Roman (The Clutch 1)

Fucking fuck. This is so fucking bad. I look over at Nicolai, who appears both confused and scared, and I know that he needs to feed immediately. Selene comes back, clutching the arm of a young female consort, and together we teach Nicolai how to feed.

30

Fiona

“Thanks, guys,” I say to the team who rushed up here to install a new door. All while they were here I had to fight back my tears. I couldn’t let them know my vampire lover did this, they’d have him banned from the property, and I can’t have that. Although, I have a feeling Roman isn’t coming back.

I thought I was doing the right thing by presenting Roman’s project to my father. I believe in Roman so much, I only wanted to help, and I know my dad will not work with a vampire. If Roman were to compel my father… well, I suspect my dad would t

urn Roman in, and I can’t have that. It seems now though, it doesn’t matter what I want. My good deed wasn’t what Roman wanted, which makes me wonder, did he really want me or was I the ticket to get his gaming license?

I step out onto my balcony and notice the dark clouds rolling over the Strip. Down on the street, people scatter, looking for cover from the impending rain, but these clouds don’t bring rain, they bring fear. I remember them distinctly from before, when Roman disappeared, and now they’re back. I’ve never believed in omens until now. Something terrible is about to happen, and I’m going to be all alone, stuck in my penthouse, not knowing what’s going on and with no vampire to turn to.

Stepping back inside, I lock the sliding glass door and press the button to darken the windows, but nothing happens. Already, the power surge is starting. It’s only a matter of time before city and state officials begin to ask questions as to what’s going on and why. Who’s going to answer them? Will a vampire step forward and tell the government that their creators got a wild hair up their ass and came to Las Vegas to party? What, if anything, can the humans even do?

“Nothing,” I say aloud. “There isn’t a damn thing anyone can do.” Roman can preach equality all he wants, but his creators, the Sisters, as he calls them, rule the world. They aren’t following any human laws because surely depleting our energy and making us prisoners in our own homes while they conduct business would be highly frowned upon. Call me crazy, but I don’t think this is part of the ancient pact they signed.

I resign myself to the fact that I’m stuck here until the witches of the underworld finish their business and go back to wherever it is they live. It’s been a while since I read, and pick the book up off my nightstand and situate myself on the couch. Only, once I open the book, I realize I don’t have a lamp on my end table because some temperamental vampire threw a temper tantrum and destroyed my furniture.

Crying out in frustration, I throw my book across the room and head back out to my balcony where the dark clouds have cooled off the sweltering heat. It’s only a matter of time before what’s left of the coldness from the air conditioner will turn warm, leaving us no choice but to seek refuge outside.

Instead of sitting, I watch the people down below. I count three traffic accidents already, with more to come. Above me, on the roof, someone is yelling about aliens coming, and the only thing I can think is that their arrival would be welcomed right now. Maybe they could give the evil triplets a run for their money.

There’s a loud screech; the noise reverberates through my head. I close my eyes and press my temples to push it away, but it only becomes louder, harder. Almost as if something is in my brain, trying to escape. I scream out and fall to my knees, my hands cradling my head while my fingers dig into my skin. Then suddenly, it stops, and I’m floating. My feet dangle below me as I hover over the Strip, suspended in the air by nothing. I run in place, trying to get back to my terrace, but nothing happens. I reach for the railing, hoping to grab, to give me something to hold onto, but I can’t. I’m frozen, mid-air, hundreds of feet above the ground.

“What the fuck is happening?” I yell up to the sky, hoping some god will take pity on me and set me down safely onto solid ground.

There’s childish laughter coming from my apartment, but I can’t see who is making the noise. Not that I can do much from where I am, but I call out, “Who’s there?” Big mistake as three of the most beautiful women I have ever seen appears in my doorway. There isn’t a single doubt in my mind who these women are. My only question is, why are they here? Actually, I take that back. I have another question, why are they doing this to me?

“Hello Sisters,” I say, to be pleasant. The last thing I want is to piss them off. They already have me by the proverbial balls.

“You know us?” the one with jet black hair down to her waist says as she angles her head slightly.

“It seems the consort knows more than she should,” the redhead surmises.

Fuck my life and my nosey ways.

“Can we play with her?” the last one asks, clapping her hands.

“NO!” the darker-haired one screams, making it sound like thunder. My entire life, I’ve been told thunder is the angels bowling and lightning is a strike. Guess I was wrong. Before I know, I’m in front of the Sisters, being inspected. They circle me, poking and prodding. One traces Roman’s faded teeth marks on my neck.

“She feeds your son well, Clotho. You should be proud.”

Is there a wrong way to feed a vampire? Surely, he dictates everything.

“We should take her with us. Make her our servant.”

Um, no. This human is perfectly happy to stay right here.

“We have no use for a human. Stop playing with her so we can break the bond and move on. I’m bored.” The sister with the black hair, I deduce is in charge, but I don’t like what she says about breaking the bond I have with Roman.

Swiftly, I’m brought into my house and sat in a chair, yet I still cannot move. It feels like there are a million tons of weight holding me down, yet I don’t feel any pressure, just paralyzed. “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”

“My Roman has been a naughty boy tonight, and now you must die,” the blonde says. The way she says die, it sounds like she's happy she’s about to murder me.

“I have to die because Roman's bad?” I ask, hedging my bets. “Doesn’t Roman have free will?” The redhead points her finger at me, I watch as it turns into a blade. “Holy mother of…” If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would have never believed any of this was true. “I don’t understand, what did I do to deserve death?”

“Humans live to serve the needs of a vampire. When a vampire chooses to take a consort, said consort must follow our Covenant. Roman broke the gravest of rules this evening and must pay the price. The only consequence he cares for is you, and therefore, we must end your existence. Roman will walk the earth in solitary pain until he meets his doom.”