Rise of the Dark Sun (The Blood Lust Plague Trilogy Book 1) (7 page)

“Why here?” Samantha asked, her eyes moving down towards the ground.

“He was buried here because, being that he was the first casualty to this disease, people feared that he would rise from the dead. It happened often enough that people were mistaken for dead, and they could not bear the thought of someone accidentally digging him up, thinking he was a poor soul buried alive, or worse, risking the chance of him breaking out of the grave himself. By bringing him out here, even if he did break out, he was far enough away from Transylvania that there was no way he would be able to find his way back and exact any sort of retaliation.”

“But he was not considered a vampire?”

Micah shook his head, “The head of the first formed Vampire Government was honored as being the first vampire. Since he did not drink from the blood of a human after contracting porphyrias, he was never a real vampire. However, the story of the king was a little different. Powerful and relentless as a warrior, he took pleasure in biting and drinking the blood of the true humans. When he came down with porphyrias, he thought of it as a new beginning. He relished in the thought of having to kill and drink for nourishment. First, he drained and changed his army, and then he moved onto innocent others. It was terrible.”

Samantha was confused
. “Didn’t they form a government in order to come together and stop being persecuted?”

“Yes, but that came almost a hundred years later, when the first true vampire knew that this was the only way he could keep his power and army. As powerful as he was, over time, he started to wage war on armies that greatly outnumbered his own. At first, he would change those that were captured in order to
upkeep the amount of soldiers in his army. However, as this power began to poison his judgment, he began to provoke armies that were too great, and those captured would greatly outnumber those which he lost. Over the course of about one hundred years, the first vampire began to see a problem. Therefore, he beckoned all of the vampires to meet him at his castle one night. Although they feared recruitment into his army, his elder status gave them cause to join him. When he proposed a government, even though it would be a monarchy, the other vampires found merit in it, and he seemed like the only logical choice. He had an army, and whether he was certain he could make well on the promise or not—no one but he was sure—he promised them all protection. Since it was a time of fear and distrust throughout the vampire race, they were eager to have a leader. However, as time passed and people began to try to take his throne, he went into hiding. After that, no one knew what happened: whether he died and appointed another, or whether he still reigns. Every once in a while, you will hear of something that the elders say sounds a great deal like a decision he would make, but no one can be sure because even most of the elders were not alive when he openly reigned.”

Samantha nodded
. “Why is it unmarked?”

“I think it was unmarked also so that no one would dig him up. There was a graveyard here when he was buried, so there was a village
of people that lived not far from here. The Transylvanian people knew what they were doing was wrong by dumping the person that they feared here, so I guess this was their way of protecting themselves. If no one knew he was here, no one would think to dig him up; but also, if he broke out of his grave, they would not have any idea who he was or who was to blame for him being buried there.”

Not knowing what else to do, Samantha bowed her head at the grass and paid homage to the poor soul of the right
ful first vampire. “Poor man was only trying to help his family survive. I feel for him. It’s sad, because no one knows that part. They only hear about the people who took pleasure in it.”

“Because those were the people who survived,” Micah replied, putting a hand on her shoulder as Samantha shook her head. “Come on, let’s go. I’m sorry, but I have to get something to eat and it’s almost dawn. You need to eat as well. I’m sorry, you must be starving.”

Samantha moved to expose her neck, but Micah declined. “No, Samantha. I can’t right now. You need your strength. Remember?”

Feeling a twinge of rejection, Samantha pouted as
she began to follow Micah on the long walk back to the bus station. Micah stared back at her, noticing her distance. Cocking his head to the side and slowing down so that she would catch up to him, Micah smiled, unsure of why she was acting so upset.

“What’s wrong?” Micah asked, slipping his hand over her shoulder. “I’m only trying to do what’s best for you, Samantha. I do not want to take advantage of you. I don’t want to drink too much. I may hurt you
, and I don’t want to take that chance.”

“But what if I want you to drink from me?” Samantha retorted
. “I enjoy the fact that I can give you what no one else can. I love you!”

Micah still did not understand. “Samantha, I love you with all of my heart and soul. You are my everything
.” Micah put his hand out to stop her and stood in front of her, resting both hands on her shoulders and kneeling slightly so that he could look deep into her eyes. “You are the reason I have any will to live. I would never do anything to hurt you, and I fear that drinking from you daily will do just that.”

“But…it’s just so intimate…I would never be that familiar with another. I have you and you are all that I need,”
she responded.

Understanding the root of Samantha’s jealousy more clearly, Micah smiled
. “You think that I associate feeding with sex. You think I would…The thought of me feeding with another…It’s as if I were cheating on you.” Micah laughed and hugged Samantha close. “No. I am so sorry. Feeding is only sexual when I am with you. If it makes you feel better, I will drink from an ugly woman or even a man, but either way, it is not fulfilling a fantasy. The only fantasies I have are of you.”

Samantha smiled and hugged him close. “I’m sorry. I love you. You’re right. You need to eat.”

So together, hand and hand, the couple went back to the public bus that rode over and found a little village with a place to get something to eat. As Samantha ate a club sandwich, which was particularly tasty
—whether because she was starving or because it really was that delicious, Samantha was unsure—Micah sought out his own meal.

Although Micah had heard and understood Samantha’s concerns, the only person who would give him the time was an attractive woman who was very drunk, sitting at the end of the bar. In fact, she was the one who called Micah over. Glancing back at Samantha, almost feeling guilty, he realized that she was enjoying her sandwich and paying him no mind.

Attempting to shake away the pounding of the blood coursing through the bodies of the potential meals sitting all around him, he looked for another, less attractive vein to puncture. 

T
he woman called him again, louder this time. Feeling himself become flushed, Micah was now even more worried that Samantha would overhear her and become jealous. Micah looked over at her. He could sense the booze from five feet away, but the moment her eyes connected with his, Micah sensed something far more overpowering; her blood.

Micah suddenly was transformed by her. He could feel her heart beat, the pounding of her pulse reverberated in his skull. Micah tried to break the connection by closing his eyes, but the pounding grew stronger. He felt himself be
ing sucked, like a magnet, over to the woman. By the time he realized he had started to move, it was too late. Opening his eyes, he found that he was mere inches from her. “Hello, handsome,” she cooed, “you want to…buy me a drink or are you just looking for the same thing I am?” She smiled. “Besides, I’ve had enough drinks already.”

Micah felt his breath heighten and his mouth water as he watched her pulse thump against her throat. All he wanted was that woman’s blood, but Samantha’s presence stopped him
. “Sorry…” Micah shook his head and turned away to find Samantha.

“What happened? I told you I was okay with it,” Samantha said, grabbing his arm, trying to ease his shaking.

Micah shook his head
. “I don’t know. I mean, she was attractive, but it wasn’t seduction or lust that made me want her. I was just hungry, but then…” When he stopped talking, Samantha looked up at him and their eyes met. “But then, I thought about you…and even though I was just hungry, I wanted her blood in particular because she was what my urge drew me towards, but I felt like I was betraying you and I couldn’t do that. I would starve to death and beyond before I did anything that might hurt you.”

Samantha made a face as though she felt bad for saying anything
, and she hugged him. “I am so sorry, Micah. Please drink.” She held out her wrist.

Just seeing the vein, even before the voluptuous scent she emitted overtook him, caused Micah to salivate and he was instantly teetering on the brink of losing control. “No!” Micah growled
. “Not here. I will drink when we get back to the room, but please do not tempt me.”

Even though Samantha had quickly covered her wrist, Micah’s fangs still throbbed and he felt as though he could feel every drop of her precious blood flowing freely inside her body.

“Sorry,” Samantha replied, trying to move away from him so as to avoid tempting him further.

Micah moved his head to the side and tried to take in air that was not blossomed with the glorious scent of Samantha’s aura. For the most part, this effort failed, but the spouts of fresh air did allow Micah to make it home without devouring her
, which he counted as a success.

However, the moment that the door had closed behind them in the room where they were staying, Micah sunk his teeth into Samantha, drinking desperately. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” Micah said between gulps when he tasted a twinge of pain in her bloodstream.

“It’s okay, just a little rough, but you’re good. Drink, Micah, drink,” Samantha said, softly petting Micah’s hair.

The sound of Samantha saying his name was soothing to Micah
, and eventually the extreme thirst that made him feel absolutely insane subsided, and he smiled as he made an effort to drink more gingerly. With the fresh taste of Samantha’s blood coating his mouth and throat, Micah felt a stream of euphoria coursing through him. Finally, he felt full and satisfied once again. Carefully unlatching himself from her and leaning back, he allowed the blood to transform his body into a running river of pleasure. Micah broke out a red-toothed smile and closed his eyes. “Thank you!” he replied.

“Of course, my love,” Samantha replied
, and then thought for a moment before adding, “Hey, maybe we can make friends with people who use drugs.”

The slightly random nature of her comment made Micah worry that he had drank far too much
. “Excuse me?” Micah asked, sitting up and staring down at her cautiously, “What?”

Noticing how strange that comment must have come across, Samantha laughed
. “I’m sorry. I was thinking about our problem; so you don’t have to hurt or seduce anyone to get their blood when I need my rest, I was thinking we could make friends with people who use artificial stimulants, and when they cause themselves to become incapacitated, then you can drink from them. They will be so out of their mind that they will believe that nothing ever happened, if they even remember anything…”

Micah looked at her, “So, you want to make friends with a drug addict, hang around until they pass out and then steal the blood that is helping to flush their system of the poisons they inflicted upon themselves. There are two big problems with that
. First of all, if they are that highly drugged out, I may become addicted to that sort of blood. I don’t know for sure, but a vampire with a craving for stimulated blood just seems like more work than it is worth. Secondly, we would probably lose a lot of friends that way. If I take the blood they need to flush their system they will overdose, and then they will be a one and done: a very nasty tasting, one and done meal. Then we will have to hide the body, and that’s just a big mess. I don’t like it.”

Samantha narrowed her eyes
. “Obviously.” Shrugging, Samantha added, “Well, it was just an idea, because you cannot go days without eating. You were beginning to scare me.”

Micah thought for a moment and then replied, “Yes, but Samantha, I don’t understand why I became so hungry. I just ate yesterday. I did not go days without eating; maybe it was twenty-four hours…”

Samantha thought for a minute. “Well, if I don’t eat for a day, I become pretty violently hungry. You may no longer be a true human, but you are only human, after all.”

Micah
nodded, although he was lost in thought.

When Constance came in a few minutes later, she looked at Micah and then at Samantha before rolling her eyes
. “Micah, you have got to stop eating your girlfriend! You are going to really hurt her,” Constance scolded.

“I can’t help it! I tried, but Samantha got jealous and I couldn’t go through with it,” Micah answered, more like a child speaking to his mother than two adult vampires having a conversation.

Constance stared at him for a long moment; her eyes drooped, obviously relaying that she was not amused. Then, her eyes passed over to Samantha and she said, “Well, it looks as though I made the right decision. I have made an appointment for you to go to the blood-bank. If your boyfriend can keep his fangs off of you for two days, you should recover enough to have your blood drawn.”

“Why?” Samantha asked.

“I don’t know. I just want to do it as a precaution, in case you need a transfusion or something, I want your blood to be on record,” Constance replied.

The thought of why she may need a blood transfusion made Samantha uneasy, but she agreed.

Feeling her discomfort, Constance added, “I just want to be prepared; I swear there is no other reason. I just think it would be a wise move.”

Samantha nodded
. “Yes, thank you. I understand. I just…” Samantha laughed. “Honestly, I have thought more about my own blood for the past week then I have ever thought about it. What was there always now seems to consume me.”

Constance smiled understandingly and moved towards her
. “I know. It is the flow of life, and if you truly need it, or have the river flowing through you that vampires would kill to drink from, you take advantage of it. It’s okay. Everyone does. I did, Micah did, every Quencher did, and every other vampire took advantage of blood at one time. It is so a part of you, like your arm or your leg, hand or foot; you do not think about its use and its power until either you are denied it, or realize that its abilities are abnormal. It is such a strange paradox.” Constance gingerly covered Samantha’s hand comfortingly with her own and Samantha smiled up at her.

“Thank you,” Samantha replied.

The next night, Constance left to see some more of her old friends, leaving Samantha and Micah asleep in their bed.

Some
time after Constance had left the place where they were staying, Samantha suddenly awoke, startled. Looking around in the darkness, though she could not see very well, Samantha thought to wake Micah up, but decided she was being silly. Perhaps it was a bad dream that had woke her. That would make a lot of sense. Samantha used to have terrible night terrors when she was a child. However, even as she tried to settle back to sleep she had an uneasy feeling disrupting her mind so that she could not find another passage back into the dream-world.

Frustrated, Samantha threw off the covers and stood up. As she moved away from the bed, the trail of her nightgown slipping off of the bed and softly tapping the back of her legs made her jump. Realizing that it was only her silly clothing, Samantha laughed and rolled her eyes.
I am sleeping with a vampire and I am afraid of my own nightgown,
she thought. Shaking her head, Samantha moved towards the bathroom. After a few deep breaths and completing her business without any further mishaps, Samantha began to relax.

Knowing that she had a big night ahead of her, she was consoled by the idea of getting some more well-deserved, much needed sleep. However, upon catching a glimpse of the sun, which had all but set, Samantha was a little discouraged. Micah would be waking up soon and
, therefore, Samantha would be too.
Oh well, he would let me sleep if I asked him.

Samantha sleepily made her way back to the bed, but was intercepted by a hand covering her mouth and a strong arm pulling her into him. Still, Samantha tried to scream. She was so close to Micah, only feet way.

“Shut up,” a man’s voice hissed, yanking her closer.

Immediately, Samantha’s heart began to race. As he yanked her back and began to escape with her, Samantha flailed
, and finally she was able to break her head free of his grasp.

“Micah!” Samantha screamed desperately.

Samantha felt the blow as pressure, exploding in her brain before the pain had a chance to pronounce itself. As Samantha went down to the floor, she heard herself scream.

Then, as a flash, she saw Micah run down the hall and tackle the man.

Showing his fangs, with the man pinned on the ground Micah moved in to bite him. The man retorted by showing his fangs and he threw Micah back. “I wasn’t going to kill you, Micah. I have no strife with you, though now you leave me no choice,” the man growled.

Seeing Micah backed against the wall, obviously dazed by the force of the blow, Samantha struggled to get up. As the man pulled out an axe, Samantha lunged at him. Turning quickly, the man kicked Samantha back with a force that was like nothing she had ever felt. Samantha hit the wall with such force that she was unsure if she had gone through it or just hit it.

“No!” Micah screamed, getting up and plowing into his attacker, pinning him against the wall. “You don’t touch her!” he growled, grabbing the man’s face and smashing it against the brick of the wall and then elbowing him so that his throat was exposed. Micah bit down hard and ripped out a chunk of the man’s throat.

However, Micah’s retaliation only made the man react with more force.

Samantha came awake from momentarily blacking out to see the man throw Micah off of him with a force that knocked him into the opposite wall and then go after him, punching him hard in the stomach and then in the face. Bringing Micah up by his throat, he slammed him against the wall again and Micah yelled out, grabbing at the hand that was tightening around his throat. “You think you’re so tough, Micah. I have had centuries of experience to your puny lifespan. You cannot defeat me, Micah. I will crush you!” As the man spoke, he lifted Micah off the ground and pummeled him back into the wall.

Micah kicked and thrashed wildly, trying to get in a shot that would help his dying advantage, but there was nothing he could do. Even when he made contact with the man, he seemed unaffected.

“Let her go…” Micah gasped, “Please…She has nothing for you.”

The man laughed
. “You lie. She has everything for me and you know it! You cannot keep it all for yourself, Micah. You must share her.”

“No…” Micah swallowed hard, hissing through bared teeth.

The man just continued to laugh.

Samantha tried to stand up, but every time
she tried and felt as though she made any progress, a wave of nausea would consume her, and somehow she would find her way back to the floor, never remembering the fall.

Taking his axe and putting the blade to Micah’s throat, he said, “Once you’re out of my way, I will hunt down Constance and kill her so that she will not stand in my way
. But fear not; your beloved Samantha will live a long and miserable existence as a slave: her blood sold and splattered, all at the whim of the highest bidder. It is a terrible life you have condemned her to, Micah. I hope you are proud of yourself and of your parting gift to the woman you claim to love.” With that, the man pulled the axe away and thrashed Micah down, onto the ground. Micah had little time to react before the axe was thrust into the air, above his head, ready to come down and execute him with a powerful, painful blow.

Samantha watched this in horror and helplessness. Her heart was breaking and her will was stronger than ever, but her body would not move. Even before the axe fell, she felt hot tears of hate and mourning flow from her eyes and drip down he
r cheeks.

Then, something that could only be described as unthinkable happened. A blade ran through the other man’s neck, severing his head. As his body fell, the axe loosened
from the dead vampire’s grasp, clanging to the space on the floor from which Micah had barely escaped.

Micah staggered over to Samantha and held her close to him, burying his head in her shoulder
. “I am so sorry…” he whispered.

Although, now knowing that he was safe from harm, all Samantha wanted to do was succumb to the spell of exhaustion which consumed her. So, finally returned to the safely of Micah’s arms, Samantha fell asleep.

Behind the lifeless, headless body of the vampire, whose head held eyes wide open, a gaping mouth and exposed fangs, another vampire stood, his fangs also protruding. He moved over to Micah and offered him his hand.

With the arm that was not holding Samantha, Micah shook the other vampire’s hand. “Thank you. There is nothing in this world that I can do to repay you enough for what you have just done,” Micah said, looking down at Samantha.