Clove : Book 4 of Lord Emperor Vampire Series

Chapter 140: Skell & Coven

My ass was numb. I shifted my butt on the gravel of the roof top and only succeeded in finding one that poked up into my flesh. I reached under me and knocked it away. The night was clear and mild. Closing my eyes I let my lungs enjoy the last nicotine rush of my smoke. I stubbed it out next to the other little soldiers and left it laying there. Six. Six cigarettes with an average smoking time of six minutes works out to roughly thirty-six minutes. I’ve been sitting on the gravel roof, letting my butt cheeks get dimpled for thirty-six minutes.

I climbed to my feet and walked over to the prone recruit. He had the sniper rifle on the ledge of the roof and was staring down across the alley at the closed and curtained window. I doubt the rest of the wrecking crew could hear it, but the recruit ground his teeth together and the rifle scraped on the concrete.

I shifted my vision and looked across to the curtain. I could see heat shimmers. I blinked and switched to heat seeking. There they were. Three red blobs of red. Papa bear; Mama Bear and psycho back stabbing poke you in the eye Baby bear.

“Take the shot.”

The recruit jumped. He didn’t even hear me come up behind him. “I don’t have a clear target.”

“Dead center, bottom window, track right about two feet. Target is sitting in a chair. He looks like he’s reading the news. Take the shot.”

“I don’t have confirmation.”

Oh for….I keyed the mic at my throat. “How long am I going to have to play kindergarten cop? I’m burning moonlight here.”

“Skell, off the channel.”

“Target is confirmed.”

“Skell!”

I dropped my hand away from the mike. The target was still sitting there in the chair. This could have been done the first 10 seconds were got on the roof. Now we’re sitting up here on this gentle summer night…waiting for diaper boy to get his shit together.

“Talk to me Andrews….”

“I can’t confirm target.”

I turned back to the crew and spied the smallest one there. I pulled out another cigarette from the pack because it looked like we were going to be here for some time in the foreseeable future.

/Coven./

He tensed as he heard my voice in his head. He turned and looked at me, apprehensive. Rogers grabbed him by his leash and jerked him back against him. I brought up my hand and crooked a finger at him to come to me. I didn’t need a special vision to see the fear on his face. Every time he got brought to me, he didn’t know what was going to happen. I’ve heard them taunt the little vampire in the caff. Snack pack or Sex toy. The sex, I made him enjoy even though he claimed to be “into girls”. The blood…there was no getting around that. We are vampire. Besides, if I didn’t, they would kill him and just bring in another coven fledgling. They had to keep their bloodhound happy and content. I’m easier to handle when I’m full and all sexed out.

“You’ve had your limit for the day, Skell.”

“Who said I was going to light it?”

“Hand them over.”

“Hand him over.”

“On three then…1…2…3” I tossed Rogers my pack of smokes and he shoved the little coven fledgling to me. He tripped and would have hit the stones if I didn’t catch him around the waist and drag him up to me.

“My name is Kevin. Don’t take my name…it’s all I have left.”

I pivoted on my heel and pinned him between me and the wall I had been leaning against. He gave a squeak as I forced his arms out, holding his wrists firmly in my hands He had on white scrubs and white crocs and...they had him all scented up with appley goodness. I reacted just as the experiment would have predicted. I got hard. I jammed my thigh between his and forced my hardening cock up into his hip. He pulled once on his arms then I dropped fang and tore into his throat.

He gave a sharp cry as I broke flesh. I’d gotten good at vicious. They expected nothing less from me, Ed Skell. I’d gotten better at pretending too. I broke the skin and tasted his frosted corn flake essence. I drank slowly from him.

/Don’t let them know you still have something precious. They’ll take it away. They take everything away that brings you joy, Kevin./

“Coven.” I laved his fang marks. My tongue hit his submission collar and the metallic taste just killed his flavor. /Don’t forget, I’m in the same position as you. If I don’t act like the well trained vampire, you get taken from me and they bring in another fledgling. Your life is truly in my hands. My sanity is in yours./

I turned my neck and flipped back my hair. My fingernails made a dull thud as I touched my own collar. “Drink, Coven. I can smell the weakness on you.”

“I don’t want to…you burn.”

/They are watching. They are always watching. Break the skin, Kevin. Punishment out in the field is just as horrific as at the base./

I hissed. He barely knew how to bite. I rubbed my groin up against him. His jaw closed hard on me. I let his hands go and turned my nose into the crook of his neck and shoulder. He was sweetness. I licked at his exposed flesh as I ran my hand down the wall then caught the back of his thigh and pulled it out and up, wrapping it around my waist. He wrenched his fangs free. “NO!”

Holy….my neck pulsed. “Close them.”

“I’d don’t want to.” He tried to squirm away. “No.”

He brought his hand up and I got my face raked with his finger nails. He stilled as the scent of my blood filled the air. He just stared at me his wide blue eyes, widening even more with realization of what he had just done. His whole body went into convulsions as Rogers activated the submission collar. As I’ve been the receiving end of this little wonder toy of Orel Wessel, I knew it was like being electrocuted. His eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. I held on to him and turned toward Rogers. “He’s out!”

“Coven drew blood.”

“So…”

“Report. What the hell is going? You just triggered, BetaZ’s submission collar.”

“Refusal.”

“Let him go!” I laid Kevin out on the ground.

“Affirmative. BetaZ is out…vital signs are erratic.”

I could tell the moment the trigger was released. Even though Kevin was out, his body sighed in relief. I snarled and looked back towards Rogers. I felt a slight tingle of warning in my collar. I banked my flame and stared down at the smaller man. It was as I told him. They used him to control me. I needed blood. For some reason, I was highly sexed…overly sexed in my own opinion. I thought it might have something to do with that burning that I had to do. But leaving any of my basic needs unfulfilled for too long resulted in a binge. A sexual binge for me involved biological urges that resulted in sexual release and total blood drainage of my partner…be he willing or not. Or not. I’m a rapist.

Kevin lay on the gravel, his dark brown straight hair lay limp on his forehead. It was too short. He would never be able to hunt like that. He wouldn’t be able to do that porn flip…what? I kept my face impassive. If they knew that residual memories were creeping back, I’d be hauled off to the white room. I’ve had enough of that place to last a life time.

“Are we fucking done here?” I keyed my mike. I didn’t care if the recruit hadn’t taken the shot yet.

“Skell, off channel.”

“Is it a clean sweep or target only?”

“Skell…”

“Do a clean sweep, Skell.” Everyone on the channel just faded off as the voice of the big man in charge cut across all the bullshit. “This should had been done five minutes into the mission. The recruit is sent back to training. It is obvious that he is not prepared for the field.”

I stalked over to the kid and snatched the rifle out of his hands. I ripped the scope off the sight and tossed it to him. I chambered a round and took my first kill down. The red blob in the chair flipped over. Second round took out the smaller blob in the kitchen hallway. The final one jumped to his feet and bolted for the outer door. I took out his shoulder. He crashed to ground. I jumped up on the ledge and tracked right, shuffling my feet sideways. The recruit was in the away. I kicked him backwards and made another couple of steps sideways. The last target scrambled for the door, using the hallway wall to prop himself up. I took a head shot. I scanned the area. The only thing moving in the apartment was a cat. “Sorry puss.” I killed the cat.

“Clear.”

I turned and tossed the rifle to the recruit. He was holding his jaw. I kicked him too hard and broke his jaw. He wasn’t ready for the rifle and it smacked him in the head. Useless.

“Can we go now?”

Rogers piped up. “I recommend against it. BetaZ has lost his privileges.” He was standing beside Kevin’s slowly reawaking body.

“This ain’t about BetaZ. It’s about me.”

“Rogers, confirm Skell’s work. If it’s clean, he’s off the grid until sunrise. He can take BetaZ with him. You know the kid will not find this a reward.”

“Do it.” Rogers ordered then we just stared across at each other. I knew Rogers didn’t care for me. He was just my wrangler. The resident vampire wrangler. He could drop me to my knees with just a twitch of a finger and he’s done it a number of times before I smartened up. Never claimed to be a genius. “Turn your head, Skell.”

I wanted to get the hell away from Orel Wessel for a few hours, so if I had to play obedient puppy for a few more minutes…woof. “He got you a good one.” Gay boy was implied but never said in radio communications. “Didn’t think you’d get a fighter in these discards.”

I hated that he called unwanted fledgling that. They had taken the covenant with their maker in good faith. So far, none that I met were flawed or screwed up as much as I was. The few that I met. I’ve been isolated for so long from my kind that the first fledgling they gave me…I turned my eyes down to Kevin’s face. I raped him then I drained him then I had a complete meltdown that left me back in the white room for another six months. After that, after I burn, I’m given a clinical hand job.

The next boy they gave me…I did the same thing. At least, he was away from the lab rats. I got strapped down to the nearest table and they worked on a cocktail that would keep me deadly but docile. The last boy…Darius…he was a lesson. I pulled an act of independence and Darius died. Sweet, beautiful, angelic Darius Houlton. He died in my arms and I lost it again. I know for a fact that the lab rats didn’t expect me to fold in on myself. If I could have, I would have tried to will myself to death.

I saw my records. Apparently, I tried to do it before. I don’t remember it. I don’t remember anything beyond five years ago. Who I was before—they took it. As Rogers had said, where the hell could I go if I did? My maker abandoned me. I was a throw back. A vampire with wings. I was an oddity. I had all these wicked side effects from that. My eyes were blue when I got my flame on. My wings burned. Blue flame would erupt from my hands for no reason. My maker was so appalled he left me to die in the streets. If Orel Wessel hadn’t taken pity on me…I would have died out there, alone and unwanted. I didn’t want Kevin to experience that.

“Kills confirmed. Jees, Skell, you even killed the cat.”

“Cats can be more than you think.” I muttered.

I reached down and grabbed at Kevin’s arm. Rogers went and stood on the boy’s chest and he didn’t shift his weight to lighten it. Kevin groaned. I looked up at him. His eyes were hard and full of promised retribution. “Sunrise is at 6:23. If you and your punk aren’t back, that will be the end of your little piece of ass. You want that on your conscience again? You don’t do well when you kill off your lovers.”

“I’m not the one killing fledglings.”

“But you are, Eddie. Their life is in your fangs and you keep fucking up.”

“I won’t fuck up.”

“See that you don’t. This little piece of ass has got some spunk to mark you. You keep doing what you’ve been doing, Eddie, and you just might get to keep Coven.” He lifted his foot up and I dragged Kevin’s body to me. “He ain’t gay, but you seemed to hit all the right buttons with him.”

I pulled Kevin to his feet. He was up and still a little groggy. I bent down and put my shoulder into his stomach and draped him over me. “Remember, you’re tracked everywhere. You take one drop of human blood and I’ll keep the trigger down until you loose some brain cells. I can always claim it got stuck.”

“You’re an asshole, Rogers.”

“Just remember, I’m your asshole. You do what you’re told and everything will be fine. You got an appointment with the Docs tomorrow morning. You know what happens to poor little sex toy if you miss your shot.”

I unfurled my pale white wings. I could feel Kevin move restlessly as the feather brushed past his face. “We’ll be back.”

I stepped past the recruit who was sitting there still holding his jaw. This was his first test and he failed it. They must have expected this to happen. Otherwise, why the hell would they bring me out. I only get out to kill someone. Assassinate someone as per Orel Wessel doctrine. The recruit glared as I stepped to the ledge. I checked the street below, tightened my hold on Kevin and jumped off the building.

Kevin squawked and grabbed at the back of my pants. His fingers found the back of my belt but not before scratching the hell out of my lower back. I spread my wings and flapped backwards slowing our descent. I touched the pavement and my wings glittered out of existence. Kevin pounded at my back.

“Put me down. Put me down!”

I let him slip off me. He tried to slap me in the face. I brought my hand up and easily caught his wrist. He jerked at it, trying to get free, then brought his other hand up to my face. I dropped fang and snapped at his face. He stilled. Just like a rabbit cornered by a wolf. I could hear his heart beating a mile a minute.

“Stop it! I’ve been good to you.”

“You raped me!”

“Yes, I did. I made you enjoy it, but it was without your consent.” I let go of his wrists. “They chose you for me. They have found out that I am easier to control when I have someone to care for. I broke the rules once before, and they killed him. I couldn’t do anything about it…and he died in a most horrific way.”

Kevin just stared at me “His name was Darius. Physically he looked like you. He was a lost fledgling just like us. His master threw him away. I broke curfew by five minutes and they killed him. I’m not going to care for anyone again. That’s why I call you Coven. If they have an inkling that I care for your wellbeing…”

“I could run…”

I reached out and touched the submission collar. “This will track you. This will always locate you. This will kill you.” I dropped my hand. “If you are going to run, I need you to feed me first. Then you can go.”

“What?”

“They can tell if I feed off a human. It’s forbidden…at least for me. I’m a mutant. I’m not right. I’ve been warned not to drink pure human blood. I need you to hunt for me, then I can drink from you.”

“I don’t know how…”

“How old are you?”

“19”

“As a vampire.”

“Five days before I got picked up. I don’t know how long I’ve been here.”

“Four months. You’ve been my leash for four months.”

“You didn’t…ah…er me then.”

“They showed me you when they first brought you in. They called you my new BetaZ.”

“And…”

“That was it.”

“I don’t get it.”

“By calling you my BetaZ, they made me responsible for your well being. I didn’t have to feed off you. I didn’t need to fuck you. If I stepped out of line, you were dead.”

“Run…let’s run. We can get the hell out of there.”

I reached out and stroked his hair. “I got no where to go. Your maker, offered you the covenant. She made you, she made love to you then when you didn’t live up to her standards she dumped you. I was made without the covenant. When those vampire out there find out about that, what are my chances? I got wings. What the hell kind of vampire has wings?”

I needed a drink. I turned and started down the alley. If Kevin wanted to run…he could run. But he could do it on his own. I couldn’t watch another fledgling die…because of me. Couldn’t watch that again. Wouldn’t watch that again.

I wandered off a few streets. I didn’t have to worry about Wessel tailing me, I was tracked. I could hear the pulsating thump of music. I headed for it. I could pretend for a bit. There was a cue. I did a Jedi mind trick and scooted into the club. The night was just starting for the young and trendy. I didn’t know how old I was but this wasn’t annoying. I smiled at a couple of friendly faces and made my way to the bar. I grabbed a beer and made my way toward a darkened corner. I thought I felt something. I glanced around the room but it was crowded and I really didn’t pick it up again. It wasn’t a vampire and whatever it was, was gone.

I got looks from both male and female. I know what I look like. Medium height. Lean. Pale. Long white hair in a single braid down the back and mint green eyes. I look like a push over until you piss me off. I gave off a leave-me-the-hell-alone vibe and took over a couch. I put my feet up, took a long drink and watched the mass of humanity called life. I wasn’t a part of that any more. I couldn’t even eat that any more.

I closed my eyes and just let the energies from the lively wash over me. Who had I been? I get flashes, snap shots of people and places gone by. What killed me most were the faces of two little girls. I don’t know who they were. I just know that they were important, somehow. They weren’t mine. I’m gay. Orel Wessel might be able to change and erase a lot of things, but I don’t think they can change that. I didn’t even know if they were still alive. Vampires don’t age. Maybe they were grown now. Maybe they had babies of their own. I had so many questions and if I uttered one of them, they would change the meds and take everything away again.

I felt the approach of a vampire. I sent out a wave and touched….Kevin. I didn’t open my eyes but swung my feet off the couch. He sat down next to me. “I thought you were fucking off.”

“I’ve been shocked to drooling idiot. I don’t need that again anytime soon.” I opened my eyes and grinned. Kevin had gotten new threads. He had on black jeans, a ‘killers’ concert tee and a leather/skull studded belt. He had black converse sneakers on.

“Where’d you steal that?”

“Three blocks over.”

We sat on the couch for a while in silence just looking out across the crowd. “Skell…”

“You can call me Ed.”

“That’s not your name, is it?”

“I don’t know. Edward doesn’t really fit but I have no clue. Skell…that was just a poor gest that stuck.”

“Skell?”

“Skeleton. When they found me, I was wasting away. I looked like a prisoner of war. The doctors said that was why my Maker threw me away. My wings caused something else to happen. That’s why I have to eat human food and get those daily injections.”

“If I stay…you’ll force me again?”

I sat up and settled my forearms on my knees, the beer bottle dangling from my fingers. “Yes.”

“Not even going to lie to me?”

“I’m not much of a liar. I will try my damnest to make you enjoy it.”

“That still doesn’t make it right. I was terrified when I got taken to you. I’d heard stories about the White Demon of Death. You tore into me with your fangs and I thought I was going to die. You…you hurt me that time.”

I snorted and stared down at the floor. “You were my reward for being a good dog. You were like a milkbone. I was so starved for blood. Blood packs are not filling. I go too long…I go feral. Wessel misjudged. They didn’t expect…that.” I took a last mouthful of beer and set it on the table in front of us. “Kevin, I’m sorry for raping you. To be taken without consent, I can’t really remember it, but I know that feeling.”

“What the hell do you mean, I know that feeling. I wanted you off me. I wanted you out of me. You fucked…” Kevin dropped his voice as a few heads turned towards us. “me raw. Now you tell me that you’re going to do it again? How fucked up are you?”

“Maybe that’s why I’m here at Orel Wessel. Because I’m so fucked up.”

“Bullshit.” I sat up and looked over at the younger man. “I’ve seen the shit you’ve taken from them. They are scared of you. Have you ever thought that maybe, you’re here because they are scared of you? They told you, you were abandoned. Have you ever thought that maybe they kidnapped you? They drug you everyday. Why are they hiding your memories?”

I shook my head. “If I was kidnapped why didn’t my maker come for me? You haven’t seen my curse. I burn like I’m in the fires of hell and walk through unscathed. That is not the typical vampire.” I reached out and pet his head. “White demon of death, eh?”

“What do you want me to do here?” Kevin gestured out the the crowd. A little gaggle of girls was circling waiting for one to get the courage to make the kill. They were circling my little BetaZ.

“Sample. Drink your fill. I’ll drink off you.”

“I don’t know what…”

“Gently, use your mind and try to read their thoughts. Brush your will over their thoughts like a feather, gently brushing sand.” I looked at a petite blonde and called her forward. She flipped her hair and sauntered up smiling sweetly at Kevin. Kevin stood up and picked up her hand. Like a character from a fairy tale, he brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a chaste kiss to her flesh. I lightly hovered beside him in case he hit his blonde smörgåsbord a little too hard.

/Find a happy memory, Kevin. Bring that forward and hold it in the front of her thoughts. Gently bite her. Keep those happy memories playing. Take ten swallows. That’s it. Now lick those wounds closed. Kiss her and send her home./

I watched as these two youngsters really got their groove on. I had to smile. To be so young. I stiffened as I felt a strong presence enter the club. Wait…there was more than one. Damn it. I jumped to my feet. Vampire. An Old one. We were in their territory. I grabbed Kevin’s shoulder.

“Hey…” He glanced up at me as I scanned the room. “What’s wrong?”

“Vampire.” A brown haired vampire stood at the entrance of the bar. He was big. He was old. He was powerful and he was looking over at us. I shoved Kevin off toward the rear and placed myself between him and the newcomer. I matched gazes with the Vampire. His eyes were brown, a rich sable color and there was a red ring around the iris. Banked passion. For what, battle? I felt something brush over my shield.

/Stay where you are./

I backed up shoving Kevin toward the back door. He back up against me. “Head for the exit.”

“It’s blocked.”

I glanced behind me. Sure enough there was a black suited man standing there. I reached up and keyed my mike. “Need extraction, immediately.”

“It’s only been an hour and a half.”

“Come and get us or there is going to be a lot of dead people here.”

“You know the Law…”

“Old Vampire and his crew and we were caught feeding in their territory.”

There was a long pause before the voice flickered back over the ear piece. “49th and Keyes. Five minutes.”

I dropped my arm and flicked my wrist. A long thin dagger dropped into my palm. I arced my wrist slightly to send a brief flicker of light off the blade. “It might take longer.”

“If BetaZ is a hindrance, terminate.”

I felt my stomach clench. That was Orel Wessel’s answer to everything. If you can’t control it, kill it. Kill them. Not again. I reached back with my free hand and caught Kevin’s wrist. I wasn’t going to let him go. He was given to me and I would take care of him. I had to. His own maker had no use for him. Us castoffs had to stick together, otherwise we both were lost.

/Little One./

“Stay with me, Kevin. Stay at my back.”

/I have been looking for you./

“Don’t listen to them.”

/Xavier…/

“Skell…” Kevin’s voice quavered. He was terrified. It was easy to forget he was less than six months old. I needed to get him out of here, now.

I narrowed my gaze and let my strange blue flame flash fire in my eyes. “I know you not, old man.”

He never moved from the far side of the club but I still felt as if he were physically holding me. My flesh goosebumped. My cock started to stir and my stomach lurched into my throat. It was true, I had no recollection of him but my body found him appealing. My nipples budded and pointed in his direction. I had to force back a longing that washed over me. I stared at the red vampire. Did I know him? There was absolutely nothing about him triggered any memories in me. “We’re leaving.”

/You truly do not know me./ His was a statement of fact. The man in black paused then backed away from the rear exit. I kept the knife ready but out of sight. Kevin stumbled toward the exit. /I have found you once, Little One. I will find you again. Your signature has changed, but I know it now. I will bring you home were you belong./

I halted. Kevin staggered to a halt as I tightened my grip on his wrist. /Von Drachenfeld?/

There was a look of surprise and banked joy in his eyes. /Yes./

/I’ll die before I go back to that place./

His face got cold and expressionless. /Orel Wessel has altered you. You have forgotten your family./

/What family? I’m just a Coven Fledgling. I’ve had to make my way in the world alone because I’m a freak of a vampire. I’m a slave to Orel Wessel, but it is honest with me. They don’t lie to me. I’m a demon and I live only by their whim. As does Kevin. I have a mark on my shoulder to show how much Von Drachenfeld loved me./

/That is a symbol of honor./

“I may not be as old as you, Sir, but I know that branding someone is not an honor. We’re leaving. Follow us at your own peril.”

/Little One…/ I paused in my turn for the exit. /I love you./

Kevin cried out as I tightened my fingers on him. I dropped his hand before I broke his wrist. The brown haired vampire was a big man. He wore tailored clothes cause they fit him like a glove, like a leather Isotoner. You could see every flex and ripple. Damn, he my idea. Kevin grabbed at my shoulder. The older Vampire might be my Adonis of wet dreams but Kevin was my reality. His life was literally in my hands. I backed up into Kevin’s touch.

“I know you not, old man.”

Kevin pulled me back with him out of the bar and together we disappeared down the alley into the night.