Kira Bk. 01: Citadel Of Monsters

WILD HEART

Kira The Vampire Book 1

Citadel Of Monsters

Chapter 1

Freya pushes a lock of brunette hair out of her eyes, checking her makeup in the mirror.

"You look fine, can we go now? My mum's waiting." Says Yasmin impatiently.

"Couldn't we get a cab? It always feels weird getting a lift from your mum." Freya replies, turning to look at her friend with envy. She wishes she had Yasmin's strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.

"What's wrong with my mum?" Asks Yasmin.

"Nothing, it's just she still treats me like a little girl."

"I think she misses the old days when she took us to school together. You ready yet?"

"Yeah, let's go. It's been a while since we went for a night out, just the two of us." Says Freya, following Yasmin downstairs.

* * *

Freya looks around the nightclub, trying to take it all in. She always felt a little overwhelmed with all the noise and people. "Shall we order drinks?" Asks Yasmin, taking Freya's hand.

"Yeah. Are you buying the first round?" Says Freya, squeezing her friend's hand. She's always felt close to Yasmin, ever since they were young.

"I suppose so. What're you having?"

"Gin and tonic?"

"I think I'll have the same." Yasmin orders the drinks, and they sit together on a sofa.

"Do you want to dance tonight?" Freya asks.

"Of course. I think I've already got a guy eyeing me up." Says Yasmin, nodding to a guy not far from their table.

"I meant do you want to dance with me."

"I will if you want, Freya, but you should find someone else. You always dance with me." Yasmin replies, sipping her drink and winking at the young lad.

"I like dancing with you. I suppose I could find someone else.

Looks like you're sorted for the night."

When Yasmin gives the guy a smile, he sees it as an invitation to come over. He whispers something in Yasmin's ear, making her giggle. She stands up.

"You don't mind if I leave you for a bit, do you? I'll be back, I promise." Says Yasmin.

"You go have fun. Don't worry about me." Freya replies. She sips her drink, watching Yasmin dance, feeling a twinge of jealousy. She'd always had a thing for Yasmin, but they'd been best friends for so long, Freya didn't want to do anything that

Chapter 1

would change that.

Soon, she finds she's finished her drink. Looking up, she realises she's being watched. A young woman approaches her. Her long dark hair and black clothes contrasts her pale skin. She looks pretty striking and is full of confidence.

"I see your friend left you. Want some company?" She asks, locking her emerald eyes with Freya's.

How does she know I'm into girls? Freya wonders. Is she just guessing. Is that even what she's after?

"Um, sure." Says Freya, not knowing what else to say.

"I'll buy us some drinks. Another gin and tonic?"

"Yes please." Freya replies. How does she know what I was drinking? Has she been watching me all this time?

The girl returns with two drinks and sits next to her. A little too close. Freya feels a little uncomfortable, but there's something about her that makes her curious.

"Um, what's your name?" Freya asks, sipping her drink.

"Kira." Says the girl.

"Nice to meet you. I'm-"

"Freya, I know." Kira finishes for her. "I overheard you talking with your friend."

"You've got good hearing. I can barely hear myself think in here." Says Freya, surprised.

"Want to dance with me?" Kira asks suddenly. Freya's heart begins to race. It's been so long since she was with a girl. She nods, her throat suddenly feeling dry. Kira takes her by the hand and pulls her to the dance floor.

Kira isn't the best dancer it turns out, but Freya doesn't care. It feels good just to be close to someone else. Kira suddenly leans in and kisses her on the lips. Freya pulls back, caught off-guard. She wasn't expecting that so soon. Kira locks eyes with her, and Freya finds herself slowly leaning in. Kira kisses her again, harder this time. Freya doesn't stop her. She feels completely relaxed. After a few minutes, Freya begins feeling something else. Her head feels light and Kira's scent is making her horny.

It must be the drink. Freya thinks, pressing herself against Kira, wanting more. Kira gently pushes her away.

"Follow me." She says, taking Freya by the hand. Yasmin catches her eye and winks at her as she goes past. Kira leads her outside and down a dark ally. Freya isn't afraid though.

Something makes her trust this girl she's just met.

Kira suddenly pushes her against the wall. She has a wild look in her eyes. Freya doesn't resist. She's never felt this good before. She goes to kiss Kira again, but is held back.

"Sorry, Freya, this isn't personal." Says Kira, before lunging toward her neck. Freya gasps as she feels something sharp break her skin. It doesn't hurt though. In fact, it feels good... Freya feels herself fall into Kira's arms before everything goes dark.

Two

Chapter 2

When Freya opens her eyes, everything aches. She's soaked through. It takes her a while to realise it's raining.

Where am I? She wonders, beginning to panic. Then she remembers Kira. Did she drug me? I did feel strange... Freya struggles to her feet. She checks to see if anything was stolen, but everything is still there. What did Kira do to me? Did she bite me? I can't remember.

Checking her phone, she sees it's three in the morning. Yasmin had texted to say she was leaving and wanted to know where she was. But Freya doesn't have the energy to respond. She begins walking home. All she wants is to sleep. Worrying about what happened can come later.

Freya barely remembers the walk home. She feels dizzy and faint. She lets herself in and goes straight to her room, stripping off her wet clothes and collapsing into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

That night, she's disturbed by strange dreams. When she wakes, the sun is high in the sky. Freya is covered in sweat and feels feverish. She doesn't have the energy to get out of bed and soon falls asleep again.

She's woken by her phone ringing. She's about to ignore it, when she realises it's Yasmin.

"Hello Yasmin." Freya says groggily.

"Have a good night? I was worried about you."

Freya considers telling her about what had happened. She quickly decides against it. She didn't really know what happened herself. The memory of last night was so foggy. Perhaps she had just drunk too much and passed out.

"I'm not feeling great, I'll talk about it tomorrow, okay? Sorry for leaving without you." Says Freya.

"Where'd you go? I wouldn't have minded, but it's so out of character. When you didn't text back, I thought something bad had happened."

"I was fine. My phone died, so I couldn't text back." Freya hates lying to her friend, but it was easier than trying to explain what had happened.

"I know there's something you're not telling me. Come to mine tomorrow, we'll talk then if you prefer."

"Yeah okay. Speak then."

"Hope you feel better soon. I'm here if you need me." Says Yasmin.

"Thanks." Freya hangs up and is about to go back to sleep when her mum opens the door.

"You're finally awake. How much did you have last night?" She asks, sounding concerned.

"Too much." Freya lies, just wanting to sleep.

"I'll get you some water." Her mum leaves, returning shortly with a glass of water. Freya grabs it and starts drinking quickly. A moment later, she's throwing it back up. Freya falls back into her bed and goes to sleep once more.

When she next wakes, it's dark. Freya's head aches, and she feels weak, but the fever is gone. She goes to the kitchen to get some water.

When she returns to her room, she looks at herself in the mirror. All the colour has gone from her skin and her eyes are bloodshot.

She notices two marks on her neck.

Is that where Kira bit me? They look too small though. Freya suddenly remembers the feeling of Kira's teeth piercing her skin. It didn't feel like teeth though. More like... fangs. Freya shivers and climbs back into bed, hoping it'll all just be a nightmare she'll wake up from.

Freya feels a little better the next morning. Something isn't quite right with her though. She opens her curtains, the bright light stinging her eyes. Freya goes downstairs for breakfast, even though she doesn't feel hungry. She doesn't want her mum worrying about her.

"Feeling better now?" Her mum asks, giving Freya a glass of orange juice.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just had too much to drink the other night. I'm going to see Yasmin in a bit. I need some fresh air." Freya replies.

"Yeah a walk will do you good."

After getting dressed, Freya leaves the house, walking down the path to where Yasmin lives. After a few minutes of walking, Freya begins to grow tired. The sun is too bright, giving her a headache. After ten minutes of discomfort, she reaches Yasmin's house and knocks on the door. After a few moments, Yasmin answers.

"Hey, Freya. I take it you're feeling better today? Although, you are quite pale..."

"I'm still not great. Better than I was though. Can we go inside? It's so hot today." Freya replies.

"Is it? I suppose it's warm in the sun. Come in. Do you want a drink?"

"No, I'm fine thanks. Did you have fun the other night? I feel bad for leaving you, but..." Freya follows Yasmin to the living room and collapses onto the sofa.

"It would've been better if I wasn't worrying about you. So what happened? Did you go back to hers?" Yasmin asks.

"Um, no, it didn't really work out. I'd rather not talk about it." Says Freya, wanting to just forget what had happened.

"You're hiding something from me Freya, I can tell. Come on, we always share everything with each other."

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet. I will tell you, just not right now." Freya replies.

"Well I'm here when you want to talk. Want to watch a film together? That should make you feel better." Yasmin suggests.

"I'm not sure. I'm still not feeling great." Freya shivers, feeling feverish again.

"Let's curl up under some blankets and get a bowl of popcorn.

Just like we used to when we were teens."

"Okay. I might fall asleep though. I haven't got much energy today." Freya yawns.

Freya lies next to Yasmin, cuddling up close. Her warmth is making Freya feel better already. She doesn't pay much attention to the film, going over what happened the other night instead.

It makes no sense. Why would Kira go through all that trouble just to bite me, or whatever it is she did, then leave? I trusted her... but why was that? Maybe she did drug me... Freya feels her eyes getting heavy and soon falls asleep.

She dreams she's in a forest. Kira is standing there, covered in blood.

"You're mine." She says, lunging forward. Kira rips out Freya's throat with her teeth, then walks away, leaving Freya choking on the ground in a pool of blood.

Freya wakes with a gasp, looking around in confusion, beginning to panic. Yasmin quickly calms her down.

"Shh, it's okay. It was just a dream. I'm here now." Yasmin pulls her close. Freya grabs her, not wanting to let go. The

dream had felt so real. Freya could almost taste the blood in her mouth. Then she realises she really could taste blood. Freya pulls back, spitting a mouthful of crimson liquid into her hand.

"You must've bitten your tongue in your sleep. Wait there, I'll get you a tissue." Says Yasmin.

Freya gets up and finds a mirror. She's bleeding from her incisor teeth. They feel loose. Freya feels sick. Why's everything going wrong?

Yasmin returns with a box of tissues and a glass of water.

"Thanks." Says Freya. "I think I'm going to go now. It was nice seeing you. We'll speak soon."

* * *

That night, Freya can't sleep. She tosses and turns but eventually gives up and gets out of bed. She feels restless and needs some fresh air. Freya puts some clothes on, and creeps downstairs. She opens the front door as quietly as she can and walks into the night.

Freya doesn't feel like wandering the streets at this hour, so heads toward the nearby woods.

The air feels cool and fresh on her skin, and she can smell scents she never noticed before. All Freya's senses feel heightened. The full moon gives enough light to see by, even under the densely packed trees. She can hear rodents scurrying in the undergrowth, the sound of little teeth gnawing and a squeak as an owl grabs a mouse from the ground right in front of her.

The forest feels more alive than ever.

For the first time since meeting Kira, Freya feels completely at ease.

When Freya returns home, she gets into bed and drifts into an undisturbed slumber.

Three

Chapter 3

As Freya eats breakfast the next morning, she realises how loose her teeth had become. They're beginning to bleed again too. For some reason, the taste of blood excites her. Freya leaves her breakfast half-eaten and locks herself in the bathroom. She has a closer look at her teeth, and to her horror, one falls out. Behind it is what looks like another tooth. Only sharper...

Is that a fang? That's what Kira must've bit me with! Was she a vampire? Do they actually exist? Surely not. But what other explanation is there? Freya examines the fang, not sure if she's horrified or curious. Her other tooth falls out too. Freya picks them up, not wanting anyone to discover her secret.

Do I tell anyone about this? I don't see how I can hide it, but I'll be known as a freak. Maybe it's just a weird medical phenomenon,

completely unrelated to what happened the other night. Freya decides to leave it for now and see what happens.

After getting dressed, Freya goes to see Yasmin again. She attempts to hide her missing teeth but it's no use.

"Freya, what happened to your teeth?" Yasmin asks, trying to get a closer look. Freya wonders how much to tell her.

"I don't know. There're new teeth growing behind them. I guess I've got some weird condition where my teeth can grow back or something." Says Freya.

"Have you been to the dentist? I've never heard of that before."

"Not yet. It doesn't hurt or anything. I'll see how it goes I guess." Freya replies, hoping Yasmin won't ask too many more questions.

"Can I have a closer look?"

"I'd rather you not. I don't like people poking at my teeth." Freya lies, not wanting Yasmin to see they're fangs. "Can we just play some games or something to take my mind off it?"

"If you say so."

To Freya's relief, Yasmin doesn't press the matter further. They sit on the sofa and Yasmin hands her a controller. Freya soon forgets all about her problems as they play. That is until Yasmin gets a nosebleed. It wasn't too uncommon for it to happen, but this time, Freya was completely fixated on the blood flowing down her friends face.

"Not again!" Yasmin complains. "It couldn't happen at a worse time." She says, continuing to play. "Can you get me a tissue? I've got to finish this level."

Freya does as she asks, but as she goes to help Yasmin clear up the blood, she catches the thick scent of it. Her mouth begins to water, and she feels an unusual aching sensation where her new teeth are coming through.

Freya wipes the blood from her friends face, getting an irresistible urge to taste it. Upon licking her fingers, Freya is overcome with a powerful desire to bite Yasmin. She desperately wants more of her blood. The feeling scares her, and she wants to run but the sight and smell of the fresh blood is too much.

Freya jumps on Yasmin and begins licking the blood streaming down her face. It tastes unbelievably good.

"Freya, what the hell are you doing?" Yasmin exclaims, struggling to get away.

Freya just barely resists the urge to bite her. It takes all her self-control to let go. Shaking with fear and excitement, Freya stares at her best friend. Yasmin doesn't look angry, just very confused and perhaps a little disgusted. Freya doesn't know

what she could possibly say to make this any less embarrassing.

She turns and runs instead. As she gets to the door, Yasmin calls out.

"Freya! Wait." But it's too late. Freya closes the door behind her and runs home, fighting back tears.

What's happening to me? Did I just ruin our friendship? Why did I do that? When Freya gets home, she locks herself in her room and curls up on her bed.

* * *

That night, Freya sneaks out again. The cool night air calms her. She finds herself wandering to the outskirts of the village.

Something strange is happening to me. That fever, the fangs, my heightened senses and now that irresistible taste of blood. Movement catches her eye and brings Freya out of her thoughts. A figure is creeping through the shadows, watching her. The moon comes out from behind the clouds, revealing their features. It's the girl from the other night. Kira.

She turns and disappears behind some bushes. Freya runs after her, needing answers. Kira is nowhere to be found though. Freya looks around, about to call out, when someone grabs her from behind.

"Why are you following me? Wait, you're the girl from the other night..." Kira stares at her in confusion. "What do you

want?"

"I..." Freya starts. How is she going to explain this?

"Look, what happened the other night was a mistake. Forget about it. Now get lost." Kira turns to leave.

"Please, tell me what's happening to me. I'm scared." Freya begs.

"What're you...? Oh no, I haven't..." Kira steps forward and parts Freya's lips with her fingers. Upon seeing the fangs, Kira swears.

She steps back, holding her head in her hands. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought... what have I done?"

"What's going on? Are you a..." Freya trails off.

"Vampire? I'm sure you've guessed by now. Well shit, looks like I've got some explaining to do." Kira sighs. "Come with me." She says.

"Where are we going?" Freya asks, following after her.

"My place. I don't know if I can trust you, but I don't have a lot of choice now." Kira replies.

Freya doesn't know what to think. At least she might get some answers now. She's not scared anymore. Her curiosity gets the better of her. So I guess vampires are real. Does that mean I can fly and stuff? Then she realises how silly she's being. Of course they're not real. People would know about them. They're just stories.

They arrive at a small cottage on the edge of the village. Kira opens the door and beckons her in.

It's like Freya is stepping back in time. Kira leads her to a living room with an old-fashioned fireplace and mantle. There are bookshelves with old tomes, what looks like alchemy equipment, a table with a quill and ink and a large mounted sword on the wall.

"While I live a mostly modern life, I like to keep the old Gothic theme going. I find it suits my character, no? Have a seat. We've got a lot to get through." Kira gestures to an armchair. Freya sits in it, wondering what's about to happen. Kira sits opposite to her.

"How are you feeling?" Kira asks. "Any fever, pains or discomforts? I remember when I was first bitten..."

"No, I'm fine now. The last few days were rough. What did you do to me?" Freya asks.

"First off, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. You're going to be okay, but it'll take some adjusting to. I'll look after you. It's my fault after all. I'm a vampire. Yes, we exist. There's not many of us anymore, and we don't have the powers that you see in the legends, but we do have certain advantages over ordinary humans. I'll go over them in detail later. First though, you need to promise to keep all this secret. If you don't, you put us all at risk, and we'll have to... Just promise, okay. I don't want to see your head on a spike."