Aradel's Daughter Chapter I

So this is the first chapter. Go for it, and crit as hard as you like.

Chapter I - Captured

Cela sat straight up in bed, her heart was racing. Her copper hair gleamed it the pale sunlight filtering through the curtains, as it sat relaxed on her shoulders. Cela's apple-green eyes flew around her room, checking every corner for things that could be hiding in the shadows. She was still human, in bed. Not a vampire in a forest. Well, she was human for now.

"Cel?" a soft voice questioned, startling Cela even more than before. She relaxed in the bed, and pulled her robe tight around her, locking in the heat.

"You can come up Sal," She replied, staring at her door. There was the soft thump of feet walking up stairs, and another woman, Salenca walked inside. Sal stood at average height, with long brown hair that hid her face, every once and a while you could catch her hazel eyes, so intense in color, staring at you from under her hair.

"Oh Cela, you poor thing," Sal said, as she walked over to the bed and sat down, giving Cela a brief hug.

"I'm fine Sal, I promise," Cela remarked with certainty, breaking away with a tilt of her head so Salenca couldn't look at her face.

"I know, it's just so hard." Sal said sadly, glancing out the window.

"Times are hard Sal, living through them just makes us harder." Cela responded.

"True. Only too true," With a final hug, Sal stood up. "I'll be back. I should check downstairs, God only knows what will happen if I don't. We don't need any visitors sneaking in unexpectedly." She winked at Cela, and let the door shut behind her. Cela sighed, and stood up. She stretched, and slipped into the small bathroom connected to her room. Or more specifically, Salenca's room. As it was, Cela was currently without a home, but Sal had willingly took her in, and adopted her.

In the bathroom Cela welcomely slid into the warm shower, the hot water cascading down her head felt good, too good. She toweled off, and pulled on faded blue jeans and her favorite worn blue tee shirt, finally she pulled on a crimson hooded sweatshirt, which felt fuzzy and warm on her cool skin.

Why are they here? She thought anxiously, What do they want from us anyway? Thoughts like this where ever present in Cela's mind, always roaming in and out of her thoughts.

Out of nowhere Cela heard a loud crash, and Salenca moaning. Cela stopped dead, and listend closely. She could make no sense of what Sal was trying to say. Out of nowhere however, the noise suddenly ceased.

"Sal? Salenca? Are you okay?" Cela shouted, not realizing how dangerous it could be. When no response came she became extremely worried, throwing open her door she ran down the stairs. Sal was no where to be seen, but there was blood, fresh on the aged wooden floor boards. "SAL!" Cela shrieked, worried for her friend. All of a sudden she saw a figure standing in the shadows. It slowly began to advance on her, and at last it ran across the room, clamping his arms around her neck. Cela felt his breath on the back of her neck, cold and raspy like someone who had smoked their entire life. The hairs on the back of her head stood on end, and her heart began to race as fast as a hummingbirds thrumming wings.

"I heard you girl. Those incessant thoughts constantly roaring through your poor mind." He whispered in a hoarse voice. "How you want to know why we came? What we want? Why-" He continued on in a mock-baby voice. "You know what we are. You know why we're here. You know much, much more than you think. I'm guessing more than I could even imagine."

"Vampire," Cela spat the word out like it was poison. "You're a vampire." She said with disgust.

"Yes, oh yes you've caught us, thick in the act. Yes, we're here to get you!" With that he spun her around so Cela could see his face. The vampire was tall, looming far above Cela. He had gaunt, blood-red eyes, and long tangled, greasy black hair. He wore dirty decaying blue jeans, and a strained black tee-shirt full of holes and stains.

"Urgh," She grunted, and with that Cela shrieked and ran for the stairs. I need to get to my room, I need to-her thoughts were cut short as the vampire lunged for her. He caught her arms, and kicked her in the small of her back. She sagged in pain, and he twisted her arms, throwing her over his back like a sack of potatoes. She could not fight him, it was in that moment, that he ran.

Cela awoke, her head pounding, her heart racing. She groggily opened her eyes, and sighed with relief, At least he isn't here. And at any rate, where is here? She pulled her red hair behind her head and sat up. Her eyes roamed around the stone room. Well I am not at Sal's, not by a long shot. But where the Hell am I? Where- Once again Cela's thoughts were cut short. She looked forward. There was a pair of black shiny shoes in front of her. Of course there were legs in those shoes. She slowly let her eyes trail upward. There was the vampire.

"I'm sorry, I've not yet introduced myself yet. I'm Xavier. And you're--?" He began.

"Julia. Julia Yates," She responed. Julia had been her friend, before the accident. And at any rate, why would he know who she was?

"Very tricky Cela. You should learn not to lie, didn't anyone teach you better?" He snarled cruelly.

Cela's heart began to race. Xavier bent over, and placed his mouth on the back of her neck. Cela could feel his fangs, not quite penetrating her skin. He was supporting her up, and then the door opened, shocking him.

"Xavier!" A sharp, peculiar voice burst in, that Cela thought sounded rather familiar but could not decide where or when she had last heard it. "Put the girl down, now."

"But Master!" Xavier pleaded, pulling his head of from Cela's neck. Cela could not see the man, that Xavier called 'Master', she could only just see his shadow in the light of the door frame.

"Down, put her down. We need her for later." The man said.

"Yes Master," Xavier sighed, setting Cel down, he placed his mouth by her ear and whispered, "Goodbye girl, you've escaped, for now!" With that both men walked out of the room, and Cela was left in utter darkness…

"Get up girl," Xavier said in a gruff voice. When Cel tried and found she could not he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, his fingers closing around her collar, another hand around her waist. Though she would have liked to resist, she could not. Cela then heard the sound of ripping seams as he lifted her up. "You’re coming with me, my Master wants you." With that Xavier led her through a labyrinth of passageways, crisscrossing bridges, staircases, trick walls, and just about anything else one could come up with.

They finally arrived at Xavier’s destination. They were on a bridge leading to a tower,

and when Cela chanced a look around she could see that they were high up in a mountain. The air was less dense, and it was harder for her to breathe. He opened the door and thrust Cel onto the floor, she fell hard on her hands and knees.

"I’m assuming you have the girl then Xavier?" The man's back was to Xavier.

"Yes Master, of course Master." Xavier murmured, stepping back towards the door.

"You have yet to fail me, out of all of the others. You may rise soon."

"Oh thank you Master, thank you!" He said, losing his composure. Then, Cela guessed, he realized how foolish he looked, but could find no way to correct himself. He made a small mumbled noise, and backed away farther.

"I never said you will, I said you may... Now, leave me to talk with the girl."

"Yes Master." Xavier bowed his head, partially to show respects, and partially in shame. He kicked Cela before walking away, smiling. She could not see his master, for her face was on the floor and she was to weak to move. She prayed that this man was no worse than Xavier.

EDIT: Edited version swapped out with original.