Black Hellebore Page 6

  Mike tries to smile coolly, but he was never able to pull it off, and when he finishes talking, his uncertainty returns. Lindsay just purses her lips, looking hurt and angry.

  “Easy. If you say so.” When she says ‘easy’, it comes across as false and dishonest, rather than the usual cool way she says it, and this makes Mike’s stomach turn.

  As she starts gathering up her clothes off the floor without looking at him, Mike realises that he has made a mistake. He is acting like a total idiot and being really mean. He puts his hand on Lindsays shoulder but she jumps back as if she had been hit.

  “You can spare me your fake sympathy. I thought you were different, but you are even worse than all the others!” she hisses, tears in her eyes.

  “I am so sorry, I don’t know what to think or feel. We can still be friends though, right?”

  “Friends don’t hurt each other, remember that?!” she spits angrily at him. She storms out without a backward glance.

  Mike’s heart is pounding, what has he done? He has behaved just as bad as Bradley, and even though he hates him more than anything, he feels no better than him right now.

  - 7. Mary Cromwell -

  Mary greedily inhales the night air in through her nose. She has been stuck inside Moundrell Manor for yet another month. The others keep her captive like a wild animal, saying that she can’t control herself. But Mary disagrees. How will she ever learn to control herself if she is always kept behind closed doors? She has a strong thirst for blood, it’s true, and maybe it’s even greater than most of the others, but maybe that just means that her body requires more blood to survive. Besides, every vampire knows that blood straight from a warm body is miles better, incomparable even to the cold, horrible pouches they steal from hospitals.

  In the distance, Mary can hear the sound of a motorway, and it reminds her of how blood flows through the human body, like a constant stream of life. For the most part all she can think about is blood. Sometimes she even wakes up in the middle of the day with a thirst so strong, so unbearable that she would run out into the sunlight to die, if it meant she won’t feel it anymore. But she is what she is.

  She dreamily gazes out into the starry sky, which always looks the same, no matter how many years go by. While the world is ever changing, the sky remains an unchanging entity, just like Mary. She didn’t choose this life as an eternal teenager, but too many centuries have passed to still hold a grudge for Orlando. It’s actually just the opposite; he is more to her than she ever had in her human life. He is the big brother she always needed when she was still human. Maybe if things had been different in her old life, he would never have found her in the dirtiest corner of a run down village; her wrists slit open and gushing blood. Maybe she would have gone dancing with a nice boy, she would have fallen in love, and after a heart-melting proposal, she would have said yes. They would have lived in a small cottage with sheep grazing outside, and would have had three children; first a boy and then two little girls. They would have grown old together and they would have sat on the porch together watching the sunset, proud and happy with what they had accomplished in their long lives together. But that was never to be, instead she was reborn into a life of luxury and decadence, but all of that gets old quickly when one realises that everything else must be sacrificed. The only comfort in this ‘life’ is the warm, fresh blood when it runs down someone’s tender neck.

  Completely lost in her thoughts, Mary notices the young security guard from next door walking towards her, being lured in by her light pink Renaissance-style dress.

  She shines in it like a bright diamond lying on a dark pillow. It is impossible to walk past and not notice her. Orlando and all the rules are forgotten, there is but one thought now foremost in her mind: she must satisfy her thirst. The young man seems curious.

  “Good evening to you young lady, are you going to a masquerade ball?” He calls up to Mary in a friendly manner as he continues to walk towards her. Mary cannot understand his words; all she can hear is the beating of his heart, even from so far away. She can hear his body rising and sinking with his heartbeat, which is pumping fresh blood throughout his youthful body. She hurries towards the man, as if through a hot desert, and he is the mirage of a sweet, water-filled oasis.

  As he sees her glowing red eyes, he feels a slight apprehension. He calms himself, telling himself that she is just a little girl who is out on her own too late at night. Probably just one of the spoiled, misbehaved kids from somewhere in this wealthy neighbourhood - but still, his heartbeat quickens.

  Mary can smell his blood. It reminds her of rain falling on a hot road. She wants to be alive and this is the only way she can feel like she is, if even just for a few minutes.

  The security guard realises it would have been best for him to have turned and ran as fast as he could the other way, but it is too late, as Mary runs towards him at an incredible speed, and leaps into his arms. The force of her jump causes him to fall back against the hard concrete. He reaches for his gun in a blind panic and aims it at Mary. She simply shrugs her shoulders at the sight and before he can react, she is sinking her razor sharp fangs into the seemingly paper-thin skin on his throat. The first shot rings loudly through the dark night, as Mary pulls away with a look of agony on her face. The high-quality pink fabric on her dress is stained red on her belly.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? I didn’t want to do that, let me call you an ambulance!” the man says breathing heavily as he looks helplessly at the little girl’s blood. He hasn’t been a security guard in this neighbourhood for very long, but this is the first time he has ever had to pull out his gun. Having to use it on a child hits him so much harder but suddenly the pained look on Mary’s face turns into a terrifyingly wicked smile that chills the man’s blood. With a chilling clatter, the bullet falls out of Mary’s belly and on to the concrete below her. It’s made of aluminium, not silver. Worthless.

  As small and delicate as the little girl may seem, she has the strength of a bear. There is no escape, and the last thought that crosses his mind before he closes his eyes is of his beautiful girlfriend, who is at home on the other side of town, lying in bed gently stroking her pregnant belly, and dreaming of a bright future with him.

  In this very moment, there is not a thought of past or future in Mary’s mind, only a deep longing. She can’t bring herself to stop. Her thirst is unquenchable, and every drop is like fresh water, steaming on a red hot stone. She is so lost in the moment, that she is letting blood spray all over her clothes and the street. It is like a fountain spraying out of the still warm, but dead body. Mary is unfazed by the fact that she is in the middle of the street sucking the life out of a human, she doesn’t even give it any thought. She is no longer in any clear, conscious state of mind. She is completely overwhelmed by her thirst, so all she can do is drink, drink, and drink some more.

  If it were up to her, she would never stop drinking, not after she drank every last drop from the security guard’s body, not even the sunrise could stop her. But she wouldn’t get that far. She suddenly feels an ice-cold hand grab her shoulder, tearing her away from her prey. Mary’s eyes glow fiery red as she tries to wildly kick herself free, but her efforts are futile. The one hand turns into two, then three, continuing until she is held completely still. Pointed fingernails grab her doll-like delicate chin and turn her head to the side until she catches the gaze of ice-cold eyes that could instantly freeze any mortal soul. Claudia. Mary’s flailing attempts to escape are met with a stare of pure contempt and hatred.

  “You good for nothing, stupid little thing! What the hell do you think you are doing here?” She hisses like a snake. Mary is frozen in fear, unable to move or speak.

  “You have gone too far this time. You have just signed your own death warrant!”, spits the yellow-eyed snake woman with an ice-cold smile plastered on her dark red lips. She snaps her fingers and two of the male guards take Mary away while the rest try to figure out how they will dispose of the body o
f this poor, helpless guard, the unlucky victim of untameable Mary.

  Although she hasn’t had a heartbeat for a very long time, Mary can somehow hear hers pounding in her chest. She has curled herself into a corner of the massive throne room, shaking like a leaf and terrified as she watches the scene unfold before her. The two guards who brought her inside tower over her, watching her every move in case she has any ideas of escaping. But where would she go? There is nowhere to go. Moundrell Manor is the only home she has. What scares her the most, is Claudia’s eyes, which are fiercely fixed upon her. It is definitely not the first time that they have caught her in the act, and Claudia had previously threatened her with the death sentence. Till now, the queen has spared her life, but that fact alone does not bring Mary any comfort.

  As the huge, heavy ebony doors swing open, banging loudly on the stone walls, Mary hears a shrill scream echo through the room. She covers her mouth with her blood-stained hands. The Vampire queen enters the room quickly, her long black hair flowing down over her dark purple dress. The dark crown on her head sparkles more beautifully than any starry night. Everyone in the room momentarily looks towards her, before quickly bowing their heads, eyes directed at the floor. When queen Chasity has taken her place on her throne, she loudly claps her hands to indicate that everyone may raise their heads.

  “Welcome, children of Cain.” she says solemnly as she scans the room. With a smile on her face, she favours her most trusted informant Claudia with a nod. As she looks towards Mary, her eyes narrow and creases form on her immaculately smooth forehead.

  “Again?!” she says in a scornful voice, but Mary sees disappointment in Chasity’s eyes. That gives her hope, because unlike Claudia, the queen’s eyes exude warmth and goodness, although at the moment they are veiled with frustration.

  “How could this happen? Who was meant to be watching her?” Chasity demands, and averts her gaze from Mary, looking at the guard standing next to Claudia. With tightly sealed lips, he points towards the two guards standing over Mary. When Mary catches a glimpse of the ice-cold stare Chasity directs at the two guards, she cowers even further into the corner of the room.

  Chasity rises, causing the old, jewel-encrusted throne to creak. She starts taking slow but threateningly deliberate steps across the old stone floor. The whole room waits with baited breath to see what she will do next. The only thing to break the silence is Mary’s panicked trembling. Even though the queen’s gaze is fixed on the guards and not her, Mary still fears that these may be her last moments on this earth.

  The flickering candle casts unsettling black shadows on the stone walls, as Chasity comes ever closer towards Mary.

  “Chasity, please forgive me. I couldn’t control myself, it will never happen again...” Mary stammers with bloody tears streaming down her face as she squashes herself back into the cold stone wall behind her. Chasity, however, is not looking at Mary as she continues marching forward.

  “I’m sorry...” Mary incessantly pleads and only shuts her mouth when the queen stops in front of the guards, fixing her eyes on the little girl, but only for a fraction of a second. She then suddenly strikes out with a speed only possessed by immortals, and quicker than can be seen by a human eye, she delves into one of the guard’s chest with her hand, and with a deadly precision, rips out his heart. He cries in pain and drops to his knees, only to fall silent as blood squirts out of him like a fountain. The cold blood sprays all over the burgundy curtains and wall coverings, drenching Mary whose scream matches that of the guard, covering her eyes with trembling hands. Just as the other guard makes a move to flee, Chasity turns and quickly tears his heart out in the same manner as the first, his lifeless body also falling right in front of Mary. Chasity nonchalantly wipes her hands on a cloth that is handed to her and turns to face the others. The look that Chasity gave Mary right before she murdered the guards was to tell her loud and clear, that their death is on her hands; a burden that breaks Mary’s heart. She never meant for any of this. Nobody should have to suffer because of her, whether it is the helpless security guard whom she sucked dry, or the two vampires, who momentarily lost sight of her.

  “I will not tolerate negligence!” the queen justifies her deed with a cold finality.

  A dark-skinned woman appears from her crowd of subjects, running towards the queen and the shaking, terrified thing that is Mary, her dark hair flowing behind her like a veil. She warily approaches Mary and goes down on her knees, trailing her dress in the pool of blood surrounding her. She pulls the girl up and lets her fall into her arms, as she begins sobbing. The vampiress starts gently stroking the young girl’s red curls, not caring in the slightest, that Mary is getting blood and tears all over the bustline of her dress.

  “Hush now, everything will be ok...” she whispers lovingly into Mary’s ear and gently kisses her tiny forehead.

  This sweet moment is interrupted by a voice as cold and cutting as ice.

  “That’s it?” Claudia’s appalled voice echoes through the room towards her queen. “You kill the guards but leave the guilty one alive? You know it is not the first, and most certainly will not be the last time this happens. She will never stop. Maybe next time we should just leave her to it and let the sun do our job for us, the stupid little thing will never even see it coming!”

  “She is sick. It’s not her fault!” the dark-coloured beauty growls back, pressing Mary protectively against her chest.

  A dismissive snort is the only answer she gets from Claudia, who then diverts her stern gaze back at Chasity.

  “It’s not that she is addicted, is it? Anyone else would have been sentenced to death a long time ago. The real reason you always pardon her is Orlando! You don’t want to take away his little creation!” Claudia angrily shouts at her queen. In response, Chasity narrows her eyes and lays a protective hand on Mary’s trembling shoulder.

  “She is part of the family!” she defends her cousin’s adopted daughter.

  “And that is enough to excuse everything?” the guard standing next to Claudia interjects outraged.

  Chasity groans and takes her place once again on her throne, displaying her dominance over her subjects, showing them who has the final say.

  “As you all know, the crown has been passed down through my family for countless generations, and so, as your queen, I expect you to respect all members of the royal family. Orlando and Mary belong in that family and so I will no longer tolerate any ill will towards them. Do we understand each other Claudia?”

  Claudia presses her lips tightly together in exasperation. It’s always the same game.

  “Please excuse another question, my honourable queen, but how do you explain Orlando not being present at such a gathering? Shouldn’t a member of the royal family have duties as well as privileges? I just wonder where he has disappeared to this time.” The guard starts again, only further angering the queen. Claudia starts up again, taking the opportunity to get another word in.

  “That’s exactly right Victor, it is always the way. Everyone is here, and only Orlando doesn’t bother showing up. I wonder where he is this time, but I bet that his beloved daughter can help us answer that question.”

  Her eyes fix on Mary again, who lowers her head in fear. As the whole room begins buzzing and demanding an answer, Chasity feels obliged to turn her attention directly to Mary.

  “Mary, do you know where he is?”

  She immediately shakes her small head in denial, but that is not good enough for Claudia by far.

  “Why don’t we ask Vivienne if she is telling the truth?”

  The dark-skinned woman at Mary’s side stiffens. She has a unique gift, which allows her to see when people are lying, even when she doesn’t know what the truth is. As she hesitates and swallows hard, Chasity looks over towards Mary, whose big eyes pleadingly look at Vivienne.

  “She is telling the truth!” she says quietly through pursed lips, guiltily tilting her head.

  This answer is enough for Chasity, even when Cl
audia shakes her head indignantly and sighs loudly for everyone to hear. Everyone noticed Vivienne’s hesitation and don’t quite know what to make of it. With a clap of her hands, Chasity uses her royal authority to disperse the gathering. As Mary is brought to her room, the remaining guards carry the corpses of their former comrades into the gardens of Moundrell Manor, where the light of the rising sun will turn their bodies into dust.

  - 8. Orlando Moundrell -

  She was once again the indescribable beauty that he had seen the other night. Okay, her outfit was a bit different, but that is the only thing that had changed. She didn’t mention anything about the other night, or about seeing him hiding in her tree. In fact, she didn’t really speak to him at all, which didn’t bother him too much. Sometimes actions just speak so much louder than a thousand words ever could. The thought of it makes him smile smugly.

  Just like before, he doesn’t know quite what to make of her. He is hooked, even though she seems to be something other than human, but then again, maybe that’s why. The girl makes him weak at the knees, and her green eyes have etched themselves onto his brain. Not a single night goes by, when he doesn’t think about her.

  A knock at the door brings him back to the present. It must be Vivienne, as nobody else would bother to knock before entering his abode.

  “Enter” he calls, inviting her in and a slim figure steps out of the shadow of the doorway. Her warm violet eyes gleam at him, but her face reveals a deep concern.

  “You should end it before you cause any more trouble than you already have.”

  This is not the first time they have had a chat like this, and so Orlando just laughs not taking Vivienne in any way seriously.

  “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “The people are starting to talk. They are expecting Chasity to strike back harder than she does. If she keeps protecting you, she risks losing the throne. It won’t be very long until the first ones rise up against her.”