He turned away, preferring the darkness of the apartment. The smooth black sheets of his bed shifted as he began to get up, stepping onto the floor, he walked into the bathroom. His eyes went to his face immediately, a corner of his lip lifted. His reflection was him, but like in the legends written about his kind, humans couldn’t see it, nor would they want to see a rotting corpse.
The flesh on his cheek peeled and fell to the floor, as his jaw dislocated as he yawned.
Vampires only saw their dead souls when they looked in the mirror.
If a Vampire truly wished to see himself he had to get a mirror made of silver and crystal spelled by a Witch. At the thought of Witches Alek emotions darkened.
Turning away he started his shower, another habit that was only kept in honor of the days he’d been human or somewhat human. The days when vampires lived among them, reading and gossiping with the likes of Byron and listening to splendid piano concertos from Mozart. He’d lived through the most splendid ages and worn so many names and faces.
The hot water pounded against his body, but he barely felt its heat. The air filled with steam, and he only turned it off when he heard masculine screaming from below.
Releasing a sigh, he reached out and turned the knob, getting out he dried himself off and headed into his walk-in closet to get dressed.
Another scream was released justas he hit the first steps of the den.
The bonus of staying with his sons was the lack of worry over protection, but it was times like these that Alek was happy he’d decided to move out and live alone.
“Could you keep your screams to a minimum,” his son, Sorin, asked his victim.
A man hanging from the wall was being held up by well-placed stakes in his hands and ankles. His body trembled as he appeared to be experiencing shock.
“I’m only preparing for what’s to come,” his son coolly explained, as he leaned forward once more and began removing the skin that was left around the man’s belly. “This requires a great amount of concentration.”
“Then one would think you’d cover his mouth,” Alek said by way of greeting as he walked down the steps.
Sorin stilled before he stood from his chair turning to face his father. Sorin was his eldest, he placed the short blade in one of the sheaths that lined the leather straps that crossed over his nicely buttoned white shirt. His black hair was smoothed back exposing his forehead, and his bright mauve eyes. “I didn’t know you could hear it. I thought the rooms had been treated with soundproofing.”
“They are,” Alek said, as he walked bare foot over to the sad human. The stench of his blood caused Alek’s lashes to flutter. “My hearing is just that superior. What did he do?” he asked, half-turning to face Sorin who’d walked over to the sink in the far corner of the room to wash his hands.
“Murder, and rape,” Sorin said with little emotion.
“But that’s not enough reason for you to step in.”
Alek mildly wondered when his sons would get tired of having secrets. He knew they were lying well before they attempted to.
“No.” Alek turned to look the poor man over. “He’s hurt someone you know.”
Pausing in washing his hands, Sorin’s head lowered. “Does it matter? He will be good meat for the ones below. They deserve the real thing every once in a while..”
“I suppose it doesn’t matter, only?—”
“Only what?” Sorin snapped, bracing his hands on either side of the sink.
Alek enjoyed riling his eldest son up.
Sorin enjoyed his secrets, he’d long thought that he was old enough to leave the nest. And Alek knew it had been a long time coming for his sons to strike out and go their own way, but his sons were all he had left of Gloria, their mother. He’d brought them to Veil City, their innocence torn away from their eyes by his actions.
He’d tossed them into the hands of the changed vampires. Coldly watching as they started from the bottom. Despite their Royal Vampire lineage, he’d watched as they were betrayed, broken and when they demanded answers for his treatment he feigned no remorse for his choice.
Alek had sworn to himself that his children would grow up strong.
Yet, in the same thread of thought they refused to challenge him for the right to rule. Alek was the Monarch Vampire of Delgado, and he was more than ready to pass the title on.
“Only that the interests of a Delgado Vampire are not the same as the interests of a human or these rats you feed.” He lifted his hand a stylized birth mark shaped like a wing decorated the back of it. In the center was a letter from ancient Aramaic.“You know as well as I do what will happen if you grow too interested.”
Sorin sneered, “I am not so weak. Your fear and worry are unwarranted.”
“Urch!”
