Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) (60 page)

“You don't know? How could you come here and not know? Surely you would have realized it by now?” Malio squinted his eyes at Zack.

“I'm not the best at getting things the first time around.” Zack admitted.

Malio stabbed the scalpel in the vampire's left shoulder. “We can procure multiple gifts equal to theirs and without limit. We can become stronger than them.” Blood slowly poured down the vampire's shoulder and onto the floor.

“You're talking about combining vampiric gifts?” Zack raised his voice against Malio. “You want to kill other vampeals to add them to your sick little collection?”

Malio stopped smiling. He stepped up to Zack, standing a full three inches shorter than him. “You think what I'm doing is wrong? You think my work is flawed? That I'm defective somehow?”

“Of course you are, you sick fu-” Zack's throat was clasped shut.

Malio had an iron grip on Zack's neck. He wouldn't let him finish that sentence. Malio's hand was unnerving, he was far stronger than Zack had anticipated. Malio turned to the knife embedded in the ringed vampire. “You shouldn't have said that, Zack. Now we can't talk, and I do so much enjoy talking to other people. All I get to talk to are my toys here and they rarely ever are moved by what I say anymore.” The scalpel shook and freed itself, hovering in mid air next to Malio's face, it shot into Zack's left upper arm. Malio leaned in and shouted at the ringed vampire. “I'll cut out your intestines next, you bastard!” Malio calmly turned back to Zack. “See, they never respond anymore. I was even generous enough to leave their inner ears intact so they could hear what I was doing to them.” Malio turned to the ringed vampires again and yelled. “You stolid pieces of shit!”

Zack could tell Malio was honestly insane. He could feel his head swelling, with Malio's fingers tightening as the pressure built. Things were not going well.

“Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you.” Malio said politely.

Zack squirmed.

Malio's voice dropped. “Yet.” Malio took a hold of Zack's left hand. “We have to play before I can let you die.”

All sounds seemed to drop away as Malio stopped speaking. Zack didn't know if it was because of being choked, but everything slipped away from him in that moment. Everything except for one loud, penetrating snap. Malio had twisted Zack's middle finger and shattered the bone.

“This is for the profanity.” Malio stated with intensity.

Zack couldn't scream, but wasn't passing out ether. There was no air reaching his lungs, he didn't understand it. Not until he remembered something Kyli had said. 'It takes a lot to kill one of us.'

“This is for thinking that my toys were dolls.” Malio snapped Zack's index finger at the base.

Zack flinched, the autonomic anesthetic wasn't kicking in this time.

Malio saw the confusion in Zack's eyes, that something wasn't going to plan. “Oh, I get it. You've never come up against someone that can mute the healing ability of others? This is for not being open minded!” Malio snapped Zack's little finger.

Zack's body shook. Malio was lifting him up in mid air, a good several inches off the ground with no effort at all.

“And this is, well, for the hell of it.” Malio broke Zack's left thumb.

Zack writhed. Blood was pouring down from his left arm, with the scalpel still embedded into the bone.

“Well, that takes care of your hand. Now we only have the rest of your body to break and I can start killing you, Zack.” Malio chuckled. He was taking great pleasure in this.

Malio let go of Zack. He fell with a sharp thud to the metal grating of the underground space. Zack coughed, catching his breath trying not to lean on his broken left hand. Zack's throat was sore, nearly forced shut and aching. Zack heaved and threw up again.

“Sorry, decaying flesh and blood is an acquired smell.” Malio walked up to Zack and knelt down to the right of him. “It's always hard facing an unknown. Sometimes all the power you've cultivated can be dismissed by a single gift.” Malio pulled the scalpel slowly from Zack's arm.

Zack didn't resist, glad to be free if it.

“And that's not even the most powerful gift I've taken. There were a few instances where I even found gifts that were so fun, I didn't want to pass them up. Like the simple ability to raise the adrenaline in another person's body. So many small applications can be derived from something like that.” Malio looked over Zack carefully to see exactly how he was feeling.

Zack remembered what Kyli said about letting Malio talk and rant. Even though Malio had broken his hand and cut his arm, Zack had to keep him talking. “Like what? What can you do?”

“This.” Malio extended his right hand and placed it over Zack's heart.

Zack's pulse began to race, his eyes dilated. Time appeared to slow, but the pain seemed more intense. Malio was making him experience what was happening to him in a whole new way. Zack likened it to riding a bull down a steep roller coaster in hell. His heart wanted to bust out of his chest and the small cut in his arm was now bleeding profusely.

Malio relaxed, his hand off of Zack's chest. “That's enough. I can't have you bleed to death before I can collect it. That would just be bad timing on my part.”

“That, was-” Zack clenched his heart, trying to relax.

“Felt like dying, didn't it?” Malio smiled proudly. “Did you know that the vampeal I took it from actually used it to heighten the senses of his partners during sex? It's weird to think that all you have to do is create a simple preexisting injury and the entire experience changes drastically.”

Zack coughed up some blood, it was thick, it wasn't from what Malio had done. This was from the person that stabbed him in the chest before he got there. Zack didn't know what it meant, but he did know that this was important. Zack casually looked around, trying not to draw any unnecessary attention from Malio. A small glimmer of silver caught his eye. It came from a large wall with several posters on it. There was a grouping of documents and pictures tied to each other in a large web. It appeared to be a time line of sorts. In the center, there was a large black and white sketch of a rose on the top of a coffin. With thick vines and thorns vesting the sides of it. Zack could plainly see a pair of silver glasses hanging, swaying from a small push pin anchored into the top of the picture. This was the sign he was looking for. It meant that whatever he was stabbed with that filled his lungs was not his own blood. Someone, anonymously was trying to help him. Salas had figured it out, but for some reason one of Malio's gifts was preventing him from making direct contact with Zack. Salas had to resort to simple hints instead of easily knocking Zack out. The glasses swung twice and then faded into a shadowy mist. Somehow Malio had stumbled upon the 'black rose' without realizing who Salas was. Zack actually knew something the bad guy didn't. Zack smiled.

“And what's that for? You think you might survive this?” Malio was pissed. Malio shifted his weight and forcefully came down with his left fist onto Zack's right ankle. There was a crunching, crackling sound that let out.

Zack screamed in pain. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but he had to get Malio to bite him now. Zack had allowed enough time to decipher what Salas wanted to tell him, and let Malio convince himself that he was stronger than Zack. Now it was time to bring this fight into Zack's dream world. The plan was simple. Get Malio mad enough to bite Zack and not rip his head off before he did it.

“Oh, I'm sorry.” Malio turned to Zack. “Did you want sum' more?” Malio asked with a fake British accent to add insult to graven injury.

“Only if you've got fries with that.” Zack was attempting some keen wit and basically mocking Malio. It didn't have the desired effect.

Malio broke both of Zack's legs above the knee with one violent strike of his left forearm. The comment had done the job. Malio was angry. “Now you're making fun of me, are you? Do I amuse you? Am I a clone? Do I look like a clown to you? I don't see any red shoes or an orange nose, do you? So do I look funny to you?”

Malio's little speech actually did make Zack crack a smile. It was funny and Zack could really imagine Malio as a Victorian age clown with white make up and a big orange nose. Zack laughed, failing to keep a straight face. The pain was giving way to a sudden feeling of acceptance that was brewing in Zack. Knowing that somehow, no matter what happened, Zack would make it through this. Zack thought, either that, or the lack of blood was doing it.

“You're enjoying this? Maybe we aren't so different. I wonder about our taste in women?” Malio stood up and turned to his desk.

Zack was not amused now.

“You wonder how a girl's leg feels like. I wonder how a girl's leg tastes. A certain girl, Kyli's leg perhaps?” Malio struck a chord with Zack. “I wonder. What if your girlfriend was everything she said she was, everything and more.” Malio had Zack's full attention. “What if? I wonder what might happen to the both of you if you found out something she was hiding. Something that in my research on you I found by coincidence. How would that affect you, how would that affect her?” Malio took in a deep breath and sighed. “If you found out she wasn't helping you because she liked you. Or sleeping with you for the same reason she-”

Zack cut Malio off. “Shut up!”

Malio opened his hand and the scalpel flew from it and into Zack's right shoulder. “Now, now, always interrupting. Weren't you taught any manners at all?”

Zack was getting a little hazy, the blood loss was taking its tole.

“I'm only talking hypothetically. Calm down, don't get your knickers in a twist. We have some time before you pass out and before I kill you.” Malio walked back over to Zack, sitting down on the floor next to Zack's right side. “You really don't know your friends until you see them through your enemies' eyes, do you Zack? Me, I'd like to think of this as a like-and-like exchange. I give you a little about the world around you and you, well, you give me your life. Fair trade, no?” Malio laughed out loud.

Zack was getting dizzy. The room was starting to spin. Zack's head began to sway back and forth.

“Don't worry Zack, the room's not spinning, it's you. It's always been you. That's why you're here. You have something I want, a gift like no other. The evolution of a gift more than three hundred years in the making. The power to see the plans of others as they make them.” Malio turned Zack's face towards his. He lowered his voice. “The power to shape nations, Zack. That is what I want from you. It's a shame I have to wait until tomorrow to actually kill you. But I can at least have a bite for now.” Malio whispered into Zack's left ear. “Don't worry Zack, you won't die from this. In fact, the lack of blood in your body should make this feel a little less painful. Same as the idea of having your skin pulled off at random, instead of having your entire skeleton ripped out as you watch.” Malio slid over to the other ear. “In short, you will feel every ounce I take from you, but you won't die.”

Malio's right hand tore a path of malice across Zack's neck and chest. His blood spread high to the ceiling, pouring down over what was left of his shirt and jacket. Zack didn't have time to scream. There was a sigh, a slight moan, and Zack was pushed to the ground by the impact of Malio's body on his. The thud to the ground was enough to crack the steel grating underneath them. Zack exhaled his last breath, spurting drips of blood from his mouth as he felt Malio latch on to the right side of his neck. The sharp razor like teeth pierced his skin with ease. Zack didn't react, he lay there motionless as the blood left his veins. He was getting cold. As Zack saw the corner of Malio's face, his smile was the last sight before Zack while the world turned black.

Zack had lost consciousness as Malio rendered the flesh from his body.

Hell Is Envy Without Recognition

On October 30
^th
, 1598, a vampeal was born to a wealthy family in the mountains of Appennino, east of Florence Italy. His father was the reigning lord of Pennino. He was a long standing vampire that had ruled over the nearby village for the last two hundred years with little complaints. His name was Ifrin Signante. He was kind, just, and revered by the people as a good ruler. The townspeople held Ifrin's nightly secret with an honest trust. Each night, they gave blood willingly to him from each of their strongest sons. Together Ifrin and his kingdom existed in peace and harmony. He presided over the land, protecting it from invasion and would-be bandits that might wander in from time to time.

Nearly a year before, in the neighboring region there were four other villages. Each one was smaller in size that Ifrin's. They lived in the mountain peaks with one vampire king a piece. They were known for being generous with their people, helping to even personally build shelters during winter for the sick. One day Ifrin heard that each of them had decided to conceive an heir in the same short period of time. It was a choice made by all of them as a way of looking to the future with new eyes. Ifrin understood this and followed suit, thinking that a son would be a good addition to his long life. Their intentions were meant well. The four surrounding kings found deserving women that they soon turned into their vampire brides. Ifrin did not. He did not want to spoil the life of the simple young woman he had fallen in love with. Ifrin wanted her to retain her humanity and still bare him a child. Nine months later, each of the five lord's brides gave birth. Three male vampires, one female vampire, and one male vampeal came into the world under these well established lords. From that day on, these children were to be the next generation. The ones to follow in the footsteps of their fathers. Their birthdays were in a quick succession to each other. Martin was born on the 26
^th
as a full blooded vampire. Teresa the female vampire child was born on the 27
^th
. Phillipe was born mid day on the 28
^th
of the month. Timothy the youngest of the male vampires was born late in the night on the 29
^th
. Then there was the last child to be born, the only vampeal. The one born of the simple human woman and the first vampire lord, Ifrin. At dusk on the 30
^th
, as the light fled the sky, Malio was born.