Victoria - Night 3 part 10 to Day 4 part 1
Victoria: Sitting in the Hummer, being driven away from Jacob's house was painful. I felt as if we were all abandoning Sands to an unimaginable fate. I listened half-heartedly to the communication of the Guardians, angry with myself. After all it was my words that had fueled her decision to flee the scene. Quickly we were shuttled back to the clan house. Things moved so quickly, much of that was a blur. I am amazed at how well organized the entire operation was. Quinn spoke to me privately and I tried to direct his forces to Pilis where Connor's home was located, but it was difficult. How things have changed.
I stayed below with the Guardians, the last thing I wanted was to be assaulted by the masses upstairs. That's when we received the news that the plane was charted and ready to go. I barely had enough time to clean myself up. But Andre was such a godsend. He arranged for a fresh set of clothes and had a bag packed for the trip. It would be easy to love him.
I haven't said much for the last few hours. I just sit here in the oversized leather seat of the plane and stare out the window. It's still dark, but soon the sun will begin to rise. I know I can find Connor's house, I just hope that I can muster the courage to confront him when the time comes.
Lilith is here. She sits at the other end of the cabin, Andre is with her. The two of them chat quietly. She has shut her mind to me, which I find a little disconcerting.
My thoughts are interrupted by Jackson, my thrall. "Here." He hands me a tall crystal flute glass filled with champagne. I looked at him strangely, but accept the drink. How did he know I was thinking about champagne?
I take a slow sip and shut my eyes. "Thank you Samuel," I reply.
"Your welcome Miss. Dupree. If you need anything let me know."
I sip again and shut my eyes, listening to the hum of the engines. We're coming Sands, we're coming.
Lilith: I feel comfortable with Andre, comfortable enough to tell him what's in my heart this morning. "He was conscious for a while. I could feel him. He was very very angry." I look into Andre's deep brown eyes. "But they must have drugged him again. I could feel his thoughts slip into fantasy, then nothing." I shrug. "At least they're not hurting him."
My gaze is drawn to Victoria. She sits alone, her face showing her emotions for anyone to read. Someone will have to teach her about hiding her feelings. "Andre, dear," I direct his attention with a glance, "she needs someone to cheer her up."
He follows my line of sight, nods and smiles back at me. "I will speak to her. She doesn't realize how clever Sands is."
"Clever is not always enough," I remind him.
He stands and walks over to her.
Victoria: I hear foot steps approach but choose not to open my eyes.
Andre: "Victoria? Do you mind if I join you?"
Victoria: I open my eyes and find Andre standing before me, graceful and charming. I manage a smile and wave a hand to the empty seat before me. "Champagne?" I ask raising my glass towards him. He looks exceptionally handsome in that Armani suit.
Andre: I sit down and motion for her thrall to bring me some champagne. "Tell me, Victoria, what are you thinking?"
Victoria: "Of Pilis," I reply quietly and then raise my glass to my awaiting lips.
Andre: "Who is Pilis?"
Victoria: I smile a little more broadly. Jackson approaches and brings Andre his drink. "Thank you Jackson." He smiles and turns to go. I wait until he is out of sight. "Not who my dear, where is a better question."
Andre: "Pilis is a place? I'm not familiar with it." I wait for her to explain further.
Victoria: "Pilis is a small provincial town in Hungry." My eyes switch from him to the window where the sky is just beginning to blossom with the lavender hues of early morning. "Connor had a home there. He brought me to live there once, in the early 1800's. It's a beautiful place really." I turn to look back at Andre, he is watching me carefully. "That was before things were bad, before he changed."
Andre: "So there were good times with him? You and I haven't really had much of a chance to learn about one another." I sit back and cross my legs, studying her profile. She turns and our gazes meet. "I had the impression that he victimized you."
Victoria: I take another sip of champagne, and breathe deeply. "Before I was turned there was many good times. He wanted to marry me," a smirk appears as I recall the thought. "Father and my brothers, Charles and Phillipe wouldn't hear of it! That is when things took a turn for the worst." I uncross my legs and bring them up under me, repositioning myself and giving me an opportunity to decide what to speak of. "He killed them all you know. Father, Charles, Phillipe. He allowed my Claude to live as long as I did as he wished. I couldn't bear the thought of loosing him too. But in truth I did."
Andre: "Why didn't you change Claude?"
Victoria: I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came. What could I say. I was without any courage, that I feared Connor and foolishly believed all his lies to me. That he would not let me see him except at a distance. All the reasons sound so cheap, so foolish. I could feel the tears welling up behind my long lashes.
Andre: I must have hurt her. I reach forward to touch her hand. "I did not mean to make you cry. Please excuse my question."
Victoria: What a lovely man. I cover his hand with my own and shake my head dismissively. "No, no . It's just when you realize how terrible foolish you've been." I quickly shut my eyes to hold back the tears. "My brother, was the only one who truly loved me and I failed him. I gave up."
Andre: "Perhaps he would not have wanted this existence we have. Many are driven mad by it." I am trying to distract her, so I do not refer directly to Sands, but he was mad more than once. "Some can fight their way back from the madness." I wet my lips. "You adapted easily?"
Victoria: I look up at Andre the soft tone of his voice is soothing. "I might not be after all of this." I squeeze his hand. "I was determined to have a life, even if that meant running from town to town, country to country, You might say I never had the luxury of a nervous breakdown." Then a half smile.
Andre: I shift in my seat again, my eyes narrowing. "I'm afraid then that I misunderstood. You escaped him immediately after being turned?"
Victoria: "No, I'm afraid I'm not telling this tale very well." I release his hand and wipe at my eyes. "I was with Connor until 1825. One hundred years of torment. It was then I realized that he would kill me. Perhaps by accident, perhaps not. Claude was gone, I had nothing, no one to loose so I decide to fight back. That it was my one chance to be free, or die. Even that would have been a type of freedom. " I look into his eyes. He's studying me.
Andre: I nod in understanding. "So, I will ask my original question: Did you adapt easily to being turned or was it traumatic for you?"
Victoria: "I don't know how to answer that question." I paused and looked into his dark eyes. "How was it for you?"
Andre: "Well, pretty smooth, I guess you could say." I smile remembering. "I was in love with the person who transformed me. He was kind, patient, all the things you expect from a lover. He made sure I understood in advance what might happen."
I think back to that night. "I had stayed awake since before dawn that day. He told me to watch the sunrise and sunset, to take a good look at all the things I would miss in daylight until I was old enough to endure it." I sigh. "When I was turned, it was very beautiful, really. And the things we can see with our eyes are so much more enhanced than what a mere mortal can see. I was mesmerized."
Victoria: I bit my lower lip. "How wonderful that sounds." I said wistfully. "I suppose most have beautiful stories to tell."
Andre: "No, not most." I wonder how much she knows. "There are many evil vampires, like your Jacob. They turn those they might be infatuated with, but when the tire of them, they murder them." I shake my head. "Of course, Abberline does not allow such behavior in his clan, but he has only been with us for about a hundred years." My gaze meets hers, and I see the sunrise reflected in her green eyes. "He changed the landscape, brought organization and order out of chaos. He created the laws we now live by. Before they were more like.suggestions. The only law before Abberline was that any vampire who killed his or her creator was to be killed. No other rules. Nada."
Victoria: "That was the one rule Jacob did teach me. He made that one painfully clear. That is why I have spent the last 170 years in hiding from our kind. I knew that I didn't kill him. I tried to, but I wasn't strong enough. I knew they would all be after me." I took some reassurance in his words.
Andre: "We are difficult to kill." I can't help but smile. "So you escaped from him, but you know him. You know where he's lived. This Pilis, his home there, is it easily defendable?"
Victoria: I smile at the change of subject, I did not enjoy when the darkness, the regret came to me. "It was in 1825. It was at one time the manor house of a baron. Large grey stone walls, three feet thick in places." I set the empty glass down. When had I finished it? "How much longer before we arrive?"
Andre: "We land in Frankfurt, refuel, then it should take another ninety minutes before we reach Hungary proper." I look at my watch. "I imagine we'll land in about two hours, since we're still over the Atlantic."
Victoria: I wrinkled my brow and quietly looked out the small window.
Andre: "Don't watch the clock, it just makes the flight last longer," I advise.
Victoria: I turn to look at him once more, the elegant figure of a man before me. How beautiful he was. His warm skin, and dark eyes. His words thick and smooth like fine chocolate. I admired him. "I've never been one who cared about clocks, or the passage of time, but I just can't help but worry. Each passing second fills me with dread."
Andre: "Victoria, there is something that might alleviate your concerns some. Sands was uninjured when he woke. They put him back to sleep, but Lilith is certain they did not harm him." I touch her hand. "They want him unharmed, it would seem."
Victoria: My eyes opened wide. I drew in a deep breath and smiled, relived by his words. "She had contact with him then?" I leaned forward towards him. I was pleased to hear this confession. But apprehensive too. Was I correct in my earlier assumptions. Was this all a ploy to draw Lilith out into the open?
Victoria: Sitting in the Hummer, being driven away from Jacob's house was painful. I felt as if we were all abandoning Sands to an unimaginable fate. I listened half-heartedly to the communication of the Guardians, angry with myself. After all it was my words that had fueled her decision to flee the scene. Quickly we were shuttled back to the clan house. Things moved so quickly, much of that was a blur. I am amazed at how well organized the entire operation was. Quinn spoke to me privately and I tried to direct his forces to Pilis where Connor's home was located, but it was difficult. How things have changed.
I stayed below with the Guardians, the last thing I wanted was to be assaulted by the masses upstairs. That's when we received the news that the plane was charted and ready to go. I barely had enough time to clean myself up. But Andre was such a godsend. He arranged for a fresh set of clothes and had a bag packed for the trip. It would be easy to love him.
I haven't said much for the last few hours. I just sit here in the oversized leather seat of the plane and stare out the window. It's still dark, but soon the sun will begin to rise. I know I can find Connor's house, I just hope that I can muster the courage to confront him when the time comes.
Lilith is here. She sits at the other end of the cabin, Andre is with her. The two of them chat quietly. She has shut her mind to me, which I find a little disconcerting.
My thoughts are interrupted by Jackson, my thrall. "Here." He hands me a tall crystal flute glass filled with champagne. I looked at him strangely, but accept the drink. How did he know I was thinking about champagne?
I take a slow sip and shut my eyes. "Thank you Samuel," I reply.
"Your welcome Miss. Dupree. If you need anything let me know."
I sip again and shut my eyes, listening to the hum of the engines. We're coming Sands, we're coming.
Lilith: I feel comfortable with Andre, comfortable enough to tell him what's in my heart this morning. "He was conscious for a while. I could feel him. He was very very angry." I look into Andre's deep brown eyes. "But they must have drugged him again. I could feel his thoughts slip into fantasy, then nothing." I shrug. "At least they're not hurting him."
My gaze is drawn to Victoria. She sits alone, her face showing her emotions for anyone to read. Someone will have to teach her about hiding her feelings. "Andre, dear," I direct his attention with a glance, "she needs someone to cheer her up."
He follows my line of sight, nods and smiles back at me. "I will speak to her. She doesn't realize how clever Sands is."
"Clever is not always enough," I remind him.
He stands and walks over to her.
Victoria: I hear foot steps approach but choose not to open my eyes.
Andre: "Victoria? Do you mind if I join you?"
Victoria: I open my eyes and find Andre standing before me, graceful and charming. I manage a smile and wave a hand to the empty seat before me. "Champagne?" I ask raising my glass towards him. He looks exceptionally handsome in that Armani suit.
Andre: I sit down and motion for her thrall to bring me some champagne. "Tell me, Victoria, what are you thinking?"
Victoria: "Of Pilis," I reply quietly and then raise my glass to my awaiting lips.
Andre: "Who is Pilis?"
Victoria: I smile a little more broadly. Jackson approaches and brings Andre his drink. "Thank you Jackson." He smiles and turns to go. I wait until he is out of sight. "Not who my dear, where is a better question."
Andre: "Pilis is a place? I'm not familiar with it." I wait for her to explain further.
Victoria: "Pilis is a small provincial town in Hungry." My eyes switch from him to the window where the sky is just beginning to blossom with the lavender hues of early morning. "Connor had a home there. He brought me to live there once, in the early 1800's. It's a beautiful place really." I turn to look back at Andre, he is watching me carefully. "That was before things were bad, before he changed."
Andre: "So there were good times with him? You and I haven't really had much of a chance to learn about one another." I sit back and cross my legs, studying her profile. She turns and our gazes meet. "I had the impression that he victimized you."
Victoria: I take another sip of champagne, and breathe deeply. "Before I was turned there was many good times. He wanted to marry me," a smirk appears as I recall the thought. "Father and my brothers, Charles and Phillipe wouldn't hear of it! That is when things took a turn for the worst." I uncross my legs and bring them up under me, repositioning myself and giving me an opportunity to decide what to speak of. "He killed them all you know. Father, Charles, Phillipe. He allowed my Claude to live as long as I did as he wished. I couldn't bear the thought of loosing him too. But in truth I did."
Andre: "Why didn't you change Claude?"
Victoria: I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came. What could I say. I was without any courage, that I feared Connor and foolishly believed all his lies to me. That he would not let me see him except at a distance. All the reasons sound so cheap, so foolish. I could feel the tears welling up behind my long lashes.
Andre: I must have hurt her. I reach forward to touch her hand. "I did not mean to make you cry. Please excuse my question."
Victoria: What a lovely man. I cover his hand with my own and shake my head dismissively. "No, no . It's just when you realize how terrible foolish you've been." I quickly shut my eyes to hold back the tears. "My brother, was the only one who truly loved me and I failed him. I gave up."
Andre: "Perhaps he would not have wanted this existence we have. Many are driven mad by it." I am trying to distract her, so I do not refer directly to Sands, but he was mad more than once. "Some can fight their way back from the madness." I wet my lips. "You adapted easily?"
Victoria: I look up at Andre the soft tone of his voice is soothing. "I might not be after all of this." I squeeze his hand. "I was determined to have a life, even if that meant running from town to town, country to country, You might say I never had the luxury of a nervous breakdown." Then a half smile.
Andre: I shift in my seat again, my eyes narrowing. "I'm afraid then that I misunderstood. You escaped him immediately after being turned?"
Victoria: "No, I'm afraid I'm not telling this tale very well." I release his hand and wipe at my eyes. "I was with Connor until 1825. One hundred years of torment. It was then I realized that he would kill me. Perhaps by accident, perhaps not. Claude was gone, I had nothing, no one to loose so I decide to fight back. That it was my one chance to be free, or die. Even that would have been a type of freedom. " I look into his eyes. He's studying me.
Andre: I nod in understanding. "So, I will ask my original question: Did you adapt easily to being turned or was it traumatic for you?"
Victoria: "I don't know how to answer that question." I paused and looked into his dark eyes. "How was it for you?"
Andre: "Well, pretty smooth, I guess you could say." I smile remembering. "I was in love with the person who transformed me. He was kind, patient, all the things you expect from a lover. He made sure I understood in advance what might happen."
I think back to that night. "I had stayed awake since before dawn that day. He told me to watch the sunrise and sunset, to take a good look at all the things I would miss in daylight until I was old enough to endure it." I sigh. "When I was turned, it was very beautiful, really. And the things we can see with our eyes are so much more enhanced than what a mere mortal can see. I was mesmerized."
Victoria: I bit my lower lip. "How wonderful that sounds." I said wistfully. "I suppose most have beautiful stories to tell."
Andre: "No, not most." I wonder how much she knows. "There are many evil vampires, like your Jacob. They turn those they might be infatuated with, but when the tire of them, they murder them." I shake my head. "Of course, Abberline does not allow such behavior in his clan, but he has only been with us for about a hundred years." My gaze meets hers, and I see the sunrise reflected in her green eyes. "He changed the landscape, brought organization and order out of chaos. He created the laws we now live by. Before they were more like.suggestions. The only law before Abberline was that any vampire who killed his or her creator was to be killed. No other rules. Nada."
Victoria: "That was the one rule Jacob did teach me. He made that one painfully clear. That is why I have spent the last 170 years in hiding from our kind. I knew that I didn't kill him. I tried to, but I wasn't strong enough. I knew they would all be after me." I took some reassurance in his words.
Andre: "We are difficult to kill." I can't help but smile. "So you escaped from him, but you know him. You know where he's lived. This Pilis, his home there, is it easily defendable?"
Victoria: I smile at the change of subject, I did not enjoy when the darkness, the regret came to me. "It was in 1825. It was at one time the manor house of a baron. Large grey stone walls, three feet thick in places." I set the empty glass down. When had I finished it? "How much longer before we arrive?"
Andre: "We land in Frankfurt, refuel, then it should take another ninety minutes before we reach Hungary proper." I look at my watch. "I imagine we'll land in about two hours, since we're still over the Atlantic."
Victoria: I wrinkled my brow and quietly looked out the small window.
Andre: "Don't watch the clock, it just makes the flight last longer," I advise.
Victoria: I turn to look at him once more, the elegant figure of a man before me. How beautiful he was. His warm skin, and dark eyes. His words thick and smooth like fine chocolate. I admired him. "I've never been one who cared about clocks, or the passage of time, but I just can't help but worry. Each passing second fills me with dread."
Andre: "Victoria, there is something that might alleviate your concerns some. Sands was uninjured when he woke. They put him back to sleep, but Lilith is certain they did not harm him." I touch her hand. "They want him unharmed, it would seem."
Victoria: My eyes opened wide. I drew in a deep breath and smiled, relived by his words. "She had contact with him then?" I leaned forward towards him. I was pleased to hear this confession. But apprehensive too. Was I correct in my earlier assumptions. Was this all a ploy to draw Lilith out into the open?