“Nosferatu,” Mathias whispered.
Nosferatu jerked awake. “Mathias.” He smiled.
“What happened?”
Nosferatu rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “I killed her. When I saw you fall, it was like losing you all over again. I cut off her head while she was facing me. It’s a shame to think of how much I hated her at the end. My only thought was when I heard her body fall with a splat; I’d hoped her body didn’t crush you. It didn’t. You’ve been asleep for over two weeks, almost unheard of for a vampire.”
Mathias smiled. “But wait. Didn’t you say that the person who killed the member of The Order would be killed anyway?”
Nosferatu nodded. “Unless it was sanctioned.” He smiled. “I had permission.”
“How?”
“They were tired of her insanity, and all I had to do was wait until my mother went in there demanding to test you. She couldn’t hold it together and they finally saw that I was telling the truth. She had completely lost her mind. In her rooms, we found a list she had made of all the members of court who no longer supported her because of you. It looked like she planned to kill each family on that list.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Nosferatu sighed. “You know you’ve never been good at blocking, Mathias. At least not in this lifetime. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want her suspecting anything. Unfortunately, in order to pull the whole thing off, your test had to go through as planned. My only regret is that you were injured in the process.”
Mathias was stunned. It was the craziest, most brilliant plan he’d ever heard.
“What’s with the necklace?” Mathias asked.
Nossy looked down. “I wasn’t given a choice this time. It seems that I am to rule for a while.”
“They made you king?”
“You want it?” Nossy asked.
“Hell, no.”
“Now, are you going to stay in bed all day, or are you going to give this bed to someone who needs it?”
“I can get out of here?”
“Yes! Now come on.”
Mathias jumped out of the bed and followed Nosferatu out of the infirmary. He hoped he would never have to visit it again.
Chapter Seventeen
Six months later—
Mathias landed in hell. Specifically, he landed on the roof of Nic’s building, but he wanted Nic to know he was there. He hoped Nic was scared. He had his chance now. The Queen was no longer a problem. Her death had meant a great weight was lifted from his shoulders. Nic had been the one that set his new life into motion. Granted, he was thankful he had a life at all, but if it wasn’t for Nic, he wouldn’t have had to deal with the Queen, at least not so young.
And Lucretia, he couldn’t forget what Nic had done to her.
Without a sound, he leapt off the roof and landed in front of Nic’s front door. There was no need for theatrics. Mathias blinked open the lock and stepped inside. He could feel the pressure of Nic’s wards, but he brushed them off like one would brush away a fly. That’s what Nic was to him now— a fly.
He walked thought the dark rooms and down the passageway to Nic’s lair. Somehow, it wasn’t as big or as scary as the last time he’d been there. But then, he also wasn’t the same Mathias.
Before he stepped out into the open and into Nic’s room, Mathias said, “So, are you still looking for a vampire skull?”
Mathias could hear Nic’s heartbeat thump in his chest. He walked out into the open.
Nic stared from behind his work table and dropped the crystal he was holding. It shattered on the table.
Mathias could see the man’s eyes widen, and then, it was almost as if Mathias felt magic touching him. It was a strange feeling, like a slight chill that was just light enough that it didn’t make him shiver. It seemed to probe, and yet, not do anything to him.
Nic’s eyes darkened.
Then, Mathias felt the magic stop. Guess he got the information he wanted.
“You’re back,” Nic said.
Mathias smiled. “Now, my question is, did you plan for me to die?”
Nic started to speak.
“Don’t lie,” Mathias said.
Nic placed his hands on the table. “I needed a human sacrifice.”
“Ah, needed or wanted?”
“Wanted.”
Mathias nodded. He walked closer to Nic. “And did you know what would become of me?”
“I suspected.”
“You suspected what, exactly?”
Nic motioned at an old book on the table. “Well, you are a Drvar. Distant relative to Tepes himself.”
Mathias tapped a fang with his claw. “And what did you want with a vampire’s skull?”
“I have a spell.”
“A spell for what?” Mathias asked.
“Immortality.”
Mathias laughed. For someone so smart, this man was an idiot. “Of course. You can do everything but give yourself that. How ridiculous.”
Nic’s eyes narrowed. “And just how is it a ridiculous quest?”
“There is no true immortality old man.” Mathias grabbed Nic by the throat and lifted him several feet off the ground. “Everything can die.”
Nic clutched at Mathias’ hands. Mathias squeezed harder. Nic’s eyes bulged. Mathias did not stop squeezing until blood ran from Nic’s eyes. He dropped the body to the floor.
One by one, he gathered the ancient texts strewn about Nic’s workplace. When he had them in a manageable pile, he blinked them to Nossy. “The old bat will have a field day with those.”
Then, Mathias crept close to Nic. His blackened soul was still hovering over the body, not sure where to go. Mathias opened his mouth and sucked it in; the soul was swallowed and destroyed. He burped. “Ugh, Indigestion.”
Mathias blinked the building clean of magic. Then he left the way he came. It was now just an old house, nothing special. Hell’s Kitchen was itself once more. Hell had left the building. He took one last look at the house and put the earbuds of his MP3 player into his ears. He cranked up the volume, cued the song and flew off into the night.
The End
Author Biography
Danielle DeVor spent her early years fantasizing about vampires and watching “Salem’s Lot” way too many times. After living briefly in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she moved back to her hometown, Morgantown, WV, to write.
When not writing and reading about vampires, you will find her hanging out at the nearest coffee shop, enjoying a mocha frappuccino.
Visit her at: www.danielledevor.wordpress.com
Thank you for purchasing this publication from Eirelander Publishing.
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Danielle DeVor, Tail of the Devil
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