Lurking in the Shadows (Completed)

Chapter 6

Willow

After I finished my hearty meal that Juniper and I made I ran as quickly as I could in my wool, gray floor-length dress. The long sleeves were flowy and had fur along the hem. Kept me very warm during these cold months. I finally caught up with my father and tried to calm myself down.

“What’s wrong, Willow?”

“I ran into someone at the market, a new man. He looked like a vampire and his boots matched the ones that I found at the attack site.” Father looked so angry, but tried to calm down.

“We need to ask Mina about any details she can remember.” Father left the room, and I followed behind him. When we got to Mina’s room, it wasn’t the bright and lovely room we knew and loved. The curtains were closed and only the glimmer from candles lit the room.

“Mina?” I tried to get her attention, but no answer. “Mina??” I called her again, but nothing.

“Mina what’s going on?” Father asked her worriedly, and that’s when we noticed Mina’s eyes were a dark red almost black. I hid behind my father hoping she wouldn’t hurt me. “Mina, it’s Willow and Father. We just wanted to talk.” Mina shakes her head and her eyes are back to her normal gray ones.

“Father? Willow? I’m so sorry! This has been happening for hours and I finished my chalice… what’s happening to me father!?” I could see her eyes tearing up, she was terrified… I’ve never seen her cry or at least rarely.

“This is bad… I need to call an emergency council meeting!” Father leaves in a hurry, probably back to his office and I stay with Mina.

“Mina… can you tell me what you remember from the attack?” I ask her gently and I see her go to her side table to grab something.

“I wrote everything down in my journal that way all the details were fresh should I need to remember them.” She hands me the journal and I go to the day of the ball.

Winter ball

Tonight was supposed to be a beautiful night, a night full of dancing, good food, entertaining people and vampires alike. That didn’t happen… sure it started out as a normal ball. I mingled some, but when it got too much, I grabbed a shawl and went for a walk in the garden. The flowers were so beautiful covered in frost. I eventually made my way to the fountain and I could still hear the music from inside. I swayed to the beautiful orchestra music. Since I was right next to the fountain I didn’t hear anyone else with me… I didn’t hear the snow crunching as someone came up behind me and tried to feed on me! The pain and agony was so horrible I screamed for help! It was probably minutes before help came, but it felt longer. The scent of whiskey, pine, and rosewood with a hint of snow lingered long enough for me to memorize that scent. I could smell my own blood on the cold stone ground before I felt a pair of arms around me. I looked up to see Nyx and father crying over me and then it went dark…

I tried not to cry in her journal so I kept wiping my tears away.

“I promise you Mina… we will find him. If your thirst becomes too unbearable, feed on me.” I looked her dead in the eye. I was completely serious, and I wanted to help her…

“Willow…” She hugged me and I cried into her shoulder. She’s my big sister! I couldn't just leave her to suffer like this! I go to her desk and find her letter opener, almost cutting my wrist. “Willow! You’ll hurt yourself!” She runs after me, putting the letter opener down on the desk again.

“And seeing you just moments ago was like I was looking at a different person! Please let me help you…" I grabbed the letter opener again and a little bead of blood trickled down my hand… Mina's eyes changed color again when she smelled it. "Do it, Mina! I want you to!" Mina grabs my wrist and licks the small cut. After a few minutes, she became herself again.

"Feel better?" She sheepishly nodded her head, and we both sat down on her bed. We hear a gentle knock on the door and father peeks his head back in.

“Feeling better, Mina?” She shakes her head again, and father fully comes to the room to give her a hug. “Come, the council meeting is starting. We need your testimony of what happened.” She nods her head again, and she takes his hand. When we get close to the council room, we can hear the angry shouting from outside the door.

Mina

“The Mortems have been in power for far too long! I say we have someone else to rule!” One angry gentleman says and I cover my mouth to hide my gasp.

“I think that’s hardly fair. We’ve had peace for their time in power. I see no reason to denounce their reign.” Another gentleman says and I sigh in relief. We open the door to let ourselves be known and everyone just stares at us.

“What’s the meaning of this Mortem!? Ladies in a council meeting?!” The same angry gentleman from earlier yells at us.

“Sit down Stoker! I called this meeting because my daughter, Mina, was attacked!” The other gentlemen seem shocked but this Stoker guy just gives us a grumpy look.

“Attacked? When?” The kind gentlemen. He had blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and amber eyes. Everyone had either amber or reddish amber eyes. They’re all vampires…

“The winter ball…” I tell them sheepishly but loud enough for them to hear.

“That was only a week ago! Why weren’t we told!?”

“Because Thorne most of that week Mina was in a coma from her blood loss!” Father isn’t one to get angry, but when he does, it’s scary… he turns to us with a smile as if he didn’t just scare everyone in the room. “Let me introduce the council to you. Jasper Thorne, the one asking questions, Felix Stoker, the one that’s always angry, myself, Simon Cravens, the quiet one for now, and Damien Jarlath.” He nods to the gentlemen next to us. All the gentlemen bow their heads to us.

“Ah, and my son, Draven, is here with us today to learn how to stand in a meeting in my place someday.” The young man behind him nods his head and Willow pulls on father's sleeve to get his attention.

“Father, that’s the man I saw at the market!” I heard her whisper and I’m just confused.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you gentleman even if it is under sad circumstances. I brought my journal with me to tell you the events that happened that night at the winter ball.” I read the journal entry aloud, and everyone was silent.

“My dear child, I’m so sorry that happened! Biting someone without consent is a punishable offense!” Jasper came up to me and looked at me at eye level. “Obviously you don’t say who it was, but you have a scent. That’s a start, did you find anything else?”

“I found boot prints.” Willow pipes up.

“Let me see.” Willow hands him the sketch, and he frowns again.

“This is a common boot that most gentlemen wear.” We both look defeated and we’re back to square one. “If you ever need help, don't be afraid to reach out to me.” He smiles at me and I couldn’t help but hug him. He seems startled for a moment, but returns the hug. “For now, get some blood bags and try not to bite anyone if your fangs have come in.”

“No fangs yet, but I’m worried. Just now, I started to have a sensitivity to the sun that I didn’t have.”

“Hmm… how long was it until your family found you?” I looked at Willow and Father since I wasn’t sure.

“Maybe a couple of minutes. We heard her scream, and we immediately ran to her, but there was a crowd so we had to make our way through the people. By the time we got to her, the culprit was gone, Mina was bleeding out and my other daughter Nyx was holding her in her lap to keep her stable. I personally got the venom out of her system.” Father looked so serious talking to Jasper.

“I see… so in those couple of minutes the venom was in her system long enough to partially turn you. Which means you technically have a sire. A lousy one, but yes.” I frowned at him; this wasn’t the news I was hoping for.

“I was afraid of that. I was hoping my mate would be my sire someday.”

“And that’s a very common thing for a beloved to sire their lover, or parents to sire their children.”

“That’s what father has told me.” I smile up at my father and he gives me an encouraging smile.

“Then your father has taught you well. I’m so sorry this happened to you, should you get worse you can let me know.”

“Thank you.” I give Jasper a smile.

“From my experience a younger vampire would ask, an older one would just bite. So whoever it is, is an older vampire or a young one who was taught by an older vampire.”

“So an older vampire would just see us as a blood bag?” I ask him my terrifying thoughts.

“That’s what humans and young vampires are. Just a snack.” Older Stoker speaks up and I’m appalled…

“That was unnecessary, Stoker, we don’t want to frighten the child!” Jasper growls at him, and both Stokers growls back. “I think we’ll finish this conversation in your office, Dyrk. That way we can be more private.” Jasper growls at the Stokers again before leaving the room.

“Gladly.” Father growls at them too before we all leave.

Unknown POV

“You realize you were almost exposed?!” Father yells at me.

“Yes, I realize that. Luckily Jasper was more focused on the girl!” I get nervous and don’t want to stay around here before they realize it’s me.

“You will stay low, do not go near the girl again!” He growls at me and I cower in his power.

“I can’t help it, her scent is intoxicating! Do you realize how hard it was not to bite her again in the meeting!?”

“I understand they were both mouthwatering.” I smell the air, their scents both still lingering in the air. Father smacks my cheek to bring me back to reality. “Remember, keep quiet and stay low for a while. If they have no more evidence of the attack, then they can’t pinpoint it to us.”

“Yes, father.”

“Come on, let’s go. I don’t want to stay here longer than I have to.” He growls at me as he grumbles and stomps his way out of the manor.