Prologue

Continuous pain knifing through his body.

Constant fear of the shadowy shapes swarming around him.
The heat was unbearable. He was wet with sweat.
The cold was … well, chilling. Now he was shivering.
The murky shadows caught him, enveloping him with a suffocating
darkness.
He thrashed, screaming in terror. There was no one to give him aid; he
was alone.
Soon, his strength was sapped and his limpid movements of protest
were to feeble to have any effect on the darkness that threatened his sanity.
So hot…..
So cold…..
So painful…
So terrifying…
He retched, but relief would not come this time around.
His lips were parched, his throat dry.
Water…
His ribs hurt from his dry heaves.
His head was pounding.
He was tired of this nightmare.
So hot….
So scared…
So cold…
He didn’t want to die!

.1.

Dr. Charles Burnes sighed wearily and pushed up his bifocals with his
forefinger, squeezing the bridge of his nose tightly between his thumb and
forefinger. Then he rubbed his tired eyes thoroughly. The thirty-somethingish
man ran his hand through his brown nondescript hair and sighed again. So
many patients… so many dead of this mysterious disease that had no cure.
The victims suffered harsh fevers, burning rashes, chills and diarrhea.
They vomited, had hallucinations and thrashed restlessly, mumbling
nonsensical garbage. Ten of fifteen died, leaving behind a stench more
terrible than normal dead. Burnes was tired of trying. He slowly walked to
the waiting area of the small hospital and got ready to face the sister of the
last patient he had checked.
As he pulled the door open, she leapt up eagerly from her chair and
ran to face him, her hands clasped underneath he chin. Her red hair was
floating around her shoulders, a sight that made Burnes’ head spin with
desire.
“How is he, Doc? Were you able to help him?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Mendiva. I don’t think he’s going to make it,” Burnes
said softly. Ms. Mendiva put her hands over her face and wept. The sobs
racked her body and Burnes felt the sympathy well up in him for the poor
girl. He put his hand around her, and she took it to be comforting and
snuggled closer. However, Burnes was only easing his fantasy of getting with
her. She felt so soft and supple. An incredibly rash urge swept through him
and he was just about to make a move when the door burst open.

15 minutes earlier...

Rygah diBarcalli turned his sensitive nose into the night air and inhaled
deeply. The hauntingly delicious scent had been teasing his senses since
he’d arrived at this hospital, and was almost driving him to insanity. He knew
what the scent was, and that was all the more maddening. It was The One.
The Black Rose of the 21st century. His special Black Rose. She was here, in
this vicinity! He had to find her! As he stepped out of the parking lot and
followed his nose. Where exactly was She? His nose twitched and he
pinpointed Her scent.
The scent of a Black Rose connected Her and Her Jardinero like a thin
beam in the circumference of his head. Little tendrils of Her scent spiraled off
of the beam. However, if Her Jardinero just turned his head so that the beam
connected with his nose, he could pinpoint Her location and find Her. There
was a reason She was called The Black Rose. When a Jardinero found his
Black Rose and made eye contact, he beheld the most amazing sight.
Thousands of shimmering black spirit-rose petals could be seen falling
around her, twirling in the spirit-breeze. Then, one by one, the petals would
change to droplets of blood. When he last petal changed, the Jardinero was
lost to the Black Rose until either of them died. However, if the Black Rose
was murdered by an enemy of the Jardinero, he would forever mourn the
loss and would become bonded to the desire for revenge.
 Rygah took off in the direction of her scent, using a method that was
as new as it was old, and as familiar as it was strange. The Teleportation.
The Teleportation method teleported the user as far as three or four meters
per jump, at five jumps per second. It was a highly efficient method of
transportation and did not leave the user winded when he/she was finished.

Present...

Burnes’ head swiveled in the direction of the door, which had slammed
against the wall with the almost desperate urgency of the one who had
pushed it open. The said man stood at at least six and a half feet tall, and
had enough charisma to distribute evenly to all of Texas. He was a powerful
looking man with black hair that curled over the tips of his shoulders and
shimmered healthily in the light. His eyes were dark and dangerous and he
wore the look of a man that had found something he’d been looking for for a
long time.
His eyes zeroed in on Ms Mendiva and stayed there. Tears forgotten,
Ms Mendiva turned to face the newcomer.

Rygah’s eyes adjusted quickly to light and he knew his nose had not
led him astray. His Black Rose stood before him as sure as the dawn. She
turned and her eyes met his. He felt his surroundings fade from existence as
he beheld the sight that awed him every century.
Spirit-breeze teased her red hair as the black petals rained down
around her, swirling like cherry blossoms in the breezes of China. The
tendrils of her hair seemed to call to him, and he obeyed, helpless in the face
of the Rose. He walked slowly to her, one heavy step at a time. When he was
two meters away from him, the petals began to change. Petal by petal
changed, and the Black Rose was surrounded by droplets of blood. Rygah
watched in fascination as the last petal changed and he was filled with a
warmth so satisfying it was unreal! Then, all that was left was her scent. The
lovely tanatalizing scent that had brought him to her was the one that
threatened to make him rush the system and sink his canines into her neck
and drink of her until he was sated.
Pilling himself together, Rygah introduced himself.
“Rygah diBarcalli. This is a hospital, I presume?”
“Yes, it is,” said the man whose arms were wrapped around the Rose.
Rygah felt the black jealousy eat through his flesh. He wanted to tear the
man’s arm from its sockets to get them off his Rose.
“Well, maybe I can be of service. I presume you have patients with the
latest epidemic?”
“Yes again although I am not sure anyone can do anything for them.”
“Don’t doubt me before I perform my surgeries. I have always had a
way with the sick. Since I was a small child, I have been a healer, and I have
cured several of these patients, so-“
 “You have?” came the voice of the Rose. The sound of it threatened to
drive Rygah to his knees. It was so soft and becoming and alluring!
“Yes, I have. I have only lost three of fifteen patients so far.”
“Oh, please be able to save my brother. I am Taylor Mendiva.”
“”Pleased to meet you Ms Mendiva. Sorry, but I only work in
alphabetical order.” There was something exciting about making a Rose beg.
“Please do something for my brother! I’ll do anything! I promise!”
“Okay, but only because you’re the only relative of the sick here now,”
Rygah answered. She flung her arms around him, crying and mumbling her
thanks amid the tears, which fell in warm droplets to Rygah’s neck. Her well
endowed body was pressed intimately to Rygah and he felt high from the
concentration of her scent.
“Well, let me to him before he dies. You might want to leave here and
go and get something to eat before you succumb to the disease because of a
weak immune system,” Rygah suggested. ‘And it would be rather disturbing
for you to hear the noises your brother makes when I……perform my ……
duties.’

Taylor did as ordered and left for the local diner, Mac’s Diner. As on a
usual Thursday night, Mac’s Diner was crammed with people. There were
truckers, construction workers, bikers, waiters and waitresses, business
people…the whole lot. Taylor tried to keep her mind off Diego, her brother,
but the din inside the diner was so much that it made her feel all the more
alone. Her thoughts turned instead to the doctor. Rygah diBarcalli.
He was as tall a man as she had ever seen and had a dark, sinister look
to him. He was almost painfully attractive, with dark crow’s wings arched
above his emerald eyes. But what remained foremost in Taylor’s mind was
the lovesick look he had given her. His green, tortured eyes had held hers for
a couple long seconds, and then they drifted to a spot behind her before
returning to her eyes.
Then, the emotion in his eyes changed abruptly; shuttered, and then
he basically ordered them out of the hospital. Taylor had indeed needed the
break, and was content to leave the hospital for the welcome respite of a
meal. At that thought, Taylor’s mind ran on what she was eating.
The plate in front of her was filled with a large spoonful of creamed
potatoes and a cut of pork that was soaked in beer and sautéed in a garlic
sauce. It tasted pretty good. ‘The poor doctor must be hungry. I’ll order him
something. Dunno why, but he seems the type that would enjoy the One
Minute Rare cuts that Mac’s has tonight.’ Taylor thought.
“Hey!” she called to the tall, slim waiter.
“How may I help you, Beautiful?” he asked cheerfully, a wide grin
splitting his fair skin.
“Can I get me a plate of the One Minute Rare to go?”
“Shurre! And ya can get a discount jus cuz you’re beautiful, Beautiful,”
he chuckled before walking off to the kitchens, and completely ignoring the
requests of the other diners. Taylor smiled to herself. Some people just had
good hearts. She finished her meal and was sipping her beer when the waiter
came back bearing a covered plate and a small dish with a slice of cake and
a scoop of ice cream on it.
“The dessert’s on me, again cuz you’re beautiful,” he paused. “It may
seem presumptuous of me, but do I get he honor of knowing your name? I
am Cobalt Henri.”
“After you’ve been so nice to me, how could I refuse? I am Taylor
Mendiva.” Cobalt sat down in the seat across from her and leaned forward
eagerly.
“Ummm. Taylor, huh? Guess what, Taylor, some of my pals and I are
going to this bonfire tonight. Wanna join us? I could get to know you a little
better. You seem like one of those people that just has a good heart, ya
know?” Cobalt’s cobalt eyes sparkled eagerly and Taylor couldnt’ve
rejected him even if she wanted to…and she didn’t.
“Shurre! I just gotta go back to the hospital to check on my brother.
He’s caught that disease that was flyin’ around, but there is this Doctor
diBarcalli or something that says he can cure him.”
“diBarcalli you say? That guy is awesome! He totally healed most of
the patients at the hospital in Bentory! I hear he’s never lost a patient. I
would soo love to meet him!”
“Really maybe you can come on over with me before the bonfire. I
could just stay here with you until you’re done.”
“That’s a great idea! I’ll probably bring you a beer or two or…. I can
show you the Lounge! You never would guess that Mac’s has a lounge quite
like it! There are tons of magazines, books and games in there, but the
normal fee is so high we only open it to the public on special occasions.”
Cobalt rose and offered his hand to her. Taylor took it and followed him to
the Lounge.

Meanwhile…

Rygah pushed open the door to room 25 and gazed sympathetically at

the writhing young man on the bed. Diego Mendiva was the masculine
version of Taylor and it was apparent that the two were closer than just
brother and sister. They were twins. It would be hard to hide Diego’s
vampirification from Taylor. Rygah strode purposefully to the bedside and
grasped Diego’s now thin shoulders in a firm grip.
“Wake up,” he commanded.
“Wha? Where am I? what am I doing here? I want Taylor! Get me
Taylor!” the young man rambled, his words slurred as if he was intoxicated.
“Taylor is gone to eat something. You are at the hospital as you’ve
been very sick and I am here to make you better,” Rygah said clearly and
loudly. Diego calmed.
“What are you going to do to me? Will it hurt?”
 “Yes, Diego. It will hurt immensely, but Taylor wants you better. She
was crying.”
“No! no one must ever make Taylor cry and I will not be the one to do
so!” Diego screamed.
“Come then, let us get on with it,” Rygah said, sitting down at the
bedside.
“Wait,” Diego called weakly. “Aren’t you going to sedate me?”
“No, because you have to be awake and functioning for this to work. I
can’t purge and heal you unless your body is functioning and all your organs
are awake and moving,” Rygah explained.
“Okay, but I am gonna close my eyes.” Rygah said nothing to this and
leaned forward to prepare for the bite. As he leaned closer, he was filled with
an overwhelming anticipation. He could hardly wait to sink his teeth into
Diego’s neck and taste the warm blood spilling over his tongue. God, he was
hungry! It had been two days since his last decent meal and his body was
telling him that it was time he had some nourishment. For a vampire, Rygah
was an avid eater, and was therefore more knowledgeable and powerful than
most vampires.
Every time he bit someone, all of their memories were ‘downloaded’
into his brain. He therefore knew everything about the people he converted
to vampires. That was a highly useful ace in his hold. He had almost
complete power over all his converts as he knew everything about them. He
could hardly wait to get into Taylor’s mind!
He was just about to bite Diego; in fact his sharp canines were scraping
Diego’s neck; when Diego jumped back in a rare and unforeseen burst of
energy.
“What is wrong with you? Your breath is like, totally cold, man! What
were you going to do?”
“I am a vampire and I was going to suck the disease from your system.
I won’t be here when it’s time for you to pay me, so I will just take my
payment now and be done with it. My payment would be a healthy and
delicious meal, judging from the scent of your blood which I can hear
pumping through your veins,” Rygah said. Before giving Diego time to
process this, he swooped down and drank.
The blood spilled over his tongue, coating it in a warm slippery
covering that was just salty enough and just sweet enough. ‘It is a good
thing I am drinking from him when he is sick, because such an action when
he is in full health would force me to drink him dry,’ Rygah mused while he
could still think coherently. That changed when the combination of the taste
and scent of the blood hit his senses. Rygah went into a feeding frenzy,
messily and madly slurping at the blood and feeling the exhilaration of his
meal tighten his body and create a high, dazing feel to hit his brain.
Diego cried out in immense pain, and his body writhed and squirmed
under Rygah’s cold, vice grip. Little by little, Diego’s cries of pain broke into
Rygah’s pleasure clouded brain. Diego was in so much pain, the word ‘stop’
could not form on his lips, and instead, a tormented cry was torn from the
depths of his gut.
Rygah stopped himself the only way he could by secreting his venom
into Diego’s neck and then he broke off their connection and pushed himself
away, firmly gripping the side of the chair he placed himself on to prevent
taking another taste. Diego was heaving for breaths and Rygah could hear
the remains of that delicious blood pumping through his veins. It was so
tempting to just take another taste!
“W-w-w-what the f-f-fuck just h-h-happ-happened? Why am I so damn
hard? Did you make me gay? What did you do to me?” Diego gasped.
“I had to secrete my venom in you. You’re not gay, it’s just that the
venom creates the hormones that act up when you’re hungry for some
action or when you’re havin’ sex. If a woman had bitten you, you would’ve
been so horny now you woulda just taken her right there,” Rygah managed.
“Funny. I feel better already.” The young man fell asleep. Rygah felt
strangely lethargic. The sated feeling that came on when he was full was on
in full blast and Rygah sat down in the waiting room and he, too, dozed.

11:00 p.m. …

“Hey Cobalt! Ya ready?” Taylor called. She and Cobalt were getting
along splendidly and on more than one occasion she’d seen the slightly lusty
gleam in his eyes that told her he wanted her…bad!
“I’m on my way, Beautiful!” he called back. He rounded the corner of
the building to see her leaning nonchalantly against the side of her car, the
late-night breeze playing in her hair. His soft awe filled “Damn!” reached her
eyes, and she smiled. It was time she had a boyfriend.