Lurking in the Shadows (Completed)

Chapter 20

Mina

Mid spring became early summer, and the days are becoming longer. Mom was getting ready for the annual summer ball, and I was actually excited to help her again. I got myself ready in a beautiful lavender ruffled cotton ballgown that had soft light yellow flowers on my chest and waist. I had my hair in soft summer curls and half up, half down. I head downstairs to get some flowers ready outside. I went to the kitchen quickly to make my sun potion so I could be of proper help.

"Miss Mina! Don't you look lovely! I've missed your beautiful gowns!" Juniper sneaks up on me and just smiles.

"Thank you Juniper. I thought it was time to get back to myself."

“Glad you’re back to your happier self. Need a sun potion?”

“Yes please, I want to help my mother with the bouquets for the tables.”

“Of course dear!” She pours some of her potion into a goblet and I’m just glad it’s not blood. “Here you go. Go enjoy the beautiful day.”

“Thanks Juniper!” I finish it quickly and hand the goblet back to her. I made my way outside and it felt good to feel the warm sun on my skin. I find a table in the shade and find a large stack of summer flowers ready to be made into bouquets. Roses, poppies, hydrangeas, lavender, dahlias, forget-me-nots and daisies. I arrange them in a rainbow of beautiful flowers. I’m so caught up in my flowers that I don’t hear someone trying to get my attention.

“Miss Mina?” I look up to see Juniper again.

“Juniper? What can I help you with?”

“This just came for you, another servant brought it to me who got it from the front door.”

“Did they say who it was?” I was curious about the bouquet of black roses in Juniper’s hands.

“No, it was another servant, and he didn’t say who their employer was.”

“Shucks… could’ve been from my ‘sire’. Is there a card? Maybe we can get a handwriting sample.” She looks around the bouquet and looks disappointed.

“Sorry Miss Mina, I don’t see one.”

“Shucks again…” I take the bleak bouquet and put them to the side. “Thanks for bringing them to me Juniper, you can go back to whatever it was you were doing.” She curtseys to me and heads back inside. I go back to my work of making bouquets and I hear another set of footsteps.

“Oh, hello Jasper nice to see you out and about.” I put down my last bouquet and put them in vases.

“It’s good to see you out and about too! Look at you back to your lovely self!” He’s beaming at me with pride.

“I figured it was time to stop wallowing and move on. This ‘sire’ has had a hold of my life for too long, it was time to move on.” He gave me a bear hug and I could feel tears on top of my head.

“I’m so proud of you! You’re back to wearing your lovely pastel dresses, and back to gardening! He’s already been defeated because you moved on with your life.” He hugs me again and I hold on to him. I didn’t even realize I was crying til he wipes away my tears. Our moment is broken when we hear a scream coming from inside. We both stare at each other in fear hoping it isn’t someone else getting bit. We run inside trying to find where the scream is coming from. Another scream fills the halls again and I realize it’s coming from Willow’s room.

“Willow!?” I holler out to anyone who’d hear. “Willow!”

“In my room! It’s Henry!” Oh no… her beloved! We run faster to her room and we see him with bright red eyes.

“He needs blood now! Willow, do you have some!?” Jasper goes from comforting friend to serious sire in mere moments. Willow grabs a dagger from her side table and almost hurts herself.

“Willow, let's not do anything crazy with that!” I try to talk her down, but she’s sobbing seeing her beloved like this.

“Didn’t you do the same for Victor?” I couldn’t answer her, but she seemed to know my answer. “Wouldn’t you do anything to help him?”

“Yes, but I’m not going to hurt myself and pass out from blood loss to help him!” I tried to be level-headed, but seeing her so sad isn’t helping.

“He’s my beloved! I’d do anything for him! He’s scared and needs my help! I can help him, so I am!” She pricks her wrist and just that little trickle makes him smell the air and lunges at her! He snarls at Willow and I almost want to throw him off her, but she snarls back!

“Henry, I know you’re still in there! You’re my mate, my beloved! I’m you’re Lolo! You’re my Ry ry! Come back to me!” She brings her wrist to his mouth hoping that it’d help. After a couple of minutes he calms down and he falls on top of her. “I think I got it from here. If I need help, I’ll let you know. We’ll see you at the ball tonight. Oh, and Mina… glad you’re back to yourself. Your dress is lovely.” I smile at her as we leave her to her beloved. We go back outside to my flowers and a card is with my black roses.

I’ll see you tonight, my fledgling. I’m sure you’ll be lovely. I’ll be watching you, and I will find you again.

I put the card down and dropped my bouquet. My hands shook because I was so scared. I looked around at the trees around me trying to see if anyone was following me, but I saw no one. Jasper ran up to me and I handed him the card. He screams for the hunters and security making sure they are ready for tonight. I’m too scared to finish the flowers and Nyx finds me. She carries her violet ballgown skirt trying not to trip on it. Her top is more warrior-like and the steel bones in her corset are visible. Her hair has grown out some and it’s in a half up, half down just like mine, but hers has a bow in her hair. Edward trailing right behind her in a similar suit to Victor’s except his vest is lavender.

“What’s wrong Mina!?” Jasper hands her the card, and it makes her angry. “He won’t get you again. We will get him or we’ll protect you until we can’t. Someone will be near you at all times.” Finally, I see Victor come out in his summer suit and he looks so dapper. A soft cream-colored jacket, light cotton blue and purple floral vest, pants, white socks, black shoes and a top hat. He didn’t look like he was too hot in his suit, but he’s more worried about me than I am of him being too hot.

“Come on, let's get you inside.” Victor takes my hand and leads me back in the house. A servant comes out and finishes putting my bouquets in vases while the others take care of me. I could hear the orchestra warming up and I knew that meant the ball was starting soon which meant guests would arrive soon. “Do you have the dagger that Azrael gave you?” Victor asked me and I had almost forgotten about that. I ran to my room and grabbed it and the thigh holster that went with it from my side table. I didn’t go to many training sessions, but I went to some. I lifted my skirt to have it in case I needed it. I took a couple of deep breaths knowing that I could at least defend myself unlike last time. I look out the window and the sun is setting, and the ball is about to begin. I can hear the orchestra playing Carnival of the Animals, The Swan playing. It was one of my favorites. Victor is waiting outside my door and hands me his arm for me to take. I see Nyx and Willow waiting for me. I had already seen Nyx in her beautiful gown, but Willow is in a sage green floral tulle A-line gown with a corset waist. Henry seems to have calmed down since the last time I saw him and is in a similar suit as the rest of the guys except his vest is a sage green to match Willow.

“For someone who just had a feeding frenzy hours ago, you clean up well.” Henry chuckles at me and Willow almost gives me an apologetic look. I give her a sympathetic one and I clearly know how she feels. I can hear the orchestra switching to play The Blue Danube. A classic waltzy song. We make our way downstairs and I can see our parents and Jasper smiling up at us. Some of the council members mingle with father and Jasper, but I stay close to Victor. I clearly had learned my lesson about staying alone.

“I’d like to get a drink, would you like one Victor?” I asked him but it was just a way for us to get away from the boredom.

“Sure. I’d love some.” He takes my hint and we grab a Sangria. The white wine and fruit hits the spot on this warm evening.

“I’d like to enjoy a walk in the garden on this lovely night.” Victor smiles at me and we walk outside. I cling to his arm hoping our unexpected visitor doesn’t show up. I can hear the music change again to Vivaldi Summer.

Unknown

Damn it! All three girls are mated by now! As much as I’d love to drink from them, I have a moral code of not drinking from mates. There’s gotta be someone I can drink from? Isn’t that the whole point of these damn balls? I see my first victim and her new mate and it makes me sick. Looks like she’s back to those damn bright colors again. So she’s back to herself again. Damn it took her this long to not starve herself. I honestly thought it’d be shorter. She toughed it out longer than I thought. Maybe she’s not as weak as I thought. Well, I can’t feed off her again, so let’s see who I can make my next victim. I scour around the property and I can faintly see the hunters they hired also in the trees and in the bushes. Also, the extra security at every door. It’s surprising that I even made it out here without someone seeing me. I scour the grounds some more and I see their dainty witchy cook. She’s always here alone. You’d think she’d know by now that being alone at these things is a bad idea. I see her gathering some more food from the garden. I roll my eyes at how easy this is. With all this extra security you’d think they would’ve caught me by now.

The music changes to this interesting bouncy piece. They always have to pick classical for these things. I think it's called On the Hunt in English by Strauss. Fitting for this ball. I see my prey almost heading back into the house with her back towards me. Even better, she won’t even know it’s me. I leap down from the tree I’m in and pounce on her. She hits me with her basket of food and I think a cucumber hits me in the face, but it doesn’t stop me from feeding off of her. She screams and I can hear everyone descending. I finish my dinner and run off as quickly as I can before anyone can catch me.

Mina

I hear a scream in the night, and I recognize that anywhere.

“Juniper!” I run towards her and I see her on the ground. The biter is gone again but all the hunters are searching high and low for her. Azrael and I are tending to her. “Juniper, can you hear me!?” I run inside the kitchen to see if there’s anything I can do. I look at her potions poster and find a protection one.

Angelica

Basil

Bay leaf

Cinnamon

Garlic

Mint

Peppermint

Pepper

Marjoram

I start just throwing them in a pot and hoping for the best. I grab the closest tea cup and once I think the potion is done; I run it to her. I can hear Moonlight Sonata being played inside. I gently tilt her up to not make her be in any more pain.

“I know it’s not what you really want, but it’s the only thing I could think of to help.” I’m sobbing on top of her. She’s my closest friend besides my sisters. Azrael is just giving her a dead stare and I realize I recognize that look.

“My beloved…”