Bleeding Tears, Crying Blood

I made my way slowly through the darkening streets. Wolfram had been right. I could smell the scent of the Branch. They often travelled into the town apparently. I walked unhurriedly down a road near the back end of west side of the small town and came to an abrupt halt. I could hear something. Voices; angry shouting voices that echoed from a house further down the dirt road.

White titled his head and leaned back so he could observe my face. “What’s wrong?”

I wasn’t quite sure. Hearing arguments was normal, especially when your ears picked up the slightest of sounds. I moved a few steps forward until I found the house. It wasn’t anything special. It was just a simple country home with a small front garden that was overrun with weeds. I watched it for a moment, keeping to the shadows.

“Alma, we need to move on now. The Branch will be waiting for you.” White said softly. He sighed when I didn’t reply. “What is it?”

“I don’t know.” I mumbled.

The door suddenly was thrown open and a young man, lanky with his face obscured by the hoody he wore, stumbled as he was practically thrown out from the house. I ducked further into the shadow as he turned and yelled abuse at the large elderly man which was returned tenfold with a rather slurred voice. The door slammed shut, leaving the man scowling, I assumed anyway, at the house. Silence came. After a few seconds, he kicked at the grass with an enraged cry and turned to march out of the gate. I didn’t bother to move as he stormed towards me. When his eyes caught hold of me standing in the shadows, watching him with a strange tattered toy in one hand and a black parasol in another, he froze.

For a moment we just stared at one another. He was frozen like a rabbit, his face still shadowed by the hood of his jumper but I could see his mouth which was turned into a firm frown. I had my usual blank expression on but my eyes were wide and vibrant from intrigue and panic.

The man suddenly grunted and strode off down the road, leaving me standing and watching him vanish in the flooding darkness.

“You sense something.” White said after a pause.

I hummed and turned to walk in the opposite direction. “I am not certain yet but he interests me.”

White stiffened. “In what way?” He asked warily.

“Once I am sure, I’ll tell you.”

He fell silent but I knew he was sulking again. Such an emotional thing he was nowadays. I walked onwards, twirling my parasol as I went. My nose was continuously twitching as I sniffed the air and tracking my Branch. It led me out from the town and up quite a steep hill where the trees grew tall. There I stumbled across a large cottage. This was where the Branch lived, a small segment of my large Clan.

My hips swayed as I waited, twirling the thin skirt around me in mild contentment. I knew the Branch knew I was here. A vampire could always sense their kin, especially those whose blood was purer. Not before too long, the door opened and out stepped a large burly man. Needless to say he was handsome as all of our kind is as a way of making hunting easier. Humans always seemed to trust those strangers with beauty the most. He stepped up to me and bowed low.

“Mistress Alma.” He welcomed surprisingly softly. “Welcome to our home.”

“Alma.” I mumbled.

He glanced up in confusion which made White elaborate what I meant. “She doesn’t like her title. Just call her Alma.”

His confusion turned into understanding and a small smile. He reached out to take my hand which I responded to quickly. Gently he guided me to the house, telling me he was the eldest brother, Errol. I was taken into a small lounge where a warm fire roared. Numerous thickly covered chairs sat before it and one currently held someone in its arms. Errol told me sit in the chair opposite it. I did as I was told while Errol went to find his two brothers.

A woman sat opposite me. She was tiny and frail with large doe eyes that stared at me without blinking. She reminded me of one of those old Victorian dolls. She appeared just as breakable.

I just stared at her as she smiled thinly. “I am Cassandra, Head of this Branch.” She said softly, almost inaudibly. “The Master has told us that we are to watch over you.”

I blinked slowly and tightened my hold on White. “Father is trying to sort out the trouble I caused.”

“From what I heard you weren’t the one to cause it.” Cassandra raised an eyebrow and smoothed out her long skirt. “We shall guard you, young Mistress. You shall be safe here for as long as you stay.” She promised.

“Alma.” I mumbled.

Cassandra simply smiled and looked up at Errol’s entrance to the room.

“I found them.” He said.

Cassandra patted his hand in thanks. “Errol, could you get young Alma a drink? Something warm.” She asked gently. “No blood.”

Errol simply nodded in understanding and retreated into the kitchen. My whole Clan knew of my slow maturity, just as they knew about White.

Two men approach me, both opposite in personality apparently, like two sides of a coin. While one stood quite close to Cassandra, the other leaned languidly against the wall.

“These are the other two nephews, young Alma. Alfred is over there,” She pointed to the more confidant brother, “And this here is Donald. Both are good in their own way and will fight to the death for you.”

I glanced at both men. I knew she was right. Every member of my Clan would fight for me.

I stayed there for a few hours, talking to Cassandra and her three nephews. They were a tight family, just as any in the Old World. Errol and Donald I could tell were the most reliable in the family. Cool headed and smart, although Errol also had brawn as well as brain. Alfred, or Alfie as he apparently liked to be called, was the flaky one, I could tell. He was weaker and not as smart but his confidence was much higher than the other two. He was far more carefree and a lot less formal. He treated me more as a friend than a woman from the heart of their Clan. I left shortly after midnight when Wolfram came in a rage, banging on the front door.

Currently I was trailing after him with my head thrown back so I could stare at the few stars littered across the cloud covered sky. White was on my forehead, swaying contentedly in the slight breeze.

“I told you to be back after a couple of hours.” Wolfram snapped ahead of me, becoming even more irritated by the fact he had failed to set his cigarette alight again.

“And you said you would come get me if I wasn’t. You were over an hour late.” I pointed out absentmindedly.

“I was working, and will you walk properly, Alma. You can’t see where your feet are going.” He ordered when he turned and noticed how I was making my way town the treacherous hill.

I sighed heavily and picked White from my forehead and placed him on my head as I stood up properly. White organised my box like fringe from where he sat on my head while I glared down at Wolfram who stood scowling at me further along the twisting path.

“I was safe Wolfram. He won’t find me so quickly.” I said letting my parasol snap open.

“And you need to stop underestimating this vampire. If he can get passed your father’s defences and enter his home then you need to be wary of this guy’s strength.” He said firmly, inhaling deeply as the fire finally snagged onto the end of the cigarette. “If your father is worried, you should be too.”

I stared after him blankly as he continued onwards, muttering darkly to himself and leaving a thin trail of smoke behind him.

“He’s right.” White pressed. “Your father does not take on enemies needlessly and neither is he a hard man to corner.”

I bit my lip hard but continued after Wolfram. Hearing White back up Wolfram made me grudgingly think about the reason why I was here.

Weeks ago, while the Clans gathered at the Domain, I went, as usual, to accompany my father as my mother couldn’t. I always did, even when I was small. There, while I was wondering the grounds, I was approached by Gabor, a Head from a Transylvanian Clan. He was polite and charming but there was something cold there, something that terrified me. As a result I listened to him out of fear of angering him. What he wanted of me shocked me though. He asked me to accept him as my Groom, a mate. I barely knew the man. I knew he was powerful but to ask someone to become their mate was a heavy question. Everyone in the Old World paired for life and it took years for vampires to begin to feel anything along the lines of love for someone so, as I had never met him before, I knew he felt nothing for me. That and his eyes told me so. They were so cold and empty. Even his smile was. Father had sensed my unease at the cold stranger and came to me. He argued with Gabor and I knew it would’ve become physical if it wasn’t for the fact they were currently within the Domain. Weeks later he had gained entrance to my room without anyone in the House knowing. He pressed his offer again, almost demanding me to accept. I didn’t and managed to keep him talking until my parents arrived. My mother was livid and nearly tore his throat out but father stopped her, as usual. He always had the cool head about these sorts of situations. Gabor left only saying he would have me, no matter what they, or even myself, said. That invasion had caused a war between my Clan and the Gabor Clan though and I was sent here, to the middle of nowhere, for safety until this fight died down. Or until Gabor was dead. I hoped the latter. He caused my parents much trouble for hounding me with his unreasonable and baffling offer.

“That vampire is a fool.” I muttered darkly.

“You’re right about that Alma. Only an idiot would take on your Clan.” Wolfram agreed as he guided me through the eerily quiet town. He shrugged. “Or someone who is confident his strength matches your father’s.” Wolfram inhaled deeply. “You must be very important for him to start a war over.”

“How?”

“That’s what I want to know.” He grumbled and held the gate open for me. A moment later and we were both standing in the dark hall of his old house. “Go to bed. I’ll wake you at dawn.”

Without another word, Wolfram faded into the house, no doubt to hide in the study and bury his nose in work. I watched the darkness that flooded in after him with a slight glare before making my way up to my tower. I bounded up the spiral stairs then burst into the room. I put White on the bed, facing him the other way as he requested earlier. Once I was changed I simply sat on the bed with my legs crossed, staring at the moonbeams that filtered in through the ancient windows, while I absentmindedly brushed my long hair. I remained perfectly quiet. For once I was calm, content even. I felt safe here with no eyes watching me.

“Alma, I must go now.” White said beside me.

I paused suddenly and only realised then I had been humming the lullaby my mother always sang. I glanced down at White who was peering up at me and leaning on my leg. I frowned and placed my brush by my side so I could cup him in my hands.

“Will you be back tomorrow?” I asked. It was rare that he was with me for so long in a day and I had just about managed to hide the joy at his long presence. I found it very hard though to hide my disappointment that White had to leave me again.

“Most probably. I want to make sure you’re safe and try to make sure you stay out of trouble.” He said firmly.

“Then I will see you in the morning.” I murmured and pressed him against my cheek.

I felt him snuggle, rubbing his head against mine until slowly he became limp. I took him away and gently petted his lifeless head. It always made me sad when he left me. With a heavy sigh and scrabble over to the other end of the bed and fought my way underneath the quilt. Clutching White’s limp body close to my chest, I curled my body into a ball and watched the empty room until I fell asleep.