Chapter Twelve

Three days had passed and the ancients had finally arrived to the large castle during the wee hours of the morning. Christabela had kept watch over Joshua making sure he had stayed safe, but he hadn't tried to contact her since their last night together.

Nathaniel and his coven had laid low so far, but she knew their evil was brewing and Christopher had awoken that morning, weak and in desperate need for a feeding. Christabela had sat by his side in the dark dampness of the large room denying him any source of blood, listening to his threats of the torture he would place upon her and smiling as those threats turned to pleading.

He felt as though he was dying a slow death, and in all actuality he was. His veins craved the blood he had lost and his body ached from head to toe as the wounds that covered his body slowly healed. Lance had allowed Yvette to visit the lower level of the castle the day before and she stripped Christopher from his bloodied clothes and gently bathed him with a soft rag covering him with a black cotton blanket once she was done.

Christabela had lifted the trance from Yvette seeing that she could do no harm and Christopher would be too weak once he awoke to even do a power so simple as to block her mind from them. Lance had only allowed her a few hours with Christopher, not understanding Christabela's purpose for lifting the spell, and then sent her back to her room, only allowing her to come out for meals.

Christabela was pulled from her thoughts as McKeer, the oldest of the ancients, sat down next to her laughing as Christopher pleaded with Christabela to give him just a small taste of blood. Christophers eyes roamed to McKeer as he sat, and an unmistakable look of disgust flashed in them for a brief moment.

"Dear ancient one, please don't allow her to do this to me. I am Prince and leader of this coven and she has no right to sentence me to my death."

McKeer chuckled for a moment and arched his brow leaning back in the winged back chair.

"Ahhh, but you are wrong Christopher. Our precious one is Queen, and her rank is much stronger than yours. You sir have been very disrespectful, not only to her, but to your ancients as well. Laurent is thousands of centuries old and she has grown too tired to carry on as queen. Soon Christabela will not only be the queen of your coven, but to all covens as well. I suggest you settle down before she chooses to use more of her powers on you."

Christabela smiled as anger rose in Christopher, and she shook her head sighing with annoyance as he jerked on the chains once again, trying to break free. She reached over, brushing the long gray hair off of McKeer's shoulders and touched his cheek lightly, looking into his dark brown eyes smiling.

McKeer had always been one of her favorites of the ancients and immediately took over as her father figure from the day she arrived to them. He was close to 2,000 years old, and still he remained as handsome as he had been in his youth with his smooth facial features and strong jaw bones. His hair had begun to gray over the years, but it's length always remained it's same shoulder length style and with a wonderful smoothness of silk.

He had a gentleness about him that she'd always loved, and he held much patients through the years as he taught her the force of her powers. She loved him very much, and though she'd only been away from him for a short time, she had missed him most of all.

"I am so glad all of you were able to make it."

McKeer smiled, leaning sideways to the chair where Christabela sat next to him, and kissed her on her forehead.

"You did not need us precious one."

He leaned back taking a good look at her and brushed his black cape from around him, folding his hands in his lap.

"You are too frightened to use your powers against Christopher. Want to explain to me why?"

She glanced to her brother, frowning, as his struggles with the chains ceased and he perked up paying full attention to their conversation.

"I am NOT afraid." She huffed, and folded her arms across her chest with a pout tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"I believe I gave him a good licking if I do say so myself."

The chuckles that came from the doorway behind her caused Christabela to roll her eyes and McKeer patted her arm calling out to his kindred.

That will be enough Japheth and Laurent. I am waiting for her to tell me the truth.

The two ancients crossed the room and leaned back against the high padded table that Christopher laid on. Christabela tried her best to keep her laughter in, but failed miserably as she broke into uncontrollable laughter.

The two of you will never move into modern times and get yourselves some new clothes. The Dracula look went out centuries ago.

Her laughter stopped abruptly as a spike stuck into the wooden chair that she sat in right next to her head and Japheth folded his arms across his chest, his smile holding more than a bit of evil.

"Precious one, our clothing may appear a bit out of date for you, but we ancients, as you know, never travel from Madrid very much, and our clothing suits us fine. Now...maybe you can explain to us why we are here when you yourself hold all the answers."

McKeer and Japheth could not help but smile at Laurent's words, and all eyes turned to Christabela waiting for her to answer.

She felt a touch of relief as Lance and Natasha entered the room and hoped that the company of the two would draw the attention away from her. Lance stepped toward them, bowing to the three ancients, and Natasha followed his lead refusing to take her eyes off the three of them.

She had known when they arrived at the castle that morning, but this had been her first time seeing them and she was completely amazed at how they looked as though they had just stepped from the screen of an old horror movie.

Laurent's dress was that of gothic style, black in color and tying down the front like a corset. It was trimmed in burgundy and her long black hair hung to the center of her back with a touch of highlights reminding her a lot of Christabela's.

Her eyes were a dark blue and you could see the signs of her ageing deep within them, though her smooth beautiful features and perkiness in attitude could fool you. She was queen....one of the only two surviving queens, and with just seeing her, Natasha could tell she was very much respected.

Japheth surprised her as being an ancient. His charming good looks and his short sandy blond hair could win any female over and that combined with his muscular six foot frame and beautiful blue eyes gave him the appearance of a 20 year old. His black pants and black shirt are not what made his dress so odd, but the black cape, the same black cape she noticed tied around McKeers neck, is what did.

Laurent was the first to push away from the table and cupped Lance's face in her hands kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"It is so good to see you again Lance. It has been quite awhile since you have visited us in Madrid."

Christopher raised his head from the table, his eyes barely showing a tint of yellow, and stared at Lance, trying to drag up enough strength to use one of his powers, but his body failed him, and he dropped his head back to the table staring up at the ceiling above him.

"I have promised you Christabela over the years, and you knew of her whereabouts the whole time. You have played against me all this time Lance. Once I feed, and regain my strength, then you owe me a challenge."

The chains suddenly tightened around his wrist and ankles causing his already sore body more pain and he squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his jaw, as he screamed out a Christabela.

"YOU BITCH!"

Japheth turned, giving Christopher a hard thump on the forehead and the group laughed as they turned their attention away from Christopher.

"Natasha, welcome to our world. You willingly allowed yourself to be embraced. Santiago would have been very proud. He spent his last century trying to bring his lost family back into the dark world."

Natasha smiled, bowing once again to Laurent, and lifted her head, surprised to find Japheth standing in front of her with his arms folded tightly across his chest and his eyes roaming from her long brown hair, to the soft pink that touched her pale cheeks, and finally resting on her protruding belly that seemed even larger on her small frame.

"So it is you who carries the child of the strongest sire in this coven. I hope you feel honored? You should you know?"

McKeer stood from his chair, shoving Japheth to the side with a laugh and placed his hands on Natashas shoulders.

"Do not let the arrogant one get to you. His role as ancient has gone to his head and he tries to appear intimidating."

Japheth sat in the chair McKeer had vacated and a loud "hmmph" flowed from him as he pouted.

"Why look here dear Laurent." Mckeer exclaimed as he pointed to Japheth and Christabela sitting side by side. "I know now where our precious one learned her pouting abilities from."

He turned to Laurent shaking his finger in her face revealing a look of mock anger.

"I told you when Christabela was just a small child not to let Japheth alone with her. There is no telling what else he taught her when we were not around."

Christabela stood from the chair and, in a manner in which she would never normally conduct, stomped her foot and placed her hands on her hips.

"I called you all here for your help. Not to terrorize me and make fun of me. I have very important things I could be doing right now. So if you'll excuse me, I'll get to them."

She dropped her hands to her side and spun around heading toward the door when the sound of McKeers voice stopped her.

"You are not excused to leave Christabela. We have matters to discuss and I intend to get them over with now."

She turned back facing him and the fear she felt as a small child when McKeer would raise his voice to her when she would get into trouble, began to creep inside her and just like when she was little, she knew she was not going to be able to get away from him until she answered his questions.

"Why, Christabela, do you fear using your powers on Christopher and what is the story on Father Chasez?"

Christabela moved back across the room and returned to her seat with a sigh. It was going to be a long day, and from the look that had settled on McKeers face, a long night as well.