Family Secrets (Davenport Manor Book 1)

by Melissa Zaroski

  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 sexual 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 over 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 gaspi
ng 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.

  And finally, death came—the pain was gone, the struggle to breathe was gone. But, she still felt present in her body, which was odd because she was certain she would feel as though she would leave her body. She opened her eyes and she was still laying on the ground with Aidan hovering over her. The surroundings looked different, yet familiar to her. She focused her eyes on the trees and realized she was still on the pathway, but her vision was pristine. Even in this dark forest she could see every fiber of every tree trunk and every star in the sky. She looked back at Aidan, whose face looked hopeful and eager. She couldn’t seem to take a breath to speak, it was as if she had somehow forgotten how to use her muscles. It was then that she realized she had not been breathing this entire time. She felt scared, but she didn’t feel that jolt of panic shoot through her gut like one would feel when frightened.

  She managed to find the muscles to use to inhale some air so she could ask him, “What has happened?”

  Aidan replied, “You are like me now. You are vampire.”

  She was too shocked to speak. These hideous creatures of myth and folklore, she certainly couldn’t be one of them. They’re not real. There had to be a reasonable explanation for everything that just happened to her—the pain, the inability to breathe, feeling as though she died. His fangs, he didn’t have those when she was speaking with him before all this happened. He had licked her blood off of them and they were now gleaming white in his mouth. As she tried to wrap her head around the incidents that took place within the past few minutes, she came to the realization that there was no explanation. He was fast, he was up in a tree for goodness sake, he was charming, he was beautiful…and he bit her.

  As she sat up, she realized that she didn’t have a single ache in her body; she felt fantastic. It was actually exhilarating! Everything was so clear—her vision, hearing, and sense of smell. As she inhaled through her nose she caught a whiff of the most decadent scent. She turned her head toward the direction it came from and inhaled again. She suddenly felt her whole body crave the scent. It wasn’t a hunger or a thirst even, it was a physical yearning to satisfy the craving. Much like a smoker who is having a nicotine fit and needing a drag. His head turned in the same direction and he slightly inhaled the scent that was caught in the gentle breeze.

  She got up off the ground without effort and he stood alongside her. She inhaled again, letting the captivating smell fill her nose. She glanced at Aidan for a moment, as if he were a threat to get to the scent first, and she took off in the direction from which it came. She was running so fast that the trees were just a blur past her, but she had reflexes so perfect that she knew she wouldn’t crash. It was amazing! Aidan caught up with her and ran alongside her, guiding her in the direction to take her first drink as a new vampire.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, Emma slipped out of the house to head to Barrington, a large town about twenty minutes from Davenport. Zachariah asked to come with her since he had the day off as well. They normally took her silver Mercedes SLK350 Roadster because it was so much fun to drive, but opted for the Cadillac Escalade instead since they needed the room this time. They set off onto the winding road that led off of the property and came up to the guard shack and greeted Thomas, the guard on duty that morning. After some small talk, he opened the gates so that they could leave.

  Emma and Zachariah chatted while they drove, listened to the radio, and enjoyed the drive on such a beautiful morning.

  “So, what are your plans for today?” He asked.

  “Todd and I are going to go horseback riding around the property when we get back.” She replied without adding detail, too much fuel to the fire.

  “Sounds like a great date,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

  “Oh stop. I’m just having a little bit of fun with him while he’s here. You have to remember, he has been my favorite actor for the past few years. Not many fans would get to actually go on a date with someone they admire.”

  “I understand.”

  She took his hand and pleaded, “It makes me feel just a tad human. I have been on this Earth for two-hundred and twenty-two years…” she shook her head, as if in disbelief.

  “How does it make you feel knowing Aidan is with other women? Does it ever bother you?”

  “Of course, it was especially hard at first. But, it’s not like I’m jealous, it’s more like I want his attention. I know that’s how you feel,” she gently replied. “But, it is what it is and I can’t change anything. Plus, I’d have to say that you’re lucky, it is rare for a maker and offspring to remain so close after this long. You will always be my number one, I can promise you that will never change.”

  Zachariah smiled and he completely understood where she was coming from. They adored each other; they were in love with one another. But, when you know you’re going to be alive forever, being with the same person can get incredibly boring. Unlike other makers, she couldn’t let him go because she absolutely cherished him. However, every now and then they needed variety—to have their cake and eat it, too.

  They pulled in to the parking lot of Miller Funeral Home, which was luckily empty this morning, and drove around to the back entrance. They went up to the door and rang the bell. Patricia Miller, the owner, answered the door and gave both Emma and Zachariah a kiss on their cheeks. She welcomed them inside and they took the stairs down to the lower level of the building.

  A little known fact amongst humans: several funeral homes in major cities were owned by vampires. They often became licensed embalmers, so while embalming a body they wouldn’t let the blood just go down the drain. Instead they pumped it out into jugs, which they sold to other vampires; like a vampire super market. It was easy access to human blood without having to bite anyone. Patricia had owned Miller Funeral Home for decades and Emma and Zachariah had been loyal customers for just as long.

  “How have you two been?” Patricia asked. She was a lovely woman—turned in her early forties, but looked younger than her age. She had shoulder-length, dark blonde hair with big, bouncing curls. Her smile was infectious and could easily pass as a happy, suburban mom.

  “Great! They’re filming the fifth Ticking Through Time movie on our property, so we have had a full house. It’s been a lot of fun,” Emma replied enthusiastically.

  “It’s nice to be able to just go home at the end of the day instead of a hotel room for once!” Zachariah added.

  “Oh how fun! Any big names there besides you and Daniel?” Patricia asked while opening the walk-in refrigerator.

  “Vivienne Conrad, Declan Fitzgerald, and the usual cast of the films,” Zachariah told her.

  “Oh, Vivienne is such a classic beauty! Wasn’t she turned during the 1920’s?”

  Emma nodded, “She was. She was a chorus girl for the Ziegfeld Follies back then and got her feet wet in some silent films. After disappearing long enough for people to forget her she decided to return to the big screen. She’s so talented.”

  “How many cases do you need, hun?” Patricia turned to Emma. Each case held four jugs of blood.

  “I’d say ten, don’t you think Zach?”

  “I think ten is good, if not we’ll just come and get more.”

  The three of them were able to carry all ten cases in one trip and piled them into the back of the SUV. Patricia took cash only for blood sales, so Emma handed her the amount for all ten cases. T
hey each gave her a peck on the cheek and set off to head back home.

  “Now we gotta hope there isn’t anyone in the kitchen when we get home! No way we can explain ten big boxes going into a hidden refrigerator,” Zachariah pointed out.

  Emma agreed and decided to give Daniel a call to ask him if he might be able to clear everyone from the kitchen. They would be able to use the back entrance without anyone seeing them come in.

  They pulled in to the driveway and went around back. Emma called Daniel one more time to make sure that the kitchen was clear of humans and they carried in the cases before they could be seen. They restocked the hidden refrigerator, shut it, and looked at each other as if to say “mission complete”.

  Emma and Zachariah made their way into the parlor where some people were hanging out, including Daniel.

  “Hey Dan, thanks,” Emma quietly said as she approached him. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “And good morning!” she exclaimed with a smile.

  “Good morning!” he said as he hugged her back. “Get everything you needed?”

  With a grin she replied, “Yup, we’re all good,” and leaned close to his ear to add, “so no one will get bitten.” She winked and he laughed. “Have you seen Todd yet? I have a date with him; we’re going horseback riding today.”

  “He was down at breakfast, but went back upstairs. He’s probably up in his room,” Dan replied.

  “Alright, I’m going to go find him,” she turned to Zachariah and added, “I’ll see you later, okay?” She touched his arm as if trying to console him.

  “Okay, have fun.” He responded, managing a small, but forced smile.

  Emma climbed the staircase and went left to head towards the bedrooms. But, Todd’s scent made her look to the right instead. He was standing in the portrait hallway examining the paintings.