writing_shadows

“Imagine the best wine you ever tasted, the greatest sex of your life; all of this is as ash upon the tongue in comparison,” purred Scarlet with a smile that promised so many things.

The ghoul shivered at the talk of feeding, of blood and the ever present threat that seemed to emanate from the woman. All night she’d watched this monster, heard her words flowing like music, she had a voice that sent the ghoul’s heart to racing. The other vampires had stalked and preened and murmured promises of beautiful violence and death; their words soaked in pledges of blood to be shed sounded like a lover’s vow, but somehow they all paled before her.

They all terrified Gianna. Their threats were not wasted on her at all and the entire time she was at court she could feel that she was but one wrong word away from a quick and terrible death. But for all their predatory terror, their pointed threats and hungry looks, they seemed like imitations of the real monster that stalked their Court.

She had no need to proclaim that she hungered; her every movement showed that she was a predator. She wasted no time with threats of violence for she embodied it in its purest form. And what was more she moved with a grace and beauty that Gianna had not seen outside of the Family ever before, it was enticing and beguiling to the ghoul and she found herself watching the monster in awe.

The more monstrous kindred had always fascinated her. They seemed like gods holding life and death in their hands, or wild beasts who hunted as they pleased and took what they wanted. The Sangiovanni tended towards the appearance of such perfect creatures, their features taking on the beauty of the dead with greater ease than other lines, and perhaps that accounted for her love of this style of kindred. She had had times with more humane vampires who took blood and then gave teary apologies for the act, not understanding the joy it brought; no such absurdity was found with the real monsters.

So she watched Scarlet, listened to her every word and prayed that she would notice her. That she would hunt her, tear her skin, draw blood and drink. The Kiss was a powerful thing and the ghoul waited in anticipation for it. And should she die in that sweet embrace then she would die happy.