Chapter 2.0

Eden has changed. I sit in the hallway in Eden, the eternal city. 100 years ago I remember how excited I was to see this place. The stone walls are the same. These walls look like modern day Rome. A mix of old and new. There are painted ceilings and the smell of antique history all around me. I remember going to school. I remember falling in love. I remember really thinking that I was going to be happy.

I found my prince charming.

I found my happily ever after.

And that was all snatched away from me. 100 years ago.

“The King's are ready to see you now,” a man staggers up to me.

When he says “Kings”, my stomach turns. My prince charming is a king now and he's in love. But he's not in love with me. I don't let my face get sour. I don't want to fuck up this mood. I'm different now. I'm stronger.

I recognize the man. His name is Sinclair. He's a servant of King Nero. He looks the same as he did a long time ago. He's has the stunning vampire face, much like many other vampires. He's beautiful and cold. There is no love between us when he approaches me.

We walk into a room.

“Santos...”

Nero's eyes make eye contact with me. After 100 years I thought I'd never recognize those eyes again. He hasn't aged a day. My gray eyed prince was now a king. He sits on a throne made of onyx. He wears all black. His crown is a crown of thorns. He doesn't wear a shirt. You really don't need one. The weather is always perfect in Eden. He does wear fur though. A skinned fox is thrown over his shoulder. He looks regal, important and dominant. The body of a 20 something year old but the experience of someone much older and wiser. And even with all my pride I am so attracted to him.


“Looks like the old gang is back together again,” I state.

I recognize Roxanne first. She stands to Nero's right, her small fingers perched on his throne. She looks like little girl with blushed cheeks, pigtails and giant eyes but she was the oldest vampire in Eden. Next to Roxanne are more familiar faces. Coco, Camilla and Lucca are all familiar faces from my past. They are old friends. Even now they look at me as though they hardly recognize me. They are shocked that I'm here.

Then there are the twins. Milan and Aiden. Milan stands to the right. He hates me. His brother Aiden loved me once. That was a long time ago. Now he sits on the throne beside Nero...as his husband.

“I didn't expect to see you again,” Nero states.

He's still standing. He looks like he wants to walk up to me but something holds him back. I wonder if he's nervous. I wonder if it's because his husband Aiden is sitting there next to him.

I raise an eyebrow. Interesting.

“Am I on trial?” I ask.

Nero looks down at me, “What makes you say that?”

“I'm not stupid Nero. You are all gathered around judging me. I can smell it. There's a scent of bothered vampires,” I state, “My old friends are all gathered around wondering why I'm here. Wondering whether or not you should put me back where I came from. Put me deeper...”

There is an uneasiness in Aiden as he shifts silently in his chair. Lucca and Camilla exchange haunting glances with one another. Coco adjusts her posture standing up straighter. Roxanne cowers.

“I won't let that happen,” Nero tells me.

That would be mistake.

Almost as though he's in my head Milan comes forward, “King Nero. I understand that you and Santos have a history together but earlier today he killed several of my men.”

Whispers fill the room. It's the first time they've heard about it. The whispers get loud and more frantic. I cross my arms. This was a trial. Even if Nero didn't want to admit it.

“Is this true?” Nero asks me.

I nod, “Yes.”

“Why'd you kill members of the King's Guard?”

“Because they tried to kill me,” I respond almost immediately.

It's a simple answer but I swear Milan's fangs show at that moment. Milan is the new Captain of the King's Guard. That makes him one of the most powerful men in the city now. Things have changed since we were were kids. I remember Milan was the weaker one between him and his brother.

“King Nero...your father buried him in the ground for a reason,” Milan states.

“We need to put him back,” Lucca states.

“Lucca is right...we know who he is,” Camilla responds.

Chaos breaks out at that moment. If this isn't a trial it reminds me of one. I ignore them for the most part. I would assume they would be panicking if I returned. There is one vampire who is sitting and doesn't join in to launch attacks on me. Aiden. Our eyes connect in that room. He was the first person I ever loved. He was the one who had betrayed me by having his brother Milan give Nero's father the ammunition he needed to sentence me to be buried alive. I can't read Aiden. He'd always been cool, calm and collected. He's tall with dark, dark skin, brown eyes and a slim toned figure. As he looks at me my eyes seem to remember all the times I had with him. It's so weird to realize that he ended up marrying Nero.

How could that have happened?

Even after 100 years the two boys that I loved were now married to one another.

“Enough,” Nero tells the vampires, causing a deathly silence to spread across the room, “100 years ago my father made a decision. It was a decision I didn't agree with. So no. I will not be putting Santos back. He'll stay here. Under my protection.”

I glance at Nero unsure of him. He's so much stronger and certain than he used to be. I watch as the other vampires are looking at one another. They are shocked. They are scared. They don't know how to respond. They don't dare argue with Nero though. Instead they just glare at me...dark evil eyes in the night.

All of them blood sucking monsters so eager to bury their skeletons...literally.

“This will be your room.”

I'm escorted to a different part of state's building. I don't find it weird that I'm being escorted. What I do find weird is who they have chosen to escort me.

“Aren't you Nero's son?”

“Yes...Justice,” he tells me.

If he's Nero's son that makes him a prince. Justice glares at me with silver eyes. It's the same gray-silver eyes that his father has. He is the spitting image of his father except a lighter complexion. Justice has sunken jaw bones and a chiseled chin. There is something so warm in his eyes.

“Not everyday I get a prince to show me my bedroom.”

“I'm not here as a prince. I'm here as a King's Guard,” Justice tells me.

I look him up and down. The King's Guard were the police in Eden. I was training to be one---got buried alive before I made it. I was sure Nero ended up being one though a long time ago. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that his son is a King's Guard too. I can't help but to look at his lips as he talks. They are full and pink. He is much lighter than Nero. It makes me wonder who his mother is. He'd walked me throughout the length of the state's building before bringing me to this room without saying a word. Now as he struggles to return my stare I realize that he's nervous. There are even beads of sweat at the very top of his forehead. I have to admit I'm amused by this.

I walk into the room. It's old. Antique. There is a Baroque design. It has intricate and elaborate carvings, with luxurious mahogany, hand-carved Royal Fortune French black lacquer set. There are draped red curtains and a chandelier high above the bed.

“100 years and nothing much has changed,” I state.

“Yeah. Honeslty. You don't look a day over 25,” Justice answers to me from the door.

I turn back around. I sit on the bed, “Neither do you. How old are you?”

“25.”

Nerves are getting the better of him. He stares blankly at me. He licks his lips over and over as though they aren't sparkling wet enough. Honestly he is attractive...extremely attractive.

“You can come in. There's no reason to be shy. I don't bite...well...unless I'm hungry.”

Justice glances at me for a second. I wonder how much he knows about me. I wonder how much the older vampires told him about me. The way he shuffles into the room delicately makes me think that there must be something that he must know.

Justice walks into the room. As he gets closer I take a look at his body. He has firm, strong looking hands. He has on all black. I realize that most of them have on all black. I guess things have changed from the color coordination in the past.

“They told me I should just take you to your room and leave,” Justice explains.

I laugh at the thought of that.

“Do you always do what you're told?” I ask.

Justice thinks about it for a second. He walks towards me. He sits on the bed with me. The more I look at him the more I see Nero and my heart hurts. It's almost physical pain. Why didn't Nero escort me to my room?

Why didn't he approach me back when the other vampires were around?

Why was Nero not approaching me at all?

Justice shrugs, “Naw. I don't. I should. Especially when it comes to you.”

“Me?”

“They are all afraid of you,” Justice explains, “I've never seen anything like it. When you returned the Elders wouldn't stop talking.”

It's hilarious hearing this boy talk about people I grew up with as elders. I guess I should have been used to it by now. I may have looked 20. Nero, Aiden and the others may have looked 20 as well. We weren't 20 though. We were much older.

“Elders. Geez. I feel like an old man.”

Justice looks at me, “Well you're a good looking old man...”

He licks his lips.

He's clearly flirting. He looks just like Nero. That jaw. Those big lips. Those silver eyes. I couldn't take it. The more he looks at me the more I start remembering the past with Nero. My past with Nero was something that I didn't want to remember. I was here for revenge---not a trip down memory lane.

I get up at that moment, “You should listen to your father and leave.”

I get up and take a look at the room. The drawers are filled with black clothing similar to the style that Justice and the other vampires are wearing. The buildings may look the same but these clothes were definitely new. They were streamlined. Dark leathers and sexy black accessories. I feel like I've entered some Gothic leather sex store by the kind of things I am pulling out of the drawer.

“Did I say something wrong?” Justice interrupts me.

He hasn't gone yet. He's standing behind me. He is the same height as Nero. His body is shaped like Nero's used to be before I was buried.

“No. Just Nero is smart when he told you that you should stay clear of me.”

“Well...Nero is my father...but I actually got the warning from my other father Aiden,” Justice states.

I struggle with this.

“So fill me in. How long have Nero and Aiden been together?” I ask.

“Since before I was born. My dad...King Nero never wanted to marry Aiden,” Justice explains to me, “I never knew why. After 25 years he surprisingly just decided to do it. And that's when you came around.”

My heart races.

Why the fuck does this hurt? After 100 years was this shit supposed to hurt like this.

“Are they happy?” I ask.

Justice nods, “They're in love.”

I feel an emptiness at that moment. Nero and Aiden were happy together. It was real. They'd fallen in love with one another. I stand there at that moment and all I feel is bitterness. Nero loved me. I loved Nero. He told me he would wait for me forever. He told me he would love me forever.

Forever was a short time.

I'm staring at the Baroque floor. I'm staring at these walls around me. I should be happy I was out of a tomb but instead I just feel like I'm in a new one.

“You OK?” Justice asks me.

I wasn't. It hurt. If this was 100 years ago I would have crawled up in a corner and started crying my eyes out. It wasn't a 100 years ago though. I wasn't going to cry. It was painful but sometimes pain could be the best motivator.

So instead of crying I smile.

“Thank you Prince Justice. I'll be fine.”

“Just Justice.”

“Ok. Justice,” I flash full teeth at him.

He smiles back, bites his lower lips, hesitates and then opens his mouth slowly, “Who are you? Where did you come from?”

“The elders didn't tell you?” I ask.

“They didn't tell anyone. They are being very secretive with the past when it comes to you. I never even knew you existed until you showed up earlier today...out of no where.”

Justice is intrigued. I can see it on his face. He's a young vampire. He's naive. He must have not been turned too long ago. I know vampires aren't turned until after 17. That means he must have been living a human life in the human world until just about 8 years ago. He hadn't stared in the depths of hurt and betrayal. I could see the excitement in his eyes.

“Just like a ghost. Huh?” I snicker.

Justice glares at me, not finding this funny at all. His face gets serious and he raises an eyebrow, “Why are they all afraid of you?”

“Let me show you.”

I pull Justice in at that moment.

I grab onto his collar and I kiss him. My tongue presses up against his lips. He isn't expecting it. His eyes are completely open at that moment as he's kissing me. His tongue enters my mouth. He even tastes like Nero.

It's clear Justice is into this. I watch as he grabs me from behind my thighs, lifts me up and puts me on the high decorative Baroque bed. He throws the sheets to the ground. Just like a young boy he is full of energy and passion. His dick is hard in a matter of seconds.

“You're sexy as fuck,” he is whispering to me, pulling off his shirt.

“Thank you,” I state laughing at how turned on he is.

He throws his shirt to the ground. His body is the shit. He has a six pack just like Nero. He has that solid chest. When I reach out to touch the broad chest and squeeze at his hard nipples, he captures my fingers, lifts them up and sucks on them. One at a time.

He removes his pants. He throws them to the ground. His underwear is all he's wearing now. He has a dick print that is very hefty. Justice is playing no games.

“I was wrong,” he states in the next second.

“You were?”

“You're not just sexy. You're...beautiful,” he responds.

He leans in at that moment. His voice sounds like Nero. His tone sounds like Nero. However there is an inexperience with Justice. He's moving too fast. He's too desperate to fuck. I can tell as he quickly is throwing himself over me. I rub on his muscles.

“You're so sexy, closer...closer...” I tell him.

He moves closer and closer. He is grinding on top of me now. He's thrusting his small waist into mine. He is showing me an aggressive, youthful and almost bunny like stroke as he goes up and down. I watch his tight butt furiously lifting and thrusting into me, harder and harder as though showing me what he plans to do as soon as he takes off his underwear.

I have to admit my ass gets wet imagining sexy ass Justice pinning me down and fucking me with that youthful vigor of his. After 100 years of not busting a nut...I think I definitely scored with a guy like Justice.

He leans in kissing me more. Then he cocks his head to the right.

“Should I pull it out?” he asks me.

Nero would have never have asked. He's just as beautiful as Nero though. He's just as beautiful as that vampire that broke my heart. And Nero must love him. He must mean the most to Nero.

“Yes daddy.”

“I like you calling me that,” he says taking his dick out at that moment.

His dick is circumsized, 8 inches curving slightly to the left. His dick is shaped like a torpedo which I just honestly think is poetic by how he was dry humping me a few minutes ago. He is completely naked on top of me now. He stands there for a minute either wanting me to appreciate how perfect his body is or maybe he honestly just wanted to make the most out of this moment. I wasn't sure if he was cocky or humble. I think it was a mix of both.

He damn near jumps on top of me, even though I'm fully dressed and once again begins to dry hump me. This time precum is dripping from Justice. It stains my leg.

He cocks his head to the side and lets out a deep moan.

I lick on his neck and he moans louder. He gets louder and louder.

“You like that?” I ask Justice.

“Fuck...FUCK yes,” he responds.

I bare my fangs at that moment.

I sink them into him.

“OH FUCK!” Justice screams at that moment.

He doesn't expect me to bite him in the way that I do. I see him struggling at that moment. He wants to pull away but my fangs are so deep in his neck.

He is struggling to pull away. I wrap my feet around him. Like a python my legs secure him into submission. He is shocked, confused and naked. He doesn't know what's going on.

It's at that moment I feel a hard thud at the top of my head!

“OUCH!”

I let go out of surprise and watch as Justice falls off the bed, kicking his way to the wall. He sits on the side of the wall in shock that I attacked him. He's holding his neck with one hand and his semi hard dick with the other. He doesn't know what to do.

That is when I see...him...

He walks up to Justice. I know who he is even from the back. The copper Hispanic skin tone. His hair had the same soft curls that I knew a million times over. His body is the same tough hard body that I remembered.

He walks over to Justice.

“Do you know who I am?” he asks the boy.

Justice looks at him, swallows his spit and nods slowly, “Armando.”

“Good,” Armando responds, “So how about you go cup your balls, your dick and run along. And I'd recommend you not tell anyone what happened here today. For your own good.”

Justice looks at Armando. Then Justice looks at me. I can still taste his job. A part of me wants to finish what I started and drain every last drop of blood out of Justice.

Justice struggles to get his clothes, doesn't even bother getting dressed and runs out of the room without saying another word. I'm not sure who he's more scared of. Armando...or me.

“Your reputation has lasted 100 years,” I state crossing my arms, “That's amazing Dad.”

My father is here. He was the one that hit me on the head and stopped me before I took Justice out completely. I can tell that he's about to chew me out. My father was the captain of the King's guard a long time ago. It was my father who trained Milan and Aiden. I assumed even though Justice didn't know who I was he still knew Vampire history. Where I had been blotted out of history by everyone, my father was probably a legend in Eden. He remained one till this day.

“Have you lost your mind?”

I get up, dust myself off. I go to the mirror in the bedroom and use a shirt from the drawer to dab up the excessive blood on my mouth.

“Maybe,” I respond, “It happens when people you loved and care about buried you alive for 100 years. You unravel. Just a little bit.”

“It was reckless. That is the King's son. You could be killed for attacking him,” my father states before stopping, “But you know that.”

I roll my eyes. The last thing I need is for Armando to come in here preaching. He looks back at me. Armando had always been the heart throb of Eden. Young girls threw their panties at him when he walked through the streets back in the day. I wonder what he was like now. I know he lived away from the center of the city. I don't think he had anything to do with Nero's rule. So there was only one reason he'd come to this palace.

Me.

I turn back to Armando, “100 years ago I was imprisoned because people found out my father had sex with someone. Because of who my mother is I was imprisoned...for 100 years.”

Armando shakes his head, “Santos...you know it's deeper than that. Your mother...your mother is no ordinary vampire.”

“No she isn't. And neither am I.”

Armando seems be struggling at that moment, “Your mother is dangerous son. You can't keep embracing this part of you. If she was to be allowed into Eden. Everything would be over. Everyone would be gone.”

I turn to him.

My eyes burn into his.

“Isn't this what they deserve?”

“This isn't you,” Armando responds.

“You don't know me anymore father,” I tell him.

Armando walks over to me at that moment and grabs me up by the collar. He's strong. He lifts me up and holds me there, pinning me up against the mirror.

“I love you. I fought for you all those years ago. I never stopped looking for you. But you are back now. It's over. Lilith will destroy Eden. I now you're better than that. I know you are.I'd kill them all if I thought it could ease your pain...but it can't. ”

I shake my head, “Prove it.”

“What?”

“You said you'd kill them all if it could ease my pain,” I state, “Prove it. Armando. Father. Kill them all.”

Armando stands there for a moment.

“OK.”

“OK?”

He extends his hand, “Follow me.”

I grab onto my father's hand unsure of where he is leading me. We walk through the hall of the state's building. The halls are empty. Most people are probably asleep at this time of hour. The palace is connected down a long corridor in the state's building.

I follow Armando down and down into the stairwell.

“Where are we going?” I ask him.

“We're going to make things right,” Armando explains, “I'm your father. It's up to me to do it. If no one can I should...”

“Armando...”

“Yes?”

I stop.

I want to tell Armando that I don't blame him for what happened to me 100 years ago. When they came for me to bury me Armando fought for me. Nero fought for me as well. Out of all the people I knew they were the only two there that fought for me. People who I considered my friends like Lucca and Camilla had abandoned me. People who I thought loved me like Aiden didn't look at me twice.

My father was there. Armando was there. And 100 years ago he would have died for me.

“We'll do this together,” I tell Armando.

“Always,” Armando responds.

He keeps holding my hand and takes me down while talking in his low voice, “Things have changed over the last 100 years. There are rogue vampires loyal to your mother who have barricaded Eden.”

“The rogues still exist?” I ask.

I'm surprised. I thought when Armando was King's Guard he had wiped all of them off the face of the Earth. The fact that they were still running around blew my mind.

Armando nodded, “Yes. Your mother is around. She created more of what she called her pure vampires. They've made it hard for us to leave Eden and get blood.”

“Smart.”

“Smart?” Armando asks.

“She's trying to starve them out.”

Armando nods at that moment, “Something like that. When a vampire goes too long without blood they become something else...something like a monster. The vampire still lives but they change. They lose their consciousness. All that remains is...the thirst...”

I'd never heard about it. I guess we didn't have that problem 100 years ago. I mean I didn't drink blood for 100 years but then again I wasn't the regular vampire was I? These other vampires they were regular regardless of their blood type. I never thought about what happened if a vampire didn't drink blood. There was no blockade around Eden when I was around. I guess my mother had just woken back up when I was around though. The fact that she had the power to create a blockade around an entire city of vampires blew my mind.

“She will use these monsters,” I state, “Since she can't come into Eden, she'll block them from outside and create monsters on the inside.”

Armando nods, “Yes. Here...I want to show you one.”

Armando opens the door at that moment. We are in the bottom of the state's building. A strange room that I'd never seen before. Armando was probably familiar with this building as he used to be the Captain of the king's guard. He probably had access that other people didn't have.

The room is dark. When he opens it I can tell that this door hadn't been opened for a very long time.

“Why was it bolted shut?” I ask him.

He points on the other end of the room, “Look. There in the shadows.”

Something is moving! My heart races. There is a dark figure that crawls slowly. My vampire eyes are quickly adjusting to the darkness to the point that I can start to make out a man. His body is contorting in many different ways.

“What's wrong with him?” I ask.

The man is groaning in pain. His eyes are illuminating with darkness. His hands don't look like hands anymore. They are these long winged like things. They are bat wings. He growls in the darkness showing that all his teeth have become fangs---not just two! My heart is racing as I see him stretch out. His jaw stretches open wide like a cobra. Thin skin lets out this wretched smell in the room. The darkness around me is filled with an eerie feeling.

This thing was unholy.

This thing was horrible.

I turn, “Get me out of here...”

No answer.

Armando is no where to be found. All of a sudden I see the door behind me BOLT close.

“Armando!” I'm screaming out.

That is when I hear it. It's a sound I never thought I'd hear. My strong father was behind the door and he was crying. For some reason Armando crying scared me just as much as the dark figure he had trapped me in this room with.

“I'm sorry...”

“Armando---stop playing,” I state.

My heart is racing. This isn't happening. I wasn't getting betrayed again. This was NOT happening.

“I'm sorry,” his voice whimpers behind the door, “I love you son. I love you, but I have to do this. You're getting more like her every single day. I have to stop you before you destroy Eden.”

Her. He was referring to my mother.

“Dad please.”

He's gone. I hear footsteps from behind the door. He'd bolted the door shut and he's run away.

Just as I turn around the vampire---bat---demon thing hurls itself across the room at me. It contracts it's mouth against the side of my neck before I have the ability to respond to it. It's digging into my neck. Claws scratch at my skin.

All I feel is pain as the demon tears away my flesh one piece at a time. It bites deeper and deeper. It claws harder and harder. More pain. More blood. More flesh.

I've been delivered to death's door by my own father.

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