~The Greatest Sacrifice~
The sun set from the post she had been tied to. She watched it cast blood red light across the hard, rocky soil as she awaited her death.
Her wrists were tied tightly. She knew for she struggled, at first, so violently that her wrists were bloody. If only she could have escaped this village…
If only…
She wasn’t even conscious when they tied her to the post. Her father was a metal smith, strong and proud, and he wasted no time in instructing his only daughter. They drugged her instead of facing her wrath.
She was a sacrifice.
There was nothing she could do now, but wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He came with the moon.
The moon was a pale sliver tonight. It cast the world not in light but in darkness. All of a sudden he was there. She jumped, startled, and glimpsed for the first time the monster that held her village captive.
He had soft-looking dark hair and clear, light brown eyes. So ordinary. She was surprised. But the darkness did nothing to hide his inhuman paleness. His clothes were richly tailored-his overcoat was dark blue, like his trousers and his shirt was jade green. His shoes were carefully sewn.
He looked like an English gentleman.
“Vampire,” she hissed. She spat at him when he got close enough. He neatly dodged.
She hated him so much that she was trembling.
“Good Evening,” he said calmly. “I must admit I’m not very pleased to make a meal out of a savage such as you. How…impolite.” He glanced at the spittle on the ground.
“Savage? Who are you to call me a savage, you monster?”
“True, perhaps I am a monster,” said the vampire. “But who are the greater monsters? Your village, who regularly sacrifices women like you for their own selfish safety, or I, who only tries to sustain himself? Tell me, now.”
She looked away.
“They wouldn’t even let you escape, would they?”
“I was dead since you came to this village and demanded the monthly sacrifice, vampire.”
“Oh?”
“The first woman sacrificed to you was my mother. It drove my father to madness, and my brothers to revenge. They were going to kill you, and died instead.”
He looked at her more carefully. “I see. I can’t really claim to remember my victims, but I suppose I remember your family.”
She stretched to him, snarling. “I wish you dead, vampire.”
“I am already dead, darling.” He smiled, his fangs gleaming in the weak moonlight. “Your name?”
She was silent.
“Nothing? Shall I call you by another name, then? A whore, perhaps-“
“Jewel,” she said, softly. “Jewel Auvergrine. That is my Christian name, vampire.”
“How lovely, a fiery gem shall be my meal tonight.” But he looked at her strangely. Her face was sad, as if her name had reminded her or happier times.
The vampire looked more closely. Behind the battered visage-his victims wore nothing more than a sackcloth, usually-he saw limbs molded, slim and slender. Her hair was ginger-colored, her eyes pale blue. She was tall, a few inches shorter than him. Her bare feet were bony and seemed delicate. She was pale, though not as pale as him.
No, never as pale as him.
“Jewel,” he repeated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His name was Matthew Reynald.
“Matthew, your library’s a mess,” Jewel said, years later. He had taken her that night she was supposed to die as a sacrifice, for reasons she did not know. Since then he treated her as a friend, or perhaps-
“I am not your maid, Matthew.”
Matthew smiled, a book in his hands. It was June 1745, three years after he had spirited her away from her village. They were at his manor-a cold stone building in the middle of the forest. The city was minutes away-at vampire speed, of course.
Jewel celebrated her 18th birthday recently. Her ginger hair, so short when they first met, had grown to her shoulders.
“But, my lovely Jewel, you’ve been so kind as to catalog my library. Won’t you finish the job?” He widened his clear cinnamon eyes at her, acting innocent.
Jewel sighed. “My lord, I wish you drank my blood that night if this is all you rescued me for.”
Matthew’s eyes darkened, and he rose. The book fell from his hands. He blurred as he ran to her, his speed making Jewel cringe.
“Never,” he uttered the words in her ears as he pinned her to a wall, “Never say that.”
“Matthew!” she cried out in pain, but he was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ever since that night when Matthew took her in, Jewel asked herself why she hadn’t run away yet. At first it was because the woods were truly dangerous, and once she did try to escape. She had run straight into a pack of wolves. Matthew saved her, then warned her that he would really kill her if she tried to run away again.
So then the reason became self-preservation.
And yet, last year, she had wandered away to a valley filled with flowers. She had been delighted, but forgot the time. She had fallen asleep there. The next morning she was trying to decide whether to return or not when Matthew appeared again, with his horse. He escorted her home.
He was very strong, she knew. Vampires possessed inhuman strength, and they didn’t seem to be affected by garlic, crosses, holy water, or sunlight. They healed quickly.
There was one way to kill a vampire.
Only one.
Fire.
She never tried to kill him, because she knew that he would kill her first.
Jewel sighed. Perhaps it didn’t matter. He had stopped targeting young girls. Nowadays he chose his victims as well as he could. Bad people, or people ill beyond hope of resuscitation or medicine.
Still, why did he react so badly to her jibes?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He hunted.
Useless, useless! Even though he was glutted with blood he couldn’t get the image of Jewel’s face out of his mind. Her intelligence, her beauty, her wit. Her words.
How dare she make a joke out of that? How dare she? That good for nothing-
There were footsteps behind him. Matthew turned, sensing one of his own kind. The cobbled stones announced no one else.
There was a woman in the alleyway, watching him feed. Matthew dropped his victim and straightened.
“May I help you?” he asked coldly.
The woman smiled. He was right. She was a vampire.
“Matthew, darling Matthew,” she crooned, appearing by his side. Her hair was light brown, she looked as fragile as a prima ballerina. Her violet eyes examined his face. “It’s been a while.”
Matthew didn’t flinch. “It has, Lianna. What brings you here?”
She pouted. That was the thing about vampires-they always looked beautiful. Lianna Gold was angelic even in her tantrums.
“Matthew, always so cold. It is not only me-there are others here, too.”
He stiffened. “How many?”
“Oh, a dozen or so.”
A dozen! “Why have you brought them here, Lianna?!”
“Don’t be such a spoilsport,” she said silkily. “They want to know why the famous “Demon of the Village” had stopped and become a meek lamb.”
“It’s none of your business.”
“It is too.”
“Leave now.” He snapped, turning to go.
“You cannot stop Joseph,” she called out.
He took a sharp breath. “Joseph…he’s here too?”
She nodded. Suddenly he realized what it cost, to come here and warn him. Joseph Durrenger was the most vicious vampire in existence. Lianna was part of his coven because she had caught her fancy when she was still human. It was rumored that Joseph made fledglings at the drop of a hat.
Joseph was Matthew’s maker.
“Lianna…”
“Matthew, I’ve been to your house. I have seen your human. Matthew, Joseph will kill her.”
“No,” he whispered. “Jewel…”
Lianna looked pained.
“Lianna-tell me. Is there no chance at all that Joseph will change her instead?”
“No chance at all. He wants to see the Demon of the Villages, again.” She smiled wistfully. “Matthew, you were always his favorite student. He’s so disappointed. And your human-she wouldn’t want to be one of us, would she?”
Lianna was right. Jewel would rather die.
“No,” it came out as a snarl. “No, no, no. I will-I will-“
“Matthew, IT IS TOO LATE. Do you understand? He is on his way!”
“Then why am I still here?!” he roared. Then he understood. “You-you were sent to distract me!”
She nodded, unable to look into his eyes.
“DAMN YOU!” he slapped her, making her hit the wall. “You’re nothing but Joseph’s puppet, are you?”
She slid to the ground. By the time Lianna recovered, Matthew was gone. Lianna sighed.
“Do you really love her that much, Matthew?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jewel wasn’t asleep. She stood in the library, fingering the books. Likely as not she was going to stuck cleaning them anyway.
She sighed. What she knew about Matthew was so little. He was a vampire, but she did not know when or why or how. He looked about twenty. He loved books and music-the violin, in particular. He was obviously a former noble.
His personality was changeable. He would be playful, then serious the next second. He could be warm then cold. The changes in his mood sent her reeling, their argument being the most recent example.
She couldn’t find it in herself to hate him. Although he was the one who ripped her family apart. Her former hate seemed so petty.
“Jewel!” someone shouted.
She looked up. Matthew stood in the doorway, looking winded.
He never looked winded…
“What’s the-“
“You need to leave.” Mathew said. Jewel found herself in his arms, with no idea about how she got there. Matthew sounded shaken.
“Matthew?”
“They’re coming.”
“Who’s coming?”
The scenes blurred. Jewel was looking out at the forest.
She had no idea that he could be that fast.
“Matthew? Tell me-“
“We’ll need to go through the river, so they won’t catch your scent.”
“Who won’t?”
Suddenly he froze.
“Matthew?” Jewel called again, frightened by his immobility. “Matthew?”
“Matthew, My boy.”
The whisper came from around them. Jewel turned to look.
“Joseph,” said Matthew, so softly that Jewel could barely hear.
There was a laugh. Jewel leaned out of Matthew’s arm, trying to see. “That’s correct. I thought you’ve forgotten me, by the way you ran away.”
“I can never forget you, Master.” Said Matthew.
There were figures around them. In the night, they only looked like darker shadows, but understanding was slowly dawning on Jewel. She clutched at Matthew.
“But you forgot to introduce me to your lovely companion.”
Matthew suddenly jerked back. Jewel gasped, flatted against his stone chest.
“Shall I break her away from you?”
Matthew was rigid. Slowly, so slowly, he set her down. His face was expressionless
Jewel stood. She wasn’t scared. Not yet.
“Ah, so you are?”
She didn’t speak, scrutinizing the man before her. He had long black hair, held loose, and green eyes. He looked about Matthew’s age, though he was taller.
“Vampire,” she said in recognition.
“Yes, I am,” he said carelessly. “And you must be the one who tamed my protégé.”
His hand lashed out, swift as lightning. But before it could make contact with her face a white hand shot out and stopped the blow.
Matthew.
The green-eyed vampire began to laugh. “So my suspicions were correct!” he said triumphantly.
Matthew looked ashamed. “Please, Joseph, I-“
“No need to explain, my boy. What is her name?”
“Jewel,” she cut in. “Jewel Auvergrine.”
“How lovely, a jewel in this forest. Matthew, you brute, keeping such a feast from us.”
“NO!” Matthew shouted. “Master, don’t. I’ll go back to your coven, if you want to. Just let her go.”
“I can’t do that, Matthew, though I’m tempted.” Joseph said, his voice flat. “If she is in the way of my plans I will kill her. You know this.”
Matthew looked stricken. He would’ve wanted to fight back, but he was greatly outnumbered, with Jewel to protect.
“Please, master,” Matthew begged. “Please.”
“Ah, how you beg. I thought I made you forget how to beg when I turned you.” Joseph kicked him. And though Jewel never saw Matthew hurt, Matthew went down, clutching at his stomach.
“You…” Jewel wasn’t able to find a word bad enough.
Matthew suddenly sprung up. He punched the vampire closest to him and then elbowed another. “Jewel, run! Just run! I’ll hold them off!”
She was paralyzed. She couldn’t run. Joseph stretched out a hand and then wrapped them round her neck, holding her in front of his body.
Hostage. It was obvious. Matthew stopped fighting.
“Let me go!” Jewel spat furiously, squirming. Joseph’s grip on her tightened. “You monster!”
Joseph was deaf to her yells. “What do you say, Matthew?” he said casually. He dipped his head and licked her neck. “Shall I drain her in front of your eyes?”
Jewel cringed in disgust.
“Master…no, please…”
“Or, I’ll make you a bargain, Matthew,” Joseph said, as if struck by a thought. “I’ll let you kill her.”
Matthew looked up, stunned.
“Oh, yes. I like that idea,” Joseph laughed. “Come, Matthew.”
Matthew didn’t move.
“Come, Matthew, or I’ll slit her neck and let her die like a slaughtered pig.”
Matthew walked forward like a zombie. Jewel stared into his eyes.
They were the eyes of a condemned man.
“Go on,” Joseph said. “I shall watch, like I did before when I was still teaching you to kill.”
Matthew didn’t move an inch closer, though he was now so close that Jewel could have touched him. Joseph raised a hand to her neck.
Something flickered in Matthew’s dead eyes. “No.”
“Then kill her.”
Matthew bowed his head, helpless. Jewel watched.
Finally Jewel sighed. “Matthew, I will be fine.”
She couldn’t see his face, but there were tears flowing down his cheeks.
“I’d rather that it was you, Matthew. Please. Do it quickly.” She said in the kindest voice she could muster.
“Oh, Jewel,” he moaned. “I’ve resisted the temptation because I love you. And now you ask it of me? To give you death? I shall die as well!”
Jewel didn’t realize that she was crying as well. “Don’t, Matthew. We shall meet again in this world if you wait.” She touched his solid chest. “Now come, my love. It is goodbye for the moment.”
“Shut up!” Joseph said. “Matthew, get on with it!”
Jewel embraced Matthew one last time. Matthew, weeping, brought his teeth to her neck. She felt the pain as her neck was pierced by his fangs, then more pain as blood was sucked out of her.
She didn’t know how long it was. Something wet was trickling down her neck, and she realized that it was Matthew’s tears.
Her eyes rolled up, and her arms fell limp. Mathew sobbed, kneeling, holding her dying form in his arms.
“You are forbidden to turn her,” Joseph warned.
Mathew held her close, whispering her name over and over again.
“Look, Matthew, it’s our moon,” Jewel whispered. “The night we first met.”
Matthew looked up. Through the trees he could see the sickle moon, casting a thin light over the world.
And when Matthew looked down at her again her eyes were closed. She had a faint smile on her lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~more than two and a half centuries later~
Matthew never forgot. He waited in this world for a long, long time, searching for Jewel.
Several times, he had almost given up. He could find no one like her.
He still loved books and music, and he had taken to traveling a lot. This time his disguise was an English teenager studying at Yale.
He went out mostly at night. Every time he felt like giving up, he looked up, and he saw the sickle moon. He stopped believing in coincidences long ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hey! Patti!”
Patricia Moonset poked her head out of the music shop where she worked part time. “Yeah, Regina?”
Regina Williams smiled at the ginger-haired girl fondly. “Dear, there’s someone at the classical section, looking for Beethoven’s emperor concerto. Do we still have them?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Patti said, her clear blue eyes squinted in thought. “I’ll bring him one.”
“It’s the one with the dark hair, Patti,” Naomi Further, her friend and co-employee giggled. “He’s smokin’ hot. Oooh I wish I was assigned to the classical section today.”
“Naomi,” she laughed. “Dad will kill me if I have a boyfriend before my eighteenth birthday.”
“That’s in a few days, right?”
“Right.” She selected a CD and sauntered over to the classical section. A young man was there, listening to some other CDs with the mini-cd player tester.
She tapped him on the shoulder. There was no one else. The classical section was slow even at eight in the evening.
“Sir, I have your CD.”
The man turned, and her first thought was Naomi was right. He had long dark hair and light brown eyes. He looked strong, but slender at the same time. When he saw her, his eyes widened.
“Jewel,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry, My name’s not Jewel,” she said. “Here’s your CD.”
Why did she get the feeling that she saw him somewhere before?
Well, all right, maybe she saw him at the Yale Campus. But it didn’t explain the sudden nervousness she felt.
He held out a hand for the CD, and Patti handed it to him. There was a jolt as their fingers touched. Patti jumped.
“Are you all right?” he asked, sounding strained.
“Yeah, just static electricity.” She smiled. “Have I seen you before? At Yale?”
“I study there,” he said, barely moving his lips. “The college of international languages.”
“Oh, I see! I’m from there too. I’m Patricia Moonset.”
Very weird. He smiled at her with more warmth than was necessary for a stranger. “I’m Matthew Reynald.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Comments, rates, messages and requests are loved.~
~Ja~
~I’ll show you another sweet dream the next time we meet~
