Trembling With the Strings

Darius was silent as we left. Demetrius told me that I could have his quarter because he loved me so much, but that was about the only conversation for the whole ride home. I tried to talk to Dray, but he just dismissed me and told me that he needed to focus on the road. Then, after he parked the car, he immediately went upstairs and locked himself in our bedroom. He wouldn’t even open it for Demetrius.

I really wanted to know what had happened to Anne, so I figured it would only be polite to ask Drakken about it considering she had been his wife. Well, I couldn’t find anyone else either. I knocked on the door to his study, and he called for me to come in. I opened it quietly, peering in.

“Hello, Gracie. Come in. I won’t bite.” He smiled softly at his horrible joke, gesturing to one of the seats in front of his desk. “What can I help you with?”

“Well, as you probably know we went to the bridal shop today,” I told him, fiddling with my thumbs in my lap.

“Oh, yes.” He set down a stack of papers. “How did that go? Did they have the dress?”

“Yes, she brought it out, but she said it would have to be tailored because I’m a midget,” I mumbled, making a face. “Well, she used nicer terms, but still.”

He laughed a little. “So what is really on your mind, and why is my son locked up in his room? Did you two have another fight?”

I shook my head. “But there was something I wanted to talk to you about. See, the woman at the shop knew you and your wife.” He frowned. “And I’ve never met her, so... I understand if you don’t want to tell me, but I am going to be part of this family...”

“You want to know about Anne, don’t you?” he asked, moving all of his paperwork to the edge of his desk. I nodded, and he sighed. “Did you ask Darius?” I nodded again. “And is that why he is up in his room?” I nodded a third time. He nodded as if seeing something that I didn’t.

“Would you mind to tell me about her?” I asked, smiling apologetically.

“It’s no trouble. Well, she wasn’t Marcy’s mother, nor did she have any relation to Darius. But she loved them like her own little Dante. We met while in college, you see. She was studying to be a pediatric nurse while I was studying to specialize in pediatric doctoring. There was an instant attraction. Perhaps it was because she was absolutely stunning, or maybe it was because she was a vampire as well, though I didn’t know that at the time.”

“Pardon my asking, but how did you two become vampires?”

“She was born into a long generation of vampires, and I had simply been wandering outside too late at night. I believe I was around fifteen at the time.

“Anyway, we immediately got to know each other. I would ask her to help me study for a nonexistent exam, she would ask for help to her next class—flirting, I suppose it was called. I finally stopped beating around the inevitable and asked her out on a date. I remember the night to this day.” He smiled longingly. “We’d only been together for five months, but I knew she was the only woman I would ever love. I asked her to join me for a picnic at eleven in the evening. She agreed, of course, and I proposed under the moonlight.

“To my dismay, she told me no. She said that we would be rushing things, but I could see that she was lying. I asked her what the real reason was, and she told me that it was too late to be outside... I didn’t understand at first, but then I saw the family crest on her necklace. She had never worn it before, and I immediately recognized the insignia. She was certainly part of the bloodline Creperum. I told her that I knew what she was, and she looked stunned. After I explained to her that we were both vampires, she so shyly asked if I still wanted to marry her. We were married within a month.

“When she was with our first child, I was informed that I had the opportunity to visit Southeast Asia and study medicine and diseases up there. I was also offered a job for a year there, but I had to decline because Anne and I had settled nicely in Michigan. She told me to go for it. During my last week in Asia, I met Marcella and Darius. They were both dying, so I was sure Anne would understand. I changed them and brought them home.

“My wife was thrilled that we would have an even bigger family. And everything went perfectly. She brought Dante into the world, and we were all a happy family. Darius was a little squirmy around the baby, but Marcy was absolutely enthralled. We lived like that for ten years.

“I suppose all good things do come to an end. I shouldn’t have let her leave the house; I knew it was too unsafe for her to be alone. She told me that she wanted to go visit her mother for she had called her a week ago. I told her she could go, but she would have to call me when she got there. She did. She spent a week with her mother in Italy, but I started getting worried when she didn’t come home after the week was up.

“Her mother called me, hysterical. I asked her what was wrong. When she answered I dropped the phone, unable to believe what had happened. A vampire slayer had gotten her when she had been walking to the airport (their family home was near the airport). She managed to get away from one, but they don’t usually travel alone... Annie was murdered, but she had tried to call me from her cell phone. She had died trying to tell me she was boarding the plane. I had missed the call. The voicemail... She said she loved me one last time. If I had just answered the phone she could still be here.

“Darius and Marcella didn’t take it too well. They were old enough to understand. Dante didn’t fully understand, but he knew enough to know he could cry. Marcy and him cried for hours. I worried about Darius. He would only lock himself up in his room for hours on end, nearly driving himself insane. He refused to hunt, he grew depressed... We all miss Anne, and it has taken some time to adjust, but I think Darius took it the hardest. Please, go check on him. He might say to leave him alone, but I know that isn’t what he needs. He loves you, I know it. Don’t let my son fall back into depression. Please.”

He looked up at me, such torture on his otherwise flawless face. I bit my lip. No wonder Darius truly didn’t believe in the world anymore.

I stood up and walked over to my future father-in-law. I embraced him tightly, telling him that I was sure she was an amazing woman. He had thanked me, but told me that he was okay. But Darius wasn’t.

I stood at my bedroom door. It was still locked. I took a deep breath and knocked softly.