[IC] ~Bonsoir~

[Rogue Sloth]

Even after Peter had disappeared from the room, Vail watched the door with a leery expression. It was starting to seem like his father had expected him to relinquish his attachment to Victoria as soon as he was told the word “no.” If so, the leader of the clan was going to be horribly disappointed, because he wasn’t going to let her go until death claimed one of them. He was certain that Peter was starting to understand this. The only thing preventing him from killing her himself was her name. Since she was Lord Alexander’s daughter and therefore protected by the Saints, he couldn’t lay a finger on her. But the temptation to disregard those consequences was visible in his eyes, and it was enough to keep the Hygrace heir on his toes.

Caught up in his thoughts, Vail didn’t notice the silence that had fallen between him and Victoria until she broke it. He turned away from the door to look at her, startled by her sudden agreement with his father. Perhaps Peter’s strong pheromones had made her compliant or perhaps she had come to the conclusion on her own, but either way, he couldn’t accept the dark prophesies the clan leader had spat at them. Being with her would make his life more difficult, that much was true, but he was done taking the easy road. Additionally, there might have still been a way for them to make the journey a little less burdensome.

As Lady Crest leaned against his chest, Lord Hygrace slipped one arm around her back to hold her close. In the back of his head, he noted offhandedly how much more comfortable he had become with their gestures of affection. In the beginning, it had been difficult for him to work up the nerve to physically express his endearment to her, but now the touches they shared had become like second nature. He wanted to relieve her of the things that made her so upset.

“You’re not asking me to do anything,” he objected gently, leaning his cheek against her head. “This was just as much my decision as it was yours. It doesn’t matter what my father thinks, because I’m not going anywhere.” He fell quiet again, considering the proposal he wanted to bring up to her but hesitant to do so since he was unsure how she would take it. Even to him, it sounded outlandish and potentially detrimental. However, if he kept it to himself, there was no way of knowing if she would have agreed to go through with it. He took a steeling breath.

“And… there might be a way for our worlds to intertwine,” he started slowly, pulling back from Victoria just enough to meet her blue-eyed gaze. “I’ve heard stories from my uncle that when the first vampires came into existence, there were so few of them that they didn’t repopulate like we do now. Instead, they discovered that they could turn humans into their own by overpowering them with their pheromones and conducting some sort of ritual. I don’t know how it was done exactly, but I have to think the ability wasn’t just restricted to my ancestors.” He studied her face with a frown. “If it can still be done today… and if it’s something I could learn… would you be willing to go through with it, so that we could be together in the same world?”

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria sighed gently against Vail’s chest and felt his soft cheek upon her head. It was a content sigh though. She treasured these small moments in the peace and quiet. She didn’t know how long these tender moments would last once Peter threw her out of their home. She felt reassured when Vail told her she wasn’t asking him to choose but she still felt like she had put him in that position in the first place. She knew he had his own mind but she didn’t want himself to tear himself in two. Although his father was making it easier for his son to choose the human lover.

She squeezed his hand as he said he wasn’t going anywhere. She was glad the Hygrace heir was stubborn and strong minded enough to fend off his own father. A powerful vampire clan leader capable of putting him in his place. At the mention there might be a way for their worlds to collide, she was all ears. She looked up at him with hopeful sparkles in her bright blue eyes. He pulled away from her and she kept her gaze firmly on his hazel orbs.

She listened intently to his idea. She had no ideas how the origins of vampires actually came about. It was interesting to hear the history of it all. As he explained that there was some sort of ritual it sounded to her much like black magic or witchcraft. She wasn’t sure what would be involved, so when Vail asked her if she were willing to go through something like that, she hesitated. What would she be walking into? But if there was one thing she knew. She trusted Vail. She took hold of his cheek with one hand and stroked it slowly. “Vail…I would walk across Hell itself to be with you. The world can throw anything at me and I won’t be deterred. So yes. I would be willing to try anything….if it meant we could be together….for any amount of time that would be longer than we are graced with now.”

She smiled warmly at the Hygrace heir as she leaned up to press her lips softly against his. She was very weak and tired but she still mustered the energy to show the vampire affection. She didn’t want to waste any more time. She knew what she wanted and whom with. It was only a matter of time before Peter turfed her out once she was strong enough to stand. Perhaps she could convince him she was still ill even after she was actually better. Her muscles were weaker from all the bed rest as it was. It would take a while to get back to her full strength and mass again.

[Rogue Sloth]

Victoria’s hesitation made Vail ponder if she was having second thoughts about her earlier declaration that she would do anything for him. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she was. To ask her to give up her humanity, the life that she had always known, was quite a lot. He wasn’t sure if either of them knew the full consequences of the old ritual too. Were turned vampires the same as born vampires? Were there any side effects of the transformation? What if it didn’t work? His thoughts buzzed with unanswered questions, but unfortunately, Reginald was no longer around to ease his concerns. If his father or mother knew about this mysterious part of their species’ history, he doubted they would tell him either. Being with the Crest heiress intimately was already frowned upon. Taking away her humanity was certainly forbidden.

A redaction of the idea was already on the tip of his tongue when she suddenly cupped his cheek in her hand. A flicker of surprise crossed his features as she announced that she would still go through anything to be with him, even after learning what that ‘anything’ was. She was either fearless, or she cared about him more than he’d realized. In spite of himself, he felt a hint of warmth color his face. He and his family were close to one another, but not like this. The affection he felt for Victoria was new. It was voluntary rather than expected, proffered out of a motive he couldn’t quite name but recognized with certainty whenever it bubbled up inside his heart. For the first time, he wondered if this was what it was like to fall in love.

Touched by the conviction in her voice, Vail met Victoria’s lips with tender passion. Had she been feeling well, he would have pressed into her more fervently; but he was aware of how weak she was, so he kept the exchange light. Although he did draw her as close as he could with his arm around her back. As much as he liked their time alone, a part of him wished his father could witness their affectionate exchanges. They were just as devoted to each other as any vampire couple he had ever known, if not more so. If Peter could just bring himself to realize this, maybe he wouldn’t be so cold to the human that had tamed his son’s heart.

Careful not to exhaust her, Vail didn’t draw out the kiss as long as he would have liked. When he pulled away, he glanced at the window, through which bright light still poured into the room. It was earlier than he normally woke when he was operating on a nocturnal schedule. Letting go of Lady Crest’s hand, he moved to the middle of the bed again and laid down beside her, this time nestling underneath the duvet before he wrapped his arms around her. The only other visitors they would be having that day were a servant and possibly Peter, so he could settle down more comfortably to rest while she recovered.

“I’ll see what I can find tonight, when everyone else is asleep,” he promised, burying his head against her neck. Reginald was gone, but his journals and heirloom books were still among the Hygrace archives. If he was going to find more information on the turning ritual, that was the most promising place to search.

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria met Vail’s gaze with adoration behind her tired eyes. Her body was weak but her mind was not. She knew her own mind and knew what she wanted. It seemed these feelings of love for the vampire made her feel braver in the face of danger. Knowing it would all be worth it in the end. She never would have risked being turned vampire in any other circumstances. She was either crazy in love or just plain crazy. Becoming a vampire would be a completely new way of life for the Lady. Humans did not know of the hunger vampires felt or unending thirst, it would be difficult for her to adapt to. And how would she cope with her blood phobia?

She welcomed Vail’s tender kiss and felt warmth spreading throughout her chest. She smiled as he released her delicately. If she had been feeling strong, she would have no doubt enticed him into further intimacy. Just the mere touch of his hand drove her hormones wild. She had never felt such passion for anyone or the strong drive to want to be with intimate with someone so badly. She had her fair share of suitors lined up to take her pick but none of them had piqued her interest quite like Lord Vail Hygrace, who had captivated her from the moment they first danced together.

Lady Victoria wasn’t even sure Vail was considered husband material by her own mother’s opinion. Then again she hadn’t quite yet met the man. The only thing she knew of him was that he was a vampire and a danger to her daughter. Just as Spencer was. Victoria would have to convince her that Vail was one of the good vampires, if any could be indeed classed as 'good'. Lady Diana only knew of the horrors that vampires could be capable of.

Victoria found it easy to curl up next to Vail and snuggle under the warm covers. It was almost too comfortable and cosy. She felt safer with him right next to her.

---

A few days later and Victoria was actually up and out of bed for a change. She still struggled to walk on her weakened leg muscles. It was dusk and she was sat at the chessboard staring at in intently with Vail opposite. She pondered her next move. He was quite a challenge at the game despite being rusty at it. She moved a knight to take one of his pawns. One more move and she might achieve a checkmate. She tried hard to conceal her growing excitement at victory over him. Her eyes flashed up toward him as she waited his next move and a flicker of a curled lip formed at one side of her mouth.

[Rogue Sloth]

The following days went about as well as Vail could have hoped. The only visitors to his room were the servants, who brought fresh meals for Victoria; the doctor, who stopped by once per day to assess her condition; and his father, who only checked in on them in the hopes of sending the Crest heiress away as soon as possible. Among the guests, the latter was the most unpleasant. Peter had become less explicitly vocal about his dislike of their unorthodox relationship, but he still made a point to remind them that as soon as she was on her feet, he would be returning her to her own family, and Vail would be expected to begin his courtship with the vampire—the subtle emphasis was always applied when the clan leader spoke of Sylvia—without any further delays.

Such encounters were the only times Vail woke during the daylight hours. The rest of the time, he slept by Victoria’s side, entangled together in the warm sheets. He usually rested when the sun was out, but as the days passed, he had another reason for dozing as often as he could: It was getting harder to resist feeding on her blood. Whenever he was awake, the predatory urge to bite her plucked at his willpower, especially if he stirred while she was still asleep. There had even been one time when, finding it too difficult to stay within close proximity, he had gotten up from the bed to pace until the drive to hunt simmered back down to a manageable level. It was simply easier to be unconscious than it was to continuously fight between giving in to his instincts and adhering to the logic that draining her of her blood yet again would only cause her to relapse.

Each night when he as active, he honored his word to Victoria that he would look for information on the turning ritual. For an hour or so after the rest of his family had retired to their rooms, he snuck down to the Hygrace archives and rifled through the journals and tomes in search of any mention of the method his ancestors had used to create new vampires out of humans. Afraid of leaving her alone for too long—he didn’t want to cause another repeat of the Caleb incident—it took three days before he finally stumbled upon a book that contained written records that described something called transmutation. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to skim the contents before the sound of footsteps outside the archive had prompted him to hastily shove the tome back into its place and return to his bedroom to make sure none of his relatives had taken advantage of his absence.

Now, on the fourth night, he was eager to finish what he’d started.

Sitting across from Victoria with a chess board in between them, Vail watched her decide on her next move. His elbow was resting on the arm of his chair and his cheek was propped languidly in his hand. It was already dusk, but some of the other Hygraces took longer to fall asleep than others, so they were biding their time with a game. His hazel eyes tracked her hand as she took his pawn with her knight, silent as he tried to calculate her strategy. If he had invested more years in the art of chess, he could have become a grand master at the game. However, having only picked it up again recently after decades of disinterest, he still had trouble predicting every move his opponent would make. It seemed like he was holding his own so far though. She hadn’t put his king in checkmate yet.

Lifting his gaze from the board, he caught sight of the smirk on her lips and paused. He was sure now that she could see something he didn’t. The only question was whether or not he could find it before she backed him into a corner. He leaned forward to study the setup of the pieces from above, idly chewing on the inside of his lip until he spotted the vulnerability. However, instead of correcting it by moving his king to a safer square, he offensively pushed a rook forward to put her king in check, hoping to change the board state into something more advantageous for himself rather than give in to her upper hand.

“Check,” he vocalized as per the rules, his eyes flicking up to her face again. His father had stopped by earlier that day and declared that now that she was feeling better, she would have to go back to the Crest manor the next morning. He would have sent her away sooner if Vail hadn’t argued that it was unsafe for her to walk home alone after dark when she could barely carry herself without assistance. The delay had earned them one more night together before their inevitable parting, but he wished she could have stayed indefinitely. He had enjoyed having her around and didn’t look forward to being pushed to court another woman before he could figure out how to turn her from human to vampire.

“That tome I found last night,” he mused, thinking about it again as he leaned back in his armchair. His family’s potential approval hinged on whether or not he could perform the old ritual, so it weighed heavily on his mind. “I’ll bring it back here once everyone is asleep, so we can read it together. I want you to know what you’re getting into before you make any final decisions.”

[Angel Vicky]

Lady Crest was still dealing with her anger from earlier at being told she had to go home by Lord Hygrace. Just because he had seen her actually manage to get out of bed didn’t mean she wasn’t any better. Her muscles were so weak from bed rest that she couldn’t lift things or even bathe herself properly. She did suggest Vail could help bathe her but his father would have had a fit, so a female servant helped her to wash instead. Though it would have been nice to share a hot bath with Vail, a bonding experience. It was all down to what race she was though. She was a human and therefore looked down upon and not accepted by Vail’s father.

If she had been a vampire, it wouldn’t have been a problem to stay. She didn’t want to leave Vail’s side either. It had been nice just spending time with him and conversing about the world, their beliefs, what they enjoyed doing or not doing. She had expressed her love of the stars and stargazing, how she loved singing and dancing, of which the latter she had reaffirmed that he gave her the best dance she’d ever had when they met at her birthday ball. She wished to dance more with the graceful vampire but Peter would not allow that to happen again.

Victoria eyed Vail’s movements over the chess board carefully, as he leaned forward to inspect the board closely she also leaned forward. She hoped he would not find the vulnerability in her defence. Yet somehow, he found it. She bit her lower lip as he moved his rook to capture her king. She almost cursed and had to stop herself, still riled from Peter’s comments. “Again?! You’re cheating…you must be.” This was their third game and he had won every one thus far. She was getting fed up of losing. She could not see any legal moves left for her king to advance to that would put him out of checkmate. She sighed lightly and leaned back in her chair.

Luckily, Vail changed the subject to a more important matter, the tome he had been searching for and found in his father’s archives. She gazed up toward him, his hazel eyes helped to soothe her mind and calm her down a little. Because they looked at her so tenderly, it was hard to feel anything negative when he regarded her like this. As he declared that once his family were all asleep, he would bring it up for them to read. She nodded eagerly, she wanted to know what was involved before she definitely made the decision to be turned. And more importantly who was going to turn her. “Will...you be the one to turn me?” She asked gingerly, as she’d only let him do it.

[Rogue Sloth]

“How can I when you’ve been watching me like a hawk?” Vail teased when Victoria accused him of cheating. Truthfully, he hadn’t noticed that the move he’d played had put her in checkmate until after he’d done it. It had been a delaying tactic at the time, something to keep her distracted while he searched for a way to win the upper hand in the game. Apparently the half thought out trick had worked better than he’d expected, and he came off looking like he knew what he had been doing when his knowledge of chess strategies was actually quite limited. It had been little more than a fluke that he’d managed to best her three times in a row that night.

As her eyes met his, he exhaled quietly, reminded that it wouldn’t be much longer before they would be forced to go back to their intermittent meetings. After spending the last few days in her constant company, he felt like he’d been spoiled. Having the privilege to be with her and talk to her without any time constraints had been exactly what he’d expected from a courtship, despite his father’s insistence that he would only ever court another vampire. He had enjoyed their conversations, learning more about her and opening up to her about himself. It had felt comfortable—natural, even—to grow closer to the Crest heiress, and it was like nothing he had experienced with any member of his own race before. He would miss the ease that cohabitating had brought them while it lasted.

On top of that, he had some lingering worries about what would happen when she returned to her own home. He had been able to save her from her manic fiancé once, but what if Christopher went after her again? He had no way of knowing if she was in danger from a distance, and now that his father knew about their relationship, he was certain he couldn’t get away from the Hygrace manor often enough to keep an eye on her. It was a stressful situation. He just hoped they would be able to turn her quickly enough that the other vampire wouldn’t have another chance to take advantage of her.

At Victoria’s question, Vail nodded without hesitation. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it,” he replied honestly. What he kept to himself was that he still wasn’t completely sure that he could turn her to begin with. From what he’d been told by Reginald, vampires had stopped turning humans long ago, so there was a chance that the ritual could no longer be done today. However, choosing to stay optimistic, he pushed his concerns aside and added, “Besides, I don’t want to involve anyone else in this. I’ve heard enough from my father to know that he would disapprove, and I’m done letting him or anyone else make my decisions for me.”

Feeling resolved, he rose from his chair and stepped around the table to where Victoria was seated. He leaned down to press a firm kiss to her lips, trailing one hand down her arm until he reached her fingers. Her feminine scent made his heart race with a mixture of desire and hunger, and he pulled back before the urge to feed on her tempting blood grew too overwhelming to resist. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he assured her breathily, giving her hand a squeeze as he righted his posture. Enough time had passed that he knew he could make the trip without running into any of his cousins. With that thought in mind, he headed for the door to retrieve the tome.

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria chuckled when Vail teased her about watching him like a hawk. She had to otherwise the vampire could easily sneak in a hasty manoeuvre or two without her even noticing. From their initial banter she couldn’t put it past him to cheat just to win, the vampire was not only stubborn but had a rather cheeky side to him. However, it seemed he was merely naturally good at the game. To which she couldn’t fault him. She made it her personal goal to beat him at least once before she was turfed out tomorrow.

She’d enjoyed their time together, just the two of them in each other’s company, just as much as he had. True, they had to go back to momentary meetings few and far between at the disapproval of his father. Yet she was sure her mother would welcome him to the manor once she saw how well Vail had treated her. With nothing but respect and gentle loving tender touches even at their most passionate encounter. She could still feel the tenderness of his lips and how his kisses fell like delicate flowers all over her body. Even if she had to endure his initial bite.

It was clear he was beginning to desire her once more as he kissed her firmly, she even found it hard to break away herself as her hand gripped his wrist, showing her strength was returning. And she had not yet had the lust that a vampire had that Vail felt for her blood. She was going to miss being in his arms whenever she so pleased to be embraced within his protective cocoon. They had one last evening together, to research and plan while they still could before being forced apart in the morning.

She nodded at the Lord as he declared he would be back momentarily. She didn’t mind him leaving her alone in the room when she was awake so she could keep her wits about her and remain alert to his cousins attempting a feast again. She had been given a loud bell to ring if even any of them sniffed too close to the door. Victoria eagerly awaited Vail’s return with the book, impatiently wanting to know what secrets lay between the pages. Any hope was better than nothing at all. Even if they found out the ritual could no longer be done, at least they tried. She contemplated asking Vail to run away with her, far away from his family so they couldn’t force them apart ever again. But that would render Vail lonely after her inevitable death. They may have ten or twenty years together depending on her health.

[Rogue Sloth]

Remembering exactly where he had left the book the last time he’d set it down, Vail made quick work of retrieving it the second time. He strode quietly down the stairs that led to the archive, keeping a halfhearted watch for his relatives even though he was sure that everyone had already retired to their rooms for the night. Those that were still awake would have gone out to hunt a while ago and wouldn’t be back anytime soon either. The manor was silent apart from his careful footsteps, and the trip was pleasantly uneventful.

As expected, the tome was on the same shelf he had placed it on during his last visit, so he pulled it down and headed back to his own room to look through it with Victoria. There was no guarantee that it held the answers they were looking for, but it was the best chance they had. Peter had been firm in his decision to remove her from the Hygrace family’s property as soon as she was ready to go tomorrow. As far as either of them knew, this was the last night that they could spend in search of a way to turn her into a vampire. He hoped transmutation, whatever it was, could be the ritual that his uncle had described to him in the past.

When he got back to his room, Vail closed the door behind him and made his way over to the bed. “This,” he said to Lady Crest, holding up the leather-bound book. “Should be what we’re looking for.” Settling down on the mattress with his back propped against the headboard, he gestured for her to sit beside him and cracked the tome open on his lap. The pages inside were covered from top to bottom with fine print and hand drawn depictions of humans and vampires, differentiated by fangs that protruded from the mouths of the latter.

He studied the images with interest before focusing on the text. “It’s written in Romanian,” he noted, recognizing the characters right away. “It’s been a few decades since I’ve last read this language, but I think I can still translate.” His eyes flitted over the words as he skimmed the first few pages. The beginning of the book was a detailed record of family lineages, names of vampires who had turned humans, and the names of the humans whom they had turned. It was interesting content, and he would have spent more time poring over it if they had more than just one night to do so. However, for the sake of getting to the point, he flipped past the anecdotal accounts until he found a page with a promising title.

“Ritual de schimbare. Transformation ritual,” he read aloud, heartbeat quickening with anticipation. It had to be the information they were after. The related drawing was somewhat confusing though. He knitted his brows, unsure what to make of it. From what he could tell, it just looked like a vampire feeding on a human. Fangs were buried in the neck, and the victim’s mouth was agape is if he was in shock or pain. It was no different than what he did to satisfy his bloodlust on an average basis, but none of the people he fed on had ever turned into vampires. There had to be something else going on, so he turned back to the text in search of the answer.

[Angel Vicky]

It wasn’t long before Vail returned to his room, at Victoria’s relief. At his gesture to sit beside him, she rose from her seat and stepped toward him slowly, she was strong enough to walk on her legs now but not strong enough to fully use her muscles to jog or sprint. That would take a couple of days to recover her full strength with the right foods. She crawled onto the mattress to join Vail’s side, sitting by him close enough to lay her head on his shoulder as he read from the book to her.

Romanian was a very strange language to Victoria. There was so much wealth of information in this one tome. Her father would have loved to have studied it and learned more about the race and heritage in general. He knew there existed good hearted vampires who minimised their terror on the human race. It was rare to find but they existed. The Hygraces had learned by past mistakes to keep their head down and keep to themselves but he had been sure there were half breeds in existence. Like Diana’s first-born son that Victoria had no idea about.

“Even the pictures they drew are very detailed.” She commented as they flicked through the pages. “Do you think this was written by a human scientist who got close to vampires for research or an actual old vampire?” This book could have been the first of its kind. The Order would value this book as priceless and would use it to learn every weakness there ever existed in the vampiric bloodlines. This book would indeed need time to study, time they did not have to spare. She would be venturing home tomorrow, there was no way Peter would let Vail take her home. It was arranged for Ray to collect her at the Hygrace mansion and escort her back to her mother. Where no doubt Gerald would also be in attendance.

“Transformation ritual?” She peered closer at the page. She didn’t see any difference in being bitten normally by a vampire. Until she noticed one tiny detail. “There…the cheeks of this human…there is no colour in them. Their pupils are also dilated. That human is already dead by the looks of it?” She mused as she turned her gaze upward to Vail, catching the candlelight in them, like a flame flickering behind them to represent her fiery spirit within.

[Rogue Sloth]

Vail nodded absently when Victoria pointed out the detail of the drawings. It was apparent that they hadn’t been crafted at the hand of an amateur. “Most likely a vampire,” he said thoughtfully in answer to her question. “From what I’ve been told, my ancestors were always secretive, and this book contains extremely detailed records of family trees. I can’t imagine how a human would have been able to get his hands on any of this information.” He also couldn’t think of any humans who would have bothered to learn about them in the first place. Aside from Lady Crest, every human he’d crossed paths with had either been terrified of vampires or thought they were better off dead. It was one of the reasons why he’d thought she was special when they had begun to get to know each other.

At her next observation, he knitted his brows together, perplexed. It could have just been an error on the part of the artist, but every other picture had been drawn so painstakingly that it seemed unlikely. He traced his fingers over the image, wondering why the author had considered that detail important enough to depict. Most vampires drained their victims to death, so it seemed strange to him that they had gone out of their way to highlight that part of the feed. Unless a human has to be killed to be turned, he shifted his weight, suddenly apprehensive to read the ritual. They had come this far, though, so he cleared his throat.

“Our numbers are unsustainable,” he started, speaking slowly as he translated the Romanian script. Now he was certain the author had been a vampire. “There are humans who have learned how to kill us, and we do not repopulate quickly enough to survive the loses. However, Traian Aurel Sadoveanu has discovered a solution to this threat. There is a way by which we can turn mortal into immortal with the Bite, adopting humans into our community to survive our enemies and add strength and diversity to our bloodlines.

“It is perhaps a boon to us that the ritual does not stray far from the feed that we are inclined by instinct to partake in during the nights. Upon writing this account, I have successfully turned three humans, all of whom have become beloved members of my family. When I first encountered them, though, each one had been my prey. I hunted them the same way I hunt every man or woman whose blood entices my senses, but for these unique individuals, I offered hope before they died.

“What Sadoveanu realized, and what we have all come to accept as our saving grace, is that a human who drinks but a drop of a vampire’s blood in the minutes before his own blood is drained entirely may be reborn with that vampire’s blood coursing through his veins.” He paused, finally understanding the accompanying image. It was an intriguing concept. He continued reading: “If one decides to give this gift to his victim, he must then take the body to a secure location, as the transformation process can take up to a week to complete. Until the fledgling’s heart begins to beat again, he is vulnerable to those humans who would run silver through it to prevent him from waking.

“After the week of turning has passed, the fledgling will open his eyes as a vampire if he was among the fortunate half of humans whose bodies would accept their predator’s blood—wait, half?” Vail faltered, startled that the success rate for the ritual was so low. “‘If, after seven days the human remains unresponsive, dispose of the corpse…’ That doesn’t sound promising.” He leaned into Victoria’s side involuntarily, unsure what to think about the discouraging information. As much as he wanted to rescue her from the Wynters and be with her forever, knowing that every other human who was turned in this manner died made him reluctant to try it at all.

[Angel Vicky]

Vail made a very good point that the vampires had always been more secretive. It was true humans either fled in terror or died at their hands or vice versa if the humans belonged to The Order. No wonder Peter didn’t trust her, she was an oddity. Not scared of Vail nor wanting him dead. All she ever wanted from the beginning was to get to know the mysterious man who came to her birthday party and danced with her. Vampire or not. When it transpired that he was, she still wasn’t scared because of her father’s line of work, she knew tricks of the trade here and there from his journals. And knew how to use her blood as their weakness. She always knew she was on borrowed time and wouldn’t last long in a normal life. If she hadn’t wanted to join The Order maybe she could have led a normal life. But normal was not for her. She wasn’t a normal human. She was a vampire’s dream. As Vail found out. No matter where she went, who she ended up with, she could never lead a normal life. She had a permanent target on her back.

As he began to read aloud more of the transcript, she noted how his eyes furrowed and looked perplexed at the images before him. She listened intently on every word he spoke in his translation. Her eyes widened when he read the sentence that the vampires had discovered a way to turn mortals with their bite. But the question remained – did they turn willing humans or select innocent, unsuspecting humans whomever they desired to enter their ranks? This particular author’s turning of three mortals had initially been his prey. Happening upon them as he so desired. But what did he mean by those who were unique? Did he meant people like….her? Or people who were the exact opposite or even too ill to feed from?

And then it came – the catch. She knew it was too good to be true. There may be a chance that a human would be reborn. And it would take a week. “Up to a week?!” She remarked in repetition. And then the final crushing blow…only around half of them seemed to survive. She sighed audibly loud and felt deflated as she leaned against Vail more heavily. “No…it does not sound very promising.” She would have to risk death to become immortal. At first she was willing to go through it but now she knew there was a chance it wouldn’t work…that was a different matter. As much as Vail wanted to turn her and make her part of the Hygrace clan…she knew he would be reluctant to do so.

Still, it was a blessing in disguise. She didn’t have to be turned and suffer their unquenchable thirst for blood. How could she get over her blood phobia if she couldn’t stand the sight of it? It was unheard of for a vampire to be fearful of the very substance that kept them alive. She would be an outcast even as a vampire, just as she was an outcast as a human for being a vampire lover. She was stuck in the middle. “So…if I die…then you have a chance to turn me into your kind. Would that not mean I would then have your DNA flowing through my veins? Would it not mean…I would be related to you?” She wondered aloud as she curled up against Vail and turned on her side to face him, nestling her head further into his neck. She took in his scantly aroma and his masculine pheromones, though she couldn’t sense them as strongly as he could hers. If she were to become related to him, that would become a problem for them to have vampire children. And she had no idea of the possibility of a half vampire being possible between a human and vampire like her secret half-brother that lived somewhere out there. It was a dilemma. Either they wait until she is dying to give her a 50% chance of a second life, by which time Vail would have been disowned by his father for taking a human wife. Or the other option was to risk it and die young. Choices…choices. Time ran against her as a human, in both life and the Hygrace manor. But once she was a vampire, the Wynters could not touch her again. She yawned as she now fought against the enemy of fatigue.

[Rogue Sloth]

Retreating into his thoughts, Vail wrapped one arm around Victoria’s back as she agreed that the ritual didn’t sound as promising as they had hoped it would. There were a number of details about it that deterred him. Firstly, he disliked the idea of bleeding her until her heart stopped. Every time he’d bitten her before, he had done everything he could to make the feeding process as tolerable as possible, since he didn’t want to cause her pain. But he knew of no way to take away the suffering of death. He was torn between his distrust of letting another vampire turn her and the discomfort of knowing that he would be the one to cause her to endure such misery.

Secondly, the fact that it could take up to a week for a human to turn was off putting to him. There were many people, both human and vampire, who would go out of their way to make sure she never woke up. The Order would oppose the creation of a new demon, and the Wynters would surely do everything in their power to prevent a member of their rival clan from taking the Crest heiress, whom they had deemed as their property, away from them. Even his own father couldn’t be trusted, since the leader of the Hygraces had made it perfectly clear that he wanted her out of his son’s life. Vail was uncertain if he had the fortitude to fend off all of the opposition by himself while she was in such a vulnerable state.

The final nail in the coffin was that the ritual only had a success rate of fifty percent. If the first risks weren’t daunting enough, the chance that he could lose her if her heart rejected his blood was enough to make him quail at going through with it at all. He turned his head to bury his face in her hair, closing his eyes as he breathed in her familiar, calming scent. There were still obstacles to be faced if she remained mortal, namely her possessive fiancé and his antagonistic father, but they seemed miniscule compared to the possibility that she could die if the transformation went wrong. He didn’t want to bear the burden of knowing he had killed the woman he had grown so fond of when there were other options left to be tried.

“I don’t think so,” he murmured into Victoria’s long tresses when she asked if they would become related. He knew little about the field of medicine, but Peter had told him about human surgeries before. Organs and blood could be donated to save the lives of people who needed them. If this ritual was anything like that, then the DNA that made up their bodies would still be entirely separate aside from the cells that traveled through her veins. Based on the context of the book, it seemed like turned humans were adopted into clans for the purpose of reproducing too. He wasn’t sure what else the author could have meant by diversifying family lines.

“It doesn’t matter though,” he sighed, softly stoking her back as she yawned. “I don’t think this is a good idea. I don’t want to lose you if it doesn’t work.” He turned his head away from her again and swallowed, salivating reflexively as his predatory urges tempted him to feed on the weary prey in his arms. She had been his exclusive food source for a while now, but after she went home tomorrow, he had a feeling he would need to go hunting in the city to quell his blood cravings so he wouldn’t lose control and attack one of the servants.

For now, though, a distraction was good.

Shifting his weight on the bed, Vail turned back to Victoria and pressed his lips against hers, driven by a need to redirect the impulse to sink his fangs into her neck and a desire to make the most of the time they had left before Peter forcibly removed her from the property. Unsure when they would be able to see each other again, his movements were marked with passion as he leaned over her and held the back of her leg with his free hand.

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria had everything going against her, she thought she could seek refuge at the Hygrace manor but instead she was met with the callous heart of Peter. Even if she were successfully turned, would he still want her as part of the clan? Somehow, she had to make it worth his while, see her as a valuable asset. Which meant keeping The Order off their backs and keeping the Wynters away from them so that his son would be safe. She was going to prove that she cared more about Vail than he knew. If that meant keeping her distance so he was out of harm’s way, then so be it. She knew Vail would defy his father and sneak out to see her at first opportunity. He was head strong and there was only so much she could do without forcibly telling him to stay away. She wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to push him away, she wouldn’t want to do it.

She enjoyed his soothing strokes across her back and the sound of his voice muffled by her locks. Feeling his breath trickle along her hair. He told her it mattered not if they would be related or not, though unlikely. She likened it to a human blood transfusion. The human adopted the foreign blood into their system, if compatible. It bolstered their own blood cells to create more cells until it was back up to full capacity. But Vail said he did not even wish to try. The risk was too great. She smiled though, when he said he didn’t want to lose her. Did that mean he cared about her as much as she cared for him? Well she didn’t want to die either, not this young. She had so many things left to do and accomplish.

She noticed he had to turn away suddenly and swallowed hard as if fighting his primal instincts to feed on her. She had seen him struggle with it for the past few days. She was impressed he had managed to keep it all under control so far. There was always that risk though…

As she contemplated this, he turned back to kiss her without warning. He fully leaned over her and made his intentions known as his kiss was full of passion, unlike before when she had seduced him into it, this time he made the decision on his own. Now that she was strong enough to at least kiss back, she wrapped her arms firmly around his neck and the hand that grasped the back of her leg lifted up so he could reach further up…

---

The next morning, Victoria was awoken abruptly by a loud knock at the door. She looked up, feeling light headed and weak still from her slumber. She had no clothes on underneath the bed covers thanks to Vail the previous night. Although Vail had taken her to heaven and back again, she doubted his father would appreciate finding them in bed together like this. Since it was he who knocked impatiently at the door.

[Rogue Sloth]

Vail remained awake long after Victoria succumbed to the clutches of slumber. Nocturnal by nature, he laid by her side, the wheels of his mind spinning as he tried to think of something they could do to solve all of the mounting problems that threatened to pull them apart. Of course, there was no magic answer to fix everything though. The closest they had come was the turning ritual, and even that had proven to be too risky to attempt. He sighed quietly and held her close, warmed beneath the duvet by the heat that radiated from her naked body. His blood cravings had subsided for now, but he still felt restless as the clock ticked against them. If she hadn’t fallen asleep against his chest, he would have gotten up to pace or read or do something productive in the hours that remained until she would be sent back to the Crest manor. Instead, he stayed still, alone with his thoughts while the dark sky outside slowly gave way to the first light of dawn.

The Hygrace heir wasn’t sure when he’d dozed off, but he knew that he must have, because the next thing he realized was that someone was rapping sharply at his bedroom door. He stirred and blinked his eyes open tiredly, exposing his long fangs in a yawn. Morning had come all too quickly, and with it, the arrival of his choleric father. Like Victoria, he was still bare skinned after their tussle in the sheets the night before. The pillows and blankets had been strewn haphazardly around them, and the book they’d been reading had fallen at some point to the floor. He hadn’t seen a reason to cover up the evidence that he and his human lover had been intimate though. Even if they’d tried to pretend like they hadn’t succumbed to their lust, there was no hiding the sickly-sweet pheromones that still hung in the air. Peter could have already detected the damning scent from beyond the door.

When neither of them immediately jumped up to answer his knocking, the clan leader took it upon himself to enter the room without permission. He stepped inside and halted near the entrance, his narrowed eyes fixed on the couple in bed together. He had already found out that Vail had slept with Alexander’s daughter before, but seeing them together now, post coital, made his blood boil. There was much he wanted to say to his increasingly belligerent son and the woman whom continued to take advantage of his misplaced interest. However, her escorts were already waiting for her in the foyer.

“Make yourselves decent,” he growled with barely restrained rage. “Lords Pierce and Alabaster of the Order are here to collect you, Lady Crest.”

And there it was, the proclamation Vail had been dreading for days. He remained still for a moment longer before he reluctantly sat up on the mattress, his bare chest revealed as the sheets that had been covering him fell into a heap in his lap. “Couldn’t you at least give us some privacy?” he asked dryly, noticing that his father had planted himself by the door. If he had been alone, he wouldn’t have minded the other vampire’s presence, but he disliked the thought of his father watching Victoria get ready like a pimp preparing a prostitute.

“It seems I’ve given you far too much privacy,” Peter folded his arms unwaveringly. “Now get dressed. The sooner you’re both clothed; the sooner she can be on her way.”

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria gasped as Peter stormed his way in. She saw that look in his eyes of nearly pure rage. She wasn’t aware he’d still be able to smell the sickly sweet pheromones from their night of passion from hours earlier. But it was obvious that they’d slept together as they were both naked and only covered by the bedding. Peter was wrong about one thing, however, that he thought Victoria was taking advantage of Vail. Even if she resisted and told him no, had she denied him her blood in the first place after agreeing to let him drink from her, he still would have lusted for it and tried to take her blood by force. He made it clear he wouldn’t let her go back on her word before they became entangled in the bedsheets in The Shire.

Victoria held the bed covers up over her modest bosom as Peter told them to make themselves decent. She didn’t realise Gerald would also be coming with Ray. If she saw him again, she wasn’t sure she could contain her anger at him. She noticed Peter didn’t move from the door even as Vail told him to give them privacy. He would not budge though. She sighed as she glanced at Vail. She dragged the bed covers with her from the bed and kept it wrapped around her like a towel as she stepped into her undergarments and slid her dress over her without bothering to add the undergarment of her corset and merely left it strewn across the floor. She could pick it up later or Vail could have a servant deliver it to Crest Manor.

Her dress hung loosely, not showing off any curves as she looked at the book on the floor. She stood in front of it to hide it from Peter’s view before Vail quickly kicked it under the bed out of sight as he got dressed. She slipped her boots on and looked at Peter, her hair was still quite frizzy and messy but for the sake of mere transport back to her home, she needn’t look presentable. Her mother would take care of it once she returned, no doubt. “I only trust Lord Pierce. I don’t want Alabaster anywhere near me.” She told the Hygrace clan leader. “He killed my father. He was his best friend and he stabbed him in the back. What chance do you think you’ll have against The Order with him at the helm?” But with someone like her at the helm of the organisation, she’d make sure the Hygraces were safe. First, she needed rid of Gerald.

She followed Peter down the stairwell and was greeted with a solemnly expressed Ray Pierce and a smiling Gerald Alabastor. A rather smug smile that had said he’d won this round. He held out his hand for her to take. “Lady Crest, it is so good to see you…unharmed.” He shot a warning glare at Peter.

My Father’s Murderer

Reluctantly she begrudgingly edged toward him. But she did not take his hand, rather she took Ray’s hand. She trusted him as if he were a brother. “”Thank God, you’re okay. I was worried when you were taken…”

“I was taken to somewhere safe from Spencer.” She glared at Gerald, who remained stoic and silent on the situation. “Well we best be off. Thank you for seeing to her health, she looks much better now.” He extended his thanks to Lord Peter Hygrace. “Let’s get you home, My Lady.” Gerald snapped his fingers and Ray turned to follow him out of the estate. But before he escorted Lady Victoria away, she turned back to look at Vail one last time. “I love you, Vail.” She whispered, but he would hear it with his keen vampiric hearing.

[Rogue Sloth]

The look on Peter’s face made it clear that he would not relent this time. Vail held his gaze for a moment longer before he gave up and climbed down from the bed after Victoria to get dressed. She had wrapped herself in the bedsheet, so he stood nude as he gathered his clothes from the floor. There were other, clean outfits in his wardrobe that he could have put on instead, but knowing that Lady Crest would be returning to her family in a matter of minutes, he couldn’t bring himself to cross even the full length of a room.

Additionally, when he bent down to pick up the discarded garments, he caught sight of the tome that had fallen during the night. He and Victoria had decided the transformation ritual was too dangerous to attempt, but he didn’t want Peter to know they had been investigating it at all, so he subtly pushed the book beneath the bed skirt with his foot. It would remain hidden there until he found time to replace it in the archive later that night.

As he finished buttoning his shirt, he glanced sideways at the Crest heiress when she declared to Peter that Lord Alabaster had killed her father. It was the same thing she had said to him the night he’d found her half frozen outside her summer house. The clan leader seemed unconvinced though, or perhaps didn’t care enough to express anything other than cool disinterest in response to the reveal. “He is already downstairs,” Peter said without empathy. Her question went ignored as well.

Vail found the news of Gerald’s appearance off-putting, but there was nothing he could do to send the man away. Peter’s word trumped his as the patriarch of the Hygrace family, and demanding that Alabaster be removed from the property before Victoria left would only result in the woman being forcibly dragged out of the manor by his father. With no good options left, he settled for walking closely by her side as they headed down to her human escorts in the foyer.

Upon seeing the two Saints in his family’s home, the vampire heir tilted his chin up untrustingly. Ray and Gerald had each attacked him before, and even though Victoria had grown fond of the former, they were both still enemies in his eyes. His father seemed to see them the same way too, as the men had been left in the watchful company of three of his cousins until Peter had returned from the upper floor. He had lived long enough to know how dangerous it was to invite members of the Order under his roof.

At Alabaster’s insinuation that Victoria might have been harmed in the care of the Hygraces, Vail narrowed his eyes. It was hypocritical of him to say such a thing after he had allowed Lord Spencer to feed on her until she had knocked on death’s door. The only ones who had caused her any harm, aside from the puncture of his own fangs, were the Wynters and the Order themselves. However, knowing how tense relations were between the Hygraces and the Saints lately, he held his tongue.

“It is our code to care for those who need us,” Peter stated plainly when thanked. “I only hope Lady Crest never finds herself in need again.” His way of saying he wanted her out of their lives.

Vail followed Victoria and her entourage with his eyes as they began to take their leave. He would have liked to arrange a time for them to meet again, but such was impossible in their current company, and she needed to finish recovering from the affliction her fiancé had caused. For now, he would just have to hope that she would regain her strength quickly and find a way to contact him when she was well enough to sneak out of the Crest manor.

With a heavy sigh, he turned his head to go back to his bedroom when her whispery voice reached his ears. He froze in his tracks, sure that his heart had just skipped a beat at the words that rolled quietly off her tongue. Ever since the day he’d met her, he had been tentative and careful, attempting to navigate his feelings for Victoria with refined logic. There had been moments when he had looked at her that he’d been overcome with a warmth that he couldn’t quite describe, but in three simple words, she had just expressed it perfectly. He loved her too. He loved her with every ounce of his being, despite everything that stood in their way and everyone who thought they were mad. He wanted to be with her, make her happy, even die for her if he must.

He loved her, and now, as the heavy oak doors closed firmly between them, he couldn’t say it back.

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria, Ray and Gerald returned to Crest Manor in a carriage, they all remained silent as Victoria glared at Gerald in the back of the carriage. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. Ray felt the tension between them, he also felt it between him, Gerald and Victoria’s lover, Vail. Gerald noticed Victoria’s hard cold stare. “My dear, we are going to be spending a lot of time together in the next few weeks, so I suggest you work through whatever anger you are feeling.”

“You killed my father. And Ray knows. I found my father’s journal. Once I expose you to the rest of the Order you will be branded a traitor!” Victoria spat, yet Gerald merely huffed. “They wouldn’t believe a vampire sympathiser over me.” He sneered.

“But they’ll believe me.” Ray piped up and glared at him. “Alex was a damned fine Saint and you murdered him in cold blood.” Gerald gritted his teeth. “You dare go against me, Lord Pierce?”

Suddenly Gerald lunged at him and grabbed him by the throat. “I MADE YOU.” Gerald growled as Ray clutched at his hands on his neck. Victoria screamed out and kicked Gerald in the face with her boot. “GET OFF HIM!” It made Gerald loosen his grip, Ray pulled out a pistol and pointed it between his eyes. “You will stand trial and face justice Lord Alabaster, for what you have done!”

Victoria nodded as she panted with adrenaline as Gerald glared at Ray. The coach pulled up outside the manor. Ray held the gun to Gerald’s head as Victoria hopped out and finally, she could run thanks to the surge of adrenaline in her veins. She ran right up to the door where her mother waited for her. She had been so worried about her mother being left alone with Gerald and Lord Spencer. “Mother!” She ran right into her arms and Diana cried. Until now Ray had kept quiet about Gerald’s deed but Victoria was the one to inform Diana of the treachery. Diana looked at Gerald with pain. “You took my husband away from me, you let Spencer feed on my only daughter. You are nothing but a monster.” She walked up to him and gave him the hardest slap of his life. It paled in comparison what Victoria wanted to do to him.

“Listen, if you turn me in now, the Wynter’s win. They’ll take over London and you won’t be safe anywhere from them.” Gerald sighed. Victoria put her hands on her hips and used a stern voice as she demanded more answers. “Start talking…”

[Rogue Sloth]

As soon as the door was closed, Peter turned on Vail with unbridled anger. Now that the humans were gone, he had no more reason to feign politeness and hide the frustration he had felt since he’d first caught the scent of heightened pheromones outside his son’s bedroom door. Sleeping with the Crest heiress—and under the roof of the Hygrace manor, no less—had been one of the most foolish things his successor had ever done. It would not go without punishment.

“My study, now,” he growled, turning to go back up the stairs.

Vail blinked, still caught in a daze as he stared at the ghost of where Victoria had just been. Peter’s words barely registered as he stood processing what had just happened. Part of him wanted to chase after her to proclaim that he loved her too, but doing so would delay her leave and infuriate his father even more. To keep from ruffling any more feathers that morning, he would just have to wait until the next time he and Lady Crest were able to meet.

With that thought in mind, he turned away from the door to drift after the clan leader to his study. Before they even arrived, he already knew what Peter was going to speak with him about. He also knew that his father would have done so sooner if it hadn’t been for the armed Saints in their foyer who might have become violent if they had overheard that the heirs of the Hygrace and Crest families had slept together. Peter’s patience was purely political, and now that their guests were gone, he would say what was on his mind.

“I am beginning to seriously consider making your cousin, Erasmus, my successor,” Peter said in a dangerously quiet tone, closing the door behind them when they were both inside the study. The thin panel of wood wouldn’t be enough to deafen any listening ears if any of the other Hygraces decided to eavesdrop on their conversation, but it provided enough of a semblance of privacy for the clan leader to part with his mask of composure. As he turned back to his son, there was a burning fury in his eyes. “Your actions have been incautious lately, Vail. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but this needs to stop right now. What were you thinking, sleeping with Alexander’s daughter? Do you not understand how reckless that was?”

“We’re in love,” Vail replied simply. It felt strange to admit his feelings to his father first of all people, but there were no stronger words to express the depths of his attachment to Victoria. “And I don’t care if it was reckless. I want to be with her more than I’ve ever wanted to be with anyone else.”

“She’s a human!” Peter snapped. “And, not to mention, she’s engaged to be wed to a member of the Wynter clan. You have no right to lay claim to her when she cannot be yours.”

“She isn’t going to marry him,” Vail asserted stubbornly. “She doesn’t have to. The engagement was arranged by her mother, but it can be broken.”

“You’re stirring up trouble that may just get you killed,” Peter curled his lip. “The Wynter clan is composed of far more than just one man. There is obviously a reason why they want her—”

“For her blood,” Vail interrupted, crossing his arms exasperatedly as he repeated the point to the thick-skulled clan leader.

His father shot him a glare, “Whatever the case, if they’ve set their sights on her, they won’t give up until they have her, and they won’t tolerate an interloper like you getting in their way. All actions have consequences, Vail. If Lord Spencer realizes what you and Lady Victoria did last night, he will be furious. And what if she’s pregnant?” He pinched the bridge of his nose as he noticed a flicker of confusion cross his son’s face. “You didn’t know vampires and humans can interbreed, did you?”

Vail shook his head, “We’re of different species, so I thought…”

“Of course you did,” Peter said dryly. “Yes, we’re of two different species, but vampires are related closely enough to humans that one can reproduce with the other. It is especially risky when the human is female, because their kind is far more fertile than ours. They have limited lifespans, so they bear children at a higher rate in their youth and have a period of time every month when they can be impregnated.” He sighed as the blood drained from Vail’s face. “Sleeping together once doesn’t mean she is with child. I just need you to understand all the consequences that could result from what you two have done.”

“I didn’t know that part,” the Hygrace heir admitted, deciding not to remind his father that he and Victoria had also been intimate at The Shire. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I’ve made my decision. I want to be with her, and I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen. I’m sorry if you disagree, father. My mind is made up.”

“Don’t be stupid,” the clan leader narrowed his eyes again. “I didn’t want to do this, Vail, but if you continue to defy me, I’m going to have to disown you as a member of our clan.” He held up his hand as Vail opened his mouth to respond. “I would suggest you take the rest of the day to think about the gravity of the decision you choose to make.” With that, he turned and walked out of the study, indicating that the discussion was over.

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria listened to Gerald talk for a good fifteen minutes and explain the Wynters’ plan. Still with a gun to his head courtesy of Ray. He had informed them that the Wynter clan were back with a vengeance after recruiting strong players, they had been turning humans into vampire soldiers for their cause and they were now descending on London with full force. Victoria was the key to keeping their army strong and healthy. They were here to exact vengeance on the Hygraces and any other clan in the vicinity who got in their way. Their motto was clear – join us or die. The Order could not stand against such a force.

“Then why did my Father have to die?!” Victoria sought to understand. They sat around the table with their cups of tea and sandwiches. Gerald sighed. “If he exposed my plan to the hierarchy then he would have risked everything I worked for to keep The Order safe without knowing of our unofficial assistance in return for leaving us alive. I would pass them off as non-threats while they didn’t obliterate all Saints. If the Head knew…he’d go to war and we would not survive this. Alex was a necessary sacrifice. If you want revenge, I understand but I was trying to keep Ray and my fellow comrades and their families safe!” Gerald pleaded as Victoria’s eyes streamed with tears. There could have been another way, surely?

She grabbed Ray’s gun and pointed it at Gerald’s forehead and pressed it hard into his skull. She growled and her hand shook. Gerald was ready to die, he’d accepted his sins. She gritted her teeth as she let out a distressed scream and threw the gun across the room in pure rage. She couldn’t kill him. If he was right about the Wynters, they’d need all hands on deck to defend against them. Gerald let out a large sigh of relief.

“We fight. We cannot let them walk all over us!” Victoria put her foot down. She turned to the others, they saw the burning resolve in her eyes. “What doesn’t kill me…makes me stronger.” She declared with a confident nod and Diana nodded. Ray stood up. “I say we fight. All of us. The Order. The Hygraces. Anyone who would band with us to drive the Wynters back. If we don’t pull our forces together, we will all die at their hands.”

Victoria nodded. “It won’t be easy to get Peter Hygrace on board, but we have to convince him…somehow.”

“Let me try talking to Lord Hygrace. Parent and parent.” Diana spoke up and suggested as Victoria agreed with a smile. There was one other person she could call on. The father of her first born. Lord Frank Moncourier. She kept it to herself as she excused herself to write a letter.

Ray then walked over and holstered his gun. “We need to tell Rogers.” He told Gerald. Samuel Rogers lead The Order currently. The Order was so old that its Founder was lost to the sands of time. As they left, leaving Victoria alone with her thoughts finally, she sat down and put her head in her hands. This was all such a mess and she didn’t know when she would get to see the man she loved again.