After she ate, I ran Elloren a bath, put her favorite show and within the hour she was asleep. Deep asleep, so deep she consumed my entire bed. Sighing I went to my couch but not before I pulled another blood-filled glass from the fridge. At least she is sleeping. The sun began to fade, and I began my search for Elloren’s parents. To my surprise, they had moved. While I couldn’t make their exact location, I knew the area well enough. Elloren’s mother while vile was undeniably beautiful. Her blue hair fell in waves around her as she chanted in a circle surrounded by her ancestor’s skulls. Unlike Elloren, her mother’s necromancy bound her to their ancestor’s and their realms. Elloren needed no permission to retrieve the dead nor did such boundaries exist for her. She could pull the dead from anywhere.
Bringing myself back, I drank the blood that remained in my glass as I prepared to visit the wicked necromancer of the west. Just as I walked out, Godric walked up. His eyes met mines and for a second, I thought I saw sadness. “Where are you going?” Should I lie or should I tell him the truth?
“To visit a friend’s parents.” Rasing his eyebrow at me, it seemed as if he was waiting for the rest of the story. Blinking at him, I asked my own question. “Why are you here.” Tiling his head as though I offended him by not knowing why he was here. He answered, “I said I would find you later.”
“I thought you meant like tomorrow or something. Crossing is arms he shook his head. “I would have said so.”
“Now that you have found me, what do you want?” I asked leaning on the opposite red brick wall. “I want lots of things. As for now, I would like you to keep me company.”
“You mean to keep you from the sleep you know you are not going to get?”
“Yes.” He answered so honestly, I couldn’t help but laugh. Pushing myself off the wall. I walked pass him. He followed. “Unfortunately, I am busy trying to make sure my friend doesn’t suffer from the same fate.” Pushing the black elevator button, I could hear the elevator starting to move from the ground floor.
“The fate of restlessness or the fate of unavailability?” Glancing over at him dressed in a matching black sweat suit, a black wool coat, and a pair of grey sneakers. I decided to not to answer his question. Instead, I took a deep breath and attempted to formulate some sort of plan. The Blackgates most likely wouldn’t hand over the spell and I couldn’t kill them either. “I can help.”
The elevator doors opened, and we walked inside. He pushed the button to the ground floor. Enclosed in the golden glass elevator with Godric I muddled over his offer. “Help with what?” Could he read minds?
“Whatever you are trying to plan. Especially if it involves leaving this campus.”
“I can get off the campus just fine.”
“Can you return to it just fine?”
Fuck, could I? With the extra precautions, I doubt my return would go un-noticed. The elevator doors opened with a “Welcome to ground level.” This time it was me who followed Godric out the elevators.
Stepping out the building into the cool nights air it pulled thought into my mind. What if I just waited to return? Classes start up again next week. I could go home for a surprise visit pretend to stay too late and let my father bring me back to campus. Sure, we are not supposed to leave campus. However, I highly doubt someone would bring that up in front of my father aside from The Headmaster.
That plan just might work. Looking up at the night’s sky, I’ve forgotten how winter brings stars. There were no clouds blocking their view. Nothing blocking I from them either.
“Is star gazing a part of the plan?” Dragging my eyes from the stars to something much more. I gave Godric a once over again. He looked impossible standing here under the stars in the cold. There was elegance then there was Godric. He didn’t slouch or fidget. His full lips weren’t set in a hard line, his classical jawline did not clinch. Not even the long ash blonde hair strings that fell from their bow seemed out of place. Godric Victorian, God of Winter?
“I am not telling you my plan, because you are not coming.”
“I can simply follow you.”
“Not possible. Vampires are not trackable.” Just then I saw a memory flash in his frosted silver eyes. Must have been a pleasant one, because he actually smirked a little. “My sister, she taught me how.”
“Is she a vampire?” “Non.”
“Qu'est-ce qu'elle est?” He didn’t answer my question, but it didn’t matter. What his sister was didn’t matter. What mattered was the hidden sadness I could feel in the words he did not say.
“Does your sister have something to do with the reason you are sleepless?”
“Non. She is the reason. There is nothing else.” “You two must be close.” He replied by nodding his head. “How do you plan on getting off campus?” Rolling my eyes, I replied, “Again not telling you, my plan.”
“Will you at least tell me why you are sneaking off campus?” Wrapping my scarf around my neck I figured I should tell him something since he shared something. “My friend, The Holy Trinities are after her. She needs a spell and where I think the spell is I have forbidden her to go.” Interlocking his fingers, he rested his chin on top. “A forbidden place only for her not for you?”
“Oui.” Being still for a vampire was the equivalent of a human breathing without thinking about it. But under the all-consuming gaze of Godric, I felt the unnatural urge to fidget. Adverting my gaze I defaulted to my shoes. Black Doc. Marten loafers given to me by Elloren last year.
“Compris. Let them know it was me who sent you.” And with that he disappeared. No trace, of him remained, not even his scent. Blinking a few times, I questioned if the conversation happened at all. But I knew it did, I knew he had been here.
After gathering myself, I focused on the task at hand. Finding that damn spell for Elloren. Quickly using “Devil’s Search” again I made sure that her parents were home. They were and it appeared that they were entertaining guest. How fun.
Since I have never been to their new home, I could only teleport to the neighborhood. In the shadow of winter, the houses could not have been more perfect. Moody colors that the gothic theme iron fences every house seemed to have paired well. The cobblestones used for the streets were also rich in dark colors. Crimson reds, eclipse blacks, and forest greens made everything about the neighborhood aesthetically pleasing.
After six houses I found them. There were no cars in the driveway and the noise inside could not be heard on the outside. That was nice to know just in case someone accidentally was murdered. Walking up to the front door I bypass a barrier spell. Good for zombies and humans, weak for my kind of vampirism. Knocking on the forest green door, I could hear the people inside go silent. I knocked again. This time I heard footsteps. When the door opened it revealed human vile disguised as a lovely older woman with eyes as wide as the black moon. She instinctively attempted to slam the door, but it was too late. I was inside.
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“How did you do that? I have never invited you in.” Ignoring her question, I did a quick run through of her hellish home. Skulls, herbs, dead goats in the back yard, dead bodies in the basement. Three male clients occupied the three guestrooms upstairs and poison filling the air. Blood magic flowed through these walls boundless and restless. Several of her guest were females all young but not lost. These women knew what their host was and what she is capable of. I wondered if they knew she trafficked her own daughter.
Elloren’s father was upstairs chatting in a witch circle, one that I could not enter. So, I decided to throw something. That also could not enter. He continued chanting; however, my instinct told me that this chant was not for me. With his eyes rolled in the back of his head, Mr. Blackgate attempted to push me out of the room with his removal magic. Unfortunately, his borrowed power wasn’t enough. The magic he constantly stole from Elloren was long gone. Rolling my eyes, I left him to it.
Heading back downstairs, Elloren’s mother attempted to capture me in a spell of her own. To my surprise she did. Locked in a blue bubble I could not move. Smiling at me with all fourteen blacken teeth she circled the bubble. Whatever this spell it was created with vampires in mind. My body felt heavy. It reminded of me of when I started getting use to the sun. Its rays would beat down on my skin, but I wouldn’t burn.
“It’s my latest spell vampire, soon it will put you to sleep. Last, I remember you have a time restraint on how long you can be in the sun without requiring your coffin to recover.” Elloren’s mother only spoke in French. I never understood that. Aren’t demons supposed to speak Latin? However, she was correct the bubbles rays are heavy, and they are draining my energy fast.
“Why have you come here vampire?”
“There is a spell, that I need.”
“Menteuse.” Bitch I am not lying, was what I wanted to say but I reframed. I couldn’t tell her the whole truth. No, she would use it in some way to contact Elloren. If I even mentioned The Holy Trinities, she might put two and two together. The woman was vile, but stupid I could never describe her as.
“Honestly, my father requested it for his witches.”
“Then why would he send his precious daughter to my house and not come himself?”
“He is busy in hell this week.” She only raised her invisible eyebrow at me as she ran her black nails over her thousands of gold bracelets. Just then a tiny woman walked into the foyer from the living room. She couldn’t have been anymore fourteen. But I knew age did not equivalent to innocence. Even in this bubble I could smell the blood on her skin.
“So, this is Alucard. I thought she would have been harder to capture.” She walked closer to the bubble, and I could see the malice in her blue eyes. “What would happen if we used her blood for the ritual and not goats?”
Elloren’s mother seemed to think it over. How the fuck would she know the answer. My bloodline is feared as well as pure. My father would have never allowed witches to use it for magic. “Not sure, my little darling. But we can most certainly find out.”
“Peti’te chérie.” She used to call Elloren that as she chained her to the wall. Think Alucard, how do you get out of this! My body was starting to slouch and soon my vision would begin to create doubles.
“Her eyes they are red.”
“Not just red, petite chérie. Those are the eyes of the diable.” The fourteen-year-old eyes lit up as if she held a new purpose in life. Too bad for her she would die before she ever saw this purpose through.
“What spell are you looking for?” She asked, biting her bottom lip.
“A spell specifically for Elloren.” At the sound of her daughter’s name. Elloren’s mother went silent. In fact, the entire house went silent. Even the magic that lived in the walls went silent. Elloren’s name was still a hunting thing to this family of vileness. Their distain brought me happiness.
Blinking my eyes, I remembered what Godric said, “Tell them I sent you.” Did he know where I was coming all along? And for all I know he could have meant say that upon my interrogation when I returned to school. Did is name hold that much power and why?
My time for thinking of a better plan had run out. If I did not escape this bubble soon, I would fall asleep, and they really would take my eyes and my blood. Elloren would no longer be safe, but neither would these people. My parents would do far worse to them than they would ever dream up. And that says something. With a lowered tone I said, “Fine, you got me. I was sent by A Victorian.”
The bubble around me vanished and in a second, I stood barley on my feet. If I couldn’t sleep after this, I would need to feed. None of these people deserved my bite though, so feeding would also have to wait. Placing my hands on my knees, Elloren’s mother squatted down in front of me. There was nothing in those moon eyes of hers but knowledge and sadism. “Describe this Victorian to me.”
“Why?” You let me go. I can simply go.”
“Describe them and I will tell you about the spell that must chose Elloren.” Swallowing, I decided this was my best chance. Some of my strength began to return to me and I realized that those rays were only imitations of the sun’s rays. The damages did not linger. No bubble no feeling weak. Straighten my stance, I pushed my red hair out of my face. My skin felt sticky due to the poison trying to.. well poison me. A long shower was also due.
“Long ash hair, frosted silver eyes, tall, elegant, fast, feels dangerous, and umber skin. And he also wears a bow at the end of his hair.” She seemed to digest this information. Meanwhile her, petite chérie starred at me.
After what felt like an eternity, Elloren’s mother finally spoke. “The spell that needs to choose Elloren is with her already. That spell chose her years ago when she broke into our home and freed Elloren.” Letting her words sink into my consciousness I asked.
“Are you saying I am the spell?”
“Oui. Dead things cannot speak directly to a Blackgate without permission. You are an exception to that rule. Elloren could not have given you permission then because she herself was unaware of this rule.”
“Ummm okay, what am I the spell to?”
“That I do not know. Elloren is the first in a century to receive a spell.”
“What else do you know?” Elloren’s mother tilted her head back exposing her throat so she could run her fingernails down up and down its length.
“I know you vampire have captured the eyes of a Victorian.”
“Hardly he goes to my school.” Laughing that deep famous throaty laugh of hers. Elloren’s mothered replied, “Why would a God choose to go to high school?”
“Maybe because he needs history lessons?”
“Tell me vampire, which came first. Him meeting you or you finding out he attends your school?” It was the former, but I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that. Titling her head all the way to the left she waited on my answer.
“It was the former of course.” The reply came from her petite chérie. Placing a section of her blonde hair behind her ear she smiled. The smile did not make it pass her lips.
“Why did you let me go at the mention of his name?” It was time for me to wrap this conversation up. The men upstairs were getting restless and Elloren’s father chant had completely stopped. I did not know what they had planned, and I did not want to stick around for it.
“N'a pas d'importance.” Elloren’s mother replied as she opened the front door. She may have thought it was not important, however the little finger twitch in her petite chérie told me otherwise.
“If I find out you are lying to me about anything, I will return to drag this place back to hell.” Elloren’s mother smiled brightly at me as she leaned in closer to me. The snitch of death poured from her as if she bathed in it. In her dark eyes I could see a fire burning. This woman despised me. Good, happy to bring her any sort of misery I could.
“Oh, princesse there is no place like home. Make sure you send Elloren back.” Just then Elloren’s father walked down the stairs dressed in ceremonials. His skin barley covering skeleton. His eyes had sunken so deep within his face one would think they were missing. He was a walking grotesque. “Mr. Blackgate, you look terrible.” I said as I walked out the front door.
Back into the nights thin cold air, I took a deep breath that I didn’t need. Wrapping my scarf around my neck I walked from the driveway. Leaving behind the house of horrors. I refused to look back at such a place. It wasn’t necessary the things they did, it was more about the things they did to Elloren. I found no need to rescue the men upstairs or the half alive girl that was chained to up in the attic. Torture did not bother me; murder did not bother me. What did bother me was seeing Elloren fall victim to it. My mother calls it love, my father calls it ownership, I call it the unexplained.
One thing I knew for certain was that I knew a psychopath when I saw one. And I had seen one. I am not sure of that little girl’s power, but she is a threat. Another thing I knew was that Elloren’s mother did give me two important pieces of information, the former begin I am the spell. The latter being Godric is an actual God. Which makes me wonder why would a God chose to come to high school?