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Dies Irae

By: thelema



"It's pissing down Beauty you don't really want to go for a walk?"

Accompanied with a soft whine and a wagging tail, pleading black eyes stared back at Astor and said, 'please please, yes yes.' How could she refuse? Besides, the wind had been howling mercilessly at the French windows in the library, and even through the thick green velvet curtains the clattering was making it difficult to concentrate. 'I must have something done to those windows,' she thought, before putting her book down. She peeled herself off the soft blue sofa which elicited an excited bark from Beauty, who then proceeded to run out of the room, through the hallway, to wait eagerly by the front door. Astor dutifully followed.

Astor had found Beauty four months previously in an alleyway lying in a pool of blood, beaten and on the brink of death. When the RSPCA arrived, they told her the dog would be put down. With apparent regret the man had said, "veterinary medicine is expensive, especially for unclaimed dogs." Two months later Astor picked Beauty up from the vets and, to everyone's surprise the dog had made a speedy recovery; her two broken legs had healed without any complication, and the only signs of injuries sustained were from the sporadic patches of shorter hair that hadn't fully grown back.

Astor had expected Beauty to have emotional issues, she didn't know the dog's history. Although as a pedigree flat back retriever she assumed someone's unwanted pet. She quivered with anger every time she thought about whom had cruelly beaten her, but when she reminded herself that it was this that brought them together she couldn't help but smile.

Beauty turned out to be an exceptionally clever dog; when Astor first brought her home she ran directly to the kitchen and with great aplomb jumped up, delicately turned the key with her mouth and opened the door to the back garden, where she proceeded to unceremoniously mark it. 

Astor threw on her navy Burberry mackintosh and her trusty walking boots, she decided to forego a hat; her hair needed washing anyway and she also quite enjoyed the exhilarating feeling of being out in the rain. However, after twenty minutes the heavy rain turned torrential and even Beauty looked miserable, "shall we go see Fran and Jack?" Beauty wagged her tail in agreement. Five minutes later, Astor and Beauty walked into the Crown & Gate.

"Astor, how lovely to see you." She was immediately greeted by an avuncular man who ran out from behind the bar and gave her a great big hug completely disregarding her bedraggled state, before bending down to greet Beauty who jumped up on his knees and licked his face, "I'm pleased to see you too girl," he said while stroking her head. "She looks like a brand new dog!"

"It's amazing isn't it? And she's such a special dog she seems to understand everything. I still can't even begin to imagine how she was left like that. Anyway how are you? How's business? Is Fran around?"

"Can't complain. Fran's staying with her family, been a couple of weeks and is away for another, I'm bit lonely but all the better for seeing you. Come, what will you have? Whisky?" 

"Please." 

"I don't know why I ask." He dashed back behind the back of bar and then shortly returned with an 18 year old bottle of Talisker. He poured her a sizeable glass and left the bottle under the counter for her convenience. 

Astor sat down at the bar, where Beauty immediately curled at her feet; it felt like home. She'd been coming to this pub since she was fifteen, she was now twenty eight. Jack was the closest thing she had to a father even when he found out she was underage he didn't ban her outright; she had been a difficult teen and he recognised she would just go somewhere else and cause trouble. 

Jack and Fran were childless, Astor was parentless and although they didn't play at being a family, over the years they had developed a genuine friendship. Jack had even given Astor away at her wedding and then a year later held a party for her divorce. Astor loved their down to earth nature, they were good people and they provided a needed constant in her life. Even in his seventies Jack had the vigour of a young man, he was bright and alert as she watched him chat to a few patrons, she caught his eye and smiled.

Jack smiled back at Astor, fifty years as a publican and he had never met another character like her. Her resilience in spite of everything that life threw at her; the murder of her parents when she was twelve, the suspect guardianship of her uncle, her emancipation at sixteen, her struggle with her vast wealth and independence; they jokingly called them the wilderness years, when Astor was just as likely to be found in an East End squat or on a yacht in the south of France, and then her disastrous marriage. Jack was not a violent man but as he told Fran, "If I ever see Karl I will kick his head in." Fran, who was from a family of proud Spanish Gypsies, had sweetly replied to her husband's unusual show of aggression "not if I see him first." Astor was the strongest person he knew, and she has not let experience ruin her innocence.

"That's a nice dog you have there, flat back retriever, right?" 

There was an accusatory note to the voice and something mephitic to his breath. Astor turned coolly towards the man and gave him a quick appraisal; Dark black hair framed a sallow gaunt face, black beady eyes pierced through her, he must have been about 6'2 and she could see he was lanky even under his long thick black coat. The overall impression was that of a Victorian undertaker and he was the most sinister man Astor had ever seen. 

"Yes." Astor gave a purposefully curt answer, she did not want to converse with the man.

"How old is she?"

"About 3."

"She's a rescue?"

"Yes."

"And how long have you had her for?"

"Four months."

A wicked smile crossed the man's face that chilled Astor to the core.

"Why the interest in my dog?"

"I'm just interested. Is that a problem?"

"You tell me? Your interest doesn't seem too friendly, so if there is something you want I would rather you just got to it." 

Vincent glared at the insolent little girl, no one spoke to him like that, as a predator he usually found his prey to be instinctually intimidated, he sensed her unease but she wasn't frightened. He hadn't expected resistance, no one ever stood in his way. 'Play nice, you're in public,' he told himself.

"I would like to buy your dog- please." The please came out as a hiss. 

"Excuse me," she looked at him with incredulity.

"You heard me."

"Is there a problem?" Jack had come over when he saw the exchange becoming heated.

"No problem." She smiled directly at Jack before turning to the man with contemptuous distain, "Our conversation IS over," and upon turning back to Jack she gave him a dismissive wave of the hand. She knew it was unnecessarily rude as she did it but his unpleasantness seemed to provoke her.

'Who the hell does she think she is?' "Our conversation is not over you are going to give me that dog and I will pay you in kind." A discernable note of anger seethed through his veiled attempt at civility.

"I think you better leave." Jack said and started to move towards the end of the bar.

"Hold on Jack. I don't know who you are and you expect me to sell you my dog? Why don't you fuck off to whatever cess pit you crawled out off!" She spat with such venom that there was a sudden hush in the pub followed by stares and whispers.

Vincent turned on his heels and was out of the pub in flash, a second longer and he would have snapped her neck and to hell with the consequences. 'No, I'll get them when they leave. Her impudence deserves a more unusual punishment than a quick death, haven't had a good hunt in ages.' He chuckled to himself then mused to the wind "so much for feeling bored" as he slipped into the shadows of the street.

"What a creep! Have you ever seen him before?"

"No, and I don't think it was too clever to be so rude to him, he seemed unstable."

"You're right. I couldn't help myself, I don't react well to intimidation well, and that he wanted Beauty." She looked at the sleeping dog with tender concern, "I feel very protective towards her, and there was something truly nefarious about his interest, I shudder to think what," She sighed and took a large swig of her drink.

"Maybe he thought she would be the perfect accessory for his look." A deep cheerful voice interjected.

"Hello Matthias. You saw that?" Jack greeted the man who had stridden over and promptly sat next to Astor. 

"It was hard to miss!"

"I wanted to introduce you two anyway, Astor-Matthias-Matthias-Astor."

"Hello."

"My pleasure." He said with a warm smile. 

Matthias had been sitting in the corner reading when he felt Vincent come in. Surprisingly his old rival had failed to notice him, the dog had been the complete focus of his attention.

Matthias had also noticed the girl with dog come in; it was hard not to. She was strikingly beautiful, about 5'8, svelte and she moved with a lithe grace, her long curly brown hair fell to her waist, a contrast to her pale skin. She had a refined faced, Slavic cheek bones, a large characteristic nose that complemented her full sensuous lips, but it was her light hazel eyes that captivated him, they had a mesmerising darker outer ring and they sparkled with vitality and intelligence. He knew this must be the woman that the old man talked so fondly about, which was confirmed by their greeting. 

Matthias had just moved back to London and had been coming to this pub for the last few weeks, whiling away his evenings in the simple conviviality that most pubs had either exchanged or surrendered to bland homogeneity. The thought, that circumstances had brought Vincent to this random space and time, after not meeting in over sixty years, filled him with fatalistic trepidation. He hadn't taken much heed of the dog but his curiosity was definitely now piqued.

"You should be careful who you shout that mouth off to that man is dangerous."

"How do you know?" she asked surprised by his certainty even if the other man was entirely sinister in his demeanour.

"Oh one can just tell these things," he nonchalantly replied, he knew Vincent all too well and with a tone of grave sincerity added, and with blatant intent, "but I think it would be wise not to walk home alone." 

"Is that an offer?" she beamed, picking up on his flirtatious proposal, thinking he was probably quite right, and not averse to the man's good looks. 

She was instinctively drawn to Matthias, she figured he was in his early thirties but he had an old world charm that spoke of sophistication and elegance. At 6'4 he was lean and his frame was perfectly suited in a pair of black jeans and an off white silk shirt donned under a green tweed blazer. He had a long face balanced by a strong jaw, a straight nose and a prominent brow. Deep blue eyes were offset by his short wavy dark brown hair, and he had lips, Astor couldn't help but think, that would be delicious to kiss. 

"Well I think that's an excellent suggestion, you'll save me the trouble." Jack chimed in, feeling somewhat smug at playing matchmaker. 

Jack knew they would have plenty in common, Matthias was an antiquarian and Astor was a bibliophile. He had liked Matthias almost immediately when he first came to the pub a few weeks back, he was clearly intelligent and good humoured. He had also endeared himself to Fran as he spoke fluent Spanish but she had balked at Jack when he suggested introducing him to Astor.

It had been too long since Astor had taken pleasure in a man, and his concerns for her well-being far outweighed his protectiveness towards her. After Karl, she had spent a year at an Indian retreat in solitude, and since having been back in London for six months she had shunned most social situations, and though she seemed content, and Beauty had given her companionship, she deserved to know the love and happiness that Fran and he shared. His beautiful gitano drifted before his mind's eye, and he longed for her to return. 

...

Music resonated throughout the compound; a chorus of rhythmic clapping and stomping feet accompanied the sounds of the flamenco melody being strummed by two guitarists. Cries of encouragement came from the crowd that encircled the dancing couple. They did not touch but their movements were counterpointed to heighten the anticipation of their desire, a prelude to the coming corporal union of the newlyweds. 

Fran enthusiastically joined in the celebration, the intonation and beat were ingrained in her, it was always through music that her family came together. In her forty years of marriage to Jack she hadn't been home more than a handful of times, and at that for not more than a few days at a time; she hated being apart from Jack and her family rarely let outsiders in. 

They hadn't directly ostracized her for marrying Jack, but everyone was resigned that this was the way it had to be. Jack had easily accepted the mysteriousness surrounding her family, what did it matter to him when in no way did it affect their relationship? She knew he wouldn't bat an eyelid even if he did know the secrets of her kin, but it wasn't a risk she had the right to take when it protected the lives of so many. 

The last two weeks had been dramatic, or perhaps she was unused to the melodrama? No, the apprehension in the camp was justified; the wedding celebrations of the past few days had eclipsed the forebodingness that hung like the shadow of a dark rain cloud. 

Fran turned to her sister; Nina was eight years younger than her, but she looked at least ten years older, her face was wizened and her hair completely white, her brown eyes had dulled and were speckled with red spots. Fran at sixty four however still retained some darker pigment to her otherwise short grey curly hair, her light brown eyes were bright and sharp, and though her face was lined she didn't look old. 

Nina was dying and Fran couldn't help but feel some guilt over her sister's premature departure. She knew her sister didn't hold her responsible, but an intrusive thought kept telling her it should have been her instead.

"Stop it." The old woman remonstrated her but lovingly grasped her hand, knowing her sister's concern, knowing, she wouldn't be around to the face what was to come. 

The dance finished in a frenzied yet controlled crescendo. The couple moved from the centre circle and extricated themselves from the congratulations of the jubilant crowd. Holding hands, exhilarated from their dance, filled with yearning, Carlos and Ramona ran off into the night. 

The crowd began to disperse; the children were sent to bed; the lovers; their passion enflamed from the dance, they too retreated to their cabins not caring what tomorrow might bring. 

...

Matthias and Astor had been in deep conversation since their meeting. Matthias hadn't learnt anything from Astor or the dog that indicated a possible reason for Vincent's interest. 

Beauty seemed like a normal dog, Astor had said she was smarter than most people, but he shrugged that off as owner pride, and his own experience of people had led him to believe that most were also none too bright. But there had to be something, and even if there wasn't he knew Vincent wouldn't care, after all, the girl had insulted him. 

Matthias did learn that he liked the girl. She was self-possessed and courageous, but she also carried an air of vulnerability, and it invoked in him some atavistic urge to protect her. That she was mutually attracted to him was a given, few women were immune to his charm, though many were uncomfortable by their lustful craving. Astor was clearly at ease with her sexuality, and was quite uninhibited in her own wanton desire. 

Astor couldn't remember the last time she met a man who really interested her let alone aroused her. Most men became intimidated once they realised she was obscenely rich and fiercely intelligent, but Matthias seemed to share a background of privilege. When he had asked what she did for a living? She crudely replied "I'm rich." He brazenly smiled at her and said "Excellent, I sell things to rich people." 

It was 11.30pm and the last few customers had finally left. Jack bolted the door of the pub and cleared the remaining glasses and then joined Matthias and Astor to finish the last quarter of the Talikser. "So how many books have you bought?" he jokingly reprimanded her as he sat down.

"Ah, you know me so well." She said with a mischievous grin. "So far? A few nineteenth and twentieth century first editions, Baudelaire's, Les fleurs de mal, Rimbaud's, Illuminations. Though I'll send those to the chateau." She added wistfully. 

"A couple of Oscar Wilde's, a signed copy of In Cold blood and we discussed a few others, but we've decided it would be best if he just peruses my library and tells me if he has anything else to enrich it." 

"I should charge commission for introducing you!" he teased.

"How about I buy you lunch tomorrow instead?" 

"Deal. Anyway I wanted to discuss presents with you for our fortieth next month." 

"Sure," then immediately suggested, "You should take the boat for a week."

"You have a boat?" Matthias asked.

"It's a sailing yacht," Jack corrected her, "and she has a plane too."

"You're embarrassing me."

"Don't be embarrassed sweetie." Matthias assured her. 

"Anyway, the boat was from my divorce settlement and the plane, well it is an extravagance, but I'm terrified of flying and otherwise don't think I would, even if I couldn't afford my own plane!" 

"I didn't know you had been married?"

"Why would you? Besides it's not something I talk about, it happened and that's that."

Even through her apparent stoicism Matthias could see that her marriage was not up for discussion, even the brief mention of the subject brought pain to her eyes. He wanted to take her in his arms and ease the pain away. 

"We can discuss the boat tomorrow. It's getting late and an old man needs his sleep."

"You're not old, but hint taken. Sounds like the rain has stopped," she turned to Matthias "I doubt I'm in any danger but will you still be escorting me home?"

"Mais bien sur." 

Astor kissed Jack goodnight and told him she'd be over at midday. "Come on sleepy head." She said tugging at the slumbering dog's lead. Beauty took her cue from Astor, she got up drowsily and headed with her to the door.

Matthias wished Jack good night, and was informed with a firm handshake and a somewhat threatening look that warned he better look after her. Matthias nodded in understanding, before following Astor out the door. Jack was smiling smugly to himself at playing match maker, he re-bolted the door and headed upstairs to bed.

...

'There you are.' Vincent watched from the Crown's rooftop as Astor and Beauty emerged onto the street, his eyes twinkled with mirthless glee, then immediately widened in disbelief as Matthias walked into view. A flurry of thoughts barged through his head; 'Does he know about me? Does he know about the dog? Is it just a remarkable coincidence? Or has he too been sent by someone?' 

The first of these questions was soon answered. Matthias quickly turned and even from afar looked him directly in the eye, he looped the girl's free arm in his and the threesome walked off down the street. 

'Tricky but interesting,' his lips curled, 'the game has begun my friend I hope you're ready to play,' he cackled to himself before vanishing down the chimney. ...

"We're here." Astor said, stopping outside a stuccoed white Victorian townhouse. "Would you like to come in for a drink?" she asked seductively, her mouth forming into a pout, begging to be kissed.

"I think you know that I would." He stated and then in one fluid action, grabbed her by the arm, drawing her to him, their bodies pressed close, before their lips met in a fervent kiss, their tongues tentatively touched .


Dies Irae 02



 All feedback welcome. Thanks! 

Astor woke with a start. She looked at the clock; it was 10:37 am. 'Why is it so late?' She thought, and then she became aware of the body juxtaposed to hers and a contented smile crossed her face as she recalled why. 

Unused to this sort of sleepover Astor was at loss as to the proper conventions of the morning call; should she leave him sleeping? Wake him up? And if so how? 

She was saved the decision.

"Good morning beautiful." Matthias rolled over and looked at her with a boyish grin, before opening his arms, beckoning her towards him.

She moved to him and their mouths instantly found each other. It was a soft and tender kiss at first that swiftly resumed the fervour of the night. Their tongues danced as they're bodies melded together, fused by the heat of their passion.

Matthias rolled Astor underneath him, their lips never parting. His morning glory rested between her thighs and was tantalised by the inviting warmth emanating from her cunt.

Astor was lost in a haze of pleasure as Matthias kissed his way down her body, he paused at her breasts, expertly biting and sucking them, teasing her erect nipples with his teeth; she moaned in rapture. 

His hands took over caressing her breasts as he navigated down her smooth abdomen trailing kisses towards his treasure. He appreciated the murmurs of arousal Astor was making and was heady with the pheromones her body was emitting. He breathed in deeply and could taste the sweet perfume her pussy was releasing. 

Astor thought she would die from desire, and then she felt his hot breath on her point of need and groaned loudly as his tongue slid the length of her slit.

Cunnilingus was not her favourite sexual act; she loved the feel of cock too much. However, she realised Matthias was a master of the art and she was soon bucking violently against his mouth as he speared her with his tongue, sending her to heaven. 

Matthias finished lapping up the juices rewarded to him and looked up Astor who was beaming.

"What a lovely way to start the day." She looked at his ripe manhood and sultrily licked her lips. "How can I ever repay you?" 

"Haven't I played nicely?" He quirked his eyebrow at her then worked his way back up her body and ravaged her with kiss. Astor lithely moved on top, straddling his body; he was a dominant lover but he quite happily let Astor take charge.

Her movements almost mimicked his earlier ones; she kissed and mouthed her way down his body, briefly stopping to nip at his nipples before gliding her tongue down his toned stomach; he tasted of spiced sandalwood.

Throughout her life her previous lovers had all been in agreement that her mouth was made for fellatio and, maybe because she knew that her large plump lips were perfect for the carnal act, that she had always taken pride, and pleasure, in giving good head; she soon had Matthias moaning her name. 

For someone as old as Matthias it was difficult to recall the last time he had felt such bliss, he couldn't even remember the last time he really enjoyed sex, it had become a habit of need as opposed to want. The gratification that he was now feeling was igniting in him a deep emotional yearning; he wanted Astor for something more than physical fulfilment. 

"Ride me." he breathed.

Astor heard his plea and looked up into his eyes, the desire she saw in them burned through her; she pounced on his lips and settled above him. Slowly, she impaled herself upon him, gyrating wantonly when she reached the base of his cock. She held the bed head for support and leisurely lifted herself up his shaft before plunging back down.

Matthias grabbed her hips and thrust back, their movements were in complete synergy and they grunted wildly against each other. Blind with lust and hunger his self control was waning, his canines involuntarily began to elongate, and in lieu of this, he swiftly and deftly flipped Astor face down and thrust into her. 

He was now rampantly fucking her from behind; his hands caressed her breasts and pinched at her nipples. He used one hand to quickly brush away her dark locks to reveal the beautiful nape of her neck. Recalling the positive reaction Astor has shown the night before, he began nipping and kissing her in on this area. 

"Fuck...yes." Astor screamed, "Harder ... bite me harder."

"You'll bleed," he exclaimed. 

"It's only blood," she negated, "take me," and with that she flung her head back in expectation.

He couldn't quite believe what he was seeing and hearing; as a rule he didn't drink blood from humans without explicit permission, and though Astor clearly didn't fully comprehend what she was asking, he couldn't deny her.

He was quite confident that Astor would explode from his bite, taking him with, so he withheld for a few more moments, thrusting in and out, relishing the feel of her pussy around his cock. Then just as he was reaching his climax he bit down now on her neck. 

Astor screamed in ecstasy as his teeth pierced her neck, at once painful and pleasurable, her orgasm was so powerful it caused her whole body to spasm, amazing aftershocks rippled through her body as Matthias released into her, all the while delicately suckling at her neck.

Matthias licked up the punctured marks healing the wounds completely. Her blood had tasted like ambrosia but he hadn't taken any more than was necessary and certainly nothing that would impede upon her functioning. He pulled out of her and turned her round to wrap her in his arms; they shared a lazy kiss in a cloud of post coital happiness.

"If I could stop time right now I would."

"Mmm, I know, you're amazing." She deepened the kiss, before reluctantly disentangling herself, "but have you seen the time?" it was now 11:30. "I have to be at the pub for 12 and Beauty has... oh!" she gasped, and jumped out of her bed grabbing her midnight blue silk nightgown as she ran out of the room.

'Curious woman,' Matthias thought, while luxuriously stretching on the four poster bed. He too suddenly gasped when he remembered Vincent, and he lugubriously wondered whether the present revelries were a prelude to darker times ahead. Matthias sighed and murmured aloud, "que sera sera." He then sat up and let out a small groan; his clothes were still in the library!

...

"Oh beauty I'm so sorry you must be starving." Astor said to Beauty as she put down her bowl, the dog started to wolf down the dry biscuits, "Ok, we're going to see Jack shortly, so I have to get ready..."

"... Do you always discuss your plans with the dog?" Matthias asked as he walked into the kitchen, cradling his arms around her, relishing the feel of the silk against her body. 

Astor melted against him. "Well, she knows Jack; she must recognise I'm not dressed, and, she knows we usually go out this time of day and, Beauty is singularly intelligent. Aren't you my lovely one?" She cooed to Beauty who wagged her tail at the praise. "Also I am of the view that mankind is entirely arrogant in the belief that just because we don't understand them we assume they don't understand us, when there is evidence contrary to that very supposition." She paused to breath and was opening her mouth to continue her rant but was cut off with a kiss.

"It's very distracting when you do that." She pulled away with a peck and a teasing bum slap. "If you want there's toast or cereal for breakfast and coffee, tea, maybe some juice, but you'll have to help yourself as I really must get ready."

"I'll make some coffee, you get ready, and if you don't mind I'll be happy to walk you to the pub?"

"Sounds perfect." She replied and gave him another peck before running out of the kitchen to finally get ready. 

Beauty had finished eating and was now looking at him with deep intensity. "You do seem to be smarter than most dogs, so it's up to you to protect Astor when I'm not around." To his surprise Beauty gave a resoundingly affirmative bark.

...

The rains had cleared the sky, it was a beautiful day and Astor and Matthias walked arm in arm enjoying each other's easy company. Neither was used to this sort of intimacy, but it felt so natural that it obscured any peculiarity with the situation that they might have otherwise felt. 

They were discussing plans for meeting that evening as they turned the corner of the road, at the end of which was the Crown & Gate. Beauty abruptly bolted, forcing Astor to let go of the lead, her eyes instantly followed the dog and she was confronted with flashing blue lights; she ran.

A crowd milled round the yellow and black tape that sealed off the surrounding area of the pub.

"Miss what do you think you're doing?" A middle aged uniformed officer asked as Astor charged through the tape.

"Jack?" she asked in a desperate voice. 

"Come with me." He solemnly said, escorting her into the pub which looked more like a police station. 

"Where is Jack?" Astor demanded, "Where is he?" her hands mindlessly grabbed at her hair; she was terrified. Though she had experienced tragedy before, it was the agonizing moments of not knowing, of having to imagine what horror; that was always the worst part.

"Astor?" Matthias grabbed her hand and she turned to look at him, her eyes were glazed and he could see she didn't register him; he followed her and the officer into the pub. He didn't really feel fear but he was afraid, for if this was the work of Vincent then this was his catcall to war. 

A man in his early forties in a sharp light brown corduroy suit approached them, "I'm detective Stroud, and you are?" 

"I'm Astor Bely-Winthrope and Jack is the closest thing I have to a father." She said in a composed voice that belied her dread. 

"I'm deeply sorry he's been murdered." Stroud replied, experience had taught him that candidness in such situations was best.

He found that people usually reacted in three ways; most, overcome with grief, broke down completely; it was always the same harrowing cries of despair, the same ineffable sorrow that brought them to their knees. The second reaction always left him disquieted; the people who didn't react immediately, because they always went off eventually and the result was never good. And the third, well, they were the guilty ones or the psychopaths, and he instinctively knew who they were, even without proof, his hair always stood on end as if chilled to the core. 

Stroud wasn't fully cognisant of the involuntary response his body made to this intuitive repulsion; he thought he was just good at his job. Thus he was genuinely relieved to see Astor's legs give way, and was glad she had someone to support her literally and figuratively.

Matthias held Astor's limp body in his arms, he sat them down on the very table they shared last night; he winced at the memory. One thought possessed his mind, 'Jack didn't deserve this; Vincent will pay.'

"What's happened?" She spoke in a voice barely audible, shock swept over her, nullifying her senses to help process the horror. "What happened?" she repeated, louder this time, forcing back the tears that were streaming down her face, "Fran?" she suddenly cried, "Does Fran know?"

"No. We've been trying to get hold of her; we understand she's in Spain."

"I'll call her." And then she realised the awful truth of having to tell Fran Jack was dead, murdered, 'Oh god how am I going to tell her?'

"I am truly sorry for your loss. I want to assure you we are going to catch whoever did this, naturally I have a few questions, but it can wait for now." He turned to Matthias "Who are you?"

"I'm Matthias Lichtenberg, a friend to Miss Winthrope and Jack. Detective what happened?"

Stroud voiced an "ah" in response to his name. "Mr. Lichtenberg I most certainly have a few questions for you, it seems you know the suspect, or at least he knows you."

"Excuse me?" Astor queried. "Detective- Stroud was it?" Stroud nodded, "please tell me what happened? We were most likely the last people to see Jack and we've been together since. I don't question Matthias innocence, and we'll happily answer any questions you have, but right now I  need to know what happened, and then I need to tell his soul mate that he's dead. So I would really appreciate it if you would tell us what the fuck happened?" She spoke in a clear calm tone that surprised even herself.

"Yes, what do you mean the suspect knows me?" Matthias demanded, wondering what wicked game Vincent was playing.

"The killer left a rather gruesome message on the bedroom wall," he paused and gulped, "in blood. He wrote...

'Matthias Matthias the game has begun,

You saved the girl, so I had some fun.

But her time too will soon be done,

And you Matthias will be the saviour of none.'

... Would either of you care to enlighten me as to the meaning of this?" He looked at them both for a reaction. Astor presented a look of confused consternation, but Matthias held one of fury that brooked no sense of surprise. 

"That man." Astor said, and what little colour remained on her face drained completely.

"What man?"

"Last night ... I provoked him ... he wanted Beauty." She spoke disjointedly too preoccupied with her on thoughts. 

"Who's Beauty?"

"Oh Beauty, where is she?" she looked at Matthias ignoring the detectives question.

"I'll find her." Matthias assured her and then turned to Stroud, "Her dog, she ran off when we got here."

"I'll have someone look for her. What does she look like?"

"All black, she's a flat back retriever. She still has her lead on." Astor answered.

Stroud called over a uniformed officer and told him to find Beauty."So who was this man?"

"How does he know you Matthias?" Astor asked looking at him suspiciously.

"I don't know, maybe Jack told him before ..." he didn't finish his sentence; he didn't want to lie to her nor tar the memory of the dead man; Jack would never have given Vincent information about Astor or him.

"Please, let's start from beginning, who was this man?"

...

Fran was exhausted by the time she reached the small village located a few miles from the compound. She cursed her old legs and then chided herself out loud "Fran, stop complaining your legs still work fine." She made the journey to use the only public phone in the village bar; she could have borrowed any of the youngster's phones, but she wanted peace and quiet and an uninterrupted chat with her beloved. 

"Buenos dias Senora" a lively girl with long jet black hair greeted her from behind the bar. 

"Buenos dias, quiero utilizar el teléfono."

"si, si." The girl gesticulated towards the back and returned to her book.

The girl reminded Fran of Astor, nose in a book and clearly a vivacious character.

She lifted the receiver, filled the machine with coins and dialled the number. It rang a few times before being answered.

"Hello?"

"Astor! I was just thinking of you, how are you? What are you doing at the Crown? Is Jack ok?"

"No, Jack's not ok, I'm sorry Fran he's dead." 

Chills ran through Fran, "I'm sorry Astor that's not funny, now please let me speak to Jack."

"Fran, I'm so sorry I wish this was a cruel joke but he's dead. I'm going to send the plane for you; you can be back here in under five hours." Astor waited for her to say something and only heard the shuffle of feet, "Fran? Fran?" Astor called down the line.

Fran let go of the phone and walked away leaving it hanging. She walked towards the exit, she didn't hear the bar maid get up to say goodbye. She stepped outside, walked a few meters and collapsed on the ground.

"Hola?"

"Hello, who's this? Where's Fran?"

"My English is not very good; I am Carmen, the senora has left." There was a shout outside, "er, sorry, one momento." 

Carmen went to see what was happening; the woman was lying on the ground motionless, two local men had immediately rushed forward and were leaning over her. 

"Bring her in, out of the sun." She called to them. She quickly returned to the phone, "I'm sorry she's fallen."

"What do you mean she's fallen, what's going on?" Astor was frantic; Matthias grabbed the phone from her, and quickly started conversing in Spanish. "What's she saying?"

"It sounds like Fran has fainted. Apparently someone's gone to get a doctor."

"Ask if she knows her family? And if she does to tell them I'll be over in a few hours."

While Matthias relayed the message over the phone, detective Stroud turned to Astor, "Miss Winthrope, I'm sorry but not only are you a major witness to this investigation you seem to be the killer's next target, you can't just leave the country."

Astor gave him a scathing look, "Even if you could get an injunction to stop me, I would already be in Spain by the time it was passed. I would think your resources would be better served catching the psycho who murdered Jack. Besides, leaving London and the country surely will make it more difficult for him to find me?"

"Maybe." The detective reluctantly agreed. He gave her his card "Call me if you remember anything else or if anything happens, please?"

"Thanks.I didn't mean to rude."

"Please, it's fine you must be terribly worried. When will you be back?"

"I wouldn't have thought for more than a few days, it will depend on how Fran is, and the funeral arrangements."

"Gracias mucho senoria." Matthias put the phone down. "She knows the family; when do we go?"

"You don't need to come with."

"I want to."

"Does this dog belong to you?" a young police officer holding beauty interrupted.

"Beauty!" Astor cried with joyous relief and descended to her knees as the dog bounded into her and nuzzled against her. "Where was she?"

"She's been hiding under a car." 

"It's going to be ok Beauty," she soothed and cuddled the dog, "everything's going to be fine."



Dies Irae 03



Dear Reader, my sincerest apologies for taking so long to post, some mischievous spirit has been having great fun at my expense! I appreciate your patience. The next chapter should be up soon, though I make no promises after that, I assure you I will endeavour to finish the story in a timely manner. Feedback is always welcome. Thank you.



It was four thirty when they landed at a private airfield located in the outskirts of Granada. The compound was situated within the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, about a 100km from the airport. Matthias had told Astor he knew the country, so instead of a driver she opted for a black Murcielago to speed them to their destination; they reached it in under an hour. The last fifteen minutes of the drive had been an uncomfortable ride along a bumpy forest dirt road and, even though the car was a four wheel drive Astor mentally regretted her conspicuous choice of vehicle. 

There was no proper entrance to the compound per se, the road simply stopped where the forest began, though where it ended a few jeeps and motorbikes were parked by the wayside. Astor pulled up alongside them and as instructed hooted a few times. 

Almost instantly two men appeared from the cover of the canopy. It was obvious they shared the same genetic pool; dark skin and hair, tall and toned, and their eyes were an unusual confluence of brown and amber. Although there was a strong familial resemblance there were discernable differences in their appearance. David, who was the elder by five years, was more rugged, his stubble was a few days old, his hair was scruffy, yet despite that there was an air of dignified gravitas to his bearing. While Eduardo, who was twenty five, was clean shaven and had a neat crop, his posture was relaxed and there was a gaiety to his disposition. 

Astor jumped out of the car and ran towards them with Beauty and Matthias in tow. "Hi I'm Astor, you should be expecting us? How's Fran?" She gabbled. 

"Yes, yes, don't worry. The shock caused 'er to faint but the doctor's been and at least medically she's okay." Eduardo answered in a thick accent.

"Let's go." Astor said anxious to see her friend.

"We don't usually allow outsiders on our land, in the circumstances we will allow you and the dog entry, but he," David paused to give Matthias a cautionary look, "is not welcome." He spoke coolly and in flawless English. 

Astor started to protest but was instantly cut off by Matthias, "It's absolutely fine. I will wait here." He said without spite, and smiled benignly at the men who shifted uneasily back at him. 

"You've come all this way and you're just going to stay here?" He looked at her passively. "Fine. Beauty- Come." She didn't have the energy to argue with his illogical compliance to their seemingly unjust demand; she just wanted to see Fran. 

Astor found herself following the men along an inconspicuous footpath through a thicket of undergrowth and dense woodland. Another time she would have admired the beautiful green lushness of the environment, explored the various paths that sporadically appeared and meandered from the main one, but in her present state nothing could console her to Jack's murder; she kept her eyes glued forward, Beauty trailing by her side.

"I'm Ed and my brother is David. 'ow was your flight?" 

"I don't mean to be rude but I'm not really in the mood for chit chat." She said wearily.

"We understand you must 'ave 'ad a terrible shock. It's not far, really." Eduardo replied sympathetically, "And I'm sorry for not allowing your friend in but 'is kind isn't welcome 'ere."

"What do you mean hiskind? German? He's not a Nazi!" Astor snapped. 

"Er, I, I ..." Eduardo horrified by the misunderstanding stammered to apologise. 

"Excuse my brother," David swiftly interjected, Ed was always making pass away comments and putting his foot in it, "Fran is in the cabin just over there," he pointed to a small clearing about twenty meters away.

She looked through the trees and spied the basic wooden structure. "Thanks," she said before hot-footing it to the cabin. 

The door was slightly ajar and she tentatively pushed it open. Fran was lying on a bed and appeared to be sleeping. Next to her was a wizened woman reclining in a chair. She looked up at Astor and smiled warmly. "You must be Astor, and that must be Beauty, Fran's told me all about you. I'm Nina, Fran's deceptively looking younger sister," the old woman chuckled to herself, "come in and pull up a chair."

Astor quietly picked up a chair from the corner and placed it on the opposing side to Nina, who was being greeted by Beauty. For a moment the dog rested her head on the corner of the bed and softly whimpered, her tail gently wagging, before she settled down next to Astor. 

"How is she?" Astor asked in a hushed voice.

"The doctor gave her a sedative. She's distraught but she's strong. How are you coping?"

"Devastated. He was such a good man he didn't deserve this, not like this." She shook her head as she spoke, new tears formed and fell.

"I didn't know him very well but he was obviously a kind man, and my sister loved him very much. Carmen, the village girl you spoke with, said he was murdered, I'm sorry to ask, but how? Do the police know who did this?"

"Someone who wanted to hurt me." She quickly said her eyes not averting from the floor.

"What?" Nina looked at her with concern.

"Last night at the pub, this strange man was asking all these questions, he wanted to buy Beauty," she said in disgust, "and we got into an argument and I told him where to go... Jack warned me about him, he said he was dangerous, and Matthias thought he was dangerous too," she paused at the memory recalling the odd certainty at which Matthias had maligned the man, "and the killer left a message, naming Matthias and inferring to me," she sighed deeply "that my time will soon be done." Her eyes left the floor and met Nina's. 

"You're safe here Astor," Nina assured her. 

"It's not your fault!"

"Fran!" Astor jumped from her chair and settled on the bed hugging her tightly. Beauty too jumped at the woman's voice, and waggled her tail excitedly as she nuzzled her head under Fran's palm. 

"I heard what you said; the man, Beauty, the message and Matthias. Where is he?" She asked as Astor released her hold.

"He's outside the entrance; we were told he wasn't welcome." She said with contempt. 

Fran looked at her sister. "I would like to speak to him."

Nina simply nodded, stood up and left the cabin.

Astor hadn't given much consideration to Matthias' involvement but she was beginning to feel as if he was too good to be true, as if, there was something that everyone knew but her.

"He isn't what he seems." Fran said to her, quite aware how strange this must all seem.

"I...I slept with him." She blurted out. 

"Oh my dear!" Fran said with alarm and clutched at her hand, "Did he hurt you?"

"Nooo!" She was aghast, "Quite the opposite. Fran what's going on?"

"Something hard to believe." She despondently answered. "I don't mean to be cryptic. They'll be here soon dear." She patted her hand and started to cry. 

Astor didn't press the woman for information, her concern and compassion for Fran far outweighed the questions forming in her mind and the queasiness she felt in her stomach. 

"It will be alright Fran, we'll get through this." She too began crying again and cuddled up to the woman. 

After the tears had somewhat abated Astor asked her the question she wished not to be. "Are there any arrangements in place? Obviously I'll handle them, or anyway Marcia will - she sends her condolences." 

Fran looked at her with fresh tears in her eyes formed from a mix of gratitude and sorrow, "Something simple, with a good booze up. Nothing maudlin, he would want us to celebrate not mourn."

They sat there crying, laughing, grieving, remembering Jack. In time they heard footsteps outside.



......



Matthias watched the men lead Astor down the path. He knew he was being watched, he didn't mind, he understood. He sat in the car meditating on everything that had happened. One question particularly troubled him, 'What does Vincent want?' Vincent might be psychotic but he wasn't exactly deranged, he was calculative and didn't just randomly pick targets, there was always something else at play. 

"What am I missing?" He said aloud. "The dog is a dog, or is she? If she's not a dog then what is she?" He slapped the dashboard in frustration. 

He expected Fran would want to see him. She had known instantly what he was when he first entered the pub, and although they had developed a rapport, he couldn't be sure how she would react to him once she knew the true cause of Jack's death. He therefore wasn't surprised to see the two men return, this time accompanied by an elderly looking woman. They stayed back as she approached and he got out of the car.

"Hello I'm Nina, Fran's sister. Please, she would like to talk with you." 

A look passed between them, it was one of innate understanding, for within each other they recognised the entropic casualty of their own existence. 

"Please, lead the way," he said with resignation. 

Eduardo and David looked at him menacingly as he approached them.

"Stop with the posturing boys," she admonished them. 

They deferentially nodded and walked on a few paces ahead while Matthias and Nina strolled behind. 

"She likes you." 

"I like her." 

"She needs to be told."

"I know- unfortunately."

"I think she'll surprise you."

"Do you? I know who killed Jack. I don't know why - yet, but with what I know, with what I knew, how will she see me as anything other than an accomplice?"

"This is more complex than any of us know, there have been signs for a while a now, we all have our part to play, and we are all accomplices. Jack is a tragic victim, but a catalyst too."

"Did you know?"

"I knew enough." She tightly pursed her lips, she would say no more.

The brothers disappeared off into the surrounding woods as they drew near to the cabin, as the two approached the door they could hear laughter from inside.

"Hello Matthias." Fran greeted him without malice as they entered the room, Astor remained still.

He immediately moved to her side, "I'm sorry about Jack I thought very highly of him, and you, and if I'd known ..."

Fran cut him off, "...it's ok, I believe you to be innocent, but I would like to know what you know?" She solemnly asked.

Matthias stepped back and looked at Astor, who was staring at him with suspect eyes. He didn't hold her stare but turned to Fran instead, "Perhaps Astor should leave?"

"Fuck off!" Astor shouted, "I'm not going anywhere, whatever you have to say I have a right to know!"

"Fine! Astor I'm a vampire." He briskly said.

"What?" Astor said in utter disbelief, she was surprised that the other women didn't share her astonishment.

"He is," Nina confirmed.

"Have you all gone mad?" She exclaimed.

"He is, as mad as it may seem," Fran tried to convince her, "Perhaps you want some proof?" She looked at Matthias for a response.

"I'm not a freak show!" he said with mock indignation. "However saying that, do you want fangs or a demonstration of healing powers?"

"Er, definitely both." She said with sardonic incredulity.

Matthias smiled and watched as Astor's eyes widened and her chin dropped as his canines elongated. He then carefully rolled up his sleeve as if he was a magician performing a trick, but it was no trick, not breaking his eye contact with Astor, he bit down on his wrist.

Astor watched in mesmeric horror as she saw the blood trickle down his arm, and then in amazement as he licked up the spilled blood until the wound was just gone. "Ok, so vampires exist." Astor's brain whizzed around the idea, "and you knew?"

"Yes."

"Did Jack know?"

"No. I'm sure you have many questions, but please be patient, Matthias I'm sure will explain everything to you, for now he needs to tell me what really happened."

"So I'm not in danger?"

"I would never hurt you! As Fran said, I'll explain everything to you. First, we need to share what we know." He looked at Nina contemplatively before continuing. "Jack was murdered by a vampire named Vincent." Nina and Fran turned white, "Ah- I see his reputation precedes him". He said with remorse. 

"This was the man, um, er, sorry vampire, who wanted Beauty?" Astor asked. She was shaking and fresh tears started to fall down her face as she tried to process the true horror of the situation. 

"Why did he want Beauty?" Fran asked looking at the dog anew.

"I don't know but she's the key mystery, as far as I can tell she is a normal dog. I was hoping you might have an idea?"

"Nina?" Fran asked.

"No, she's not just a dog."

"What does that mean?" Astor asked, wondering what she'd been caring for all this time.

"Nina can't tell us. Astor you know the story of Cassandra." Fran replied.

"Are you a prophetess?"

"More a clairvoyant, I have visions, not always clear and not always definite, to speak of the future with certainty is dangerous; fate is something I've learnt to take with a pinch of salt." 

"Did you know?" Fran asked her sister, a note of anger stained her question.

"You know even if I had I wouldn't have been able to say. I knew you were going to have a difficult time, but not what it concerned exactly, I thought if you were here ..."

"...Was that what it was about?" her sister asked with concern. 'It' referred to the debilitating fit Nina had suffered a few weeks ago; it had caused her hair to turn white and had virtually sucked the life out of the poor woman.

Nina sighed heavily. She wasn't used to feeling so frail and helpless. "In part, Beauty, Astor and Matthias have all been in my dreams but to what it all means, I don't know."

And she didn't know. Her visions were like riddles never being what they seemed, but they weren't completely abstract either, they could be solved if interpreted correctly. And in some circumstances she was able to influence the course of events. Nothing was really predetermined in life except death, and she didn't need a crystal ball to know her time was drawing to a close. Though she was prepared for death, she was scared for those who were left behind, for the vague glimpses that she had deciphered didn't portend well for the future.

"I know one thing," Matthias cut in, "Vincent won't give up until he has the dog, or whatever Beauty is. And if Vincent wants something we can assume it's not for good. This place has extra protection other than the pack right?" He directed the question to Nina who nodded. "Good. Even so underestimating Vincent capabilities would be foolish. I think we can assume he will find his way here and though I am loath to leave, there are some contacts I can hopefully exploit for information."

"We'll send word to others; see if anyone else has felt darkness lurking. Regarding Vincent, it would take a very powerful sorcerer to break the protection spell." Nina looked at Astor to explain, "It basically stops anyone causing us harm. Yes, magic is real too." She added, sensing Astor's scepticism. 

"Is Beauty a werewolf?" Astor asked as the thought suddenly occurred to her.

"No, and nor is she a shape shifter, she smells like a perfectly normal dog." Matthias answered in a matter of fact way.

"Exactly how many different things could she be? Surely it's just a question of deduction."

"Astor has a point, as far as I can recall apart from weres and shifters, only witches and wizards have the ability to change human form," Fran mused. 

"And gods," Nina added.

"This is preposterous! Beauty! Come!" The dog perked its ears at the command. All eyes were on her as she moved towards Astor, her tail wagging sheepishly. "Beauty, if you are some magical being now would be the time to reveal yourself." Beauty just cocked her head at this comment. She looked at the dog pleadingly, "Please after everything, I at least deserve to know who you are?" In response to this Beauty just sought Astor's hand for a stroke.

"You still think she's just a dog?"

"Matthias, I don't know what to believe, it's all unbelievable." She shook her head thinking of Jack and now this hocus pocus. Other, older, painful memories started surfacing, magnifying her distress, it was too much and Astor felt herself cracking. She stood up, muttered "Please excuse me," and left the cabin. Beauty loped after her. 

Matthias motioned to follow Astor but was halted by Fran, "Let her be," she advised. He hesitated and then glumly sat on the chair just vacated by Astor. 

"She just needs some time, it's a lot to take in and with Jack..." Fran paused at the use of his name, she wasn't reconciled to her beloved's death, how could she accept that he was gone, she didn't get to say goodbye.

"It was stupid of me not to think that Vincent would seek retribution for stopping him getting to Astor."

"And if you hadn't, he would've hurt her. I know which one Jack would've preferred." She wept, and then in a very grim tone she said to them, "He deserves vengeance and I, I will have justice." 



...............



Vincent was woken by a loud painful buzzing from within his head. "Yesss," he hissed and the buzzing slightly subsided.

"It was entirely necessary," he shouted. He wasn't going to stand for his methods being questioned, he hadn't lived this long nor required his reputation for naught.

"I'm not distracted! Everything will be in order soon!" 

The buzzing rapidly increased again as if angry and then stopped. Vincent rubbed his head salubriously and turned to look at the lifeless form next to him. The difference that death made to a body remained fascinating to him; a few hours ago this body was alive, its occupier had been particularly naive and all the more rewarding for it, she had so much hope and potential, "Ha, what an idiot," he cruelly snarled. 

He thought about the old man and his pathetic pleas for mercy. Maybe his death hadn't been entirely necessary but it had proved fruitful; he now had the girl's name and address. 

Vincent looked around the opulent room and considered his options. He might have made things harder for himself but he liked a challenge. It had taken him months to track the dog down. The only information he had was a beautiful black bitch in the London area; he didn't think any dogs were beautiful. How many had he tried to buy in the last few months? Thousands, and now he had found her, and his old nemesis to boot. 

He decided on a course of action and quickly dressed. As he left the room he glanced back at the cadaver and made a mental note to dump the rubbish later. It was rather useful having a place on Harley Street as he could easily slip the remains in with the actual surgical disposals. In the past he had proffered medical services, though the modern era with its bureaucratic and officious legalities made such an operation too bothersome, he didn't need the hassle when there were so many other delicious ways to get what he needed. 

He stepped outside and snorted derisively; it was rush hour. "Peons," he spat, before heading to his destination. 

......



Astor and Beauty had been walking for twenty minutes. Walking was her form of meditation. She wasn't feeling very strong, though she knew she possessed the strength to endure the pain and that with time it would heal, she didn't want to have to cope with the chaos, but what choice did she have?

She could just about accept the notion that vampires existed, figuring that most myths are based on some historical premise. It made sense to remain secretive; would she have told Matthias the outright truth? Doubtful. Did it even matter that he was a vampire? She decided she had no right to pass judgment without a full explanation. What was particularly vexing to her was how much she liked him, because she'd seen the films, read the books and she knew it couldn't possibly end well. 




Dies Irae 03



Astor rambled upon a picturesque clearing. There was a lake that was reflecting the light of the afternoon sun that shimmered across the water like liquid gold. She could hear a couple of woodpeckers hammering into trees, intermixed with the general cacophony of other birdsongs and calls. 

Beauty trotted down to the water's edge and lapped leisurely, and then investigated the surrounding area for all the exciting unknown smells. Astor sat down on the grass and was eventually joined by Beauty who circled a patch next to Astor a few times, finding it suitable she settled down. Astor marvelled at the slumbering animal; she really envied a dog's ability to fall asleep just about anywhere.

The peaceful serenity of the environment worked wonders for Astor's resolve. Yes she found herself in a convoluted mess but she still had control over herself, and that was enough for now. Whatever new truths presented themselves, she told herself, she would seek to understand them. What she was certain of was that Beauty wasn't a danger, why after so many months would she suddenly turn into some monster when she'd been nothing but a blessing before?

As that very thought crossed her mind, Beauty started growling, causing Astor to nervously jump up in surprise. Until she realised the dog had no regard for her but was staring intently into the woods, hackles fully raised.

Astor and Beauty were confronted by two wolves that bounded into the clearing and stopped about fifteen meters from where they were sitting. She imagined that their eyes had a particular human like quality to them. "Werewolves, I suppose." She said to them unimpressed, "Beauty, don't be rude." She reprimanded the dog, whose growling had become louder and more aggressive, though she had retreated some distance behind Astor.

The wolves started to move towards them picking up pace looking like they were going to attack; Astor didn't hesitate. She grabbed a large stick from the ground and was ready when the first wolf leapt at her. She caught him on his side mid-air and sent him smashing to the ground, he moved off yelping in pain. The other wolf now snarled at her from a few feet, viciously gnashing his teeth. 

"Come on then, too cowardly to fight me as a human," she taunted. To her surprise the wolf did seem to think otherwise and ran off back into the cover of the wood. She gasped to breathe, adrenaline coursing through her.

"That was one of the bravest and most stupid things I have ever seen." A mellifluous voice floated from behind her.

She turned snappishly; it was David. "Exactly how long have you been there?" she flung her stick. 

"Long enough to know I'd rather not get on your bad side." He smirked. 

"Nice of you to help, they were attacking me!" She said curtly.

"Well maybe next time you shouldn't go wandering off into woods you don't know."

"That's beside the point." She crossed her arms; she couldn't quite believe his gall.

"Is it? You're lucky I came when I did, the rest of the pack was undoubtedly close by, and your stick," he said with amused derision, "wouldn't have protected you from all of them."

She glared at him furiously.

"Look, you might think I'm being condescending but I'm not having a go, this isn't Arcadia." He shook his head pensively. "We've got off to a terrible start." He knelt on the ground and called to Beauty, who greeted him enthusiastically, licking his face, displaying her approval.

"She is a beautiful dog."

"Haven't you heard? She's not actually dog." She scoffed.

"She smells like a normal dog." He started sniffing her thoroughly.

"That's what Matthias said." Astor stared at him curiously, his thorough sniffing of Beauty was definitely not human. "So what are you then?"

"Werewolf." He casually replied as he stood up.

"Well why did the others attack?" She took a step towards her discarded stick.

"Because they were actual wolves!" 

Astor eyes widened with surprise and then she burst into a peel of hysterical laughter, she felt like she was going insane, "Vampires! Magic! I just fought two wolves and I'm talking to a werewolf! What a day!" 

"A bit of a shock. you must have a lot of questions?"

"So many questions I don't even know where to begin! Though for future reference what do werewolves look like? Do you look like a wolf when you change or more like a monster? No offence."

"None taken," he chortled. "Yes there have been some rather liberal interpretations of our exact physiology! We change to wolves, our duality is balanced not a hideous amalgamation of two separate beings." He said with distain at the ignoble representations that populated culture. "Incidentally only men are werewolves. And no it's not a patriarchal society either." He quickly added seeing Astor's eyes narrow inquisitively. 

"Why aren't woman werewolves?" She asked unsure if she shouldn't be affronted as feminist. 

He sat down on the grass and patted the ground next to him indicating Astor to join him. She did, and he began to explain. 

"More than being a werewolf I am a gypsy. All werewolves are gypsy men, but not all gypsy men are werewolves. It's entirely genetic. The werewolf gene happens to be male, and the oracle gene is female, though in both cases the genes remain dormant unless certain rituals are completed."

"So gypsies are just werewolves and oracles?"

"Ah, well, actually our gene pool occasionally throws up people with all sort of x-men type powers, psychokinetics, fire starters, you name it really." He smiled as Astor shook her head in disbelief.

"And what are these rituals exactly?"

"We sacrifice virgins."

"You what?" Astor exclaimed, and then she saw him grinning like the Cheshire cat. "You're making fun of me." She play punched him on the arm.

"Just a little," he teased. "No it's nothing that dramatic, the activation of the gene simply requires a wolf bite, though it is customary to spend at least a month thereafter in wolf form with a wild pack - it helps one understand and control one's other nature."

"Isn't it dangerous?"

"Not really. There have been a few unfortunate incidents when a secular person of gypsy descent has been bitten by a wolf and the metamorphosis, which in itself is excruciating, understandably causes a sort of schizoid psychosis, in part I think that's what has given rise to the idea of the mad, bad werewolf."

Despite the weirdness of their conversation, Astor found David's company pleasant, he spoke fluidly and freely and, in part because he was unconnected with Jack her mind was given a respite from the painful thoughts of his death.

"So how does one become a shaman then?" 

"They definitely have the raw deal. Attaining the full power of the third eye involves a little more self sacrifice than a bite. For starters you have to be pure, and remain so."

"That sucks."

"Yeah. Most gypsy women possess some intuitive psychic skill, fortune tellers mostly. Usually by the time their sixteen you can tell who has the most potential, basically who will be strong enough to cope with an ascent to greater power."

"It doesn't look as though Nina is coping, and nor does she seem to have any clue as to what's going on."

Sadness marred David's face. "Nina's dying of something entirely human; cancer."

"I'm so sorry, is there nothing that can be done?"

"It's already spread to multiple organs."

"No magic potions?"

"There are actually, but we try and keep to the natural world order; cheating death is black magic and there would be consequences." He said gravely.

Astor was feeling very confused, too overloaded with information which made little sense, she sighed heavily, "I'm sorry but I don't understand, and excuse me for being tactless, but if Nina is meant to be this powerful seer/witch then why doesn't she know what's going on?"

"It doesn't work like that. I know it's a frustrating contradiction, but think how it is for Nina, she probably knows more than she can say, but if she did say then what she knows could be made redundant."

"Sounds more like a curse than a gift."

"I believe that was what Fran thought -as the elder sister from a prominent family she was expected to ascend, she chose not to and the mantle fell to Nina."

"Poor Nina."

"Nina's had a good life, she doesn't begrudge Fran or regret the choices she's made."

"Was it a choice?"

"Hmm, that depends on your philosophical interpretation really. We are all subject to the conditions of our existence, but within that I do believe we have choices on how to live." 

There was a natural pause in the conversation, each were occupied with their own thoughts. David's fell to his aunt; she was not the first person he had seen ravaged by cancer. His mother had passed a few years ago from the insidious disease. His father Alberto (Nina and Fran's younger brother) had been lost to grief and two weeks after Maria's death left the compound. For the first couple of years he had sent word that he was fine, but the last they had heard from him was around eleven months ago, and now that Nina was dying he needed his father back. He wasn't ready to be the head of the family, a burden of responsibility weighed heavily on his heart and mind. 

Astor thoughts drifted lucidly, flashes of the last day streamed before her; detective Stroud telling her to call him, the moment she saw the police cars, her and Matthias in blissful union, the hostility of the brothers towards him, it was with this last thought that she broke the silence. 

"So what's the deal with vampires and werewolves? Archenemies?"

"You've not spoken to Matthias then?"

"Not had a chance."

"Vampires are dubious characters, there are known to be good ones, but the general rule of thumb is to treat them with the upmost caution."

"I think Matthias is good."

"And you've known him for how long?"

"But vampires aren't souless devil worshipers, right?"

"No," he chuckled. "The magic world predates god and the devil, but if I start explaining the ontolgy of supernatural beings we could be here for a while and the sun has begun to set." 

Astor looked at the sky it was becoming a beautiful canvas of purples, pinks, blues and gold. She didn't even realise how hungry she was until her stomach rumbled loudly. 

"There's food back at the compound, Ed is a fantastic cook. Anyway we should head back before it gets dark." He stood up. "And I don't want you hurting any more of my wolves." He added, before extending his arm to hers.

"You're wolves?" she questioned as she was pulled to her feet.

"My day job. I'm a conservationist; my focus is on the repopulation of the Iberian wolf," He cheerfully explained.

"Wow convenient!" She was genuinely impressed. 

"It is rather. My research has provided invaluable insights that have also benefitted other areas of conservation too." He said proudly.

"By the way your English is excellent."

"Six years at Oxford, dah-ling!" They both laughed. 

"Do the wolves know you're wolves?"

"Good question. Yes and no, we can interrelate when in wolf form, though they know we are different, similar to the same way the Iberian wolf is different to the Eurasion wolf. I do think the wolves know we look out for them. Do you follow?"

"I think so, but when you say interrelate, what exactly do you mean?"

"Well wolves aren't exactly conversationalists but we can communicate. In the civil war they helped the resistance, which is partly why in Franco's reign their population was decimated, though of course there was a general eradication all over Europe."

"I have to ask, since there are no female werewolves does that mean, I mean, have you, or have there ever been, to use a well coined phrase, any sexual relations?" she smiled cheekily.

He stumbled at her question and she reached out to steady him. "Most people ask about silver and the full moon you're asking about sex?" 

"I'm just curious. Don't get me wrong I find bestiality abhorrent, or at least conditioned to believe so, but I think if I could turn into a wolf or indeed any animal I would want to fuck as that animal just for the experience."

"You're not a prude are you! When I was younger I might have experimented, in the interest of research of course." 

"Of course," she echoed. "And?"

"What you want details?"

"Well, what was it like?"

He stopped walking and she followed suit. They were facing each other in close proximity, and he was looking at her with an intensity that made her blush. It wasn't that she had previously failed to notice how good looking he was, it was the realisation that he was incredibly attractive, he exuded charm and intelligence complemented by a robust glow from outdoor living.

David noticed her appreciative look and was not averse to the possibility. "You want to know what it feels like to have sex with a wolf, as a wolf?" He looked at her lasciviously. "It's animalistic, rough and explosive." He wetted his lips. "Since we're exchanging experiences, how was sex with a vampire?"

"You're asking as a scientist I assume?" She knew full well he wasn't. 

"Not entirely, do you mind?" 

"I didn't even know he was a vampire until we got here so I can't really comment." 

"How very vague of you."

"Well you could always make your own investigation." 

"He's not my type."

"Shame, I was hoping we were heading for a ménage a trois! A werewolf and a vampire that would be something to tell the grandkids!" She joked, but the thought resonated in her mind as an interesting idea. 

"Why don't you ask Matthias how he would feel about it and get back to me?" 

"Ask me what?"

"Where did you come from?" David asked defensively as Matthias strode out from the woodland.

"It's getting dark and I didn't think it would be safe for Astor". He replied not liking the protectiveness that David had seemingly developed towards Astor. 

"Well you can see she is perfectly safe." He countered.

"Even so I was worried. How are you?" He asked sincerely.

"Better thanks. Sorry for just leaving I needed to think."

"Please I understand. I'm sorry but I should make a move as soon as possible and I thought we should talk before I go?" He asked with trepidation. 

"Where are you going?" 

"To see a man about a dog." 

"I want to come; we can talk on the way."

"It's really not a good idea, it could be dangerous."

"Apparently I'm in danger wherever I am. I'm no good at sitting around waiting for something to happen." 

"You'd be better protected here," David hastened to add.

Astor was surprised to hear Matthias let out a little growl. 'He's jealous,' she thought. "I'll speak to Fran, if she wants me to stay then I will." Her tone was unequivocal. 

"Fair enough. So what did you want to ask me?" A note of bemusement underpinned his question. 

Astor toyed with idea of telling him about the indecent proposal, but thought better of it, "I was asking how you felt about werewolves?"

"Really?" he was unconvinced, "they're pretty predictable..."

"...what do you know vampire!" David snapped.

"Thanks for proving my point, predictable pride and prejudice." He gave a patronising look to David. "That's pack mentality for you, your great-grandfather Alfonso was smarter than that, it's a shame it seems to have stopped with him."

"You knew Alfonso?" David was surprised to hear.

"Very well. In '36 I helped him subdue a particularly nasty group of fascists led by the local pederastic priest."

"You're Matteo!" He said in reverence recalling his grandfather's childhood tales from the civil war. "I'm sorry for our ungracious welcome, if we had known."

"No one's called me that in a while," he mused nostalgically, "but I understand your hostility, it's very natural in some ways." 

"Exactly how old are you?" Astor interrupted.

"Old enough." She wasn't impressed and scowled at him. "Fine, I was born in 350BC." He couldn't help feel a small sense of smugness at their astonishment; Astor especially looked quite freaked out by his antiquity.

"Even for a vampire that's old!" David exclaimed.

Learning that he was over two millennia old perturbed Astor even more than learning he was a vampire. It dawned on her how very insignificant her life must seem to him. "It's hard not to feel a little intimidated knowing that you must have heard, seen and done everything that there is," she reflected.

"You're joking right? The world still surprises me on a daily basis, and it's changed more in the last two hundred years that at any other time! I appreciate that you are intimidated but I don't think I have anything to teach you about life, besides for one so young you're quite impressive!" He gave her a massive grin.

Astor blushed at his complement, "I think you have a lot to teach me, for starters I don't know anything about the supernatural world."

"Astor, you know how to behave properly and you see beyond the material world to what matters. The supernatural world is not a separate world to the one you've known it's just another facet to it." 

"It's true," David tried to assure her. "Perhaps this isn't the greatest analogy but it's like the criminal underworld, with different syndicates fighting against each other for power, and although it does impact larger society as a whole it does so in an organic way. Strange things happen all time without logical explanation; thousands of fish or birds fall dead from the sky; scores of dolphins and whales beached on shores. These things aren't natural."

"What are they?"

"Sacrifices." Matthias said with distaste. 

"You really don't know what Beauty is?" David asked Matthias.

"All I have are farfetched suspicions."

"Beauty is a dog," Astor asserted.

"You know her intelligence is preternatural." 

"I would say she is an extraordinary dog just like many other extraordinary dogs. Maybe she was a guide dog and somehow escaped, was unfortunately subject to human cruelty and then rescued by me. Perfectly plausible, more so than some supernatural beasty." 

"Maybe she is a dog, but she could also be something more."

Astor sighed; she was exhausted and was glad to see the trees thinning and the cabin reappear into sight. 

"I'm going to see about supper." David sniffed the air, "mmm, smells like we're having spit roast."

"Oh, did I forget to mention I'm a vegetarian." Astor grimaced. 

"I didn't know that." Matthias said with peculiar interest.

"Does it change anything?" She snapped. 

"No." 

"Anyway," David quickly interjected dispersing the tension that had erupted from nothing, "we always have beautiful salads and other meat free dishes and besides I'm sure Ed will be happy to rustle you up something- he'll probably see it as a creative challenge."

"Thanks." 

"And I'm sure we can find you something to eat too." He spoke directly to Beauty who wagged her tail in agreement. 

"It's alright I brought food for her. But thank you."

"Nothing to offer me?" Matthias quipped before quickly adding. "It's fine, I'm not hungry." He slipped a sideway glance to Astor and was pleased to see a slight smile form at his comment.

They reached the edge of the woods and David slipped away, informing them he'd return shortly. Astor moved off towards the cabin but was pulled back by Matthias so that they now faced each other, "We should really try and leave as soon possible," he conceded, "You know full well Fran won't object to you coming."

"Thanks." 

"Well it has also occurred to me that your jet will expedite the journey."

"It's lucky that I offset my carbon footprint then. You better tell me where we're going so I can prep the crew?" 

"Florence."

"Should give us enough time to talk," she said with forced enthusiasm. 

Matthias smiled nervously. Astor turned and headed back towards the cabin. He watched her as she glided away and wondered how she had become so dear to him so soon. He thought he was beyond love and romance, but she made him feel young and excited to the possibilities of a new life, a new world, one with her. He hoped.



Dies Irae 04



Dear Reader,

   Again sorry about time lapse, I wish I could work faster too! Just a quick warning that I've taken creative liberties with history, it is not meant to offend, and to those with religious sensibilities you probably shouldn't be on this site anyway! I am aware that the language might be challenging to some but I would rather assume knowledge than ignorance, and frankly there are far too many good words not to use. As always, feedback is sincerely appreciated. Many thanks. 







Astor and Matthias were cruising at 12,000 feet en route to Florence, Italy. 

They had left the compound just after eight in the evening. Astor had eaten and spent some time with Fran, who hadn't objected to her swift departure, she would've gone too if it hadn't been for Nina's deteriorating health. Beauty had also been left in her care; the first plane journey had been exhausting enough and another change in environment simply wouldn't be fair to the dog. 

They hadn't really spoken since they departed. Astor had spent the whole drive to the airport on the phone talking to Marcia, her part-time personal assistant and full-time friend. They had been at school together; Marcia had been boarded with Astor when she entered as a new girl. She was a scholarship student, extremely bright but as she came from a working class background some of the girls picked on her, "learn to talk properly," they would taunt; she said bu-er instead of butter and pronounced the letter 'h', haitch, instead of aitch.

When Marcia left the school five years later her RP accent (Received Pronunciation, the Queens English) had been perfected and the other girls could no longer demarcate her. Conversely, whenever she returned home during the holidays her old friends would mock her for this affectation of speech, and even she was horrified to find herself wincing at their improper inflections. It was one of things she loved about Astor, she didn't judge people on how they spoke but what they had to say, and Astor, somewhat symbiotically, loved Marcia because she didn't live in a rich bubble. 

The plane finished its climb and they were now sitting comfortably; the interior was plush cream and wood panelled, and it was equipped with all the modern conveniences one could possibly want, without ever needing. Astor stood up put on a collection of Schubert's piano trios and then poured them each a good draught of scotch. She had many questions to ask though she wasn't angry about his deceit; she learnt long ago that anger was a useless counterproductive emotion that stood in the way of rational thought. All she wanted was the truth, even if it was ugly. 

Matthias was quite at ease waiting for Astor to collect herself and begin the inquisition. He occupied himself with his iphone, sending emails across the globe inquiring if anyone had caught wind of Vincent's activities. He marvelled at present day technology even with his whims of nostalgia over the horse as an all but obsolete means of travel; adventuring really wasn't what it used to be. 

She began her interrogation with a simple direct question, "Did you drink my blood this morning?" It wasn't an accusation she merely sought confirmation.

"Yes, but in my defence you didn't seem to mind."

"No I suppose not." She blushed. "What's it like?"

"Surely my reaction told you everything?" 

She blushed again. "You're not planning on turning me into your sex slave until you drain me dry are you?" She said with a wry smile. 

"Not unless you would like me to!" He blushed back as his mind was filled with images of Astor in various indecent positions; he hoped they wouldn't just be fantasies. "Sex isn't a necessary condition of feeding but the endorphins do make the blood taste sweeter. Yours is remarkably sweet." His tongue swept across his lips. "I can easily go a month without eating, after that I get a little lethargic. I once experimented and went four months without blood, and I can assure you an anorexic vampire is not someone you would care to meet!"

"But you obviously have control over your impulses?" 

"It's not even an impulse; I need to drink blood to live! The thing is Astor the generally accepted mythology about vampires is that we are evil soulless creatures, when we are nothing of the sort. We were all human once, we never died, we never lost our humanity. Unfortunately being maligned throughout history as 'evil', a small number of vampires have laboured under the misapprehension that they're the spawn of Satan and behave as such. The greatest misconception about vampires is that we can't walk in the sun, that it will somehow burn our skin. Poppycock! But if you believe yourself to be a creature of the night and prefer to inhabit the shadows of the dark, overtime of course your body reacts aversely to the light. It's stupidity of course, but by the same token most of these idiots fall foul of natural selection." 

"Is that why Vincent is the way he is because he believes himself to be evil?" She almost felt sorry for him.

"No, Vincent was a sadistic sociopath even in life. Have you heard of Gilles de Rais?"

"He's Gilles de Rais?" She spluttered in shock at the name of the notorious fifteenth century occultist child serial killer.

"No, but Gilles de Rais became the man he was because of him. Vincent was born Francesco Prelati. From a young age he had been obsessed with the occult and he became a brilliant alchemist. In 1432 he was expelled from his home town of Florence for the brutal murders of several prostitutes, he went to France, met Rais, and the rest as they say is history." 

"Why did he change his name?" 

"The same reasons I change mine. It's useful to have various aliases and an obscured origin makes one difficult to track. Vincent is a fairly new moniker but you should also know that one of his more famous historical incarnations was Jack the Ripper."

"Oh my god! No wonder they never caught him." She started wondering if other monsters of history were actual real monsters. "Have many serial killers been vampires?"

"The bloody ones often are I'm afraid." 

"That Hungarian countess, what's her name?"

"Elizabeth Báthory, yes, and Vincent had a hand in her corruption too." He said with remorse. 

"We're not going to see her are we?" Astor asked with nervous hesitance. 

"No, she is definitely dead. We're going to see Vincent's sister Valeria." Astor looked horrfied.

"Don't worry she is the antithesis of her brother. Valeria was a nun, and it wasn't just that it was one of the few vocations open to women, she truly had faith, and Vincent, in his vileness, loves nothing better than to corrupt what is pure and good, he brutally raped and then turned her."

"How awful! So she isn't loyal to him then?"

"Not loyal, but understandably she is terrified of him and might not be exactly forthcoming. As much as I care for her, she is slightly unhinged and can be a little difficult. However she has a good heart and if it comes down to it she owes me."

"What for?"

"I helped her adjust to the lifestyle. In some ways Astor it has been easy for you to accept the existence of other beings because you have been exposed to the supernatural through the popular media," he grunted disdainfully and continued, "it's not an unknown world just a misconceived one, but Valeria truly believed in god and the devil and so the trauma of being turned into this supposed blood drinking monster nearly destroyed her."

"How did he become a vampire, what madman made him one?"  

"It's something I've never discovered and it's troubling in itself." He shook his head, "We are quite an elitist group, there aren't that many of us, five thousand at the most worldwide. At the time maybe two thousand in Europe and Russia and despite us all being quite solitary in our own existence, we're a close nit community. I was in Germany when I heard of the abominations committed by Rais, and as such depravity is rarely the work of humans I headed to Machecoul. I learned of Francesco's involvement, he was still human then but as I understand he had acquired certain powers through ancient invocations and ritualistic sacrifices. To be honest I've never really been au fait as to what magic is, as I understand it's not good or bad but more Ying and Yang. Anyway he was long gone from the town, I traced him to Florence, I met Valeria who was also still human and had no idea as to the whereabouts of her brother. I stayed in Florence for a few weeks hoping he would return. If I can say one thing about Vincent, he knows how to keep a low profile." He swilled his drink meditatively and then knocked it back before continuing.

"I left Florence, followed a few tenuous leads, nothing. Six months later I returned, I visited Valeria and discovered she had disappeared from the convent two weeks prior to my arrival. I went to their family home and I was greeted by the rotting corpses of their parents and servants. Valeria was chained to a wall and had been made a vampire. That was the first time I met Vincent." His expression was pensive and he made a small tut with his tongue against clenched teeth.

"What happened?" 

"The short of it; we fought, I won, I was about to kill him, Valeria screamed at me not to," he breathed in deeply, "I let my guard down for an instant, he stunned me and got away." He stared in to his empty glass and then turned back to Astor, "I'm not someone who really dwells on the past, but not killing Vincent then was my greatest mistake. Our strength grows over time but after a few hundred years plateaus, I think because our bodies have become attuned to the change." He paused momentarily to collect his thoughts. "For six hundred years, we've been playing a game of cat and mouse and I'm not sure which one I am anymore. The truth is Astor I don't know if I am able to kill him, when we last fought at the end of the Second World War, I nearly had him, and then he vanished before my very eyes disappearing into the ether."

"What does that mean?"

"Good question, I'll have to get back to you on that one." He sighed.

Matthias could see she was turning everything over. Several times she looked as though she was going to speak but changed her mind. 

Eventually she asked anxiously, "Matthias, do god and the devil exist?" 

"Do you believe in them?"

"I don't, I mean I didn't, but if you tell me they're real well I don't think I could dispute their existence."

"Then no they don't exist for you. Faith is a very powerful conviction, what you hold to be true has a very real impact on your reality."

"What do you believe?"

"Thankfully I avoided the whole Abrahamic religious indoctrination of good and evil. I was a Pythagorean as well as an initiate of the Orphic mysteries."

"Weren't Pythagoreans vegetarians? How does that tally with drinking blood?" 

"You're very well informed." He said in wonder.

"You've seen my library the books aren't just for decoration! How did you become a vampire then?"

"When Orpheus lost Eurydice the second time he was beyond consolation. He actively sought to anger the gods and started this anarchic cult. That was bad enough, but he also spurned the advances of Hera, who as I'm sure you know had an enthusiastic taste for vengeance. For his hubris her creative punishment was to turn him into a vampire, though she didn't foresee the self-perpetuating effect of his blood." He chuckled. "Why do you think one of her emblems is a pomegranate? It's a symbol of fertile blood, death and immortality."

"Orpheus was the first vampire?" She couldn't quite believe it.

"Indeed he is."

"He is? What do you mean he is? He's alive!?"

"The last I heard he was deejaying in Ibiza."

"Fuck me!"

"Would love to," He said hungrily. 

"Down boy I'm not finished with you yet. You've still not told me how you became one?"

"Orpheus was lonely, as I said when he lost Eurydice for good, no other woman could ever compare and he became homosexual."

She looked at him curiously. 

"I'm not gay Astor, but us ancient Greeks had a much more open attitude to sex, most people were bisexual and there was no conception that same sex relationships were wrong, indeed it was considered to be a pedagogical experience. I was completely surprised when Orpheus came to me, he offered me immortality and I accepted."

"It was that simple?"

"Yes. How would you feel if I offered it to you?"

"We've only just met."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Are you asking me for real or hypothetically?"

"Just answer the question Astor."

"I don't know Matthias, would you recommend it?"

"For someone like you? Yes, absolutely. Think how many books you would get to read, you can travel and see the whole world, and you'll never tire of it, you will always be young, you will always be beautiful, you would be truly free."

"Well when you put it like that." 

He was on her in a flash, covering her mouth with his, they shared a long, desperate and passionate kiss. "It can be a very lonely life," he breathed against her. 

"I've been alone for most of my life anyway, but I'm not saying turn me, I do need to think about it."

"What's there to think about?" He tried to capture her lips again but she kept moving her head to avoid him. "Will you stop that!"

"Matthias what do you want from me?"

He pulled away and looked at her, "just you," he said as he swept a wayward lock from her face.

"I can't believe I'm even having this conversation. How does one become a vampire?"

"A simple blood transfer, I drink some of your blood and you drink some of mine, the risk is minimal you'll feel a bit faint from the blood loss, but once you start drinking you'll feel strong and very healthy."

"You said the sun thing was a myth, but what about garlic, Churches and other religious paraphernalia? And also what about bodily waste and pregnancy and ..."

"... Slow down! Garlic is fine to eat; it has an unpleasant odour and nothing more. Since you don't believe in religion, religious paraphernalia has no bearing on you. As for excrement, we don't need to eat or drink but you can still find pleasure in taste. The olfactory sense is indeed heightened. However, if you do eat, your body will need to expunge the waste, though if you stick to a blood diet your body metabolises all of it. Blood is pure energy to us. As far as I'm aware no vampiress has ever given birth. However, there are a few scientists among us who have been studying why we are the way we are, it turns out to be a complex genetic mutation, apparently even gods have to work within the laws of nature, and with the advancements in scientific technology there might one day be some development."

"I never saw myself having children anyway but I like having the option. What aren't you telling me?"

"There really are only a few negatives; like all beings we can die, a wooden stake won't do it but if someone manages to remove your whole heart ... and exploding bullets are quite effectual ... and of course decapitation just about kills everything, except for cockroaches," he mused.

"It doesn't seem like much of a punishment."

"For Orpheus it is, he will never see his true love again. Even if he chooses to leave the terrestrial world, as a demi-god he will join the gods, not Eurydice." 

"So are the Greek gods still around then?"

"They weren't even around when I was human. It irks me nowadays that people anthropomorphise the gods, as if they possessed some compassion for humanity, when they had nothing of the sort, they were capricious and callous and utterly self-absorbed. They had their fun with humankind, and I dare say they're satisfied with how entrenched they're in civilisation, but as soon as the demands and needs of worshipers outweighed the benefits of worship, they abandoned us. Actually this pretty much applies to all the mythologies, be it Nordic, Mesoamerican or Egyptian."

"But they exist, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry but I don't understand, you said god and the devil don't exist and yet the Greek gods do? That makes no sense."

"I said they didn't exist for you not that they weren't real." 

"So I'm not going to hell?" Astor asked with trepidation, she was definitely a sinner!

"No, Mephistopheles has a strong code of honour which might seem a misnomer to his mantle as the Lord of Darkness but he really only messes with God's flock."

"What about the apocalypse?" 

"Ah, the end of the world." He said with amusement.

"What?"

"Since the dawn of time people have thought the world will end, and maybe one day it will, but frankly apocalyptic revelations are just hysteria."

"Does nothing scare you?"

His forehead furrowed in thought, "I've never been a fan of spiders actually."

"That's not what I meant." 

"I'm scared of losing you beautiful."

His sincerity was overwhelming, after everything that had happened Astor was an emotional wreck, and perhaps justifiably didn't trust her own blossoming feelings. They frightened her, for an open heart can be hurt. She unclasped herself from his arms and stood up to fetch another drink, it was easier to ignore him.

Matthias was not to be ignored and also stood up. "I'm sorry if that scares you, but I refuse to be coy about how I feel. What is it with people today and the stupid games they play, if people were more honest with each other..." he was annoyed, nobody likes rejection, "... you've been married, did he profess love and then cheat on you?" He regretted it the instance he said it but he had said it nonetheless.

"How dare you! You don't know what you're talking about." She seethed.

"Tell me then." He fixed her with his eyes and gently took her by the hand as they sat back down.

She inhaled deeply. "It's not that simple. Karl's family and mine go way back; our great grandparents managed to emigrate just before the revolution, our grandparents were in business together and our mothers were best friends and god-parents to Karl and me. You know my parents were murdered when I was twelve?"

"I'm sorry Astor, I assumed they were dead, what happened to them?"

"My father was a diplomat in Russia and the embassy was bombed by the Chechens after arms sold by the British were used to repress them." She spoke without vituperation. 

"That must have been hard."

"That's somewhat of an understatement. For a long time I was very angry, for dying, for leaving me alone, for ending my childhood." She bit her bottom lip and looked him in directly in the eye, "My uncle was my legal guardian and he abused me."

"Oh Astor." Matthias was besieged by anguish.

"No it's fine. I refuse to be a victim. I've learnt to accept the things that are beyond my control. Maybe that's why I can deal with this current chaos." She rolled her eyes. 

"What happened to your uncle?"

"What happened?" She smiled wickedly, "With Marcia's help I filmed him one night, handed the tape to the police and he's currently a guest at one of her majesty's finest establishments. I was sixteen and suddenly I was free, and completely irresponsible." She shook her head at the memory of herself, "I had more money than most people can even conceive. Money might not make you happy but if you don't have to worry about it, you can pretty much do what you want without repercussion. Marcia calls it 'fuck you money'."

"She sounds smart."

"Smartest person I know. She never took any of my shit but she didn't judge me for my behaviour either, without her support I would probably be someone entirely different, she made me stay in school, apply to university, she kept me grounded. She never liked Karl, she always thought he was spoilt and petty, she practically begged me not to marry him, and we fell out, but when things ended she was immediately there for me, she, Fran and," she paused and barely whispered "Jack." 




Dies Irae 04



Matthias watched as the tears started staining her face, he gave her the comfort of his body and tenderly kissed her brow.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk." 

"You weren't that far off the mark, we didn't have a passionate love for each other, but there was love, and a lot of understanding. At the time it made sense, and a part of me thought how happy and proud my parents would have been. Anyway, he did cheat on me but I also cheated on him, except he took it a little more personally, he got very drunk, beat me and forced me." 

"He raped you?" he voiced in anger and squeezed her a little too tightly.

"I suppose you could call it that, but he's not a rapist, he didn't even remember what happened, and when he saw what he did to me, and this might sound odd, but I actually pitied him he was so pathetic."

"You didn't go to the police?"

"No it would have destroyed his parents, and he is suffering, he's made serious attemps to kill himself."

"I could help with that."

"Are you serious?"

"Deadly."

"Death is too easy, living is suffering."

"You don't seem to mind that it happened."

"It was beyond my control. I had the luxury of being able to disappear and meditate over it. If we had met even six months ago you wouldn't have found me so accepting. All experience can be good thing if you let it be, though life is fucking hard sometimes. Hey, do curses exist?" she suddenly thought.

"They do, but in my experience, and I've had a bit, life isn't just unfair it is mercilessly cruel. It's why most people believe in higher powers, it gives meaning to the inhumanity of nature. I doubt you're cursed but as you have Russian ancestry it's a possibility. You'd be better off talking to Nina, curses are definitely gypsy terrain." 

"You know Beauty has been the greatest help." She smiled as she thought of her canine companion. "Dogs are such wonderful beings, they just live in the moment, the past and the future are irrelevant. I like that."

Matthias chuckled, "Diogenes would have liked you and he didn't really like anyone."

"As in Diogenes the Cynic?" Astor once again found herself agog.

"I was lucky enough to know him in later life when he had mellowed somewhat. He was very very funny and utterly uninhibited, you always knew where you were with him, he bit a man he once didn't like the look of and he used to growl at babies, more though to annoy their mothers."

Astor laughed, "You're unbelievable! I suppose you knew Aristotle too?"

He nodded his head modestly, "I've met many of the great and good..."

"... and are they seldom the same man?" she interrupted. 

"Churchill was full of wonderful maxims and he was one who was good and great. People who seek greatness often seek power and usually at the expense of others. Hitler for example, great, but definitely not good."

"Did you know Churchill?" 

"We met."

"Did he know you were a vampire?"

"He knew."

"Do you care to expand?" She said with a little irritation at his vagueness.

"Sometimes it has been necessary to reveal our existence. Hitler's true involvement with the occult has thankfully been covered up by the winning side. Do you know what a grimoire is?"

"Enlighten me."

"Essentially it's a book containing spells, many purport to allow the magician to summon demons, spirits and even angels. Fortunately the ones in common circulation are the works of imagination and fantasy, and merely serve as a appeasing distraction to the curious. Yet, there are a few Grimoires in existence that are dangerously real. Hitler managed to obtain one, found in the Vatican library, and had been using it to conjure Raum, one of the great Earls of Hell, bringer of riches and destroyer of cities. You are aware that 'Lebensraum' was one of the key ideologies of Nazism, they needed the 'living space' to be the great race Hitler envisioned." 

Astor nodded with alacrity eager for Matthias to continue.

"Are you also aware that Hitler's so called suicide took place on Walpurgis Night?"

"That's the German Halloween right?"

"That's a good basic interpretation. It is one of the few nights of the year when all other beings are free to roam, mostly they just come to enjoy human pleasures, drinking and sex and all that jazz. We used to call it Dionysia." He added whimsically. "But they also serve another purpose, a sort of secret loop hole. Though demons can be summoned on these nights they cannot be controlled. That desperate night in 1945, as the Allies were closing in, Hitler conjured Raum, believing that the mystical night would only increase his power over the demon. How wrong he was." His eyes twinkled with glee.

"What happened?"

"Raum had taken no pride in doing Hitler's bidding; it's a fallacy that demons are wicked a lot have very good natures actually. Raum staged the suicides of Hitler and Eva Braun, for the demon is also a romantic at heart, which is why they are together suffering unspeakable pain."

Astor was dumbfounded. "That's unbelievable! How do you know this?" 

"I was told by Albert Goering, a man I am honoured to have called a friend."

"He was the good Goering right?"

"One of the most courageous men I've ever met, he saved thousands at great personal risk. Of course Hermann's warmongering overshadows Albert's good deeds, and the surname caused him awful grief in later life but he refused to change it. Excluding Hermann he was mostly proud of his family, their mother even married a Jew."

"What did you do in the war?" 

"Vat a thing to ask a German!" he said with a thick Bavarian accent and a huge smile.

"I thought you were Greek!" She quickly retorted.

"Technically I'm Athenian," he tittered smugly before explaining, "Germany, well the area now known as Germany, has been my main residence for over a millennium and I identify with the land as my home. I think they call this psychogeography, so many terms these days for things that are intrinsically human."

"Why Germany?"

"Before the invention of cars and planes it was a very convenient location for travelling about Europe, and politically and culturally the land was more liberal than most places. Having a hereditary title has been a good cover over the years, and when the Nazi's came to power my inscrutable Germanic heritage proved very useful. I was in New York when it became clear another war was on its way, I came back via Spain, which was in the throes of the civil war and where I encountered Alfonso. And when the Second World War officially started, to answer your earlier question, I essentially became a spy, passing cryptograms and other secret documents on to the Allies."

Astor sat in stunned silence just staring at Matthias in awe. 

"You look a little overwhelmed," he said.

"I am overwhelmed! I think my head is going to explode from everything you've told me and I don't even feel I've scratched the surface of who you really are. I don't even know if Matthias is your real name." She spoke in an excited manner. 

"It is a derivative of my original Greek name Matthaios, and we didn't exactly have surnames then. We've only known each other for a day, there will be plenty of time for us to get to know each other later." 

"What if there isn't a later?" She said morosely.

"I'm an optimist, though we could increase your chances." He said suggestively.

"The thing is I'm not really sure how I feel about drinking blood, it's a bit gross when you really think about it."

"I understand but trust me you'll get over it. Every vampire remembers their first drink, it's ...it's" he closed his eyes and flicked back to his first time, "mind blowing," he opened his eyes and looked at Astor with pure lust.

Astor had a vicarious response to Matthias arousal and seamlessly their lips found each other. His hunger for her was clear as their bodies pressed together, mouths locked in passion, obliterating the pain and suffering of the past day. Simultaneously, their hands fell to their trousers as they hastened to remove the barriers that prevented them from melding to one. Matthias lightly ran a finger up through her lower lips and flicked her clitoris eliciting a rapturous cry from Astor. Without any further hesitation he thrust deep inside her that made them both gasp in exquisite pleasure. 

He held himself there briefly, pausing to look into her hazel eyes that burned with desire. He stroked in out of her a few times, slow and hard. In response she bit her bottom lip in ecstatic anguish and murmured in need. He began to fuck her fervently, she arched towards him suckling and kissing at his neck, causing him only to increase his pace. Their grunts and moans filled the cabin as the tension between them swiftly built. Astor's orgasm came fast, her whole body contracted, Matthias could only manage a few more thrusts before he joined her in bliss,and even when he had finished cumming Astor still had little aftershocks of pleasure pulsating through her. Matthias slipped a hand between them and played with her clit, quickly stimulating another powerful orgasm.

Astor's physical release also brought forth an emotional one. Matthias softly kissed along the rivulets that flowed down her face and whispered to her, "I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you again."

She pecked his lips, smiled, and replied, "You can't promise me that."

"No I can't." 

They shared a long, sensuous and loving kiss.

But reality soon made itself known. The captain's voice floated over the intercom; the plane had started its descent.



Dies Irae



"mmm" she said pulling away, "I knew you would be good to kiss." 

"Those lips didn't disappoint either."He pulled her to him and sampled them again, it turned into passionate breathless kiss.

"I wonder what else they do well?" he smiled boldly at her.

"Play nice and you might find out." Astor raised her eyebrow then turned and opened the front door. Beauty ran straight inside disappearing to her bed in the drawing room. 

Matthias stepped into the understated hallway "Degas?" unperturbed by the small bronze cast horse standing quite casually on an antique oak side table.

"Well observed. Would you like a tour? I have quite a decent art collection."

"Maybe later." He was sure she would have a quality collection not one superficially acquired in deference to famous names, "there is only one visual delight I am interested in seeing right now." 

"That's just corny," she laughed at him, "come let's retire to the library there's a 30 year old malt calling."

Matthias followed her down the hall and into the library, he had seem some estimable private collections before but this was a sizable room, floor to ceiling shelves lined the walls, bar the two double French windows that led to a small terrace overlooking the garden. Two large writing desks surmounted with single table lamps, such as one finds in old school public libraries, occupied the opposing end of the room, in the centre underneath a elegant chandelier was a drinks stand, a Georgian table, a few chesterfield armchairs and the sofa.

"My grandfather knocked a wall through to create the space. Many feel a little overwhelmed when they first come in." Astor said as she poured out two finger of scotch and handed him a glass.

"It's certainly impressive. Secret room?" He excitedly enquired.

"It wouldn't be a secret if I told you!" she replied and clinked her glass with his.

"What are we toasting?" he asked in a seductive tone.

"A good night." She unbashfully answered and then knocked back her drink placing the glass back on the stand.

He followed suit, then grabbed her and ploughed her mouth with a kiss as he brought her body to his. Their arms moved frenetically over each other, they possessed an equal desire to join together, and between kisses their clothes were discarded until they were standing naked. 

For a moment they both looked at each other in appreciation; Matthias had a lean defined body, there wasn't a part of him that was out of proportion, and his member stood proud. They shared a simultaneous unspoken thought 'you're the sexiest thing I've ever seen.' Astor was naturally skinny with curves in all the right places, and though her breasts were disproportionately larger than one would expect from her diminutive size, they were a perfect pert pair as far as Matthias was concerned.

"I wasn't expecting company." She said, as she saw his eyes fall to her full dark bush.

"Your beautiful." he said in earnest, he stepped to her, placing his hands on her hips he closed the gap between them. 

Just the feel of their bodies touching was sensational, desire rippled through her body, Astor looped her arms around his neck, their mouths teasingly touched but did not kiss, they were relishing in the anticipation of desire. His penis twitched against her abdomen and she felt a wet and sticky substance on her skin. She lost it and kissed him with hunger.

Matthias returned the kiss with equal ferocity, the smell of Astor's sex had him aroused beyond belief. He ran his hands all over her smooth skin, enjoying her pleasurable reaction to his touch. Each kiss was an electric pulse amplifying their yearning. 

Astor was desperate for him to plunge his cock into her pussy, "take me," she cried in lustful abandon. 

Matthias picked her up and she wrapped her legs round his waist, as he carried her to the sofa. He climbed on top of her, his body looming over hers, his weight distributed between his legs and his arms, which rested either side of her head. His penis pointed to her like a sword, his body subjugating hers preparing to conquer.

Being at his mercy only increased her desire, "please fuck me." She bseeched him, while wrapping her hand around his cock, stroking it firmly yet softly, guiding it down to her wet silky lips.

Matthias let her place him at her entrance, he felt her hips thrust eager to bring him in, and he met her with his own thrust and was rewarded by a satisfied grunt from Astor as he filled her. "You feel so good." her walls clenched around his cock, he could have exploded just at the thought of being inside her, but he wanted more. 

At first, savouring the feel he slowly thrust in and out, both groaned each time he filled her up, however, soon need made them both lose control and he started pumping her ardently.

Astor couldn't keep up with his swift movements, instead she held on to his firm posterior squeezing the taut muscular cheeks, she gave him a slight bum slap, and he growled in response. She felt his lips move over her neck, kissing and mouthing her, it sent her wild and she slapped him again, harder, she felt teeth on her neck and an orgasm suddenly jolted through her and she let out a primal scream.

It would have been so easy to bite her, and he really wanted to bite her. Her electric response to just his teeth grazing her neck made him think that a bite would only enhance her pleasure, as it would his, but he somehow managed to control his urge, he settled with the gratification of his body as he continued to ravage her with his cock, bringing him closer and closer to climax. He sought her clitoris with his thumb, and rhythmically strummed the swollen nub.

Astor felt herself head towards another orgasm, "please, cum with me." She breathlessly pleaded. He moved faster and harder inside her, she could hear his breathing become ragged and frantic.

"Yes." He cried as he began to reach his peak, his moaning becoming closer and louder together. "Yes... Yes... I'm coming." He roared as he exploded into her.

"Ma..Matthias" Astor called out as he rocked her body again, her walls contracted tight around his cock milking him dry.

For a couple of minutes they just laid together in satiated contentment. 

"You're Sublime." Matthias broke up the quiet stillness and planted little kisses all over Astor's face.

"Mmm, you're pretty wonderful too." Astor murmured and then added shifting slightly, "but you are a little heavy." having become more aware of his weight resting on her.

He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and adeptly rolled them over, so she was now resting on top of him. "It's getting a little frigid in here." He said, feeling the little hairs on her body stand on end now she was more exposed to the air.

"The bedroom is upstairs." She languorously suggested, not really wanting to move from the comfort of his arms.

"I think I might have enough strength left to carry you frauline." He sat up bringing her with him in his arms, she draped her arms around his neck as he stood up and carried her towards the door. "Which way princess?" he teased.

Astor looked at him and smiled, 'I don't suppose I can chuck him out now,' she thought. Distrust was very much a conditioned response from her towards people in general, and though Matthias was a veritable stranger, she realised in his arms that she felt more secure, more understanding than she had felt in a very long time. It at once thrilled and scared her; a dangerous liaison indeed.