SWNOVELS Chapter CHAPTER ONE
Of Heroes and Gods
The only time Aleisha Goldstein-Prindiville considered not going ahead with her plan, was when she thought about her current physical shape. She was in the best condition she had ever been in, and now that she was a vampire, she would stay in that shape for the rest of eternity.
However long that may be.
One of the Pistols had joked once, Hey, we’re vampires, and we will live forever … that is, unless we get killed. It had been funny at the time, but not so much now. A war was imminent, maybe just a breaking dusk away, and if the war began, there were going to be plenty of vampires from her clan who weren’t destined to live forever.
Aleisha hung her head, so distraught, because even while her vampire years had been the very best of her young life, there were always negatives. Blessed with natural beauty, Aleisha had always been conscious of her appearance, and as a human being, many hours had been wasted in front of a mirror, or as she had conditioned herself to believe, the hours weren’t wasted, they were an investment. As a human being, she had manically stayed faithful to her role as caretaker to the divine collection of flesh and bones that she was, and friends and acquaintances would often inquire, Where is Aleisha? and the joking response from her friends had been, Find a mirror, and you’ll find Aleisha. As a vampire, Aleisha had enjoyed the most extraordinary years of her life, everything a joy, everything new and exciting, with just the one negative. Her fellow vampires could gaze on her whenever they wished, and they did, frequently, constantly, gushes and breathless pants exclaiming, You look so hot! And it was true, although she was the only one who couldn’t see what they saw. If she saw her friends from the old days now, she would say, I haven’t looked in a mirror for almost two years! Which was true, although it wasn’t because she didn’t want to, it was because she couldn’t. She would have loved a mirror right now, she would have loved to have been afforded even a ten-second glance into a mirror, because she thought depressingly, the nineteen-year-old Aleisha Goldstein-Prindiville would be even more stunning than the seventeen-year-old version had been.
Long flowing blond hair, her shapely and curvaceous body now ripped and toned, and her face had always been a head-turner. People, or creatures, looked at her, then their minds would head in the one direction. As a human being, she knew that she had been a mood-changer, or a thought-changer. Men walking down the street would be thinking about the baseball scores, or their next mortgage payment, then they would look at her and their thoughts would alter as they stared at her face, their glances then dropping to her chest, and as they walked past her, they would turn to stare at her ass. The sons and heirs of the fabulously rich and wealthy in Louisiana would wait in line for the chance to talk to her or dance with her, for at social events at the River County Country Club, she was the Holy Grail. Her parents knew it too, and her father would say with a restrained admiration, You look sensational Darling. While her mother, never one to throw compliments around, would advise, Stand straight girl, push your shoulders back.
As a vampire, she was a thought-changer too, as well being the vampiric version of the Holy Grail, because seven vampires, the other members of the Pistols, would count off the days, waiting for their chance to jump into her bed. As a group, they were equals, although when it came time to bed down, she was the chalice that all the other Pistols wanted to sip from. A question had become her most often used phrase, because these days she found herself asking the group frequently, Okay, so who wants to massage me? Hands would shoot up, and eyes would light up as her friends jostled for position, desperate to touch the Holy Flesh. Last September, Piper, one of the leaders of the Pistols, had approached her and said, It’s my birthday today, so for my birthday present, could you give me a massage? Aleisha had replied casually, Happy birthday to you, although I am unable to grant your request because I receive massages; I do not give them. Piper was disappointed, although she asked, Can I please massage you then? Aleisha had replied, Since it’s your birthday, yes, you can massage me. In a frantic scurry of activity, six other Pistols had dashed into the room, and for Piper’s birthday present, Aleisha had received another multiple-handed massage that resulted in an eight-out-of-ten orgasm.
There were others as well, who had their thoughts altered simply by gazing at her. Scarlett of the Hammers was one of the most stunning looking women Aleisha had ever seen, and it only took Aleisha a few mumbling phrases to lure her into her bed. The Queen of the Pearl River Witches, Apollonia, was a victim as well. Apollonia had gazed at her for the first time, and then she became a prisoner of her desires. Aleisha smiled as she remembered the Pistols first hunting expedition in the grounds of the Academy, hunting and capturing a serial rapist. Aleisha had asked the rapist, Out of us girls, who would you rape first? and even though the man knew that he was in serious trouble, he had replied meekly, You, because you’re really hot. Someone else had asked, Who would you rape next? and the man said timidly, I’d just keep coming back to this one, because she’s gorgeous.
Unfortunately, there were others as well.
Cordeir.
The cowardly former leader of the Mephistopheles Clan had seen her, and his ambition was quite clear; he wanted her all to himself. Or maybe not all to himself, he wanted her for his clan.
Aleisha had two very unpalatable choices available to her, and she knew that the time had come to make a decision; Stand and fight with the clan, or else go to him. Only one thing would happen if they fought Cordeir’s clan, herself and her friends would meet Mephistopheles. Outnumbered by more than three-to-one, they couldn’t beat them, and it would turn into a massacre. Cordeir was so desperate to have her, that he would probably order his troops to kill everybody except her, so it was highly likely that he would capture her anyway.
Stand and fight, and the Mephistopheles Clan will be wiped out (and he still gets me anyway) or go to him, and the clan survives…
On this mild breaking dusk, Aleisha knew that she held the fate of the clan in her hands.
Cordeir was obviously obsessed with her, and Aleisha wondered whether she would be able to use her beauty and charm to make him fall head-over-heels in love with her, and maybe then he would treat her with the respect she was entitled to.
Aleisha frowned as she thought about Troggo, Cordeir’s creepy off-sider; Boss let’s me play with the slaves, yeah, stick things here, stick things there, ouch, ouch … and the two hostile women, the large one snarling at her; Gunna fuck you up Skank … the smaller one gushing excitedly, Play-time Pruddy, choppa, choppa …
Aleisha knew that while two choices existed for her, only one of them was honourable. Her friends had displayed courage and loyalty by standing by her side, so now it was her turn to be courageous. She remembered the Graduation ceremony, remembered reciting the oath; I, Aleisha Goldstein-Prindiville do solemnly swear that I will abide by all the rules, regulations and principles of the Clan of Mephistopheles. I also swear my undying allegiance to the clan, and I swear unfaltering allegiance to all my brothers and sisters who wear our ring.
Whatever price needed to be paid, Aleisha decided that she would remain faithful to the oath, and she would show her unfaltering allegiance to her brothers and sisters by saving their lives.
Strangely, Aleisha thought about her parents, wondering whether they would be proud of her. Hi, mom, dad, just thought I’d let you know that I’m going to sacrifice myself to save the lives of my friends! Her father would probably state officiously, Wait a minute, just let me contact our lawyers! While her mother would say dismissively, No, I’m sure we could find a maid or a personal assistant to sacrifice instead.
Livinia’s words rattled around in her mind, Physically Aleisha, yes, maybe we would survive, but emotionally, none of your friends would ever recover from this, I would never recover from it. Cordeir is an evil being, and he doesn’t want you as his Queen, he wants you as his slave. First he would de-fang you, and I suspect that he would subject you to tortures and abuses that I don’t even want to think about, and your life would be hellish. Every moment of every day would be a living nightmare, and Aleisha, you are a vampire, and if he feeds you, you could live this nightmare every night for hundreds of years…
Aleisha wished that she’d never heard those words, because they were the only reason she had hesitated about her decision. She’d only experienced pain once in her short life; a toothache when she was fifteen, and her mother, a woman of action, had dragged the family dentist out of his bed to attend to her. Aleisha’s only experience with pain had been horrible enough that she still remembered it, and at the time, it had been made even worse when she had glanced at herself in the mirror while she was waiting for the dentist to arrive. Her face, which could change moods and thoughts, was scrunched up in distorted agony, the sheer beauty being overtaken by tortured grimaces and scowling crease-lined expressions of torment, and the dazzling blue eyes which could make young men fall to their knees, didn’t dazzle, they spoke of anguish and utter helplessness. No, she didn’t like physical pain, and she had no wish to reacquaint herself with the feeling, but her friends, her Sister’s, The Pistols …
If she went to him though …
Aleisha gripped her hands together and closed her eyes, trying to strengthen her resolve. She thought about the last two years, the fun, the excitement, the laughter, the ferocity and uninhibited decadence of the frequent orgies, the searing passion of the intimate one-on-one couplings. When the Pistols were all together and they were excited, it was almost impossible to get a word in, although with their enhanced and heightened senses, they always heard every word that anybody screamed, and faces lit up, eyes sparkled, and the most important memory she would take with her to her grave, was seeing those faces, the beaming faces of the best friends she had ever had.
“H-hold on to that.” she whispered to herself. Maybe that memory would help her get through, and as Cordeir, Troggo, two psychotic women and forty-odd other vampires took her to Hell and back, she could close her eyes, grit her teeth, and reach out for the memory.
Aleisha gazed at her sleeping partner, then quietly slipped out of bed and moved inside the drapes. Gazing to her right, she saw the dark tents set up outside the gates, no activity noticeable, but with the sun sinking ever lower, creatures would soon be stirring. She knew that walking outside now, with a sliver of sunlight still present was dangerous, although she had no choice, because as the sun disappeared altogether, the creatures inhabiting this building would themselves begin to stir.
Aleisha slipped the dark cloak on, then put her sunglasses on. She slipped the clan ring off her finger, stared at it for a moment, then put the ring on the chest of draws. As a human being, she stood to inherit a vast fortune, the inheritance including fabulous properties in all the world’s hot spots, but she knew that as either a human being or a supernatural being, the ring was the greatest treasure she had ever owned. She had worked hard to become a ring-wearer, they all had, but it was worth it, because the last two years of her life had given her experiences and pleasures that money simply couldn’t buy. Taking a last look at her sleeping partner, Aleisha sighed forlornly, knowing that she would never see her again. She was tempted to place a delicate kiss on her cheek as a final parting gesture, but no, her parting gesture would be to save her lovers life.
Conscious of moving quietly, she opened the door and tip-toed down the hallway, padded down the stairs, then moved to the door. Pulling the hood of the cloak down to cover as much of her face as possible, she opened the door and skipped down the steps.
Feeling fragile, feeling as if she was just about to make the worst decision of her life, she turned to look at the building that had been her home for more than seven hundred nights.
When she had first set foot inside this building more than two years ago, she had been swamped by a strange feeling, because almost immediately, it had felt like home, it felt like she belonged there. Every part of the building held special memories for her, indeed every part of the vast property held special memories for her. They were memories from her past, memories of the very best years of her young life, but as she turned around and looked at the dark outlines of the tents outside the gates, she understood that more memories would unfold in her future, although they may not sparkle and shine like her current memories did.
The dark tents seemed innocent and harmless, although it was the occupants of those tents who held her future in their hands. The driveway was more than nine hundred yards long, and she reflected that every time she had previously walked down the driveway, she had scurried down with enthusiasm and expectation, although this one, this walk would be the slow one, the fateful one, a walk into an uncertain and bleak future. Strangely, she thought about the toothache again, and morbidly, she wondered if the toothache experience was going to flitter out of her mind’s almost empty Unpleasant Files, as new and more sinister unpleasant experiences filtered in.
This was it though, the walk, the long walk down the driveway. Walk away from the best years of your life and walk straight into a nightmare. Aleisha assumed that if her bonded sisters knew what she was about to do, they would protest strongly. Piper would say, Fuck off idiot, no way! And Vicky would relay the same message without the expletive. Isabelle would use the expletive as she roared, Fuck off, I don’t wanta miss my night with you! Elizabeth would probably fiddle with her Saint Perpetua pendant then declare, We are a team, and we stick together! Mel would probably say, Let her go, although if she did start walking away, Mel would recant and say, No, hang on, you’re not going anywhere because you belong with us! Sophia would say emotionally, Miss Aleesha, vous sont a Pisteel! And her lover, Ruby, wouldn’t say anything. Ruby would probably tie her up and lock her in the basement; or else she would declare, Okay, I’m ready, so let’s go … together.
Staring at the gate, the recent memory floated into Aleisha’s mind; the desecrated body of the leader of the clan strung up on the gate. Aleisha remembered everything, remembered being aroused from her slumber, aroused and summoned; Come, come now … remembered her feeling of revulsion when she first saw the body, remembered feeling horrified and helpless as she knelt before her slain leader, and she also clearly remembered the moments of confusion that followed. She had felt like her next series of actions were not controlled by her, but by some unseen force, for she had touched her leader’s body, and she remembered feeling a blink of life or a bubble of energy when she first touched her, and then as she skimmed her fingers across the gaping hole in Athena’s chest, a phrase whispered into her mind; T-take, take it … It didn’t make sense at the time, nor did it make sense now, although Aleisha wondered whether the events of the previous two nights were all leading up to this particular moment. She’d been aroused and summoned on that fateful night, then she was the first one to see the body, and then she received the expiring whispered message. Maybe it was Athena, or Athena’s spirit who had summoned her and whispered the message into her mind. Everything Athena did as leader was for the betterment or survival of the clan, so maybe Athena’s final act was to issue an instruction that would see the clan survive; Sorry sweet child, to save the many, we must sacrifice one, so go to him … although clearly, their new leader Livinia held an opposing view, because she had said quite bluntly, Of the limited options that are available to us, I’m afraid that isn’t going to be one of them. If Athena did want her to sacrifice herself, why didn’t she make her instruction more concise; Aleisha, to ensure the survival of the clan, sacrifice yourself … and then Aleisha could have replied glumly, Yeah okay, so I guess I’ll see you in the Kingdom pretty soon … Maybe, possibly, Athena’s spirit had expired before she was able to complete her instruction, and maybe, possibly, the full instruction might have been; Take, take it, take this opportunity to save the clan by going to him … Maybe it didn’t matter, maybe it was irrelevant, because Aleisha Goldstein-Prindiville had already made her decision.
The long walk to, to … The long walk to what? Aleisha wondered, Oblivion? Eternal rest in the Kingdom? With things rattling through her mind at the speed of light, Livinia’s solemn declaration settled in her mind; You could live this nightmare every night for hundreds of years … “Yeah, thanks very much for reminding me.” Aleisha muttered despondently. Time was ticking on and Aleisha knew that to take the long walk, one must first begin, so having a final look around, Aleisha sighed, lowered her gaze, and then she began walking dejectedly towards her fate.