“Blood type O positive. Donor number XZ-09-2024.”
The Master of the Vitalis House tapped a finger on his right temple as the butler servant recited.
Sitting on his throne-like chair fronting the grand hall never had been this painful. Parched, very hungry, and almost at his limit, he waited for his servant to finish. The wine flute that contained the delicious crimson liquid was just within his reach.
Just. Within. His. Reach.
Yet he didn’t move a muscle and just waited for the servant to hand it to him.
“Milord, this is the blood that you have been waiting for,” the butler noted, lifting the silver tray nearer.
Amidst seeing nothing other than entire darkness in his front, a small smile grew on his lips.
“At last,” came his reply and with ease, he straightened in his seat and managed to take out the flute from the tray without tumbling it down.
The cold contact of the glass against his warm fingers was a great welcome. It reminded him of the feeling he had in a similar wintry season last year when he held the same container with the same blood flowing with life.
As much as he wanted to drink such precious liquid every day, he couldn’t as the supposed donor opt a yearly donation only, in a blood bank where his butler gets to purchase it. He doesn’t even know whether the donor, who stayed in the opposite side of the world, was a male or a female, but as if that mattered to him.
He smelt it first, tipping the rim of the glass close to his nostrils and instantaneously caught the faint smell of the jasmine leaves mixed inside.
Ahh, what an aroma, his mind confessed and right then and there, ghosted another smile.
He, of all the living and nonliving beings under his wing, was the only one who preferred to have his meal like this - in a wine flute and mixed with jasmine leaves. Atypical for a dark creature like him, yes, but this was the only leisure that he ever preferred since he disliked feeding directly from the humans.
“As indicated in the Red Cross database, the donor decided for two bags this time so you have two days’ supply of the blood Milord,” informed the butler as he watched his Master sip leisurely. One hand was now on the forehead of a fully grown black panther, making doodles while the big cat purred and nudged its cheek against the armrest.
“Good to know, Jerome,” the Master stated with a small nod; his voice in equal parts soporific and velvety. “At least I have two days before my fasting begins again.”
"Right, and I believe you are doing that on purpose?” came out a male voice behind the throne. Immediately, the panther stood on guard, hissing and growling as it locked its feline eyes on the trespasser.
To give some privacy, the butler dismissed himself, walking out of the dais into a closed door where it led to a huge kitchen.
Though it was without warning, the Master wasn’t at all surprised. He knew exactly who the trespasser was just judging on the sound of his gravelly voice and the foul-stench of dried up blood in the corner of his mouth from a very recent feeding.
“I don’t need to explain myself to you,” was his cool and composed answer. He continued sipping and acting nonchalant all the while his cousin snorted and inched forward in his side.
“Of course, you don’t need to. You are too high and mighty for that,” the man replied, not scared with the black beast at all. He scrunched up his nose and bared his teeth towards the cat momentarily.
The panther didn’t budge. It stayed in a guarded posture and remained standing on all fours.
“You are the Master of the House oh my dear cousin, and I, just your lowly relative,” he continued with a tight smug on his face. “But from what I heard from the rumors, you hate biting the humans. You prefer to drink from blood bags ever since that was invented.”
He paused and strolled in front, waving a hand near the blindfold-wrapped eyes of the Master in the process. When he got no response, he let out another arrogant smug.
“And not only that, you seem to favor one certain source. That makes me wonder why?”
From beneath the blindfold, the Master felt the initial process of regaining a precious faculty owing to the blood he had just ingested. He felt tiny pinprick sensations in his eyelids and then a sharp shooting pain in both the back of his eyes.
Although his cousin couldn’t see, there was a blue glow in his eyeballs that appeared, followed by flashes of gold. By the time it subsided, the Master of the House of Vitalis was restored of sight, but he chose not to pull his blindfold out.
What for when the effects of the miraculous blood wouldn’t last anyway? Why bother fancying oneself of borrowed sight when it was just only temporary?
“Go and wonder other things, Trace. Don’t include me with your childish agendas. I’m not in the mood for that,” he answered coldly just as he usually does to all those around him.
The man named Trace grinned and wrinkled his nose. “Oh, but you are always not in the mood cousin,” he rebuked.
The Master, through the black silk cloth, shot his cousin a murderous glare. “Get out or I’ll throw you where the hellhounds dine,” he ordered whilst curling one fist on the armrest.
The panther growled louder, feeling the Master’s burst of anger.
“Huh,” Trace scoffed. “As if you can do that oh Unseeing One.” He climbed down one step from the dais and gave the Master and the pet a wide grin.
Definitely, it was a mock of the Master’s dire situation but as if that would get him to start a fang fight with his cocky cousin. Instead, he just ignored him and continued on sipping the honey-like blood - a perfect blood he first discovered six years ago.
Luckily, Trace left after a long silence and with that, finally he was able to dine in peace - a much awaited moment indeed.
The Formula One tires screeched against the asphalt as it swerved to the right of the practice track. Then, the same thing happened when it made a hard turn to the left. It became a known cycle of ear-splitting sound for at least ten minutes - a time most car racers deem lengthy for a test drive.Although it was a cold, gloomy evening, thick, white-to-gray smoke could be seen coming out under the engine of the race car. It wasn’t an alarming sight for the spectators however. No one wasn’t concerned when they knew who drove the said vehicle. They just watched in awe in the sidelines, watched with complete adoration on the driver pulling the shots.After about two laps of run, the race car finally stopped directly in its inspection area and out came the one who did it all: a woman, wearing a black full-face helmet and loose jumpsuit of red and white.The NASCAR mechanics call her, “The Empress Hand, &rdqu
“Cord, your lip is bleeding.” A white-haired man informed, staring at the sliced bottom lip with worry. He inched forward and took out a handkerchief from his jacket in the hopes of wiping the dripping blood from the Master’s chin but he only waved him off. “No, leave it, ” the Master answered as if he saw his right-hand’s intent. Blood continued to trickle down his chin and because of that, he swiped a finger along it and licked clean the sticking liquid with his tongue. “My fangs are behaving badly. Shit, it wants to sink in that woman’s flesh.” “Hmm, you had already restrained yourself for many a year, why break that now? What changed?” the man stepped down the dais, tucked back his handkerchief inside his jacket and lowered his body to sit in a sofa provided for him. “What changed is that woman’s blood, Calvin. She is the owner of those blood bags I crave so much, ” Cord’s tongue darted o
Cord burst into his study, unable to take it anymore. Why did he tell the woman that? He had no obligation to explain himself to her, yet he did and rather too honestly!He gripped the head of his cane and threw it on the floor, the action of which made a loud metal thunk and then a smash of a glass he most thought from the vase next to his work desk.Owing it to his ability of hypersense and how he knew of the castle spaces by heart, he crossed the unlit room and shoved the thick curtain aside. Contrary to what the humans believed, the Vitalis Master, him, wasn’t even burned by the sunlight when it contacted his skin. The light unsettled him though, being that he was too attached with the shadows, but the discomfort wasn’t enough to halt him from approaching the casement window.Although he couldn’t see, he sensed that the woman and her friend were leaving via the car he had arranged. He felt the boili
Two days passed with Amanda having the same routine. She worked on the three Formula Ones for the grand race to be held on the second week. She was together with the other mechanics of her stepfather focusing on the wiring, engine performance and the fluidity of the run. Matteo as usual drove her home while Noman, nursing two more hangovers, entertained her with his set of Originals and The Tudors DVD.On the third day, she, having preregistered in an international mountain climbing club back in New Zealand, traveled to the province’s highest mountain with Noman and Matteo tagging along. This was one of her most awaited activities during her stay in the country.“Alright, we are here, ” announced the athletic, dreadlock-haired Club leader, Kenneth.They left the van in a clearing surrounded by many trees and shrubbery some distance away and trekked in a narrow rocky path to where they stood now - in fro
“Mr. Vitalis!”Amanda’s eyes rounded. A surge of something that could be called a mix of alarm and excitement filled her whole body. Goosebumps erupted in her forearms and unconsciously, she pressed her personal bag closer against her abdomen in an attempt to halt the twisting of her stomach.She didn’t expect someone to be inside the limousine with her, more so she didn’t expect him to be the one sitting.Cord, though still in a blindfold, looked at her way like it was a casual thing for a blind man. With his left hand, he squeezed the handle of his cane when her scent filled the enclosed space. It tortured him immediately but he had already expected this when he decided to fetch her himself.It was a torture he was willing to receive forever, or at least while his charade lasts.“Good evening Amanda, ” he stated, managing his voice to c
“Com’n, tell me where you’re staying now.”Amanda heard Noman whine through the earpiece. She was comfortably lying belly down in front of the laptop screen while the Skype app was turned on. The first thing she did after leaving the dining hall was for her to get in touch with her bestfriend as was agreed. She needed someone to talk to, needed an outlet to vent out her frustration on the turn of events and he was the perfect person for it.“I can’t, ” she shook her head. “You know I can’t. The Chief briefed me not to.”“Ugh, at least open your video feed so that I’ll see you’re not in some shady house.”Amanda watched her friend make a puppy face through the video screen. This was one of Noman’s backup card in order to make someone do his bidding. Apparently, it was working with her.She sm
Amanda woke up early the next morning feeling refreshed. With her night clothes on, she stood up and neared the French door of the balcony. The outside showed the cheerful sky of light blue and yellow-orange. She inhaled deeply and smiled.She maybe in the witness protection program, but that didn’t mean she can’t tour the castle grounds freely.Taking an early bath was the first step to it so she did that in a classy bathroom accessible just a few strides away from the bed. By the time she finished and exited with a towel wrapped around her body, breakfast was already laid in the coffee table, the bedroom door was open, the thick curtains were drawn to the sides, and the early morning light shone through.There was a new maid busily fixing her bedding, but she seemed to be immersed with the rock music in her headphones.“Uh, good morning?” Amanda stated, standing near the bat
To Amanda, the contact of their bodies, though brief, felt like acid and fire. Of the good and bad kind.Bad - because she swore she felt like he was killing her with his touch. Bled and dried. Tortured and stolen of her essence.Good - because she felt herself complete. Revived. Replenished of energy. Her nerve endings felt charged with a desirable electricity - an electricity that she could well be addicted too.And because of these conflicts inside her, she realized that staying in the Vitalis Castle could be more dangerous than being chased by drug lords and loan sharks.She needed to leave the place ASAP, but how will she explain this to Chief Moretti then?She can’t say that the Master of the House just threatened to tie her up in the pillar. That’s just too embarrassing of a reason. She might have the Chief think they were experimenting BDSM.
PresentEverything happened in seconds.First, Eloise felt a strong arm around her torso before she felt a shooting ache and a pulling pressure on her head. Her extended hand ready to supposedly siphon Amanda of her life essence stopped mid air, just inches away from Amanda’s face. She winced at the pain and tossed a quick look at the person behind her. She couldn’t well see his face, but she knew from the aura the person was emitting, it was the Vitalis Master.Second, Amanda’s diamond-structured hand contacted with Eloise’s chest before she noticed Cord behind the psychotic witch. Taken aback, she gasped, was confused at first, but ultimately, felt lifted of her worry. She could see he was back to his normal self again. And not only that, he was ready to help her fight her aunt.Crystals immediately attached themselves into Eloise’s chest and while thi
“Courageous words for a newbie witch!” Eloise’s lashed out, snickering as if she wasn’t affected by Amanda’s threat. Using her shadows, she teleported out of the burning automobile and into a clear area some distance away from Amanda. Blood had dripped down her forehead, streaming along the bridge of her nose and into her upper lip. She just licked it clean, then wickedly grinned at Amanda again.Amanda took this as a challenge. The woman may look like she was unaffected by her lacerations and burn wounds, but clearly, she was at a disadvantage now.With her supercharged crystals, she launched again towards her aunt, gnashing her teeth all the time and giving her death glares.Eloise just stood appearing as if she was doing nothing, but in reality, she ordered her shadows to form into tendrils along Amanda’s path.Amanda saw this but was undaunted. She continued ru
“Don’t underestimate what I’m capable of. Come at me and you’ll see,” Amanda dared, gnashing her teeth as she said so. Beads of sweat gathered around her nape as she was immobilized by Eloise’s shadows. She tried to wriggle, at least to get a bit of inches free from the shadows, but they were unrelenting. The more she moved, the tighter the shadow’s twisted around her limbs.Some distance away, Matteo was still writhing in pain. She wanted to run to his side and help him, but knew she couldn’t. Even blinking and breathing was hard to do.“Wohoho, such fat words,” Eloise cackled, angling her chin up. “I know what abilities you have. Actually, it’s even enough to defeat me, but do you really think I didn’t come prepared?”Amanda frowned even more. This woman was really pushing her rage to the fore.“
Three Months AgoMatteo’s Beach HouseSpa, BelgiumA portal opened out-of-the-blue in the middle of the living room and then Matteo and the witch he resurrected materialized, toppling over the vase filled with tulips when their feet grazed the edge of the coffee table.The witch, in her weak state, reached for the headboard of a sofa to steady herself. She hadn’t experienced teleportation magic before when she was still alive, so experiencing one now was both exhilarating and nauseating.She groaned and looked up at Matteo who was already staring down at her.“This house is just your temporary shelter. Stay here while your senses return,” he said.“Now I remember you,” the witch stated after hauling a breath. She straightened and battled t
Six days ago...O’Malley Residence“So she’s protected by a mage...” Cord muttered to himself when he sensed the mage’s power in the residual heat it emitted when Amanda disappeared. He scrunched up his nose then, disgusted of the word. He had a distaste for such beings in the past and that hadn’t changed one bit in the present. He hated them as much as he hated the witches.Mages — they tend to be cynical and arrogant. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. They hold too many secrets for their personal gain. They protect witches from vampires in an act of good faith, but in truth, they only do it for the many advantages they could get from the witches. Cord had killed a dozen of them over the centuries and one thing remained the same — their blood taste bitter and unpalatable. Not his interest at all.With a scoff, he turned towards a gr
Cord’s hands sought her breasts and roughly squeezed them. Amanda winced and gritted her teeth. She hated how he did it, but she wasn’t going to be emotional. She wasn’t going to cry just because of his rough manhandling. Instead, she flashed him a sharp glare.Unfortunately, it was the only thing she could do. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t fight him off. Aside from the shadows restraining her, she still saw him as the same man she loved. No matter what side he was showing, she still saw him as one person.Ignoring her glare, Cord dove down to capture her lips. His kiss was bruising and aggressive. Amanda felt it different and uncomfortable, but at the same time, disturbingly a turn-on.His hands moved down to reposition her legs. He rearranged himself in between as her thighs spread wide. Then, pulling himself out of their kiss, he stuck his tongue out and with one swoop tasted her flesh ra
For the first time since Cord and Amanda arrived in Wellington, their stay had finally felt like a vacation. Spending time together never had been great. Four nights had passed since Cord’s return of sight and so far, they hadn’t faced any problems or consequences with it. No Matteo to be cautious about. No unknown enemy to think of.They took this opportunity to travel around New Zealand, commuting through trains and buses, and even rented a car to fulfill Amanda’s wish to drive through the hills and countryside. By nightfall, they would either rent a hotel room or camp outside the field under the moon’s mystical light and the wondrous sea of stars.Cord took this chance to get to know Amanda’s home country better. The last time he visited here was to sate his hunger only. Now, he wanted to see what the land offered. He found the mountains of Auckland rich and teeming with vegetation and wildlife
Cord reached Racetech in no time, materializing on the roof of the building as fluidly as usual. Without delay, he closed his eyes and felt for the unique heartbeat and scent of Amanda. He couldn’t sense either of the two and that made him groan in displeasure.He was confident he’d find her here, but as it seems, he had come too late. If he remembered correctly, the meeting with Matteo was in the afternoon and it was already late in the evening now. She could be anywhere with him by now if she was bold enough to accept whatever proposal he offered.He didn’t trust Matteo. That opportunistic mage would likely use his charms and lies the moment he gets a chance and Cord not accompanying Amanda was that chance.Using his unrestrained eyes, he scanned the whole area within the three-mile radius. He couldn’t sense her heartbeat still and that pissed him off. Honing his sights on an eighty-storey tower
“Where am I?” Blinking a few times, Amanda took in every detail of the room: the light fixtures, the color of the walls, the furniture and the carpet. Indeed, she wasn’t in Cord’s hotel room or even in her own bedroom and this brought her pulse working double time.She sat up straight, frowning, immediately knowing what this exactly meant.“Oh no, ” she said, clenching her teeth. “Matteo just wasted what little trust I have for him.”Luckily, he had the sense to leave her clutch bag on a bedside table. She rushed to take it and pulled out her cell phone from the secret chamber.“No signal, great, ” she huffed after unlocking her phone screen. Calling Noman now would have been a good idea. Not like he could save her from being imprisoned inside a house again, but calling him about the status of the Vitalis Master would have been vital. The ti