Blood Ties

by Lauryn Evans

  “Where did he come from?” Renata whispered, her voice more hostile than she intended.

  “I brought him to the House last night, before the party. I was meaning to talk to you about having him stay with us until the Order was taken care of, but then…” Adela’s eyes wandered, the bloody scene at the party replaying in her mind.

  Renata’s hard stare softened. Adela was only looking out for her brother. She would have done the same for her family—if she had any left. “He looks like you.”

  “He’s my brother, Renata.” Adela searched Renata’s distrusting gaze. “He isn’t a vampire hunter.”

  “Does he know what you are? What we are? What we actually do during the parties?”

  “Yes, and he’s okay with all of that. Look, I brought him here because I’m worried about him.” Adela paused. “With the Order practically breathing down our necks, I’m worried they’ll figure out he’s related to me. I don’t want to risk him getting hurt.” Her voice trailed off. “The safest place for him is here.”

  “You want him to live with us? You want a human to live in a house full of vampires?” Renata crossed her arms, making up her mind. “I can’t allow that.”

  “Please, Renata. Alexander took you in.” Adela’s remark made Renata’s heart soften. “As long as it’s clear that no one is allowed to feed on him, he will be safe here. We’ll all be safe.” Adela saw the skeptical look on Renata’s face and sighed. “Look, he plays piano, and he’s really, really good. Now that Alexander’s gone, we’re going to lose money if we have to hire musicians. He’s an asset.”

  “Fine,” Renata huffed. “But, since he will be living here, he is a member of the House and is subject to my rules and commands. As such, he’ll answer to me, and will have a job during events, like the others.”

  Renata paused, rubbing her forehead. Part of her couldn’t believe she was allowing this. “He can have the empty suite in the east wing, across the hall from yours.”

  “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.” Adela threw her arms around her and smiled before making her way back to her brother.

  Renata sighed, stealing another glance at Wyatt Johnson. The human she was allowing to live amongst vampires.

  Perhaps she’d lost her mind.

  ~

  “You can’t be serious, Renata. This is beyond crazy, even for you.” Will paced across the safe house common room. “When I said we should catch a magna, this is not what I had in mind.”

  “Think about it, Will,” Renata said. “There’s no other way to lure a magna into our trap. Not without bait.”

  “We can use bait, but why do you have to be the bait?”

  “I’m not risking anyone else’s life to do this.”

  “You’re risking your own. We’re all safer with you alive.” He stopped pacing to look at her.

  “Well then, let’s pray this all goes according to the plan, shall we?”

  Renata extended her palm to Will, handing him several tranquilizer darts. “Veronica’s been promoting a false party at the mansion to attract attention, and Heather got enough darts to knock the magna out for at least an hour. First, put the net down in the front yard, then, I’ll give you the signal once we have the magna over the net, and you shoot. Heather and Edwin will be waiting for us at the dock.”

  “This sounds a lot easier than I think it’s actually going to be.” Will sighed as he picked up the dart gun, slinging it over his shoulder. “What the hell,” he said. “Let’s do this.”

  With a nod, Renata moved into position, then stood inside the wreck that was left of the mansion. The ballroom and corridor where the magnas cornered her were littered with broken glasses, and the carpet in the parlor was stained with dark blood. Good lord, there was so much blood everywhere.

  She would have to clean all this up. The House members couldn’t return until she got this place looking the way it once did. She didn’t want them to come back to this—to see the aftermath of the assault.

  That was not her current task. Renata forced herself to focus on the plan. Everything was in place, ready to catch a magna. She was nervous. Really nervous, actually.

  This could go terribly wrong. Maybe this wasn’t her smartest idea.

  She shook her head. Don’t think about that, she urged herself. She’d carefully planned this out, thinking of every possible outcome.

  Besides, it’s too late to back out now.

  She’d planned out the party well too.

  Renata moved over to the grand piano in the common room. It seemed to be untouched, thank goodness. It was in the same condition it had been before the attack. That was a relief, at least.

  Renata cleared her mind. She’d need her wits for this plan to work. Through the sea of glass shards on the bloodstained floor, Renata saw an empty vial.

  That’s the vial the young man drank from at the party, just moments before…

  Moments before the attack.

  Renata lifted the empty vial to her nose and grimaced at the foul stench. Slipping the vial into the pocket of her blue jeans, she moved back into position.

  Now, she just had to wait, the harder part of her plan, and by far the most difficult. There was no way to confirm a magna would even come today.

  Renata froze.

  She focused on her heightened hearing and keenly listened to her surroundings.

  Renata knew she wasn’t alone. Someone or something other than Will was here. The sickening sense in her stomach told her that her prey was nearer to her than she thought. Although, for some reason, she felt like the prey instead of the hunter.

  Good grief.

  Following her careful plan, Renata strode outside the mansion, leading the creature to where Will was waiting, hidden amongst the surrounding trees.

  Renata’s walking slowed. Hot breath tickled the back of her neck.

  Run.

  Adrenaline powered her legs, propelling her forward. The earth beneath her feet quaked under the beast that hurtled after her. She ran towards the net. She was so close to giving Will the signal. She just had to get past the edge.

  Just a little farther—

  Renata hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from her lungs. The monster dragged her backward, dirt filling her mouth. Will’s words rang through her head.

  “Never let a magna get you on your back.”

  She wasn’t on her back, so she still had a chance…

  It pinned her to the ground. The sound of its gnashing teeth much too close for her liking. She clawed the ground in front of her, trying to pull herself out of the creature’s clutches, to no avail. Panic seized her stomach.

  Who would lead the House after she was gone?

  Who would plan the parties and make sure the House members fed?

  Who would protect them once she was dead?

  Right on time, Will’s tranquilizer knocked the beast out cold. An immense amount of weight fell on top of her narrow frame, nearly crushing her.

  “Can you help me out?” Renata wheezed.

  “Of course,” Will said as he gripped her arm and pulled her out from under the sleeping creature.

  “That went…well.” She brushed the dirt off of her jeans. Renata looked at her calf, relieved to see there was just a flesh wound. She didn’t feel the effects of magna venom, nor was the wound deep enough for the venom to infiltrate her bloodstream. The small slashes began to stitch themselves back together like they’d never been there.

  “That was too close.” Will slung the dart gun onto his shoulder. “We are never doing anything like this again.”

  “It was your idea,” Renata said as she picked up a corner of the net the magna laid on.

  “It was your plan.” He retorted, picking up the other corner.

  “Touché.”

  ~

  After locking up the magna in an empty room in the basement, Renata, Will, Edwin, Adela, and Heather cleaned up the mansion, re-establishing it to its former glory.

  “God, t
his place looks like a tornado ran right through it,” Adela mumbled as she scrubbed dry blood off of the wall in the ballroom.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Heather said, wearisome, as she scanned the damage.

  “We certainly have our work cut out for us,” Renata added, wiping sweat from her forehead.

  “You can say that again,” Edwin chimed in, as he headed up the grand staircase to clean up the broken glass from Renata’s encounter with the magnas.

  After hours of labor, the mansion was finally cleaned up, and Renata deemed it fit for the other House members to return.

  The House members trailed into the mansion, spreading out into different parts of the house, back to their normal routine. Well, as normal as they could after what happened.

  Renata caught Adelaide lingering outside the door and staring into the house. Renata could tell the young vampire could still see the images from the attack as she looked into the ballroom. She’d seen her friends die a brutal death. Not to mention that it had been the first time she’d seen a magna and witnessed what they were capable of.

  Renata knew from experience that such things were not easily forgotten. She made her way out to Adelaide, who looked up at her as she placed her hand on the girl’s upper back in a comforting manner.

  “Life’s not easy,” Renata said. “You’ll be afraid sometimes, even as an immortal.”

  Adelaide looked down at her feet. The memories of the attack still plagued her.

  “Hey,” Renata said gently, tucking Adelaide’s wheat-colored hair behind her ear. “You will feel better. I know this is scary and you miss Lily and Emma. We all feel their loss. But we can’t live in fear.” Renata smiled at her. “You can’t let your fear take over your life. Eternity is too long to be afraid.”

  Adelaide nodded and mustered a small smile as she strode through the front door.

  Renata chided herself. Who was she to preach when her own fears suffocated her.

  I should take my own advice.

  But she didn’t have that luxury. Not when all their lives depended on her.

  “Show Wyatt his room and tell him that I’ve spoken to Edwin about his meals. He’s glad to be cooking regularly.” Renata said to Adela, slipping her hand into her pocket. “The two of them can sort out the other details.”

  “Of course, we’ll figure that out on our own.” Adela smiled. “Thank you again, Renata. You won’t regret this.”

  Renata certainly hoped she wouldn’t. Aside from herself, she’d never heard of a human living with vampires, but maybe the decision was a good one.

  Only time would tell.

  With the successfully captured magna no longer unconscious, Renata made her way down to the mansion’s basement to check in with Will, who stood guard. “How is it?”

  “It refuses any food and water. I can’t help but feel like it’s suspicious of us.” Will peered through the glass window on the door to look at the creature. “Like it knows who we are.”

  “I found the vial.” Renata slipped it out of her pocket to show to Will. “I suspect it is connected to the attack, but I don’t know how.”

  Will’s spice colored eyes locked on the animal. “If it is, we’ll find out.”

  Seeing as there was no more to say on the topic, Renata excused herself. She needed time to collect her thoughts, and the perfect place to disappear was the office.

  She looked through all of Alexander’s belongings for the first time since his passing.

  Renata ran her fingers along the spines of his books, all of which were in good condition. Alexander loved his books and took good care of them.

  Renata closed her eyes. If she listened hard enough, she could still hear him reading the Wonderful Wizard of Oz to her.

  She found herself sitting at his desk, her desk now, and explored the contents of its drawers. She found old event plans, piano sheet music, and poems scribbled down on small scraps of paper. One, however, caught her eye. She saw her name at the top of a paper in Alexander’s signature cursive handwriting that read:

  Dearest Renata,

  To keep the House safe, you must look for my secrets where my heart lies.

  Sincerely yours,

  Alexander

  Accompanied by the letter was a small key. It didn’t look like it would fit in any door in the mansion.

  Renata’s head spun. Alexander wrote as if he knew she would be Mistress of the House. As if he knew one day, he would be gone, and she would be sitting at his desk, doing his duty.

  What does he mean, where his heart lies?

  She didn’t know of anyone other than herself whom Alexander loved or who loved him in return. He couldn’t be talking about a person, but maybe a place?

  He did love the mansion and those who live in it.

  No, the mansion itself was too broad. Besides, the key was too small to unlock any of the doors, nor were there any secret rooms that she knew of. No, he must have been talking about something else.

  Renata wandered the mansion’s halls, inspecting every nook and cranny. Frustrated, Renata wracked her brain, looking over the details she might have missed.

  The piano.

  Alexander loved to play the piano. The grand piano downstairs in the parlor was his most prized possession, more than his beloved books.

  How could she have not realized before?

  She rushed to the piano, anxious to find whatever message Alexander left for her.

  Renata scrutinized the old piano, inspecting every crevice of the well-crafted mahogany instrument.

  “There’s nothing here…” Renata huffed, crouched underneath it.

  She ran her fingers along the surface of the piano, several more times, inspecting each of the keys.

  Then, as she was about to give up, Renata noticed a small groove in the instrument. Upon further inspection, she found a keyhole. She inserted the key from Alexander’s letter into the keyhole, hoping it fit.

  The little key fit like a glove.

  Gently, she turned the key, revealing a hidden compartment inside of the piano. She saw another slip of paper, similar to the first letter Alexander left her. This was indeed an additional letter that read:

  Renata,

  I knew you would find my message. But I have one last riddle for you to decipher. Use this key to unlock my mind, which lies within the Master’s eternal duty.

  Sincerely yours,

  Alexander

  Renata chuckled. This was so like Alexander to do. It made her feel like he was still there, in the mansion, watching her find his clues like she did as a child. This took her back to some of her fondest memories. Running up to him as a child while waving around her latest drawing. Sitting in Alexander’s chair. Writing on her hands with his black ballpoint pens.

  Reliving those memories brought Renata great joy. Until she remembered that Alexander wasn’t here. That he was dead.

  And somehow, Renata knew these letters, these clues, were connected to his death. He wouldn’t take this type of precaution, or leave something behind for her unless he was worried that something would happen to him. She knew that.

  But no one expected a magna attack.

  Renata redirected her attention to Alexander’s riddle.

  The Master of the House must protect the House members, she thought to herself. That’s their duty. What could Alexander mean by that?

  The parties.

  Of course, Renata chided herself. It’s the Master’s duty to plan the House events.

  Renata knew the only place Alexander ever planned an event was his office.

  Back to the office, Renata went, with her anxiety and curiosity driving every step. In the office, Renata inspected every piece of furniture and wall structure, to find anything that resembled a keyhole. She turned to the bookshelves; almost certain Alexander would hide something there. Scanning the shelves, Renata stumbled across Alexander’s favorite novel, Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Renata pulled out the book, expecting something to happen. H
owever, to her dismay, nothing did. Behind where the copy of Great Expectations once sat, Renata saw a hole about the size of her key.

  “This must be it,” she murmured to herself as she inserted the key and turned it.

  Renata heard a clicking sound emanating from behind the bookshelf, and she gently pushed against it. The shelf gave way to her force, swinging inward, revealing a small room.

  The room had no windows, and there was barely any light. There was a small, round wooden table, with one matching chair. On top of the table was a leather-bound book with another letter on top.

  Renata advanced into the room and picked up the letter as she began to read. She recognized the handwriting- the letter was written in Alexander’s loopy cursive. It read:

  Dearest Renata,

  It seems you followed my clues, and found my secret place, just as I knew you would. If you are reading this, it means I am gone, and you are the House’s Mistress. There is no other individual more qualified for this role than you, nor is there anyone else whom I would trust with the lives of the House members.

  A daunting task, I’m sure, but I know you are more than capable. However, as the Mistress of the House, there are threats, as you know.

  I left the key you used to unlock this room, along with a series of clues, as a precautionary measure to ensure you land upon this information should anything happen to me.

  As much as it saddens me to say this, there are many things that I have protected you from, things that only you must know now.

  This book is my diary. Within it, are my secrets, things of my past that have plagued me, and will now plague you. Read it. These pages contain knowledge that is vital to protect yourself and the House. I have placed post-it notes on the entries that are imperative you read.

  It is up to you what you decide to do with the information in these pages, but I trust you will do what you must, for the good of the House.

  Lastly, I send my heart and love to you. Comfort my dear piano while I’m gone, would you? It will grow lonely being used as a centerpiece rather than as an instrument.