Omen freak you are the best! I hope you enjoy chapter 7!
Her back was pressed against the stonewall, Gregory's fingers dug into her neck keeping her from breathing, if she pointed her toes they'd barely scrape against the ground.
"Did he send you down here?" Gregory growled baring his fangs, "Did he send you to seek me out the other night? To spy? To learn our secrets? Has it all been a lie?"
Sera tried to respond but with each question his anger grew, his blue eyes turned red and his grip tightened. She clawed at his hand trying to get him to let go. He seemed to realize she couldn't answer his questions if he killed her so he loosened his grip and let her drop to the floor.
She coughed until she had inhaled enough air to think straight again. Gregory grabbed her by her shoulders and slammed her against the wall again.
"Answer me!"
"No. To all of it. My father doesn't tell me what to do." She spat defiantly.
"Except who to marry." It was a low blow, they both knew it. She kneed him in the gut forcing him to let go as he stumbled back. She pulled her knife from its sheath in her boot and slashed it at him. He grabbed her wrist, stopping the blade an inch from his chest and scoffed.
"A knife? Oh that's funny." With her free hand she tried to punch him but he blocked that hand to. She twisted out of his grip, doing a tuck and roll move. She swung her leg out in an attempt to trip him but he was too quick. Damn vampire speed! They both struggled on the ground for a bit before she got the upper hand. She was straddling his waist with her knife pressed against his chest.
"If the knife was a stake you'd be dead."
"Why isn't it then?" he asked.
She paused before deciding to stick to the truth, "After that night on the cliff I stopped carrying stakes."
They were both still for a few minutes just looking at each other. Both trying to figure the other one out. Sera pulled her knife away from his chest and put it back in her boot. She never broke eye contact, his eyes had returned to their natural shade of electric blue as he propped himself up on his elbows beneath her.
"If you had known that night, would you have let me jump?"
He hesitated before responding, "Probably."
"Probably, isn't a yes." She whispered.
"What's done is done. The events of that night cannot be changed now, it's in the past."
She rolled off him and in a flash he was back on his feet fixing his jacket, trying to regain some dignity. Sera stayed on the ground mentally kicking herself for getting so sucked into this mess. She'd broken her father's number one rule 'never trust a vampire'. She was beginning to wonder if she should have listened. She felt so stupid, Gregory seemed to notice.
"Being so deep in thought can get you killed."
"So why don't you?" she asked finally looking up at him.
"Someone who puts up that good of a fight doesn't seem like someone who wants to die."
"I don't know what I want anymore." She admitted.
"Death is a cowards way out, you don't strike me as a coward Seraphina."
She scoffed, "Two nights and you think you know me?" he crouched to look her in the eye, "I'm good at figuring people out. I told you I spent three hundred years people watching."
"I was good at figuring people out too, until you."
"Hiding behind a mask is a skill vampires quickly master."
"I've seen my fair share of vampires. None of them wear a mask quite like you do."
Silence fell over the pair as they stared deeply at each other.
"Gregory! Brother, where are you?" an angelic voice called. Gregory immediately became annoyed, it was cute, Sera almost chuckled.
"I'll be along in a minute Anna." He called back over his shoulder.
"Tony dearest knows of a farm where we can get blood. We need your help getting father there."
"In a moment, I said!" he stood back up and turned back to Sera, offering her his hand. She took it and he helped pull her to her feet.
"Take that tunnel, you'll reach a corridor. Then take a right and the next two lefts. That tunnel will lead you to the exit." He turned and began walking away.
"You shouldn't argue with your father so much." Sera's words made him pause, his back still to her, "He's a better father than mine is, and I hope he's alright."
Gregory took a moment to take in her words before he vanished in a flash.
~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~O~
The next morning Sera was woken up by her maid, Trudy.
"You have a visitor M'Lady."
"Trudy, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Sera? I'm no lady."
"At least once more, M'Lady." She said politely. Sera glanced at the clock.
"What visitor comes at 7am!"
"One who would hope to get a warmer welcome from her beloved niece." The woman said as she walked into Sera's room.
"Aunt Renee!" she cried with joy. She quickly untangled herself from the sheets and ran to hug her aunt. It had been years since she'd seen Renee, with her father dragging her up and down the Scotland coastline hunting vampires and searching for the Stone of Attamon.
"Oh darling, how are you?" she asked giving her niece a hug before they both sat on the bed.
"About as good as can be expected."
"I heard about your betrothed." Renee said scrunching her nose in disgust like she smelt something awful. "Is he really that bad?"
"Yes." Sera flopped down on her back, "Typical rich boy, wants everything, including every girl he can get. Treats people like dirt beneath his polished shoes. Worse is how he wants me to be some slave-like trophy wife."
"Oh honey." Her aunt ran her fingers through Sera's hair, something that always calmed her as a child. "Any chance of getting out of it?" Sera shook her head.
"Well, look on the bright side."
"What bright side?"
"I'm here now. This arrangement means you won't be constantly moving, so I found a place."
Sera sat up again, "You're moving here?" Renee nodded smiling, "You'd uproot your entire life for me?"
"Oh sweetheart, I'd do much more than that for you." Sera couldn't help but smile, her aunt always was able to turn any negative situation into a positive one. Sera needed her now more than ever.
~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~O~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sera had spent a wonderful day with her aunt, the two went out for lunch and Renee showed her the house she was planning to buy. It was only a few blocks from the market and had an upstairs loft for Sera. It was a great relief to know that when she'd had enough of Theo she'd have a place to escape to.
Eventually though Sera had to return to the mansion, the McAshton's were having a very important dinner tonight with dear friends of the family. Which meant rich people they wanted to either kiss up or show off to. Naturally Sera's attendance was mandatory and as always she'd be stuck wearing another ridiculously expensive gown.
Hearing about her nieces plans Renee was able to sweet talk Lord McAshton into letting her join them. The old man of course extended an invitation to her, he seemed much more pleased to discover that Sera's aunt had an actual career, good manners and bathed regularly – unlike her father. The grandfather seemed much warmer to Renee then he was to Rookery.
Trudy and the maids had dressed both women and done their hair and make up before they made their way to the dining hall. Renee stayed by Sera's side the whole night, which helped Sera's disposition when dealing with Theo who, unfortunately, sat to her other side during dinner.
After their five course meal they all made their way into the grand hall where the men began talking business and the women asked each other where they got their gowns. Sera's aunt had started a conversation with a Duke and Sera was alone for the first time all night. She didn't mind, Renee seemed to be enjoying herself. She supposed it was easy when you weren't betrothed to a creep like Theo to enjoy a moment to live out a childhood princess fantasy, Renee always did have a young spirit.
A butler had come around with a silver tray to take empty glasses and approached Sera. She absentmindedly placed her glass on the tray but he grabbed her hand. When she looked up at him he looked like he was in a trance before he let go of her hand and blinked a few times before straightening up, clearing his throat and asking, "Can I get you anything miss?"
"No – no thank you." She stuttered closing her palm and feeling the piece of paper he'd slipped her. When he'd walked away she looked around to see if anyone was watching before she stood and made her way to the bathroom.
Once there she quickly closed the door and opened the note.
"Meet me in the garden" – G.