Bad Blood

“My lady, the car is ready for you.” Upon hearing the voice coming from behind her, a beautiful woman turned her head away from the mirror, her body following as she gracefully turned around to the source of the voice. She flashed a small, toothy smile, showing off pristine and sharp canines. “Yes, thank you, Damien. If you could, my necklace please,” she asked, her voice like soft wind chimes in a warm breeze. The man bowed and, with a brisk walk, went to fetch the necklace she spoke of. The woman took this last chance to turn her attention back to the ornate, floor-length mirror. Emerald eyes, set in a slender, pale face, stared back at her. Her face was framed by long, raven black hair that fell in soft curls all the way down her back. She wore a black, velvet, off the shoulder gown that hugged her voluptuous figure. There was a high slit at the front left side of the dress that exposed her upper thigh. The slit was lined with small but extremely detailed gold roses embellished with crystals that sparkled with every step she took. Her eyes trailed down her leg to the black, high stilettos that gave her an impressive height. As she was admiring herself, Damien returned. Holding a large, flat, black, square box, he approached her and opened it, revealing a beautiful gold necklace inside. Damien carefully lifted the necklace and placed the box down, stepping behind the woman as he gently laid the necklace around her neck. Clasping the necklace closed, he stepped back, allowing the woman to admire her completed look. She raised her slender hand to the necklace, feeling the intricate chain work that all led down to the large red ruby that hung from it. “My lady, you look especially beautiful tonight,” Damien remarked, unable to stop himself from devouring her with his eyes. “Thank you, Damien.” She replied, turning back to him. “I’m not sure why, but there’s this feeling inside me.” Damien slightly frowned. “Is this why you choose to wear his necklace?” he asked hesitantly. Her hand stopped fiddling with the ruby as she smiled softly. “Yes, it felt appropriate.” she remarked. Damien was never one to hide his feelings in front of her. “My Lady, how can you hold love for a man who left you months before your wedding for so many years?” The woman merely smiled and placed a hand against Damien’s cheek. He had to resist the urge to lean into her touch. “Damien, I know you don’t like Adam, but you will understand when you become bonded with the love of your life. It is different for humans, where love is as fleeting as the life they live. It is unbreakable for us. I will love him forever, and I will wait for his return, even if it means waiting another fifty years for him. We bonded when we were quite young, you know this. He wanted to experience the world, and I let him. Enough about this, I don’t wish to be late.” She dropped her hand from his cheek and walked to her bedroom door to exit her room. Damien bowed his head and stepped aside, holding his tongue. He followed behind closely as she made her way down the large hall that led to the main staircase of the mansion. They both made their way to the ornate and heavy front door. “Please, enjoy yourself. I will wait for your return,” Damien said, bowing once more as he effortlessly swung the door open. The woman stepped outside into the warm, open air. A black Rolls Royce was waiting for her at the bottom of a few stone steps. A sharply dressed gentleman in all black stood next to the car, holding open the car door. “Lady Marie,” the man keeled his head forward, his voice husky and low. “Thank you, Angelo. Let us waste no time,” Marie remarked, sliding into the car and getting settled. Angelo quickly closed the door and jogged to the driver’s seat, climbing in himself. With no time wasted, he started the car and began driving down the long driveway, canopied by large and old willow trees. Marie took this time to analyze the strange feeling in her stomach. It was strange, truly strange. It felt almost like anticipation and nervousness, but for what? It had been a long time since she had been nervous about anything. Not since the incident that caused the death of her parents and steeled her heart against the world. The bond between her and Adam had grown weak, that was for sure. Was this feeling perhaps the bond re-awakening? Was he close then, finally returned home? She shook these thoughts away. Surely it would be a different feeling, not this murky, annoying knot in her stomach. With an annoyed sigh, she focused her mind on the familiar surroundings that flashed by her window. Despite it being nighttime, her eyes were able to see everything, as if it was day. She watched as the rolling hillsides drifted by with patches of heavily forested areas along the windy roads. This entire countryside belonged to the nobility of her kind, vampires. The humans simply thought this area was filled with stupidly rich people and never bothered them. It was a blessing in disguise, not having to hide like the other, low-ranking vampires. Those who found work among the nobility were lucky to share the area, while the others had to find crafty ways to hide amongst humans in their cities. Then there were the rogues, who cared not to hide and terrorized humans for as long as time could tell. As she observed the scenic images that flew by her window, the car took a turn, passing through large, iron gates. The car continued onto a long winding driveway that eventually ended up in front of an impressive mansion, slightly smaller than the one belonging to her. As the car rolled to a stop in front of the mansion, a man opened her door. She stepped out and joined the crowd of influential vampires who were making their way inside. Marie followed suit, walking into the foyer and then into the grand ballroom that easily took up half of the mansion itself. She looked around and noticed the hosts had spared no expense on decorations, food, and entertainment. A soft hum of voices and laughter mingled with the string orchestra that played, creating an environment of silk, satin, and everything money. The moment Marie began walking into the midst of the crowd, she could feel many eyes upon her, mostly from male bachelors and jealous women. Many men had been trying to vie for her attention ever since Adam took his leave to travel the world. Despite them knowing that she was bonded to him, they took their chances as soon as possible, but she waved them away and entertained none of them. She was confident in Adam, even if she felt the bond grow weaker. His eventual return to her kept her sane when life turned upside down forty years ago with the death of her parents. Many things changed, including herself. She was no longer the young, carefree, sweet, naïve girl that Adam fell in love with all those years ago. She matured quickly and lost the carefree nature that her friends maintained. She hoped that this new version of herself would still be accepted by Adam. A waiter approached Marie carrying a golden tray, laden with crystal wine glasses filled with a thick, dark red liquid. She grabbed the glass closest to her, and the waiter bowed and left to serve the other guests. She took a slow sip of the liquid, relishing the metallic, sweet taste of blood. “Marie!” A blond-haired, pale skinned woman in a soft blue gown called out, waving her hand in the air a few yards away. Marie smiled and made her way to her. “Oh, it’s so good to see you!” The blond sighed out as she reached her. “And you too, Julia. How was your trip to France?” Marie asked, happy to have the company of her closest friend after a month-long absence. “Oh, it was wonderful! Father had so many meetings, but I was able to explore every inch of the country! The French vampires were to die for, and sometimes even the humans were irresistible. You and I need to go there as soon as possible!” Marie laughed at her friend’s excitement, taking another sip. “I would love to visit France again, but not for the men. It’s been a while since I’ve been back there.” “Marie, as a cold-blooded businesswoman, I didn’t think you’d still be so naïve about Adam’s return,” Julia retorted, taking a sip from her wine glass “Oh! This is divine, did the Lorenzo’s get this from you?” “Yes, they contacted me a week ago, and I notified Uncle to send them a hefty shipment from the nearest blood bank.” Julia nodded at this, taking another sip. “Speaking of your uncle, when is he going to transfer the full duties of the family to you?” Marie shrugged slightly, giving a quick wave to a passing aquaintence. “I’m not too sure about when. I currently handle about eighty percent of things; I could easily handle all of it. I do remember him mentioning that he will step down as soon as I gain a husband.” “So, even he is banking on Adam never returning. If anything, I don’t see why you need a husband to run things,” Julia bluntly remarked. Marie briefly narrowed her eyes but relaxed, knowing her friend was meant well. “I see your trip to France has made you into a Revolutionist. Are you planning on not having a husband to run the family?” Marie chuckled. “Of course not!” Julia remarked. “I for one, am still looking for my partner. Perhaps this gentleman walking up to us is him.” Julia smiled at the young man who approached them and asked her for a dance. Not one to pass up an opportunity, she graciously accepted with a flutter of her lashes and was led to the dance floor. Marie watched, smiling at her friend. She was not left alone for long as her other close friends swarmed around her, cheerful and full of laughter as they enjoyed the party. She was thankful for their timely appearance as she noticed men making a beeline towards her as soon as she was alone. She laughed and smiled with her childhood friends, talking about various events that were being planned for the spring. Marie was remarking about a party that she was planning on having thrown at her estate when she noticed a hush fall upon her friends, a look of shock spreading upon each face as they looked behind her, towards the entrance of the ballroom. “What is the matter with you all? You all look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Marie asked, quite confused. “Marie, I think you should turn around,” a red-headed girl remarked. Ever more confused, Marie turned to have a look and froze. Her lips parted, but no sound came out of it as she spied the figure standing at the door. Her heart tugged strongly, and the faint feeling of the bond sprang to life as they locked eyes with each other. “Adam…” she whispered.