CHAPTER TWO

Alex flew. A huge, blood-red sun sat on the horizon, and he flew right for it, through a field of mud. 

He landed just outside the door to his house, his heart pounding loudly in his chest, he gently pushed open the door, the blood flushed from his face.

The two most important people in his life were lying side by side, dead.

Alex crumpled to the floor, and let out a scream, an unearthly scream, the scream of a man who just lost everything he ever loved.

The walls of the house cracked at the impact of the scream.

"Da…da..daddy." He heard the whisper, he rushed over towards the pile.

Aya was still breathing, her breathing was shallow but he could still sense life in her.

"Da..da..daddy it hurts." Aya whispered again.

"Hold still honey….daddy will make the pain go away." He whispered back as tears streamed down his

face, for the first time since he had been turned into a vampire, this was the first time he cried.

He gently carried them and laid them side by side on the large bed.

He took one last look before taking off.

There had to be a way.

Alex quickly walked outside, he took giant footsteps flying towards the edge of the forest.

 He closed his eyes, starting to recite the ancient chant to summon the priest.

It was uncommon in vampire tradition to try to summon the priest, many didn't believe he existed but Alex had seen enough to know there was truly a priest.

He continued reciting the ancient chant,with each word his voice continued to break as his lips trembled and tears streamed down his face.

"What do you want?"

Alex's eyes flew open as he heard the words, there standing in front of him was the calmest looking man he had ever seen.

"I heard your call….I don't normally answer but it's rare to see a thousand year old vampire cry." The priest continued.

"Who would have thought that Alex Nilsen would ever fall in love?" The priest said with a small laugh.

"And who would have thought Alex Nilsen would cry." The priest said as worry etched his face.

"I'm sorry…all I wa…" 

" I know what you want." The priest cut him off.

"The woman is gone. but the girl can still be saved." The priest continued.

"I would do anything! anything!" Alex yelled as tears continued to stream down his face.

"It is a life for a life." The priest quietly said.

"Your life for her life." He continued.

"If you're ready, you'll have to fly south, you'll find the priestess, Ivory.

 she will give you the elixir of immortality…when you get it, you must drink it." The priest said sternly.

"Your daughter is a half breed but I don't think she knows yet? " The priest asked.

"No..she doesn't." Alex croaked tearfully.

"And then the hardest part of all this. when you come back, your daughter must feed on you, she must drink your blood, she must drink till she has gotten every drop of your blood and the elixir of immortality." The priest continued.

"Then you must wipe her memory, take her to a safe place, say your goodbyes before flying off to die." The priest said with finality.

Alex raised his head as the priest vanished back into thin air.

He knew what he had to do and he was ready to do anything to save his daughter.

*******

Alex flew over new york, the priest's final words still ringing in her head. He felt a sense of ominousness as he flew through the morning, through thick, black storm clouds, racing to find Ivory.

The priest had told him about Ivory’s castle—coston castle—located in the far southern corner of New York, and he raced towards it with all he had. 

Thunder erupted in the warm September sky, as he flew right into thick, black storm clouds. But he didn't slow. 

he had to get there, for all he was worth.

Alex felt so torn apart. On one hand, he wanted to live to see his daughter grow, he wanted to be with his wife and family again.

 On the other hand, he knew there was no way he could go back in time.

Alex would do whatever it took to get the antidote. But his heart was pounding at the thought of having to go to give his daughter blood, he had hoped to raise her without her having to taste blood.

But for his wife, and for Aya, he would do it.

Alex swallowed his pride and dove down lower, as he finally sensed he was close. As he dipped down beneath the clouds, he was taken aback by the sight: there, on the horizon, was a castle that could only be coston. It was a small castle, but one of the most dramatic he had ever seen. Built in the middle of a lake, completely surrounded by water, accessible only by a narrow, wooden bridge that reached out for hundreds of yards from the mainland, the small castle was built in a perfect circle.

 It had ancient parapets in every direction, and lying perfectly still in the water, it looked as if it were one with nature, as if it had been there since the beginning of time.

It was the perfect setting, Alex realized, for a vampire home, secluded, surrounded by water for protection against one's enemies, and barely accessible.

he landed and looked around, and was surprised to see that it seemed much bigger from down here. It was large enough to hold a small coven of vampires. As a home for just one, it must be, he realized, a very lonely place. A place for a true loner. It made him wonder what Ivory was really like.

“HELLO!" Alex screamed out.

His voice echoed off the empty stone walls.

“Ivory!" Alex called out.

His voice echoed again and again, coming back, as if mocking him. It was so empty and desolate here, Alex felt as if he were the last person on earth.

He suddenly heard a noise, a faint musical noise, in the distance. He listened closely, and could just begin to hear it. S

he couldn't believe it. It was organ music, coming from somewhere inside the castle.

Alex crossed the courtyard and entered through one of the large, arched doors.

Inside, in the dark stone corridor, the music was louder. It was definitely an organ, filling the halls, reverberating off of them. It was creepy, and all-encompassing, and magical.

Alex followed it, as if in a trance, trying to find the source. As he turned down corridor after corridor, it finally became louder, more intense.

Finally, he came to a large, open room which looked like a chapel, all stone, with high ceilings and arched windows made of stained glass. The room was completely empty save for a single organ, placed against the far wall. And there, seated before it, her back to him, playing, was Ivory.

She was in the middle of a song, and Alex stood and listened, not wanting to interrupt her. It was the most beautiful—and darkest—music that Alex had ever heard. It was mesmerizing, haunting. It was the sound of death coming, and yet of new life being reborn at the same time.

Alex felt it go through every bone in his body. It went on for he didn't know how long, and then finally, dramatically, it ended.

Ivory slowly turned and faced Alex, standing. She was exactly as Alex had imagined: tall, aloof, proud, and beautiful.

"Did the old priest send you?” Ivory asked flatly.

Alex swallowed hard, not sure how to phrase it.

"Yes…but," he answered. "I came on my own."

"What is it, then?" Ivory asked, abrupt. "I don't like receiving visitors, especially unannounced.

Have you come to ask for more powers? if yes then you're wasting your time...I don't help vampires anymore."

Alex shook his head. "That's not why I'm here," he said.

Alex breathed deep, feeling overwhelmed with sadness. he felt as if he wanted to cry, but held back his tears.

"My daughter…” he began. “She's…deathly ill," he said, looking down at the ground. he looked up.

"She's been poisoned. The priest says she hasn’t long to live.” Ivory's eyes opened wide, and Alex could see how shocked she was. She visibly relaxed her guard.

"Who did this?" she asked.

Alex shook his head. "I don't know. But I am guessing it was Stephan, of the Vampire Coven.

And he was ordered to do this.”

Ivory's eyes narrowed. "Stephan. Yes, I know of him. That is exactly the sort of thing he would do.

But why your daughter?”

“Stephan was after me. I think my family got in the way.”

Ivory glowered at him, and Alex felt overwhelmed with guilt.

"Can you help me?" Alex finally asked. "Can you help my daughter?”

"How? I'm not a doctor."

"The priest said there was one chance for her. If I drink from the elixir of immortality and she drinks blood. From her maker. That might save him.”

Ivory snorted. "You’re wasting your time. That’s an old wives’ tale. I've never seen that work…..and besides if it works you could die."

Alex was determined. "It's the only chance we have. Please. I have nothing else to try."

Ivory stared at Alex, and several moments of silence followed.

"You really love your daughter, don't you?" Ivory asked.

Alex felt tears welling up, this time rolling down his cheeks.

"Yes, I do,” she answered. “Very much."

Ivory stared at him, and Alex felt as if she were summing him up, staring through her soul.

"Very well, then. I'll do it for you. To humor you. But you are wasting your time. You have to let her go.”

She turned and strutted away.

Alex followed her through the castle, down a dark corridor, twisting and turning.

"What was it?" Alex asked. "That music you were playing?”

"Mozart," Ivory answered flatly. "His mucasa and sucasa  in c minor."

"It was beautiful," Alex said. “But very dark.”

"So am I," Ivory answered.

They finally entered an alcove area with a small counter, on top of which sat several vials.

Ivory suddenly reached out, and opened a rusty old metal drum filled with green liquid.

She then reached over, grabbed a vial, and dipped it into the drum When it was filled, she sealed it with a stopper.

She cleaned it with a rag, then held up the vial, examining it in the fading afternoon light.

"You are putting your faith for her entire life in this one vial," Ivory said. "And if it doesn't work?”

Alex reached out, took it, and examined it.

“If it doesn’t work,” he said, sadly, “then I have nothing left to live for."