by C. M. Sipes
“One? There are more?”
“One other. My companion you saw me with the other night. She is the other, as well as my maker,” Vittoria paused. “I should not have even told you this.”
“Are you going to kill me?” Isabel asked suddenly.
Vittoria remained silent and she could smell the fear begin to radiate off of Isabel.
“I should. But I cannot.”
“Why?”
Vittoria stared at her for a few moments. “Because I feel for you.”
Isabel smiled softly before nodding and hopping off the table.
“But you cannot be with me.”
“The rules.”
“You are a Queen, correct? You cannot make an exception?” Isabel asked sincerely.
“Marcella despises witches. It is a risk.”
“A risk you are unwilling to take?” Isabel asked. Her voice became soft as she approached, and Vittoria heard each step as if it was thunder. Isabel stopped in front of her, a breath away, her blue eyes searching green. “What is life without risks?”
“Isabel,” Vittoria breathed.
Isabel stepped closer, her lips a few centimeters from Vittoria’s own. “Take a risk,” she replied breathlessly before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
Vittoria basked in the moment, her stomach doing flips as she felt her and breathed her in.
Isabel pulled back as her eyes fluttered open to meet dark green.
“Very well,” Vittoria whispered, slightly ashamed at how easily she gave in. “But I need to go. The sun is almost up and I need to be back at the coven house.”
Isabel nodded before tentatively touching her cheek. “Stay safe.”
Vittoria smirked, a chuckle escaping her lips before she turned and raced from the shop.
Her feet rushed across the landscape of the city before entering the countryside. The coven house began to appear just ahead as the sun began to rise in the distance, its orange light pouring onto the horizon. She felt her body begin to grow heavy but continued to push herself.
She broke through the doors just as the sun rose, the heavy wood slamming behind her and blocking out the light.
“Vittoria!” Marcella’s panicked voice echoed through the house, her body following shortly after. She slammed into Vittoria, capturing her into a bone-crushing hug.
Vittoria could feel her maker’s body begin to shake.
“Marcella,” she greeted as she returned the embrace.
Marcella pulled back suddenly, eyes turning red before she slapped Vittoria and sent her flying into the nearby wall.
“You petulant child. How dare you! You go on a rampage throughout the city. Almost exposing us to the world and killing four people, leaving them in the open with their wounds visible for the world to see!”
Vittoria’s eyes widened as the reality of what she had done sank in. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
“I had to clean up your mess,” Marcella continued, her voice dangerously low and red eyes ablaze. “You are lucky that I bore witness to your rampage, or else citizens of the city would have been asking questions! Panic would have ensued!”
“Marcella, I apologize,” Vittoria said sincerely. Her eyes pleaded with her.
Marcella growled. The sound was deep and reverberated through the house, the other vampires cowering at the noise. Vittoria had never seen her so angry.
“I—” Vittoria began to say before slamming her mouth shut.
The house became still. Any of the vampires that had witnessed the confrontation had suddenly dispersed elsewhere, most likely to sleep.
“You saw Lilith,” Marcella stated, sighing as Vittoria nodded. “What happened?”
“I saw how she was made,” she replied, her voice soft as she looked at Marcella from her spot on the ground.
Marcela’s eyes widened and flickered back and forth, attempting to process. “H—how were we made?” she asked in a whisper.
“It was a punishment. Lilith disobeyed someone, I do not know whom but the voice was… melodic, almost. Feminine. But, Lilith woke up a vampire after she fell asleep.”
Marcella sat down on the floor next to Vittoria. She looked at her, worry etching her face as she sighed. “We need to see someone about this problem.”
Vittoria nodded. “Who?”
“There is an old hag who lives north in some cave. Apparently, she would be able to help us with this issue.”
Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “How do you know of this woman?”
“I might have asked around. I also spoke to some of our priests and priestesses; apparently this woman has quite the reputation. I am unsure of why I have never heard of her.”
“So, when do we leave?” Vittoria asked, her eyes looking to her maker.
“Tonight,” Marcella replied, meeting her gaze.
“I am sorry, Marcella,” Vittoria said softly.
She nodded and sighed. “I understand how Lilith affects you. Why you, I do not understand. But, she does. I should not have slapped you.”
“You were right to,” Vittoria replied quickly. “I was out of line. If it had not been for—” she stopped suddenly, a lump forming in her throat.
“Had not been for?” Marcella urged.
“Isabel,” Vittoria replied softly.
Marcella smirked and raised an eyebrow before she realized the weight of what she had said. “You exposed yourself,” Marcella said quietly before sighing and resting her head against the wall.
Vittoria nodded.
“Would you like me as your maker, or your friend, to speak first?” Marcella asked.
“Friend,” she replied, resting her head against the wall as well.
“I figured you were intrigued by her,” Marcella said with a smirk and forcing a chuckle from Vittoria. “So, you exposed yourself to her how?”
“I almost ate her,” Vittoria replied with a sigh.
Marcella laughed loudly for a few moments before settling down. “Ah, and how did she respond to that?”
“She was afraid at first until she realized it was me. Then, she managed to calm me down, I am not even completely sure how.”
Marcella chuckled. “Then?”
“We kissed.”
Marcella turned to look at her, her eyebrows rising comically. “Is that so? How was it?”
Vittoria looked at Marcella with a bright smile on her face. “Better than feeding.”
“Oh?” Marcella and she both chuckled. “So, are you only intrigued by her or do you feel for her?”
“Both.”
“A deadly combination, dear.”
“I am painfully aware,” Vittoria replied, her stomach sinking as she thought of how deadly the situation truly was.
“She was not completely disturbed by you?” Marcella asked suddenly, realizing that any ordinary mortal would have reacted badly.
“Apparently she believed in blood sucking fiends before I revealed myself, she was just unaware that they came in such an attractive package,” Vittoria said with a smirk, attempting to lighten the weight of Marcella’s inquiry.
It worked. Marcella chuckled in response before sighing.
“Are you going to scold me now?” Vittoria asked suddenly, her eyes searching Marcella’s.
Marcella took a deep breath before releasing it and eyeing her a moment.
“I should scream at you and slap you again,” Marcella said finally.
“I know.”
“But, I believe I already ruined your happy evening by slapping you earlier. So, let us end this on a pleasant note.”
Vittoria looked at her, surprise evident on her face as she searched her eyes.
“We need to sleep before our journey. It will take about a full night to reach the hag.”
Marcella stood before offering her hand and helping Vittoria to her feet. They walked up the stairs and down the hallway in silence until they reached their rooms.
“First thing,” Marcella reminded before her doors
closed.
Vittoria sighed as she opened the doors and made her way to the center of the room. She undressed and clamored on top of the bed, sighing as her body hit the soft material. Her eyes drifted shut, and she slept peacefully for the first time in months.
Chapter IV
London, England
September 1562
Marcella and Vittoria raced across the landscape. It had to be close to midnight as they rushed up a hillside and into the forest, the moon resting at its highest point in the sky. Their bodies weaved in between the trees, carefully treading over any fallen branches and avoiding any sound.
Vittoria noticed the soft glow first. She reached Marcella and tapped her arm before pointing ahead. She nodded as she saw the cave and the faint glow from the fire burning amongst the darkness.
They reached the cave at the same time, and their feet came to a halt at the entrance as they took in the display of bones that littered the outside. Vittoria looked at Marcella, and she to her, both of their eyebrows rising in silent inquiry.
“Hag?” Marcella called out as Vittoria rolled her eyes at her call.
A low growl echoed throughout the cave as they walked inside.
“I smell… royalty?” the hag’s voice flitted throughout the cave.
“Smell?” Vittoria quietly asked Marcella, who simply shrugged in response.
They moved further into the cave, rounding a corner and stopping when they took in the sight.
To the left was a large cage structure made from fallen tree limbs. Around ten people sat in the cage, all looking at them like frightened animals awaiting slaughter. Vittoria raised an eyebrow as she walked to the enclosure, stopping in front of it and making eye contact with the men, women, and few children that sat inside. They scrambled back away from her, eyes wide with fear.
“A human animal pen,” she muttered to herself.
“Quite right, Your Majesty,” said the hag from nearby.
Vittoria slowly turned, her eyes landing on the hag’s slightly hunched form near the fire pit. Her hair was grey and messy, hanging past her breasts, which were covered by a simple bloodstained grey frock.
Marcella and Vittoria approached her, stopping opposite of the fire and eyeing her a moment.
“Blind,” Marcella stated to her companion.
“Very astute of you, Your Majesty,” said the hag dryly. Her white cloudy eyes glanced in their direction as she offered a smile.
Blood stained her mouth and a strong odor emanated from her body. Vittoria crinkled her nose in disgust before she took a seat on a nearby log, Marcella following her lead.
“So, to what do I owe such a pleasure?” the hag asked.
“We have a bit of a predicament and are in need of your services,” Marcella explained. “I was told that we should consult you.”
The hag’s eyebrows rose and she grinned. “Well, that is intriguing. Tell me, what is your predicament?”
“My successor is experiencing more of Lilith’s memories than any other Queen has in the history of this coven. I want to know why this is happening to her and if they can be controlled. She is losing control,” Marcella explained.
“She spoke to me, once,” Vittoria said suddenly to the hag.
“Oh? What was the message?” the hag asked intrigued.
“‘Darkness will rise,’” she answered.
The hag opened her mouth to speak before she shut it.
Silence encased them a few moments.
“That is intriguing,” the hag muttered before standing. “I will help you, for a price.”
Vittoria nodded as Marcella abruptly stood.
“Price? We are your Queens!” Marcella hissed, a growl rumbling in her chest.
“Whatever it is, we will pay it,” Vittoria replied. Marcella’s head whipped to the side, her eyes burning a hole in Vittoria’s head as the hag gave a toothy grin.
“The price is manageable, my Queens,” the hag said before rushing to the human pen. She opened the cage and immediately the people began to scream and beg for her to spare them.
She grabbed one of the women, forcefully dragging her from the cage by her hair. Once the door was shut she tugged the woman back to the fire pit and took a seat.
“A snack before you tell me what we wish to know?” Vittoria asked as she looked at the kicking and screaming woman.
The hag scoffed in response before roughly grabbing the woman and tilting her head to the side. She sank her fangs into her neck, blood bubbling to the surface as she began to drink.
She released the woman’s neck and roared, her eyes flickering to a bright green before she began muttering in a language Vittoria did not understand.
Vittoria turned to Marcella, a question on the tip of her tongue until she saw her face. Marcella’s eyes were red and filled with anger as she looked at the hag.
“Witch,” she muttered in disgust.
“What?” Vittoria asked, drawing Marcella’s eyesight.
“She is a witch—well, she was until she was turned into a vampire. Witches who are turned into vampires have a special set of powers all their own. Apparently, this one is gifted in blood magic,” Marcella explained, her lips quivering in a snarl.
“That would explain why you had never heard of her. You would have killed her,” Vittoria commented before turning her attention back to the crone.
The hag gasped and dropped the woman to the ground as she swayed in her seat, her green eyes flickering back to their cloudy white.
“Interesting,” the hag muttered.
“Well, witch?” Marcella asked rudely, earning a glare from Vittoria before she looked back to the hag.
“It seems that Lilith is, well—un-findable.”
“I did not ask you to—” Marcella began.
“Enough, Marcella!” Vittoria snapped. Marcella looked at her, surprised, before she nodded. “You were trying to locate Lilith?” Vittoria asked.
“Your predicament is one that only Lilith could answer. I have always wondered whether she still lives or had perished, but never dared to seek the answer to satisfy my own curiosity. I knew sooner or later you would come to me, Vittoria da Verona,” said the hag with a cackle.
“You said you could not find her?” she asked, ignoring the uneasy feeling the woman stirred in her.
“She does not wish to be found, not yet. At least that is the feeling I have. She is not dead though. She is just in hiding,” the hag explained.
“Lilith is still alive?” Marcella asked, flabbergasted.
The hag hummed in response. “Slumbering.”
“We need to find her!” Vittoria exclaimed, rising to her feet.
“She does not wish to be found, Your Majesty. Not yet at least.”
“Then why these memories of hers? Why am I the one to experience them?” Vittoria asked, her voice brimming with anger.
“I could attempt again, but I might be better received if you join me,” the hag explained with a smirk.
“Absolutely not,” Marcella growled out as she took a protective step in front of Vittoria.
“I’ll do it. What do I need to do?”
“Vittoria!” Marcella’s eyes were wide with surprise.
“I want answers, Marcella.”
“It is blood magic, Vittoria.”
“I do not care.”
“You need to drink with me,” the hag explained, ignoring their quarrel. She lifted an arm of the woman to Vittoria, waiting for her to take it. Vittoria grasped the limb and watched as the hag sank her fangs back into the woman’s neck before she sank her own into her arm.
She was pulled into a whirlwind of movement, the feeling made her dizzy and she was thankful that she was sitting down. Darkness encased her vision and she heard a low growl rumble in the darkness. A flash of red flickered before her eyes. The smell of earth clouded her senses before it began to be pushed aside. Soon, the moon came into focus. Trees and shrubs rushed by as the form raced across the landscape, faster than Vittoria c
ould imagine. A river appeared nearby and an image came into focus. She saw Lilith in the reflection, briefly, before she leapt over the water and raced across the landscape once more. Her feet stopped suddenly, standing amongst the shrubs and trees, hidden from sight.
Vittoria recognized this place. She felt her heart catch in her throat as the realization struck her. She watched as she saw herself clamor out of the ground, her eyes transfixed on all the new colors she could see. Vittoria watched as her head whipped to the side, eyes spying the gravedigger robbing Signor Contanto’s fresh grave. Her heart was racing as she observed the familiar scene from an outside perspective. Marcella appeared then, looking on as Vittoria drank greedily from the boy before she interrupted the feeding. She felt the pleased smirk on Lilith’s face as she eyed them, her gaze fixated on Vittoria. She turned suddenly and raced back the way she came. The imagery was a blur to Vittoria’s eyes before it all stood still and Lilith once again descended into the earth.
The vision came to an end and she began to be able to feel her own limbs once more. The darkness encased her vision once more before she heard her voice. Smooth, like silk—deep, yet feminine. Her voice washed over her and brought comfort and panic at the same moment.
“Mine.”
Vittoria ripped herself away from the body of the woman, noting that her heartbeat stopped at the same moment she pulled away. She stared at the hag, panic washing over her body. Vittoria felt Marcella’s hand on her shoulder, gently nudging her.
The hag fixated her white cloudy eyes on Vittoria’s own—neither of them speaking a word of what just transpired.
“She—” Vittoria began, her voice cracking. She began to feel dizzy and stood, slightly stumbling as she walked toward the human pen.
She ripped the door open and fell to her knees, grabbing the nearest person and pulling them to her. Her fangs pierced flesh and she drank, the dizziness beginning to fade with each gulp of blood. Her ears blocking out the screams from the mortals.
“Vittoria?” Marcella asked. Her voice was soft and laced with concern.
“You get used to the dizziness after a while,” the hag commented nonchalantly. Vittoria could hear the slight waver in her voice though. She was clearly as shaken as she was.
