Chapter 9
Seraphina
I hunt the Ostilis, the blood drinkers. I search them out so that I can destroy them. There have been three of them that have actually been hunting their own kind, I left them alive. They just make my job easier by doing the work for me. I know that I will not be able to kill them all; there are some that are just too old even for my magic to work on them. I discovered the existence of the Ostilis when I was six, my family had been killed by one of them, I don’t remember who but if I saw him I would know him. Their name I found out a few years ago but only after I devoted my life to their destruction. I travel now, I search, but as of late I have been having a difficult time finding them. Last night though all my troubles began…
I found myself in the clutches of an ancient one, I could never kill her, I would never be able to do so, never be able to destroy her. She locked me away, locked me deep underground in a stale cell. No food, no water, only the cold, dank, stone. Her power was immense; I could still feel it even though she had gone upstairs. The energy that she emitted was almost painful as it rolled over me. I could still taste the blood she had forced into me. When she had abducted me she had forced me to drink from her. I didn’t know what her intentions were, I still don’t. She has not returned for me. Every now and then I can feel her leave the house but she always returns. Now, as I lay in my cell I can think of absolutely nothing. I have been down here for what seems like days with nothing for company except myself, which isn’t very good. I’m still locked here, still alone. No sounds, no light. Sensory deprivation at its finest. At least I can talk to myself and feel the floor and walls so I won’t go insane. The next night she came. Lights suddenly surrounded me, their brightness burning my eyes.
“Seraphina, get up.” She ordered, her English had a slight accent to it but it was such that I had never heard before. Glaring at her I stood before her, staring at her through the bars. She looked me over quickly, “We shall see how well you fare.” She sneered.
I scowled, “What do you mean?”
She laughed softly, “You will do exactly as I tell you.”
My eyes grew wide, “Excuse me? I don’t think so.”
“Oh, but you will. You have no choice.” She said, reaching through the bars and running a hand through my hair.
I pulled away, “What are you talking about? What makes you think that I will do as you say? What gives you the right?” I spat, “Answer me.”
She laughed and my heart sank. This creature could do whatever she pleased, she had power that I couldn’t even begin to fathom, “Don’t be foolish, you cannot deny me. Your fate is inexorable, you will do exactly as I command.”
“You can’t force me to.” I said softly.
“But I can and you know it.”
I sighed, “Tell me something before you do whatever it is you are going to do, who are you?”
She smiled, “I am Aurelia, I am the only remaining Ostilis who was born as such, the last of my kind. That is why you cannot resist.”
I took a deep breath, “What exactly are you going to have me do and how are you going to force me to do it?”
She smiled, “With that small amount of my blood in you I can force you to do anything. It is that blood which binds us. I am going to have you destroy two Ostilis for me, after that we shall see.”
“Who are they and where can I find them?” I asked, realizing that I could not resist her if this is what she truly wanted me to do.
“They should be no trouble for you. Their names are Vahn and Altan,” She said, handing me a picture, “you can find them in Virginia, hunting for others of our kind. Should you attempt to destroy anyone else I shall stop you, you will suddenly find yourself unable to function, do you understand?” She said as she unlocked the door.
As it opened I stepped out into the brightly lit hallway. She smiled at me as she beckoned for me to follow. With angry eyes I followed my new mistress. I was upset that she had forced her blood into me, making me her unwilling servant. Upstairs she took me, into a large dinning room.
“Sit.” She said, motioning towards a chair to the right of the head of the table.
I sat down in a huff, adjusting the thin blade at my side, “Why me?”
“You have the skill, you have the power.” She said with a shrug, “Would you like something to eat before you depart?”
I shook my head even though I was starving I would not eat anything she offered to me. Crossing my arms on the table, I looked at her. She was quite pretty in an ancient sort of way. Long golden yellow hair and piercing gray eyes, so like the sky on a stormy day, swirling with energy. Her skin was so very white, not pale like the other Ostilis I had encountered but white. I had never been this close to one so old, even seen one of her age. She sat very still, unmoving in my refusal of her kind offer. Aurelia, I would never forget her name because she would keep me under her thumb for as long as I lived. Perhaps she would have the audacity to make me into one of her kind. Even then I would be under her control. Perhaps I would change so much that I would not want to destroy the others. I hoped that she would do nothing of the sort but I knew that I could not fight her, could not deny her.
“I shall supply you with the means to get to there. Your plane leaves tomorrow. You can get to the airport with no problems, from there everything will be taken care of. You shall leave in the morning.” Her voice rang loud and clear from her still form.
I shook my head, “I would prefer to leave now.” I said softly.
“No. You will leave tomorrow. Patience, child. Time for you to get some sleep. Come, I shall take you to your room.” She said as she stood up.
Her movements were graceful as she led me through the house. Upstairs we went, three stories up in fact. She opened a simple wooden door and motioned for me to enter. I walked inside before she closed the door, sealing me within. I was angry, upset, and alone. The room she had placed me in was lavishly decorated; the tasseled canopy of the bed was embroidered with silver and gold. These things were so very expensive to be lavished upon someone who didn’t want to be there. Shaking my head I sat down on the bed. I was beginning to grow tired but hunger ate away at me. For some reason I wanted more of her precious blood, I could still taste it. Closing my eyes I lay down, curling myself into a ball I wrapped my arms across my stomach to await sleep. I would sleep, I would sleep, and when I woke up I would no longer be here, I would be safe in my own bed. I was wrong. I awakened to find Aurelia pressing an open wound to my mouth. I tried to push her away but got a mouthful of blood instead. She forced me to swallow before pulling away. I let out a low moan as I leaned over the edge of the bed. I felt her power flowing through me, rushing through my limbs, filling my veins. She laughed softly as she waited for me to catch my breath. I felt her hold on me grow stronger but I still wanted more. What had happened to me? What had she done?
“What have you done to me?” I growled, “Why do I want more?”
“You are mine now.” She replied simply.
Slowly I sat up, still feeling the power rush through me as I did so, “I feel it.” I whispered.
“Yes and you will continue to. The power that you feel is now a part of you. It is now yours but you are now mine, do you understand?” I nodded, “Good. Come, it is time to go.” She said, holding out a hand for me to take.
I refused it and stood on my own. She half smiled in approval as she led me downstairs and out of the house. We walked in silence, the two of us lethal hunters but of different kinds. I didn’t like Aurelia; I didn’t like her because of what she was. If she had been human I might have seen her differently but she wasn’t, she was Ostilis, and I hated her. A few blocks away from the house she pulled out a small manila envelope. I took it from her as she held it out to me.
“Your ticket and some money. When the deed is done return here or I will search you out.” She said, stormy eyes sparkling brightly.
I sighed loudly, “Very well. I shall return in a day or two. It shouldn’t take me much longer than that.”
Aurelia nodded in reply as I turned and walked quickly away. I sighed as I made my way to the airport. It didn’t take me very long to get there. Apparently she lived only a few miles away from it. As I was about to enter I realized that I had to do something about my razor thin blade before going into the hustle and bustle within. I couldn’t take it with me, they would never allow it. The only thing I could think of to do is bury it where I could find it when I returned. It wasn’t long before the deed was done and I was sitting in the cushy seats of first class. I was used to sitting in coach surrounded by screaming children and flight sick men. Now as I sat in the luxury I felt my hunger rise. I was starving but dinner had not yet been served. I would have to wait even though I didn’t really want to. I ate the cup of mixed nuts they gave me and drank only soda, although they offered me alcohol, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. As I drank I could still taste her blood. I realized that no matter how much of something else I swallowed I couldn’t get that flavor out of my mouth. As the flight continued I realized that the man seated next to me couldn’t seem to stop looking at me. I didn’t know why. Then it hit me, he was an Ostilis.
“Do you have a problem?” I asked softly as I looked over at him.
He bowed his head, “I’m sorry miss but I just can’t escape the feeling of your power, I know that it’s not yours, I know that you are not one of us but there’s just something about you.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Trust me, if I could undo what was done I would.”
“What did happen, if you don’t mind my asking?”
I sighed, “I was abducted and forced to drink her blood. That is what happened. Now she is forcing me to kill two others, not that I really mind, I do it anyway, but she will not allow me to kill any others.”
He chuckled, “Who are they?”
“Vahn and Altan. I’ve met them before, I allowed them to live because they were killing your kind.” I said, not knowing exactly why I was talking to him.
He nodded, “whose blood did you drink?”
“Aurelia.” I said softly.
His eyes grew wide, “Are you sure?”
“No one can ever be positive but that’s who she said she was, not only that but she has absolute power. I’m pretty sure that it’s her.”
He sighed, “You have her power now but you are under her control. I don’t have anything to fear from you.” He said softly, I could barely hear him, “What’s your name?”
“Seraphina and yours?”
“They call me Mischa. I like your name, its pretty.” He said softly.
I bit my lip, “Sorry to change the subject but are you going to eat those nuts?” I asked, pointing to the untouched cup before him. He shook his head as he handed it to me. I took it gratefully, “Thanks, I’m hungry and they haven’t started serving dinner yet.”
“No problem. I can’t eat it anyway.”
I scowled, “You can’t eat food?” I had never heard of such a thing.
“No, we can’t. Blood is our food.” He said so that only I could hear.
I nodded, “If I’m still hungry after dinner can I have yours too?”
“Yes, you may.”
I smiled, “You know why? You’re actually a pretty nice guy.”
“We’re not heartless killers, maybe only one out of five of us are. We are killers out of necessity not out of pleasure, although we do receive pleasure from it that is not why we feed. We only kill one a night and that is only if we are young. The older you get the longer you can go without feeding.” He explained, “I feed but I enjoy being around humans.”
I bowed my head; I had seen a side of the Ostilis that I had never known existed. I didn’t know what to say, what to think. Mischa was just like any other person, was kind even. I was shocked, “You’re not like the others I have met.”
He chuckled, “Did you ever take the time to talk to anyone else?”
“No.” I said simply, “I only killed them. I didn’t take the time to ask them questions. They would have killed me if I had tried to explain to them why I was doing it.”
“Why do you do it?”
“My family was killed by your kind, I hold a grudge.” I said with a small smile.
He smiled sweetly, “You’re really pretty when you smile and no I’m not just trying to get to your throat, I’m serious.”
His words made my smile grow. I shook my head, as dinner was set before us, without a word I began to eat, still remembering my manners as I swallowed down the first class food. He watched me eat, almost as though he were fascinated by it. I was still hungry when I had finished, without a word he placed his food before me and took my empty plate. I nodded in thanks before digging in. When the food was finished I felt full and content. He smiled sweetly at me as the flight attendant took the plates.
“Thank you.” I whispered.
He nodded, “It would have gone to waste if you hadn’t been here.”
“Where are you headed? What are you going to do?” I asked as I took a drink of soda.
“Virginia. I don’t know what I’m going to do once I’m there.” He said with a shrug, “Say, would you like some company? Perhaps I could go with you, assist you in dismantling Vahn and Altan.”
“If you really want to I suppose that would be alright.” I said softly, “I guess I don’t mind.” I was a little apprehensive but his demeanor was different from the others and I felt a connection to him. Shaking my head I took another drink.
“Tell me about yourself.” He prompted, “Tell me about what it’s like being mortal.”
“You don’t remember?” I asked softly. He shook his head but there was a different meaning behind it, as if he had never been mortal. I smiled, “You know there’s an end.” I said simply, “That’s the best way for me to explain it, you know that your end will come one day and there is nothing you can do about it. Ever since I was little I knew that sometime in the future I would meet my end. When my parents and younger brother were killed I vowed to find their murderer and destroy him. I have his picture in my mind, stored up here.” I tapped on my forehead, “I’ve been alone ever since. Not physically alone but mentally alone. I sealed myself away and focused upon the vow I made, the vow to destroy all of your kind. But I can’t do that now, Aurelia will not allow me to.”
He nodded, “True, it tends to happen that way. Her blood is especially potent, I should know.”
“How were you created?” I asked softly.
“Aurelia, she took me when I was still a baby. What’s strange is that she turned me then but I continued to grow, to age, until my eighteenth year. At that time I stopped, I haven’t aged since. The ones who came after me don’t know about me. Alejandro, Lucius, and Calypso, the only others that she created, the only ones who hold her powerful blood, until now. Now you hold her blood, a mortal with the most powerful blood on this Earth.” He smiled, “I believe that she made a good choice. Even though you have a powerful will, if she ever turns you then you will change. You will lose your strong will. I hope that she merely keeps you under control, I would hate to see that great spirit go out of you.” His voice was so calm, so sweet. I was enjoying listening to him even though I didn’t like the words he spoke, “My existence has always been centered around blood but I never degenerated to the point that Justus did, I never become so involved with killing that I forgot everything else and would do nothing else. That is part of how Remy became the way he did, how he taught Vahn to be and how, in turn, he taught Altan.”