It was awkward to see Victorian era Gothic revival architecture on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia. But the Russian Chapter of the Vampire Council indeed had made their home in a building built to model the Votivkirche in Vienna. It had even taken its nickname from the famous building.
Madeleine stood on the front steps of the building admiring the arching architecture silhouetted against the overcast gray skies. Her russet hair whipped about in the blustery winds and her eyes watered a little from the cold.
She had pulled the coat tight around her body and when she glanced to her side Dee was on the other end of the steps looking across the large front lawn of yard. In a seemingly blatant attempt to draw attention Dee sighed loudly. Madeleine folded her arms to keep warm, “What is it, Dee?”
“When are they going to come open the door?” Dee asked, “They must know we’re out here—I’m so asking for some Vodka when I get in there.”
Madeleine shook her head, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” In her mind she was taken back to other times where Dee had gotten herself something to drink. The girl had little to no tolerance for alcohol and her reactions ranged from trying to undress herself to starting fights.
The large wooden door of the Council house creaked sharply as it started to open. Dee turned back to face the entrance as Madeleine stepped down the risers of the front steps. As the door was pushed full open a tall dark skinned man in a burgundy suit stepped out, his head was shaven bald. His eyes shone brilliantly hazel, held a virulent gaze.
He huffed the air in and then spoke, “What are you doing here?”
Madeleine moved up the steps, “We came all the way from America looking for Amandah the Trickster.”
“So you know who you’re dealing with?” he asked.
“You’re Vampires you dolt,” Dee said, “Now let us in, I’m freezing my ass off out here.”
Madeleine got right next to the door, “Look, contact Gwen at the American Chapter, tell her that we’re friends of the Liaison.”
The man stepped back into the door holding it open, “Tell her yourself,” he said, “she’s here meeting with the delegates.”
They entered the large house slowly while glancing side to side, the inside was covered in lavish paneled walls of polished wood and rich marble floors. The whole entry hall was covered with tapestries and paintings that seemed to represent most of the popular styles from different parts of the world.
The Vampire looked them over, “My name is Daunte, I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” he bowed before them.
“I’m Madeleine and this is Dee,” she introduced the two of them as the walked.
Daunte nodded, “Nice to meet you both, what business do you have here, if you don’t mind my asking.”
Madeleine was shocked at how fast the mentioning of the liaison could persuade someone in the Council. This man had gone from condescending and rude to this, “It’s a matter of the highest importance…” she said.
Dee added, “Like ‘upon high’, you know?”
Daunte glanced back at them, “You’ve both got to realize that things haven’t been what they should around here.”
“What do you mean?” asked Madeleine.
“There’s been a lot going on lately and we’ve barely had time to recover from any of it before the next thing happens…that’s why Lady Gwen was called,” Daunte said.
Dee knew that if Gwen was here it must have been something serious, she rarely ever left the other side of the world like this.
As they walked Madeleine started to examine the art on the walls of the hall, she knew some of the pieces from school and the like—but those were few and far between. Out of sheer curiosity she asked, “Where are these other pieces from, I haven’t seen a lot of them.”
Daunte glanced up and all around throughout the great hallway, “I really don’t know to tell the truth, like you I’m not from here.”
Dee examined the walls now too, “I didn’t think there were many blacks in Russia,” she muttered.
A voice started off to the side in one of the hallways and echoed out to them, “The majority of the art in this hallway is Russian by Russian artists—some of them are even the original paintings…” he said.
Madeleine and Dee were startled at first, then Daunte turned, “Elder Lushia, I had no idea you were down here.”
“Yes my child,” the man who stood at the edges of the shadows held a glass of blood between his slender fingers. “I couldn’t sleep for all the wrong that was going on in the house.” His Russian accent poured out through his words.
Madeleine stepped forward a little, “So you’ve been listening most of this time?”
He nodded, “Yes…you’re Madeleine sent from the American Council for some sort of work?”
“Not exactly,” Madeleine said, “But I was just wondering what kind of turmoil this is everyone is speaking of?”
Lushia started to step further into the light and froze, his white button down shirt now held two spreading spots of crimson. His mouth opened in shock and he dropped his long stemmed wine glass to the floor.
Two long forked hooks burst through his chest and lifted him off the ground. They came from the darkness behind him. Daunte jumped back in awe and Dee just spoke, “A demon attack?”
The Elder’s body was flung to the side off of the hooks and a huge beast stepped out of the archway. It’s tiny head and long rustic hooks caused it to resemble a distorted version of a praying mantis.
Madeleine slipped her coat off onto the floor and held her hands up in front of her. In a flash her forearms became incased in rock and she slammed them together, “You want to take this together, Dee?”
Dee’s coat was on the floor already, “Yeah but lets make quick work of this, it’d be a shame to mess up this dress.” Out of Dee’s back great glorious wings spread opening up in a flurry of falling feathers, she was holding her scythe now, “Daunte, tend to the Elder.”
Daunte didn’t know what to say, he didn’t even know what he was seeing.
In a rush of air Madeleine took off into the air as soon as her wings were out, her arms were heavy with the stones she had covered them in. The weight would be her attack, she got as much elevation as she could up into the towering top of the gothic palace and then swooped down pulling her wings in and slammed her fists down on top of the demon.
The creature screeched and was knocked to the ground skidding across the marble floors. Dee threw her scythe at the thing and it deflected the blow. Dee caught the scythe and Madeleine landed hard as she tried to run up on the creature. She drew her fist back and gave it a large smash to the face. Daunte had gathered the body of Lushia up and gotten him out of the way.
As Daunte stopped and place Lushia on the floor off to the side, he looked up to see the demon had teleported out of the punch that Madeleine had delivered and was right over him with claws drawn back.
With nothing else they could do, the two Nephilim froze unable to make it down the hall in time enough to stop the attack. Out of thin air there came a reverberating clomp sound and the creature looked up to its side. Before it could react or move, the thing was catapulted down the hallway and into Madeleine’s now sharpened rock arm.
Impaled. The thing gasped and died as Madeleine ripped it from her arm. It lay on the ground and Madeleine sighed, “Well this isn’t going to come off easily…” there was a spot of demon blood on the side of her dress.
Dee shook her head, “Apples.” The horse had manifested itself beside the demon and kicked it, probably saving Lushia’s life, “Come here you big baby!” she called the horse, the horse galloped the hall and stopped before her. She hugged him around his neck, “That’s momma’s big boy, you did a good thing—a really good thing.”
Madeleine examined the rocks now falling from her arm, “Seems I don’t have total control over my powers yet.”
“Why is that,” Dee asked.
“I didn’t sharpen my arm like that—it just happened,” she said.
Daunte stood supporting Lushia over his shoulder, “What are the two of you?” he asked.
“Long story short,” Dee started, “We’re Angels.”
“This isn’t a joke,” Daunte said.
“We’re not joking—we came here to get help with a problem,” said Madeleine.
Daunte started to move with the Elder slowly, “We’ve got problems of our own, that’s probably the thirtieth time a demon’s attacked the house in the last few days and then there’s the problem with the computers…”
“Computers?” asked Madeleine.
“Our house’s super computer has been crippled by a virus that seems almost…demonic in origin,” said Daunte.
Dee shook her head, “Sound like anyone you’ve heard of?” she asked acknowledging Madeleine.
“That dirty bastard…” she paused, “There was a demon who could get into different types of technology and mask himself,” she said. Something just told her this was him again.
“So what do we do about him?” asked Daunte as he continued to move forward slowly.
“Let us handle it,” said Dee.
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