Bleeding Love - Chapter 2

We were finally in Australia and at their mansion. Australia was a lot more modern than the south of France, their mansion was not a castle like ours but a more modern building, large and concrete rendered a nice cream color. Though there were nearly no windows and if they were they were I knew they would be covered in the day. As we neared the house I stretched out my legs, it had been a 24 hour flight and the whole way I had just thought about Charlotte. I had left her with Theo the night before and they hit it off straight away. She had read to him and they talked about balls and Theo told her stories of his past. I was a little jealous of their relationship, and that was the mother within me.

"We have a greet with the other vampires in half an hour so don't go too far, just a shower and change of clothes and meet me in their meeting room," my mother ordered. I nodded and got out of the car.

"Mari-Anne, it's so nice to see you again. This must be Elizabeth, she's just as beautiful as you." My mother chuckled.

"Oh, you're too kind. Elizabeth this is Abraham," my mother introduced us. Abraham was an older man, he looked about forty but I knew he was probably around one hundred years old. He had short brown hair and had a very distinctive face, not bad, not bad at all. He looked me up and down and I turned away. I was not used to men looking at me like that, my father was always around and he usually scared them all off.

"Well Mari, I've had the maids take your stuff up, they're going to be up there in case you want refreshment. You're in the same room as always, do you know your way?"
"Yes, yes. I'll see you two later," she walked up the steps and into the house, leaving Abraham and I alone.

"Can you show me to my room to please Abraham?"

"Please, call me Abe," he took my hand and kissed it lightly, "Follow me, I'll show you to your room." He led me up the sandstone stairs and into the building. I nearly gasped when I saw it. The floor had deep red carpet and everything was lit up with wall candles. It was totally different to what I was expecting compared to outside. It was still modern but it had an atmosphere to it that was deep and mesmerizing. He took me up two sets if stairs and into a large bedroom. It had cream walls, red carpet and a beautiful oak, queen-sized bed.

"It's beautiful," I sighed. Abe excused himself and I sat on the bed. My suitcases were in the corner of the room but everything had already been put away by one of the maids. Speaking of a maid, there was one standing at the certain staring at me as if waiting for something.

"Excuse me ma'am, I'm supposed to ask if you want a drink," she whispered shyly. I looked up at her.

"Ok, what do you hav -" She sat down next to me and undid the collar on her blouse revealing her golden skin. "Oh, that." I realized.

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I was full, clean and dressed and in the middle of a meeting. Every important vampire, or someone representing them was here and I felt star struck at some. I was talking to Rika, the head vampire of the Spanish clan and I loved talking to her. She was a very intelligent woman and I got to give my Spanish a workout since I hadn't spoken it in a year or so. Everything was going smoothly; everyone was talking over blood infused wine, debating politics (of our race of course) and talking business and everything was all good. I started to discuss some business deals with Rika when the doors burst opened.

There were a small army of men in black and leather with swords and belts. I even recognized one of them... Joe Nicees. I had seen him when a few years ago on some surveillance tape. He was the head of the Silver Hearts, the top organization of vampire slayers. They charged into the room and I ran and hid under a table, and made sure the table-cloth was hiding me. I could hear yelling, growls and the slicing and ripping of flesh. I shuddered at the thought of all the violence. I had never been a fighter, I liked to stick to the business side of things, things away from the action and in the nice safety of an office. I know, I was the anti-stereotype of vampire.

Suddenly there was silence and I peeked out from under the table-cloth. A head was right in front of me staring; I silently screamed and hid back in, looking at another side. The room was empty except for bodies on the floor. I crawled out and looked around. I saw my mother a few bodies over and I checked to see if she was ok. A silver stake had been placed straight through her heart and she was now gray and all her veins were visible. I shook my head and got up. I checked every single body when I came across one of a human. He was out cold and had blood oozing from wounds on his neck, arms and face but his chest was still rising slightly and I could tell he was alive from the sound of his heartbeat. I looked around, no one was to be seen. Had they not heard the racket? I got up and thought I could smell something, something hazy and... smoke!

I ran over to the man who was still alive and shook him but it was no use. I used my fangs to make a slit in my wrist and I let the blood trickle into his open mouth and down his throat. His eyes instantly popped open and his wounds started healing.
"Get away from me!" He yelled, crawling backwards.

"I'm trying to help you, we need to get out of here, I can smell the smoke," I urged grabbing his arm.

"No, you're a vampire! I can't!"

"Please don't argue. We both want to live right?" He nodded, "Then you got to trust me." I offered my hand and he took it. I helped him up and we ran out of the room only to be met with flames and smoke. "Where do we go?"

"We have to go out a window, they blocked all exits, and everyone is going to die."
"No! We are going to live!" I ran back into the room, dragging him with me and jumped over all the bodies in one leap. I broke the glass on the one window in the room with a fist and stuck my head out. Luckily we were only on the second floor, I could land that easily. I motioned the man over.

"How we going to get down?"
"Jump," I grabbed him and picked him up, leaped onto the window ledge and jumped onto the grass below. I let him go, letting him fall to the grass and started walking away.
"Wait!" I turned around and saw the man walking towards me.
"What?"
"I'm Ben."

"That's nice, now if you don't mind," I turned around and started walking.
"Wait," he gripped my arm and turned me around, "It'll be dawn in an hour or so. Stay with me, I'll find us shelter, I'll protect us." I looked around then straight at him, searching his face, trying to see for any signs of betrayal. Why would this man help, he was a stranger and a vampire slayer! I couldn't help but think it was a trap.

"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you want to help me!" I yelled. This man was either stupid or was just out of it, "You're a vampire slayer! A vampire slayer and I am a vampire, don't you understand?"

"I know but right now I don't care. All my life I was taught that vampires were heartless, unemotional creatures but you are different." I started to speak but he held up his hand, "Please let me talk. You saved my life! Now I'm going to help you keep your life." I studied him. His clothes were soaked in blood in patches and ripped on the arms. I looked into his eyes. Even though he was probably in his late twenties, which made him around my age, his eyes showed some deepness, some wisdom beyond his years.

"Ok, as long as you can get me back home. Oh and by the way, my name's Elizabeth," He nodded and started walking into the streets. I looked back quickly at the flames behind me which had now engulfed the whole building. There was a siren and it shook me back to reality and I ran after Ben. "Come on, if we want to beat the sunlight we have to get shelter quickly," I yelled as I ran past him. He ran after me but I knew that he wouldn't be able to catch up to me, having my vampire speed and all, but I could tell he was trying. I slowed down a bit allowing him to catch up and then sped up again. He shook his head and I laughed to myself but stopped straight away. How could I laugh when my friends and my mum were burning in the flames behind me and I could be getting myself into a trap? But for some reason I felt free, as free as I had felt in years.