Lust For Her Master's Blood

When I woke in the evening everything was groggy. My brain was sluggish as it shook off the shock it had earlier from the sun but one thing resonated clearly in my memory while everything else was a vague sensation. It was Clare’s words before I fell unconscious.

Why you don’t realise that he loves you?

That single sentence had haunted my mind since I woke that evening, hovering about as it continued with its quest at mocking me. As a result, throughout the night of work my focus was elsewhere which resulted in many collisions with door frames, tables and people. My mind was in turmoil, coming up with different scenarios to make this unwanted knowledge fake. It could’ve been me mishearing her or that it was a sick dream I conjured in my sleep. It could also be Clare trying to disrupt my confidence and focus on the Mother which was working well. I could not focus on the Mother for long as the Master would suddenly fill my every cell and thought. I just could not get rid of him no matter how hard I tried which was also putting me in an extremely foul mood.

I think I also put the Master in a bad mood. When I felt his presence through the bond I got so scared, I violently slammed the bond closed. It probably resulted in him gaining quite a painful headache afterwards. He constantly kept trying to reach out to me for an hour but I kept the bond closed firmly and eventually he took the hint. Although he was emitting annoyance at being ignored, I did feel him nudge me now and then and with much caution.

But in the depths of my mind was a little flitter of joy on an immeasurable level and it was only through my anger that I could keep it contained. I hated that that singled sentence brought this amount of bubbling joy. I hated it so much.

I was cleaning out a large flamboyant fire place, one that had been used the night before when Viorel found me. In the unforgiving grip of my twisted emotions of rage, hatred and joy, I did not notice him approach. In fact I did not know he was in the room until he tapped me on the shoulder which resulted in me brandishing the fire poker I was cleaning at his neck. I held it there for a moment, not recognising who he was until my senses kicked in and forced the poker away from the stunned hunter. I stood stiffly and watched him with hostility as he stepped back from me with his hands up in peace.

“It’s okay Susan. It is just me.” Viorel said gently.

I grunted and let my arm fall to my side. “What is it?” I snapped.

“I was told to come get you by Lucius. He seemed to be in a bad mood. Do you know anything about that?” He asked with a smile.

“How would I know?” I lied roughly and shoved the poker back in its place. “Let’s go Viorel and get this over with. I would very much like to be on my own today.”

Viorel nodded once, knowing from past experience not to question, and followed me lightly as I walked out of the lounge and headed straight for the Master’s study. Throughout the walk I muttered angrily to myself, becoming more and more irritated as I neared the room.

I did not like this feeling, the warm joyous feeling in my chest. It distracted me and as I thought of reasons as to why Clare would be lying, that warm feeling grew heavy and cold, like a knot of pain.

When I saw the door the pain suddenly intensified and almost forced me to stop. However, knowing that Viorel was right behind me propelled me forward and to enter the familiar and suddenly terrifying room.

I held my breath as I entered and kept my eyes plastered to the floor. I slunk to my seat beside Arnold in silence and looked up with a defensive glare which turned to hatred when I locked eyes with the Master who was giving me a rather pissed off scowl. I could not look at him for long though. My heart began to stutter and the knot of pain and joy twisted agonizingly. In an attempt to get away from it I glanced about the room, feeling slightly comforted at seeing the tired Al, Arnold and my old friend Viorel. However when I saw the gentle blond Clare sitting delicately near the Master, my anger exploded in my mind followed by a violent suspicion.

I continued to give a blatant glare to Clare and she showed she noticed as she began to frown and squirm under my gaze. It also did not go unnoticed by the Master.

“Susan, please leave Clare be. She is on our side and your hostility will not help.” He scolded

To hear is masculine and luscious voice shocked me and I retaliated dutifully, letting out a hiss with bared fangs much to everyone’s surprise. Viorel let out a laugh before Lucius could voice his anger at my reaction, thinking I was rebelling against his request.

“You never change Susan, Black blood or not.” He said happily.

Lucius frowned firmly but Viorel’s joyous laugh stopped the outbreak of a heated argument thankfully.

“I assume Clare has already approached you Susan.” Lucius said.

I nodded stiffly, still casting glares in her direction.

“Then we can now explain our plan.” He crossed his arms and gave me a firm look, indicating that I was to be stay quiet for as long as I possibly could. “Morrigan is assuming that I will reject Clare, in fact she is relying on me to to get her game going. This is why, to give us more time and to avoid the Mother causing as much damage as possible with her game, Clare and I have agreed to announce that I have accepted her as my bride.”

That was not like a blow to the stomach, more of a horrible feeling that my heart had just been ripped out by the Master’s own large hand. While Arnold and Al whirled into a flurry of disagreements, I became quite numb. My expression changed rapidly from distrust to nothing and my whole body became cold and unfeeling which rendered me silent. However I felt happier with Alphonse and Arnold arguing against the decision.

“You can’t be serious Uncle.” Al scoffed. “You know the reason she wants you to accept Clare is so then you will lead a miserable life.”

Arnold nodded his head in agreement. “He is right. Once you say that you accept lady Ulrich, the Mother will insist that the matrimony is to go ahead as soon as possible. We will be cornered as there will be no way of getting out of it without causing the Mother to fly into a rage.”

“There is a way Arnold.” Lucius said calmly. “Clare, tell them what you plan to do.”

Clare’s cheeks blushed slightly and her eyes shifted to the floor. “There is a man I wish to be with.” She said hesitantly. “He is strong and will be an opponent that Morrigan cannot defeat. If he steps in, she will not argue nor will she be able to stop me being taken away.”

“I hear a ‘but’ in this.” Viorel mumbled.

Clare smiled wanly and her bright eyes dulled with sadness. “There is a drawback. While I am certain for my own feelings for him, I do not know what he feels for me. He might not feel obliged to come to my rescue at all.”

“Oh joy.” Al muttered darkly. “So who is this man you speak of Clare?”

“Vasco Sinagra.” She uttered without looking at anyone.

Viorel was the first to utter a syllable while Arnold and Al seemed to be rendered speechless.

“Ah,” He said simply at first and scratched his head in thought. “Getting him to help will be difficult. He is a bit of an emotionless bastard.”

Clare nodded her head. “I know. I have spent a lot of time with him and know he is aware of my feelings but I do not know of his. He is so hard to read.”

“He is one of three known Silver bloods so he is our trump card.” Lucius said firmly. “If he comes to take Clare back then the Mother will be forced to stop her game. There are only five other female Blue bloods and they are either much too young to marry or already a bride to another. Vasco is our only way out of this.”

Arnold leaned back and sighed heavily. “So it would seem Master. Would do we do then?”

“Viorel, I need you to return back to Romania and inform Eva of what is happening. Ask her to pass that knowledge onto Vasco as soon as possible. From there we have to wait. It will be his decision that decides what happens to Clare and I.”

Viorel nodded and smiled brightly. “I will go and prepare to leave then. If it is all, I will go now.”

Once Lucius had nodded, Viorel stood and left but not before patting my head in comfort and winking, his usual silent gesture of telling me ‘everything will be okay’. I stared at him blankly and grunted silently in reply, feeling a little sad that he was leaving now. Everyone seemed to be doing that at the moment.

I looked back at the Master when he continued.

“We will act as normal and as if this engagement is for real. It is vital that we do for the Mother to believe her game is going the way she wants it too.”

Al growled horribly and glared at his Uncle. “Just do not let her win. Remember that father lost in the exact same position you are in.”

Lucius returned the growl irritably. “I know Alphonse.” He snapped. “Which is why I need everyone to keep Susan safe. Make sure the Mother does not find out about her.”

Clare smiled gently and placed a slender hand on his arm to calm him, which irked me to be honest and a flitter to rage crossed over my blank expression.

“Do not worry Lucius. We will keep her out of harms way.” She said.

A low growl rumbled out from my chest. “I am quite capable of taking care of myself.” I said darkly.

“I know Susan. We will just watch your back and make sure you are safe.” She told me carefully, knowing she was walking on fire when it came to conversing with me.

I grumbled but said no more, knowing that I needed someone to watch my back. I may not trust her but I trusted the young master and Arnold with my life.

“Then that is all. I will go to the Mother now with Clare and announce that I have accepted her as my bride.”

Without so much as a glance in my direction, he took Clare’s hand and left rapidly, leaving me with the overwhelming urge to curl up and cry or go and rip out that stupid woman’s heart. Or his. Either would make me feel better in the end.

I glanced at Arnold when he sighed wearily beside me.

“This is such a mess.” He said sadly.

“It’s father all over again.” Al snapped irritably and thumped the fireplace hard.

My interest perked up and so did memory of the letter I had read.

“What happened?” I asked.

Al and Arnold both looked at me before slowly looking at each other and nodding in agreement.

“The Master will not explain it to you, he fears it will worry you.” Arnold said. “But you cannot be left in the dark any longer, it will only be a danger. You must know what this game is.”

He glanced up at Al who was now looking closed off. “Do you want to come with us?”

Instantly he shook his head. “I won’t. You go explain it to her. I have lived it and that is more than enough for me.”

“Very well young master. Why don’t you go rest or write a letter to Ella? The Mother will be occupied for a while and Viorel will be leaving soon.”

Wearily he nodded and smiled before he slowly left the room, dragging his feet slightly. After he went Arnold turned his attention on me.

“We will go to a safe place, a place I know neither the Mother nor the Master know of. There they will not disturb us nor will we be overheard by any of the servants.” He smiled at me and took my hand, urging me to stand.

With a growing sense of intrigue, which I welcomed to smother the pain in my chest, I followed the old man out of the room, excited now that the answers to some of my unasked questions were now about to appear.