Title: Cold to the Touch

Author: ThyLaSlain

Chapter One

1799

The night was silent as he watched the rolling hills pass by. The silence was looming and almost threatening - just the way he liked it. He closed his icy grey eyes as he felt the wind whip through his long blonde hair as he soared through the cold night sky. He was ravenously hungry. He ignored his thirst however, as thoughts of her kept racing through his mind. He scoped the landscape below until he spotted what he had been looking for. Nestled between the hills of Losette, stood La Chateau des Poesies, his childhood home.

He entered through the great arch of a window belonging to the bedroom that used to be his own. Instantly, he was flooded with memories that took place within its walls. Indeed, he had made love for the very first time on the very bed that stood against the wall near the fireplace. He smiled ruefully at the memory, and as he did two pointed teeth came into view, just touching his lower lip. The memory came to him in a splash of vivid color, as if it had happened just the other day.

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1746

Her name was Virginie. She was the daughter of his tutor. She was eighteen years of age and had already bedded half the young men in the area. He could still remember her long silky red locks and striking green eyes. She was not especially beautiful, though her deliciously curvy body made up for that. Through all this, and despite the fact that both her mother and father were two of the most educated people in town, she was as stupid as anything.

Nicholas lay alone in bed, staring up at the frescoes painted on the ceiling. They depicted naked cherubic angels playing with the hearts of a courtesan and a pimp's. He had painted it himself. Suddenly, he heard the doorknob to his room turn. He sat up and watched as the door opened, flooding the room with light from outside. It was Virginie, shocking him with her presence, yet shocking him even more when he saw she was clad in only a flimsy robe. "What are you doing here?" He demanded, and yet his voice rose in pitch as he stared at her sensuous body.

"I am here to give you pleasure beyond that you have ever felt before," she whispered.

His sixteen-year-old mind raced, he opened his mouth to order her to leave his room, yet as he did, he felt himself getting hard. She smiled when she saw the look on his face - she had seen it many times before. She crawled into the bed and kneeled before him, slipping off her robe. Nicholas stared at her naked form. He watched as she leaned in closer until her creamy, full, round breasts were a mere few inches away from his face.

"You tremble, my love..." she breathed in his ear, as she traced his chest and abdomen with her finger.

She growled in his ear as she felt his muscles ripple from the tension. He nearly moaned at the thought that this is what he had fantasized of so many times. He watched as her hands traveled lower and lowers until she reached his manhood. She gasped from the size of it. It was then he realized that he could take her completely - have her completely - under his power. The look on her face was enough encouragement for him to live out the fantasy he'd always dreamed of in the nights he was alone in his room. Without warning, he grabbed her and rolled her over on her back and kissed her deeply in her mouth. He opened his eyes; his lips still pressed against hers and then thrust his tongue in her mouth as he watched her eyes flare open with surprise. He would have smiled if his lips weren't already busy. She tried to break off the kiss to gasp for air, but he only thrust his tongue deeper into her throat. She moaned into his mouth and once again he opened his eyes to look at her but continued to work her mouth, as if fighting her tongue with his own, his hands exploring her body with the same enthusiasm his tongue was showing her mouth.

She finally managed to pull away and gasp, "Nicholas...stop!"

Nicholas merely cocked his head to one side.

"Why my love? Is this not what you came here for?" He asked, his hands probing her body; his lips following the same path as his hands, sending shivers up and down her spine.

He smiled at her reaction and suddenly, without warning, found her clit and began sucking and licking mercilessly. Through the intensity, she managed to gasp. Her mind was a nebula of colors and feeling. She could not even manage to beg him to stop, the pleasure too much for her. He continued to torture her like so, until the first signs of orgasm came from her. He stopped. It was then that she stopped begging for him to stop, instead she was begging him to continue. He just looked at her, and watched her hands travel from above her head to her clit, but before she could relieve herself, he entered her fully and forcefully. She exploded instantly and so did he.

He withdrew, gasping and slumped on his back next to her. She was near passing out.

"Nicholas...oh my...Nicholas..." she was saying.

She reached out to touch him, but he recoiled from her touch.

"Get out." He said to her coldly.

She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Get out." He repeated.

She opened her mouth to say something, but thought the better of it, when she saw the look on his face. She put on her robe and immediately left. When the door was closed, Nicholas lay in bed alone, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't say he didn't enjoy the experience, because he had. Greatly. But he thought it would fulfill him more than that, but it hadn't. The next day, he ordered for Virginie to be sent away immediately. His tutor demanded an explanation from him, and he answered simply but coldly that he suspected her to be with child. His tutor had laughed at the idea, but much to Nicholas' surprise, Virginie admitted that she was with child, the father unknown due to the numerous possibilities. Her father was so overcome with anger and embarrassment; he sent his daughter away and left the area himself, along with his wife and two sons.

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Nicholas sat in the huge leather armchair that stood in front of the fireplace. Ever since that night, Nicholas had changed. His ideas of passion and making love altered. In that one night he had become a man. For a reason unknown to him, he felt the need to be a recluse. Yet at the same time, he craved human companionship. He locked himself up from the world, thinking no one cared about him, nor watched over him. He was mistaken.

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1751

Nicholas stood at his balcony window, and took in the fresh spring air. He frowned to himself. To him, spring did not mean flowers, birds singing or abundance of life. To him, spring was dreaded because it was the one time in the year when picnics, balls and banquets were held nearly every night. Usually within his own home. His presence was obligatory, for though he hated being in crowds, he still felt it a great discourtesy to not be present in the parties held in his own home.

Nicholas had changed very much during the past five years. He spent most of his time gathering knowledge in his many libraries. He attended banquets when he needed to, but never really mingled with the other guests. Though no longer as outgoing as he used to be, his passion for adventure was still unquenchable. He was constantly putting his body to the test, trying to reach past human constraints. His personality wasn't the only thing to change, however. He had grown to have chiseled features and his body had developed to become very athletic. His eyes were no longer the dark grey they used be, they had lightened to a cold light grey. His jaw was strong and square, his forehead high and handsome. His shoulders were far broader and he carried himself with the confidence and elegance the son of a Lord of one of the most powerful states of Argento, should possess. Indeed, he was wanted by many of the young women in the area, but he found most, if not all, of them frivolous and thick. Nicholas sighed and stepped back inside. It was time for him to make an appearance downstairs.

The music was far too loud, the crowds too dense and his headache was getting worse. Nicholas rubbed his temples. He turned to his mother who was standing besides him.

"Mother, I'm going to step outside for some fresh air. This crowd is stifling me." He said.

He stepped outside, a mild breeze was blowing; he looked up to admire the stars, recognizing all the constellations. Nicholas turned around as he heard a rustle in the bushes.

"Who's there?" He called, and then, he heard a low chuckling. "Reveal yourself!"

Another series of chuckles. Then, he saw a man step out of the bushes. He was tall, his jet black hair smoothed back. His eyes were a piercing jade.

"Hello Nicholas." He smiled.

Nicholas took a step back.

"Who are you? What do you want? How do you know my name?" Nicholas demanded.

The man smiled.

"Your questions will be answered soon enough. But for now, I give you my name. I am William Cantor." William stepped towards Nicholas. "I've been watching you. The way you shy away from humanity. I've watched you for a very long time now, Nicholas. Since you were a child; I watched you grow and how you changed after that night when you bedded the wench Virginie."

Nicholas' eyes widened. He was shaking with fear, yet tried his best to hide it. Suddenly, William's face contorted and his mouth opened wide, revealing two very sharp pointed teeth. He grabbed Nicholas by the neck, and bit him hard on the throat.

Nicholas could hardly bear the pain, yet at the same time felt a tingle of excitement and pleasure.

"Nicholas!!" he heard someone call out his name.

He managed to turn his head around to see his distraught mother standing there. She had gone out to look for him, for dinner was being served, and now she found him being…attacked by a stranger. She stood there paralyzed, not knowing what to do; her heart racing as a scream welled up from her throat.

At the sound of her scream William's eyes opened, reflecting the light like those of a cat's. He stopped sucking on Nicholas with a hiss; by now Nicholas was on the threshold of death. William hissed once more, grabbed Nicholas by the arms and took off with him at a supernatural speed. Nicholas' mother just stood there, staring up at the sky, as her son seemed to soar through the sky with the dark stranger. She mustered one more scream before falling to the ground unconscious.

All Nicholas could make out through the haze that surrounded him, was that he seemed to be flying. His body was slumped against something – or someone. He managed to see what supported him. It was William. He tried to push away from him, when he suddenly realized he really was flying. He stared down, as he could make out trees and little houses passing by quickly. He felt detached from his body, it felt too heavy for him, and slowly, he felt himself fading away once more.

Nicholas woke up, his head throbbing, and he felt lightheaded and dizzy. But finally, he managed to get his bearings. He was lying on the stony cold hard floor, and he was surrounded with opulent furniture and paintings. He looked out of a window, and saw that it was raining heavily. He sat up and instantly he was flooded with a wave of nausea. He managed to fight it back and pull himself up to his feet with the help of a huge winged armchair.

"Ah, so the Lord awakens."

Nicholas turned around with the help of the armchair, to see William standing at the doorway, with a grin on his face. Nicholas looked at him with a look that was mixed with fear and malice.

"What do you want from me?" Nicholas managed to choke out.

William smiled.

"You are brave my Little Lord. I want nothing from you; I just wish to give you…a gift."

"I want nothing from you" Nicholas spat out vindictively.

William chuckled.

"You have no choice, unless, of course, you wish to die."

Nicholas took a threatening step towards William.

"I make my own decisions." He said vehemently.

He was still weak but anger gave him the strength he needed.

"Then die you will, my little Lord." William grinned.

Nicholas mustered all his strength and leapt upon William to attack him. But William, quicker than any human Nicholas had ever seen, moved away just in time, leaving Nicholas to go head first crashing into the wall. Before Nicholas made his impact however, William grabbed Nicholas' hand and pulled him back.

"Now answer me, would you like to live, or die?"

Nicholas looked at William, he was feeling light headed once more, but still, he managed to spit into William's face.

"I want nothing from you." Nicholas repeated.

Once again, William laughed.

"You amuse me, my son." With that, he tore open his own wrist with his nail and brought his wrist to Nicholas' mouth. "Drink if you care enough for yourself."

The aroma of blood filled Nicholas' senses. He suddenly had the great urge to drink William's blood. Still, he resisted.

"Drink." William repeated.

This time, it was an order. Nicholas finally gave in to the overpowering bloodlust that was taking over his entire being. He drank.

Images flooded his mind. The beating of a heart throbbed in his ear. Finally, he realized it was his own. He felt the blood course through him. Nicholas felt as if he was part of the blood rushing through his veins. He could feel the throbbing, the incessant pumping. New life, springing into his veins. Power. Pleasure. And then the pain. Nicholas tore away from William's wrists, not realizing that William had demanded him to let go several times already.

Nicholas felt as if his insides were being torn apart. He felt a burning in his chest, his throat, his groin, his head, his arms, his whole body felt like an inferno of pain. Just as he thought he might explode from the aches, it suddenly stopped. His body abruptly ceased to convulse with the throbbing, as he felt new energy flow through him. He licked the last remnants of blood on his lips and smiled as he sat up. It was then that he found that his canines, along with the two pairs of teeth besides them had elongated and sharpened to form three pairs of fangs, which just touched his bottom lip as he smiled.

"Now do you accept my gift?" William smiled, noting the sudden change in Nicholas, from an angry young man; to the vampire he was meant to be.

"Whatever you've done to me, I like it." Nicholas said, looking up at William.

"I have done nothing but merely bestowed upon you your blood right."

Nicholas looked at William in a confused manner.

"Come, I'll show you the world as we see it." William said, leading him out the door.

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And show him the world he did. Nicholas could still feel the first sensations of realization that everything around him had become more vivid and alive. Flowers weren't just simply flowers any longer. They were intricate pieces of poetry, so stationary yet so alive. And Music. Nicholas had always appreciated all types of Art, but now, his senses were almost torn apart from the beauty of the sounds and melodies. Color flooded his world, hues inflamed his mind. He lay back deeper into the armchair, as he relived his first experiences, discovering the endless power and strength his body possessed. Then, there was the adrenaline rush of the Kill. Nicholas licked his lips, his eyes closed; as he thirst reminded him of his first kill.

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1751

"Remember what I have told you, Nicholas. We must never drink the very last drop of blood or we will die." William reminded Nicholas once more, as they peered from behind a wall at two very busty harlots in an argument.

Nicholas smiled.

"Stop squirming William. I am no fool."

But William could not help but worry. Nicholas was passionate and seemed to have a thirst for everything. His bloodlust was far stronger than that of his own; the power which Nicholas emitted was so strong and violent, he wondered if it had any limits. William looked over at Nicholas, as he saw a flame dance in his eyes. He could barely believe he was ever mortal and wondered how endlessly bored he must have been as one. He is just like Francis, William thought.

William was deep in thought over this, when he suddenly realized Nicholas was no longer by his side. Nicholas was faster than he imagined him to be. He looked over to where the hussies were fighting. Nicholas was now walking slowly towards them.

A smile played across Nicholas' face a he approached the two women. Nicholas smirked as he watched one of the women fly at the other one's throat, prepared to tear it out. You needn't bother my dear, Nicholas thought, I'll do it for you.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Two fallen angels fighting over a piece of the heaven they have lost." Nicholas whispered to them; his voice smooth and seductive.

They stopped abruptly, mesmerized by him as he smiled at them. The smile was then wiped off his face and in a more serious voice he said, "Come to me."

Much to William's surprise the two women obeyed as if they were in a trance. Suddenly, Nicholas grabbed both by the neck and bit hard down on one of them. By now, both were screaming, until the one Nicholas was feeding on fell silent.

Nicholas' eyes flared open as he drank, the ecstatic feeling of blood rushing to his veins was felt once more; the throbbing of his heart and hers. He closed his eyes in rapture, drinking the liquid that gave him life. His hand traveled down her back, and his nails tore at her dress, into her flesh, making her squirm against him; the other woman still struggling to remove his hands from her neck. He then stopped drinking as her heart beat lapsed. Blood dripping down from the corners of his mouth. By then, the other woman had fallen silent, reduced to a trembling mass of fear, Nicholas still holding her by the neck.

William emerged from the shadows.

"Here William, catch." Nicholas laughed, tossing the woman to William as if she were a rag-doll.

She fell upon William and grabbed at his jacket to keep from falling to the ground. William looked down at her, her face stained with tears and her rouge was now all over her chin.

"Hush my dear, shhh." William shushed her.

She slowly stopped sobbing and trembling.

"This will only take a moment."

At this, her eyes grew wide "No!" she managed to scream out before William bit down on her so hard, her throat tore open.

William stopped drinking as if he were surfacing for air.

"Impressive," Nicholas remarked, looking at the two dead bodies, one slumped over the other.

"Now what to do with the bodies…" Nicholas turned to William.

"Ah, that, my Nicholas, is an art of its own." William said with a smile.

He picked up both, tore both of their clothes away and arranged them against the wall in a sick parody of intercourse.

"I love them," William sighed, taking in his work, then turned to Nicholas, "Mortals I mean. Such beautiful beings. They're like works of art to me."

Nicholas said nothing, but just stared at the two women, one grasping the other's breasts, the other touching her own loins. To him, mortals were now nothing more than food.

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But she had changed his view on mortals entirely. Never had he understood William's words that night, until he met her. His Emma, the reason why he was sitting alone in the room that was once his. She was the reason he was going crazy yet she was also the one thing that kept him sane. He watched her in his mind; his shy, timid Emma. Then there were her outbursts of energy. Her laugh was glorious music, her movement as she danced, graceful as the waters of Oasia themselves. She was beautiful in every way; both inside and out. Then, in his mind, he saw the water run down her soft, bare skin; her hair a cascade of silver waves past her shoulders, down to her tender round hips. He clenched the armrests with his nails as his body jerked in response. Nicholas inhaled deeply – breathing was unnecessary, but it was a habit that died hard – managing to sedate his lust and emotions; the image of her naked form made the blood in his veins boil. He groaned softly to himself, as he clenched his eyes shut, driving the memory away by recounting every other moment they had had together.