Nightshade

His left hand stayed busy on her breasts while the right one snuck down to the forbidden junction between her legs. He grazed the dark hairs, soft as lambs wool, then placed a finger within the furrow. He dragged his index finger slowly all the way north to her clitoris, Lucy sucked in a breath when he touched that.

She turned around, momentarily breaking contact. Even now, naked in his own bedroom she looked perfectly innocent. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his twenty-six years. He wondered for the hundredth time that night how such an angel could possibly be the monster Doc Hooper claimed she was. She wrapped her arms around him, and planted a passionate kiss, mashing her soft breasts between them.

He felt her fingers at his waist undoing the belt and button that held up his trousers. She kissed and nipped his mouth while pulling down Nathan's pants totally exposing him.

"I need you Nate," she kissed him and gave a short stroke to his very erect penis, "give me life."

He gathered her light body in his arms and carried her to his bed. The same bed where two nights ago he had tasted her for the first time. The same bed where she had brought him pleasure, the likes of which, before that night he had never experienced. His bed, how he wished he could make it their bed.

He lowered her to the blankets where she rested her head on his pillow. He climbed in beside her, pausing a moment to arrange her long dark hair. He kneeled between her silky legs and inhaled trying to capture as much of her musky scent as his nostrils could hold. He needed to taste Lucy again, his tongue longed for her flavor.

"Nate, no." She yanked his face away from her sex and climbed on top of him. "Give me life." She looked down on him with dark gray eyes.

"Who's life, mine?"

"No," she answered taking his penis and sank her vagina down on it, "ours."

Nathan laid back and let his sister take command. She rode his penis hard thrusting down on him, while he entertained himself with her pendulous breasts. The sounds of their union: slapping flesh, heavy breathing and moaning filled the otherwise silent house.

He loved his sister more than anything in the world and he took the opportunity to tell her. She smiled at him, her pretty face obscured by strands of long hair. "I love you too, and no matter what happens tonight I will love you for eternity." She climaxed on him, her vaginal walls tightened around his penis, milking it with added zeal.

Her orgasm had passed but still she rode on. "Please Nate, give..." she trailed off in the throes of a second consecutive climax. This time Nathan could not hold out. He held her hips and drove up into her body as the first shot came. He drove harder trying to plant his seed as deep inside as possible, slowing only after every drop of his sperm had been deposited within her.

He wanted to sleep, he hadn't realized how exhausted he was. "Nate, it's time to go, we must," Lucy's whispered voice was like a lullaby to his ear. "We have no choice." She was right, no matter how badly he wished she wasn't.

The United Hotel spared no expenses for their annual ball. Before he was even out of the carriage Nathan could smell the iced layer cakes, stacked as big as wine barrels, in every flavor the baker could conjure up. He took hold of Lucy's hand and helped her down. Lucy was clad in a snow white gown that had belonged to their mother. It fit Lucy's curves perfectly, however since Lucy was not as tall as their mother had been the dress fell to the floor. She had only worn it once before, at Christmas, her last one.

No one was in the lobby when they entered the hotel, the ball was well underway by then and all of the revelers were gathered in the ballroom. A hired orchestra played behind ballroom door. Within there was mirth, a feeling Nathan had long forgotten but would be reminded of, if only for the course of a melody.

The door to the ballroom opened as a gentlemen and his date appeared. "My mask," Lucy whispered as Nathan hastily tied his own around his head. She ducked behind him to wait for the couple to pass.

Even through the paper mache mask of a wolf Nathan, recognized the voice of his dear friend Jack Mercy. Judging by the slurs with which he was addressing his companion and the way he was being led out of the hotel, it appeared Jack had drank his share of wine.

He wanted to go say hello to his old friend but as far as Jack knew, Nathan was at home sick.

"I must have left my mask in the carriage."

"I'll get it for you my darling," Nathan said.

"No, you go in and wait for me, this will only take a moment." She gathered the hem of her gown and hastened outside.

***

Frank Aberdeen had not felt festive that night. This time last year he was burying his precious daughter for the first time and now it was only a matter of time before he did the same for Nathan. Baroness, bless her soul, had stayed at his side all evening, proving herself to be an invaluable crutch. He had planned to propose marriage to her, but the recent circumstances had altered those plans. The conductor tapped his pedestal and the music started again, a haunting melody, familiar and yet like nothing Frank had ever heard before.

"It is the music of my homeland," Baroness said over the humming of the orchestra. "Come dance, this one time." She took Frank's hand leading him to the dance floor where after a few steps the pair almost collided with another couple.

The tall young man and his lady were extremely graceful on the floor, moving in perfect symphony to avoid Frank and Baroness. Frank lamented the fact that he had accepted Baroness' invitation to dance and even more so that he had let Doc Hooper convince him to come at all. His eyes stole looks at the newly arrived couple, the young woman was very beautiful in a flowing ivory gown that draped her generous figure and almost dragged the floor. Both were unrecognizable beneath half-masks, but there was something familiar about the way they clung to one another.

***

As they danced Lucy moved her fingers over his irritated throat, soothing the red lumps with her touch. "I wish this night would never end," She whispered in her brother's ear as they glided across the ballroom. He wished she could stay in his arms forever. All too soon the waltz ended, the revelers, their father among them, applauded the orchestra and applauded the couple who had danced so flawlessly.

Arm in arm Nathan led Lucy to the empty hotel lobby. constantly feeling for the stake within his coat pocket and desperately wishing it weren't there. Each removed the mask from the other. Nathan leaned down to plant a tender kiss upon her moist lips, when he pulled away he saw the bodies by the door. A young man and woman, skin colorless, eyes lifeless.

They were dead. Jack Mercy and his date had been drained of every drop of blood. Lucy tried to back away from the bodies but Nathan caught her arm. "Lucy, how could you?" He wished she had stayed with him the whole evening, at least then he could still have a shred of doubt, but she had insisted on going back for her mask alone.

Tears filled her eyes when Nathan placed the pointed stake at her heart.

"Finish it," the calm voice of Dr. Hooper said. He was also in the lobby enwreathed by smoke, more smoke than his pipe alone should account for. Lucy's eyes narrowed as she regarded the night doctor. "Finish it before more innocents die, like your father."

Lucy regarded the doctor with as much viciousness as her pretty face could muster, but when she turned back to her brother she appeared as angelic as ever. "How could you Lucy? How could you? The children, the old men, now Jack."

"I didn't kill them," She gasped as he pressed the point harder into her bosom. "I've had urges, uncontrollable urges that I am powerless to stop. You were the only one I trusted myself with, the only one I would never take too much blood from. I love you and would never harm you. I swear I've never touched anyone else."

"She's lying Nathan, one of the vampire's greatest powers is the ability to cloud the mind."

Lucy appeared to be struggling inwardly as if fighting some unseen force. Nathan didn't know what to believe at the moment, but regardless he found himself pulling the stake down.

The doctor held out his right hand then slowly curled his fingers into a fist. Lucy shuddered and almost collapsed, Nathan caught her small body in his arms. Whatever control Doc Hooper had over her was broken in that instant. "He's the one who's lying." She raised a finger to the doctor. "He's the one who's been killing, and the one who turned me into this monster!"

"Whore! You will pay for this betrayal." For the first time Nathan saw the razor-like fangs protruding from the doctor's lips. Nathan placed himself between his sister and the real monster, he gripped the stake tightly.

The doctor raised his arms to the ceiling before dropping them straight down toward hell, then as if he had no bones his body crumpled to the floor. All that remained on the lobby carpet was a suit of fine clothes and a pile of black ashes. Nathan poked the pile of ash a few times, but it appeared that the doctor had disintegrated. The ashes glowed to a fiery red, Lucy gripped his arm to pull him away just as an enormous bat materialized from the debris.

Thick leathered wings beat the air overhead as the bat swooped over the siblings. "Look out," Lucy shrieked pushing her brother to the floor. The bat's talons scraped across the young woman's face leaving a streak of red blood across her smooth cheek.

The bat turned it's attentions back to Nathan. He had just enough time to roll out of the way of the shrieking creature. The bat circled like a vulture, finally making it's attack, Nathan thrust the wooden stake at the creature, desperate to penetrate it's heart. Strong talons seized the end of the stake, tearing it free from his grip. Now in possession of the weapon the vampire bat swooped straight at Lucy, the girl backed into the lobby desk cutting off her own escape.

Nathan sprang towards the desk catching the beast before it could harm his sister. The bat flapped angrily as Nathan held it. Lucy screamed and kicked at the creature as she thrashed across the hotel desk. She finally worked free from beneath the bat and rolled to the floor behind the desk.

Nathan knew he couldn't wrestle the stake from the creature but next to him on the desk he spotted a silver letter opener. He grabbed it, then with a quick motion slashed into one of the bat's leathery wings slicing it in two. The creature shrieked as it tore free from Nathan's hold and fluttered on one wing, crashing a few yards away. The bat collapsed to the floor where it disintegrated into another pile of ash.

"Lucy are you alright?" Nathan knelt down to where his sister had fallen. She nodded as he helped her to stand and they saw what was left of the bat.

The pile of ash ignited, consuming the wooden stake. The flame glowed a hellish crimson, from within that fire a creature arose.

The creature's skin was dull and gray, it's form was human but it's hairless face looked at once to be both bat and feline. For all appearances this creature seemed to have come straight out of hell, and Nathan reckoned that it probably had. Saliva dripped copiously from it's mouth, black pearl eyes watched the young man and his sister separately. It's smoky, sinewy body was lightly dusted ebony quills, it's hands were tipped with hooked claws and it's feet were cloven and scaly. Swiftly it advanced, trapping the siblings between the desk and the wall. It grabbed at Lucy tearing her dress at the shoulder with it's hooked claws. Finally it grasped the squirming girl, lifting her high above it's head. Nathan stabbed the beast repeatedly with the letter opener but could inflict no damage. The creature tired of his efforts and swatted him away like an insect. Nathan crashed into the wall.

The creature carried her towards the door. Nathan gasped for his wind, as Lucy screamed for him to stay away.

"Nathan," the Reverend Blake appeared in the lobby. "Dear God," he muttered, laying eyes upon the demonic creature and it's prey. The reverend reached into his jacket and produced the wooden crucifix that had been pried from his altar.

The creature shuddered and dropped the girl, using both arms to shield it's eyes from the Holy Cross.

"Nathan use it," Reverend Blake said as he flipped the cross to the young man.

Nathan caught it and as soon as he had he saw that the bottom end had been whittled to a very sharp point. The creature lashed it's claws, blindly trying to strike out. Without hesitation Nathan plunged the sharpened cross into the beast's chest right into it's black heart. The beast exhaled deeply as it reeled backwards. It fell against the wall before slumping to the ground where it disintegrated into a mound of clotted blood.

"Is it---" Nathan began to ask.

"It is destroyed," the Reverend confirmed removing the Holy dagger from the muck.

Nathan dropped to the floor where Lucy lay motionless. The spell that had claimed her soul was broken and now it appeared she was truly dead. "Oh Lucy," he whispered taking her into his arms. She was heavier now, her body firmer and more substantial. There was something else, something important. "She's warm," he said hugging her tighter. He used the sleeve of his coat to wipe a trickle of blood from her rosy cheek. "Warm with blood!"

The girl stirred, cracking open her eyes, her radiant green eyes, and smiled warmly. Still cradling her, he pressed his lips to hers not caring if the reverend was watching, he wouldn't have cared if the whole town had been.

"She's alive?" the reverend asked feeling for her pulse to see for himself.

"It's a miracle," Nathan said refusing to release his sister.

"You have given me life," Lucy said placing her hand over her stomach, over her womb, the place where earlier in the evening their child had been conceived. Nathan Aberdeen had brought life to the undead, restoring not only Lucy's immortal soul but her life as well.