The Bride and Her Bloodlust

I watched anxiously, my body stiff as a board, as Eva eyed the syringe she held carefully in her small ivory hands. She tilted it back and forth, letting the horrible liquid slosh about lightly.

Al stood beside me, his fists clenched tightly. He was still annoyed at me for having kept him from chasing after the maimed witch. All I cared about though was that he hadn’t been injected with that stuff nor been seriously hurt.

“You’re certain this is pure?” Eva asked as she squinted.

“I am. The witch was determined to jab Al with it.”

“But she left it behind.”

“She was young and I just hacked her arm off. Young ones will scatter after something like that.”

Eva nodded her head slowly in agreement. “I’ll test it and see if it is the same that pollutes Lucius’ blood. If it is, I’ll start on figuring out a cure as quickly as I can.”

“How quickly will that be?” Al asked gruffly.

“Maybe a few days.”

I didn’t like that. “Can’t you get it done faster? Lucius will be on the brink of fading otherwise.” I asked.

“This can’t be rushed if you want a permant solution that won’t end Lucius there and then. I will get to work on it now. Just keep hunting for the family and help Vincent with his watch.”

I recalled Vincent’s dark words and his untrusting gaze when we left he alone on that rooftop, glaring down at that thin narrow house. “Over the possible Hunter family?”

Eva nodded and frowned. “My witch tells me they aren’t ones to be trusted.”

My eyes narrowed and the mention of that witch again. I was very curious to know who she was and see if she was one I could trust my Clan’s safety in her hands but I knew I wouldn’t get an answer. Vincent only refused to say her name because Eva told him so and Eva was even less likely to say. It didn’t sit right with me, not knowing someone who was acting on my Clan’s behalf, but I had no choice in the matter.

“We’ll leave you to it then, Eva.” Al said as he gripped my wrist.

Eva smiled gently. “I’ll let you know when I make progress.”

I approved of her saying when instead of if and let Al drag me out of the makeshift lab when I voiced my farewell. I breathed in the cleaner air of the hall once the door shut behind us and cut off the chemical stench.

“So now it is in Eva’s hands to save Uncle.” Al scratched his nose, his mouth in a thin line. He was one to hold grudges, not that I cared.

“I just hope Lucius can last that long.”

“He will. He’s strong.” Al said firmly as he made off down the hall.

“I know that.” I snapped as I followed him. “But this poison is powerful. That fact it’s already eating at him, a Pure blood, is worrying.”

Al just shrugged his shoulders, ending the conversation, and paused in the main hall when he saw Ella walk wearily down the red carpeted steps. I kept back as Al walked brusquely to her side and touched her face.

“Why are you up? It’s closing in on dawn now. You should be sleeping.” He said softly, all signs of his annoyance with me gone.

Ella smiled tiredly and rubbed her eye. “I thought you were back so I came downstairs.” She paused. “I’ve heard murmurings that you were attacked.”

Al shifted his weight and petted her blond hair, not enjoying that he had worried her. “I was. I was safe though, Susan made sure of that.”

Ella’s eyes turned to me and warmed as she smiled. “Good.” She said simply an in a tone that said she was highly grateful. She warmth shifted to concern though. “I have been wanting to tell you two something, it’s why I have been waking often.”

I stepped closer. “What is it?”

“This evening, while you two were out hunting, I had a phone call. From Henry’s mother, Lucy.”

I glanced up at Al and noticed the flash of surprise and worry flutter over his young chiselled features. “What did she want?” I asked.

“She wanted James to see Henry. Henry has been missing him, she said, and it might do James so good to get out into the fresh air when I said he just isn’t well.” She wrung her hands. “It seems silly but something about how adamant she was unnerved me. I kept telling her James just isn’t well right now with a fever but she kept trying to press me into letting James see Henry. She even offered for Henry to spend the night here. I said no though.” She tugged at her hair. “I did let James speak to Henry though, that much I felt I could let happen. But am I being paranoid?”

Al’s mouth was now pressed into a thin line. “You weren’t. Vincent told us that Lucy and her family aren’t to be trusted. They may be hunters.”

“Hunters?”

“Humans who hunt and kill immortals as they fail to grasp the fact we are not monsters, undead and the cursed.”

Ella’s face paled. “But they wouldn’t hurt James. He’s just a boy.”

“He’s young and will be an easy target.” I said as kindly as possible. “But he’ll be safe so long as we keep him here.”

“I shouldn’t have let James talk to Henry then.” Ella said worriedly.

“Talking should be okay. James won’t understand or accept that he can’t see Henry. Let them speak to one another. Henry is also just a boy too.” Al rubbed her arm soothingly. “James is safe within our home, remember.”

Ella nodded hesitantly. “Yes, I know.”

He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tightly. “Let’s get you back to bed. You’re exhausted.”

She didn’t put up much of a fight, only yawned, bid me goodnight, a let Alphonse usher her up the stairs again. I followed them as far as the top floor but parted rapidly as I sought out my own room on the western wing.

There were few servants shuffling about, most had gone to bed as dawn approached, but there were a few young ones. All I saw looked worried, angry or anxious as they strode past me, briefly giving me a nod of acknowledgement or short bow. They feared for their Head’s fate as much as myself and Alphonse. The young ones of the Clan adored Lucius and losing him would be a blow to them. I hoped it wouldn’t happen. My hope had grown from the syringe that had practically been handed to us, even if it was a very fragile hope.

I stripped out of my suit and pulled out the cleaning utensils for my blade. I sat in my underwear in the middle of the massive bed, cleaning the thin blade carefully as possible, inhaling the Matter touched blood as I did. I had to remember that scent if I was to ever hunt that little witch again.

As I cleaned, I found my mind wondering. I kept recalling the times I had tried to kill Lucius in this room when I was human in my attempts to free myself from him. I recalled the times I argued with him and the times we kissed and made love. Recalled that one time I had him back in the prison only to lose him again. The memories weren’t helping me remain blank and calm and I felt tears burn at my eyes as I cleaned my sword. I couldn’t stop them though. All I could think about was Lucius and how much I wanted him back. How much I didn’t want to sleep on my own anymore.

In the end I put the sword aside and heightened my senses. Listening to the house and trying to recognise every single tiny noise always forced me to focus. It would keep those hurtful memories away until I fell unconscious with the rising sun.

But as I listened, it slowly changed from trying to forget to trying to listening to something strange. I barely heard it and it only appeared briefly but it sounded like a brief note. Like a voice singing or a bee buzzing. Every time I heard it, I tilted my head sharply, trying to figure out where it was coming from. I knew it wasn’t a voice. Not a true one anyway. But while it was faint, it was also close.

I put every ounce of Matter into my ears, trying to detect where it was coming from. Very slowly, the gentle voice became more distinct. My eyes snapped open. It was in the room.

Still listening carefully, I slipped off the bed slowly and carefully edged my way close to the source of the sound. It took several minutes before I found myself before the tiny little box. The little box where that bracelet was stored.

I opened it and instantly the sound was louder. It hummed softly for only two seconds before lapsing into silence for several more. I let my Matter die and the song died with it. I couldn’t hear it. I let my Matter return and the song began to sing again.

It was curious. I had never heard of singing bracelets before. I backed up and sat down heavily on the bed, not letting my ears stop listening to that peculiar sound. I held the bloody wooden beads before my nose and let my Matter flood into my nostrils and inhaled. Almost at once I felt my rage bubble. The scent was faint but this thing once held Matter. And the Matter smelt familiar. It smelt like the blood that was once smeared on the blade. The blood of the little Allaway witch.

I observed the bracelet harder now, sniffing and listening, gazing at the little wooden beards hard. Slowly, my memory tugged. I had seen similar things before. The little witch and the elder sister who poisoned Lucius wore something similar. I hadn’t paid much attention but they wore wooden bracelets like this, I was certain.

Rapidly my brain whirred. This was definitely an Allaway bracelet and was worn by one in the past. But why was it sent here? Why was it given to me? Was it a warning? Or a threat?

I wasn’t sure but I was slowly figuring things out. I prodded the beads, let my Matter feel and soothe the wood. I felt tiny wards imprinted on it, tiny wards that hooded that scent of the wearer. Wards that sang to those who knew how to hear it or who were sensitive enough.

I rubbed the beads between my fingers, trying to read more of the little wards, even as I felt the sun rise and began to turn my body numb. For once though all I could think about was not Lucius, but the bracelet and the Allaways’ secret to being un-huntable. This bracelet was the reason behind the scent being smothered. It had to be. But I couldn’t think of anything more though. My body slumped and my mind shut down but the bracelet remained in my fingers, gripped there tightly, with the strange song emanating out to deaf ears who wouldn’t ever be able to hear it.