Family Secrets (Young Adult Edition) (Davenport Manor (Young Adult Edition))

by Zaroski, Melissa

  “But, if you tell him, you’ve already proven to him that you won’t hurt him.”

  Zachariah appeared in the doorway looking a little worse for the wear. He quietly walked over to the hidden refrigerator to grab some blood for himself to heat up. As he took the jug, he said in a monotone voice, “We’re almost out. Do you want me to go get more tomorrow?”

  “No love, I’m headed to Barrington tomorrow to restock. You okay?” Emma replied, watching him carefully. She glanced at Vivienne, who shrugged.

  “I’m fine. I just went out for a run through the woods. I didn’t feel like listening to you and Todd.” He answered without looking at her.

  He poured blood into a glass and warmed it in the microwave without giving Emma one look. Once it was ready, he took it and walked out of the room without saying a word.

  “I’ve never seen him act like this before,” Vivienne said quietly, although he could certainly still hear her. “Why is he so jealous?”

  “Because Todd is a human,” she began. “And until now, Zach was the only human that I have ever been interested in.”

  “Ah, I see…tough situation. Do you see yourself starting a relationship of sorts with Todd?” Vivienne asked while sipping her glass of blood.

  Emma looked at her glass and hesitated before answering. She gave a frustrated groan and tilted her head back, “I wish I was human. Then I wouldn’t have this problem.”

  “If you were human you’d be in that crypt out in the cemetery.” Vivienne answered matter-of-factly and raised her eyebrow.

  “I don’t know what will ever happen between Todd and me, but I’m just going to have fun with it while I can without getting too attached.” She gave Vivienne an impish smile and shrugged.

  After a moment of being lost in thought, Emma asked, “What do you think your life would have been like if you had stayed human?”

  Vivienne, who was still considered a young vampire, was turned in 1925. She was a Ziegfeld Follies chorus girl in New York City at the age of 21. Her specialty was singing and dancing, but she had also begun to dabble in some acting in silent movies. Her career had just taken off when she met her immortal fate at the Ziegfeld Ball she had attended with the other performers. There was a man there, wearing a black tuxedo and defined debonair. Wealthy and alluring, he spoke with an Irish accent and had the ability to charm the panties right off of her—which he did. She invited him to her home after the party and during their romp, he got carried away and bit her. He didn’t intend to drink from her; he made the rash decision to turn her because he found her so enchanting. She remained completely enamored with Declan ever since.

  “I’m sure I would have kept performing, maybe even have made it big in the silent movies. I stayed with Ziegfeld for a few years, but ultimately had to quit because I wasn’t aging. I wanted to marry and have children, but I was having the time of my life when I was twenty-one! I adore Declan, though…I think I was born to be a vampire. It suits me,” she winked at Emma. “Since I never became famous back then it has been easy for me to pursue films now. Although, I know my time is limited on the big screen…I’ll have to fake my death or become a recluse for another eighty years.”

  “Well, you’re welcome to be reclusive here because goodness knows we have plenty of room!”

  “Thanks, girlfriend! I just feel lucky that I was able to get back into performing. It’s a tough business.”

  “Please! I never doubted you,” Emma waved a hand at her. “You have more talent in your pinky toe than most of these kids in Hollywood these days. They don’t make them like you anymore, Little Miss Triple Threat.” She raised her glass and gave Vivienne’s a little ‘clink’.

  Vivienne smiled proudly and scooted off the stool she was sitting on. “I’m going to get back to Declan. I think you need to go and nurse Zach’s heart.” She gave her a pouty lip and left the kitchen to rejoin Declan in the parlor.

  Emma felt guilty even though it really wasn’t in their nature. She adored Zachariah and for that reason he wasn’t six feet under a headstone. Vampires were never monogamous creatures; that would be considered tiresome after long. They craved excitement, spontaneity, and lust for others. It was the thrill the attention, of a first kiss, and the first intimate encounter that they hungered for. They had the capability to charm humans if they so desired.

  However, there were certain ones of their own kind that they shared special bonds with, especially between a maker and their offspring. While the maker could easily walk away without looking back, most did not. They were proud creatures, and they usually chose the ones to change for a reason. They rarely did it just because they could or in spite.

  In Zachariah’s case, Emma just couldn’t bear to live in a world without him in it. At the time, her brother Christopher was the last remaining member of her immediate family living at the Manor. He was married and had three children, all boys. Zachariah was orphaned at age 16 and came to Davenport Manor looking for work and shelter, which they complied as they knew him from town. He became the property’s resident stable boy, caring for the horses the family owned. It was on the property that he met Emma, who was then known as Christopher’s young cousin. She thought Zachariah was beautiful and wise, regardless that he was a human, and ultimately carried on a love affair with him for a few years. He eventually began to live with her in her bedroom instead of in the small cottage outside of the stable; she wanted to keep him near her at all times. It was to the dismay of Christopher and his wife as Zachariah was considered “the help”, but technically the residence belonged to Emma and she could do as she pleased.

  In 1839 at age twenty-five, he became sick with pneumonia and Emma tried her best to care for him. He was bedridden, pale, and suffered from a high fever. His cough was so loud it could be heard echoing through the halls of the Manor. She could hear the fluid gradually filling his lungs, making breathing a difficult task every time he inhaled. The crackle in his chest grew louder with every breath as he struggled to get oxygen. She heard his heart getting weaker by the hour, his lips turning a faint shade of blue, and he ultimately fell unconscious. He was dying. She locked her bedroom door and as he laid in her bed, unaware and fading, she made the rash decision to change him, not considering what his wishes would be. Before his heart had a chance to stop beating, she bit him and injected her venom into his jugular. His body writhed and contracted for several minutes as it succumbed to her venom and she listened intently as his heart sputtered to a stop.

  His eyes opened brightly, frightened by what he had just experienced and feeling unlike himself. He no longer felt pain, he no longer involuntarily breathed; in fact he didn’t feel the need to breathe at all. He looked up at Emma, wide-eyed with fear when he saw her beaming fangs stained with blood. His vision was beyond perfect; he could see every detail throughout the room, each distinct tree in the forest outside the dark window. His hearing was amplified and he could hear the family talking down in the parlor as if they were in the next room. He had an indescribable craving consuming him, but he didn’t know what he needed to quench it.

  Struggling to find the breath to take to utter a word, he finally sputtered, “What are you?”

  Emma calmly touched his arm, “Everything is alright, my love. This is what I have been since 1815—I am actually forty-nine years old…I am vampire.” She gave him a moment to let it sink in. “You were dying and I couldn’t bear the thought of you leaving me, my dearest.”

  Fear rolled through him, however he no longer had the adrenaline rush that one gets when afraid. “Am I dead?”

  “Your body has died, but you have not.” She coolly replied.

  “I am like you now?” He asked, exasperated at the thought.

  “Yes, my dearest, we will be together forever.” She said with love filled in her voice. “We will never die. We will never get sick. We will never be apart…”

  “…I shall never see my parents again!” He erupted.

  At that moment, she realized she had a
cted in haste and didn’t consider what his wishes may have been. Of course he had looked forward to seeing his parents again one day, he was a God-fearing young man. His Christian faith ran deep and he attended the town church every Sunday. Undeniably, he thought he would spend eternity with his parents and Emma one day in Heaven. He wasn’t welcoming death at such a young age, but he accepted it. That had all changed with one bite on his neck.

  Emma suddenly remembered the night she was turned and the insatiable first thirst. She knew she had to get him out of the house immediately so he didn’t hurt any of her family members. They couldn’t go through the house as the family was in the parlor, so their only way out was to jump out of her second floor window. Zachariah quickly learned how to jump from high places, his craving overpowering any fear he had to leap. She taught him how to run at their top speed, leading him off of the property and as far away from town as they could go before he attacked his first innocent victim. They never knew who the man was that met his demise by Zachariah that night, and oddly she felt less guilty knowing nothing about him. He wasn’t a man with a family; he was just Zachariah’s first meal.

  Emma had to tell her brother what had happened to Zachariah, and that the stable boy they looked down upon was now immortal, just like her. He would now be a permanent resident of Davenport Manor if he chose. He became a fixture, just like Emma, being passed down from generation to generation and was loved as a member of the family. She taught him everything she knew and their bond was always strong, nearly inseparable. He, just like any vampire, would have intimate excursions with others of their kind, but his heart always belonged to Emma.

  Emma finished the last drop in her glass and followed Zachariah’s scent upstairs. He was in their bedroom, sprawled on the bed and reading his script. He looked up at her as she closed the door behind her and a wistful smile crept onto his face.

  “I’m hurting you.” She plainly said to him.

  He shrugged, “Nothing I can do about it,” and looked back down at his script.

  She crawled onto the bed and plopped down next to him, resting her head on his chest. He instinctively began stroking her hair.

  “What exactly is it that makes you so jealous?”

  He hesitated for a moment then responded, “I’m afraid I’m being replaced.”

  She moved her body so she could look him in the eye, “You will never be replaced. Ever. You are my soulmate. Is that what you’re afraid of? That I’m going to turn him and then you’d get cast away?”

  He nodded with a childlike essence, brow furrowed.

  She touched his face, “I turned you so I would never have to live without you. I promise you, I will never cast you away. You will never be replaced. You are my partner—you’re stuck with me for eternity.”

  The side of his mouth inched up in a half-smile, “Can I get that in writing or something?”

  She smiled and added with a wink, “…in blood.”

  She rested her head back down on his chest, and they both laid there in a comfortable silence while he memorized his lines. Emma thought about how her life would have gone on if she had just let Zachariah go that fateful night—time would have healed her pain. He wasn’t the first person she wanted to change though; she had contemplated it with her parents, William and Victoria, and her brother Christopher. She looked up at a portrait of her sister, Elizabeth, who was murdered. She closed her eyes and remembered what she used to look like, the conversations they used to have, and their laughter together. They were as close as sisters could ever be.

  Chapter 7

  She often wished she could go back to the night she was turned and stay inside. Instead, she decided to take an evening walk through their woods to visit her newly-married sister, Elizabeth, who lived in the first cottage they built on the property. The family wasn’t fond of her husband, they felt he only wanted to marry her because of her riches, but for some odd reason she loved him.

  She put her cloak on and lit a lantern as the sun had recently set. She told her mother that she was going to go visit Elizabeth and that she would be back soon. She stepped outside and began walking down the path that led into the woods and to the cottage. The night air was chilly and ominously silent; the only sounds were the leaves cracking and the dirt under her feet. As she quickly walked to the cottage, she had a feeling she was not alone. She stopped short and listened to the quiet air, thinking about turning back and running home. But, she lingered and said, “Hello? Is someone here?” Hoping she would hear Elizabeth’s voice respond, she did not. Instead, it was a man’s voice, which made her jump.

  “Hello? Who’s there?” He replied, sounding alarmed.

  “This is Emma, who are you?” She was glancing all around her, but it was difficult to see within the shadow of the trees.

  A tall man appeared on the pathway ahead of her, casually walking closer.

  “I am Aidan O’Shea,” he began with his thick Scottish accent. “Are you the Emma I met in town earlier today?”

  “Mr. O’Shea, yes I remember.” She walked toward him, letting her guard down slightly. She had met this man while she was in town that afternoon, he was passing through. He was a charming gentleman; tall and rugged with scruff covering his handsome face. He took a fancy to her, and they spent an ample amount of time chatting when he introduced himself to her. He was initially drawn to her striking beauty, but it was her vivacious personality that caused him to linger. He asked her many questions, getting to know her, learning that she had no plans to get married or have children. That she would rather see the world and live a free life—those words sealed her fate.

  “What are you doing in my woods?” She asked him.

  “I’m sorry, I decided to go for an evening walk and wandered a little too far. These are your woods?”

  By now, they approached each other and she could see his face. She smiled, “Yes, this is part of my family’s property. That’s alright though, I can point you in the direction back to town.”

  He took a deep breath in through his nose and looked down at her with a manic gleam in his eyes.

  “If I were to ask you to spend the rest of your life with me, what would you say?” He asked with a playful grin on his face.

  This was an odd conversation to be having in the middle of the woods with a practical stranger at night. “You’re a fine gentleman, but I hardly know you.”

  “You are an independent woman, I can tell.” He said as he moved closer to her, causing her to carefully step back.

  “I suppose you could say that I am. Unlike other ladies, my biggest wish is not to be married and have children. Instead, I would prefer to go on adventures and see the world. Unheard of, I know.”

  A sly smile crept on to his face.

  “What? Why do you smile like that?” She asked, becoming nervous.

  “You’ve just become afraid of me, haven’t you?”

  Her heart was pounding and her brain was screaming at her to run. But, her body wouldn’t allow her to move. “Why should I be afraid?”

  “You shouldn’t…” His smile faded and his eyes had a hungry glare.

  That was her cue. Her muscles finally listened to her brain; she turned around and began to run back toward the Manor. She didn’t hear his footsteps chasing her, but she didn’t take the time to look behind her either. She just barreled forward, trying to get to the safety of her home. Aidan was suddenly standing directly in front of her, causing her to scream. She fell and skidded on her side as she tried to stop her momentum. She scrambled to get back up, trying to untangle herself from the flowing material of her long dress. Once she was back on her feet, she hiked the front of her dress up so her legs could run freely back toward Elizabeth’s cottage.

  This time she looked behind her and he wasn’t there, but she kept sprinting, the cold air stabbing at her panicking lungs.

  “I told you that you needn’t be afraid.” His voice came from above. She looked up as she ran and he was in one of the trees hovering ove
r the pathway. Her “flight” reaction turned to “fight” and she stopped, ready to take him on.

  “What do you want?” She screamed at him, breathless and angry.

  He appeared directly in front of her again, now inches away. She held still, glowering at him and ready to fight tooth and nail.

  “I knew there was something about you,” he began. “There’s a fighter in you, a wild spirit as well as a lady.” He examined her while she stood there, her fists balled up and preparing to take a swing at his handsome face. He then said, “This will only hurt for a moment…”

  Before she could react he was behind her, one arm wrapped around her so she couldn’t move and his free hand grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head to the side. He struck like a snake, so fast she didn’t have time to think about it. The pain in her neck was so immobilizing it left her breathless. The pain moved to her heart within moments, it felt as though it was being crushed from the inside. Quickly, the sensation spread throughout her body and felt as though every organ was struggling to survive. He released his mouth from her neck and laid her on the ground, her body tensing and her mouth gasping for air. Her lungs would not allow air to be drawn in as she frantically tried to breathe. The pain in her chest was excruciating, she could actually feel her heart fighting against itself to keep beating.

  This went on for several minutes until her brain allowed itself to accept the fact that her body was rapidly dying. She began to relax and she looked up at him, his fangs extended and a small amount of her blood around his mouth. She closed her eyes, welcoming the peace that death would bring. She felt all the pain in her organs slowly begin to fade away and all of her muscles stopped tensing. She was completely relaxed within her own body and mind.