-CHAPTER 5-
Clara's face paled as the hunter spoke her brother's name, and stopped breathing when he said he was sent to kill him. She quickly composed herself, swallowed, and stood to the side. "Please, come in."
D nodded and took his hat off before coming in. Sora moved out of his way, her mood changing from mellow to hostile in an instant. Remember, she hated strangers; especially male ones. She took note of the long sword strapped to his back; this guy obviously hunted demons, and he himself seemed inhuman.
Clara closed the door and came back into the living room. "Have a seat," she offered, which he declined. She twiddled her thumbs, looking around nervously. "May I ask you why my parents hired you and what did my brother do?"
Kurt approached Sora and whispered, "Taryn's her brother?"
"Long story," Sora murmured under her breath.
D straightened, shifting his weight. "I'm sure you are aware of why he was exiled from the Belnades Manor?"
"Yes, I am," Clara replied.
"Unfortunately, I do not know the details as well as I would like to. Perhaps you could enlighten me?"
Clara nodded quickly. "Yes, of course. Um... well, other than what he did, Taryn's a wonderful young man, he was a good brother to me and was always there to help me because... well, I don't know if you've heard or not, but I wasn't exactly the most skilled witch at the manor, and he wasn't the best warlock, either. My parents were both really concerned about us, and wanted to find out if there was anything holding us back."
"And?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Clara could see Sora shift uncomfortably, and Eric look away. She sighed heavily, and continued. "Well, my mother was one of the stronger witches, and could look into people's minds without hurting them, so she decided to look into our minds and find out if there was anything holding us back.
"She found nothing wrong with me; I was trying my hardest and all that I wanted to do was please my parents, but with Taryn, it was the same except for one thought sticking out in his mind, and that was..." she trailed off, and moved to sit down. "Sorry."
"Clara, you don't really have to say all of this," Sora told her. Clara shook her head. "No, I have to..."
"Taryn's mind was really dark, Mother told me, and filled with thoughts of me. At first, Mother thought it was just worries of whether or not I would become a great witch in the family, but she dug deeper, and found... prominent sexual thoughts of me. Apparently, after he reached puberty he had become attracted to me. Mother told me that that's slightly normal when boys first start adolescence, but they had continued, and he was having reoccurring incestuous fantasies of me.
"Naturally, she became worried and told Father, who took immediate action. He locked half of Taryn's powers, the more powerful of his magic, and isolated him from me. I had no idea of any of this, so I snuck out of bed at night to see him, always worried about him, as he was of me. I couldn't undo the spell that held his door shut, but there was a little window at the top of his door that he would open when I came, and I wasn't tall enough to reach it, so I had to grab a chair to stand on. The first night I came, he was shocked, and asked me if I knew what our parents had done to him. I told him I didn't, which was the truth. He made me leave, and I waited another week before I saw him again, and he smiled when I came, reaching his hand through the little door to touch my cheek. I asked him why our parents locked him away, and he told me that it was because they wanted him to stop helping me, because they loved me and wanted me to learn on my own, since a true witch only takes as little help as possible, and he had been helping me too much. Foolishly, I believed him.
"Like an even bigger fool, I asked my parents about Taryn the next day, and they refused to talk about it. I told them that I had been going to see him. They scolded me immediately, but then calmed down after they realized that they hadn't told me about him, but they then told me what he had been doing. I felt bad immediately, like he had been trying to rape me every time he saw me. Mother read his mind again, finding the thoughts to be more dominating in his mind.
"They took him out of isolation, restored his powers, and ordered for his exile. They gave him and me one hour under supervision to say farewell. I was scared of him at first, and it hurt him badly. I eventually approached him and he hugged me, apologizing again and again, saying that he never meant to hurt me. He looked at me, and took the locket into his fingers, which I had been wearing that day, and smiled, twirling the charm. He told me that he'd come back for me someday, and that I should never forget or lose the locket, since he was there with me when I found it. He told me he loved me, and kissed my forehead. Then he left."
Sora's eyes never left D as he listened. His face was entirely emotionless. His voice was monotonous. His attitude reminded her of Alucard. "Did he ever try to contact you after that?" he asked.
Clara shrugged. "He sent me letters, but my parents never allowed me to read them. After a couple of months, they became worried as the letters became more frequent, and they ordered that I be released from the manor. I was frightened, afraid that I had done something terrible and that they were kicking me out, but my oldest brother, Viktor, the most successful of our parents' children, told me that they were doing this to protect me. Mother and Father had contacted the Belmonts here in Transylvania, and found this home near the estate. They immediately bought it and told me that Taryn would never find me here, and to never talk to him if he did. Currently, my family and the Belmonts are taking care of the expenses for this house. That's all I have to say."
"Yeah, so you can go and find Taryn now," Sora spat venomously. Clara just frowned. D seemed indifferent.
The hunter closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I regret to inform you that your location is no longer a secret to Taryn." He reached into his cloak and held up a small envelope. "I encountered him just yesterday. He fled, but this note fell from his person. You may want to read it." He handed it to Clara. She took out the letter and read it aloud:
Dear Clara,
Your suffering will cease soon, when you give me the locket. I'm watching you, and I will come for you before the week ends. You and I shall be together again, and with the locket, we will obtain perfection. Please do not make me resort to force to obtain you. Come quietly, and neither your beloved Belmont sweetheart, Dunpeal roommate, or even your new blue friend shall be harmed.
I will be waiting every night at the designated meeting place I informed you about in my first letter for you to come along with the locket. Do not let your friends help you. I want you alone.
T.
That was the first time her sender ever signed the letter. She put the paper down and looked up at D. "Where was he when you got this?"
"He was near the ruins of Dracula's castle. Apparently he's been hiding out in the underground caverns of the castle, at least in the few rooms that haven't completely collapsed from the castle's last fall."
Sora cleared her throat, came over to Clara and looked her in the eye. She looked like she was about to scold her for something, but instead, the Dunpeal lightly smacked her upside her head, and straightened. Clara rubbed her head, grimacing. "What was that for?"
Sora stared blankly at her. "Told ya so. I told you it was Taryn, but you didn't want to listen. It's been him that's given you the nightmares."
"He couldn't have possibly gotten that powerful!"
Kurt quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "...Sora, you should really get tested for multiple personality disorder..."
"On the contrary," D interrupted, "Taryn's magic has increased surprisingly. He has obtained the status of Sorcerer. I would not attempt to go near him without extreme caution."
"Sorcerer? That's like... one level away from mage, right?" Eric wondered out loud.
Clara nodded. "Only Sypha's been able to obtain mage status..."
"While our Clara is sitting here still at Witch status because she can't make an ice cube," Sora said dryly under her breath.
Clara looked back at D. "I know this might not pertain to your job, but how are my parents and family? I haven't seen them in three years..."
D's expression remained still, but she could see in his eyes that it wasn't good. Everyone was silent before D spoke again. "Your oldest brother, Viktor, is dead, as are about a fifth of your family. Your parents are safe. Taryn attacked the estate in order to find you, at first probably intending to take you and the locket, but when he found the place choked by your absence, he demanded where you were, and began killing until Viktor told him."
Clara's eyes widened. Her own brother had told Taryn? "What happened?"
"Taryn squeezed out as much information from him as possible... then killed him. After that, he left. That was when your parents hired me to hunt Taryn. They also told me that I am to watch over you in case he comes for you."
Sora's eyes widened in disbelief, and she growled at him. "Hey, I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but Clara's safe here. She has a Belmont, two Dunpeals, and two Vampires protecting her, one of the Vampires who actually knew Sypha. Butt out."
"Sora!" Clara spat.
"What? How can we trust him? He comes in here, tells you your oldest brother, who is closer to Mage status than any other Belnades since Sypha has been, is dead, and that he needs to stay near you? Fuck that shit. He could be working for Taryn, for all we know, dammit."
Clara shook her head, and said softly, "Taryn's extremely antisocial. He wouldn't ally himself with anyone. He even shunned our family."
"He could've changed."
"No..." Clara looked up at D. "What do you think I should do?"
She held up a hand to silence Eric before he protested that she should go see Alucard and Mazier about this, and nodded to D. "Please, go ahead."
"I wouldn't stay here. Even if you stay in a different room every night, even with someone with you, he could still haunt you. If I were in your position, I would leave. Do you have anywhere you could go?"
"The estate has seventy guest rooms," Eric spoke up, "There's tons of room for Kurt, Sora, and Clara to come, and even you, if you say you're to stay close to Clara."
Sora blinked and looked towards the Belmont. "Whose side are you on?" she asked in disbelief. Eric just shrugged. "Some Belmonts know a little magic, and there are all types of security there: magic barriers, security systems, electric fences, video surveillance, you name it, although I doubt video would help against magic..."
"Would you feel safe there, Clara?" D asked her.
Clara nodded confidently. "I would trust the Belmonts with my life any day, especially if Eric and Sora were with me."
"Then I suggest you all pack your things and get out of here before nightfall when he attacks again."
Clara's face paled as the hunter spoke her brother's name, and stopped breathing when he said he was sent to kill him. She quickly composed herself, swallowed, and stood to the side. "Please, come in."
D nodded and took his hat off before coming in. Sora moved out of his way, her mood changing from mellow to hostile in an instant. Remember, she hated strangers; especially male ones. She took note of the long sword strapped to his back; this guy obviously hunted demons, and he himself seemed inhuman.
Clara closed the door and came back into the living room. "Have a seat," she offered, which he declined. She twiddled her thumbs, looking around nervously. "May I ask you why my parents hired you and what did my brother do?"
Kurt approached Sora and whispered, "Taryn's her brother?"
"Long story," Sora murmured under her breath.
D straightened, shifting his weight. "I'm sure you are aware of why he was exiled from the Belnades Manor?"
"Yes, I am," Clara replied.
"Unfortunately, I do not know the details as well as I would like to. Perhaps you could enlighten me?"
Clara nodded quickly. "Yes, of course. Um... well, other than what he did, Taryn's a wonderful young man, he was a good brother to me and was always there to help me because... well, I don't know if you've heard or not, but I wasn't exactly the most skilled witch at the manor, and he wasn't the best warlock, either. My parents were both really concerned about us, and wanted to find out if there was anything holding us back."
"And?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Clara could see Sora shift uncomfortably, and Eric look away. She sighed heavily, and continued. "Well, my mother was one of the stronger witches, and could look into people's minds without hurting them, so she decided to look into our minds and find out if there was anything holding us back.
"She found nothing wrong with me; I was trying my hardest and all that I wanted to do was please my parents, but with Taryn, it was the same except for one thought sticking out in his mind, and that was..." she trailed off, and moved to sit down. "Sorry."
"Clara, you don't really have to say all of this," Sora told her. Clara shook her head. "No, I have to..."
"Taryn's mind was really dark, Mother told me, and filled with thoughts of me. At first, Mother thought it was just worries of whether or not I would become a great witch in the family, but she dug deeper, and found... prominent sexual thoughts of me. Apparently, after he reached puberty he had become attracted to me. Mother told me that that's slightly normal when boys first start adolescence, but they had continued, and he was having reoccurring incestuous fantasies of me.
"Naturally, she became worried and told Father, who took immediate action. He locked half of Taryn's powers, the more powerful of his magic, and isolated him from me. I had no idea of any of this, so I snuck out of bed at night to see him, always worried about him, as he was of me. I couldn't undo the spell that held his door shut, but there was a little window at the top of his door that he would open when I came, and I wasn't tall enough to reach it, so I had to grab a chair to stand on. The first night I came, he was shocked, and asked me if I knew what our parents had done to him. I told him I didn't, which was the truth. He made me leave, and I waited another week before I saw him again, and he smiled when I came, reaching his hand through the little door to touch my cheek. I asked him why our parents locked him away, and he told me that it was because they wanted him to stop helping me, because they loved me and wanted me to learn on my own, since a true witch only takes as little help as possible, and he had been helping me too much. Foolishly, I believed him.
"Like an even bigger fool, I asked my parents about Taryn the next day, and they refused to talk about it. I told them that I had been going to see him. They scolded me immediately, but then calmed down after they realized that they hadn't told me about him, but they then told me what he had been doing. I felt bad immediately, like he had been trying to rape me every time he saw me. Mother read his mind again, finding the thoughts to be more dominating in his mind.
"They took him out of isolation, restored his powers, and ordered for his exile. They gave him and me one hour under supervision to say farewell. I was scared of him at first, and it hurt him badly. I eventually approached him and he hugged me, apologizing again and again, saying that he never meant to hurt me. He looked at me, and took the locket into his fingers, which I had been wearing that day, and smiled, twirling the charm. He told me that he'd come back for me someday, and that I should never forget or lose the locket, since he was there with me when I found it. He told me he loved me, and kissed my forehead. Then he left."
Sora's eyes never left D as he listened. His face was entirely emotionless. His voice was monotonous. His attitude reminded her of Alucard. "Did he ever try to contact you after that?" he asked.
Clara shrugged. "He sent me letters, but my parents never allowed me to read them. After a couple of months, they became worried as the letters became more frequent, and they ordered that I be released from the manor. I was frightened, afraid that I had done something terrible and that they were kicking me out, but my oldest brother, Viktor, the most successful of our parents' children, told me that they were doing this to protect me. Mother and Father had contacted the Belmonts here in Transylvania, and found this home near the estate. They immediately bought it and told me that Taryn would never find me here, and to never talk to him if he did. Currently, my family and the Belmonts are taking care of the expenses for this house. That's all I have to say."
"Yeah, so you can go and find Taryn now," Sora spat venomously. Clara just frowned. D seemed indifferent.
The hunter closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I regret to inform you that your location is no longer a secret to Taryn." He reached into his cloak and held up a small envelope. "I encountered him just yesterday. He fled, but this note fell from his person. You may want to read it." He handed it to Clara. She took out the letter and read it aloud:
Dear Clara,
Your suffering will cease soon, when you give me the locket. I'm watching you, and I will come for you before the week ends. You and I shall be together again, and with the locket, we will obtain perfection. Please do not make me resort to force to obtain you. Come quietly, and neither your beloved Belmont sweetheart, Dunpeal roommate, or even your new blue friend shall be harmed.
I will be waiting every night at the designated meeting place I informed you about in my first letter for you to come along with the locket. Do not let your friends help you. I want you alone.
T.
That was the first time her sender ever signed the letter. She put the paper down and looked up at D. "Where was he when you got this?"
"He was near the ruins of Dracula's castle. Apparently he's been hiding out in the underground caverns of the castle, at least in the few rooms that haven't completely collapsed from the castle's last fall."
Sora cleared her throat, came over to Clara and looked her in the eye. She looked like she was about to scold her for something, but instead, the Dunpeal lightly smacked her upside her head, and straightened. Clara rubbed her head, grimacing. "What was that for?"
Sora stared blankly at her. "Told ya so. I told you it was Taryn, but you didn't want to listen. It's been him that's given you the nightmares."
"He couldn't have possibly gotten that powerful!"
Kurt quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "...Sora, you should really get tested for multiple personality disorder..."
"On the contrary," D interrupted, "Taryn's magic has increased surprisingly. He has obtained the status of Sorcerer. I would not attempt to go near him without extreme caution."
"Sorcerer? That's like... one level away from mage, right?" Eric wondered out loud.
Clara nodded. "Only Sypha's been able to obtain mage status..."
"While our Clara is sitting here still at Witch status because she can't make an ice cube," Sora said dryly under her breath.
Clara looked back at D. "I know this might not pertain to your job, but how are my parents and family? I haven't seen them in three years..."
D's expression remained still, but she could see in his eyes that it wasn't good. Everyone was silent before D spoke again. "Your oldest brother, Viktor, is dead, as are about a fifth of your family. Your parents are safe. Taryn attacked the estate in order to find you, at first probably intending to take you and the locket, but when he found the place choked by your absence, he demanded where you were, and began killing until Viktor told him."
Clara's eyes widened. Her own brother had told Taryn? "What happened?"
"Taryn squeezed out as much information from him as possible... then killed him. After that, he left. That was when your parents hired me to hunt Taryn. They also told me that I am to watch over you in case he comes for you."
Sora's eyes widened in disbelief, and she growled at him. "Hey, I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but Clara's safe here. She has a Belmont, two Dunpeals, and two Vampires protecting her, one of the Vampires who actually knew Sypha. Butt out."
"Sora!" Clara spat.
"What? How can we trust him? He comes in here, tells you your oldest brother, who is closer to Mage status than any other Belnades since Sypha has been, is dead, and that he needs to stay near you? Fuck that shit. He could be working for Taryn, for all we know, dammit."
Clara shook her head, and said softly, "Taryn's extremely antisocial. He wouldn't ally himself with anyone. He even shunned our family."
"He could've changed."
"No..." Clara looked up at D. "What do you think I should do?"
She held up a hand to silence Eric before he protested that she should go see Alucard and Mazier about this, and nodded to D. "Please, go ahead."
"I wouldn't stay here. Even if you stay in a different room every night, even with someone with you, he could still haunt you. If I were in your position, I would leave. Do you have anywhere you could go?"
"The estate has seventy guest rooms," Eric spoke up, "There's tons of room for Kurt, Sora, and Clara to come, and even you, if you say you're to stay close to Clara."
Sora blinked and looked towards the Belmont. "Whose side are you on?" she asked in disbelief. Eric just shrugged. "Some Belmonts know a little magic, and there are all types of security there: magic barriers, security systems, electric fences, video surveillance, you name it, although I doubt video would help against magic..."
"Would you feel safe there, Clara?" D asked her.
Clara nodded confidently. "I would trust the Belmonts with my life any day, especially if Eric and Sora were with me."
"Then I suggest you all pack your things and get out of here before nightfall when he attacks again."