The Blood Painted Cage

For the next few days my maids were on high alert. Until Dana returned, Viorel took over the late afternoon shifts, letting both Livia and Sonia rest while he stayed beside me in my work. And when Dana came home after the third day she blew a gasket. She screamed at Livia for falling asleep and allowing a killer near enough to force me to use my ability. And she screamed at me for not waking Livia when I found her asleep.

But there was still the question as to why I was attacked. Unless the Packs were declaring war against the Clans, which I doubted very much, there was no obvious reason to his actions. It was a lone wolf that was for certain, an attacker who had means to kill me of his own.

Blackburn wasn’t impressed when he found out about the attempt on my life. When he flittered through my memories to see what progress I had made while I healed his mind he was suddenly filled with rage, the poison reacting with him and forcing me into a battle for his sanity. It took a while for me to calm him and lull him to sleep, leaving me puzzled at his ferocity after he finally settled.

But the werewolf and his reasons behind his attack wasn’t my top priority. After four long years the antidote was finished. Well, as finished as I could make it. The only way to see whether or not it worked was to inject it into Blackburn. And that is what I planned to do that evening.

Once again I was in the car beside a nervous Viorel as Dana drove angrily towards the Elders domain. She was still holding a grudge against both Livia and myself after the attack and I knew she was also angry at herself for not being there to defend me when I needed it.

A soon as we arrived I fled the car with case in hand and into the thick snow. The white cold dust was floating down from the sky lazily but thick enough to create a curtain over the ancient gothic building. Here and there I could pick out the hideous gargoyles that scowled down horrifically at the world below. I don’t know why but those things always unnerved me.

I waited briefly for my group of guards to catch up with me before I dived into the house, leaving the cold and snow outside. Not that the inside was much better. The Elder’s seemed to not like the idea of central heating. To them that was what fireplaces were built for.

I allowed the butler to take my coat and gloves although I kept my scarf on to warm my neck. While my maids disbursed unwillingly and grumbled as they left, Viorel stayed beside me with his shot gun holstered beneath his jacket.

Not that he needed to guard me in here. The Elders and ancients would see that nothing would harm their Sinclair Head and nothing was stupid enough to attack me here. At least I hoped so anyway. The fact the werewolf attacked me in my own home proving there was stupidity in that attack.

I sighed gently when Viorel hovered around me and I gently nudged him away to give me space, slightly happy that my mind seemed to have regained its strength.

“Let me have some room to breathe Viorel. Nothing will happen here.” I said gently as I glided my way towards the doors of the court.

He grunted. “You thought nothing would happen back as the house but it did.”

“And only once. It hasn’t happened again and there is nothing to say it will. So be calm and relax.” I chided to him over my shoulder.

He glared in reply but stepped back to give me some room which was a relief. Viorel could be very uptight when it came to my safety.

We stopped before the oak doors I eerily now found familiar and waited patiently after muttering to the guard I needed to address the court. Patiently I twiddled my thumbs while Viorel, who was not so tolerant, fiddled with the shot guns holster in his annoyance. My head turned sharply when my name was called by a familiar voice that broke the thick silence between us.

I smiled widely when I saw who it was and rushed to meet Jonathan. It had been a while since I had seen the Welsh vampire and his hair had been cut short which saddened me. I warmed to him instantly when I met him, partly because of the fact he was another Silver but also because he was so kind and supportive, evening out Vasco’s disinterested nature. I had always liked playing his soft hair. Now that it was short I could no longer plait it for him which I had always found strangely soothing.

“You cut your hair.” I stated sadly, touching the cut strands of white hair.

Jonathan smiled and ruffled the top of my head in a loving gesture. “I grew tired of washing it and decided to have a change.” He explained.

I pouted slightly in disappointment. “Playing with your hair will be missed.”

“You will adapt I am sure, Eva.” He said. His eyes danced over to Viorel, noting his fidgeting and unnerved presence. “What is wrong Viorel? You seem to be expecting trouble.”

“I am.” He replied sharply and dutifully ignored the glare he received from me.

Jonathan frowned, knowing Viorel being fearful was never under stupid pretences. “What happened?” He asked as he glanced at myself and Viorel.

“Viorel is just a little jumpy from an incident a couple of days ago. It is nothing to get upset over.”

“Nothing to get upset over?” Viorel sputtered in anger. “Eva, you could have died! That is a perfect reason to be upset!” He snapped.

“It only happened once though.” I replied gently. “It was a one off, no one else will be stupid enough to attack me with my guards about, especially here.”

“They Elders won’t agree.” He said stubbornly.

My face fell. “You’re not telling the Elders, are you?” I asked while knowing the answer with the growing feeling of dread.

“They need to know a werewolf attempted to take your life. You are the most important person to them, they won’t allow any more attacks if they realise you were threatened.”

“No, they don’t need to know.” I pleaded. “They’ll blow it out of proportion, probably house bind me. They really don’t need to know.”

In the pause of the hurried and partly heated conversation, Jonathan took his chance to leap in with his own demanding thoughts.

“You were attacked?” He asked, utterly shocked. Like me he knew only those who really wanted a death wish would even so much as think of killing me.

“She was.” Viorel answered for me when I hesitated. “A werewolf managed to get in the house while both Livia and Sonia were sleeping.”

“And he attempted to take her life?”

Viorel nodded, scowling as he did. “Lucky Livia woke or Eva would have been shredded. Her mind failed you see.” He added when he noticed the apprehensive look on Jonathan’s face.

He nodded suddenly in understanding. “Well I would advise you to talk about this with the Elder’s. There may be more to it than it seems.” He told me.

I turned my large eyes on him, not realising how sorrowful I looked. After a pause of deep thought I sighed heavily in defeat. “If I must then I will.”

“But you must wait so you don’t have to do it now.” Jonathan said quickly. “Think about it Eva. Don’t feel we are bullying you into it.”

I nodded sadly while Viorel questioned Jonathon’s words. “Why can’t we see the Elders now?”

“They are out. All three of them surprisingly. They went to some place you told them about Eva.”

My interest perked up instantly and smothered my worries. “The mansion, they went there?”

“To my knowledge yes.”

I smiled. “That’s good, very good. They are taking an interest in what I said and showed them.” I said and happily clasped my hands together. “I should be able to convince them to allow me to wake him.”

I was strangely giddy about the idea of waking Blackburn. It had been so long since I had seen him moving in person and I wished to drag him out of the nightmares properly, not giving him the temporary healing every night.

“Him?” Jonathan queried.

My smiled faltered. “Did you not know?”

“Know what?”

“About Vincent Blackburn.”

“Ah, yes. I was surprised I had to admit when I heard that you had put someone under the First Penalty. It had been a long time since that had happened let alone a Sinclair sealing that fate. But why would you want to wake him now?” He asked me, scratching his cheek in thought.

“You know nothing else do you?” I asked although I knew what he was going to say when I saw the same confused expression form over his soft features. Before he could speak I took his hand and began to guide him to my room with Viorel in tow.

“Come with me and I shall explain. It will help pass the time while I wait for the Elders to return.”

Jonathan did not argue even when I placed him in one of my chairs and shoved one of the tea cups in front of his face with my own brew as neither of my maids were present. He sat silently as I explained what happened over four years ago and what had been happening, what I had found and now what I waited for. He never interrupted me once and he never took his eyes from me, giving me his full attention but giving away nothing of what he thought. It was only when I stopped speaking and looked at him expectantly that he placed the cup aside and spoke.

“You have been doing well Eva.” He complimented.

I grinned with a slight blush. Having someone I thought of so highly made me truly happy. “I have been trying. Whether or not it is doing well is a matter of opinion.”

“Well my opinion is a positive one. For forty years you kept to yourself, not taking an interest in anything which worried me. I have Viorel to thank for keeping you occupied these past few years however you still didn’t try to act as our queen. Now this incident with the drug and Blackburn is unfortunate but it was the push you needed to start acting as you should. You are now guarding the clans, trying to protect them from a danger and seeking it yourself. That is what you are supposed to be doing Eva.” He said kindly with a smile. “In my eyes you are doing very well.”

I smiled weakly in the wake of his reasoning, finding it a little overwhelming. I still did not feel like I was acting as queen but apparently I was on the right path. I would need guidance but Jonathan seemed confidant I would get there eventually. Not that I was jumping up and down with joy at the idea.

“Now this antidote, does Blackburn actually need to be awake?” Jonathon asked.

I thought for a moment before I hesitantly shook my head. “I could tell whether or not it was working by just connecting with him. The fog should recede if my antidote does its job properly.”

“Then why not inject it into him now. You do not need the Elders say so to do that. You don’t really need their say so to awaken him but it is polite to ask all the same.” Jonathan said.

I grinned suddenly and hopped onto my feet. “I had not thought of that. Thank you Jonathan.”

He held up his hand in an accepting gesture then stood to leave. “I will leave you for now Eva. I need to return to Wales. My tiny clan can only survive for so long without me preventing them getting into trouble.”

I frowned heavily and only just stopped myself from pouting. “Must you?”

“Yes, Eva, I must.” He said, briefly kissing my cheek in farewell. “I will see you soon Eva. Drop in whenever you feel the need to change the scenery.”

“I will.” I promised and waved to him enthusiastically before he vanished from the room.

I turned to Viorel, glowing at the idea Jonathan had just given me. Sighing heavily he nodded his head.

“Fine, let’s go then.” He said heavily before I snatched up his hand and dragged him out of my room, the giddiness in my chest becoming so strong it nearly suffocated me. I never realised how much I wanted Vincent awake and in my life properly. I clasped my hand around the small bag I had never released from my person. It contained the antidote so I was not exactly going to leave it lying around unguarded.

At the speed I was dashing it did not take long to get down to the lower level of the mansion, the place where the Penalty’s took place. I forgot how cold it was done here when a shiver wracked at my body and forced me to tug at my scarf to tighten it. I did not often come down here although it was a battle not too. If I visited the man I put under the First Penalty every time I came here people would become suspicious. The last time I saw Vincent in person was more than a year ago.

Viorel was the one who had to push the heavy door open as I found it much too hefty for me to move on my own. A gush of colder air blew out as soon as the door was shoved back and forced another shiver to come to life. Rubbing my hands I flittered over to the accommodated slab and hovered beside it as I looked down at the scruffy and bloodied man.

He was semi clean, his carer obviously coming in once every couple of days to get rid of the grime and gore and keep his hair from growing too long. However it was a battle. New wounds were open on his chest and limbs that made me want to cry. They were old wounds, the blood had dried and the gashes were slowly healing, but I noted there were a few scars on his skin. His body was strong but it could only heal so many wounds perfectly.

Gently I stroked his rough face. He looked peaceful. His eyes were closed lightly and his chest was just about moving with every breath but no one would be able to guess he was in fact currently in the throes of his worst fear.

After being nudged by Viorel and scrabbled about in my bag, taking out the small case containing my years of research. I administered the drug into the needle before I carefully bent down over Vincent. Gently and with much care, I pricked the olive skin of his strong arm and pushed the needle, watching with sharp eyes as the green tainted antidote faded away as it entered his blood stream.

I put both vial and needle away quickly and checked his arm, making sure it had healed and didn’t need a plaster. As soon as I saw that it didn’t, I handed my bag to Viorel and clasped Vincent’s hand, merging my mind his without warning Viorel of what I was doing.