The Bride and Her Bloodlust

I sat with my eyes closed and my back rigid. I couldn’t relax. My nostrils flared and my mouth remained in a fixated frown. I kept trying to reach out to Lucius. I felt him next to me, worried and calm. I wanted to hold his hand and feel his warmth but the chains wrapped firmly about my wrists kept me in place. The most I could do was reach out to him mentally, to entangle myself in his mind and breathe in his essence. It didn’t fully destroy the desire to hold him but it helped.

I snapped my eyes open when I heard intense voice and sharp footsteps. Lucius too had opened his eyes and he glanced at me, giving me a smile that made me want to smother his face in kisses.

‘How is your stomach?’ Lucius asked with his deep voice echoing warmly in my mind.

I glanced at my stomach and glared at it. I had thrown up several more times since the fight and yet it still churned. It worried me. ‘It’s better.’

Lucius smiled again and readjusted his weight, letting his head hang back and closed his eyes, letting my gaze at his throat and face.

‘We will get through this Susan. We will survive and then we shall go home and sleep for several days.’

How I wanted that, to just lie in his arms and not worry, but I was convinced we would be sleeping coldly for far longer than a few days.

I wondered how Augusta was. She had taken a great battering yet still lived. Eva had comforted me, telling me she was well and recovering and that she had slain both Nina and Abraham. It did help me settle and hearing that Alphonse and successfully kept little Vivienne safe helped too but the horrible black gloom in my mind was still there. Despite all of our success, all of our blood and effort we had put into destroying the threat, Lucius and I were still going to die. We were still going to be put down like dogs. I gritted my teeth with frustration and anger and scowled about the massive hall as a door behind us opened.

The footsteps that clattered about the room were fewer in number than I imagined. Lucius and I had been placed in the centre of a large circle of thick chairs on several levels. We were surrounded the seats that were to be filled with every Head of every Clan. I imagined what Lucius had done would require as many people to judge us but only a tiny handful came up behind us.

I looked up sharply when I felt a hand grasp my shoulder but my defensive hiss died when I saw Viorel smile down at me. His eyes were worried and he gripped me comfortingly.

“Eva’s got your backs.” He whispered to us. “Just keep quiet. Let her do the talking.”

I didn’t acknowledge his words. I doubted Eva alone could save myself and Lucius. While Eva was the Lady, this law wasn’t Sinclair created. It is tied with the Crone and if she didn’t say we could live, we couldn’t.

I watched with a narrowed gaze as three of the five seats became occupied. Three of the four Elders took the seats, leaving the far right empty as usual. The Elder that would sit there had gone missing years before and Nuan, the second Elder, refused anyone to replace him. And it was Nuan I rested my hopes on. She, like Eva, witnessed our first linking, the first time Lucius fed from me. They knew how reliant Lucius became on me.

Nuan gave me a slight smile, wrinkling her small brown eyes, before she glanced at the two males on her right. Beriko, the Head of the last surviving African Clan, was the largest man I had seen in my life so far. He was a hulking mass of muscle with skin so dark he almost melted into the darkness surrounding him. His pale eyes watched me curiously, glowing eerily. Christof though, the first Elder, was not sitting. He tapped the table impatiently and with growing annoyance as he scowled down at Eva. She stood next to me, arms folded in defiance.

“Lady, we have debated and bowed to your will in having only the Elders present but you must see the danger in letting these two live.” Christof snarled. “We have this bloody law in place to avoid having a crazed vampre-witch on the loose.”

“Susan is also a Lowell.” Beriko added in that deep baritone voice of his. “The Lowell Family have always been powerful. Susan would be difficult to kill if she turned.”

“Susan will not turn.” Eva snapped. I was surprised by the ferocity in her voice. “She is the type of witch to end her own life if her creator died. She will end herself with Lucius or continue to live with him.”

“But we cannot favour any pair.” Beriko said softly.

“If we start being lenient, more Black Blood witches will be created. Vampires will begin to press against the law.” Christof began to rap his fingers against the table as the frustration grew. “Our people may still loathe the very idea of witches but there are many among us who love them. Who appreciate and care for the Families. Many males who love a witch and wish her to live alongside him. They will fight against us if they here we let these two go unpunished.”

“It is our fault that Lucius was forced to turn her.” Nuan added calmly in her thick accented tongue. “Eva and I forced him to feed from Susan when she was little. He needs her to remain sane.”

“I know.” Christof snapped, baring his fangs. “You said this once today and it still astounds me that you were so stupid, Nuan.”

“And I’ve told you that I will do anything to protect Lucius and Dunstan. I failed one, I am not failing the other.” Nuan snarled equally savagely back. “And I will keep Lucius alive as long as I breathe.”

“If you’re going to be stupidly biased over this then I know what I have to do.”

Nuan was standing now, hissing and snarling at Christof as he scraped a claw down the table.

Beriko stood sharply, dwarfing both Elders and placing himself firmly between the two. “We will come to no conclusion if you two just fight. First, state why you believe Lucius Rain and Susan Lowell should be executed.” He asked, stating this directly at Christof.

Christof grunted and readjusted his tie firmly. “They have turned against our law put in place when a Clan went mad and turned several witches. The destruction and chaos that followed when these mad vampire witches were released was devastating. Along with the Crone Cecil, myself and the Elders before you two came to a conclusion that no witch shoulder ever be turned again. It was too risky and I still agree to that. Rain and Lowell have disobeyed this law and the punishment is death.” He stared down at the both of us with a frown of disdain and disappointment. “I expected a little more from the son of Cian.”

Lucius said nothing but I hissed, not liking that someone was causing a flash of sadness within him. Viorel squeezed my shoulder, silencing me.

“And Nuan? Why do you go against this?”

“I believe the law is too strict.” She replied as she flopped into the chair. “I believe that it should be changed.”

“What?” Christof hissed.

Beriko silenced him with a scowl and encouraged Nuan to continue.

“This has nothing to do with Lucius being Cian’s son.” She began in a firm tone. “I know what happened was devastating. I was alive at the time. I remember the reports we got, how many witches and immortals were lost in trying to slay every witch parasite. But the law is still too strict. I believe a Blue Blood should not be punished for turning a single witch. So long as that witch agrees to die when her creator does and that creator only ever has one witch attached to him, the law should not declare them dead. It should simply make them marked, watched, until the time to act comes.”

Christof scowled and growled but Nuan ignored him. Eva, who had been silent throughout the whole thing, stepped forward, ignoring the two as they spat at one another.

“Beriko. What do you think?”

“I am torn.” He said honestly. “Cian’s Clan is on the brink of falling. His eldest son, Dunstan, is dead. Morrigan is dead. His great-grandson is dead. His grandson and youngest son are on the brink.” He paused. “But, if I am to look at this in an un-biased manner, I believe Susan is too powerful to let live as a Black Blood. Lowells have always been known to have masses amount of Matter that continued to grow as they aged. Viorel tells us of the battle he witnessed between Miriam Allaway and Lowell and it worried me. He tells us Lowell holds a dire amount of Matter and she is only a little younger than fifty. As Lowell ages, so will her Matter. The connection she has for Lucius is also too dangerous. I can smell the love for him and the desire to die with him or live with him. But I believe she will turn not because she has not fed, but because Lucius was killed. One day, she will be unstoppable if she turns or rages. She will bring the Old World to its knees.” He gave me a solemn stare. “Nuan is right. The law is too strict. We should implement some allowances. But I also agree with Christof. If the witch in question is powerful enough in her own right, she should not be turned. Any who are should be slain. I am afraid Susan is one of those witches.”

Silence hustled in, covering us like a blanket. I could feel myself gripping on Lucius’ mind, purring at him while also shivering with worry. I would nuzzle him if could, bury my face in his neck, press my mouth against his. It’s all I wanted to do. I didn’t want to be here, chained up as the Elders argued about killing me. About how powerful I could become. My levels of Matter always surprised me but Beriko’s words made me a little frightened of it. Could I really become so powerful that, if I lost my mind, I could take on the whole Old World?

“And Lady Eva.” Viorel said softly, shattering my thoughts. “What do you say?”

Eva glanced back at him, face glowing with conviction. She looked down at myself and Lucius, observing us carefully with a worried glint in her soft eyes before she turned to her Elders.

“There is a very important reason why Lucius and Susan should remain alive, one Nuan is very aware of. One you two are as well although you have forgotten.”

Beriko and Christof glanced at Nuan but she simply stared at her blood red nails.

“I don’t want Susan to die. She is my friend and one of the few people I know I can turn to and not question her loyalty.” Eva said and she raised her chin. “But Susan can’t die because she is pregnant.”

I didn’t quite register what Eva said. I blinked several times and stared at the fluffy white hair that tumbled from Eva’s scalp.

“Pregnant?” I echoed weakly.

Eva turned to me, smiling happily yet sadly. “Yes. I have known for a while. I felt that small ball of life in your womb a couple of weeks ago but I said nothing. I knew it would make you panic and your Clan needed you stable and sure footed. I’m sorry.”

“But pregnant?” I babbled. I was panicking, as she predicted. Even Lucius’s mind was just a blank slate of shock. “But that can’t be right! All Black Bloods are incapable of bearing children.”

“That’s correct.” Nuan said as Christof’s expression became increasing torn between surprise and confusion. “But not the Black Blood witches created by particular Blue Bloods, such as those from the Pluvia Clan.”

“And the Kwan.” Eva added.

Nuan nodded once while Christof weighed the news, his face dark as he thought rapidly, drinking in the words. “You are saying she is going to bare a dhampir child?”

“Yes.” Eva said firmly. “I’m surprised you remember them.”

“Apart from Cian, I thought we had lost them entirely in the war with the witches and that we had lost the last who could birth them. At least that’s what my father said. He told me no more Clans who could bare dhampir existed anymore. And then Cian went missing.” Christof said softly with a brief wave of sadness flittering over his features before it was replaced by glumness again. “Why are you only addressing this now, Lady?”

Eva shrugged. “I wanted to tell you at the right time. Currently there is an adult dhampir but she wants to remain hidden for now.”

“An adult?” Beriko demanded in astonishment. “Lady Eva, you should’ve told us this.”

“And I just said she didn’t want to be known. I promised to keep her hidden and I still intend to. But this child I can’t hide. Telling you about this baby is the only way I know to convince you not to slay Susan. That dhampirs can still be born and we can begin to purify our people and not fade into humanity.” She folded her arms again. “But the only way a dhampir can be born is through specific Clans. My current dhampir did much digging in the Crone’s library. She found there had once been a dozen Clans capable of bearing dhampir children, some, like the Lionhart, are more well-known than others. Some not known at all. But now we are only down to two.”

“The Kwan and Pluvia.” Christof mumbled and turned to Nuan, his lips thin. “This is true?”

Nuan nodded slowly. “Only the males in my Core knew. It was passed down to them so they knew what was expected of them. They were to impregnate chosen witches who would raise our dhampir among the Families. But my Clan was a stupid one. It sided with Lionhart, slew its own dhampir and cut off all ties to the Families. Thankfully my cousin was smart. He told me before he died years ago.” She paused and picked at her nails nonchalantly. “Now I must breed with a pure blooded vampire to birth a bearer of dhampires or breed with a warlock to create a dhampir myself. I’ve found no one I wish to mate with so far. Unlike the males before me, I wish to raise the child myself and have a child out of love, not duty.”

Beriko nodded slowly and scratched his flat nose. “Cian’s children still carry on the Pluvia ability to bare dhampirs?”

“Yes.” Nuan replied without pause. “Cian’s Clan may be gone and a dhampir may not birth another but it is passed on to his children. Lucius and Dunstan are in Morrigan’s Clan by name only. They are truly of their father’s Clan.”

Eva stepped forward and pushed her hair back, the only sign she gave that showed nervous she was but I could smell her confidence. Even in the current numbing shock I was in, I felt it too. The Elders were bending.

“If you slay Lucius and Susan, you’re killing our people. Nuan has found no warlock or Pure Blood she wants to breed with. She is the last member of the Core in her Clan. Alphonse will be too if you slay Lucius and he has lost his mate. You know we’ll lose him too. Which means Nuan will be the only one left. We have three vampires who can create dhampires. Three. We can’t kill them over a law we can control.”

Christof flopped into his chair while Beriko eyed me curiously.

“Well you know I’m in favour of letting them live.” Nuan said happily.

“But the Crone. We can’t change this law alone. It was written between the Clans and the Families. We have to speak with the Crone to change anything.” Beriko pointed out.

“And this Crone won’t budge. Namel is old and incredibly wary of parasites. She’d rather Black Blood creating be banned entirely. She won’t agree to change the law. At least not for now.” Chrisof said tiredly.

“So you agree we keep Susan and Lucius alive?” Eva asked hopefully.

Christof and Beriko glanced at one another with uncertain eyes before their heads bowed.

“Lady, we will follow your orders in this. We will let the two live.” Christof said slowly and with some irritation.

“But we must keep an eye on her. The moment Lucius dies, Susan has to as well. We can’t risk her turning.” Beriko pressed firmly.

“It will be done.” Eva promised giddily.

Viorel hissed a joyous yes behind me but I couldn’t quite feel his happiness. Lucius still felt numb in my mind as surprise and confusion swirled. I had no idea what a dhampir was but I was carrying one in my belly. I was going to give birth to one. And it was only because of that I was going to live.

“Lucius.” Lucius snapped to attention, letting his dark eyes focus on Christof. “We are keeping what you have done under lock and key. No one is to know. Not until we convince Crone Namel to change the law a little. Keep Susan safe for now.”

Beriko stirred. “Most importantly, keep your child safe. That baby will help salvage our people.”

“Then I will have to protect it from those who would abuse it as well.” Lucius said dryly and without blinking.

Beriko growled while Christof hissed savagely, pulling his lips back like a cat, but Lucius didn’t back down, only sat with growing determination in his chest. Nuan laughed with relief glowing on her face.

“Viorel, untie them and let them rest. Take them to Eva’s chambers. They’ll be safe there.”

I was thankful Viorel got to work quickly. Soon the horrible cold iron was clattering from my hands and I was standing, brushing I hand over my stomach while Lucius snatched up my hand, pressing my fingers to his lips.

“And on behalf of the Elders, thank you for what you have done.” Nuan added. “The threat is nullified along with all information and any involved. You’ve done a fine job.”

I simply glared at the three, especially Christof, and would’ve hissed at them heatedly but Viorel placed a hand on my shoulder and was propelling me away. It was then another wave of sickness came to me and I decided that, while this child had just saved my life, I hated it already.

*

I woke slowly with fingers caressing my cheek and touching my hair lovingly. The cold scent was familiar instantly and I curled tighter into a ball, pressing myself closer to the body sitting close to me. I sighed happily when Lucius pressed his lips against my neck and then proceeded to nuzzle my cheek softly. It had been a long time since I had been woken like this. Too long.

He smile warmly down at me when I opened my eyes and looked up at him. My sleepy gaze however rapidly shifted into a scowl as I recalled where I was and why the scents about the room didn’t quite smell like home.

“Where’s Eva?” I demanded hotly as I sat up sharply, trying to shake Lucius’ arms from me as I glared about the intricate room and white dark world outside the arching windows.

“She’s coming so rest.” Lucius said, laughing gently. “Eva has told me we can leave tonight.”

“I want some answers before we go.” I snapped and hugged my legs, staring at the window and snow lazily danced outside.

I shot a scowl at Lucius when he ruffled my hair and stood to push the window open, let a gush of cold air into the stuffy room. I watched as he pulled a familiar bizarre toy from his pocket, pushing its insides to see if it spoke then put it away when it didn’t move.

“I have heard from Augusta.”

My interest perked up. “What did she say?”

“That, for now, she’s returning to her home in Germany for now. She was wounded badly and wants to re-cooperate in peace. That and her son and mate are fretting.” He looked a little sad at saying this. I wondered if he missed her. “She did as you asked though at least. She tore of Abraham’s head once she had gutted Nina. She deserves some peace for now but she’ll come back. She wants us to meet her family.”

“And have you heard from Al?”

“Yes, many times. He’s constantly calling me, asking if we’re okay and definitely coming back. I’ve told him we are many times but he doubts me.”

“We have some work to do with him. We need to make sure he’s comfortable.”

“I know. Elizabeth and Daniel are watching over him and giving him some company, as much as it is.”

I did wrinkle my nose at that decision. When we were told we had to go to the Domain, Alphonse had grown terribly angry when he was told to stay. It was Eva’s whispers, promising she would make sure we would be spared, and Lucius’ demands that he stayed. It had been terribly clear that Alphonse had been unhappy and terrified he would lose us so Elizabeth had promised us she would stay by him with Daniel and keep him safe. So far she had done just that and it made me warm a little towards the old prickly vampire.

The toy suddenly stirred and popped from Lucius’ pocket. “We’re here now.” Pytor announced timidly.

Just as his words finished, the door was knocked on and opened swiftly. Dana stepped aside, holding the door open for Eva to step in. Pytor was in Vincent’s arms, staring at us shyly, while Vincent scowled darkly as usual.

“You can leave whenever you wish now.” Eva said happily. “The Elders are helping me protect you now.”

I narrowed my eyes and pulled the blanket further over my stomach. “When were you going to say anything?”

She fidgeted a little. “Once the threat was gone. I felt it would only worry you and not let you fight to your fullest. With your Clan weak, you were needed to defend it.” She paused, frowning under my glare. “The threat is gone now too.” She assured me. “You all killed the main players and majority of the hunters were slain. All that was left was handing the witches over to the Crone, taking Guntrum and the hunters and burning everything to the ground.”

My scowl fell a little when I remembered someone. “What about Molly?”

“Molly is going to help the Crone hunt down any last labs so we can destroy them and any parasites left within them. She will have to remain close to the Crone but I have said Molly has proven herself well. She deserves a second chance.” She fell silent as her eyes flickered from Lucius and myself. She sighed lightly. “I guess you would like to know what your child is.”

“I would like to know about my father too.” Lucius injected firmly. “The Elders mentioned him.”

Eva registered with a slight widening of the eyes and nodded. “Your father, Cian, was mentioned as he is what your child is. He is a dhampir.”

“Like Augusta?” Lucius hazarded.

“Yes, like Augusta.”

“They’re witch vampires.” Pyotr said and shyed away when Vincent hushed him.

“Not in the sense I am.” I guessed. I had seen Augusta change her shape and been skewered with a witch blade and live. Augusta and I were completely different.

“No. They aren’t vampire created. They’re born.” Eva confirmed. “Lucius, do you know dhampirs?”

He shook his head. “It is news to me that my father was even one.”

“But you have never met him. He went missing before you were born.” Eva comforted. “A dhampir is a child born from a witch and a pure blooded vampire. Only specific Clans are able to create them.”

“Cian’s Clan was one of them.”

“Yes, the Pluvia Clan. The Elders had thought that the Clan had been utterly destroyed, forgetting that yourself and your elder brother held the Pluvia blood. Cian’s Clan lives on through you two and Alphonse. But a lot is forgotten about the dhampir. No one really remembers the Clans that could produce them, possibly because their names were erased from our own documents.”

“Why?” I asked curiously.

“At the time when the witches turned on the Lionhart Clan, most Clans detested witches. They hunted down the dhampir and harvested them while slaying the Clans that could produce them. Some Clans, like Nuans, even turned on the dhampir and slew their own and then buried their heritage. It was a sad time and one I only knew about because of Augusta.”

“You had said she did the digging.”

“The Crones never eradicated the existence of the dhampir but neither did they go out of their way to remind the Clans of it. They feared the dhampir that they could create would only be hunted and destroyed like before.”

“It would explain why Augusta’s Family warned me to never contact them again.” Lucius grumbled darkly. “They wanted to keep her a secret.”

“They did although Augusta detached herself from them years ago now. She came to me instead, asking for my help in finding out about what she was.”

“So what is that exactly? I keep hearing the term dhampir but I don’t know what that is.” I asked impatiently. I wanted to know exactly what I was carrying.

“A dhampir is a purifying vampire. They, like you Susan, can’t wake during the day and carry their own Matter. And, like the pure vampire, they are physically strong with natural heightened senses. They also inherit the fangs and claws of their father. But they also gain traits of their own such as shape shifting.” Eva explaind. “But the most important thing about the dhampir is that the organ in their throat, the Core. It produces a venom that destroys human blood, meaning that if a dhampir injected that venom into a vampire, they would slowly become pure and rid all humanity within them.”

“And we turned against these dhampir?” Lucius asked incredulously. “They’re our only hope in surviving!”

“I know which is why I want you to keep your child hidden. Make sure no one knows who her mother is outside of your Clan. She must be kept safe.” Eva pressed firmly. “That child will help Augusta in resurrecting our kind but the Clans will easily turn against her and try to harvest that Core for themselves. You must be vigilant.”

I looked up at Lucius, my eyes full of worry. I could smell his concern, feel his fear for his unborn child. But if Augusta had survived far into adulthood, so could our own. I would protect it to my death.

“We’re going to help.” Pyotr said softly. “We’ll help keep your baby safe.”

“Thank you Pyotr.” Lucius said with a smile as he approached me so he could grasp my hand, feeling my warmth and heartbeat to comfort himself.

“I have told you all I know.” Eva said with a light smile. “Leave here when you’re ready and return to Alphonse. I’m sure hearing his future cousin needs him will give him a rock to hold on to.”

She said no more, only turned to gather Pyotr into her arms, kissing him lightly on the cheek and carried him out of the room. Vincent gave us one long stare, his eyes glowing with determination and a silent promise to protect us, and thudded out. Dana simply bowed and left swiftly, closing the door behind us firmly.

Lucius and I sat in silence for a moment, entwining our fingers together tightly.

“A dhampir.” I mumbled. “Our child is a dhampir.”

“Like my father.”

We paused against and Lucius knocked his forehead against mine when he noticed the dark expression on my face. “Do not fret, Susan. We’ll keep this little one safe.”

I grunted, blushing a little at the thought that I was actually going to have a family with him and thoroughly loved the idea. “I don’t feel pregnant.”

“You won’t for a while. Eva’s just felt the essence of its life and it doesn’t need to be big.”

Once again I grunted. The idea that I was having a child still hadn’t sunk in. I didn’t argue when he kissed me warmly and happily welcomed his mouth. He pulled away slowly and touched my stomach lightly.

“Let’s get home.” He breathed as he nuzzled my nose.

That was the one place I wanted to be right now. I wanted to be where Ella, James and Arnold were. I wanted to help Alphonse survive his grief. I wanted to be safe and warm and let myself have time to think of the dhampir I carried. I wanted to sleep for days in Lucius’ arms.

“Okay.” I said as I smiled a little at the thought of that one place I once so desperately wanted to leave but now wanted more than anything in the world.