A/N: Finally had access to my computer. Thank you for your patience over the summer. I assure you this story is not being abandoned. I am just super busy with life. I will update when I have access to my computer. Thank you.


CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

THERE was something about the hunt that made Mary Louise feel alive. Hearing the hard throbbing of one's jugular vein that set her teeth on edge. Mostly, she hunted for food, occasionally playing with it first. But tonight the hunt was different. Tonight her only motivation was finding Nora and her newfound family.

Mary Louise found her brothers, stumbling out of a bar, drunk. Growing up, it wasn't uncommon for them to sneak off and wonder into the local pubs and get rowdy. Of course, Mary Louise was forbidden from joining them, but even after a century, she was happy to see that old habits didn't die.

The sounds of their laughs grated her ears, and she tried her best to shake it off as she followed them in the back ally. She wanted them to know she was there.

Ephraim, who was in the middle, suddenly stopped laughing, putting out both his arms in front of his brothers in a protective manner—he sensed something was off.

Samuel and Noah stopped laughing as well, but their drunken minds couldn't figure out what was wrong.

"Who is out there?" Ephraim yelled to the dark shadows. There was no response.

Noah put his hand on Ephraim's shoulder, and with a chuckle said, "I think you had too much to drink."

Ephraim shook him off. He knew when he was being followed. "Reveal yourself at once!"

"If you insist," Mary Louise said as walked into the dim ally. She noticed Ephraim's eyes narrow.

"What brings you out here, sister?" Samuel asked.

Mary Louise looked around. "Well, I figured, since it has been over a century since we last saw each other we can let bygones be bygones and start fresh with a pint. My treat."

"I could go for another drink," Noah said.

Ephraim kept his eyes on Mary Louise. "Don't be so thick, brother. We are not having a drink with a freak."

Mary Louise's face fell. "And here I thought we were going to start over."

"Not ever," Ephraim said. "Not with you."

There was a slight pause, and then Mary Louise shrugged. "Well, I guess that's enough of the pleasantries. It would have been nice to catch up with you lot, but I guess another time."

"Don't hold your breath," Ephraim said. "You're lucky I don't kill you here and now."

"And you're lucky I haven't killed you all yet."

Before Ephraim could process what Mary Louise said, she had disappeared in a flash. He silently cursed her vampire speed, and watched in horror was both of his brothers fell wordlessly to the ground.

"Brothers!" He screamed. He wanted to check if they were still alive. "Come out and fight me, you coward!" His eyes frantically searched the abandoned ally, and before long, he felt a hand grasp his arm. He remembered that painful touch, as his magic slowly drained from his body.

Mary Louise stood over him, absorbing all his magic. She could tell he was in pain, and that's what she wanted. Tranquilizers easily took out Noah and Samuel that she took from Adam's lab, but Ephraim—she wanted him to suffer.

"Please…stop…" Ephraim begged. His face was pale. "It hurts."

Mary Louise felt nothing for her brother, because the pain of not knowing if her new family and Nora were alive hurt worse.


LUTHER laughed as he stumbled with his keys for the front door of his home. Last night had been a rare occasion where he and his wife, got to take a break and enjoy a night out in town. One of the members of the Order had thrown an extravagant party, and even though it was supposed to end early, wine and other booze had been passed around that time had just slipped away.

"This was a wonderful night," Margret commented. "The food was divine."

Luther only smiled as he opened the door to the foyer. He was glad his wife had a good time. He looked at her as he turned on the light, and watched as his wife's face suddenly went from happy to pure horror as a blood-curdling scream filled their home.

Luther turned his attention to what his wife was staring at. On the banister, cut open and gutted, were his sons. They were strung up like the dead cattle he used to have in his slaughterhouse. He slowly felt the colour from his face drain as his wife cried in anguish.

"I hope I did this right," Came Mary Louise's voice from upstairs. "My technique might be slightly off, after all, slaughtering animals isn't a girls job."

Luther made eye contact with his daughter. There was something about her—the way she walked and talked – as if she completely shut off her humanity.

"Those weren't animals, Mary Louise. They were your brothers!" Luther yelled.

"My brothers?" Mary Louise scoffed. "My brothers are Malcolm, Oscar, Beau, Callum, Barron and Jonas. Out of those six, three of them are dead, and three of them are missing."

"You're a monster," Luther said as he clenched his fists.

"If I am a monster, it's because you created one."

"I'll kill you!" Luther said as he began to charge up the stairs. In his rage, he forgot about Mary Louise's speed, because halfway up, she was standing in front of him with her hand in his chest, gripping his heart, siphoning the magic from him.

Margret gasped in horror as Mary Louise ripped his heart out. She watched as her daughter inspected it, before tossing it to the ground. She covered her mouth with her hands as Mary Louise slowly descended the stairs.

"Why?" Margret choked out as soon as Mary Louise was standing in front of her.

"Why? Because I have already lost one family, I will not lose another."

"You just killed your family…"

"You are not my family. Family does not string their daughter up in a slaughterhouse and beat her daily!"

Mary Louise searched Margret's eyes. "What I am now is because of what you all did to me back in the 1800s. If you tell me where they are—where Nora is—I promise your death will be quick."

"You can't compel me to tell you," Margret said. "It doesn't work with people who have magic."

Mary Louise knew that to be true. "You're right. So I guess I'll have to drain the magic out of you."

Mary Louise quickly grabbed Margret's arm with both her hands and began to siphon. She could see Margret becoming weaker. "Now tell me again. Where are they? Where's Nora?"