The Bride and Her Bloodlust

It took two nights to get there. As soon as dusk came, we had travelled throughout the night and stopped a few miles from where we needed to be as dawn came. As the shadows grew shorter and the sky lighter, we camped out in the woodland, bearing no light at all.

I was curled up beside Lucius as I felt my body grow numb. I wasn’t alone. Augusta was becoming sluggish and kept stumbling as the made her rounds, burning wards into the trees to ensure we remained invisible. As soon as she was done, she vanished, melting into another shape and fluttered into the tree. There she fluffed up her feathers and remained still as unconsciousness took her. Alphonse sat himself beneath her tree and curled beneath his blanket, protecting himself from the burning sun.

Lucius had been uncertain about whether letting Alphonse coming with was a good idea. He felt it would’ve been best for Alphonse to stay home, to grieve and care for our young, but Al wasn’t having it. He wanted to come, to back up his uncle and deal with the threat that had taken Ella and James from him. I wasn’t going to argue with him and nor was Lucius, so he came, silent and exhausted as ever. The hollowness of his face, how rugged he looked and how pale did worry me though. I wasn’t sure if he was going to be as strong as he usually was.

But right now, all the immortals were useless. Augusta was gone, I was going and the vampires had to hide from the sun. It was up to Daniel to keep an eyes out for us while we waited for dusk to retun and our investigation to begin. He was nervous and clutched a gun to his chest, constantly checking his bag for ammunition. He stank of fear.

“I’ll keep you all safe.” He promised with a slight stammer.

“You better.” Vincent growled as he pulled a blanket over himself and his sister and dropped the weird toy on the floor. “Pyotr, help him. But you leave whenever you need to.”

I still found it weird that the doll moved and spoke by itself. It stood with some difficulty, swayed dangerously, then waved lightly. It was slightly horrific, like there were maggots squirming beneath the fabric skin. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the sight.

“I’ll watch out for danger with him, father.” Pyotr said in a rare confident tone.

Pyotr’s toy trundled over to Daniel and sat at his feet. Now, as the sun rose higher, my clan members and allies hid and darkness flooded over my body. Snuggling deeper into Lucius’ arms beneath our blanket, my body grew heavy and my mind became numb.

*

“Here it is.” Daniel murmured as we climbed up the swirling lane that swept up from the town.

It was a lonely road with the scathing cry of crows echoing in the frigid winter air. Flocks of the black birds swopped back and forth, scatting the sky like black stars. At the top of the lane was a single cottage. It was large with a weed covered stone wall surrounding it protectively. Not that any of the others could see it.

“I see nothing.” Alphonse said somberly and with some frustration.

“Witch wards.” Vincent growled in response.

I grunted but I wasn’t surprised and continued to finger the handle of my blade warily. I wasn’t comfortable being here.

So we remained still, waiting patiently, until Augusta bounded out of the trees. Her fur was brownish in colour with some smudges of red here and there that mingled in with the black. She was a beautiful wolf and I narrowed my eyes curiously at her. Seeing her in so many shapes still astounded me but Eva promised to explain how she could do it eventually after warning Lucius and myself about her shape shifting. For now, I was to focus on the Allaways and not think about what on earth Lucius’ niece was.

With her tail wagging and her bright emerald eyes peering up at us, Augusta turned her snout up at the cottage.

“There are many wards around here.” She warned, her voice coming from her body, not her mouth. “Susan and I should deal with them. The rest of you, scout around while we deal with them. Make sure there are no hidden witches.”

I glanced up at Lucius. I didn’t feel comfortable with being separated from him. My instincts told me to stay by his side and watch his back, especially as I recalled how silent that witch had snuck up on us before and poisoned him. I dreaded for it to happen again.

Lucius smiled down at me, warming his eyes with affection. “I’ll be fine. I have Alphonse with me.”

I frowned, not needing to point out that Alphonse was at half strength and over-come with grief. Right now neither of us new how useful in battle he was going to be. Besides, I didn’t feel comfortable with trusting Lucius with anyone but myself. But Augusta needed my help. We were the only ones capable of taking the wards down.

“We’ll go east.” Elizabeth said tugged at her mad hair. “Daniel, stay with Augusta. She can keep you safe.”

Daniel nodded several times, shaking Pytor dangerously. The toy sat on his head, clinging onto Daniel’s hair with his head wobbling madly with every movement.

“I’ll do that.” Daniel promised instantly.

With a curt nod, Elizabeth trundled off into the trees with Vincent stalking behind her. It left Alphonse and Lucius, two men I wasn’t keen on leaving alone. If something were to happen to them, I would rather be with them to protect them. But I forced myself to let Lucius untangle my hand from his.

“I will call you if I find anything Susan.” Lucius promised.

I grudgingly accepted his vow and let go, letting him leave and guide Alphonse after him. Trying my hardest not to sound curt or bare my fangs as worry filled me, I looked down at the wolf.

“How many wards are there?”

“A dozen at least. They are littered among the trees and on the house itself. We have to take them all down if the others are going to be able to get close and see the cottage.” She turned her head. “I’ll go this way. You go the other.”

I agreed and grabbed Daniel by the shoulder when he made to follow Augusta as she melted away, scurrying amongst the grass as a tiny mouse.

“You’re coming with me. Augusta won’t need a human giving her away.”

Daniel opened his mouth to argue but shut it when he saw the dark glint in my eyes. He instead reached up to touch Pyotr’s toy before trudging after me in the wet mud.

A thin sheen of rain came as I strode through the brambles and weeds. So far I had found two wards deeply embedded the trees and had taken a couple of swipes of my blade to shatter them. Daniel kept behind me, remaining close and looking about constantly.

“It’s strange.” He muttered eventually as I hacked at the third.

“What is?”

“How quiet it is. Normally a hunter or witch would be out by now.”

I had noticed the lack of defences but thought they were just lying low, waiting for us to spring some kind of trap. “So it’s not normal?”

“I’m not sure. For us, no. For the Allaways, I don’t know. They may have different way of doing things.”

I didn’t like how uncertain he sounded. Daniel was the hunter, the Harker, the one who knew how the Allaways and threat worked. Hearing him not know something made me feel a little more in the dark.

Keeping my sense up and my connection with Lucius as open as possible, I kept looking for the wards in the trees. My sword was always held lose in my hands with my fingers twitching at the slightest sound. My hair slowly darkened with the rain as I hacked at every tree and listened out for the song of the Allaways’ bracelets but all I picked up were the cries of crows, patter of rain and our own wet footsteps.

We slowly circled round the cottage until we were back where we started. Augusta waited for us there, shifted her wait with her hands on her hips.

“Did you sense anything?” She asked as we approached.

“Nothing.” I muttered. “Lucius isn’t finding anything either.”

“I doubt Elizabeth and Vincent are too then.” Augusta sighed sharply and tapped her teeth. “I expected an assault by now. A shout. An explosion. A trap. Anything. But there’s nothing.” She turned her bright eyes onto Daniel. “You’re certain this is where they were meant to be?”

“The Allaways said this was the hold. This was the place where my grandfather could work and the meeting point of the witches. He’s meant to be here. I’m certain.”

“Maybe it is just Abraham inside then?”

“Then hunters would be littered all over the place. My grandfather isn’t a patient one and will kill even a human who comes near his labs.” Daniel said firmly with growing frustration.

The toy on top of his head twitched. “I do sense some life inside.” Pyotr said softly. “It’s just very small.”

“You’re certain Ptoyr?”

The toy nodded madly, lolling his head around his useless neck. “Someone is inside.”

I glanced at Augusta as she scowled at the building. “Call them. Tell them to circle but no more. It’s a small place so you and I will only be able to fit comfortably.” She told me.

I glanced up at Pytor and he was already swaying with emptiness, already passing on the message to Eva. Rapidly he returned. “Mother’s told them.”

“Good.” Augusta grinned and waved Daniel back. “Stand away and behind the trees.”

He did as he was asked instantly and without argument. I wondered if Elizabeth had taught him that. I wasn’t sure how hunter families worked but I doubted they would mimic they obedience of an immortal in a hunt.

With pistols drawn and Matter at maximum, I waited for the moment Lucius told me to go. A few moments later, I heard one word in my head.

‘Ready.’ His deep voice murmured with a swirl of concern filling me. I felt his worry and his desire for me to be safe. It warmed me.

I took the lead, guiding Augusta as we darted forward, tearing quietly up the lane. Before us the cottage loomed with wards covering every stone and window. We aimed our guns at the ward covered door as we leaped over the wall and shot.

Our pistols went off at once and hit the wards with a loud crackling hiss. Instantly the door exploded as wards and Matter fought, tearing the thing apart in a cloud of splinters and smoke. We were inside instantly, pointing our guns in the tiny lounge.

I wasn’t sure what I expected but I hadn’t expected a teenaged girl, cowering against the wall with tears in her eyes. While Augusta held her gun at her, I lowered mine.

“Please, don’t kill me.” She begged.

A cold expression came over Augusta. “What’s going on here? Where are the witches? Where is Harker? We were told this was where the hub of this threat was.”

“I know but we moved.” The girl stammered. “Please, I want to help you.”

Augusta scowled at me, gripping her single double barrelled pistol trained on the girl, as I let myself relax entirely and let my hand hang at my side.

“Susan! This is an Allaway! We can’t trust her!” She snarled.

“We can.”

“How do you know?”

In one motion, I sheathed my gun and pushed Augusta’s down easily, forcing it to point at the floor. I stared her down, holding her bright cold gaze easily, matching it with my own.

“She’s helped me before, that’s how.”

Augusta looked utterly confused but I was focused on the young blonde witch. Her weapons were far from her, showing she intended no harm, and she clutched her arm to her chest, trying to hide it from us.

I noticed it instantly however and clearly recalled the moment I hacked half of it off.