Kirielle took a long moment deciding on her next sentence then, “So, you were afraid it was dangerous for you to be around me when I was first born... and you were first turned,” she took a shaky breath as she watched the woman. “But what about the rest of my life? You seem to have been well aware of where I was. And you did have twenty years, didn’t you?”
Penelope looked down again, “There were many times when I thought about trying to talk to you. But it was so difficult. Especially when I saw that you seemed happy, healthy, like you didn’t need me after all. I was afraid that...” she shook her head, “I was just afraid,” she settled on, another guilty look downward.
Kirielle took another shaky breath. That was obviously not an answer that helped at all. But the woman did seem sincere at least. “So, why now?” was all she could say in return.
Penelope managed to bring her eyes back up to her daughter’s identical ones, attempting a small smile. “You’re grown now. You don’t need him anymore.” Though Kirielle only narrowed her eyes slightly at that comment before Penelope continued, “And when I saw... and heard... you performing, I know now.”
“Know what?” Kirielle asked skeptically.
“Your voice, it was beautiful, haunting, even. As soon as I heard it, I knew... knew that you belonged with us.”
“Us?” Kirielle returned, taking a slight step back, “Who’s us?”
“The Daughters,” Penelope smiled, as if that reply should have been self-explanatory. “We can make sure that you never ever lose that amazing talent, Kirielle.”
“What?” Kirielle returned shakily, taking another slow step backwards.
But before Penelope could try to explain herself any further, as if that were possible, Lucian turned onto the street corner they had been speaking at. “Sorry, dear, Kirielle’s not giving any autographs tonight. Run along now,” he told her pointedly as he made a gesture as if to shoo her away.
That was when Penelope looked up at him with the slightest glare of defiance, as if she were about to protest, in some way. But when Kirielle moved to a spot behind Lucian, grasping his arm as she did, Penelope’s defiance seemed to crumble into sadness.
“I mean it though, Kirielle. Think about it, please,” Penelope’s voice was nearly a whisper as she spoke the words. And with that, she scurried back into the ally she had emerged from earlier.
Kirielle let out a small sound of disbelief, overwhelmed by the conversation she had just experienced. Though she did nearly immediately release Lucian’s arm, and turn away from him as well, looking up at the stars in thought.
Lucian glanced down at her with a questioning look of his own, “So what on Earth did that woman want, anyway?”
“Who knows?” Kirielle whispered, still not turning his way, “Let’s just go home.”
“Gladly,” Lucian agreed, tossing another look back at the ally, as well as a skeptical look of his own after Kirielle, who had already started heading in the direction of their home. She moved quickly, assuming he would follow, which he did with another brief, worried glance after the other woman.
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It had now been five years since Claire had left her career as a film producer behind, and re-invented herself once again as the owner of the most successful Cabaret club in the city. In that time, she had often arrived at the club shortly after sunset, before doors opened. Those evenings she used to watch the performers rehearse and offer any input or ideas for changes to the show. And of course, since this career change, and her hiring of Kirielle, Lucian was there on those nights more often than not, as well.
That night, Lucian had arrived early as well, with Kirielle of course. Though Kirielle was being particularly quiet and brooding, even more so than during the teenage years that she had just exited in the last few months. Having already perfected all of her own numbers, she was there early to watch the background performers and offer any input she had as well. Instead, she was silently sitting at a corner table doodling over the lyrics she had been working on during the hours she wasn’t at the club.
“Claire’s arrived,” he told her quietly, easily noting said arrival as he sat across the table from his shockingly silent ward. Receiving no response from her, or even a look up at his words, he shook his head. “I suppose I shall go and greet her,” more silence from Kirielle. “Do try not to miss me too much,” he added wryly as he stood and began making his way toward where Claire was hanging another of her long, dark coats over the back of a chair at a table near the stage.
“Lucian, hi,” Claire acknowledged his approach with a small smile, “I missed you last night,” she added, having noted his absence the previous evening, which had struck her as odd, as it was the premiere of their newest show.
“Missed me? Aren’t you a tease?” he replied, his charm switching on nearly automatically in her presence. Not that it ever really seemed to be off, honestly.
“Ha ha,” she smirked, quite used to his nightly flirtations after the last five years, and having returned quite a bit of it in that time as well. It was difficult not to, considering that aforementioned charm.
“Well, I was here at the start of the evening. Had to unfortunately make an early exit though. Duty called and all,” he added for weight, though dropping his eyes as he did. “But you didn’t seem to be lacking company last night, anyway. I saw that the Prince decided to once again grace us with his presence for the premiere. Surprising as that was,” he tacked on pointedly.
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“Once every few years he does remember he was an artist before a politician,” Claire replied with another small smile.
“Oh, so that’s why he was here?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, looking up at him, curious if there was another reason for his statement.
“Just... wondered,” he settled on.
“Wondered what?” she pressed, trying to get at any hidden meanings behind his reaction to Sean’s presence the previous night.
Lucian hid his sigh with another charming smile, “Really, I’m more concerned with Kirielle tonight. She’s been acting a bit distant, to say the least.” Claire narrowed her eyes at his less than subtle subject change. “I suppose she may just be a tad miffed about me missing the premiere last night, but there was something else that is causing a bit of concern as well.”
Her own concern for Kirielle did cause Claire to allow his subject change, especially once she glanced over at where the young lady was still sitting in the corner, looking rather less lively than her usual self.
“Something else?” she asked, looking back at Lucian.
He sighed again, gesturing for her to take a seat at the nearby table with him, “So, after I had to leave early, Kirielle started walking home alone last night. I ended up managing to meet up with her just a block or so from here, but when I found her, some rather odd woman was there with her as well,” he began.
“Rather odd, how?” Claire asked as she glanced at Kirielle once again.
“Well, for starters,” he also briefly moved his eyes back to her, “she looked like she very easily could have been well... related to Kirielle.”
“Related?” Claire repeated, both of them looking toward the young starlet then. “You mean...?”
“Seems possible... plausible,” he corrected.
“But why now? I mean if it was her? Why after twenty years?”
“Precisely what I was wondering. When I asked Kirielle what the woman wanted, she gave me not one scrap of information. But she’s seemed obviously shaken since, so...” he just looked down worriedly.
“And you want me to try and find out... or something?” Claire asked warily.
“Well, she obviously isn’t opening up to me. You know children and their parents... even after they’re grown. And she adores you, so perhaps she will tell you more. I just need to know how worried I should be, understandably,” he finished, a tinge of fear peaking out from that beautiful British lilt of his.
A moment later, Lucian had made his way to the bar to order a glass of the ‘special red’ that Claire’s blood-bound servants always kept on hand for Claire and the more ‘eccentric’ club goers. Meanwhile, the club owner herself had now made her way over to take a seat at Kirielle’s table with a tentative smile.
“Let me guess, you’ve already perfected each and every moment of your performances this week?”
“I have a lot of time to kill during the day,” Kirielle did offer more communication towards Claire than she had with Lucian, but her voice still lacked it’s usual excitement.
“I remember those times,” Claire replied wistfully.
“What times?” she asked, only turning her pretty eyes slightly toward Claire’s own.
“The times when I didn’t have to miss half my life. The half that happened while the sun was still up,” she added furtively, leaning in as she did.
Kirielle gave her a skeptical look before responding, “But the whole forever thing sort of makes up for it, doesn’t it?”
Claire gave an uneasy chuckle in return, “I don’t know if losing the sun forever is that fair of a trade off, among other drawbacks,” she had to add.
“The drawback of being incredibly powerful and beautiful for eternity? Doesn’t sound that terrible,” Kirielle replied pointedly.
The young woman knew that the only reason they even could talk freely at all then is because most of the staff were already aware of Claire’s nature, and under some kind of ‘bond’ that kept them loyal. And the mortals among the other performers were in the midst of their rehearsals up on stage, and too far away to hear their conversation. After all, when Lucian had first fully explained their natures to Kirielle, when she was only twelve or so, he made it quite clear how very important secrecy or, ‘the Masquerade,’ was to all their kind.
“Of course there’s advantages,” Claire had to allow, “but those drawbacks... They can be hard, especially after so long,” she told her gently.
Kirielle watched Claire for a long moment, mauling over her words, before finally continuing, “I think this is the first time you’ve ever talked about this with me.”
Claire looked down slightly, “Well, we usually do have much more show-related subjects to talk about when we’re together. And of course, we generally don’t talk about much of this subject at all in mixed company. It’s sort of a law,” she added in a whisper, trying to keep her voice playful to offset any suspicion Kirielle might have about exactly why Claire was suddenly being so open.
Kirielle scoffed under her breath, “But you do have all kinds of... powers and stuff, don’t you?” she asked, dropping her volume once more on the last half of the sentence.
Claire offered another uneasy laugh, her eyes moving around to make sure no unknowing mortals had come into hearing range yet, “‘All kinds’ is a bit of an exaggeration. I mean, how many times have you seen me flying about the club or doing any other fancy magic tricks?” she attempted to play down those advantages that they did indeed possess.
“But you do have some powers, don’t you?” Kirielle asked pointedly. “Some of you can even read minds and stuff, right?” she asked with an even more pointed slant to her tone then, now not moving her eyes from Claire’s face.
Claire sighed with a bit of futility, taking a long moment before offering a response. “He’s just worried about you, Kirielle. Like any parent would be.”
“He’s not my actual parent though, Claire.”
“Being a parent isn’t just about blood. You know that, in your heart,” Claire refuted, though gently. “He’s been with you since the night you were born, looking after you as best he could. That must count for a lot more than whatever she thinks she might be able to give you now, after twenty years,” Claire stated softly.
Kirielle scoffed, “And after twenty years, he never offered me the one thing she did, the very first time she ever did speak to me. Shouldn’t that count too?” Kirielle added bluntly, before standing and heading backstage, leaving Claire to sigh worriedly after her.