The Blood Painted Cage

Seven days had passed since my blood hiccup and I was becoming quite used to the idea of feeding. At first I had to keep repeating Vince’s words in my head, convincing myself that at least I only needed a few drops and it wasn’t even human blood, but now I drank my mixed tea with ease. I was surprised when my misery at the knowledge of being a full vampire didn’t return as I half expected it to, if anything I felt contentment as the days went by. It was strange but then a thought occurred to me a couple of days ago, one that both shocked me and made me happy.

It occurred to me while watching Viorel and Vincent argue, over god knows what I don’t know, that while they were different species they acted just like any other person who got on each other’s nerves. They insulted, shouted and snarled at one another just as Viorel would with another human and Vincent would to another vampire. This made me realise that just because I wasn’t human didn’t mean I wasn’t a person with feelings and emotions and a sense of right and wrong. We just needed different things to keep us alive and had different weaknesses. I realised then that I wasn’t the monster I had always thought I was.

Once this thought had blossomed beautifully in my mind, I had laughed so hard that it stopped Vincent’s and Viorel’s heated argument as confusion of my reaction took over their annoyance. It took a long time to calm myself and I swore I nearly died from the lack of air my lungs were receiving.

I smiled at the memory of their faces as I shovelled away the snow from my garden path. The snow was coming less now and the air was warming, indicating to the arrival of spring. While I enjoyed the idea of returning to my most favoured hobby, I was nervous about the days. They were going to grow longer, making it harder for my vampire guards to protect me. I paused in my shovelling before I continued after rapidly coming to the conclusion that I would need to adjust my routine. I would need to return to bed later in the evening and get up later in the day if I was going to have protection during the long summer days.

I nodded to myself and began shovelling at a faster pace, eager to get the snow off of my prized garden and waited for Sonia to return with some warm tea. She had decided to guard me this afternoon while the clouds were thick in the sky, blocking all the harmful sunlight from the world. It was this weather that made Clans flourish in the cold countries of the world. During cloudy, winter days, they could venture outside without being harmed by the sun.

I stood and stretched my back at before admiring my work. So far one of the numerous paths were clear of snow, more than enough for me to start checking on the sleeping plants and weeding out any of the dead.

I was so content that I nearly missed a slight movement behind me. I looked sharply behind me and just about got my brain in gear to stop the claw that was driving straight for my face and held it in place. I hesitated, more from shock than anything else, before I suddenly realised the woman in front of me was a stranger and intending to kill me.

In a jerking movement out of realisation, I shrunk back while throwing the vampire far from me. She sailed in the air with a shout before landing heavily in the middle of one of my rose patches, which I would’ve mourned for if my attention wasn’t taken by two other vampires coming towards me at different angles.

I reacted quickly and pushed myself onto my feet smoothly then darted back towards the house, sending out an alarm to my guards smoothly via the links. Instantly they complied and rage blossomed from all the links however there was one person whose rage was most noticeable and made me very concerned and partly surprised. I had nearly forgotten what was hovering about in my household like a dark shadow.

Sonia was first out, her long knife in hand and grabbed my wrist when I approached her to pull me behind her. The vampires hesitated then before they wound their way back to the female assailant but the one vampire I was concerned about was about to enter the fray and I almost wish he didn’t.

I grabbed Sonia’s wrist and held her near me, indicating that she was not to leave my side, before sending a sharp order to Livia, Dana and Viorel to stay put. They argued but I stuck to my decision. I couldn’t keep them all safe from Vincent when he turned on us.

The assassin’s seemed to realise that Sonia was not going to approach them and decided to initiate the fight. One flew forward and got so close that Sonia nearly went against my bidding until there was a blur and a strangled choke.

Vincent was standing a few paces from as with his claws buried deep in the male’s jugular. With a jerking movement, Vincent tore out his throat with blood spattering across the snow and let the corpse fall the floor. The last two hissed and spat before darting in a rage however the parasite was in full swing. I could feel it dancing and laughing in Vincent’s mind, egging him on to destroy the stupid vampire’s who challenged him.

I didn’t stop him and to be honest I should’ve however I wanted to see something. I wanted to see what differences there were to Vincent’s parasite to the Grey bloods. It was apparent there was as I watched him weave between the assassin’s, wounding them as he did before finally burying his fist in the chest of the male, ripping his hard out with ease, and wrenching the head off of the woman.

Vincent was smart. That was what the difference was. Grey blood’s always go berserk; killing and destroying anything if they felt threatened or without blood for too long. Vincent’s parasite however calculates the best way to smoothly and swiftly take down his opponents without taking too much damage. But even if he was smart in this state, he still kills anything just like any other parasite, almost enjoying it, as I was about to find out.

For only a brief moment did Vincent glance about at his kills before he sharply jerked his head up to stare at Sonia. I felt her stiffen and the scent of fear was unmistakable. She was terrified of him.

Just as he started forward, I pushed past Sonia with my mind bulking. In a smooth and easy motion, I mentally reached out and shoved at his strong body. I was surprised I didn’t feel much of resistance from him. Normally I would’ve had to wrestle with someone of his strength but I easily pushed him backwards, keeping him down on the bloodied snow.

Sonia nearly grabbed my wrist to stop me when I darted forward after making sure he could not move, but I slapped her hand away before she could get her grasp. I rushed to his side and knelt down by his still head. It surprised me at how calm he appeared, scowling but quite calm. I expected him to be hissing but he wasn’t.

He watched me sharply with an unwavering gaze and I looked down at him, letting my eyes seek out any wounds. As expected there were none.

“Lady, please come away from him until the parasite is dormant.” Sonia begged while pointing her knife at him and shuffling close to me.

“I will calm him Sonia.”I said gently. “I can speed up the process and help Vincent regain his sanity.”

Sonia looked doubtful and was about to argue however the large step she took towards me ended up angering Vincent. He snarled horribly and bared his fangs at her, forcing her to take a few hurried steps back. Her fear returned.

“Please Lady.” She begged again.

I shook my head. “Watch and keep an eye out for any more assassins. I will have Livia and Viorel to help you while Dana deals with the bodies and informs Christof.”

Very hesitantly Sonia complied and shuffled away to sweep the southern side of the grounds while I nudged my other maids and Viorel into action. It took much dissuading to keep Viorel from coming to me but he eventually gave in and wondered the northern side with Livia.

Dana worked around me silently and warily as I smoothed down Vincent’s dark hair. His unblinking stare was becoming a little unnerving. It felt really quite possessive but I put with it even if it did keep a blush on my face. I started to speak randomly to him after some time went past and his parasite refused to budge.

I told him of my long life before now. I told him of the misery and fear that was created in my subconscious at the knowledge of being something monstrous, my near suicide and how only having Viorel in my life gave me some joy and reason to live. I was never truly happy though. Not since my parents died all those years ago. My misery only grew after being found by someone who wanted me alive as I couldn’t cope with what they were; what I was. With a gentle smile and stroking his rough face with my small hand, I told him of my revelation that blossomed in my head like a warm flower two days ago. I knew now that being a vampire didn’t mean I was a monster. It meant I was something else, something immortal with different behaviours and needs, but I was still a person who retained their ‘humanity’. I was the same me I was before I was dragged back into this Old World.

“And I have you to thank for that. If I hadn’t watched you and Viorel have one of your stupid fights I wouldn’t have figured it out.” I sighed lightly and traced his jaw absentmindedly. “I guess I am really, really dim to take forty odd years to work that out.”

He never said a word throughout my ramblings and his eyes never left my face but the parasite was weakening and enabling me to push it down, allowing him to finally say one word after the long one sided conversation.

“Agreed.” He said simply but it was enough to make me grin as joy filled me.

I bobbed my head once with a blissful smile stuck on my face and, after a quick scan of his mind, retreated to the normal existence I have always had in his consciousness. I removed my mental net off his body, allowing him to move now he was sane.

“How are you feeling?” I asked as I helped him stand, not that he needed it. It was apparent his physical strength was not affected by the mental battle against the parasite.

“Fine.” He muttered after shaking his head to get rid of the snow trapped in his curled hair.

I sighed in relief, thankful to have the normal Vince back and mentally told myself to not forget about the parasite in future. I needed to be sure to have it controlled if my household was to survive in another attack like this.

I looked up in an attempt to smile at him however that failed when I saw the expression on his face. It was an expression that made me feel quite warm and fuzzy but I didn’t recognise it nor did I understand my reaction. He wasn’t even smiling; just watching me with his warm dark eyes. The eyes. It was always his eyes which brought out these weird reactions.

Suddenly he flung himself into action; swiping the expression from his face and grabbed my hand before striding back in doors with me being dragged behind him. He shut the door firmly behind us and then let out a very heavy sigh.

“I’m going to bed.” He stated, looking suddenly exhausted which didn’t surprise me. I would be quite tired after being stuck in a mental battle to regain some sense of self again.

I smiled and wished him a good sleep and expected him to leave however reached out and pulled me, quite unresistingly, into the warmth of his arms. I just stood there, stock still and pressed against his chest, as he held me tightly, brushing the top of my head with his nose lightly.

“Thank you, Lady.” He mumbled in a low tone that if I was truly human, I wouldn’t have heard him. “And I am sorry. In future, I will try and control this rage of mine.”

I was silent and, after a moment longer, he let me go and left me standing alone by the backdoor, feeling slightly bereft and hot. It was only when Dana called me sharply that my mind was flung back into reality.

Trying my best to shake the strange tingling feelings from my body, I trundled after the sound of Dana’s voice to clean up the third and probably not the last assassination attempt.