"Mara."
Mara jumped in her seat at her desk and looked up quickly. The Founder, in an icy gray pantsuit, was standing in front of her with a raised eyebrow and her perfectly manicured hand resting on the desk's wooden surface which she had hit to get Mara's attention. The secretary brushed her bangs out of her eyes.
"Oh. Madame Founder, I-I'm so sorry. I should have been—"
"Yes, you should have. You really do get quite caught up in your work," Amelie said. The Founder's voice had a hint of amusement in it that only someone who had spent years with her would have noticed. "But, Mara, how many times do I have to tell you to limit your research while at work? I have been trying to get your attention for several minutes now."
If Mara still had blood flowing through her veins, she would have certainly blushed. "I apologize, ma'am." She looked down and began stacking her notebooks into a pile.
"I have several pages of notes for you to file," Amelie said. She produced a folder of personalized stationary and placed it on top of the desk. "And when you finish, please come into my office. I have a task for you."
Mara did her best to keep the dread from her face. Amelie always gave her the worst tasks, whether it was dealing with Oliver to arrange monetary reimbursement for whatever Myrnin had most recently wrecked in his coffee shop, or cleaning up after the Danvers girl and her little friends. "Yes, ma'am," Mara replied, hoping to sound cheery. "Of course."
Amelie returned to her office, shutting the door behind her.
Mara looked down at the notes from Amelie that were written in her usual code. She did this in case any of her foes go their hands on important information regarding the town. After a quick glance, Mara knew they had something to do with the proposal Amelie was drafting for a new law. Mara and the Founder had been working together for decades now and the woman was completely up to date with all of the systems she used, even her code. The secretary filed it under Proposals. She straightened up and brushed invisible lint off her red blouse and straightened her black skirt. Even though she was a vampire, Mara still felt a little shaky in her heels as she took the several steps to Amelie's office.
Mara knocked on the door. "Come in, please, Mara. And do shut the door."
She stepped in and closed the door behind her. Amelie was standing behind her oak desk staring out the window with her hands clasped in front of her. Mara came forward and waited.
"Mara, I know how much you appreciate being left to observe," the Founder said without looking away from the window. "You are a researcher, after all, it is only natural. But I need your help." She unclasped her hands and sighed, turning around to face Mara. "Myrnin is no longer as stable as he once was. The Bishop Disease... we believe it is coming back to haunt us. Subsequently, Claire is no longer an appropriate piece to use."
The secretary's mouth fell open. "And you think I am? Founder, you know how I try to stay out of trouble. I don't think I would be able to—"
Amelie's cold look stopped her. "I know. I realize this. But this is important. I would not ask you if I did not think you were capable. And, besides, you have a certain, well, appeal." The Founder nodded her head toward Mara with a slight frown tugging at her thin lips. "When Myrnin is not in his right mind, he gets... hungry. In all meanings of the word."
Mara's eyes narrowed as she caught the Founder's meaning. "You want me to use my wily feminine ways to get in and out of Myrnin's lab safely?"
Amelie was not trying to hide her smirk. "If that is how you wish to phrase it, then yes. I do."
"I don't like it," she said. "Not a bit."
"I cannot entrust this task with anyone else," Amelie said, sounding as if it were something she were admitting to.
Mara took in a deep breath and dug her nails into the palms of her hands. "I'll do it, ma'am."
"Thank you," Amelie said, sounding truly relieved. "I just need you to ensure Myrnin has not become completely lost to his madness. Oh, and while you are there, I want you to see if there are any messes that need to be taken care of. His attempts to be charming are rather nauseating, but if you do not play along he will become violent. And then you will be wishing he were still batting his eyelashes and showering you with excessive compliments."
Oh, God.
"Yes, ma'am."
A shimmering portal opened in front of her. Amelie sent her a reassuring look and Mara held her breath and stepped through.
There was more light in the lab than Mara had anticipated. A single lamp was illuminated on a table next to Myrnin who was sitting in his leather chair by an empty fireplace. His head was already raised, awaiting her entrance after he felt the power of the portal course through the empty lab. Myrnin was wearing older clothes today—a bad sign. Whenever he was going mad he turned to fashion that was rather, well, gothic.
Myrnin set his book down on his lap and smiled a smoldering grin. "Hello, Mara... What a pleasant surprise."
"Sir," Mara replied politely, watching him carefully. "How do you do?"
"Just lovely, little one," he said, his eyes roving up and down her body. "Actually, I haven't been graced with the presence my small assistant as of late. What has Amelie done with her?"
The portal snapped shut. Mara had not realized that it had remained open, but now that it was gone she felt a coldness within her.
"Ah," Myrnin said. "So she was listening." A frown crossed his face for a fraction of a second, but then it was gone. "Sometimes I forget how tricky that woman can be."
Mara felt her hackles raise. She was about to open her mouth to retort when Myrnin interrupted her.
"Now, now. Calm down, little Mara. No need to get defensive. I know you two get along quite well." He stood up and strode toward her, straightening his long black jacket as he did so. Myrnin got close to her. Almost too close, but Mara remembered what Amelie said and remained still. He touched her face with a knuckle. Mara thought she could see the shadow of insanity swirling behind his dark brown eyes.
"You are so young," he said. "When were you made again? I can never seem to recall."
"Forty-six, sir."
"Nineteen forty-six?" he asked. She nodded. "Fascinating. And when were you born—as a human, I mean."
"Nineteen thirty."
"War shaped your human life." He paused. Myrnin brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Mara stepped away and brushed them out of her line of sight herself. "What is that?" he mumbled. He did not seem to be talking to her anymore. He stepped closer to her but Mara did not step back. Myrnin was peering intently into her eyes. "Is that... loss?" He squinted. "Hmm, yes. But that's obvious. A man... Who was he, your father? Did he fight in the second Great War?"
Mara's stomach dropped. She blinked several times. Myrnin was looking into her mind to find... what? Her weakness? And she knew exactly what he was talking about, but that was a secret. She tried to move away, but Myrnin grabbed her arm. He was so much stronger than her. She couldn't leave his grip.
"Answer me, girl."
"Sir, I—"
"Answer me!"
She flinched back and blinked tears from her eyes. "He was my fiancé."
Myrnin licked his lips and inhaled deeply. "Oh, my, how you loved him. Loved? That isn't quite right. No... love. You still love him. And very much."
"Stop. Please—" Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. This was too much. Amelie should never have sent her into the spider's trap.
"You love him as much as I love Ada."
"Myrnin, get off." Mara tried pushing him back, but it was futile.
"Wait a moment. Oh, Jesu." He finally let go of her arms and Mara scrambled away to put distance between them, perhaps to put distance between herself and the words she knew he was going to say next.
"You killed him."
Mara took another step back but her high-heeled shoe sank into something soft and squishy. She caught her balance quickly, but closed her eyes, praying it wasn't what she thought it was. When she looked down, she was hugely disappointed.
Myrnin's grin became altogether menacing. His eyes clouded red and his fangs came down. Myrnin tutted.
"Mara, Mara, Mara... little Mara. Don't run away from me, child."
Most vampires would never dream of draining their own kind, but Mara knew Myrnin had no qualms about it. He reached out with clawed fingers and Mara jumped back. He creeped toward her slowly.
"You and I," he said in his silky smooth voice, "have much in common, my dear little Mara. Sit down, won't you? We can discuss how we positively ripped into their soft bodies and felt the blood run down our throats. Wouldn't that be lovely? I see it in your mind, precious girl—greedy girl. You took your sweet fiancé all for yourself and didn't save anything for anyone else, not even your maker. He told you to, didn't he? He told you to bring back a snack, but you couldn't help it."
Mara felt a tear leak out of her eye. "Don't."
"This is intriguing. I've never seen you so emotional." He was prowling ever closer. "What was... Jack? That was his name, was it not? What was Jack like? Was he smart like Ada? Or did you like him for a different reason?"
He was suddenly behind her but Mara swept her leg out so quickly she tripped him up and sent him falling to the ground. Myrnin smacked his head against the concrete floor hard and hissed in pain.
"Oh, Jesu Maria!" he shouted. He held his head in his hands. "What— Mara? What are you—?"
"Myrnin? I mean— Sir?"
His eyes were no longer red, but a dark brown. Myrnin was looking around his lab, wondering where he was. He became confused when he realized he had somehow ended up on the floor. She hurried over to him immediately and helped him up.
"Sir, I'm—I'm so sorry." She wiped the last of her tears from her eyes. "My emotions got the better of me. I... I apologize."
Myrnin touched her hands. "You're shaking, child. What did I—? Oh." He sank back to the ground, crouching and holding his head in his hands. "Oh, Mara, child, I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I was so horrible to you, to your fiancé, to..." He made a pitiful sound and began weeping. "You must go."
A portal opened in the middle of the lab and Mara took a step toward it.
"I am a monster. Tell Amelie. I need help, Mara. I need help, I do. I'm regressing, child. My mind was too far gone for the cure to work properly. I've experimented with the remaining samples from Bishop that I had saved over the years, but they aren't any good—too old. Tell her."
"I will."
"Good," he sniffed.
She hurried through the portal and it shut behind her with a snap.
"My goodness. Mara, child, what happened?"
Mara found herself in Amelie's office again. She looked around and saw Amelie standing as if she had been pacing. Mara wiped her eyes, trying to gather herself.
"The scientist is far gone, ma'am."
"Mara, what did he do to you?" She sounded genuinely concerned.
"Nothing, I'm fine, ma'am."
"Mara, tell me."
"I can't. Please, I'm fine. He says the blood he saved from Bishop is too old to do anything anymore." Mara dried her eyes quickly and straightened up. She finally looked at Amelie who seemed pale, paler than usual.
"Felix culpa," the Founder breathed.
"Ma'am?"
"The fortunate fault. Man's original sin—deception. I lied, Mara. I told the town that I put an end to my father. But how could I lay waste to my own flesh and blood? The fortunate aspect of this falsehood is that Bishop is still alive. He is not dead, and that means Myrnin may be saved. I will go immediately. Mara," Amelie said, gaining momentum. "Call a limousine to Common Grounds. I must speak with Oliver first."
"Yes, ma'am," Mara responded as Amelie swept through the room putting away work and gathering her things.
"Oh," Amelie said, pausing. "Thank you, Mara."
Mara nodded and walked out the room, closing the door behind her. Outside Amelie's door, she looked down at her arms littered with bruises that were already healing. She took a steadying breath and walked over to her desk.
Mara busied herself straightening up the papers scattered across the wooden surface. She hadn't had to think about her fiancé for years. The way Myrnin had recounted what happened to Jack was ungodly... And what was that about Bishop still being alive? Mara was surprised Amelie had kept that from her. She supposed it made sense, but the two of them had a mutual understanding that anything Mara learned from her time as Amelie's secretary was strictly confidential. And who would she tell? Her books?
And poor Myrnin. Mara knew about Ada. As the Founder's secretary, she had nearly all the dirt on every vampire in Morganville—well, the publicized dirt anyway. The dirt that Amelie felt was necessary to put in the vampires' files. She knew very well what had happened to Ada.
And yet, Mara couldn't believe Myrnin had done that to her. He'd violated her very mind and rekindled her memory, her grief, her guilt. Even in insanity Mara thought a vampire would know better than to use their mind reading abilities like that.
An hour passed and the line to Amelie's phone was silent, for the most part. Only a few calls came in asking about the date and time for the Town Hall event the week before Halloween, but those weren't pressing by any means. Mara pulled out her research and began scanning her notes.
Mara was an expert in rhetoric. She studied famous speeches, analyzed public announcements, and was slowly working her way through classical literature in a long-winded research project that would trace the history of the English language from antiquity to modern times in great depths. Mara had written a majority of the Morganville public website that lured humans in with a sunny description of the town. She edited all of Amelie's decrees and helped her go through her speeches that addressed the vampires. In addition to all of this, Mara had published countless scholarly articles and several books on rhetoric under a variety of pseudonyms.
The phone rang. Mara looked at the caller ID and saw it was Amelie's cell phone. Oh no.
"You have reached Amelie's office in Town Hall, how may I help you?" she answered automatically.
"Mara." It was Amelie, and she sounded distressed. Mara had only heard her like this several times before. "Bishop is gone."
Please let me know what you think in a review! The Glass House Gang is to appear in later chapters.
One of my resolutions is to write more and I feel like the only way I really mass-produce things is when I'm writing fanfiction. I'm getting rusty, so any and all feedback is welcome. Thank you!