Chapter 10: House Cleaning

From the writings of Aarcidmus, high archivist and lord researcher to High Emperor Sedimer'tiskoniar: Milord has been obsessed as of late. His only concern is the weakness that has been spreading. The sickness seemed to come from nowhere, and yet, minor cases of it have been appearing in my research dating back several imperials. The weaker lords have been becoming ill and dying. The weak have vanished. The powers all demon kin has been weakening over time. I have not been able to make a connection between this wane and anything else. We have more land than ever, and more slaves to keep it. Our food is beyond abundant, and we even have them well pacified. Our main stock, the humans, lives in satisfactory conditions, and they are not able to do such a thing as this sickness. I have often wondered as to the reasons why we keep them generally ignorant of our control over them. I believe that we could easily rule them as gods like... [this segment of the text has been lost through aging]... Long have we been studying the effects of this sickness, and I am worried. Over the years it has been increasing in strength, and more and more of our kind have been contracting it. I do not think anyone is truly safe from it...

With Sarah holding him so closely, Tim could smell every wisp of a scent clinging from her. Her body molded closely to his, he could practically watch her neck pulse with blood. Saliva was dripping from his fangs, and he swallowed as much as he could. She rested her head on his shoulder and spoke again in his ear.

"I am so sorry for what we have done to you."

Tim tried to contain his hunger but it was winning. He looked at her in a way that showed his need to be fed. As if sensing his hunger, or feeling his desire Sarah spoke up, "If you are hungry, please, drink from me. It is the least I can do for you." Sarah continued very softly, "I love you, make me yours."

Tim leaned closer to her watching her reaction. Her beauty, vulnerability, trust, and love made for an intoxicating combination. He opened his mouth wide to sink his teeth in, pulling back before he made contact. "I cannot. I will not." Tim mentally raged as he pushed her away, holding her at arms length. He looked into her eyes again, reaching out to her web, grasping for any rhyme or reason for her actions. He looked past her slave regalia and deep into her core. Finally he saw it, an image of him. Somehow he was deep within her core, though he didn't quite understand what that meant. "Stay." Tim directed toward the other women. "Sarah, come with me."

Tim led Sarah out of her room. They went down the hall to his room, and he opened the door. "Lie on the bed." He directed Sarah, and then took a seat at his desk chair, pulling it close to where she sat. "Sarah, I want to you to answer me plainly and to tell the truth, I can read your mind but I want to hear you say this, how do you feel toward me?"

"You are my brother, and I love you. Well you aren't really my brother, but it feels that way."

"Sarah, get on all fours and bark like a dog." Tim knew she was lying to him, and he was not going to let her get away with it. Sarah barely hesitated as she did what he commanded. She rolled onto her stomach, got up to her knees, placed her hands back onto the bed, and barked a couple of times. Tim just sat there and watched. She stayed in that position, barking several more times, every bark doing amazing things to her night shirt covered body, particularly her chest.

"Alright, you can stop now. So... why did you do that?"

"I don't know, you asked me to."

"Sure I asked you to, but why did you do it? You didn't exactly have to. I didn't even threaten you."

"I-I'm not sure. I didn't even think about it. It just felt like the right thing to do. It felt natural. You told me to do something, and I love you. I... That means I should do whatever you tell me to. Please don't be angry with me. I don't want you to leave again." Sarah launched herself from the doggy position she was in landing directly on Tim, knocking them both backwards to the floor as the chair tipped over. "Oh... Tim, are you alright. I am so sorry. Forgive me, please... forgive me... I love you..."

Sarah lay on top of him crying into his chest. She had her hands griped tightly as she babbled her apologies. Tim couldn't help but laugh from the situation. He hadn't really had a reason to laugh in a long time, and here, lying on the floor, he found himself practically giggling. He had turned into a vampire and almost killed his family twice, and for some reason the one member he had almost killed again was lying on top of him spouting her worry over his safety.

"I am sorry, Sarah," chocked out through his laughter, "this is really funny. I am fine, remember, I am a vampire. I won't be hurt by falling off my chair. I'm a vampire... a vampire." The mirth died quickly from his voice. He lay there, again remembering the things he had done just hours ago. Images flashed before his eyes of maimed bodies; he saw his arms covered in blood, flecks of skin hanging from his nails. He again tasted the fear of his victims. Minutes passed and Sarah stopped her crying, however, she felt uneasy. Tim was silent, inner turmoil ricocheting doubts and terrifying images through his head. He once again felt bathed in blood. He could feel the life draining out of his victims. He could taste the warmth. He started to shudder from the cold that filled him. He wanted to be warm again.

Sarah could tell something was wrong with Tim, and for the first time she felt worried for him. These feelings she had toward Tim were strange. She had never felt them before today, and yet they were not alien, didn't feel wrong. To her it was as if she had always been in love with Tim, she had always wanted to serve him. She had just not known until she woke up this morning that Tim was her master. She could feel him becoming cold, and she tried to cover him to keep in the warmth. Her body was doing little to maintain his heat, and his temperature continued to lower. A thought popped into Sarah's mind. She stood up, and quickly went over to the desk. From the top drawer she pulled a letter opener shaped like a knife. Tim had always been fond of this specific tool. Sarah went back to Tim and pulled the chair out from under him. She kneeled down on top of him and brought her neck above his mouth. She took a deep breath and began to slice into her neck with the blade. She gritted her teeth through the pain, finally dropping the letter opener when she felt enough blood flowing.

"Drink master." She forced out through clenched teeth. Blood spilled from her neck and she brought it close to his mouth. She was thinking only of her master who seemed to be losing warmth with every second that passed. Somehow she knew that this was what he needed. She knew that the blood was his cure. He was a vampire, and she loved him.

When the first drops landed in his mouth, Tim didn't even notice, but as the flow steadied he became aware of the warm, sweet ambrosia flowing into him. Tim swallowed the first mouthful, then brought his arms up and wrapped them around Sarah's neck drawing her closer. He latched onto her, and began to drain. Sarah's blood tasted completely different from the others he had drunk from. It was sweet, less coppery, with no hint of bitterness or sharp flavor.

Sarah gasped when Tim wrapped his arms around her. He had accepted her. She was complete now that he had approved her sacrifice to him. She felt a great euphoria flow through her, greater than any orgasm she had ever had. He drank and drank, and she became light headed, not just swooning from the feelings. She knew deep inside that she was losing too much blood, but she would not force him away. If he so desired she would die here and now, freely, willingly, and without reservation. If he wanted her to turn and forever be with him she could be no happier. He was her master.

Tim however, had different views. The blood quickly revitalized his body, and he began to think clearly. He knew that he had drunk enough, and yet was unable to pull away. She tasted so sweet. She was perfect. Tim shifted his arms to around her waist to push her off of him, but his mouth stayed hooked on her. After struggling with her waist for a moment, his arms they wrapped back around her again, and held her tight. His body had a mind of its own. He tried to pry his mouth from her neck, but it would not come. He finally cried out within, "RELEASE HER!"

His response did not come as he expected, instead of releasing her, a small voice, ancient beyond him began to speak. It was different from the other voice, more controlled, wise. The first voice he knew was the demon that resided within his blood, the one who hungered. This voice he heard now was something else. Tim was uncertain if the voice was from within his head or simply disembodied, but he couldn't help but grasp to what it said. "The blood of the willing; little is more satisfying. Hard to pull away isn't it? Yes, I know it is. Do you want to fight it? Is it worth pulling away from her? The blood, it calls to you doesn't it? It fills you, makes you feel complete. That is the only thing missing. You have everything, and yet are not whole. You are not complete, and can never be complete. I can help you. I can teach you. I can show you how to live. I can train you not to kill those you love. In return all I ask is a service. I will not burden you with its details, but know this, it will be taxing, but you are up to the task. What is your answer? she only has ten seconds left to remain alive."

Tim was addicted to her sweet blood. He wanted to pull off, but it had awakened part of him that was not under his control. His thirst had awakened and the hunger had a separate mind covered in a red fog. It was separated by bloodlust, and was unable... unwilling to withdraw. His awakened hunger was now in control of his body. He knew what he needed to do, but couldn't act on it. With his remaining will Tim thought these words, "If you can save Sarah from me, I will do whatever it is you need me to do. I will not kill her. I cannot kill her." The fog evaporated from his mind and his hunger vanished. Tim pulled himself off of Sarah as quickly as he could. She was breathing shallowly, and the blood was still flowing from her neck. Tim pressed his hands directly on the blood flow trying to stop it.

"Now what do I do?"

"What you need to do here is simple, close your eyes and imagine her wound closing. Imagine the skin closing and sealing back up, the damage from the stab going away, everything. Just envision it healing."

Tim closed his eyes and did as the voice told him. He felt something, an extension of his self leave his body and attach itself to Sarah's neck. The extension became like a needle and thread, and sewed the skin back together. He imagined her body producing blood faster, and he concentrated. Tim could feel some energy leaving him, and opened his eyes, looking down at her. The slice in Sarah's neck was gone, not even a scar remained. She looked a little pale but nothing else spoke of her experience.

Though he had given Sarah some of the life he had taken, Tim felt much more alive. He felt stronger than he had since he had turned. He was not even hungry. After feasting on all of the blood from his other victims had he had not felt this full. Something about Sarah had filled his hunger. "Isn't it amazing?" the voice in his head spoke up again, "It so small thing, to give blood freely instead of having it taken, and yet the results are astounding."

"Master... did I serve you well?"

"Yes Sarah, you did. You were perfect. Now rest."

Sarah's smile shined from ear to ear as her eyes closed and she went toward sleep. She was ecstatic, having pleased her master. The fact that it was Tim no longer even registered with her. It just made so much sense that Tim was her lord. He was just perfect, and he was so strong. As she fell back asleep she made a promise, "I will always serve you. For now and forever, you have my love and devotion. Tim, Master, from now on, you will never want anything I can provide for you. Everything I have is yours, my life, my love, my body, my soul. What are worldly possessions to a slave with a master like you? Everything that is me is now yours. I do so promise." Tim could not hear her, but she fell asleep mentally repeating these words. Her new mantra filled her and made her feel comfortable and content in a way nothing else had, and by the time Tim had lifted her back onto the bed, she had fallen asleep, experiencing beautiful dreams of servitude.

"You need to go to the other room and take care of the others. They could have rushed in here and tried to put something wooden through your heart. How could you have told them you were a vampire without taking control of them first? Mind control is one of your basic abilities, though I am sure that you are not going to be very good at it. You did good work with this one, but I don't think you can do that again. It was likely beginner's luck."

"Hold on a second, just who are you?" Now that he was thinking clearly, Tim remembered that he was not supposed to have a voice in his head. He knew this was not the voice of desire or hunger. This was something else.

"That question can wait, but I am a friend. We made a deal so I am here to help, and right now you have a crisis on your hands. Now go on and get to the other room."

Tim left the room and rushed back to Sarah's room. Standing outside he thought back, "I didn't do anything to Sarah. When I got upstairs she was like this."

There was a pause, and then the voice spoke up, "So it seems... well if that's the case than we have more work ahead of us than I thought. Go on in, and let's get started."

Tim opened the door and saw the three girls all still on the bed, Susanne was holding Violet, who was locked in a mutual hold with Crystal. They looked at the door as Tim entered, and for the first time, he saw the fear in all of their eyes. Strange he thought to himself, if they were so afraid, why didn't they try to get help?

"I am not going to hurt you." He spoke aloud.

"Where is Sarah?" Susanne questioned. She sat up from her huddle with the girls and started to stand. "What have you done with my daughter?"

"She is sleeping in my room. She is fine, you don't need to worry."

"You no longer have a room in my home. I want you to leave."

"I did not ask to be put here but I loved it here. Your husband was the first person who cared about me. You are not my real family but I always think about you as such. This is the only place have ever known happiness. I am not going to live on the street because you want me to leave. You cannot make me do anything anymore. Why don't you sit and we'll just have a pleasant conversation about the way things are going to work now."