~O~
Pleasures of the Night
[Several days earlier]
Angie let out a giggle when she saw Sofia standing at the Beneviento doors.
The woman smiled hesitantly when she saw the puppet, held in the arms of the Lord of the estate. She gave her a respectful bow of her head and Donna tilted her head at her. Sofia scribbled something down on her notepad and held it up to the woman.
Donna leaned forward and Angie spoke.
"You came to offer gratitude?" Angie said, "For what? The tea we gave you?"
Sofia nodded her head and Donna nodded once.
"Well, you're welcome, I guess," Angie continued, with a rattle of her hands. "But you really didn't walk all this way to tell us that, did you?"
Sofia licked her lips, hesitated once. "No."
Donna exhaled and spoke now. "What do you want?"
"Help." Sofia explained. She grunted with frustration as she struggled to find her words. "Need...help with a letter."
"Letter?" Donna found the thought intriguing.
"Yes." Sofia told her. "Please. M-Mother Miranda will hurt... hurt me."
Donna looked down at Angie, then to Sofia. "You expect this." she confirmed. "Mother Miranda's will is absolutely. Surely you know what she plans, then. She doesn't enjoy Alcina fawning for a mortal. She's forgotten things."
Sofia agreed with a small nod and sigh.
"Do you accept the possibility of death?" Donna was curious by her.
Sofia nodded again.
"Why?"
Sofia smiled sadly at her, eyes misting. She didn't answer for the longest time.
O
Sofia stared up at the ceiling, unaware that she'd been screaming the entire time.
The bat was hovering over her, watching as Miranda cut into her body with ruthlessness; she was ignoring the sounds of pain from her, just working at her body as if it were nothing more than a toy to play with and mold to her whims. She had eventually stopped screaming when her throat had grown raw.
"Hello there, sleepyhead," the bat spoke in a soft voice, free of mockery. It's voice was familiar. "What are you doing up?"
Sofia's blank stare just focused weakly on the bat.
"Mmm, what a shame," the bat continued. Its mouth wasn't moving. It spoke in her head. "God isn't here in Her house. Her work...look at it. It makes Him sick looking at it. And you gave yourself to be her toy. Why? Does God not love you?"
Miranda was putting the creature within her. Or so Sofia thought so. She was barely awake now, staring at the bat now perched on her legs, watching her with wings folded, ears flicking a few times. The eyes of the creature were nearly gold, glowing in the poor light of the room.
It's voice was Alcina's.
"My poor little hummingbird," the bat said, softly. "You shouldn't do this. You shouldn't die for us. You've endured too much. She will kill you."
Sofia's vision dimmed. She mumbled feebly.
She saw Hilda at her side now, gently stroking her cheeks. The old woman smiled sadly at her now. "Girl, you're foolish, aren't you? To do something like this." she sighed. "What a shame, isn't it? To lose someone like you."
"God doesn't love you, girl." a snarling voice filled the air. It was cruel, terrible and very familiar. "This is all your fault, isn't it?"
Those voices, Sofia shut her eyes and the bat was there in her face, watching her with red blood trickling down its eyes. It was weeping.
"Sofia, draga. Look at me." the bat whispered, "Don't look at them. Only me. Please."
Sofia weakly opened her eyes, looking up at the bat.
Its was crying.
For her.
O
[Present]
Sofia watched the three women take flight in insect form in the great hall. She stared hesitantly down the stairs and looked at her arms, opening them to form wings. Daniela was drifting around her, encouraging along with several of the maids.
"It's easy!" she said, "We just start small! Give it a try!"
Sofia nodded her head, smiling. "Okay."
She squared herself, spread her wings and flapped them a few times before she backed up, launching herself into the air.
And having an unfortunate encounter with the floor in a tumble of limbs and wings.
Cassandra couldn't stop her laugh and both Bela and Daniela moved to help her up. The maids also moved to her side.
"Are you okay?" Daniela asked.
Sofia sighed, wincing as she rubbed her nose. She wasn't sore, just a little embarrassed. "Ow."
Irina looked at Sofia. "Maybe you can try from the chair there?" she offered, pointing toward the fireplace nearby, "Just get some air and try to hover? Like the ones outside?"
Sofia thought about that before nodding. That seemed like a safer idea, really. She walked to the chair and could hear Daniela hitting Cassandra behind her, telling her to stop being so mean about it. Cassandra just sighed and agreed.
Sofia opened her wings again and gave them a few beats, hovering a few inches off of the chair. She tucked her legs back a bit, struggling to balance herself in the air. The sight had the maids riveted in place, watching the muscles in her wings flex, work to keep her floating.
Sofia giggled. She couldn't help it.
She looked up when Alcina stepped down the long flight of stairs, catching sight of what was happening. She raised an eyebrow and gave a short laugh, catching the attention of her daughters as well; the three women lined up to greet her and Sofia nearly had an unfortunate encounter with the floor.
"Sofia, what are you doing?" Alcina questioned, tone light with amusement.
Sofia straightened, adjusted her hair somewhat. "Flying. Well, t-trying."
Alcina approached her, studied her condition as her wings disappeared into her arms. "Don't worry," she assured her, "There will be plenty of time for practice. Mother Miranda calls for me and I'd like you to stay here for now with my daughters until I return."
Sofia looked concerned about that for a moment. Alcina chuckled reassuringly and leaned down, giving her a chase kiss on her lips. She knew the look and understood Sofia's concern; truthfully, she wasn't exactly calm about it much. Mother Miranda's actions had proven she would do anything to remind her of her place.
But the meeting involved everyone, so she knew that it had nothing to do with recent events. Alcina wouldn't risk Sofia's safety either way.
"It's alright," she continued, "Stay here."
"Bye, mother!" her daughters said, together.
They watched Alcina depart with one of the carriage drivers and the doors closed behind her. Sofia looked troubled, but the three women at her side put their arms around her.
"Don't worry, we'll have a lot of fun while she's gone!" Daniela assured her.
Later, Sofia was hiding on the ceiling of the dance hall, wings folded around her body like a bat. She couldn't stop giggling as the daughters searched for her in a playful game of hide-and-seek. So far, they hadn't been able to find her.
"Sofia, where are you?" Daniela hummed, with a playful grin in her voice. "I'm going to find you!"
Sofia heard the sound of insect wings and she let out a yelp when Daniela poked her head into her wings. She flashed a toothy grin and the woman laughed, spreading her wings for a proper, graceful landing onto the floor.
Cassandra and Bela made their way into the room.
"Aww, no fair. That's cheating." Cassandra griped.
Daniela laughed at her. "Don't be mad because I found her first."
Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"Ladies, supper is prepared," Irina told them, as she ventured into the room.
The four made their way into the dining hall and took their seats. Sofia sniffed the air when she caught traces of blood, flesh and bone. Irina smiled hesitantly at her, producing a plate of something with pasta and red flesh.
"It's horse heart and kidneys," the woman assured her. "Don't worry."
Cassandra had begun to dig into her meal with ravenous hungry noises. "Sofia, you really need to get over your delicate sensitivities," she told her, "This is who you are now. You can't hesitate when it comes to what you eat. That thing in your chest? It won't let you."
Bela sighed and nodded in agreement. "She's right. Animal meat is just a placeholder for what you should be eating." she agreed, "Of course, it satisfies enough. But eventually, it will get stale and you'll need something more."
Sofia could understand that, despite her own reservations about it. Her stomach was aching for food and her head began to swim with a near painful haze. She saw flashes of red gore behind her eyes; the torture endured by Mother Miranda and the blood that came with it. The others were eating without issue and she couldn't focus on her food.
The three women were talking and Sofia barely heard their conversation.
"Maybe we should kill something for her first and then let her eat it?" Cassandra suggested. "I am the best hunter here, after all."
"That's not a bad idea," Daniela said. "But that's like having a mother wolf hunt for the older babies. Remember the ones from that film reel that mother showed us?"
Cassandra licked her lips thoughtfully before nodding. "Yes, that was kind of pathetic, wasn't it?"
"Sofia will get better. Don't worry."
Sofia could still see the torture. She could even see flashes of people around her; Hilda and her father lost in their final moments.
Sofia squeezed her eyes shut, shook it off and began to eat. Her heart calmed at the sensation of the raw flesh in her mouth, the blood and its flavors filling in her belly. Her mind was relaxed even so, feeling refreshed and satisfied with each bite of her meal.
It was nice, actually. She thought she'd find it difficult to eat, but it wasn't. It just came naturally to her as any meal would.
"How long will mother be?" Cassandra questioned her sisters.
"Maybe until dawn," Bela replied, with a sigh.
Well, that certainly gave them time to bond.
O
Sofia spent time studying her eyes in the mirror; they were no longer dull brown, but a bright red. She'd never known she would survive such a brutal process of her transformation. The memories of it still lingered fresh in the back of her mind.
Miranda's cold, cruel words.
"Hey, Sofia."
Sofia looked back and noticed Bela walk into the room with a maid at her side. The maid looked at her with a nervous smile and Sofia wrinkled her brow, confused. She looked at Bela for an explanation.
"Well, I know you're a little sensitive to the idea of eating humans," Bela explained, "And I know you're going to wither if you don't."
Sofia looked at the maid, then to Bela again.
"She's offered to be your first snack," Bela continued, brushing a lock of hair from the maid's eyes. "And I think it's a nice offer, really. You just have to remember not to kill her when you do. Mother won't be too happy with that."
Sofia looked at the maid again, her eyes narrowing when the woman knelt down before her. She barely remembered her name.
"Lady Sofia, it's an honor," the maid assured her, undoing a few buttons of her high-throated uniform, "I don't mind."
Bela held the woman by the shoulders, smiling up at Sofia; she caught the uncertainty, the doubt and the hunger. She could see her pupils dialate at the smell - she could certainly smell the ripeness of the blood, the willingness of the prey.
"See?" Bela encouraged, smiling with a show of teeth. "She's okay with it. Mother might be very happy that I showed you how."
Sofia licked her lips, swallowing the sensation down. She was kneeling before the maid and stared at her throat.
"It's okay." the maid continued to assure her. "I'm okay with it, my Lady."
Sofia shook her head, squeezed her eyes shut tight. She felt herself pulled forward, smelled the blood in the other woman's body.
She displayed her throat for her and Sofia took hold of her, plunging her teeth into her skin. She was welcomed with warm blood in her mouth and the sensations of it struck her hard; her head erupted with starbursts of pleasure, her throat and belly warmed by the blood, fueling her with life.
"Don't take too much," Bela instructed, patting her back with one gentle hand. "Remember, pull away when I tell you too."
Sofia was growing lost in the warmth of the blood and it was only when Bela hissed "NOW" in her ear that she yanked her teeth away. The maid let out a low groan, holding her throat with one hand. Sofia's red eyes were nearly black, her mouth shining with blood.
"Good!" Bela praised, "And not much blood wasted, either! You're better at this than I thought you'd be. Mother will be so happy to hear it."
The maid looked disoriented, but otherwise still very much alive; she swayed a little as she rose, holding her neck and regarding Bela with a weak smile.
"I-Is that all, Lady Bela?" she questioned.
"Yes, go on now. Clean yourself up." Bela waved her off with a dismissive hand.
The maid departed and Bela turned her attention to Sofia. She noticed the near intoxicated look on her face, the subtle swaying back and forth. It made her brow wrinkle, her lips quirk into a smile as she stared at the woman with amusement.
Sofia grinned up at her, giggling. "Y-You're blurry."
"Wait, are you..." Bela crowed with laughter. "You are, aren't you? You can't hold your blood!"
She let out a cackle and stopped the moment Sofia rushed from the room with a stream of drunken giggles.
"No, no, wait!" Bela hissed.
She huffed with frustration.
O
The three searched for Sofia in the castle.
"I can't believe she got drunk on blood!" Daniela was giggling the entire time.
"Funny as it is, we have to find her," Bela told them. "You know what the first time is like. We all do. Sofia's going to hurt herself and mother's going to be angry at us."
They looked at each other hesitantly. Bela had a point.
"Okay, I'll check the East Wing," Bela told them, "Cassandra, check the West. Daniela look around everywhere else. You are faster than both of us."
Daniela smiled and nodded.
The three split up to search for Sofia.
Cassandra scanned the West Wing for Sofia, calling out her name with frustration in her voice. "Where are you, woman?" she snapped. "Sofia! Sofia!"
One of the maids had been searching in one of the many rooms, stepped out and looked at Cassandra worriedly.
"She isn't here, Miss Cassandra." she stammered.
Cassandra huffed angrily. "Can't believe she can't hold her blood. Must be the type, I suppose." she snapped. "Where is she?"
Suddenly, arms circled her and held her close; the maid's eyes widened and Cassandra let out an angry hiss. Sofia's drunken laugh filled the air and she peeked her head out from behind her, swaying back and forth with her in a tight hug.
"Here I am!" she slurred, playfully. "You found me!"
"Let go!" Cassandra growled, enraged by the game.
Sofia released her, grinning happily. "Catch me!"
"No, I'm not - " Cassandra hissed, baring her teeth. She watched Sofia blink away. "No, get back here!"
Sofia blinked right up to her with a giggle. "Yes?"
"I'm not chasing you," Cassandra snapped at her. "You don't want ME chasing you and - "
Sofia simply blinked away again with several fits of laughter. She appeared across the hallway, then appeared again in another room, and again. She did this over and over while Cassandra pursued her in mid-fly form.
"Sofia!" she shouted, angrily.
Bela and Daniela were already trying to catch the other woman, but she was already flying out of the window before they could stop her. Samcă scattered from their posts on the castle spires with screeches and Sofia fluttered her wings, looking up at the moon with a dazed, happy smile.
"Pretty." she breathed. "The night...s-so many c-colors."
She stretched her wings out to the fullest and the Samcă imitated the gesture with near perfection. They let out a chorus of screeches.
"Sofia! Sofia, the sun's coming up soon!" Daniela shouted, from the window. "You have to come back inside!"
Sofia grinned back at them. The sun had begun peeking over the horizon and she suddenly stiffened, wincing as her shoulder began to blister. Irina quickly rushed outside with a blanket when Sofia limped toward her.
"Come now, Sofia. Let's get you inside." she said, gently.
"M-My blood..." Sofia whimpered. "It's... It's burn-burning."
"I know..." Irina continued, her tone soothing as she covered her completely and guided her back into the castle. "It's okay. Let's go back inside and you'll feel better."
The three Dimitrescu women watched as Irina led Sofia down the hall, toward Alcina's bedchamber. She helped her into the bed and Sofia's shoulder had begun to knit itself of the burns.
Irina smiled down at her. "Mistress will be home shortly." she told her. "Rest and you'll feel better."
Sofia nodded her head with a sleepy smile.
Irina turned to the three women and gave them a hesitant look. "Will that be all?"
"That's all." Bela said, gesturing once. "Now go."
Irina departed and the three hovered around the bed. Daniela was petting Sofia's head now and smiled down at her.
"Did you have fun?" Daniela laughed.
Sofia nodded her head, still giggling. "So much fun."
Bela sat down at the edge of the bed. "Well, we're not letting you out of our sight until you come down from it." she said, a little aggravated. "You could have burned up."
"Sorry." Sofia grimaced. "Just... Just wanted to fly."
"Yes, well, learn how to handle your blood next time." Cassandra snapped.
"Excuse me?"
The three looked up, stunned to see Alcina dip her head through the doorway to enter her chambers. She looked partially amused by the words, studying Sofia's condition.
"Sofia drank blood and she didn't take well to it." Bela explained. "A maid volunteered to be her first meal and she flew around the castle like a drunk harlot."
Alcina let out a chuckle and studied Sofia, leaning down and giving her cheek a little kiss. "Mmm, I'm sorry to have missed it." she said. She licked a little of the residual blood on her lips. "But perhaps we could always share later."
Sofia smiled up at her, cheeks warming.
Alcina tittered once, rose and regarded her daughters. "We will train tomorrow morning. I want you resting."
"Yes, mother." they said, together.
Once they drifted out of the room, Alcina knelt at the edge of the bed, gently brushing a lock of hair out of Sofia's eyes, cherishing her.
"You've handled yourself better than my first time." she admitted, with a gentle smile. "But I am proud to see you taking your newfound immortality well."
Sofia's smile disappeared somewhat and Alcina immediately sensed a change in their link.
"What is it?" she asked.
Sofia blinked, glancing down. "S-Still see it."
"See what, darling?"
"Her." Sofia explained, hesitantly. "Hurting...Cutting..."
Alcina's smile disappeared now. She knew what it meant. She knew what still haunted Sofia. It had taken her a long time to get passed the physical pain of the transformation.
"Is that why you had grown intoxicated with the blood?" Alcina questioned. "You allowed yourself to get lost in it."
A few moments before Sofia nodded, shame on her face.
"I understand, draga. I understand you more than you know."
Alcina sighed quietly through her nose and leaned over, taking her hands in one of her larger ones, kissing her on her lips - a chaste kiss meant to comfort.
"It will get much easier, I assure you," she continued, rubbing her forehead against Sofia's once they parted. "Once you grow into your changes, you will forget."
Sofia nodded against her.
Her poor little hummingbird.
