The Visitor CH1

He swept past the pews and went straight for the double mahogany doors; he had said what he needed. It was up to them to head his words or not. Long black feathers that lined his coat matched his satin hairs’ swaying as he created his own wind around him. Into the night sky he lept. Fading. Disappearing form their existence forever.

The strange man had set unrest amongst the men and women surrounding Azerrad, he may as well have killed them all then. Just telling them death was around the corner like that with no explanation was too distressing a thought for most of the coven followers. Azerrad struggled to form words in his head to ease his people.

The agonizing silence that man had left lasted forever. The agonizing silence that man had left lasted but a moment.

“What…” the twisting of worry distorted the prettiest of faces in the room. “What did he mean Azerrad?” The bodacious blonde clung to her leader’s arm. Azerrad pulled her in closer; more so he didn't get an ear full about neglect later rather than to be in any way of real comfort to the woman.

The tension the silence had brought had been yanked away into chaos as dozens of people gathered on the chapel stairs argued at once.

“This has to be a joke.” A barretoned brut in the corner of the stairs added abruptly.

Another man shook his head. “Glavos coven wouldn’t be so quick to do so. Moreover I don't recognize him as part of their family.”

“I know his elite kind. We shouldn't trust him.”

“If that freak of a bird was that powerful why did Glavos send him for just words?”

“I feel he may be back for an ambush.”

“Surly a child could not kill us all.”

Azerrad turned around as composed as he could manage. A good act. “Silence.” was all she spoke and all his family members were immediately at his attention. His lips were in a straight line of anger and thought. “I do expect you to keep your heads in these times. More often than not prophets are false. Rember. I suspect, my friends that Thaddeus is right. This is the work of Uraph Glavos.”

“But Darling… He said if we don't leave we…” The blond’s eyes became watery.

“Most likely a ploy Bellatrix. Let us not be quick to forget our northern neighbors have been after out territory for some time now.” Their master added reassuringly.

“Dat man did not belong to Him!” A husky dark man pushed his way to the front. “I know He couldn't keep a leash on someone like dat. Dat man has no mazer.”

Full of scars the man next to him agreed. “Or at least under not the controls that we know of.”

“Surely they would not jest of such things.” Ringlet curls of scarlet framed the powdered face of the woman that spoke, the infant in her arms wailing.

Now completely on her Master’s side Azarrad’s bed candy shook her head. “Juliet please. We have been the center of their territory wars for decades now. My darling knows Glavos’ antics better than anyone else here.” Her tone had a slight glimmer of doubt but she stood tall next to His decision.

A man more fit to be sleeping outside gruffly spoke up in agreeance. “Why should we trust strangers for their word when they could easily be a trap?” Whispers filled the room after Typhoeus stated this; words from him were so rare that the whole coven took them with the most seriousness. It had such an effect that most would find it hard to believe that it couldn’t be false information.

During the commotion Azerrad sat down to ponder his own doubts, the model like female still clinging to him. The man’s chair was so high backed that it resembled that of a throne: ornate in all of its carvings and adding to the hierarchy feeling he gave off. Truly a king indeed he believed. Treating his followers like his royal court and rarely listening to given advice or concerns. It was a blasphemous place to set up such a thing but that was how Azarrad liked it. In the center of a former altar of a gothic chapel. The rest of the residence was converted into living quarters for the two and a half dozen or so other members.

“But sir…” a soft and warm faced woman approached the master of the land. “I felt his power. It radiated from him like star beams. Should his words be sent as a ploy to get us all to move… Wouldn’t a more direct threat be more likely from that sort of man?” She nervously twisted the long side of her asymmetrical bob between her fingers. “I have to agree with Elliot. I don’t think he was one of Uraph’s.”

Azarred looked up at the arian woman standing before him. He had a hard time giving the woman he loved harsh words, however, the infant’s crying had sent him to the mercy of a migraine and it was in no matter a benefit to his mood. The sharp line of his mouth grew thinner and he spoke threw closed theath. “No child - prophet or not could destroy us all Cin!”

Bellatrix noted her love’s distress and acted upon it. “For god’s sake shut that thing up!” She snapped throwing a glare at the red head.

Juliet shot the arrogant woman and equally nasty look. Truly if eyes could kill the entirety of the room would have suffered. With a pace matched only by lightning the whites of Juliet's eyes became bloodshot just before she lifted the babe in arms up to her face with aggression. The silence that followed her actions rang like a sharp knife on glass. After a moment’s pass the woman lifted her head. Crimson, just as vivid as her hair smothered her mouth. The infant was then dropped to the ground with a thud. “HAPPY?!” Hands on her hips and fangs flashing the woman growled to the other cat.

Azarred’s pet nodded satisfactorily grinning in response; her own elongated canines shown forcefully.

Several other women were huddled together defensively in the back of the group ready to have their own say in the previous motion. “This is our home. We can't be pushed out. Whomever by.” One of them looked to another male in the group. Not Azerrad but another elder of olive skin and intelligent eyes. “Right Raphael?”

Raphael looked puzzled and hurt. “Just the opposite. Better to leave together than die together.”

Anger rose in Azerrad, a single hand from their ‘father’ gestured for a hush. An order. “We are not leaving Salem.”

“Find him! Bring him to me!” were the last words uttered by their master before leaving to brave the night’s terror. Alone, yet together: Laurent, Juilet, Sinbad, Valentine, and Nicolai searched Salem. As planned the five met in Swampscott Cemetery just as dawn peeked her head over the horizon. Not one of them returned with anything in hand. No word of his location; no sightings of unusual people; no sign of the profit child he told of.

“So… he is gone then.” Juillet scoffed duly twisting her ginger hair between her fingers.

Sinbad gave a week toothy smile, very unlike the charming one he usually wore. “Likely not, no vampire can move that fast.”

“I agree, the fishy cunt must be hiding!” Leaning against a crypt a black man phonetically interjected.

“So we continue looking until we know for sure.” The ariab suggested.

“Inconceivable! Sin you know what the sun does to us.” Juillet retaliated.

Nicolai tasued his tawny hair over his shoulder. “Then we stay in a crypt until nightfall. Approaching Azzard with nothing is unwise.” To his dismay Sinbad was the only one taken with idea.

“Bitch I ain’t sleeping on that dusty stone!” Laurent seemed almost offended at the meir utter of something other than his own bed.

Underneath a willow Valentine neglected to articulate in the argument, he knew his place amongst the surrounding Barrettens’.

Juillet began to walk away from the groop. “Fine, do whatever you ass holes want:” She pushed passed Sin forcefully. “Continue arguing, sleep in a grave, or burn of all I care. I’m going home.”

“Hold up hooker!” Laurent called out and with a blink of an eye was right behind her.

Nicolai’s face screwed with ire. “Laurent! Juillet! We do not abandon an order from the Higher.” His words cased one of the two heretics to halt momentarily.

“I ain’t a lackey to no force brother.”

Defeated Sin gestured for his sibling in coven to follow him into an open crypt. “Are you joining us Hunter?”

The rugged Valentine shook his head in silence.

“Fine… Let Azzard know we will be back when we have Him.”

Valentine waited for the two to disappear into their bedding before leaving himself. He walked with human pase back to the coven; in route a coppery thickness filled his nostrils. Overtaken by his compulsion to both follow food and live up to the glory of his human life the ex-hunter pursued the broken human flesh.

Locks of fire, curly and satin shrouded a meager form. Aroused by the smell, yet appalled at the sight Valentine growled deep within himself. Juliet was hunched over a runt of a adolescent girl: feasting, devouring the life of another child. Her calling card. Enmity washed over the former hero like a tsunami. Valentine expeditiously snatched the villainous woman by the hair and yanked her back. A screech from the harpy and a thud from the victims limp body. He glared down into her burning eyes with silent rage. She tried to jerk away, but he only ripped at her hair harder. Valentine could feel small amounts of blood drip into his palm as he held both the attached and unattached hair in a vice grip.

Juliet calmed enough to give him a smirk. “You get off on this don't you?” She taunted.

Valentine let go of her and in less than a moment she was on her feet. “Highland Park is MY feeding territory. Last I checked YOU were ordered to only feed between Pickman Park, the south campus and Vannin St.” To say he spat venom at her would be an understatement.

A small scoff cam from the vampiress. “And who are you but a lackey? You hold no authority over me and Azzard would believe any filthy humans word before yours.”

“We are all slaves to that monster. As he is the king of our blood.”

Juliet wasn’t listening; she was turning back to the girl. The sharp Valentine was able to step around her as a means to block any further contact with the human before Juliet could blink. “Out of my way you self righteous brute!” She pushed against his chest, however, was sourly greeted with blue jagged rods of electricity. The woman pulled back and looked down at her singed hands in awe.

“Just because I was born human dose not mean Azzard did not pass any of his Gifts onto me.” Valentine knew victory was his as she was brought into this world as a scrub. A vampire with no Gifts. Apart from her fangs, lack of empathy, and eternal life she was practically human. “Leave.”

Juliet’s head snapped up at him. “Or what?” she scowled

Valentine's body began to radiate with blue light.

The moment Juliet was out of sight Valentine turned his attention to the broken form beneath him. She was blond and frail, even more so now that the vixen had drained her. He put the palm of his hand flat against her chest. A heart beat. Relieved Valentine moved to fix her before the dawn began to cook him. He didn't know where she lived but he would put her in a place where she could be easily found and safe. Valentine waited in the light, staying at a distance until he knew she was taken home by her parents before heading to ground.

He knew when he returned that night and no evidence of the profit was given that Azzard would take his anger out on him. However, having spent nearly 50 years with the man ths no longer bothered Valentine. He in fact welcomed it. Just punishment for letting himself be turned.


*Coven House*


When Juliet arrived home she felt different. As she thought about it she did not connect it with being bested by a slave. Nor was it that fact that she was still hungry. Though she hadn't gone to bed hungry in a century. She wasn't sure she remembered what exactly that felt like anymore, but it wasn’t this feeling now. It was not a painful feeling. Not a empty feeling. Nor was it happy either. It was like a luke warm ball was radiating in her heart. The longer she laid awake the father the feeling spread. As if she was being purified, Juliet didn’t even have an urge to masturbate before sleeping per her usual. Moreover the heat it brought only seemed to travel within her veins. Juliet had a passing thought that the little girl’s blood she drank had tasted odd, but thought nothing more of it. She would just have to feed properly when she woke.