The Vault: The Vampire's Story Part One
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I looove the part of vampire books where they get to tell their side of the story. I think it is an integral part of the modern vampire tale, which is why I've made it a huge chunk of THE VAULT. Here you get to meet Ivrahem (pronounced ee-vra-hem) :
“I haven’t always been a monster.”
“I wouldn’t call you a—”
“Silence!” Ivrahem stood up with his word, causing Gemma to flinch. He threw a quarter of wood onto the dying fire, sending sparks up like fireflies. Sitting down, he bowed his head. “I am a monster, but even before this damnation, I wasn’t a good person.”
“I was a louse. Drinking and sleeping. Falling down in the gutter. I would wake to the sun in my eyes from the grass of a hill. I had no home. I had no job. What little I had had been my parents, and I spent it exclusively on alcohol.
“But one cold night, as I stumbled toward a bar that glowed with warmth, a beautiful man opened the door for me. He opened the door, and the candlelight from inside shone on his golden locks, making him glitter. Even his pale skin sparkled. The dew of the night dampened him, and I had to wonder how he wasn’t shivering. In nothing but a buttoned shirt and slacks, he appeared content. As I slid into the bar and he followed, his pale bare chest brushed against my arm, and even through my jacket, I felt the chill that was emanating from him.
“If I’d had any suspicions about what he was—having heard stories of monsters who walk in human skin since I was kneehigh—they were soon washed away with liquor and laughter.
“He went by Lord Oakes, and he had money coming out of every orifice. And the best part was, he was willing to spend it on me.”
“Ooh, so you found yourself a sugar daddy,” Gemma said. She sipped on her tea with a brow raised.
“A—first of all it’s rude to interrupt a story—second of all, a what? A sugar dad?”
“A sugar daddy. You know, he spends all his money on you, you,” she stopped, blushing. “Well, you spend time with him in…the bedroom.”
Ivrahem flinched. “It,” he sighed, “it wasn’t like that.”
There was a long moment of silence where Ivrahem stared at the fire. His black eyes reflected the entire image back to Gemma, who shrank further into herself with every passing second.
Finally, Ivrahem sat up straight.
“That night, Lord Oakes loaded me into his carriage and we ensued on a carriage ride that lasted until almost dawn. The sky was just turning purple as we crested a hill which hosted a giant gate.”
Gemma was leaning forward in her seat.
“We stopped, so I stuck my head out the window. I’d never seen so much iron in my life. The gate must’ve been fifteen feet tall, and the surrounding fence disappeared into the forest. And once I saw what lay beyond the gate, I gasped.”
Ivrahem reached with his sharp fingers, looking up at some imaginary object. “My eyes…they kept going up and up and up. The builders must have taken every stone in the country to erect this towering castle. I’d never seen anything like it before. The tallest peak was sure to have touched God because it disappeared among the clouds.”
“Two servants slowly opened the gate, and I pulled my head inside, trembling. Lord Oakes had great power to have such a castle, so I wondered why he would want anything to do with a small bar in a measly town like mine. And why in hell would he choose a drunkard like me to be his friend?
“The carriage rode up a long road and turned to drop us off at the front entrance of the castle. I stepped out, very suddenly sober, and looked up. There was an archway leading into the portico, and the keystone was at least twenty feet above my head. And the wood that the door was made out of could have been the hull of a ship. I didn't believe it would move until a servant opened it from inside.
“Once I saw the darkness beyond the entrance and heard the ominous creak of the door, I realized there was no turning back. I was expected to go inside, despite the churning in my gut. It tensed and shivered. I think my innards even threatened to liquify and fall out.
“But Oakes put his hand on my back, gently guiding me in.
“And I was calm.”
Ivrahem sighed and sat back in his chair, gently rocking.
***
What do you think so far?? I'm enjoying the contrast between ancient vampire and our modern girlie Gemma. If you'd like to sign up to get the eBook EARLY and for FREE, use the Google form below :)) An honest review isn't required but it is appreciated :))