Vacuous Heart of Blood

Author: MoonStarDutchess

Chapter 25: Betrayed?

AN: Any formatting mistakes should be blamed on the stupid weirdo document manager. It doesn't like me. XD

Amelia sat at the dining room table resting her hand on her cheek as she went through all the invitations they'd received for parties. She assumed they came before word of Riza's death reached the inviters. Taking the palms of her hands, she shoved the invites away from her as far as her arm would extend. She leaned back in her seat and growled in a most unladylike way. Her lips quirked up into a sad smile. She always scolded Riza when she heard the noise emerge from the woman.

The large house was much too quiet now. While Riza was never a noisy person, choosing to keep to herself most of the time, the house seemed so much livelier with her there. Just the positional of her coming into the room and speaking was enough. There were times when the young woman was almost agreeable, nearly respectful. Riza's spirit had been admirable and moments Amelia was glad she died. Not out of malice or hate, even though a bit resided within her, but because this world would have eventually broken her down. She only wanted Riza to accept the world as it was so the breaking would be more of a crack than an entire shattering of her self.

Her husband hadn't understood her intentions, but she hadn't exactly made them clear either. Now he wasn't making himself clear to her. She never saw him be affectionate towards Riza even though he entertained and often permitted her outré ways. He never appeared worried for her.

But this tragedy showed her just how deep the love for his daughter went. The first few days Riza went missing, he changed completely. He didn't let anyone sleep, and had every man he could combing the lands for her. He almost killed two horses during his gallops in search of her through the days. His throat had been scratchy and voice almost inaudible because of his yelling and breathing in of the cold night air.

When they found her body, he'd locked up. He refused to see it and had Archer confirm the identity. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get him to eat more than a few bites, drink anything other than shot after shot of bourbon, or say more than good morning and good night to her. She even tried to get him to cry, and after being so near to getting him to release his anguish, they showed up and told him it was better to lock the grief away. Because her death was God's will.

They were kind when they found out about the tragedy with her stepdaughter, went out of their way to come and give condolences to them and Berthold had bonded with the group and their religion. He craved to learn more about their ways. And she hated it. He listened to them more than he did his own wife. People that had no clue of his personality or his likes, or the way he lived in the past, or Riza.

"Are you going to come to the meeting with me Amelia?" She jumped as the subject of her thoughts spoke.

She turned her head and looked up at him. His sad eyes looking no happier than they had directly after Riza's death. "Why are you? You weren't religious before, and religion isn't going to bring Riza back to life. She's dead and nothing is going to resurrect her."

He twitched, a new oddity that happened frequently with him. He was locking Riza's death back and distracting himself with this bunch of Patarin ridiculousness.

"I know that they can't bring her back. Don't act as if I'm stupid. She's in God's hands now."

She shook her head and laughed. "I can't believe that came from a former atheist."

"Perhaps Riza died because I was that man."

"Oh don't you even try to put her death on your hands Berthold."

"I'm not. God decided to take her to make me think of my life and the way it was."

"You don't really believe that bullshit do you?"

Berthold's eyes widened. "You cursed."

"Yes and I hate doing such, but it seems there are times when a curse is the most befitting way to describe something."

He crossed his arms and raised his chin. "You are religious."

"Not to the point that I will deny bad occurrences and chalk those up to God's bloody will! Not to the point that I will attend a meeting every single night and disregard the reality that I'm in so much anguish I want to scream." She stood and moved to stand in front of her husband. She placed both palms against each side of his face and kissed his lips gently. "I'm worried about you. Pushing your emotions inside isn't the right way."

"What do you want me to do? Bawl like a child? I'm a grown man. I don't cry."

"Not even over your own daughter?"

She felt him shaking and hoped he'd let go. He grabbed her wrists and removed her hands from his person. "We weren't close."

"It doesn't matter."

"Are you coming or not?" he asked ending the discussion.

Amelia shook her head and went back over to the table. "No." She cringed as his footsteps thumped against the floor and a door shut harder than necessary. Her fist slammed down onto the table, knocking over the candelabra in its middle.

Ivan walked along the path on his way back into the village. After a day of hunting in the dark forest, all he wanted was to head back to his quarters and sleep. After he jumped down from the tall wall bordering the village, he froze and watched as two women walked toward the Patarin camp.

Why is she near them? He shrugged. Oh well, it's none of my business. As soon as his feet took another step, he realized his body and mind turned against him. Fuck, damn my instincts. He stalked towards the Patarin tents putting his much-needed sleep on hold. The bastards had recently moved there "temporarily". How long they defined temporary was anyone's guess. Probably longer than he wanted them to be there.

"Lord Hawkeye, I thank you for coming to our service tonight. I'm sorry your wife didn't join us."

"I'm afraid not Rector Compel." She doesn't…"

He held up his hand. "Please, you need not make excuses. Our religion can be heavy on the heart of someone of a different background. She will come to the knowledge of the truth. God will tend to that." The man sat down at the desk and motioned to a chair. "Please, sit down."

Hawkeye did so. "You said you had something important to discuss with me."

"Yes. It is concerning your daughter Lord Hawkeye."

He tensed. "Yes, what of her?"

"I took the liberty of journeying to her grave to do a proper benediction and a vision came to me. I sent some of my men on an excursion to find out if she was alive."

"Alive?"

He nodded. "Yes I believe you daughter is alive."

Shit! Ivan thought as he gazed into the tent at the very moment Compel spoke. He'd expected to see her since she'd gone into the back of this tent, but Lord Hawkeye was there… and the Patarin knew about Riza. With the manpower under his control, it wouldn't be hard to find her if he widened the search. The Patarin might even know her location.

"Wha… how?" Hawkeye said.

"It's truly a miracle from God to find her. Unfortunately, she has killed two men."

"What? No, that can't be Riza. She had a temper but she'd never kill anyone."

"No, no, you misunderstand. I believe she thought they were going to hurt her, but were only trying to save her."

"Where is she now?"

Compel frowned. "I'm afraid we don't know at the current moment. What we do know is she may be far from saving now."

"She's critically injured?"

"I meant her soul."

Hawkeye narrowed his eyes. "You said she was alive."

The other man heaved and then straightened, a professional air taking over his body. "What I am about to tell you will be quite improbable. I request you to keep an open mind."

"I always have an open mind. Just come out with it please."

"We have reason to believe she was kidnapped by and turned into a vampire."

-/-/-/-

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Ivan cursed in his head. He'd almost let the words slip from his it, now what was he going to do?He Hawkeye wouldn't believe something so ridiculous right. Humans thought they were myths. Bram Stoker made sure of that.

-/-/-/-

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Hawkeye said. "Creatures like that are myths. Vampires. How absurd." He stood. "I thought you might be different from all the other outrageous religions. I'm leaving. If you continue to spew falsities like this into my town and into people's minds, I will run your group out of the town immediately."

Compel stood. "Lord Hawkeye, I understand why you would be upset. If I were my daughter I would not—"

"It is safe to establish that it wasn't your child killed. I will not have my daughter's memory trashed by a foolish rumor that she was captured by a vampire of all things!"

"We have witnesses."

Hawkeye laughed incredulously. "Witnesses. Are they as mad as you are?"

"I saw her Lord Mustang."

Ivan's focus turned to the speaker that entered through the back of the tent. His eyes widened. He had to warn Mustang about what was going on. He started back towards the forest but paused. No, he to do something else first. He had to get the twins away from the brothel.

-/-/-/-

"Girls!" Ivan pounded on the door, trying not to break it. However when no one would answer he broke it down with one harder hit. He jumped over the bar in the kitchen with an easy leap and rushed up the stairs. "Cora, Dara, where are you two?"

He pushed his way into one of the rooms and Dara stood from her bed, her teeth bared and her posture possessing the readiness to strike. She relaxed. "What is wrong with you?"

"Where did Synnith tell you she was going?"

"That's an odd question. She's shopping for a few things for the bar. She said she'd be back in two hours to take care of things," she shrugged. "I don't know what the things are but—"

"Where's Cora?"

"In the shower wh—Hey! What are you doing?" Ivan broke the bathroom door off its hinges with an easy tug.

"Gah! Ivan, get out of—" Ivan grabbed her wrist and pulled her from the tub, her body hitting the floor with a rough hit.

"Get dressed, we have to get the hell out of here and warn Mustang," he said and slung her through the door and into the bedroom.

"Warn him? Why?"

"Just do what I say, you're in danger. All of we vampires in the town are."

"How about the others."

"We'll warn a few but just people I know that aren't close to Synnith."

Coralenn's eyes widened. "What's she doing?"

"Hurry and dress. I'll tell you on the way."

The other twin looked at him as Cora dressed and he nodded. Dara already knew.