Bleeding Tears, Crying Blood

Days went by. I wasn’t sure how many. I lost count on the amount of times I would wake to the moon and be forced to sleep by the sun. I rarely left this small room. The only times I did was when I was allowed to bathe in the bathroom across the hall or when Gabriella took me out into the gardens to walk. I often asked after Leroy and the state of White and she would say both were fine. I wasn’t entirely convinced though. I was pleased Gabor rarely made an appearance. Whenever he did, he would open my mouth and feel my teeth then walk away looking frustrated. Recently though, he was looking happier. It unnerved me a little.

For days I sat in the darkness, meditating on what Cian had told me when he shifted into a wolf. I kept trying to seek out the mist or mouse, any shape that would let me move freely within the house, but I couldn’t find it.

I sighed and clenched my fists in frustration when I gave up meditating once again. I looked up at the window and the sky beyond it. I had tried for so long now, for hours at a time, yet I couldn’t shift, no matter how much I willed it. Gritting my teeth hard, I closed my eyes and breathed heavily out of my mouth. I tried again, seeing as it was the only thing I could do, and sought anything that may hold a shape within me. I was almost ready to give up when I suddenly felt a strange shiver run down my spine and the feeling of fur covering my body briefly took me. It was such a surprise I jumped out of my meditation and lost it. It took me only a moment to realise I had touched a shape and quickly began to meditate again.

It didn’t take as long. Now I had briefly felt it, it wasn’t too hard to find. The shape was strange to feel. It made me feel small and twitchy, constantly aware of possible dangers, and gave me the feeling of warmth. I faintly touched it before I reached out and grabbed it.

Almost instantly I felt something weird filling me. It started from my chest then flooded to every inch of me, filling me with this weird tingling feeling. And then, as I blinked, the room was suddenly very big. Everything abruptly grew. I looked up, staring at the flickering candles, then looked down. I let out a squeak when I saw that I was so close to the ground and that my hands were now clawed paws. I quickly looked over myself as best I could but it was enough to know I was no longer human looking. I was a small dark haired mouse.

Relief and joy filled me first. I had done it. I had shifted. I had to quickly push my happiness down as suddenly a very daunting task lay ahead of me. I had to get out of this room and roam about in a house filled with strong vampires. I shook my head, took a deep breath then scuttled over to the door. I looked at the gap. I had often put my fingers under it in failed attempts at wrenching it free. I didn’t particually want to see if I could fit under it now I was a mouse, I feared I would get stuck, but I had no other options.

First I stuck my nose under the door. There were no footsteps and I heard no one approaching. I retreated and gave the door a long hard look before I shoved my head under and wriggled my way through the gap. I felt my body squish itself down, become quite flat. It felt weird and made me worry a little but then I popped out.

I ruffled my fur and looked up at the tall door before I ran for the stairs. My nose was constantly twitching as I very carefully made my way down each high step. My senses were on alert, trying to pick up the sound of a vampire so I could run and hide. Not that I had anywhere to hide here on the stairs. There weren’t any holes or cabinets, just the bare stone wall. It did make me quite nervous.

I plonked onto the hallway floor, slightly relieved, until a new worry set in. I now had to venture about halls and rooms in my search for Leroy, White and any information as to why Gabor has locked me away. I was tempted to just go back but I had come here to stop Gabor’s hunt of me. Yes it had gone a little differently than I imagined, but the plan remained the same. Find evidence and get it to my father.

I began my search. Through halls and rooms I ran, keeping close the walls like a tiny shadow. I did panic when I saw the first vampire, a young one, but he didn’t seem to notice me at all. After that my courage grew. I looked through every room I found, ducking out of sight when I saw eyes glancing over in my direction, but found nothing of any use. Slowly I began to make my way to the lower halls, hoping to find where Leroy was hidden.

I finally found the place I thought was the dungeon. At the bottom of the lowest staircase in the northern tower was an ugly looking door. The wooden door was firmly sealed but, just as I was trying to figure out how to get behind it, I was in luck. It opened and Gabriella came out. For a moment I was terrified I had been but, just like the others, she looked straight over me. I quickly swallowed my fear and made a mad dash for the door. My heart pounded as Gabriella held the handle and pulled. She almost closed the door on me but I managed to slip passed.

Panting hard and picking up the heavy footfalls of Gabriella as she walked away, I looked around the narrow hall and inwardly groaned when I saw more steps. I hated those.

It took some time before I reached the bottom of the spiral steps. I was greeted by only a few doors, all of them were closed. I stared up at them, curious as to how I was to get in there when I was so small. Eventually I decided now was a good time to shift back.

I filled my tiny senses with Matter and listened hard. I heard nothing and sensed no danger. I sat there, thinking of how to shift back, and slowly realised I was clutching into the essence of the mouse. I slowly let it go and rapidly found myself growing. Furless and no longer tiny, I turned to the first door and quickly opened it. I didn’t want to be in my true form for long. Cian had said that the shape covers my true essence. If anyone were to sniff me out, I’d be in major trouble. As soon as I was inside, I sought the shape of the mouse and shifted swiftly.

I peered about the room. It was small but almost office like. There were shelves filled with papers and files and a desk pressed up against the wall but not much else. I scuttled across the room and, after several attempts, managed to clamber up the wooden chair.Once I climbed to the top, I leapt over to the desk.

I slid across the papers that littered the desk. Once I got to my feet, I began to shift through. There wasn’t much of interest at first until I found a single sheet. It was one of ten, photo copied from a book by the looks of it. It appeared to be some sort of surgical instructions but it was in a language I couldn’t read. By the diagrams, I guessed it was to remove an organ. I stared at it and titled my head, trying to figure out the picture and the organ. But the more I looked, the more I began to worry and instinctively reach for my throat. Cian had said our special organ resides in the base of our throat, the Core that creates the venom to cure humanity within vampires. This diagram was depicting someone’s throat and a weird oval shape in the throat. Lines with words I couldn’t read were littered over it. I didn’t know what it meant but fear was gnawing at me now.

I frantically began to look about the papers, searching for any more of these copies. I couldn’t. I looked up to the shelves but couldn’t read the labels. I needed to check. I jumped down to the floor and quickly shifted. I grabbed the first one and opened it. Nothing of interest was there. I grabbed the next one. Still nothing. I took out four more until I finally found the original file.

As I looked from page to page, my fears were slowly strengthening. It was an old instruction manual, showing all the tools needed and the areas to cut, to remove the core of a dhampir. I felt cold inside as I slowly realised what Gabor wanted from me, why he was constantly feeling my teeth and walking away frustrated. He was planning to cut my core out. He was planning to harvest me.

Panic filled me followed by a terrible need to get out of here. I put the files back quickly and stepped out of the room, shutting the door firmly in place. I had to seek out Leroy. We had to escape soon.

I let my Matter filled my nose, seeking out the scent of Leroy. He wasn’t far thankfully. I strode to the door at the end of the corridor and flung it open. Running downstairs, Leroy’s scent began to grow stronger. I reached a metal door and pushed it open then stepped into the long hall of doors. I looked about cautiously, still nervous about being spotted even though I felt no one.

“Leroy!” I whispered hoarsely as I made my way down the hall of cells.

I didn’t like the looks of this dungeon. The doors were made from thick iron and it looked as if there was only straw for a bed, nothing else. I jogged a little, ignoring the sharp bits of stone I felt dig into my bare feet, until I found him.

He sat in the corner, curled in a ball with chains latched onto his ankles. I rattled the door, trying to open it, but found it wouldn’t budge. I faintly wasn’t surprised. This was supposed to be able to hold a fully matured vampire. Of course I wouldn’t be strong enough to just wrench to open.

But my attempts were loud enough to grab his attention. Squinting in the weak light, he suddenly smiled.

“Thank god, you’re okay.” Leroy said in relief.

I smiled in returned. He looked filthy but he didn’t look as if he had lost an awful lot of weight. Gabreilla was saying the truth when she said she was looking after him.

“I’m going to get us out.” I said quietly.

Leroy looked a little doubtful. “How do you plan about doing that?”

I hesitated. “I’m not sure. But we need to get out of here.”

His expression became concerned. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing.” I said honestly. “But I found something. Gabor is planning to harvest me.”

His anger flared instantly. “Harvest you? Seriously?”

“And one I’m dead, there won’t be any reason to keep you alive anymore.” I continued as I extended my claw and tried to pick the lock. “So we need to get out of here.”

“Well, how long until your teeth are ready?”

“I’m not sure. A week, maybe longer. We have been here an awfully long time.” I said then looked up at him and gave him a worried stare as my lock picking failed. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “I am. They haven’t hurt me. Gabriella is the one who usually comes in. I just want a bath to be honest.”

I smiled at his bravery. He spoke plainly but I could smell his fear. I glanced about the cell. “And White? Do you know what happened to him?”

Leroy shook his head. “I think Gabor has him.”

I bit my lip. I couldn’t leave without White but Leroy was in as much danger as I was. “I’ll get you out and see that you’re safe.” I said. “Then I’ll come back for White.”

Leroy eyes narrowed. “No. That’s just stupid.”

“I am not going to run off without him and neither am I going to put you in danger.” I said firmly as I looked about the walls, trying to find some weakness in the walls to break him out of there.

“And I am not going to let you run back to a man who plans to rip you apart.” Leroy snapped.

“You have no choice.” I said firmly. “You can’t run like you will need to. I can. I have a chance. So once you’re safe, keeping running. I’ll get White back on my own.”

Leroy didn’t like this but he remembered what both myself and Cassandra had told him. You don’t argue with those who know more than you. You do as you’re told or get both yourself and your ally killed.

“Do you still have the Matter balls? I think now is time for you to eat one.”

Leroy scowled. “I would’ve eaten them but they took the pouch away. I don’t know where it’s gone.”

I sighed in despair. Without eating one of those balls, Leroy was very vulnerable. We also had no way of alerting Wolfram. I needed my old guard right now. Desperately. But I was on my own and it was up to me to get us out. I just hoped I could do it.

He grumbled and sat glumly in the corner as I began to tear at the wall. It was hard work and also useless. Just as I began to pull away the bricks, the dungeon door swung open. I gasped in horror as Gabor came in, backed by both his remaining Brides. I didn’t know what else to do when Elena rushed me. I tried to fight back but she was too quick for me. Before Gabor had even reached Leroy’s cell, I was on the floor with Elena’s strong hand crushing the back of my neck.

Gabor observed myself and Leroy quietly before he crouched down.

“I take it you can shift now. We’re going to have to put you somewhere else.” He said quite calmly. “And we can’t have you trying to run off again.”

He unlocked the door and approached Leroy. I squirmed hard, trying to get out of Elena’s grasp. I could feel the threat he posed to my friend. He was intending to hurt him. Leroy instinctively knew this too. He stood and swung his fist at Gabor, only to have his wrist grabbed by Gabor.

“I told you if you were good nothing would happen to your friends.” Gabor said then quite calmly uncurled Leroy’s hand and let a thick claw hover over his finger.

I knew what he intended to do. I writhed harder, baring my teeth in anger. “I won’t try and escape again!” I pleaded. “Please don’t hurt him!”

Gabor only spared me a glance before he let his claw rip through Leroy’s finger. Leroy tried his best to not let the pain show but he couldn’t help but let out a cry of agony as Gabor ripped off his finger. He fell to his knees, cradling his bloody hand, and stared at his finger which lay lifeless on the floor.

“You try to escape again and I’ll kill him.” Gabor said darkly to me. “Gabriella, clean him up. Elena, take her back to her room. We don’t have long now before this is over.”

I didn’t even resist Elena as I was hauled onto my feet then dragged away. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the cowered body of Leroy. He loved me. He only ever wanted to protect me. It’s why he was so adamant he came with me. Now his finger had been ripped from his hand.

Tears of guilt and regret filled me. I had done nothing but bring him pain since I introduced him into the Old World. And now he was going to die because of me. We had no hope of calling for help or escaping. We had nothing.

I should never have given myself up. I should never had tried to end this hunt by myself. I should’ve left it to my parents and the Lady. I shouldn’t have let the despair of White’s rejection and tiredness of being hunted drive me to this stupid idea. I should’ve kept my head and act as my father would have, not my mother.

As a result I had doomed us both. We were both going to die and there was nothing we could do about it.