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  I smiled at them hesitantly, like I was still hurt by their presumptions, but inside I was relieved that my simple acting job worked enough to get them off my back. I knew they, just like Mrs. Lewis, remained suspicious of me, for good reason. I wasn’t stupid enough to think that they still didn’t carry reservations about my recent behavior.

  “I’m not offended, man. I just need you…the both of you, to understand that everything I’m doing is for the greater good of everyone in my life. That’s all I can say for now. Once again, I have to ask for you two to trust me…that’s it. That’s all I have to say, so…I gotta get going.”

  Scruffy nodded. Sandra gave me a hug and told me to hang in there. I smiled at both of them and walked away through the middle of the park. Although I didn’t turn around to verify, I felt them watch me until I was out of sight.

  I walked through forest trails, back roads, and main roads on my way home. It was a kind of nice walk at a normal pace instead of a hundred miles an hour. Having demonic powers is indeed convenient, but behaving like a human was refreshing.

  When I approached home, I was hoping that Shade would come running up to me, letting me know she was okay; but that of course didn’t happen. I was very hopeful that maybe Shadow would have returned home by now, but he was nowhere to be seen, either. It just made me feel all the more depressed.

  I had a couple more hours to kill before I could take off for Romania. So I strolled around my property and bid it farewell in my mind. An incredible sinking feeling was taking me over. I was beginning to sense that I would never return here again. Shimmer was one bad ass dude. Much like Christian, no one in the history of Hell had ever seen him lose. He was a Lord of Hell, only Angels can challenge them…and sometimes, from what I’ve heard, even Angels have fallen to them.

  When the sun began to set, I started to get my mind right. It was almost time to leave for the battle of my life. If I thought Agrelia was hard, this was going to be mission impossible. I waited for darkness to set in for quite some time before departure. I was seconds away from leaving when my demon radar went off once again. An evil presence was circling the perimeter of my lot and I felt I should pause for a few moments more to find out what exactly it was. I didn’t know if it was another batch of vampires from Shimmer’s horde or something else, but I assumed it was probably something to do with the Vampire Lord.

  “Hello!” I called out, much like I did when Jonas arrived the first time, “Who’s here now?”

  Chapter 15

  DOUBLE

  I heard more than one female begin to giggle in the misty woods.

  “I’m getting sick of these little visits! I said I was coming to see him…so give me the chance to leave!”

  More sarcastic laughter echoed from out of the woods. I was really starting to get ticked off about these little “teasing” visits.

  “Either show yourself or I’m leaving for Dracula’s Castle right this instant,” I stated my ultimatum.

  Finally, two chuckling females came into the clearing. I could see their white shirts glowing in the darkness while whatever they were wearing down below blended in. But it wasn’t until I heard their French dialogue that I knew exactly who they were. It was Sierra and Molina, Shimmer’s twin brides.

  No matter what language an individual or entity speaks, it all filters down into the preferred language of the supernatural beings hearing it, another perk about being a demon, a vampire, an angel, and so on. My personal dial is set on English. So in other words, if someone is speaking French near me, I hear it in English. Same goes for every other language on planet earth that is spoken around me. I hear it in one language, always.

  “Oh, so the rumors are true, Molina.” Sierra glanced at her sister. “He is a handsome one.”

  “Indeed he is. I can see why the human girl fancies him,” Molina responded in her native French.

  I was put back a bit. The twins never leave Shimmer’s castle for any reason. They don’t recruit, but they do hunt with Shimmer and only in the mountains of Transylvania. Up to this point, I’ve never heard of them coming out on their own, or by his orders, seeking someone out. I didn’t have the slightest clue as to what this visit was all about. I wasn’t even certain whether or not Shimmer was here, because, like I said, those three are a package. If Shimmer isn’t on council business, then you don’t just get one, you get them all.

  “I know you two aren’t here alone. Where is he?”

  They started circling me, walking very seductively. Although they were terrifying, they were also smoking sexy. I could see why he chose them for his own. They are certainly a sight to behold when seeing them in person.

  “He’s occupied with your love, so our loving master took pity on you,” Molina spoke in actual English, “he thought, since he had yours, he’d send you his.” The two smiled at me with hot sexual tension as they circled me.

  “If anything has happened to her, I’m—” Sierra stopped pacing and pushed her finger to my lips and shushed me.

  “So much anger, you demons are all the same.” Sierra’s red eyes were a shade different than every other vampire I had ever seen, as was Molina’s. They seemed a notch brighter and that really drew me in. They were almost hypnotic.

  Suddenly I felt Molina’s hands surround my waist from behind me. Her breath caressed my ears as she added to her sister’s sentiments. “It’s not very sensual to be so…high strung.” The two of them giggled as their hands began exploring me a little too thoroughly. I was completely mesmerized by their “persuasive” personalities and jerked my way out from between them. I had to remind myself that these two girls were killing machines and that I needed to be on very high alert around them. I couldn’t fall victim to their seductive natures so they could just pick me apart with ease. I had to get my head back in the game.

  “Why are you two here? Where is Shade?”

  They looked at each other, giggling. “Your love is fine, my dear Leo.” Molina responded.

  “You do not have to worry about her safety with our Lord,” Sierra added.

  “Yeah, I don’t have to worry until she gets turned into one of you blood blisters.”

  “Name calling is soooo coarse and vulgar,” Molina added as she ran her hand across my shoulders. “We must admit, my sister and I were a little jealous when our Lord told us he wanted Shade for his own…but now that we’ve gotten to know her, we’re looking forward to having her as a sister.” They chuckled sadistically.

  I grabbed Molina’s hand and held it firmly. “That will never happen.” I let it go with a toss.

  “Is it so bad that she will live an eternal life alongside the most powerful being on the planet as one of the highest ranking vampires in history? Your demon greed is so strong that you would doom her to death instead of giving her an everlasting life?” Sierra chimed in.

  “I didn’t choose death for her… It is because of Shimmer that the option of life or death has been presented to her. Why can’t he let her be? His fight is with me, not her.”

  “Oh Leo, your passion for her is a very…attractive aspect about you other than your physical attributes.” Sierra licked her tongue across her teeth.

  “So much so that if we weren’t loyal to our Lord, we might take you for ourselves,” Molina finished. “But you’re not very bright.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “See?” Molina joked, “Million dollar body and a ten cent brain.” They laughed.

  “Making Shade his bride has nothing to do with your vain attempt at freedom. It has everything to do with his absolute power over all.” Sierra smiled as Molina picked up where she left off.

  “By taking your love, he has already asserted his dominance over you even before you fight. If he takes what you hold dearest with such ease, imagine how easy it will be when he takes…you.” Molina took her finger and playfully touched me on the nose.

  I jerked back from her taunt. “It’s mind games…he wants to weaken me by messing with my
head and he found the perfect way to do so by taking Shade.”

  The two mistresses looked at each other.

  “Well, there’s one thing Shimmer didn’t count on.”

  The twins looked intrigued and spoke at the same time. “What would that be?”

  “I’m the one factor that can take what he holds dearest…with ease.” I wasn’t certain of that statement by any means.

  The sisters started smiling at my confidence because they knew what I meant. My tough talk was purely for show, but still, I couldn’t let them walk all over me more than they already had. I had to present myself as some sort of threat to them.

  “You think we are here to challenge you?” Molina questioned.

  “Umm…yeah…why else would you be here?” I was confused.

  The laughed again. “Mmmm, I like the fire in this one, sister.” Sierra looked me over like a sexual lollipop.

  “He is…yummy…and I’m not talking dinner. A fool, but a delicious fool,” Molina added.

  “Explain yourselves then, why are you here?”

  “We are here to extend to you the same offer that you turned down with poor Jonas,” Sierra answered.

  “You already screwed me on that. You weren’t supposed to hurt her if I fought and won against Jonas.” I began to get a little agitated.

  “And we didn’t hurt her,” Molina replied.

  “Oh yeah, that’s right, you only took her against her will. Then what do you want from me now?” I gritted my teeth in fury.

  They started stroking each other’s hair in front of me as they chuckled at my growing anxiety. “Our Lord wishes that you come with us willingly.” They spoke at the same time in a flirtatious fashion.

  “I said the same thing to Jonas and his minions, now I will repeat it for you…why would I go with you when I’m going there on my own, anyway?”

  “Simple.” Sierra walked away from her sister and approached me. “If you don’t come with us and give up your foolish quest of Diccitidel by submitting to Shimmer, if you continue to pursue a battle with our Lord or attempt to harm us, your precious lover will…” she got within inches of my face, “…die.”

  Molina approached me and continued on with option two before I could question them about it, running her hand along my cheek, pulling my attention to her. “If you choose to let us escort you to our Lord, you can bear witness to your love’s transformation from mortal to eternal at The Ball of the Dead on All Hallows’ Eve.”

  “What a treat. Then, what?” I knew there was more to this arrangement.

  “Then…” they started to giggle in a malicious manner as the two of them talked in tandem again, “we all get to witness you die.”

  I pushed them both away as I turned in disgust at Shimmer’s cowardice; continuously sending others in his place to threaten me. I rubbed my head, trying to tame my demonic temper.

  “So what is it going to be, Leo, your death…or hers? Now, the choice is up to you,” Sierra concluded.

  I didn’t have any other option. I couldn’t condemn her so I had to give up to them. I was confident that they hadn’t hurt Shade in any way yet because, well, Shimmer is a showman, he wants an audience in a groundbreaking situation like Diccitidel so he can embarrass me before he kills me in front of his rabble of vampires. Another bit of proof to establish his total dominance over the physical realm in front of his worshippers. I mean, there was still no guarantee they wouldn’t kill her either way, but I had to at least get to their dwelling first, that would put me closer to Shade. Not only that, maybe an opportunity might present itself that I could turn the tables in my favor. I had to believe there was a chance for me in some way. Not to mention there was nothing I knew of that Shimmer possessed strong enough to contain a demon in Shimmer’s prison cells within the mountains.

  “Let me guess, I’ll be held like a pig waiting for slaughter in the Caverns of the Forgotten until the appropriate time comes that he should dispatch me?” I turned to look at them for confirmation.

  They smiled at each other, then at me. “That’s such an ugly way to put it, let’s just say… you will be kept warm in the oven until our Lord decides to devour you.” Molina snickered.

  We stood in silence briefly as the twins awaited my decision. With a frustrated scoff, I made my choice. “When do we get going?”

  “That’s just too precious, sacrifice yourself instead of the human, but you’ve chosen wisely, Leo.”

  “Shut up,” I murmured in utter disgust.

  Adding insult to injury, they filled me in on the fact that I had to carry them there by flight, which meant that I would be holding them under each of my arms as we flew. I didn’t even think about how all three of us were going to get there together, I mean, of course we couldn’t walk or run all the way to Romania. Here I was, literally, taking my executioners with me to the gallows.

  When we got airborne, the girls kept a tight and seductive grip on me as we soared. They purposely kept rubbing my chest because they knew it bothered me. More psychological warfare on their part aimed at softening me. They also filled me in on how they were the ones that personally kidnapped Shade.

  While I was chasing down Jonas and his remaining group members, which was purposely done to lure me away from Shade, they met Shade at the bottom of my hill by standing in the middle of the narrow pathway that led up to my tree and the clearing above as Shade approached them. They blocked off her escape. Shade actually slammed the car into reverse and drove back up the hill in reverse, trying to get away from Molina and Sierra as they gave chase. When Shade reached the top of the hill in her car, she got out and started to run into the woods because Sierra actually lifted her car off the ground enough so that her front wheel drive couldn’t catch traction with the ground. This is of course prevented her from trying to escape via her car. Molina chased her down within seconds, naturally, and brought her back to her sister. Shade even put up a fight they said, which I was so proud of, but of course she wasn’t strong enough to get away from them. They tied her hands and feet together and literally carried her like luggage back to Transylvania. They even had a vampire friend fly them over the ocean in a charter plane. A very well planned out affair, I must say.

  When I asked how her car made it back to her house, they said they took it there in order to keep me in the dark until they could get Shade far enough away from me before I put two and two together and follow them in pursuit. It was a clever move to keep me guessing. They had watched me going to Shade’s every night and knew that if I saw her car in the driveway, I would think she was inside her house.

  They were very smooth about their little spying game. Other than the obvious Jonas stalking me, which was supposed to be intentionally easy for me to detect, I had no clue they were on me that hard. I figured Christian would be keeping closer tabs on me, not so much Shimmer and his vampires. It made me think about how much my love and concern for Shade had blinded me to the other realities that I must be aware of and deal with.

  The depth of their depravity was mind boggling. They pretty much knew every single move Shade and I made since the day I declared Diccitidel. It was disheartening to think that whenever I thought we were alone, maybe we really weren’t. The whole flight they clued me in further about the things that I had done while their little spies watched and reported back to Shimmer. I was so furious at them and myself, but I couldn’t do anything but keep my mouth shut. Ripping their hearts out in my arms would be so easy right now, but it would condemn Shade. Ironically, Shade was unknowingly saving their lives.

  As we crossed the ocean, the sun rose higher and higher the closer we got to Europe. It was a full blown afternoon by the time we arrived in Romania so I lowered our flight level to under the cover of the trees on the hills and mountaintops of Transylvania. Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle, was in full view above the trees. I was about to get to the base of the mountain that the castle sat upon when Sierra ordered me to stop flying and land.

  “This
is far enough, you can’t come any closer. Let us down,” Sierra ordered.

  Doing as they commanded, I landed, literally just feet from the hill that Bran Castle rested on. Looking up at the castle from ground level made me appreciate the architectural ingenuity that went into the building of this massive domain. It was truly an awesome site to behold, albeit very ominous, but that added to its mystique.

  “What…are you guys afraid I may bust in and take over or something? I thought I was coming here to see Shimmer,” I joked to agitate them.

  “No, handsome, no one sees our Lord until he’s ready…plus we never said you would get to meet with him, we said you’d be held as his prisoner as an insurance policy for your little human’s safety,” Molina clued me in.

  “So then, what do we do now?” I raised my arms in confusion.

  “You…will go with my sister to the caverns, and I will alert our master of your arrival.” Molina smiled at Sierra. It was a non-verbal gesture to tell her to take me to my new residence.

  “Now I’ll have you all to myself,” Sierra added as she grabbed me by my arm.

  “How do I know that Shade is okay? I want to see her.”

  Molina was about to walk away from us when she turned back to me and got within inches of my face again. “You will see her if our Lord wishes it…now go.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until I see her.” I stood firm.

  Molina grinned. “If you don’t cooperate, she will most certainly die today. I assure you she is okay and that is all you’re getting for now. I will speak with my Lord personally about your request.”

  Sierra pulled me around and told me not to look back as she directed me to fly over to this other rocky hillside that rested less than a mile or so away from Dracula’s Castle. I wasn’t allowed to turn around because there was a secret entrance at the base of the hill that Bran Castle sat upon that Molina was going to enter through. I guess it was only accessible to vampires or something.