Amelie's POV
'My Father?' I say totally disorientated. That foolish girl must be wrong, must have placed two uncorrelated pieces together, bending every edge to make them fit, my father is gone…Myrnin himself destroyed him.
'Silly, silly girl.' Myrnin chastises the girl; pacing on the heavy carpet, leaving a trail of footprints in his wake. 'There could be no possibility that the cruel elder Bishop could once again walk among us, at my own hand I made him fall, I turned the dirty anwar to dust.' Myrnin spits the words at the young girl, his tone as lethal as a snake bite. I see her visibly flinch and cower into the side of one of the newer residents Jenna, I see her push Miranda discreetly behind her.
'Enough Myrnin.' I command in a voice laced with the power my blood line -and my blood line alone- can yield as a weapon. The whole group turns to look at me, all their eyes directed purely to my face, which I try to mask into the calm and worthy founder they are used to but by just looking at Oliver I can tell he can see behind the mask, and sees the fear laced with the anger which is slowly turning into confusion which is beginning to consume me. 'I know my good friend, you destroyed him- I bared witness enough to his worthy end.'
'Now just hang on a minute, he's been dead before right?' Claire's young man speaks, his voice vaguely sleepy, but his question pulls at some distant doubt, that's beginning to cloud my thoughts. I nod stiffly, raising my hand to pause Myrnin who is once again I presume going to rant. I watch Shane take a breath, his words come out slow as if he is debating with each word, carefully making sure his words cannot be construed in any other way. 'If he's done it before, he could do it…' But he's cut off mid-sentence with Myrnin's growl of fury, the young girl sleeping on Claire's shoulder whimpers in her sleep, though this does nothing to deter Myrnin.
'I KILLED HIM. I DESTROYED HIM. WE NEED TO FIND A WAY OUT, AND STOP TRYING TO FATHOM OUT POINTLESS RIDDLES THAT CAN UNDER NO POSSSIBITY BE EVEN REMOTELY TRUE!' He roars, making the child wail uncontrollably and every human in the room shy away from his temper. His breathing is ragged, and his chest is rising rapidly as if he is exhausted with exertion.
'But Miranda is yet to be wrong.' Claire whispers, holding the baby in one arm and gripping Shane's hand tightly with the other, as if needing the physical form of support. Myrnin glances in her direction, his face a torn expression of anger and frustration at their incompetence mixed with doubt, something not many would be able to decipher from his face. My own head is beginning to ache, a tension that I have come to relate purely to drama.
'Enough.' I say, my voice barely above a whisper; yet the whole room silences. 'What did you see?' I address the young girl, who only now that I'm closer to her do I see the bloodshot eyes and the slight tremor to her hand. 'Young prophetess, what is it that has made you believe my father is the only escape?' I place my hand on the young girl's shoulder, in which she visibly shivers whether that be due to my cold touch or my presence alone I'm not yet sure.
'Go on, its alright; do not worry sweetheart I'm here; they won't hurt you.' Jenna whispers in her ear, the young girls face softens and if anything her hand tightens on the ghost hunters.
'He may be cruel but he's the only one barbaric enough to save us all.' She whispers tears swimming in her eyes.
'What do mean Miranda?' Claire asks standing from her seat and moving close enough to grasp her other hand. The girl looks up to Claire, her eyes clouded with tears.
'He's the only one able to make the sacrifice.'
'What sacrifice?' Claire asks quickly her eyes swiftly glancing to Shane, Michael and Eve and her arm tightening around Annabelle.
'The pawns obviously.'
'Oh.' Claire breaths her voice unsteady.
'What does she mean? What is she saying?' I question, desperation alive on my tongue.
'Humans. The ones who have no protector. The ones no-one truly cares for. Those deemed as unimportant.' Claire doesn't answer my question, surprisingly its Eve who spits the words at me, as she sits burrowed into Michael's side- as I survey the group I'm surprised to find that not one of them is showing any of the previously obvious signs of tiredness- they are all wide-eyed and awake, I can almost hear their minds working over the information.
'Oh.' Is my only answer.
'Okay let's just rewind for a minute, I saw the dust of Bishop, I heard him die.' Michael states a look of confusion clear on his face. 'Miranda?' He addresses the girl, clearly trying to find an answer.
'Easy, she has to kill him.' Miranda answers.
'She?' Michael questions, but it's obvious; I look at Oliver and see that he too has come to the same conclusion as myself.
'It's me.' I say; without any form of emotion meeting my tone. Miranda just nods, as if she's quite proud of herself. 'You've saw all this haven't you?'
'No.' She shakes her head as if to emphasise her point. 'Just what is going help, I've not seen how it all pans out.' She smiles at me, like a student who has impressed her teacher, her dimples alarmingly clear in her petite face. 'Oh and…' She says after a few seconds of silence. 'You need to change me.' She states, in a tone as if she's asking for nothing more than the time.
'What?' Shane demands.
'Mir?' Eve questions.
'Miranda!' Jenna exclaims.
Each of their outburst are simultaneous to the next. All eyes are on the young girl, who merely shrugs at their outbursts.
'I can't stay like this. It isn't healthy or safe.' She raises her and Jenna's joint hands. 'This is all that's keeping me grounded, I can't go on for as long anymore without her…'
'But sweetie…' Jenna interrupts her, smiling down lovingly at her. 'I want to do this for you, it's okay.'
Miranda smiles up at Jenna but shakes her head. 'It can't go on, the connection I have won't last, I need The Glass House; being turned is my only hope… and really it's okay…I don't mind.' She finishes in a sigh.
'Wait a minute… you can't… she's a child…she…' Shane stutters. 'Jenna?' Shane concludes, looking helplessly at the now tearful woman.
'What can I do? She's seen it, I've learnt to trust what she sees.'
'Thank you.' Miranda says smiling, at the now crying television presenter. 'You can be normal again, and I won't be there with you constantly having to put me first, you can live your life again.'
'What you think this means I won't care? Miranda you could turn into one of the Draug and I would still love you! You are like a daughter to me, before all this happened I was talking to Oliver about adopting you…' Jenna finishes her voice tight with tears.
'You what?' Miranda turns suddenly to look at the woman, her own eyes seemingly bright.
'I want to adopt you; I want you to be my daughter.'
'And you'd be my mum?' Miranda questions as if the whole topic is foreign.
'Yes.' Jenna says with so much sincerity it rings like a bell.
'Oh.' Is Miranda's only reply as she throws herself into Jenna's arms, both of them dissolving into tears.
It reminds me suddenly of the basic human need for happiness, I'd seen it time and time again whenever a war or disaster hit the humans all rallied round, trying find some event that would make a smile. Vampires we're different it's about survival and ourselves, happiness doesn't really come into it when it's you against the world. Theo Goldman and his family is an oddity in itself, my father's sick, inhumane joke to turn a family, they're bonds alone make them able to love. Morganville made it okay for me to love, for all my vampires to make bonds because each day wasn't one in which we had to hide from what we truly were.
'What's up?' Comes a ruff voice from behind me.
'Rad my man… fatherhood becomes you!' Shane jokes.
'Huh?' The over muscled garage owner asks, staring somewhat curiously at the prophetess and the ghost hunter.
'Jenna just told us all about Miranda.'
'Oh that…' Rad replies, the tips of his ears going slightly red in embarrassment.
'What happened to us dude?' Shane asks, laughing.
'Women.' Rad replies, now openly chuckling.
'Really?' Claire questions, her own tone light and playful, as she hits Shane teasingly on the arm.
And for some reason their little exchange has everyone laughing, Jenna is hiccupping back sobs smiling as Rad makes his way over to her, his arms winding their way round first Jenna but then extending to include Miranda; Shane and Claire cuddle together the little girl still soundly sleeping; Michael and Eve are still burrowed together, with Michael's arm holding her close; even Jessie and Myrnin are holding hands, with Jessie close to Myrnin side. I find my own gaze going to Oliver, and as if he can read my thoughts he moves closer to me winding his arms around me, making me feel safe. And it's now in this moment that I know that Morganville has changed me, changed me so that even I need happiness and the closeness love can bring. We stand like this all cocooned into our own little bubbles of happiness… or should I say closeness for many minutes; in a comfortable silence everyone just taking some moments in the middle of this abyss to savour the simplest of thing- the ability to love and be loved. The silence is only broken by Miranda.
'You need to change me tonight.'
'What?' Jenna asks in surprise.
'It's safer and don't worry it won't hurt that much.' Miranda sooths.
'Miranda are you sure?' I question. 'The chance of the cure working is so slight, that there is no going back from this decision.'
'I'm sure, this is the way it has to be.'
'Okay.' I agree. 'Oliver grab some blood, meet me in the anti-chamber of my rooms.' Oliver nods, moving away from me before turning to mist as he runs. 'Come Miranda.'
'Miranda!' Jenna cries, still gripping onto the slight girl's arm.
'It's okay Jenna.'
And the girl walks away from the women's outstretched arms, as she thrashes to get free from Rad's grip, before dissolving into sobs; as Miranda doesn't look back.
'Get some sleep.' I say dismissing them. 'We will congregate in the morning.' I go to turn away only to catch the eye of the sobbing women, who is brawling into Rad's shoulder. 'I will look after her.' I sooth, though I know my words are ultimately pointless.
I walk down the corridor, making no attempt to make any contact to the girl, we are each in a bubble of sorrow. I myself do not know if this is the right thing to do, morality means a lot when someone can hold an eternal grudge. Though I know the girl has truth in her words and to not follow her command would lead to something I'm not ready for.
We enter the anti-chamber of my rooms, and I somewhat self-centredly look down at the Turkish rug which carpets the majority of the room, not one of my personal favourites but still I find myself somewhat irritated that it will have to be sacrificed. I shake myself visibly from that frame of mind, trying to focus myself wholly at the task at hand.
'I have the blood.' Oliver returns almost noiselessly making the young girl jump in surprise.
'Okay.' I say more to myself, trying to ready myself for what is to come. 'Are you sure?' I ask the girl again. She merely nods.
'Okay…Come.' I command.
The girl walks to me, as if she is no longer in control of her limbs. Grasping her by the shoulder I pull her towards me in a motion so fast she yelps. Pushing her hair to the side I reveal her bare neck, the best place to puncture, for both quickness and cleanliness. Without giving myself a second more to think about it, I bring my fangs down and bite into her neck, she screams as I begin the process...
A scream so fearful I almost stop. Almost.
Ta-da! All will make sense, any ideas I'm happy to hear and don't forget to leave a review!
