Beauty in the Dark
CHAPTER FOUR-War of The Mothers
Lark slouched in the chair and stared at Jane Shaw with a moody expression. Her knuckles were burning but she wasn't sorry, she was glad that she punched Luvena and was proud of her work. Luvena had such a bloody nose that she demanded to be taken to the hospital by the English teacher and the principal, which they did. It left Lark to be dealt with by poor Jane, who had not seen her since their first meeting. Jane looked at Lark with great disappointment, she had thought so highly of her and didn't think she would go to violence to get her point across. "So, Lark, how do you feel about yourself? Are you sorry?" she asked, massaging her eyelids. Lark sighed loudly, "I feel pretty pleased with myself and I'm not sorry. That bitch had it coming" she said, anger still lingered in her tone and breathing. Jane sat upon the table, shaking her head and looking straight into Lark's face. She saw rage, pleasure and a small glimmer of guilt within her hazel orbs, her cheeks were glowing a bright and fiery red and she could see Lark's teeth digging into her lip. "Your teacher, as well as Miss Lunette and your friends have informed me on what Miss McClaire said. It was out of line and it went too far. However there is no excuse to act in violence. I mean what were you thinking?" Jane said, her voice in battle between being fair but firm and snappy, she was fighting to remain professional and calm. Lark looked at the ceiling, thinking about her answer. Her mind was cloudy with hatred towards Luvena that she couldn't pin point a real reason why she punched her. "I, I don't really know. I wasn't really thinking at the time. Her words about vampires and Lila made my blood boil and all I saw was red. I don't really remember doing it, like I blacked out or something. I remember feeling happy and glad afterwards, a sense of release, of my anger towards her." Lark explained, twirling a lock of hair around her middle finger. "I think I understand, you let your strong emotions rule over your actions instead of logic and calm thought. Does this happen often Lark?" asked Jane. Lark tilted her head and wondered for a quick second, she didn't need to think long for she already knew that it was true. "I guess so" Lark muttered, not looking at Jane as she feared she'd bring out more feelings. She needed to get out and be moody, she didn't want to open up, "can I go now?" Jane breathed loud and deep, she wanted to get to the bottom of the hows and the whys, but she knew that Lark wouldn't trust her nor confide in her if she pushed. She could tell that Lark needed time to think on her own, keeping her in the office until the principal or her mother came would only make her more mad. "Ok, you may leave. I will be speaking to your mother about this and I'll be honest, I'm not sure what will happen to you after today. But I'll try my best to make sure you don't get into too much trouble. I want to help you Lark, but I know you need time. Come to me when you're ready." Lark fought back strange tears trying to break free from the corners of her eyes and stood. No counselor had tried to understand her, or seemed to want to help her like Miss Shaw. Most just used Lark as an experiment for their book or studies, or they just saw her as a pay check. Or, in one case, saw her as a young blossoming flower that she wanted to help bloom into an adult too early. With a nod, translating as a thank you and goodbye, Lark left Jane's office with her head looking at her feet.
"Oh, Lady Lark you're out. Are you alright?" spoke a voice that made Lark's heart bust with a weird joy and made her lift her head up. Draven ran up to her and looked pleased to see her, and relieved. The redness of anger upon her cheeks, turned into a hardcore blush and the nervous voice made a comeback when she spoke, "oh, hey, um, Draven. Yeah, I'm ok. Might be in trouble, but I'm, kinda used to it. How, are you, and how is your sister?" Draven smiled and placed a hand on Lark's shoulder, a small chuckle escaping his lips as she shuddered at his cold touch. "I am well and as is Lila. She sends her thanks for defending our family's honor, though I will admit that she did express her disdain for your physical method. Are you hurt in any way, my Lady?" he said, taking her hand and looking at her bruised knuckles. "Not really, still angry at Luvena, what she said was wrong. But I gotta say that I'm a bit mad at myself, I let it get to me. You must think like I'm a real danger to society" Lark said, trying to bring some humor to the conversation, instead of a blushing school-girl. A flash of sadness glazed through Draven's eyes as he shook his head, stroking her hand. Lark felt a little bit better, 'though why do I care what he thinks about me?' Releasing her hand, Draven straighten his back and smiled down at Lark, "so what are you going to do now? Return home?" he asked. "No way, I'm in no mood for the nagging and the 'that's not lady-like behavior' speech from my mother. I'm going to avoid it and hide somewhere" Lark said, kicking the air lightly. Draven chuckled, "well if you're not going home, you could accompany me to my resistance." Larks mind ran wild with excitement and nervousness, 'go to his house? Alone? Just him and me? It's crazy, he's crazy, I'm crazy. I can't, I shouldn't, I really shouldn't'. She nodded with a smile and a whisper of a yes. Once again taking her hand in his, Draven led her out of the building. They walked through the fall coloured streets in peaceful silence, enjoying the calming sounds of nature and The Smiths. They traveled down the alleyways of the neighborhood, cutting through the rough wastelands to avoid the crowded shopping areas and clusters of classmates. The old vampire village rested upon the edge of town, the wastelands their front yard while the forest was their garden and hunting grounds. Draven and Lark pushed passed the dead long-grass, dodging piles of mud and dirty puddles as they walked, finally stopping on a dirt road.
There before her stood a tall and thin Tudor styled house, with a luscious front garden filled to the brim with multi-coloured roses. French windows dressed in dark velvet curtains only allowed small beams of sunlight into the building, ivy crawled along the chipped white paint, a large rainbow glass circle sat in the middle and the smell of cookies clouding out of the red brick, out-of-place chimney. "What do you think, my lady?" Draven asked, making Lark jump. "It's gorgeous, it's a good mixture of the dying and the living" she exclaimed with excitement. Draven smiled at her with glee and pride. "Such a poet, I'm glad that you like it. Looks like mother is home, let's head inside" he took her hand and began to pull her towards the house. "Um, won't your mom, or mum, mind?" Lark asked, 'why the hell am I so fucking nervous?' Draven just laughed, something he was beginning to notice he did more of when he was around her. "Nah, from the cookie smell she already knows that you're here. She kinda has a gift for knowing the future" he answered, and with two more steps they were in. The inside of the house was even more Gothic and gorgeous than the outside, at least to Lark. Draven lead her towards the kitchen, the hallway they went down was huge, covered in red paint and black wood with paintings and family photos scattered throughout. The smells of baked goods, fresh herbs and blood hung in the air, along with calming opera and loud, powerful singing. She liked it, it oddly made her feel comfortable. They walked through an archway and down five stone steps, entering a large stone and wooden, country style kitchen. There were basil, rosemary, lavender, thyme and dill lying on nearly every counter, there was a bowl full of lemons, kale, ruby red apples and limes in the centre of a breakfast bar. Pots, pans and cauldrons of different sizes, all piled on top of each other beside a deep bubble filled sink. There were jars of jam, dried fruit and flowers, pickled anything, even more herbs, everything kind of tea Lark could of think of and five large jars of blood, all labels with names and blood types. A thin figure cloth in black suddenly jumped and swirled in the air, singing her heart out and dancing around the room. She was an unnaturally stunning woman, tall and skinny with white marble skin and flowing curls of black hair. Her face was sharp, flawless and young looking, with a pair of glowing purple eyes filled with fun and kindness and a red smile to match. As the song came to a close, she gracefully Pirouetted and bowed to the pair. "Welcome to my home, Miss Lark Eirlys" she spoke with a very strong, rich British accent. 'She knows my name, how' Lark thought fearfully, pulling at her top. "I know because I see. I see what I want, I see at random. And I wanted to know about, this gorgeous girl my dear Draven has need talking non-stop about" she said with a cheeky grin. Lark turned to Draven, only to see his face turn bright red and his lips mutter an embarrassing 'mother'. The woman laughed off her son and shook Lark's timid hand. "I am Countess Belladonna Lunette, mistress of the house and the greatest mother of vampires. Honour to meet you" she said, bowing to Lark, and Lark bowed back. "Thanks for letting me into your home Mrs Lunette, it's lovely" Lark smiles, a tiny bit of her confidence returning to her as Mrs Lunette's voice put her at ease. Mrs Lunette chuckled, "it's a pleasure to have you Lady Lark, and please call me Belladonna."
After seeing a small nod from Lark and her son's face turning a bright cherry red, Mrs Lunette walked gracefully and with hip wiggle to the oven and pulled out carefully a large baking tray of chocolate cookies. Lark felt her mouth water wildly, the smell pulling her towards the breakfast bar. "Mother you shouldn't have" Draven said, trying to stay polite yet the embarrassment and a hint of annoyance slip out of his lips, as he stood beside Lark. "Don't be daft sweetheart, we must make our guest feel right at home. Especially after her bravery in sticking up for your sister today. She has earned my respect, and has earned a cookie. Please Lady Lark, help yourself" said Mrs Lunette happily. As Lark began to move her slender hand to the baked steaming goods, a loud banging at the front door cause her to jump and scream a little. "Now who could that be. Please excuse me, I'll check the door. You kids enjoy the cookies", Mrs Lunette waltzed off to the front door, humming to herself merrily. She looked calm, cool, collected and lady-like as she opened the door, coming face to face to a burning figure of hate and ignorance. "WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER YOU HEATHEN?!" screamed the woman in front of Mrs Lunette; a mid-height plump woman looking to be in her mid-to-early 40s and was dressed like a 1950s housewife, with an light brown tight up-do, raging hazel eyes and with one hand pressing against her hip, while the other was crushing her large pearl necklace. It didn't take The Countess long to figure out who this woman was, her eyes, lips and lightly dusted freckles gave up her identity; Lark's mother. Mrs Lunette took one long deep breath before speaking, "you must be Lady Lark's mother Mrs Eirlys, it's a pleasure. I am Countess Belladonna Lunette, how may I help you?" Mrs Eirlys felt her anger boil and began to tap her foot hard against the step. "I don't care who you are, witch. Your kind is not welcomed here. I want, my daughter back, now. I know she's here. The good people of this town saw her being dragged here, and I want her returned to me and as far away from your filth" she spat with venom. Mrs Lunette didn't take too kindly to Mrs Eirlys's tone, but she wouldn't lose her temper in front of such hate, nor would she let this woman disrespect her family. She was going to have a bit of fun with her. "Oh, she's in the kitchen with my son. They're becoming fast friends. It's wonderful to see them so happy together" Mrs Lunette smiled, her tummy jumping with glee at the sight of Mrs Eirlys's entire face turned a crimson red. "Oh Lady Lark, my dear. Please come here, your mother has graced us with her presence" she said with a laugh and a grin. "Wipe that smile off your ugly face monster. You're lucky I haven't called police yet for kidnapping. I should throw holy water on you and burn this pile of shit to the ground, and no one would stop me or care" Mrs Eirlys raged, feeling powerful and in control. But Mrs Lunette, her still beautiful face that read insult and fury, growled at Mrs Eirlys "did you call me ugly? How dare you? How very dare you?!" Mrs Eirlys's face flared up and a pleased smile appeared on her pale pink lips. "Oh did I hurt your feelings? What am I saying? You have no feelings, for you are not human. Your kind are monsters, servants to Satan. I can say whatever I like to you and you should listen and like it" she hissed with joy. "You called me UGLY? Have you seen me? I am flawless. You human women are all the same, jealous of my perfect, unmatched beauty" Mrs Lunette remarked dramatically.
"What the fuck is going on?" a confused Lark tried to say, her mouth full with delicious cookie. She and Draven had heard the yelling and came to see the action. "Lark Erica Eirlys, get away from that pig of evil at once! And don't swear!" ordered Mrs Eirlys, her arm out stretched to grab her daughter. But Lark stepped back and held onto Draven's arm, swallowing the last corner of yummy goodness. "Your mother has it in her head that Draven has brought you here by force and is now insulting how I look. Very rude if you ask me" Mrs Lunette explained, shooting a glare at Lark's mother. "Not to mention insulting who we are and our entire race" muttered Draven loud enough for Mrs Eirlys to hear. Lark felt her anger brewing, her mother did this every time a new vampire came. Storm in all guns blazing and making sure that some, if not all, never went near Lark. "Mom, I came here of my own free will. I want to be here, I want to be friends with Draven, with the Lunette family" Lark said calmly through her teeth. Mrs Eirlys's face cooled yet her angry expression remained. "But, but Lark, they're murders and sinners and pure evil. Already 6 cows where found nearly dead on the outskirts of town a few days ago. They can't be trusted, so just come home" she almost growled, while attempting to recapture her composure. The redness though returned quickly to her cheeks at hearing the fake laughter of Mrs Lunette. "Oh you silly woman, so quick to jump to 'oh, the animals are dead. Those damn vampire devil' conclusion, without even talking to those cow's owner. For you see, the kind fellow Mr Edwards gave us permission to drink from those cows, while we were waiting for our blood orders to arrive. Oh that reminds me, thank you Lark for your help" Mrs Lunette said joyously, turning round to smile at Lark with a cheeky wink. She turned back to Mrs Eirlys and continued, "so how can we be murderers, when the cows still live? We do not kill, nor have we ever killed, human or animal. Check our records with the police and you'll see we have done nothing but live peacefully. It is only you few humans, with hearts of hate and minds so closed only the parts of the Bible you like can enter, that is the reason we have to move from place to place. That, and the areas we've been too have been, lets just say, not up to my very high standards." She slowly walked to Mrs Eirlys and towered over her, her eyes locking onto hers, striking fear and control. "But this place has it's own beauty and charm. I like it, so we WILL stay. I don't care if you like it or not, this IS our home. And right now, you are not welcomed here. I will not have people like you coming to my doorstep, barking orders and insulting me or my family. Now you may leave, thank you and don't even think about stopping Lark coming here again. Or what I will do to you will be so terrible and gory, the press won't be able to write about it" said Mrs Lunette, in a calm and cold manner, which scared Mrs Eirlys to her bones. As she slowly walked backwards towards a quietly roaring car, where an emotionless Mr Eirlys sat in the drivers seat, the Countess pulled herself together and spun on heels to face a terrified and worried Draven and Lark, with a large happy smile on her face. "Don't worry Lady Lark, it's all sorted. You are more than welcome here, anytime and your mother won't stop you. I've made sure of it. Now, run along home, you must have homework to do. Please come again soon." Lark was speechless. No one had scared or confronted her mother like that before, and lived to tell the tale. Mrs Lunette must be a very powerful vampire, to hold such control over her mother. "So, thanks for inviting me over" Lark smirked at Draven, who was still trying his best to hide the embarrassment on his face. "No problem my Lady. Sorry about my mother, she can be a bit dramatic and a handful, most of the time" he said, and for the first time of knowing for little more than a day, Lark heard not an ounce of confidence in his voice. She chuckled at hearing Mrs Lunette say 'I heard that mister' and placed a hand on his shoulder, "no need to say sorry. I think your mom is great, I had fun. See you at school" and after planting a kiss on Draven's cheek and thanking Mrs Lunette for the cookies and entertainment, Lark got into the car and she was off home.
"Oh, Lady Lark you're out. Are you alright?" spoke a voice that made Lark's heart bust with a weird joy and made her lift her head up. Draven ran up to her and looked pleased to see her, and relieved. The redness of anger upon her cheeks, turned into a hardcore blush and the nervous voice made a comeback when she spoke, "oh, hey, um, Draven. Yeah, I'm ok. Might be in trouble, but I'm, kinda used to it. How, are you, and how is your sister?" Draven smiled and placed a hand on Lark's shoulder, a small chuckle escaping his lips as she shuddered at his cold touch. "I am well and as is Lila. She sends her thanks for defending our family's honor, though I will admit that she did express her disdain for your physical method. Are you hurt in any way, my Lady?" he said, taking her hand and looking at her bruised knuckles. "Not really, still angry at Luvena, what she said was wrong. But I gotta say that I'm a bit mad at myself, I let it get to me. You must think like I'm a real danger to society" Lark said, trying to bring some humor to the conversation, instead of a blushing school-girl. A flash of sadness glazed through Draven's eyes as he shook his head, stroking her hand. Lark felt a little bit better, 'though why do I care what he thinks about me?' Releasing her hand, Draven straighten his back and smiled down at Lark, "so what are you going to do now? Return home?" he asked. "No way, I'm in no mood for the nagging and the 'that's not lady-like behavior' speech from my mother. I'm going to avoid it and hide somewhere" Lark said, kicking the air lightly. Draven chuckled, "well if you're not going home, you could accompany me to my resistance." Larks mind ran wild with excitement and nervousness, 'go to his house? Alone? Just him and me? It's crazy, he's crazy, I'm crazy. I can't, I shouldn't, I really shouldn't'. She nodded with a smile and a whisper of a yes. Once again taking her hand in his, Draven led her out of the building. They walked through the fall coloured streets in peaceful silence, enjoying the calming sounds of nature and The Smiths. They traveled down the alleyways of the neighborhood, cutting through the rough wastelands to avoid the crowded shopping areas and clusters of classmates. The old vampire village rested upon the edge of town, the wastelands their front yard while the forest was their garden and hunting grounds. Draven and Lark pushed passed the dead long-grass, dodging piles of mud and dirty puddles as they walked, finally stopping on a dirt road.
There before her stood a tall and thin Tudor styled house, with a luscious front garden filled to the brim with multi-coloured roses. French windows dressed in dark velvet curtains only allowed small beams of sunlight into the building, ivy crawled along the chipped white paint, a large rainbow glass circle sat in the middle and the smell of cookies clouding out of the red brick, out-of-place chimney. "What do you think, my lady?" Draven asked, making Lark jump. "It's gorgeous, it's a good mixture of the dying and the living" she exclaimed with excitement. Draven smiled at her with glee and pride. "Such a poet, I'm glad that you like it. Looks like mother is home, let's head inside" he took her hand and began to pull her towards the house. "Um, won't your mom, or mum, mind?" Lark asked, 'why the hell am I so fucking nervous?' Draven just laughed, something he was beginning to notice he did more of when he was around her. "Nah, from the cookie smell she already knows that you're here. She kinda has a gift for knowing the future" he answered, and with two more steps they were in. The inside of the house was even more Gothic and gorgeous than the outside, at least to Lark. Draven lead her towards the kitchen, the hallway they went down was huge, covered in red paint and black wood with paintings and family photos scattered throughout. The smells of baked goods, fresh herbs and blood hung in the air, along with calming opera and loud, powerful singing. She liked it, it oddly made her feel comfortable. They walked through an archway and down five stone steps, entering a large stone and wooden, country style kitchen. There were basil, rosemary, lavender, thyme and dill lying on nearly every counter, there was a bowl full of lemons, kale, ruby red apples and limes in the centre of a breakfast bar. Pots, pans and cauldrons of different sizes, all piled on top of each other beside a deep bubble filled sink. There were jars of jam, dried fruit and flowers, pickled anything, even more herbs, everything kind of tea Lark could of think of and five large jars of blood, all labels with names and blood types. A thin figure cloth in black suddenly jumped and swirled in the air, singing her heart out and dancing around the room. She was an unnaturally stunning woman, tall and skinny with white marble skin and flowing curls of black hair. Her face was sharp, flawless and young looking, with a pair of glowing purple eyes filled with fun and kindness and a red smile to match. As the song came to a close, she gracefully Pirouetted and bowed to the pair. "Welcome to my home, Miss Lark Eirlys" she spoke with a very strong, rich British accent. 'She knows my name, how' Lark thought fearfully, pulling at her top. "I know because I see. I see what I want, I see at random. And I wanted to know about, this gorgeous girl my dear Draven has need talking non-stop about" she said with a cheeky grin. Lark turned to Draven, only to see his face turn bright red and his lips mutter an embarrassing 'mother'. The woman laughed off her son and shook Lark's timid hand. "I am Countess Belladonna Lunette, mistress of the house and the greatest mother of vampires. Honour to meet you" she said, bowing to Lark, and Lark bowed back. "Thanks for letting me into your home Mrs Lunette, it's lovely" Lark smiles, a tiny bit of her confidence returning to her as Mrs Lunette's voice put her at ease. Mrs Lunette chuckled, "it's a pleasure to have you Lady Lark, and please call me Belladonna."
After seeing a small nod from Lark and her son's face turning a bright cherry red, Mrs Lunette walked gracefully and with hip wiggle to the oven and pulled out carefully a large baking tray of chocolate cookies. Lark felt her mouth water wildly, the smell pulling her towards the breakfast bar. "Mother you shouldn't have" Draven said, trying to stay polite yet the embarrassment and a hint of annoyance slip out of his lips, as he stood beside Lark. "Don't be daft sweetheart, we must make our guest feel right at home. Especially after her bravery in sticking up for your sister today. She has earned my respect, and has earned a cookie. Please Lady Lark, help yourself" said Mrs Lunette happily. As Lark began to move her slender hand to the baked steaming goods, a loud banging at the front door cause her to jump and scream a little. "Now who could that be. Please excuse me, I'll check the door. You kids enjoy the cookies", Mrs Lunette waltzed off to the front door, humming to herself merrily. She looked calm, cool, collected and lady-like as she opened the door, coming face to face to a burning figure of hate and ignorance. "WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER YOU HEATHEN?!" screamed the woman in front of Mrs Lunette; a mid-height plump woman looking to be in her mid-to-early 40s and was dressed like a 1950s housewife, with an light brown tight up-do, raging hazel eyes and with one hand pressing against her hip, while the other was crushing her large pearl necklace. It didn't take The Countess long to figure out who this woman was, her eyes, lips and lightly dusted freckles gave up her identity; Lark's mother. Mrs Lunette took one long deep breath before speaking, "you must be Lady Lark's mother Mrs Eirlys, it's a pleasure. I am Countess Belladonna Lunette, how may I help you?" Mrs Eirlys felt her anger boil and began to tap her foot hard against the step. "I don't care who you are, witch. Your kind is not welcomed here. I want, my daughter back, now. I know she's here. The good people of this town saw her being dragged here, and I want her returned to me and as far away from your filth" she spat with venom. Mrs Lunette didn't take too kindly to Mrs Eirlys's tone, but she wouldn't lose her temper in front of such hate, nor would she let this woman disrespect her family. She was going to have a bit of fun with her. "Oh, she's in the kitchen with my son. They're becoming fast friends. It's wonderful to see them so happy together" Mrs Lunette smiled, her tummy jumping with glee at the sight of Mrs Eirlys's entire face turned a crimson red. "Oh Lady Lark, my dear. Please come here, your mother has graced us with her presence" she said with a laugh and a grin. "Wipe that smile off your ugly face monster. You're lucky I haven't called police yet for kidnapping. I should throw holy water on you and burn this pile of shit to the ground, and no one would stop me or care" Mrs Eirlys raged, feeling powerful and in control. But Mrs Lunette, her still beautiful face that read insult and fury, growled at Mrs Eirlys "did you call me ugly? How dare you? How very dare you?!" Mrs Eirlys's face flared up and a pleased smile appeared on her pale pink lips. "Oh did I hurt your feelings? What am I saying? You have no feelings, for you are not human. Your kind are monsters, servants to Satan. I can say whatever I like to you and you should listen and like it" she hissed with joy. "You called me UGLY? Have you seen me? I am flawless. You human women are all the same, jealous of my perfect, unmatched beauty" Mrs Lunette remarked dramatically.
"What the fuck is going on?" a confused Lark tried to say, her mouth full with delicious cookie. She and Draven had heard the yelling and came to see the action. "Lark Erica Eirlys, get away from that pig of evil at once! And don't swear!" ordered Mrs Eirlys, her arm out stretched to grab her daughter. But Lark stepped back and held onto Draven's arm, swallowing the last corner of yummy goodness. "Your mother has it in her head that Draven has brought you here by force and is now insulting how I look. Very rude if you ask me" Mrs Lunette explained, shooting a glare at Lark's mother. "Not to mention insulting who we are and our entire race" muttered Draven loud enough for Mrs Eirlys to hear. Lark felt her anger brewing, her mother did this every time a new vampire came. Storm in all guns blazing and making sure that some, if not all, never went near Lark. "Mom, I came here of my own free will. I want to be here, I want to be friends with Draven, with the Lunette family" Lark said calmly through her teeth. Mrs Eirlys's face cooled yet her angry expression remained. "But, but Lark, they're murders and sinners and pure evil. Already 6 cows where found nearly dead on the outskirts of town a few days ago. They can't be trusted, so just come home" she almost growled, while attempting to recapture her composure. The redness though returned quickly to her cheeks at hearing the fake laughter of Mrs Lunette. "Oh you silly woman, so quick to jump to 'oh, the animals are dead. Those damn vampire devil' conclusion, without even talking to those cow's owner. For you see, the kind fellow Mr Edwards gave us permission to drink from those cows, while we were waiting for our blood orders to arrive. Oh that reminds me, thank you Lark for your help" Mrs Lunette said joyously, turning round to smile at Lark with a cheeky wink. She turned back to Mrs Eirlys and continued, "so how can we be murderers, when the cows still live? We do not kill, nor have we ever killed, human or animal. Check our records with the police and you'll see we have done nothing but live peacefully. It is only you few humans, with hearts of hate and minds so closed only the parts of the Bible you like can enter, that is the reason we have to move from place to place. That, and the areas we've been too have been, lets just say, not up to my very high standards." She slowly walked to Mrs Eirlys and towered over her, her eyes locking onto hers, striking fear and control. "But this place has it's own beauty and charm. I like it, so we WILL stay. I don't care if you like it or not, this IS our home. And right now, you are not welcomed here. I will not have people like you coming to my doorstep, barking orders and insulting me or my family. Now you may leave, thank you and don't even think about stopping Lark coming here again. Or what I will do to you will be so terrible and gory, the press won't be able to write about it" said Mrs Lunette, in a calm and cold manner, which scared Mrs Eirlys to her bones. As she slowly walked backwards towards a quietly roaring car, where an emotionless Mr Eirlys sat in the drivers seat, the Countess pulled herself together and spun on heels to face a terrified and worried Draven and Lark, with a large happy smile on her face. "Don't worry Lady Lark, it's all sorted. You are more than welcome here, anytime and your mother won't stop you. I've made sure of it. Now, run along home, you must have homework to do. Please come again soon." Lark was speechless. No one had scared or confronted her mother like that before, and lived to tell the tale. Mrs Lunette must be a very powerful vampire, to hold such control over her mother. "So, thanks for inviting me over" Lark smirked at Draven, who was still trying his best to hide the embarrassment on his face. "No problem my Lady. Sorry about my mother, she can be a bit dramatic and a handful, most of the time" he said, and for the first time of knowing for little more than a day, Lark heard not an ounce of confidence in his voice. She chuckled at hearing Mrs Lunette say 'I heard that mister' and placed a hand on his shoulder, "no need to say sorry. I think your mom is great, I had fun. See you at school" and after planting a kiss on Draven's cheek and thanking Mrs Lunette for the cookies and entertainment, Lark got into the car and she was off home.