WARNING: PLOT TWISTS GALORE! D:
THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY
She had been following her mother around all day and refusing to let her out of her sight. She even followed her outside and across the driveway, like an anxious puppy, when her mother tried to escape. Eventually, Elisabetta got fed up and locked her daughter in a cupboard. The minute Emarni heard the door click shut behind her, she panicked- screaming loudly at the top of the lungs.
"Mother!" Emarni hammered her fist against the door, "Mother, let me out!" She was still screaming about an hour later, when Grayson let her out of the cupboard.
"MOTHER!" Emarni shrieked, as she pushed past Grayson. She ran all the way to the front door, kicking it open with such force that she managed to break the door. Her mother was long gone and her brother had gone with her.
"NOT AGAIN!" Emarni kicked the wall so hard that the wall broke. There was a massive hole in the wall, like a black hole sucking the life out of the house. Then, Emarni grabbed her leather jacket off the back of a chair and yanked it on.
"Wait, where are you going?" Grayson stopped her, "You can't just run after them!" Emarni brushed her hair over her shoulder and looked at him in defiance.
"I am not running after them." Emarni said, "I am going to go and warn Vladimir. That is all I can do now." She ran out the front door. For a moment, Grayson paused and thought about Elisabetta; could he betray his friend? Then, he grabbed his car keys and dodged out of what was left of the door.
"Get in the car!" Grayson yelled at Emarni, who was at the end of the driveway. She spun around and threw herself into the passenger seat of the car.
"Drive!" Emarni commanded.
The second they got there, Emarni was out of the car and running towards the door. Then, she ran directly into a woman that was dressed all in florals and cardigans. A handbag was swinging from her arm.
"Whothehellareyou?" Emarni gasped it as one word. The woman backed away, looking a little taken aback. It was late in the evening- what was a breather doing here?
"Hello." The woman said, "I'm Alex McCauley. I'm here to see Mr Count."
"You want to see Father?" Emarni blinked in confusion, "He never mentioned he was seeing anyone."
"Wait... Are you Emarni Vaccaria?" Alex smiled kindly, "Mr Count... We've been seeing each other in secret for a while. He's said some great things about you and your brother, Malik." It was like a slap in the face for Emarni, who actually backed away like as had been hit. Her father... Knew she existed? That was a first. And he liked her. Her father actually liked her! Grayson appeared then, wrapping an arm around Emarni.
"Hello. I'm Grayson." Grayson shook Alex's hand, "We're here to see Vlad, aren't we, Emarni?" Emarni nodded, still looking flabbergasted.
"You know." Alex said, "I've heard that you need a confidence boost, Emarni." She smiled, "I run some acting lessons in the local community centre. You should come along, we could use some new talent." She handed Emarni a card with an address and time printed on it. Then, she patted her on the shoulder and walked away.
"Did I just get asked to join a death cult?" Emarni blinked in confusion.
"Quite the opposite." Grayson chuckled, "We were rushing?" Emarni blinked several more times and then continued running towards Garside. She made it to the doors and burst inside, yelling Vlad's name.
"VLADIMIR!" Emarni shrieked. Instantly, several people sped down the stairs, expecting something vaguely apocalyptic to be happening.
"Blondie!" Ingrid snarled, pointing a crossbow directly at her sister's heart.
"Please, I need you to know something!" Emarni said, "It is Mother. She is restoring the Council of Elders. The earthquake two days ago, it was caused by a shift in dimensions. She has made the sacrifices. Father, the Council will kill us all." The Count looked shocked; surely, even Elisabetta wouldn't... He needed to sit down. He leant against the wall, breathing deeply for someone who didn't need to breathe.
"Dad?" Vlad said.
"Master?" That was Renfield.
"I have come to warn you all. But I cannot help." Emarni said, "And I cannot stay here. Mother is coming for you, tomorrow and Malik is with her." She glanced at Ingrid, who nodded gratefully.
"Then, how are you here? Isn't Elisabetta keeping you locked up?" Vlad wondered aloud. His sister crossed her arms and avoided his gaze. She looked hurt.
"She does not have a use for me any longer." Emarni said, quietly, "Grayson is looking after me."
"We wanted to warn you." Grayson said; then, he added so that Emarni couldn't hear, "Emarni was very upset that Lizzie abandoned her- again. This was the only way to put her mind at ease."
"Can't you at least stay for the party?" Ingrid asked, "We could use some extra eyes to watch Olga."
"No." Emarni said, solemnly, "We need to leave now. I will see you in maybe one hundred years?"
THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY
Malik watched the screen and ran his hands through his hair again, making it stand on end. Emarni was walking out of the front gates with Grayson, both of them looking at the ground. Were they talking? Malik couldn't see. Then, they wandered off screen. Somehow, Malik got the feeling that he wasn't going to see his sister again. And that hurt. He hadn't really liked her at first, but they'd been through so much together...
"Stop being so pathetic." Elisabetta snarled, "Emarni was young and weak. She wasn't strong like you."
"Mum, just shut up." Malik said, "You're lucky that I'm still here." Elisabetta decided not to push the subject further. Both of them continued to watch in silence; they hadn't managed to get cameras inside Garside, but they had a bunch of them outside. They could see anyone that went inside or outside.
"Oh, look." Malik said, after a while, "Olga's back." He sounded incredibly bored and was sipping from a bottle of blood. Skipping through the gates at Garside, grinning giddily all the way, was Olga Dracula. She was dressed unusually brightly.
"The Count has turned that place into a hotel!" Elisabetta exclaimed in annoyance, "Draculas do not have friends!"
"You're not a Dracula and neither am I. We can't discuss their way of living." Malik said, "But I agree. Breathers popping in and out like it was a cafe. Something's up. Why isn't Vlad trying to escape?" Malik looked confused, massaging his temples.
"I... Took care of that issue..." Elisabetta said. Her son sighed and shook his head.
"What did you do?" He asked, wearily.
"I went to the VHC meeting disguised as you. I introduced a batulariat, an exam that vampires have to take before they're eighteen. Vlad's under curfew and the others are probably watching him." Elisabetta explained. Malik rolled his eyes.
THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY
"Six hours." Olga sung, as she skipped through the door. She was beaming and smiling, all over the shop. Her family cringed away from her automatically.
"What did I miss?" Olga grinned at the alarmed looking Draculas.
"Elisabetta is bringing back the Council of Elders." Vlad said, in a monotone, "And we got rid of Emarni." Smiling, Olga clapped her hands together.
"Yay!" Olga said.
"What the heck is wrong with Olga?" Ingrid said, picking up a random glass of water; she began to flick drops of water at her cousin, "The power of Christ compels you!" The power of Christ compels you!"
"That's not holy water, it won't work." Olga scowled. Then, she resumed her smile and everyone else cringed. The Count returned to hanging up streamers made of poison ivy. Erin and George burst through the door, covered in mud and grass stains. Holes were worn into the knees of George's dungarees and she had leaves knotted in her hair. Both of them were dripping wet.
"Where have you two been?" Ingrid sniggered, picking a leaf out of Erin's hair. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"They tried to follow me." Olga said, innocently. Quickly, she darted out of the room.
"Olga pushed us into a river." Erin snarled, stamping after Olga. Though she was covered in mud, dripping wet, with leaves in her hair, Vlad couldn't help thinking that she was kind of beautiful. Her hair was frizzed out at all angles.
"Hey Erin." Vlad went after her.
THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY
She frowned down at the package; there is only one person that she could've got a present from and there is no way he could've sent her anything. Emarni shook the parcel nervously and put it on the kitchen table. She rested her head on the table and looked at it, through her hair. Then, she got up and walked around the table. And then she sat down again. She swung her legs back and forth. Again, she got up and walked around the table.
"What are you doing up?" Grayson was half asleep when he stumbled into his kitchen half way through the day. The curtains were drawn tightly closed and Emarni was growing endlessly twitchy.
"The post arrived. Two hours ago." Emarni said.
"That doesn't answer my question, Emarni." Grayson yawned, "Who's the parcel from?"
"Malik, I think." Emarni said. She paced the length of the room quickly and then slid back into her seat.
"Stop being so twitchy and just open it!" Grayson said. Eventually, Emarni tentatively tore the corner of the parcel open.
"I cannot do it. I am scared!" Emarni freaked out and shoved the parcel away from her. Then, she pulled it closer to her again.
"Do you want me to open it?" Grayson asked softly. His goddaughter nodded and he tore the parcel open, ignoring the gasp Emarni let out. It was a small silver bracelet, which Grayson frowned at that.
"What is it?" Emarni squealed, covering her eyes.
"It's a bracelet." Grayson told her, still confused. He linked the bracelet around her wrist, doing up the clasp easily. The bracelet sparkled on Emarni's wrist.
"Now, I think it's time that you went to sleep." He steered her out of the kitchen and towards the stairs.
Emarni had insisted that she didn't want a coffin because her mother had never allowed it. So, she climbed into her bed, barely pausing to kick her new patent leather combat boots off. Grayson followed her into her room, sitting on the end of her bed.
"It's nice that Malik wants to keep in touch." Grayson said, tracing the pattern on her duvet, "I think he really cares about you, Emarni."
"I do not care about him." Emarni flopped backwards, her head hitting her pillow, "He left me." Her curls were splayed out around her head, in a messy blonde curtain. Then, she sat up again suddenly.
"How long until the party?" Emarni asked, shrugging her pink cardigan off and tossing it onto the floor.
"It doesn't matter. We're not going, remember?" Grayson ruffled her hair. She shoved him away, frowning and shaking her head. She hated it when people did that!
"I have something to talk to you about." Grayson said.
"I had a feeling you did." Emarni sighed.
"My great, great, great, great niece twice removed, may be coming to stay soon." Grayson said. Failing to process the words, Emarni nodded.
"She's a human." Grayson said.
"How is that possible?" Emarni frowned, collapsing back onto her pillow. Her eyelids began to droop, slowly falling closed.
"My brother's great, great granddaughter, married a human and there's been a few generations- I don't honestly know." Grayson said, "The point is that she's human. Are you going to be okay with that?" She nodded again, but she was asleep within seconds. Smiling, Grayson got up and pulled the duvet up to Emarni's chin.
"Grayson, can we visit my family after the party?" Emarni said, managing to drag herself back into consciousness long enough to speak.
"Yeah." Grayson said, "Night, Emarni." Neither of them noticed the carefully inscribed symbols on the bracelet beginning to glow.
THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY
"You nervous?" Ingrid asked, as she straightened the collar of Vlad's shirt. He spluttered and loosed his collar again, untying his cape and throwing it down in frustration; The Count had insisted that Vlad wore full vampire gear, including his cape and full leathers.
"Yeah." Vlad said, "I'm not feeling anymore powerful than usual."
"Well, you always were a weakling." Ingrid stood back and looked at him, her head tilting to one side, "You look stupid."
"Thanks, sis." Vlad laughed, "At least, you haven't changed in the slightest."
"I'm going to miss you, you know." Ingrid said, "You're so lucky though. Dad wouldn't never care so much about my education." Her younger brother frowned, crossing his arms.
"What?" He was confused. What about his education?
"You failed your batulariat. Dad's sending you to a vampire finishing school." Ingrid smiled her usual Ingrid-esque smile. Vlad sighed, burying his head in his hands; a vampire finishing school? Please,
please let Ingrid be joking!
"You cannot be serious." Vlad said.
"Sorry, little bro. But that's what you get for being a weak little vampire." Ingrid patted him on the shoulder and walked away. It was one of her ideas, Vlad could tell, it sounded like an Ingrid Plan.
"Ingrid just told you, huh?" Olga slunk into the throne room. Her cousin was lying across the throne, his feet hanging over the side. His hand was pressed against his forehead, massaging his temples.
"Yeah." Vlad sighed, then he sat up, "How do you know?"
"Because Uncle Count was considering sending me with you. To keep you in check." Olga rolled her eyes, "But it's boys only."
"Yeah, well. Vampires are kinda sexist. I don't know if you've noticed. Oh, you've noticed. You've definitely noticed." Vlad corrected himself because Olga was glaring intently, her hands on her hips.
"Good luck, Vlad. He's sending you away next week." Olga said, "Make the best of your time here."
THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY
There was no sign of any Vaccarias, though Emarni had assured them that her mother would be there. There were hundreds of vampires, many of which were bowing everytime they saw Vlad. But that wasn't the weirdest thing. For once, Olga wasn't mysteriously absent from the room. She was standing, a smile on her face, dressed in her best black dress and a cape swung over her shoulders. She had stolen a pair of Ingrid's high heeled boots.
"You alright, Olga?" Vlad said, "You seem a bit jumpy." Indeed, Olga jumped and seemed to wake up from a daydream. Her black hair was curled especially and Vlad knew that this must be a big day for her too.
"Who's the lucky boy?" Vlad sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"What boy- there he is!" Olga exclaimed, "He's my therapist, Vladerella, and he's so hot and I'm going to dance with him tonight and he'll fall head over heels in love with me." A face that Vlad never thought he'd see again appeared in the doorway. From his leather jacket to his ruffled raven black hair, Robin Branaugh was back. And this time, he wasn't a human.
THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY
Please read and review- it gives me the strength to keep writing.
Angels x