Chapter Nine (Slade)

I woke up to pain. It radiated through my skull, pounding in my temples. My eyelids felt heavy and my whole body ached. I forced my eyes open, my vision blurry at first before slowly focusing on what looked like a set of security computer monitors scaling up a wall. A couple of leather chairs sat in front of them, two corpses occupying each chair.

I blinked rapidly, my heart leaping into action as I writhed to get up, but my hands were drawn up painfully behind my back with what felt like wire that only cut into my skin. I winced and blinked a few times, tilting my head back against a wall gently. I was sitting up against a wall, and judging from the source of my pain, there was a bump on the back of my head.

I turned my head and froze, my heart catching in my throat as I found myself staring at Alexander Lee Grey. He was lying just a couple feet away on his side, blood oozing steadily from the stab wound in his chest. He was practically lying in a pool of his own blood, the red staining the white shirt of his tux and his pale blonde hair.

Confusion struck me at first, then rememberance as I remembered the lights going out. Alexander had taken my hand and led me to the light switches with him and I had let go because someone had screamed. It had taken me a moment to realize that Alexander had been stabbed through the back with a sword, but whoever had done it had ditched the scene an instant after doing it, leading the sleek decorative sword to stick through Alexander's back and chest.

He had looked so confused, as if he had no idea what was happening before it struck him when he looked down at the silver sticking out of his chest. He hit the floor on his knees, the blood having splashed around him. His lips parted as if he were trying to speak and I heard someone yell, making me snap my head to see Amber, Storm, Mark, and Vladimir all moving at once. I turned my head again to look at Alexander, who had fallen to his side.

I felt frozen. My body wouldn't move.

I had seen this happen.

I know I did. It felt like deja vu and a wave of nausea struck me as I took a step back. That was all I had managed when the lights went out again.

Something had hit me. And now I woke up in some kind of security room and Alexander was still bleeding heavily. Part of me was horrified. He'd been stabbed and he was stil bleeding; he was going to die of blood loss!

But then I remembered. Alexander wasn't human. He couldn't die that easily.

I quickly leaned forward on my knees, inching closer to Alexander and using my foot to reach out and nudge him a couple times. He didn't move, just lay there with blood caking the front of his tux and dribbling past his lips.

"Alex! Oi! Wake up will you! Alexander!" I barked, wincing at how loud my voice was. I paused as Alexander shifted a little before his eyelids seemed to lift, revealing the darkened blue orbs behind them. I sighed in relief, then bit my lip as I nudged him a few more times.

"Alexander, I know this is a stupid thing to ask, but are you all right?" I asked sincerely. It was more of a question of whether he was going to live or not. My heart pounded in my throat at the thought as I winced. Alexander's eyes shifted, looking around the room before he attempted to lift his head, but it seemed too much work for him, so he just slumped back into the wet puddle of blood.

"Sss... Slade... What the hell..." He mumbled, then choked and coughed, spitting up a few droplets of blood. I grimaced.

"It's me, Alexander. Do you remember anything that happened in the ballroom?" I asked hopefully, watching Alexander squirm a little, breathing hard in pain.

"Uh...mm... Dark. It was really dark..." Alexander murmured, struggling to get up, but he just slumped back down again. I cursed under my breath, then frowned and glanced around. There were two doors to the room. One to the left and one to the right, but both were closed. I looked at the computer monitors, frowning. Several were just dancing with static and a couple more revealed the hallway outside the ballroom, the view of the ballroom from outside, and one in the kitchen.

My stomach churned as I looked closer at the one of the hallway. Streaks of blood skipped through the hallway, as if someone had been dragged. I grimaced, then rose up on my knees further to look at the corpses in the chairs.

Both of their throats had been viciously torn open, blood dripping in tendrils to the floor, making me gag and stumble back against the wall again. As soon as my back hit the wall, though, the door to the right opened. I blinked in surprise as a boy about eight-years-old came in. He was just wiping his red mouth on the back of his hand. His hair was jet black, reminding me of Mark's. His eyes as cold and blue as icicles. He wore a black wool jacket over a white button up shirt and a black waistcoat with matching slacks and shoes.

I instantly recognized him from my visions, making my eyes widen. Behind him came two other vampires, twins from the look of them with short black hair and piercing blue eyes with black turtlenecks and jeans.

"You're Newt!" I exclaimed. Newt stopped, then smiled at me lightly.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Slade Bennett. I'm glad you've woken up. We have much to discuss." He responded politely. I glared at him, leaning forward on my knees, which put me up at his level.

"How did you get into the party?" I demanded. Newt's eyes flickered as he slid his wool jacket off, tossing it onto one of the corpses as if it didn't exist. He smirked at me, then looked at Alexander, who was still trying to breath correctly and lift himself up. Newt smiled shyly at him.

"I want to get married." He said. Alexander blinked and his eyes widened as he jerked his head up to stare at Newt, making me frown in confusion.

"What did you do with Kelly?" He demanded angrily, pausing to wince and cough up a little blood. Newt hummed as he turned away from Alexander to look at his subordinates, who stood perfectly still near the door.

"Kristophe, Claude. Pay close attention. You two need better training in how to interrogate. You lost your tempers with the gentlemen behind us." He told them. Kristophe frowned and Claude gave his head a curious tilt. Newt turned back to me, his expression calm and collected with a faint little smile.

"Now. There is a reason why I collected you as well, Bennett. Your father was a very well known psychic. Very powerful. He had even achieved the ability to talk to the dead. Pretty cool, hm? Of course, usually the spawn is far greater than the original, or so I hear. In any case, I'm at a tight moment right now. See. I don't mean to kill anyone tonight. That's not my intention. Of course, there were some casualties because my subordinates are nothing, but a couple of children." He explained, looking at Alexander, then at Kristophe and Claude.

Kristophe flinched and Claude grimaced, averting his eyes before Alexander's eyes widened in realization. He gritted his teeth and writhed a little more before Newt smiled and went on talking.

"Tonight, I've come to figure out Vladimir's next move. I want to know when would be the perfect time to hit him, and where. Of course, it's difficult to do that with a modern style because of how many firewalls the man has put up and viruses ready to protect against anyone who tried to hack into his data base with all of his plans. So, what better way than the old-fashioned way?" He asked, cocking his head at me.

I blinked, then winced as it hit me. He wanted me to have a vision about Vladimir, one that would help him.

"Well, hate to break it to ya, but I can't force myself to have a vision." I snapped in irritation. Newt nodded.

"I thought you might say that. Kristophe, please do me a favor." He added, glancing at his subordinate, the taller of the two twins. Kristophe nodded and walked away from his brother and reached down, grabbing Alexander up by the back of his jacket, making him wince. He heaved Alexander up onto his knees, making me frown instantly. Kristophe put an arm around Alexander and jerked him back against his chest before digging two fingers into the stab wound.

My eyes widened and Alexander choked and cried out in pain, squeezing his eyes shut. He writhed in Kristophe's grip, but Kristophe held him still, burying his two fingers further into the wound, blood gushing past his fingers.

"Stop!" I protested. Newt looked at me, his expression still calm.

"I will, but first you must show me what I want to see." He agreed with a nod. I squirmed uncomfortably.

"I can't! That's not how it works! They just come to me!" I cried desperately, wincing as Kristophe dug his fingers in, curling them. Alexander panted hard, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth as his eyelids fluttered, as if he were ready to pass out.

"If you insist." Newt answered with a nonchalant shrug, then looked at Kristophe, who nodded at the look before he tilted his head and buried his mouth against Alexander's throat. My eyes widened as Kristophe's fangs glittered in the dim light before sinking into Alexander's throat. Alexander choked and gasped.

"No!" He managed in pain.

"See," Newt began, making me glare at him before looking at Alexander, wincing, "We are immortal creatures. We can live for eternity and choose when to cease aging. We can be mortally wounded and still live. However... Say for example poor Alexander here. Stabbed through the chest. His lungs are slowly filling with blood from the gashes created by the katana. This could kill the average human, but because of the blood and cells that we consume, they work quickly to repair any damage. But without any blood there to repair the damage... Death will soon follow. So, if you don't tell me what I want to see soon, Alexander might just die."

"Wait, wait! Stop! Make him stop and I'll do it!"

"That's not how this game works, Bennett."

"Okay, okay! Just, wait! Give me a second! I can't concentrate with all of this going on!" I insisted, glaring at Newt, who frowned for a moment before shrugging.

"Kristophe. Take a break." Newt commanded, then turned as he waved Claude over. Claude came up to his brother, who backed off Alexander's throat, his mouth caked in blood that he licked off. Claude smirked and dropped down near Alexander, who was panting hard. He looked sick now, like he really was on the verge of death.

I quickly squeezed my eyes shut.

Come on! Something! Anything, work!

Show me what's going on with Vladimir!

I sat there, my eyes squeezed shut as I tried to focus. I tried to pick anything floating around in my head, but it was so hard. My temples started to throb and I felt my heart leap to attention, violently pounding in my throat as my chest tightened.

Come on! Work! Something! Show me something!

I sat there for another two minutes before Newt smiled, tilting his head as I peeked my eyes open to look at him. Newt nodded slowly, lifting his eyes to look at the ceiling. The one movement was enough to tell Kristophe and Claude their next job. Kristophe took a deep breath, then sank his teeth down into Alexander's throat again.

"No!" I barked. Claude bit into Alexander's throat on the other side, both of them grabbing Alexander tightly and sucking the blood hard into their mouths. Alexander panted desperately, tugging at the rope around his wrists. His skin grew paler as the blood was drawn back away from the rest of his body, ceasing its journey through his veins and organs. He managed a little whimper, slumping back against Kristophe, who settled him easily in his lap as he continued to drink heavily.

"Stop! No!" I managed to yell again and lunged forward, then froze as something hit me hard in the face.

A vision!

I'd never been happier.

I fell to my knees again, the room around me slowly crumbling away like bits of cookies or shattered glass until I was left kneeing in a completely black world. I could hear voices going on around me, some whispering, some screaming, some sobbing. I cringed in pain at all the sounds of voices mingling with car crashes, gunshots. I tried to pick out the closest thing to me and peeked my eyes open.

I found myself kneeling in an office of some sort. I was near a window and looking out it, I recognized the terrian outside. I was in Vladimir's office. It was a very bland, bare of any valuable or personal possessions. The door to the office burst open and I jerked my head up as Vladimir came in, wearing a dark black suit fit for a funeral. Behind him, William and two other stout men were rushing after him, looking concerned.

"My Lord--"

"Do not call me that," Vladimir snapped, making my eyes widen in surprise at how hateful his voice sounded, "Do it and I will rip your tongue out of your head." Vladimir continued through the room and walked right through me as if I were nothing, but fog. He strode to his desk where his computer sat. I slowly rose to my feet as I came around to stand behind him. The computer was taking its time to boot up.

"Master, it wasn't your fault," William spoke up, making me blink and look up at the buff wrestler looking vampire, "You were saving the young master. Alexander should have known--"

"But he didn't," Vladimir cut him off angrily, "I don't regret what I've done, but I still killed that boy."

"Why does it enrage you anyway," One of the stout vampires demanded, his dark hair hanging in curls around a chubby, but handsome face, "The boy had joined up with terrorists. Even humans kill those who are in league with the enemy."

"We are not humans." William snapped in aggravation. The third vampire, not as chubby as the second, stood in silence closest to the door, his hands folded behind his back. He wore a very expensive looking Italian suit as he studied the blank walls of the room before looking at Vladimir.

"He's in love with the boy, isn't it obvious?" He deadpanned. William frowned, but said nothing. His expression portrayed that he already knew. The second vampire's eyes widened in horror as he whirled around to face Vladimir, who just sat the computer with a deadpan expression.

"N-No way! Never! Alexander is hardly a suitable candidate. He may be of the Court of Seven, but he's hardly fit to be making military decisions! He's still a child in the eyes of the Court. Even you must understand this, Vladimir. If you were to have another suitor, he would only be killed and you would do the same stupid thing over again by locking yourself in your room. It'll be the same thing that killed Lady Elizabeth!" He said with finality.

Vladimir's hands clenched into fists on the arm rests of his chair as he stared at the blank desktop as the computer continued to take its time. I frowned.

Lady Elizabeth? Vladimir's wife, I knew instantly. Storm's mother. Her name was Elizabeth Van Gothica.

"How dare you say her name," William snapped at him, making the vampire flinch, "And Master Vladimir knows his duty. He's already made it clear that he cannot have a relationship with the boy anyway, Archibald. It's none of your concern."

"None of my concern? Are you bloody kidding me? He's a mess and refuses to think about anything, but some sniveling little child!" Archibald argued. The third vampire cocked a brow, looking at him.

"Alexander Lee Grey is hardly a child, Archibald. While some clans have mingled with humans, the Grey Clan is entirely full of purebloods. Alexander's blood is the purest we've seen in a long time. Kornelius and Vanessa have worked years to create the perfect spawn for the young master. But, that was never your intention was it, Vladimir?" He looked up at Vladimir. William and Archibald snapped their heads to look at Vladimir, who raised an eyebrow, a little smile crossing his lips.

The computer screen came up and the desktop revealed an interesting collage of photos. Ranging from family members, Storm, Elizabeth, and smack dab in the center was a photo of Alexander, smiling up at the camera. He looked young, maybe thirteen or fifteen.

Most people would've seen it as creepy, but I could feel Vladimir's emotions and none of them were creepy or disgusting. What Vladimir felt was... amazing. I couldn't even begin to describe how warm and comforting the sensation was as Vladimir looked at the picture before opening up a few windows on the desktop.

"We didn't come in here to discuss my love interests," Vladimir spoke at last, his voice firm, "We came here to discuss the plans to arrest Newell." William frowned.

"Master, arrest? Newell is a terrorist." He reminded. Archibald snorted, putting his hands on his hips as he brushed the hair back from his face, approaching Vladimir's desk, but not too closely because Vladimir was admitting a killer strong aura that oozed with raw power.

"William's right, Vladimir. Simpling slapping the man on the wrists will hardly stop him." He reminded. Vladimir laughed.

"You mean to say that I just want to chide the boy?"

"He's hardly a boy, Vladimir."

"Little boys can be big, small, tall, short, skinny, fat, young, or old. It all depends on their mind. Newell's mind didn't grow with his body. He's still a little boy going on what he's watched on television. Newell wants power. He's like a little Hitler. If no one in the world is like him, they must cease to exist." Vladimir responded as he did some clicking. I frowned and leaned closer, watching him open up files.

"Vladimir, Hitler became a dictator and destroyed thousands of people. Jews, witches, gypsies, and vampires as well. You know that very well." Archibald pointed out bitterly. Vladimir grinned. I suddenly vanished from my place beside Vladimir and ended up between William and the third vampire.

"What's he talking about?" William asked the third vampire, turning his head to look at the man. I did the same as the third vampire smiled, a foxy secret smile that sent a cold chill down my spine.

"Vladimir is the one who killed Hitler." He replied. William's eyes widened as he snapped his head to look at Vladimir, who just smiled proudly, before WIlliam looked back at the other man.

"That's impossible. The records and witnesses say--"

"Hitler took a capsule of cyanide, then shot himself in the head. Now what a silly thing to do, right? Taking a poisonous capsule and then shooting yourself in the head? What's the point?" The man asked, shrugging, then looking at Vladimir. I vanished from my spot between them and reappeared behind Vladimir, who had opened up a very professional looking profile of Newell.

Newell C. Drakon. Thirty years old as of 2011. Black hair, blue eyes. Drakon descendent. Height is four foot one, weight is ninety two pounds. Born with hypopituitarism. There was blocked out information about his history and other information. Beside it all was a photo of Newell, dressed in a black suit with a newspaper boy hat sliding on his head, casting eerie shadows on his face. What made it worse was that the photo was in black and white, so it was just plain scary.

"Newell is just like Hitler, but Hitler had it easy," Vladimir drawled, studying the photo, "Hitler got off scott free. The bastard died instantly. He wouldn't die whether he was shot or not because of the cyanide. He died and was put to an end. He didn't suffer. Now how fair is that?"

"But, so long as we got rid of him, why does it matter?" Archibald asked, confused. Vladimir rose to his feet, leaning over the computer screen to stare at his butler and two council members.

"Hitler should have been punished. Simply being shot and having his corpse burnt? That's just... not enough. He should have been kept alive. He should have been tortured, just like his thousands upon thousands of victims. They should have starved him as well. Should have forced him to run through the cold with no shoes. Should have amputated his limbs. But Hitler got away. We're not about to make the same mistake." He announced. I stiffened at the cold intent in Vladimir's voice.

"You intend to torture him?! That's inhuman!" Archibald protested.

"Since when were we humans?" Vladimir asked, looking comically incredulous, making the third vampire laugh out loud. William winced, casting him a quick glare before looking at Vladimir.

"Master, you're angry. A lot happened in Wolf Creek and you need rest. The young master is worried about you as well. Maybe you should sleep and think--"

"No," Vladimir cut him off sternly, making him wince, "I'm not letting Newell get away with this. Oh no. Newell won't even expect that I've already made arrangements. Why, I've practically invited him into my territory."

"Master?"

"Come, we have work to do," Vladimir decided, heading for the door, then pausing to glance at Archibald, who had taken a step close to the computer, "And touch that computer and I will make you a eunch faster than you can say oops." Archibald blushed and scurried from the room with the others, leaving me to stare at the photo of Newell on the computer.

He was staring at the camera from under his hat and black hair, not a single trace of a smile or humanity left.

Vladimir had compared Newell to a child.

But children were innocent.

Newell was dead. Even I could see the depths of darkness from the photo, the way his eyes stared at the camera as if accusing someone, hating someone. Just cold voids, empty of any kind of innocence that a child would have.

No.

Newell wasn't a child.

He was a monster.

Suddenly I heard someone screaming and jerked my head up, gasping aloud as I was sucked through a vortex at the center of my vision. I yelped as I was thrown forward and hit the floor just in time to hear a plate shatter. I looked up just as someone fell on the floor in front of me.

It was a woman. Long bouncy black hair and pale blue eyes, an angry red hand print on her cheek and her dress torn.

"You stupid woman! Do you have any idea what kind of shame this brings us?!" I looked up to see a man standing over her angry, his hair just as black and just as blue as his wife's.

Newell's parents, I realized as I stared between them.

"It's not my fault," Newell's mother sobbed, holding her cheek as she drew her legs close, "I told you it was just an accident! Maybe he's just slow! Give him time--"

"Give him time?! He's thirteen and he's not grown an inch since his eighth birthday! How much more bloody time does the brat need?! How is he supposed to take over the Court of Seven if he hardly reaches my knee caps?!" Newell's father barked angrily, then whirled away from her and leaned on the sink.

I frowned, then my eyes flickered when I caught movement.

Standing in the living room just outside the opening of the kitchen was Newell. He was standing in front of the television, his expression blank. I frowned and took a step toward him, then vanished and appeared at his side, staring at the television.

It was a recruitement ad for the war.

It was 1944.

Wait. But Newell was thirty. What's going on? What is this?

I looked at Newell, then back at the screen in time to see Hitler on the screen, the black and white crackling as he saluted his army, making my eyes widen. I looked at Newell, who was staring intently at the pictures on the screen until his mother came in, snapping the television off.

"Newell, why don't you run along and play with our new neighbors?" His mother asked, hiding the bruise under her cheek. Newell glanced up at her carelessly, then looked away.

"No." He stated. His mother blinked before she frowned, lowering her hand.

"Darling, don't be shy. They're just hum--"

"I don't like humans." Newell answered briefly, then turned away from her and went to what had to be his room across the living room. The door slammed shut behind him, sucking me into the room at the same time.

Inside, the room was very blank. All the photos were face down, at least, until Newell went over and picked one up. A family photo of his parents, himself, and several others. Newell studied the image, then closed his eyes before whirling around and throwing the photo at me. I winced as it flew through me and crashed into the wall, shattering to pieces.

Newell stared blankly at it for a while, then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before tilting his head up toward the ceiling. He opened his eyes and breathed one word.

Zephyra.

Zephyra. Zephyra. Zephyra.

Zephyra.

The word echoed over and over and over again in my head, making it ache. The image of Newell dropping to his knees, repeating the word slowly began to crackle as if it were burning. Flames shot up and engulfed it, tearing it down into ashes until I was left alone in the darkness.

Left alone with the screams, the whispers, the shouts, the car horns, cats screaming, dogs barking, guns firing, sobs.

Everything swirled around me and I moaned in pain, reaching up without realizing that I was unbound. I grasped the sides of my head as I felt like I was being spun around with a blindfold on.

Just darkness and noises.

So much noise!

Stop!

I'm gonna die!

Stop!

Stop!