Kingdom of Blood

Chapter one

1.

She was on the edge of her balcony, wearing a long black cape that made her look like a ghost; her perfect white porcelain skin was framed by long, straight blond hair, her blue eyes like ice floes shined as she thought.

At his feet was a vast garden, the night was cold but she did not care, hatred heated the blood she had just drunk. Anaissa was making plans as she watched the wind sway the trees. A crooked smile curved his lips malevolently, she smiled more widely at the realization of his plan, when she smiled like that, he did not look like the eleven years of his body.

She stared at that piece of land that would never have green grass covering it again; a warm heat ran down her back as she remembered the morning she got rid of her "nuisance", and with soft and graceful steps she entered the Rozen Palace. 

2.

Andrew was breathing very unevenly; he had a head wound that wouldn't stop bleeding, and Louis was afraid he might have several broken ribs. He cradled his brother in his arms and cried silently. He and his brother shared the same bedroom, his sister Regina slept in the next room, and his parents in the one at the end. from the hall. So when his house was attacked, the only one he could rescue was Andrew.

They were asleep when with a loud bang the door of their room blew up, and two beautiful women entered him. Both with perfect skin that was white as paper.

- Good night, sorry to wake you up - the voice of those figures was as devastating as their high-pitched laughter.

She jumped onto Andrew's bed and the other onto Louis's bed, grabbing him by the arms and slamming him to the floor. This woman was slim, with fine features and red eyes, which were threatening as well as beautiful.

- Oops... did it hurt? - she asked mercilessly, as she laughed again, she was but above his laughter, he could hear the screams of his family.

After the first blow, Louis tried to straighten up, but she was faster than him and slammed him against the wall, where there was a crucifix hung that wounded his eyebrow, but he grabbed it to return the blow.

- A crucifix? - she laughed evilly, clearly revealing two long and sharp fangs. - That won't even tickle me - she lunged at him, and he wielded the cross like a weapon.

The blow knocked him against the bureau, breaking not only the furniture, but also his makeshift weapon; but to his surprise, when the cross was broken, he revealed a sharp and brilliant dagger that he wielded and managed to cut his opponent's arm.

- Ahhhh! - she screamed in pain while smoke began to come out of the cut, burning his beautiful and snowy skin. - Anna!!! - She shouted to the other woman, and in that moment of carelessness he could see that her brother Andrew was held by one arm by the woman, crying incessantly as he tried to free himself.

Louis looked at her, now with a mark on her arm that looked like a burn; and in a single movement he drove the dagger into her side. Erin howled in pain and writhed on the ground, Louis leapt over her and took Andrew away from her. He grabbed his brother, and ran to the window, broke it with his elbow and jumped into the small garden, looked back and saw his house on fire. 

He thought of returning, but Louis looked at his brother's head that was bleeding too much, and ran into the thicket of the forest. He felt someone behind him but he didn't dare to look, so he ran even faster. He found a chapel and hid, they had been there for almost two hours.

Dawn was already clearing the sky, the cold was already waning, and Louis couldn't cry another tear. He hugged Andrew a little tighter, then set him down, he was asleep, breathing deeply and he prayed that he was alright, wiped the blood from his head and groomed his hair. 

He did not know what to do, where he was or how to get help, they were in their pajamas and barefooted, if he returned to his home, would the firefighters be there? Or… would he find the two women waiting for him? 

- Mmmm... - Andrew complained, bringing him back from his thoughts, they were hidden in the old ruins of a chapel, where he had carried Andrew to the half-destroyed altar and covered him with his blood-soaked pajamas. 

Even with that half moonlight, he could see his brother's paleness, his brown hair was soaked in blood and the wound worried him a lot. He was shivering in the cold. 

- Andrew... please little brother hang on - he sobbed - Andy, don't leave me alone, wake up - he took him in arms and returned to the house, he was rocking him as he pressed him against him - Andrew, open your eyes, if you do, I'll buy you the biggest ice cream I can find... -

Andrew's sweet six years old face had traces of salt on his little face and his eyes were framed by a black shadow. Louis ran back to the house where ambulances and firetrucks were, he yelled for help as he reached for the paramedics, they took Andy and started to work on his wounds as he lay on the ambulance litter. 

- Hey you!! - a police officer started to walk towards him, Louis at that moment realized he was still holding the dagger in his hand - Stop!! 

Louis ran the other way remembering the words from his parents: “Never trust policemen or hospitals”. He had the urge to come back for Andy but it was not possible, his feet were hurting but he entered the woods and ran to their hiding place. He slid through the narrow entrance and remained motionless. 

3.

Emil had stayed outside the house, he had accompanied his sister Anaissa and Erin Bathory, but had only done so under threat of something horrible he didn´t even have the courage to think.

He heard screams, terrible heartbreaking screams, and then, with some amazement, he saw a teenager carrying a child, fleeing into the forest. He followed them for a moment, mostly because of the hunger that the smell of their blood had awakened in him, a thirst that began to gather strength; but before pouncing on them, the sweet and musical voice of his mother, Lya, rang in his head: "No, Emil, if you don't learn to control your hunger, your thirst for blood, very soon you will become a monster". He stopped and watched as they walked away when suddenly he felt an arm grasp him.

- Emil… - an incredibly honeyed voice sounded behind him - Oh, Emil! He has hurt me... - Emil felt Erin's weight fall into his arms. Annaisa approached visibly upset, but he couldn't ran away due to Erin's hug.

- Erin! Control yourself! A little human blood and the burnt skin will disappear 

- I will take you to the doctor later - Emil said with a smile that made Erin´s heart flow

- Emil… - Annaisa said approaching him. - Where is the boy? I suppose you saw him, didn't you? 

- Yes ... - he said a little fearful - He fled into the forest - he looked away, avoiding Annaisa´s look.

- And you didn't stop it?

- No.

A blow from Anaissa's hand was enough to split his lip open and bleed.

- Moron! How is it possible? Are you stupid or do you just look like that?!

- Anaissa!! stop it!! - Erin said stopping her before she land other slap on Emil

- Oh let me go!! 

- As your princess I comand you to let him alone - Erin´s fangs shine as she pursed her lips in anger 

- Let's go home - said Anaissa - it's going to dawn. - Emil ... get rid of the house, set it on fire - she still had her mouth and cheeks full of blood, making her look like a little girl on a halloween costume.                 

- But ... - Emil wanted to protest but her sister shut him with a tiny hand covered in lace. 

- If you don't do what I ask - she said so threateningly that Emil's skin crawled all over her body, - I'll have to make you pay after you fall asleep, not now... but someday.

Faced with this threat, Emil went silent. With a smirk, Anaissa left with Princess Erin Bathory, not before Erin said goodbye by kissing him on the lips, a gesture that disgusted him and at the same time made him more thirsty for the smell of blood impregnated on her breath.

He saw them leave on a black SUV that had tainted windows, that was surely from Erin´s brother. Emil entered the ruins of the house, poked around in the corners, and found nothing. He had almost finished walking it when an intense smell of blood and tuberose caught his attention. 

In the house there were many things that smelled of blood but not so intensely and not so floral. He followed the smell to a bedroom, looked for the source, there was nothing at sight, he moved the bed and saw nothing, but there it was, the lovely smell, he steped into a rug and it sounded different, he fanned it away and found it, a small dent that led into a hatch. 

He steped into the hidden room, he had no problem seeing in the dark, but still he looke for the switch on the wall. 

The light hit him and lighted the panic room, in there a beautiful young girl was laying on the floor. Her wavy brown hair framed her olive face, she was passed out and had numerous cuts on her hands. He leaned over her, and in an unexpected gesture, he kissed her hand and shuddered with pain as he tasted her blood and at the same time suppressed his thirst. 

He could not kill her, the memory of his mother prevented him, and her face had captivated him. He took her in his arms, she moaned but did not wake up; "she probably has a contusion" he tought as he took her outside and set fire to what was left of the house. 

He said a small prayer on the souls of the two people inside the house, he cursed himself, if only he was a bit stronger he could have save them, but no, he was too weak. He covered the girl with his coat and carried her away. 

He took care that no one saw him enter and took her to her car, she needed medical atention. A few minutes later she was in the bed of Isobel, their "special doctor".

- Well then, they didn't bite you - she whispered softly and stroked her hair and face, she moaned again. - Mmmm ... it seems that because I have not eaten I am very cold, I will have to eat so I won´t scare you.   

Emil leaned out from the balcony and the dawn stung his eyes, he ran into the room and closed the door, the blinds, and the thick velvet curtain. 

- hahahaha - Isobel laugh - calm down, all the windows have UV light protection, no need to close the curtains

- Sorry, I am kind of nervous - he said at the same time that he peeked inside the room to contemplate her; the dimed light gave her an almost heavenly air. 

- So... only survivor from Ana´s hunt? - asked Isobel while closing the door and guiding him to her office

- Yes, I didn´t have the courage to kill her, she... she...

- You don´t have to explain it to me, calm down, I applaude your resolution. Stay here for the day, it is morning already. 

She said and she leve him on the office, she closed the doors and Emil stood there, his phone vibrate in his pocket, he took it out and saw a message from Annaissa, it was a video, it was from the local news announcing the house on fire. 

"Well done" 

She sent him but he did not read it, the reporter was saying the name of the family that used to live in that house, Dr. Stocker. wife and three children. 

"What are you doing Anna?" Emil whispered slowly in terror.