Esme tried to continue reading through her welled up eyes, but tears began to fall. She didn't want damaged the journal and decided to take a break to compose herself.
'Fuck! You guys live for so long but go through so much!' Esme was frustrated, not sure where to direct her anger though. She simply let it pour out.
Estefan, keen as always entered the room upon hearing Esme's distressed state.
'I'm fine my love, just… urgh I'm fine.' Esme reassured him, wiping away her tears and inhaling his calming pheromones. He sat next to her on the bed while his hand brushed her back consoling her.
'Wait I'm not done yet, like hell I'm stopping here, I need to see how these bastards die!' Esme said as she turned giving Estefan her back, she was determined to continue.
Estefan smiled, 'then I'll stay here this time.' He laid down in bed next to her as she began to read once more.
... along with the baby in her womb.
As I uttered those words Sir Cassius' eyes morphed. They shifted from confusion to shock to rage, and then finally settled on a void of emptiness. That was when he began his crusade of vengeance.
The vampires were pinned to the ground it took all their strength not to die under Sir Cassius' power, he approached them ever so slowly. I felt the fear escape me as I had never seen him in such a state before. It wasn't a sight I would want to witness again.
He was walking, slowly as though he wanted to drag out their punishment.
One by one he ripped out their hearts... and fed on them. Starting from the left first.
Bite, swallow. Bite swallow.
I counted.
The sounds were vivid, sounds of screams, sounds of vengeance. They were still alive as they watched Sir Cassius feast on their flesh. With each bite my master's power grew and the pressure was suffocating even myself.
Once he had finished with the eighth vampire, he began pulling out their fangs.
Again, one by one. This time from the right.
Walking.
No matter how well a vampire could heal, their fangs were their weakness. A sign of humiliation of a beast with no purpose.
As his final form of punishment Sir Cassius slipped a drop of his aura on their nether regions, allowing each body to slowly decay, it was a death I wouldn't wish on anyone.
Sir Cassius then turned his attention to me and told me to return Lady Lara home in a presentable state, along with the vampires dismembered remains to ease her family's rage.
He was still holding onto all the fangs.
I didn't want to leave him alone, but his next task was one that needed to be undertaken alone.
It was only later in the middle of the night that I heard of his conquest. Sir Cassius had visited each of the families the eight vampires belonged to. Not only had he killed all their young heirs, but he also fed on each vampire leader.
After such an act no one could stand to question my master's power, not even vampires drunk on blood that had lost all reason. His power now instilled fear so great that even an addict would steer clear from prey that belonged to him. Whereas the assailants' fangs were hung up on Crimson manor door as a reminder…
Esme closed the journal and laid beside Estefan in silence to collect her thoughts. The moments of silence dragged on.
'Was her blood that good to make them all go inside like that?' Esme broke the silence.
'If you aren't strong enough, yes, very possible. The sweet blood is an indication showing the bodies' compatibility with vampires. It doesn't always mean you're a carrier, the stronger the taste the more likely the case. You already know how hard it is for a vampire to birth a child. Having one is a blessing and more being a miracle. So, for a human to be able to do so is indeed quite rare.' Estefan explained as he held her tight, his voice spoke in her ear.
'I don't know Cassius. But the Cassius you described in your memoirs, before the incident seemed so...' Esme couldn't find the words.
'Yes, he was.' Estefan understood her regardless, 'it was such a long time ago that I had forgotten.' Estefan noticed the traits he had been seeing from his master resurface were those of his past shell.
'Will you be able to protect her?' Despite being human Esme knew of too many tragedies that surrounded vampires. She couldn't help but worry.
'This time is different, Camilla is strong, she is well versed in coding and if needed she could be turned. History will not repeat itself. I will not let those damn sisters of fate play their game.' Estefan's grip on Esme tightened as he declared his conviction but quickly loosened. He buried his head behind her.
'So that's why Cassius is so strong then.' Esme tried to shift the focus elsewhere.
'Yes, by feeding on all those vampires and weakening the families, he secured the Crimson family's place as one of the Great Three. He left me with a chalice of his blood and chose to sleep. He's only awoken since then a handful of times.'
Esme turned to face him; she knew Estefan seldom felt strongly about life but his voice revealed his heartache. Estefan was left with the responsibility of a vampire family even though he wasn't a crimson-blood, let alone an heir.
Usually when Esme visited Estefan, time was spent in a fiery embrace. However today she simply leant her shoulder for him to rest on.