Cassian Legacy: The Vampire Prince

As soon as I got home I took a long hot shower. I found my essay on the floor where I left it and put it on my desk, knowing that I wouldn’t get the score I wanted to because Finn had turned in an essay I didn’t write. Once I felt refreshed, I retreated to my bedroom and settled in for a long nap.

I awoke the next day feeling quite refreshed and headed out, making sure I took my cell phone with me. I expected I’d receive a phone call or two from my friends, detailing where and when we should meet because we never fully decided on set plans, but I never got any messages from them. Eventually I detoured off for a movie, by myself, and set my phone on silence.

It had been a long time since I sat in any theatre, and I thought I had picked a quieter movie than the others from the descriptions the girl gave me at the window, but it was anything but quiet. Several times I covered my ears with my arms because the noise was so deafening I nearly doubled over in pain. Of course matters didn’t help much when the movie next door shook the walls with its special effects. The bass and treble were loud enough it set my head on fire. I withstood about an hour of the noise before I left, making sure I got my money back because there was no way I couldn’t stay in the theatre without getting sick.

Once I emerged back outside, night had fallen. I spent all day wondering around the shops after sleeping in this morning, though I at least thought that I would’ve heard from my friends by now. I headed back down Avenue K. The stores were filled with people buying clothes and food, perfumes and trinkets. Several teens that I recognized from school made their way across the street in the direction of the Red Curtain, laughing aloud and talking excitedly.

That night club bothered me, but that was due to the fact it was owned and operated by vampires, probably ones that were alive and not created like I had thought from before. Even though their little endeavor was a business of sorts, making an honest living selling alcohol and sugar to the city’s young adults, it still held its secrets in the euphoric high they gave away by chomping on the kid’s necks. In whatever way they peddled their operation, I didn’t plan on going near it anytime soon.

The phone in my pocket buzzed. I whipped it out and glanced down. I had a text message from someone. I didn’t recognize the number, but it was signed by Mallory.

We’re headed to the club. Wanna meet?

Club? It took me a second before I figured out what she meant. They were headed back there, to the Red Curtain, even after I hoped they’d never go back. I crossed the street quickly, darting in front of a few cars that slammed on their brakes and honked their horns, I was never in any danger as I was out of the road before they fully halted, and hurried down the alley behind the boutique stores where the club was kept. The line outside tonight was longer than I had seen it. People dressed in clubbing attire waited behind the gold ropes that wrapped around the building. Hopefully they stood in the line, and I could catch them before they entered the club. But once I rounded the corner and spotted the rest of the line which formed at the door’s main entrance, I realized they weren’t where I’d thought they’d be. There was a possibility that they were still on their way and I arrived ahead of schedule.

I waited a few minutes out by the curb. People booed and hissed at me because they thought I was trying to cut. They kept waving me towards the end of the line that was around the corner and down the street already. I pulled out my phone and checked the time stamp. I had only gotten the message a few minutes ago, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t sent it earlier. I now realized that it was possible I didn’t get service inside the theatre. Nearly cursing myself I changed my mind. They weren’t on their way, they were already inside, and I had missed their arrival by a long shot.

I swept over to the bouncer, ignoring the protests from the ones who stood near the door behind the gilded rope. Several people were really overdressed for a place like this, while others were underdressed, wearing hardly anything at all. The guy who protected the entrance was the same muscular guy I ran into from the last time I was here. This time he didn’t even pause in questioning my presence, but side stepped away from the massive door at once like I belonged at this establishment and had a personalized VIP card. He didn’t even realize I wore jeans and a shirt, not the vinyl shiny stuff the other clubbers wore.

I barreled myself through the mass of people standing right inside the door and got cornered by a new guy I hadn’t seen on my first adventure in here. He barred my entrance into the rest of the club, like he was an inside bouncer or test of some sort. I resisted the urge to break his arm when he stuffed it in front of my face by casually leaning against the wall at the right moment.

He was young, but only in his early twenties, and his skin was awfully pale even in the dim light. He must’ve been one of the born vampires for he had a heart beat and it pounded faintly against his chest, definitely faster than Finn’s but slower than the mob of human girls that surrounded him. His adoringly sky blue eyes met mine and he turned on his charms.

Like honey, the words dripped from his mouth. “Why don’t you stay here with me tonight?”

Before I could answer, another guy around the same age patted his shoulder and whispered in his ear. I overheard the words spoken. “Don’t bother her - Finn’s orders.”

The blondie scowled at once and met my eyes again with a quizzical look plastered on his face, but all hint of the power behind those pale blue gems was erased. He clearly was unhappy now that he’d been told off.

I smiled at him and walked away.

Now that I was inside, I searched for the others. Seth and the girl from Chemistry danced together on the floor. Mallory was with a guy I didn’t recognize, but one swift glance in his direction told me all I needed to know. He wasn’t one of the vampires. Apparently word had spread around that the others were not supposed to touch my friends or go near them, which I was secretly grateful for. Finn may not know much about me and my past, but it was clear that the four people I hung out with were off limits and treated as guests, not food. Once I scoured the area I found that only Krista and Nate were missing from the throng.

I headed down the sleek stairs and greeted the two on the floor, making sure I kept my ears tuned into the bass that rippled underneath my feet. It was the only noise in here sane enough to keep my head calm and focused.

Mallory’s face lit up once she saw me. “You got my message! I told Krista that you had your phone on you.”

So Krista had tried to get a hold of me first and I hadn’t received any messages or calls. “I was in the theatre.”

Her mouth rounded in a long drawn out, “Ooooo.”

Seth pulled me closer to him. “You can’t get service in there,” he nearly yelled in my ear. The girl he was with frowned at my nearness to his side. I pulled away and turned back to Mallory.

“Where’s Krista anyway?”

Mallory shrugged. “She and Nate headed off towards the bar. I think they were looking for something to eat.” The boy she danced with closed the gap between them and rested his hands on her hips.

“I’ll find them,” I told her and faced the entrance once more.

I closed my eyes and combed the crowd with my ears, searching for their voices. I found Krista’s first. She was on the backside of the bar, near the tables and chairs that I assumed was the VIP corner because of the sheer red drapes covering the entrances on either side. She talked to some random guy whose voice I had never heard before. I pushed my way through the dancers and climbed the set of stairs that led to the area where she was at.

Sure enough I found her around the corner, leaning against the wall while twirling her hair around her finger lazily. She looked completely normal and flirtatious, but then I noticed her eyes. They were completely glazed over staring dreamily at the man in a blissful trance. I knew at once what had happened.

I tapped the shoulder of the brown beauty that enchanted her. “Mind if I cut in?”

He whirled around, clearly angry that he’d been interrupted. He formed his mouth into a snarl and I was sure he was about to produce a growl, but the second he saw me, all trace of hostility was wiped off his face. He was startled by my sudden appearance. His body froze for a second or two before he ran out of the area. He definitely didn’t stick around long enough for me to find out why he had Krista in here.

I turned my attention back to my friend and shook her arm, waking her from the merry slumber of her consciousness. She blinked several times and steadied her breathing. Once her eyes settled on me and I spotted recognition in them, she beamed brighter than she had been before I awoke her.

“You made it! I tried calling you, but you didn’t pick up.”

I ignored her chatter and scoured the dimly lit area for Nate. Now that she was free of the spell, I could hone in on his location. I spotted him on the far wall, in a booth occupied by two blonds. They were both kissing and nuzzling on his neck while he grinned with pleasure. I took a guess that they weren’t really kissing him like normal girls would be doing.

“Stay here,” I commanded Krista and went to retrieve him.

I cleared my throat at the table, hoping they had enough sense to stop like the other guy did, but the gross scene continued. I hadn’t seen Finn in here tonight, and thought from the behavior of the other vampires that he was present. But if he was in the building, he would’ve found me instantly somehow. Since he wasn’t here, I would have to take care of this myself.

I grabbed the girl nearest me and pulled her off of him. Sure enough a small wound, where blood trickled down his neck, was revealed. Her fangs retracted the moment she saw me. She was upset and mad, especially to be caught in the act. She went after me with her nails, but I ducked and tossed her aside. The other people in the vicinity didn’t notice, mostly because the other vampires had engaged the humans here in some sort of compulsory act, distracting them from the commotion.

Nate opened his eyes, and smiled at me. “Want to join us?” he slurred out the question.

He wasn’t looking at me though. My eyes traveled the distance to Krista, who gaped at him with her jaw hanging open. The look on her face said it all. She wanted to be the one who was kissing on his neck though she’d never admit to it. Seth was right - they had a relationship that neither acknowledged.

I grabbed the other girl and pulled her off of him. She actually tried attacking me outright. But with one meeting of the eyes, I turned on my charms and mouthed one word to her, “Stop.”

She halted her progress and didn’t move.

I tore my eyes away from her. “We’re leaving, Nate.”

He didn’t look happy by that thought, but he scooted across the booth, over to me. Though the second he tried to stand up, he nearly passed out. I caught him before he hit the floor and pulled him upright. While holding his waist so he wouldn’t fall onto the floor, I hurried over to where Krista stood. She looked really worried about him.

I got her attention and directed her down the stairs because she tried helping me with Nate, but he was too heavy for her to hold. “Go get Mallory and Seth. It’s time to go.”

The sea of vampires parted before me. One offered to help me tote Nate outside, and once we got there Finn arrived by Limo. He jumped out with several of his supposed friends, including the two I had seen at school. They hurried on ahead, while he stayed behind and studied Nate and me. One swift look told him all he needed to know. Without any spoken words to any of us he disappeared inside.

Mallory and the others appeared, with smiles plastered all over their faces. The guy she danced with before hung onto her jeans as they walked. Krista helped me with Nate, while the others followed us as we headed off for the nearest café. Once I set down Nate in a chair and ordered us some appetizers I got to work cleaning off his neck. The wounds had already closed, but there was still some blood drying on his skin.

Krista sat on the other side of him. She shook her head and glanced at me. “I don’t even know why we go there anymore.”

I did, but I wasn’t going to tell her why. It was a compulsion trap. Come for the view, stay forever.

“He was supposed to be getting the food, not getting felt up by blond tramps,” she groaned.

Mallory stopped talking to her date. “What happened?”

I shook my head. “Not now,” I muttered to her. It was clear that Krista’s delusional experience had shattered the moment I awoke her from the compulsion spell.

“I don’t know why I even talked to that other guy,” she continued. “It was like he wore some alluring cologne that I couldn’t tear my nose away from.” She shook her head, shaking the memory. “I don’t even remember what we were discussing.”

I finished with Nate’s neck and made him drink the soda I ordered for him. He was awfully weak. The girls had taken too much from him.

“I think it’s time for you all to stay away from the club,” I stated openly. I really didn’t want to discuss it here, but if I kept making excuses I’d never get another chance with them all seated together to bring up this topic again. They needed to stay away from that place.

Krista forked a piece of ziti into her mouth. “After this incident, I agree.”

I glanced down at my hands. There was leftover dried blood flakes from Nate’s wounds on my hands. “I’m headed to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” I leant over and whispered in Krista’s ear before I made a complete escape. “Make sure Nathan eats something.”

The waitress set down another tray of food and refilled the drinks.

I practically bolted for the nearest sink. The last thing I needed was to explain how I got blood on my hands. I finished up washing off the dried flakes in near record time. No other females arrived as I scrubbed, so I counted myself lucky, but made sure that I wouldn’t get caught washing a byproduct into the sink. I wanted to avoid suspicion. I dried my hands on a few paper towels and fled out the door. I was anxious to get back to Nate, knowing he could be in danger from severe blood loss, but I didn’t get far. I ran right into Finn.

He had followed me.

“I’m sorry for what happened at the club. I thought I made it clear to the others they weren’t allowed to do what they did,” he said with a straight face.

At first I really was startled by his sudden appearance here, but once he apologized it set my mind back to what had happened and the cork on my anger bottle popped off. I pulled him aside into an alcove, where we wouldn’t be overheard by the patrons who entered the bathrooms. “Did you know that those two blonds nearly drained him? He’s so weak he can hardly eat. And Krista caught the end of the act, clearly making her jealous of the two because she has feelings for the guy and has never told him.”

His jaw clenched but he met my gaze. “I specifically told them to leave you alone… that command was also for your friends as well because you obviously care about them.”

“Yeah well they didn’t,” I interjected before he could say another word on the subject.

We stayed there for several minutes glaring at each other. Several patrons noticed us giving the death stare to one another, but I paid them no attention. I only caught their glances from the corner of my eye.

Finally Finn relaxed his composure. His gaze softened back to his normal lounging position. “You used your compulsion on Atria.”

I didn’t have to answer that. He would know if it worked or not. Unfortunately though, I had indirectly told him that my compulsion works on vampires like his did.

“It took her several minutes to recover.”

I turned away and headed back to my seat. He didn’t follow me and I didn’t care by that point. The others weren’t worried that I had been gone for nearly twenty minutes. Nathan had eaten a few bites, and after he felt good enough to walk home I sent him on his way. Krista stayed by his side, clearly attached now that he didn’t feel great, but maybe it was better for their relationship this way. Mallory and the others headed for their respected homes as well, taking the bus back to the outskirts of the city. I waited at the café all night, making sure that the five didn’t find their way back here. I already knew their compulsed minds were programmed badly and that eventually they would stray back until I found a way to override the decision.

They all stayed away this night after the serious turn of events. Near midnight I caught sight of Mallory’s date headed back towards the Red Curtain, returning from the direction he left with Mallory in. I followed him once he returned because he was a human, and not one of the others. He genuinely felt obliged to return to the dance club. But I only knew he had been tricked into going there, like so many of the other teens and adults.

The rest of the night I stayed up on the rooftop of the building across the street from the club, monitoring the comings and goings of the humans. None of them had any clue to what actually occurred within its depths. Most left feeling great and expressed their feelings about wanting to return in the next couple of days though they didn’t know the reason why. I heard it in their voices - the workings of compulsion. None of them ever talked about what they did at the club or what music they listened to, or who the DJ was, or if they got a phone number from a boy or a girl. They only knew they liked the place, but they couldn’t remember anything else.

I had been right before, the club was a trap - a roach motel. It wasn’t any better than the feeders and drug houses in the southwestern part of town. The only difference here was the social caste.

I pulled out my phone once it beeped with a message. Mallory and the others returned safely home. I retreated away from the building near dawn, towards my apartment, sickened by what I’d seen here. As I pocketed the phone back into the rear of my jeans, my fingers found the note. I pulled it out and found an elegant script written onto the cream colored paper.

It was Finn, even though I had no acknowledgement of his signed name after the simple message. I just knew it was his. I ripped it into pieces and flung them into the trash. He wanted to explain tomorrow, at a bakery on the boulevard. I really didn’t want to go, but I felt like I had no other choice. Eventually he would try and find me, and I didn’t want him at my apartment.