It is bitter to lose a friend to evil, before one loses him to death.'

Chapter XII

We are evils puppets

Silence. That's all there was to it. You could almost hear a feather land as I sat on the couch. Actually, more like slouched on it. I was devestated at what had happend a couple of hours ago. My temper was taking the best of me, making me feel so angry, I could burst into flames. I wasn't looking at any one. I couldn't face anyone at this moment. My face was turned away from everyone, as I crossed my arms across my chest, in attempt to warn everyone to keep away from me, as I really was not in the mood for chit chat and all that bull. The tangible tension in the air was so high, you would expect the glass windows to shatter any moment. I was trying to figure out why and what Vincent was going to do with Violeta. It was all my fault. All my bloody fault.

''Giselle, stop beating yourself over it, goddamit,'' Nicola said, from the far end of the lounge, as she was skimming through a range of books and DVDs alike, on the bookshelf. I didn't respond. I had stopped all my breathing. I was as still as a statue.

''Giselle, Nicola's right. Besides, it wasn't your fault,'' Oliver said in a calm voice, from his seat opposite mine. I didn't listen. I moved my face further away from them. Then I heard Nicola approach me in swift strides. She towerd over me, as she stood with her arms at her sides.

''Giselle, now you listen here, there ain't no point in being so angry over something that's going to turn out allright...I really don't see the point in this. It's so childish of you!'' She said, hissing the last part.

''Yeah Giselle, she has a point there,'' Claude joined in. That traitor. Suddenly, they all wanted a peice of my attention, asking questions like Giselle, why are you ebing like this? Giselle, stop this immaturness, it really ain't necessery. Giselle. Giselle. Giselle.

''Giselle!''

''Shut up!'' I yelled, getting off my seat abruptly. And there was silence yet again. I looked around and everyones expressions. It was a cross between shock and disgust.

''Can't you just leave me alone for a few minutes so I can think about this?!'' I yelled.

''You've been thinking for nearly eight hours now. What more is there to think about? Huh?'' Nicola asked.

''You know what? Atleast there is a person in this house who atleast cares for Violeta,'' I said, calming my voice down, as I felt tears begin to well up. Claude noticed this, so he gripped my shoulders, and brought me close to him. He led me outside the lounge, and into the hall, by the stairs.

''Giselle, don't cry. It hurts me seeing you like this,'' he said in the softest voice ever.

''But I can't let this happen!'' My voice trembled, as I began to cry and squeezing his grip on my hand.

''Neither of us can, and neither of us could stop it...do you atleast want to talk about this in private? With me,'' he asked, a small smile appearing on his glorious face.

''Yeah...sure,'' I whisperd. He scooped me up in his arms, and walked us up the stairs, into our bedroom. I noticed he was taking us outside on the balcony as he placed me on one of the garden chairs. He took a seat opposite to me, crouching over. I just sat there, crying my freaking heart out into my hands. I felt his cold touch on my hands, as he removed them from my face. I looked up to meet his penetrating gaze. He lifted my chin up with his index finger, forcing me to look at him. I tried to keep my gaze away from his, starring down at the stone floor of the balcony.

''Giselle,'' he whispered, in a mesmerizing voice. I felt myself melting into his touch, surrendering, as I looked up to meet his gaze yet again. It was so strong, as though he could see right through my mind. I tried my best to avoid it, yet I fell for his seductive ways and charm.

''Claude, I...I...It's all my fault that Violeta is in this mess now. I should have gone by myself,'' I said, wiping away my tears.

''And what? Get yourself killed?'' He asked, his left eyebrow shooting up. The one that wasn't half covered by inky black hair. But the one that had a silver piercing. Did I ever mention how much I loved that peircing?

''Claude, I think I'm capable enough of handling a mere werewolf and Sabar,'' I retorted, making him drop his hand away from my face.

''I doubt you could. You couldn't even tell Esthero was right behind you. And vampires can smell a werewolf miles apart,'' he hissed, drawing close to me in anger.

''Why thank you Captain Obvious. And I was distracted,'' I said in a voice so low, yet dripping with venom.

''Look, are we going to spend the day arguing like kids or are we going to discuss this like adults?'' He asked.

''Are you calling me immature, now?'' I asked angily, leaning in even closer, so that our faces were only a mere milimitre apart.

''Yes,'' he smirked.

''But-'' I began, hoping to start a long lecture of mine, only to be cut off by Claudes' lips pressed hard against mine. He pulled back slowly, and asked yet again, ''Now, can we discuss this properly or not?''

''Feel free to begin,'' I smiled smugly, leaning back onto my chair.

''Good, because I have a few things to ask you,'' he continued.

''Like?'' I asked.

''Why do you think Violeta was kidnapped?''

''Why do you think Violeta was kidnapped?'' I asked. This conversation was starting to become quite absurd. I looked at him, as he mused for a second, thinking deeply. I wonder what he was thinking about.

''Well,'' he finally spoke ''I think that the reason as to why Vincent really kidnapped her, was to use her as bate...this is all a trap''.

''What do you mean exactly...be more specific,'' I said, warming up to his idea.

''What if Violeta was kidnapped for a reason. What if...if he's planning on using her as a hostage, so we can go after her, and fall into a trap. Then that's easier for him to kill us,'' he replied.

''Good idea...but why would he do that? I mean, we don't know where he is. I'm sure he knows that too...what of he just kidnapps us all one by one, killing us, until we're eventually gone,'' I said.

''That's a good point. I'm impressed,'' he smirked.

''Impressed? What do you take me for? A moron?'' I asked.

''No. It's just that I never really thought of it in that sense,''

''Oh,'' was my simple reply. I hopped off my seat, and sat on his lap, trapping his legs inbetween mine. I faced him, starring deeply into those dreamy eyes of his.

''Yeah...'' he zoned out.

''Aha,'' I replied, zoning out aswell. I realized we were both in worlds of our own at the moment. I took a handful of his colar into both my hands. His eyes tore away from the sky, to look at me briefly. That brought a slight smile to my face; this glorious immortal cared so much for an inferior like me. I really couldn't understand how someone like him could love me so, yet I'm not even that special. During my human years -which were quite long ago, and I can't remember much of it - I used to be quite a trouble maker. My father -Don Valerio - used to be a vampire right from the start. I didn't know he was when I was a little girl, but I eventually found out when he told me when I turned sixteen. I was quite shocked to begin with, but then I asked him why I wasn't a vampire. He told me that my mother was a slayer, and so I was too, but I hadn't inherited the vampire 'genes' from my father. That always made me laugh for some reason. I wanted badly to become a vampire, and my father agreed, as he didn't want to loose me. He had already lost my mother, so he didn't want me gone too. Our arrangments for my transformation were due on my seventeenth birthday, as I wanted to live one more year as a human before I turned into a vampire. As for my mother, I can't really remember her at all. She had died a year after I was born, yet my father always talked of her. He used to keep a grand painting of her in our dining hall, back in Italy. Every so often, I would talk to the painting, and hallucinate, thinking that the beautiful woman, who was my mother, actually replied. I remember the woman quite well. She had long, curly hazel hair, high cheekbones, olive toned skin, and deep grey eyes. In the painting she looked quite youthful, yet sad. She had a beautiful green ballgown in the painting, and she was sitting on a chair, her head slightly turned, looking towards you. Her hands were gently placed on her lap, with a white fan inbetween her fingers. That painting has remained a clear memory in my head ever since. The other thing I have of her, was her silver and ruby 'angel wings' hairclip. I always have it on my whenever I tie my hair or leave it out. It's always with me.

Only a few days after my transformation, my father told me what was the actualy 'cause' to my mothers death. I was always told that she had died due to heart failure, allthough I never really understood how that could have happend to such a young woman. But then the truth was told. My mother was killed by the most powerfull vampire, Vincent Van Roltovious. My father said he never wanted to tell me this before, as he couldn't trust me, due to my rebelliousness and fiery attitude. He said that, if I knew that my mother had been murdered whilst I was human, he knew I would go after him, and as a human, I probably would have died. After that, I always used to think of my father as a traitor. I regret that, but I was inexperienced and foolish. The best way for me to escape all that mayhem and go after Vincent, was to move to London. So I did, leaving behind me a family. Nicola, Oliver, Violeta, Penelopé and my father. Upon arriving to London, I was at first lost, but then I had eventually found a little place to live in. It was a very peaceful area, near Central London. A place by the name of West Hampstead. It also bloomed with greenery. I also happend to stumble upon Claude in London. We had met at Regents Park. One of Londons most fabulous. I remember I was walking by the greenery, in one of those bloody dresses that I hated so much. It was 'ladylike'...pfft. Anyways, I was walking, when suddenly some random robber dude decided to run past me and grab my purse. I couldn't run in that bloody puff dress, so I called out to him, ordering him to stop. Next thing I knew, a very handsome young guy came up to me, asking me if I needed help. I was being my usual stubborn self, and said I didn't need any help. He just laughed, so I started to walk away, furious. He soon raced behind me, keeping up, stepping right infront of me. And that's when I realised he wasn't an ordinary guy. His eyes and unhuman beauty said it all. I guess he too saw that I wasn't human either, as we stood there starring at eachother, mouths agape. From then on, he asked me if I wanted to go feeding with him. I agreed, ofcourse. He was surprised, as he was the only vampire in this area. He said that he once had killed a woman in this area, out of thirstiness. He intorduced himself as Claude, and my hunting teacher. Since then, we have been together. We got engaged, but never married as we preferred it this way, thinking that marriage was too old fashioned.

''Giselle? Earth to Giselle,'' Claudes voice broke my little daydream bubble.

''Oh, right...'' I laughed. I looked around, to find myself still outside, on his lap, allthough I was resting my head against his shoulder, hugging him, as he hugged me. The sun was setting already, creating a magical pattern of oranges, pinks and purples which spread across the sky.

''I began to think you fell asleep there,'' he chuckled, his chest reverberating as he did so, against mine.

''How is that possible?'' I asked, already knowing the answer.

''It ain't, but I began to think it was the minute your head landed on my shoulder, and you were so silent, I thought you were dead,'' he laughed.

''How is that pos-'' I began

''Be quiet,'' he chuckled, covering my mouth with his hand.

''Fine, I will then, Mr. Know It All,'' I mumbled against his hand.

''Me? A Mister Know It All? It's quite hard to believe,'' he replied, his voice oozing sarcasm.

''Well, believe it,'' I retorted, his hand still against my mouth, ''and will you please let go of my mouth.''

''Nope. I prefer it when your quiet,'' he smirked.

''Eat me,'' I snapped.

''My pleasure,'' he smiled, his hand not moving an inch off my mouth. I had an idea. I slowly opend my mouth, and bit the fleshy part of his hand. He ofcourse didn't feel it, so I licked it and blew my breathe onto it, making it sticky.

''Oh God Giselle, could you get anymore childish?'' He asked, letting go off my mouth.

''Yes actually, I could,'' I smiled. He just rolled his eyes, pretending to be upset, but I could see the smile that was trying to break free. He finally ended up laughing, as I joined him. When we had relieved ourselves from laughter, we were silent once again, starring at eachother. Claude slowly reached out, running his hand down my face and neck, as I closed my eyes, relishing the moment. His hand stopped right above chest, tracing my collarbone with his index finger, softly, making me melt onto him. He came to a stop, making me open my eyes, only to see him slightly hesitate as his face neared mine, cupping my face with his hand. I saw him smile, his eyes full of playfulness. I wonder what he was up to. Gradually, he tilted his head to a side, revaling his jaw and neck, and his eyes fluttering shut. I just sat there, my eyes open, until he gently grazed his lips against mine, seducing me so badly, that I felt as though I could simply grab his face, and kiss him like no other. He moved away, as I was about to kiss him. I opened my eyes, to see him smirking at me.

''Stop it...'' I moaned.

''Stop what?'' He asked, bringing his face close to mine yet again, and this time, his lips pressing against mine, in a soft embrace. My hands went on autopilot, as they reached out, taking his face in my hands, as he parted his lips. His hands travelled down to the small of my back, as I pushed my self to his solid chest, slightly leaning over him, trying to embrace him as much as possible. We soon found ourselves in a long, passionate kiss, stroking eachother, wanting more.

''You know...we have to get a move on...I mean, Violeta is still out there, while all we can think about it this,'' I said, inbetween kisses.

''Yeah...you...do...have...a...point...there,'' he said inbetween, as he left a trail of butterfly kisses down my neck and shoulders. I loved it when my neck was exposed to him, as it always gave me butterflies when he kissed me there.

''Well then, comeon,'' I said, when he brought his face back up to mine.

''Fine,'' he sighed, as I got off his lap.

''I'll owe it up to you later,'' I winked.

''Suits me,'' he smiled.

''Well, what you waiting for. Get up,'' I ordered. He got off the chair, took my hand and led us downstairs. I stopped halfway down, as a shooting pain went through my neck. It felt as though someone was cutting me from inside, with something cold and sharp.

I gripped the stair banner, clutching onto it for dear life. Allthough, I had none. I started to believe that this was due to the cut on my neck that Sabar had created. That was quite impossible though, I mean, I had afterall healed the cut the minute I got home, leaving just a faint scar. Suddenly, the sharp pain started to run down my chest, like a rush of cold, icy water, embracing my unbeating heart in coldness, freezing it in place. I grabbed my chest, crouching over, slipping down the stairs, the only support was the stair banner, and Claudes hand. Which reminded me; Claude was there, and his face was so scared, he looked like he'd seen a ghost. He was calling out to me, but it all sounded like a blur, as the iciness soon started to run through every capillery, artery and vein I had in my body. I froze in place, my eyes closing tightly, as I gradually started to go numb. I had no sense of feeling anymore, nothing. Then I heard a cry coming from somewhere near me, and a voice calling out my name inside my head. I shut my ears with both hands, screaming out in pain, and trying to block out the voices, until I eventually collapsed, blacking out...