Got inspired to do a magic/vampire AU, as there's not enough of them in the fandom and they are my favorite sub-genre. Here is chapter one, hope you like it!
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The streets of the city were alive even though daylight was long gone. Flashy signs lit up the sky, impatient drivers laid on their horns, and people walked to and from their destinations, adding to the hustle and bustle that came with the territory.
Behind all the noise and chaos in a dark alley, a lone car sat with its engine purring softly, headlights turned off to keep the area dark. Regina Mills sat in the driver's seat of the car, drumming her painted fingernails against the steering wheel as she waited with her head propped on her hand.
In front of her, a metal door stood out from the wooden bricks, a red glow above it illuminating from a bright neon sign. A stray cat howled from somewhere nearby and the rhythm of feet hitting the pavement drifted into Regina's finely tuned ears.
She hated the city. The sights, the noise, especially the smell. It was pure chaos and anxiety-inducing, and she wanted nothing more than to be back in the small quiet town that was Storybrooke. Unfortunately, every year she was forced to travel from Storybrooke to the city, and every year she hated it more.
It didn't help that she never traveled alone outside of the city. She was always forced to drag along another for the ride, delaying her trip home even further thanks to certain… demands that needed to be attended to.
The door finally opened, revealing two silhouetted figures underneath the reddish glow. Regina sat up, hand on the gearshift as she impatiently revved the engine. An irritated growl escaped her throat as she watched one figure pin the other against the wall. Surprised cries came from the pinned figure before he slumped down the wall in exhaustion.
Regina flicked on the headlights, satisfied at the annoyed hiss received from doing so. The passenger door slammed open and Regina quickly inhaled and held her breath, unwilling to allow her cravings to take control over her. She cast an irritated glare to the woman beside her and was met with an equally irritated stare.
"You couldn't have let me finish my meal, could you?"
"I'm sure you've had enough already to last you a year." Regina handed the woman a Kleenex and averted her eyes from blood-stained lips.
The woman merely smacked her lips and offered her a word of thanks as she cleaned her fangs. Zelena Mills was the younger sister to Regina, both women being bred from an extremely successful and wealthy line of vampires from centuries past. Though the two shared the same DNA, they were nothing alike.
Regina Mills was fair-skinned with dark, brunette locks that reached just past her shoulders with chocolate brown eyes. She was the mayor of Storybrooke and relied on her sensible side rather than her instincts. Zelena Mills was a slightly darker skin with red curly hair that reached well past her shoulders, bright blue eyes, and a hunger that was insatiable. She owned many properties of Storybrooke, though she usually left the upkeep and taxes up to her big sister.
To simply put it, Zelena was fire and Regina ice.
"Are you sure you don't want to stop for a quick snack?" Zelena asked as they had just passed the city limits.
Regina took a slow breath, her mouth watering at the mere thought combined with the still lingering scent of human blood on her sister's breath. She imagined the warm, delicious taste of fresh blood sliding down her throat, filling her senses and sending a rush of endorphins to her brain as opposed to the alternative that she stuck to. But she packed down the craving as best she could and forced herself to focus on the road in front of them.
"You better not have drained any of those humans," the older sister warned, flashing her bright headlights at the car in the other lane.
Zelena rolled her eyes, the action seen clearly in the darkness of the car by Regina thanks to the enhanced vision being immortal bestowed upon them. "No, Mother," the redhead mocked. "They were dazed, that's all. Most of them were already high without me getting them there."
Regina winced in disgust at that. Human blood was only tolerable for her when it was clean, free of any drugs or fats that might be carried through the bloodstream. Not only did it taint the flavor of their blood, it passed on the effects to the one feeding. So it was a pretty good chance her little sister was high on much more than just the fresh blood.
"You're lucky that was our last meeting with the council for the rest of the year. They wouldn't appreciate seeing one of their fellow council leaders high out of her mind on human substances. More so, they would blame me, and I would be the one to be reprimanded."
Zelena's head lolled to the side and a deep sigh escaped her mouth. "You worry too much, 'Gina. That bagged blood is getting to your head. Perhaps it's time you fed from a real living being and then you would see why I enjoy our trips to the city the way I do."
Regina snorted. "Yes, because a month's worth of disgusting blood, nameless drugs, and meaningless sex is how I prefer to live out the rest of my immortal life. Our ancestors expect us to carry on the family name, not taint it."
Zelena sat up straight, her eyes blazing. "Excuse me that I'm not 'miss perfect' and I like to have fun every once in a while. Our ancestors were boring and posh and so are you."
Regina bit back a remark and rolled her eyes to the side. It was a miracle the two sisters had been residing together as long as they had, considering they tolerated each other at best. They were opposites, yet their family history always forced them together; like two magnets that were pushing away from each other being glued together.
That didn't mean that Regina didn't love her little sister—she did, very much so. But it was when they crossed the town line that her overprotective side began to show that irritated Zelena so much and had them fighting like cats and dogs the whole way.
Storybrooke was hidden from the outside world, as all magical towns were. The human residents never left nor wanted to cross the town line, and never questioned when their vampire leaders would disappear for a month out of each year. No human nor unwelcomed vampire could enter. Zelena was safe there. Regina knew who she was running around with, feeding from. She could keep a watchful eye on her while maintaining her distance.
But it was the most recent meeting that the council was worried about that heightened her overprotectiveness—the magic of the hidden towns was weakening, and no one had a clue as to why. Clueless residents would accidentally cross the border and then had not been able to cross back over, leaving vampire leaders more stressed than ever as they constantly had to be on the lookout for humans gone astray. The council leaders had reassured them that they were working on a solution and they had to just sit tight and be alert for now.
Regina yawned and parked the car as she pulled into the driveway just as the first morning rays of sun were beaming down to gently start the day. Beside her in a dead sleep, Zelena snored loudly and mumbled something under her breath. Regina couldn't help but smile, thinking of how she would make fun of the way her little sister would snore and "wake the dead" growing up.
Regina roughly shook the redhead's shoulder, sighing as the woman remained fast asleep. Using her magical influence, she whispered softly in her sister's ear, sending waking signals to her brain. Zelena's eyes fluttered open once and then twice before she shifted and stretched as she awoke fully.
"Are we home?" The woman croaked, her voice heavy with sleep. A helpless pout crossed her face as she looked at the clock to see it was barely past dawn. "Aw Regina you should have let me sleep. You know we don't have the same sleep schedule."
Regina chuckled and left the woman to follow behind her as she went inside. Humans created the common misconception that all vampires were walkers of the night and couldn't be in the sunlight or else they would meet certain death. Vampires were sensitive to sunlight, some more than others, which was why Zelena preferred to be up at night; however, they wouldn't die if the sunlight touched them.
Because of the sisters' opposite sleep cycles, Storybrooke was busy at all times of the day and night. The more rambunctious and rowdy few chose to stay up all night and occupy the hangout spots while the quiet and mellow ones tended to be up during the day. The different times gave the sisters each responsibility over the humans during that time as well, allowing themselves a bit of rest in between. Which they didn't need much of, considering they had more energy than mortal humans.
"Ugh, I don't know how you do it," Zelena commented as Regina checked her reflection in the mirror and reapplied her plum lipstick. "I'd die with that amount of rest, if I could."
Regina smirked at her sister in the mirror. Zelena seemed almost human at times, what with her endless whining and irresponsibility. "Coffee is a lifesaver."
Zelena yawned into her hand. "Have fun at the office today. I'm resting up for my big night."
Regina raised an eyebrow at her sister, not surprised that she would have plans the first night they returned from the city. "You sure you don't want some breakfast first? I've missed Granny's homemade food."
Zelena pondered the thought, glancing longingly at the staircase which led to her comfy bed. "I suppose one more hour being awake wouldn't hurt."
Regina smiled widely, showing her gleaming fangs. "Good. I've been craving something fresh."
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Regina inhaled deeply as the scent from the steaming mug of coffee in her hands, her mouth watering and pupils dilating at the action. She moaned in satisfaction after taking a sip, rubbing her lips together to savor the flavor of black coffee and blood mixed together. There was nothing like a fresh cup of coffee to start her day, and Granny made the best blood-infused -as well as normal- human food and drinks in town.
"Find any new blood restaurants in the city?" Granny casually asked, wiping down the counter top.
Regina heard the jealousy in her tone and checked the woman's aura to confirm. The only thing Granny cared about when she and Zelena left for the city was them finding a better restaurant than hers. "No worries, Granny. Zelena fed from the source and I brought enough juice boxes to last me a month. I don't care much for city food."
Granny sniffed as if she didn't care one way or the other. "Just thought I'd keep up with the hype and young generation. Tough competition these days."
Zelena sat next to Regina, stealing a bite of her croissant and making a face of disgust as she did so. "Are you on a human diet again?"
Regina chuckled and held up her cup of coffee in answer. Another common misconception: vampires could only drink blood. Actually, human food was perfectly fine for vampires to eat, though they often had to develop a taste for it as most hated the food. They did need blood to stay healthy and fit, however.
Back when Regina was just learning about herself and her magic, she hated the thought of stealing something from humans that was so precious, no matter how much her parents tried to reassure her that it was in their nature. She had refused to drink any blood and ate human food for a solid 6 months after the tragedy that befell them. That was, until she became very ill and was forced to drink it, reawakening the craving inside of her.
The diner bell rung loudly over the conversations of the diners. A delicious, intoxicating scent filled Regina's senses, and she clenched her fists under the table. Maybe Zelena was right; her feeding from bags and having mixed foods was only keeping the hunger at bay. That is, until she noticed her sister beside her.
Zelena was completely rigid, her pupils dilated and fangs visible underneath her top lip. She was shaking, fists clenching and unclenching rapidly underneath the table. Regina scooted closer to her, knowing how sensitive her little sister was to fresh blood. It was part of her magical ability, to tell apart the different kinds of blood which made it harder for her to resist. It affected her far more deeply than Regina, and she easily lost control.
Regina signaled to Granny who quickly set a cup of coffee in front of the redhead. Seeing Zelena already lost in a zone of craving, Regina picked up the cup and held it to her sister's lips. "Drink it, Zel," the brunette commanded, using a touch of her magical ability to influence her.
For once, her magic didn't touch the woman. A quiet growl rose up from Zelena's throat and the coffee cup went flying across the room, smashing into the wall where it shattered into pieces. The whole diner fell silent, all eyes resting on the two sisters.
"I need it!" Zelena snarled, her head whipping around to find the culprit of the intoxicating scent.
Regina's eyes followed her sister's to where they rested on a new resident of Storybrooke. A young woman with curly blonde hair and bright green eyes sipped a cup of hot cocoa next to the schoolteacher Mary Margaret, unaware of the commotion or the effect her presence was having on the two vampires. How the hell had she crossed the town line?
Zelena stood up from her seat and stalked over to the blonde. Regina scrambled to get up and follow her, ready to stop her sister if she lost control; which was very likely, seeing as how Regina was close to losing control herself. She had never smelled or sensed anything as intense and delicious as the new town arrival.
Regina grasped Zelena's arm firmly and pushed her past the blonde, muttering an apology to the two women before leading her sister onto the street. As soon as they were outside, Zelena ripped free from her grasp, eyes still crazed from her bloodlust. "Who the hell is that? Some hybrid sent to tempt us?"
Regina pulled a blood juice box from her coat and handed it to the redhead. It was likely that the council was testing them, seeing how weak the border had become. It was illegal to drain a human completely in vampire law and was punishable by banishment. That was what happened to the founder of Storybrooke and was the reason Regina was assigned here once she reached maturity. The council didn't intentionally rile up or endanger humans for simple tests, however. They were guardians of humans and were more interested in their safety.
"I don't know. I'll figure it out. Meanwhile, you go to the hospital and feed and then sleep this off."
Zelena shivered. "Now I understand how you felt centuries ago. Why you are so hesitant. I could have snapped that blonde's neck like a twig."
Tears sprang to Regina's eyes at the reminder, but she forced them back. "Go rest. I'll catch up with you later."
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Regina called her assistant, Sidney, to let him know she would be late to the office, deciding a nice stroll around Storybrooke would help take her mind off things and distract her from the mysterious stranger that had so quickly taken control of her. Autumn was her favorite season, and it was just that time of year that the leaves were changing yellow and orange just before they fell to the ground.
On her second round past Granny's the diner bell chimed, and Regina was suddenly struck with that overwhelming craving again as the wind shifted and blew the scent towards her. She felt her fangs poke her bottom lip, drawing a tiny pinprick of her magical blood onto it. She whipped her head around to see the stranger leaving Granny's with Mary Margaret, watching as the two women hugged before parting ways.
The woman was pretty, anyone could see. Regina concluded she must be irresistible to humans as well, just not fatally. She was dressed in tight, faded blue skinny jeans, white chucks, and a white tank top with a brown leather jacket over the top. Her hair fell well past her shoulders in golden waves, framing her well-rounded face just so. Regina guessed she had to be 22, 24 at the most.
The woman seemed to have noticed her staring, for she glanced over curiously. Regina quickly averted her eyes and pretended to check the time on her watch, beginning to walk toward her office. Too late, as the blonde had seen her and was now making her way over. The closer she got, the more intense Regina's craving became. She could hear her heartbeat, the blood pumping through her veins. Her mouth watered in anticipation. She needed it like humans needed water.
Regina gave the young woman a tight-lipped smile and held her breath as the blonde stopped a good few feet away. "Hi, sorry if I bothered your friend in there. I'm new to town. I'm Emma, Emma Swan," the blonde introduced herself, holding out her hand.
Thankfully, the wind decided to shift and change direction, blowing the scent slightly away and allowing Regina to speak. She was slightly struck by the woman in front of her still. Even her voice was intoxicating. Smooth, like warm caramel.
Regina blinked a few times as she realized the woman was waiting for her to speak. She held out her hand and shook the blonde's, admiring the firm grip to which she responded with. "I'm Regina. Better known as Mayor Mills around here."
Emma quickly pulled her arm back, cheeks flushing as she looked to the ground. "Nice to meet you," she said quietly.
Regina studied the woman carefully, curious as to why she had seemed to retreat into herself. She had to get to know this woman to figure out why and how she had come to Storybrooke, but the reaction had her curiosity piqued and she wanted to know why. "I know you must be full after just eating, but would you like to go grab a coffee? I'd like to get to know you better and besides, I didn't get to finish my first cup," the brunette offered.
"I have to get going. Thanks," Emma answered before quickly walking in the other direction.
Regina stared after her, unable to get her own feet moving until long after the blonde had disappeared.
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Emma wiped down the counter in front of her, sighing at the mess she had made yet again. "Sorry, Will," she apologized as she watched him sweep up the broken glass on the floor.
The man looked up at her from his work. "No problem, Emma. It's only your first week—you'll get the hang of it."
Emma threw down her rag and folded her arms over her chest. "Yeah, my first week and my fifth mess."
Will dumped the glass shards in a plastic bucket, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. "Believe me, you're one of the better ones. Myself included. The guy that trained me still has pieces of glass in his hands from cleaning up all my messes."
Emma chuckled lightly at that. "Well, most everyone that comes in here is drunk or looking to get drunk, so I guess they won't notice my horrible moonlighting skills."
"Nah, they'll just see a pretty girl and tip you well." Will winked and handed her a five.
"What's this for?"
Will began walking to the backroom. "For all the drinks you're gonna practice making me when I'm off in an hour!" He called over his shoulder.
Emma smiled and shook her head. She had been in Storybrooke for a week and was lucky that she got hired on the spot by Will to work at his bar, The White Rabbit. She explained that she didn't have any bartending experience, but he was willing to train her on the job as he was short-staffed.
So far, she loved Storybrooke and all of the people in it. It was small and quiet and kind of quirky; different from any place she had ever been. Initially she had been planning on staying only a night or two, but that had turned into a week and she wasn't planning on leaving just yet. Here, she was safe.
"Emma!" The blonde turned to see her two friends, Ruby and Mary Margaret, enter the bar with a few others. They were all dressed in short cocktail dresses and donned the same red lipstick, as they had planned on a girls' night out to visit Emma at her new job.
Emma had met Ruby her first day in Storybrooke and they had quickly bonded. The girl had taken to showing her around town and taking her to all the "hotspots" and hidden gems. Since Emma was staying at Granny's and paying for her room, Ruby gave her free complimentary meals. And there was no way Emma would complain about that: she loved free food.
Emma met Mary Margaret after the woman had knocked her down with the bumper of her car on a side street. She had profusely apologized and offered to drive Emma to the hospital, but Emma had waved her off and promptly teased her about eyeing up the cute animal shelter worker.
"Busy night?" Mary Margaret asked as they sat down at the bar.
Emma shrugged. "The crowds haven't been bad."
"The crowds may not be, but her drink making skills need work," Will teased as he laid down a few menus in front of the women.
Emma rolled her eyes and served her friends their drinks. Ruby gave her a knowing smirk as Emma found herself daydreaming, thinking of the brief but memorable encounter with the mayor earlier. Emma was too busy trying not to get caught to really notice too much about the woman, but from what she had seen in the diner she was strikingly beautiful, though she looked as though she were in pain when Emma spoke to her.
"Spill." Ruby sipped her fruity drink and batted her eyes at the men a few barstools away.
"What do you mean?" Emma played dumb.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Come on. We all know something is up. Now spill! Or I'll force-feed you tequila shots until the alcohol makes you tell."
"I met the Mayor today, after lunch at Granny's."
The two women leaned forward in excitement. "How was it?"
Emma refilled Mary Margaret's glass, keeping a careful eye on the other occupants. "Strange. She looked like she was sick or something. She was nice and all and she's really pretty, but I don't really associate with the law. Or I try not to."
"You'll get used to it," said Mary Margaret. "The Mayor is pretty cold, and she keeps her distance. But she runs the town well and makes sure we're all safe."
Emma's brow furrowed in confusion. Safe? Safe from what? Outsiders?
"She was probably just hungry. Seeing how Zelena reacted this morning to you and being gone for a month for those meetings, she was probably on her way to the hospital," Ruby added.
Emma's confusion grew by the minute as she watched the women converse and agree with each other. "Hold on. What the hell are you guys talking about?"
Both women looked up as if just noticing Emma was there. "The mayor—Regina Mills, and her little sister Zelena are vampires," Mary Margaret said as though it were a perfectly normal thing to say.
Emma blinked once, then twice, poking her finger in her ear to make sure she had heard her correctly. Did she just say they were vampires?
A slow smile crossed the blonde's face, and she leaned against the bar. "You're bullshitting me, right? Some new townie joshing around?"
Mary Margaret and Ruby exchanged a confused glance. Emma leaned forward, both hands resting on the bar. "Vampires are mythological. Made up by creative people for movies and books and television. It's a culture thing, that's it."
"Maybe where you come from, but here it's real," Ruby said slowly as if she were talking to a child.
"She's right, you know," Will added as he collected a tip and popped open a beer for a customer. "The Mills sisters are vampires. Their name is of royal status; they've been around for centuries."
Emma thought back on her day. The redhead had looked like she had wanted to eat her. Emma had just thought she was pissed off as she had thrown a cup against the wall and her eyes looked a little crazy as she had approached her. Vampires could smell humans, maybe that's why she had thought Regina was acting strange—maybe all humans had different scents, like air fresheners?
The blonde shook her head, the existential thoughts starting to make her head hurt. She still didn't quite believe that what they were saying was true. "So why are there only 2 of them, if this is true? Don't vampires live in covens or whatever?" She asked.
"They were chosen to protect the town. Their status and credibility over the years earned them Storybrooke. We were all pretty freaked at first, but then we learned that they were good and just wanted to protect us," Ruby explained. The brunette's brow furrowed in confusion. "Though other humans aren't supposed to get into Storybrooke; it's protected by magic. How did you get in?"
"I walked," Emma answered sarcastically. Well, she technically ran. But that didn't matter now.
"Maybe that was what this year's meeting was about," Mary Margaret mused.
A loud giggle could be heard as the door slammed open. Emma's heart stopped in its tracks as her sight landed on the redhead from before, otherwise known as Zelena Mills. The woman was accompanied by two men, but she quickly focused her sights on Emma, becoming rigid and quiet.
Emma held her breath, her eyes never leaving the sky-blue ones of Zelena's. The woman narrowed her eyes before stalking off to another part of the bar, getting lost in the crowd of people. Both Ruby and Mary Margaret both raised their eyebrows as Emma began making them another drink.
"Whoa. Never seen them react like that to a stranger before," Ruby said quietly, as if she was afraid Zelena could hear her. And if Emma remembered her vampire folklore right, she probably could.
Emma rolled her eyes and tried her best to ignore her friends' remarks and those blue eyes undoubtedly staring at her, as every time she would look up she would catch Zelena in the act. The crowd slowly trickled out as the bar got ready to close, and Emma waved goodbye to her friends as they left.
Soon, it was just Emma rounding up empty bottles and cups and wiping down tables. The bar had a serene atmosphere, even at night, but tonight she kept feeling like she was being watched. She double checked for the bar keys in her pocket, grasping them tightly as she took the garbage outside to the dumpster.
When she got back inside, Zelena was perched at the bar, sipping on a full shot glass and swinging her leg back and forth as if she had been waiting for her for hours, though Emma had only been gone a minute or two.
The redhead smiled as Emma approached, her teeth glistening. Emma swallowed hard as she noticed two pointy fangs where her canines should be. It may have just been a trick of the light, but Emma had perfect vision and rarely missed even the tiniest detail. Another reason why she ended up in Storybrooke.
"Bar's closed," she informed firmly, wincing at the waver in her tone. Zelena made her nervous, and not just because of the vampire thing. She seemed dangerous, like she was stalking her prey right before she lunged.
"Oh I know, darling," Zelena answered with the lick of her lips. "You see, the rules don't apply to me. I own this bar."
Emma nodded and finished cleaning in silence. Zelena poured herself another shot of whiskey and downed it before pouring another shot and sliding it over to Emma. The blonde looked up and shook her head. "I'm not a whiskey fan. Besides, I gotta close up unless you would rather." She dangled the keys in her hand before dropping them on the counter.
Zelena got up and walked around the bar, humming softly as she looked at the many selections on the lit-up shelves displaying them. Emma took a step back and folded her arms across her chest, impatiently waiting and deciding whether or not to just leave the woman here.
Zelena glanced over at her and smiled. "Nervous, are we?"
Emma lost her cool for a moment as her green eyes widened in shock. She hid her emotions well—had learned to from a young age. Nobody was that good at reading her.
"Oh don't you fret, darling." Zelena waved her hand in dismissal. "I read emotions as well as dabbling in a little bit of mind reading."
Emma inhaled sharply as the redhead showed off her fangs. There was no denying it now—her friends had been telling the truth, and everything she had known her whole life had been a lie. Vampires existed, and there was one in front of her. A very gorgeous one, in fact. She felt a tingle between her legs and leaned against the bar to cross them, trying very hard to hide the fact that hot, sexy vampires had been a tiny part of her fantasies growing up.
"What would you like?" Zelena asked, her voice soothing and pleasing to Emma's ears though it sent a shiver down her spine. "The least I can do is offer you a drink for your service tonight."
Emma sat down on a barstool and pushed the keys to the side. Fuck it. She was here in Storybrooke to start over, she might as well take a few risks. "I don't do drinks, I do shots. Think you can keep up with me?" She challenged.
Zelena's smile grew. Unbeknownst to Emma, alcohol had a very minor affect on vampires as their blood was infused with their magic. This was going to be a piece of cake. "You're on," the redhead challenged, grabbing an expensive bottle off the shelf and pouring them both a shot.
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End of chapter one! Leave a review if you enjoyed!