[IC] ~Bonsoir~

[Rogue Sloth]

Sylvia may not have been the kind of woman Vail desired as a wife, but she had always been good at lifting his spirits when he was hung up on something. Throughout the afternoon, she kept him distracted with pleasant conversations and enjoyable activities when they left the carriage, so that it was nearly impossible for him to keep brooding about Victoria. Having not seen each other in at least two decades, there was plenty for them to talk about as they visited a garden to have a picnic and then went to the tracks to watch a horse race. He noticed with quiet appreciation that she seemed to purposefully avoid the subject of their engagement. Instead, she filled the silence by reminiscing about the past and asking him questions about his life since they’d last caught up. The casual atmosphere she injected into what was supposed to be a formal jaunt eased his tension. He was glad that she placed their friendship over the marriage that their parents had arranged for them and was considerate enough not to try to persuade him to accept it right away. By the time they returned to his family’s manor at sunset, he was in a far better mood than he had been when they’d left.

“Well, here we are, my lady,” a playful grin lit up Sylvia’s porcelain face as she stepped up to the door with Vail. They had just arrived by her hackney, and naturally, they couldn’t part ways before she teased him about their role reversal.

“No one asked you to pick me up,” he pointed out blandly, stopping at the top step to speak with her for a moment longer before she left. After a long day during which he would usually be fast asleep, he looked forward to taking a nap in his room, but he wouldn’t leave her without having a proper goodbye first.

“Actually, your father did,” the vampire lady revealed. “And now that I’ve seen your aversion to marrying me, I know why.” He winced, and she chuckled melodically. “I’m not upset, Vail, but I do hope you’ll come around. You told me yourself that Lord Peter doesn’t approve of this other woman you’ve grown attached to, so it would do you good to let her go sooner rather than later. I’d hate to see you heartbroken on our wedding day.”

“We’ll see,” he said curtly, insinuating with his lack of agreement that he hadn’t given up on his love yet. There were still options left to try. At this point, he was even willing to compromise with his father and marry Sylvia after Victoria’s mortal life was extinguished by old age. He doubted Peter would take the deal right away, since the clan leader was still hell-bent on keeping him away from Lady Crest, but it was the best idea he could think of in which they would both get what they wanted.

“You’ve always been a stubborn thing,” Sylvia chaffed, idly reaching out to pluck a stray hair from his coat. A coy smile played on her lips. “Are you sure it wouldn’t help if I came inside for a tiff? You might just change your mind…”

“Good Lord, Sylvie, I’m starting to wonder just how long you’ve been thinking about sleeping with me,” Vail’s dour expression was broken with a smirk, and he shook his head. “No, I think it’s best if we call it a night.”

“Pity,” she flashed her fangs in another wide grin as her shoulders shook with a laugh. He knew she enjoyed being able to coax smiles out of him with her humor. However, in the next moment, the lighthearted mood disappeared as the direction of the wind changed, and they both caught the unmistakable, acrid scent of silver.

Reflexively, Vail tensed and peered past Sylvia’s shoulder, catching sight of a figure ducking behind a tree beyond the edge of the property. The female vampire frowned concernedly but didn’t follow his gaze. “That’s far too much silver to be jewelry,” she noted, her tone calm even though he could hear the increase of her heartbeat. “Is there a reason why a Saint would be prowling around your home tonight?”

“Not one that I’m aware of,” he turned back to her and shrugged. “It could just be an inexperienced hunter hoping for an easy target. The Order has its code of ethics. Whoever it is shouldn’t aim at us when we haven’t touched any humans, but if you’re worried, I’ll wait until you’re in your carriage before I go inside.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Sylvia nodded. As sharp as her tongue could be, she wasn’t the most confident fighter. He remembered that she preferred to avoid confrontations alone by hunting with a partner whenever she went out to feed. “I suppose I’ll see you soon,” she went on, suddenly more eager to leave. “Goodnight, Vail.”

“Goodnight, Sylvie,” he said, leaning down to give her a friendly kiss on the cheek. As promised, he waited on the porch for her to climb safely back inside the waiting carriage and take off before he stepped into the manor. As soon as he closed the door behind him, a broad yawn stretched his jaw, and he headed for the stairs, quick to get back to his room before either of his parents stopped him to inquire about how his day with Sylvia had gone. He had barely made it back before he heard a visitor at the front door, but, not recognizing the smell of the person on the other side, he decided it was a situation for the servants to take care of.

Vail shrugged off his coat and vest and was halfway through the process of unbuttoning his shirt when a knock resonated on his own door. He exhaled with mild frustration, beginning to lose his patience with all the people who insisted on preventing him from sleeping, and strode over to the door without bothering to redo the fastenings he had already opened on his white, collared top. “Yes?” he prompted with a frown as he held the door aside, looking down at the short maid standing outside his bedroom.

The girl flushed scarlet at the sight of the vampire in a beginning state of undress and bowed her head to keep from staring at the bare skin that could be seen through his open shirt. “I-I have a delivery for you, Lord Hygrace,” she stammered, holding out what he would have thought was a bottle of wine if not for the aroma of blood that emanated from within the glass—familiar blood.

He furrowed his brows confusedly and murmured a brief ‘thank you’ to the maid, taking the package into his room. The handwriting on the tag confirmed that it was from Victoria, but he couldn’t think of a reason why she would give him a bottle of her own blood in between meetings in which he would feed on her anyway. Swallowing the saliva that had coated his tongue at the tantalizing scent, he sat down on the edge of his bed and untied the ribbon. The white rose that came with the delivery was a thoughtful touch, and he placed it gently on his nightstand before he unraveled the parchment to read by candlelight.

[Angel Vicky]

When Victoria got back to Crest Manor, it was swarming with Saints patrolling the premises, carriages parked out front and more horses in Phillipe’s stable. She sighed as she saw there was no room for her precious companion. She hopped down from Phillipe and walked him to the back of the manor next to the kitchen door so she could keep close eye on him. She stroked his mane before heading in. As soon as she was inside, she practically ran up the stairs, well jogged in that silver armour of hers.

As soon as she slammed her bedroom door shut, she broke into tears. She peeled her gauntlets off and threw them across the room, they smashed into the dressing table. She then kicked off her metal boots and unlatched her leg guards. Then shimmied out of the breast plate. Every piece, she threw on the floor making a hell of a racket. That’s when her mother came in. “Victoria what in the blazes is going on?!” She demanded, she looked around the room to see her armour flung everywhere. Then she stopped yelling as soon as she saw her daughter crying into her hands. “Darling…what’s wrong?” She hadn’t seen her this upset since she learned of the death of her father.

“I saw Vail with another woman. Another vampire.” Victoria explained as she walked into her mother’s open arms and buried her head into her shoulder. “He lied to me, mommy.” She sobbed into Diana’s shoulder. Then Gerald walked in having seen the open door. “What’s wrong?” He asked Diana as she held Victoria in her arms. She sighed at him. “Boy trouble.” She frowned at him as Victoria lifted her head slowly to look at Gerald and he could see she had reddened eyes from her tears.

“I take it this is about that vampire?” He asked and she nodded.

“You were right Gerald. He was just using me for my blood…he’s probably going to marry her. She’s prettier than me, and better suited to Vail. Just like his father wanted.” Victoria growled.

Gerald sighed. “I know I’m not your father…but he isn’t here, and in his absence, it falls to me to look after his little girl when it comes to boys who break her heart. I’m going to rip his heart out for this.” Gerald sneered, he held no love for any vampire, lesser for ones who hurt his god daughter. He was about to leave the room, when Victoria stopped him. “No, I need you here to protect me from the Wynters. We have planning and training to do.” Victoria had buried the hatched with Gerald when he had explained he didn’t mean to kill Alex, that a fight broke out between them and Alex was accidentally killed when he fell down some steps and broke his neck. Gerald didn’t shoot or stab him like she’d assumed. She forgave him in light of the bigger picture.

Gerald nodded. “You’re right. The Hygraces are not worth our time or manpower.” He agreed with her as she held his hands in his pockets. “Well, get some rest, we’ll be up at dawn putting our plan into effect.” He instructed as she nodded to him before he left the room. Diana stroked a strand of hair out from Victoria’s face. “Listen darling. You’ll find your true prince charming one day. I promise. It happened to me before I met your father. A dashing vampire stole my heart and used me to get one thing – my body. When he was done with me, he cast me aside like I was yesterday’s news. However, his presence brought Alexander Crest to my doorstep in search of his prey. And then the rest, you know.” She stroked her daughter’s hair softly and Victoria nodded with a weak smile.

“I knew it was too good to be true.” She didn’t want to get her hopes up that Vail may have been truthful and did care for her, in case he didn’t, and he really was using her for her blood.

“Goodnight darling.” Diana kissed her forehead and left Victoria alone to remove her shirt and trousers of her makeshift Saints uniform made from her father’s old clothes but fashioned to fit her womanly physique. She let her clothes fall to the oak floorboards and climbed into her bed with just her undergarments. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep within minutes.

[Rogue Sloth]

Vail paced restlessly in his bedroom. He had just finished reading the message that Victoria had sent to him about an hour ago, but instead of sleeping afterward like he had planned, he was kept awake by the discovery that the Wynters would be arriving in London much sooner than anyone had anticipated. His eyes fell on the glass bottle that she had given him, which sat untouched on his bedside table. Knowing now that she had likely drawn her blood to give him strength if the rival clan attacked the Hygraces, he was concerned that the Wynters would be here so soon that she believed they wouldn’t see each other again until after the battle. Aside from the fact that he disliked the thought of waiting to make sure she was okay, it also meant that he only had one or two more days left to convince Peter that there was a threat at all. Even if his mulish father finally realized the danger was real, they wouldn’t be able to pull the clan together in time to fight back. Time had run out.

Frustrated, he stopped pacing and dragged both hands over his head with a low groan. It felt like he had been backed into a wall. He had done everything he could to convince Peter that they needed to bolster their defenses or even just stay alert if nothing else, but the patriarch had refused to compromise. Now, there was no telling what the Wynters would do to them, because they weren’t ready to protect their status as the ruling clan in England. He couldn’t bear to watch his relatives get slaughtered by the other vampires in a second massacre. He had to try to persuade his father to listen to reason one more time.

The sun had set not long ago, but Vail knew that Peter usually stayed up to read and unwind before he turned in for the night. If there was ever a good time to approach the elder vampire, it was now. He headed to his parents’ shared room down the hall and knocked on the door, determined to give it one more shot. His cousins had made it abundantly clear that they wouldn’t listen to his orders, so he had to win the clan leader over or come up with some other way to cut the Wynters off before they could reach their home.

After a pause, his mother answered the door. “Vail?” she frowned at him in surprise. He was an independent spirit who rarely stopped by their quarters without a good reason. “Is something the matter?”

“Potentially,” he answered, not waiting for permission to come inside. Peter, who had been sitting in his reading nook, looked up at his son with furrowed brows. His cryptic reply seemed to have piqued the clan leader’s interest, at least. He turned to his father with a serious expression, “The Wynter clan is gathering forces in Southampton as we speak. This is no longer a distant threat, father. It’s a declaration of war, and we need to treat it as such or they’re going to run our family into the ground before the end of the week.”

“This again?” Peter pinched the bridge of his nose. “The Wynters are not gathering to attack us, Vail. They’ve made enemies of the Order. If they really are plotting to fight, their targets are the Saints who’ve been curbing their attempts to gain power.”

“And you don’t think they’ll use this opportunity to dethrone the dynasty that has prevented them from securing dominion in England for the last four hundred years?” Vail challenged, taking a slow breath to control the anger that colored his voice. He was losing his patience after repeating the same reasons and warnings to the patriarch for a week. “You said it yourself. They’re after power, and they’ve always seen us as an obstacle. In their eyes, we’re weak for compromising with the Order and letting our prey live. The Wynters want to instate vampires as the apex species, to enslave humans as nothing more than a food source for our kind, and to have dominion over the country. We both know that their utopia will never come to pass. They’re just going to cause even more bloodshed, and we’re the only clan still standing in their way. Why the hell wouldn’t they attack us?”

Peter was quiet for a long moment before he looked away. “Because we haven’t stood in their way for quite some time now,” he finally answered. “I’ve decided to let them play out the rest of their foolish game and make war with the humans. We will continue to stay out of it, as we have for the last century. I trust that the Saints will put them in their place faster than you think.”

“What is wrong with you?” Vail stared at Peter incredulously. “Are you really willing to put our entire family at risk because you don’t want to stand up and fight? This isn’t what uncle wanted when he chose you to succeed him.”

“There is far more risk in fighting than there is in keeping our noses to ourselves,” the clan leader insisted with a finality to his tone that told the heir he wouldn’t be changing his mind.

Vail clenched his fists at his sides, trembling slightly with fury. He could see now that there was no getting through to the stubborn vampire. Peter wouldn’t see the danger even if it slapped him across the face. Too frustrated to keep arguing with his father, he took a step back toward the door. “Coward,” he spat, spinning on his heel while Peter barked his name angrily behind him. He ignored the demand to come back and returned to his own room before either of his parents could stop him. Certain now that he was on his own, he would just have to take matters into his own hands. He just hoped his efforts would be enough.

--

For the rest of the night, Vail got what sleep he could until he rose again when the sky outside began to slowly lighten with the approach of dawn. He had come to the realization that if he was going to stand up against the Wynters, he was going to need allies. So, he’d reversed his resting cycle for the day in preparation to leave the Hygrace manor during daylight hours. As he slid his arm into the sleeve of his coat, his heart hammered in his chest. Seeing Victoria against his father’s wishes had been rebellious enough, but this time, he was going to be participating in a war that the clan leader had expressly forbidden him from taking part in. It was open betrayal, but he couldn’t sit by and do nothing just because Peter was too afraid to step out of line. He had to do what he knew was right.

Ruminating on the thought so his resolve wouldn’t waver, he slipped out of the manor before the rest of his family had risen and walked briskly to the Crest estate under the cover of twilight. The trip itself was easy, but when the familiar building came into view, he slowed to a stop beyond the gates. There were far more people about than there had been the last time he’d come by, and the odor of silver hung thickly in the air. He hesitated, feeling like a stag approaching a pride of lions. Even though he was strong in comparison with others of his kind, he was no match for a small army of trained hunters. If Victoria hadn’t told him that he was welcome in her home, he would have turned back the instant he’d seen the numerous carriages outside the manor. Instead, he squared his shoulders, adjusted his top hat, and strode onto the property to knock on the door despite the way his skin crawled at the stink of Saints.

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria was up at the crack of dawn, yawning as she drank her coffee. She wore a Saint’s uniform for the morning and preparation, she would put her armour on later when the Wynters drew nearer. She looked over the map of London and studied the layout so she could memorize her path through the city that she was instructed to take on her horse. Her part was to be the bait and lure the attackers into their carefully laid out traps. She heard footsteps come into the kitchen. She glanced up at Ray who stood there. He waited a few seconds before he spoke.”

“Vail Hygrace is outside. What do you want me to do with him?” He asked her. Victoria slowly lifted her gaze, eyes burning like fire. “Tell him to go back to his other woman. He has plenty of what he wanted from me from last night’s delivery.” She replied as she sipped her coffee with tired eyes, slight bags under them. Ray nodded at her and took his leave from the room. She glared as he left as she didn’t know what or who to trust anymore. This could be her last day on Earth and she did not intend to spend it being upset over a lying man.

Ray cleared his throat and straightened out his red tailor coat as he walked out of the Crest manor main doors and descended the couple of steps outside toward Vail Hygrace. “Sorry Lord Hygrace, Lady Victoria does not wish to see you at this present time…” He remained calm and professional in tone, hoping Gerald did not make a scene. He thought saying it in a more diplomatic way would not embarrass the vampire or anger him in this delicate situation. Only Ray, Gerald and Diana knew of what Victoria saw.

Only saying Vail’s name out loud was picked up by the Lady Diana as she handed some tea to some of the Saints outside. She handed the tray to a servant, who then took it inside. Diana practically stormed over to the vampire, not afraid to give her a piece of her mind. “How dare you show up here!” She pointed up at him. “My daughter was in BITS last night because of you!” She growled at the man. “How could you do that to her? You said you cared about her yet you’re gallivanting around with another woman? I thought you were different, Lord Vail Hygrace. But now I see that you are just like the rest of them…you just wanted her for her blood.” Diana narrowed her eyes at him.

Ray rolled his eyes as a few of the Saints stared at them. “Lady Diana, might I suggest you go inside and let me handle this?” He suggested since she was so emotional. Diana huffed at Ray and reluctantly went back inside. Ray sighed. “Look, Vail. Victoria is very upset right now…she asked me to tell you to go back to your other woman and that you have what you wanted from her from last night’s delivery.” He kept himself calm and relaxed, so the vampire did not pick up on any rise in heartrate. He also held his silver gun in one hand. Just in case. “So…I suggest you go before Gerald sees you and decides to kill you on sight. We’re pretty busy preparing for the Wynter’s arrival, if you hadn’t noticed.” He extended his arms in gesture and looked around at the hustle and bustle of commotion. Victoria couldn’t help but watch from a window, she couldn’t hear them but wanted to see Vail’s reaction. Would he walk away without a fight? Or did he truly care enough to fight his way through the army that stood between his and his prey?

[Rogue Sloth]

The reply to the door took far longer than Vail had anticipated. He shifted his weight between his feet as he waited for someone to let him enter, growing more restless with each passing second that he had to stand near so many Saints. The pervasive scent of silver put him on edge, and he fought the urge to stiffen anytime one of the men spared him a fleeting glance. None of the hunters seemed particularly eager to pick a fight with him, but he wasn’t dumb enough to trust a group of people who killed his kind for a living. Until he was beyond their line of sight, he would be ready to defend himself or flee if any of them decided to take advantage of the fact that he’d turned up by himself.

At last, the door opened, but instead of a maid appearing to lead him to Victoria’s bedroom, he was greeted by an unfriendly face. The Hygrace heir narrowed his eyes as Ray attempted to turn him away. Although the Saint’s heart didn’t seem to palpitate when he asserted that Victoria didn’t wish to see him, Vail didn’t buy it for a second. Lady Crest had been happy to spend any length of time with him when they’d met before, so he was sure that her protective friend was just inventing excuses to prevent him from getting to her that morning. He opened his mouth to call Ray’s bluff, but before he could get a word in, he was distracted by Lady Diana’s abrupt interruption.

Baffled by her hostility, Vail held his ground but leaned away from the widow as she jabbed her finger in his face. Her accusations only deepened his frown, and he puzzled over any possible reason why Victoria’s mother would think he had done something to hurt her. They hadn’t even seen each other since two nights before. “Another woman?” he echoed bemusedly. There was no ‘other woman,’ and as far as he could remember, he hadn’t given any of them a reason to think there was. He had continued to put Victoria first to the point of nearly losing claim to his inheritance. That wasn’t something he would have done for anyone other than her.

However, as soon as Diana went back into the manor and Ray spoke again, the realization struck him. Somehow, they must have found out about his outing with Sylvia the day before. He swore internally. The Crests had learned about the engagement Peter was trying to force upon him and sometime between his last visit to Victoria and now, she had been convinced that he was dallying with a vampire behind her back. His hazel eyes darted between the Saint standing in front of him and the nearest group that had begun to stare since the elder Lady Crest had raised her voice. He couldn’t leave without rectifying the situation, but if they had been given orders to keep him out of the manor, it would do him no good to stand on the porch and keep arguing with Ray.

“I’m aware,” Vail said dryly, turning back to the man blocking his path. “I suppose I’ll have to come back when you aren’t so busy.” Keeping the Saint’s gun in the corner of his vision, he took a step back and turned around to leave, walking as if he was returning to his own estate. He kept up the act just long enough to sway the human to let his guard down before he suddenly whirled back around and sprinted toward him, tearing the weapon roughly out of his hand. The silver casing seared his skin, and he curled his lip in a pained snarl, quickly dropping it on the floor as he pushed past Ray into the building and slammed the door behind him. The barrier wouldn’t buy him much time, but it was enough for him to track Victoria to the kitchen before he could hear Ray bursting in behind him.

Heart pounding, he ran into the kitchen and pressed his back against the wall to the right of the doorway. He wasn’t sure how many Saints had taken chase, but if even one of them got a clear shot at his heart, he didn’t have many options left to get away. “Call off your guards,” he said urgently to Victoria, curling his burned hand into a fist at his waist. “Quickly. I want to talk, and we can’t do that if I’m dead.”

[Angel Vicky]

Ray cursed as Vail got the better of him and scooped up his gun from the floor then ran for the front doors which were locked. He sneered and banged on the door. “Stupid man is going to get himself killed.” He sighed and worked on getting the door open. A couple of Saints saw him dart inside and gave chase with guns in hand, shouting to alert the others. Ray was eager to get inside but not to get to Vail but to Gerald to stop him from killing Vail and starting a war with the Hygrace clan.

Victoria turned around, startled when Vail ran in and placed his back against the wall. Her long curly locks bounced on her shoulders delicately. Her eyes widened at first then narrowed as he told her to call off the guards because he wanted to talk. It had not escaped her notice that he was holding his hand as if he wielded an injury. She held up her hand, palm facing outward just as two Saints ran into the kitchen. She looked at them with an air of authority. “I can handle this vampire on my own.” She told them firmly as they glanced at Vail then back to her. She gave them a nod as she held up her silver rapier to show she was armed and could defend herself.

As they left and she instructed them to close the door, she sighed. Using her heeled boot to kick a chair out from the kitchen table, she vaulted up on it and sat on the table itself and rested her feet on the chair. She rested her rapier on her lap. “You’re here to talk - why? So you can spin me even more lies?” She scoffed. Her tone was cold and distant with him. She sounded like a woman scorned. Her eyes had lost their sparkle. They were dull and filled with pain.

Victoria hid her face behind her long hair when she turned her gaze from Vail. She was surprised he was here at all, she had given him a large quantity of her blood, what else did he need from her? “Tell me….does she taste better than me? Does she satisfy you more in bed than I can?” She muttered under her breath.

[Rogue Sloth]

For half a second, Vail was uncertain if Victoria would take his side or not. He held her gaze as she glared at him, tensed to run if she chose to let her emotions get the best of her and allow the Saints to continue their hunt. After a moment, he had his answer when she signaled to the two men to stay away, but the tone of her voice was as cold as ice, and he disliked the way she referred to him as ‘this vampire.’ Despite how close they had gotten over the past few weeks, it seemed she had become convinced that he only saw her as a plaything. He wasn’t going to leave until he expressed just how wrong she was.

Once the Saints had left the kitchen and closed the door behind them, he relaxed his shoulders against the wall. Victoria was armed, but he didn’t expect her to attack him without a reason. He tracked her with his gaze as she propped herself up on the table, reminded of why he had found her so enchanting when they’d met as she squared up to him across the room. Even though she was clearly hurting, there was no fear in her brilliant blue eyes, and every motion of her lithe body had an underlying sense of cockiness that made his blood run hot. It was a good thing he hadn’t actually led her on, because she wasn’t a woman he would have wanted to make an enemy regardless of their romantic involvement.

At her rather masochistic question, Vail frowned. “I wouldn’t know,” he answered, folding his arms loosely over his chest. As much as he would have liked to close the distance between them, he was smart enough to stay put by the edge of the kitchen while she was emotional and armed with a silver weapon. He’d already had more than enough of the wretched metal after he’d burned his hand on the barrel of Ray’s gun. “I don’t have any interest in finding out either. The woman I was with was Lady Sylvia Macey, the partner my father chose for me. We spent the day together because our parents had arranged for it, but I swear to you nothing happened beyond that. I don’t want to be with anyone other than you, my love.”

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria watched Vail’s movements carefully. Eyes like a hawk. She knew he was stronger, faster, perhaps smarter. Although if he were smart he would have hid Lady Silvia Macey more from public eye. If he were courting the lady for real, he would have done a better job concealing her from Victoria altogether and deny the whole thing. The fact he mentioned his father had arranged it, she could see why he would have now. To dissuade his son from seeing the human lover he had taken. The story could be plausible, but she wasn’t sure.

The way Vail protested, however cautiously, she didn’t detect any hints of lying, yet, he could have been so well practiced at lying after centuries, that it could be undetectable. The only way to be sure was by his actions, what he did to prove she was the only one he wanted. She set the rapier aside so he wouldn’t have to be afraid of her stabbing him now. She allowed him the opportunity to come closer. She liked the fact she could have some influence of authority over a vampire, it was good practice for the Wynters.

He apparently didn’t want to bed the Lady Sylvia, he only wanted Victoria. A breath of relief escaped her ruby lips. “How can I be so sure of that though? She can give you what I cannot. A family that approves of her. All her long years of life and youthful appearance. While I’m just…considered the other woman, unwanted and cast out like I’m an inconvenience.” She gazed sadly at the floor. “We can’t even get married, so you’ll always be thought of as a bachelor and free to marry Sylvia. How do I know after years of persuasion from your father and…my ageing body, you wont just leave me for her in the end?” She shrugged lightly. She knew this was a petty issue in the midst of preparation for war. There were much bigger things at stake, yet, here she was fretting over her insecurities in front of her vampire lover, whom by rights was her enemy. The Saints were not particularly fond of her choice of lover either, however they had the decency to stop Lord Spencer from getting to her now after learning why he really wanted her as his bride – her blood to use as a weapon to take over London. If they didn’t stop them there, they would take over the country. And eventually, the world.

“If you really didn’t want to be with her…then why did you kiss her?” She looked up at Vail with a pained expression. It hurt to see that. Men did not kiss women who they were not courting or had no intention of courting. To her, it was an intimate act between man and woman. She had obviously gone far beyond that with Vail in the passion of forbidden romance but still, seeing him kiss another’s cheek, was like a stab to the heart. She then hid her tears behind her long hair as she turned her head away from him.

[Rogue Sloth]

When he finished speaking, Vail studied Victoria’s face across the kitchen. He could see that she had been watching him closely as if she thought he would lie to her about his “affair” with Sylvia. Though he hadn’t necessarily earned her unwavering trust yet, he didn’t like being on the receiving end of her cautious looks. Whatever she had been told, she seemed to have bought into it hook, line and sinker. He was frustrated, but he also couldn’t hold it against her. When Ray and Gerald had each attacked him before, his first instinct had been to assume that Victoria had been their accomplice. The thought nearly made him shake his head. They both needed to learn not to jump to the worst conclusions about the other when things went poorly.

Despite her hesitation to believe him, he noticed that she set her weapon aside. It was a small gesture, but he took it to mean that she was willing to let him approach her if he so chose. He was relieved that she seemed to have backed down from picking a fight with him. Having not seen her progress since the last time they’d scuffled and he had pinned her to the ground to feed, he had no doubts that he could overpower her again, but he disliked the thought of causing her any pain—at least, more than was necessary to drink her succulent blood. That a fight had the potential to put further strain on their relationship was what deterred him from closing the distance while the rapier had still been in her delicate hand.

As Lady Crest expressed her insecurities about not matching up to what Lady Macey could offer him, Vail listened patiently, gathering his thoughts to explain himself to her. “Who said we can’t get married?” he queried first, something of a smile painting his lips. “I’ve told you once before that I’d like to call you my wife someday, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make that happen. For as long as you live, I’m yours, Victoria.” Slowly, he stepped away from the wall to stand before her and rested his hands on her knees, ignoring the bite in his seared palm.

“Old age isn’t going to change anything either,” he went on in a low tone. “You may be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, but it’s your spirit that I find so intoxicating. You’re courageous, resilient, intelligent, and entirely sexy; and that is why you stood out to me among all the other women, both human and vampire alike, who have nothing more to offer than their pretty faces.” As he spoke, he trailed his fingers aimlessly from her knees up to her thighs and flashed her a foxlike smile. “You truly are one in a million, and I would never do anything to risk letting a gem like you slip through my fingers.”

At her question about the kiss he had planted on Sylvia’s cheek, Vail blinked. It seemed that she hadn’t just heard about his outing with the other vampire but might have even seen it for herself. He shook his head. “I was just saying goodnight to her. Victoria, I’ve known Lady Sylvia since I was a child. Her family is close to mine, so she’s been a dear friend to me for two centuries. Even though I’ve never taken an interest in her romantically—and she’s told me before that she thinks of me like a brother—we’ve spent a good deal of time together, and that’s what our behavior around each other reflects. You have nothing to worry about. I promise.”

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria looked up slowly when Vail countered her comment on marriage. He thought they could get married, but she knew that their wedding would never be permitted by his father at any point. And the Order would not permit a human to marry a vampire. Who would even officiate the ceremony? And where would they hold the ceremony? It couldn’t be a public affair for risk of letting out Vail’s vampiric secret. And not many guests could be invited, only those closest and those closest to Vail would never attend. It wouldn’t be a joyous day to celebrate their love and union. It wouldn’t be like a normal wedding day.

And then there was that painful reminder it would only be for as long as she lived, that Vail would be his. It would be selfish to expect him not to find another after she was gone. But he would be hers until hear death. “Vail…” She exhaled as soon as his hands touched her knee. He still had the ability to make her shudder at the slightest touch, even when she upset or mad at him. As his fingers trailed up her legs, she trembled with excitement, not fear. He would feel how her heart raced. His compliments slowly batted her insecure thoughts away one by one. The way he looked into her eyes as he declared why exactly she intoxicated him. She smirked slightly. “Apart from my blood…” She reminded him of the first reason he became intoxicated with her. She blushed when he said she was a gem he wasn’t going to risk losing.

She looked down at his hand briefly and saw it was burnt. She had an idea how to heal it. But it meant giving up more of her blood. He explained why he had kissed the Lady Macey and she supposed if they were sibling like after knowing each other for two hundred years, she could believe it and forgive it. Vail only touched Victoria in a way that a lover did. As he did now. Her eyes flicked down to his trailing fingers on her legs and then looked back up at him. She tilted her head slightly. “You promise?” She had to get confirmation one more time. She wanted to trust him. Once she had his promise, she sighed and shook her head, then suddenly threw her arms around his neck to pull him into a tight embrace. “I-…I’m sorry, Vail. I had Gerald in my ear about how vampires are not trustworthy. And with everything going on, I’ve not been thinking straight.” She rubbed her eyes from tiredness. She felt so silly for doubting his feelings for her. Maybe she just had to hear it again to remind her.

She slowly let go of him. “Then why are you here? Did you get my letter?” She asked as she took his unharmed hand in hers. She took his injured hand gently and frowned. “You need to heal that quickly, my love…” She pulled down her collar and exposed her swan like neck to him. “Enough of my blood should help you heal right away.” Though he would have to take more than just a drop or two.

[Rogue Sloth]

Vail lifted his shoulders in a shrug when Victoria pointed out that he had been intoxicated by her blood first. It was technically true, but that was a different kind of intoxication than what he had been talking to her about. His desire for the essence that flowed through her veins was entirely physical, primal, and was reminiscent of the way he was drawn to any human that walked the earth. He was just addicted to her because her blood was stronger than anyone else that he had fed on before. In contrast, his fascination with her as a woman stemmed from his mind and heart. She had invaded his thoughts and his dreams and filled him with delight every time she touched his hands or kissed his lips. The feelings she brought out in him were different than anything he’d experienced before, and he basked in them like a strong drug. He couldn’t compare the sensation to the way he felt when he drank from her soft neck.

When Victoria threw her arms around him, he slid his hands up from her legs around her back, returning the hug. “I forgive you,” he murmured into her thick hair, more relaxed now that they had resolved the misunderstanding. “I would be a hypocrite not to… I’ve not trusted you as I should have in the past.” As they held each other, he took in her familiar, sweet scent, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment although he kept his light eyes fixed on the door in case any of the Saints became impatient and burst into the kitchen. In their current position, it wouldn’t have been unlikely for a hunter to assume he had his fangs buried in Lady Crest’s throat when they were really only locked in an embrace. He didn’t want to take the chance that one of them would shoot his gun before waiting to hear an explanation.

“You might want to tell your mother and that Saint who answered the door,” he added as an afterthought, idly trailing his fingers through her brunette locks. “They’re both still under the impression that I was using you, and I don’t think they’ll listen to a word out of my mouth right now.” He let his arms fall down from her back when she pulled away from him, watching silently as she took each of his hands in hers. Her touch against his burnt hand stung, but he didn’t react outwardly to the pain. As he had said to her when they had first started talking to each other, physical afflictions were just nuisances to him. The initial sear of the silver gun against his flesh had been the worst part, and now that he was just left with a few angry red marks on his palm and the pads of his fingers, the discomfort was almost mild enough to forget.

“I did,” Vail nodded and took a deep breath as the reason for his visit was brought up. “I tried to convince my father to take the threat seriously one more time last night, but he’s still refusing to do anything. That’s why I came here. He may be too stubborn to take any precautions against the Wynters, but I’m going to protect my family… even if it means I have to align myself with the Order.” He looked up from their joined hands to her alluring face. “I’m here to offer whatever services I can to the Saints, so I can make sure the Hygrace clan will be safe from harm.”

As Victoria exposed her neck to him, the vampire’s pupils dilated predatorily, but he hesitated. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked, removing his uninjured hand from hers to brush her hair away from her collar. Though he questioned her, it was clear that his thin resolve would break if she didn’t rescind her offer. “You need your strength, and there’s a small army of hunters just outside this room. It’s hardly an ideal time for me to… drink…”

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria felt relief when he forgave her for doubting him in these troubled times. She did what he had done weeks ago but she never blamed him for not trusting her back then before they had grown so close. She should have known better. She rested her head on his shoulder for their embrace, softly sighing in his arms. This would be their last moment of peace. She savoured it whilst she could. She nodded when he suggested that she tell her mother and Ray about the misunderstanding, she wouldn’t want them to continue to spit their wrath upon Vail. “I will don’t worry.”

She frowned as he mentioned how stubborn his father still was. She let out a heavy sigh at the thought of trying to convince the Saints that Vail can help and should be included in their plans. Gerald would protest he would only get in the way. She let him brush her hair out of the way. “Yes if you’re quick. No time to savour.” She told him as she kept her eyes on the door. “I’ll be fine if I keep well hydrated. She ushered him to drink quickly. She tried to relax and remain untensed for the duration of the bite so that it didn’t hurt more. It was just a stinging scratch.

After Vail was done, she hopped down and fetched a small bandage from the medkit. She wrapped it around her neck and pulled her collar up. She heard Gerald’s demands to let him through on the other side of the kitchen door. She just about finished tightening her collar before he barged into the room. "You. Out!” He barked at the Hygrace heir. “Gerald wait! Vail and I just had a small misunderstanding. He isn’t engaged to another vampire. He came here to help us fight the Wynters.”

Gerald narrowed his eyes at Vail. “If you so much mess this up, Hygrace, I will personally drag you back to your father myself. Do you understand me?” He had no time to waist on Victoria’s interfering lover. “The best thing you can do is keep them off Victoria. One drop of her blood will empower them and make them harder to kill.” He assigned him as Victoria’s personal bodyguard.

“Reinforcements have arrived!” Ray shouted through from outside of the front door. Victoria tilted her head. “We were not expecting anymore than what we currently have?” She wondered who it could be. She took Vail’s hand and led him out of the kitchen. Passing Diana on the way. She went to open her mouth when Victoria put her hand up. “Not now mother. Vail and I have reconciled. It was just a misunderstanding.” She told her mother firmly as she walked toward the main door.

Whom or particularly…what were approaching, she would never have expected. A group of vampires marched up the long driveway. The Saints were confused and on edge, they were unsure whether to attack or not. But the head vampire held up a parchment of invitation by the Lady Diana Crest herself. It seemed she had called upon them for assistance. Diana pushed passed Victoria and Vail to go on ahead and greet them personally. “Jean-Claude, thank goodness you are here. The Wynters are almost upon us.” She spoke to a tall pale man with very long black hair. He nodded calmly. “I am not here for you. I am here for our son.” He declared. Victoria’s heart jumped into her throat. “Son?!” She blinked and looked up at Vail with confusion. It was obvious she knew nothing about it.

Behind Jean-Claude stood a man who looked like him but he had Diana’s eyes. Diana peeked around his shoulder to lay her eyes upon him. Her son. “James?” She softly reached out and he nodded. Tears filled her eyes. “My son..” She had not seen him since he was born into her arms and then suddenly taken away from her by Jean-Claude as soon as he got what he wanted. A half vampire son, an experiment to see how a half breed would fair in the world. James had shorter black shoulder length hair. He embraced his mother with relief. “Mother…” It was if he had missed her all his life. He was kept away from her on purpose. He let go of her and asked with desperation. “Where is she? Where is my sister?” He asked eagerly. Diana turned and looked straight at Victoria.

Victoria stared at James. She had a brother? A half brother. She was speechless. She didn’t know what to say. She was confused and angry at being kept in the dark all her life about a sibling she never knew she had. It was all too much and she fell faint into Vail’s arms. Not losing consciousness altogether but dizzy and mentally drained.

[Rogue Sloth]

As soon as Victoria assured him that she would be fine if he fed from her, Vail’s last thread of self-control frayed. Already holding her in his arms, he caved to his thirst for her blood right away and leaned in to sweep his tongue over her neck, priming her skin before he sank his fangs into her supple flesh. Knowing that there were Saints standing on the other side of the kitchen door, he kept the feed short so that there would be less of a chance for one of the hunters to walk in and catch him with his teeth in her throat. They despised his kind for preying on humans, and he didn’t need to remind them of that fact when he had come to help them fend off the Wynter clan. For the sake of forming a temporary alliance with the Order, he followed the Crest heiress’s advice and didn’t waste time to savor her blood.

The decision turned out to be a wise one when Gerald burst into the kitchen shortly after he licked the last drops from his lips. Turning toward the door, Vail watched the Saint carefully but held his ground as Gerald shouted at him to get out. The full effects of Victoria’s blood wouldn’t hit him until his body had a chance to process it, but he was still strong enough to fend the human off alone directly after his feed. His burnt hand didn’t sting anymore, and since he had drunk from her two nights prior, the nutrients he had ingested this time would only add to the strength he’d gained before. If Gerald tried to force him off the property, he was perfectly capable of fighting back as long as the rest of the hunters didn’t take his side and outnumber him.

He glanced at Victoria as she defended him and then back at Gerald when the Saint accepted the excuse without questioning. Technically, he was engaged to Sylvia because Peter had finalized the arrangement with Lord Macey a few days ago, but there was no sense in bringing that up now. He had no intention of marrying the other vampire, and he didn’t want to distract the Saint from the reason why he had come to the Crest estate to begin with. So, remaining quiet, he merely nodded in response to the other man’s condescending orders. It would have been a waste of time and energy to argue that he wouldn’t “mess up” the Order’s plans to fight back against the vampire clan that was threatening to overthrow the Hygraces as the dominant family in England. He had just as much to lose in this war as they did.

Aside from that, he had no qualms with being assigned as Victoria’s guard. It was the most suitable position for him to take up, since he would have just been concerned about her well-being if he had been told to fight away from her side. He was well aware of how big a target she was to the Wynters, and since he had just bitten her, the scent of her blood permeated the building. The other vampires would come straight for her in a frenzy.

At Ray’s announcement that there were reinforcements arriving, Vail laced his fingers with Victoria’s and fell in step beside her to see who had come to offer the Order further aid. The closer they came to the front door, the more intrigued he became by the unexpected visitors. They smelled like vampires, but they weren’t vampires he had ever come across before. Curious to find out who they were, he didn’t notice Diana’s near attempt to berate him again and focused instead on catching a glimpse of the new figures outside through the window. He had met members of all the other families in England—and most of those in Scotland—at least once in his two centuries on earth, so the reinforcements must have come from another country.

Stepping onto the porch with Victoria, he watched with silent fascination as what looked like an entire foreign clan marched up to the building in a manner that reminded him of human military formations. They were certainly more impressive looking reinforcements than he had been when he had furtively approached the Saints by himself not long ago. He puzzled over why they would get involved in a feud that didn’t seem to have anything to do with them until Lady Diana rushed past him to speak with a man who appeared to be the clan’s patriarch. The conversation that ensued was equally interesting to the Hygrace heir, but he only had more questions when Jean-Claude said something about their son.

Vail glanced down at Victoria when she exclaimed in surprise before continuing to observe the interaction with unbridled intrigue. He was less impressed with the fact that Diana had had another child and more so with the fact that she’d birthed the child of a vampire. It explained how she had known that their two species could interbreed though, and why she had lied to her daughter about it two nights ago. As the half-breed turned toward them to look at Victoria, Vail’s eyes swept down and up his frame. He’d never seen a being that was neither fully human nor fully vampire before, but he didn’t have much time to take him in before he noticed his lover swoon beside him.

As her weight fell into him, he reacted quickly, catching her in his arms to keep her from falling to the floor. “Victoria,” he murmured her name, half in surprise due to her reaction and half in an attempt to ground her if she was feeling faint. He glanced up at the half-breed, who was now approaching his estranged sister, and then back down at the dizzy Lady Crest, hoping that she would collect herself or that one of the nearby Saints would fetch a chair for her to sit in so he wouldn’t have to hold her up while she met her half-brother for the very first time.

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria felt Vail’s strong arms support her as she fell faint against him. Everything was so overwhelming. Vail was engaged to another vampire by his father, Lord Hygrace forbade his son from seeing her, her mother had a secret son who happened to be half vampire. A war was imminent between her family, the Saints and the Wynters. Her father was dead, and she wasn’t sure she’d even live past today. She just couldn’t take much more drama and stress. But the Moncourier Clan were there to help them survive this war. It concerned James’s half sister and his mother, so it concerned his entire clan. James saw how faint she went and demanded a Saint get her a chair. He had taken his stance of future heir of the clan seriously.

A saint grabbed a soft cushioned lounge chair and brought it to the foyer so Vail could sit her down in it. Once seated she gathered her thoughts. She looked up at the approaching vampire with raven hair. He had Diana’s blue eyes. Victoria’s eyes. James walked up to her but kept his distance, he knew the power of her blood and there was a remnant of the smell on Vail’s breath. He shot the Hygrace an heir, he knew he’d fed on her recently. But he didn’t know if it were consensual or not. He wasn’t about to accuse him though, he stood protectively by his sister’s side.

“James Moncourier, at your service, My Lady.” He bowed to Victoria politely. He was a man of very good manners. Diana and Jean Claude watched their children unite from a distance. She felt bad for having to keep James a secret from her. But it was at Jean-Claude’s command and Alexander thought it best to keep it from Victoria to prevent her from seeking him out and further endangering her. Jean-Claude would not take kindly to a pure human in his clan. James was the result of an experiment to see if a half vampire could take the best of both races and be stronger than both. Pure vampires would always cast him out as his human side would be claimed as weak.

“James…Moncourier?” Victoria asked with a tilted head. She glanced to Vail and tightened her hand around his. “My…brother?” She teared over as she glanced over James’s shoulder to her mother. “Why wasn’t I told about you?” She asked, visibly upset and hurt by this.

“I wasn’t told about you either until mother wrote to us in a plea for help against the Wynters. All my life I had been told my mother had died giving birth to me. I know now why my father lied. He didn’t want me to seek either of you out….it was safer that way, for all of us. But I’m here now in your hour of need. Because that is what family does. They stick together and fight together. Your fight is my fight.” He clenched his fist in the air. “I will make Spencer pay for what he’s put you through…” He gritted his teeth, growled and bared his fangs. He then looked at Vail. “And who is your protector? Diana did not mention you.” He asked Vail directly.

[Rogue Sloth]

While the half-breed ordered a Saint to bring a chair over for Victoria, Vail held her up, trying to process everything that was happening around him. When he’d left the Hygrace manor that morning, he had thought he would be petitioning the Order to allow him to offer his assistance, learning their plans to fight back against the Wynters, and then waiting until nightfall for the battle to commence. He certainly hadn’t been prepared to be greeted with an angry Victoria, accusations of being unfaithful, and an entire clan of vampires, one of whom was apparently her long-lost brother. It was enough to make his head swim as he attempted to keep up with it all.

Watching James tensely, he was further intrigued by how smoothly the demand flowed off the half-breed’s tongue. He didn’t know any other vampires who would speak to a human in such a manner. It was both humble and bold in the same stroke. Most of their kind wouldn’t even hold eye contact with a Saint long enough to address them, let alone bark orders with the expectation that said orders would be obeyed. Yet the man James chose to fetch the chair did so without skipping a beat. He wondered if the unusual interaction was due to the fact that Victoria’s brother had human blood coursing through his veins or if he felt comfortable around hunters because he was a child of Lady Diana Crest. Either way, it was a scene he had never witnessed before, and he found himself staring until the man returned with a seat for the weak-kneed Crest heiress.

Carefully, Vail set Victoria down so she could rest, but he remained on his feet at her side. Surrounded by Saints and now a new clan with which he was unfamiliar, he preferred to be mobile in case he needed to move quickly. He was the only one in the foyer without numbers on his side, and the disadvantage was tangible in the midst of such a diverse crowd. So, as James approached, he stood stiffly and tilted his chin up when the half-breed glared at him. No words were exchanged between them, so he wasn’t sure exactly what would have warranted the expression, but he could take a guess. If Victoria’s brother had inherited his father’s nose, he would have been able to smell the metallic scent of blood that still hung in the air around both him and the Crest heiress.

The exchange between the united siblings went without his interruption. While they spoke, Vail held Victoria’s hand in silence, offering her support as he listened to them. It seemed that Lady Diana had told her estranged son quite a bit about what had been going on in London. James even knew that Lord Spencer had hurt his sister. His hazel eyes drifted to the widow, who was still standing beside her former vampire lover, before returning to her half-breed son, who had just asked him a question.

“Protector?” he echoed the title with some amusement. It was fitting, he supposed, since he did see it as his responsibility to keep Victoria safe, but there was so much more to their relationship than that. “My name is Vail Hygrace,” he answered with a polite bow of his own. “And I think you’ll find that lover is a more accurate description of what I am to Lady Crest.” Righting his posture, he met the half-breed’s blue eyes evenly. “Diana may not have mentioned me, but I will be staying here until the Wynters are removed from this city like the tumors they are.”

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria’s eyes drifted to Vail as James addressed him as protector. It seemed an apt title, it was better than just a lover in her opinion, as a lover insinuated a selfish desire, but Vail did care for her and want to keep her safe. Although she would have preferred his official capacity to be fiancé. But he was someone else’s fiancé for now. And she wasn’t sure how much power she had to stop it. She noted how suspiciously James eyes her lover, he obviously smelt her blood on his breath. It was too soon for him to be protective of her without her protest. He’d only just walked into her life. She had done just fine without her big brother all these years.

She smiled a little as Vail declared exactly who he was to the half breed. “Lover hmm?” James raised an eyebrow. “I can understand a human wanting a vampire lover. But I thought humans were deemed unworthy by a vampire?” He seemed confused at the notion and titled his head slightly. “Or is it because of her special blood that lures you to my sister?” He asked and folded his hands. Obviously gauging the intentions he had with Victoria.

Victoria grimaced slightly as Vail said he would only stay here until the Wynters threat was dealt with. Then he would be off again back to his clan and it would undoubtedly get increasingly harder to see one another. She sighed lightly as she knew it would not go down well with the arrival of the seemingly protective half-brother. “I think what he means to say is that we are very close and there is nobody else I would trust with my life.”

James nodded. “Then that is all that matters if you trust him. Good to have you on our side Lord Hygrace. The Moncourier clan will let you take point of Victoria’s safety and assist the Saint’s and Crest’s cause.” He declared knowingly and turned to look behind his shoulder at his father. “Though I will have the rest stay at a distance. My cravings for blood are not as strong as theirs.”

“But if they require sustenance….or are injured during battle…my blood can help restore them quickly.” Victoria suggested and James held up his hand. “The time to draw blood will be when we want the Wynter’s to follow you into the Saint’s traps. I have familiarised myself with the battleplans already.” He had merely glanced the parchment on the table in the distance. His eyes were just as sharp as any full-blooded vampire, his strength and stamina as well. He did not suffer their weaknesses as much as they did. Silver did not burn him as hard, the craving did not hit him as hard. His human willpower was his gain. Jean-Claude was right in that he would take the best of both races.

“Alright…” Victoria was strong enough to stand on her own two legs now. She rose from her chair and straightened out her jacket. “Then let us prepare the traps.” She nodded at James and Vail both. She then held out her hand to James to shake. “It is good to know I have more family I can rely on.” James shook her hand and agreed in kind. “Whatever happens after today, I promise to do right by you, sister.” James declared with a smile, showing his slightly smaller than average fangs.

Victoria turned to her handsome vampire lover. “You will need gloves when I put my silver armour on. Lest you wish to get further burns.” She revealed something that made James twig that is why he could smell her blood. Vail had already burnt himself on silver and she had offered her healing services to him. Gerald sighed. “Alright show’s over people we’ve got work to do here!” He started to bark orders and Victoria nodded. “Right. Let’s get to it.” She didn’t need to don her armour just yet, she had a couple hours to help shift the armaments into the carriages that would be carted off into London town and set traps in strategic points marked on the map. Lady Crest and her mother both did their part, Diana keeping the Saints fed and watered, Victoria helped to move lighter things. She was soon sweating from the exhaustion. But there was no time to bathe in luxury within fragrant scents. Vail would have to put up with her human flaws. She then went to pack up her belongings and make a back up suitcase to put in the carriage that would be their escape vehicle to take them to Scotland. She sighed as she could only take bare essentials and leave most of her elegant and expensive dresses. She trailed her fingers down what was to be her wedding dress. But there was a chance she would never wear it.

It was time to suit up and she pulled her silver armour leg guards on first, then put the breastplate over her head. Then finally the gauntlets. She had her hair pinned up in a loose bun with a few strands that framed her delicate cheek bones. She was ready and she took a big inhale as this was it. The battle with the Wynters was nigh. She felt her nerves growing along with her fear.

[Rogue Sloth]

James’s response to his declaration was pleasantly mixed to Vail. It was vaguely accusative, not enough to raise hackles, but he’d grown so used to his family’s poor reactions that he didn’t mind the confusion in the half-breed’s voice. It was better than scorn. Although, he did raise a brow when James brought up the way vampires looked down on humans. If he wasn’t mistaken, Victoria’s brother was the product of an affair between a human and a vampire, so he should know better than anyone that there were times when the immortals laid their vanity aside to take up mortal lovers. Of course, the majority still looked down on him for taking interest in Lady Crest, but he had realized that there had been plenty of other cases before him. Otherwise there wouldn’t have been a need for the strict rules against getting involved with humans in the first place.

“I’ve never shared that belief,” he asserted calmly. “Our kind may be physically superior, but I can’t name a single vampire who has come up with a world-changing invention or who has been resilient enough to overcome an obstacle against all odds. Humans’ tenacity is admirable, no matter what the rest of our kind thinks about them.” He pointedly ignored the inquiry about his interest in Victoria’s blood. It would have been a lie to say that her unique condition hadn’t been a factor in his initial fascination with her, but he had a feeling that if he admitted that, James would be inclined to distrust him. The half-breed was surprisingly protective of a woman he had just met minutes ago. In Vail’s opinion, his quickness to protect her was rather presumptuous. James hadn’t been part of his sister’s life at all before now, so he didn’t know who her allies or her enemies were. If he snapped at the throat of everyone who got close to her, he would be more of a hinderance than an asset to her.

However, the half-vampire’s confrontational demeanor was replaced with polite congeniality as soon as Victoria explained that Vail wasn’t a threat. Lord Hygrace fought the urge to roll his eyes. The Moncourier heir’s youth was evident in his hotheadedness. He was quick to jump to conclusions and seemed eager to prove himself. The qualities reminded him a bit of himself when he was still just a fledgling adjusting to his place in the world. James struck him as reckless, but as long as he didn’t let his temper get in the way of their plans—and wasn’t too proud to take orders from someone with more experience—he would be a useful addition to their ranks.

At least he appeared to have enough foresight not to take up his sister’s offer of strengthening the clan with her blood. Vail casted her a sideways glance. It was a generous but risky gift. Opening one of her veins in front of so many vampires could easily instigate a frenzy, and even if they didn’t kill each other in their desperation to drink from her neck, he knew from experience just how addicting her blood could be. She didn’t understand the position she would be putting herself in by voluntarily letting a whole family have a taste of the same substance that kept him coming back every few days for more. The less other vampires fed from her, the better.

Once Lady Crest was strong enough to stand on her own, the Hygrace stood at her side in wait for her to part ways with her brother. “I’ve brought a pair,” he informed her when she advised him to wear gloves, glancing down at his hands. Enough time had passed that the red marks on his palms had disappeared, leaving his pale skin just as flawless as it had been when he’d first arrived. Gloves would help to avoid injuring himself again, but even close proximity to silver could be painful. It was the reason why he’d injured his shoulder in Gerald’s basement through his jacket and why he needed a rag in addition to a glove to hold a silver gun in his hand. The metal was extremely effective when purified and used as a weapon against his kind. However, her armor wouldn’t hurt him as long as he didn’t get close enough to touch it, so he decided it wasn’t an important enough issue to bring up.

Trailing after Victoria as she assisted the Saints in making preparations, he helped with what he could to hasten the process. As the hours passed, he kept closer to the shaded areas outside and preferred to offer his aid indoors, where the sun wouldn’t beat down on his head as constantly. He could only tolerate standing in direct sunlight for so long before it started to wear him down. While the heat caused humans to sweat, it sapped the energy from vampires with prolonged exposure, and he didn’t want to show up to the fight against the Wynters already exhausted before the battle began.

So, when Victoria returned to her room to pack up her things, he reclined languidly on a chair with his head tilted back against the backrest and his eyes closed as he recovered from the strain of assisting the Saints with their duties for the duration of the morning. Although he didn’t nap, he paid little attention to what she was doing until he heard the jostling of metal plates. Cracking one hazel eye open, he watched her put on a set of armor that would protect her against the Wynter clan. In the confines of her bedroom, the powerful scent of silver was nearly eye-watering, so he got up from his seat and opened a window to let some fresh air in.

“Jesus, Victoria, if you’re going out with that much silver on your body, I hardly think you’ll need my protection,” he shook his head, leaning his shoulders against the wall as he kept his distance from the dangerous suit. The remark was only somewhat serious, since he still intended to stay close to her until the fighting was over, but an amused smile played on his lip and he looked her up and down. “You look like a regular vampire slayer.”

[Angel Vicky]

Victoria chuckled at Vail’s comment about her armour. “Good then those Wynters won’t come anywhere close to me. However, what if they have their own defences against silver? Gloves, maybe a mask…I still need you to keep them off my back. Hopefully my armour will deter them long enough to lure them to the Saint’s barricades. I’m sorry if the smell is disturbing to you.” She noticed he had opened a window for fresh air. When he said she looked like a vampire slayer, she smirked at him. “I’m a dangerous woman. Does it scare you, my love…?”

Then a horn like instrument sounded through the air, it came from the Tower. It was the signal the Wynters were approaching London. Victoria gasped slightly. “They’re here…”

“It’s time boys!” Gerald roared as the Saint’s moved out. Ray ran up the stairs. “Your horse awaits, My Lady.”

Victoria nodded at him slowly. “This is really it…”

Ray nodded. “It really is.” He nodded back with some hint of dread. Victoria followed Ray down the stairs and toward the entrance. She saw Phillipe waiting for her outside. Ray handed her crossbow. “Remember, if you’re compromised. You know what to do.” He told her and she nodded.

“Yes. I am prepared to do the worst.” What that meant was, she would kill herself before she let a Wynter drink her blood and use her to empower themselves. If Vail knew this part of the plan, he wouldn’t let her do it. Ray was about to turn to leave when Victoria called him back. He turned to her and she hugged him tightly. As if she were saying goodbye. “Thank you. For everything.” She told him with a slight sniffle. Without Ray’s help she would not have been able to see Vail, get messages to her vampire lover or have any communications with him at all. Ray nodded and then extended his hand to Vail for a handshake.

“If things do go wrong. Protect her. Take her as far away as you can, Vail. We’re counting on you as her last defence. If the Wynters get to her blood, they’ll slaughter you and your entire family without breaking a sweat.” He warned the Hygrace heir, he need not be reminded though. Ray took his leave and Victoria walked toward her horse and pulled herself up in her heavier armour but the stallion could take it. She looked at Vail. “Ready?”

---

One Wynter did not join the oncoming march into London. This Wynter had a personal matter to tend to. This Wynter had already had his fill of Victoria’s blood, courtesy of his nephew, Lord Spencer. He grinned as he knocked on the Hygrace manor door. When it opened to a young human maiden, the tall blonde male peered down at her and showed his fangs. “Is the Lord of the manor in?” He asked in a very gentle voice, his ice blue eyes pierced her soul.

“Y-yes…I shall go get him.” She stated as she ran inside for Peter. The moment Peter arrived to the doorway, he would stare face to face with Mikael Wynter. Grandson of the Wynter his brother had killed. “Well….lookie here. If it isn’t the betrayer’s brother. I thought you were family at one point, you know…” He sharpened his claws on the door post next to him. “Then you turned on us…cast us aside…killed my grandfather and have the audacity to let your son…take my nephew’s bride from him.” He bared his fangs. “I thought you knew better, Peter. Now you pay the price!” He lunged for the vampire in a fit of rage.

[Rogue Sloth]

When Victoria asked if she scared him, Vail showed his fangs in a grin. “Perhaps, if I didn’t know whose side you were on,” he decided. “Although I wouldn’t come within two yards of you either way.” As much as he loved her, the suit of armor she had put on was the equivalent of wearing fire and feces to his kind. He despised the metallic odor, and even getting close to that much pure silver would have been painful. When he guarded her during the battle, he would do so from a slight distance, so the job would be bearable.

At the sound of a horn, he glanced out the open window. The Saints really were treating the upcoming battle like an all-out war though, to their credit, they needed to take such measures against the Wynters if they hoped to win. On an average night, most humans could only overpower a vampire if they were able to catch one by surprise or had the advantage of numbers. Or if the vampire hadn’t fed recently, as had been the case when Ray had shot him weeks ago. In this case, the army of humans was about to stand up against an entire clan of beings who were physically superior to them in every way. It was going to be an uphill battle, and it was to their benefit that Lady Diana had had the foresight to enlist the Moncouriers to help them win against their enemies.

He turned away from the window again when Ray entered the room. While the two humans spoke, he slipped on the gloves he had brought, listening quietly to their conversation as they headed downstairs. Victoria’s mention of ‘doing the worst’ flagged his attention, and he looked up at her with slightly narrowed eyes, wondering what she and her Saint friend had discussed and if it was something he should know about. At the end of the day, her safety was more important to him than anyone else’s, and he’d be damned before he allowed any harm to befall her whether it was planned or not.

When Ray offered a hand for him to shake, Vail hesitated briefly before he took it. He was used to the Saint sending glares his way, and he hadn’t forgotten that the man had fired a gun at him not long ago. The ability of humans to ‘forgive and forget’ astounded him. He supposed that since their lives were so short, most of them didn’t have the time or energy to hold onto grudges with the same vengeance that his kind was capable of. Whatever Ray had decided about him, it was clear that the gesture was an olive branch, so his tension ebbed away once he’d recovered from his initial flinch.

“I understand,” he assured him, shaking the hunter’s hand and looking down at Victoria. “She’ll be safe with me.”

Once he was alone with Victoria, Vail stood to the side while she mounted her horse. The presence of the steed along with the silver armor changed his perception of her from vampire slayer to knight, and he studied her amusedly from the ground. Keeping up with a stallion at full canter would be difficult, even for a vampire, but since he had just fed on Victoria’s blood a few hours ago, he was strong enough to manage it. So, when she asked if he was ready, he met her blue-eyed gaze and nodded resolutely. “Lead the way, my love.”

--

The instant Mikael stepped onto the Hygrace property, Peter had known he was there. The scent of a Wynter was one he would never forget as long as he lived. At the time, he had been in his study, writing a furious letter to be sent to the Crest estate, where he was sure his son had gone on his foolish endeavor to get involved in a conflict that had nothing to do with them. He was livid that Vail had disobeyed him. It had been one thing for his successor to get involved with a human woman, but it was quite another for him to tie the Hygrace name to a fight that could drag their entire family into the flames of war. His method of staying uninvolved was the only way they could avoid being attacked by the enemy clan a second time, and he was going to make it known that if Vail didn’t return to their manor by the following day, he would be stricken from his inheritance and disowned as a member of the Hygrace clan.

He had only written three quarters of the letter when Mikael’s sickeningly familiar smell wafted to his nose.

Immediately, Peter felt his breath catch in his throat, and he turned toward the door of his study in disbelief. “No,” he muttered to himself. It couldn’t be. There was no reason for the Wynters to touch his family when they had done nothing to them for decades. His pulse soared for a moment before reason kicked in, and he let out his breath in relief. There was only one Wynter on his doorstep. Most likely, the rival vampire had appeared to give him some kind of warning, not attempt to start a fight when he was severely outnumbered.

Composing himself, the Hygrace leader stood up from his desk and straightened his shirt to meet his guest before the maid even had a chance to alert him to his arrival. He strode downstairs and then to the front door, carrying himself with confidence as he planned to tell the Wynter that his family would continue to remain neutral in their conflict with the Saints. However, his plan became irrelevant as soon as Mikael opened his mouth.

Realizing too late that the Wynter hadn’t come in peace, Peter barely stumbled out of the way in time to dodge the first attack. “You’re insane!” he spat. “My entire clan is home right now. Do you really think you can kill all of us by yourself?”

“You’re all weak,” Mikael sneered. “I could kill every one of you blindfolded.” He lunged again, and the two vampires began to brawl. To Peter’s surprise, the Wynter was incredibly strong, and it didn’t take long before Mikael overpowered him. As he was shoved against the wall, he snarled, baring his own fangs. His blood roared in his ears, and he fought furiously against his enemy’s grasp to no avail. Part of him still couldn’t believe this was happening. As much as he loathed to admit it, his son had been right. The Wynters really had been plotting to kill them, and he had put his entire family at risk by not preparing them to fight.

Drawing a sword from his belt, Mikael grinned wickedly at his prey as he scrabbled against his iron grip. “This is too easy,” he purred, pointing the blade just underneath Peter’s jaw. “The Crest girl’s blood truly is special… All it took was a small sip for me to reduce you to this. Pathetic.” He chuckled as Peter glowered at him.

“Kill me if you really think it will give you some sort of peace for your murderous grandfather’s death but leave the rest of my clan out of this,” the Hygrace leader growled.

“How noble of you,” Mikael barked a laugh. “Oh no, Peter. I’m not just here for you. In fact, I think I’ll kill the others first, so you can listen to their screams before you die.” With that, he bought his sword down on Peter’s left leg. The blade was lined with the thinnest coating of silver, so it pierced the vampire’s skin and severed flesh and bone in one fell swoop. The Wynter let go of his prey and watched him drop to the ground with a scream, blood pouring from the amputated limb. “I’ll be back for you when I’m finished,” he announced casually, turning around and leaving Peter to watch helplessly as he ventured deeper into the manor to hunt down the rest of the Hygraces.

[Angel Vicky]

Mikael relished in slashing down Vail's cousins, one by one, whilst he was out protecting his human lover and not protecting his own flesh and blood. It was too easy. A full pint of Victoria's blood and he was stronger than every Hygrace there was, even two coming at him at once. He eventually fought his way to Katherine. "Heeeellooo beautiful." He crept into her room. He swept his hand across the wall, his long claws scratching the wallpaper off as he slowly walked toward Vail's mother. "Shame I have to scar your pretty face!" He snarled and lunged at her...

---

The rest of the Wynters had but 100ml maximum of Victoria's blood. Except Spencer, he had a full pint to himself and lead the charge. He grinned as he walked the city's cobbled streets. With an entourage of about twenty vampires in their clan. A small clan but they had quality over quantity. He merely flicked his head to the left and five on his left darted into nearby alleyways, he did the same to the right and another five darted into the opposite dark streets.

Victoria’s horse galloped as fast as he could with his mistress atop him in heavier attire. It slowed him slightly down. Her long brunette curls danced behind her as she hit the wind resistance.

The Saints were waiting at the first barricade for her to run past with Wynters in tow. She had to get close enough to let them smell her blood over the silver. She got to the first barricade and rode past just a little ways ahead. She let the horse slow to a stop and turned to Vail. "I need to draw blood now.." She warned him in case he got into a frenzy over the scent. She took her crossbow bolt and made a small cut to the side of her neck where the only flesh of hers was exposed. Blood dripped out and she smeared it over her hand, then brushed it through her hair. She hoped it was enough to waft in the Wynter's direction to get their attention. And surely enough, it did.

Spencer stopped and sniffed the air. "I know that blood anywhere. She's close." They were alerted to her presence now and took up a stalking position through the town.

Victoria waited for any sign of the Wynter's to show up. "The moment you see one, shout and I'll go." She told Vail to keep his eyes sharp.