Jaden

(Non-Stop to Paris)

With the First of Ignatius House following close behind him, Commander Kathel stopped before Adrian. He nodded respectfully towards him, “Good to see you again my young Lord, I trust you are well.”

Adrian looked up into the dark eyes of the commander and smiled warmly, “Yes commander I am, and I thank you and your brother for your help. I….”

Seeing Kathel and his brother brought back sad memories of his past, and he felt out of place now. This is no longer his home and they are no longer his family, thanks to Ignatius.

Seeing his discomfort, Kathel hissed in anger. He moved in closer and whispered in a soft comforting voice. “You worry for nothing my Lord, My First…” he took a moment to look towards Philippe and turned back to Adrian.

‘As stubborn as he may be, loves you deeply. And he will see to your save return, this is and will always be your family. In spite of what the master has tried to do in the past, he cannot take that away.”

The commander put a comforting hand on Adrian’s shoulder and smiled at him. He then turned towards Jaden and slightly bowed his head, “Many blessings to you and Lord Marcus, you can imagine my surprise when I heard the news, I have always wondered who would be able to warm the soul of Marcus.”

Jaden was about to give him a piece of his mind, when the commander raised his hand stopping him.

“No offense my young lord, but you do not know the Marcus I know. He is a good man, and I have been honored to fight at his side. But, when it came to matters of the heart…..well, I believed that he would never open himself to it.”

He glanced side ways to Philippe who was busy talking with Aaron, “Such things are rare and precious, and I am pleased to see that Marcus has found his own little bit of mated bliss.”

Kathel then turned his attention back to Jaden and smiled warmly. “When you see your mate again, please give him my regards.”

Jaden remained silent, and nodded in acknowledgement, not quite sure what to say. But he felt the sincerity in him and decided that he liked him. In his heart he knew there was friendship here and he knew that Marcus would agree.

Kathel called out to the other vampires and began to give orders to prepare both Jaden and Adrian for the flight to Paris. The younger aides quickly jumped into action and began to open up the bags they carried.

Leather harnesses were then strapped onto the brothers like a vest, except there were more straps hanging down their backs. Jaden wondered what they were doing and stepped back when one of the aides approached him with more leather contraptions.

“Whoa, what’s all this for?”

It was Micah who turned towards him to answer his question, “Kathel and I are very powerful flyers, of course I am faster by one millionth of a second.” He winked at Jaden.

“You will be strapped onto my back to keep you from falling off, believe me when I say we are fast. You will feel the pull once we take off.”

Adrian had on the same leather harness strapped on to him, and an aide put a fur lined cloak with hood on him. He walked over to Jaden and holding out another cloak towards him.

“This one is for you Lovely; it will keep you warm and protect us from the freezing cold air. Not only are they fast but they will fly higher than most vampires do, I have a feeling you will enjoy this experience.”

Jaden almost laughed at Adrian, “Really? Well ok, but I can’t imagine how fast they must be.”

Adrian arched his eyebrow at his younger brother and smiled knowingly at him, “Oh you will see just how fast they can fly. Just be prepared to hold on tight.”

Jaden watched as an aide helped Adrian get strapped to Kathel’s back, the cloak covering him completely giving the illusion of a hump back.

Another older aide stepped over to Jaden and showed him how to step into the harness, he then knelt down in front of him pushing him to stand back to back with Micah. Without warning, he reached between his legs for one of the straps. Jaden frowned in confusion as he looked down at the aide.

There was an ear splitting growl, Jaden watched in horror as Philippe grabbed the aide by the back of his collar. With one hand he lifted the vampire as if he weighed nothing, bringing the cowering aide face to face with his First.

The air around Jaden became colder and heavier, it felt like an ice berg was placed on his head and he found the air thicker making it difficult to breathe. Not that he needed to breathe, but it was an old habit that he never forgot.

Philippe’s deep blue eyes bled to blood red as he stared into the eyes of his subordinate, the poor aide lowered his eyes in shame.

“Forgive me master, I was not thinking. Please do not tell Lord Ignatius” the aide’s voice trembled in fear and he lowered his head and let himself hang there in his master’s grip.

Hearing the anger in Philippe’s voice was like ice water in your veins; even Jaden shuddered and began to rub his arms trying to rid himself of the unpleasant feeling. He was relieved to feel Adrian wrap his arms around him, holding him close.

“I am not your master, I am first to the House of Ignatius and you would dare to bring shame by behaving so foolishly. You would dare to risk our house on a disrespectful act on a mate who is blood bonded with a Master vampire.”

Jaden now worried for the aide when he saw the nails on Philippe’s other hand grow to six inches long, the nails became razor sharp gleaming brightness as the moonlight reflected on its surface. He was horrified as he watched Philippe raise that hand towards the throat of the captured aide.

“Stop!!” Jaden cried out, “Please don’t kill him, not for that!”

Philippe slowly turned his blood red eyes towards Jaden, “You wish for me to be merciful, do you really believe I would kill for that?”

With lightning quick movement of his hand, Philippe’s blade like nails slashed across the throat of the aide.

It was not blood that spilled to the ground; it was instead a small medallion on a gold chain. He then released the frightened aide and turned his back on him. Jaden swallowed hard as he watched the blades slowly recede back to normal on Philippe’s hand.

The aide fell to the ground, relieved to be alive. But when he saw his medallion he reached for it, only to stop in mid air when Philippe spoke.

“You have lost that privilege; it is no longer yours to take. When you have proven yourself, perhaps…. At that time I will reconsider.”

The aide understood his punishment, nodding he looked mournfully at the medallion and realizing it could have been worse had it not been for Jaden.

Aaron snapped his fingers getting the aide’s attention, Jaden watched in confusion as the aide slowly stood up.

With sadness in his eyes the young aide left, the other vampires looked away as he passed them.

A new aide took his place holding out the straps of the harness to finish securing Jaden to Micah’s back, Adrian gave him one final hug and whispered into his ear, “We must go Jaden; we have been here far too long.”

Jaden bobbed his head absently; he was still staring at the medallion as it disappeared in Aaron’s hand. Only to see it reduced to gold dust as the wind blew it away from his fingers.

“I don’t get it, what just happened?” asked Jaden, his words spoken softly as if afraid he would incur Philippe’s anger.

Jaden had gained a whole new respect for Philippe, although he is First of the house he watched as everyone else treated him as if he were the true master. Philippe moved gracefully among his people checking to make sure that
Adrian was refastened properly in his harness.

His heart melted to see Philippe smile at Adrian and whisper into his ear, a tear fell from his brother’s eye and he was embraced once more as they said their good-byes to each other.

Jaden couldn’t help it and he tried to step back when Philippe walked over to him. He forgot he was being strapped to Micah’s back, which kept him in place.

The new aide made quick and efficient work to securely fasten Jaden into his harness when completed; he bowed and stepped out of the way so that Philippe can inspect his work. He watched his reaction when Philippe nodded approvingly towards the aide eliciting a big beautiful smile from him.

Philippe sighed when he noticed fear in Jaden’s eyes; he bowed his head and spoke softly to him.

“Please forgive the other aide’s rash behavior, he is young and in much need of training. I apologize on behalf of the house and Master Ignatius.”

“What’s going to happen to him, are you going to kill him later?” Jaden couldn’t help it, but he did feel bad for him. Even though he knew that the aide did a disrespectful act, and it shocked him at how quickly Philippe acted on it.

Philippe’s head tilted a little to one side, a hint of a smile on his lovely and perfect face. Shrugging his shoulders he turned deep blue eyes to Jaden.

“My position as First to Ignatius House is important, and I do not abuse it. You need not worry for Tomas, it is, in fact my fault. I allowed him to serve within the house when I knew full well of his tendency to be a terrible flirt.”

Once more he shrugged his shoulders and waived a hand as if dismissing a subordinate, “Tomas’s rash behavior vexed his master to no end, and I agreed to take him in. Unlike his master I am fairer in my choice of punishment. Tomas will not be allowed within the house, he will serve the house by working in the stables.”

Jaden almost smiled, when Philippe added that Tomas will be responsible for keeping the animals clean and well fed.

“Perhaps” Philippe said, “The smell of manure will remind him of his place and behave appropriately.”

Jaden relaxed with that last statement, “But you were so pissed, I could’ve sworn you were going to kill him.”

“I will not tolerate anyone putting our house at risk, especially for something so small and stupid. Lord Marcus, and Master Ignatius would have expected no less from me, and it is my duty as First to dole out discipline when needed.”

Knowing that he may anger Philippe, he just had to add one more item of interest. Narrowing his green eyes and fisting his hands around the leather harness, holding on tight as if waiting for a strong wind to blow him away, he asked.

“And, who gets to discipline the Master of the House, who tells Ignatius that he was out of line with us?”

Philippe let out a soft frustrated sigh; he hoped this would not come up again. Who knew the young one could be so stubborn. But he nodded in acknowledgement to the young vampire; he was within his right to demand an answer.

“The council will address this matter directly to Master Ignatius, as I am certain the Masters of Drakar` House will not let this matter go un-noticed. It is within their rights to demand accountability, and I trust they will judge fairly.”

“Fairly?” Jaden asked.

“I assure you Jaden; the council is not as lenient as I am.”

Jaden noticed the sadness in Philippe’s voice, he nodded his head and decided this will have to do for now.

“Ok” Jaden said, “I guess it’s between the masters to deal with it.”

He could see Philippe’s shoulders sag a bit, relieved to put that conversation behind them. He motioned for the aide to hand him the cloak and approached Jaden to cover him with it.

“You catch on quickly, Lord Jaden. Our ways may sometimes be harsh, but when you have many under your care, a soft hand has no place.” Philippe stepped back when he finished securing the cloak around Jaden.

“Kathel and Micah will fly you and Adrian safely into Paris, it is neutral territory and Master Helene is expecting you. I will notify Drakar` House and speak personally with either Lord Marcus or Lord Victor as I am sure they are anxious to know your whereabouts.”

Jaden nodded once more, relieved to get going. “You know what Philippe; I think you’re a good man. I also believe you try to do what is right, and I can see that you’re a good leader. But….”

Jaden closed his eyes and concentrated real hard, somehow he managed to make his voice so low that it traveled on a breeze of air to Philippe’s ears. What he had to say next is meant only for Philippe to hear and he genuinely felt bad to say the words, but it had to be said.

“Whatever it is you feel for him, it’s wasted. He’s crazy, not crazy like a blood starved vampire. He’s the real deal. He’s crazy in a mean kind of way and he knows what he’s doing. Your sense of loyalty and love is blinding you to the truth. But if you ever need us, I just know that you and yours will be welcomed to our house.”

Philippe said nothing as he stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, and Jaden could see the pain in his deep blue eyes. A small smile appeared on his lips as he closed his eyes and slightly bowed his head in respect.

“Many blessings to you and Lord Marcus, I have been remiss of wishing you good blessings on your blood bond.”

Deep blue eyes slowly opened and looked warmly at Jaden, “Thank you Lord Jaden, I will take your words to heart.”
Philippe gave the signal, and Jaden’s feet left the ground. No, they were not flying yet as Jaden then realized that Micah merely was standing up to his full height.

Damn, Jaden thought to himself. Is it possible that he is the shortest vampire? Even Adrian is taller by two inches. But it gave him comfort to see that Adrian’s feet are also off the ground as well. The aides then made one final adjustment to the cloaks as they zipped up the front putting them in a fur lined cocoon of warmth.

The aide helping Jaden showed him how he could unzip it enough to see where they were going, if he cared to look.

“Believe it or not Lord Jaden, there are vampires that are claustrophobic.” The aide smiled and stepped away.

Commander Kathel called out, “Hold fast to your harnesses my lords.” Looking at his brother Micah, “We take off in 5…4…3…2…”

He could feel the tug of gravity as Micah took off, being curious Jaden kept his hood open enough for him to see that they were flying straight up into the air. He looked down and could see Philippe and the others getting smaller.

Hum, not too bad Jaden thought. Micah was not any faster than Marcus so he didn’t think this was such a big deal that Adrian made it out to be.

At about two hundred feet up in the air, Jaden could see the country side of what he supposed is France. There was no bridge between the island and France, so Jaden deduced that the only way of getting on the island is either by swimming, which no human can do considering the conditions of the strong currents and crashing waves, and either by sailing or flying onto the island.

The higher they flew the better Jaden could appreciate the size of the island; it was no bigger than or perhaps almost as big as Long Island in the state of New York. From this vantage point he could see the villa and its surrounding buildings.

Closer to the water he could see small homes or cottages and a path that he assumed led up the cliff to the villa. It was really quite a lovely sight and the small island was rich in vegetation, quant was the word that came to his mind.

His enhanced eyesight caught a lone figure between the villa and what appeared to be the stables. Tomas was standing there, watching them fly. To Jaden’s surprise he could see the ousted aide wave and make kissing motions with his lips.

He actually had the nerve to continue flirting with Jaden, had it not been for Philippe protecting his honor, he would have punched his lights out. He knew why Philippe got angry with him, the little rascal thought he could cop a feel of his genitals and Jaden most certainly felt it.

[ooohhh you little creep! If I see you again I’ll rip your eyes out.] of course Jaden kept this thought to himself; he didn’t want Micah to hear. The aide was just too stupid for his own good.

They flew higher and Jaden oohhed and ahhhed at the stars and before he realized it they were past the clouds. It felt like he could reach out and touch the full moon. It was eerie to be this high and ok not even Marcus flew him that high. All he could see was miles and miles of star lit sky and soft puffy clouds.

He could hear his own breathing; Micah was completely silent, he turned to his left and saw Kathel who was about maybe ten feet away from them. Adrian of course was hidden in his cloak keeping warm, he had to admit it was very cold up here and the winds snapped around them.

He wondered how much higher they would go, the earth below seem to almost disappear with the clouds covering it. anymore he thought and they would end up in outer space, is that even possible?

He kept watching Kathel, no matter how much he wanted to zip up his hood. His nose was freezing and he zipped it enough to cover it. They kept going up and he was getting a little nervous when at last they stopped and just floated there among the clouds.

Jaden could feel them move again only this time it left him looking straight up, he turned to see Kathel. They were horizontal and it looked like the commander was getting ready to fly like superman. The position left him lying on Micah’s back, [ok] he thought [so now we like sail through the air?]

The only warning he got was Micah telling him not to be afraid, to take a deep breath and hold on.

Somehow he managed to zip up the hood, and somewhere out there Jaden left his gut behind. This is what warp speed must feel like, as soon as Micah spoke he took off. Jaden was sure he broke the sound barrier several times over. He grabbed onto the harness and held on for all he was worth, at the speed they were going, he could have sworn he could feel his skin peel off his body.

Although the winds roared around him, he could still hear Micah talking to him, assuring him that they will land soon and it did little to comfort him. It was only a matter of seconds, to Jaden it felt like forever when suddenly he could feel a shift in position and now he knew they were upside down heading towards the earth.

The sound was deafening and all Jaden could say about that was.

“Aw HELL no!”

Micah’s answer was a soft laugh, “I told you I was faster than Kathel.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Philippe watched them until they were out of sight; he could feel the tension melt away from his body. Relief washed over him knowing that Adrian is far away from his master. Aaron came up beside him as well as the other two bodyguards who were assigned to shadow him. Philippe stopped and looked imploringly at the lead guard.

“Really Aaron, this is not necessary. We are all safe here, no need to follow my every move. Surely there is something more important that will require your attention?”

Aaron frowned and held up his hands as if surrendering, “Please my lord, allow us to do our duty.”

It was Roman who stepped forward; he tilted his head in respect towards Philippe.

“My Lord First of Ignatius House, the commander was quite clear in the task he has charged us with. If we fail….”

Philippe’s eyes narrowed and then he just gave in; he shook his head in understanding. He really didn’t know what could be worse, facing an angry master or an even angrier chief of security. He rather deal with the master.

“Very well gentlemen, but when I speak with the master I will require privacy.”

With no argument from anyone, Philippe once more made his way towards the house. He was anxious to speak with Ignatius, he needed answers. Aaron walked beside him; reaching into his coat pocket he pulled out a cellular phone and handed it over to his First.

“Thank you Aaron, I just don’t know what I would do without you.”

Aaron smiled, “You my Lord First would have to find your own phone. Press 4 and the pound sign, it will directly link you to Drakar` House.”

Philippe smiled and laughed softly in response to Aaron’s answer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After checking the lower chamber to his satisfaction, Bernard cleared the way for Philippe to descend down the stairs.

“Is he still sleeping?” Philippe asked.

Bernard shook his head, “No my lord, he is stirring about.”

He noticed worried and anxious looks on his bodyguards, but he smiled and assured them that he would be fine to be alone with his master.

As Philippe slowly walked down the stairs he could hear his master groan and shuffle around the floor. Reaching the final landing he saw his master standing in the middle of the cell like a drunken man.

Ignatius stopped his movements once he sensed his first, weakly motioning him forward with his hand. “Ah, Philippe. Come my little darling, I thirst.”

Philippe stepped inside the cell but kept his distance; Ignatius lifted his weary head and looked at his first.

“Well? Come closer.” he growled.

When he received no answer or a reaction from Philippe, Ignatius snarled in irritation. Seeing that they were alone he realized that Adrian was nowhere near them.

A cynical chuckle escaped his throat, “You sent him away?”

“I merely followed through with your good intentions… master.”

Ignatius noted a tone of sarcasm in Philippe’s words; he slowly turned his body to look directly at his First.

“Ah, I see…and now my little darling, ever so inquisitive. So lovely and alluring...”

He could see that his words had no effect on Philippe, instead of receiving a smile for his attempt to soothe ruffled feathers; he was greeted with a blank angry stare.

Ignatius handsome features were soon marred with his anger, he felt offended and it inflamed his temper even more.

“What is the meaning of this, you dare to stand in judgment?”

The only answer he received from Philippe was a silent stare, which annoyed him to no end.

“Oh I see…. I am to be given the silent treatment? How entirely pathetic of you Philippe to act like a jealous lover.”

Suddenly Philippe lunged at his master, grabbing him by the lapels of his coat and slamming his back up against the stone wall behind him.

And when Ignatius made no effort to respond, Philippe slammed the back of head against the wall for emphasis that he was not in a forgiving mood.

“Enough!!!” Ignatius grabbed Philippe’s wrist and held on, reminding him that although he has been weaken from lack of blood, as a master vampire he is quite formidable in strength.

He held fast onto Philippe, forcing him closer. He kissed him so hard on the lips that he drew a tiny drop of blood from his lower lip. He growled in satisfaction and just as he tried to go for his throat, Philippe snarled like an angry animal almost snapping his fangs down on his face. Instead he took advantage of Ignatius surprised look and pulled himself away leaving his master empty handed.

Ignatius leaned up against the wall for support and stared at the very first vampire he made, it was obvious that the young man has become stronger over the years. But he IS his master and one way or the other; he will get him to heel like a faithful dog.

He moved away from the wall and stood firmly on his own two feet, he began to prim himself adjusting his clothing as if getting ready to go out.

“So now you turn against me, and for what? You hate me now, is there no more love in your heart for the only man who has ever loved you?”

He smiled to himself when he saw the slightest flinch of deep blue eyes, and moved closer to him speaking in a gentle voice.

“The only man who took you away from hunger and despair, from the humiliation of pain and rejection? I am the only one who has treated you with love and respect; only I know how to make you feel; only I can give you pleasures beyond your own imaginations.”

He relished the pain in his deep blue eyes, and Philippe turned away from him. He came up behind his first and carefully rested one hand on his shoulder and the other over his heart, pulling him closer to his body. Kissing him gently behind his ear.

He could feel his first tremble slightly against his body, oh yes Ignatius thought so easy to handle and manipulate. His precious little darling, like a child in a candy shop.

Ignatius was like a snake, hissing softly with false affection in Philippe’s ear. “I can understand your anger; I understand your concerns involving Adrian, but truly my darling…you should never, ever doubt…. my love and devotion to you.”

Philippe moved away from Ignatius and grabbed the hand on his shoulder as he then moved to twist his arm behind his back. With his other hand Philippe slammed it on his master’s shoulder essentially shoving him hard and forward to crash into the bars in front of them.

Philippe smiled as his master’s face bounced off the bars, he held on tightly to him using his own body to pin him against the bars and keeping his arm twisted so far back to the breaking point.

“Ow!!!!!.........Damn it Philippe that hurt!”

Ignatius growled and snarled like a rabid dog, he soon found himself sliding down the bars as soon as Philippe released him. Watching his first, he carefully stood up cradling his arm and rubbing circulation back into his veins.

Again he was greeted with that hard angry stare, as Philippe spoke coldly to him.

“Do we understand each other now?” he said, as he wiped the blood from his lower lip.

Ignatius sniffed in anger, and hissed softly to himself. Surely baby talk was not working with his first anymore, so sad he thought to be losing his touch. Time to take a different approach, later when Philippe is submissive in his bed, and lost in pleasure, he will strike and punish him for his foolish act of rebellion.

He stood straight to his full height; he was equally tall with Philippe and leveled an angry glare into the deep blue eyes of his first. He was impressed that his first no longer looked away.

[Give it time] Ignatius told himself, [Soon you will have him on his knees begging forgiveness] oh yes, Ignatius thought to himself, he will collect in spades from his little darling when the time is right.

He brushed the dirt from his clothes, straightening out his coat and collar and pushing his long hair back away from his face. All the time he kept a watchful eye on his first, determined not to be taken by surprise again.

[Bloody hell, when did he become so strong?]

He cleared his throat and was about to say something when he began to laugh, as if mocking his first. He raised his hand to stop Philippe from doing anymore damage. In spite of his intent of getting even with him he could not deny how alluring his first was when he is angry.

Perhaps, he thought again to go ahead and forgive him, he could consider this foreplay? He was amused with his own thoughts and smiled knowingly at Philippe. And of course all he got for his efforts was the usual cold glare.

“Are you happy now Philippe? Are you quite pleased with yourself for hurting me?”

The only sound in the room was Ignatius soft breathing.

“Oh come now Philippe, have you not gotten it out of your system yet? Your little tirade of jealousy? Well get on with it, go on. Scream, jump up and down, go ahead and fling your insults.”

He stared right back at blue eyes, and the room became colder as hard words lay heavy on his shoulders causing Philippe to blink. A harsh reminder of who and what his master is truly capable of.

Cold words literally slapped Philippe in the face seeing Ignatius step closer, almost a kiss away. For a moment cold black eyes seemed to hold him in place for a brief moment, Philippe felt trapped as Ignatius leaned in and made his intent quite clear.

“Do whatever it takes my darling, have your little tantrum. I will forgive all that has taken place here tonight, however” Ignatius pointed a finger in Philippe’s face.

“Make no mistake, after tonight if you ever defy me again…….”

Philippe needed no clarification of what his master intoned, only on two occasions had he been the recipient of his master’s anger rained down upon him. It had been centuries since the last time it happened, but still the memory of it burned in his soul. The searing hot agony of flesh being ripped off his back.

Cold fingers stroked the side of his face as his master easily released his hold on him. But he dared not move as those fingers now stroked his throat and the other hand slipped up behind his head. He waited for the pain; instead Ignatius pulled him in for a tender kiss.

A cold tongue pushed its way into his mouth; he opened up for him and closed his eyes tight as his master sucked hard on his tongue. Cold hard hands held him in place and he cringed when he felt one slide down between his legs, now Ignatius had a firm grip on him and he could not move if he wanted too.

Ignatius felt him up, at first with gentle strokes, and then a harsh squeeze when he received no response from his first. Disgusted he gave it up and pushed Philippe away, turning his back on him as if he were not worth looking at.

“Very well then, if that is the way you want it. I know it has been awhile, but tonight I want you in my bed; you will happily spread your legs and ass for me and I will fuck you raw. By the time I am through with you, it will take weeks before you can walk properly again.”

Philippe shook his head; his body trembled with anger and humiliation. How could Ignatius treat him like this? He had always been loyal to him, his love and devotion to his master had no limits, until now he questioned his own feelings.

Letting his anger drive him, he reached out and grabbed Ignatius’s arm, making him turn around to face him.

“Is this what you believe is making me angry, that I am a foolish jilted lover demanding retribution from you?”

Ignatius sucked on his fang, looking away from him. Now it was his turn to give the silent treatment.

Philippe stepped away from him, running his own hands threw his hair trying to find the right words to say.

“Damn you Ignatius, I am not your blood bonded mate. For us it has never taken, and I always felt it was my fault, that I did not love you enough for it to happen.”

He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to hold back his pain and tears. “But I have lived and loved you as if we were blood bonded. For that reason alone, if I were truly your mate, my actions tonight is justified and as your mate that I have lived as for so long. I have done nothing wrong, it is my right to ask and even demand certain answers from my mate.”

Ignatius arched an eyebrow at him and let Philippe continue.

“I have never defied you, I am the one who has loved and remained true and loyal to you. Whereas no one else accepted you, I accepted you, with imperfections and all. I am the only one, who chose to love you. I am the only one with pure and honest feelings for you. I gave you the most precious gift, my heart, my soul and my body.”

Hearing these words softened Ignatius and he opened his arms to him.

“Philippe, my darling beauty. Let us forget all of this, come. Come into my arms, I love you my sweetling. You are my soul, let me carry you to our bed and let me prove my love and devotion to you.”

Philippe’s hands came up and covered his face; he held back a choked cry. He wiped angrily at his tears and stared in disbelief at his master. Was the man not even here; was he completely oblivious to the real problem?

“For the love of God Ignatius, did you honestly believe that I came here as your mate? After everything that has taken place in this room? Of which I had no idea it existed and at another time I hope you will have the decency to explain why it is here.”

Philippe let out a soft cry of frustration; he was at a loss for a moment. With everything else going on the mysterious murders of their kind, their people on edge, even the commander lately has been acting strange. Ignatius stupidity was certainly not an excuse for what he did.

“I come to you as First to Ignatius House, and as First it is my duty to protect its interest and the people who rely on our guidance and protection. Of which you lately have been sorely remiss in your responsibilities. I have done everything possible to protect this house, to earn the respect and credibility that is rightfully ours. After all of these years that I and the other members have sacrificed and the effort it took to maintain this house……you….....you……GODDAMN you Ignatius!”

“Now listen here Philippe, I’ll not tolerate…….”

There was no holding Philippe back now the dam has broken and he was determined to make his master accept his role and take accountability for his actions.

“Tolerate? What the hell will you not tolerate? I will tell you what I will not tolerate, YOU risking everything for your damned pride. You never accepted Adrian’s rejection of you; he was never yours to take in the first place!”

“Yes he is, he is mine, he is mine!”

Philippe cut him off, he was not letting Ignatius get the upper hand.

“Adrian is my little brother and I love him dearly, there is nothing in the world that I would not do for him.
If it was meant for him to be your blood bonded mate, I would celebrate it and protect it with all I have to give. But he was never yours to steal and he would never be your blood bonded mate, he is the mate of Vic…..”

“Stop right there, I forbid you to speak his name. That fucking name is banned from this house. That bastard……”

“Victor! Victor Drakar` is Adrian’s blood bonded mate. Now not only have you incurred the wrath of his mate, but the council will get involved and if that is not enough problems for you? Well let us not forget, MARCUS DRAKAR`!”

Ignatius’s eyebrow arched, “Really Philippe, don’t you think you are over reacting?” Ignatius said nonchalantly.

Philippe stopped and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared back.

“I believe I am under reacting” he dropped his arms down to his side and shook his head. He looked imploringly at his master.

“Why, why Ignatius? Of all the foolish things that you have done in the past and as for this night. What you have done here tonight could very well destroy our house. And then Ignatius what house would you ever be the master of? Ignatius this will ruin the reputation and credibility of this house.”

It seemed the gravity of the situation was finally sinking into Ignatius’s mind. With one hand on his hip and the other sweeping back his hair he let out a deep sigh. His eyes narrowed as he stared back at Philippe, ah his beautiful Philippe.

Thick black hair and deep blue eyes, pale skin and full mouth. When he saw him, he wasted no time in snatching him up. He showered the lovely Philippe with false affection and expensive gifts, the poor naïve young man believed he was truly loved and cherished.

He obtained Philippe in the same way he liked to collect fine art, he served a purpose. Everyone hung on his every word and it was because of Philippe he has the fine house that it is today. Because of Philippe he has gotten out of bad scrapes with the council.

He needed him, he served a purpose. And he sometimes brought the human tender side of him out, not enough thou. Oh well he thought to himself, we can’t all be perfect. Did he love him? He thought he did. He loved his body, oh yes many pleasures were had with his beautiful and pliant body.

He LOVED owning him, the looks of envy from others was priceless. Yes he loved the way others watched as he let his hand glide over Philippe’s back and arm, letting them know that only he knew every little intimate detail of his Philippe and only he could take it whenever he wanted.

Philippe was his and his alone, and if all went well. Soon he will add Adrian back into the fold and that loud mouth little pup, that cute little green eyed rascal will scream in ecstasy, or perhaps in horror? Either way, he will make him scream out his name while he pounded him onto the next millennia.

Ignatius sighed once more, looking tired. He spread out his hands and looked sadly at his first.

“I see that you have chosen to take his side, rather than hear the truth from me. You have already judged me my little darling.” He placed his hand over his chest. “I must admit it weighs heavy on my heart, you have not betrayed me. But it feels as if you have.”

Philippe shook his head in disgust, “My God Ignatius, I have lived with you for centuries. Do you not think that by now I know when you are lying?”

Ignatius growled in anger, “Fine! I found them and brought them here, and yes I bled them to keep them in control.”

There are only three vampires that know when Ignatius is lying, that tall tale flicker of his eyes.

Aside from Adrian, Philippe is the second vampire who could tell when he lies.
Ignatius spoke the truth, this time.

“And how did you find them, did you go to the new world?” Philippe asked, hoping that Ignatius will continue to tell the truth.

But at that moment Ignatius chose to turn his back to him facing the back of the cell.

“Of course not, I was out hunting and came across them. They were unconscious and looked beaten; I thought it was best to bring them here for safety.” He shrugged his shoulders, “Really, had I had the chance I would have made sure to notify those damn Drakar brothers.`”

Philippe shut his eyes and bit his lower lip; if he could he would beat him senseless. He lied, and it weighed heavy in his heart. He bowed his head, it hurt him deeply. Why Ignatius chose to lie to him, knowing what was at stake. It cut him, it wounded his very soul and he could not take it.

He squeezed his eyes tighter, trying to hold back his tears. With nothing left to say he slowly walked out of the cell and began to climb the stairs leading him farther away from his master.

Ignatius turned to see his first walk away, damn it he was hungry and looked forward to feeding from Philippe’s blood. In fact, he was looking forward to something more promising with his first.

“Philippe?” he called out. “Why are you leaving, will you not let me feed from you?”

Only silence was his answer, he really hated it when he was ignored.

“Philippe! Honestly my darling what do you expect me to do?”

He heard him from a distance, that soft familiar voice.

“I expect you to hunt, as any self respecting vampire would do.”

With that said, silence remained behind as his only companion now.

“Argh! Damn it all to hell!” he shouted to no one in the room. He began to pace a small circle in the cell. “Well?” he growled, “What is the use being the master of the house when no one listens to me?”

He stood there with his hands on his hips as if he expected someone to respond, after a while he decided that his first was right, he might as well go out and hunt for himself. And so he slowly started to walk out, and as he got closer to the exit of the cell, the bars shot up locking him in with a loud clank as it hit the ceiling above.

“Bloody Hell!” he screamed, “I could have been sliced in half!” he actually trembled a bit as he realized how close it had been if he took that one extra step. The bars indeed would have sliced right through his body.

He looked at the bars as if they were responsible and threw his hands up in the air, “Damn it all to hell, if I find out who did this I will ……”

Before he could say anything else he froze in place, a familiar presence was there. He looked up at the darken stairway and could see to small beams of blood red dots staring right back at him.

He sensed the air getting thicker, hotter, anymore and it will drive him into the ground below. Oh yes a very familiar presence.

“Alarica? Is this any way for a princess to behave, what would Philippe say?”

The pressure eased off, and he could stand comfortably now. He had to tread lightly with her; Alarica’s love for Philippe is all consuming. He wished he never accepted Philippe’s pleas to welcome her into the house, she can be unpredictable.

Brushing his coat again and pulling his hair back he spoke softly to her, after all she is a woman with the mind of a child.

“Well how are you my princess? It appears that I am trapped in here, do you think you can help your master?”

The child like voice answered, but it sent a spine chilling sensation down his back.

“You, are not………….my master.”

He bit his tongue, and smiled just in case she was looking at him.

“Oh no of course not darling, but I am the Master of the House. Therefore I am master to everyone who…..”

“You, are not………….my master.”

He stopped cold, he had to think. Oh he should have destroyed her when he had the chance, on second thought did he ever really have a chance?

“Princess I sense you are upset with me? Whatever it may be I do humbly apologize.”

There was that annoying silence again; really must he be given the silent treatment by everyone?

“You made Philippe cry…..you hurt my Philippe and we will not stand for it.”

What to do now? Should he lie, no Adrian and Philippe could always tell when he lied and it was not a good idea to risk it with her, this vampire, this woman, child. Demons spawn from hell. Clearly his evening was not getting any better.

The air pressure was back, only instead of pushing him down it lifted him off the floor. He floated and he wondered for how long.

“Princess? Alarica? Sweetheart?”

“You made Philippe cry…..”

Ignatius swallowed hard and was about to speak up when suddenly the voice that spoke now was the voice of a full grown woman, very aware and no nonsense. She never shouted she never needed to do so, her voice low and soft with an edge of steel in her words.

Her power filled the little room, crowding in Ignatius, such power and strength in her voice alone. If Alarica desired it, she could tear Ignatius in half. Somehow Ignatius knew this and wisely kept his mouth shut.

“Now you listen to me Ignatius, I will not stand nor do I care of your treatment towards my Philippe. The only reason you are alive today is due to his blinding affection for you. He is most precious to me and if you think for one minute that you will punish him….I assure you that you will answer to me.”

And to drive the fact into his stubborn skull, Ignatius felt more pressure on his throat. He soon realized the he could possibly die right here and now, and he was powerless to stop her.

“If you ever touch him again in malice……”

He could not move or speak, but in his head he screamed, Understood! Understood! And then the pressure slowly eased off and he was suddenly released to fall flat on his face on the hard cold stone floor.

“The next time you hurt my Philippe, if you are the cause for his tears, if you so much as make him frown. I will not be as merciful………. as I have been now.”

Once again silence filled the cold room.

He didn’t know for how long he lay on the floor, but when nothing more happened he slowly got up. He hissed in anger when he saw that he was still locked up in the cell.

“You could at least free me from this cell, my…darling.” He did not bother to hide his sarcasm on the last word.

From a distance he heard the soft giggles of a child and then she whispered in his ear even though she was no longer there.

“Silly Ignatius, where is the fun in that? Find your own way out.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stood in the den just staring out the windows; Philippe was at a loss as to how he should handle the latest fiasco with Ignatius. There was no telling how the council would react once Victor and Marcus Drakar` made their complaints.

It hurt to think that this time he may not be able to justify his master’s actions, when he himself could not believe in anything he said. He pressed his hand over his heart; it saddened him to realize that Ignatius acted as if he didn’t care what would happen. Not for the house or for him.

He recognized the presence before he entered the room and smiled sadly when big strong warm arms wrapped around Philippe’s shoulders.

Philippe closed his eyes and spoke in a soft whisper, “I trust Adrian and Jaden are safely with Master Helene?”

Kathel smiled warmly and placed a kiss on his cheek, “Mission accomplished, my Lord First.”

To hear Kathel’s soft velvety voice whispered back to him elicited a strange feeling deep in his gut. And Philippe was not sure how he should feel about that. But he found himself in peace whenever Kathel offered comfort. It also made him feel guilty.

“Why do you torment yourself, my little darling?”

Philippe’s eyes opened wide and absently pushed Kathel away from him.

“Do not call me that, do not ever….call me that.”

Kathel was taken aback, and noticed Philippe’s hands trembling. He reached out and held them in his hands, kissing his fingers and holding them close to his chest.

“Philippe, forgive me. I only meant to….never mind what I meant.” He said, and stepped away from him.

Philippe was confused by the commander’s words and action he looked hurt and felt the need to apologize.

“Commander please forgive me, it was unfair to take out my anger and frustration out on you…..”

Kathel looked at him and moved closer, placing both hands on his shoulders.

“The day will come when you will realize that you have to leave him and become master of your own house.”

Philippe shook his head; he was not in the mood for another argument. “Do not speak against the house Kathel, I am First and loyal to Master Ignatius.”

“Listen to me Philippe, everyone within the house is fully aware of who the true master is, for the past ten years, our so called master of the house has been non-existed on many occasions. Leaving many to wonder what is going on. I am worried for you and what this latest act of his will do, not only to the house but you as well.”

Philippe had to agree with him there, Ignatius’s carelessness and total disregard of his responsibilities would hurt the trust and loyalty of other house members. Eventually they will lose faith and leave.

Philippe nodded his head and with his hands he swept back his hair, trying to think, trying to make sense of what happened.

“I know that I have been overseeing house matters, and it appears that Master Ignatius is losing interest.

However, it is the responsibility of the first to stand in for the master. There is so much going on right now, and I am sure my Lord Ignatius will clarify everything when he is able to do so.”

Kathel snorted rudely and shook his head; he had no faith in Ignatius.

“I believe the young Lord Jaden is correct, your love and loyalty is wasted on him. Like it or not Philippe the day will come when you have to walk away, really Ignatius will force you to make that choice.”

He moved closer to Philippe and looked into his deep blue eyes, without thinking he reached out and caressed his face.

“Philippe open your eyes, someone or something killed again and your master shows no interest except to enter the bid to take Storka House. Everyone including the council are all concerned, and yet Ignatius could not care.”

Without realizing what he was doing, Philippe leaned into the caress offered by Kathel and then moved away. He could swear his face heated with shame. From the corner of his eye he could see the frustration in Kathel’s face.

Trying to avoid the obvious subject Philippe said, “There are many questions I have for Master Ignatius, and I promise to get them. In the meantime, I will follow through with house matters and I assure you that I will do all that is necessary for everyone within this house.”

Kathel nodded, clearly he was not satisfied but he had to let it go for now. He could see the pain in Philippe’s eyes and he did not want to cause him anymore distress.

“I see, well then, until the mystery of the deaths have been resolved. I am your personal bodyguard, and no from this point on I am at your side at all times.”

Kathel put himself in front of Philippe, staring down hard into the deep blue eyes. “I do not care if you become angry with me. My place is at your side.”

It seemed like hours as silence remained between them.

Suddenly Kathel grabbed Philippe and planted a kiss on his lips, at first Philippe froze, and placed both hands on his chest to push Kathel away, intending to fight him off. Only to slowly reach up and wrapped his arms around his neck and give into the kiss.

He felt an odd sensation; he was being pulled in as if invisible hands pushed them closer to each other. Philippe wanted, needed to be close to Kathel and he felt powerless to deny it. For that brief moment before he finally pushed him away, he found a sense of fulfillment, completion, a sense of knowing deep within his soul that this is where he belonged.

Ignatius

That name was like ice down his back, what was he doing? How could he tell Ignatius that he loved him and then find himself in Kathel’s embrace was he also losing his mind?

Philippe turned away from Kathel; he was ashamed and so confused at the moment. He tried to make sense of what happened, but he could not come up with anything to justify his actions. He felt a strong pull within his being, his soul. He wanted, and yet he told himself he was not allowed to accept it.

Kathel stood behind Philippe and placed his hands on his shoulders, “I ask you to forgive me, but I am not sorry. I love you Philippe, from the moment I met you, I knew. I can no longer remain silent, I love you.”

Philippe wrapped his arms across his chest and lowered his head, “Please Kathel, you mistaken our friendship for love.”

Kathel spun Philippe around holding him at arm’s length, his face contorted in anger. “Philippe I am not a naïve child, do not insult me by trivializing my feelings for you. I have been through all the adolescent foolishness in my youth and I have centuries of life experiences to know my heart’s desire.”

Philippe shook his head and moved away from Kathel, if it were anyone else he would have dealt with the person appropriately. But with Kathel, he found himself at a loss. He did not want to hurt him, and he was surprised to admit to himself that he desired his happiness. He desired….

That last thought made him sad; of course he wished the best for Kathel. It was no different when he wished it for anyone else. But for Kathel he felt it more, for Kathel his feelings of good wishes ran deeper. It was more than a mere friendly gesture. And if he acknowledged his true feelings concerning Kathel, it would break him.

Kathel’s eyes narrowed as he stared deeply into Philippe’s deep blue eyes, seeing denial and sighed. “Why do you fight yourself, can you not understand what is happening here. Do you not feel the pull between us? We belong to each other Philippe; we are destined to become blood bonded mates.”

Kathel’s words snapped Philippe out of his thoughts and brought him back to reality. He looked as if he had been insulted. His first instinct was to reprimand him, remind him of his place and duty within the house. He opened his mouth to speak only to shut it and pace the room. He kept staring at Kathel as if he were a two headed alien.

Deep blue eyes narrowed in anger and he swept the hair away from his face, clearly frustrated and filled with guilt. He needed to take control and set Kathel straight, this could not be and it could not happen. He loved Ignatius and surely Kathel is delusional.

“Why would you say that, what has possessed you to believe that we are blood bonded……belong to each other? Have you forgotten that Ignatius and I are …..I belong to him…..I love …..Why Kathel, why would you say that?”

Kathel wanted to grab Philippe and shake him, make him see the truth, “Can you not feel it, look deep within your own soul and let it guide you. It is you who has mistaken loyalty for love.”

Philippe stopped cold. “Careful Kathel, choose your words wisely.”
Kathel let out a dry chuckle, “He does not love you, he never has. He uses you, he knows how naïve you are with your heart and he uses it to his advantage.”

Philippe’s body literally shook with anger; he raised his hand to get him to stop talking. He needed a moment to calm himself as his hand slowly closed into a loose fist and then dropped it to his side. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, no one not even Alarica would dare to say such things to him.

“So I am a fool, is that the consensus within the house. That I am a stupid lovesick pathetic creature?”

Kathel’s dark eyes looked sadly at Philippe and shook his head in denial, “Of course not Philippe, never. Everyone admires you, they stay because of you. It is only because you are innocent in love, you never truly experienced unconditional love and yet, you give it freely to a man who has not earned it.”

Philippe turned away in anger, “Enough Kathel, you take too many liberties with me.”

Kathel grabbed Philippe’s hand and held it over his own heart; he looked down into his deep blue eyes as he spoke earnestly to him.

“At least the love I offer you is pure and honest, the moment I saw you. I knew I wanted to be anywhere you are. You are true and loyal Philippe it is one of the many qualities that I admire about you. But unfortunately you blind yourself with this loyalty for Ignatius. I often wondered what horror he saved you from to merit your faith in him.”

Philippe pulled his hand back and turned away, he found it difficult to look at Kathel. How could he understand the history between him and Ignatius? Actually he knew many questioned their relationship, but they just didn’t know how he suffered; no one knew the gift Ignatius gave him and why he was so grateful.

Grateful? That last word pained him, for some reason it grated on him like sand rubbing into an open wound. No, it was love and that simple thought made it easy for him to understand why he stayed with Ignatius. For love, nothing complicated about that.

With a new resolve, he turned towards Kathel and leveled an even gaze at him. Pulling his shoulders back and lifting his chin. “I must ask that we stop this conversation, I am with Ignatius and I will not betray him. I will not betray him.” And as an afterthought he added, “Do not mistake me for an abused dog, Ignatius is my master in blood, I am not his slave.”

Kathel sighed in resignation, “I should have listened to Alarica.”

Hearing Alarica’s name got his back up, and in an overprotected mode he was suddenly in Kathel’s face. Almost snapping his fangs on his chin as he glared up at him.

“You dare, if you so much as distress my Alarica, my wraths upon you will….are you out of your mind? How dare you question her, if you so much as……”

Kathel raised his hands, “Calm down Philippe, I love Alarica and I would never do anything to cause her any discomfort.”

A breath of aggravation escaped Philippe’s lips as he stood back, when it came to Alarica he would do anything to keep her safe. But he also knew that Kathel spoke the truth about her, he knew his commander would protect her as well.

He nodded in acknowledgement to Kathel’s words, stepping away he was about to leave when he stopped. Wondering what Kathel meant that he should have listened to Alarica.

Frowning in confusion he asked, “Listened to her, what do you mean by that?”

Kathel merely shrugged his shoulders, “Only that Ignatius will force you to see the truth and that my love, will cause you great pain. I was hoping that I could keep it from happening if I declared my intentions and take you along with Alarica as far away as possible from him.”

Philippe stepped back; he was not sure what to make of it.

“Why would you even listen to her, she is an innocent child. She knows nothing of such things; her world is filled with games of a young child’s imagination. She lives in a dream world of castles, kings and queens, tea parties!”

A warm hand rested on Philippe’s shoulder as Kathel stopped him, “She is also a woman, and although it is rare. She is a woman with a keen mind and has her own opinions regarding adult matters.”

Shaking his head in denial, “No Kathel, she is a child. She spends her days making up stories with her dolls. You must not give too much credence to her wild imaginations. She can be quite convincing at times, and you would think she uses her dolls in the same fashion a fortune teller uses her crystal ball.”

“Do you hate me Philippe?”

The statement caught him off guard; he was dumbstruck and not sure what to say. He wasn’t even sure if he should dignify the question with an answer.

“No, no of course not. What a silly thing to say.”

“Do you love me?”

He stood stone cold still, trying to make sense of what Kathel just asked. Right now he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

“You, you are my friend Kathel. I am sure there is a level of concern, of love for a dear friend.”

Kathel forced Philippe to look at him, “Of that I am sure, however you did not answer my question. I love you Philippe, I can say this because it is what I feel. Look at me, and tell me honestly what you feel in your heart.”

Philippe ruefully shook his head and pulled his eyes away as he started to walk out of the room. He let anger take over; at least that emotion was easier to deal with.

“I refuse to be interrogated as if I were on trial.”

He snapped back at Kathel pointing an accusing finger at him, “this conversation is over, go do.” Hissing angrily at him. “Just go do whatever your duties require of you.”

And seeing Kathel smile smugly at him made him even more furious. “Why are you smiling?”

Kathel nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, at least you did not say. You do not love me.”

Kathel moved fast, near him. Wrapping his arms around Philippe as he stood behind him. His words spoken softly in his ear as he leaned down close to kiss his cheek.

“Know that I will always be here for you, when Ignatius breaks your heart I will help heal you. And when we are blood bonded, my love will renew you. I know for a fact Ignatius has not touched you for a long time now, so tonight I claim you as mine and I forbid you to allow him near you. When you are ready, I will properly claim you as my mate.”

Instead of rebuking Kathel’s claims, Philippe stood numb. His heart fluttered with the promise of Kathel’s love and he just knew that Kathel could feel it.

Love, passion, sadness, shame and guilt filled his every thought. He could have fought him off in the same way he fought Ignatius, somehow with Kathel it felt wrong to do so. With little or no comfort to soothe his troubled mind he eased himself from his embrace. Taking with him a tinge of pain in his heart as he slowly walked away when Kathel released him, his soul filled with regret.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Welcome, we warmly welcome you to our house.”

Alarica moved about her table and placed her dolls in position, her childlike voice speaking for them as she moved her dolls around to her liking.

“We are so pleased to have everyone together.”

A special table ten by four feet was set up in the middle of Alarica’s room, displaying an exact replica of Philippe’s island. The scaled down villa overlooking the make believe ocean, the horses stable, all of the surrounding homes, and lifelike gardens for her dolls to enjoy.

A massive undertaking to break down the table and re-set it here in her rooms. Alarica herself packed each doll with the utmost love and care, she would not travel anywhere without them. With everything set up to her liking she unpacked her dolls and placed them where she liked.

She walked around the table as she moved an exact replica of Micah to stand off to the side of her Philippe and Kathel dolls. Each doll handcrafted by a master doll maker, authentic jeweled gems used for the eyes and priceless miniature jewelry to adorn her dolls with and of course they are dressed in the finest fabrics.

The dolls bodies were not made of plastic or porcelain; instead the materials used are a special combination to give the appearance of soft supple skin. Alarica insisted that each doll has movable and bendable limbs, they must be exact replicas of the people she wanted in her collection.

No detail of the real life counterparts left out, male and female anatomy included right down to any imperfection on the body was copied on her dolls. According to the actual height of the real life person she modeled the dolls after; the tallest doll is twelve inches tall.

Even her Micah doll has a tattoo on its lower back, how she knew was a mystery to both Micah and Philippe.

Alarica’s love of dolls and her demands for extreme perfection in the details prompted Philippe to search the world over for the best of the best in doll craftsmanship. And when he did find such a person, he commissioned the dolls to be made only for Alarica.

Since the doll maker was handsomely paid he became quite wealthy over the years and he was pleased to make these special dolls for her. Also to ensure that he kept making the dolls, Philippe offered him eternal life. Perhaps offered is not the correct term, but whatever Philippe told the doll maker the offer was accepted.

For over three hundred years, Felix DePaul created works of art in the dolls for Alarica. Not only did he make them by hand, but he also maintained them to keep the dolls in excellent condition. He is extremely wealthy and over the years he started his own toy company. Unbeknownst to the human world, one of the largest toy companies known though out the world is owned by a vampire.

Felix DePaul created all kinds of toys and computer games over the years, but the dolls he made for Alarica he made personally and exclusively for her. Those dolls will never hit the mainstream market and no human will ever see them.

“Ah, there you are my dear. Would you like to stretch out your legs?”

Alarica unpacked a female doll; she gently smoothed back its silky blond hair and placed it in the gardens behind the villa. Opening another case she took out a male doll and put it down next to the female.

“There, there Henri. As you can see your lovely wife Helena did not mind the long trip. Perhaps a walk in the garden will ease your nerves?”

When Philippe stepped into the room, Alarica looked up at him and smiled. She quickly walked over to him and hugged Philippe. Taking his hand she led him to his favorite chair near the fireplace, Philippe sat down and Alarica sat on his lap.

Her head tilted to one side as she quietly studied him, her delicate hands cupped Philippe’s face and leaned in closer to kiss him on the nose.

“Poor Philippe, my poor sweet Philippe. Your mind is weary, rest my love. Honestly you overtax yourself with worry for everyone else.” She gently patted him over his heart as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“I will watch over you, let Alarica care for you now.”

Philippe smiled and hugged her closer to him; he kissed her on the top of her silken hair and quietly thanked her. Alarica simply smiled in return and nodded her head. Just sitting here and holding her, sharing a quiet moment with his Alarica helped soothe his anxious heart. And he cherished this small respite.

Philippe settled comfortably into his chair, every evening before going to sleep he would share this time with her. As he rested he glanced over to the table and could see that some of the dolls were unpacked and placed in their perspective places. He could only imagine how many she has in her entire collection, if she were to take them all out; he would have to build her a house of her own just to show them off.

He knowingly smiled and whispered into her ear. “Am I correct to assume that you already called Felix to create a new addition to your little family?”

Alarica pressed her face into Philippe’s chest and giggled softly.

“Oh yes Philippe, and I insisted on the finest emeralds for Jaden’s eyes.”

Philippe kissed her on her forehead and nodded in agreement, “As you wish my angel.”

His fingers gently caressed her hair, his heart filled with love and he smiled when Alarica hummed her appreciation in his arms. He looked at one of the dolls; a life like image of himself on the table, and next to him stood the Kathel doll. It looked like she was setting them up to greet their visitors.

Ah, Adrian and the Drakar brothers were together and it appeared they were being welcomed to his island. He looked at all of the dolls and wondered what happened to the Ignatius doll he gave her, it was one he gave her from the beginning which started her collection.

In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the last time he saw the doll is when he gave it to her. And he couldn’t help but feel that the way the dolls were set up it gave the appearance that the Philippe and Kathel dolls are mated and together they greeted their guest.

“Alarica?”

“Hmmm?”

“Where is Ignatius?”

Alarica waved her hand as if dismissing his question. “Is he not napping is his special room?”

Philippe almost laughed out loud, he hugged her instead. “No silly, not that Ignatius, the doll.

For awhile Alarica remained silent and when she did answer his question, he felt a cold stab of pain in his heart.

“Ignatius is no more.”

Philippe could barely speak when he asked, “Why, why would you say that. Who would say such things to you?”

Fear gripped his heart, as a small delicate finger pointed towards the dolls on the table.

“My children told me, and my children never lie.”


Note to readers: As always I am so sorry for taking so long between updates, and I am also sorry to say that it may be awhile for the next chapter, but rest assured the chapters will keep coming. So I hope you enjoyed this latest installment and let me know with your comments. Please keep them coming, it is what keeps me going and inspires me as I go on. I thank you all for your support.