This story was in response to the historical contest by American Android and the Queen of Delicious. It takes place in late Victorian era (1880-1890). In features Godric and Eric only.
The Children of the Night
"For life be, after all, only a waitin' for somethin' else than what we're doin'; and death be all that we can rightly depend on…Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!"- A(B).S
7 May, Calais. We left Helsingborg at 8:34 p.m, on 1st May, arriving at London in the evening of tomorrow; we should have arrived at 6:45 p.m, but the train was an hour late. France seemed like a suitable country from what I had seen around the station and among the endless seas of trees passing by as we made our way to the big city. The train stopped only a couple times since our journey began, mainly in the daytime denying my maker and I the pleasure of exploring the vicinity. Bremen had been good to us, having arrived at midnight; we were able to feed before it was time to board again.
As I stared into a starless night, I heard a knock at the door. I looked to my maker who had grabbed his top hat and after placing it on his head; stepped towards the cabin's door.
"Yes?" is all he said, keeping the door partially closed.
"Do you need anything sir?" the female voice whispered, probably our attendant.
"No, please do not bother us again today."
He closed the door and walked back to his seat across from mine. He straightened his dark tail coat, adjusted his trousers and placed his top hat beside him before sitting again. My maker was on the shorter side, at least, compared to me. He had dark eyes and dark hair which always complemented him nicely. He quickly smiled at me before closing his eyes again. I knew it meant he was not in a chatty mood, but I kept on staring hoping he would change his mind.
"What is it my child?" he asked me after several minutes of defiance.
"I can't help but wonder who he is" I said, fully knowing my maker hated misplaced curiosity.
"I know."
"Why do you never speak of him?" I inquired which made my maker smile. He didn't answer me.
"Will you tell me why we are travelling to London to meet your maker?"
"He requires my assistance" he simply said and I nodded understanding that this would be the end of our conversation.
I had never heard nor spoke about my maker's maker ever since I had been turned. I did not know on what terms they had separated but never in our nine hundred years or so together was he ever summoned to him. That was a very long time for a maker to not call upon their child which had always led me to believe they were not on good terms. I knew it was a he mainly because one evening my maker had let it slip, which I suspected was on purpose. My maker loved the idea of having a secret that I couldn't solve, something that belonged only to him. No matter how many times I would ask, he wouldn't share. I supposed it was his way of keeping something just for himself and not having to share it with me and now here we were on our way to meet him. I felt excitement, particularly to the idea that we would help him with something that was important to him. As I wondered if I would recognize him right away when I would see him and tried to imagine his look and his demeanor, I noticed the sun was slowly coming up.
Without much thought, I closed the solid blinds, locked our cabin door and sat back down waiting for my death to come. My maker had reopened his eyes and was smiling in silence lost in a reverie. We were living in hiding from humans but trains were a secure way of travelling long distance as no one would bother us during the day having paid enough to be considered upper class. There was always a small risk but my maker and I were old enough that we could wake up during the day so we could afford the calculated risk. I looked at my maker one last time before I lay down on the seat and closed my eyes for the day.
I woke up slowly, heavy with death and found my maker looking out the window, his hands behind his back.
"We are arriving," he declared, grabbing his top hat and his umbrella. "London is very wet at this time of year," he added.
I stood up fixing my tail coat while he stood in front of me fixing my bow tie.
"Turn around," he whispered and I did.
As he rebraided my hair, I fixed my collar and my sleeves. Both ready to exit the train, I let him lead as I always did.
The station was buzzing with many Londoners either in a hurry to leave the city or eager to penetrate it. I was simply enjoying the many smells and views it had to offer, including young women I would love to sink a tooth in but my maker was walking with a pressing speed that indicated now was not the time to feed. I did not need to feed for say, being as old as I was; it was merely an act of pleasure rather than a necessity. Nonetheless, as we crossed the road to enter a carriage, thoughts of feeding left my mind to leave room for my maker's maker. I had dreamed of this moment for a long time. My maker had never explained his turning whether it had been welcomed or not but knowing what I knew of him, I wasn't sure it had been wanted. Whether water had flowed under the bridge since then was entirely another story I was soon going to discover.
The carriage stopped in front of a mansion in a small street adjacent to the bridge. As my maker had predicted, it was raining which never bothered me but he insisted in me being under his umbrella. My hair, he had mentioned, did not need to be wet so instead of crouching low enough to be able to fit under it, I simply grabbed it and hold it for the both of us.
As we climbed the many stairs that lead to the double doors of the mansion, I looked around to see if there were any guards of any kind. The only two I had seen, were the two men at the gate which smelled like Weres. A lady opened the doors after we knocked three times. She invited us in and we entered the foyer which was lit with an enormous chandelier that a servant was still slowly lighting up the many candles. Another servant approached us and signaled to follow him. We crossed the mansion using many corridors each lit with candles on the wall. The many portraits that bore the walls seemed to be of a family composed of a man, a woman and their daughter. I imagined the man couldn't be my maker's maker since he had a daughter but I stayed quiet and kept on walking heading to the back door that opened onto the gardens.
We eventually reached a rose garden where we found a man and a woman standing and looking at the ground. Before even seeing his face I knew it was him; my maker's maker.
When we reached the couple, my maker kneeled to the man, throwing himself like I had never seen him before. I opted to do the same although I kept my head high, maybe out of defiance but more out of dignity. He was not facing us but somehow I knew he was smiling.
I risked an eye to what they were looking at, but couldn't see from where I was kneeling. That is when he turned, to face us, and I couldn't take my eyes away. He was magnificent, the most handsome man I had ever lay my eyes upon. His eyes and hair were darker than the night itself while his skin was as pale as chalk on a black board. The beautiful contrast appeared to be as if there was an eternal battle between right and wrong forever fighting as he walked the earth. His lips parted, letting his fangs descend as my maker looked up.
"My child" he whispered, his voice being the most precious thing I had ever heard and which was calling to me. I wanted to approach him; I wanted to come to him, give my entire being to do whatever he pleased to do. I wanted him to consume me and having no self control, my fangs made an appearance.
My maker got up slowly, kissing him on his hand and on his wrist and I trembled under my own desire. As my maker continued to kiss him, he stared at me, his eyes inviting me over. I did not resist, feeling the power of his suggestive thoughts.
"Eric" he said as I approached him. "I have heard so much," he added before smiling. He was charming and inviting as if more human than vampire. It was an odd contrast and I was ready to devote the rest of my immortality to him.
The woman whimpered and I turned to look, half annoyed that she would break this moment, half angry she was even allowed here.
"Oh where are my manners, Godric, Eric, Miss Westenra."
She extended her gloved hand which I kissed promptly. She was wearing a black dress bustled in the back. The material appeared to be crepe and judging by the lack of linen cuffs and collars and the fact she wore no jewelry, she was in mourning; a parent to be more exact. I could tell she was human which intrigued me as being the sole entourage of him. Maybe she was the little girl in the many paintings we had come across?
"Please, call me Lucy."
"Very well," I said cooly and looked to what they had been staring at which was an opened coffin. The woman inside of it had been beheaded, her mouth stuffed with garlic. Judging by the amount of blood and wounds, she had fought her assailant without much success and the stake in the middle of her chest was testifying to her loss.
"Who?" Godric asked.
This was the work of a vampire hunter. Unfortunately for Miss Westenra, the hunter had mistaken her mother for a vampire which I assume she wasn't as her body was still here for the showing.
"One hunter, he is close, but alas! I do not know who he is," he answered while circling the coffin.
"She was important to me, she was going to be strong Godric, and the hunter knows where I live and who I care for," he said with a grave tone.
I wasn't sure what he meant by her being strong but I stayed silent, eager to hear him speak again.
"It has to be someone close to you father," Godric said and I frowned at the word. Father? It was the first time I heard a vampire referring to their maker as father.
"I know," he said before leaving us to enter the mansion.
Godric had not followed him and Lucy was still crying in a tissue while holding her stomach with one hand. I felt his presence calling to me but wanting to stay with my master, I fought it with everything I had. When the door closed behind him, I felt nothing, as if my internal battle had never existed. Something was strange about him, something did not add up. The attraction I had felt for him was abnormal even for a maker's child to their own maker.
I wanted to ask Godric about him, who he was, where he was from and why I felt such impulses, but Lucy, the human, was listening. It was not a conversation for a woman nor a human so I chose to keep it to myself, for now.
He came back with a portrait in his hand and offered it to Godric.
"These are the persons most important to me currently. They must be protected and this hunter must be found. This is why I have called you son." He declared with a smile while placing his hand on Godric's shoulder.
"I must leave you for tonight, I have an important meeting to assist to, but please make yourself familiar with the premises and with the people in this portrait. Lucy here, can help locate them if need be." He continued and kissed Godric on the forehead before turning to me.
He stared at me, right in the eyes and I couldn't look away. Every ounce of my being had taken a step towards him, while my conscience was screaming to wait, to let him come to me. I fought my foot that took a step while my head tried to look left. But my eyes, they were fixated onto him and while my right foot took the next step, he extended his hand to me.
I took it, unable to fight it, and as he pulled me closer to him, I felt a knee failing, crashing to the ground. I looked up at him, now kneeling before his person, unable to move. His lips curved a smile and he kissed me on my forehead like he had done with Godric.
"Stop fighting me child," he whispered in my ear and I shivered under my desires.
He left us, flying to the sky without any other words. Once I felt him far away, I stood up and watched my maker stare at the picture. He then showed it to Miss Westenra.
"Who are they?" he questioned.
"It is a portrait of my family and my best friend" she walked over to him and pointed at an older man. "This is my father, my mother, myself, and Wilhelmina," she added. "My father is missing, the count thought it would be safer if he was to stay with me since I am alone now. Mina is often gone because she is going to school," she sighed and shyly smiled. "She wants to be a doctor," she said admireringly.
"That is unusual," Godric replied.
"Mina is anything but conventional," she said with a tone I would have swore was laced with love and admiration.
"Where is she right now?" he demanded and she pointed to a window on the second floor of the mansion.
"Sleeping I am assuming. We found my mother only yesterday, Mina is like a sister to me. She is not taking our loss very well."
"Does she live here?" I asked and she nodded.
"Her father did not allow her to stay at their home when she decided to become a doctor. He does not approve," she sighed heavily and her eyes closed slowly heavy with sleep.
"You should go rest Miss Westenra," Godric said, offering his arm to escort her.
"Only for it to be disturbed by nightmares," she replied sadly as they walked to the mansion.
I decided to stay behind and examine the body. If we were going to search for this hunter, we had better figure out his style. One could learn many things from the way someone was murdered. For instance, the lack of blood around the neck indicated that it was severed after death, while the stake seemed to be the cause of death. It had been inserted precisely in the heart, a hard task that required dedication and skills. The garlic in her mouth however, appeared to be useless when it came to her death which was leading me to believe it was a message more than anything.
What I did not understood and seemed the most strange to me was the reason behind the killing. He believed a vampire hunter to be responsible yet did not know who exactly. The way he spoke was as if the death were directed at him, the hunter was attacking the most important people in his life. Did that mean the hunter knew he was vampire? If so, why would he choose to torment him instead of just killing him?
Of course, he must be extremely old and powerful being my maker's maker but something did not add up. How could a hunter make such a mistake, the ultimate one, killing a human instead of a vampire? If this hunter was half as good as they thought he was, he would not allow himself to make this kind of mistake.
I headed to the mansion and found my maker in the study. He was alone and lost in his thoughts. I took a seat beside him, far enough so we didn't touch but close enough that he could reach me if he wanted.
"I never thought the day would come that I would meet your maker," I said looking at him staring at nothing.
"And what were your thoughts?" he questioned.
"He is different from what I had imagined."
Godric scoffed and turned to face me. His eyes were lit up with excitement.
"Do not be shocked by your own desire, Eric. It is quite normal."
My questioning silence was enough for him to continue.
"He is very powerful," he whispered resting his head onto my shoulder.
"How old is he?"
"I do not know."
"How?" but the words died on my lips. I did not know whether Godric knew more than he was leading me to believe but either way, I respected his unspoken wish. I knew he did not want to talk about him anymore.
"What did you learn from the body?"
I explained to him my thoughts on the hunter and how sloppy his worked had seemed but Godric was not as concerned as I was. He even declared that the hunter was better than he had thought. He listened intently to the rest of my observations and when I was finished he got up from his seat.
"The sun will be up soon," he said, "when we wake, we will speak to Wilhelmina. I believe her last name is Murray, Mina Murrey."
"Where should we take shelter?" I enquired and he pointed to the stairs.
"There is a room upstairs for us. It is safe here," he added as I joined him upstairs to find our quarters.
It was a big room with a giant bed in the middle. The walls were covered with green wallpaper, a strange contrast to the ivory furniture. Godric pulled the giant curtains closed to block the windows as I sat on a chair close to the chimney at the back of the room.
"Will you not join me?" he asked me, pointing to the bed.
"I thought your maker might want to make an appearance," I said playfully. He smiled at me and signalled me to lie down on the bed which I obliged happily.
As I lay on my back, Godric placed his head on my stomach, his arm resting across my body.
"He does not need to rest," are the last words I heard before dying for the day.
When I opened my eyes again, He was sitting on a chair staring at us. I frowned at the view which made him smile, showing teeth and fangs.
"Friends, the sun is almost down, hurry so we can make it to the school on time," he said as he grabbed his long coat and his cane from the chair. I wasn't sure how old he was but he must have been extremely old judging by how early he was awake.
Godric was already at the door by the time I got up and grabbed my own coat. I could feel the desire roaming in my stomach and as I suspected, it was he who made me feel this way. I hadn't really met someone who had met their maker's maker so it was difficult to know what was normal and what wasn't.
By the time we made it outside, the sun was completely down allowing us to safely walk to the carriage. It took us thirty minutes to reach Baker's street where the university was. As we entered the building, I looked behind us to see if we were being followed. It might have been out of instincts but I felt as if something or someone was watching us.
"My dear friends do not know of our condition, it would be preferable if we keep it amongst ourselves." he declared as we crossed the main hallway.
He was clearly a master of disguise having lived secretly amongst humans for generations and generations. Thethought of exposing him made me sick to my stomach.
He brought us to a classroom set up like an auditorium; the way the Greeks used to teach. At the bottom and middle of the room, there was a bed with a corpse resting on top. A woman and a man were busy dissecting it's stomach.
He cleared his throat in an effort to attract the attention of both humans. The woman turned around and bore a big smile at him.
"Count Tepes! You came," she exclaimed obviously excited by his presence. I could smell it on her.
"Miss Murray! Of course" he replied. "May I introduce you to Godric Gallus and Eric Northman, Miss Wilhelmina Murray."
She presented her gloved hand which I kissed while staring at her in the eyes. She was a beautiful woman. Long brown hair and light blue eyes, features, I could see, were pleasing to my maker's maker. Her porcelain skin was inviting while her warmth and smell were delicious.
"A man from the North and a man from Gaul? Funny combination," she chuckled.
She was obviously highly educated not only in the medical field but in linguistics as well.
"Please, call me Mina," she added, gracing me with her most beautiful smile. She pointed at the man who was examining the corpse.
"And this is my fiancé; Jonathan Harker."
We both nodded out of respect but the disdain in his eye was evident. This man did not like any of us especially him. Judging by his posture, he did not like him either.
"We are waiting on the professor, but you must see this," she exclaimed taking his hand to guide him down a few more steps before reaching the operation table.
We followed them and I stood behind Godric as she happily showed the "incredible" progress their research had made. She thought it to be "fascinating" and that the blood was enough to give back life to already dead tissue. I frowned at her excitement. Was she referring to his blood? Why on earth would he risk being exposed for the sake of experimenting?
I sensed Godric stiffen when she mentioned the word blood. He, too, thought something was odd. I could tell.
"What kind of blood is it?" he asked.
"My own of course" he said with a courteous smile. "I have this special gene Dr. Helsing was able to point out and as Miss Murray has pointed out, it apparently has the ability to revive dead tissue" he explained with amusement. He was toying with her, it was evident but to what end?
"We still have so many questions to answer but for now, this is an incredible discovery that could save lives," Mina added while holding his arm between hers. "He is a special person," she said while Jonathan stared at them, a murderous look in his eyes.
"Facinating," Godric replied with a polite smile.
"We should celebrate this small discovery," Mina said as she took out a bottle of wine and glasses from the cupboard.
"Let me do the honour," he replied with a dainty smile that made Mina blush.
He then turned his back on us, preparing the bottle of wine. As the rest of them conversed, I watched him pouring the red liquid into each glass. He then brought a finger to his mouth and let a few drop of his blood fall into one of the glasses. I found it intriguing, as he gave that special glass to Mina. Vampires did not share their blood easily unless they wanted to be able to track someone. It was evident that Mina was special to him but it wasn't clear to what extent.
"To the discovery," he said while raising his glass. Everyone else did the same and as we toast, we all silently drank our glass. Wine was never my first choice when it came to alcohol but out of respect I drank the whole glass.
"What did I miss?" I heard behind us and at the top of the stairs was standing a man I would think to be in his forties.
As he descended, I was able to get a clearer picture of him. He was tall and of medium build. He had black hair and green eyes and his beard appeared to not have been groomed for a couple days. He had a cane which he relied on for his left foot which appeared to have been injured but by the way he leaned on his cane with practiced ease, it must have been some time ago.
Mina was the first one to speak to the professor, as she called him, and explain what they had discovered with his blood. Every time she mentioned him, she looked in his direction which seemed to annoy Harker greatly. I found it amusing how human men were thought to be so tough and mighty meanwhile, a woman could bring them to their knees with just the flick of a hand.
I watched the professor as Mina explained every detail. He listened intently, following her to the body and letting her show him parts of the body. Every move he made seemed calculated and precise which had been confirmed when Mina knocked over a bottle from the table by accident while the professor caught it by reflexes. I frowned at the scene. Something was off, I could feel it and if I did, Godric did too.
"Well this was all very interesting," Godric declared and then faced me, "but we must go" and without much more detail, he bid farewell to the couple, the professor and his maker who insisted in staying behind to Godric's dismay, but my maker let nothing show, and agreed without any argument.
When we reached the mansion, we headed to the back garden where the coffin had remained. I knew what he was going to look for, because I had thought of it too. There had been bruises on the legs and arms, bruises in an odd shape. When we opened the coffin, I could confirm that the bruises were round and were a perfect match.
"The shape of the bottom of a cane perhaps? " I enquired and Godric smiled at me.
"My father is too enamored with the humans to see what is standing right in front of him," Godric added with a devious smile.
"Then we must show him," I said with my best charming smile.
"We must speak to him alone. I wouldn't want the human to know we are onto him."
"Agreed, what should we do until then?"
"We feed, we will need our strength. If this adversary is as good as father thinks he is, then we must not under estimate him."
I thought about asking my maker about Mina and why his maker would feed her his own blood but now was not the time as he headed out of the mansion's property and began our hunt.—
We had spent the rest of the night and early morning, feeding making sure to hide every body so no human could be alerted of our presence. There were many vampires in the area and there was nothing to gain in making their lives miserable by alerting the public.
I suggested to Godric that we return to the mansion and find his maker before dawn, in order to warn him of our suspicions. He thought about it for a minute and as I hoped, he probed their bond to have a feel whether his maker was at the mansion. He signaled to follow him and within minutes we flew over. It was a moonless night which meant avoiding detection during our flight was easier.
At the mansion, we found Godric's maker sitting in the study with Mina at his side. She was reading a book while he was conversing with someone else impossible to identify from where we were standing. I instinctively assumed it to be the professor which was a correct assumption. When we entered the room, they stopped talking. I found it odd for both humans to not be sleeping since I knew they had not gone to bed since we had last seen them.
"Still up professor?" Godric said lightly completely ignoring Mina's presence.
"We have lots to discuss before tonight's ball."
"Ball?" I replied intrigued, I was never one to miss the opportunity to dress in a tuxedo.
"Yes, I had forgotten to mention it earlier that we are hosting a ball here at the mansion for the university officials to attend. We are looking to secure a grant for Miss Murray and the professor's research," he said with charm.
I nodded in understanding and watched Mina place the book back on the bookshelf. Something was odd about her but I couldn't quite place a finger on it. She appeared to me as if she was ill, her skin being pale in colour and clammy but her heart beat and her eyes seemed to indicate otherwise.
"I would really appreciate it if you both join us for the occasion," he continued offering Mina his hand. "In the meantime, it is getting very late, it would be wise if you retreat for the night Miss Murray."
She took it while staring at him and they both walked to the door.
"Professor, I will see you at noon for lunch" he added over his shoulder and I froze not sure if I understood what he said correctly.
"Very well," the professor replied. "If you will excuse me for the night, I should get some rest," he added to our attention and I couldn't help but notice his shake. For someone who had been so precise and concise, he was very stressed out at that very second. Even his heartbeat was faster.
"Of course," is all Godric said while the professor left the room. I followed the sound of his fast heartbeat to the main door and as faint as it became, I could tell it had regained its normal cadence back by the time it was out of hearing's reach.
I watched my maker close his eyes as if he was meditating but I knew he was simply listening. Once he reopened his eyes, he signaled me to take a seat in the opposite chair of his. Only then, have I realized I had been standing the entire time.
"You seemed puzzled? " he inquired as I placed my elbows on each armchairs and crossed one leg over the other.
"Indeed I am," I replied watching his every move while I intertwined my fingers together in a pensive way. "How can he have lunch at noon?" is all I asked which made my maker smile.
"Because he is very old. Besides, you can sometimes walk in the day time. Why would it be so shocking for a vampire his age to actually walk at noon?"
"Because it would be in the sun. Sure we could walk during the day if we really desired it, but at what cost?" I added. "I would never dream of actually having lunch at noon with a human."
"He is different," Godric said but before he could finish his thought, Lucy stumbled in the room, obviously hurt.
She was holding her stomach moaning in pain. She reached the middle of the room between our two chairs, and after looking at me visibly in pain from her ordeal, she collapsed on the floor asking for him.
"Miss Westenra!" Godric exclaimed as he grabbed her arm and tried to help her to her feet in vain as her knees had let go.
She didn't seem hurt but her heartbeat was fading while her skin appeared as white as snow. I kneeled down to assist my maker as if I was a human. It was important to keep our cover, and one man in Godric's size would have trouble supporting Lucy by himself. I grabbed her arm, and frowned as I felt its coldness. Her breath had become shallow, she was dying and I couldn't tell how.
"The coffin," my maker's maker declared behind us.
Godric pushed my arm out of his way since Lucy had lost consciousness thus having no need to keep pretences. He lifted her with ease and walked behind his maker to the coffin where her mother had been. She was now gone.
Without a word, I watched my maker place her in the coffin and then stepping back to let his maker approach the coffin.
"I don't have much time," he said as he looked to the horizon to witness the sun slowly coming up.
"Yes father," Godric said nodding.
He took place beside Lucy and I realized his intention of turning her. I did not know what was killing her but a vampire did not share a resting place with a human unless he wanted to turn them. What I didn't understand was why he would go to ground with her while she was still alive and why it was pressing to do so before the sun was up. I had not turned a human of my own yet I knew the process included feeding their corpse blood so the next night or two, they would rise. It was very efficient to give our blood before they died but we were still required to go to ground with them to continue feeding their corpses.
If my maker's maker was as powerful as he was, I really didn't understand the pressing matter. I did not speak of my concerns, and let my maker help his go to ground with Lucy. It didn't take us long to cover the already dug grave where Godric had placed the coffin. As I shovelled the dirt into the hold, I could only think of one question that haunted me and I wanted to ask; had she been turned as a result of her imminent death or was it his making?
I didn't ask, I am not sure why. Part of me, had many questions but in my years as a vampire, I had learned that there was a time and place for them and now wasn't either. Once we were finished, the sun was almost all up and I could feel my skin tangle.
"We must take shelter," I said and Godric nodded in agreement.
We flew to the window we knew to be ours, and as I closed it and pulled the curtain, I felt death was imminent. I resumed my place beside my maker and together we died for the rest of the day having no time to ponder on what had just happened.
I woke with as many questions as I had in the morning. My maker's maker was a strange character. I did not know how old he was but he was different in so many ways I had no words to express it. For one, he had seemed to be weirdly attached to humans, letting them experiment on his own blood. He also seemed to have a different way to turn a human, as if the law of the supernatural did not apply to him. What is it because of his age?
I swung my legs over to one side of the bed while my maker took the other. He was over a thousand years older than I was but he always woke at the same time as me when we were side by side. I always assume it was by courtesy more than a necessity but nonetheless, he unnecessarily stretched and got up to his feet before I did.
"We must hurry and get tuxedos for tonight's reception," he said. "Father isn't here in the mansion. I believe he is at the university," Godric said with confidence.
"Should we not warn him of the professor?" I asked
"If he is at the university, it means he is with him and Miss Murray"
"What about Miss Westerna?" I asked and he smiled at me.
"She will be a fine sister," he replied and I knew the turning had been successful despite the fact not even a day had gone by since.
"Very well," I said as we left the mansion headed to a little shop in a quaint neighborhood of London. It was clearly a gentleman's store full of top hats and everything else you may require.
It took several hours to get fitted but when we exited, I marvelled at my maker's looks. We were both wearing the same type of tuxedo with long tails, bow ties, black coats and black top hats. I was not one for fashion but I always loved a good tuxedo.
We hurried back to the mansion where we knew the festivities had already started. It was just shy of eight o'clock so we were not late by any means. The building was buzzing with laughter and distant chatter that even with my fine hearing; it was difficult to distinguish anything.
As soon as we entered the mansion, we were greeted by a beautiful woman whom had a high social status judging by her clothing and her manners. She was tall and thin, with beautiful dark blond hair. She seemed fierce and definitely not shy which I always appreciated in human women. She had a beautiful off the shoulder gown, the colour of wine and black lace that hid her small hands. She gave me her gloved hand and introduced herself as Miss Pamela Ravenscroft. I kissed it softly and stated my name and my maker's. She seemed amused by the gesture as if having a man do what she wanted was exciting to her. She had me intrigued.
After several minutes of small talk, we were interrupted by our host, Lucy, who was accompanied by her best friend Mina. Of course, I had to examine Lucy, intrigued by her stature and how well she looked. It was evident she was recently turned but contrary to most one day old vampires, she was extremely well behaved and was just acting as if nothing had happened. She nodded to me while Mina was talking to Godric and I nodded back, shocked by her demeanor and her lack of hunger.
"The professor is here, he is talking to the dean. I really believe we have a chance," I heard Mina state as her Fiancé took his protective place beside her.
"I don't doubt it," he said with a smile but Mina was too busy watching him, walking down the staircase.
Given he was extremely well dressed and well mannered, there was a presence about him, even I couldn't deny. My own attraction left me helpless as he walked in our direction. He kissed every female hand available and nodded to Godric and I.
"What a lovely evening," he said offering his hand palm up to Mina. "May I offer you this dance?" he inquired and Lucy giggled as Mina took it. I could tell Jonathan was fuming but he said nothing and there lied his mistake. Human women wanted to be fought for, and this man would learn the hard way. Mina was under his charms and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
I watched them step away to the ballroom where I ventured alone. I too wanted to dance so I offered my hand to Miss Ravenscroft who took it with a genuine smile. As we twirled around the room, I kept an eye on where he was. I found it intriguing that despite the many couples dancing, they appeared as they were the only one that mattered. His eyes met mine several times and each time, he had the same evil smile I had recognised on many of my own kind. I kept up with them, and as I step to the left, I saw his fang down. I pivoted to the right to see him bite his own wrists and let several drop land in her mouth. What was strange about the scene wasn't the fact that he was bold enough to do it in front of everyone. On the contrary, it was that he was dancing at human speed, yet feeding her his blood at vampire speed and no one had seemed to notice; not even Jonathan. I spun around Pamela within my arms but watched him bite her neck and feed as I heard her moan quietly. He had a predator look in his eyes, as if he had finally achieved his goal, but as fast as he had started feeding, he stopped. He then winked at me and the dance concluded. I bowed to Pamela who smiled at me and swayed away in the sea of guests moving away from the dance floor.
I looked around to see where he was heading but failed in locating him. Godric was standing at the back of the room with his back to the wall and signaled to come to him. I did and bend down to allow him access to whisper in my ear.
"I can't find the professor." He declared and pointed upstairs. "He is upstairs," he added and I understood.
Not being able to find a vampire and a hunter in the same room meant only one thing, either one of them was chasing the other. We quietly headed upstairs where we found an empty corridor. We started with the first door to make our way down to our own bedroom. Every room we came across was completely empty and quiet. I heard a commotion at the distance that had seemed to come from Mina's room. Godric signaled to open the door at his count and as soon as he said three, I did. At vampire speed we entered the room but what we found stopped us dead in our tracks.
Mina was lying on her bed, and judging by her shallow breath, she was dying quickly. On the opposite side of the room, he was sitting on a chair, a silver net draped over his head. What was unbelievable was not the fact that the Professor had been able to throw the net on him, or the fact that he even had a chance to get close, but as if he had been waiting for it, he sat on the chair comfortably with no signs of flesh burning or discomfort. He had his leg crossed and was staring at the professor in front of him who bore a bow loaded with a stake. Silver seemed to not affect him and I had no idea how that was even possible.
"Good evening gentleman, please have a seat," the professor said. "Your turn will come soon enough," he added which caused him to laugh.
"Oh Van Helsing, if only you knew the truth," he said loudly.
"And what would that be?" the professor asked.
"Has it occurred to you, I let you in, I let you come close?" He said with the same evil smile I had witnessed during the dance.
At vampire speed, he jumped onto the professor who fired the stake piercing through his left shoulder. It had obviously missed his heart but the professor at more than one trick in his bag and as he sprayed something onto him but Godric had already moved in to help his maker. I heard something sizzle and was unable to know what he had been sprayed with but it caused his skin to turn bright red and bleed. He backed away as the professor took a few step in his direction. Godric, however had stopped dead in his tracks looking to me as puzzled as I felt. Something was physically stopping him from going to his maker. I ran at vampire speed to him and I too was stopped by an invisible field. Van helsing turned his head to us and laughed.
"You think I was born yesterday? It helps knowing a few witches. They despise you as much as I do," he stated and we both hissed at him. "I will not allow him to reproduce any longer!" he exclaimed as he sprayed him again with the same solution. "I was patient with you; I let Miss Murray experiment on your blood, on your kind. Somehow, you too let it happen. I kept on playing along; hoping something would come out of it only to realize you had been feeding her your disgusting blood all along. All you wanted was to turn her. I won't let you do it. She has her life ahead of her, a bright future. She can find you a cure, all of you, why must you kill her?"
"I want to give her eternity. I love her," he said quietly as his back touched the wall.
"This isn't a life," the professor yelled. "Aren't you sick of all the suffering you inflect upon us! Stop turning us, your kind will disappear, you must know that. Aren't you sick of your own immortality, of the tedious process YOU have to take to simply turn one of us. It's time to die," the professor added as he sprayed him again but this time he dodged it and launched at him.
The professor was able to avoid his attack with agility I had not witnessed in a long time but he did not back away, having gained a new found strength.
"I love her and she will be my bride for all eternity Van Helsing," he hissed before running at vampire speed to the other side of the room.
The professor ran at the same time, in the same corner, having not realized that he did not launch to him but away from him anticipating his next moves. As he reached the other side, he was already there and grabbed his head between his hands.
"I will not allow you or anyone come between us," he declared but Van helsing let his knee buckled on purpose and his body fell to the ground, getting away from him.
He rolled to the fire but he was quicker and grabbed a fire tool which he inserted in Van Helsing's stomach.
Godric and I made several attempt to enter the protective circle that was now evident to us but it was in vain. The magic was too powerful; it felt the same as the one that governs human homes.
"Why can't you leave me be. I had no intention of killing you hunter, but you leave me no choice. I can't have you kill anymore of my children," He said.
He grabbed the tool and ripped it out as the professor screamed. He pushed it into his heart, taking his life away forever. He then took the stake out of his shoulder without any whimper, no signs of pain. He turned to us and smiled, fixed his coat and walked to us where he wiped an invisible line. I felt the ward was lifted as I entered the circle that had been denied minutes earlier.
"Son, I would have never thought him to be the hunter I was looking for. I thank you," he said looking at Godric.
Godric saw my confusion and smile.
"When you share a bond for this many years, there are advantages," he said in response.
I understood what he meant. Over the years I had noticed that while we were not always together, he was always with me. I was able to tell his emotions from great distance and as the years had gone by, it was only getting stronger. I sometime was able to see how my maker felt and see what he thought and I understood that if I was able to do this after nine hundred years, they were capable of much more after two thousand.
He then looked at Mina and then back at us.
"I must hurry, she cannot die," he said pleading us to help him. Seeing this many emotions on a vampire was unusual and unsettling but without any other words, I nodded.
"I hope to see you here in the morning," he directed to my maker who agreed in a whisper.
He stood up, having completely healed from all his wounds and he placed his arms under Mina to lift her off the bed. He then spun quickly a couple times while I watched curious about what was happening right in front of me. His body was getting smaller and darker; wings were growing on his back while his fangs descended. Mina had seemed to follow along although she did not change colour. Once the transformation was over, the black creature, a bat, let out a couple cries before flying out the window.
As I stared in disbelief and in confusion to what I had witnessed, nothing else mattered as I came to the realization that my father's father was THE father.
A/N: Yes Dracula, I have always been a fan of his and I wanted to find a way to incorporate him into our world which I always thought Harris had failed to do. Note the title of the story is how Bram Stocker, the author of Dracula, calls vampires in the novel and the quote is of course from him. I did not put his full name so I wouldn't give up Dracula in the right line but I am sure some of you figured it out :) This quote had always stayed with me when I read the book for the first time. The only thing that is inevitable in life, the one thing we can count on is death. This is why vampires are so interesting, it's not the fact they bite, or they are sexy, violent or mysterious. It's the nature of immortality, the idea that the one thing you could count on as a human, has changed. But in the words of one of my amazing and talent friend Gerard: Oh how wrong we were to think that immortality meant never dying.
I will leave you to his famous "last" words. And no unfortunately it is not in the plans, at the moment, to continue this story but hey nothing is impossible.
If you haven't done already, please let me know your thoughts on it, I would really appreciate it :)
xxx
Z