This was why no matter how many times Morgan screwed up, Aimeric didn't kill him. Because the sniveling vampire was always up Aimeric's ass, tattling to him whenever the other vampires stepped out of line.

Without saying another word, Virgil stalked across the room and to the coat closet near the staircase. He took out a black raincoat and a pair of tall boots, then an umbrella.

"What are you doing?" Sadie asked.

"None of your business, Whore."

She grinned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your whore at one time, or have you forgotten?"

"You're easy enough to forget," he said, putting his hand on the door handle.

"You're begging for the master to kill you," Mabel said.

"I don't care what he does to me, but I won't let that girl suffer anymore. Not like Arabella did. I'm going to find Claire." He went outside into an oncoming storm. The first cold raindrops had started to fall, splashing onto the doorstep. Flakes of snow were mixed in with them, melting as they hit the pavement.

"Who's Arabella?" Morgan asked at the same time Mabel called Virgil an idiot.

Virgil didn't care if he was an idiot. He had to save Aralyn before Aimeric destroyed her. Aimeric already planned on turning her into a vampire — condemning her to this hell of an un-life. But before that, he would torment her like this. It might be years before he turned her. By then, her mind would be so afflicted who knew what kind of monster she would become?

Aimeric had done it before. He took pleasure in tormenting women and men. Some he killed after, some he sent back to their families who then had to commit their child to an asylum because their minds were so scrambled, they would speak nonsense and wake up screaming each night. Only a few of them did he turn into vampires, which would be Aralyn's doom.

Virgil couldn't let this happen to her.

He dashed through the mud and the forest. He wasn't as fast as Aimeric, but he was still fast. He made it to the ferry that would take him the mainland in no time. He wished he could fly as Aimeric could.

Once he was safely across the ocean, he slipped off the ferry before anyone could see him. He made his way through the empty streets and through another small wood before coming to a modern stone mansion. He pounded on the door, hoping they were home.

Several minutes went by before the door cracked open.

"Virgil," a deep voice said from the other side.