Black Hellebore Read online

  Lia moves her straight hair away from her slim neck, and tilts her head gently to the side.

  “Bite me!” she pleads, throwing Tru off completely, as she answers with an irritated glare.

  “I trusted you, now please do the same for me.”

  A vein pulses meekly on her swan-like neck. Tru’s teeth sink softly and gently into Lia’s neck, her skin soft as a ripe strawberry, and just as easy to pierce. Her blood flows onto her teeth, over her lips and onto her tongue, filling her mouth. She swallows. It is delicious; sweet and full-bodied like the finest wine. If this is what poison tastes like, then she will happily drop dead right here and now. Lia’s blood tastes like warmth, life and love. She finds it difficult to tear herself away from her neck, but she loves Lia more than she loves her blood.

  Lia joyously throws her arms around Tru and squeezes her tightly.

  “That’s it!” she shouts in celebration. Her happiness is contagious, making Tru laugh with her.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You can drink my blood, because I wanted you to drink it.” She looks away. “She was always there. She never left me” she says more to herself than to Tru.

  Tru examines Lia’s face. “You mean it is a sort of defence mechanism?”

  Lia nods eagerly. “Orlando and Chasity were poisoned by my blood because I didn’t offer it to them, they just took it.”

  Though in one moment Lia’s gaze is solidly fixed on Tru, the next she is staring off into the distance.

  “I am under her protection.” She murmers to herself.

  “Lia?”

  “My mother loves me. She is responsible for this. Even though she was never with me, she always protected me through my blood.”

  “That...could be possible. But how did you figure this out now?” Tru asks hesitantly.

  “She speaks to me.”

  A cold shiver travels down Tru’s spine. She had assumed something of the sort, but to hear Lia say it shows her how much power and influence Lilith must have over Lia. She forces her to do and say things that she doesn’t want to, and yet Lia still believes that she wants what’s best for her. How can Tru be sure that it’s really Lia standing in front of her when she is not even alone in her own body anymore, and is actually possessed by a parasite of some kind? Can she be certain that Lia is the one showing her love and that it’s not Lilith forcing her to do it so that she can feed on her life-force? What if Lia doesn’t even like her and she doesn’t really mean everything she says?

  - 32. Chasity Moundrell -

  The darkness is surrounding me and is stretching its cold claws towards me. It tears at my clothes and my skin. Deep, bloody wounds spread over my body and every move I make hurts.

  My lips are torn and as dry as the hot stone over which my feet carry me. Is this my fate? Is this my just punishment? I recognise my wrongdoings as they burden me more than any other bodily pain could ever do, and yet I yearn for life, even if I can’t expect any forgiveness.

  Ever since Chasity drank the poisoned blood, her world has been nothing but darkness. She feels like she is falling, but never hitting bottom. Even if the impact would tear her to pieces, it would be better than being caught in these dreams, although she can’t even tell if they are her dreams or someone elses at this point. She is watching the events of her long life pass by her like a movie, and the events seem to be jumbled, playing back in the wrong order. One minute she is the queen of the vampires, and the next she reverts back to the human she was before, whose last drop of blood is dripping out of her body as her heart stops beating. She can feel her victim’s pain. There are so many, but that pain is nothing compared to one dream that she has over and over again. It is his dream. It is his story.

  My muscles have turned to stone. Rats are gnawing at my bloodless body, and spiders crawl up my nose, into my ears and my dried up eyes. I have shed too many tears. I am full of regret. I regret; I regret so much. Oh brother, what have I done to you? What have I done to myself?

  She wants to scream, but no sound escapes her lips. She can’t even feel her lips. She can’t feel her legs, her arms or any other part of her body. Maybe she is dead and her body has turned to ash. Maybe her soul is caught in limbo. Do vampires have souls?

  Her fiery red hair pours over my face like a satin ribbon. So warm and gentle, it rids me of the vermin surrounding me. The sweet smell of milk and honey tickles my nostrils as her snow-white hand touches my cheek, gently and light as a feather. She is light. She is warmth. She is hope. She is life. She is everything.

  Chasity can hear conversation in the distance. She can’t understand a word they are saying, and wants to shout to them to speak louder, but their voices seem to melt into one single stream. The voices seem familiar but strange at the same time. Her father’s threatening index finger appears from the darkness and like a sharp dagger it jabs into her chest. “You have failed me! You are a disgrace!”

  “Drink” she says and the sound of her voice is like music to my ears. I can hear a thousand bells and chimes ringing at the same time. It is a symphony that makes my heart start beating again and brings tears to my eyes. Her lips are as red as ripe strawberries. I could spend the rest of my life just watching her lips speak and take in her every word. It would be a good life.

  A drop much sweeter than any forbidden fruit could ever taste falls from her slim wrist onto my dry tongue. My spirit which had been frozen suddenly springs back to life. The tiny drop moves through my body like wildfire. It burns through me to an unknown extent. Where there once was a drought, there is now new life.

  She presses her arm to my lips and more and more of the sweet nectar forces its way into my mouth. I close my eyes, because I only needed to use my heart to see her. I know her through her blood. She is sharing her life, her joy and her pain with me. Everything she feels becomes a part of me. Her revenge becomes my fight. Her love is my goal.

  Chasity suddenly feels oddly free. She had never seen this much of the dream before. It was always filled with loneliness, fear and darkness, but now there seems to be a light shining at the end of the tunnel. She can feel his immesurable love. It makes her heart feel lighter. It’s not the first time in her life that she has felt this way. She knows what true, unconditional love feels like. She never felt this kind of love for herself, but she was lucky enough to be the subject of that kind of pure love. Claudia.

  Her heartbeat fills the silence, as mine has stopped. I don’t need it as long as her hand stays in mine. We are bound for all eternity, and her blood has made me stronger than i ever could have hoped to become. It surges through my body like lightening. I could crush stone into dust in my hand. I could flatten mountains or call out the creator himself for a battle. And yet all i want to do is lay with my head in her lap and search for the heavens in her eyes. They are brighter than any star and as green as the sea. They glow like emeralds in the darkness. I am their prisoner, but the prison is paradise. I have found it without HIM. He betrayed us.

  Light floods the darkness, and it is brighter and more pure than anything Chasity has ever seen before. It is more beautiful than every sunrise and warmer than every sunset. It engulfs her like a warm robe. The smell of rain, earth and fresh strawberries fills her nostrils. Sweet nectar flows over her tongue and makes her mouth water. She blinks as her eyes slowly adjust to the light, and sees a green fire. It is eyes, strange and yet so familiar. As green as the trees, the grass, the plants and the sea; it is life.

  - 33. Claudia le Boursier -

  Claudia sits spellbound on the bed across from Lia, holding Chasity’s hand tightly in her own. She continues to stroke the back of her hand, not only calming her friend, but also to calm herself. She was not too thrilled about Lia’s suggestion to give Chasity her blood again, but it was the succubus who insisted they came along in the first place. Chasity’s condition has also not improved or worsened over the past few days, and there didn’t seem to be any signs of recovery, so what other choice did she have?

>   After just the first drop touches Chasity’s lips, her whole body tenses, as does Claudia’s. As she starts to feel more hopeful, Chasity’s eyes open, and Claudia lets out a sigh of relief, but her heart is heavy with grief at the thought that Lia’s eyes are the first thing Chasity sees instead of hers. She should be the one whose gaze will be forever ingrained in Chasity’s memory. But her feelings are unimportant right now. The most important thing to her is that Chasity is alive and well.

  She hasn’t said a word yet, she is just staring at Lia in confusion. Her eyes wander through the darkened hotel room, scanning over Tru and the humans who have all gathered to see what was going to happen.It’s not just the room that must seem strange to Chasity, but the whole building too. Her eyes meet Claudia’s and she seems to recognise her. She seems calm. Claudia’s relief turns to gratitude and affection, but there is something else. There is something in Chasity’s eyes that Claudia just can’t put her finger on. She has known her friend for many centuries, and yet she doesn’t know what to make of the way Chasity is staring up at her from the bed. It is loving, but so unfamiliar. Something has changed. Is it possible that maybe Chasity herself has changed?

  It wouldn’t be unusual considering what she must have just gone through, but they have already survived and gone through so much together, that something like this shouldn’t be able to come between them. Claudia would never allow it. She squeezes Chasity’s hand and whispers into her ear, her voice trembling with joy.

  “There you are again sleeping beauty.”

  Chasity smiles. “Sleeping beauty?” she croaks in a dry voice. “I am older than the fairytale itself.”

  A giggling can be heard in the room.

  “Snow White would be better!” Lia interjects, giving Chasity a broad grin. Claudia can’t help it, but she is starting to like the girl. At first she dismissed Lia completely, because she was just a human, but when she found out that she was a succubus, she hated her because of her blood. The journey together forced her to get to know her better and the more she sees of her, the more sympathy she has for Lia. She is starting to see something in her that Orlando must have seen too. But no matter what happens now, she will always be in her debt, because she saved the one thing that is most important to her; Chasity.

  “But Snow White died eating a poisoned apple. That doesn’t work.” The girl with the pink hair streak chimes in and Claudia immediately regrets any compassionate thoughts she may have had for the humans.

  “Then Lia must be the poison apple.” The boy joins in, seeing as he always knows everything better anyway. Humans are annoying

  “No, Lia would be the evil queen. But she didn’t even want to poison Chasity” Lindsay counters snidely, just to get the last word in with Mike.

  Arguing is something that humans do far too often, and most of the time it is completely unnecessary. This argument seems to annoy the boy too and so he clenches his teeth together.

  “Yes, I know that.”

  “The evil queen wasn’t the fairest of them all either, because Snow White was a thousand times more beautiful, might I remind you. That’s probably what you were trying to say with that right? You were probably trying to let us all know once again how much you like Lia. Isn’t that right? That’s how it always is!” Lindsay shouts in a jealous rage. Lia and Tru look away in embarrassment as Mike just stands there with his mouth wide open. He is speechless and starts to stutter, making him look like a complete idiot. Although that’s all Claudia ever saw him as anyway.

  “No...I...Not at all!”

  “Tss...” Lindsay snorts and pushes her bangs out of her face.

  Chasity’s laugh breaks the tension. She hasn’t sounded this free and uninhibited in what seems like an eternity. It reminds her of when Chasity was a young girl, without any responsibilities or cares in the world.

  “Let’s just agree that I am not Sleeping Beauty or Snow White or any other fairytale princess for that matter. I am simply Chasity, and who are all of you? Who can I thank for saving me from the realm of nightmares?”

  “You are the queen of the vampires. Chasity Moundrell, the eldest living heir to the royal family.” Claudia retorts shocked at her words. ‘Simply Chasity’: her friend has definitely changed. She was always so proud of her heritage and her family and now she is simply Chasity. She strokes Claudia’s arm calmly and nods encouragingly towards the others who introduce themselves one after the other. Simply Lindsay, spimply Mike, simply half-blood Tru and last but not least, simply succubus-Lia, her saviour. It hurts Claudia to watch Chasity hugging Lia in gratitude, when it was her that caused all of this pain in the first place. No, it turns out she doesn’t like Lia. Her jealousy won’t allow it.

  She clears her throat. “Nightmares? What did you dream of?”

  Chasity tells them about the dreams she had about Cain, and what she now believes to be Lilith. With that, the others explain about Lilith possibly being Lia’s mother and if so, then probably the mother of all Succubi, if there are any more.

  “What did the place look like where you saw the two of them?” Lia asks.

  “Old. It was a cave of some kind and so was dark, but definitely old; very old. I could also hear the sound of the ocean.”

  “Lilith is ancient.She is as old as the world itself. I can’t imagine she would thrive in the centre of a big city. Even the older vampires prefer to stay away from the hustle and bustle. Lilith probably does the same.” Claudia immediately agrees with her.

  “Well then we will be looking for her for a long time in Jedda. It is the biggest city in Saudi Arabia!” Lia says in frustration.

  “But that wasn’t always the case. Jedda hasn’t been this big for that long; before it grew to this size, there was another city that was much bigger. I read about it in my travel guide, one second...” The know-it-all chimes in as he pulls a shrink-wrapped booklet out of his pocket and starts flipping through it.

  The girl next to him with the pink streak tears her eyes open in disbelief.

  “Not only have you got a travel guide, but you actually shrink-wrapped it.”

  The boy just shrugs his shoulders. “Yeah well, i guess I am just well prepared and the cover is just on it so it doesn’t break. I might need it again.”

  “You didn’t even want to come in the first place, and now suddenly you are planning on coming back to Saudi Arabia?” Lindsay asks sceptically with her eyebrows raised. Claudia sighs loudly. Not again.

  “Could you just stop with this nonsense already? Nobody is interested in listening to your relationship troubles!” she says to them annoyed, as they both stare at her in shock. At least it is quiet.

  “We are not in a relationship!” Lindsay snaps, but the death stare that she gets in response from Claudia makes her back down.

  After a short pause, Mike has finally found what he was looking for, and so reads it out loud:

  “The Prophet Solomon banished all of the Shin, so all ghosts, to an island in the Red Sea off the coast of Sudan. The small island, measuring four hundred metres in diameter was the Sid Shin; the ghost’s prison. According to the legend, Sid Shin became the harbour town of Suakin, from which the treasures of Sudan were brought to Jedda in Arabia: goat and camel milk, maize and slaves.”

  “So Suakin. Ghost’s prison sounds mythical and old, very fittng for Lilith if you ask me.” Tru agrees with him. He smiles smugly around the room to which Lindsay rolls her eyes and makes a gagging noise. Maybe Claudia should give one of them a nibble so they will finally stop with all the childishness.

  “Suakin is nothing but ruins now. There are very few people living there and there is no running water or electricity.” Mister know-it-all adds. Claudia is really fighting the urge to snap his neck. She is thinking that maybe she should start her feast with him.

  Everyone is looking at Lia for some kind of answer. After all, it’s her mother they are all there to find. She has the special connection to Lilith and she decided what happens, but she speaks uncertainly.
r />   “I am not sure...” she says and Mike hands her the guide book. The page that it’s open on shows a picture of half destroyed ruins. The rocks, the ground and even the sky look a reddish colour surrounded by the desert haze. In the foreground there are women dressed head to toe in black, and there are crows swarming in the sky, but the sun is the most impressive part of the picture. It is a white sheet in the red sky that looks so matte and weak, that you could look directly at it without having to squint, and that in one of the hottest countries on the planet.

  Lia nods. “This feels right. This place would suit her perfectly.”

  With that the decision is made, and so begins their journey to Suakin.

  Claudia and Chasity are dressed in traditional black robes, which cover every part of their body, bar a small slit for their eyes. They are wearing sunglasses to cover that up too. Even with the robes, they can feel the sun beating down on their skin, and it makes them uncomfortably warm. Only the wind coming in from the harbour lessens the heat. Ever since Chasity woke up, Claudia has not wanted to let go of her hand, but because of the sun it is impossible for her to touch her at all.

  A small rattling ship with the name “Dragonflower” on the side pulls in to the harbour. The white paint is peeling in several places and the ropes holding the lifeboats look like they could snap at any moment, but for the size of the little ship, it is amazing how many people get off it. All of them seem happy to be done with their journey, but for the six of them, there is still a fourteen hour journey ahead.

  As soon as the last passengers disembark, the next ones are already being waved forward to board the ship. There are signs on the walls in English, German and Spanish welcoming people a nice stay in Gran Canaria. That solves the mystery of where the ship is from. It was probably declared unfit for use in Gran Canaria, and so the Sudanese thought it would be enough for what they needed to use it for. That must be what they call recycling here.