Chapter Ten

Before she knew he was there she was against the wall with his hands wrapped tightly around her throat and his breath ghosting across her face. His eyes glowed a deep red and she braced herself, ready for him to vamp on her.

"Pretty pretty Christabela. I knew you would return home to me eventually."

Her eyes narrowed and she stared him down, ready to fight back at any given moment.

"I did not come home for you Christopher. Now, remove your hands or you will pay dearly."

He threw his head back laughing and she turned her head away from him as the evil sound echoed through the castle. He looked back toward her and released his hands from her throat slipping his finger under her chin forcing her to look at him.

"You are quite brave child, coming back here with such an attitude. I have big plans for you, but unfortunately those plans will have to wait."

She held steady, hiding all fear inside her as he moved his finger from her chin and placed his hands on her shoulders holding her against the wall.

"I'm a little pissed with you right now Christabela. Seems our Lance has taken it upon himself to embrace that bitch."

He leaned in closer to her and grinned as she tried to turn her face away from him once again.

"I think you had a little something to do with that precious one. Must I remind you of the laws of the coven?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced as his hand returned to her throat placing a firm grip on her.

" First Law, That each coven must have its leader and only he might order the working of the Dark Trick upon a mortal, seeing that the methods and the rituals were properly observed. Second Law That the Dark Gifts must never be given to the crippled, the maimed, or to children, or to those who cannot, even with the Dark Powers, survive on their own. Be it further understood that all mortals who would receive the Dark Gifts should be beautiful in person so that the insult to God might be greater when the trick is done. Third Law........"

"I don't need to hear the laws......"

His hand connected with her cheek knocking her face to the side and causing her head to pound against the wall behind her. He laughed as she grabbed her cheek and placed his hands on either side of her head against the wall.

"THIRD LAW.....That never should an old vampire work this magic lest the blood of the fledgeling be too strong. For all our gifts increase naturally with age, and the old ones have too much strength to pass on. Injury, burning — these catastrophes, if they do not destroy the Child of Satan will only increase his powers when he is healed. Yet Satan guards the flock from the powers of old ones, for almost all, without exception, go mad.

Fourth Law....."

She dropped her hand from her cheek daring to face him head on once again as her eyes began to tint with yellow.

"Enough Christopher."

Without warning a stake was driven through her side and she doubled over in pain feeling the tip of it scrape against her ribs. He looked down at her and tilted his head as he shook it.

"Tisk tisk Christabela. You really must learn to not interrupt."

He pulled her back up straight and placed his palms against the wall on either side of her once again.

"Fourth Law, That no vampire may ever destroy another vampire, EXCEPT the coven master has the power of life and death over ALL of his flock. And it is, further, his obligation to lead the OLD ones and the MAD ones into the fire when they can no longer serve Satan as they should. It is his obligation to destroy all vampires who are not properly made. It is his obligation to destroy those who are so badly wounded that they cannot survive on their own. And it is his obligation finally to seek the destruction of all OUTCAST and all those who have broken these laws. And last but not least the fifth law....That no vampire shall ever reveal his true nature to a mortal and allow that mortal to live. No vampire must ever reveal the history of the vampires to a mortal and let the mortal live. NO vampire must commit to writing the history of the vampires or any true knowledge of vampires lest such a history be found by mortals and believed. And a vampires name must NEVER be known to mortals, save from his tombstone, and never must any vampire reveal to mortals the location of his or any other vampires lair."

A stake was driven through her left thigh and she cried out in pain dropping to the floor in front of him as he laughed and squatted down in front of her.

"Seems you have a little trouble with the last one there precious one. Your Father Chasez is in quite a bit of trouble himself. Seems Nathaniels coven is in town for a little visit and they seem quite pissed that he knows so much of our history. Your Chasez has The Book of Nod. Have any idea how he got his hands on that one....RAVEN?"

She pulled the stake from her leg and tossed it to the side laying her hands on top of the blood that ran from the wound.

"I knew Nathaniels coven was in town. You're a son of a bitch Christopher. You called them here and you know it. Call them off and I do mean call them off now. If one hair is harmed on Father Chasez's head i'll......:"

"What Christabela....what exactly will you do?" he smirked.

*******

Lance stumbled from the bedroom weak and dizzy from the blood he lost to Natasha's feeding, and placed his hands on the side of his head leaning back against the wall.

Justin, Joseph...bring her to me. I need her.

Justin groaned, moving from the couch where he laid with Laura and hit Joseph in the head as he passed by him.

"Come on Joseph, grab Christabela and let's go."

Joseph pushed Sarah from his lap and stood from the chair bending down where Janet had sat at his feet, dropping a quick kiss to her lips. He glanced around the room, and wide eyed, searched in his mind for Christabela.

Justin.....she's gone.

Justin quickly stepped back into the room and looked around before letting his eyes land on Joseph.

What the fuck? Where did she go?

Joseph sighed, rubbing his forehead and looked up in time to catch Lance as he fell into the room.

"Where the hell is she? You were supposed to keep your eyes on her."

Lance's head suddenly flew backwards and he grabbed his cheek, wincing at the pain that burned against it. Justin stepped closer to him and removed his hand starring at the angry red welt that suddenly appeared there.

"Lance?"

Justin's voice was quiet and his eyes took on a yellow hue searching for an unseen force that the mark could have come from. Lance yelled, grabbing his side and Joseph looked on in horror as blood poured from Lance's side between his fingers.

"Christopher.....Christopher has her. He's trying to kill her." His voice was full of pain as he tried to speak and his knees gave way sending him crashing to the floor as blood began to seep from his thigh.

Joseph dropped to his knees in front of Lance and grabbed his shoulders holding him up, supporting him.

"How do you know Lance? We can't read her."

Justin dropped to his knees helping Joseph with Lance as his body became weaker from the loss of blood.

"Her blood.....her blood runs....through me....I....I feel what she feels...."

They grabbed Lance pulling him to his feet and supported him as they literally drug him down the hallway and to the stairs.

*******

"You think you have the powers....then fight back Christabela. Let's see exactly what you've learned over these centuries while you were away."

She moaned, getting to her feet and stared down at the blood that dripped through her fingers as she pulled her hand away from her leg.

"Fuck you Christopher. You believe you are unstoppable, but you are wrong."

Her eyes glowed red and he was slung across the room hitting the wall and crumbling to the floor below him. He laughed, getting to his feet, and wiped away the blood that ran from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Oh please, certainly you can do better than that."

A stake flew her direction and she caught it with her hand sending it flying back toward him and striking him in the arm. He groaned and reached over pulling it from his bicep flinging it in the direction of the doorway as the three coven members entered the room.

The three of them dodged the stake causing it to hit the wall and tumble to the ground as Justin and Joseph lowered Lance into the nearest chair.

"Christopher......you must stop this at once."

He quickly turned his head toward Justin and narrowed his eyes sending Justin tumbling backward.

"You DO NOT interfere with others challenges. Sit down Justin....enjoy the show."

Christabela glanced over to Lance and called out with her mind to the ancients for help. If Lance didn't feed soon he would die a slow death and she was not about to let that happen. Christopher needed to be stopped and she had the powers at that point to stop him.

She pushed from the wall and stepped closer to Christopher lowering her head and lifting only her eyes toward him. He tried to raise his arm and was shocked to see it wouldn't move.

"So you have a few tricks under your hat.....can't stop me....."

Stakes began to fly from all directions knocking him backwards and driving through his inhuman flesh nailing him to the wall. Blood poured from every area of his body and she tranced his mind blocking him from any powers he could use to get away.

After moments of struggling and fighting to break free his body grew weak and the fight to keep his eyes open was lost as he drifted into unconsciousness from the loss of blood.

Christabela quickly ran to Lance sitting down on the chair next to him and tilted her head pulling his weak body against hers.

"Feed Lance. Now....do it now."

Justin shook his head and reached down pulling Lance away from her.

"NO Christabela....you've lost too much blood. He feeds from you and you'll be in the same shape he is."

She shook her head pulling Lance back to her softly kissing his lips.

"Do it now Lance....before it's too Late. Do it now."

Joseph turned his head away as Lance dug his fangs into her neck and wrapped his arms around her tightly as his hunger took over and he sucked, taking drink after drink filling his veins once again.

Justin quickly reached out pulling Lance away from her and pushing him from the chair as she collapsed back against it feeling her eyes growing heavy. He sat in the chair next to her and placed his wrist to her lips, slipping his free arm under her head.

"Come on Christabela. It's ok....just take a little."

Lance's eyes began to return to normal and he took in a deep breath watching Justin with Christabela.

"I got carried away....I'm sorry. Joseph....she's got to be fed. Get someone and get them now."

Joseph nodded and fled from the house into the night in search of the nearest feeding. Lance dropped to his knees in front of Christabela and Laid his hands upon her leg running them across her wound and healing it the best he could before moving them to her side. She flinched at his touch and released Justin's wrist from her mouth wiping away the drops from her lips.

"Take Christopher to the lower levels. Tie him down. He'll be out for a few day....three at the most. I've got to get to Joshua. Lance.....don't leave Natasha. I'm calling in the ancients. We're going to need all the help we can get."

Justin nodded pulling Christopher from the wall and threw him over his shoulder carrying him to the lower levels of the castle. Lance sat down on the chair next to her pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead lightly.

"We're going to beat him Bella Raven. I promise you.....we're going to beat him."