Bleeding Tears, Crying Blood

I stood on the pillars again the next evening. White didn’t come back to me, which frustrated me a little. I wanted to hear his voice again and feel his ghostly hands. But I knew that was beginning to not be enough. I knew deep inside I was feeling the ache to see him again. To sit next to the real him and have the real him hold me and brush his lips against mine. To take my mind off it, I had spent the beginning of the evening the Leroy when my attempt to feel my Matter failed again.

He cheered me up. The garden was coming together wonderfully and the flowers were in full bloom. He didn’t think it was though, having only covered a quarter of the expansive garden. I had waved away his grumbled modest words and told I hoped he would continue gardening here. Maybe, once he has completed it, Wolfram might venture out of his study once in a while. Leroy had blushed and scratched his nose in embarrassment then continued quietly with his work. I continued to hover around him, sitting on the wall above him, talking until Kenny came, muttering apologies for his late arrival having had to babysit his sister. I was quiet after that and went back to observing Kenny for any tell-tale signs of who and what he could be. As usual he just appeared to be Kenneth, the old human friend of a weak blooded vampire.

When midnight came, Leroy and Kenny left me alone. I was a bit bewildered though. As soon as Kenny said his farewell, he winked at Leroy and sauntered off, leaving Leroy behind to say goodbye to me a little awkwardly and red-faced then stalked off after quickly giving me a kiss on the cheek. I watched him walk away hurriedly catching up to Kenny who ruffled his hair playfully. I gave the pair a frown of confusion before I wondered inside in search of Wolfram.

He let me sit in the study, quietly and aimlessly flicking through books while he worked as usual. I remained like this for another hour, sometimes trying to feel my Matter and get it to strength and hands, until I felt a call.

I pushed the books from my lap and sat up sharply, not sure if what I felt was a call at first. It then came back, a high pitched squeak, echoing out in the darkness outside.

“What’s the matter?” Wolfram asked, lazily swinging round in his chair to watch me, cigarette still clamped between his teeth.

“I think the Branch is calling me.” I mumbled as I clambered over the piles of books and pressed my ear against the grimy window.

“Why on earth would they call you?” He said curiously. “They usually appear when they want to see you, not make you go to them.”

I hummed in agreement, listening out for the call. Once again it echoed outside, distant and for my ears only. “They are calling me.” My eyes fixed on Wolfram’s face, seeking guidance and acceptance.

He shrugged and breathed out a thick cloud of smoke. “Go. They are your guards so you’ll be safe.”

“I’ll go.” I said and pushed myself off the thick sturdy wall of books.

“Remember to be back before dusk.” He said firmly.

I nodded. “I’ll see what they want and then return to you.”

“Good. Have fun.” He said, waving his hand and returned to work without another word.

I pottered out of his study and quickly made my way into the night air. I gave White a quick glance, double checking he hadn’t reappeared, before I ambled off into the darkness.

I followed the whistle call through the woods and town, passing through the quiet houses and into the fields on the other side. Clutching White to my chest, I wandered into the open, my eyes sweeping the dark night in search of who had called me. Eventually I spotted a figure, a familiar one, and jogged over to him.

“Good evening, Alfie.” I said warmly as I drew close.

Alfie looked up at me and instantly looked away. He didn’t smile. That worried me. Alfie was the most light-hearted of the brothers. For him to not smile was strange to me.

“Is something wrong Alfie?”

“I have failed you, mistress.”

I titled my head and my worry grew. “How have you failed me?”

“The boy you asked me to guard and care for. He’s gone.”

I stiffened and the feeling of dread filled me. “What do you mean? What happened?”

“We often train him in the night, when the sun is long gone, as a way of strengthening his instincts. I was training him out here this evening, teaching him how to run and how to avoid danger. It is difficult for him. His senses are dulled and his reactions are slow. I let him go a fair distance before I would chase him and then I sensed something, another immortal. One who meant harm.” His gaze shifted to me then back to the floor. “I tried to get to him before the stranger did but I wasn’t fast enough. He had taken Leroy and then vanished.”

“Vanished?” I echoed in disbelief. No one can vanish. No immortal. Witches could confuse the sense and Silvers could lie to the mind, but no immortal could physically vanish.

“I couldn’t track them easily and they move too quickly, mistress.” He said.

“Then we need to call Wolfram. We must get Leroy back before they kill him.” I said firmly.

“I know, I thought White would be of use. He seems to be able to find things easily.” He stammered.

“He’s not here and I can’t simply summon him.” I sighed sharply then remembered what Cian said. That I could sense anything, no matter how hard they try to hide. Maybe I could hunt Leroy and his captor down. “Show me where he went missing. I’ll try to track him.”

“What of Wolfram?”

I cursed silently that I owned no mobile phone. It would’ve been a quick way to get Wolfram’s help. “Call brothers then get one of them to get Wolfram.”

He nodded and let out a quick call, a sharp cry, that would gather his brothers to him. “Come with me.” He said and ran ahead without checking whether or not I would follow.

It wasn’t far. We stopped in a small cluster of trees and Alfie spread out his arms. “This is where I lost him.”

I instantly went to work in sniffing the scents in the air and trying to let my instincts feel. I could instantly pick up the scent of Leroy. It was familiar and warm, calming my fears yet worsening them at the same time. Among the scents of trees and animals, there was another. It was foreign to me but I knew it belong to a vampire. Female. Old.

“A female vampire took him.”

“I know that much.” Alfie muttered. “Can you tell where though? I can’t.”

I sniffed again. He was right. Beyond a single spot, the scent of the female just vanished. I sighed in annoyance but focused. I knew Leroy’s aura, his scent, even if I didn’t know the vampire’s. Carefully I reached for the alien ball of energy within my, getting it to fill my ears and strengthen my hearing. I listened. I could hear the rustling of leaves, the cries of distant birds and traffic, the sound of my cousins running towards us. As I cut out each sound and put more Matter into my hearing, slowly I began to hear a heartbeat. It was familiar and very distant. But I weirdly knew how far it was and which direction.

My eyes snapped open and I turned sharply to Alfie, noticing vaguely that Errol and Donald were standing beside him, looking concerned.

“I know where he is."

His eyes widened. “You do?”

I nodded. “I can hear his heart. As long as he still lives, I can find him.”

“Errol, run back to Wolfram. Follow our scents and guide him to us.” Alfie instructed.

Errol didn’t argue and fled back to Wofram’s house. Alfie and Donald turned to me.

“Take us to Leroy, mistress.” Donald asked quietly. “We’ll get him back for you.”

I smiled then ran, once again zoning in on the sound of Leroy’s faint heart beat and blocking out all other sounds.

I didn’t realise that this was a trap. I didn’t see that the concern and worry in Alfie’s eyes wasn’t for Leroy, but was for me and guilt for what my Branch had done.