The Lost Empress

“HAYLEY! Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you!” I started to tune out after that, it was always the same story, you never call, you never ask my permission, you don’t tell me who you’re hanging out with. Blah, blah blah. Even though I did try and call him, I wasn’t about to mention that to him, when he was mad like this, it was always better to admit that you were in the wrong.
“Yes dad,” I interrupted, “I know what I did was, wrong. I promise that it will never happen again.” I looked straight into his light brown eyes, and he backed down.
“Right, well,” he mumbled, “you'd better hope so, or else.” Then he walked off, probably to go drink or something. He never used to drink or get drunk, but after mum… Well he wasn’t the same after the accident. But how could he be? He lost the love of his life before their life together had practically even started. I always found myself trying to distract myself when I started to think about mum, but some days, like today, I find myself able to remember.
It was a beautiful day. The sky was that wonderful, pale colour it gets in spring afternoons, the baby bluebirds outside our house were chirping, and the kids next door were yelling as they played in the pool. It was a normal, typical day; I didn’t have any clue as to how ugly that perfect day would turn. It was the 19th of September when the ‘accident’ occurred. I was out with my friends, shopping at the mall and having fun. Mum called while I was out, I thought she was going to ask me to get some groceries, so I just let it go to voicemail. That was what I regretted the most. When my friend's mum dropped me home, the police were outside my house, and dad was sitting on the front steps of the house, shaking as his hands covered his face.
I didn’t react when the police told me what happened to mum. I didn’t cry when they told me how her car was cut in half by the tree she drove into. And I didn’t try to deny it when they told me she died at the scene. I just nodded and walked to my room. I started shaking as I tried to find my phone, praying that mum might have left a message, that I could hear her voice one more time and forget what I had heard and imagine that everything was normal. Her message was anything but.
“Hayley?” My mum’s usually calm voice was shaking and whispered. “Sweety, I want you to know how much I love you. You are the one thing I’ve done right and I am so sorry that this has to happen. I want to talk to you, explain why I’m doing this, but...” There was shouting in the background, a deep voice calling my mum’s name. “Hayley, my darling girl, I love you with all my heart, and no matter what you hear, I will always be here for you. Even when you think I’m gone. I love you and I miss you.” The person shouts again and she yells something back but I don’t understand it. “Oh and darling, tell no one, not even your father what I’m telling you, don’t even mention that I called you. Promise me. Good-bye Hayley”
Her voice broke at the end, and I could tell she was trying not to cry. And those were the last words I ever heard from my mum.
I kept mum’s promise and never showed anyone the message. But I did save it and sometimes when I feel alone and about to have a panic attack, which happens when I think too much about it, I listen to it, and even though I can hear how worried my mother was, it calms me.
After dad had fallen asleep on the lounge after his 6 beers and God knows what else; I tiptoed off to bed, making sure I didn't wake him. I didn’t want to get yelled at two times in one day. I went through the routine of getting ready for bed; brushing my teeth, washing my face, getting changed, and reading. I hadn’t realised how tired I’d become, but I couldn’t sleep. All I could think about was my afternoon with Kye, in particular that room. I could still see the door in my head. Unlike the rest of the perfectly kept house, this door was black and the paint was scratched and chipped. The golden door handle was worn and mangled, like someone had gripped the handle with such force, that it made an imprint on it. I tried to forget about the door, but I kept finding myself being more drawn to it each time. I kept glancing at my watch. 11pm, 12am, 1am; by the time it had gotten to 2:30am, I had it all figured out. I was going to get inside that room tonight.
I had no idea what I was doing, but I got out of my sheep print pyjama’s and into a pair of black, ripped jeans, my favourite red and purple stripped singlet, my grey, running hoodie and my dark purple high-tops. Dad was already snoring on the couch and there was no real worry about waking him up, he could sleep though a hurricane. I'd gotten to the front door and as I crept down the front steps of my house, I could believe what I was going to do. I was going to break into Kye’s house. But the funny thing was, I had never felt so confident before in my life. I felt as if I was just walking into my best friend’s house after being invited over; there was nothing wrong with what I was doing. Which wasn’t right. I should have freaking out and coming up with reasons not to break in. But my mind wouldn’t let me consider the idea that what I was doing was wrong. Going into Kye’s house and looking in that room felt right. And that scared me more than anything.
I got to the front path of his house and stopped. Even though my mind was saying to go up and open the door, my body was too stiff to move. But after a few calming breaths I found myself walking past the front gate, and up the steps to the porch. I put my hand on the handle of the front door. If I opened that door, there was no going back. I gathered all my courage and pulled the door open.
I found it weird how frightening Kye’s house looked at night. I had been there only hours before and it was the most charming and quaint home I had ever been in. But now, the house looked huge. The tall ceilings seemed to go on forever with no roof. The stairs to the second floor seemed to spiral to nowhere and I couldn’t see more that an arm’s length ahead of me, a huge contrast between the house I was in earlier where I could quite have easily have worn sunglasses inside.
I didn’t want waste any time, and I blindly pulled myself towards the stairs. As I was going up, I tried to remember what the house looked like during the day so that I could find my way to the room. If I turned right at the top of the stairs, I would go down a hallway to the study, the bathroom and across from that his painting studio. If I went left at the stairs I would get to Kye’s room which was opposite his sister’s room. But where was the door? I remembered it was somewhere between the studio and Kye’s bedroom. I’d just have to feel the smooth wall till I found it.
It didn’t take long, but I made a mental note to bring a flashlight next time I broke into someone’s house. I went to reach for the door when something occurred to me. If you had a room that you didn’t want anyone to enter, you wouldn’t leave it unlocked would you? I was about to turn around and search for a key, when I thought of something else. But, if everyone in the house knew not to open it, and you never had visitors over, you wouldn’t need to lock it because no one would open it. Going with the latter option, I smiled to myself when I heard to door quietly click open.

A cold breeze ran through me as I opened the door, and I hugged myself to keep warm as the temperature dove. I was shocked by how much I could actually see, the full moon outside was casting a pale silvery light over the room, giving it and eerie feeling. The second thing I noticed was that there was absolutely no furniture in the room. I’m sure what I was expecting, but I freezing cold, barren room was not it. All at once my senses seemed to sharpen as I realised that I wasn’t the only one in the room. Oh, shit. I looked around trying to see someone, or something, but all I heard was a steady breathing. I was officially getting scared out of my wits. There was definitely something in here. It wasn’t until I was scanning for what was making the noise that I realised the state off the room. There were scratch marks everywhere. On the walls, ceiling and floor. As if something was being dragged around against their will. Streaks of blood were smeared into the chipped timber floor, and the smell of decay was overwhelming. The scratch marks seemed to start the doorway and go all the way into the left corner of the room.
I was in way over my head; I didn’t know what I was doing there, so I decided to get out. And fast. But as soon as I went to turn towards the door, something in the corner moved. Ignoring my fear and the voice screaming at me to run away, I gave into my curiosity and slowly walked towards where the figure moved.
I reached out my hand to grab hold of whatever was there. When something grabbed my arm I let out a blood-curdling scream. The other hand was thrown over my mouth to keep me from screaming.
“Keep calm my Lost One.” The voice called to me. The thing was still in the shadows, so I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman, or if it was even human. “Why do you come here Lost One? You are not meant to know of us yet.” Know of us! What was that supposed to mean, that there were others of it wondering around? “You seem scared Lost One, did you not mean to find me?” What was this thing talking about? It's long nails were digging into my wrist where it held me. It's hand slowly moved from my mouth and I found my voice, though only a whisper.
“What are you?” Curiosity and fear was plain in my voice, but I didn’t care.
“I am not a what deary, but a who.” The thing let go of my, my blood staining its fingers, it lifted them to its mouth and... Tasted my blood! What was wrong with this thing?
I jumped back as it started walking towards me, arms dangling by its side and blood red eyes boring into me. I stumbled my way towards the door, eager to get out of this room and away from this terrifying thing, only to find it must have closed when I wasn’t looking.
Then I noticed the thing was in fact a woman dressed in rags, somewhat resembling an old witch. Her long, wiry, limp coal-black hair was thrown around her, as if she just woken up. Her tone turned more serious and her head tilted to the side as she asked, “My, my, you are the Lost One, aren’t you?” She was confusing me. What did lost one even mean?
“My name’s Hayley.” I whispered to her. “I’m not a lost one.” I couldn’t believe I was talking to this old hag. But the more I looked at her, the more I realised that she wasn’t, in fact, old. She would have to have been around her late twenties, but the clothes she wore and the way she spoke made her seem so much older.
“Well then Hayley. Why are you here?” She said it as if I was stupid and I needed to be told things extra slowly. Her crimson eyes bore into me, as if she were looking inside me, not at me. It scared me, that this crazy woman with abnormal eyes, was calling me lost one. I started opening the door, but in a movement to fast for anyone, let alone this strange woman, she got a grip on my arms and was dragging me towards the corner where I had found her.
Again, her nails dug into my skin, but she seemed oblivious to my pain, almost as if she relished it. I had no idea what she was going to do, but all I could do was scream, hoping that someone would hear me and do something. I screamed and screamed until my throat went raw, but I had to keep screaming. I started kicking her so that she would let me go, but this woman was incredibly strong.
Nothing I could do would loosen her grip. “MORRIGAN!” Something called from the doorway. The woman, Morrigan it must be, loosened her grip but didn’t let me go. I craned my neck to see the person who had heard my screams only to find a wolf standing in the doorway. Wolf! But I just heard it talk! I was beyond freaked out, but somehow I didn’t start scream again, I felt strangely calm. The wolf was silhouetted by the light coming from the hall, so I couldn’t see exactly what it looked like, but I could hear it growling at Morrigan.
“Put Hayley down.” Morrigan still wouldn’t let her arms leave my shoulders, her eyes still locked onto mine. Wait, the wolf just talked, I heard it, but it's jaw didn't move. Was this all in my head?
Then the wolf in the doorway yelled, “NOW MORRIGAN!” The power and authority in the wolves voice at that moment was unbelievable, and I was thankful that I wasn’t the one it was yelling at. Very slowly, almost as if she was savouring the moment, Morrigan let me go. I didn’t realise she was the one holding me up, until my knees gave way and I fell to the floor. The wolf walked towards me, and somehow got my shoulder over its back and dragged me towards the door. We were almost out when Morrigan spoke.
“Come now Mari.” She purred at her. “Don’t tell me you don’t sense it too? They’ll be after her soon, you know that.” She tsk-ed at Mari, and shook her head in dissapointment. After who? Me? “How are you and your brother going to protect the little Lost One when the Red Night comes for her?” The red what?!
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that Mother,” Mother? “I’m sure Kye and I can handle a few more vamps in town.” Mari, the wolf, looked at Morrigan and while she walked barred her teeth and left the room before I could ask any questions. Did she say ‘vamps’? As in vampyres?
“Sorry about that Hayley. Mother can be a bit… umm full on.” I couldn’t say anything, I was too freaked out. And Mari, this talking wolf thing, was treating this like a joke! “Now I know you must have a bucket load of questions,” Somehow, the wolf smiled at me, not even remotely angry that I broke into her house and went into a room that I was specifically told not to go in. “Come on,” she said, as she transformed into a beautiful woman, “let’s go and talk to Kye.”

I tried not to faint as this once wolf, now beautiful women was walking me towards Kye’s room. She would have been a few years older than me, so my guess was twenty or twenty-one. Her long, sandy blonde hair was braided behind her, and went down to the top of her waist. She had huge, pale blue eyes that had an air of excitement to them. Her full, red lips kept smiling down at me, and it comforted me to know that she wasn’t mad at me for breaking in.
“I know why you’re not saying anything,” she whispered to me, “It’s a lot to take in, what you just saw.” I just looked at her, how was I supposed to reply to that? Oh no, don’t worry, I see shape-shifting wolves all the time, oh and vampyres? I see them at the mall every weekend. We had stopped in the hallway, a few steps from Kye’s room.
“You may have already guessed as much, but my name is Mari,” She held an elegant hand out towards me and I shook it.
“Hayley Brooks,” I mumbled. I looked down the hall, eager to go see Kye, have him wrap his arms around me and tell me that everything was alright.
Mari followed my gaze and chuckled, “I see Kye has made quite an impression.” She smiled down at me as I ducked my head to hide my reddening cheeks. “Nothing to be ashamed about hun,” She nudged me with her should and I smiled at her. She took hold of my hand and squeezed it, a way of showing that everything was alright, and that there wasn’t a crazy lady who tasted my blood living in their house. We headed to Kye’s room and Mari knocked on the door.
The door opened and Kye’s eyes widened as he noticed me hiding behind Mari. “Seems we have a guest hun,” If I hadn’t seen Mari’s smile, I would have thought that as a threat, but she still didn’t seem to mind me being here. Kye’s mouth kept opening and closing, trying to come up with something to say. “Well, let us in hun so we can all chat,” Kye didn’t say anything as he moved backwards to let us in.
I was almost too nervous to notice that Kye wasn’t wearing a shirt, just pyjama pants. Almost. He sat down on his bed and patted the spot next to him, so I sat with him as he put his head in his hands and mumbled to himself. “How much did she see?” He wasn’t looking up, but I knew he was asking Mari.
Mari turned more serious, though she still had a calm smile spread across her face. “Well, Hayley here has met Mother,” She looked over at me, a mix of concern and pity plain on her face. “Let’s say that Mother didn’t give us the best of help at explaining all of this.”
After that, Mari started explaining what happened and I tuned out, I didn’t want to relive that moment, but I couldn’t stop replaying it in my mind.
Morrigan’s nails digging into my arm, her crimson eyes locked onto mine as she tasted my blood and the way she kept calling me lost one. I was broken out of my trance when I heard Kye yell, “SHE TASTED HER BLOOD!?” He was standing, with his hands running through his hair, a string of curses following. I had never seem Kye so mad, which was true because up until this afternoon, I hadn’t even known him. “How could you let this happen Mari!” he took two long strides to reach where Mari was standing in the doorway. She stood her ground, but guilt was plain on her face. “You now she won’t give up now! She can track her, do you have any idea how hard it is to stay hidden?!” Kye’s face had gone red and he looked down and took a deep breath to calm himself.
“I’m sorry Kye, I didn’t realise she had, she didn’t do it the normal way.” The normal way? So there was a normal way to taste someone’s blood. Great. Mari kept looking at Kye, she looked as if she were trying to show him with her pale blue eyes how guilty she felt.
Kye’s head whipped up as he searched her eyes, “Not the normal way? You mean she didn’t bite her.” He spoke, almost as if to himself, then turned to me and stared at my neck. Searching for something, but apparently not finding it.
“But, then how did she get your blood?” I didn’t need to answer, his eyes went from my neck, to the still slightly bleeding marks on my arm. He eyebrows knotted as he tried to figure out what the marks were. As way of showing him I gripped his arm and gently dug my nails in. He jerked his arm back and swore, though I didn’t think it was because I hurt him.
Mari spoke up, “Does it make any difference how she tasted her blood?” The way she said it made it sound like she was generally interested in how her mother came to have some of my blood. Kye’s emerald eyes never left mine as he answered Mari.
“Yes it does, because Morrigan didn’t bite her, she could inject any of her venom into her,” My shocked expression stopped him mid-sentence. What did he mean ‘venom’? “It’s not like poison, it’s merely a part of a vampyre’s,” Kye seemed to be struggling for the right word, “essence, that is put into the human they bit, it just makes it easier to track them down.” Well that sure made me feel better, turns out Morrigan is a vampyre who can track me. This day keeps getting better.
“Wait a minute,” I asked, “Why would she even want to track me?” I was at a complete loss as to why this crazy lady living in their house would want to find me.
Mari answered my question, “Well hun, you see, you’re the Lost One.” Then she smiled down at me, as if her magical statement explained everything that had happened. She was wrong.
“Ok, I’m the Lost One. What does that even mean?” I looked between Mari and Kye, trying to get an answer out of one of them. Kye sighed as he took my hand and walked me over to his bed, again.
Kye looked at me with those irresistible dark green eyes and looked as if he were trying to figure out how to tell me something big, "There's something we need to explain to you. I want you to know it's the truth, no lies." I nodded at him, trying to show that no matter what he said, I would believe him.
He almost smiled as he asked, "You wouldn't happen to believe in mythical beings would you?"