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Episode 4 Part 3:
Aurora's eyes opened. She saw that she was inside her room. She rose slowly and rubbed some hair bangs out of her eyes. As she dressed, she thought back to yesterday when Diana had told her that their parents had been killed by witches, not humans as they had believed for so many years.
She heard knocking at the door. "Come in,"
Marcus opened the door, carrying a tray of cereal and juice. "I heard you wake up so I thought you might be hungry,"
"Thank you,"
A despondent Marcus placed it on her bedside table. He then pulled the chair from the dresser's table and pulled it over in front of her bed. "Are you okay?"
Aurora nodded, but she hung her head down to hide her wet eyes.
Marcus reached a gentle hand over and gently touched her cheek. "It's okay to be sad. I would be sad too. I'm so sorry about what Diana told you the other day,"
"Thank you for taking me back to my bed,"
"I checked on you from time to time,"
"You didn't get much sleep last night?"
"I don't need to sleep,"
"So why do you have a bed in your room?"
"To blend in?" Marcus's joke made Aurora chuckle a bit and push aside her pain for just a moment. Alas, the agony from last night's revelations came back and Aurora was once again cast under an allure of anguish.
"Do you wanna call your sister again?"
"I'm not sure,"
"I think you should. I bet she's going through the same tremor that you are. Then why don't you call your aunts too?"
"Okay," Aurora wiped her nose. "Thank you ,Marcus,"
Marcus hoped that he was helping in the best way he could. "I'm still going to see my friends tonight. You don't have to come. I can take you to Miriam's house tonight instead,"
"I'll think about it," Aurora said.
"I'll leave you alone," Marcus gently touched her frozen hand. "It's gonna be okay. I promise,"
"Thank you. You're so kind Marcus. There's no other vampire whose house I would gladly stay in than yours,"
Marcus was touched. He stood up and gracefully left through the door giving Aurora one last comforting expression.
After eating her cereal and drinking her juice, Aurora opened up her laptop and decided to do a video call to her sister. Diana's face appeared.
"Hey sis," she called.
"Hey…" Aurora answered a little quietly.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay. You?"
"Yes," she nodded slowly.
"I'm so sorry that I told you Rora," Diana looked so guilty. "I just felt you deserved to know,"
"You were right. Even if it's so painful we both needed to know. Marcus and Miriam helped me get back to Marcus's house and he tucked me in. He suggest I'd call you,"
"Well, I'm glad you did,"
"How did you deal with it?"
"Not much. I just had a warm bath, then I talked to Ysabeau,"
Aurora felt a little stricken. "How was it?"
"Nothing tense happened. One thing she did say was we should make the witches who killed our parents pay. It won't take the pain away,"
"But at least they would be brought to justice," Aurora agreed. "Who would do this?"
"I don't. We cannot assume it was Knox. He thought so highly of mum,"
"Yet he insulted dad," Aurora spoke back, anger boiling up like white fire inside her. "Have you told Em and Sarah?"
"Not yet. I think we should,"
Aurora agreed and together they called their aunts and their faces appeared on their team chat.
"Hey, you two. Is everything okay?" Em asked. She paused, sensing the heartbroken faces on the girls' faces. "What's happened?"
"Matthew….looked at the pictures that Knox sent us," Diana said. "He said that…there was a chalk circle around their bodies. A witch circle,"
Sarah and Em's faces diminished.
"You're not saying…." Sarah drifted off.
"Our parents were killed by witches," Aurora spoke back, rage and woe burning in her eyes. "They covered it up to make us think it was humans,"
"Oh my god," Sarah was close to tears.
"I wish you two were together," Em prayed.
"I wish we were too," Diana wished. "But at least we can still call each other,"
"I just so glad we have comfort from our protectors," Aurora said. "Marcus and Miriam kindly helped me to bed last night and Marcus watched me,"
"Good of him," Em nodded. "He isn't as bad as we first thought of him,"
Sarah couldn't argue with him. "And you Diana? Did Matthew do anything?"
"I was mainly alone but Ysabeau said to make mum and dad's killers pay. It won't take the pain away but it helps,"
Sarah was silent hearing the advice that a witch-hater had given her eldest niece.
"Guys…" Aurora broke the silence. "I was going to hang out with Marcus and some of his buddies tonight. After what happened last night…I wasn't entirely sure,"
"You definitely should," Diana encouraged. "A night is exactly what you need,"
"Are you sure?" Aurora was sceptical.
"If Diana thinks you should…then do it," Em encouraged. "You're old enough to tell from right and wrong, you'll old enough to make your own choices,"
Aurora glanced carefully at Sarah's plain face. Would she agree with her on this?
"Go if you want you," she managed to get out. "Just promise you'll be careful,"
"I will," Aurora promised.
"I think you should two should have some time alone," Diana said.
"We would like that," Sarah sniffled. "We love you two so much. Please call us again soon,"
"We will," the sisters said together. The aunts shut off.
"Thank you so much for the encouragement," Aurora said to her best friend in the whole world.
"You need this Aurora. You've been through so much and I can't think of any other way of how you can cheer yourself up,"
"Do something nice with Matthew as well. You deserve to be cheered up as well. I'll call you again soon,"
"Thank you. I love you, sis,'
"I love you,"
Marcus sat down at the kitchen table and did some work. He heard stairs creaking and he turned to see Aurora coming down. "Feeling better?" he asked.
"Yes," she came and sat in front of him. "I talked to my family and it helped a lot. Diana definitely thinks I should still go to dinner with you and your friends tonight. I just don't have anything nice to wear at dinner,"
"Don't worry. Miriam's got plenty of dresses at her house. I'm sure she would not mind letting you borrow one. All she's quite great at doing buns if you'd like your hair done up,"
"I would love that very much," Aurora smiled.
"Let's leave at four so we have time to get you ready. Then we'll be heading to the Pierre Victoire for 7,"
"Sounds like a whole day is planned already,"
"Why don't we spend the afternoon going out on a walk?"
"I would love that,"
The attraction between Aurora Bishops and Marcus Whitmore was deepening.
Thomas knelt inside the church, holding his rosary again in his hand like the week before. He thought about Argus.
Oh Argus. I need your help. Every step I take to try and protect my family is a step away from losing them. Please help me. He begged. Approaching footsteps rang in his ear. Aromas of warm blood instead of cold drifted up to his nose. It wasn't any of his family or even Miriam. He twisted his head. To his surprise it was Phoebe.
"Ahh…wasn't expecting you to be here," she greeted casually.
"I just…came here to pay my respects," he answered awkwardly.
Phoebe chuckled softly. "Not a lot of people I know do that," she entered the long gap between Thomas's bench and the bench in front. "I don't usually go to church that much but um…it's good to be in complete silence now and again,"
"I couldn't agree with you more Miss Taylor,"
"Please call me Phoebe,"
"As you wish Miss Taylor,"
Phoebe playfully rolled her eyes and Thomas went back to praying. "Whom are you praying for?" she asked.
"For my late partner Argus,"
"I'm so sorry for your loss," she apologised wholeheartedly. "What happened to him?"
"He was murdered. I don't want to say anything else,"
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I get like this about people. I'm sorry for being nosy,"
"It's okay. I really appreciate your comfort. It means a lot,"
Phoebe was heartened by his gratitude.
"Who are you here to pray for?"
"No one really," Phoebe confessed. "I'm just here to be alone. The church is the only real place where I can put my mind at peace,"
"Mine too,"
"So um…have you been able to sort things about with your family?"
"Not exactly," Thomas confessed. "I feel that every step I take to try and protect them, I only drift further away from them. I just hope it's not too late to fix things. They've already got worse than I thought,"
Phoebe gently touched his shoulder. "It's never too late to fix things. There is always a chance for bonds to be amended. You just have to have the courage to face the facts,"
Thomas seemed to accept her words but remained quiet. He looked up again at the cross in front of them, preferring to bury himself in his grief again than talk.
"I can leave if you'd wish," Phoebe offered.
"I think I would like some company," Thomas accepted. "If that's all right,"
"Of course," Phoebe knelt beside him, not noticing that his dark eyes were shifting to the right, looking right at her.
Thomas was deeply moved by this warm-blooded creature. Even though she was human and she knew nothing of the creature, she seemed to have a way of understanding others in a way even he didn't.
Marcus took Aurora to Miriam's house. Unconditionally Miriam took her to her dressing room and told Marcus to leave.
"Come on. Can't I help out?" he complained.
"You can help out by waiting. And getting dressed yourself. There's a suit waiting for you in the back room," Miriam pressured him to the door and closed it.
Marcus sat downstairs with his phone. He was well-dressed up and he had a red rose tucked in his vest. He had considered calling his brother. He tried twice but Thomas never picked up. He sighed. He couldn't help but feel in a way that he had betrayed Thomas. All Thomas wanted to keep them safe and not lose them the same way he had lost his human family and later their grandfather and partner. He knew that he never meant to be cold and unfriendly but in his eyes, witches would always be the enemy. He just hoped that Matthew might find a way to make amendments with him.
Creaking staircases rung in his ears. He turned and saw Miriam with a well-dressed Aurora step down with graceful steps. Marcus couldn't help but go 'wow' in his head.
Aurora looked so pretty. She was wearing a silver dress. She wore silver jewellery and black heels; a black shawl was flung over her shoulders and her hair was tied up in a bun with small bangs dangling against her cheeks.
"You look…really pretty," he complimented with an embarrassed look.
"Thanks," Aurora turned to Miriam. "Thank you so much, Miriam. One of these days you should be a stylist,"
"Ah no," she refused softly. "I'll always be a biochemist,"
"Who knows? Maybe you might change your mind,"
"I doubt it. Now, don't you two have somewhere to get to?"
Marcus stared at his watch. "Oh my god, there's only fifteen minutes left,"
"No worries. I'll give you both a drive there for extra precautions," Miriam led them outside to her car and she drove them to the Pierre Victoire on the far side of town.
"Thank you, Miriam," Aurora said again.
"Don't mention it. Be good to each other," she said.
"Bye Miriam," Marcus waved.
Miriam rolled her eyes good-humouredly and drove off, leaving them in front of the restaurant.
"Well…are you ready?" Marcus offered his arm. Aurora took it gladly with a radiant smile and they walked inside where Marcus's human friends and their dates awaited them with glasses of champagne.
"You didn't have to walk me here," Phoebe said to Thomas.
"You know Oxford's started to become a little…unsafe in the nighttime," Thomas answered back, keeping his hands tucked away in his pockets. "And besides…one good favour deserves another…you comfort me…now I just make sure you're safe,"
"How very principled,"
Thomas just chuckled hearing her say that. They saw a taxi was up ahead and it was where Phoebe had asked the driver to meet. "Well…Thomas…it was very nice bumping into you…again…but it seems like this is where we part…again,"
"Thank you very much for your time, Phoebe. It feels great to finally talk to someone other than my family and our friends,"
"My advice is this Thomas…get out more. Be more social," Phoebe entered the backseat and Thomas gladly closed the door for her. As the taxi drove off, he waved his hand and he just see a glimpse of Phoebe waving through the back window before the taxi turned the corner and vanished.
Thomas couldn't help but smile. Usually, with restrictions from making a lot of contact with humans, he couldn't exactly comprehend them but now that he had been talking to one…he was beginning to see rare genuine humanity in a way he had never seen in many others before. As he turned to walk off, he heard his phone ringing. He picked it up and saw that it was Hamish, his father's daemon friend.
"Hey, Hamish…let me guess…Matthew asked you to call,"
"He did. Look…I know that things have been difficult between you two,"
"Which they have,"
"And that he has said and done some things which you were a little hurt by…"
"A lot actually,"
"But know this Thomas…your father loves you. He wholly understands why you can't let go of your hatred,"
"Then does he continue to consort with that witch? Why is it that every single time I try to warn him, he always shuts me down?"
Hamish sighed over the telephone line. "Look…you can't influence his decisions. The only thing you can do is be there for him. You know you owe him that,"
"I know," Thomas could never forget everything that Matthew had given him. Love, a new family, a new home…. "How could I ever forget?"
"Look the point is Thomas…you can't hold Diana and her sister Aurora responsible for what happened,"
"That's what Marcus said. I know they are not responsible…but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful with them,"
"Careful with what you do Thomas. If you don't reconsider, you're gonna end up doing something which you will regret,"
Thomas was quite stunned by his choice of words. Hamish shut the call off and he just stood silently in the streets.
Miriam had picked up Marcus and Aurora at 10:30.
"Tonight was so amazing Marcus," Aurora said to him as they sat in the back of the car. "Thank you so much,"
"Thank you for coming with me. Not that I was expecting you to,"
"Tonight, was exactly what I needed. I cannot wait to tell Diana how it went and my aunts. Diana's the one who insisted I'd go along to this party. Em was good with it too. I'm quite Sarah didn't put up an argument,"
"Guess she caught up on your lessons with being open-minded," Marcus joked, earning a playful glare from Aurora. He laughed and then she laughed. Miriam in the front was quite amused by their ways of humour. They arrived at Marcus's house and they stepped out of the car.
"Thank you so much for letting me borrow your dress," Aurora said to Miriam.
"It looks really good on you. You can keep it if you'd like,"
Aurora was quite surprised. "No. No. I couldn't,"
"Please…you look so much better in it than I do. May I take back my shawl and rings please?"
"Of course," Once they were inside, Aurora sped upstairs after taking off her feet which were aching so much from wearing hills for over three hours. She came back down again in casual clothes with a small purse that contained Miriam's jewels. "Here you go,"
"Thank you," she said. "Well then…I should get to the lab and check over some last-minute things,"
"Take a break from lab work," Aurora tried to say. "Do something relaxing,"
"Creatures are dying out there, Aurora. We must figure out the answers to our origins as soon as possible,"
"They won't die out completely by tomorrow or next week. There are still many creatures out there in the world. Sometimes when you relax and you allow your mind to relax, the answer can appear out of the blue when you least expect it,"
"I think you should relax Miriam," Marcus insisted, agreeing with Aurora and her wisdom.
"Okay," she accepted. "I'll see you both soon," she turned around was about to reach the door when the doorknob turned and it opened revealing Thomas. They were all quite surprised by his appearance.
"Look…I'm not going to talk about it today…I'm going to talk about something else more important now," Thomas invited himself inside and he sat down crossing his arms. "Look…Aurora and Diana cannot stay with us,"
"We're not safe amongst witches," Aurora argued. "And just so you know if you think you can use your past as an excuse to get rid of us, you're wrong,"
Thomas's face became frosty.
"Aurora don't," Marcus warned.
"Thomas…I know why you hate witches; I know why you hate them so much because of how they made you suffer,"
"Don't you dare," Thomas warned clenching his fists, his blood boiling under his skin. He felt like he was about to release something engaged inside him.
"That's no excuse for you to be so antagonising to us for no reason,"
"You and Diana belong with our aunts," Thomas managed to spit out, regaining control of himself. "You shouldn't be here and Diana shouldn't be at Sept Tour especially now that the Congregation are gonna come for her and Matthew thanks to Marcus telling Baldwin,"
Aurora flicked her head at Marcus. "Marcus…"
Marcus became tense. He still hadn't told her.
"He hasn't told you?" Thomas looked a little cunning. "He told Baldwin about the book of Life and why Matthew took Diana to Sept Tour and by now he's told the Congregation,"
Aurora turned to Marcus. "How could you?" she was betrayed.
Before Marcus could speak, she stalked off, grabbing her handbag and phone.
"Aurora please!" he tried to grab her arm but she pulled it out of reach. "Please just listen!"
"I am not listening to anything you have to say!" she shouted, turning back at him. "You've turned my sister in and now she's in more trouble!" she turned and stalked towards the door.
"Where are you going?!"
"Far away from you before you blurt out any more secrets and put my loved ones in danger!" she slammed the door in his face.
Marcus turned around in fury at Thomas. "How could you do that?!"
"Do what?"
Marcus marched upon him and punched him in the face.
"Marcus!" Miriam criticised.
"Don't act innocent," Thomas spat back, looking back at him. "You were keeping the truth from her. All I did was simply tell her what she needed to know,"
"It wasn't your right to tell," Marcus turned around in a flash and he sped out the door, hoping
Thomas huffed. He saw Miriam giving him a frosty look. "Don't look at me like that,"
"You've ruined Marcus's friendship with Aurora!" she shouted.
"How was I supposed to know he hadn't told her?"
"That is no excuse for your selfishness,"
"Me selfish?!" Thomas spat. "I was sure that he would have told her by now. If he truly was her friend, then he would have told her. Secrets shouldn't be kept unless for a good reason,"
"So you think Marcus not telling her about telling Baldwin was a bad idea?!"
"Yes. I did her a favour,"
Miriam did nothing but glare back. "You need to face the facts of your behaviour…before you make things worse between you and your family," She then stalked out of the house, leaving him alone. He sighed. Was I just selfish? he thought to himself. For the first time in a long while, Thomas felt guilt.
Aurora walked into town, upset at everything. Desperate to get away from Oxford as soon as possible, he brought out her phone and tried calling for a taxi. Luckily she managed to get one and she was instructed to wait at a private street. She waited patiently when she felt a magical presence walking towards her from behind. She turned around and saw it was none other than Gillian. The sight of her sister's former friend made her frown. "You shouldn't have come,"
"It makes me sick that you and your sister debate yourselves with vampires,"
"What sickens me much greatly is how you are always so repulsed by everything different from you,"
"We know Diana is staying with Matthew,"
"She's being kept protected from all of you,"
"Still, she left you here,"
"She left me to protect me from Knox,"
"You don't have protection from vampires anymore. I know why you're out here by yourself,"
"I suggest you leave before it's too late," Aurora warned firing up her ice ball. "Don't me do what I wish I had done before,"
Gillian said nothing and moved not an inch at all.
"I warned you," Aurora raised her palm. Suddenly she was magically attacked from behind.
Marcus searched constantly for Aurora. He had lost her in the crowded public spaces of Oxford and he could run at super-speed without exposing himself. Just then he heard something tense ringing in his ears. He heard voices.
Come on. We've to take her blood.
Can't we just take her?
No. The vampires who Matthew told to watch over her will track us down.
Let's just take that blood and get out of here.
Marcus's heart was struck. Aurora was in trouble. Quickly he squeezed through the crowds and once he was in an isolated street with no one in sight or watching him, he shot off towards the source of those voices.
In less than half a minute, he arrived on the scene. To his horror, he saw Aurora knocked out again. But she was moving still.
"Aurora…" he fell to his knees and lifted her head. "Aurora…Aurora can you hear me?"
Aurora's eyes drifted open. "Marcus…"
"I'm gonna get you out of here," he promised. He lifted her into his arms and stood up. He smelled for the two witches who had attacked her but to his irritation, the scents split up. He couldn't follow them, not that it mattered to him anyway. What mattered was that he was going to take Aurora to safety. He didn't care if she was mad at him, he was going to look after her like he had promised his father and her sister.
Thomas stalked around in circles in his office. He slumped down, burying his head into his hands. He cursed himself for what he had done. Had he gone too far? He stared at his portrait of Argus. "Argus…what have I done?"
Too many times he had spoken to that picture…only to receive nothing. All these years he had buried himself into those reminders of the love of his life that he relied more on them for guidance than he did on his loved ones.
Hamish was right before as well. He had warned him to be careful with his actions and he didn't listen. He was just so blinded by his own beliefs and desires that he didn't think enough. His phone rang. He lifted it hoping that it was Marcus to whom he could apologise properly or maybe Hamish again. Instead, it was Miriam.
"Miriam…"
"There's been a break-in at the lab,"
Meanwhile, back at Sept Tour, Diana had just learned the most horrifying truth. There was a Covenant that forbade interspecies relationships. She was mortified. She and Matthew had just shared another kiss outside and she had realised at that moment that she had fallen in love with him. They had just been visited by Domenico of the Congregation who threatened them should they continue down this path. Whilst she was brave and willing to face the consequences, Matthew was not as defiant and said they would not break the law that his father had created centuries ago to protect creatures from discovery. She begged him to reconsider but right now he was answering a phone call.
"All right I'll get there as soon as I can," Matthew promised. He put the phone down and he started edgily at Diana. "There's been a break-in at the lab. And Aurora's been attacked again,"
Diana was paralysed.
"Marcus and Miriam have brought her in,"
"I'll get my things,"
"No. You're staying here. I'm bringing Aurora over. I should have brought her along with you before,"
"No Matthew," his mother rejected. "She and Diana should go back to their aunts,"
"They're staying here. Guard Diana with your life until I return with Aurora,"
That's another chapter done. Please send reviews and tell me what you all thought. Thank you so much everyone for your support. It really means a lot. Get ready for Episode 5.
