2/14/2021 0 Comments Chapter Five - Part Two “...and one final thing: I want as many of this coven brought in alive as possible. And certainly do not kill Victoria. Am I understood?”
Marianna had been politely listening to Eve as she instructed the vampire killers in the foyer, but at this, even she gave Eve a stunned look. She had seen the angel be many things over the years she had known her but “merciful towards her enemies” was not one of those things. Amon turned to Eve and gave her a curious look. “Eve… what exactly are you planning, here?” Eve waved her hand at him dramatically and smiled. “Oh, don’t you worry your pretty little head, Amon. Speaking of pretty little heads, might you find some way to hydrate Ruthven’s head while I am out tonight? Rasputin did not see fit to ensure our dear friend was fed.” “He was not a dear friend to me, Eve,” Amon stated. “But I will do as you ask.” Eve smiled at him. Marianna was still getting used to her having this humanoid form and was still rather taken aback by the sheer amount of genuine emotion the woman displayed. She had only known her in the serpentine form, a form she had said was once far more impressive when she had still dwelled in the realm of Enoch. This humanoid form, which was how she had looked normally as an angel (though it was missing her wings), was rather new to her, and she was still flabbergasted by the moments where this shrewd, cunning, and intimidating woman let her guard down for just a moment. Curiously, she only ever did it with Amon; she had yet to show any such compassion towards Marianna or Gabby, especially during the Moore situation. Marianna clenched her fists. It disturbed and disgusted her that Eve would allow such depravity to occur, but it did not surprise her. She had, after all, allowed Jack to keep Jojo as a slave back when he first joined the coven and let him keep that wretched collar on him. But she couldn’t do much, nor could Amon; Eve was dead set on rewarding that freak. I would never have joined you if I had known he was in your coven, she thought bitterly, before immediately pushing the thought aside. Jack wasn’t here, and at any rate, Eve had graciously made sure to keep him away from them aside from a brief period of time in the 70’s. “I suppose I’ll go out on the first patrol, then,” Moore growled. “Get out of this fucking house for a bit.” Eve had healed the disgusting man up the previous night with her own venom, but he still looked a bit haggard and irritable. Marianna smirked. Rex had really done a number on him; his face had been barely recognizable after the vampire had finished pummeling him into a wall for what he did to Jojo. “Excellent idea, particularly because no one here seems to be able to stand your presence!” Eve noted cheerfully. The other vampire killers all looked at each other and nodded. With an unintelligible snarl, Moore turned and stormed out the door. Eve waved her hand at the rest of them. “Off with you all, then. Do what you wish, now that I have graciously removed Mr. Moore from your sight for a time. I’m going to head out on the town a bit early, see if I cannot begin scoping out new members for a new Order…” “Woo hoo,” Rhapsody clapped. “Hope they’re as charming as Elizabeth Bathory was. She called me a ‘stupid, cripled cunt’ because I said I didn’t want to sleep with her. Hope the next Order keeps up the charm that she has.” “Well, she’s a useful ally even if she is rather temperamental,” Eve shrugged as she headed to the door. “I’ll see about finding someone more pleasant, just for you.” Rhapsody gave her a thumbs up. “Cool. Thanks.” After Eve left, the vampire killers began to chat among themselves. Hannah looked rather disturbed and shaken and was mumbling something about how she hoped Jojo was okay as one of the Quincey brothers (Vincent? Was that his name?) hugged her. The other Quincey brother was fiddling with some sort of puzzle in his hands while muttering something Marianna couldn’t quite make out from the distance. Mina was talking to Rex, but neither of them looked particularly happy, especially since Mina seemed to be on the verge of tears. Oh dear, it’s that time of year, isn’t it? Marianna thought miserably before shaking her head and resuming looking out over the room. Flynn had already dashed off to Gabby’s room, which made Marianna smile. It was nice that Gabby could finally have some real, genuine company, though truth be told, she had hoped that her daughter would have picked Hannah so that she could have a girl close to her permanent age to spend time with. But perhaps Flynn would find himself to be Gabby’s one, and she could turn him. Perhaps they could travel together as a family, keeping Jojo with them so he could be kept safe from any more harm. And then there was-- “Hey there, Miss Cross,” Jerrod said in what he likely imagined was a charming manner as he slid up beside her. “How are you doing today?” She sighed heavily. This man was trying very, very hard to woo her, but he did not seem to understand two very simple things. The first, of course, was that she had no interest in men whatsoever. This had been a constant source of friction between her and her parents when she was mortal as she was never interested in any of the suitors who had come to try to win her hand. Which brought her to the second reason Jerrod’s attempts were doomed to fail: She only had love in her heart for one woman, and that woman was Nadia Shibani. She had met her oh-so long ago at a dance. Marianna had been overwhelmed by the crowds and was unwilling to dance with any of the men. She had fled outside where she’d moped in the gardens. It was there that Nadia had approached her, her caramel-colored eyes filled with delight. She remembered how Nadia’s gentle hands had stroked her cheek and how soft her lips felt as they’d pressed against her own as well as the fiery elation that had surged through her body while in the hands of that amazing woman. She could recall all of the nights after they had first met when Nadia would sneak over to her house and climb the wall to sit on the balcony outside her room where they had watched the stars. She remembered how Nadia carried her off the balcony one night to take her to the shores of a nearby lake where she had gently disrobed her and they had made sweet, passio-- “Hey, Miss Cross, you in there?” Jerrod asked, snapping her out of her reminiscing. “Yes Mr. Carter, I am,” she huffed, noting the heat that had come to her cheeks. “Can I help you with something?” “Well,” he said with a confident smirk as he slicked back his hair, “I was just wondering if you were busy at all today? Maybe you’d like to go and grab a drink or something?” Amon’s hand was on the man’s shoulder in an instant. “Actually, I need Marianna to do me a favor. Marianna, could you go and check on Mr. Faust and ensure he is doing as well as one can reasonably expect after his traumatic encounter with Mr. Moore?” Marianna smiled in relief. Amon was a good man albeit a mysterious one. Even when Eve had been at her worst, Amon had always at least tried to remain at his best and reign in their serpentine benefactor’s negative traits. Jerrod seemed to slump a bit. “Yeah, well. You know. Offer’s open and all that.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” Marianna lied as she silently mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Amon before heading off. She knew Jojo had been asleep earlier while Rex had watched some perplexing children’s show about two talking hands and a flying cat that harassed them. She assumed that he had since gone, either hiding in his room or spending time with Gabby. “Gabby,” she muttered happily to herself. If there was one person in this world she adored more than Nadia, it was certainly her daughter. She had known since the day she had bumped into the girl that she loved her. She’d quickly made the move to adopt her shortly after they’d met and had given her the family she deserved. Things hadn’t gone quite so perfectly since then, but she thought she had done the best she could in raising Gabby given the circumstances. She made her way to Jojo’s room first and knocked gently on the door. “Jojo? Are you in there?” There was no answer, so after a moment’s hesitation, she pushed her way in. Sitting on the bed was, in fact, Jojo, but the blank expression he gave as he turned his head towards her indicated that this was likely the painted duplicate Rhapsody had created to deter Moore from harming the real Jojo again. She felt a wave of nausea overcome her as she looked at the painted Jojo. Real or not, it was terrible that anything should have to endure such violence at the hands of another person. She quietly closed the door and made her way towards her daughter’s room. She knew he’d likely be with Gabby from the get-go, but giving her daughter a little breathing room was never a bad thing. She strolled happily down the hall, pausing just outside her daughter’s room as she overheard Gabby speaking inside. “I haven’t really thought about it,” came her daughter’s voice. “I’ve never really had much of a choice. I go where Mom, Grandma, and Amon go. I usually stay at the house or hotel and watch movies while they’re doing whatever they’re there to do.” “There’s gotta be something,” came Flynn’s reply. “You gotta have some sort of desire to do something beyond all this weird, clandestine vampire crap.” Marianna hated eavesdropping, especially on her daughter, but she was intrigued by this. What were they talking about? Feeling guilty, she quietly pressed herself against the wall and continued to listen. “I don’t know,” was Gabby’s hesitant reply. “I guess I’d like to see a movie in a theater. Oh!” There was an excited gasp. “Jojo said he would take me!” She paused a beat before quietly admitting, “I think that’s what I would want. To… To be with Jojo.” Marianna’s eyes widened. Judging by Flynn’s tone, he seemed equally surprised, if not a little disappointed, as he said, “What do you mean? Like… as his girlfriend?” “Is that bad?” Gabby sounded nervous now. “What? No! No, absolutely not!” Flynn said hurriedly. “I think… maybe that would be good, for both of you. I think you’d make each other really happy, you know? He gives you the freedom you want, you give him the happiness he wants…” “But we can’t. I think he’d get in trouble.” Far more than you realize, Gabby… Marianna thought bitterly. Jack was not someone who liked people touching his things. And considering how there was no love at all between Jack and Marianna, he would certainly relish in taking his revenge on both Gabby and Jojo, provided Eve allowed it. She shuddered to think what he would do if they started dating. “Fuck that,” Flynn growled. “I wouldn’t let that happen. My job’s to keep you safe, and I will, and that extends to Jojo. So if this is what you want, I will do everything I can to make sure it happens.” “You can’t stop Grandma,” she mumbled. “And I don’t think she’d like it. Besides, he probably doesn’t even like me like that.” “Well fuck your grandma then! And I bet you anything he does. Why wouldn’t he? Look at you! You’re super sweet and pretty, and he perks up whenever he sees you! Don’t think I don’t notice! When I came in earlier this morning when you were watching movies with him, I really don’t think he was paying much attention to the screen.” Gabby was quiet; there was no audible reply. “Gabby, maybe… maybe you should go talk to him about this. See how he feels.” “What?” Her voice sounded alarmed. “Me?” “Oh, do you want me to go talk to him about how I feel instead?” he teased. “What do you mean?” “I-I don’t mean anything! I’m just joking! I’m saying you need to go talk to him about how you feel!” “Right now?!” “No time like the present, right? He said he’d be in the pool for a while.” There was a short moment of silence again. “I don’t know. What if Grandma finds out? Or… Or Mom?” “Are you going to let them get in the way of you being happy? Or of Jojo being happy? We’re supposed to be helping him get that collar off, so why are you worried about this other stuff when we’re gonna be doing something like that?” Marianna was a bit shocked to hear this, but also felt terrible knowing that their quest might be fruitless without help. There was only one person who would know how to get that collar off, and that would be the woman who made it: Rhiannon Rhydderch. Marianna had no idea how they planned to get it off of him otherwise. Had they figured something out? She desperately hoped they had, consequences be damned. Gabby admitted quietly, “Because I love my mom.” “...Oh… Right. Shit. I’m sorry, Gabby, I hope you didn’t… I mean, I’m just… I…” She sighed. “It’s okay. It’s… Things are complicated. Things with the coven aren’t what I thought they were.” “What exactly did you think they were?” “I thought we were the good guys. I thought this was Mom’s. But ever since we went to the forest in Germany…” “The fact you’ve been running around with a fallen angel who people have consistently been trying to kill for a hundred years didn’t tip you off to the fact that maybe the coven isn’t really on the straight and narrow?” “I didn’t know, okay? Mom didn’t tell me anything. I just did what I was told, and I didn’t ask questions.” She lowered her voice. “Grandma yelled at me when I did.” Marianna winced. She had kept Gabby in the dark about what went on with the coven. She didn’t want her poor daughter to be entangled in all of the seedier things Eve did, but it seemed like she had instead left her daughter woefully unprepared for whatever was going to happen next. “That sounds like how my dad likes it. I sit down, shut up, do as I’m told… It’s not right. That’s no way for a kid to live with their family.” “What else am I supposed to do, Flynn? This is all I have. Mom saved me. She gave me a home, she turned me… Am I just supposed to rebel against her?” “No. No, hell no! I’m not saying that at all! Your mom seems… nice. A bit less intimidating than I’d heard, but that might be a good thing.” Gabby laughed. “Mom’s not intimidating.” Flynn laughed too. “Wonder who came up with all that Bloody Mary stuff then?” Marianna almost felt ashamed that Gabby was laughing at her, but she was more relieved that her daughter didn’t find her frightening. At least she hadn’t failed in that regard. The laughter quickly subsided. “That was Jack. I don’t know why, though.” “Oh. Well, that’s gonna have to stay a mystery then, because I think on the list of people I never want to ask anything, he’s high up there.” There was a brief pause. “…I don’t get it. Why is your mom in a coven with that guy?” “I don’t know. I don’t really know why my mom does lots of things she does. Like I said, she doesn’t really tell me anything.” She paused before saying with bitter anger, “Like why Jojo has that collar on.” “Yeah, what the fuck is up with that?” “I don’t know. But we’re going to take it off. Even if it makes my mom mad at me.” A mix of emotions coursed through Marianna, but most of all fear. The repercussions of what Gabby wanted to do could be serious. But could she tell her no? Could she look her daughter in the eyes and tell her that she could not save this young man from the clutches of Jack? Could she do that if it indeed turned out Gabby and Jojo were meant to be? If Nadia had been enslaved and someone told Marianna that she had to leave her in miserable bondage, she would slash the fool who demanded that to pieces and do all she could to rescue her. What her daughter wanted to do was the good and right thing, but it was something that would put her in the crosshairs of Jack’s wrath, and she did not want her daughter to suffer that. She loved Gabby too much even if she wasn’t always the best at showing it. There was a sigh before Gabby asked Flynn, “Would you be mad if I went and told him? I won’t be long, I promise. And then we can watch whatever movie you want!” “No, yeah, go ahead Gabby,” came Flynn’s reply. “You do what you think is right. I’ll support you no matter what. I mean, what kind of bodyguard would I be if I didn’t?” Marianna quickly pushed herself off of the wall. If Gabby was to come out, she had to make sure she didn’t look like she was eavesdropping on her private conversations. I need to find some way to make it up to her for that, she thought guiltily. Maybe I’ll go grab her some ice cream… Sure enough, the sound of Gabby’s footsteps grew louder as she neared her door and, a moment later, it opened. When her daughter spotted her, a smile broke out on her face. “Hi, Mom.” Marianna smiled in return. “Hello, Gabby. Is everything going okay? And is Jojo with you, by any chance? Amon wanted me to see how he was doing.” She shook her head. “No. I think he’s swimming.” Her smile faltered slightly, and she looked disappointed. “I was going to go find him. Do you, um, want to come with me?” She considered everything she had overheard and took a deep breath. “Well… Maybe you could go find him and make sure he’s okay for me? He’d probably appreciate his friend checking on him more than me.” Her smile returned tenfold, and she nodded again. “Okay. I will, Mom.” She pulled her daughter into a hug and kissed her on top of her head. “Thank you. Now go on, don’t keep him waiting too long.” “Okay!” She was practically shining like a star as she hurried down the hallway. Marianna watched her go with yet another mix of emotions, but chief among them was pride that she had raised such a wonderful young woman. She moved to pass by the open door to Gabby’s room, but paused when she saw Flynn inside. Right before he noticed her, there was a perplexing look on his face, and his eyes seemed to be a bit watery. Was he crying? “Mr. Dangerfield?” she asked softly. Flynn practically jumped off the bed in surprise. “M-Miss Cross! Uh, sorry, just—“ She held up a hand and gave him a small smile. “I just wanted to thank you, Mr. Dangerfield. You’ve done a great job the past few days, and Gabby seems to be happy to have you as a friend. And please, don’t be so formal, dear. You can call me Marianna.” “Oh, um… Well, you’re welcome… Marianna.” His face was red and he seemed really guilty, likely because of what he’d just been discussing with Gabby. “You… You can call me Flynn. Mr. Dangerfield is my father. And I don’t really want to be thinking about him right now.” Marianna nodded. Timothy Dangerfield had been one of the least pleasant people she’d had to meet with in the Black Forest. He was cold, cruel, and constantly reeked like a filthy dog. Aside from Anthony Moore, he was the most revolting vampire killer she’d had to interact with. “Alright Flynn,” she said with a slight nod. “Keep doing good work, alright?” With a kind smile, she exited the room and made her way down the hall and stairs until she was out the door and on the front steps. She sat down on the top step with a sigh; all of this was so much to process, and she just didn’t know what to do. She buried her face in her hands, wishing things could be easier for her for just this once. “Mind if I sit, Mary?” She turned to see Rex standing behind her, a rather concerning neutrality to his face. “Go ahead, Rex. I don’t mind at all.” He took a seat next to her and pulled out a cigarette. He held the red and black paperboard pack out to Marianna; after a moment’s hesitation, she took one. Addiction and cancer were not things to worry about when your body and mind were unable to house sickness and disease, so there was no harm in having a smoke. “You look like shit, Mary,” Rex stated with his usual blunt approach to topics. “I feel like shit, Rex,” she sighed as she took a long drag, followed by an exhalation of a puff of smoke. “I’m so worried about Gabby.” “Why? Because Jojo’s got a thing for her?” She turned and stared at him. “He… He does?” This was unsurprising considering what she’d overheard, but it did nothing to ameliorate her fears. Rex nodded. “I knew when he first saw her. He had that same look you and Nadia used to back at the school. The same look Vicky had when she was with Dracula. The same way…” It was his turn to inhale, then exhale a cloud of smoke. “…that I used to look at Mina.” She put her free hand to her head. “Rex, I’m so scared. Jack is… He’ll—” “I’m not going to let anything happen to Gabby, okay? I don’t care if she fucking hates me. I’ll do everything I can to keep her safe, alright?” Marianna’s eyes started welling up with tears. “Rex, you really don’t have to do all this. You do too much for me as it is.” He turned and gave her a serious look. “I owe you, okay? You saved my sister. I’m going to keep your daughter safe in turn. Aren’t I a fucking gentleman?” He laughed and took a long drag from his cigarette, then put it out on his hand. All things considered, Rex was too nice to her. She had not been all too kind to his sister back in their days at Dracula’s school, inadvertently causing her to gain the nickname “Rotbrained Rosie” after she snapped at the girl in exasperation one day. But the night the school had been massacred, she had risked her life to protect Rose from the monster loose in the halls, something all the more serious as, at the time, Marianna had still been a mortal. This had been enough for Rex to forgive her, and he had been a friend to her ever since. She supposed the fact Amon—who Rex was rather close to—cared deeply for Marianna helped things a bit as Rex was loath to disappoint Amon. She smiled at him. “Thank you, Rex. Really.” She took another small drag from her cigarette. “How are you doing?” She realized immediately that she already knew the answer. “Fucking poorly,” Rex muttered sadly. Marianna stared down at the ground. “Her birthday is coming up, isn’t it?” Rex nodded. “June 30th.” “I’m sorry, Rex. Are you and Mina…?” “We’re the same as we’ve been for decades,” he grumbled. “Fucking peachy. But not as peachy as we could have been.” He stared out into the evening sky, an uncharacteristic melancholy on his face. “What’s it like? Being a parent?” Marianna gently put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s… stressful. There’s a lot of times where I question if I’m good enough. I know I haven’t always done the right thing. But… When I see her smile and when I see that joy on her face, I go back to that moment I gave a poor, lonely girl my coat, and I realize that the hope I gave her that day paid off.” “That’s so fucking sappy,” he laughed, though she heard the sadness in his voice. “I fucking love it. Seriously. You’re definitely not a cunt like you used to be, Mary.” It was her turn to laugh. “Well, thank you! I don’t completely agree, but still. Thank you.” They sat in silence after that. Things seemed to be rather uncertain at the moment. If Jojo was really Gabby’s love, then they would be playing a dangerous game. If Jack found out, they’d be in danger, and if Eve found out, who knew what she might do. But Marianna knew Gabby would never forgive her if she tried to dissuade her, and she would not be able to blame her as Jojo’s situation was one that made Marianna’s heart ache. She could only hope that Flynn and Rex would be able to keep those two safe. But as she sat there with Rex, thinking about her life and her daughter, for the first time in a long while, she felt it might actually be okay to hope. ****** Gabby’s heart was pounding. She was more nervous than she’d ever been before in her entire life. Jojo was just several feet away swimming laps in the backyard pool. All she had to do was walk outside and talk to him, but she couldn’t will herself to. What if he was repulsed by her? What if he didn’t want to be with her? Still, she wanted to know. And she promised her mom she’d make sure he was doing okay. So, with a deep breath, she pushed open the large glass patio door and walked into the backyard. Jojo was focused on swimming and didn’t notice her right away. She didn’t want to distract him, so she quietly sat down at the edge of the pool, neatly crossing her legs. She smiled as she watched him. Part of her envied him. She’d never learned to swim, but it looked fun. He eventually saw her and swam to the edge, pulling himself out to sit beside her. “Hallo, Gabby,” he gasped, his face flushing as he covered his bare chest with his arms. It was then that she realized he was half-naked. Her cheeks burned, but she smiled brightly. “Hi, Jojo. Um, Mom wanted me to make sure you’re doing okay.” He laughed softly. “I’m not sure that’s ever possible, but… I’m not feeling so awful right now.” She decided to postpone her confession for the moment. “Is there anything I can do to make things better for you? I want you to have a good time while you’re here.” After all, she had been the one to invite him along, so she felt responsible. He looked out at the water nervously. “Can you promise me one thing?” he asked. “I can try,” she replied with earnest. “Will you keep being my friend, no matter what?” Her heart sank, but she fought to keep the smile on her face. “Of course,” she answered. He doesn’t like me like that after all… He visibly relaxed and turned towards her. “Even if I did something very, very stupid?” he asked, a sly look crossing his face. Curiosity was rising now. “What do you mean? What did you do?” His face got even more flushed. “Ah, it’s actually something I’m going to do.” Her eyes widened as her mind raced. “Don’t pull me in, please. I can’t swim. I know I can’t drown, but—” “No, no, no! Not that! I just— Oh, let me just—“ He leaned over to her and put a gentle hand against her cheek. Her body picked up on what was about to happen before her mind did. As her eyes fluttered shut, he kissed her. Is this really happening? Jojo was kissing her? Kissing her? She could practically hear fireworks exploding in her head. He pulled away, seemingly reluctantly, and softly said, “So, do you forgive me for that?” “Uh-huh,” she whispered with a nod. “Good. Do you, maybe… want me to do it again, then?” A grin spread across her face. “Uh-huh!” “Well then, how can I refuse you?” With no hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her once more. This time, she tried to kiss back. She was self-conscious about it as she had no idea what she was doing, but she mimicked what Jojo did. The moment passed too quickly as he soon pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers. “So. What are we exactly, now?” And just like that, her happiness evaporated in the warm summer night air. “I don’t know,” she frowned. “We can’t… be.” “Oh,” he said simply, his voice sounding pained. “I… guess I should have expected that, ja? I’m still nothing but a slave, I can’t… I can’t be with anyone. Not really. It’s only a matter of time before I’m taken away.” “It’s not that I don’t want to,” she said quietly. “I do. I really, really do. I like you, Jojo.” She smiled softly. “I like it when you smile, and I want you to be happy all the time.” “Why do you have to keep making my heart flutter like this? Ever since the forest… I think I knew as soon as I saw you. And when you chose me, of all people, over the spaceman or the cowboy or the others… I was sure my heart was right.” Gabby turned towards the pool and stared quietly over the water, which had since calmed after Jojo got out. She knew what she wanted, but she also knew getting Jojo in trouble was not worth it. But that didn’t make any of this easier whatsoever. What was she supposed to do? What would Flynn tell her to do? She fought back a small smile. He would tell her to forget about everyone else and do whatever made her happy. But was the reward worth the risk? Jojo sighed. “I don’t want you to get in trouble on my behalf, Gabby. Being with me might be dangerous. If you’d rather be friends, I understand. It might make it hurt less if we can’t find a way to get this collar off…” She turned her gaze back towards him. “We will find a way. I promised you, and I meant it.” “And I believe you. And that’s why I want to be with you. You’ve given me hope that I haven’t felt since…” He trailed off and stared out over the pool. “Since I lost Heinrich, so long ago.” “Heinrich?” She wasn’t sure if this was something he wanted to talk about, especially considering how anguished he sounded. He laughed softly. “I suppose it is my turn to tell you my story, ja? He was my childhood friend and the first boy I ever loved.” Jojo sighed. “We were so loving and affectionate, and we promised each other the moon, the stars, everything… And then the Great War began, and he went off to fight for Germany. He promised me he would come back a hero, and then we could go off and live our lives, just like we’d always dreamed of. And so I waited. And waited. And waited… And then the day came when I found out he had been killed in action. His promise to me was the last time I had felt hope for any great length of time.” “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. She couldn’t even imagine what that must have been like. Knowing this, she felt even more conflicted. She didn’t want him to suffer anymore, but what if Eve found out? “I think most vampires have stories like this, ja? I have Heinrich, your mother has Nadia, Rex has Mina…” “Mina?” She supposed it made sense. The woman was often with Rex, though Gabby didn’t know what Jojo meant exactly. “It is not my place to talk about another man’s romances. Besides, aren’t we getting a bit off topic?” He put his hand on her cheek. “I want to figure out what’s going to happen with us.” His skin was warm against hers. “Us?” He blushed furiously. “Is there an us? Do you want there to be an us? I don’t want to presume anything…” “I do, but what about Grandma? I don’t want you to get in trouble…” And there was no doubt in her mind that it was Jojo who would get in trouble, not her. She was privileged in the fact that she was her mom’s daughter. It was unlikely Eve would do anything to her. “I know, I know. I’m scared… but I don’t want to keep being afraid. I want to be happy. And you are making me very happy, Gabby.” This made her smile again despite how frightened she was. A joyful glow warmed her from the inside. “But how will this work?” “I mean… Let’s continue what we’ve been doing for now, ja?” He returned her smile with one of his own. “We keep this between us. Maybe tell Flynn and Rex. They’ll keep it a secret. Then when I’m finally free, well… what could stop us?” Her eyes widened once again. “You mean we’re secretly dating?” Did this mean after so long, she actually had a boyfriend? He laughed softly. “I suppose that is what we’re doing.” Going on dates would be tough, but she had sneaked out many times before to go to shopping centers. She truthfully didn’t know the first thing about being in a relationship or having a boyfriend, but she had a feeling Jojo would teach her along the way. Her earlier smile spread across her face into a full-blown grin. “We’re really gonna do this?” “We are,” he said, his grin once more matching her own. “I guess that movie I promised to take you to can be our first date then.” “Really?” She was already looking forward to it, but she practically couldn’t wait now. “When can we go?” “Maybe we could sneak out tomorrow?” “Tomorrow?” Panic quickly spread throughout her body. Could she figure out a plan on such short notice? They’d have to come up with a cover story, pick a movie, and find the closest movie theater. Plus, she’d have to pick a cute outfit. There was no way she was going to look like a mess on her first date. “Is that not good?” he asked, his face filling up with worry. “Do you need more time? I’m sorry, I know this is a very sudden thing I’ve sprung on you.” “No, it’s okay!” She inhaled slowly to calm her nerves. “I’ll figure something out. Just pick out a movie, okay?” She quickly (and carefully, since they were so close to the water) pulled her phone out of her pocket and handed it to him. “Can I have your phone number? It might be easier to make a plan for tomorrow.” He slapped his forehead. “Duh, yes, why haven’t I given it to you already?” He quickly programmed his phone number in her contacts. Soon, their numbers were in each other’s phones. Jojo sent a smiley face in a text message to her to make sure everything was working properly. She sent one back in response, the small yellow face’s happiness matching her own. “I probably should go back to my room,” she sighed. “I promised Flynn I wouldn’t take too long. But I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” “You might even see me tonight,” he grinned. “I need to hide somewhere other than my room, after all. And I’m pretty sure Rex is going to tell me to stay with you. Or, well, I can see if Flynn will arrange something if you’re not comfortable with that.” She felt her cheeks burning again. He wanted to stay in her room? “I don’t mind,” she admitted, surprising herself. “You can have my bed if you want. I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.” “Absolutely not!” he scoffed. “I would be a poor boyfriend if I made you sleep on the floor! I’ll be fine, I promise. I think being so close to you will be its own comfort.” “But I would be a bad, um, girlfriend to let you sleep on the floor,” she countered. “I really don’t mind. I promise.” “You wouldn’t if that’s what I asked for,” he said with a smug smile. “What do you mean?” she asked in confusion. “I mean you wouldn’t be a bad girlfriend if I asked to sleep on the floor, and that’s what I’m asking. To sleep on your floor.” “Are you sure?” She bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted him to be comfortable and happy, but if he really didn’t mind, then she’d make him a cozy spot on the floor with lots of blankets and pillows. “Positive,” he smiled. Gabby relaxed. “Okay. I’ll, um, see you later, then?” “Ja!” he said. “I’ll be up in a bit, okay?” She nodded and, with a huge grin, stood up and rushed back into the house. The air conditioning hit her skin so suddenly that goosebumps appeared on her arms, but she didn’t mind. She was elated and floating on cloud nine. When she got back to her bedroom, she quickly closed the door behind her and beamed at Flynn. “You’ll never guess what happened!” Flynn leapt off the bed, the anxious look she had briefly seen on his face when she’d entered vanishing, replaced instead by his usual cocky grin. “Considering how big your smile is, I think I can guess. He likes you, right?” “Uh-huh!” She giggled as she skipped across the room and plopped down on her bed. “But it’s even better than that!” “Better? How?” “Do you promise not to tell anyone?” she asked quietly. “Who would I tell?” he snorted. “You two are my only friends.” She frowned for a moment, feeling bad. A second later, her smile was back, though. The three of them were a nice group. She loved spending time with both of them. So, with a deep breath, she confessed, “Jojo and I are dating now!” “Really?” Flynn exclaimed. “Geez, I guess my mom wasn’t kidding when she told me vampires go fast…” She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was joking, but he sounded sad too. “Is it too fast?” she asked hesitantly, suddenly worried this was abnormal. Maybe he was worried they wouldn’t hang out anymore, which was not part of her plans at all. Flynn was her closest friend (aside from Dallas, Michelle, Pierre, and Nestor). She loved spending time with him, and she didn’t want that to change just because she had a boyfriend. But what if it was too fast? Gabby, unfortunately, had no idea what was considered normal in the world of dating. He laughed nervously. “I’m, uh… the wrong guy to ask. Maybe the wrongest guy to ask. I’ve…” He turned away, his face turning almost as red as his hair. “I’ve never even kissed a girl before. But, in my opinion? No. You both want happiness and freedom, and you can find it with each other.” She smiled again. “I guess you’re right.” She decided to change the subject since she felt bad for embarrassing her friend. “Did you pick out a movie yet?” “Oh, uh, yeah actually! I wanted to see Dirty Dancing. I’ve never seen it even though my mom was always telling me how dreamy Patrick Swayze is in it.” “It’s a good movie,” she promised as she hopped off of her bed and started rifling through the box of VHS tapes on her dresser. “I think you’ll like it!” She quickly found the tape and got it started. As the cheesy previews started playing, she and Flynn got comfortable on her bed. She grabbed her pillow, ready to lay down like she usually did, when she paused. Was it okay to lay like that when she had a boyfriend? She wasn’t sure. Jojo wouldn’t get mad about it, would he? She didn’t think so, but her inexperience made her nervous. She decided to ask Flynn, hoping he’d at least know more than she did. “Can I still lay on your lap?” she quietly inquired. “Yeah, sure, I don’t see why not,” Flynn said with a small smile. With probably her hundredth grin of the night, she gently placed her pillow on his lap and laid her head on it. “We’re always going to be friends, right?” “I sure hope so,” Flynn sighed. “It’s nice having a friend for once. I wonder if your mom will let me stay when all’s said and done.” She lifted her head to gaze at him curiously. “Do you want to?” “Beats going back to my dad,” he grumbled. “Then I’ll make sure you can stay with us,” she promised. Relief washed over his face. “Thanks, Gabby,” he whispered. She smiled at him before laying down on his lap again. As they watched the rest of the previews, and eventually the movie itself, Gabby couldn’t help but feel incredibly lucky to have both Flynn and Jojo in her life. Even though they’d only recently met each other, they made a strong trio. They all supported each other’s happiness, and they enjoyed each other’s company. She still felt bad for making Hannah feel less-than-wanted by not picking her as her bodyguard, but she didn’t regret picking Flynn at all. They had such a unique and strong friendship, and she had a feeling they were meant to be friends from the start. “I’m glad you’re my friend,” she murmured quietly. “I’m glad you’re my friend too,” he replied. ****** The coven was busy preparing for the grand dinner welcoming back Victoria’s daughter and Rose. The coven leader herself had sternly told everyone personally to dress in their very best, but seeing as how Roarke cared very little about the whole ordeal, he put on a simple pastel blue polo shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. Antoinette was dressed much nicer in a cute sleeveless red and white gingham summer dress. She looked so good in it, in fact, that he was having a hard time behaving. They’d spent the entire day together mostly hanging out in his room, only leaving to shower, eat, or use the restroom. They’d had several rounds of sex in-between talking for hours on end. He had a feeling this was only going to get him even deeper in trouble, but she didn’t seem to want to leave, and he didn’t want her to. “Have I told you how good you look in that dress?” Roarke murmured from behind Antoinette before kissing her neck and wrapping his arms around her middle to hold her tightly. “Hmm, maybe about two or three times, but you could always say it a few more,” she replied with a big smile on her face. “Well, you look damn irresistible.” He kissed her neck again. Did they really have to go down to the dinner? Would anyone notice if they stayed in his room? As much as he loved her in that dress, he’d love her out of it, too. “Oh, hush you,” she said as she turned around and booped his nose. “Now come on, we gotta go head down! This is excitin’!” He sighed. “No, it’s not. It’s just some stupid stuffy dinner so Victoria can show off how great she thinks she is.” “She is great, hun. Now don’t you be a sourpuss! We had such a nice day, now let’s go and have a nice dinner! And then after, I got some dessert for you.” She winked. Before Roarke could reply to her flirtation, there was a knock on his door. He reluctantly pulled away from her and, assuming it was Victoria coming to herd them to the kitchen, crossed his room to open it. To his surprise, it was Eric. He looked rather nice dressed in a dark blue leisure suit. “Uh, hello Roarke!” he waved. “And hello to… Antoinette, right?” “Howdy!” she chirped. “Eric?” Roarke asked in surprise. “Did Victoria send you to come get me?” “No, actually,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you myself. So, ah… I have a boyfriend now, and he knows about the whole vampire thing, so I told him I’d see about getting the coven together to meet him at Rhyme or Reason this Saturday. I was wondering if you might be interested in coming?” “Wait…” He stared at the man in shock. “You want me to be there?” Eric nodded. “Yes. I don’t really see any reason why I wouldn’t want to invite you.” He could think of several, but he decided to keep them to himself. Despite having little interest in interacting with anyone in the coven, he shrugged. “Yeah, sure. Sounds like fun.” Eric pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Great! Well, I’ll see you then! But, you know, I guess I’ll also see you at dinner.” “Yeah,” he shrugged. Then a question rose to mind. “Wait, just me? Or, uh, Antoinette too?” “If she’d like! It might help Aiden feel more comfortable having a mortal trained to beat us up around while surrounded by over a dozen vampires.” With a small salute, Eric strolled off down the hall. Roarke spun on his heel to glance at Antoinette, who he assumed had heard the whole conversation. “Uh, so… You wanna go on Saturday?” “Well, duh!” she laughed. “As if I’d miss a chance to spend time with you and the coven!” He grinned. No matter how painful this dinner might be to sit through, at least he had Saturday night to look forward to. “So, what are the chances I can convince you to just stay here with me all weekend?” “I think you might have a ninety-nine percent chance,” she winked before holding up a finger. “But that one percent there? Well, just behave yourself at the dinner. Guess keepin’ the bakery closed for a bit might help me get ready for my second grand openin’!” “And that’s exactly why you should stay,” he lied. “Because we have to get ready for it, right? Fliers, social media promotion, and all that good shit.” And sex. Lots and lots of sex. That was definitely important, though not necessarily for the grand opening itself. She smirked. “Oh, I’m sure that’s why you want me around. Now, come on hun! Let’s head on down so we can see Miss Shibani!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door and out into the hall. He reluctantly followed her, if only to be on his best behavior so he could keep her all to himself for the weekend. The elegant oak table in the dining room was set in preparation for each member of the coven and any guests that may be attending. Though no food was yet placed on the table, aside from golden round dinner rolls set neatly on each plate and small crystal bowls full of butter, the delicious aromas of cooked food wafted into the room from the kitchen where it was likely staying until it was time to eat. Victoria was already seated at the head of the table. To her right was Dahlia, and to her left was a woman he had never seen before. His eyes widened as he took in her appearance. She was undoubtedly gorgeous with a captivating smile and mysterious eyes (not to mention how well-endowed she was). Next to her was a little hand-drawn paper place card on the table that said “Reserved for Puppy” with a drawing of a little dog on it, and across from it was Rose, who waved enthusiastically to Roarke as soon as she saw him. “I saved you a seat, I did!” she chirped merrily. So I guess I’m “Puppy”, he sighed to himself before immediately remembering she could hear his thoughts. Oops. She folded her arms and pouted. “Don’t be like that…” she mumbled. The mystery woman turned and smiled at him. “Ah, so you are the new Puppy, yes? I do hope you are better than the last one.” Her eyes seemed to flash with pure anger for a moment before settling back to normal. She waved him on. “Come, come, sit next to me, Puppy. Or, perhaps tell me your name so I do not steal Rose’s little nickname.” “Roarke,” he answered as he crossed through the room, pulling Antoinette along with him, to take his saved spot at the table. Victoria seemed mildly irritated at how close he was to her which made him all the more happy to sit there. “Nadia,” the woman replied. “Ah, and who is this with you?” “I’m Antoinette,” she said, awe in her voice as she took the seat to his right. “It’s… It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Shibani.” Nadia slowly shook her head. “No need for such formalities, yes? I do not wish to be above any other here. Simply call me Nadia.” She’s nicer than her mom, that’s for sure, Roarke remarked. Soon, the coven began filing into the room, as did several members of the Silverwings. Taking a seat next to Rose was Mara, an albino girl who dropped by to visit the coven now and then. Her boyfriend, a stereotypical rough and rugged “country boy”, sat to Mara’s left. Further down the table, Eric and Yuriko were helping Sakura into a seat. Other members, such as Charlene, Bach, Farrah, and Penelope, and their Silverwing companions found seats around the table as well. Unfortunately, Carlos slid into the seat right next to Antoinette. “Well hello, Miss LeBlanc. You look quite ravishing this evening, I must say,” Carlos said, oozing his usual charisma. From where she sat not too far down the table, Sakura’s head twitched toward the sound of his voice, the scowl appearing on her face only being matched by that of his Silverwing bodyguard, Talia, who looked like she wanted to piledrive the man. “Why, thank you, Carlos,” Antoinette responded politely. Roarke’s blood was boiling, but he knew he had to behave himself, so he clenched his jaw shut tightly. What was he supposed to do? He had no place to say anything. He and Antoinette were just a fling, nothing more. A gentle hand squeezed his shoulder. “You seem tense, Mister Roarke,” Nadia whispered as she leaned in close. “Might there be something I can help you with, perhaps?” “I’m fine,” he answered. He shifted his gaze from unintentionally glaring at Carlos to staring at the white spotless glass plate in front of him. Had the coven always owned such nice dinnerware? He honestly had no idea. They’d never held such an event before, or at least not since he’d joined. She gave him a mysterious smile. “Tell me, Mister Roarke… Do you believe in gravity?” He turned his head to peer at her curiously. “Uh, I mean, yeah? Why? Are there people who don’t?” She leaned back and nodded while holding up a finger. “Ah, so you accept the truth of gravity! You acknowledge it! Tell me then, do you believe that you could defeat it? Could you best gravity if you tried?” “I really doubt it,” he admitted. “Not unless I had some really cool power that gave me an advantage.” With a sigh, he added, “Which I don’t.” “Then tell me… Why do you try and fight it, even now?” He blinked. “What?” “Nadia, dear,” Victoria interjected. “You’re talking to entirely the wrong person about gravity.” Nadia laughed. “Mother, you sell this man short. Now, please, might you introduce me to the coven?” Victoria’s expression softened, shocking Roarke with how quickly her mood shifted to a pleasant one. She looked out at all those seated at the table for a short moment before gently pushing her chair back and rising, her black strapless dress glittering in the soft light of the room. She looked happier than Roarke had ever seen her before. “We are joined here this evening to celebrate a reunion,” she declared loudly. Her voice instantly quieted the chatter in the room. All eyes were on her. Lifting a hand to gesture at Nadia, the coven leader began her speech. “My daughter has come home. The hole in my heart is mended by the love only two wonderful children can give a mother.” She paused to look at Dahlia, then Nadia. “This coven has suffered for a long time, and I thank each of you for being patient with me. I apologize for the neglectful way I have led you. I have been unable to will myself to move on without my beloved…” She trailed off, and Roarke noticed her long fingers gently rubbing a black ring placed on her left hand. He frowned, unable to recall ever seeing such a piece of jewelry before. Was this what Rose mentioned last night? The short silence was broken again as Victoria continued, a serious expression on her face. “With the help of Rose, who has also rejoined us after a long absence, we have discovered a way to bring Dracula back to us. This is our main goal, and we will be working on this with the help of our allies, the Silverwings.” She smiled at someone seated further down the table. “It will not be easy, and I may ask you for difficult tasks in the near future, but trust I am doing what is best for this coven. A great evil threatens our peaceful existence, and we need our true leader to ensure our safety. But for now…” She smiled again, a sight that was still jarring considering how often she scowled. “…let us feast and celebrate the return of these beautiful women. Nadia and Rose, welcome home.” Those seated at the table erupted into applause. Roarke politely joined in, mostly for Rose’s sake. As though on cue, Mack and Matt, who Roarke hadn’t noticed were missing from the table, entered the room. Mack was carrying two large glass pitchers of chilled blood, and Matt was carrying a large bronze platter holding a ham in one hand and a carving knife in the other. They began serving everyone seated at the table while idle chatter hummed in the background. “I’m sure they’ve got something other than blood to drink,” Roarke tried to reassure Antoinette as he watched Mack fill Rose’s glass goblet. “Course they do, ya goon,” Mara snorted from across the table. “The Silverwings are here, after all, and Vicky’s a real gracious host, yeah?” The albino woman beamed at Victoria. “I certainly try to be,” the coven leader smiled. “Simply inform Macheath what you wish to drink this evening. We have several variations of soda as well as red wine, beer, and ice water.” Roarke felt his shoulders sag in relief. Truthfully, he would rather have a soda himself, but he figured Victoria would scoff at him less if he drank blood like everyone else was. Rose gestured to Mack before they moved further down the table. “I’ll have a soda too, please!” She gave a sly wink to Roarke. “Ooh, that sounds nice! Mind askin’ for one for me, handsome?” Antoinette asked, batting her eyelashes at Roarke. Carlos gave her a rather confused, slightly defeated look, but it vanished in a moment and was replaced by his typical cocky smile. “I could always order you one, Miss LeBlanc.” Roarke quickly exchanged glances with Rose. Feeling empowered by her knowing grin, he said, “Hey, Mack, can you make that two?” Then he immediately turned his attention to Carlos. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it taken care of.” Carlos raised an amused eyebrow and gave Roarke a playful smirk while Antoinette gave him a grateful but somewhat confused smile. Mack quickly left the room, returning shortly with their drinks. As they leaned forward to set down the glasses, they jerked back in shock, almost spilling the drinks. “Puppy? Rose, ah… You’re… Ah, sorry. Here are your drinks. No tip needed tonight, Roarke.” Roarke stared at the card in confusion. Why had Mack seemed so stunned by it? Did it mean something? A heavy sigh from Victoria drew his attention. “Rose, dear, there are… other members of the coven you may find entertaining to spend time with.” “I know!” she chirped. “Gonna hang out with them on Saturday, I am! I like this one here, too!” She pointed to Mara next to her. “She thinks funny things!” Mara shrugged and smiled. “I love to entertain, isn’t that right, babe?” She gently nudged the guy sitting to her left. “Sure is,” he laughed. When his eyes met Roarke’s, his easy going expression immediately turned sour. His eyes narrowed at him. Roarke stared back in confusion. What the fuck is that about? Antoinette glanced over at the man and laughed. “What’s with the face, Levi? You look like you just saw someone makin’ off with your cows.” “Nah, just someone makin’ off with my cousin. Least he ain’t tryin’ anythin’ with my girl this time.” Roarke lowered his head, staring at his empty plate—Matt hadn’t reached their side of the table yet. He couldn’t really get upset considering everything Levi said was true. He’d definitely flirted with Mara several times before, the last of which had accidentally been in front of Levi. In his defense, he hadn’t known that last time she had a boyfriend until the man was fuming in his face. He also couldn’t exactly blame him for wanting to be protective, especially since Antoinette was apparently his cousin, which was news to Roarke. “Ah, so you think she might deserve a better class of man, then?” Carlos interjected with a cocky smugness. “I can assure you, I have never tried making a move on another man’s girl before.” “Well, good for you?” Antoinette said, irritated confusion in her voice. Rose, seemingly sensing Roarke’s misery at this exchange, leaned over and whispered something in Mara’s ear. A devilish grin spread across the albino woman’s face. She turned and looked long and hard at Carlos, her sunglasses slipping down her nose a bit to give Roarke a view of the brief spark in her eyes that meant she was using her power. After a few seconds, she leaned back over to Rose and whispered something in her ear, which caused Rose to whip out paper and a pen and furiously scribble something down. She slid the paper across the table to Roarke. What the fuck? Where did she even get paper from? Curiously, he picked it up and found it was a note that said “Bring up how pretty Sakura is to Carlos,” followed by a winking face. X’s, O’s, and hearts were doodled all around the words. He glanced at Rose and raised an eyebrow, but she seemed insistent, so he sighed and reluctantly gave in. He carefully folded up the piece of paper several times before tucking it in his pocket. As casually as he could, he glanced down the table, pretending to examine Sakura. “You know,” he began, loud enough for Carlos to hear, “I’ve never really noticed how pretty Sakura is.” He had never seen the confidence drain out of a man’s face as quickly as it did with Carlos as the man leaned over and stared at Roarke in shock. “P-Pardon me?” Antoinette turned and looked at Roarke with a raised eyebrow; across the table, the two girls were snickering together. “Yeah, uh…” He glanced at Sakura again. He’d never actually tried to sleep with anyone in the coven before since he thought it would create too many problems, so he hadn’t really taken the time to check out any of the women who were a part of it. Still, looking at her now (which was easier since she couldn’t actually see him staring), he had to admit she was rather attractive. “She has really nice eyes, and, you know, when she smiles, it’s… captivating. And that… outfit she’s wearing complements her complexion.” Carlos’ eyes shifted over to her and he was biting his bottom lip nervously. “I mean, yes. You’re not wrong. You know, I, ah, never thought you were interested in her, Roarke.” His bodyguard Talia, who had previously been scowling in her seat, was now looking back and forth between Sakura and Carlos. Her expression softened and concern was written all over her face. With a hesitant glance at Antoinette (for reasons he didn’t want to think about), he admitted, “I’m, um, not. Not really. I just… couldn’t help but admire how nice she looks tonight.” “She doesn’t look that good,” said Matt as he arrived over at their side of the table to give them a serving of dinner. “How much you want, Carlos?” “You know, I’m not that hungry right now,” Carlos said, his voice a bit strained. “I’m… I need to step outside, a moment. Talia, will you come with me?” Before she could respond, Carlos got up and sped out of the room. Talia shot a venomous glare at Roarke and Matt before following him out. “Ah, so he is fighting gravity as well,” Nadia said. “Such a futile effort, yes?” Antoinette eyed Roarke suspiciously. “And what, pray tell, was that all about, hun? You almost made that poor boy cry by the looks of it.” Before he could explain, Victoria cut in, “My thoughts exactly. Can you not behave yourself for one evening?” He slumped in his seat as Matt cut a slice of ham onto his plate. He wanted to follow Carlos’s lead to get far away from the stupid dinner. At least Rose’s suggestion got the man away from Antoinette, but at what cost? “Actually, that was all my fault!” Rose exclaimed, raising her hand. “I made him do it!” “Me too!” Mara added, much to Levi’s irritation. “Uh, that Carlos guy, he… he was looking at my ass earlier! Yeah! I just wanted some revenge!” She gave an overly hammy, evil laugh that drew the stares of several people seated around her. Roarke shot Rose a grateful smile before quietly digging into his piece of honey glazed ham. Matt and Mack took their seats at the opposite end of the table once everyone else had been served. The room was mostly quiet as everyone ate and drank. Antoinette leaned over and whispered, “Roarke, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were a bit jealous of the attention I was gettin’ from Carlos.” His ears burned the way they used to when his mom caught him doing something he wasn’t supposed to. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he quietly replied, trying not to catch Victoria’s attention again. “I just saw how he was bothering you, that’s all.” “Sure, hun,” she murmured before sliding back into her seat and digging into the food in front of her. Roarke did the same, feeling extremely miserable. He regretted coming to the stupid thing at all. Victoria’s temporary rage at him for missing it would have been far more tolerable. “You know,” Antoinette finally said after a long silence, “I know this is outta the blue, Roarke… but I was just wonderin’ what your power is. You never told me.” He swallowed a chunk of ham as he realized he hadn’t actually shared this information. “Oh, I guess you’re right. I can duplicate an item.” Her eyes sparkled with intrigue. “Oooh, now that’s somethin’!” He straightened his back and shrugged nonchalantly as he took a sip from his soda. “It’s alright, I guess. It’s limited to twice a day, but I can usually keep our blood storage supply pretty well stocked if I time when I use it each day just right. Which, you know, I’m happy to do. Whatever keeps us fed, right?” “Oh, yes,” Victoria sarcastically piped in. “I don’t know what we would do without you. It is not as if one of our own can persuade others effortlessly to do as she pleases.” She lifted a hand to gesture to Penelope Common, a Hispanic woman sitting at the opposite end of the table who possessed such a power. “Or, even better, erase one choice memory of another.” She lowered her hand, but her eyes had shifted to where an Asian man, Bach Nguyen, sat animatedly chatting with Eric. Irritation mixed with embarrassment. Can’t she give me a fucking break for one night? He lowered his head and pretended to be fully focused on cutting a piece apart from his slab of ham. “Mother,” Nadia huffed indignantly from beside him. “I do not see how belittling one’s accomplishments is in the spirit of Father’s coven? He would not approve of such talk. He would say, ‘All vampires are worthy of their place in this world,’ then he would probably make some humorous remark to try and make you smile…” Dahlia sighed from across the table. “I hope we can get him back soon…” “Indeed,” Nadia sighed forlornly before she continued, “but please, Mother, will you not ease your anger a bit? Are you so snide because Rose has given him that nickname? He is not like the last one. Even I can tell that.” “My dear Nadia,” the coven leader sighed, “I love you so very much, but I ask you to trust my judgment. You’ve merely just met the man, whereas I have known him for nearly forty years.” Roarke’s misery increased tenfold. How could she talk about him as though he wasn’t sitting right there? What did he do to deserve this? If she hated him so much, why didn’t she just kick him out? Nadia sighed once more. “Ah, I sit here, angry at you, as if I am not responsible for this bitterness… If I had only stayed, would your mood be more pleasant, I wonder?” “It ain’t your fault, Nadia…” Rose mumbled nervously from across the table. She looked like she wanted to say more, but she shoveled food into her mouth before she could. “You are not responsible in the slightest, my dear,” Victoria reassured her daughter. “Such bitterness was not in your heart before I left,” Nadia pouted. “How is it I cannot feel some responsibility? I must fix this. We must have a mother-daughter excursion, yes?” As they began making plans for such an outing, Roarke felt Antoinette’s hand on his shoulder. “Hey, hun? You wanna step out for a moment?” “Yeah,” he quietly muttered. He stood up and, his eyes on the table below him, asked, “May I please be excused?” There was a moment of silence likely caused by Victoria glaring daggers at him. She finally answered with a sigh. “Very well. At least you have the decency to ask before running out.” He was surprised by this backhanded compliment, but said nothing as he and Antoinette left the table and walked out of the dining room. Once they were in the hallway, Roarke finally felt like he could breathe again. She gently squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry about all that, hun. That ain’t right at all what she said.” He shrugged. “Welcome to my life.” Antoinette pulled him into a tight hug. “Dammit, Roarke. Why you gotta go and act all jealous and then make me feel all hurt that you gotta live like this? It ain’t easy for me to stay mad at you this way.” She was so warm. Before he even realized what he was doing, his arms were wrapped around her, and his head was rested against hers. Then what she’d said clicked. “Wait, why are you mad at me? What did I do?” She sighed. “You didn’t have to make Carlos upset like that, hun. I ain’t much interested in his flirtations. If it was really botherin’ you, you should’ve just said somethin’. I guess… Well, I guess I just didn’t think you cared that much, is all.” “It wasn’t even my idea!” he exclaimed in exasperation, pulling back from her. “It was…” He could say it was Rose’s idea, but since she was just trying to help him, he decided against it. “Never mind.” “That ain’t the point!” she huffed. “Just talk to me, Roarke. I’m your friend. I’m your bodyguard. I’m… Shoot, Roarke. I don’t rightfully know what else we are.” She turned away. “I hate admittin’ this, but… part of me really liked you gettin’ all jealous.” He paused, watching her with curiosity. Well, that was new. “Why?” “Cuz it’s nice thinkin’ a guy might be into me that much is all.” He snorted. “Carlos sure is.” Much to his irritation. “But I think you are even more than he is. Plus, Carlos ain’t my type. And I think he might have eyes for someone else, anyhow, judgin’ by what happened in there.” “I mean, yeah, I’m into you, but that’s obvious, isn’t it? Would you rather be sleeping with someone who wasn’t?” “I guess I was just thinkin’ that meant you might be more into me than I thought, but that’s just lil’ ol’ Antoinette bein’ a fool, ain’t it?” He clenched his fists at his sides. Alarm bells were making a racket in his head. “No, it’s not. I should’ve been honest from the start, and I’m sorry.” Swallowing his pride was not easy. “I’m not a relationship kind of guy.” “I understand,” she said, still not turning around. “I mean, I wasn’t really lookin’ for one myself. I thought this would just be nice and fun, maybe… Shoot, I dunno what I was hopin’ for. I just didn’t expect to start feelin’ like this, is all.” She turned around, and though her face was hard and determined, her eyes seemed a bit watery. “Want me to head out?” “You don’t have to,” he replied quietly. He felt torn in five different directions with no idea which way he wanted to go. “Be honest, Roarke. I ain’t tryin’ to saddle you with my BS, alright? I’m gettin’ swept up in a silly fantasy, and I know it.” “I am being honest,” he insisted. She gave him a sad look. “I just—” “Roarke?” came the sound of Carlos’ voice from the back door. “May I speak with you for a moment?” Really? he groaned. Right now? He smiled apologetically at Antoinette. “Give me ten minutes, sweet thing. I’ll be right back, I promise.” She nodded. “I’ll be here, okay? Behave yourself, hun.” “I’ll try.” He walked through the house to the back door. Just outside, he found Carlos sitting on the back porch steps with Talia standing over him. She glanced at Roarke and gave him a stern, yet not unkind, look and a slight nod before heading past him into the house. “You know,” Carlos said quietly, “I always admired you, Roarke. You always seemed so unbothered by your conquests, so sure of yourself. But I suppose I was wrong about that, huh?” Roarke shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.” “I’m sorry, Roarke. I shouldn’t have... I thought, maybe, the girl was just another of your games. I thought we could have a friendly little competition, you know? I didn’t realize…” He shook his head. “I don’t know how you knew. I figured I’d be okay, since no one else in the coven cares much about her and she rarely leaves anyway. But you knew about it, somehow, and that stressed me out. But maybe I deserved it because I have a feeling you feel a certain way about your bodyguard.” “It’s just a fling,” he hurriedly corrected. “But, about Sakura? That wasn’t really me. I, uh, had help. Still, I’m sorry, man.” Which he was. Despite how much Carlos had grinded his gears, he didn’t have any ill intentions towards him. “Just a fling,” Carlos chuckled. “You know, I’ve said the same thing to her a few times. But only because she can’t see me lying to her.” He stood up and turned towards Roarke, giving him a small smile. “You are forgiven, my friend. All is fair in love and war, right?” “Yeah, sure,” he answered, feeling more lost and confused than before. Carlos shrugged. “You know, I’ve been doing your game longer than you have. I have to wonder if maybe you have the same reasons as I do. But I can tell you this much: it’s never going to make you really happy.” He paused and pointed at Roarke, closing one of his eyes. “I think I understand. Nadia, I overheard her talking to you about gravity… She asked you why you keep fighting it, right?” “Yeah, but I have no idea what that means.” “I don’t think she was talking about the force holding us to the ground,” Carlos replied. “I think she means you’re fighting against an unstoppable force that’s pulling you in… So why not just let yourself fall?” Roarke frowned. “I’m still confused. What force? What’s pulling me in?” “You’re a smart guy, I think. You can figure this out.” With a playful wink and a rush of air, Carlos vanished, presumably having used his power of super speed to run off somewhere. Roarke stared at the spot where Carlos had been standing just a second earlier. What was he talking about? What was pulling him in? Frustrated and clueless, he stood up and walked back inside. As promised. Antoinette was exactly where he’d left her. “How’d it go, hun?” she asked softly. “You boys kiss and make up?” “Yeah, something like that,” he replied. “So, uh, what were you saying before I left?” She shook her head. “Ain’t anythin’ to worry about. You ready to go back in and eat?” “Hell no. I mean, if you want to, go for it. I, uh, lost my appetite.” Which really meant he didn’t want to deal with Victoria anymore. “Nah, it’s fine. I’m not feelin’ too hungry myself.” “So… Now what?” He knew what he wanted to do (sex), but he wasn’t so sure she wanted to, especially considering the melancholy mood she seemed to be in. She sighed and, looking down at the floor, muttered, “Actually… I think… Do you mind walkin’ me home, hun?” “How am I going to get home? If it’s so dangerous for me to be out on my own…” He did his best to hide his disappointment, but he was sure she could tell by the tone of his voice. He was looking forward to having her stay over for the whole weekend, and now that plan was out the window. Hadn’t he behaved like she’d wanted him to? Was what he did to Carlos really bad enough that she’d decided against staying? “I’ll walk you home after you drop her off,” came Talia’s voice. She walked up and put a gentle hand on Antoinette’s shoulder. “It’s the least I can do, honestly.” Antoinette glanced at her in surprise. “You sure, Talia?” “I’m sure,” she nodded. “Carlos gave me some perspective on a few things, so I’m going to help you out. It’s what he’d want, I think. Plus, you are my coworker.” Antoinette smiled gratefully. “Thanks. Honest.” “Yeah,” Roarke agreed, though it would make trying to figure out what was going on with her more difficult with someone else around. The three of them quietly left the house and started walking in the direction of Antoinette’s bakery. It was awkward to say the least, but he didn’t want to make Talia feel unwanted when she was doing them a favor. A few times, he snuck a glance at the blonde beauty beside him. She seemed quiet, distant, and lost in thought, a far cry from what he was used to seeing from her in the short time they’d known each other. What was on her mind? Was it something he’d done? Should he have asked her to stay? He was so confused. He never stayed in contact with any of the women he slept with, and he had no idea what to do. Antoinette’s earlier question about what they were resonated with exactly how he was feeling. What were they? They were still a fling, right? Just casual sex? Or were they friends with benefits? What did he want? He wasn’t even sure what the answer to that question was. More importantly, he didn’t know if he wanted to know the answer. It was far too soon that they arrived at their destination, and Antoinette was sighing as she unlocked her back door. “Text me if you need me for anythin’, hun. I think I’m gonna be spendin’ my weekend here. I… got a lot I need to think about.” “Oh…” He tried to hold back his disappointment. “Does that mean you’re not coming to the bar on Saturday?” “We’ll see,” she said quietly. “I’ll let you know if I’m up for it.” “Okay.” He sighed and added, “Have a good weekend, okay?” “You too, hun,” she replied before quickly slipping inside and locking the door behind her. Talia let out a sigh. “You know, she’s a sweet girl. I don’t know how she manages it, all things considered. She can face almost anything with a smile, but me? I get pissed way too easy.” “I don’t know either,” he admitted, reluctantly turning away from her bakery and starting the trip back home. There wasn’t anyone in the immediate area, but he could hear violence just a few blocks away. “Bah, it’s always something in this city,” Talia grumbled as she followed Roarke. “It really is a good thing I’m here, Mr. Silver needs all the help he can get in a place like this.” He decided to continue making conversation if only to avoid any more awkwardness. “What does he need help doing exactly?” “Keeping Dracula’s coven safe,” Talia stated. “There are a lot of people out there who would want this coven dead, and the absolute worst of them all is in the city right now.” “Can’t say I blame them,” he mumbled. Especially considering how a number of the coven treated him. Some of them were uppity about being a vampire, with Victoria being the worst of them all. “You should blame them,” she huffed. “This woman Harlan is having us fight, she’s the reason you’re even here. She invented vampirism.” He stopped in his tracks. “What? You’re fucking with me, right?” “You wish,” she snorted. “Her name’s… well, I can’t say it. She put a taboo on it. If you say one of her names, she can see where you are, and if you say her true name, she can come right to you. Harlan said to just call her ‘Sammy.’ You’d know her if you saw her since she either looks like a very tall, white woman with long black hair or a giant black horned snake with a silver rattle and huge fangs.” The picture Rose showed him at the bar last night drifted back into his mind. The woman with the unnerving smile in the photograph of Dracula and other unrecognizable vampires came to the forefront of his thoughts. So that’s who that was… He shuddered and started walking again. “Great.” “If you want an idea of how bad she is, thirteen years ago in Egypt, she massacred the Acolytes of Ra, a group much like the Silverwings, with the help of her coven… And that was when she was still weak.” Quietly, she added, “I was there. I wouldn’t have made it out if not for the help of one of the Silverwings. That’s part of why I wanted to make sure you got to Antoinette’s and back safely.” “Is that why you joined?” She nodded. “I owed it to Drake McAllister for saving my life. And I’m really, really glad I decided to take the assignment here instead of dealing with the Von Kaiser thing they’re constantly dealing with in Europe. I’d rather be helping this coven survive than dealing with a bunch of aristocratic vampires.” “What’s so good about this coven?” he snorted. She gave him a disdainful look. “Do you actually spend any time with anyone else in the coven? Like at all? Most of them are very nice and easygoing people who just want to belong. Even Carlos, as much as he pissed me off at first with his constant womanizing… You’re good people and worth keeping safe.” “I beg to differ,” he muttered. “Yeah, well, your file said you’re a moody loner, so that’s not much of a shock you’d say that,” she retorted. “Tell me, have you ever made an actual effort to get to know anyone in the coven?” “Why would I?” “Because if you’re stuck living forever, why would you want that time to be miserable and lonely?” “I had friends once,” he simply answered. “I’m not going through that again.” He’d inevitably lost all of his friends when he’d been turned. The pain he’d felt when he’d been forced to say goodbye without really being able to say goodbye still lingered forty years later. “Yes, why bother caring about anyone when the alternative is so appealing?” she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “My family and friends were all killed, I suppose I should have taken your path and just become a shut in who doesn’t care about anyone but themselves. That worked out for you really well, didn’t it? I guess I can’t even argue it didn’t, because somehow Antoinette is enamored with you. Unbelievable.” He slowed his pace. That couldn’t be right. They were just a fling. Talia was probably just jealous because Carlos was into Sakura, not her. He decided to shut his mouth for the rest of the walk. Anything he said would only make things worse. He had a bad habit of doing that, proven perfectly by his interactions with Victoria. They arrived in silence at the manor a short while later. Talia held the door open and gestured inside. “Here you are.” “Thanks,” he briefly said before going in. His skin chilled when the nicer air inside enveloped him. The June heat was warm, clinging to his skin like an uncomfortable jacket. “Don’t mention it,” she said as she stepped in after him. “I’m going to see how Carlos is holding up, if I can even find him. I don’t know what you plan to do, just make sure it isn’t anything stupid.” He grumbled in response and sulked up the stairs to his room. Once he was safe inside with the door closed, he collapsed on his bed. He was frustrated, exhausted, and conflicted. What the fuck was going on? Did he do something wrong? He knew Antoinette wanted her space, but he wanted to gauge how serious the situation was. Women were hard to understand. Even Linda had had her moments. He chuckled. Over sixty years old and he still couldn’t understand how women think. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he sent a quick text to Antoinette. “Sleep well, sweet thing.” It seemed like an eternity before he got a reply: “You too hun. I’m sorry.” He ached to know more. He wanted to reply, to talk to her, but he figured she wanted her space. He wanted to respect that, even if he wished she was still with him. Reluctantly, he set the phone on his side table. He’d have to play the waiting game. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. The easiest way to make time pass quickly was to sleep. So, even though he wasn’t tired in the slightest, Roarke closed his eyes. He could hear muffled conversation and laughter coming from downstairs, though it sounded like they had moved from the dining room to the living room. Even though he couldn’t make out anything that was being said, he listened. The voices were background music, slowly lulling him to sleep as he desperately tried to ignore the sweet scent Antoinette left behind on his sheets.
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2/14/2021 0 Comments Chapter Five - Part 1Thursday June 22, 2017 Jojo lay awake in the dark staring at the white bedroom ceiling. He glanced over at the digital clock sitting on the side table; it was 1:36 A.M. He’d been restlessly lying in bed for two and a half hours. How could he sleep when what he thought would be a pleasant trip was turned into yet another waking nightmare? Yet again, he had been allowed to feel hope that he might be happy again only for Jack’s depraved machinations to once again tear it away from him. Or at least, that was how he’d felt before stumbling into the kitchen the previous afternoon where he’d found himself in Gabby’s arms. Prior to this trip, he had only ever seen her during a brief stay with Eve’s group in the late 70’s, though he’d kept his distance from her and the others due to Jack’s presence. He hadn’t gotten a good look at her, which may have been why when he saw her in the Black Forest, he had been immediately entranced. She was like a star shining through the darkness, and it hadn’t taken much encouragement from Rex to cross the clearing to talk to her. It was a decision he doubted he’d ever regret. She was sweet, kind, gentle, and patient. Most amazingly of all, she had given him hope that he might actually be able to break free of the wretched magic collar he’d been stuck in for almost a century. He disliked having to leave her presence; her company was intoxicating, and even now he yearned to be in her embrace yet again. Being with her wouldn’t erase the pain he felt, but she made him feel warm, happy, and safe. He had also come to find he was equally happy to be around her bodyguard, Flynn. The man had a cocky confidence to him, but there was more to the man than what meets the eye. Little things like the way his face flushed when they talked about Rex, the sheer intensity he had shown when promising to help Jojo no matter what, and the shy and furtive glances he gave both him and Gabby made Jojo looked forward to seeing what was beneath the surface. His brief time earlier watching movies and chatting with the two had been wonderful, blissful, and peaceful, punctuated by the wonderful sound of Rex-on-Moore violence from down the hall. Jojo smiled to himself as he recalled the pained shrieks of his assaulter. He would have to find some way to thank Marianna for that; she had known telling Rex about what happened would inevitably lead to him beating Moore to a bloody pulp. His joy was short-lived, however, as later on, while he was still with Flynn and Gabby, shouting had been heard from the living room below. The group of three had quietly crept to the stairway to eavesdrop on what was being said. They soon realized Marianna and Amon were arguing with Eve. “...no reason at all when I am fully capable of paying him!” Amon had roared, the anger in his voice making Jojo flinch. “Amon, the boy is his payment,” Eve had replied, her voice a bit less confident than he would have imagined. “He approached me on the plane and told me Jack had given him his blessing, I’m not sure why—“ “Mother!” Marianna had snapped. “It is bad enough that you allowed that freak to live with us for a time! I am not allowing a monster like that in a house with my daughter ever again!” “Then pray for this mission to end quickly so he can leave,” Eve had hissed. “Until then, I don’t want to hear any more of this whining, understand? Perhaps the boy can stay and entertain your daughter when all is said and done.” They’d stayed on the top of the stairs for a few minutes more, but Jojo barely listened further. He knew Eve would eventually make them submit to her will; she always got her way with the coven. Regardless of this knowledge, it still stung to hear out loud what he’d already long suspected: To her, he was nothing more than a prize or a toy to be passed about the coven as she saw fit. On top of everything else he had been through that day, he couldn’t help but begin letting his tears flow again. Mere moments after his sadness returned anew, his newfound friends had both wrapped him in a hug. Gabby’s touch was soft and gentle while Flynn’s was firm and safe. Warm joyous electricity coursed through him. Feeling comforted, he had wished to never have to leave their arms, preferring to simply stay safe and happy with them like this always. “You deserve better than that,” Gabby had quietly told him. “You’re not just… just a tool. You’re my friend.” “And mine too,” Flynn had added. “Forget the stupid mission to find Dracula’s coven. All I care about is keeping you and Gabby safe.” “You are both so kind to me,” he had managed to choke out. “I’ve done nothing to deserve such compassion.” “Yes, you have,” Gabby had countered. “You’ve been a good person.” Guilt had stung his heart. He had not been a good person. He had made terrible mistakes in his life that haunted him even now. Though, he supposed fundamentally she was right; he had always tried to be kind, friendly, compassionate, and giving. He couldn’t bring himself to argue with her, so he had just allowed his two new friends to bring him back up to Gabby’s room where they had spent the evening watching more movies and getting to know each other. Eventually, though, they’d heard a knock, their movie being interrupted once more. “Gabby?” Marianna’s muffled voice had called out from behind the door . “May I come in?” Gabby had looked annoyed, but she’d still politely replied, “Yes, Mom.” Marianna had entered looking positively exhausted. Her eyes had been red; it was clear she had been crying. Jojo had looked down at his lap sadly. He’d remembered when he’d first met her. She had seemed cold and imposing, exuding an air of authority, but she had still welcomed him into the coven and had promised him companionship. The past century had not been kind to her; even in the forest she had seemed frazzled, tired, and a far cry from the woman he had first met. Still, the Marianna he remembered was in there somewhere; he saw it whenever she looked at Gabby, full of pride and adoration. “Mom?” Gabby had asked, her voice full of concern. “Are you okay?” She had shaken her head. “I’m… I’m fine, Gabby.” She had taken a deep breath and straightened herself out before continuing. “I think it’s time to say goodnight to Jojo. He needs rest.” He’d heard Gabby huff stubbornly. “He can speak for himself, Mom.” Truthfully, he hadn’t wanted to go, but it had been getting rather late, and he had been exhausted. “Must I, Marianna?” he’d muttered. “Just for one night, alright? Amon and I are sorting a few things out,” she’d said, rubbing her right forearm. “You need to go to your room for now.” “Sorting what out?” Gabby had pressed. She hadn’t sounded happy. “Sorting out the situation with Mr. Moore,” Marianna had said softly. “So why does Jojo have to go?” “Because that is what Amon asked me to do. He’s a good man, and I trust his judgment.” “Gabby, it’s… it’s alright,” he’d said, trying his best to reassure her. “I’ll be okay, and we can hang out bright and early tomorrow morning, ja?” He’d smiled, one he hoped told her that things would be okay. When she’d turned around to glance at him, the frown on her face and the way she’d bit her bottom lip had told him she wasn’t particularly happy about it, but she’d nodded regardless and mumbled, “Okay.” Marianna had gently led Jojo out of Gabby’s room and down the hall to his room. He’d glanced at her nervously, and she’d returned his glance with a sad smile on her face. “You know,” she’d began, “when all this is over… When Mother has won and all that… You could always come with Gabby and I. And perhaps Nadia…” She’d trailed off for a moment before shaking her head. “Perhaps we could go back to that house. You remember it, right? I still own it, you know. We could tidy it up and live there together.” “I’m not sure I could go back,” he’d whispered sadly. “He might still be there.” “Oh…” Marianna had sighed as they’d arrived at the door to his room. Before he’d been able to say anything else, she had pulled him into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, Jojo,” she’d whispered before letting him go and giving him a tearful look. “Goodnight.” She’d turned and quickly walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts. And that brings me back to now, he thought miserably. He was alone and unhappy in his dark bedroom, twitching nervously at every sound and unable to sleep for fear of what might happen if he did. Jojo froze. A quiet tapping could be heard from somewhere in the hallway. What is that? he thought nervously. Was it Moore? Was it Eve? He listened in a panic as it slowly made its way closer and closer. Eventually, it stopped right outside his door. Jojo held his breath, not daring to move. Three gentle knocks made him jump. An unfamiliar female voice from the other side of his door called out,“Jojo? You in there?” “W-Who are you?” he replied with a shaky voice. “Oh, right. I’m Rhapsody. Can I come in?” Jojo knew very little about Rhapsody von Braun, but he didn’t think she seemed particularly dangerous considering Marianna had personally picked her to come on the mission (and Marianna was incredibly protective of Gabby). He figured that this was evidence enough that it was safe to interact with Rhapsody. “Um, alright,” he muttered. Rhapsody opened the door, quietly slipping inside the room and flipping the light switch on. “Can’t sleep, huh? Can’t say I blame you. I’m not very good with these sorts of things, but I’m really sorry.” She nodded solemnly. “But I’m here to help. Amon asked me to. He didn’t have to ask me twice either.” “Help… me?” Rhapsody nodded and gestured at him with her cane. “So. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m gonna need you to take your clothes off.” Jojo looked at her, dumbfounded. “Pardon?” “I need to paint you, and if this is gonna work, I need to know what your penis looks like.” She nodded as if this was normal and made perfect sense. “Why do you need to see my penis for that? Can’t you just your imagination?” Jojo asked, perhaps a little more loudly than he’d meant to. “It’s so I can draw it better. Look, I’m really trying not to make this weird. Here, hold on, let me show you what I can do, then maybe you’ll get it.” She closed the door behind her and unscrewed the top of her cane, revealing a large paint brush. She pulled down her tinted green shades and he saw the tell-tale flash of her eyes as whatever power she had activated. Suddenly, the tip of the brush was covered in black paint. She walked to a nearby wall and began rapidly painting on it. Jojo watched in awe as, in a few short moments, she had drawn a picture of herself in an old cartoon style. The awe only heightened as the painted Rhapsody peeled itself off the wall and stood next to the regular Rhapsody. The painted Rhapsody got down on a knee and did an exaggerated pose. “Ta-da!” it exclaimed. “See, I can make paintings come to life. My paintings, anyway. Sorry if you want to have sex with the Mona Lisa or something. I met a guy like that, once.” She yawned. “I’m gonna trick Baldy. But I gotta make sure I get every part of you right. I feel like he’s the sort of guy who’d be able to tell if something was off.” She tapped the painted Rhapsody on the head, which then sucked her into the tip of her brush like a vacuum. “I… Alright.” Sighing, Jojo removed his clothes. He suddenly felt very self-conscious about anyone seeing him in the nude, and he didn’t necessarily think it was because of his unpleasant encounter with Moore earlier. He just didn’t feel that Rhapsody was the right person to be looking at him like this. She silently walked around him, leaning in close here and there, examining every inch of him, before finally stepping back. “Okay. Cool. I think I’ve got this.” Jojo hurriedly began putting his clothes back on. “Good, good. Now what?” “Hmmm…” she muttered, rubbing her chin. “You can either wait for me, or you can run to Rex’s room. I might be a while. Just be quiet.” “Thank you, Rhapsody,” he said as he darted for the door. As awkward as that had been, he felt a bit reassured knowing that whatever Eve said and whatever Moore did, the members of the coven here had his back. He darted quickly down the hall to Rex’s room and tapped on the door. “Rex, please open the door!” Jojo quietly called out. A few moments later, Rex was standing in the doorway wearing red and pink heart printed pajama pants and, quite surprisingly, a shirt. “Jojo?” he asked. “What the fuck are you doing out so late?” “It’s a long story. Do you mind if I stay in…” He peered around his shoulder and noticed Mina peering back at him curiously from Rex’s bed. As she hadn’t bothered covering up, her breasts were exposed, and Jojo could see numerous scars crisscrossing her body. “Oh. Um. Am I interrupting?” Rex shook his head. “Fuck no. Get in here, now.” He dragged Jojo by his arm into the room and shut the door behind him. “Mina, we got a guest, so do you mind putting your tits away?” “Right, right,” she mumbled as she grabbed a shirt off the floor and pulled it on. “How are you feeling, Johan?” “Like shit,” he mumbled. Rex patted him gently on the back. “I can fucking imagine. Don’t worry, snapped a few of Moore’s bones for you. I’d have killed him, but that fucking boot-skinned bitch came in and gave me an earful.” He chuckled softly. “I’m not letting him fucking touch you, alright?” “I appreciate it, really, but… I’m so tired, Rex. Can I please just sleep now?” “Alright, alright,” he shrugged as he grabbed his pillows and some blankets and tossed them on the floor. “I’m gonna let Jojo sleep with me, okay?” “You’re throwing me off the bed?” Mina huffed. “Fuck no! What kind of guy do you take me for?” Rex retorted indignantly. “I’m sleeping on the floor, and Jojo’s gonna sleep with me.” Jojo shivered excitedly. He’d slept with Rex many, many times over the past hundred years, in every sense of the word. He was an incredible lover, but more importantly for tonight, he was very cuddly and warm. “You really know how to spoil a guy,” Jojo whispered. “Yeah, well, you deserve some fucking spoiling after that fucking shitstain touched you,” Rex snarled. “Now get on the fucking floor with me so you can sleep and go spend time with your new pals in the morning.” He didn’t have to ask twice. Jojo lay down next to Rex and cuddled up against him. “Sorry to steal him from you, Mina.” “Can’t steal what I don’t have, yeah?” she said sadly as she laid back down. “Why you gotta make me feel so fucking bad, Mina?” Rex grumbled as he squeezed Jojo close to him. Once more, guilt chewed at Jojo. He hadn’t wanted to interrupt Rex and Mina. “Sorry…” she whimpered. “Rex, get on the fucking bed,” Jojo groaned. “I’ll be fine by myself. Just don’t step on me, ja?” “No, no,” Mina said. “You get up here, too.” After a few moments of back and forth, they’d all agreed to squeeze onto the bed together, with Rex holding Jojo and Mina holding Rex. It was so warm and comfortable that it wasn’t long before Jojo drifted off into a comfortable, pleasant sleep. His dreams invariably drifted to Gabby; she dominated his sleeping mind. He forgot Rex, and he forgot Mina. All he could dream of was spending more time with Gabby and Flynn. Eventually, though, his dreams were interrupted by a cartoonish slide whistle. Wearily, he opened his eyes and saw a large TV. Looking around his immediate area, he recognized this as being the living room. On the TV were two hands with googly eyes chasing after a grey cat with black stripes with cheap, tacky blue butterfly wings on its back. The cat appeared to be flying about but really looked like a bad green screen edit of someone holding it under its arms. “Get back here, Blue!” one of the hands shouted in a squeaky voice. “Noitamrofni drac tiderc ruoy su evig!” said the other hand. “Yeah, what he said,” the first hand added before a coconut from offscreen landed on his head with a cartoonish bonk. “That’s what you get for evading your taxes! Meow, meow, meow!” said the flying cat. Seated next to him was Rex who was cackling at the show. Jojo slowly turned and stared at him with bewilderment. “Rex, what the fuck is this?” he asked, gesturing at the TV screen. “Why aren’t I still in bed?” “He wanted to watch TV,” Mina snorted from the other side of Rex. “And he couldn’t just leave you, right? So the most sensible thing is to carry you down here and watch stupid kids shows until the noise wakes you up.” “This shit’s so fucking funny!” Rex laughed. “They show this shit to kids? Un-fucking-believable. This is so stupid; it’s hilarious!” Jojo rolled his eyes. Rex would enjoy some dumb children’s show with no budget and gratuitous cartoon violence. Jojo tried to get into it, but his brain checked out when a giant purple penguin appeared, followed by the flying cat dumping even more coconuts on the hand’s head. “Rex, can we please change the channel?” Mina sighed. “I think you’re giving Jojo brain damage.” “Fucking fine,” Rex grumbled as he grabbed the remote and began flipping through the channels. “—yet another victim of the serial killer dubbed ‘Maneater’ was f—” “—unearthed in Mexico. The statue depicts a large, horned woman w—” “—t’s real! Real, I swear it! The vampire dolphin is r—” Rex finally stopped on a channel showcasing a commercial for Lost Paradise Candy Company. The sound of Maroon 5’s “Sugar” blasted out of the TV’s speakers as a pretty, colorfully dressed black man pranced across the screen. “Hey, look! Tony! That motherfucker’s still got it! Haven’t seen him in a long fucking time!” Rex exclaimed. “Can’t believe he’s still using that fucking song though. Did he buy the fucking rights or what?” Jojo shrugged as he watched Tony Sugar prance about before ending the commercial with his usual catchphrase. “Everyone deserves a little Sugar,” he said with a seductive wink before the commercial faded to the company’s logo, which was a winged stag. A huff from the living room doorway drew his attention away from the TV. An annoyed Gabby was standing there in a simple white t-shirt tucked neatly into a light blue skirt that showed off more leg than she’d probably intended. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she was glaring in Rex’s direction with irritation written all over her face. “Do you have to be so loud? You’re ruining my movie.” Jojo perked right up at the sound of her voice and peered around Rex and Mina to see her, a smile spreading across his face. “Good morning, Gabby!” Almost instantly, she dropped her hands to her sides. Her face brightened, and her mouth spread into a big smile. “Jojo! Um, good morning!” She hesitated before nervously asking, “Do you want to watch a movie with me? If you’re not busy, I mean. I don’t want to, um, take you away from Rex or…” Her smile faltered as she spotted the woman sitting next to Rex. “…Mina…?” Mina turned and waved at her with a polite, “Hello.” “Nah, Jojo would love to go watch a movie with you! He was just saying how much of an annoying asshole with bad taste in TV shows I was, and how much he wished someone would get him out of here!” Rex slapped Jojo playfully on the back, then leaned in and whispered, “Thank me later.” She seemed perplexed for all of two seconds before grinning brightly again. “Well, um, if you’re sure?” “Ja! Ja, I’m, uh, certain!” Jojo said as he leapt up and joined Gabby, turning to see Rex scoot closer to Mina and lean his head against hers, their matching heart earrings gently clinking together as they did so. It was obvious she was enthralled by this if how she nearly skipped through the vast foyer just outside the living room was any indication. “You can pick the movie! I was just watching this movie called Big, but we can watch something else if you want!” “I’m certainly not opposed to watching Tom Hanks.” “Do you want me to start it from the beginning?” She hopped onto the first step of the large staircase, pausing to wait for him to catch up. “I mean, if you’d like. I’ve only seen it once, back when it came out. Rex took me to see it.” “You’re so lucky,” she sighed. “I’ve never seen a movie in a theater before.” “Perhaps I could take you sometime?” Jojo asked. He was certain she’d say yes, but asking still made him feel a bit nervous. Her eyes lit up, and her dazzling smile returned. “Really? You’d take me to a real movie theater?” “Absolutely!” A sly grin spread across his face. “If I can find out where one is, perhaps we could sneak off there. I have a body double now thanks to Rhapsody, so that might make things easier.” Gabby frowned in confusion. “A… what?” “She… painted another me. To keep me safe. I spent the night with Rex and Mina, but I suppose now I can probably just hide out with you, ja?” He decided to leave out the part where Rhapsody examined his naked body as he still felt rather self-conscious about the whole ordeal. This was odd since he’d never been bothered by women looking at him before. He was starting to get an inkling of why he felt that way, but he wanted to spend more time with Gabby and Flynn first just to be certain. “That’s genius!” she whispered, her eyes widening. “But… what about the painted you? Will he have to suffer now instead?” “Unfortunately,” he winced. “But he is made of magic and paint. He’s like a blow-up doll, I suppose.” Truthfully this didn’t do much to alleviate his discomfort and disgust, as Moore would still be molesting his likeness, but it was certainly preferable to the alternative. Judging by the uncomfortable expression on Gabby’s face, she didn’t much approve of it either. However, she said nothing more and started leading him up the stairs. “Flynn isn’t awake yet. Or, well, I don’t think so. I haven’t seen him yet today.” “Shall we look for him? Or would you rather have me all to yourself for a bit?” He did want to see Flynn again, but he knew what answer he would prefer right now. She slowed as they neared the top of the second floor. “Um…” Turning her head to glance at him hesitantly, she asked, “Do you want to go find him?” “I think,” Jojo said slowly, “he will be able to find us when he wakes up, ja?” Her honey brown eyes sparkled with delight. “Yes, I think so. He’s right next to my room.” He was captivated by her for a moment, then gave a playful smirk and said, “Well then, I see no reason to bother him for now.” Grinning with excitement, no doubt at the prospect of having him all to herself, she raced to her bedroom, which was about halfway down the hall. Once they were inside, she gently closed the door and hopped onto her bed. “It shouldn’t take too long to rewind,” she told him as she grabbed the remote and stopped the movie. The TV’s screen turned black and a whirring could be heard from her VCR. “You know,” he said as he sat down next to her, “I like how you still have VHS, even when DVDs are more popular. The rewinding sound is very nostalgic. I remember a time in the 80’s when I spent months hiding out with Rex. Sometimes, I would fall asleep after movies while he rewound the tapes.” He sighed wistfully. She nodded slowly before quietly asking, “Are you and Rex really good friends?” “Something like that,” Jojo replied softly. “There was a time I wished for more from him, but I suppose friends is what we must be, ja? He… can’t really be more than a friend for anyone anymore.” “Why?” she pressed. Jojo looked down at the floor. “He has so much pain in his heart. He has been through things no man should have to. His childhood was a nightmare, he watched so many of his friends die, and Mina…” He trailed off. It wasn’t his place to tell her, so he just shook his head sadly. “And worst of all, for him at least, is how he has so often been separated from his sister. She is the one Jerrod tracked here. That is probably why Amon picked him. So he could see her again.” Gabby fell quiet for a long time. Jojo looked at her. She probably had no idea about any of this; Rex was not emotionally open. While he was outwardly violent, vulgar, and loud, in private moments, Jojo had seen a man who was vulnerable, scared, and desperately seeking companionship. He recalled how the man had clung to him and wept for hours after the tragic event that occurred with Mina. He remembered the genuine joy he’d had on his face when he recalled the day he watched the Berlin Wall fall with his sister. He remembered how gentle and tender he had been during their first night together. That was the true Rex, someone most people didn’t actually see. “It’s hard to believe, I know,” he said softly, “but he’s really not a bad man. Before I met you, he was the only person who I thought would ever really care about me.” Finally, she spoke, but what puzzled him was how pained her voice sounded. “Do you like him?” “Of course I like him!” Jojo laughed quietly. “But you want to know if I like him, ja? It’s not possible, Gabby. If I wanted to, he’s just not open for that, and before now I have never even dared hope I could be free to be able to love anyone. But now…” He paused, before scooting closer towards her. “Why do you ask?” She immediately lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and shrugged. “It just sounded like you do, that’s all.” He moved nearer still and gently took her hand, swallowing nervously. “Do you… Do you want to know what I feel about you, as well?” When she lifted her head again, he noticed her cheeks had turned a rosy pink. She whispered shyly, “Maybe.” He took a deep breath. “Ever since I first saw you, I… I have been enchanted by you. I dreamt of you last night, I cannot get you out of my mind… I don’t know what all this means, Gabby, but I feel so blessed that you are in my life, even if there is still danger.” This put a smile back on her face. “I hope it was a good dream, at least.” “I don’t think any dream with you in it could be bad,” Jojo whispered. A mechanical clink sounded from the VCR, but she didn’t move. Jojo leaned his face closer to hers. “Do you still want to watch the movie? Or, um. Maybe we could just… talk?” She almost looked mystified as she replied, “We can just talk, if you want.” “Ja,” he sighed happily, “I want to listen to you for hours.” Gabby laughed nervously and replied, “I don’t know if I could talk for that long. I’d run out of things to say. My life hasn’t really been that exciting.” He shook his head. “I don’t care how exciting it was. I want to hear it all anyway.” She nervously tucked her hair behind her left ear. “I don’t know where to start.” He gave her a gentle, teasing smile. “The beginning?” She frowned and shook her head. “That’s not much of a story. I don’t know about my beginning.” “Start from wherever you wish, then. You tell me your story this time, and then I promise you I’ll tell you mine later. That sounds fair, ja?” She glanced to one side as she considered this, then nodded. She pulled her feet onto her bed and neatly crossed them. With a brief sigh, she began. “Remember when I said I don’t know who my real parents are? It’s because my mom left me on the steps of a church, but my earliest memories are of growing up in foster care.” “Right, right.” She’d mentioned this on the plane, as well as how Marianna had officially adopted her prior to turning her, though she hadn’t gone into any explicit detail about these events. “I don’t know if I ever really would have found a family if not for Mom,” she admitted quietly. “Too many of the foster families I was placed with were awful to me when I was younger, so I gave up any hope as I got older. And after I turned eighteen, I went from foster care to a homeless shelter.” “I’m so sorry, Gabby,” Jojo said sympathetically. “How exactly did you meet Marianna then?” “She found me,” she murmured with a small smile. “I was walking back to the shelter one day after trying to find a job, and she saw me. I don’t know what made me so special, but I guess I can’t really argue it, can I? I don’t know if I’d be here right now if it wasn’t for her.” “Well then I suppose I must thank her, because I am certainly very glad you are here,” Jojo grinned. “I am too,” she admitted happily. Then, similar to her question in the forest when they’d first met, she asked, “Why didn’t we meet before?” “It was better we didn’t,” he muttered. “I shudder to imagine what might become of you if we’d met any time before now…” Her smile disappeared. “What do you mean?” His entire body tensed. He knew he had to tell her this. If he didn’t, she wouldn’t be prepared if he ever showed up. “Tell me… What do you know about Jack Fairchild?” “I don’t know anything,” she shrugged. “Mom only says to stay away from him. She won’t tell me why, though.” He nodded. “She is a wise woman, then. But… you’ve befriended me. And I need to tell you the truth about him, so that you might be safe if he ever comes around.” “What do you mean?” Gabby frowned in confusion. “Why is he so bad?” Jojo swallowed. This was not going to be easy to tell. “He is, truly, the most wicked vampire who ever lived. He has the face of an angel, but his heart is a demon’s heart. As Rex has told me, he was once a student at Dracula’s school long ago. He was charming, but he liked to be alone, until the day he fell in love… And that love is what your, ah, grandmother used to twist and turn him into what he is. He slaughtered the entire school. The mortals, the vampires... And that is just the beginning.” Gabby’s eyes were wide, and she looked horrified. “There’s more?” “Mortals know him as Jack the Ripper,” Jojo shivered. “Have you heard that name before?” She wrinkled her nose as she pondered his question. “I… think so. Maybe?” “He once stalked the streets of Whitechapel, slaughtering women of the night, dissecting their bodies, eating them…” Jojo shuddered violently; thinking of Jack’s dietary habits made his stomach turn. “He doesn’t just drink blood. He goes further. And what he does to his victims… He does to them what Moore did to me. And he has done it to me as well. So, so many times.” His hands went up to the collar around his neck; he suddenly found it very hard to breathe. “I live in fear because any time I have something go well, he finds a way to ruin it. I have seen him kill and harm so many people I have befriended, and when first I joined, what he said he’d do to my family if I ever went near them again, it’s… it’s…” He gagged violently. He couldn’t help it. Thinking about everything Jack had done over the past century was nauseating and painful, but Gabby had to understand that if she ever saw him, she could not trust a single thing he said. He felt her grab his hand and squeeze it tightly. She stared at him intensely. “He’s not going to ruin this. I promise. Mom won’t let him, Amon won’t let him, and I won’t let him.” He wanted to be afraid so badly, but he couldn’t. The determination in her eyes, the gentle warmness of her touch, the joyous electricity once more surging through him as she held his hand… For once, he felt safe and reassured. For once, he felt like Jack might not ruin everything for him. ****** Gathered in the living room of the manor were Victoria and Dahlia. Dahlia was seated neatly on the couch, but Victoria was wearing the already-worn carpet down further by pacing back and forth across the room. She knew it was doing no good, but she couldn’t help it. After so many years of being separated, her eldest daughter was finally returning. She was unsure if their close mother-daughter relationship would still be the same. Prior to their worlds collapsing, Victoria was seen by Nadia’s side just as much as she was by Dracula’s. Nadia had sent letters now and then, always having the coven’s address thanks to Victoria keeping her updated with correspondences of her own, but the words were dry and void of any real emotion. What if, in addition to losing her beloved, she lost her daughter, too? And what if Nadia was ashamed of the coven and how far it had fallen? It had once been a proud group, but now it was merely a fraction of what it once had been. Victoria had tried her best to lead them, but even she had to admit it was not the same. It was no wonder so many on the outside had given up on them. A slow, steady knocking from the front door cut through her anxious thoughts. “Mom,” Dahlia whispered. “I think she’s finally here…” Wringing her hands nervously, Victoria slowly made her way to the front door. It had to be Nadia. No one else used that door; the coven always used the back to lessen any attention from passersby, as the house was assumed to be vacant, abandoned long ago for reasons unknown. She was so afraid. What if Nadia blamed her for leaving their home? What if she’d joined Marianna again? What if she’d come to laugh in her face? She could barely breathe as she opened the door, which seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. It slowly opened inwardly, its hinges creaking from lack of use over the past few decades. Standing on the doorstep was a face she couldn’t forget even if she tried. Nadia was exactly as she remembered her those hundred years ago. Her hair, always cut short just past her chin (a style that she was often criticized for in the 1700’s as it made her appear “unsexed”), was still a luxurious, shiny silver. Her warm caramel-colored eyes were still tired yet filled with a familiar sly cunning. Her brown skin, a shade nearly identical to Victoria’s, was still flawless and smooth. Her wardrobe was slightly updated from when they’d last been together as she was wearing a red crop top that bared her midriff and clung to her chest a bit too tightly and a black miniskirt. Still, it wasn’t too far a cry from the sort of things she’d worn in the late 1800’s. Nadia was hugging herself and trembling slightly, her eyes darting downward nervously as Victoria looked over her. “Hello, Mother,” Nadia said softly, her eyes watering as she spoke. “I… am home.” Any fear Victoria had washed away instantly. She felt the moment they were together again that their bond was just as strong as it ever was. She gently placed her right hand upon her daughter’s cheek. “Nadia… My beautiful, strong Nadia. You’ve no idea how much I’ve missed your presence.” Nadia gently reached up and touched her hand, leaning into it for a moment as tears welled up in her eyes. Then, in one quick movement, she pulled Victoria into a hug, squeezing her tightly. “I am... so sorry, Mother... I hope you can forgive me for... not being here for you... I promise you... I will not leave again. I am done hiding.” She wrapped her arms around her daughter, feeling wetness brimming at her own eyes. “We were both dealing with pain of our own. You have nothing to apologize for, my dear. My only regret is leaving your side when you needed me the most.” “You did not leave me. I left you. You and Dahlia… both suffering my pain… while I wallowed in misery. It was not fair. Perhaps... we could have helped each other...” Nadia sighed, squeezing her even more tightly. “But I suppose I cannot change the past… Only the future. I will do all I can to help you bring Father back. I swear it. We are to be a family again, yes?” “Yes,” she agreed. She couldn’t ask for anything more than to have her family again. Her heart felt much lighter already knowing both daughters were by her side once more. “If I have any say in it, yes,” Harlan added. He had been standing quietly behind Nadia, alongside his daughter Mara, watching the touching reunion unfold. “Glad I could see this, Vicky. Warms my heart seeing you reunite with your daughter.” Stepping back from her embrace, she smiled warmly at her friend. “Thank you for ensuring she arrived safely, Harlan.” “The pleasure’s all mine, Vicky,” he said. “I’m just glad to see you smiling like this.” “Smiles look good on you,” Mara added. “Hope Dad can provide you with more reasons to do it in the days to come!” With a sigh, she admitted, “I do as well.” She hadn’t smiled in a very long time, and it felt good to do so. “Perhaps more greetings may brighten your mood?” Nadia yawned. “Francis and Winston both say hello.” This news pleased her. Very few members of the original coven were still alive. “They are both doing well, then?” “Francis is as gloomy as he has always been,” Nadia nodded. Francis Varney had always been a rather morose individual, as Victoria recalled. “Still… he has been sweet to me, these past years. Winston, he is quite cheerful… He was married a few years ago. He tried sending an invite… but it seems those in the old castle ‘lost’ his invitations to you…” Nadia straightened up slightly, folding her arms and exuding a level of haughtiness fit for a princess. “I shall send a belated wedding gift, then,” she replied with a small smile. The Nadia she loved was emerging once more like a flower that had not bloomed for many ages. She nodded, a pleased smile forming on her lips. “He will… appreciate it. Ah. But now… May I come in? I wish to see Dahlia… I think she deserves a hug as much as you, yes?” “Of course,” she smiled. “Our home is yours, always and forever.” With a nod of thanks in Harlan’s direction and a brief goodbye, Victoria led Nadia inside to the living room where Dahlia was patiently waiting. Before either of them could say a word, Dahlia leapt up and embraced Nadia. “I missed you.” Nadia’s eyes watered again as she returned the embrace. “And I, you. I am sorry…” “Hush you,” Dahlua muttered tearfully. “You’re back now. That’s what matters.” Victoria nodded in agreement and quietly added, “We are stronger together.” Her heart felt more full than it had in years, though the hole left behind by Dracula’s death was still vast and empty. Nadia nodded. “This… is true. And stronger still we shall be once Father is with us.” Dahlia laughed. “I’m glad you still talk all flowery and dramatic.” Nadia gave her a small, sly smile. “I promise, I have not changed so much. Now…” She turned back to Victoria. “Mother… might you catch me up on all I have missed all these years?” “Of course,” she nodded. “Dahlia, would you like to join us? Perhaps we could go to my bedroom.” “Sure!” Dahlia chirped excitedly. “Gotta help you fill her in, after all!” Victoria led her daughters up the stairs to the second floor and down the hallway to her bedroom. Once they were inside, she sat on the edge of her bed. It was peculiar to be in her room and, for once, not be overcome with grief and despair. On the contrary, she felt happy and lighthearted. For the next half hour, Victoria told her daughter about the coven’s history over the past century. She told Nadia about how they went into hiding after Dracula was killed for fear they would be next. She gently squeezed Dahlia’s hand as she confessed that her youngest was her rock when she didn’t think she could continue anymore. She recounted every temporary home they’d had and how the few remaining members were disdainful at her insistence they bring Dracula’s coveted chair with them every step of the way. She quietly confessed how difficult each day was for her without their father by her side; how she found it increasingly difficult to leave her bed most mornings. She gestured at her room with a sigh when she told Nadia Rhine City became their final home several decades ago due to how easy it was to live there unnoticed. “And there is something else,” she quietly began towards the end of her grand tale. She held out her hand and called forth a small swarm of bees. They appeared and hovered in her palm. Nadia’s eyes widened. “Your power… changed? To bees, of all things?” “Yes,” she confirmed, her throat tightening. “I stopped using my power when your father died. It was too difficult as it was to continue on. At that time, I was simply existing. Thus, I did not discover this change until the 1980’s.” She sighed. “The coven members have taken to calling me ‘Queen Bee’ behind my back. I suppose our vampirism has a dark sense of humor.”’ At first, she’d felt like she’d lost another piece of herself when she’d discovered the change. She’d come to accept it, however, as she was, in fact, the leader of the coven. Another positive was how delightful her bees were. They were rather loving and did what was necessary to keep her happy and safe. “How adorable!” Nadia giggled. “It is a power that is deceptively strong, yes? I am of the belief it suits you well; you are stronger than any credit you for, Mother.” She gave her daughter a soft smile. “I am not sure I believe you in my current state, but thank you all the same. My bees and I have a unique bond. I command, and they do as I say. And, of course, they are not bound by any natural rules as normal bees are. They are immortal; they cannot die by a simple sting nor truly be defeated.” She arched an eyebrow and asked, “Do you wish to know how many there are? I have counted once out of mere curiosity.” “Oh, do tell me,” Nadia asked, leaning forward excitedly. “Two hundred and sixty-three,” she answered with a sly grin. “Such a prodigious amount of bees!” Nadia gasped. She looked to Dahlia next and asked, “Has your power changed as well?” Dahlia shook her head. “Nope! I can still open any lock with a touch, same as ever.” “Some change is good. Some things… I prefer they stay the same,” Nadia nodded. “I wish all had stayed the same,” she sighed before quietly scolding herself. She knew it was best she remained positive for her daughters. They would only get through this if they remained strong. “As do I,” Nadia sighed. “For too long I have felt as though I failed all that I loved… You, Mother. Dahlia. Father. Marianna… I had given up any hope that I could deserve to look upon you again. But Rose… She gave me hope, in the form of the ring… and then I felt it.” She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. “Gravity. Pulling me here. The force was undeniable. I cannot lack faith in my own domain, yes?” “You belong here. With us and with the coven.” She slowly slipped Dracula’s ring from her left hand’s ring finger before holding it out to Nadia. “He’s here. Faint, but present.” She took the ring into her hand. “I spoke to him, when Rose brought him… He is so weak, and yet it is undeniable… He is calling to us, Mother, Dahlia… He survives for us.” “He did so much for us.” She could feel tears rushing to her eyes again. “Now it is our turn. We can do this. We will do this. And then, we will be together again and, God help me, I will not let anyone tear us apart.” She was surprised by her own words. She felt so much stronger with both of her daughters by her side, even with how great her grief still was. What she said earlier was true: They were stronger together. “Indeed. So, tell me Mother… what is it that must be done?” “We need blood from each of those who were involved in his death,” she sighed. Nadia sighed as well. “Rose mentioned something to that effect… I know that there is at least one I might help with.” She glanced hesitantly at her daughter. Nadia didn’t have to say who; Victoria was more than aware of this person’s identity. “Are you certain you are ready for that?” she inquired. Nadia gave her a mysterious look. “I am more than ready, Mother. Do not worry.” “Are you certain?” she pressed. “After everything she did…” “After everything she was made to do,” Nadia corrected. “I have made my peace. Nothing will stop me from saving Father, do not fret.” “You don’t gotta be tough, Nadia. I know how hard it’s gonna be, seeing someone who was your ‘one’ again… Seeing them after they’ve broken it off, I mean,” Dahlia quietly replied. Though Victoria hadn’t experienced something like that herself, she guessed it was similar to the pain of losing them the way she had lost Dracula. She agreed with Dahlia. She certainly didn’t want Nadia to suffer. “I can always ask Harlan for assistance, dear.” “No, Mother,” Nadia stated firmly. “I must face Marianna myself. I do not wish for any other to carry this burden. But I will need help, as it is certain to me… that the wretched, vile creature still has its coils around her. She certainly will not be coaxed out with ease.” Victoria sighed. She didn’t trust Marianna in the slightest. The woman was responsible for the pain she’d suffered for over a hundred years. Still, she loved Nadia, and she knew if anyone could get blood from Marianna, it was her. “Then how may we help?” Nadia tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Who might be the most powerful force in this city? That is to say, besides you.” She considered this question. She hadn’t paid much mind to the city’s citizens, though a few names had gained familiarity in her mind. The first was the police chief, though she had been killed several years prior. The next was a woman who, as she understood it, was one of the richest women in the city. “I believe your best chance lies with a woman named…” She frowned. “What is her name, Dahlia? Jemima… Masters?” “Mathers, Mom,” Dahlia corrected. “But why go to her? She’s just a mortal.” “If I am to drive away Marianna from that wretched serpent for but a moment, I will need a grand gesture to egg her on. And the only one who might help me in such a regard would be someone as powerful as I, yes?” Her eyes flashed, and she slowly floated into the air. “I am Countess Nadia Shibani, daughter of Dracula, and I must enlist only one as grandiose as I to bring Marianna into my grasp. The wretched wyrm will surely wish for her to pursue me, so I will make myself known. This is the only way.” “Are you certain? It could be dangerous…” She didn’t know if she could bear to lose either of her daughters in addition to her beloved. “I am… positive.” She sighed, then nodded her head. She trusted Nadia, even if she didn’t trust either Marianna or Eve. “Please be careful, dear.” Nadia gracefully descended to the floor and gave one of her sly smiles. “You need not worry yourself too much, Mother. I might, in fact, expend… more energy than usual, for this special mission. I am to ensure your smile is permanent, yes? If I am to be back… I cannot accept more sadness.” “Don’t put your well-being at risk for me,” she insisted. “Please.” Nadia gently placed the ring back in Victoria’s hand. “I put my well-being at risk for my own misery,” she said. “If I must do it for anyone else now, let it be for you.” She frowned in disapproval, but she knew her daughter well. If Nadia had made up her mind, then there was little she could do to change it. “Very well,” she resigned, feeling defeated. Once more Nadia pulled her into a tight hug. “You worry after me, even now. I do not deserve such a sweet mother as you. I have been truly blessed… when it comes to parents.” Victoria hugged her back. “You deserve the world and more. You both do.” Dahlia joined in on the group hug. “And you deserve Dad back in your life.” “What would I do without you three?” she murmured. Gathering the blood from each of the vampire killer families would not be an easy task, but she had a feeling Harlan and the Silverwings would be more than happy to offer helping hands. Her lips curved upwards into a small smile. Her family would be whole once more soon, and the coven would be stronger than ever. ****** Rika was excited. Finally, finally, the team was going to do something to help the city out beyond just beating up muggers. Thanks to Anna’s suggestion and the leads Lilith got, they were going to be taking on something big. Even better, she’d finally managed to convince her friend, David, to join the team. As she escorted him to Valentine’s house, she reflected on how grateful she was that he had decided to join. David Paine was her best friend, her hero, and someone she considered a brother. Nine years ago, he had found her nearly frozen to death in an alley and had helped her get back on her feet. During this time, they’d become quite close. David volunteered at the homeless shelter she used to live at. Eventually, he’d invited her to move into his apartment. He’d even given her his favorite jean vest as a gift, one she wore almost all the time. He was a bit mysterious sometimes and more than a little odd—he wore a dark gray sweatshirt year round, no matter the weather—but he was a kind, selfless man who she was glad to know. “So,” David said with a smirk, “this Loveless guy has a bunch of cute girls working with him, right? Any of them single?” Rika sighed. And after I just thought all those nice things about you! she grumbled internally. “There’s, like… two besides me. I’m pretty sure they’re both single, but I think they might have other guys on their minds.” “Darn. Guess I’ll have to help you guys save the city single.” He gave an over dramatic sigh. Rika rolled her eyes. David was absolutely ridiculous sometimes, but he was family to her, and she loved him no matter how much of an idiot he was. “Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask… Does this guy know he’s named after a famous shoegaze album from the early 90’s? Is he aware?” David questioned. Rika shrugged. “Maybe. He didn’t even come up with the name himself; Lilith did. And considering her taste in music… But then again, it may just be a weird coincidence.” “You think we’re gonna get there before her? I want to ask her, but if I have to wait, I’ll forget. You know me.” “I sure do,” Rika snorted. “But she’s gonna be there right on time, guaranteed. Speaking of…” She decided to quickly see how late they were running. She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out the ornate gold pocket watch that her father had made for her when she was a child. It was emblazoned with her initials and was one of the two things she’d been able to take with her when she was rendered homeless (the other being her stuffed tiger, Skimbleshanks). As it turned out, they were six minutes late already. She sighed, shutting the watch and giving David a tired look. He gave her a cheeky grin in return. “Oops.” “Yeah, oops,” she said, rolling her eyes yet again as she grabbed his arm and pulled him along in a sprint. It wasn’t long before they rounded the corner onto Loomer Street and Val’s house came into view, Lilith’s car parked in the driveway. She was surprised to see the car was still running, and it looked like Lilith and her new friend were still inside it. As they approached, the car door popped open and Lilith called out, “Hey slowpokes! You kept me and my boy, Aiden, waiting!” “Sorry,” David replied. “I walk slow. And anyway, ‘Always be fashionably late’ is one of my rules.” A thin, dark-haired young man stepped out of the car as well and waved awkwardly. Rika tilted her head as she looked at him. David leaned over to her and whispered, “He’s totally gonna bolt when you tell him you’re a vampire.” She elbowed him, perhaps a bit more roughly than intended because he inhaled sharply and covered his mouth. “Ouch,” he muttered. “Sorry,” Rika apologized before walking over to Aiden and holding out a hand. “Nice to meet you! I’m Rika.” He politely shook her hand. “I’m Aiden.” “Don’t worry, girl, I didn’t spoil the surprise,” Lilith winked as she skipped up to the front door. Her friend looked perplexed. “Surprise…?” Rika shrugged. “You wanna know now? I really don’t want it to be a big deal or anything.” “Sure,” he replied, still appearing confused. She gave him a big smile, revealing her fangs. “She’s a vampire, in case you don’t get it,” David added. His brown eyes widened, but all he said was, “Oh, you too?” Now it was Rika’s turn to be confused. “Too?” Lilith turned, mouth open in shock, and stared at Aiden. “Dude! You’re a vampire and didn’t tell me?! What the hell!” “You met another one?” David asked. “Was his name Allen? Because if it was…” He walked over to Aiden and put his hands on his shoulders, looking him dead in the eyes. “...you need to tell me where he is so I can drag him down to Hell and hand him to the devil personally.” The poor man looked unnerved. “N-No, not me, and I don’t know an Allen. I just, um, met someone recently who is one.” Rika gently pulled David away and gave him a smug grin. “So who is scaring Aiden off again?” “That’s so fucking sick, Aiden!” Lilith exclaimed, applauding him. “You should have told me though!” “Sorry,” he mumbled, appearing embarrassed now. “He asked me not to tell anyone.” “I mean, I can’t say I blame him considering what pop culture makes us out to be,” Rika shrugged. “I’ve only met one other vampire, and at worst he was… a bit overzealous.” That was one way to describe Allen, her ex, who had, in his excitement at hearing her say those three magic words, turned her. She knew he’d meant well, but it had shattered her trust in him, and she’d broken it off. To his credit, he had understood and left her in peace. “She doesn’t sparkle or play sexy baseball. Hope you’re not too disappointed,” David said. A small smile grew on Aiden’s face. “Nah, not really. My, uh… The other person told me the basics about how it works.” “Well, hey! Good! Might have to hear it again when she tells this Anna girl, though,” David shrugged. “Shit, that’s right!” Rika said. “Let’s get inside!” The group made their way into the house and were ushered to the living room by Val. When they were all seated comfortably on the sofas and chairs, Val stood before them and put his hands on his hips. “What took you all so long? Geez, I expect better from you guys, especially Little Miss Ignores-The-Speed-Limit.” “Man, we were just giving Aiden the rundown about Rika,” Lilith huffed. “Save you some time so we can get to the good part. You know, where we figure out whose teeth we’re gonna kick in this week.” “Oh sweet!” Val chirped. “So you know all about the vampire thing!” Aiden nodded silently. “Ok, good! Dang, where are my manners? I’m Valentine Leeds! I’m the owner of this here house, I’m obviously the most stylish one here, and I’m single.” He winked at Aiden, making his face turn scarlet red. “He has a boyfriend,” Lilith yawned. Valentine gave a long, exasperated sigh. “They always do, don’t they?” “You’ll find someone someday,” Rika offered. “Yeah, when I’m fifty or something,” he grumbled. “I’m going to get Jason, I think he’s still getting ready. Someone yell for me if Anna gets here!” After he left, Rika turned to Aiden, curiosity overtaking her. “So… about this vampire you met… is he a drifter or something? Or are there more vampires in the city?” He hesitated. “I’m… I’m not really sure if I’m supposed to talk about it or not.” “So that’s a yes, there are more vampires in the city” David said as he sank into the comfy armchair he had seated himself in. “Well, I’m not gonna push,” Rika nodded. “I’m not going to get you in trouble. I guess I’m just curious if there are other people like me out there.” “But… aren’t you with them?” “Them?” she said, her eyes widening. “Knew it. Figures this city would have a bunch of vampires in it,” David sighed. “As if it couldn’t get any weirder.” “They’re not bad,” he mumbled. “I don’t think so anyway…” “Well, let’s hope not because even with me there, I don’t think we could take on a whole truckload of vampires,” David smirked. “Someone’s got an ego!” Lilith laughed. “He sure does. I’m pretty sure ‘Be full of yourself’ is one of his rules. Say, Lilith, that reminds me. Who is it you said had the nicest ass on the East coast?” teased Rika. “Sorry, that’s just a fact,” Lilith said solemnly. “I can’t control these truths. I just speak them.” “Is Lilith talking about her ass again?” Jason sighed as he walked into the living room with his brother. “You know it!” Lilith said as she turned towards him and gave him a thumbs up. “Oh yeah! This here’s Aiden! He’s my new bro! I dunno if he’ll want to do all the crazy stuff, but he’s gonna ride with me!” The man waved politely. “Hi.” Jason gave him a polite nod. “Welcome to the team. And I’m guessing that’s David, Rika?” He gestured to the man who was lounging in the armchair. “Hey,” David waved as well. “That’s him alright,” Rika confirmed. “Well, any friend of Rika’s is a friend of ours. Glad to have you on the team!” “Aren’t you hot, though?” Val asked. “You’ve got a sweatshirt on, and it’s like almost eighty out!” “I’m fine,” David replied. “I’m actually a bit chilly.” Val looked at him like he’d lost his marbles, but Jason put a hand on his shoulder. “Alright bro, simmer down. Let the man wear what he wants. So, uh, has anyone seen Anna yet? Or are we still waiting on her?” With impeccable timing, the front door closed and Anna strolled in a few seconds later. “Did I hear someone say my name?” She was still in her work uniform and was, unsurprisingly, holding an iced coffee in one hand. “That was my brother,” Val said, jerking his thumb at Jason. “He’s been saying your name a lot today.” Lifting one dark brow and smirking in amusement, she glanced at their “boss” and asked, “Oh, really?” “I mean, uh, yeah,” Jason said nervously. “Sorry, is that weird?” “Not at all,” Anna answered coyly. Rika quietly laughed to herself. It was so funny how awkward Jason really was despite putting on this tough-guy persona. Even after knowing him for several months, it was hard for her to wrap her head around the fact that this man had been to jail for manslaughter. “So!” Jason said. “Now that the gang’s all here…” He glanced over to Rika. “Well, Rika, you wanna fill Anna in? Val told me you already told Aiden.” Rika put her hands together. “Okay, Anna, this is going to sound like a bunch of bullshit, but… I’m a vampire.” Again, she lifted a brow. “You’re right. It does sound like bullshit.” At least she was honest. “Darn,” David said, “guess we can’t get lucky like with Aiden. You sure you’ve never served a latte to Dracula, blue girl?” “How would I even know? I doubt he’s just going to stroll in and tell me his real name, even if he did.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and took a long sip from the plastic straw in her cup. Rika tilted her head. “Ok, I’m guessing you’re not gonna accept the fangs, so maybe I have to do a demonstration…” She closed her eyes. “So, tell me something I could have no possible way of knowing.” “Like what?” she asked before taking another sip. “Hmm...“ Rika considered her options for a moment, then snapped her fingers. “What was your mother’s full name?” Sadness crossed Anna’s face. She opened her mouth to reply, then paused. “I’ve got something better.” With her free hand, she lifted a small silver heart pendant from where it rested around her neck. “See this? This was the last birthday gift my mom got for me. I’ve worn it every day since she died when I was eight.” Rika looked down to the floor and closed her eyes. On some level, she understood her pain. “I’m sorry, Anna.” The sound of a ticking clock filled her ears as the past few moments sped backwards, landing her right where David said, “Darn, guess we can’t get lucky like with Aiden. You sure you’ve never served a latte to Dracula, blue girl?” Rika held up her hand, interrupting the woman before she could reply. “I’m sorry that I have to repeat this, Anna... Your silver, heart-shaped necklace that you wear was the last birthday gift your mother got for you, and you’ve worn it since she died when you were eight.” Her mouth dropped open in shock. Looking dumbfounded, she asked, “How did you know that?” “You told me. Or, you would have told me if things went exactly the same, but I have the power to rewind time.” It was a pretty impressive power, all things considered, even if she could only rewind for a few seconds at a time; the most she’d ever gotten to was thirty seconds. Anna’s free hand wandered up to the necklace, and she wrapped her fingers around the tiny heart pendant. “So how does this prove you’re a vampire?” “They each have a unique power,” Aiden spoke up. “My, um… friend’s is being able to read people really well.” He smiled shyly. “He almost knows what I’m thinking, sometimes.” “If you’re still not convinced, I could always climb up the walls,” Rika suggested. Anna’s brown eyes widened. “You can do that?” “That’s more because she’s really good at parkour,” chimed in David. “But she’s definitely beyond what even I’m capable of now that she’s a vampire.” “David can’t cling to a ceiling, for instance,” Rika smirked. “Shit, neither can I!” Anna laughed. “So we’re never going to lose with you around, right? We mess up, and you go back in time to fix it?” Rika nodded. “As long as we don’t screw up too much. I’ve experimented. At most, I can do it about six times before I need to, uh… refuel.” “She means drinking blood,” Valentine whispered loudly to Anna. “Oh, yeah…” The blue-haired woman cocked her head to the side. “So when I can see them? You know, your fangs?” “Right now!” Once again, Rika bared her fangs. Anna grinned. “That’s wicked sweet.” Internally, Rika sighed with relief. She was glad that both people she’d told about her vampirism today were taking it well. While she didn’t feel too self-conscious about it, she often worried if she’d scare people away. “And now that we’re all on the same page about that,” Jason began, “we can talk about the first real mission.” “Yes, please!” Anna sat down on the floor in the exact spot where she’d been standing. Jason nodded in Lilith’s direction. “Thanks to the files Lilith got from Vinny, we have some dirt on the lawyers who attacked Anna’s dad. And let me tell you… they are deep in some shit.” Anna was oddly quiet for a long moment, her smile gone, as she processed this information. Rika tilted her head curiously. She knew the lawyers had failed her father, so why did she suddenly seem less enthusiastic about all this? Wasn’t this simply confirming what she already knew? She figured that Anna would tell her what was going on later if she felt comfortable enough to; after the whole necklace thing, she didn’t feel like prying into painful personal thoughts and feelings again. “Turns out one of ‘em goes out drinking at the same bar every week on Sundays. This is gonna ease us into what we’re gonna be doing since it’s relatively simple compared to what we might have to do for the others, but we’re still gonna have to be smart and plan things out over the next couple of days.” “Who is it?” Anna asked cautiously. “Robert Snyder,” Jason replied. There was a long breathy sigh from the young woman. “Okay.” Rika was once more burning with curiosity, but she remained quiet as Jason laid out the plan. According to Vinny’s source (who had apparently been scoping these guys out on his orders), Snyder was a bit of a twit. He regularly got drunk and wandered outside of the bar at the end of the night to a nearby car garage. It was astounding the man hadn’t already been mugged (or worse). Jason and Anna were going to take the lead in attacking the guy. Lilith and Aiden were going to be parked in the car about a block away for a quick getaway. David and Val would be keeping an eye out. Val would be watching from across the street while David would be on the route Snyder always drunkenly stumbled down. Val was also the official cameraman and would film the beatdown so that he could upload it to the internet from a library computer the following day. Rika was going to do what she did best: Climb up high and jump in if they needed supernatural assistance. As Jason continued the rundown and detailed the items they’d need to pull this off, Rika’s mind drifted to thoughts of the other vampires Aiden had alluded to. She had no idea what to expect from other vampires. Was Allen with them? Were they really good people like Aiden seemed to think? How could they be certain that their number didn’t include Maneater, or the DTD Night Stalker, or some other infamous criminals from the city? What if they were the reason her father had vanished without a trace? She had nothing to go on here, and she was burning to know more about this mysterious bloodsucker clan, if only so she could be sure the gang would be safe in their activities. “Yo, Rika? You doing okay?” Jason asked, breaking through her thoughts. Everyone else in the room turned to look at her with concern and confusion in their eyes. “Shit,” she muttered, feeling guilty at having let her mind wander. The whirring of the clock once more sounded in her ear as she backed up to the start of what she’d missed. Jason shot her an amused smirk as he continued talking; apparently a little spark of light shone in her eyes whenever she used her power, and he had come to have an eye for spotting it. When Jason’s planning session was over, Rika went over to the couch where Aiden was sitting. “Hey, uh. I don’t mean to be too forward or anything like that, but… is there any way I could meet these other vampires at all?” He instantly looked nervous. “Um, I don’t know. I could ask my, um, friend.” She offered him a reassuring smile. “I’d appreciate it. Seriously.” He visibly relaxed and returned her smile with one of his own. “It’s no problem.” David also got up from his chair and came over. “Hey, kid. Sorry if I scared you earlier.” “David’s a bit too intense sometimes, but he means well,” Rika said. Aiden shrugged. “It’s okay.” David shook his head. “Nah. I’m pretty sure I creeped you out, so I’m apologizing. If you make someone else uncomfortable, you apologize. That’s one of my rules.” He gave him a small smile. “Plus, if you’re gonna get my sister here in with some vampires, I want to be on your good side.” “You’re related?” he asked in surprise, his gaze shifting between them in disbelief. David wrapped his arm around Rika and gave one of his smug smiles; she noticed that his hands were very cold, a common and bizarre occurrence that lended credence to his complaints of being chilly even in the summer heat. “What, don’t you see the family resemblance?” He gestured between their faces to jokingly highlight that she was Japanese, and he was scruffy and white. “She got all the good genes, obviously.” “It’s more like… an unofficial thing,” Rika explained. “He’s pretty much all the family I’ve got.” Bitterly, she thought, Anymore, anyway. Understanding crossed Aiden’s face and he replied, “Oh, that makes sense.” “I saved her life so she decided to be my replacement sister, you know how these things go,” David teased. Rika noted the hurt in his eyes as he said this. He’d been homeless once, too. A fire had broken out in his family’s home, and he’d been the only survivor. As a result, he had very little to his name. Moments like this reminded her that despite his laid-back, jokey persona, he was hurting as much as anyone in the Loomer Street gang. It also reminded her that no matter what, he was a good, selfless man who wanted to make sure no one ever had to suffer like he did. “Hey, I saved your life, Aiden!” Lilith chimed in. “I mean, maybe. I dunno. But does that mean we’re soul siblings now or whatever? I guess we should probably hang out more before that. But I sure wouldn’t mind having you as a brother.” Rika shook her head in amusement. Despite being late, the meeting had managed to go pretty well, and they were ready to start preparing for their big break. What’s more, Aiden had given her hope of understanding her vampirism better. She was definitely going to pursue this lead into discovering more about being a vampire; she had a feeling her dad would have wanted her to do this if he’d still been here to guide her. Her hand slid into her pocket and gently gripped her watch. I hope this will give me some answers, Dad… she thought as she began to mentally prepare herself for what was coming in the next few days. Click here for chapter five - part two |
AuthorsMichael & Tierney Ford Archives
July 2023
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