The Bride and Her Bloodlust

I scowled at Elizabeth’s smug grin and Daniel’s nervous frown, not quite sure what to make of their announcement. Eva and Lucius seemed to know what to do however and broke the silence.

“How can you be certain?”

“Daniel is close to the family and bonded by blood. He’s trusted by them and he knows the way they think.” Elizabeth said proudly.

“They don’t trust me anymore though. They shunned me a couple of months back.” Daniel added gloomily, making Elizabeth scowl at his negativity.

“Why?”

“I wasn’t able to help them with the plotting of kidnapping young vampires. I couldn’t bring myself to do it, especially after getting to know Elizabeth. She told me to act loyal to them but kidnapping a child was just pushing it too far..” He replied softly.

I hummed with distrust but noted how Eva continued to smile and ooze acceptance. She wasn’t picking up any lies.

Lucius narrowed his eyes, making Elizabeth puff up with insult. “Daniel doesn’t lie. I trust him.”

“We just know nothing of him and how you two have worked.”

“Then ask.” She snapped. “I found Daniel a couple of years ago and he wasn’t comfortable with being a hunter. He told me that more often than not it seemed like his family, the Harkers, were just slaughtering innocents. He hated it. So I asked him to help me stop them and he agreed.” She explained haughtily. “Although while he could tell me what his hunter family was up to, he couldn’t say much about the Allways.”

Lucius raised an eyebrow at Daniel, silently asking for him to explain.

“I can only tell you what my hunter family is up to, not the witches. When they go to ground, you hear nothing of them and you’re not to contact them or try to find them.” He explained. “But a couple of months ago, they contacted us, saying it’s time and that they needed another child. It was then that I was chucked out the family.”

“Stabbed and abandoned more like.” Elizabeth hissed. “They gutted him and left him for dead. I fixed him up though.”

“So they believe you’re dead?” Lucius asked.

Daniel nodded. “They do. And I heard enough to know where the witches will be currently.”

“And where will that be?”

“In the middle of nowhere and around the borders between Scotland and England.” He said firmly and with utter certainty. “I can show you on a map better than explaining.”

I leaned back, looking over my shoulder at Lucius to share a wordless voice of uncertainty. “How do we know we can trust you and that you’re not guiding us into a trap? I’ve had too many of those and I don’t particularly want anymore.”

“I can vouch for him.” Eva said happily. “I have tested his mind and I can feel only honesty from him. Daniel truly does want to stop his family. He has seen what they done, how they butcher weak vampires and slay wolves and cats, and he doesn’t agree with it.”

“Well if the Lady is certain, I have no doubt.” Lucius replied.

I couldn’t help but continue to distrust Daniel, even if Eva had scoured his mind and found nothing to say he intended to harm us. I grumbled and shifted my weight but said nothing.

“Daniel will guide you to the hunters and witches. Once we have located them, we can call in the Branches.”

“And only once they have been located.” Eva pressed in a rare firm tone. “I don’t want to have too many immortals near them unless needed. Assess the situation for me and I’ll gather the Elders.”

My heart stuttered at that and I glanced sharply at Lucius. He too wasn’t too happy that the Elders were getting involved. If I was going to be fighting, I wouldn’t be able to be at by best. I would have to hold back and constantly worry about giving away my vampiric nature to them. It was risky. Far too risky. If they found out, surviving the battle with the Allaway’s would mean nothing.

‘Everything will be fine. If they find out, I will make them see sense in leaving you alive. But I can’t keep them from getting involved. We’ll need out strongest to wipe them out and the Elders will want to deal with this themselves.’

I frowned at Eva as she continued to smile at her sister, giving no indication that she had just spoken to myself and Lucius. I could still feel her there, trying soothe down my worries and fears.

“We will trust Daniel but we will watch him closely.” Lucius said firmly, making Daniel sigh in relief. “We’ll do as the Lady says. We’ll do out and scout and see if this place is the hub of the Family. If it isn’t, we’ll need to hunt again.”

“It is, I’m certain.” Elizabeth growled.

“We won’t know until we see.” Lucius turned to Eva, leaning forward to allow his hand to rest against my leg. “When do you want us to leave?”

“Augusta can only travel during the night so tomorrow evening, as soon as she is awake. Take Vincent with you too but I will let you decide on whether or not you let Alphonse go. He will want to go but he will be reckless. You must keep him in line. Don’t let his grief rule him.” Eva warned.

Lucius stood and pushed his hair back. “I know. I’ll speak with him.”

“Elgar and myself should be enough to keep your Clan safe. Dana and Livia will be here too. Just appoint a youngster who can act as a voice for the others.”

Lucius hummed in agreement as he stood. He came to my side, briefly kissing my head lovingly, promising he’ll be back soon in a deep whisper, before he set off out of the room.

Red faced from a public display of affection, I cleared my throat and scrabbled for something to say and James came to mind. Daniel claimed there were many other hunter families involved. The ones who targeted James must be one. Daniel had to know who they were.

“Daniel, do you know of a boy called Harry? He lived in this city with his hunter family.”

“Yes, he’s a second cousin. My extended family lived here.”

“He’s the one who lured James away.”

Daniel frowned with guilt glittering in his eyes. “He wouldn’t have meant to harm him. Harry didn’t quite understand what our family gets up to and he was a good kid. Lucy and Jon would be introducing him slowly at his age so I doubt he’d fully understand what he had done.” He paused and stared at the floor as he twiddled his thumbs with his brow furrowed in thought and pain. “There’s more.”

“Daniel, we agreed we would tell them when you have their trust and not before.” Elizabeth hissed sharpy.

“I know but it feels wrong. This Clan has suffered horribly by the Harkers. They’ve lost a child to them.” He said defensively before turning his gaze up at me. “There are other things I should say. My family, the Harkers, are more involved in this than any other hunter family. My grandfather, Abraham, he’s the one who’s helping the Allaways the most. He’s the one behind the science and weapons. He’s the one who’s figuring out the weaknesses of the immortals and knows how to turn vampires mad.”

My eyes darkened as I narrowed my gaze. “Your grandfather is the cause of the poisons?”

“The Allaways have helped him a lot. If they didn’t offer Matter for him to study and give him different bloods and vampires to study, he wouldn’t have made progress. But yes, he’s the one who created it.”

“And can you explain why?” I growled thickly.

“My grandmother and his parents were killed by vampires and he took it upon himself to hunt them. He was then picked up by a witch who showed him how to kill and how to hunt. He’s been helping Ethelinda with her mad task for years.”

“What task?”

“To purify the lands of demons. In his eyes and that witch’s, the immortals are sinful creatures and have to be purged. That’s what he’s trying to do, even after she died. He’s carrying it on and becoming desperate and obsessed, especially now that the current leader of the witches doesn’t seem to care about Ethelinda’s task.” He hesitated for a moment. “If we don’t do something soon, that poison won’t just be liquid. It’ll be airborn.”

My heart sunk sharply with despair. “What?”

“That’s the last I heard of his maddening poison. He was trying to make it airborn so he could turn every vampire mad. He hoped the Old World would then tear itself apart.” Daniel licked his lips nervously. “I don’t know how close he is to getting to his goal but he wasn’t close a couple of months ago. I’m hoping that’s still the case.”

I shot Eva a worried look as she stared grimly at Daniel. “Daniel, you must continue to help us.” Eva stated.

“I intend to. If this happens, there’s going to be war. Everywhere. No vampire will be sane and no one will be safe.”

I shuddered. The thought of Vincent turning utterly mad was bad enough but there were stronger vampires than him in the world, older ones. It was going to be hell if that happened.

“I will tell Viorel and the Elders.” Eva stated. “We need to be hunting more vigilantly. We have to deal with this.”

“But you can’t find them.” Elizabeth groaned. “Why do you think I’ve kept it quiet? If everyone knew, there would be panic and then the witches would know we’re aware of Abraham’s plan. They would lash out and would hurt us badly, especially if we don’t know where they are. Daniel and I have been working on this quietly in hopes we could nip it in the bud before anything became of it.”

Eva frowned and tugged at her hair lightly in anxiety. “Susan, do you agree with them?” She asked, her eyes wide with worry.

I stared at the two, eyeing up both the strange elderly child and the hunter man, before I nodded. “Tell the Elders when we have a location. There’s nothing we can do unless we know where the Allaways are. At least we know they’re active again.”

Eva slumped back, nodding lightly with her brow creased with unease. “We’ll do it your way then, Daniel.”

Daniel exhaled heavily and smiled weakly. “I promise you, they’ll be in this spot.”

“You better be right.” I snarled. “I want Abraham dead for what he’s done so you better show me to him.”

For the first time, Daniel smiled widely, almost viciously. “I’m more than happy to, don’t you worry about that.”

It was that grin that made me like him.