The Bloody Masquerade

I woke at dusk the next evening to the smell of coffee filling my nose. Groggily, I pushed myself up and sat in the middle of my bed with my hands pressed against the mattress. I blinked a few times to goad my eyes in focus and slowly the sigh of a warm mug was clearly visible sitting on my bedside table. For a moment I just stared then slowly reached for it and began to drink.

It had been a long time since this old routine. Every evening, just before I woke, another thing he seemed to know, Alexis would make me coffee and leave it on the side for me to wake up to. I had become quite used to it to such an extent I actually quite missed it after I left him. I sat there drinking the coffee made by Alexis for me, torn between the warm feeling of contentment and the knowledge that I would be alone again in a few months time. I would have to go through the horrible sensation of loneliness again; listening to my silent home and lack of morning coffee.

To get rid of the horrible numb dread that was filling me, I downed the rest of the drink and headed into the bathroom. As soon as I turned the shower on, I began to wrestle with my thick hair and tried to get it untangled. By the time I had, the bathroom was like a sauna indicating that the water was now more than warm enough. I took my time in the shower. In fact, I took so long the wonderfully hot water that sputtered out of the shower head had become leaden cold by the time I turned it off. I had to dry myself quickly and get dressed into my denim shorts and baggy jumper to stop myself from shivering.

As I brushed my hair, I wondered out into the lounge where Alexis and Eugene sat being their usual loud selves. They stood in the centre of the room and at first I was a little bewildered at what they were going so I just stood in the doorway, watching with a blank expression. It very quickly became clear however that Alexis was in fact trying to teach Eugene how to defend himself.

Alexis was correcting Eugene’s fighting stance, making sure he could turn and run easily and without tripping over himself in the process. I had to admit, Eugene was looking perplexed and a little scared as Alexis showed him the way to throw a punch effectively.

“Eugene, what’s wrong?” I asked, alerting the two to my presence.

Eugene looked up at me with his wide eyes, almost pleading with me silently. “I already know how to run. My Family taught me. Said that running is the most important thing a child of the Old World must know.”

I smiled warmly at the fact he considered my Family as his own now but nodded my head in agreement. “I know that. If you didn’t know how to run, you wouldn’t be able to get yourself away from a strong threat. However Alexis is trying to teach you the basics of defence, by the looks of it anyway. Are you?”

“I am. He’s ten now. He needs to start learning.” Alexis said surprisingly firmly for him.

“So why are you so against it Eugene?”

Eugene scrunched up his face and pouted ever so slightly before he shrugged his shoulders. He remained silent however, not voicing the answer he obviously knew. I sighed lightly but didn’t argue with him. Instead I walked past them as I headed for the kitchen area, letting my hand stroke Alexis’s back softly to get his attention.

“Don’t force him, Alexis. He’ll learn in his own time.”

Eugene’s face lit up almost instantly while Alexis seemed against it. His brow was furrowed and he rubbed his neck hard but he didn’t speak out. Instead he agreed with me, as he always did, and turned to another area of self-defence Eugene had to know. I listened quietly as I organised food for myself to stop the ache in my stomach.

“Have you started learning how to see?” Alexis asked once he had made sure Eugene was settled on the sofa.

“As in being able to sense those of the Old World, yes.” Eugene confirmed. His light tone was more than enough to tell me he was happier with this non-physical side of self-defence; I just couldn’t understand why he was so uncomfortable with fighting. It was something I was going to have to look into and resolve quickly. Those who don’t know how to stand their ground die quickly in this reality and Eugene was too rare to let go in such a stupid way.

“How far have you come along?”

For a moment, Eugene looked quite sheepish and he broke eye contact with Alexis to stare at the floor. I hopped up onto the table and leaned forward on my legs as I chewed on the bread slowly, not taking my eyes from the child. I had neglected in this area, which was stupid of me I had to admit. I treated him like I did five years ago, as if he was a small child who could not learn the basics of the senses yet. He was now ten however and at the age where parents would begin training them for the struggle of survival. Knowing how to run, how to use your heightened senses to separate different sounds and smells, to sense the whereabouts of dangers, to fight for your life; all these things had to be learnt at a young age or the child would be killed very quickly. Thankfully Alexis was more aware of this than I was and had taken the liberty of becoming Eugene’s teacher. Obviously the only area I would have to work on would be the Matter.

“Eugene, you must not hide things from us. The only way we can help you is by you telling us honestly about the current status in your training.” I said and smiled softly at him when his eyes fluttered up to my face.

For a moment, he remained silent but eventually he gathered the courage to speak out. “Grandmother has been trying to teach me about the senses for a while now but I can’t get the hang of it.” He mumbled.

Alexis chuckled deeply and ruffled Eugene’s hair, a sign of affection that doesn’t seem to have rubbed off of Alexis over the years. “Then we work on your senses.” He said and hunkered down in front of Eugene as the boy blinked at him in confusion. I guess he had been expecting to be reprimanded. “Just close your eyes for me.”

Eugene nodded once then squeezed his eyes shut which made Alexis laugh gently. “Not so tight, lad. Just close them as if you were asleep.”

Eugene softened his eyes and titled his head down so his chin rested on his chest. “Now what do I do.”

“Try and sense me.” Alexis instructed.

“How?”

“You’ll work it out. Just try and feel my aura.”

For five minutes Eugene sat there, getting increasingly restless as Alexis watched him carefully. Eventually Eugene broke the silence and his eyes snapped open.

“Can’t do it!” He said in frustration. “I can’t sense anything!”

“It’s not going to happen instantly.” Alexis said in a comforting tone.

“But I’ve tried it so many times. I just can’t feel anything.”

“That would be because it’s harder for witches Eugene.” I explained. “I grew up with both Romana and Ilda and they had much trouble with sensing those of the Old World. We are human after all, not an immortal.”

“What about you?” Eugene asked.

I just smiled weakly, not wanting to say I could sense any living thing from as far as I could remember, and instead went back to trying to help the child.

“You just need to spend an hour at least, every day, with your eyes closed. Try and feel where Alexis and I are in the room without using either sight or hearing. Your ability to sense immortals will grow from there.”

“But I can’t.” He mumbled stubbornly.

“That is where practice comes in.” Alexis said gently. “It’s something that grows. You just have to help it.”

Eugene stared at Alexis’ earnest face and very slowly nodded. He closed his eyes and, for the next hour, remained completely silent. Watching him carefully alongside Alexis, who sat in the corner reading to avoid distracting Eugene with sound, it brought back childhood memories. I could clearly recall Romana, the current head of the Nespola Family and the woman Eugene considers as his grandmother, trying so hard to sense the immortals. She often got frustrated and angry with me when I could quite easily point out an immortal among a crowd of people. It grated on our friendship, I had to admit, but eventually her jealousy of my apparent ease of sensing grew thin when she realised my Matter was far lower than average. I guess it made her feel superior to me in that aspect.

By the end of the hour, I was sat at the kitchen table cleaning my witch-blade carefully when Alexis stood and told Eugene he could stop now. He stretched and yawned tiredly. I wasn’t surprised. Sitting still for an hour with your eyes closed at ten o’clock at night would make you tired for a child of his age.

As Alexis took him without much effort into the bedroom, I noticed that Eugene seemed down. I guessed the fact he was a Warlock put a lot of self-imposed pressure on him. The Families had high expectations of him and it obviously got him down that he could not yet meet them.

For twenty minutes I waited for Alexis to return to me and when he came out, he looked a little troubled.

“He’s out like a light.” He commented.

“Not surprised. He does not often stay up this late.” I replied without looking up.

He sighed heavily and sat in the chair beside the wall and let the back of his head rest against it. He stared at the dim light that hung from the ceiling and scratched his neck absentmindedly.

“I don’t like it, Augusta.”

“What don’t you like?”

“Eugene’s reaction to learning how to fight. He should have learnt something by now but he knows nothing. That won’t keep him alive in our world.” He said.

“I know and I will talk to him about it.”

Alexis looked at me and smiled. The subject was changed now that he knew I agreed with him and was going to try to do something about it. “Have you sensed anything recently?”

This time I did look up from my cleaning duty. “No, I haven’t. The Crone did say things will change once she had died. It should be soon I imagine.”

A thoughtful expression covered his face and he took his glasses and began to clean them slowly. “I might take Eugene out tomorrow then.”

My eyes narrowed and became hard. “No.”

In contradiction to my expression, Alexis smiled warmly at me and his eyes lightened. “No threat has been felt and no news has been heard of the Crone’s death. I see no harm in him going outside for a bit.”

“It isn’t safe. If he goes outside, he’ll be open to danger.” I replied.

“I am aware of that however there is no danger nearby. I might as well let him see daylight before he becomes housebound due to threats.” I opened my mouth to argue but he continued, raising his voice so he would be heard, as he pushed his glasses back up his nose. “And he will be with me. Do you not trust me to keep him safe?”

I closed my mouth and bit my lip. He knew I trusted him. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have accepted his help five years ago and wanted him to guard Eugene again.

“You know I do.” I grumbled, knowing I had been defeated.

“Then let me take him outside. Not for too long and when the sun is high.”

“Fine.” I said, not bothering to hide the worry and dislike for the idea from my voice.

Alexis smiled at me with affection, a smile I was used to yet, at the same time, made me nervous. “I will go to sleep for now. Wake me if you need anything.” He said before he stood and walked over to the sofa where he collapsed heavily.

Almost instantly, Alexis fell asleep. That was one thing about wolves. They could sleep very easily and very heavily. Only danger was enough to stir them out of sleep. He would be out of it until dawn now and it was my job to watch over Eugene and my home.

After watching Alexis sleep for a moment, I turned back to caring for my weapons. I still felt uncomfortable about Eugene leaving the house without me and days after the Crone’s warning however he would be with Alexis. He was strong enough to take care of himself and Eugene. I just hoped I wouldn't regret it.

I was, however, going to find I would.