The Bride and Her Bloodlust

I sat opposite in the dank chair, watching the little witch, Molly, cautiously. Elizabeth was close to me, arms folding and her face darkening with every moment. Vincent was outside, keeping Alphonse close to him as he watched the thin trees and murky darkness. The moment Al had heard about an Allaway witch, life came to his face and vengeance lit up in his eyes brightly. I didn’t trust him near Molly at all.

I could feel Lucius as he moved below. The little witch had shown us the hatch to the hidden room below but I hadn’t let her go down. Only Lucius and Augusta had and my mind was constantly open to him. I felt his every emotion, his every thought, and none were good. He was constantly calm and confused with his deep thoughtful whispers cluttering about in worry, so it was safe to say nothing was down there. Which meant the Molly was right. The Allaways had abandoned this place.

Daniel fidgeted by the door, tapping his fingers against his cheek as he frowned with frustration. “I was certain they said this was the place.”

“It was.” Molly stammered.

She cradled her mauled arm close to her chest, flinching at every movement we made. Especially Elizabeth. Molly was frightened of her the most, probably because Elizabeth wouldn’t stop hissing and baring her tiny fangs.

“Explain.” Elizabeth growled savagely.

Molly only pressed her lips shut once against and shook her head madly. I frowned disapprovingly.

“You said you wanted to help us. Are you having second thoughts?”

“No.” Molly whimpered. “Just worried I’ll be killed. You can kill me when you know what you need and if I tell you, my sisters will come after me.” She stared miserably at her knees. “I’m dead either if I speak.”

“You’re dead if you don’t!”

I reacted quickly when Elizabeth dived forward and snatched at her hair, yanking her back hard. She let out a wail of pain while Molly curled away defensively, whimpering loudly.

“You leave her!” I hissed.

Elizabeth scowled at up me, wrenching my hands off of her, and gnashed her teeth hard. “She’s not going to tell us anything because she doesn’t know! I’m not letting her distract us and lead us down a false path! I’ve spent too long on hunting these witches down to do something so stupid!” She roared at me in her high childish voice. “Let’s kill her and start our hunt again. There has to be something here that will guide us.”

Daniel walked cautiously over to Elizabeth as Pyotr leapt to the floor and scrabbled over to Molly.

“Elizabeth, we need the witch. I remember Molly. She’s honest and her strong sense of loyalty kept her with the witches.” Daniel said softly as her knelt down infront of her. “It would’ve taken a lot of willpower to turn against them.”

“Or she’s bait. I told you. She’s just going to lead us away from them. Why else would she be here?”

“They abandoned me.” Molly’s tiny voice said as Pyotr’s toy hugged her mangled elbow. “They found out I let Susan go. So they abandoned me.”

“That’s a bit of a risk.” I muttered.

“You should know it’s bad luck to kill a witch of the same Family. Miriam believes in it more strongly than the others and refused to kill me. She ordered it of me. To shoot myself.” She swallowed thickly. “Jessica said she would watch over me though when I kept refusing. When Miriam and the other left, Jessica shot the wall and told me to never show my face again. I think she expected me to run and hide, not to wait for you to turn up.”

That solidified my decision not to take her life. If Miriam didn’t want her, I was going to take her. She was of use to me and believed to be dead now.

“Molly, I intend for you to guide us to where Abraham and the Allaways are now. I don’t intend to kill you.”

Molly blinked slowly with surprise. “You don’t?”

“I didn’t before.” I reminded her firmly. “James, the little boy who was caught, he is dead and he won’t be the last. Another child I know of the Ulrich Clan is missing. Many more will follow. Our young are being taken, tortured and killed. I want you to help us stop this.”

Molly was silent for a moment with a heavy weight bearing on her shoulders. She sagged with it and gloom filled her features. “I don’t like what they do but I can’t stop them. I’m not strong enough. The others, they followed Ethelinda blindly and now they follow Miriam. I remember at time I saw Ethelinda like a saint, she was immortal and powerful, but I began to doubt her when I saw how cruel she was.” Molly paused and fidgeted then looked up at me with a firm glare to her eyes. “I’ll tell you.”

I readjusted my weight, letting myself relax and stop watching Elizabeth when she backed down a little. “Tell us how they found out we knew where they were.”

“When Daniel’s parents told them why he wasn’t with them anymore, Miriam grew angry. She demanded a corpse, evidence he was dead. When they went to go find him, Daniel was gone. We scoured nearby hospitals and newspapers but there was nothing. We guessed he had been saved by someone. Take it was you.” Molly stared with wide doleful eyes at Elizabeth. She only got a grunt of disdain in return. “As someone now knew where we were and very likely to turn on us, Abraham moved, more out of caution than anything else. It’s how they’ve survived. They always move, kill anyone who knows something and strip away anything that may lead to other hideouts.” She touched Pyotr lightly. “It’s why you need me. You’re not going to find them any other way.”

“Where have they gone then?” Elizabeth demanded impatiently.

“Further north. I will guide you.”

Elizabeth stank of distrust and continued to growl beside me. I knew I couldn’t decide for all of us. I had to speak with the others.

“For now we should sleep. The sun is coming.” I said firmly. “Daniel, stay with Molly. She trusts you the most.”

Daniel didn’t argue, only agreed quietly.

‘Lucius, I’m coming down.’ I told him softly.

He replied with a deep purr that rumbled through my body, warming me with that soft glow of his. Trying my best not to smile, I stood, left Daniel with Molly and sought out that hidden door. Elizabeth stalked after me, bursting with rage and only barely keeping her mouth shut. The trap door was yawning open with the bed that once covered it still tossed on the other side of the room. I let myself drop down the hole and landed softly inside the hidden hall. As soon as I stepped forward, Elizabeth landed behind me and hurried after me.

The halls here were made of stone, making the place smell dank and moist with a chill feel to the air. The lights flickered dangerously in the ceiling, giving flashes of orange and then floods of darkness. Open or broken doors were on either side of the singular hall from where Augusta and Lucius had searched. I glanced inside as I made my way to them, noting how empty they looked. Only broken lamps, metal desks and chairs remained.

I strode down the hall until I found the last door. It looked different to the others. While they were simple, this was surrounding by an arch of thick black stone with a very heavy looking door clamped inside it. When I pushed it open, a stench of dust and mold filled my nose, making me gag a little.

It was here I found Lucius and his niece. They stared at the single large bed that was in the room. It was the only thing. The large circular room was empty apart from the bed. I knew what the place was. There was one in our house. Morrigan used it. It was a bunker for when an old vampire slept for several years, a place of safety. The familiar scent that drifted about the room told me who’s this once was. It was Miriam’s.

I scowled at the thing, finding the etchings and strange ancient floral design ugly as Elizabeth trundled up to Augusta who was scratching at the wall, trying to find hidden entrances.

“She trusts the witch.” Elizabeth blurted out, fainally letting her mouth open. “Susan’s letting herself be fooled!”

Augusta looked down at Elizabeth, frowning at her then look up at me. “What do you mean?”

“The witch is obviously a lure. Bait. She is there to guide us to a trap. That is all.” Elizabeth hissed. “You know how badly Miriam has been wanting Susan.”

I scowled at the two of them then looked sharply up at Lucius when his hand grasped mine. He smiled down at me as I felt his protectiveness squirm. It still angered him what had happened to me, that he hadn’t been able to help me for so long. I now had more scars, not just the ones on my face from Morrigan. He often blamed himself, which was stupid.

Lucius squeezed my hand and nuzzled my forehead, breathing in my scent and taking comfort in my presence and current safety. I could feel his desire to just hold me tightly but knowing I would only react defensively stopped him. I felt it was hard for him though, I could see it in his eyes.

“Does Daniel trust her?” Augusta asked

Elizabeth looked taken aback before she puffed out her cheeks. “He said she’s loyal.”

“So he trusts her. If you trust Daniel, trust his judgment.”

“His judgement is often awful.”

“But he knows her the best. If she’s been abandoned, much like Daniel, then she will turn. She’s brave for doing it and, with her missing arm, she was no doubt more of a nuisance than a help. Helping Susan was just the push Miriam needed to get rid of her.”

Elizabeth scowl returned quickly. “I don’t trust her.”

“You don’t but Susan and Daniel do.” She paused. “How did Pyotr react to her?”

Elizabeth pressed her lips together firmly. “He didn’t really. Just sat with her.”

“Then she’s fine. You know Pyotr would’ve sensed lies and deception. He won’t want his aunt and father to fall into a trap if he sensed it.”

For once, Elizabeth faield to come up with a response. She couldn’t say anything against her nephew and his power. So all she did was fall silent and grudgingly dropped the subject.

“While I am fine with this, I am concerned about Alphonse.” Augusta said as she turned to look at Lucius and myself with worried emerald eyes. “He won’t want to partner with someone involved with his son’s death.”

“I know. I saw how he reacted earlier.” I mumbled.

“Alphonse will have no choice.” Lucius said gently. “I will speak to him about it. He will listen to me and, if not, obey me. If he wants vengeance, killing the little witch is not the way.” He looked down at me and touched my face lightly. He couldn’t help himself so I let it slide. “I take it Molly will guide us to her Family?”

“She promised she would.”

Lucius ignored Elizabeth’s grunt of disdain. “I’ll make sure Alphonse is in line then.”

I frowned sadly, not liking how firm we were having to be with Al in his current state. “Augusta and I can put up wards today, make sure our scents are covered so we can all sleep.”

Augusta hummed in agreement, liking the idea. “We should start now then. The sun is rising.” She stated as she strode quickly from the room with Elizabeth sulkily following her.

We shut the door on Miriam’s hibernating room and made our way back up the narrow old hall. I saw Elizabeth climb the crooked wooden ladder while Augusta melted away, becoming a thin cloud that shot up back into the house.

“Don’t be too hard on Alphonse.” I asked Lucius when we reached the ladder.

“I won’t be but he must know Molly is an ally for now. If he doesn’t, he will take any chance to slay her. I can’t let him do that, not just because Molly is our only lead, but because I am worried what it will do to him. He’s lost too much recently and he’s floundering right now.” He paused. “I am worried we will lose him, Susan. Not to battle but to his grief. He’s so fragile.”

I saw the pain in Lucius’ eyes, the guilt, the fear. I gently touched his face and nuzzled his chin, trying to give him some comfort. I couldn’t say anything though, only squeeze his hand.

I kicked the trap door shut once we climbed out and left Lucius reluctantly to put everything back as we had found it. I nodded to Augusta as she stood by the door, waiting for me impatiently as she started outside, her brow creased with worry. She feared the daylight more than I did.

As soon as we were outside, breathing in the frozen air of dawn, I called to Vincent to come in. I was surprised he did as I asked without so much as a second thought. He just got up from the stump he sat on in the overgrown garden and strode back inside, giving me one nod of recognition. It was Alphonse who didn’t react to my call at all.

He leant on the fence, staring out at the woods with tired blank eyes. I came up to him and gently grasped his shoulder. He didn’t jump or snarl, just turned his gaze onto me. It made my heart curl up. His usual vibrant eyes were so dull and just filled with pain.

“Alphonse, you need to go inside now. Augusta and I are putting up wards around the house so no immortal can enter or leave.” I explained gently.

Al nodded his head. “I will go.”

I patted his back and smiled at him. “Try to sleep. I’m not sure how long we will be travelling tomorrow.”

“I will try, Susan, but I don’t like the dreams I have. I prefer being awake.”

I wanted to ask what dreams but I guessed what they were. They were of Ella and James. No doubt he would wake up feeling worse after living a moment with them, alive and well, and forgetting they were dead.

Al turned and trudged back to the house with his shoulders sagged and head hung, leaving Augusta and myself to begin the ward weaving. I didn’t start until Alphonse had made it to the house and closed the door behind him. I frowned and raked at my facial scars in fear. Alphonse hadn’t looked that bad a few days ago. There had been some spark to him, some sign of life and emotion other that pain and agony. Now even that was gone. All that was left of him was a hollow shell.

Lucius was right. It wasn’t long now until Alphonse died too.