Blood Moon
Chapter 3: Elizabeth's Visitor
Elizabeth entered her large chambers and quickly shut the door. The room was lit solely by candles set throughout the room and a single chandelier in the middle of it. The curtains had been replaced with steel sheets, blocking out outdoor lights during the day. As she crossed the room, she shed her cloak and stopped to start the blazing private fireplace, which quickly flickered to live and sent a warm cast of light out in the room.
She stood for a minute before sitting down at a small writing desk and pulling out sheets of paper. She began writing in elegant script, and kept scribbling away as the fire burned on. The only noise was the pen scratching lightly on the paper and the slight rusting of pages as she finished them.
She didn't notice the door open and shut silently, as her back was turned towards it. The young man who entered smiled from under a black hooded cloak as he crossed the room towards her. He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head, making her jump up and turn to face him.
She sighed in exasperation as she recognized him. "Have you no sense of privacy anymore?" She shuffled the papers back into a drawer in the desk.
"That's a fine way to say 'I've missed you, where have you been for a whole century?'" He laughed lightly and pulled back his hood to reveal a very handsome blonde face with the clearest blue eyes.
"Michael, just don't sneak up on me, you know I don't appreciate it."
"Fine, I swear I won't do so again," he winked, "Now are you going to give me a hug or not?"
She sighed and embraced him firmly, her arms circling his neck while his enclosed her waist. "You already know that I've missed you."
They broke apart and Elizabeth led him to a couple of chairs on another side of the room. He sat heavily, revealing a trace of exhaustion as he leaned back. She watched it flicker across his face before he pulled his face back into a content expression. "Gone for a century, and you're still the same," she sighed.
He laughed at that before answering. "You expected any different? An old man, maybe?" he glanced at the fire before adding, "Vampires don't age at all once infected, or don't you remember even that simple side-effect?"
"I just expected you to be less carefree after so long. You're as you always were, Michael," she clarified, grasping his nearest hand with hers. "It's such a relief to see you so unaffected and back with me."
"Well I always was the dashing, brave, and unstoppable one," he joked, lifting his chin in fake-haughtiness. "You, however, look positively deathly. When's the last time you fed?"
"About a month now," she put a hand up to stop him as he opened his mouth in protest, "I know that doing that's dangerous, but it's been slim pickings around here lately. Too many wolves around, getting them before I do."
"Wolves?!" he sat straight up, "Since when has our city taken to welcoming mangy animals?"
"They aren't as troublesome as you think. Lia chases them out-" she began, but was cut off with a quick motion from the suddenly-irritated vampire.
"This is just a surprise, is all," he assured, and he rubbed his eyes with his free hand.
"Michael, Lia has been keeping things in perfect order. You don't need to be so worried," she said, frowning slightly.
"You're planning to drink soon? Promise me, as soon as possible," he suddenly changed the subject and clenched her hand in earnest.
She smiled warmly. "I have plans to do so tomorrow night in fact. With the girls."
"Good. The sooner the better," he said, then added, "By the way, how are the girls doing? I haven't seen them since you barely turned the younger one."
"They're fine. We hunted two scrupulous characters just this evening and they feed healthily," she leaned forward and kissed him sweetly on the cheek, "its sweet of you to be concerned about them."
"Because they're your family," he answered simply, grabbing her other hand, holding both of hers in his. "And mine, if you're so inclined to let me stay indefinitely this time."
She scoffed at this. "Don't even doubt such a thing. Of course you're welcome to stay."
"I was just making sure," he smirked. "You never know what can happen over the course of a full century apart."
"Don't doubt for a second that I'd feel any less devoted to you over something as silly as distance. We're immortal. We can wait ages without a care," she frowned at his sudden unsure attitude. "What happened out there?"
He grinned widely. "Nothing that can't wait for another night. Let's just enjoy our reunion, love," and he leaned forward suddenly to plant a solid kiss on Elizabeth, who immediately closed her eyes and answered it.
End Chapter