The day was a long one for Stephen. He knew the hunters sought out Marius. He learned that Marius only sought immortality for his own gain–meaning that he lied to Antoine about his intentions and that he was dying. Vampires usually can discern motive, but with Marius’ knowledge of black arts, it is reasonable to see that a spell prevented Antoine from seeing right through him.
Once again, another person was making remarks about others that Stephen KNEW would set Victoria off again, so he bought them tickets to a basketball game to get them out of the mansion prior to her awakening and sitting in the dining room with the others. She noticed the couple’s absence. Her anger was for the fact that they tried to go into the mausoleum which was locked tight.
“I see you diverted the ones who angered me earlier.” she mused.
“Let’s not discuss it. They aren’t here. Either way, Antoine will deal with that crap later. They overstepped their bounds by trying to get into the mausoleum.” Stephen said as the others watched for a response.
“There is no bloody damned reason they should want in there! Stephen’s body is all that is housed there at the moment! At the least they should have discussed going in there with me–” she snapped.
“I agree and I will address that. I want to know their intentions myself. Calm down Victoria. I’ll get to the bottom of this.” Antoine said.
“Then you’d better cross their paths before I do. I won’t be as methodically congenial as you tend to get ad nauseam when someone in this house gets utterly stupid! That crypt is the one place I give a damn about! It’s not like my family would bury me with them in the family cemetery since they thought I brought this on myself, right?!” she protested.
“Victoria, calm yourself. You are losing control and uttering nonsense! You know how superstitious some of the family members were then. Either go feed or something but you must calm yourself.” Antoine directed.
When the couple had returned two hours later it was Victoria they ran right into.
“Oh–Mrs. Wexl-”
“Save it. Why did you try to enter the crypt that my husband is in?” she demanded to know as her eyes began to glow.
“Mrs. Wexley, we weren’t going to open any sarcophagus, we wanted pictures of what we heard was the art on the back wall. When we saw it was locked, we did pull the lock, but that was all. We were going to come ask you to take us there–”
“Oh…The sculptures. Really?” she mused.
“Oh yes! Rumor has it that those were made by a famous Italian sculptor that my great-great-great-grandfather knew!” the woman told her.
“Yeah, Amanda only wanted to see the sig at the base to see if it matches, that’s all. We weren’t going to bust open a grave or anything–I promise!” the young man told her as he handed her some documents that were in a bag.
“I told you I will handle this!” Antoine snapped as he took them from her.
“Why–”
“Because you wouldn’t know a forged document from Europe. I would.” he told her.
“But–”
“Come if you like but you will not interrupt me.” he told her. He then motioned for all of them to follow him into the den, which they did.
He sat and began to review the documents…
“Well?” Victoria asked.
“One more word and I’ll have Stephen take you to your room.” he warned.
“How did you come to be in possession of these papers?” Antoine asked them.
“They were in my father’s belongings when he died last year.” The young woman answered. Antoine could discern her honesty which was genuine. She had red hair and the most intense green eyes Antoine had seen.
“You know Victoria and Stephen were your great-great-great-aunt and uncle, correct?” he asked.
“I wasn’t sure on that–the aunt and uncle thing. As you can see those papers are rather faded, but there is mention of her brother there-” she said.
“Exactly. He married a girl in Italy 10 years after Victoria’s death. They came back here to live. That artist was her father. His name was Armande Busciari. He was very well-renowned in that era. He was also close friends with Mr. Wexley’s father. These papers are authentic, but why didn’t you simply share this with Victoria when you arrived? It is her right to deal with these matters here. You realize this correct? You two are quite young and I can see why you were being rash, but she is very protective of that vault.”
“I gathered that, Sir. I am sorry. I got ahead of myself I guess.” the young man told him.
“I don’t think you understand a thing.” Antoine told him.
“Wha–”
He threw the blue powder on him and yelled, “Show yourself!”
“Damn!” he hissed as Victoria and two others grabbed him.
“I should have known!’ Antoine said.
“Look! I can explain–she was just there so I–”
“Took advantage of this girl? For what reason? And do NOT lie to me!” Antoine yelled.
“Look…I just want to know the History around here–”
“REALLY?! That’s not what this one says!” Antoine yelled as others brought one of Marius’ spies in.
“He said if I don’t give him details of Mrs. Wexley’s movements in and outside of the house, he’ll kill my son! He has him!” the young man yelled.
“IS this true?” Antoine said slowly as his countenance changed and he looked at the male spy.
“I said IS THIS TRUE?!” he yelled.
The spy nodded in fear. Marius and his lot always feared the power of Antoine.
“How old is your boy?” he asked the young man.
“Only 3. He took him from his bed the other night–”
“W-W-Would he harm—a—baby, Antoine?” Victoria asked as her eyes began to well up.
“I believe you know the answer. You had to get Stephen to send your daughter away when she was 11. Remember?” he asked calmly.
“You are in no shape to battle him right now.” Stephen told her.
“He is right. Stay here and do not leave. Arianna–get the clan together. We’ve got a child to retrieve. Stephen, you stay with her and do not let her leave this house!” he ordered.
“You’ve got it.” Stephen said as his eyes began to glow again.
“Definitely, her great, great, great-grandson, Michael said as he entered the den. But we want the spy. He beat my sister. When you are done, may we have him?” he asked.
“Of course. You stay with Victoria and Stephen. Brendan, lock this idiot up for his own protection. I wouldn’t want Victoria to exert herself ripping him apart yet!” Antoine yelled as he and 20 others exited the mansion. He also had the young man locked up in an upstairs room for his protection but the girl stayed with Victoria and Stephen.
“I am so sorry,” she began, “I had no idea–”
“It’s alright. All you had to do is ask. Stephen and Mrs. Parker can show you that tomorrow. Strange…I have an odd feeling. Something doesn’t seem right around here.” she said.
“But why would he break into the vault–or the spy lead him here unless it is to try to–”
“To help them get in!” Stephen snapped as he summoned Antoine to return.
3 had attacked one of the watchers before Stephen intervened and Victoria’s relative, Michael, staked them all as if he were a ninja wielding a sword. The others fled when they saw Stephen’s eyes flare up and this vampire hunter beside him. In reality Antoine sent 10 of the others and surrounded his own house with the rest. When he entered and saw the carnage, he realized it was Mrs. Parker they attacked. It was already too late.
“We must stake her as well–”
“Not yet–make sure fir–”
“She is gone, Victoria.” Stephen told her.
“Take Victoria upstairs, Stephen. I’ll deal with this now. If the man’s son is alive, we’ll have him here within the hour. He was telling the truth about that much. He really doesn’t know why they targeted him but I do. He is of my lineage. I’ll deal with him. He is of no threat and even Michael can see this.” Antoine said.
Victoria turned unusually pale as the smell of Mrs. Parkers spilled blood filled her senses. She couldn’t watch Michael stake her…”If I could vomit I would.” she thought. She stood as two others began to clean the blood on the carpet after she had been staked.
“She is at peace now, Victoria.” Antoine reassured her as he put a hand on her shoulder and turned to face Stephen again.
“One watcher’s family replacing anther?” Stephen asked.
“It is our law. He and his family will live here. He has a duty to protect them also now. He was plotting to get his boy out when I read his thoughts. For now though, take Victoria upstairs. She is quite traumatized but what has transpired here. ” Antoine said.
Victoria was shaken by the events as they entered her room.
“Victoria, it will be alright. They will retrieve the boy. That is your maternal instinct kicking in, you know that?” he said as he tried to comfort her.
“When my daughter was five I made sure she wasn’t aware of my presence when I visited. She couldn’t know of my existence. Neither could my son. I feel badly for that man.” she said.
“I know you are very sensitive about children—”
“And when people make stupid remarks about something as precious as their own child, I get very heatedly angry.” she said.
“Yes I know this.” he said.
“I was really stupid earlier. Antoine knew something was amiss all along. He always does and I always go off the bloody deep end as you would say.” she mused.
“I think he likes that–when you get angry like that. I think you remind him of someone perhaps.” he said.
“I have much to learn still before I can deal with Marius.” she admitted.
“Well at least you know that much. You did deduce the motive for that spy leading the other man here.” he told her as he put an arm around her.
“I don’t know how I knew that. I just did.” she said as she leaned toward him and paused.
“Why Mrs. Parker? Why did they kill her so brutally like that?” she asked.
“Because they are animals with no conscience–like Marius and Marius probably figured out that you were growing close to her.” Stephen told her.
“It is due to the fact that human blood takers took her that she has to be staked?” she asked.
“Yes. She’s under their control if they don’t.”
“Then why am I not under Marius’ control? He’s a human blood taker–”
“And you were his first victim.” Antoine said as he walked through the open door.
“I don’t follow–”
“He made an agreement with me to help benefit our clan. He lied. He sought immortality. He wanted you for a bride. Since he broke the covenant with me, I have the right to do what is necessary to limit his power. I took you out from under him and disowned him. He can no longer control you but he doesn’t realize it fully. Since I created him, you are under my dominion, Victoria. Should anything happen to me, your will is your own, as is this sanctuary.” he told her.
“Then why can you not stop the others?” she asked.
“Because I disowned Marius after he attacked you and I removed his control over you. Disowning him freed his will from mine.” he told her.
“Why did you save me? You could have killed me and–”
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and think of your descendants. They are in danger, Victoria. I know how you hate what the world has become and I know how you hate this existence but at least you have a healer. I do not. Maybe one day I will. Our timelines are somewhat intertwined so maybe Stephen is here for all of us. However he has one specific purpose and that is to help you defeat Marius. Work with him to that end and stop shutting him out of your life. You two are here for a reason. Let him be who he is meant to be.” Antoine told her as he left.
“I don’t understand–”
“Believe in me, Victoria. Just believe in me.” Stephen said as he turned her to face him.
“I don’t know what to believe in any longer.” she mused.
“The reason you tend to get this way is that because you laid dormant, you didn’t get past your fledgling days. That will change, I promise.” he said.
“The people thought I was cursed. That is why they put me in that vault. Stephen didn’t want me to alone, yet I couldn’t change him–”
“And you did the right thing.” Stephen said as he made her look into his eyes.
“By not changing me then, we can make things right together now. You don’t see that yet, but we will do this and we will do this together. Why can you not believe in me now?” he said.
“Your name is Stephen, but I am not the same as I was before I was changed and I am not sure that you are either. You are of this time. I don’t see how you can possibly begin to understa–”
He cut her off and kissed her as he pulled her close to him and kicked the door shut as he led her that direction. He then pulled her to him and led her to the bed.
One of the servants was going to go check on her when Antoine stopped him, “Leave them be. They are resolving an issue.”
The male servant obeyed and went back downstairs.
“Well I know one damned thing that’s never changed about either of us.” he said, knowing that he was risking much by pushing her this far.
Then he remembered those words in French and said them into her ear. At first she pushed him away and looked startled as his eyes glowed an even brighter shade of pink.
“H–How could you know–”
“That this was the last thing I said to you before I died back then? It’s simple, woman! I was there dammit!” he said firmly as he took her right back into his arms and kissed her again–this time not as forcefully. This time was different. This time he was much more gentle–probing…Waiting…When her arms went around his neck, he knew that he was winning, and the tear that escaped her eye only confirmed that she was at least believing him SOMEWHAT. However, he knew he had all night to convince her now…”
“Enjoy your moment while you can.” Marius interjected.
“Piss off!” they both thought as Marius shrieked and left them be.
“I think I just proved my point. We always had a knack for thinking the same shit and ending each others sentences in the boudoir.” Stephen thought.
“Be quiet.” she thought as she began to unbutton his shirt.
“No problem.” was the response she got, knowing that he was grinning over his triumph.
“Don’t leave me again–” she thought as her thoughts began to swim wildly with every word he told her and every touch.
‘You’re damned right I won’t. This time we will be forever. I promise. Thank God you fed earlier.” he said as he turned out the lights while the spring breeze made its way through the trees. The window was open which allowed for moonlight to enter the room. As this night was ending, Stephen shut the window as she put her head down to sleep for the day. She felt relieved once she heard the others come back with the little boy. They returned just before dawn with him.
“Everything is as it should be now, Victoria.” he whispered to her as he lay next to her and slept.
