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Two weeks later
Lucy's POV
I smile at Mina when she is going through my closet of clothes. She is stunned of how many outfits I have and I am letting her take anything she wants since half if not most of those clothes I have not worn in a long time. I know Mina can fit in them and put them to good use with her job. I would give my clothes away to those that truly need it but none of them who have no homes or jobs will not be able to use fancy dresses, skirts and heels like the ones I wear as a lawyer. Mina picks a lot of warm color outfits to wear which I expected nothing less of her to pick.
I put a touch of hairspray on my hair after straightening it out from my natural curly hair. Then I add some light makeup, clear lip gloss and black eyeliner. I slip into my calm nude dress with a gold plated bracelet, watch, necklace and earring set with a teardrop of a black diamond and heels with black and nude colors to bring my outfit together. I put on my family ring without the care that it does not match with my outfit. I will always wear my family ring no matter the outfit.
"Shame on me for not asking this sooner, my cases have been filling my days. How was the New Year's eve party two weeks ago?" I ask her grabbing my long sleeve, black velvet jacket by my work briefcase and purse.
"It was really good." Mina says with a certain grin on her face.
I slowly turn around to see that grin of hers with my own eyes. I open my mouth knowing exactly what that grin is for. I point at her like she was a naughty girl and shout in joy to her, "Oh! You and Vlad finally did the deed!"
Mina's face turns red as she buries her face into her hands almost embarrassed but I tell her, "You have no reason to be embarrassed or shy about it. That is so great. You do not have to give me any details of any kind but I have to ask one thing."
"Depending on what you are asking." Mina tells me while her face still has some red to it.
"How was it?" I ask her like a girl in high school.
"It was great in every way possible for a man and woman to be together..." Mina says with much satisfaction in her voice of how well Vlad treated her.
I shout in joy for her, "Heck yeah! Go Mina!"
I did have some worry for Vlad when it came down to certain physical issues due to his vampire side. He can have sex with other vampires as a vampire but a human, he would have quite literally ripped her throat out due to the blood pumping and heart racing that sex brings out in anyone during the whole sex time. However I am happy it worked out for them. I clap my hands together for all of this while she is laughing in my reaction for her and Vlad.
Then I take a look at my watch realizing I need to get going for work as does Mina. We leave my apartment as I help her load the outfits into her car. I hug Mina and wave her off. I am happy Vlad is able to move on with her. He does deserve to have a second chance at life and forgiveness for all he has done. We both do.
I look up to the cloudy gray skies with a light snow storm falling onto the city. I cannot help in thinking of Kiral. I truly wish I could see him again. My mind fills with his eyes, warm smile, his touch and most of all, his lips and taste of his blood. I brush the tip of my fingers across my lips in how good it felt with him and his note with the yellow rose.
I open my eyes knowing I need to get to work. I walk my way there and go into the elevator where my assistant meets me with a few case files we will be handling today and figuring out a few back to back court appearances later in the week.
"How are you not cold in this weather?" My assistant, Jenny asks me while she is wearing somewhat heavy winter clothes to keep herself warm.
"I've had more than enough time to get use to the cold." I chuckle in how much she looks like a wrapped up marshmallow in her thick clothes.
"I do not find hardly any joy in the winter." She says shivering a little.
"There can be if you know where to look. The winter can bring joy like playing the snow, riding in a horse drawn sleigh, the wondrous sight of a snowy forest lights up with a full moon over it if you were to do a winter hike and hardly anyone can deny a very good hot chocolate watching a snow storm over the city." I tell her.
She cannot deny my words about the joys of winter and asks me if there is something I always wanted to do in the snow. I grin in a playful way saying, "I always wanted to have sex in the middle of the snowy forest under a light snow storm, letting the snow be our blanket."
Jenny has her mouth open in shock but fun in how honest I am about what I wanted to do. "Lucy, you have no filter which I love. And if I know you, you will do that. You better let me know how it goes."
We giggle at one another when we get up to the seventh floor where my office is. I thankfully have a corner office with certain glass windows to keep the heat of the sunlight out, a way to show others I am in the sunlight however I have blackout curtains on both sides of the sheer curtains when needed. I sit at my office desk and begin working on some files that need to be handled right away.
My entire office is made with calm, warm colors that will work with almost any colors I wear in my outfits plus it is a bit more welcoming than the basic offices I have seen other lawyers have. And since I cannot be out in the sunlight, I want warm colors around in my life in whatever way possible.
I make a few phone calls and close deals right away as my assistant helps some clients over the phone, reviewing legal data for upcoming court appearances. She only brings shocking new evidence or legal data that could throw off major important cases. I look at my gold watch to see the time; I need to get to court for the final process of the judge's ruling. I stare at the case file with the photo of a wife that was physically and mentally abused by her husband trying to leaving him while getting full custody of her kids. And when she attempted to leave, he broke his legal restraining order, attacking her.
I am still shocked how he was able to go on this long without someone teaching that shell of a man that his actions have consequences and they will be paid for. He bruised and beat her, over eight assaults. She sustained injuries that required up to ten days of Medicare care she couldn't afford. He was able to trick the cops that someone else broke in and beat her down or he claimed self defense or that she was trying to hurt herself and the kids.
But God's grace, she had hidden cameras set up with the recordings of all the attacks he did to her. He never knew she had the cameras and flew into a rage when the judge gave a restraining order and temporary custody of the children. I was on my way to met her when I heard him over the phone breaking into the hotel room they were staying in.
Thankfully I arrived when he broke the restraining order; he threw a few punches at her in front of her four kids when I intervened by forcefully slamming his face against the sidewalk and breaking his arms in the process. He never thought a reckoning would come but it did when I showed him he was powerless the second his arms snapped like twigs under my power. It felt great to hear his agonizing screams after I briefly used vampire strength. The cops were called by one of the children and arrived right after it occurred which truly helped her case in the long run.
I get over to the courthouse and everything is in place until the opposing lawyers for the cruel husband still demand full custody of his kids. I stand to my feet ready to crush him once and for all as I stare the cruel husband down. He gives me a smirk until I briefly show him my vampire red eyes when no one else is looking. The cruel husband looks like he is going to piss his pants and jumps up in terror, pointing at me in fear but to others, it looks like rage that he is being challenged.
The judge orders him to sit down and he points at me then to his wife shouting, "You are nothing more than demons!"
"That is enough and based on everything I have been given, solid video proof of his attacks, breaking the restraining order and his outburst, I am rewarding full custody of the children to the mother along with all of the settlements made. As for you, you will be under arrest until your hearing."
"She is a demon! Demon!" He points directly at me in the hopes he could get me back and win the judge over.
However I put on a face of shock in how far he is going. He tries to lunge at me but the judge calls for the guards and they take him away without a moment to spare. He is having a break down that will help my client's case even more as he continues to attempt to break free from the guards. They finally drag him out of the court room as his screams echo into the back hall until he is no longer heard.
I look back to see my client hugging her children in the joy that she has her children back and enough money to help her family for the rest of their lives. I ask for the judge to allow my client to change her name back to her maiden name. The judge allows it and expects the paperwork by this weekend. I tell him it will be done. He dismisses us and give the wife good luck for the new life she will have.
We all walk out in joy that everything is falling into place for them. She hugs me along with her children. I smile knowing this is one of the best things about my job is helping people who truly need it. However there is one more thing I need to do before they start their new life away from the cruelty they endured for years.
We go outside to see the snow is falling a little bit more than earlier. The kids raise their arms in the air to try to catch the snowflakes for a bit before their mother has her children get in the car. "I do not know how to thank you enough, Lucy. You have to let me pay your fees."
"No you don't have to. You use every penny toward your children now plus I have more than enough money that I have no idea what to do with. All that matters is that you will never have to see that bastard again."
She smiles at me like she looks up to me in some way. "Do you have a little gangster in you?"
"I most certainly do and more." I wink to her playfully.
"I'll let you know when we get to my parents." She says about to get into the car however I stop her for a second.
"Mind if I tell you something?" I ask her.
She looks to her kids then back to me. She shakes her head yes as her brown hair is softly blowing in the winter wind when I gently place my hand on her shoulder. I ensure she is listening to what I am going to say to her even hear her heart beat through each word she takes in. I stare into her beautiful face then hook into her brown eyes. I feel her locked onto me the same way I did Mina toward her mother. I want to make sure my words make a true impact on her.
"You, yourself went through a level of hell on earth with your husband. And now this new beginning, your kids are taken care of with all that has happened, there is no worry about money means to keep them feed, clothed and everything they need for school and college. I want you to take all of that and know it is only going to get harder. All of you will have a harder time trusting anyone that enters your life and their lives over time."
"You are barely at the first mile of the marathon. I suggest you go to council with your children since they are more than old enough to understand what happened. I do know that everybody is going to tell you how to feel. It will be your close friends and family to tell you that everything is good and there is nothing more to be afraid of, stay positive. And many others on top of all that are going to tell you not to feel sorry for yourself. And maybe even your therapist will tell you not to be furious or feel sorry for yourself."
"I already am furious..." She barely lets out with some tears in her eyes.
I take a step closer and whisper to her, "At whom?"
She struggles to contain a sob and crying in front of her children however she needs to let this out so it is does not build up and explode on people that care about her and people she cares about especially her children.
"I am furious at myself for letting all of this go on the way it did. I was so stupid to think I could make it work; hoping that I could change him or being the father of our children would be enough. But nothing was ever enough for him. I want my life back." She whispers to me before she buries her face in her hands. I bring her head into my shoulder to let her cry it out for a bit.
"I am going to tell you that no man or anyone else can give your life back. Maybe you will fall in love again, I hope so. But maybe you won't. However your ability, drive and love for your children will be a start to help get you through it, the rest will be for you to get through it as all of this gets harder to overcome. And honesty overcoming it, facing it head on is three thousand times more powerful than putting on a good, brave face pretending like none of this happened or that everything is just fine. Do you understand?"
I move my hands down to her hands as her hands grab onto me like I am her only lifeline but she needs to know that she has be her own lifeline for herself and her children. I slowly let go of her hands and turn her around to look at her four beautiful children smiling at her in the car.
"No one and I mean no one can give the lives of you and your children back. Only you can do that by taking it back for yourself and your children most of all. They come first above all else." I smile to her as she lets out a deep sigh to recollect herself.
"Thank you." She tells me in between more sobs.
"Now get going. I am sure your parents are more than ready to meet their grandchildren for the first time. Call me when you get there safely. I demand updates on how you and your children are doing especially when they graduate from school to college."
"Yes, Miss Westenra. Again, thank you for everything. You're the best." She says to me.
"I most definitely am and don't you forget it." I wink to her as I playful push her to car.
However she comes back over and hugs me one more time before getting into the car with her children. They all climb over to the driver's seat and hug her. She manages to hold all four of her kids in her arms for a few moments, to let the memory sink in that she is free from the cruel shell of a man and she can take her life back. I back away slowly when she drives off and her children are waving goodbye to me. I smile and wave back to them until I could no longer see them driving down the road and out of the snow city.
I turn around to see that this completes my work day thankfully. I am in the mood to satisfy my thirst however it has been hard to do so since drinking Kiral's blood almost two months ago. I do fear that Vlad is right that I am carving for him. And I know the dangers of craving someone, especially someone I care about.
It is insane to already care for someone after one night with them but there is something about him that is familiar and I cannot let it go. It is to the point I feel like he is near me, even his entrancing smell is so fresh and real. I close my eyes, wishing he was here again until I hear his voice saying my name. I know I must be going mad if I am imagining his voice saying my name. I chuckle to myself as I brush my right hand over my forehead.
When suddenly I hear his voice more clear like it is actually happening and it is not in my head. I slowly turn around to actually see him, Kiral. Kiral is standing across from me with a warm smile on his handsome entrancing face at the sight of me. I let out a laugh in joy that this is actually happening. I never expected to see him, possibly ever again due to his line of work.
He comes forward almost with a kind of glow on him as if he is the sun wrapping his arms around me like I am going to the other side. He has his shoulder length hair down and wearing a sexy suit compared to when I first saw him in the bar. He walks over to me real slowly like my wish came true. However I freeze up wondering if this is some sort of trick that his blood is doing to me or I am craving him so much that he is not really here before me.
"I heard you were one heck of a lawyer but seeing it in person is something else. I need to have you as a lawyer as well." He whispers to me.
Then I pull away from his hug to me in realizing he truly is standing in front of me. I gasp in joy that he truly is here. This is no joke or trick of any kind. He really is here before me. He stares at me wondering if something is wrong when I place my hand on his chest to feel him.
"This is real isn't? You are here..." I whisper to him as my right hand goes up his chest to rest gently around his lower neck so I can hear his heart beat. His heart beat is going slightly fast at my touch and smile to him.
"Yes I am here, Lucy. I do wish it under good news. However I get to see you again while I am here for a mission is good news to me." He seems surprised I am even asking him if he is real.
I hug him in the fact he is here and this is no trick of some kind. He chuckles in how I am hugging him when he wraps his arms around me for the second time. I melt into his arms, resting my face into his neck, taking in every second that I can feel his warmth, scent, all of him. He brushes his fingers down my long hair taking all of me in as well.
Then I open my eyes of recalling his words about a mission. I step back from him in the dread that I am his mission. Maybe what Vlad said about him is true. But Kiral gently takes my hands into his saying, "No, not you. Lucy, you are not my mission nor would you ever be. In fact, I am here to ask for some information about an old friend of yours. Can we go to your place so we can talk more privately?"
I listen to his heart beat knowing he is of course telling the truth. I feel relieved that I am not his mission. I understand that when a vampire becomes a mission for Kiral, he is sent to bring the vampire in or hunt it and kill them in that order. I shake my head yes as I embrace my hands around his while we walk the entire way back to my place hand in hand.
"I did not think I would ever see you again to the point I wished I would see you again." I tell him like it is the last time I will ever be able to tell him anything.
"You are not the only one, Lucy." He says with his sweet smile to me.
He reaches into the inside jacket pocket and gently pulls out a yellow rose with a black satin ribbon tied around the stem of the rose. I smile at the sight of another yellow rose from him. I take the rose in my hand thanking him. He kisses me on the forehead while taking the time to walk back to my place in the light snow falling all around us.
We reach my place with a soft layer of snow on our jackets and top of our heads. I open the door and he enters into my place. He fully takes it in again with actual light from the cloudy skies shining in. He smiles all across my place recalling every spot we had sex on the first night we met. I smile back at him and I am honestly surprised we didn't break anything during our fifty shades of sex.
He takes his jacket off and I tell him he can shake the snow off since my cleaner will be here later today so the mess won't be a problem. He shakes his jacket enough then sets it on the coat hanger I have on the back of my door. I set my briefcase and purse down then I place the yellow rose on kitchen counter. I am about to take off my velvet black jacket however Kiral comes over, extending his hands out to help take my jacket off.
I smile in how much of a gentleman he is when I take my arms out of the sleeves and let the jacket fall into his arms without the snow coming off the jacket. He asks me where I would want it and I tell him where to find my closet and where to hang it so I can clean it later. He does so as I remain watching him, ready to jump him right now.
Although, I need to contain myself with why he is here and who his mission is. But that does not go over well when I confess to him with no self control after mentally telling myself to stay in control, "Kiral, I know you are here for a mission but I cannot express how happy I am to see you again."
"That makes two of us, Lucy." He says while walking back over to me.
"Can we have one moment together before we go into details of the mission?" I ask him wanting this that I ache for any second with him.
He shakes his head yes with the same warm smile on his face. "Yes, Lucy."
We stand before each other as the cloudy skies allow me to fully take him in. I brush my fingers through his dark brown curly hair touching his shoulders. Then my fingers go over his beard to his lips. We cannot resist in smiling to one another when he takes my right hand and kisses the inside of it a few times. I break the space between us when he gently kisses me on the lips.
All of my senses are slowly taken under in the smell of willow trees and mix of lavender, the sweet and savory smell of his blood singing to me as I kiss him back. He moves both of his hands to rest on the sides of my neck and I can already tell he wants to do more with me as do I with him. We begin to kiss passionately as his breathing becomes heavier in each beat of his heart. I playful snarl in using my speed from the living room to my bedroom that I shove him to the edge of my bed.
He has a look of surprise on my face when I climb on top of him. He runs his fingers to the back of my dress ready to unzip it. I move my hands to his shirt and begin to undo it quickly. However I stop knowing I will truly crave him if we go any further. I force myself off of him and stand across my bedroom from him.
He is breathing fast and stands up from the bed. He recollects himself when he looks down to see his shirt. He chuckles and starts buttoning it back up smiling at me. "I could swear you have more than two hands, Lucy Westenra. And I am guessing that I'm not the only one who cannot stop thinking about our night together."
I cannot resist in smiling to know he cannot get our night together out of his head as well. I did have some small fear that he never thought about it due to his line of work. But I have been in his mind as much as he has been in mine. I keep the space between us knowing he needs to ask for whatever information he can. We walk back into the living room.
"What is the information you are looking for? You mentioned something about it being an old friend of mine."
"Yes. You are aware of a record that has the most dangerous vampires in the world and if anyone makes the top five in that very list becomes a mission or will forever be kept an eye on due to the Immortal Game of Revenge the Master Vampire is planning to unleash upon the world." Kiral tells me when he goes over to a small backpack I never realized he had with him until now.
He reaches inside to pull out a tablet. Kiral starts it up when I ask him, "Am I on the Record?"
"Yes however nowhere near the top five vampires. You were in sixth on the Record during your time with Dracula and with the Master Vampire. But over time, you lowered which hardly anyone else has done centuries. It is highly impressive that many would consider you to be an ally against the Master Vampire when the time comes. And I have agreed on many occasions that you would make a great ally against him. You know how he works a little, enough to possibly know what his next moves would be."
I feel flattered and some relief that I am lowered on The Record. I know a great deal of vampires that fear being on it. The gossip is that once you are on that record, there is no coming off it. But the fact I am lowered on it is a rare thing alone. Here is where he is wrong; no one could ever understand or know the next move of the Master Vampire, no matter how much time one spends among him.
"If you want information about the Master Vampire, I have nothing on him. No one ever does so I cannot help you."
"No. I am not here about the Master vampire; he is a suicide mission for a skilled hunter even for me. I am actually here about another vampire. A vampire you have spent a great deal of time with and know better than almost anyone."
"Is it Dracula?" I ask in fear that Dracula was his mission.
"No, it is not him. For centuries, Dracula has always been the second on the record. The Master Vampire will always remain number one. But recently, that has changed. Someone else has become number two, making Dracula now third and you know who it is." He extends the tablet to me.
I take the tablet in my hands to see the record for myself. I imagine not many see the list like I am. I begin to see names on the list. I know quite a number of names on here from my long years as a vampire. Many I never met personally or I have heard stories through Dracula. But I'm surprised to see the name, Jack the Ripper on it due to his brutal killings around London in 1888. My eyes go to Kiral who is nodding about Jack the Ripper being a vampire. But I wonder what made Jack the Ripper stop his killings after Mary Jane Kelly.
"I heard stories that he was dead, institutionalized or imprisoned. DO you know what happened to him?" I stare at Kiral pointing to Jack's name.
He gives a certain grin like he knows what happened to him. He moves the right sleeve of his arm up to show a scar from a vampire attacking him. My mouth gaps open at the sight of his scar confirming he faced against him. I question him, "You faced him yourself?"
"Indeed and captured him. He was clever to let the public know he cut out a body part or two here and there because he preferred blood from certain parts of the body. But given the amount of blood and brutally the killings, the Order knew he was a vampire and sent me after him. That battle is a distant memory for me but fondly remembered whenever his name is mentioned by others such as you."
"You'll have to tell me about that battle. I can never turn down a good story especially a story of Jack the Ripper." I say to him wanting to know all the details of it.
He gives a small chuckle in my wonder to know about his fight against Jack the Ripper. "It is a fun one to talk about but for now, keep scrolling up."
I scroll the list up to the top then freeze when seeing the names of the top five. I shudder back in seeing her name in second. I cannot believe it with my own eyes. This must be a trick compared to Kiral standing in front of me.
1 Master Vampire
2 Dracula's Bride Marishka – Countess Elizabeth Bathory
3 Dracula – Prince Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler
4 Draven – Vampire Son of Dracula
5 Mercy – Lena Brown
"That is not possible, Kiral. She has not been seen since Dracula left us to start his new life." I slam the tablet into his chest and walk away to get myself a drink in seeing Marishka's name. Kiral keeps the tablet in hand and comes back over to me.
"I know, Lucy. She disappeared like she never existed at all until my contact informed me of a sighting of her." Kiral agrees with my words while I grab a bag of blood from my hidden blood bank to take my mind off of what he just showed me.
"I have not heard or seen her name since she left. I thought she and I would remain together forever as the vampire sisters we were apart from being the brides of Dracula. But she left without a word or even a goodbye. Dracula really fucked up when choosing her for a vampire bride. All in all, your contact has it wrong. You need someone else that can give you true information."
"It is true, Lucy. She has been spotted here. My contact could not believe it herself until she made sure it was truly her. My contact scrapped to the bottom of the pot on Marishka. It is truly her. And if the record is not enough, maybe this will be." He pulls up something new on the tablet then shows it to me.
I drop the blood bag on the table and gasp in shock in what I am seeing. I see it is a photo of what looks like a party and she is there at the party wearing what looks like the very same black, corset gown that Vlad gave her when she first became his vampire bride. I grab the tablet and zoom in on her face. I smile to see it truly is her. It really is Marishka!
"There are more photos of her; swipe right." Kiral tells me as he grabs the blood bag, opening then pours the blood into a wine glass for me.
I look at the other photos and see a clear photo of her entirely. I place my hand over my mouth when I see the date of the photos taken. They were taken on New Year's Eve 2014 to 2015 and she is truly here. I set the tablet down to take all of this in. Kiral extends the wine glass of blood to me but I refuse it. He places the glass down on the kitchen counter then rests his hand on top of mine knowing how much of a shock this is for me.
"I often wondered if she allowed herself to die by not ever drinking any blood, the worst death a vampire could ever do to themselves is by not drinking blood, slowly dying over time as the body decays away like dust. She always said she would if Dracula would ever stop being her vampire lord. I hoped our vampire sister relationship would be enough not to make her do such an act." I tell Kiral.
I honesty never told anyone this, not even Vlad himself. He never understood what would happen to anyone else in his life if he left. I fear that it is now coming back for him. Marishka is not known for never forgiving and forgetting any bad deed done to her. And Dracula leaving her is the worst anyone could do to her.
I stare at the photo of her wanting to know what else he knows. "Where were these taken?"
"They were taken by my contact on the New Year's Eve party two weeks ago at hotel, Acasa la Dracula. I am surprised that no one looked at her twice given her dress did not fit the roaring 20's party theme of Great Gatsby and her pale state. But she was there almost like a ghost among the drunken pool of humans. We are not sure why she was there since she was the only vampire present. But what truly confirmed it was her were these brazen killings in the woods that very first night of January 1st, 2015."
He moves the photos to show a terrible crime scene with the bodies of men. Their bodies were torn apart by the look of wolves until he shows a signature on their bodies like this was not some animal attack from the true animals of those woods. To the human eye, it would look like a pack of raving wolves did these killings but to the trained supernatural eye, this was a vampire killing but the wolves did the rest with their bodies to cover their tracks.
"This is right here is our most common, child teaching lesson for any newborn vampire or a vampire who has not feed in a long time." I take my time scrolling through each crime scene photo one by one.
I can easily see this was sloppy work but enough that the humans investigating will believe that was the killing from a pack of wolves in the area. I see the bodies and light amount of blood over the snow on the ground, trunks of the trees scattered across the woods for a few miles along with the bodies like they were chased down in the thrill of the hunt.
"It is one of the oldest tricks in the book that Dracula taught us when we first became vampires. He taught us any methods to cover up the attacks and killings we did. One of them was killing a number of people in a forest habited with wolves to finish off their bodies." I tell Kiral staring at the dead man's face and his eyes alone tell that he died in fear.
"Why would Marishka use this hunting tactic and be in such a weaken state? Did she try to let herself die out of hunger?"
My head floods back to the moment Dracula walked away from us. And Marishka's sorrow of Vlad abandoning us causes her to destroy anything she can with her vampire strength in the dark mansion we lived in, crying out that everything we had is now gone. She cries out while Draven is ranting and raging in anger that his vampire father left him. Marishka sobs uncontrollably of how she would rather die a slow death than be without her vampire lord. I cry with her but her grief of Vlad leaving was ten times worse than we thought was possible.
"Bittersweet Death..." I utter out the words like it was a curse that never should be spoken from a single vampire.
"Bittersweet Death; I have heard of this but never a vampire truly attempting to do it. Do you believe she would do that?" Kiral has a look of shock on his face of hearing these two words.
"The Bittersweet Death is far worse than a vampire burning away in the sunlight according to the rare vampires who even attempted it. They do not feed for months, years and in doing so, their hunger start draining from their own blood, muscles and organs."
"It is almost like a human starvation, the body begins to use fat on the body then muscle as fuel into failure, then weakness, confusion and ultimately death of starvation." Kiral says to understand how it works.
"But when a vampire does it, we begin to see our own memories through our own blood as our body is fighting to stay alive. Most of the memories are of loved ones, our vampire makers or anyone else important in our long years. It becomes almost like poison in our veins when the body starts to decay to dust. The vampires that tried, they could not handle the memories and the agonizing pain of their bodies decaying. That must have been what happened to her by the look of her at the party."
I hand the tablet back to Kiral as he scrolls back to Marishka at the party to see how dreadful of a state she is in. I take a sip of the blood in the wine glass but the taste of the blood is not enough. I lost my appetite to drink right now due this news of Marishka. I go over to my window view as the snow continues to fall over the city. I wonder where Marishka is now especially in the 21st century. She has no idea what kind of world it is now compared to the 16th to 17th century.
"Marishka must have tried to kill herself through Bittersweet Death but couldn't go through with it. If this is the case of Marishka, her killings and vampire dress is enough to show evidence that she has no idea of the world she is in now compared to centuries ago. I know she will only kill when she needs to, rationing until she stands before Dracula again. She will want to feed with him to become whole again. "
Kiral sighs in understanding. I turn to see the gears turning in his head of what he has to do next. If she is killing like that, it means she has no updated ways to cover her tracks or ways of hunting. She is a danger to the human world and knows not of how much the world has updated their technology in cameras, DNA and much more. If she kills the wrong person, she will be caught and killed by the Order or Kiral if he is given the order to do so.
But the thing I fear above all else is that she is back for her vampire lord, Dracula. And Mina will be her target. I need to tell Vlad about Marishka returning, maybe even prepare to see and face her. Vlad does need to answer for some things he did for leaving us centuries ago but for Mina, she is innocent in all of this so protection for her against Marishka is my concern.
Then I realize something about Marishka that Kiral did not mention; Dracula, Vlad and Mina were at the party she was present in. How did Vlad not get detected like Marishka was? I ask in fear, "Are you sure there were no other vampires present at the party?"
"She was the only one. My contact is a vampire. Like all vampires, you can sense when a vampire is close. Marishka was the only one within miles of that party. We think that maybe she is sending a message that she has returned. However I told my contact to sit on this until I take the next step. You came to mind because aside from Dracula, you spent a great deal of time with her, you are one of the few left that she knows. Is there anything you can do to help us find her or even figure out what she may have planned?"
I understand why his contact was not able to sense any other vampires. Vlad must have been human during that party which explains how Mina was able to be with him intimately that night. I need to tell Vlad about her return after Kiral leaves.
"The first thing I suspect she will do is show herself to Dracula. See if she can convince Dracula to be her vampire lord again. She will hope he will come of his own freewill, remind him of what they had in the years together as vampires. Even the tale of the monster she heard before she met him for the first time. He may convince her that she has him in her hooks, delay her but if she feels anything less than the love they once had for each other, she will be unpredictable. There is no telling what she will do then."
"Where do you think she would go to hide away from the day?"
"Carfax Abby is the only place I can think of. It is in ruin and we spent time there when coming to London. It is the only place she would be familiar with for now aside from Broken Tooth Mountain."
Kiral looks down in dread of what is to come in Marishka returning as much as I do; then it dawns on me. Marishka is his mission which means he has to go after her, take her in for the Order to decide her fate or he already has his orders to hunt her down and kill her...
"Is your mission to kill her, Kiral?"
Kiral stares at me with an alarming look on my face of what his answer will be; I do know that none of this is easy for him by the look on his face to me. "The Order considered it but I managed to tell them to let me dig further into her as a vampire now before any decisions and orders are given. She completely ghosted from the world for centuries, no killings of any kind, just in the wind which means there is a chance for her if I can find her before she kills anyone else."
"And if I find her, I am more than willing to help her settle into the new world, possibly helping her with a new life. I have helped other vampires with their new lives because they had the urge and drive to want to make something different and new. I imagine all vampires want that, a life changing chance." Kiral says turning off the tablet.
I cannot help but to nod my head yes and tell him, "Yes, it is something we vampires imagine nonstop. However vampires are not big on change. The thing about a vampire's core is that we all want everything to remain the same, forever stable. We vampires are amazed in the sixty years or higher in age of how humans live and call that a life. We vampires, wolves even a few casters have a longer view of life. We want security above all else. We vampire brides and children of Dracula thought we had that. He gave us shelter, strength and an immortal life together and always. It was a weather proof shelter we could count on, a form of strength and power we shared."
"Then the weather proof shelter we believed we could count on completely removed that strength and power he created for us. Dracula was our vampire lord and father until he left us behind like what we had never mattered, he uprooted it with just a few words like it was the snap of fingers. She must have tried giving herself the Bittersweet death she wanted if she lost him while I went into the service of the Master Vampire for a century and a half. As for Anastasia, he turned her in the 19th century to save her from the death sentence her entirely family received. He trained her in every way he could to help her survive in the world as a vampire. Anastasia was his vampire daughter unlike us. When he felt she was ready to be on her own, she went back to her family roots because she still could but the rest of us could not do that." I tell Kiral and snap my fingers to show how quickly it changed for us.
I go toward the window view of my apartment to see the cloudy skies over the portion of the city I could see. I close my eyes recalling the times I believed to be infinity until the end of time. I wish there was a way I could show Kiral so he could understand how it all works, a better understanding so he can know how it felt and approach Marishka when Kiral finds her.
"Maybe she can have that all again, Lucy. But she builds it herself like you did. You went from Dracula's vampire bride, servant of the Master Vampire to a lost angel then doctor during the wars, help orphan kids finds homes, helping women and men get away from cruel abusive people which led to you being one of the top lawyers in the city, made a life for yourself that no one thought you could do. You shoved it in their faces unlike other vampires. You are proof that a vampire can have a life they want and change for the better. They just have to work for it as much as you did."
I turn around in joy that he knows all of the things I did after Dracula left. I give a small smile to him when he is face to face with me. "Yes, I did all of that. However all many still see is me as Dracula's vampire bride to this day or as I heard over time, I am nothing but damaged goods, nothing worthy for anyone to have once Dracula gets his claws in anyone."
"Your words alone explain why they never sent anyone to go after Dracula, he always manages to get his claws in them, turn them just like he did with Serena Van Helsing. She was one of their best hunters turned by the son of the Devil in a matter of months. I understand why he was given that name by the Master Vampire himself. It's quite fitting." Kiral says with a slight chuckle in his voice about Dracula being the son of the devil.
I look at him in the shock that he knows about Dracula turning a Van Helsing like it was nothing. I remember the Order did everything possible to cover that up and ensure that she was the one who turned Dracula against his own. And everyone in the Supernatural world believed it because he left his entire life behind the way he did.
"What do you plan to do now with this information?" I ask Kiral.
"For now, all I can do is dig into anything I can find on her to prove she has remained in the dark until recently. And if that is true, I'll find her and see if she will take my offer at a new life. If she does not take the offer then I'll have to capture her."
"What if I gave her the offer?" I ask wanting to help her if I can.
"I see no reason why not. I'll talk with the Order. I imagine they will want all the help they can get with her. If any enemies of Dracula learn she is walking the earth again, they may want to use her against Dracula or the Master Vampire will use her to gain Dracula back."
"We need to get to her first. If the offer comes from me, it could be enough. I can show her the life she can have without Dracula. But if it is not enough, you would be the last option before the worst one has to be made. She deserves a chance for something new rather than let others judge her for what her past has been."
Kiral couldn't agree more with my words. She does deserve a chance to have a new life and if I am allowed to help in any way shape or form, I will do what I can. "Alright, I will help in any way I can for Marishka, Lucy. I'll let you know what the Order says when I update them."
He pulls his phone out from his pocket then hands it to me. I knew he wanted my contact info which means we will be around each other more. And I want more of him in my life in every way possible. I put my information in his phone. I hand his phone back then he makes a call to someone.
Whoever he called answers and I can tell it is a woman. It must be his contact that got the photos of Marishka at the party. "Hey. See about any sources Marishka has and see if she recently only came out to the public. If that is the case, we can move from there. However if there are any sources, information to track anything she has done over the centuries, do not leave anything unturned. But most of all, get eyes on her no matter what."
"Ok. Is there anything else you want me to do, Kiral?"
"That is all for now and thank you. I appreciate all you do for me. It means a lot. I'll get a hold of you later on, Aneres."
"Same goes for you, Kiral."
Their phone call ends and Kiral goes for his coat. I can tell he already has to leave. I know I cannot stop him due to his line of work. But I wish there was a way he could stay, even for a few hours. I can tell that he even wants to stay a bit longer with how much time he takes to put his coat back on. But the one good thing that came out of this is that he has my number and he can call me anytime he wants.
"And for the record, you were Dracula's bride. Now you are the Venerated Vampire. Our past does not define who we are. If anything our past shapes who we become later in life but what happens after that is up to us. You are a good woman with a mighty core. Anyone who says otherwise can fuck off."
He does it once again in viewing me as a woman, the life I made for myself, not the Dracula vampire bride. I cannot help but to smile and bounce on my heels in being around Kiral again. I know he is here to give me mild information about Marishka but any minute I can spend with him, I will take it. I stare into his eyes as he gives me a warm smile and begins to leave.
"I will let you know when I have more, Lucy. Take care of yourself and no one else."
"Wait..." I let slip out almost like I am begging him not to go.
Kiral stops and slowly turns around with an adoring expression to me. I stride toward him as he shakes his head slightly and his mouth opens then shuts, searching for words before asking me, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am." I speak like he is my only reason of existence.
"Lucy, I will not hold this from you. I don't want you to have any hope of us being together beyond what we had because of the life I have. I am in all of this until the end of time or someone finally does not miss in a fight against me. No one can have a real life with me. And it is not fair to you or anyone else." Kiral tells me and his heartbeat is steady, truthful.
However I knew what I was getting into the moment he allowed me to drink his blood. I have seen fragments of his life. He does have a life that keeps him going but at the end of it all, he is bloody and alone even with the sea of people and friends around him, just like me.
I gently rest my hand on the side of his face, barely brushing my thumb over his lips as I tell him, "I understand it all. And I am more than ok with it. I am immortal after all. I will take any second to centuries with you across time. And if either of us ever changes our minds, we can be the immortal grownups we are and go on our separate ways, wishing each other the best."
Kiral's face still has the same adoring expression in my words just before I give him a gentle, longing kiss. He eagerly returns, sinking his lips into mine. I feel his warm arms wrap around me when we back toward the door. However I have an idea when I ask him if he wants to do something interesting. He shakes his head yes and within a blink of an eye, I use my vampire speed to take us to a snowy forest away from society, just the two of us.
Kiral groans when I slam him against the tree with a smile on his face. He takes off his coat off then we use our strength to bang each other against trees while making out. Then I use my vampire speed to push him on a field blanketed with snow and the snowy skies above. He smiles in the fun surprise of all of this when I climb on top, ready to ride him.
I fall into his arms, eagerly kissing one another. I feel both of our desperation grapping the clothes we have off while I see the warmth, the glow around him go to me as well. We look each other in the eyes as he cradles my face in his hands. I begin to realize that the more we touch and kiss one another, it feels like I can feel the warmth of the day. I feel as though I am actually in the sunlight, soaking it in with our bodies on top of each other, no space between our bodies.
He gently turns me over on my backside while his right hand rest around my neck, admiring it then begins kissing every inch of my neck like it is the very last time he will ever feel, touch, kiss and be with me. I feel a hunger in me for him unlike anyone else including Vlad when I was once his vampire bride. We let ourselves go in the snowy field, not feeling the cold winter around us when he gently unzips the back of my dress and I let it slip off to show my black lace lingerie.
He turns over to be on top of me, He stares at me in my lingerie, brushing his hands across me, taking me in. I bite the bottom of my lip as I slowly undo his shirt. He grins when I pull his shirt away from him. I rub my hands up and down his chest. He shudders at the touch of mine when I slowly begin to move my hands to his pants. I realize quickly that he is already hard which makes me incredibly happy.
We let all of our clothes and shoes go to the white forest and we are naked with one another when I feel him thrust inside me. I gasp in satisfaction of feeling him within me. He starts to rock back and forth on top of me until I turn him over to be on top of him. My senses fill with the sound of his heart beating faster and the rush of his blood singing to me. I stop feeling my vampire side come out. I fear that I will drink him dry if I bite into him.
Kiral rests his hand on my neck telling me, "I know you will not lose control. You can drink from me."
I am shaking in how much trust he is giving me to drink from him once again. My red vampire eyes stare at him as a growl slips out of my lips. He brings me closer to him, accepting me fully a second time. I sink my teeth into his neck, directly into the veins. Kiral groans fill my ears when his arms wrap around, embracing me closer to him while I feed from him. He is not struggling against me and I somehow manage to take my time drinking from him just like I would drink the finest wine.
As I slowly drink from him, his blood stains the pure white snow around us, circling us like a sacred circle. Kiral moans several times turning into breathing rapidly like he is finishing in a sexual way of me feeding from him while the snow is falling on top of us like a blanket of intimacy.
Everything in me is filled with the same sweet and savory flavor of willow trees mixed with lavender. His blood truly is becoming more lovely than addicting. I notice his groans become more of a struggle to release throughout my drinking. I can hear his heart slow down which means I have to stop. I know I will drain him if I go any further. I cry out when forcefully taking my mouth away from his neck. I gasp in his blood staining my lips like it is lipstick once again.
I gaze at Kiral to see he is almost as pale as the snow in the amount of blood I drink however he takes a few deep breathes, allowing for his healing abilities to return him physically to normal. I notice his healing ability is almost like a glow to it that I admire watching his neck heal and his skin color return to normal. It is quite something to see unlike the healing of a vampire.
I place my right hand over his neck where I bite him, brushing my fingertips over it to know he is fully healed. Then softly move my hand from his neck to his lips. I am about to lick my lips dry from his blood but he tells me, "Don't."
He leans up from the blood stained snow, kissing my blood lips passionately. I smile in between kisses as his blood from my lips goes into both of our mouths. We let ourselves go wild to the point that he is drained and I am completely finished. I lay on top of his chest, nearly wanting to sleep right here with him in the snowy forest with a blanket of snow on top of us. His arms remain wrapped around me but his fingers gently rub up and down my back.
There are no words that need to be said between us as I listen to his every breath, living for each one. He truly is unlike anything I have ever tasted or anyone I have ever met in my long life. I know this is something more than a craving. If it was a craving, I would have already killed him for his blood alone. We both slowly stand up knowing he has to get going even though we do not want to part.
We help each other get dressed and before Kiral leaves, he kisses the inside of my hand a few times like it could be the last time he sees me. I admire his necklace wolf pendant resting around his neck, wishing I could find a way to keep him here longer but he still has to go all the same. I fly us back to my apartment since his backpack is there.
He grabs it and opens the door to leave until he sees I am holding and smelling the beautiful yellow rose. Kiral takes it in the sight of me then whispers, "We'll see each other again, Venerated Vampire."
I smile when he calls me that then he closes the door behind him. I feel like a part of me is being ripped away when he goes. I look down at the bright yellow rose, brushing my fingers against the black satin ribbon wrapped around the steam of the rose as his words echo in my head over and over again.
Kiral reminded me that my life is my own and my past does not determine who I am in life after life. I shall forever determine it, no matter what anyone else speaks of me. And I will help Marishka to know she can do the same. I just hope that the offer and my word will be enough for her. She deserves better than begging for Dracula to come back, any woman Dracula dug his claws in deserve better and we shall get it to show the world we are so much more.
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWmdydAnNw
