War of the Chosen

by Elizabeth Dunlap

  She opened and closed her mouth a few times. “It didn’t come up,” she said finally.

  I swore, loudly, and earned a very disapproving look from my… father… that felt a little better to swallow… and my aunt. That one took no effort.

  “Anything else I should know? A hidden sibling? A creepy uncle? Weird cousins?”

  Clara sighed. “That’s about it. Aunt, father, mother.”

  How could I have gone from no family to more family drama than Days of Our Lives all in one day?

  Knight let me go when I’d relaxed. Anastasia was still sitting quietly by the fire, not having moved even a little. Did she ever get up to use the bathroom? I’ll take ‘Questions I never wanted answered’ for twenty points.

  “I’ll make some dinner,” Clara declared quietly. “Lucas, with me, outside.” He protested until she flicked his arm with her finger and shoved a basket in his arms.

  I slumped down into a rocker that was close to Anastasia and stared at her without really looking.

  “Since we’re all sharing things,” Knight opened. “Any chance you’ll tell me who your daughter’s father is?” I looked at him and he held his hands out defensively. “Just asking. You don’t have to answer.”

  Sighing, I looked back at the woman by the fire. Might as well. “Her father is Balthazar.”

  “Balthazar, eh? How was it? On a scale between ‘best in show’ and ‘my standards are irreparably changed?’”

  I chuckled half-heartedly. “Probably… ‘I have tasted perfection and now none shall suffice.’”

  “Wow. I might have to get a taste of incubus just to even the playing field. Do you have his cellphone number? My evening is suddenly very clear.” We laughed, but my mood was irreparably sobered for the moment. First finding out who both of my parents are, and now Knight had a face to the man I’d been unfaithful with. “Do you love him?” he asked, trying to keep his tone even.

  “No,” I answered simply, honestly. “I never did. I thought you were dead. I tried to move on. Then you weren’t dead.” The lace of Anastasia’s dress drew my attention, and I focused on her muddy feet poking out from the folds. “I betrayed my love for you, and I can never take that back.” I blinked back tears. “I’m sorry I kissed you, that was wrong of me. I can’t take advantage of you like that. I don’t deserve it. Not after what I’ve done. I just…” Don’t cry. Don’t cry in front of him. “I wanted to pretend I was worthy of forgiveness.”

  Knight sighed and my heart broke more. “I’ll be back later.” He was out the front door before I could turn my head, and I erupted in tears that shook me so hard I thought my lungs would burst into a thousand pieces.

  And through it all, Anastasia never moved.

  CHAPTER 13

  Knight didn’t come back that night. Clara made us spinach pasta with tomato and cheese sauce. It was so good I wept, but that was mostly because I’d convinced myself Knight wasn’t coming back at all.

  Lucas and Clara were silent as I blubbered as quietly as I could. Clara had moved Anastasia to a chair and was coaxing her to eat a few bites of the noodles, and to my surprise, her comatose state didn’t stop her from nibbling on some of it. Clara encouraged her like she was a baby learning how to eat, and I burst into tears again because I missed my daughter so much I wanted to stab myself.

  “She’s not usually this blubbery,” Lucas whispered to Clara. I heard her smack his arm.

  “Leave the girl be. She’s been through enough.” She forked a small bit of noodle and brought it to Anastasia’s mouth. I watched my… Anastasia refuse that one by ignoring it like a bothersome fly.

  “How long has she been like this?” I asked Clara.

  She dropped the fork in slight frustration and rubbed her forehead. “Since the day she gave you away, Elisabeth. She has been asleep since she gave her newborn child away, and now you’re back. I thought you being here might wake her up. I was so hopeful. All this time, I help out the hope…” She broke off and brought her napkin up to cover the tears. She sniffed, wiped the corners of her eyes and stood up to clear the table.

  Lucas watched her go with a mournful look. “She’s been waiting a very long time for her sister to wake up.” Anastasia had been like this ever since she gave me away, for four hundred years. Had I brought this upon her? “Anastasia was broken before she had you. She had a mate, a werewolf, like yours, and he was killed. She was never the same after she lost him.”

  “Is that why she slaughtered hundreds of both our species?” My tone was far too bitter for the setting, but Lucas forgave it.

  “Yes. She enacted blood law. Her mate was killed by the leaders of all the vampire covens, and the pack Alphas. Revenge was her right, by our law. Blood taken for blood spilt, and since they were the leaders, she was entitled to slay anyone who had sworn fealty to them.”

  I recoiled. “That’s barbaric.”

  “It was the law,” Lucas insisted angrily. “She was within her rights. She broke no rules. But they didn’t care. All they saw was genocide, and they turned on her. I know the laws of vampires have changed, but they had the same importance back then as the new laws do now, and blood law was held to the same standard as any other rule.”

  Justifying slaughter was a hard pill to swallow, but if Lucas was telling me the truth, then Anastasia had been within her rights.

  “You don’t believe she went too far?” I asked him.

  “I believe her wrath was too great, and she reached too far. She could’ve slain the leaders and been done with it, but Anastasia was ruthless, and cruel. She wanted the entire world of vampires and Lycans to know her pain.”

  I realized that I was judging her far too harshly, as I had had the same thoughts about protecting my friends. Maybe I was more like my… mother. There. I said it. Maybe I was more like her than I knew. I’d raze the world to the ground if someone killed Knight.

  Clara came back to get more of the dishes.

  “I’ll give her one day,” I told Clara. “I’ll do everything I can to wake her up. One day. It’s all I can give you. I’m sorry, I wish I could do more, but I delayed my mission to come here.”

  “What mission?” Clara asked, growing concerned.

  “Born vampires are going to war. The turned have rebelled against us. They slaughtered the Born vampires at Gennadi, and they won’t stop until we’re all dead. That includes the three of you, so no matter what happens with Anastasia, you need to disappear. If the turned find you, you will be killed.” I sighed, looking at Anastasia. “I came here looking for answers, and instead I found something else.” I trailed off, trying not to sound like I didn’t want this, because a tiny part of me didn’t. “One day,” I repeated.

  Clara nodded with a small smile. “I believe in you. If anyone can wake her up, it’s you.”

  I sat next to Anastasia after dinner, and long after Clara and Lucas had gone to bed.

  “I guess I should tell you about myself,” I began. “I grew up in England. I was raised by the creepiest vampire ever. He was kidnapped, I kind of took over his job. I’m the head of my Order in America. It’s a little awesome.” No reaction. I hugged my knees and stared into the fire. “When I was little, I accepted that I had no parents. I used to believe that either you were dead, or I’d just simply been brought into existence by Balthazar. Poof. Baby Lisbeth.” I chuckled to myself. “Of course, his powers don’t work like that, but I was little and silly.”

  My smile fell. “Anything was better than thinking that my parents didn’t want me. I told myself over and over that no matter what the reason had been, that I didn’t need my parents to feel happy and complete. I told myself that so much that the lie became real, until I didn’t realize that it was a lie, and it became my truth. But I was lying. I didn’t have a family, not really. I had friends, friends that I loved deeply. It wasn’t the same, and I… I didn’t know that was true until now.”

  I was on a roll now, mostly talking to myself. “Cameron became my family. You’d like
him. He’s funny, he always makes me laugh, but he also cares about me. He’s like my little brother and my son all at once. And then…” I smiled again. “There’s Knight. When I fell in love with him, he was all I wanted in my life. I could’ve had a family, a home, a life, with him, and I threw it all away. Good part though, I had a daughter. Kitty.” I took the photo from my underclothes and put it where Anastasia could see it, if she’d been looking. “She doesn’t make it easier, but she makes it better. I have no idea how to be a parent. It’s a little scary.” I laughed again. “Her eyes are beautiful. Blue on the outside and purple on the inside. They’re unique, just like her.”

  I took the photo back so I could stare at it. “I miss her so much. She’s barely been here, and I had to leave her. I feel like a horrible mom. The worst part is, I did this for her, and I didn’t find what I needed. I’ll continue wondering what my little hybrid will become. I hope she turns out like her father. He’s always kind and loving. Less like me. I’m fragile, and temperamental. Sometimes my temper is so high, I’m sure I’m going to kill someone on accident. Thankfully that hasn’t happened yet.”

  I put the photo into my underclothes and hugged my knees again. “I try to be strong, and a good leader for my people. Sometimes I’m pretending, but I’m so good that no one notices. And then other times, I’m not pretending. I’m strong for a few seconds, until it goes away.”

  The fire popped a few times so I stirred it with the poker. “I thought you were a monster. That was before I knew you were my mother.” Poke poke. “I suppose I still think you’re a monster. But. I understand the pain you felt. If anyone hurt Knight or Cameron… I’d probably do much worse than what you did. It was still crappy, killing everyone like that, even if it was blood law, like Lucas says. But I can’t hate you for it. Not anymore. I guess I can’t hate you either. Maybe.” I dropped the poker and stretched. I looked back at Anastasia and she was leaning against one of the chairs, her eyes open, but her breathing was slower like she was getting close to falling asleep.

  I grabbed a blanket from the rocker and lay it over her still form, saving some for myself so I could fall asleep next to my mother.

  The smell of fresh bread woke me up that morning. I lifted my head to look around, and when I started raising my arms for a stretch, I realized Anastasia had taken my hand at some point and was holding it in hers. I excitedly checked her face, but she was still asleep inside, her purple eyes staring at nothing.

  “Clara,” I shouted. I heard her in the kitchen setting something down, and she came over as she wiped her hands on her white apron. “Look.” I held up the hand Anastasia was holding. “She held my hand.”

  Clara sank down with a pleased look on her face, but she still raised her eyebrow. “Sure you didn’t grab it in your sleep?” I simpered at her, and moved my arm to show it was Anastasia who was holding me. No matter where I moved, she followed, and her grip remained tight with a consciousness she did not display. Clara saw what I could see, and squealed out loud. “She’s responding to you! Oh, Lisbeth.” She reached and grabbed me in a hug. She smelled of rosemary and yeast. She pulled away and binked me on the nose. “Come, we’ll get her cleaned up.”

  With my help, Clara got Anastasia to the small bathroom and closed the door behind us. Lucas and Knight’s smells were not in the house, but I put that from my mind for now. Clara and I got Anastasia’s mud stained dress off, and Clara tossed it in the corner with a sigh.

  Anastasia had nothing on underneath, only a very expensive gold necklace. Clara removed that too and handed it to me to put on the counter. The necklace was a crest, with an outer circle of letters and an inner circle of more words with a shield and three fangs.

  “What’s this?” I asked. The crest looked familiar, with the same clouded edge as my memories of the Countess’s eyes, and being in the castle. Clara motioned for me to help lift Anastasia into the bath she’d already run. The water in the porcelain claw footed tub was steaming hot with some herbs floating on the surface. Anastasia still didn’t react, but she looked less forlorn, if that was possible.

  Clara wiped her nose a few times. “It’s the crest of Bathory. We each have one.” She reached under her blue dress to show an equally fine necklace with a different medallion and chain. She put it back under her clothes and soaped up a large sponge. “Look inside the medicine cabinet. There’s a wooden box.” I found it on the top shelf, forgotten, with a layer of dust on it. Clara grunted, lifting her sister’s feet up to clean them. “It’s yours. Our mother bequeathed it to you before Balthazar took you away. She knew you couldn’t really keep it, so I’ve held onto it all these long years.”

  I opened the box to find another crest of Bathory inside, set in a golden filigree pendant and a golden pearl chain. This was a necklace for royalty.

  “Ana wanted to name you Erzsebet after our mother, but the Countess insisted we give you the western version to protect you. When I heard you call yourself Leezbet, I couldn’t help but wish my mother was here. That was also her nickname. She would’ve loved you.”

  I curled the necklace up in my hand. “I suppose she died like history says? She’s not a vampire?”

  Clara frowned and continued cleaning Anastasia’s arm. “No, she’s dead. She protected us, helping feed Lucas and Ana human blood for decades, and took the fall for them when the time came. She may not be a murderess as the legends say, but she is definitely dead. I buried her body myself.”

  “I’m sorry,” I offered gently. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  She looked at me with surprise, and smiled. “Oh, don’t mind me. Put the necklace on. It will look beautiful on you.” I clasped the chain around my neck and folded the pendant up to study it. “Ohh,” Clara squeaked. She grabbed Anastasia’s hand and held it to her breast. “You look just like our mother. Ana,” she said with a shake of her sister’s shoulder. “Look at your Lisbeth wearing mother’s chain.” Anastasia, of course, didn’t react, but Clara paid that no mind. “I always believed you would come back to us. It’s been so hard hoping all this time with no one here…” She choked a bit and smiled to recover. “Help me clean her hair?”

  I nodded. Anastasia’s hair was a ratty mess with leaves and all sorts of fauna inside it. I almost thought I’d find a bird’s nest somewhere. Clara handed me a bottle of oils, and strand by strand, we cleaned Anastasia’s hair of all the grime.

  “Clara,” I said as we rinsed the suds off. “You’re human, right? If you’re her twin, you should be dead by now.”

  Clara smiled and ran a brush over Anastasia’s fingernails. “Our mother drank blood when she was carrying us so Ana wouldn’t kill me in the womb. Something happened, some twist of science, or luck, and I gained longevity from being the twin of a vampire child. I’m not unbreakable, I can die if wounded, but I’ll live forever as a weak human. Ana, on the other hand, grew strong in our mother’s womb from the blood. Almost too strong. There now, you’re all done.”

  Anastasia was sparkling clean, and the bathwater was a cloudy pond color. Clara pulled the plug and motioned for me to lift Anastasia up. I hoisted her onto the towel covered toilet seat so Clara could dry her sister off. We dressed her in some surprisingly normal clothes, a pullover dress and some pants.

  “I dress her to look normal around the humans, but without fail, she runs away wearing this disgusting dress,” Clara complained. She picked up the bundle of lace and ick, and ran a hand across her forehead. “I’d toss it, but the last time I tried, she ran away in naught but her skin. Lesson learned.” Clara ran a new tub of water and tossed the black dress inside to soak. “Come, Ana. Breakfast time.”

  We emerged from the bathroom after over an hour of work, and our efforts showed. Anastasia looked normal, except for her blank expression. Clara set her down on one of the kitchen chairs and went to get some food. I grabbed a brush and started running it through… my mother’s hair. Her deep raven black locks started to curl as they dried, and the oils we used made them shine. Her ha
ir was curly, exactly like mine, and even Kitty’s. We were so similar in appearance, it was no wonder Lucas had instantly known who I was.

  Clara came with a plate of pancakes and smiled at me starting to braid Anastasia’s hair. “It’s like she’s your twin, instead of me. My hair is dull and straight, like corn husks. I’ve always envied her for that, her perfect raven locks. She even looks beautiful without makeup, curse her.” Clara’s words were bitter, but she had love on her face. Whatever she said, she loved her sister. She pushed the plate to me. “Could you try and feed her?”

  The pancakes were fresh and smelled of melted butter. I snuck bites in between offering Anastasia her share, and was pleasantly surprised that she ate every bite offered. Clara came back with a second plate for me and one for her. I ate mine and continued feeding Anastasia. Clara smiled at us with pure happiness.

  “Pancakes are her favorite food. She always eats every bite. I made them special.”

  I eventually ran out of pancakes. Anastasia sat with her mouth open waiting for more. “Where’s Lucas?”

  Clara shrugged and sipped her coffee with a roll of her eyes. “Who knows. That man is a can of crazy, make no mistake. He barges in here with my niece and her lover, and then tries to pledge his troth like we’d fought only yesterday instead of four hundred years ago.”

  Oh. I guess she was the lollipop instead of Anastasia. So my parents didn’t love each other. Clara stabbed her food and sighed to control her feelings, then she took a dainty bite of pastry.

  Maybe she can forgive if she loves.