by S. J. Frey
To Elizabeth. If you are reading this, then it’s clear that I am no longer of this world. I trust you’ve grown into a strong woman, just like your mother. By now, you’ve learned about your heritage and the role you play. No matter what choice you make, even in death, you have my full support, and I am proud of the person you’ve become. William, Reginald, Darren, and Amaryllis are there to help you along the way. I trust them with everything.
I hope one day you can forgive an old daydreamer for the foolish idea that I could live a life of bliss with no consequences. I will always love you and your mother. Until we meet.
-Your father, Edmund.”
The tears continue to flow from my eyes as I close the journal. The wall I spent years building around my heart crumbled into a million pieces. My father loved me, and even in death, he is reaching out to me to make the right choice.
I will be damned if I let a bastard like Lorcan get away with ruining my family or any other family. I am going to take my father’s place as the head of the vampire council. I will protect the human and vampire race as my father once did. My father was right, I did grow up as a strong woman like my mother and ten times more stubborn too. I just hope Lorcan is ready for it. My twenty-first birthday is less than a month away, and I don’t have time to waste.
“Darren!” I shout. It only takes a second for him to come barreling into the room. For as graceful as he typically is, it's almost funny to see him stumble.
“What’s wrong?” He says, panicking a little.
I stand from my seat and pick up my father’s journal. I hold it in my hands as I look up at Darren. “Find Reginal and Amy. I think it’s time we have a meeting with the vampire council,” I smile.
Darren matches my smile and bows to me like he did on the first day we met. “As you wish, Milady.”
Fifteen
“Yay! Oh, I knew this day would come!” Amy shrieks.
I didn’t get a chance to say anything as her body crashes into mine, and she smothers me in her vice grip hug.
“Thanks, Amy,” I chuckle and pat her elbow since my arms are stuck at my sides.
When she finally let's go, I feel like I can breathe again. Reginald smiles and pours everyone a cup of tea, placing each cup at a spot on the dining room table.
“I realize now that I can’t sit back and let Lorcan continue to be the leader. If he is there permanently, then human and vampire lives will be at risk. The evidence against him is too substantial to ignore,” I say evenly. “Loran killed my father, tore my family apart, and every fiber of my being tells me that he was trying to kill me that night at his estate. He must be stopped and brought to justice.”
Reginald nods with each of my words and sips his tea quietly, “Spoken like a true leader. Those were the same words your father said when he rose against Veon.”
“It will be dangerous, so Amaryllis and I will come with you,” Darren replies.
“Then it’s settled. We will leave tomorrow morning and tell the council that I will take over my father’s place.” I smile.
Everyone agrees as they mentally prepare themselves for what might happen tomorrow. Why couldn’t I get some vampire powers ahead of time and predict the future? I highly doubt that that was possible, and to be honest, I’m not sure I would want to know. Even if I could.
Darren clears his throat to bring everyone’s attention to him. “We cannot let our guard down, and we cannot accuse Lorcan of his treachery in front of the council members. It will be a sign of treason towards our kind. Remember, Lorcan is still the head until your coronation Elizabeth,” he informs.
Great, I’m going to go through a whole public affair too? Why do vampires have to do flashy things? However, I understood where Darren was coming from. We can’t make any rash judgment calls until I am officially in the head seat.
“Alright, then. We should probably get some rest before tomorrow’s adventure,” Darren sighs.
“Darren, heed my warning. You must take caution tomorrow. Lorcan is more powerful than you think. It won’t take much for him to rally an army against you should something go wrong,” Reginald warns.
Darren only nods and escorts me towards the staircase. Reginald stays behind to finish his tea as Amy skips off to her bedroom.
Sleep is the last thing on my mind right now, I was too quick to make plans to see the council that I forgot about the danger I would be in. Darren assures me that everything will be okay and kisses my head before going down the hallway. I stand there and stare out the window at the top of the steps trying to mentally prepare myself for tomorrow.
**********
I am already awake by the time the sun rose and shined through my window. I didn’t get any sleep from the night before. I wasn’t too surprised because I always have a habit of tossing and turning when I was worried. In the end, I only had an hour of sleep.
Everyone is silent in the car. Darren drove while Amy sat in the front passenger seat. I sat in the back, staring out the window in a tired haze. The grey dress suit Darren made me wear is suffocating. The shoulder pads in my blazer make me feel stiff, and the hem of my wool skirt is causing the backside of my knees to sweat. I feel so uncomfortable to the point that I am prepared to jump out of the window.
My mind wanders, and I start to ask myself if mom was proud of my choice. Would she have been horrified that my father was a vampire? Or, maybe she wouldn’t have cared? Perhaps she was finally at peace knowing that all her unanswered questions were brought to light? I know I am somewhat at peace. I will be more at peace once Lorcan was out of the picture. It is my turn now to continue my father’s vision. Who knows, maybe I will be able to abolish the human-vampire law. This way, families will never have to be torn apart like mine was.
The long three-hour drive to the vampire council is tedious as the cities turned to trees and trees back into cities. No one talks the entire way, which makes the atmosphere more uncomfortable than my outfit. After the next patch of trees, there is a long black iron gate that had to be at least four hundred yards long, surrounded by tall fir trees.
Darren slowly pulled up to the gate entrance and pressed a little button. A gruff male voice comes through the speaker box in a language I never heard before. Darren responds softly in the same gibberish, and the gate began to open smoothly.
Once through the gate, my hands began to sweat as my skin became all prickly. I feel like someone was sending an electric current through my body, making my hair stand on end. The driveway is long, and I thought we would never reach the top of the hill. The large building at the top puts both Buckingham Palace and The White House to shame.
As I marvel at the structure, the car slowly came to a stop. Darren opens my car door, causing me to jump. “Are you ready?” He smiles while holding out his hand for me.
“As ready as I am going to be,” I sigh and slowly slide my hand into his.
Once out of the car, we walk up the stone stairs. Darren is to my left, and Amy is standing on my right. We are greeted by an elderly man at the door and bows his head when we walk through the threshold.
I thought for sure we stepped into a museum. Large portraits of past leaders lined the walls along with maps and artifacts in glass cases. Old documents were laid flat and pinned to the wall with a protective cover on them. All of the papers were in languages that I didn’t recognize.
The older butler follows us as we strolled down the hallway. When we finally came to a stop, he looks at us with hooded eyes. “The council is in the chamber room awaiting your arrival. Shall I bring you a chair or a refreshment?”
“That won’t be necessary. We don’t plan on staying long,” I respond. My nerves are starting to bundle together in the pit of my stomach. If it weren’t for Darren and Amy by my side, I know I would have passed out by now.
We are escorted to a large, dark, oak door with gold trimming. The doors slowly open, and I walk in first. The sound of my heels clicking against the floor is deafening in the silent room. Darren and
Amy stay back as I stop in the center of the chamber.
There are five cabinet members of the vampire council. Lorcan sat in the middle, and two older men sit to the right of him and two older women to his left. All of their eyes are on me, and I feel the slight hint of judgment coming from their stares.
“Miss. Evans. What a lovely surprise. To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?” Lorcan asks softly, adjusting his black robes.
The minute he said my name, I see it click within some of the other cabinet members. Their subjective looks change to excitement as they broke into small conversations. I take another brave step forward and look at all of the council members. I had to be careful, though, the moment I let my guard down could be the end of me.
“I, Elizabeth Evans, come before you today to discuss my place within the vampire council. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to know who my father was. I got to the point in my life where I gave up wondering. I thought it was best to know that my father simply left, and I came to terms with that. For years I had this anger and resentment towards him. When I discovered that I have this bloodline and this lineage to uphold, I instantly rejected it.”
My voice fills the room, and it wasn’t until I stop speaking that I realize my voice is echoing. The place remains silent, and it seems like everyone is holding their breaths. The smirk Lorcan has on his face made me want to slap it off.
“However, I also realized that I can’t deny my heritage or deny the legacy my father left behind. I understand he was well respected by the community, and I hope, in turn, I also gain the same respect. I decided that I will be taking my father’s place as your leader and head of the council.”
The smile Lorcan was wearing slowly diminished to a grimace. The rest of the council members are elated. A few of them left their seats behind the long wooden table to shake my hand and bow their heads. I didn’t catch any of their names as they hurry out the door to plan for a coronation and to spread the word. They were all talking so fast that I didn’t catch all the words. One older woman is left behind near the table. Her jet-black hair is tightly wound on her head into a bun. I was sure if it is undone, her face would fall, and all her wrinkles would show her real age. She leans into Lorcan and whispers in his ear before giving me a sideways glance.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I watch her leave through a side door, never speaking to me. Before I had a chance to wonder who that woman was, Lorcan appears before me.
“I guess congratulations are in order,” he smiles but doesn’t look very happy.
Darren slowly moves behind me as Amy stays in place. Lorcan’s smile turns more sinister as he continues to speak. “Enjoy your small victory while you can. If you aren’t a full-fledged vampire on your birthday, then you can’t be the leader. Not to worry, though, I’ll make sure that it will never happen.” His eyes are fierce as they hold onto mine, and without saying anything else, he walks away.
The drive home is just as quiet as the trip to the vampire council. Darren said nothing after Lorcan walked away, and Amy only grabbed my arm in silence. When we arrive home, Amy didn’t say anything to us and quickly went inside. She is acting strange, and it concerns me.
“Is Amy okay?” I ask.
Darren closes the front door behind us and sighs. “I’m sure she will be okay.”
I stare at the stairs as Darren disappears towards the kitchen door. I follow my instincts and walk up the steps to the second floor, venturing towards Amy’s room. I gently knock on her door and wait for her to answer, when she doesn’t, I push it open with little force.
“Amy?” I call out.
There is some silence followed by light sniffling. Amy is sitting on a chair near one of her bedroom windows. Her room is decorated with a mixture of modern times and items from the Victorian era. I feel like I walked into an antique shop.
“You okay, Amy?” I ask as I walk closer.
Amy nods her head quickly and rubs her eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just never thought I would ever see her again.”
“Who?” I question.
“The woman talking to Lorcan before we left. Her name is Camille Delacroix. She’s my former mistress and Henri’s mother. I never knew she was in the council. Seeing her for the first time after so long, I froze.”
I reach for her shoulder and pat it gently before wrapping my arms around her shoulders, giving her an awkward hug. Amy was there for me when mom died, it was only natural that I would be here for her. Losing someone you love is hard, but the punishment that Amy was put through was pure torture.
“Amy. Do not give her the satisfaction of knowing that she still gets to you. Be strong. Show her how much you have grown as a person. She does not have control over you anymore. I’m sure Henri would tell you the same.”
Her head rests against mine, and I can feel her breathing slow down. Soon I feel her arms wrap around my body, crushing me in her signature hug.
“Thank you, Lizzy. I really needed this,” she whispers.
When I knew she was okay, I left her alone so she could paint her nails. She offered to do mine after our talk, but I want to find Darren so we can talk about our next step.
Darren wasn’t in the kitchen or in the study when I search for him. I found him in the last place I would see him. He is standing on the patio looking out into the darkness of the trees that lined the yard. I gently shut the door behind me and walk towards his silhouette. I stand next to him in silence and take in the damp woods surrounding us. Darren and I are alone, and the adrenaline from standing in front of the council starts to drain from my body. My legs begin to shake slightly as Lorcan’s words buzz around my head. “Darren, what needs to be done? What do we do next to make me a vampire?” I ask.
The moon was starting to rise, and stars began to dot the sky with their brilliance. He wraps my arm around his arm, stroking my hand and sit down on the stone steps that lead deeper into the gardens, the cold stones making goosebumps rise on my skin as soon as we sit down. Darren looks at me and then up at the sky.
“Humans require a vampire to conduct a blood ritual on the new moon. Rituals were banned because there was more mixed blood than pure-blooded vampires. The council ruled the rituals out because it was the start of the idea that humans and vampires shouldn’t coexist. In your case, since you are from the Ornigem bloodline, no ordinary vampire can perform the ritual. It must be done by someone of that bloodline. Blood that powerful is the only way to completely take over the human inside of you.”
I frown and look down at the roses as the wind rustled them, trying to take in all of his information.
“It makes things difficult for us because the next new moon is on your birthday, and there is only a handful of the Ornigem left,” Darren sighs.
“So, our plan is simple then. Find a vampire with the Ornigem bloodline, convince them to change me, take over as the leader of the council and expose Lorcan for the snake he is,” I say sarcastically happy.
Darren smiles and wraps his arm around me, holding me tightly against him. “You need to remember something. You have me, Amaryliss and Reginald now. You don’t have to do things alone anymore,” he whispers in my ear.
His words hit me hard. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been trying to keep things together for mom and myself. I became independent at a young age, so mom wouldn’t have to worry and always did things myself. With mom gone, I thought I would be truly alone, but now I am beginning to understand. My father didn’t just leave me a manor, he left me a family that will help me through this new stage in my life. Well, undead life.
“I guess this is the end of my human life, huh?” I ask as I rest my head against his shoulder.
His hand raises to my chin, and he lifts my head to meet his eyes. Darren’s gentle gaze makes my heart flutter, and my eyes are transfixed on his fangs. Soon I will have a set too and feed on the blood on the innocence or something like that.
“It’s not the end, Elizabeth. No. It’s only the begin
ning.”
He caresses my cheek and pulls my face closer, carefully placing his lips on mine. He kisses me tenderly, and any doubts in mind slowly start to slip away.
THE END.
About The Author
I was born and raised in Reading, Pennslyvania, before settling down in Ephrata, Pennslyvania. Reading and writing have been a life long interest that eventually became my life. When I'm not writing, im either eating sushi watching horror movies or catching up on my favorite Animes. Blood & Butlers is my debut novel with many more to come.
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