Temptations

[Ariel Datrazanov]

Byron was buried deeply into the ancient texts of the French National Museum archives. There had been a huge increase in the vampyre population in the early 1600’s, and he wanted a look at the writings of the times. He hadn’t been in France at the time, but he knew several Carpathians had been sent to hunt them when it had happened.

The unusual thing about sending the hunters was that many of them turned vampyre in the process. Could there be clues in the archives regarding that huge group of new vampyre? Some of that time period’s best hunters succumbed to the lure of vampyre.

He found a diary in the archives, held by the library because it was unusual that a woman had written it, and that it was alleged to be a rare work of fiction from a time that was so dominated by Christian religious writings alone. The author had titled and signed her diary: La Belle Mort, The Beautiful Death.

What Byron knew was that Belle Mort was still very much a presence in Paris. She was one of the Fontaine de sang. She was one of the oldest sources of vampirism in Europe. Could he find her? Byron committed the words to memory. If anyone would know, Le Belle should.

[Ariel Datrazanov]

Ariel stilled as an alien and unknown consciousness touched her own. It was old and very powerful, but she couldn’t detect the kind of malevolence she’d felt from the Prince, or from her brothers. She reached toward the consciousness, ~Are you the one they call Tass?~

She waited, ready to slam down a barrier if it was not. How would she describe this thing to him? And better still, how had he known she searched for him? Ariel shivered in the warm evening air.

There was a small toying curl at the edge of his lips as her response came. "Ah, my dear, even if it were not, that slight moment which you opened and let me in would be all that was needed to be beyond those barriers which you hold ready. But yes, I am he."

There was no hint of braggadocio in his words, and given the age and power she felt in the presence, she knew he was probably correct. But now she had to focus on the problem at hand.

~Forgive my intrusion Tass, I have urgent need to learn a thing that very few living beings might know the answer to, and it is my hope that you may be able to help us.~

There was a slight shake to his head as he turned from the window, and moved to one of the walls that were lined with old scrolls. "It was I who intruded, hun. And there are even things that even those few living beings don't know. But, that, perhaps, is neither here nor there. What is it that you need?"

Ariel felt around the edges of this alien consciousness, trying not to be offensive in her curiosity, it was clearly not humanoid thought, despite that it spoke in Common.

~There are tales that go back into the very mists of the beginning of humanity that say that the Vampyre was the creation of a single entity. That all subsequent vampyre are the ‘children’ so to speak of one that has many names, but the name I know her by is Le Noir. How would we be able to recognize her if she were able to escape her imprisonment and once more walk the consciousness of humanity? Do you know?~

There were so very many questions she would like to ask of this venerable creature, but if he could give her a clue how to recognize the Mother of All Darkness, that would be a start.

There was a soft chuckle than ran the length of distance. "Le Noir? A crude, if not partially apt name for her. I fear I would not be able to give you a description of her, for her guises are many, and ever changing.”
"As for knowing if she walked once more, that is a fairly simple thing to know. There would be destruction in her wake. The last time which I had seen her, she tried to completely destroy a world she had started in creating, only to be brought down by a child of her own."
He paused there. There were many times which he had witnessed her passing, and there was little enough time, if her willingness to open herself for a stranger to her was any measure.
"But do not think that the kind of destruction which follows her is of such a simple base. There is more than one way to destroy, and she knows them." Again, there came a pause, then his words shifted. "Why have you sought me with simple enough measures, and ask of such things?"

Ariel’s blood ran cold in her veins. ~We fear that Le Noir is waking. There is a power, old, and one that drives even the mated males to blood lust that kills. Something is driving them to become Vampyre when their mates should be able to keep them from turning. It has affected my brothers, and my Prince. But to try to fight this thing, we need to know what it is.~

[Ariel Datrazanov]

"We are what we are. But you have not answered my query. If, in truth this Le Noir is about, why do you seek me through these means? Had it not been I who touched on that unprotected link, what do you believe would have happened?"
Ariel paused, the blood lust had not affected any of the females, only the males so far, ~I do not believe I am in danger from this thing. It attacks only our males with the blood lust. Therefore, nothing would have happened. If it is The Mother of All Darkness, she is focused on male Carpathians alone."

"And do you not think that she would seek to manipulate you? As I stated before, there are other ways of destroying."

~She is capable, but so far has not. But we deviate now, I had hoped given the dragon kind's great longevity, which eclipses even Carpathian, that you may know if the Darkness stirs once more. She was imprisoned centuries ago, but what I feel from my brothers is not in their nature. It is darker, more violent, and will cost them their souls.~ She shivered, the idea that she could lose these three to Le Noir was too awful to dwell on.

There was a slight shake of his head. It was sometimes astonishing the arrogance that some of the older races brought forth in their presumptions. Even his own...

His voice came softly, as if there was great weight that bore down upon it. "It is likely that this Le Noir, Lillith, does move once more." Perhaps not all of the story, but it would confirm the worry that she held, and give her enough of a measure to do what she needed, if she could.

Ariel went absolutely still. ~Do you know how she was imprisoned before?~

[Ariel Datrazanov]

Byron’s search took him into every dark nook and cranny of Paris. La Belle was the source of the blood in Paris, and indeed for much of Europe. She was older than most of the masters, and so powerful that few could resist her call. Every fiber of Byron’s body screamed for her destruction, but if he was to learn what Belle knew, he could not go in as a Carpathian Hunter. He perched atop the roof of L'église de la Madeleine as he surveyed the eighth arrondissement of Paris still looking for clues. To get to Belle, he would probably have to get to one of her minions.

His skin itched at that notion. To be in the close proximity of vampyre and not slay it seemed an affront he was not certain he could adjust to, but the need was dire, and he could return later to do the job commanded him by his Prince. Mikhail would understand, ‘Unless he did not survive this new threat.’ The unbidden thought brought a snarl tearing from his lungs and the night stilled from its echoes.

Byron caught sight of a lone vampyre prowling in the back streets near the Madeleine Chapel and he took flight in the form of an owl for a closer look. The Hunter circled lazily above the male, who seemed to busy ferreting out a victim and not enough focus on keeping his existence. Byron shuddered his revulsion. He did not know this particular vampyre, and clearly he was not a very old one to be so consumed by seeking prey and paying no attention to his own safety.

Byron scanned the area for other vampyre. The city was rife with them, but there were no blank spots, and nothing extremely close by. The Hunter swooped in and shifted into human form just as his hand grabbed the vampyre about his throat. Byron’s hand remained that of a taloned owl as he stared the shocked young vampyre in the eyes. “Listen well vampyre, if you even TRY to shift, I will sever your jugular and tear out your heart before you can blink.” Byron’s instincts shrieked at him to finish the undead one here and now, but he clamped down on his instincts hard.

The talons tightened slightly as the young vampyre went still. He may be young, but in life, he had been rather brilliant, and the fact that this Hunter hadn’t simply ended his existence meant the Hunter wanted something. Perhaps there was room for parlay. He gave a slight nod, which was difficult to do given that Byron had him by the throat in a very painful grip.

“Do you know the vampyre calling herself La Belle Morte?” Byron’s eyes were locked with the vampyre’s. He would recognized a lie if the creature was foolish enough to give him one. He felt it stiffen in shocked surprise.

The words were barely audible as Byron crushed down on the vampyre’s throat harder, “Everyone knows Le Belle, but few seek her company willingly.”

Byron gave him a slight shake, “You will seek her company willingly this night, or I will hunt you down and bring you to the Prince’s justice, am I clear?”

The vampyre hissed at Byron, “You do not know what you ask.”

The talons lengthened and stabbed ever closer to the creature’s jugular and carotid arteries, “I know that you would be wiser to carry my message to La Belle and exist another night than to deny me and die again now, only this time for eternity.” Byron felt certain the message would be delivered, and he knew that he would hunt this one after it had been.

Martin had heard stories of La Belle Morte. He knew to carry any message to her was a risk to his very existence as well, but this threat was imminent. “What is the message?”

“Tell La Belle that I seek a meeting on neutral ground. One night of her time is my request. In return, I will leave her pets alone for thirty days to allow them to seek refuge. Tell her I am at L'église de la Madeleine. She need not enter holy ground, I will leave the site for our meeting.”

Martin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you mad, Hunter?”

Byron leaned close to the fetid breath of the vampyre, his eyes going the deathly black of a hunting shark, “Tell her, now.” As the vampyre nodded once, Byron released his grip on the creature’s throat and the young vampyre dissolved.

Byron then returned to the roof of L'église de la Madeleine to wait.

[Ariel Datrazanov]

Belle studied Byron for a very long while. Whatever internal debate she was having remained hidden only to her own counsel, and no hint marred her beautiful features. “Les tours que nous avons employé la dernière fois ne fonctionneraient pas une deuxième fois.” Belle at last spoke, and she of any creature in the world would know Le Noir. The notion that Le Noir was stirring roused emotions Belle had not felt in many centuries. Fear. She despised the taste fear left in her mouth.

Byron’s black gaze shifted to the easterly direction, soon they would have to separate, for Belle could not tolerate even the briefest moment of sunlight. “You say the tricks you used the last time would not work again a second time. If you had to do this again, how would you approach it?” He hoped she had some idea, any idea would be more than they had for the time being.

Belle shook her head, “Je dois penser sur ces nouvelles. Ce qui doit être fait une deuxième fois nous laissera sans la pièce pour des erreurs.”

Byron nodded as Belle rose from their perch atop the roof, “Think on it as you need, but will you get back to me soon? The situation grows desperate.” She was right, there would be no room for errors. He hoped she would agree to meet him upon the next rising, and he began to feel the effects of the coming dawn, so he knew she was already uncomfortable. Seeing the dawn would destroy Belle, and while his every instinct shrieked at him to slay her, they needed her, and they had a transitory truce.

Belle nodded, “Je vous trouverai pendant deux soirées dès maintenant,” and with that, Belle simply vanished into the night.

Two risings from now she had promised to meet him again. Byron sighed, he wasn’t certain Mikhail or Gabriel could last that much longer. But, on the brighter side, she would meet with him, and she had participated in the first binding of Le Noir. That was something to place hope in when everything else seemed so very bleak.

Byron relayed what he had learned from Belle to the females of his people, making certain that none of his news would reach the males, and potentially Le Noir herself. Then he drifted down into the catacombs of L'église de la Madeleine. Now that every vampyre in Paris knew of his presence, he would need every advantage possible to avoid attracting them in for a hopeful kill. He opened the old earth and floated into his resting place, setting every safeguard he knew before pulling the soil in atop himself and shutting down his heart and lungs to sleep the sleep of his kind.

[Ariel Datrazanov]

Mikhail’s reason warred with the driving desire for blood. His reaction to Ariel’s presence remained a troubling thought buried behind the consuming need. But Raven’s scream dragged him from the blood lust and just millimeters away from the precipice he was so willing to go over, long enough for him to foggily realize that what he had nearly done was wrong.

He glanced through the wards at Gabriel as he struggled to regain himself from the shroud of blood lust that ensnared him. His oldest and closest friend remained completely held in the grip of this blood lust, and was intent upon escaping his prison with all possible haste.

Something in the back of Mikhail’s mind told him that Gabriel could not be allowed to get out of these rooms.

Raven felt his dim awareness and she reinforced his thoughts, quietly adding her own to his in an effort to keep him with her and not let him slip completely into the abyss if she could help him in any way. Raven could feel the darkness recede slightly, and Mikhail returning. Someone had to be able to reach Gabriel, the question was whom. Ariel might be able to, but she dare not return to the Palazzo, not with Mikhail holding on by a thread.

Shea was with Raven, and it was Shea to reached for Ariel.

[Ariel Datrazanov]

Ariel’s shock was evident despite the distances that separated them. Shea wanted her to try to reach Gabriel? What she’d felt from Mikhail and Gabriel was an unbridled lust to consume. What if they pulled her in and she couldn’t escape? Further, Gabriel was considerably older and more powerful than she was, and she sat high in the tree watching the Palazzo.

Ariel steeled herself for the first touch. She’d recoiled on the previous attempts in order to protect herself, but what if he needed her and she was simply being a coward? Ariel sent herself into the mental connection, seeking Gabriel. She was struck, almost physically with the fury and the hunger. Hunger was a living, breathing thing that had taken hold of him. There was very little of Gabriel to be found. This hunger, this entity, had wrapped itself around him and covered him up.

Ariel pushed a bit further, seeking some part of Gabriel that would recognize her. What happened next was so unexpected, and so shocking that she nearly fell out of the tree. The image of a very petite female shrouded all in black formed between Ariel and Gabriel. Without a word, she made a shoving motion with her hand, and Ariel was summarily forced back along the connection which slammed shut behind her. The touch was pure evil. It was darkness incarnate.

Ariel shared the experience with Shea and Raven, if they were not careful, this one might shove them away from Mikhail, and then they would have no inside information on what was happening inside the palazzo, and worse, they might have to fight both Gabriel and Mikhail.