The NightMan (9 page)

Adriel
opened
the
car
door
and
stepped
out.
Instinctively
he
sniffed
the
air,
noting
the
subtle
smells
of
desire,
blood,
lust
and
sex.
The
feeding
had
already
begun.
To
anyone
else
the
scents
would
not
be
so
bad,
but
to
him
they
were
intolerable
because
those
scents
meant
human
death.
The
car
door
slammed
shut
and
he
made
haste
toward
the
front
door.
He
thought
if
he
could
only
manage
to
control
himself
until
sunrise
he
would
end
all
of
this
torture.

The
years
of
service
to
Dorian
passed
slowly
for
Adriel,
protecting
the
vampires
while
they
slept.
He
was
Dorian’s
personal
body
guard.
Over
the
years
he
had
been
with
Dorian,
he
had
seen
many
things.
Uncomfortable
sights
that
made
him
physically
ill
to
his
stomach.
Vile
things
which
would
make
a
grown
man,
even
one
as
strong
as
Adriel
cringe.
Adriel
knew
he
could
have
killed
Dorian
and
relieved
himself
from
his
service
many
years
ago.
But
he
remained
in
solitary
service
to
this
monster
for
one
reason;
Caitlin.
He
knew
he
couldn’t
take
Dorian’s
life,
or
any
other
vampire,
unless
it
was
in
self-defense.
A
deadly
pact
kept
by
his
forefathers
and
himself.

The
heart
inside
of
him
was
tortured
every
time
Caitlin
had
to
be
marked.
This
time
all
would
end.

The
door
man
opened
the
tall
wooden
doors
to
the
elegant
mansion
for
Adriel
as
he
passed
through
the
threshold
of
hell.
He
walked
swiftly
toward
his
room.
His
black
eyes
darted
around
the
mansion,
noting
the
expensive
paintings
that
adorned
the
burgundy
colored
walls.
The
large
crystal
chandelier
hung
in
the
foyer,
adding
to
elegant
setting
of
the
mansion.

A
sick
feeling
crept
into
his
stomach
as
he
neared
the
top
of
the
stairs.
The
scent
of
sex
and
blood
filled
the
air.
Human
blood
had
been
spilled
this
night,
and
he
knew
the
scent
of
death
would
follow.

In
the
basement
of
the
large
mansion,
the
vampires
gathered,
all
except
Dorian.
Adriel
was
sure
Dorian
had
taken
his
new
sweet
to
the
Master‘s
chambers,
where
Dorian
and
Alessandra
would
enjoy
her
together.
Poor
thing,
Adriel
thought,
the
girl
had
no
idea
what
real
vampires
would
do
to
her.

With
all
the
new
hype
over
vampires,
people
these
days
had
an
unrealistic
view
of
the
creatures
they
really
were.
The
vampires
had
partially
come
out
of
hiding
and
greedily
accepted
this
new
wave
of
phantasm.
Thousands
of
humans
across
the
world
disappeared
each
day
without
anyone
knowing
the
truth
that
vampires
walk
among
the
living.
Humans
acquainted
themselves
with
clubs
like
Bloody
Mary’s
and
Tiffany’s
just
to
be
a
part
of
the
vampire’s
ingenious
plans
for
feeding.
Adriel
knew
the
difference
and
was
disgusted
by
his
first-hand
knowledge.

For
years
Adriel
had
watched
Dorian
and
his
coven
deceive
and
devour
thousands
of
humans.
They
remained
in
somewhat
of
an
isolated
state,
except
until
the
last
few
years.
He
watched
silently
as
the
vampires
emerged
from
their
hiding
places,
as
mortal
humans
welcomed
them
with
open
arms.

Adriel
wasn’t
an
immortal
like
Dorian,
however
his
lifespan
was
prolonged.
It
was
Adriel’s
legacy
for
a
long
life.
It
was
his
birthright.
Although,
Adriel
appeared
to
be
in
his
mid-thirties,
he
was
in
fact
much
older
and
wiser.
Over
the
last
one
hundred
and
twenty
years
he
had
lived,
aging
slowly,
until
his
time
spent
on
this
earth
was
over.

Adriel’s
race
had
almost
died
out,
except
for
the
few
remaining
cousins
who
would
carry
on
the
lineage.
He
had
no
sons
or
daughters
to
carry
on
his
line.
His
dreams
of
having
a
family
didn’t
die.
Hope
still
knocked
on
the
doors
of
his
heart,
reminding
him
not
to
give
up
on
love.

Love,
the
most
desired
object
in
the
world,
brought
Adriel
to
this
place
in
his
life.
It
was
love
that
would
change
the
course
in
the
history
of
his
life.
Only
a
few
hours
ago,
Adriel
spent
an
enchanting
evening
with
Caitlin.
The
dinner
was
followed
by
a
lovely
stroll
in
the
nearby
park.
Yes,
it
was
an
evening
he
would
remember
for
the
rest
of
his
life.
Just
to
spend
a
few
moments
with
Caitlin,
alone,
soothed
a
lifetime
of
nightmares
for
him.
Nightmares
which
included
the
service
to
one
called
the
Master.
The
Master
Dorian.