Vampire Greek: The Burning King

“So she just vanished into thin air like that?” Claire spoke, shocked.

“Yup, and I was left in the middle of the street, sizzling like a strip of bacon. ”

Everyone had gathered downstairs around Roman’s dining room table, waiting for Claire to prepare breakfast. Caitlyn sat quietly while Barry hummed to the music playing through his headphones. Roman was staring at Caitlyn intently, so much so that Claire called him out when she came back with breakfast.

“Stop goggling at her, Roman, she’s not an alien.”

She sat down paper plates filled when pancakes, bacon, eggs, and biscuits. Roman acted as if he didn’t hear her earlier comment and reached for a plate, but she slapped his hand away.

“Do you see this food? Guess where it came from. I’ll give you a hint. It wasn’t in your fridge.”

Roman didn’t understand what she meant. “The... store?” He replied, confused.

“Yeah, the store. I opened your fridge last night, and you have nothing in it but milk. What’s wrong with you?”

Roman shrugged. “Eating regular food is more for pleasure than an actual necessity, so I don’t buy much.”

“Well, I bought it when you were asleep so we could all eat when you woke up. What are you supposed to say?”

“I’ll pay you back?” He tried.

Claire smiled. “I was expecting a thank you but that works too.”

Barry took his headphones out and grabbed utensils.

“Come on, hurry up, I’m starving.”

Claire walked right past him and offered Caitlyn a plate.

“Do you want anything to eat? Something to drink?”

“No.” Caitlyn replied bluntly. “It smells disgusting.”

Barry reached out and grabbed that plate while Roman stood up.

“Don’t get offended by that Claire, she’s new. She’s a fledgling, and hasn’t tasted any normal human blood. Until she does, everything tastes and smells like garbage to her.”

“Well, when are you going to help her?” Claire asked, sitting down at the table.

“You can’t just keep her here.”

“Why not?” said Barry, with a mouth full of pancakes.

“She looks like she’s about 20 years old... Oh. Nevermind.”

“That’s right, idiot.” Claire retorted.

“She only looks like that. She’s just a little girl.”

“I’m going to teach her how to hunt, then I’ll take her to corporate so they can help her build a new life.”

“Losing your mother and father on the same night. I can’t even begin to understand how that feels.” said Claire, feeling sympathy for Caitlyn.

She reached out to hold Caitlyn’s hand, but Caitlyn gave her a very confused look and pulled away.

“Unfortunately, neither can she.” Roman replied, clearing his plate.

“I had to subdue her emotions to stop her from killing me.”

Claire turned around, appalled. “What else happened to you last night.”

Roman tried to think. “I got kicked out of my favorite bar and that lightning witch told me she was a goddess.”

Barry laughed. “Goddess of what?”

“I don’t know, and neither did she. She just mentioned she was a Greek goddess.”

Claire nearly spat out her drink.

“Yeah,” Roman chuckled a little. “It is ridiculous.”

“No it’s not! She could be the daughter of Zeus!”

Everyone, including Caitlyn, looked at her like she was stupid.

“Don’t tell me you believe crap like that.” said Barry, getting up to clean his own area.

“Just listen to me. Roman, did you believe in vampires before you were attacked?”

“I was seven. I believed in Santa, The Tooth Fairy, and SpongeBob SquarePants back then.”

“What about you Barry? Did you believe in werewolves before you were bitten?”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Exactly! So vampire bite, werewolf bite, and lightning strike! Anything is possible.”

“Well, when you put it like that... I still don’t believe.” said Barry, walking towards the door.

“Now that we know you aren’t dying, I can go to work. Call me if anything else happens.”

“I will.” said Roman popping his neck.

“Caitlyn, I’m going to show you how to hunt like a vampire. I’ll teach you how to hunt humans and animals, but I’m mostly going to focus on animals because we can survive off of their blood and newly turned vampires aren’t good at controlling urges. Plus, hiding and disposing of human bodies is too much work.”

Caitlyn quietly got up from her seat and followed Roman to the door.

He watched her expression while she moved.

“I promise, you’ll feel back to normal soon. I hope.”

Just as he turned the door handle, the doorbell rang. Roman froze.

“If that’s Barry, he left his keys!” Claire yelled from the kitchen.

“It’s not Barry.” Roman said quietly, so quiet only Caitlyn could hear.

“This smell... This scent... It reminds me of-”

“I don’t like it when people keep me waiting.” called a woman from behind the door.

“Either you open this door, or I will. You’re going to need to hear what I have to say.”

††††††††††††††

Audrey kneeled at the foot of her father with a young man next to her. Her mortal clothes gone, she now wore silky white linen and was adorned in gold from her neck, to her wrists, and to her ankles. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with golden strings weaved into it. She had no idea how she got these clothes. She just appeared before her father in a flash of burning light.

Her father sat upon a gigantic throne and he himself was ten times the size of a normal human. The room they were in seemed endless from both sides, and the ceiling so high it might as well have been the night sky. Next to her father was a woman in a throne similar to his, and they were surrounded by smaller thrones in all sides.

“How,” her father bellowed. “How could you disgrace us like this?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but the man next to her tapped her wrist.

“Not yet.” He whispered.

“Your blood, my blood, running through the veins of some demon. Do you know what you’ve done?”

“I didn’t do anything!” She pleaded.

“No!” The man muttered.

“You said there, while the demon itself told you to run. Why is that?”

Audrey kept her silence.

“You can speak now.” The man muttered.

“I, I don’t know.” She admitted. “Maybe it casted some type of spell on me, in some way.”

“Good cover.” The man whispered.

“Shut up.” She said through gritted teeth.

“Whatever the case, he’s different now. Ichor has changed him, and I can’t let that stand.”

“Why was I shocked with lightning too? I’m your daughter!”

“One... Of many.” The woman sighed. She said it loud enough for everyone to here but didn’t make eye contact with any of them. Audrey’s father paused for a few seconds before answering.

“Because that’s how they transfer their damnable curse, through biting their victims. I had to purify you of that evil.”

“Purify me how? By killing me?!” She screamed, standing up, furious. The man kneeling next to her urged her to kneel again, but she refused. “You can’t kill me a second time!”

“You’d be surprised.” He said menacingly, standing up. Now, she barely reached his knee.

“Zeus,” said the woman next to him. “Control your temper.”

Zeus huffed and sat back down.

“Anteria-” he started.

“That’s not my name. That. Is. Not. My Name."

“Fine.” He sighed. “Willa, don’t make this mistake again.” He looked over to the young man still kneeling.

“Wilhem,” he called.

“Yes, Lord?”

“Watch your sister closely. Make sure doesn’t go near any monster again, or there will be hell to pay, floor the both of you.”

“Of course, Lord.”

“Now I have to find out how to murder this demon thing, because my bolt didn’t kill him.

“It didn’t?” said Willa, astonished.

“No...” said Zeus, bothered by her reaction to that news. I’ll send a servant or a minor god to see to his execution immediately.”

“No! You can’t kill him!”

“And why exactly,” Zeus stroked his beard. “Can I not?”

“Because, because, he’s... Special! He was a vampire, but he survived your bolt right? After drinking my blood. I killed four other vampires, burnt them to ash, that same night. And I’m nowhere near as strong as you. That means there’s something special about him.”

“You’re right.” Zeus replied, gazing off into a far away place. “This means I need to kill him as soon as possible.

“No! Father please!” Willa pleaded.

“Wilhem, get her out of my sight.”

“No.” said the woman by Zeus’ side. “I want a word with my stepdaughter, alone.”

Zeus eyed her quietly, trying to guess her motives. She smiled sweetly and waved him off.

“Fine.” He grumbled again, and stood up faster than the first time. Sparks and lightning surrounded his feet and circled up his legs till it had reached the top of his head. Then, in an explosion of energy, Zeus was gone, making everyone’s hair stand up on end.

“Ugh, he makes me so mad,” the woman muttered combing through her hair with her fingers. “Ruining my hair for nothing.”

She stopped grooming herself and stared at Wilhem, who stood next to Willa, quietly.

“Why are you still in my sight? Leave, Boy. I will send her your way when I’m done.”

Wilhem glared at her before bowing stiffly.

“Yes.” Wilhem replied. “As you wish, Hera.”