Demon Chord - A MaxTul Supernatural Thriller

Chapter 5 - Vlad

Chapter Five – Vlad

Vlad sat by the fire in the courtyard of the hostel as he waited for Tulkorn to descend from the mountain, and while he did not need the warmth of the flames, he did need the comfort that watching them dance and flicker against the night sky brought him . He felt guilty that he had to pull his friend from his eternal oblivion. At over 800 years old, Vlad knew all too well why Tul was ready to end his immortality. He envied him the opportunity; because as the one responsible for the welfare and safety of the Wamphyri nation, it would still be many decades – perhaps centuries before Vlad could go to his own rest.

He heard Katlyn's laughter as it was carried down the mountain by the wind and he smiled to himself. They were still too high on the mountain for him to see through the falling snow, but they were getting closer. The sound of her laughter reminded him of the simple joys in life and his depression lifted for a few brief moments. He liked Tul's thrall and the vitality that she brought to all those around her, he had considered asking her to become his until Tul had confided that he planned to set her free and make her his heir. The pending loss of both Tul and Katlyn to the Wamphyri nation was weighing heavy on his heart, but he did not begrudge their choice; he would do the same if his situation were similar.

The owner of the hostel pulled him from his melancholy musings by asking if he needed anything – a blanket or a hot beverage. He accepted both to keep his guise as a normal human in place. He pointed at the mountain and said, "My friends will be down soon, would you please prepare a room and a hot meal for them? We will go to the hot springs first"

Nodding in the affirmative, she replied, "I will have my son place some heated towels and robes in the box at the springs. Will your friends need laundry service for the week?"

"No, we will be leaving at sunrise tomorrow morning" he answered

The owner looked around the empty parking lot and wondered briefly how they were going to leave without a vehicle, but she had learned over the years not to ask questions of her patrons.

Placing the blanket over his knees, and sipping the spiced cider rum, Vlad peered closely at the mountain side, seeing Tul and Katlyn in the distance, he snorted in amusement as he realized they were racing down the slope. Tulkorn had a considerable lead but he could tell the Wamphyri was holding back. Standing he let the blanket fall to the ground and he loudly called out his encouragement to Katlyn, he heard her whoop in response and a few seconds later Tul's mock roar of outrage at Vlad's siding with his thrall in the competition.

A few minutes later, Tulkorn slid to a stop a few feet from the Wamphyri leader. Tul gave Vlad a slight bow of the head in a show respect before he bent to unsnap the skis from his boots. Kate arrived before he had managed to completely free himself from the skis – unable to stop – she saw that she was about to slide into Tul and possibly Vlad, so she pitched her body sharply to the left and immediately fell into a head over skis tumble, she heard rather than felt her right wrist fracture in the fall.

Laying on her back in the deep snow, she clamped her eyes shut against the pain and raised her throbbing wrist to her chest and began to breath deeply as Tul's ka began the healing process. Her bones would be mended completely in a matter of hours – but it still hurt – a lot.

Sensing his presence standing above her, Kate opened her eyes to see the Wamphyri leader leaning over her with amusement in his gray eyes, when she smiled crookedly in return, he laughed and offered his hand for assistance in standing. She lifted her left hand to his while keeping the right pressed firmly to her chest.

Once she was back on her feet, he dropped to the ground to unfasten her skis, without looking up, he said, "That was quite an impressive entrance Katlyn"

By that time, Tul had reached the pair. He winked at his thrall and then playfully scolded, "Always trying to steal my thunder where Vlad is concerned" before he placed his hand on Vlad's shoulder, squeezing affectionately he asked, "What's up?"

Looking up from Katlyn's boots, the Wamphyri leader answered with one word "Slayer"