Well, this week is 'Secret Sauce’ in NaNo land, and we are encouraged to shake it up a bit. I’m shaking it up by diving into the past with Aracelle and Niccoló, but in the meanwhile, our vampire has managed to get himself in a bit of bother.
Word count wise, I’m just over 15k of 50K (today’s word count target is 15K, this chapter will bring all up to just over 14k Chapter Five is in the works.)
Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III
Chapter IV: Beasties and Other Wildlife
A good, well refined whiskey was hard to come by, but Niccoló knew just the place. By night, the usually vibrate city of Londin, handed itself of over to the creatures that went bump in the night and no one need to create scares more than he did right now.
He sat with a single malt in front of him that had been poured by a red haired woman with the steeliest grey eyes he had ever seen. However, he had had it with unusual women. What he wanted was a nice blonde, blued eye bimbo who would be glad of the attention. He cast a look around; there was nothing to his taste here.
Good, virginal blood was even harder to come by than the whiskey.
The barmaid was back; her hips swaying unnaturally in the black leather trousers. Without a word she filled up the glass. ‘On the house,’ she said in a husky voice as she pushed the glass towards him with the tips of her fingers.
Niccoló took it. ‘Cheers,’ he said before downing it in one. ‘Now take a hint and leave.’
The barmaid lifted her dark eyebrows but moved away with the same unnatural sway of her hips. Niccoló huffed out a breath as he hauled himself to his feet. As he did so the barmaid cast a look over her shoulder and she smiled.
It was not a sweet, seductive, take me to bed smile, but a triumphant smile. Suddenly fuzziness came over Niccoló’s mind; everything blurred at the edges. He looked at the back of the barmaid as he swayed. ‘You bitch,’ he muttered as he crashed to the floor.
Cold water splashed over Niccoló’s face bringing him to consciousness. He roared before spluttering as the water trickled down his neck and collar. The first thing he tried was pulling up his wrists, but he was well and truly shackled to the arms of the chair he was sitting on but nonetheless he still attempted to struggle.
‘I wouldn’t bother,’ said a voice from behind him, ‘the belladonna has weakened you. It would be better to conserve your strength so you can escape later.’
From behind him the barmaid walked into view. She was no longer dressed in the provocative outfit she had been in but she looked no less alluring in a sleeveless black top and matching cargo trousers.
‘And who might you be?’
She flicked her red hair so it left her neck exposed. ‘Alessia Valenti,’ she said.
Niccoló felt this eyebrows rise at the name. ‘The demon hunter?’
‘So you’ve heard of me?’
‘How could I have not?’ he asked. ‘You’re the scourge of the underworld.’
Alessia smiled. ‘It’s one of my nicer names,’ she remarked dragging a chair over and sitting down on it. ‘You however, would be Il Principe della Notte.’
A smile curved on Niccoló’s face. ‘Finally, someone who shows a bit of respect,’ he said. ‘What do you want with me, because I quite assure you, I’m not into bondage.’
Alessia laughed for a second before a dark look crossed her eyes. ‘What I want with you goes against every grain in my body,’ she said. ‘I want you to understand that if I had my way, I’d drive a chair leg though your heart.’
Niccoló glared at her, but he knew, she had him at the disadvantage. She could kill him in an instant in this position but instead she was talking.
‘Luckily for you, and rather unluckily for the world at large, a higher authority has requested I provide you with this,’ she said, holding out a necklace.
With a flick of her wrist, Alessia tossed the necklace and it landed in his lap. Niccoló looked down at the intricate design that had been his ensign. The N curved over the V topped with a crown. He brought his eyes up to meet Alessia’s.
‘So Dr Serafino was right, in life you were Il Principe Niccoló,’ mused Alessia from her chair. ‘Perhaps it will not be all bad news that I have given you this, despite what you are,’ she said.
‘And what is it?’ asked Niccoló.
‘It’s been enchanted,’ said Alessia, ‘to allow you to walk in the sun. For some reason, it has been deemed that you will have some part to play in the upcoming events and those who watch over us seem to think you need to be freed of being unable to walk in the daylight.’
Niccoló frowned looking at the necklace. ‘What’s the catch?’
‘Serafino,’ said Alessia, ‘she’s the catch, but also the path you must follow.’
‘I want nothing more than to be a thousand miles away from her,’ he spat.
Alessia got up and strode over to where he sat and lifted the talisman from his lap. ‘Well, that is a shame,’ she said. ‘Because she is the key to all the unanswered questions in your life as well as the unwitting leader in all that is to come.’
Niccoló laughed harshly at Alessia. ‘You think because she wrote a couple of thousand words on me that she has the answers?’
Alessia cocked her head to the side. ‘No, I think she has all the answers because she’s a five thousand year old Seraph,’ she replied.
‘A Seraph?’ he asked, ‘as in a guardian?’ His eyebrows quirked. ‘That would explain the violet eyes.’
‘Indeed,’ said Alessia crossing her arms over her chest dangling the necklace just above the range of his movement, ‘and before you ask, she wasn’t the one to conjure this idea. No doubt she will not be happy that this has been offered to you.’
Niccoló lifted his head. ‘She came to me in search of answers,’ he informed Alessia.
‘Perhaps,’ conceded Alessia, ‘but that doesn’t mean she wants you walking around munching on everyone.’
‘Ahh, but think of the choice available,’ he said with a dangerous smile. ‘Sweet, pure blood.’
Alessia’s hand fisted and drew back seconds later it collided with inhuman speed and strength with his face. ‘The human race isn’t your personal supply of food,’ she said.
Niccoló wriggled his jaw and rolled his eyes. ‘Then, pray tell, how am I supposed to keep my strength for this great mission if I can’t eat?’
A smile crept on his face as Alessia looked back at him dumb struck. ‘Well, Miss Defender of Humankind, what’s the suggestion?’ he asked sweetly. ‘If the world needs my help, then I gotta eat.’
‘Then I suggest a more human friendly alternative,’ she said leaning in close so their faces were mere inches apart, ‘because I’ll be watching your every move, Niccoló, waiting for the moment I can drive home a stake into that dead heart of yours.’
Alessia pulled her fist back and slammed it into his face again. Alessia straighten and let the talisman fall into his lap before leaving. He wouldn’t be out long and when he woke he would be strong enough to break free of the bonds she had placed him in.
As she reached the door she looked back at the knocked out vampire. She felt almost sorry for him as she reached for her phone and tapped the screen a few times before putting it to her ear. Hell was coming and he was her only ticket to freedom; tonight’s events would reach the right ears before it was too late and she would be saved from the horror she was currently caught up in.
‘Giovanni,’ she said as the phone picked up, ‘it’s done. He’s dead.’
‘You have done well,’ he said, ‘now come home before your exploits reach the wrong ears. No doubt your mother will have something to say on this, it will be nothing good.’
‘Yes, uncle,’ she said quietly before turning her back on Niccoló and leaving.
Larissa pushed open the door to Aracelle’s office. The red haired woman was leant over her desk flicking though one of her books. To the left was a white board with pictures and notes from the kidnap and the murder scene that they were not supposed to have pictures of.
‘Our request has been denied,’ Larissa announced to her demonologist.
Aracelle looked up and turned around. ‘That doesn’t surprise me,’ she said taking the fax from Larissa. ‘When did you send the request?’
‘Nine,’ she replied, ‘why?’
‘Must be the quickest turn around we’ve ever had on any request,’ she said as her office mobile started to ring.
Larissa lifted her eyebrows. ‘Dubious?’ she asked as Aracelle picked up her phone.
‘Of course,’ she replied unrepentantly, ‘one of the most dangerous demon’s alive is posing as the boyfriend to the new Queen after her father has been brutally murdered in the run up to one of the most important dates in the supernatural calendar.’ She shrugged. ‘Dubious doesn’t cover it.’
The phone rang off and Aracelle put the phone down on her desk. Larissa was about to open her mouth again when phone started ringing again. Aracelle’s eyebrows knitted together as the same number as before flashed upon the screen.
‘What is it?’
‘Persistent,’ she said as she clicked on the accept call button. ‘Serafino.’
Larissa watched as Aracelle’s eyebrows knitted together; behind her Stephen walked into the office space with a frown on his face.
‘What?’ asked Larissa quietly.
Stephen nodded to Aracelle who was now thanking whoever was on the phone with a cheerful voice that belied the expression on her face.
‘Did you just get the same call I got?’ Stephen asked as Aracelle hung up the phone.
‘Depends, was your phone call an invitation to the Royal Masquerade?’ asked Aracelle, ‘with a plus one?’
‘Oddly enough, yes, and Larissa, your phone was ringing as well.’
Aracelle smiled. ‘Accept with grace,’ she advised the witch.
Larissa frowned. ‘What now?’
‘It’s clearly a trap,’ said Aracelle, ‘a badly thought out one, however, it will give us the chance to get a look at those on the other team so to speak.’
‘If it’s a trap then why do we need to go?’
‘Kaleed has a hold over the Queen, we need to get up close and personal to see what that hold is,’ explained Aracelle.
‘Henry mentioned that name to me last night,’ said Larissa, ‘you will have to explain who and what he is, Henry said you were the best person to answer that.’
Aracelle smiled and nodded. ‘Not here,’ she said, ‘we have to assume we’re having our every move watched.’
Larissa frowned even more deeply and looked over at Stephen who nodded his agreement. ‘Then when we are within these four walls, we keep it strictly work, for our own safety,’ she said before leaving the room to receive her own invitation to the ball.
Stephen walked over to sit in the chair besides Aracelle’s desk. ‘I don’t think it matters where we are,’ he said as the door hit home, ‘I think we’re marked wherever we are.’
‘You suggesting we live on a knife’s edge and just act as we need to?’ enquired Aracelle.
‘If it saves lives, then yes,’ said Stephen, ‘isn’t that what you do? Save lives?’
Aracelle smiled at him. ‘Actually I watch and then intervene when needed.’
‘I’ll say you’re needed right now,’ he said.
‘I think you might be right,’ she said walking over to the white board to survey the pictures there. ‘We need to try and predict when and where the next attack will happen.’
Stephen looked at the pictures as well. ‘But it’s seemingly random.’
‘Everyone has a way of picking out their victims, Stephen,’ said Aracelle, she tapped her finger on the kidnapped girl. ‘We need more information about Kerrie. There hasn’t been an investigation on that, so we don’t have the usual background information or witness statements.’
‘A tactic to slow us down?’ asked Larissa as she returned.
Aracelle nodded. ‘We have to assume that our progress will be hinder in every way. Larissa, how do you feel about throwing out the rule book?’
‘I think we’ve already covered our bases there, Aracelle, by harbouring Henry and Niccoló under the noses of the DTU,’ she said. Larissa looked at the pictures. ‘We have to continue as we mean to go on, and if that means continually breaking the rules, then we shall do so.’
Suddenly the door flew open and stood there was their superior. Larissa, as head of the team, stood up. ‘Sir?’ she said.
‘There has been a report of a very bloody murder at one of the demon bars in Hapton, our snitch Tom Craclic has been ripped to shreds in his bar,’ he explained, ‘I want you lot down there now and I want verification on reports that Il Principe della Notte was there last night. I want that bastard nailed.’
Larissa nodded her head. ‘Yes, sir,’ she said.
‘Good woman,’ he said before backing out.
Then Larissa turned on Aracelle. ‘Let’s go and see what mess your new friend has been causing, shall we?’
Aracelle lifted sheet covering Tom’s body and she exhaled slowly. She closed her eyes as she recalled the threat Niccoló had made to him two nights ago.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Aracelle quietly as she put the sheet back and looked around taking in the scene.
Larissa walked over. ‘This time you can’t deny that this is di Notte’s M.O.,’ she pointed out.
The crime scene was utterly contained to the body; there was no unnecessary blood spill and the limbs had been ripped off after the body had been drained. It was a perfect textbook revenge kill and it even had a motive.
‘You didn’t really think he had turned away from his true nature did you?’ asked Larissa very quietly.
Aracelle shook her head. ‘No, he made no such promise,’ she said just as quietly as Larissa, ‘but I feel responsible. This is where I tracked him down to two nights ago.’
Larissa placed her hand on Aracelle’s shoulder. ‘You are not responsible for the actions of a creature of this nature.’
She took a deep breath before nodding her head at Larissa; the truth was she was responsible, in the long run for Niccoló despite turning her back on it. She could of easily driven a stake through his heart at the alter where he returned to the life of a vampire.
Larissa moved away and Aracelle lifted the sheet; just to be certain. Craved into the cheek was the infamous ensign that had adorned the face of many a victim of Il Principe della Notte. An A over a V. She’d recognise it anywhere. It had taken her many years to recognise what the message meant; it was a message of revenge against his nature for the death he had brought to his wife.
Unusually for her, she felt a rise of anger bubble rather than her cool detachment for the scene. It was too close to her, this revenge, this perfect revenge. As she sighed and drop of fluid landed on her arm. Aracelle looked down and saw not a dribble of water but of dark red blood.
With a deep breath Aracelle looked up drawing her smartphone out of her pocket. On the ceiling, where no one had noticed was a symbol; lust. She dropped to a knee and clicked a picture.
‘Larissa,’ she yelled calling her superior back. ‘Look at this.’
The witch reappeared and looked up. ‘So he is involved with this,’ she muttered as Stephen joined them. ‘I’ll bet he was watching us, reporting our movement, that’s how we’ve attracted the attention of the people behind this.’
Aracelle wished she could dispute the fact, but it seemed the vampire had no intention of playing to their tune and he added to the list of creatures that would soon feel the end of one of Stephen’s wooden stakes.
‘I need to get one of my books from the car,’ she announced. ‘I need to confirm that this is what it is.’
Outside, Aracelle took a deep breath. In her long life she had never been afraid of the night or the shadow but right now she was grateful for the sunlight. It warmed her against the nightmare that was waiting back in the bar. Here she was safe for just a moment.
Something passed in the corner of her eye and she spun before she was flung from her feet. She landed awkwardly in the mouth of an alleyway as she got to her feet she was pulled up and dragged into the darkness. Aracelle’s body slammed up against the wall and seconds later she was eye to eye with intense green eyes shot through with gold.
‘You planning to kill me, as well?’ Aracelle breathed.
‘I didn’t kill him,’ replied Niccoló relaxing his grip of her but not freeing her. ‘I spent my evening bound to chair.’
‘I don’t really need to know what you do in your spare time,’ replied Aracelle.
‘You do when I’m accused of a murder I didn’t commit,’ bit back Niccoló, ‘you asked me not to kill him. I always feel strangely compelled to do as you request. Making me wonder if you work some abracadabra on me.’
‘I’m all out of abracadabra today,’ answered Aracelle, ‘so, if you weren’t murdering my favourite snitch last night, dare I ask why you were tied to chair?’
Niccoló looked disgusted for a moment. ‘I had an encounter with Alessia Valenti,’ he said, ‘sly bitch laced my drink with belladonna.’
Aracelle shook her head. ‘You couldn’t have,’ she said, ‘you’d have never survived the encounter.’
‘That’s what she said,’ replied Niccoló as he pulled at one of the chains around his neck, ‘but instead she gave me this and to my surprise, it does as prescribed.’
‘And what does it let you do?’
‘Walk in the sun,’ he said.
Aracelle frown as she looked at the ensign. ‘That must have gone against the grain for her. She’s very clear when it comes to any sort of demon.’
Niccoló stashed the necklace back behind his crumpled shirt. ‘I didn’t kill Tom; I will admit that is an almost perfect reproduction of one of my own crime scenes. Nineteen eight two, Vegas, guy was cheating at cards.’
‘Then who is copying you?’
‘Well, that’s the bit you will be helping me with, Valenti seemed to know you, so I’m assuming you two must have exchanged a bit of information at some point,’ said Niccoló meeting her eyes again.
Aracelle nodded. ‘That may well have happened,’ she said, ‘suffice to say we are familiar with one another.’
Niccoló smiled at her. ‘Excellent,’ he said, ‘I want to know how her Uncle Giovanni is. She phoned him to tell him I was dead when she thought she had knocked me out.’
‘Her Uncle Giovanni?’ said Aracelle hearing the faint tone of her voice.
Niccoló nodded. ‘That’s what I said, and I want to know who he is, so I can show him what it’s really like to be ripped limb from limb,’ he said venomously. ‘You might not believe it Ms DTU, but I do have a sense of right and wrong and Tom did not deserve what was done to him.’
‘Yet all the others did?’ asked Aracelle quietly.
Niccoló was about to open his mouth when Stephen’s voice reached them as he called for Aracelle. ‘Get me the info I want,’ he demanded pulling Aracelle away from wall and placing his lips on hers.
She pushed away as their lips met in the briefest of touches and landed back against the wall. Aracelle sucked in breath after breath as Niccoló tasted his lips where they had met.
‘Interesting,’ he remarked before moving away from and out of sight before she could even muster a thought.
‘Aracelle,’ came Stephen’s voice again now at the mouth of the alleyway. ‘Aracelle, what happened?’
She shook her head. ‘Nothing,’ she said, ‘I’ll explain later.’
Pushing herself away from the wall, Aracelle walked back towards Stephen. ‘I need a look at a Vegas murder in the eighties,’ she said. ‘I’m willing to bet it’s an almost perfect replica.’
Stephen grabbed her shoulders as she went to push past him. ‘You are staying at my place tonight,’ he said sternly.
‘No, I’m not,’ she replied sharply. ‘I can handle to myself. We need as minimum loss of life as possible.’
‘It will be for nothing if you die,’ he said.
Aracelle shook her head. ‘I won’t die, it’s impossible to kill me.’
Chapter V
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