Chapter 1
Red drops fell to the ground, forming another puddle, smaller than the one that came from the man's body. His neck had been ripped apart and broken. A hand brought itself up to its owners face and wiped the red liquid away as the person stepped closer to a shaking, petrified woman.
Behind the woman, hiding behind a wall, stood, in fear, four year old Dylan Ellis watching his family being attacked by a monster.
"Please, please spare me. I'll give you my son in place of me, yes he's much younger and can serve as a servant." The woman begged, cried, and pointed to the child. The person looked over at Dylan and studied the scared little boy.
"Yer son?" It was a man's voice.
"Yes." The woman smiled. "You can have him in exchange for me, I promise never to tell a soul."
"Lady, ye aren't worth the burden of gettin' blood. What's his name?"
"His names Dylan, so do we have a deal?" The woman let the remark from the man pass.
"Is that yer name lad?" Dylan nodded like crazy, not understanding what his mother was saying. Dylan was crying uncontrollably as he knew what his mother was saying wasn't good news for him. "Tell me, where did ye get such a nasty black eye?"
"He fell on a rock." The woman said.
"I ASKED THE BOY!" The man snapped at the woman, shutting her up. The man looked sincerely at Dylan and the child just pointed to his dead father. "Why'd he hit ye Dylan?"
"He was a drunk." Dylan's mother spoke again.
"JUST SHUT YER TRAP LADY!" The man yelled. "Dylan, why'd he hit ye."
"M-mommy towd him I ate from da garden, but I didn't." Dylan spoke with tears in his eyes.
"Ye are a crooked woman." The woman gulped as the man glared at her. "Dylan, will ye look away for me."
"Uh." Dylan squeaked and ran off behind the wall.
"I hate people like ye, ye don't deserve children."
"Take my son then. He's young and fresh blood for you."
"I don't want his blood, nor do I want yer's."
"Can I leave then?"
"Allister hurry up here, she could alert someone." An Irish man said walking into the house.
"Ah." The woman froze.
"I ain't goin' to eat her." The woman sighed. "But ye aren't livin' neither." The man, Allister, said before blood splashed across the living area.
"Alright, now lets go."
"Wait." Allister said and walked into the bedroom. Dylan was curled up in the corner with his back facing Allister. "Dylan." Allister said and approached the boy. "The bad people are gone."
"Ah." Dylan gasped as he heard the floorboard squeaked.
"Don't be afraid, yer not going to be food or a servant." Dylan looked over his shoulder and shook, seeing Allister behind him. "My name is Allister Kirkland, I want to take ye to a safe place."
"Safe?" Dylan looked up at Allister, he was smiling sweetly at Dylan.
"Yes, I have a friends house ye can stay at. Her husband and her are like me, just not like me. Ye'll be safe, so?"
"Y-you aren't going to bite me?"
"I don't hurt kids, you remind me of my young brother Arthur."
"O-ok, can I caw you big brother Awister."
"Of course ye can." Allister said and bent over. He picked up Dylan, the child shaking like crazy. "Relax." Allister said and rubbed Dylan's back.
"Allister what's taking ye so long." The other man said, walking inside the bedroom.
"Cailean, we have another brother."
"Well, I guess it's alright. What's yer name."
"I'm Dylan." Dylan said and Cailean smiled widely.
"Welcome to the family Dylan. Where are ye going to leave him, we don't have room for a human."
"Jeanne." Cailean mouthed 'Oh' and looked down at Dylan again.
"Hey, he fell asleep. This is the perfect time to run home."
"Let's hurry before Eily gets angry at Arthur's spoiled ness and Peter." Allister said and with that the brothers ran as fast as they could back from where they lived. The Kirkland's lived 400 miles in three villages over. It was a small village with around 45 cottages and a castle belonging to the Kirkland family. Everyone knew the Kirkland family in a 3000 mile radius, the wealthy family with a dark side. No one messed with the Kirkland's, nor did they want to be friends of the family.
There was only one person other than the Kirkland's that lived there and it was a blood relative. Francis and Jeanne Bonnefoy, Francis is cousins with the Kirkland children by their mothers. Allister and Cailean snuck in, shushing each other as they tried to make it to Jeanne's cottage. Jeanne was no human living in a house of vampires, no she was a witch by blood and heart. She was a brave woman, rescuing Francis in broad daylight in front of a mob. Soon after she joined the Kirkland family and helped when Mrs. Kirkland was giving birth to Arthur. Sadly she recently passed away in child birth with Peter, Mr. Kirkland went on a killing spree, not caring about the consequences, and was murdered in front of Allister. Since that day Allister had hated humans who did evil deeds.
The brothers almost reached the cottage when Eily jumped down in front of them. "Where the bloody hell have ye been, Arthur's been worried sick." Allister only smiled.
"I went out for a bite with Cailean, by the way we have a new brother." Allister showed Eily the sleeping Dylan in his arm. Eily sniffed twice and glared worriedly at Allister.
"He's human, this is bad when in a home of vampires." Eily said, but still patted Dylan on the head.
"He's going to live with Jeanne, for his childhood at least." Cailean explained.
"What if Jeanne can't protect him, she has trouble with Francis still."
"Jeanne is Jeanne. She will be able to take care of Dylan while we visit."
"He's so small." Eily said after a few moments of silence.
"His parents starved him and hit him when he ate."
"Poor thing." Eily petted Dylan's head and the child stirred awake.
"Oh." He looked up to see Allister and blinked. "Big brother Awister."
"He is cute, I guess we can take care of him." Dylan turned to see Eily smiling.
"Big sister?" Dylan asked.
"Aw, yes I am. Call me Eily."
"Ewy."
"Pfft." Allister chuckled, but Eily just smacked Allister on the back of his head.
"Yer sleeping with him tonight, so the others don't eat him."
"Alright, sleep over at Jeanne's house."
"YAY!" Dylan yelled and hugged Allister.
"Aw, come on Cailean." Eily showed her twin to the castle. Allister continued to the cottage and knocked when he reached the door. A grunt came from inside and a tired Francis opened the door.
"What is in Cheri?" He muttered as he cleared his eyes.
"Can ye wake Jeanne, I have a favor that's important?"
"I'm already awake." Jeanne's said, pushing Francis aside. "What do you need mon petit?"
"Well I went feeding just a bit ago and…I adopted a human as my little brother. I was wondering if ye could take care of him until he his old enough to live in the castle."
"Of course, it would be like a son."
"Oh no." Francis said and slapped himself in the forehead.
"Alright Dylan." Allister said, letting go a bit of the four year old. "We both are staying tonight."
"That's alright." Jeanne smiled and let Allister in.
"French boy, don't ye even try to hurt him when I leave. If ye hurt my brother than ye will become the object of my revenge." Allister smirked. He went into a spare room and laid down with Dylan. Dylan laid next to Allister and stared at him. "What?" Allister asked after a few moments of silence.
"Night night."
"Him…night night Dylan." Allister fell asleep instantly with the small child in his arms. Dylan stared at Allister before pulling himself up to Allister's face,
"Night night." Dylan said before kissing Allister's nose and collapsed into sleep next to the vampire.
"Big brother wake up." Dylan squeak as he shook Allister.
"Erm, what?"
"Jeanne made breakfast, wake up." Dylan said and Allister sat up.
"What time is it?"
"It's nine big brother." Dylan smiled and jumped off the bed. "COUSIN JEANNE!" Dylan yelled and ran into the woman's arms.
"What's wrong Dylan?"
"HUG!" Dylan yelled and hugged the woman.
"Allister get your ass up." Jeanne say as se walked into the bedroom with Dylan in her arms.
"Hurry big brother or little brother Arthur will eat it." Allister sprung up hearing that name and stomped out of the bedroom. As soon as he saw Arthur he glared.
"Don't ye dare touch my breakfast."
"Then you better bloody sit and eat."
"So lively." Jeanne said. "Oh my did you 'ear about Mrs. Jones, she's expecting twins."
"Really." Francis said from the kitchen.
"Big brother Awister, hug."
"Alright." Allister's said and picked up Dylan. "Your so small."
"Yes, I'm only four." Dylan smiled.
"Older than Arthur in human years."
"How'd you get that black eye Dylan?" Arthur asked.
"I fell."
"That's a nasty black eye for falling."
"I fell on a rock."
"Alright, want to go play outside?"
"YES!" Dylan yelled and grabbed Arthur by the wrist. The human child pulled his younger brother out the door.
"BE CAREFUL YOU BOTH AND STAY IN THE GATES PLEASE!" Jeanne yelled out the door. "Should someone chaperone them?"
"Cai and Eily are on it." Allister said and pointed to the roof.
"Alrighty then." Jeanne went back to the kitchen where Francis was cooking. "You know you're responsible for 'im now." She said loudly enough for any vampire around the house to hear.
"Yes, I know. I'll take care of him and watch him to make sure he stays out of trouble."
"'ow long do you plan to watch 'im. If you get attached to 'im just remember 'e is 'uman and we are different. Dylan will die before us and none of us can change that." The home was silent for a while, the laughter of Arthur and Dylan outside. "There are 'owever many ways to save 'im, isn't there?"
"We ain't turnin' our little brother into a vampire."
"But I may 'ave ways in my spell book."
"Jeanne, don't plan anything." Allister glared.
"'e's a 'uman, a frail being that's going to wither away from disease and age. If I myself fall in love with this young boy that is my cousin I want to save him. It can't be 'elped that I'll care for this boy as its my job, but it's all of yours as well." Jeanne said and went back to cutting up herbs.
"So, what then will you suppose?" Francis asked his wife.
"In my mind I 'ave a potion that I'll make for Dylan. When 'e gets older I will ask 'im if 'e wants it."
"What will you do if something goes wrong?" Cailean asked from the roof.
"In my life of witchcraft nothing 'as ever gone the way it wasn't suppose to. If worse does come I will do anything to protect my cousin. I will never let anything 'appen to Dylan. I will protect the boy with everything I 'ave." Jeanne looked down and brushed the chopped up herbs into a jar.
"BOYS STAY OUT OF THE POISONED OAK!" Eily called warningly and the two young boys ran away from the patch of oak.
"Alright, let's go with yer idea." Allister stood up, not bothering to touch his food, as he was still full from last night. "When he's older we will decide what to do, for now let's just count the days." Allister said before walking out the door and scooping Dylan into his arms. "Let's get ye bathed, dressed, and a hair cut." Allister smiled and carried Dylan into the cottage.
*HETALIA*
It has been eight years since Dylan first came to the Kirkland house and became a Kirkland, still living with Jeanne and Francis. As the year's dragged on it was hard for Dylan to meet his older siblings because they were alway in the mansion (planning party's, doing business, or leaving to feed). Dylan hasn't seen Allister, Cailean, nor Eily in six months now, and he really got depressed. It was lonely, but Jeanne made him feel better since she was always around. Jeanne had taught Dylan witchcraft with Arthur since the younger Kirkland always visited. Jeanne only taught basic spells, refusing that Dylan be unable to cast a simple spell.
Today, however, was different since Jeanne was busy picking herbs she would need she wasn't watching Arthur and Dylan. Dylan had snuck out of her view with Arthur following. Even though Arthur wasn't a human he still had a curious mind like every other boy, so he followed Dylan.
"Come on Arthur. If you don't hurry then we will be caught by Francis or Jeanne." Dylan said, climbing through a hole in the brick gate wall.
"This isn't a good idea, our brothers, sister, and cousins will get made at us." Arthur complained, but still followed Dylan under the gate.
"Jeanne needs a special root of a plant grown in the lake outside this wall. If we can get it for her she will be happy that she won't have to leave the gate, plus brothers and sister won't find out." Dylan explained as the two walked down to the lake front.
"I know you have good intentions, but I can't protect you if we are attacked." Arthur grabbed his big brothers hand for security.
"We will be fine, hunting hasn't started yet, the sun I still peaking from behind the clouds. Lets just hurry so we get back before Jeanne notices." Dylan pulled Arthur down towards the lake. It was frozen over since the winter had started and it hadn't stop snowing for two weeks straight.
"See its frozen over, we couldn't get the root even if we tried."
"Relax, it's probably right there so I'll go look through the ice."
"Don't." Arthur said in a begging voice, but Dylan was already on the ice. He skated a few feet from the lake edge. He carefully kneeled down and dusted away the snow. There was a moment of silence as Dylan searched through the ice. "DO YOU SEE ANYTHING!" Arthur called.
"NO!" Dylan replied.
"JUST WAIT TILL IT WARMS UP AND SEARCH WITH JEANNE! COME ON DYLAN, WE ARE GOING TO GET IN BIG TROUBLE!" Arthur yelled as Dylan carefully stood up.
"FINE, IM COMING!" Dylan yelled back. He took a step and slipped on the ice beneath. Dylan fell forward and smashed through the ice, a massive pile of snow falling with him and covering the escape hole.
"DYLAN!" Arthur yelled and looked through the ice on the edge. "DYLAN!" Arthur yelled again and pounding sounded a few feet away from Arthur. The British child carefully crawled over to the ice the was being pounded on and cleared it of snow. Dylan was beneath the ice, panicked and pounding with all his might. Bubbles floated a he tried to breath or talk.
"DYLAN! WAIT HERE!" Arthur yelled and ran off the ice, up the hill, and crawled under the hole in the wall. "JEANNE…FRANCIS…ALLISTER…CAILEAN…EILY…SOMEONE HELP!" Arthur yelled and Jeanne walked out from the cottage.
"Arthur, what's wrong? Where's Dylan?"
"I-I'm sorry, I should have stopped him." Arthur said very fast.
"Arthur, what's wrong?"
"DYLAN FELL INTO THE LAKE IN FRONT OF THE MANSION!"
"WHAT! WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE GATE?!"
"I-I'm sorry cousin."
"GO GET FRANCIS AND YOUR SIBLINGS!" And with that Jeanne took off to the gate. Arthur ran towards the mansion as fast as his vampire speed could. He had yer's running down his face and his body running out of air fast.
Arthur tore the doors open and ran up to the family study. Immediately Arthur started banging on the door since he knew it would be locked.
"OPEN UP YOU DAMN WANKERS…PLEASE OPEN THIS BLOODY DOOR NOW! PLEASE!" Arthur yelled and a few seconds later the door was opened by Cailean.
"We're having an important meeting Arthur, can't ye go play with Dylan?"
"DYLAN FELL IN THE LAKE!" Arthur yelled and had everyone's attention.
"What lake Arthur?" Cailean asked, Arthur hyperventilating.
"THE ONE OUTSIDE THE GATE, I'M SORRY I LET HIM GO!"
"It's alright, show us the way and calm down." Arthur took off, not bothering to listen to his brothers last words. They reached the lake in time to see Jeanne pull Dylan out of the now melted lake.
"DYLAN!" Allister yelled and ran over to the twelve year old.
"Dylan, Dylan sweet heart…wake up." Jeanne said, shaking Dylan back and forth.
"Move Jeanne, I learned this thing call CPR." Allister said and Jeanne moved away from her cousin. "Alright three chest thing and them breath." Allister did as he said and pressed three times on Dylan's chest and then leaned back Dylan's head. Allister pulled Dylan mouth opened and breath three times, each a second long. Allister repeated this act until Dylan finally coughed. The child shot up and through up all the lake water from his lungs. Allister held Dylan up as the twelve year old spit out the remaining water and breathed in and out.
"Ugh." Dylan murmured.
"Thank goodness." Jeanne said, letting the breath she held our into a sigh.
"What the hell happened? Ye were suppose to stay inside ye wall Arthur."
"I'm sorry." Arthur whimpered as people glared at him.
"So why did ye leave the area, ye know the lake is dangerous. Sometimes yer just down right stupid." Arthur was in tears again and backing away from the Kirkland's and Bonnefoy.
"I am severely disappointed Arthur." Jeanne said.
"W-wait its not-t Artie's fault." Dylan said, trying to stand up. "I made him go, he was just being a good brother."
"Why Dylan?" Francis asked.
"Jeanne needed a root from the lake and since it wasn't frozen over she could get it, so I went to get it for her."
"Oh Dylan, I could 'ave gotten that when the ice melted."
"But I wanted to help you."
"Just don't leave the gates alone again."
"Alright. I'm sorry."
"How about we go shopping after the party tomorrow."
"Party?" Dylan asked.
"For Christmas, we decided to celebrate it the 18th this year."
"But the 18th is…no nothing." Dylan said, carefully standing up.
"Dylan dear, walk with me." Jeanne said and took Dylan's hand. "The rest of you, speak to me later." With that Jeanne took Dylan to the gate.
"I'm really sorry cousin." Dylan said as they reached the small cottage.
"What's done is done." Jeanne replied as she walked Dylan towards the herb cabinet. "Dylan, do you know why you are living in Francis and my 'ome instead of with your brothers?"
"Well because I'm not old enough to live with them."
"Partly. Your brothers worry that if you 'urt yourself and they can't save you then you'll be like Peter."
"Who's Peter?"
"Someone I won't talk about. I don't think it's wise to 'ave you this near vampires, as a 'uman you are in danger."
"How come my sibling are vampires and I'm not, I'm a Kirkland."
"Dylan, you are a blessed child. You will always 'ave this place, your siblings, Francis, and I will always put you first. One day you will move out and live with your family in the castle, but for now I need to show you something." Jeanne opened the cabinet and pulled out a small jar of blue liquid. "One day I'll tell you what's special about this jar, it's an important thing for you to know that who ever you are; 'uman, witch, or vampire, we will all love you the way you are.". Jeanne handed the jar to Dylan and he looked at it. He tried to figure what herbs had caused this color, since no other potion he had seen had been this color.
"Cousin Jeanne, I think I'm going to die soon." Dylan said and earned a surprised look from Jeanne.
"Dylan, why do you say that."
"I keep dreaming of fire and crosses. I think I'm going to burn in hell for tarnishing my family's bloodline." Dylan sat the jar to the side and curled up. "God hates me."
"No, no, no cousin." Jeanne kneeled down and hugged the scared Welsh boy. "God loves you, if you want I'll check my books and see what it means…why don't you go dry off before you get a retched disease."
"Alright, I think I'll try that one spell again."
"Good effort and practice makes the witch." Jeanne smiled and bent over to pick up the jar. "Oh." She let out a gasp. Dylan looked up at her as she slowly stood up with her hand on her stomach. "Stomach cramp, I leaned over too far."
"Jeanne, what herbs did you use in that jar?"
"Well some rare ones, and a lot of magic."
"Oh, why?"
"I'll explain that when your older."
"Hmph, I'm going to go change and practice."
"Actually I want you to read the oracles book." Jeanne said. Dylan mumbled and stood up.
"Fine, though can I tell you something that you can keep a secret?"
"Yes, of course."
"I think they forgot about my birthday." Dylan muttered. "They promised to spend all day with me."
"Oh Dylan, of course they forgot. They're so busy, even vampires forget things."
"I guess your right, they weren't going to visit anyway." Dylan blinked away tears in his eyes. "Can I just go to bed."
"Of course, though I haven't made your bed."
"That's fine." Dylan said and dragged himself out of the room.
"Oh boy." Jeanne said and locked the herbs cabinet.