Short Fiction | Vampires | LGBTQ+
Tales of the Georgia Vampires: Masked Masquerade
The music pulsed around Chris’ ears as he ploughed through the dancing bodies that thronged the Biltmore Ballrooms. Light glimmered softly down upon them from the crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling; they suffused everything with a soft glow and chased away night shadows.
He sensed Karl close behind him and so, guided his partner through the dancers. The two vampires headed for a more secluded corner near the rear of the Georgian ballroom. The seclusion was only minimal at best with wide open spaces and Palladian windows; there was no room for any real privacy in the entire building. Across the reception area in the Imperial Ballroom, Chris knew that there were still more people to feed from, if they so wished.
Chris’ eyes scanned the dancing revellers as he passed between them. Their faces were covered by a plenitude of highly decorated masks and bright smiles. The scent of blood was thick upon the air, almost overpowering the smell of overheated bodies and alcohol in the place.
Chris turned and glanced over his shoulder; he saw that Karl’s nostrils were flared. The broader vampire’s chin slightly was lifted as he inhaled the intoxicating scents of potential victims surrounding them both. Black-brown feathers fanned out in short fluffy strands from the mask that Karl wore, that were almost the same shade of brown as Karl’s hair. The colour perfectly accentuated the hazel shade of Karl’s eyes and brought out new shades of green amongst the brown that Chris hadn’t noticed before.
Chris turned away and adjusted his own mask a little self-consciously. He still wasn’t entirely convinced that his own peach-coloured silken mask looked as good on him as the feathered mask looked on Karl. He reminded himself that it didn’t matter if he did look a little silly; after all, they weren’t on the official Masked Masquerade guest list. Chris and Karl were merely gate-crashers hoping to fit in long enough to garner a quick meal before they ghosted away on predators’ feet once more. They both knew that they’d be long gone before they even had a chance of being discovered.
Chris stopped once he’d reached the perfect vantage point before he leant casually up against one of the pillars that ran along each side of the ballroom. Karl stopped beside him, one hand instinctively rising to rest upon the small of Chris’ back as though marking out his territory without even thinking about it. Chris did not step away; instead he leaned into Karl’s personal space and pressed his mouth close to Karl’s ear as he spoke.
Even though Karl, as a vampire, had excellent hearing and would be able to hear Chris even if he whispered from several feet away, Chris still wanted to lean in anyway, if only to scent the smell of peaches that clung closely to Karl’s hair and skin.
“See any potential meals on your way through?” Chris asked and his lips brushed teasingly against the shell of Karl’s ear.
Karl nodded and his gaze left the thronging crowd momentarily to smile slightly at the other vampire. His fangs were prominent behind the usual shield of his lips which indicated that Karl was more than a little excited to get started with feeding. Both vampires were usually more circumspect in hiding their otherness, after all. Even so, Chris was glad that it was a masked party that they were attending; after all, if anyone caught sight of their fangs, any onlookers would assume it was part of the costume, minimal though it was.
“Several,” Karl replied before he returned his gaze to the surrounding humans. “I really don’t know where to goddamned start, kid.”
“Me neither,” Chris agreed with a grin and he was aware of his own fangs showing with his own hungry anticipation.
No one seemed to notice the vampires; instead, they seemed more intent on carousing and drinking than paying attention to those that stood on the outskirts of proceedings. Karl was glad that they weren’t the only ones not dancing yet; several other people were also standing on the outskirts, watching.
“Look at them,” Chris said with a snort. “They have no real idea what’s in their midst, do they?”
“All the better for us, kid,” Karl replied as he turned a smirk upon Chris. “Just think, we have the pick of the bunch and not one of them can stop us.”
“True,” Chris replied with a laugh. “Shall we get started?”
“Thought you’d never goddamned ask,” Karl replied which made Chris laugh again, mischievousness clear in his equally clear blue eyes.
Karl returned the smile and waited until Chris took the first step onto the dance floor. He followed and integrated with the masses easily. Karl soon found a willing dance partner almost immediately — a petite brunette with short hair and a cheerful smile.
Karl’s gaze lifted momentarily and found Chris nearby who’d picked out a similar dark-haired girl to dance with. They nodded one to the other before Karl’s attention was dragged back to the girl in his arms when she tried to drunkenly kiss him. He leaned down and found the height difference almost disconcertingly awkward; his mouth latched onto the girl’s neck easily despite his previous awkwardness. She giggled and seemed oblivious to her fate before she threw her arms around his neck to steady herself. She cried out when his fangs slid home into her throat yet she did not pull away; instead, she leaned against him while he drank, his greedy tongue lapping and pulling at the blood that welled from her veins.
They continued dancing and to the crowds around them, it looked as though they were sharing a brief nuzzle. Karl knew that no one would truly suspect what was going on. He drew away without drawing too much blood from her and apart from looking a little dazed, the girl looked none the worse for wear.
Chris had once told him that once bitten, a victim was in the vampire’s thrall and hypnotized into not remembering exactly what had happened once it was all over. The fact that they’d chosen to feed from people that were already drunk helped — any memory loss in the morning would be blamed entirely on the alcohol.
Karl moved on, dancing with many and drinking from few. Across the room, Chris mirrored his movements, head dipping low to hide the flash of fangs and the progress of feeding. At the end of an hour when the two vampires had drunk their fill, they filtered out into the night. They left the masked revellers at the masquerade oblivious to what exactly had transpired amongst their very numbers.
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