The Making of Vampires Ch. 06

Martin's breath caught as he watched Katarina hold onto a sapling, lean over the edge, and look down. He didn't relax until she took several steps away from the edge because he feared she would slip and fall to her death.

Katarina almost jumped for joy. She found her solution. She walked a few paces from the edge of the cliff. She ran, closed her eyes, and jumped into the air seeking her exit from this cruel world. Finally, the pain would end.

Katarina felt arms wrap around her, cradling her. She opened her eyes to see the Demon of Death taking her to live eternity in the burning pits of punishment. She understood and accepted that fate. She never noticed the thick fog that had suddenly erupted out of nowhere.

She reached out to stroke the demon's face. "Thank you, Demon of Death, for taking me to the netherworld. I understand that I will suffer in the burning pits." Then a thought struck her. "Why didn't I feel the pain of falling on the rocks?" She tried to look down.

Martin's beast tightened his hold on Katarina fearing to drop her. It was confused and searched for answers from Martin who was now deep inside their body looking out. Martin tried to explain. He conveyed the stories of the burning fires of damnation that made the souls of bad humans suffer for eternity. He tried to convey that Katarina believed him to be a spirit that met the newly departed souls taking them to their final resting spot of retribution.

The beast spoke to Katarina as he flapped his wings to fly them higher. "I'm not any death spirit carrying you away. I caught you before you hit the bottom. You are still alive."

Tears welled in Katarina's eyes. "Why did you save me? I just wanted to quit hurting."

He simply said, "Because I did not want you to die."

Katarina sniffled and said, "But I'm so lonely and no one understands me. They keep me a prisoner inside a building and away from the beauty of nature. It is too stifling for me."

The beast searched for a spot to land and glided in circles lowering closer and closer to the ground. "You are not a prisoner. They want to keep you safe." He landed and set her on her feet.

She surprised him by wrapping her arms around his middle. The beast returned the embrace and together they found a strange sense of comfort, as they stood together neither wanting to let go.

The beast felt her go limp and tried to tighten his grip, but realized he was unable to move. He was caught in a spell. He felt, too late, the presence of other vampires and feared for Katarina's safety. Uruku moved to stand in the beast's line of sight. Gabriel, August, and Marcus moved to stand behind Uruku while the others fanned out ensuring no strangers would wander too close and see the beast.

Uruku said, "You need to let Martin have control. You have been out too long." The narrowing of the beast's eyes indicated his answer, his refusal. Uruku drew his sword and the paralyzed beast watched, helpless as Uruku grabbed Katarina's arm, pulled her to him, and dangle her like a puppet. She, too, was enthralled. Uruku placed the sharp of the blade against Katarina's tender throat. "You can leave allowing Martin to have control or I can kill her."

There was a moment of shear panic and everyone saw the desperate look on the beast's face. Then it changed to defiance.

Uruku's said, "You believe that if we kill her that Martin will be lost to us. If you remain, Martin is already lost to us so what does it matter?" Then Uruku pulled Katarina's back to his chest, moved her head to the side, bit deep, and drank from her. Confusion marred the beast's face, slowly replaced by anger.

Uruku exhaled as if having drank a fine wine. "You know that I have tasted her blood. Even if you decide to give Martin momentary control and then return later to steal her, I'll always be able to find her. Gabriel has magic. He can teleport me to her in mere moments. She will never be safe from us unless you agree to give Martin back to us. Every one of the vampires will have orders to hunt her down and kill her if you do not."

The beast closed his eyes and sank into the depths of Martin's being. The wings receded. The bones narrowed. The muscles decreased. Then Martin stood motionless before them. Gabriel waved his hand freeing his younger brother from the spell.

Martin looked sadly at Katarina's unconscious form. "Why did you make him leave? It was wonderful to feel her in his arms. She talked to him, looked into his eyes, and accepted him."

Uruku answered, "Because the beast would eventually grow too strong and cause chaos. Then humans would hunt the beast and Katarina. They would kill her brutally if they thought it would help defeat your beast. Are you willing to risk her to that fate?"

Martin shook his head, "No, but I want the beast to visit her. Kataraina is so lonely and she felt safe with him."

Uruku sighed. "He has to transition her to accept you. It has to be that way for her safety, yours, and your beast."

Martin nodded and for the first time in months smiled. He reached for her. "Please, Uruku, give her to me. I'll carry her."

Martin should have demanded to hold her, not ask for permission. Uruku wasn't sure what to do other than hand the unconscious woman over to Martin. Uruku feared for Martin's future. A weak vampire was easily killed...by humans and other vampires.

***

Martin left the castle to investigate the report of werewolves near one of the outlying villages. This time, the group contained three times as many vampires as it had on their first excursion. It also included Bjorn Jorganson. The group had new strategies, new weapons, and new spells.

The odor of werewolves hung thickly in the air. Martin dismounted, as did the others with him.

Bjorn, remaining in human form, approached Martin slowly as he kept wary eyes on the trees. "Hey, Morsus, they attack the ones they believe to be the easiest to kill first."

Martin answered quietly, "So Jorganson, are you saying the women need guards."

Bjorn answered, "That is what I would suggest."

Before Martin could order guards on the women, the trees erupted spilling out insane werewolves. Some stood biting their own hands or snarled at shadows and branches moving in the wind. Others focused their aggression on anything that was alive.

A cry of pain and the smell of burnt embers announced the werewolves' first kill. Martin placed his silver painted sword between him and an approaching werewolf. He hoped his sword would be as destructive as Jorganson had promised.

During their meetings, Bjorn had explained that silver was too soft a metal to use as the only ore in any weapon, including arrow tips. Instead, any strong weapon painted with silver would do considerable harm. Therefore, they painted all their weapons with silver.

Gabriel pulled out a handful of silver dust, tossed it high into the air, and spoke a few words of the ancient language of magic. The dust floated and the buzzing of insects played through the air. The bits of silver swarmed at the werewolves stinging and biting them causing a great deal of pain and damage.

Bjorn would not change into his werewolf form while the spell casters had magic to spare. They created many spells that targeted the werewolf form, so he would remain human as long as possible.

Sophia screamed as claws ripped through the flesh of her right shoulder. Gabriel and Bjorn turned to her. Gabriel cast a simple spell that pushed the offending werewolf away from his beloved so he could cast a more lethal one to kill it. Bjorn miscalculated the skill of his werewolf opponent when he looked away. During that momentary lapse of judgment, the werewolf thrust his hand into the unsuspecting man ripping his entrails from his body. Bjorn dropped, clutched his abdomen, and tried to hold his eviscerated body together.

Gabriel changed his spell from a killing one into a healing one targeting his fallen ally. Martin saw the werewolf raise his hand to strike the killing blow to Bjorn. Martin tossed his sword a couple of inches into the air, flipped his wrist to reverse his grip on the hilt, and threw his sword as if it were a spear. The sword impaled through the left side of the werewolf's neck passing to stick out the right side. There werewolf died and fell to the ground reverting to his human form.

Before Martin could retrieve his sword, one of the mad werewolves jumped on his back, biting deep into his neck. Martin felt the painful pressure crushing his vertebrae. White-hot pain seared into his being and he fell to his knees unable to grasp his attacker. Then fire seemed to erupt on his skin as werewolf blood sprayed all over his body and the weight fell from his back.

Suwon glared down at Martin as she poured water from her leather skin to wash away the werewolf blood from his body. "Seriously? You tossed away your weapon AND turned your back to the enemy. I can't believe you." She inspected his skin for more werewolf blood and seeing him free of that burning liquid, she turned and marched to an opponent with her bloody sword raised for battle.

As Martin stood, Marcus handed him back his sword. "You know, Suwon really worries about you. It would devastate her to have something happen to you." He patted his uncle's shoulder and then rushed to fight at his wife's side.

Martin breathed deeply and cleared his head. He made note of the battle in his mind's eye seeing each of his friends and every werewolf fighting as if on a game board. None targeted him so he moved to guard Gabriel as the man tried to heal Bjorn.

Bjorn, severely injured, was no longer conscious. Yet, moans of pain escaped his lips. Gabriel touched the fallen man's stomach with both hands as he recited the words of a healing spell. Sophia pushed the spilled entrails back into Bjorn's body as best as she could.

Gabriel finished the words of his spell and waited. There was a glow and the skin slowly knitted closed. Bjorn coughed and then grimaced. His abdomen bulged and leveled, but he did not awaken.

Gabriel said, "I feared that I would not be able to heal him completely because he is a werebeast. I understand a vampire's body, but not a werewolf's. Keep him safe, Sophia while I return to the fight."

Sophia stood vigil over the unconscious form of Bjorn casting spells to harm any werewolf that drew too close. Gabriel joined the fray to stand behind Martin casting spells to aid and protect his brother.

The vampires lost three of their fighters during the battle. None of the insane werewolves survived and Bjorn remained unconscious. The vampires destroyed the remains of the dead werewolves, now in human form. Then they gathered their injured and returned to the castle.

***

Katarina stood by her window, darkness having descended giving the snow a gray hue. She sighed heavily and turned to put another log on the fire. A tapping at her third floor window startled her. She slowly turned to look at the glass. She gasped and stepped back as eyes glowed outside her window. Then she recognized those eyes. The glowing silver hue was the same as her demon friend. She smiled and quickly opened the window.

Her demon hopped to her carpet. The left half of his mouth turned up creating a roguish smirk as he said, "I must be careful. I can't stay long, but I had to see you."

Katarina ran to the demon embracing him. Martin, deep inside the darkness of the beast, sighed in contentment as the beast wrapped his huge arms around the woman. They didn't talk, only held each other.

The beast held her for hours. He was unsure how long, but dawn brushed the horizon signaling the end of their time together. The beast kissed the top of her head and released her reluctantly from his hold.

Katarina asked, "Will I see you again?"

The beast nodded. "I'll visit as often as I can." And he did.

***

The next night Katarina left the window open so he didn't have to tap. She was bundled up under the blankets and he assumed her cold from the open window. Usually, he didn't notice the weather since his kind wasn't bothered by the cold, but he bravely approached the hearth placing three logs on the fire to warm the room faster. Katarina never left the bed and he feared her ill. He quickly went to her side placing his hand on her forehead to feel her temperature. She felt fine.

Katarina said, "I missed you."

Then she pulled back the blanket to reveal her naked body and moved his hand from her forehead to her breast. Martin begged the beast not to take her, but the beast had little discipline and it bent to kiss her lips. Katarina wrapped her arms around the beast's neck and the beast wrapped his wings around the two of them cocooning their bodies protectively. He touched her everywhere and felt Martin's frustration, but easily ignored it. The beast was the epitome of the vampire's selfish qualities. He could not stop himself, had he wanted to and he had not wanted to.

Katarina stirred his desires and when her knees parted, he did not resist. He released his hardened member from his pants, dropping it heavily between her thighs, and found her warm moist valley. He pushed against her and saw her grimace in pain. He jerked his hips back as he realized she had never been touched.

Katarina had wondered how her maidenly status would affect the demon. She didn't know if he would ravage a pure woman or refuse to touch one with no experience. She felt him pull away after finding her resistance. She threw her legs around his hips. She would not let him stop.

Katarina cupped his face and said, "Please." Then she kissed him deep and slow.

That one word was like a command to the beast. Her kiss was a delectable invitation. He could no longer refuse. He slowly pushed forward and when he felt her virginal resistance, he bit into her neck releasing all the venom he could to flood her with euphoria and ease her pain.

Katarina moaned and her hips shot up pressing her pelvis into his. The beast growled meeting her thrusts with his own eager ones. Katarina raked his back with her nails as he touched her breasts, stroked her thighs, and pumped into her repeatedly.

Katarina arched her sweat soaked body crying out as pleasure washed over her making her feel as though the sensitive bud between her legs had exploded. The beast released his bite and threw back his head roaring with satisfaction and at the successful conquest of his lover.

They both lay panting. The beast stayed until she fell asleep, slowly rose, and departed through her window. After he landed in the darkened courtyard, he allowed Martin to come out. Martin felt exultation of having tasted Katarina's blood during her seduction, but was upset that he was not actually the seducer. He pondered the night's events as he opened the side door. Martin stopped as he spotted Uruku and his brothers standing in the darkened room, their weapons out, and looking at him with confusion.

Martin asked, "What is going on?"

Uruku asked, "How are you feeling?"

Martin shrugged. "I'm okay. Why?"

Uruku stepped closer touching Martin's face turning it back and forth as if searching for something. "Never has a beast stayed after tasting the blood of his chosen as her blood is calming to the beast. It retreats to bask in the glory of the bite and her taste. Never has a beast maintained control through a seduction. The pleasure overwhelms the beast and it retreats to bask in the ecstasy. Martin, your beast is too strong. How did you regain control?"

Martin shrugged. "He gave it to me."

Uruku looked doubtful, "Willingly?"

Martin nodded. "Yes. I didn't want him to be the first of us to touch her, but he ignored me. After he left her, he willingly gave me control."

Uruku shook his head. "I have never heard of this ever happening."

***

Katarina and the beast made love each night that they were together and he always waited for her to fall asleep before leaving. Only werewolf battles kept him from her. The beast planned to introduce Katarina to Martin very soon. He needed her to accept his vampire half, to embrace his whole being.

The beast encouraged her to leave her room and explore the castle, which she had done a couple times just to please him. She even left the castle with Suwon and Marcus to visit the shops of the village. It was during one of the walks that she met a jeweler and commissioned a necklace. Katarina explained the design that she wanted. It was to be made of silver because werewolves were vulnerable to silver, but not her beast. She hoped it would protect or aid him in some way.

The jeweler quoted a price and she pulled a small diamond hidden in her boot. She had found it in a cave long ago as a child and had kept it. Her druidic parents explained that it had little value to them, but that other humans coveted such items. Therefore, Katarina held onto the gem just in case she would ever need something of value to trade.

The jeweler examined the small-uncut diamond and explained that it was worth far more than what she had commissioned. Katarina had nothing else to barter, so the jeweler offered to make a woman's necklace with the same design so the two would match. She agreed.

***

Katarina sat in her room waiting for her demon to arrive, the gift in a small wooden box wrapped with a blue silk cloth. Her window opened announcing her demon's arrival. She jumped up and ran into his arms. The beast kissed the top of her head. She broke the embrace, pulled him to the settee in front of the fire, and then offered him the gift.

Katarina smiled. "Winter Solstice is coming. I didn't know if you would be here or battling the werewolves so I wanted to give your gift to you now."

The beast was stunned. "I...I'm sorry. I never got your anything."

She looked at him sweetly. "That is okay. You have been so busy. I don't need a gift. Please, open it." She kissed his cheek and scooted onto his lap.

No one had ever given the beast a gift. He felt awkward and had to drop his eyes fearing she would misread his emotions as something negative. He gently cradled the box, untying the twine that held the blue silk secure. He placed the cloth gently over the arm of the settee and lifted the cover of the box. On a silver chain hung a larger hand reaching out to a smaller hand centered over a pair of wings.

He smiled. "My hand reaches to yours and those are my wings." She snuggled against him.

Katarina lifted the chain from her neck. "We have a matching set, but mine is slightly smaller."

The beast held her tight. He would not lie with her tonight. He wanted her to know that she was much more than a bed partner to him. "Katarina, if the army does not have to battle during the Winter Solstice, would you attend the annual party the King throws? I promise you will not be disappointed. I have arranged a surprise for you. You will have fun."

Katarina answered, "Only if you promise never to take it off." She pointed to his necklace.

The beast chuckled. "I promise." He placed the chain around his neck. He wanted to hold her until she fell asleep. He would not take her body again until he revealed that he and Martin were two halves of the same being. She deserved to know everything.

***

She dressed in a light blue gown reminiscent of ice to honor the Winter Solstice. Katarina left her room with great unease, but the demon had promised that she would have fun and she trusted him. She placed her right hand on the rail of the stairs lifting her skirt a few inches with her left to prevent any trips or tumbles. No one noticed her quiet descent.

Half way down the stairs, the double doors to the entryway opened. The king and his brothers entered. Katarina froze. She wasn't ready to see them, yet. The men removed their cloaks and scarves. Servants immediately besieged them asking for instructions pertaining to the night's festivities.