by Tara Brown
“How old are you?”
“Two hundred and forty-six, I thinks. Me and Miss Lydia was born same year under the same summer moon. Same moon as you. I be the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter too. My magic was always stronger than Miss Lydia’s. We lived in Georgia and spent our days learning the magic from my gran. We had to take Miss Lydia from her family. They was not the good kind. They was teaching her the bad magic. We moved from Georgia to here. We fled the hunters.”
O felt lost in the story, “Hunters?”
“Bad magic witches. They’s hunt our kind to take our magic. Good magic’s always stronger than bad magic. Always. But they’s steal the magic from us and they’s become strong like us.”
“That’s sick.”
Annabelle nodded looking out the window again, “I knows it. Me and Miss Lydia we come here and she find herself a proper husband and we’s build this house.”
Her ghostly face looked distressed as she continued, “They did find us though. They come in the night. The hunters, they find us out. I make my circle nice and big before I died.”
Ophelia gasped, “You died doing the magic circle?”
Annabelle nodded slowly, “I ain’t never heard of no witch living through making a guard circle like mine.”
“You knew you would die?”
She turned sharply, “Miss Lydia had the baby in her belly. She saved me too many times for me’s to not give it back. I’s told you I can’t die. I just changed. My body died but my magic is alive. It’s stronger without the body to make it weak.”
“Lydia had a baby?” Ophelia felt as if something in the story was about to go very wrong. Something besides the death of the most loyal person she had ever met.
Annabelle looked sickened, “No.”
Ophelia left it alone. She knew the hardships the people of the house had faced and couldn’t even comprehend what it was like for them all.
“Why are the vampires here?”
“They be here for Miss Giselle. She gone and died as the only heir to the vampire throne. Marcus kept them in balance. He was the ruler. Never too many vampires or killing people in the streets. Keep the secret was his law. He wasn’t no good but he wasn’t too bad either. Now he's gone, they could just kill everyone. They needs a ruler. The one with Marcus’ blood is the strongest. Their blood calls to her and hers to them.”
Ophelia frowned, “Why do they look angry?”
Annabelle laughed bitterly, “You imagine if some five-year-old girl be your queen. She gets to tell you what to do? She ain’t got no experience as a vampire and now she be the queen.”
Ophelia sighed, “Ohhhhhh. Yikes.” She watched Annabelle for another second, “Why do you hate me?”
Annabelle looked at her sharply, “Baby girl, I don’t hates you. I love yous, just like I loved your momma. All witches loves you and yours. I hates what you gotta do. I hates that your life is cursed with his dirty blood. Ain’t no angel got no right to take from a witch, the way Jonathan takes from your momma.” She looked back out the window and sighed, “We all cursed. Ever since Miss Lillith been raped in the garden, we been cursed.”
Ophelia stood up and walked through the long, wide hallways until she got to the front door. She opened it hesitantly. She had never seen so many people in her life, let alone vampires. One vampire was more than she had ever seen. The whole thing wasn’t a dream, she was coming to that conclusion.
She could see everyone in slow motion, as she walked out onto the front steps.
Lorri was watching everyone with a stone face, but somehow Ophelia knew she was scared for Giselle.
One of the guys was letting off some kind of perfume Ophelia had smelled before. When she smelled him she wanted to take her shirt off and let him wrap his arms around her. She could feel the warmth of his skin against her. It made tingles everywhere.
The dark-haired man who had been at her door with the snow globe smirked at her from beside the red-haired lady. He leaned in and whispered, “Try to ignore him. He could drive you mad.”
“You again.”
He grinned harder, “Yes love, I did try to tell you.”
She couldn’t pull her eyes away from his strong shoulders and biceps. She wanted so badly to just touch him. She couldn’t understand how they all made her feel gooey inside.
She tore her eyes away from him to watch Giselle walk out into the yard and cross the magic guards that Ophelia felt at all times. She shivered as she watched her. The vampires fell silent as a tall, dark-haired man rounded off against Giselle. The others formed a huge circle. The Roses never moved from the front porch, but every one of them seemed ready to leap into action at any second.
“Why can’t we help her?” Aimee asked softy.
Lorri never moved her eyes from Giselle, “She will look weak. She should be able to take them all on as queen. It’s their way. Not to mention, they need to believe I don’t run her.”
Ophelia could feel the apprehension and fear pouring off of everyone. She didn’t know what to do or say, but their nerves were building up inside of her. She couldn’t recognize the emotions or who they belonged to.
The wolf looked at her and held her gaze. She backed away from it, realizing it looked similar to one that had attacked her.
“It’s Lucas, Ophelia. Jesus Christ.” Lorri turned and snapped at her. Ophelia flinched and took another step back.
“Are you all mind readers?” she asked, feeling frightened, earning a bitter laugh from everyone.
Dorian smiled at her, “God bless you, Ophelia. I needed that.”
Lorri laughed and took several steps forward, “The rules are the same as always. No one fights her except him. Anyone who interferes meets Dorian and Aimee. Now I know you’ve heard about Aimee and how she likes to eat. Let’s not provoke her.”
The crowd eyed Aimee cautiously and gave Giselle and the tall man space.
Ophelia looked around and shook her head, “This is bizarre and barbaric. They’re going to fight to the death. It’s 2012 not 1812. Even then, I don’t believe fighting to the death was ever done. Maybe in the Wild West.”
Sam smiled at her, “These guys have mostly been around for hundreds of years. They haven’t changed much, unfortunately.”
She forgot what she was talking about. The smell of him was intoxicating. She took a step toward him. She heard the commotion and watched as they began to cheer, but all she saw was him.
Chapter Sixteen
Sam
He could feel her eyes upon him, but he tried to block her out, as he focused his eyes on Giselle. He had pushed his pheromones out to intoxicate the vampires and accidentally ensnared a witch.
He tried to focus on the fight. The tall man had sliced Giselle's face open savagely. She stood in shock. Her beautiful lips coughed as bright-red blood dripped from them. She had recently eaten obviously. Her dark eyes looked around at the crowd cheering, as his hand came down again at her. Sam felt his blood boil watching beautiful and sweet Giselle dying. She moved faster than he did. Trying to escape him but the circle held tight. The others snarled at her.
He turned to the girl staring at him like he was her next snack. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
“I need your help.”
She blinked, “Whatever you want.”
He pushed his attraction for Hanna as hard as he could. He could see the girl’s pupils dilate as she leaned into him. He bent in to her face, “See the girl dying?” He turned her to face Giselle who was on her knees.
She nodded.
“I want you to help her. Every strike against her is a strike against me. They are trying to hurt me.”
Her eyes became slits, “They want to hurt you?”
She turned and looked at the man with the dark hair. His hand came up in the air to strike Giselle again.
Sam watched as the girl blew as hard as she could. A great wind blew across the yard toward the fight.
Sam whispered into the wind, “Giselle, f
ight back. Close your eyes and feel the heat. It’s there waiting.” He pushed his scent into the wind. The vampires looked distractedly around the circle for the source.
Aimee looked back at him, tears rolled down her cheeks, but Sam knew she was unable to move her feet.
Sam nodded at her, “She’ll be okay. She just needs to unleash it. We all have it.”
Aimee turned and screamed, “Giselle, I’m with you. I’m holding your hand. Close your eyes and trust me to help you.”
Giselle’s skin healed faster than anything Sam had ever seen before. She darted around the circle in between jabs and lunges. The hands of the Eurotrash moved swiftly, tearing at her.
Lightning crashed down in the middle of the circle of vampires, sending everyone back.
Sam realized Ophelia's eyes had gone completely black and her head was tilted back looking up at the sky. Bolts of lightening began to strike the street around the vampires.
The Eurotrash looked over at Lorri. Lorri turned back to Ophelia and scowled, “No.” She looked at Sam, “NO.”
Sam bowed under her will.
His feet were stuck as Aimee’s were. Lorri would let Giselle die before she would let them interfere. “The vampires must do things their way. Giselle must earn the right to be queen.”
Sam could see Ophelia from the corner of his eyes. She lifted her fingers to a point. Her will was not attached to Lorri. She could disobey Lorri. Sam put his hand over hers and shook his head.
He noticed Giselle rounding on the vampire suddenly. She wasn’t jumping and fleeing anymore. She appeared to be listening to Aimee’s shrieks and cries. She closed her eyes. She put her nose into the air and began to sniff.
She listened to the wind.
She moved as if dancing with her partner. He slashed out with his hand but she leaned back and rolled to the side. His hands swiped at her, but she dodged it and backhanded him across the cement. He was back and clawing at her, but she fought him using precision. Her eyes were still closed as her leg shot out and took him to the ground. She leapt across the concrete like a feral cat and pinned him with her strength.
The vampires in the circle began to scream and howl as Giselle’s hand came down on the man. She stopped a hair’s width from his throat. She looked up at Lorri.
Lorri’s expression never changed, “Finish it, my queen.”
Giselle blinked, “What?”
“He is a usurper. Finish him. No one may defy your crown, Queen Giselle. Your word is final.”
Giselle looked as if she gulped. She looked into the man’s eyes as she lifted her hand and brought it down. Sam watched as one of her own tears dripped onto his face, as her hand tore his throat out. She brought the hand back a second time and tore the head right off of him. His frightful face rolled across the street to the edge of the silent circle.
Giselle sat back down on the cement and licked the blood from her fingers. She was panting. Sam closed his eyes and took his first real breath. Aimee was on her knees sobbing. The intense death dealer was nowhere to be seen; she was the fragile girl she fought to hide.
“Queen Giselle has my support. She is law. She is life and death.” Lorri shouted across the yard.
Sam watched as Giselle stood. Each vampire dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. Giselle looked stunned. She backed away from them all, but they whispered and muttered ‘My Queen’ in every direction.
She walked toward the house but was slammed on her back. Sam felt his jaw drop, as she stood up only to wince, as she put her hands out.
“Lorri, I can’t get passed it. Lorri?” She looked like a mime making the fake wall, like the ones on the seaside boardwalks.
Lorri sighed, “Giselle, the Queen of the Vampires may not enter Lydia’s home. It’s a sanctuary.”
Aimee was off the ground and running before Lorri could speak another word.
She crossed the guards in time to catch Giselle, who had dropped to her knees.
“Never?” she asked.
The vampires began to growl at Aimee, as she wrapped her arms around Giselle.
Giselle put a hand out, “She is my friend. No one hurts her. Like ever, okay?” She looked to be in shock.
Sam looked at Lorri, “Did you know this would happen?”
Lorri clenched her jaw and then she was gone. Sam looked at Dorian, “What the fuck, Dorian?”
He shook his head, “Giselle never would have done it, if she knew. She would have died. They would have waited for her to feed and then they would have killed her. This was the only way.”
Sam felt the truth in the words but his heart ached for Giselle.
“Where will she go?”
Dorian cracked a grin, “The castle, of course. Dracula’s castle has always been where the royalty lived.”
Sam shuddered, imagining visiting the disgusting place where his Hanna had been kept.
“What always? Marcus was the only Dracula.”
Dorian shrugged, “It’s hers if she wants it. It’s spelled to keep the royal one safe.”
Sam snorted, “Yeah, it worked for Marcus.”
Dorian gave him a hardened look, “He was in the yard, if you recall.”
Sam looked back at Ophelia, who was still staring at him. Sam frowned, “Go inside and learn about your family. If Annabelle is right, you meet your father in a couple weeks. July seventh is almost here.”
She nodded, “Whatever you want.”
He sighed and looked at Lucas who was lying in the grass looking bleak, “That’s going to get annoying fast.”
Lucas made a wolf snicker sound.
Sam rolled his eyes, “Come on, we’ve got to help Giselle. This is nuts. You should change first though. No one wants you eating any of her loyal subjects.”
Sam strolled out into the crowd to Giselle and tried not to notice the blood on his pants.
Giselle shook her head in what appeared to be disbelief.
Sam knelt beside her and whispered, “We need to take you to Marcus’ castle. You’ll be safest there.”
Giselle nodded weakly, “I always wanted to live in a castle.”
Aimee pressed her lips together. Sam could see the anger welling inside of his friend. She was already fragile and a blow like Giselle being forced into anything, could force Aimee’s anger.
He put a hand on them both and flashed quickly.
He looked up at the front of the massive castle, “Home sweet home.”
Giselle gulped.
Sam knew it was too much to take. Giselle and Aimee had come from a tiny town with small houses and regular people. The past years had been filled with too many changes for them to not be overwhelmed.
Giselle’s dark and beautiful eyes filled with tears, making her face devastating, “Will you stay with me?”
Sam nodded, as did Aimee.
An English accent broke the silence, “Mistress, my name is Hamish. Welcome to your new home.”
Sam spun to see an odd-looking older man standing in the doorway of the huge entrance.
"Hamish? You weren’t here when Marcus lived here?"
Hamish shook his head, "I stayed back in the English castle until Master Henry was permitted to leave."
Aimee put a hand out to him, “I’m Aimee.”
He cringed as he took her hand. Aimee pulled him into her and whispered something. The man’s eyes grew as he pulled back, “Madam, I would never. I serve the Mistress of the house. My bloodline has always served the house of Dracula loyally. She is the mistress, her blood is his blood.”
Sam scowled at Aimee, who shrugged, “He must be like the house elves in Harry Potter. No one give him any gifts or clothing or socks.”
The older man looked horrified but stepped to the side to make way for them to enter.
Sam felt nauseous, seeing the place again. It was never appealing to him, but remembering Hanna there made his skin crawl. Giselle gripped his bicep tightly as they passed the threshold.
“It’s creepy. It’s too big. Ha
mish, is there a smaller house, we could maybe hang at?”
Hamish looked at Giselle as if she had three heads, “Mistress does the manor displease you? We have five others. The one in Romania is quite nice in the summer. Not too hot and there is a nice lake out back.”
"Five? All like this?"
He laughed, "No, no, much larger."
She looked at Sam with her huge eyes full of fear. Her lips trembled slightly. Sam leaned in and kissed her soft face, “You have this, Giselle. You defeated that other vampire. We won’t leave you here alone. Me and Aimes will move in with you, okay?”
She pressed her skin against his lips and nodded, “I like the house, Hamish.”
“Would you care for a snack perhaps?”
Sam shot his eyes up at Hamish who pointed down the hall.
Giselle nodded, “I am hungry.”
Aimee looked at Sam menacingly, but spoke to Hamish, “What kind of snack?”
Hamish looked confusedly at Sam, “Well, she only really eats one thing young sir, obviously a bloody one.”
Aimee turned to him, “Where does she get her snacks from?”
Giselle put a perfectly-manicured hand up, “Hamish, I like my blood by the bag.”
Hamish choked, “What?”
Aimee looked furious, “Do you keep people here?”
Hamish reddened slightly, “We keep all blood types on tap. It’s how Master preferred it in all his homes.”
Sam felt his nose wrinkle, “Where do you keep them?”
Giselle looked confused, “On tap?”
Aimee shook her head, “Nothing. I will take care of it. Me and Hamish will go together to get you a snack.”
Sam stepped away from Giselle and grabbed Aimee’s hand quickly, “Maybe me and Hamish should get the snacks, Aims.” He noticed the relieved look on the poor old man’s face.
Aimee looked wickedly evil, as she spoke through pressed lips like a ventriloquist, “Fine.”
Sam took the older man’s arm and rushed away quickly.