Kira Bk. 01: Citadel Of Monsters

"That's enough. Don't over-feed Freya, you'll kill her."

"It feels so good though. Um, are you supposed to get horny when feeding?" Freya asks, trying to keep herself under control.

"It's not uncommon. I can fix that if you want." Kira pulls Freya closer. "It turned me on watching you."

Heart racing, Freya leans closer. Kira pushes her back slightly.

"You smell so good. Can I have a taste?" Kira asks.

"Yes." Says Freya excitedly. Expecting a kiss, she's caught unawares when Kira suddenly lunges forward and bites her. Freya gasps and struggles. It didn't really hurt, but feeling Kira's fangs in her neck is a strange sensation.

Freya panics as Kira continues to feed. "Stop!" She cries. Kira rips her fangs out and shoves Freya onto the bed.

"You said I could, so I will." Kira climbs on top of her and goes to bite.

"No! I thought you meant you wanted a kiss." Freya struggles to get away. Kira is scaring her now. She looks terrifying, her eyes wild and blood trickling from her lips.

"Let me. You'll love it." Kira leans in, baring her fangs. Freya tries to push her away. Kira grabs her, shaking Freya violently.

"Stop moving." She says, holding Freya down.

Freya winces as Kira bites her throat once more. This time it hurts. It's too much. Freya bursts into tears. Kira slowly pulls back and stares at her, looking confused. Then she seems to realise what she did.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I bit without the sedative, didn't I? I'm so used to doing that with my friend. You kinda remind me of her." Kira pulls Freya up. "I forget you're new to this. I guess

I'm missing Maya."

The fear washes away now Freya knows she's not in danger. "Sorry, I overreacted. I just wasn't expecting that." Says Freya, feeling silly now.

"No, it's okay. I went too far. I guess it's the smell of blood." Kira glances at the unconscious girl. "We should probably go before she wakes."

"But there's blood on her bed." Freya points out. Won't the girl suspect something?

"Not much we can do. She'll wake up in the morning and think she had a nosebleed in the night. Come on." Kira tucks the girl back in and leads Freya out the front door.

"Who's Maya?" Freya asks once they're outside.

"An old Friend. She's a vampire too. Maya is part of the reason why you got infected. It's a long story. I'll explain everything if you want. Come back to mine?" Kira asks.

Freya hesitates, feeling the marks on her neck.

"Don't worry, I won't bite you again." Says Kira.

"Okay then." Although scary, there's something about Kira that Freya likes. She wants to get to know her better.

* * *

Before long, Freya is sat in an armchair in front of Kira's fireplace. The warmth and the crackles as the wood burns is soothing. I could fall asleep here. I hope no one realises I'm gone. Freya thinks. Her fanged friend is sitting across from her,

watching the flames, apparently lost in thought.

The silence is finally broken by Freya.

"So, who's this Maya you mentioned? Does she live around here?"

"Not anymore." Kira sighs, looking sad. "We were best friends once. Well, actually that might not be true. There wasn't actually much depth to our relationship come to think of it. We'd meet, play with our thrall, fuck, then leave. Barely speaking with each other in between. It seemed great at the time, but looking back, it's no wonder it didn't work out."

"So how does this relate to me becoming a vampire?"

"We talked about making our thrall a vampire one night. We thought it would be fun with three of us. I made the potion and took it in preparation. But then Maya changed her mind, and we got in a bit of an argument. She was right though. It was a terrible idea. I wish I saw that then... she moved to the citadel and took the thrall with her. I was left alone with no one to talk to."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But you've got me now." Says Freya.

Could we become friends? Maybe...

Kira looks at her for a long while. "It won't be the same, but that's probably a good thing. I'm sorry for scaring you earlier.

I'm surprised you came back here after that."

"It's fine. It was actually kind of hot. If it wasn't so unexpected I might've enjoyed it." Says Freya, wishing she had let Kira continue.

"I'm glad I didn't scare you off. Maybe I'll actually be able to keep a friend this time around. It can get lonely sometimes." Says Kira, still looking a little upset.

Freya gets up, walking over to Kira. She hates seeing people look this sad. She sits next to her new friend, hugging her tightly.

"You're so sweet." Says Kira, hesitantly putting an arm around her. "I don't think anyone has hugged me like this before. Thank you, I really needed that."

"Really? Surely you've had a partner. You're pretty striking, you could get anyone's attention."

"Oh I do. I can have anyone I want. But it's never felt like this before. Never felt like anyone actually cared about me."

"You come across as quite scary but I think you have a loving side too. You just haven't found the right person." Says Freya, hoping she's right.

"How could you know? We only met recently." Kira asks.

"Well if you're such a tough scary vampire, you wouldn't be cuddling with me right now. Nor would you have stopped biting me earlier. You're spending the time to teach me everything too. You didn't have to. It wasn't like you planned this."

"I guess you're right. You know what? I'm actually content with just sitting here with you. I don't even feel the temptation to bite you. That's a first for me. I was planning on going back to the citadel, but now I think I'll stay here with you. That place isn't good for me anyway. Brings out my dark side." Kira snuggles closer, obviously enjoying this new sensation.

"What's the citadel?" Freya asks, stroking Kira's hair. She loves it when Yasmin does that to her.

"It's a place where a lot of our kind stay. There's plenty of thralls, a grand library and an alchemy lab. Think of it as a safe stronghold you can go to at any time. Some live there permanently, while others come and go." Kira explains.

"Is it far?"

"You can only get there by boat. Takes about a day with mild weather. Perhaps we'll travel there together one day."

"I'd like that. It would be interesting to see how many of you there are. I just wish Yasmin could be involved too. We do everything together. You mentioned making her a thrall. What does that mean?" Freya asks.

"A thrall is someone under your control. You can feed on them if you're hungry, and they'll do your bidding. Most vampires have one. They aren't necessary, but it's sort of tradition."

"I'm not sure if I want to do that with Yasmin. I don't want to control her."

"You don't have to. Each vampire treats their thrall differently. Some use their thrall like a servant, while others have a more intimate relationship. It'll most likely strengthen your friendship with her. You'll feel much closer to her than before. Best friends make the best thralls. Especially with the modern method."

Kira gets up and stretches. "I'll check if I've got the supplies we need." She goes over to a cupboard near her laboratory, and begins sorting through some glass bottles.

A little curious now, Freya goes to join her. "So how exactly do you make a thrall?"

"There're two ways; The old privative method, and the modern, generally preferred way. With the former, you simply continue feeding on the same person, so they build a tolerance to the sedative. The latter, which we'll do, you brew a potion and give it to them." Kira puts a bottle on the table and pulls an old book from a shelf. "With the old method, they become addicted to you, and eventually completely dependent. Should you stop feeding, they'll have a bad few weeks ahead of them. They'll probably hate you for it too. Not a great thing to do to a friend."

Kira begins weighing some sort of ingredient. It looks like dried mushrooms.

"With the potion, they'll be somewhat resistant to the sedative, and immune from the addictive effects. While they won't be dependent on you, they'll have a desire to please you. You'll find they'll be happy to take orders from you as long as you treat them well. If you stop feeding, or they no longer take the potion, the effects will fade with no real consequences. If you treated them well, they're unlikely to hold a grudge against you."

"Is it really necessary though? Yasmin isn't going to tell anyone our secret" Freya asks, not wanting to alter Yasmin in any way.

"Like I said, you'll feel closer to her after this. If you spend a lot of time with her, it's almost inevitable that you'll bite her.

Better she has some resistance to the sedative, no?"

"Maybe." If Kira won't let me make her a vampire, it's the next best thing I suppose.

"Can I help at all?"

"Sure, go grab that old tome from the bookshelf. It's the black one, written in Latin." Says Kira.

The shelf is full of interesting looking books. Freya pulls one out at random. It's titled

"Sanguine Et Igni" she opens it and flicks through the pages. Freya can't make sense of the writing, but it looks like Latin. A few diagrams catch her attention. There's a figure of a skeleton and some sort of nasty looking medical implement.

"Not that one, Freya. That's a book on ancient blood magic. Best you don't look too closely." Says Kira, glancing over at her.

Freya quickly returns the book.

"Blood magic?" She asks, not liking the sound of that.

"Just myth and superstition. Not much truth to it. Still, an interesting book for my collection."

The next book is called "Fundamentum Alchimia" underneath the title is the translation "Fundamentals Of Alchemy" this one is also in Latin, but has notes scribbled in English. There's a few drawings of herbs inside and their descriptions.

"That's the one." Says Kira, placing another bottle on the table. Freya brings it over to her. Are we actually doing this? I should ask Yasmin first.

"Are we making the potion right now?" Freya asks.

"Why not?" Kira finds the right page and begins reading the notes.

"I need to speak to Yasmin about this first."

"Honestly, it's best if we just give her it. Most people don't think they want to be a thrall. She'll be content with it afterwards, but it's better not to risk an argument." Kira begins grinding some dried flowers in a mortar and pestle.

"No, that's not fair. She has to get a say in this." Freya protests.

"Fine, we'll ask nicely first. I'm sure I can convince her if needed."

Freya doesn't like the sound of that, but she doesn't argue.

The potion doesn't take long to make. Kira weighs some more ingredients before giving them to Freya to grind up. Soon the room smells of aromatic herbs. Not unpleasant, but the yellowish liquid doesn't look appetising. The mixture is boiled on the hob, then strained. Kira turns to Freya, looking pleased.

"We're done. I'll pour it into vials. Your friend will have to drink one every month. Shall we do it tomorrow?"

"I need to talk it over with her first. Give me a few days."

Freya replies.

"We've already gone over this. We'll ask her together. Tomorrow at ten. Meet me here. Bring your friend. Oh, and don't mention the thrall thing. Just say you want her to meet me." "But..." Freya starts to protest.

"I don't want you using the wrong words. I can explain it better. I won't force her, I promise." Kira steps forward and takes Freya's hand. "It sounds like you're very close to her. I wish I had a friend like that."

"Okay, just... don't seduce her or anything. Give her the facts.

Let her decide."

"We can't hypnotise people you know." Kira laughs. "I know you fell for me, but I never made you do anything. A vampire's kiss can encourage people sure. Loosens them up like they've had a few drinks. We don't have mind control though. If your

friend doesn't want this, I can't make her."

"I guess that's good to know. I do feel like you hypnotise me sometimes though. I can get lost in your eyes..." Freya realises she said that last part out loud and quickly looks away. Have I been staring at her like that the whole time?

The vampire giggles and gives Freya a quick kiss on the lips.

"See you tomorrow then?"

"Oh, um, yeah." Freya wants to stay a little longer, but Kira is right, she should get going.

"I'd let you stay, but I want a quick feed before it gets light.

You didn't quite sate my hunger earlier."

"Okay, tomorrow then. Ten in the morning, right?" "No, that's far too early. Evening." Kira replies.

"Okay. Um, have a good feed." Freya hurries out before she can embarrass herself anymore. She feels happy and full of energy on the way home and finds herself almost skipping.

Was it the feeding that got me like this, or Kira? Freya wonders. The last thing she felt like doing was going back to her boring house and sleeping. She wants another adventure with the vampire girl!

Upon returning to her room, Freya realises she's more tired than she thought. She still hasn't gotten used to staying up most the night. As she gets into bed, she realises with horror that her shirt is covered in specks of blood. Freya hides it under her bed, deciding to deal with it in the morning.

Six

Chapter 6

At ten o'clock the next evening, Freya arrives at Kira's house with Yasmin. As promised, she didn't mention anything about thralls to her friend. She simply said Kira wanted to meet her. Yasmin seemed quite excited to meet the vampire, not looking nervous at all. Her parents were away, so Yasmin wasn't too concerned about going out this late.

"Don't suppose she's going to bite me?" Yasmin asks as they approach the door.

"No, I won't let her." Freya replies. But I might...

"I was kinda hoping she'll turn me into a vampire too. Do you think she would?" Asks Yasmin, sounding curious.

"Why don't you ask her?"

The door opens without them knocking. Kira is standing in the door-frame, looking stunning as always. "Ask me what?"

Yasmin glances at Freya, suddenly going shy. Freya sighs. "Yasmin wants to know if you'll make her a vampire." She says, even though they've discussed this.

"Come in, we'll talk about it. It's a pleasure to meet you, Yasmin." Kira extends a hand. Yasmin takes it, looking a little nervous now. Instead of shaking her hand, Kira pulls her inside. She's gentle, but Freya can see it's causing some concern for her friend.

"Sorry, Kira's a bit over friendly." Says Freya, following them in. "She won't hurt you though, will you, Kira?"

"Of course not. I know how much she means to you." Kira sits Yasmin down on the sofa. "Um, do you want a drink? Like

water or tea or whatever? I'm not used to having guests."

"No, I'm fine." Yasmin replies, looking up at Kira with wide eyes.

"So, you want to be a vampire, do you?" Asks Kira, sitting down.

"I don't know. Maybe..."

"Is it because you want to be like Freya? There's another way you can be close to her. We were talking about it last night."

Freya sits down on Yasmin's other side, wondering how her friend would react to this.

"How?" Yasmin asks. "I feel like she's changing and I want to be a part of it. I'd hate to lose her."

"Would you like to become Freya's special friend?" Kira asks, shuffling closer. "You'd be resistant to her bite, and feel a really close connection to her. You could even come with us to the

citadel and meet all the other vampires."

A look of delight appears in Yasmin's eyes. "I'd love that! What do I have to do?"

"Just drink a small potion and let Freya have a little bite. It won't hurt. In fact, it'll feel really good. The potion stops you falling unconscious from the sedative." Kira explains.

"But what will happen exactly? I'm not becoming a vampire or anything, am I?"

"No, nothing like that. There's no physical changes. You'll still be you. The only thing you'll notice is a new intimate connection to your friend. You'll want to please her, and doing so will bring you a deep satisfaction. It's nothing permanent either. You need to drink the potion once a month for the effect to last." Kira gets up. "I won't be a moment, talk it over with your friend." She says, going over to her alchemy lab.

Yasmin turns to Freya. "It sounds great. How do you feel about this? I'm willing to try it."

A little surprised at how easily convinced Yasmin is, Freya gives her friend a serious look. "Are you sure about this? Kira explained everything last night. It seems safe. Apparently most vampires have a... 'special friend'"

"If you are, then yes. I trust you. I can hardly believe all this, but I'll go along with it for now. I certainly felt something the other day with you. I'll be honest, I'm kinda waiting for this to turn out to be an elaborate prank. If it is real... then I'll join you in this new life of yours." Says Yasmin.

Kira returns with a vial of liquid. "You won't regret this. I'm a little jealous of you. Wish I could experience what you're about to feel." She hands it to Yasmin.

Yasmin glances at them both, then downs the vial in one go. "If I start tripping, I'm going to kill you Freya." She jokes, letting out a giggle. "So what now?"

"Give it ten, then Freya is going to bite you." Says Kira.

A look of fear crosses Yasmin's eyes, but is gone in an instant. Wanting to comfort her friend, Freya shuffles closer, pulling Yasmin into an embrace. The moment is ruined when Kira leans on her other side, not wanting to be left out. Yasmin tenses up, clearly not used to this sort of close contact.

"Sit this side, Kira." Says Freya, wanting Yasmin to relax before being bitten. Kira seems more than happy to snuggle up

with Freya instead.

Time seems to go by faster than usual. Freya is content sitting here with her two companions, enjoying the warmth, but knows it's time she sunk her fangs into her friend. Reluctantly, she gets up.

"Are you sure you want this, Yasmin? Last chance to change your mind." Says Freya. Yasmin swallows, then nods her head. Heart racing, Freya sits on her lap, brushing Yasmin's hair out the way. She slowly leans in, taking in her sweet scent. I hope I'm doing the right thing. There's no going back now.

Kira stands up to watch. "Remember, don't feed too much.

She only needs a little sedative. You'll have to bite again later."

Freya gently sinks her fangs into her friend's neck. Yasmin gasps and grabs Freya's wrist tightly, refusing to let go. The viscous liquid runs into Freya's mouth, almost sending her into a frenzy. It tastes much sweeter than Kira's blood had been, leaving a metallic aftertaste. Freya has to shove Yasmin away to stop herself from biting again. She backs away, Yasmin trying to follow her, unsteady on her feet.

"No, I'll bite you again, stay back until I calm down." Says Freya, her eyes wild. Yasmin goes limp, Kira catching her as she falls.

"Freya..." Yasmin moans. "Don't leave me." She struggles against Kira's grip.

"It's okay, I'm here." Freya runs to hug her, concern for her friend stronger than the desire to bite now.

"I feel... strange. Good, but strange." Yasmin murmurs, her eyes unfocused.

"You're okay. It'll pass. Won't it, Kira?" Freya asks.

"Of course. You should kiss her. That'll make her feel better." Says Kira, letting go of Yasmin and sitting down.

There's a stirring between Freya's legs as she imagines snogging her friend. It's just the blood making me feel like this... Yasmin is looking up at her. Almost pleading. Freya grabs her and latches on to her lips. She kisses roughly, her feelings spinning out of control. She knows she shouldn't be taking advantage of her friend while she's like this, but she can't help it.