Turned

Chapter One.

September 21st, 1866, Elgin, Scotland.

383 years later.           

The events that followed that night were of a grotesque nature. I had awoken what was referred to as a Turned Vampire and slaughtered the entire town, leaving Daniel for dead as I joined the man, who I had come to know as Xavier Cartel on his journey around the world. He had his reasons for turning me, his goals not to help me exact revenge but something else entirely. He had recently been killed by the Order of the Silver Cross for being a Royal Vampire. The killings had become more and more common over the ages, so much so that the Royal bloodlines were dwindling, and desperation was at a high. I was currently located in Elgin, Scotland, wondering the streets of the small town, dressed in a less than feminine attire. Horse drawn carriages barreled past as already drunken men stumbled from the local bars, cords clutched in hand. The sky was a dreary grey, common for the Northern hemisphere which shielded me from the sun’s rays. I passed a local bakery, the smell of freshly baked bread, filling my senses, and reminding me of Paris. My heeled brown boots thudded against the sidewalk as I moved, hands stuffed into the pockets of Xavier’s old trench coat, kept in pristine condition all this time by many visits to the local seamstress. The daggers dangling from my belt cluttered as I moved, my face hidden beneath the rim of my hat. A few men were laughing, the throaty sound echoing in my ears, followed by the clang of cups. A woman was beating a man cackling man as she tried to cover her half naked chest from the peering eyes of others. Night would fall soon which meant that the men would drink, woman would be bedded, and the night would come alive with the sight of flickering candles. There was a bar or brothel around every corner, hungry men and desperate woman entangled in each other’s sights as I passed. There was a man on a ladder, tasked with lighting the street lights, the pungent scent of lit matches swirling in my sense of smell. I stopped dead in my tracks when a man was kicked out of one of the bars, tumbling to the sidewalk in front of me, blocking my path. A few men were yelling at him, laughing from inside the bar, speaking Scottish, the accent familiar to me, reminding me of Xavier. The man on the floor, looked up at me, my crimson eyes cutting through him and into the depths of his soul. His eyes filled with horror as he stumbled to his feet and took off running, yelling something about a demon. Something caught my attention, stuck on the inside of the bar window, it was a poster that seemed more formal than the rest. It was written in, black, cursive ink, stamped with a red seal. It was a job request, a rich family seeking for a bodyguard to protect their son, but the reward was what intrigued me most, they would grant the person anything they desired as long as it did not bring harm to their charge. My eyes shot towards the men gathered at the bar entrance, their eyes lingering on my form as I passed, ruby gaze once again focused straight ahead. They followed me, eyes examining my every move as I passed, but as soon as they blinked, I was gone, like a shadow in the night. The address listed on the poster lead me to the outskirts of town, to a large castle that overlooked the rest of Elgin. I stood, observing it from afar, lush green grass surrounding me on all sides like an open field with very few trees in sight. The double doors of the castle opened to reveal a man, dressed in a white button up shirt and black slacks. He struck a match to light the cigarette that was clutched between his lips, taking a deep drag before he looked up at me, eyes a piercing red “Please, come in las” he offered past the cigarette, motioning inside with his free hand. He was a Vampire, pale in skin and unafraid of a trespasser such as myself. He knew what I was, and why I was there. I stepped toward the front steps, ascending them to step up beside the unknown man. His hair was a mess, his chin unshaven, shirt halfway unbuttoned and barely tucked into his pants correctly. My eyes studied him, the smell of desperation and stress rolling off him in waves. I entered the castle, a servant quick to take my coat and hat, leaving me dressed in a white, long sleeve shirt, decorated in ruffled around the collar and wrists, it was paired with a pair of black pants that hugged my form and a black corset that molded into the curve of my waist. The man from earlier followed me inside, his eyes locking onto my hands where silver bracelets hugged my wrists, connecting to smaller silver bands on each of my fingers through thin wire. I balled my fists, feeling the wires tighten, but paid it little mind as the man made his way up the spiral staircase. I trailed behind, eyes taking in the sight of candle chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, various oil paintings that hung from the walls, the vases that looked imported, candles mounted to the walls as well as flickering from above. There was a long hallway that seemed to stretch on for miles at the top of the stairs. The man breathed in a puff of smoke, letting it out through his lips before he tossed it into a can outside of a set of engraved double doors “The young Master awaits” he announced, shoving the doors open and stepping aside to allow me to entre. Once inside the room, I was met with what resembled a living room with a fireplace, a desk and many bookshelves. A man that looked to be around eighteen was sat in an armchair, staring into the fire while a woman worked behind the desk. She looked exhausted, her eyes rimmed by black bags and silver hair in disarray while her figure hugging dress was littered with creases “Ah Hamish, just in time, we must-.” the woman cut herself off when her eyes landed on me. She had not been expecting anyone and was talking to the man who had been smoking earlier. Her accent was just as thick as Xavier’s had been if not even more so. Her sudden silence compelled the man in the armchair to glance at me, his gold eyes boring into my crimson one “We seem to have a last-minute applicant” Hamish explained, causing the woman to glance from me to him until her eyes once again returned to me. She was stood behind the desk, her hand pausing over a pile of papers that was stacked off to the side. She looked just as stressed and anxious as Hamish did. Each of the three people around me were Turned Vampires, apart from the man with gold eyes, he was a Royal “Right, well-.” the woman began, searching through the stacks of paper in search of a single sheet. She held it up, inspecting it before she stepped around the desk and straightened out her shoulders to more formally address me. Hamish closed the double doors behind him and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest “I am Fiona Beitean and this is my partner, Hamish Creag” she introduced the two of them, I did not bother glancing at Hamish when she introduced him, my eyes focused solely on her. She closed her hand and dropped it back to her side when she realized that I was not going to move “Judging from your nationality, I assume that you have heard of the plague befalling the Royals” she paused, clearing her throat before using the word ‘nationality’ as a replacement for species. She was referring to the number of Royals that have been assassinated over the past decade. I nodded my head slowly, black strands cascading down my back and shoulders. She was watching me, her eyes begging me to move, to speak, to do something “Because of this, tragedy we are looking for someone to take on the young Master, Julius as their charge” she motioned towards the man in the armchair, observing us silently. My curiosity had brought me to their castle, nothing more. I was not intending to work for them in the slightest, not when the Order of the Silver Cross was still at large. I wanted to exact revenge against them for having murdered Xavier, not be distracted by a Royal family in need. Their reward was anything which was exactly what I needed to find the location of the Order, but looking after a Royal was not worth the information “I do not babysit Royal brats” with that I turned to leave, Hamish already opening the door for me to leave as if it was expected. Fiona tossed the piece of paper onto the desk turning to sigh heavily. I was halfway out the door when she said something that made me stop dead in my tracks “Our apologies, Master Cartel” my eyes widened as a memory returned to me. Xavier was dying, stabbed in the chest with a wooden stake as I cradled him in my arms. He told me of why he had turned me, he had the gift of foresight, being one of the few Vampires that bared a unique ability, and had long ago seen his nephew being killed by an unknown threat. That vision had compelled him to turn me, training me to be strong enough of an assassin to one day protect his nephew. I gritted my teeth, irritated by the fact that his prophecy was getting in the way of my revenge and turned on my heels to send a glare in the woman’s direction “I will take the job” I announced, my French accent shining through. Hamish stared at me wide eyed, the woman’s back muscles tensing at my words and Julius stiffening. I disappeared, leaving them alone in the office. Fiona breathed a sigh of relief, slumping back against the desk as Hamish fell back against the wall of the office. They had clearly been searching for some time, to try and find someone strong enough to protect their young Master. I sat on the roof of the castle, looking up at the clear, night sky where the constellation Ursa Major was clear in my sights. I fell back, clutching my hands together behind my head “You are lucky I owe you” I muttered to no one in particular, Xavier’s triumphant smirk flickering past my gaze. After spending nearly four-hundred-years with the man, I had come to know him better than I knew myself. He had taught me many things, including how to control my own special ability, gifting me the hand wear that I wore every moment of every day. I raised my hand to look at the wires and rings, inspecting the detailed craftsmanship. Xavier had dragged me all the way to Spain where a world-renowned blacksmith made them to fit my precise measurements. I flexed my hand and the rings shot out to form claws that engulfed my fingers. I twisted my hand back and forth, inspecting the sharpened metal, perfect for close combat “You are an i***t” I gave a small smile, remembering the laugh he had given, moments before dying. I had buried his body in a pile of rocks, on top of the highest mountain in Europe, Mount Elbrus in Russia, leaving him there to look out onto the world he had traveled for so long, and vowing to exact my revenge by placing stabbing the sword of a member of the Order of the Silver Cross into the earth before his grave. I turned to lie on my side, eyes staring out onto the town in the distance, lights flickering as music and song drifted up the hillside to converse in my ears.

I had fallen asleep and was awoken by the sound of shattering glass and an agonizing scream from inside the castle "Damn it!” I yelled, gritting my teeth as I forced myself onto my feet, running to the edge of the roof where the sounds were coming from. Glancing down, I found that there was a balcony below, the glass doors having been smashed open, causing the red curtains to dance in the night breeze. The moon was high in the sky, signaling that it was some time near midnight, the perfect time to strike. I gripped the edge of the rooftop and flung myself over, falling more than four stories down and landing in a crouched position on the balcony. The weight of my fall caused the glass to crunch beneath my boots, causing a disruption inside the room. I stood upright, slowly, eyes peering straight ahead and into the darkened room. A cloaked figure had Julius by his throat, dangling in the air as if he was nothing more than a simple rag doll, but when I made my presence known, the figure let go of Julius and stepped back a few steps. I grinned, moving at the speed of light to stand between my charge and the enemy. Julius was coughing violently on the bed, wearing only a pair of low slung trousers, gripping at his neck “You seem surprised to see me” I said, taking in the sight of the hidden figure. The muscles beneath the material of the cloak were stiff and there was no breathing which meant that they were holding their breath. The person hidden behind the shadows did not respond, staying silent with their eyes boring into me, my skin crawling as they studied me. I flexed my hands at my sides, the claws springing out from their rings to envelope my fingers in razor sharp blades. They glistened in the light of the moon, their silver able to cut through the skin of any supernatural creature that walked the earth. I glanced back at Julius from over my shoulder, staring down at him as he met my gaze “Forgive me” I said, swiping my clawed hand over the skin of his arm and drawing blood. He cried out from the stinging pain as the door to the bedroom was flung open, revealing a frantic Hamish. Fiona was shortly behind him, both of them coming to a halt at the sight of my actions. The blood that flowed from Julius’ wounds drifted in the air, forming small, individual specks that narrowed to form sharp, spear-like objects. I held my hand out toward the intruder, palm facing them, and only when I flicked my hand forward did the bloody bullets begin to rain down on the cloaked figure, tearing apart the wooden flooring, the furniture and the walls. The enemies cloak tore in several places, exposing flesh for a fraction of a second to my gaze “The castle!” Hamish exclaimed as wood splintered and furniture was demolished from the force of my attack. The cloaked figure made to flee, zipping past both Hamish and Fiona at a speed that not even their eyes could comprehend. My jaw tightened as I followed them out into the hall, slowing from my speed only for a moment to say into Hamish’s ear “Protect Julius” his eyes widened since he had not realized that I was already right beside him. I darted down the hallway and easily caught up to the intruder, appearing in front of the person. Reaching out I grabbed hold of their shoulders and rammed my knee into their gut, causing blood to splatter from their lips and onto my white shirt. A surge of anger coursed through me at the thought of my ruined shirt, causing me to shove the person aside, sending them tumbling down the staircase and onto the floor below. I began making my way down the stairs, my boots thudding with every slow, predatory step that I took “I do not particularly enjoy dealing with cowards” I muttered, tugging at the sleeve of my shirt where the blood splatters were staining the material. Fiona and Hamish, along with Julius appeared at the top of the staircase, their eyes locked onto my form as I moved. I sighed and tapped my index finger a few times in mid-air, causing the blood splatters on my clothes to rise and twist together into a single drop that hardened like a bullet. I snapped my fingers and the bullet shot through the air, imbedding itself into the intruder’s leg, causing a loud, strangled cry to escape them. My actions had successfully prevented the person from escaping, and simultaneously revealed the gender of the person. They were male, judging from their scream, his face still hidden behind the hood of his cloak. The servant that was located by the front doors stared at me, terrified from what he had seen. I reached the bottom of the stairs, looming over the crumpled form of the assassin that was after Julius’ life. I held my right hand out to the side, allowing his pooling blood to swirl up to my hand, forming a solid object in my hands. A sword made of blood was clutched in my hand that I raised, gripping its hilt with both of my hands, about to drive the blade down into the man’s torso when a voice stopped me “Stop, we must take him alive!” Fiona’s words bounced off the castle walls, allowing me to hesitate long enough for the enemy to dart through the front doors and out into the night. I clenched my teeth, my blood boiling as I turned, tossing the sword up to the second floor where it grazed the side of Fiona’s face before imbedding itself into the wall behind her and turned back into a pool of blood. She gasped, her eyes growing wide when they met with my piercing one “Do not tell me what to do” I snapped, reaching for my trench coat that hung beside the front doors and pulled it on over my shoulders, flicking the collar before grabbing my hat, placing it on the top of my head. Hamish noticed that I was on my way out the doors, shooting a glance at the trembling servant as Hamish hurried down the stairs, after me “Where are you going?” he questioned, catching my attention long enough for me to glance back at him from over my shoulder. I flexed my hands, causing the claws to retract back into rings as I stuffed them into the pockets of my trench coat. My eyes flickered up to where Fiona was gripping the railing as if her life depended on it, eyes staring into nothingness. I met Hamish’s gaze once more “Hunting” with that I vanished into the night, tracking the smell of blood that lead into the nearby town. It mixed in with the scent of seas salt that hung thick in the air because of the coastline. I stood outside of a guest house, my form hidden behind shadows as I watched the man collapse into a chair, a candle lit to provide some form of light in the darkness. He tugged down the hood of his cloak and hissed when he touched his injured leg. He was not human, that much had been clear from his speed, however he was not a Vampire either since his eyes were a pale blue. I appeared in his room, standing in the corner with my back to him, examining some trinkets that sat on the dresser “You are not a Vampire, so what are you exactly?” I questioned, my voice disrupting the silence. The man jumped up from his seat, causing the chair to tumble to the ground by his feet as he gripped the bedframe behind him. He was not expecting me to follow him, but there I was, twisting a small snow globe in hand, watching the snow fall onto the tiny house trapped inside the glass. I gently set the trinket down and stepped towards a painting that hung on the wall closer to the man, hands stuffed into my coat as my eyes scanned the oil painted landscape “Not a werewolf nor a human” I contemplated out loud, crossing out all my options as I reached for the small needle that sat on the table where he had been seated at. He was most likely planning on using it to sow his wound shut. The tip glistened in the candle light before I threw it at my target where it imbedded itself into his throat, piercing his jugular “That must make you a Hunter then” he began choking, wheezing as blood began to pool from his mouth. He couldn’t breath which meant that he had only minutes left to live. I stepped towards him as he tumbled to the floor in a gasping heap, hands gripping at his neck in a similar way as Julius had. I knelt beside him, gripping his hair and raising his head off the floor so that his ear was closer to my lips “It is such a shame, you are rather handsome” I flexed my free hand, allowing the claws to jut out, to drag them along the length of his throat, severing his head from his body in a messy, gruesome manor. I stood, dusting off my leggings before I disappeared, reappearing in the office of the castle, sitting in the armchair that Julius had occupied previously. Fiona and Hamish were arguing over whether hiring me was such a good idea or not “Judging from your options, it seems that you are stuck with me” I said, interrupting their spat as I turned the head this way and that in my hands, examining the pretty, mortified face of the dead Hunter. Fiona’s eyes widened at the sight a small shriek escaping her lips as Hamish silently observed me. Julius stood off to the side, his eyes holding curiosity and intrigue as he watched me, a fierce enthusiasm flickering in his gaze. I stood, turning to toss the head in Fiona’s direction “A present” I announced. She dodged it, sending it to the floor with a thud as she cupped her mouth with her hands, eyes staring down at the head in sheer horror. I headed for the door of the office, about to leave when Julius spoke up for the first time, his voice deep and husk like that of his uncle. It was so similar that I had to remind myself of Xavier’s death “Who are you?” the accent was thick but enough for me to decipher. No one had ever asked me my identity before, Xavier having known before turning me. He had been observing me for many years, waiting for the precise moment to intervein. That night he had enough leverage to ensure that I would agree to be turned by him even though he had no part in the fire that killed my family. I turned to face the man, around twenty-five-years of age “I am Evana De La Crona of France” with that, I left, only returning once Julius was asleep in a guest bedroom to watch over him, sitting in a chair on the other side of the room with my eyes staring out onto the ocean beyond the windowpane. I thought about the night my parents died, the night Xavier had made everything so clear to me. The people of Norwich were plagued by Vampires, thus giving light to the Order of the Silver Cross. My father had grown suspicious and was onto them which meant that he had to be exterminated, along with my mother whom they believed was a witch due to her interest in astronomy. Over a span of four centuries, the Order had grown until it engulfed most of Europe, America and Asia, their numbers only increasing as people became more aware of what was going on around them. It was the Order that caused Xavier’s death, they followed me wherever I went, hurting the people that I cared about, it would only be a matter of time before they would find me in Scotland and try to kill me like they had many times before.