Earl O'Holligan Castle, Dublin, Ireland
After the great mission that the nine girls did to try to call Hellene to join the group, they go with McLaren, also called by Daryl, to meet the oldest Cavendish, what will finally mark a reunion in the family, although the redhead still has her suspicions, she only let herself go to know what would happen, she was very confident in it, knowing that nothing could happen to her. The whole mission was a success for Hellene's rescue, it was a fight that almost had a defeat on one side but in the end McLaren reached an agreement and joined them in this journey, although with many of her suspicions on her own. They arrive at the castle of the Count of Dublin and are well received, even the redhead that many people looked down on because of her appearance was welcomed with open arms.
Daryl was at the main Hall waiting for the presence of all of them, when he noticed that Hellene was there too, she got a little bit disgusted, but without showing it in front of everybody, as it could make the older Cavendish's mask fall, she soon got a smile on her face when she saw them there too, showing it a lot, but her two nieces could notice that there's also a little bit of pretending from the older one.
Daryl: Diana, Hellene, you two are back in the family, how nice to see that my two girls are here alive and well, free from the clutches of that evil countess, welcome back, I really needed to get you here, you will be a great help.
Hellene and Diana look at each other, a little signalling to the other as if that woman was a big liar and that she didn't show any confidence, the woman wearing a coke with her hands behind her pockets walks towards them and when she gets close she kisses both of their hands, a little disgusted when she arrives at the McLaren so much that she puts a fan covering her nose.
Daryl: I'll need to talk to you soon, before then feel free to do so, I managed to convince the Count to let you all stay here and I'm even proud that my niece has become a great hunter of night creatures, her reputation is slowly being recognized in these lands.
The girls remain quiet, showing total neutrality towards the elder Cavendish, then they are escorted by the palace maids to the rooms where they will stay, which incredibly had its luxury, including soon one of them gives Hellene some clothes, such as a bath sponge.
Hellene: What is it?
Handmaid#1: Orders from the Count, you must bathe, your smell is somewhat rotting the place and also put on decent clothes, lucky the Count was charitable and gave you some better clothes than these old rags.
At that time the maid just leaves the clothes and Hellene was going to put her T-shirt up to go bathing when Marianne put it down and Leblanc's reaction was strange. She blushed when she saw a little bit of McLaren's belly.
Hellene: Don't touch me like that, I know how to undress.
Marianne: But not in front of everybody, go somewhere more private to bathe.
At that moment Hellene shrugged and took the clothes, then she grabbed Marianne's wrist, who stood still and blushed even more, while the girls laughed lightly at what was blossoming into a new relationship between the two girls.
Hellene: What now? I am going to bathe and you can help me wash my back, besides you can bathe with me, you left me some bruises, you owe me.
Marianne: But I'm not even...
At that moment, Sucy and Akko spilled a small bucket of dirt on Marianne and she got a bit dirty which made Hellene laugh and this way Leblanc had to give up and went to bathe with McLaren.
But not everything was so light in another place of the castle, Daryl was with her daughters and she was a little bit furious when she saw that Hellene was alive and whole, that all that happened was nothing, until Maril shows the contract of the pact with a mark of Hellene's blood and she noticed that it has the stamp of death, confirming that the contract is valid, missing only one part to close the pact.
Daryl: You continue to be useless, but even this is already wonderful, the one who should be dead has a valid signature, so we will only need Diana, anyway you have not done your job well and this could cost you dearly later on, let the warning be well given.
Merrill: Mom, we couldn't, I wouldn't risk being sealed in there, if we were sealed in forever there wouldn't even be anything you could do about your mission! In the end we did what you wanted, Hellene's blood served to sign the pact, now we just need Diana to come to terms with it.
Daryl: Don't raise your voice to me! You obey me Merrill, you've done nothing more than your duty, you don't have to demand or ask for anything, you've already done what you were assigned to do and as my daughter your job is to obey me and that's it, but know that because of this slip up, you're going to end up paying a very big price.
Merrill: We are going to pay how and why are we going to pay? We have done nothing wrong.
Daryl: You don't ask questions, I'm the one who asks questions here and I just say that when the day comes you will still pay, your failure is costly and very costly, know that everything that happens is your fault, not death's, you should have been more faithful and competent.
Maril: Great! See what you did Merrill? Now we might end up suffering the consequences of your actions because you're all safe, I had enough good arrows to kill Hellene and you didn't want to shoot, now we're going to end up getting screwed because of you.
Maril even gives a slap on Merrill's face, who only lowers her head, then Daryl leaves that room, she follows a path through the corridors of the castle, already thinking about talking to Diana, she even asks one of the servants to guide her to where was the rooms of all, when she arrived there she found the girls talking among themselves in a very relaxed way, until she noticed the presence of her aunt.
Daryl: Diana?
Diana: What do you want Aunt Daryl?
Daryl: Just you come with me, I have to talk to you privately, it's family matters.
Diana changes the expression that was giving way a little from happiness talking to the girls to a more serious one and at that moment she gets up from the bed where she was sitting and walks following her aunt and that way she leaves through the door, at that Akko and Sucy go to spy, but they are soon interrupted by Lotte.
Lotte: Don't make a big deal out of spying, it's a private matter.
Croix: It's family gossip and I love to know about gossip, but seriously don't go, Diana has very good hearing, even she must be listening to us now from afar.
Indeed Diana was listening and got a bit of an inside laugh, she was slowly enjoying being with that group of slayers, they were a new family to the younger Cavendish who could finally have a moment where she was more loved. Soon after a long walk, they reach a more secluded room of the castle and Dhampir herself didn't hear anyone following them or hiding, using her keener senses to notice if she has someone's presence.
Daryl: No need to hide it girl, I know you have your vampire part, I know your mother is the curse of Dracula, for then I have made a sacrifice, I have the cure for this, I can save you and your sister, help rid you of this curse, but it will require you to sign a pact with death, for which I have performed.
Diana: I figured it would be about that, so you know as much as we do about the curse? If you knew about the cure why didn't you help my mother Laura? All those years she went after the cure and ended up dying 10 years ago because of it.
Daryl: No one wants to make a pact with death, Diana... Things are more complex than you think, vampires are demonic creatures, just like the Dracula curse that plagues your mother, she was simply afflicted with the greatest of vampire curses, it's simply something that involves death and so I came to the conclusion that I would make this pact with it, if you want to just read what's written in the pact.
Daryl shows the paper where are the conditions of the pact with death, Diana showed an understanding of that whole situation, knowing that it's really not the easiest thing in the world having to deal with a situation. The younger Cavendish is reading the terms of the pact and notices that the things that are there are a little absurd, getting a little scared, then she looks at her aunt's eyes, she gets a little saddened expression, she also gets sad, it wasn't possible that the biggest condition for it to be performed is something so absurd.
Diana: Is it serious that I'm going to have to kill my mother? All this just to be able to get rid of the curse, she didn't do anything wrong, she just wanted to get rid of those who were in charge and behind the death of my mother Laura, auntie this is absurd, I can't accept something so low like that, what kind of monster would I be?
Daryl: Your signature is the only one missing my niece, I have already signed, Maril, Merrill, your sister Hellene, even your mother has signed, all that's left is for you to confirm the pact and seal this deal for good.
Diana: What do you mean you made my sister sign? What about my mother?
Daryl: Death herself talked to both of them, they signed on their own, I won't lie that death can be treacherous, but she told me that your mother signed very willingly, she only wants the best for both of you, I know how painful it must be to have to end your own mother, It's not like I haven't lived through this hell for almost 30 years, it's almost 30 years Diana, I had to be cold and try some way to end your mother, all for the good of the family, since she was cursed, the only solution is unfortunately this and death has promised that your soul and your sister's will get rid of the curse. You will be human.
At that moment Diana is just quiet, she looks at the contract, notices that it has some markings, showing that really what Daryl said was true, that way Hellene was watching in shock still, she didn't want to end up killing her mother, even more that it would be such a selfish reward, for her it would be throwing away all the progress of the mission that was just to search Chariot Belmont and also the desire of her mother Laura in having to find the cure, but when she sees that maybe it would be the only option and by pressure of being there with Daryl, she pierces her own finger and with that she signs her own name with her own blood on the pact and with that an energy starts to emanate around the contract sheets, these same ones also unite in a bigger pact and then the death figure appears right there in front of the two Cavendish, what leaves even the youngest a little shocked by that presence.
Death: Oh Daryl, it was great doing business with you, now the pact is sealed.
This way death goes back underground from a pentagram where it had left after the invocation of the same, with the pact they were in hands then a mark appeared on the hand of Cavendish who noticed the pentagram marked on it and with that gets even a little scared, but then Daryl tries to calm the situation, with the departure of death, everything was resolved.
Daryl: Now yes, finally the contract has been made, thank you so much Diana, you were the biggest responsible for all this being possible, now you'll be able to have the opportunity to be free, to be a Cavendish without that weight of vampire powers, without those fangs and red eyes, how does it feel?
Diana: I feel horrible, I'm still going to have to kill my own mother who gave me love for half my life, who never killed anyone innocent, now I'm going to have to surrender to being in this burden of being my mother's murderer for the rest of my life, being that she never deserved it.
Daryl: I really wanted to understand too, Bernadette did nothing wrong and was stricken with this curse, all those years living with this burden must have been equally hard on her as I can imagine, well now that the deal is done, we can talk about other deals, I even have one that might interest you a lot.
Diana: If it's on the same level as the last one I'm afraid.
Daryl: Because of the fact that your mother is Dracula, that also puts your castle as a creature of chaos, believe it or not by legend, the vessel of the curse also ends up having the place where it stays as a creature, as something cursed, probably with her death, the castle will destroy itself, you'll end up with nothing for yourself afterwards, I was married all these years to Earl Hanbridge of Leeds, he is a wealthy man and he had a son with another woman, that son of hers is the holder and heir of the entire Hanbridge family fortune, that could benefit us a lot, did you know that? Look how wonderful your aunt is, I even found a suitor for you and I am sure he will be an excellent husband for you, he is handsome, attentive, cordial, polite, knows how to respect a woman, an exemplary man, manly, everything you most want in a man.
At that moment Diana remained silent, she just got up and went towards the door to open it, at that time she had already shown a huge bother with that situation, she didn't want to get married in an arranged way and didn't like men, so much that Daryl held her by the arm when she was going to open the door.
Daryl: I know you might be upset by the situation that I have arranged a marriage for you, but it is for your own good my niece, I only want the best for our family, I guarantee that when you come back from your mother's castle, you will understand, he is the Prince Charming you so much need... You're not going to tell me that you've been influenced by your mothers and also have homosexual thoughts? Don't tell me that, Diana. Your mothers died expressing themselves that way, you will end up digging your own grave if you go down that same path.
At that moment Diana only denied it with her head, then Daryl let go of her niece's wrist and she started walking, feeling a bit down, she wanted to cry at that moment, everything that was bad happened at that moment, things she didn't want to happen, were happening, thoughts were running through the platinum blond haired woman's head.
[Diana's Thoughts: What now? Hellene must have noticed the mark on her hand, she'll ask why, she'll want to know and I'll end up having to tell her that it was all because I signed a pact where I'll kill mother Bernadette so that we'll stay in human form, today on the first day I see my sister, I'll cause a fight, Not to mention this whole arranged marriage thing, I don't want to marry this idiot, I don't like men, just when I'm starting to like Akko, I'm starting to get this whole idea that I can't like women, I even forget that none of this is going to happen.]
Diana kept walking, she reached the bedroom and by there she saw Hellene looking at the handprint, while Marianne was all half paralysed all because of a shower, McLaren got all giggly at the situation with Leblanc and soon she saw that her sister was back, the girls were starting to bond more with the dhampir who looked so scary but actually had a great sense of humour.
Hellene: Man, out of nowhere I was getting changed after showering with Mari, look how cool this tattoo appeared out of nowhere on my hand.
At that moment Diana was extremely silent, she couldn't open her mouth to be able to express herself, she was all feeling, everyone even changed their expressions, smiles took over from concern, Cavendish was still like that, making everything more tense.
Hellene: Sis? Did something happen? Did that aunt of ours do something to us and now we have these marks like we are going to die in eight hours or something? If so, I did warn you that our auntie stinks, our mother Laura always told us.
Diana at that moment could not stand the tension, tears started to fall, she clenched her fists very tightly, then she took a deep breath, she did not want to, but she had to tell, when she opened her mouth, she told detail by detail what had happened, they were all paying attention to what was the agreement, the pact that involved the death of Bernadette in exchange for the two of them getting rid of the curse of being dhampirs forever and this way McLaren was also in shock.
Hellene: Sis, are you stupid? And most of all, now we are destined to kill our mommy Bernadette too, do you know how horrible a proposal like that is? Fuck, I could have said no, we'd just go on our way as normal, I don't want to kill mommy, she didn't do anything to deserve it, ok she abandoned me for 10 years and just forgot I exist going to sleep all these years or whatever, but to kill our mother and still lose what is part of ourselves? Seriously why do I have to bow my head to everyone for having fangs and red eyes? I don't eat human blood hardly ever, I've always fed on animals most of the time.
Diana: She said that Mama Bern and you signed too, that death passed a contract to you and worst of all that's true, a contract with death is hard not to be broken, sis how can you be shocked by all this if you accepted it too?
Hellene in shock: I didn't accept anything! This woman is lying, I didn't even see anyone but the banshee in my hideout, I'm sure it was those two, they must have taken my blood and used it to sign this contract, or whatever it is, I'm sure it was that, so I won't be mad at you if I was also an idiot to allow myself to be tricked into this situation, but still we have to be suspicious, this aunt of ours stinks, Mama Laura was right all along.
Croix: What are you going to do? We can't leave this castle at this time, it would be too suspicious, not to mention the general confusion, so let's just stay here, if she tries anything, we'll attack, without thinking twice, I'll stay awake tonight watching you, tomorrow we'll leave.
Akko: Family always gives these, you have no idea, it was the same with me, my parents always mistreated me when I was a child, I was forced to do everything at home, I was practically a slave, I ran away aimlessly, aimlessly, hiding, I didn't even know where I was going, I fled so far away that I ended up on the other side of the world, since I was very young I have not known what relatives are, family for me has another meaning, they are those people who are around us, uniting us to be able to help each other, Sucy, who helped me the most during the torments we endured on Portuguese ships, Lotte came to us as more help, taught us other languages, Marianne the clumsy girl, always gave me a good laugh, a dreamy girl like me, I feel like I was when I was younger and had to manage by myself, Diana and Croix, you are the intelligent people in our group, you always think long before each step, you always plot the best and smartest route, you are what enhanced the journey and miraculously made my idea of meeting this Chariot Belmont a probable reality, you know what, you are all my family, who supported me in all these times.
Sucy: And really, what a bag to put up with you sniggering on this journey, hahaha.
They all started laughing with Sucy's comment, already Akko inflated her cheeks, but then they all got in a more relaxed way, gathering in general in a hug all among the best friends, that moment that everything became lighter, even with the most worrying situation.
Hellene and Diana didn't stay in the group hug, they just looked at each other like sisters and gave each other a hug, trying not to blame each other, since they had some notion that Daryl isn't the most trustworthy person in the world.
Diana: I hate to end up in a mission like this, when we arrive we'll talk to mum about it, we have to know if she also agreed to the pact, it can't be that she also wants to be killed, besides in the pact there is nothing saying that nothing will happen, it's just to say that we will lose our curse.
Hellene: That's where I get mad at you, I like being a vampire, you should accept yourself more Diana, what people say about you shouldn't matter, you care too much what other people think, imagine if you're in love with someone and the whole world doesn't want you to be with that person because they're bothered by your union, are you going to stop liking that person? Are you going to hurt your feelings because of others?
Diana: I know sis, I stepped on the ball a bit with that, I just didn't want to be bothered by being cursed, you know how they kill us for being that way, even more so because... I want to be able to be next to the person I love and not watch them die while I'm an immortal.
Hellene: I can understand that, I would also get upset about it, Mama Bernadette felt a lot of that, but hey sis, you don't have to bow your head to others. I won't stop finding women attractive because others think it's wrong. Wrong for what? I didn't see anything wrong, the books that were abandoned at home always made these questions, be yourself sis, tell everyone to fuck off and that's it.
Diana: For someone who used to live stuck in ruins you seem pretty full of wisdom.
Hellene: I'm not totally stupid, I've read and re-read books that were there in my spare time, when I didn't have to protect myself or hunt for food, it was my hobby, a pity that many were destroyed, well anyway, you have to be stronger sis, not here, but here.
Hellene passed the advice to Diana, practically putting her finger on the girl's arm and then on her head, which Cavendish got a smile on her face as she saw that even after everything that happened her younger sister is still with her, only they will still have to deal with a lot of problems, so much so that they were soon pulled into a group hug by the other girls.
Not everything was gold, the things far from there, were giving a little more fire in this fight between Daryl and Bernadette, the agreement was signed, the countess herself looked at her hand and noticed the mark that was left, she knew that her days were numbered, so she was just watching the window, in that night of cloudy skies, the death ends up appearing in that room of the castle to come again to bother the vampire.
Bernadette: Satisfied? Now my daughters have signed their pact, I will die in a few days, but that still doesn't mean I won't get revenge on Daryl, she will pay dearly for what she did, do you know what happens if I kill her?
Death: The pact can be undone, but I cannot reveal this to anyone, not even Diana and Hellene, I am only revealing it to you because I am obligated to by being your servant my master.
Bernadette: Well then, I will kill Daryl at all costs when she tries to go on a boat back to the island of Great Britain, without any mercy, she will sink and die, I know that the contract can end up undone, but in case she dies, you will have to make a pact with me.
Death: Okay mistress, but first I want to show you the real contract and what Daryl's intentions are towards you, she doesn't care about killing you to get rid of your daughter's skin and then marry you out of interest, the hole is deeper.
Death takes and reveals to Bernadette the real conditions of the pact, what would happen when she was killed, then what would happen to Daryl herself, also the older sister's daughters and the younger one's daughters, showing that the real contract that was made had much more damage, that it was only to cause chaos, all that made the vampire a little bit angry when reading the terms, seeing that none of this would end, that it would just continue, so much that she faced Death with anger and Death herself just shrugged.
Death: Nothing I can do, it's her fault she is cunning and knows how to negotiate, master I had to perform, it's my service being death, now if this is fair or not, that's for you to decide, because for my side I just don't care much, I just want to cause chaos and death, I just want to have more people to seek.
Bernadette: Obviously you would find something like that wonderful, what impresses me is how my sister can get to a point like that, things would go well, but she simply shows that she really is the same rotten person she was when she cursed me, now everything is making even more sense, she wouldn't have made a contract like that just to get rid of the curse, there had to be something behind it all.
Death: That's how you humans are, you have always been like that, greedy, she coveted the power and she is getting it, she simply knows how to be intelligent and think well at these times, as you can imagine, your sister would give in to the power at some point, she held on for so many years that she couldn't resist having it, but anyway, I just want to say a last goodbye and give you the news that the contract was closed, as I am your servant, I have to ask whether or not I have to be in the castle protecting you against the invasion of your daughter's allies.
Bernadette: Go protect Daryl, you're only on the side that causes more deaths of innocent people, I don't want my daughters to suffer another battle, after all when the time comes that I'm against them, it will end up that I'm too strong for them, or else I'll end up killing them with my uncontrolled powers, all because of a curse that I never deserved to have, a cursed and greedy sister who threw me this burden.
Death: You can keep complaining and whining Dracula, you should have accepted your fate right away, you're not a good person, you have to accept that chaos and death are on your side, you should be killing people, causing them terror and fear, that's what your curse was meant for, you're as pathetic as Vlad Tepes, but at least that one killed people and was much more insane, he had a no-nonsense justification for killing people who are innocent, you on the other hand only killed people who hunted you or people who are what I need the most, people who keep my function very active, thanks to the church and all this stuff of wanting to make people's heads believe that I'm practically having an era as good, but not as good as the one of the black plague, anyway, goodbye Bernadette Cavendish, accept once and for all that you are Dracula and not this girl who plays nice.
The deal was done, a pact that can change things a lot for the girls, in a step for another stage of the journey that is about to start, the group is about to head to Bernadette Cavendish's castle in Edinburgh, after Hellene's joining it, there are still more revealing and shocking things that will still happen along all this way. This time with the other dhampir, the group also has a little more power to be able to enter in a combat against possible creatures of the night.
See you, deal witches...