"Well it's been a long time hasn't it?" My father asked his voice low and menacing but lightly coated with humour.
"Ten years," I spat at him fighting the tears that pooled in my eyes. "Does my mom know you're here?" I asked, if my father's surprise visit was pulling all of my emotional strings I cant imagine what it was doing to my already unstable mother.
"She's not here Sammy," he said and I physically tensed at his words.
"Don't call me that," I hissed
"Samantha, you should really calm down," He laughed. "I don't recall Melanie ever being this irritable on her birthday," He said smiling fondly at the mention of my sister.
"Where is my mother," I asked the mention of Melanie upsetting me to the point where I was physically shaking.
"Here's the thing Sammy," He said. "Your mother will not be returning," He continued quickly dismissing the discussion about his ex-wife.
"What do you mean not returning?" I asked.
"I mean, it had reached the both of us that you Samantha, were going through physical and emotional changes your mother would be of no help through, whereas I am the perfect candidate to aid you," He snarled.
"What are you talking about?" I yelled before I winced in pain, I'd almost forgotten about the tooth ache.
"Notté," My father smiled suddenly appearing over me in a matter of seconds, and then lightly stroking my scar. I anticipated a stinging sensation similar to that of when Freddie accidently brushed me this morning, however I felt nothing. Looking down I was now met with a perfectly healed cut. "The night crown," He said.
"What are you doing here?" I asked and as he hovered over me I was able inspect his appearance the way I hadn't been able to since I was seven years old. I was shocked to see nothing matched my memory.
"What can you remember from that night ten years ago?" he asked quickly changing the course of the conversation as he often did.
"Oh you mean that night when daddy dearest took off with my twin sister, told me he'd see me soon and was never seen of or heard from again?" I asked.
"Yes Samantha , that night," He whispered. "What do you remember?" He repeated.
"I do believe I just told you," I said slouching while staring him in the eye.
"You've become more like your mother than I ever imagined you would," He said somewhere between admiration and accusation.
"Maybe that's because I never had a father figure to influence me in any other way," I stated.
"Sam please, just tell me what you remember from that night," He said pleading and I felt myself visibly weaken as he called me Sam for the first time.
I looked at him and then as far away from him as possible which happened to be out the window that hung over my bed. "I remember," I started taping into a memory I had shun from my mind and promised myself all those years ago I'd never re-visit. "Melanie and I had been off riding the matching red bikes we'd gotten for our birthday that morning; we'd tired ourselves out and came in for something to drink,"
Ten Years Ago;
Samantha and Melanie Puckett had entered the Puckett kitchen from the door that lead to the back yard. As the girls entered they heard hushed yet frantic whispers coming from the living room. The girls planned to eavesdrop as they often did when their parents had a dispute, however due to the open décor of the Puckett home there weren't many places hidden from every angle. Finally, the girls curled underneath "the award" wall (which Sam later dubbed as the Melanie Award Wall).
"Well what am I supposed to do John?" A much younger Pam Puckett was heard yelling "Tell them to write their SATs at seven years old and see who scores higher?" She questioned.
"Pam you know that kind of test won't help," John sighed exasperated.
"So what do you want me to do instead, drop them off a high building and see who sprouts bat wings and flies off?" She whisper-yelled.
"Of course not Pam, but I need to figure it out somehow," John said letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Then use your super "smelling" powers and sniff it out of one of them!" She yelled
"Pam you know it doesn't work that way," He sighed.
"Then how does it work John, please explain it to me," A frustrated Pam pleaded.
"I have to train her, prepare her and educate her Pam, if I don't, things can get very dangerous very fast," He sighed. "I need to know which one it will be,"
"Well why can you stay for a year or so, you know until it starts to show or whatever. That way you can train and prepare both of them!" Pam concluded. "They're twins John, they've never been separated, I don't know what that'll do to them!" Pam stated.
"My world needs me Pam," He sighed.
"So do your daughters John, so does your wife," Pam said finally letting the tears that welled in her eyes fall.
John stood expressionless calculating every memory he could muster of his twin daughters, before speaking, "Melanie," He stated. "It's Melanie," He said reaching behind the award wall and scooping his daughter into his arms. "I'll send for her things," Were the last words John Puckett breathed to his wife and forgotten other twin daughter.
"What did you do?" I spat and he stared at me with a perplexed look.
"What do you mean?" He asked with a sly grin.
"That wasn't a memory," I shouted "That was like we were fucking there!" I yelled unale to control my anger. "So I'll ask you one more time, what did you do?" I said threateningly my fist clenching in anger.
"I can't believe I was so wrong," He laughed to himself. "It wasn't Melanie it was you," He said.
"What do you mean?" I questioned for what felt like the millionth time today, it seemed as I searched for answers all I got were more questions.
"Sam there is a lot I have to say to you, and I don't have much time, so please just listen to me," He said and either because I'd never seen him look so vulnerable or because of the pain in my teeth and head, I finally backed down. Reluctantly I sat down with my back against the wall hugging my knees. I felt like a wrecking ball of emotional instability.
"Tell me then," I finally agreed.
"To be honest I don't know where to start," He laughed light-heartedly, and the sound so pleasant, and so unlike the father I had familiarized myself with today shocked me. "When I told Melanie she was much younger and these kind of things are easier to tell younger people, they have an over active imagination that tends to eat these things up,"
"You can start with what you're wearing," I said only half joking. The dad I remembered as well as the one from the "memory" had often worn simple jean and t-shirt combinations and right now looked like he was drenched from head to toe in something Louis XIV spit up. From the robe and cravat right down to the leather pointed toe shoes with red lace.
"Better yet," He said "Why don't I ask you questions," He mused, then continued as I nodded.
"Samantha, have you ever considered what life would be like if you weren't human, but an immortal?" He asked.
I stared my father in the eye, seriously questioning his sanity, but as he didn't seem to back down from his question I answered. "When you and Melanie left I found condolence in the "Harry Potter" collection. When I turned eleven I refused to go to school so I wouldn't miss my Hogwarts letter. It didn't come, and eventually I let go of the idea," I said blushing slightly at my response, I was shocked I shared this with my father, I hadn't told anyone not even Carly.
"Well what if an owl came, but instead with a letter saying you were a witch, there was a letter saying you were for example a vampire? How would you feel?" He asked.
"You mean like that Cullen nub?" I asked laughing out loud.
"No, Sam like a real blood drinking, night walking vampire," He said.
My initial reaction was that it would be awesome to be a vampire, but when I realized what being a vampire really entailed; drinking blood. And what my father was indicating; I was a blood drinking vampire I shuddered. "Your psycho," I concluded. "That impossible,".
"Some would argue that waking up with an unknown tattoo is impossible as well," He said with a smile.
"H-how did you know?" I stuttered.
"The same thing happened to me when I was your age; it's our family mark," He said de-tying his cravat and showing me a mark identical mine; down to the penmanship of the black ink and the bird in purple. However the purple crow contrasted much more on the marble skin of my father than my tanned one.
"What do you mean family mark?" I snapped.
"I mean Samantha, you are not a Puckett but instead an Ettoré, of the royal vampire clan," He said.
"You're crazy," I repeated.
"Have you ever heard of the Casa Savia?" He said ignoring my statement and continuing when I shook my head no. "Well Casa Savia was the rulers of the Savoy Region; Italy, Spain, Albania and more. Well this royal family was led by Victor Emmanuel II, whose eldest daughter Maria Clotilde was married at the age of fifteen. She was sent to France to marry Napoléon Bonaparte. However, the marriage was loveless and lacked any happiness. It was common knowledge that Maria's husband had engaged in many affairs during their marriage, but what was less known that Maria herself had an affair," He said pausing.
"Okay?" I said unsure how this history lesson connected to me being a vampire,"
"Unlike her husband however Maria was committed to one man, an Italian Duke whom she loved and eventually found herself impregnated by. Of course this was frowned upon by the royal court and she was kept hidden during the "showing" aspects of her pregnancy. After the baby was born, he was neglected and kept locked up in the Italian cellar away from his mother in France, and away from his father who never knew about him. This child was abused to severely by the guards, where the only drinks he was fed, were coated with blood hopping it would weaken and eventually kill him. Un-bestowed to the guards however the blood-filled drinks continually made him stronger, to the point where his body would reject anything beside the blood. Of course this came with consequences such as physically changing the appearance of the young adult. Screams could be heard at night, causing the guards to believe he was dying, however he overcame the trauma eventually, and with the super human strength and senses he developed, he was able escaped," He finally concluded.
"Well what does this have to do with me?" I asked.
"That man was your great-great grandfather, and he single handily lead not only him; but hundreds of children, men and women who were suffering as he once had on blood dependence. He passed on his legacy to his children, and them to theirs until it finally reached me, and now you. You'll be expected to overlook the Nightworlde once you complete your Rebirth Samantha,"
I stared dumbstruck at my father with no idea what to do or say, finally he stepped closer to me, raising my lip and smiling. "You're vampire teeth are coming in nicely," He said before walking to the window and opening it. "You have until tomorrow to prepare yourself," He said. "Then we leave," And with that he was gone, disappearing into an eruption of black flames, the only proof he'd ever been here was the bird feather that lay on the floor and the distant cry of the crow.
A/N So the action starts next chapter, (though its only minor the REAL ACTION will be seen in about two chapters)
Also I am kind of confused, i mean this story only has three reviews? I've never done a story to be so mildly acquired by the audience. Does anyone actually enjoy this?
Oh and Interesting fact; the Casa Sovia information was all true UNTIL i started speaking about Maria's affair. However she was in an unhappy marriage to NB who was much older and often cheated on her,