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I cant believe its been so long since I've updated. This summer has been hectic with school and work taking up all my time. I hope this chapter was worth your wait.
Saira
“She doesn’t remember murdering– ”
“Have you ever been in love, detective?”
He sighed. He knew how Raissa felt all too well. Alucard broke away their attention as he whistled a jaunty tune. Tommy and Walker both looked to see him carrying out the thrashed body of the man who had shot her.
“Don’t get blood on the carpet” Tommy said hearing a drip of some on the wood floors. “Raissa will have your hide”
“I’d rather her try then” he said licking his lips before continuing his tune and going down to the basement
“What’s he doing?”
“Putting the body in her furnace. But ten to one no one will miss him”
“Why do you say that?”
“Most of the recruits in the Guardians are runaways and orphans with no place to go”
“Ah, okay, so explain to me about Alucard. Who is he exactly?”
“Raissa’s first love”
“What? I’m confused. What about Marquis?”
“Marquis was Raissa’s true love but Alucard was more the first she loved and was loved by. They were together for well over 100 years but he proved too insane for Raissa”
“Yet he’s still around”
“Because there’s not a man to date that hasn’t lusted or loved Raissa in some form or another” Tommy said with a smirk.
“How’d they met?”
“Perhaps you should ask–” Tommy was cut off by glass breaking upstairs. “Never mind”
“What’s happening?” Walker asked worriedly
“Bloodlust”
“What’s that?”
“It’s what happens right after the change, or in already vampire cases, after a major injury or not eating when your cravings first start. Happens to us all at first though, the undeniable craving for blood when the demon’s blood enters your veins. Some sires let their creations enter the world letting them quench their thirst on their own”
“Raissa has a cold streak but I get the feeling she wouldn’t do that”
“No but Raissa has only turned two people. Me and the Countess, then Victoria changed her boyfriend, now her husband and they’ve been together ever since. Raissa gets saddened by the thought so they only see each other once in a blue moon anymore.”
“So how old is Raissa?”
“Uh...” Tommy said counting in his head. “725 by my count and counting”
“Jesus”
“Has nothing to do with it. Raissa after all was a devout Protestant. It was his followers that condemned her in the mortal world”
“So who’s her sire?” Walker asked feeling strange to say such a thing
“His name was Nathaniel. Said to be a mean son of a bitch to anyone that wasn’t as pretty as Raissa. I never met him but the stories are less than smiled upon. He stalked Raissa for weeks and then courted like humans before her father decided to throw a ball, not to find her a husband but to announce her engagement to him”
“Records on the computer are wrong then”
“Raissa can manipulate what she wants” Tommy said. “Anyway, she refused and ran off to France only to have him find her about four years later and force the change upon her. But turning someone who is unwilling is dangerous though and can have… complications.”
“Like what?”
“Well like for Raissa her mind was opened more than it should have been”
“How is that a bad thing?”
“Because before Raissa was even a vampire she already had an opened mind”
“So now–”
“Now sometimes Raissa can’t control what she Sees which is why her connection to the world is so important for the mind plays quite an important role in our ability to die”
“Huh?”
“To quote one of my favorite movies, ‘the body cannot live without the mind.’ And reverse too. They reinforce one another so when Raissa’s mind was out of control, it made her incredibly strong because she couldn’t even comprehend if she was injured. That’s why if you look close you can see the scars”
“From what?”
“From the Guardians trying to defend themselves with holy weapons” Tommy said with a cringe remembering his own memories of such weapons.
Walker sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
“Oh, that woman is so beautiful” Alucard said as he danced a waltz into the room
“Kinda wish you hadn’t blown it, huh?” Tommy jested
“I still considered myself a success since it was I who stole her away from Nathaniel. What a lowly bastard”
“So how’d you and Raissa get together?” Walker asked still curious
Alucard smiled slyly as he poured them a few shots.
“No” he said firmly bearing his teeth at her, his chiseled features tensed in anger.
“You can’t stop me. It’s a tradition. I may be dead but that doesn’t mean I have to act like it”
“Fuck tradition, Raissa. It’s a damned mortal affliction!”
“You speak as though it’s a disease. Forgive me for liking what I was before you damned me. Besides I already know you’re going to agree so don’t bother arguing”
“Damn you”
“Too late. Invitations are sent so they should arrive within the week”
“When were they sent?” Nate demanded
“The first of October”
“So that’s why you were so eager to return”
“Actually, no. Clarysa and her daughter invited me for tea”
Nathan scoffed. “Why do you maintain your old life? All if will do is bring up memories of your past life and the world already thinks you dead”
“Maybe that’s the one I prefer” Raissa snapped heading for the door but Nathan slipped his arms around her and pulled her back into him.
“You know such fire boils my blood, Raissa”
“I’m late for tea”
“I’m sure you’ll be forgiven” Nathan said kissing Raissa’s neck lightly but it never had the effect he wanted. He knew she only stayed because breaking away from the one who sired you takes strength she hadn’t tapped yet.
“I’d rather not have to seek forgiveness” Raissa said irritably leaving sure to slam the door behind her. She took her carriage into the city and to one of the richly estates the Townsend family held onto.
Clarysa saw the carriage pulling up and smiled picking up the end of her dress and running out of her house. Her hair, too, was jet black like Raissa and the relation between them was obvious for they had both inherited their mother’s beauty. The single visible difference other than the style they held were the eyes for Clarysa’s were pale blue as their mothers, while Raissa kept her father’s vibrant, commanding green that spoke volumes about her by a mere gaze.
“Clare!” Raissa said happily as her sister ran up as though she were still a child, her straightened hair moving in the light breeze.
Yet another beauty exited the home as well, though, to join in the happy reunion; A young girl of thirteen, one that had the look of her mother as they Townsend genes were rather strong, and not of her father, Clarysa’s dead husband.
She had the same flawless black hair, eyes that let the room know she was there, but the smile, no, that was her fathers; Sweet yet not without a bit of mischief.
“Aunt Raissa!” the girl made a commotion hugging her aunt, all of them knowing her secret.
Raissa greeted them both lovingly before they retreated into the house and had tea brought to them in the parlor.
“Have you seen anything new? Anything exciting?”
“Alyssa, let her put the cup down first at least” Clarysa said and Raissa smiled at the two of them envying them behind her expression
“Nowhere exceptionally exciting although Egypt was beautiful. Every star in the night sky is visible” Raissa remembered. She continued to regale them until Alyssa was curled up in her chair barely able to keep her eyes open.
“Alyssa off to bed with you”
“No! I don’t want to miss Raissa’s stories”
“I promise she’ll still remember them tomorrow. Go”
Alyssa yawned showing her need for sleep was stronger than that of her will to hear stories. The two sisters waited for Alyssa’s footsteps to sound a floor above before they dared speak of darker subjects.
“So, how’s Nathan?” Clarysa asked spitefully.
“Same as always”
“Explain to me again why you can’t leave him”
“Apparently it breaks a cardinal rule of vampires. Honestly I don’t care about that but there is something deeper. There’s a connection I can’t seem to rid myself of” Raissa shrugged
“How can you not care? Rai, he treats you like property to be owned and you were the one who taught me never to be with someone like that. He’s evil”
“What am I then, Clare? Would you call me good?”
“There are different types of evil, for no one is all good”
“Too true, but I feel Nathan is about to exit my life for a time, perhaps longer”
“How do you know?”
“Just an inkling”
“You mean a vision?” she asked straight out
“Not quite. The world whispers secrets in the wind” Raissa replied in a riddle-like manner
“Alright, change of topic needed. What are you this year?”
“I thought I’d go for temptress. I found an exquisite black and red dress and dark masque that goes perfectly. A bit risqué but I’ve got forever to live, may as well enjoy myself”
“I chose the swan”
“Beautiful” Raissa said enjoying the little time she was able to spend with her sister before returning to the manor house preparing the house of the events to take place.
By the time Halloween rolled around, the house had transformed into a verifiable dreamland. Raissa went abut the house still in her day dress making last minute modifications before heading upstairs to change into her outfit she’d attempted to hide from Nathan but he’d barely caught a glimpse and agreed to any conditions Raissa put forth, a small perk but now he wouldn’t leave her be.
“So, what is the point of getting all dressed up just to mingle with humans?”
“You know that Halloween is considered the devil’s holiday right? And besides, it’s not just humans”
“Really?”
Raissa rolled her eyes at his ignorance and grabbed her dress stepping behind a dressing screen. One of her maids came to help her cinch the corset. In the mist of getting her hair fixed, Raissa head knocks echo thorough the manor.
“Nate, darling, be a good host and greet our guests”
“Your guests” he corrected irritably exiting her room.
“Ugh, I thought he’d never leave. Thank you, Marie. It looks perfect” Raissa said as the maid finished her hair. The waves and curls set in and Raissa told her to go so she could put on her accessories.
However as she looked in the mirror, Raissa swore she could feel eyes upon her. She shook off the feeling seeing no one before she put on her masque and made her way down to her party. People were already dancing, drinking and enjoying the delights of her party and this year’s theme was based on the gypsy culture and she’d hired actual gypsies to come entertain. But Raissa couldn’t shake Nathan from her limiting enjoyment greatly.
“Do I have the honor of addressing the Duchess Raissa Townsend?” asked a maniacal yet intelligent and sultry tone.
“They both turned to see a masked figure dressed in a crimson red jacket and jet black pants and boots. His long black hair was pulled back making him somewhat more sophisticated looking rather than insane.
His masque was of a skull but more deformed as though not human and behind that were red eyes tinted with orange, a strange mixture that captivated Raissa’s attention immediately.
“That you do. I commend you”
“For what?”
“For keeping your masque on. People are all too eager to remove them”
“Oh but what is a masque but a mask to cover the mystery we must earn underneath”
To a bit of Raissa’s surprise, Nathan gave a slight nod acknowledging him and she gave him a confused expression.
“My good sir, I don’t suppose you could part from Lady Townsend briefly so that I might have the next dance?”
Even more to Raissa’s surprise, Nathan conceded and released her arm which was a wanted reprieve. The gentleman led her onto the dance floor not once breaking his gaze from her.
“They say the Townsend Halloween Masquerade has become the social event to attend so you can imagine I was a bit put out not being invited”
“I invite people I know but it rather disappoints me that tonight is our first meeting” Raissa replied as he lifted her up briefly as the dance called for it
“If I knew a creature as you existed I guarantee the disappointment would have ended much sooner”
“So, you know Nate?” Raissa inquired
“Well, I’m rather well known”
“Not to me. I don’t even know your name’
“I’m known by many names” he said toying with her.
“Let me rephrase then. What do you want me to call you?”
“I’ll give you a name on one condition”
“What?”
“That I may call you mine”
“I could be anyone’s if it freed me from him” she said glancing at Nathan.
“That’s not good enough” he said pulling her close to dip her much to Nathan’s dislike. He pulled her back upright and forced her to look into his deep cavernous eyes.
“Nathan won’t give me up and I don’t know if I can leave him”
“Let me worry about him and you can…you just need to be told you can”
Raissa smiled feeling suddenly more confident. “Then I’m yours”
Suddenly he leaned down and kissed Raissa with the passion she believed existed only in books. Before she could really react though she was pulled away from his grip and forced into Nathan’s once again
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” the jealous man demanded
“I was enjoying the party” he smirked back
“I still need your name” Raissa said seeing Nathan was nothing compared to the gentleman
“You can call me Alucard”
“So, what ended it if you had such a spark in the beginning?”
“My inhumanity. Raissa has a soft spot for humans having been one”
“So how–”
“–did I come to be? Raissa to ask me that all the time. I don’t really know. I just was.”
“You love Raissa?”
“Don’t you?” Tommy interjected lighting up another cigarette.
The three men sat smoking and drinking as they waited for the noise upstairs to signal her bloodlust had ended
“Why’s it taking so long?”
“Raissa doesn’t eat much, in fact not since the museum” Tommy said
“Why did they shoot her if they knew it wouldn’t kill her?”
“Giovanni is telling her its coming. He wants the other Raissa to show her pearly fangs” Alucard said with a grin.
“The other–”
“The detached Raissa” Tommy clarified
“Why?”
“Because in this day in age, Raissa could reveal us to the world”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“What do you think would happen if people en masse knew?”
“Chaos” a quiet voice said
They all silenced as Raissa stood in the doorway looking rather sickly wearing a silk robe over a night gown all black. One look from her and Tommy and Alucard understood to take their leave. Tommy went up to Raissa and stifled back a few tears it seemed before hugging her lovingly. She delved into the sensuality before whispering to him in another language and he went on. Alucard strode up and took her hand brining it to his lips. Then he reached up to his cheek and cut across deep enough to let blood seep out. Raissa kissed the cut taking a small taste before her left as well and Raissa waited for the door to close.
“Do you understand now?” she asked staring down at the floor.
“Understand? Maybe, comprehend is another story” Walker said as an attempt to lighten the mood.
“Do you look upon me different now that you know what I’ve done?”
“Don’t forget I know you did it from the beginning”
“How could I forget?” She said attempting to smile. “I expected you to be more fearful”
“My thought is, if you wanted me dead, you would have killed me a long time ago”
“Too true. I guess there isn’t much explaining to be done on my part. Tommy seems to have covered all the bases”
Walker nodded although he still had a few questions.
“You wish I’d told you?”
“Would have helped”
“You think so?”
“Don’t you already know?”
Raissa’s teeth clenched as though she was trying not to cry.
“I read minds, I won’t lie”
“Ah” he said knowingly. He knew very well what he’d been thinking.
“I loved him you know. Since the moment I saw him”
“That’s what I hear”
“I never though I’d come back after he died”
“Come back?”
“I quite literally lost my mind, completely and undeniably. I have little or no memory of nearly, I’d guess a year or my unlife and I have quite the memory” Raissa smirked. “So to lose a year–”
“Frustrating”
“Very”
“What brought you back?”
“A lot of things; Tommy, Alucard, Victoria. They all helped in ways.”
“There are still many things I don’t understand”
“Like what? Stop assuming that I’m reading your thoughts. I can control. Besides my real gift is listening to the ether, not minds”
“Right. Well there’s got to be a reason behind why this Giovanni character hated Marquis. After all, he would have gone after both of you”
“Ah you are a detective through and through” Raissa smiled. “And I’m about to tell you a bit of history no one but Giovanni and I know. First off, we began as friends”
“What?” he said slowly sitting.
“I met him while in Italy touring with Marquis, but my dear had to leave to help Tommy with a crisis and I was left without a guide as Marquis had been several times and volunteered to be. Giovanni didn’t know of our existence at this point but it’s not as though I parade around such information”
“Probably best”
“I hadn’t told Giovanni about Marquis being in the habit of people just knowing. As luck would have it, he figured it out seeing our collective paintings.”
Walker smiled understandably.
“Men” Raissa scoffed. “It didn’t really bother him. I was high royalty and he wasn’t. But the night Marquis returned Giovanni went home to find his family slaughtered. A sect of the Vatican contacted him and exposed us to him signing him on as an assassin of the undead. However when he came for me, he found he couldn’t do it for I’d done nothing but show him kindness but when he saw Marquis...he believes Marquis was the culprit in his family’s murder”
“But Tommy said he never killed”
“Tommy was right, not until the night he died fending for his life. Anyway, with these delusions in his head Giovanni followed us all around the world as the Vatican’s lapdog in search of completing his vendetta. But Marquis and I had no desire to go on killing sprees, or ever for that matter and soon we had truces with several of the vampire killing groups. We gave up killing, despite what Tommy told you. When Giovanni realized Marquis was protected he broke away from the Vatican and created the Guardians with others who quickly became the greatest threat upon vampires”
“How did you manage to truce with them is Giovanni created them?”
“Threats and mind control not to mention a little negotiating”
“Alright so Giovanni has his unfilled vengeance against Marquis. Then what?”
“He framed Marquis, killing the families of his fellow creators so that they would have nothing to lose”
“Do you know who really killed his family?”
“A new vampire loosed on the world. He came to me first before the Vatican found him but once he found out what I was he saw it as betrayal”
Walker sighed heavily running his hands through his hair.
“Come. I’ll take you back”
Walker couldn’t even bring himself to argue with her as he headed for the door
“No, we’re going a faster way” she smiled taking his hand backing into a shadow before he could protest. Next thing he knew he and Raissa were standing in his living room where the air still lingered with the faint copper smell from the blood.
“I’ll have anything that was damaged or ruined replaced” she said about to leave
“Wait”
“What?”
“Uh–” However Lucy came running by biting on the silk rope of her robe pulling it and bolting up the stairs. Raissa smirked and went after the pup stopping in her tracks when she saw the painting on the wall. Walker went by oblivious to her reaction.
“Sorry about that” Walker said looking up to see her standing with a strange expression. “You okay?”
“Where did you get that?”
“Been in the family for awhile. My mum gave it to me before she passed away”
“I have to go”
“Wait!” But she was gone
“well Luce, I don’t think you’ll even believe me” he sighed falling back onto his bed before looking back up at the painting wondering why Raissa reacted the way she did. He stared for several minutes before decided he couldn’t take not knowing so he pulled it off the wall and started removing it from the frame. And that’s when he saw it.
“ ‘Marquis Rowland, My true home’” Walker read. “Huh, who would have thought?”