Michael looked up at Lena for a moment, before closing his eyes for a moment. He knew he shouldn’t be angry, but he was, irrationally so. He wanted his niece to meet her cousin, his daughter. He didn’t know what was going on in her life that made her so stiff since they got to the Eastern Coven. He didn’t want to see her leave, as he wouldn’t be certain that he would see her again.
He glanced over at his mate and sighed. “I know, but I would have appreciated if she at least introduced herself as our daughter’s cousin.” He closed her eyes. He didn’t know what was going on.
“It’s okay, papa.” Eve said, hugging him. “It’s okay.”
“She needs time.” Lena answered, knowing that it was hard to understand. Scarlett was guarded when it came to her relationship with David. Since their fight, Lena was deeply aware that they hadn’t been in contact in quite some time. “Give her til morning at the least. Once she’s slept, I’m sure she’ll explain.”
“Everyone knows, Lena.” David looked at her now. “And if they don’t then they don’t need to be made aware.”
“Just as it is your choice not to tell anyone, it is her choice to tell whoever she wants, David. If she tells Michael, then that is her choice.”
“Oh I want to…. Trust me on that one.” Scarlett sighed as she looked at Semira. She had just outgrown the pettiness that seemed to plague Semira. “I don’t understand why they aren’t feeding you.. Most likely because you tried to have David killed… Which to be quite honest you deserve that treatment… Torture would be too good for you. I’d rather be the one to take your head off your body… But sadly David has put your trial off until we can get the council settled. He’s wanting a regime change.”
She wanted Semira dead more than most. Her attitude had caused many things to happen in her life… Including Var Dohr to become less of a safe haven for a time for herself. “But I also know that you could serve the coven on some level.. Though it’s going to be difficult to convince any of them to give you any sort of freedom.”
Semira scoffed at what Scarlett said. “Death would be easy. Things would end, and would likely be better than anything the council is planning for me. No, they don’t want me dead, they want me to suffer.” she sighed. “And they aren’t feeding me because vampires who aren’t being fed are weaker. They’re worried about me potentially attacking someone when I stand trial, so they’re starving me and weakening me to discourage me from attacking. It’s a tactic I devised, and now they’re using it against me.” she spoke with a bitter laugh.
“They know I’m useful. They will continue to use my expertise, but keep me on a tight leash though, you’re right.”
“I may not like you, Semira.” Hate seemed like the worst word to use in this instance. “But you are useful. Though there are better ways to make you work for us than starving you.” She knew many of them. Having her ingest silver with the blood she fed on would keep her docile. She stood, watching the fallen vampire. Oh how the mighty fell... And fell very hard into the cells.
“You could have had the coven if you would have just left the werewolves to Selene and David... But no. You wanted what was unattainable for you and then you forced it out of her because you were always jealous. I learned a long time ago that this was not the way. We must work together and evolve... It’s an ever evolving world. We must do the same.”
“You don’t know me.” Alexia was tired. She didn’t want her sympathy. She didn’t want any of it. She just wanted to be left alone. She was sick and tired of this. “It goes a lot deeper than that, but thank you for attempting to sympathize with me when you have no idea anything about me.” She rolled her eyes and looked away from her.
“That’s not redeeming in any one else’s eyes. I am a traitor, no better than Lady Selene was when she slaughtered Viktor because of what he did to her family.” Marius had given her insight to the true reasons of the original vampire elder’s death. She saw that it mattered little to the other vampires. She betrayed them and let the lycans in to let them slaughter the vampires, even if she hadn’t been aware of the plans. She had wanted peace but it only lead to bloodshed.
“You would be the only one stupid enough to fight for me.” She said “You would be aligning yourself with a traitor, and you saw what good that did for any vampire who supported Lady Selene.” Almost any vampire who vocally thought that there was more to the situation with Selene was almost immediately killed.
“Yes, but you forget that those elders that would condemn you are no longer here.” Scarlett answered now standing. “Alexia, we must change the way we see things and learning from past mistakes is the way we do that. You may be considered a traitor, but that won’t be a punishment of death. Most likely you will be demoted from a death dealer and placed somewhere else among the coven.”
Scarlett was so used to being diplomatic that she couldn’t see it any other way. And with how close she and David were, the council would see it the same. It was the only way for them to all survive in this world.
“You’ll see soon enough, Alexia. We will adapt and the laws will change.”
Scarlett had been sitting with Amelia and visiting in her study as she worked through some of the latest requests from her hodge podge of a coven. She had heard of Amelia being bled dry, but somehow she had managed to survive. She’d never explained to Scarlett how, but she’d also never pressed the woman because she adored Amelia. She also know that she deserved to keep her own secrets. They were busily discussing things when one of her body guards came and informed her of visitors.
Amelia smiled and waved her off, taking one of the packets and started reading through it. Scarlett’s bare feet barely made a sound on the marble floor as she walked down the hall and stairs when she heard a familiar voice. “David?”
"For the last time Scarlett." Eve grumbled at her restless cousin. "There are no ghosts in the crypts of the coven." The young hybrid did her best to cover herself back up and sleep. "Go check it out yourself." She said in a groggy voice.
@the-direct-descendant
“Nope, come on.” Scarlett yanked the covers off her cousin again, taking her arm and dragging her out of the bed. “You don’t know. You’d be quiet surprised what the covens have.”
“You should, You should judge me. Be like everyone else.” She said, closing her eyes. She didn’t want to let Scarlett lie and say she didn’t judge her for how she felt. “You should think less of me for falling in love with a lycan, for honestly believing that he cared about me, when all he wanted was power, and to eliminate our kind.” She looked away, turning slightly, but that was a mistake as pain shot through her.
“I don’t have a family. I’m alone in the world, just as I’ve always been.” Her brows furrowed and she shook her head. She wasn’t meant to have a family and at this point, she’s accepted that. Or rather, she’s been forced to accept that. With Marius dead, her options of having a real family were gone, lost forever. “Your coven would be safe, but the Eastern Coven has suffered, my former home has suffered.” She knew she would be exiled from the coven and branded a traitor, much like Lady Selene had been all that time ago. Her head would become a prize.
She didn’t want help. She wanted to be left alone, left to suffer her own fate. “How can you help me?” She asked honestly, gaze hard. “How can anyone help me? I dug my own grave.”
“Alexia, I don’t judge people... And if you’ve heard any stories about me, then you know that’s true.” Scarlett sighed, wanting to help the poor girl. “I don’t blame you for wanting someone to care for you. It’s nice to have that in our long lives.”
She truly wanted to help Alexia. She didn’t deserve to be treated any differently just because of her choice of lovers. “There are options, Alexia... You just have to trust me. I truly don’t want to see any more needless death. You may have betrayed your people but you did it in hopes of peace. That’s redeeming for you. And you forget that I am part of the council. I’ve already argued for you to be given time to rest and regain your strength... I can easily argue for you to go to my coven to finish your recuperation and then I can argue that you are worth pardoning.
“You may have dug your own grave, dear.... But there are those that would willing fight for you. I am one of them.” She said smiling small. She wanted to help Alexia the best she could because she saw something in her that reminded her of herself.
She nodded in agreement. “Which is why I intend to become an Elder. Thomas will be an obvious choice for one, but no doubt everyone will want multiple Elders. And if I kill Marius, thus saving our species? It would almost be an insult not to make me an Elder.” Semira spoke confidently. “If I become one, we can finally move ourselves out of the dark ages, because I would finally be able to overrule Cassius who wants to keep us there.”
“I wouldn’t be so certain of your potential for status as an Elder, Semira.” Scarlett said politely. “There are those that will held in higher esteem over yourself... I would hate for you to expect it and be heartbroken when you found that it would not be.” She was trying to be polite, truly she was. There were those that would prefer many over Semira, just because of age and their beliefs... Those that wanted things changed would not even be considered for status as an elder. “And the trick with Cassius is to make it seem as if it was his idea... Like it is with most males.”
“If I feed now, my leg will heal wrong. I’ll have to break it again so it can set properly.” She didn’t want to have to do that. She didn’t want to take from the other vampire. She’s rather be killed. “Just go, get help.” She was going to be stubborn about this. She pulled out her gun. “I can take them if it comes down to it.”
“Daisy, I’m not leaving you here. I’m not getting my ass chewed out for that.” Scarlett explained taking a breath before hauling the woman back onto her feet, supporting her as best she could. “The car should be much further.”
“But they could be going to places where there are lycans, providing vital support to those of us who fight them.” Semira argued. “But you’re right, I could have handled myself better while staying there. As for Viktor… obviously I was shocked. Perhaps I shouldn’t be now, but then… He was like a father to me.. the closest thing I’ve ever had to such a thing.” Thomas knew of her past more intimately than practically anyone else. Part of it was because of being one of the few who had fed from her, partly because he was someone she genuinely trusted. Semira huffed, wiping some mud off of her face with the back of her hand. “I can’t walk back inside looking like this.” she told Thomas.
David grinned. “It’s fine. You were worried about me, and I thank you for that. I probably need protection from Semira. She’s somewhat frightening.” he muttered. “She’s just an angry, bitter woman that we should pay no mind to. It’s fine.” He gently kissed her head.
Thomas shook his head. “Of course you can’t. Because then you’d have to explain to everyone what happened.” He calmly offered his arm. “Come, I’ll get you back to your chambers without being seen so you can clean yourself up.” He led her down the back way to the compound, making sure she was safely unseen from the rest of the party. “For the time being, I would highly suggest that you keep your distance from Scarlett for a while.. She doesn’t easily forget or forgive.”
Scarlett sighed as David’s lips brushed across her forehead. “I always worry about you... It hurts for me to be away from you.” She admitted, for the first time aloud to anyone but her mother. “I know that I can’t always be here... or near you... But it hurts.”
Months spent among the vampires of Var Dohr, among their friends. Amelia knew that Viktor was suspicious, that he was sending Semira with her army. She looked into the crib where her son slept along side Marcus’ daughter. They all knew what they had to do, what they had to protect. Amelia quietly pressed a kiss to David’s forehead before she turned to her friends… her family.
“I wished it didn’t have to be this way.” Marcus stated as they made their way out of the small nursery. “But its the only way to protect him, Amelia.”
“Viktor would kill him if he knew,” Amelia’s voice betrayed what they all knew. “Scarlett will be safe…. But David… If he were to grow up and marry her…”
“It is a secret we must all keep.” Thomas embraced Amelia, knowing that this was hard on all of them. “For the sake of our children… And our covens.”
“She will be here soon enough.” Helka said looking to the three of them. “We must do this now if we are to protect them.”
Helka quietly handed Amelia a small blade, five small vials in her hand. One by one the two of filled them. The last to be filled was a ring with her crest on it, a drop of her blood for her son that would never know of her as his mother. To think that she had fought against Marcus for so many centuries, yet he was willing to forgive that to protect the legacy their children would carry on.
Amelia went back to the nursery, cradling David one last time in her arms before Thomas took him and left. She followed his actions, leaving and making her way back to the eastern coven…. back to a life where she was to pretend as if she had no son, no lover… No one.
1710
Scarlett’s curls bounced as she ran along the halls of the Eastern compound, her parents and she visiting due to a council meeting that required all the elders presence. She was enjoying discovering the secret passages that Amelia had littered through it. Her emerald eyes danced when she happened upon a young boy like herself. She was carrying a bouquet of wild flowers her father had given her and quietly plucked one from it. She held it out to him, smiling happily.
“Hi! My name is Scarlett,” she introduced herself. “What is yours? And why are you sitting here all alone?”
David looked up at the girl, brown eyes watching her movements as she held a wild flower out to him.
“My name is David….. And my father is busy with the council….” He said quiet pathetically for a five year old who didn’t truly know the cruelty of the world.
“Well, would you like to play with me?” She asked, smile still fully in place as she waited for David’s answer. “It will be more fun than just sitting here.”
“I am not supposed to…” David started when the doors to the council room burst open. Scarlett turned to see her father and mother coming from the room.
“Mama! Papa!” She cried, running down the stairs to her parents. David watched with a bit of resentment in his eyes, even at five years old he knew resentment for those who had both of their parents.
Marcus wrapped her up in his arms, holding her to him. “My dear one, what do you seem so excited for?”
“I think I made a new friend…. But he will not play with me.” She said looking over at David, green eyes seeming to bore holes into his soul.
“Thomas,” Helka called looking to the elder vampire. “Tell me that David does not have to wait there all day while we continue this meetings…. It is not fair to him.”
“I did not know the two of you had brought Scarlett along with you.” Thomas admitted, smiling a little at the bright eyed blonde’s enthusiasm. “David, come here!”
David did as his father asked, walking over to where he stood with one of the grand elders. He hadn’t realized that Scarlett was Marcus’ daughter.
“Yes, father?” He asked looking up at Thomas.
“Why no go with Scarlett?” He suggested as Marcus put her back on her feet. “But behave.”
“Yes, sir,” David answered before Scarlett took his hand and started dragging him away from the grownups. her mouth was going a million miles and hour.
The two were found later in the evening in the library, quietly sleeping in one of the bay windows together. Amelia was with them, her eyes betraying her hidden pain for a moment.
“It is just like when they were born..” She whispered, thankful that the rest of the coven was already asleep and the four were the only ones there. “I… I should go.”
Amelia turned away, quickly excusing herself and heading to her chambers. Thomas stood watching her until Helka touched his arm, snapping him back to their sleeping children. He went over to collect David, only to see that the two had interlaced their hands together in their sleep.
“Marcus, I think I might need your help with these two.” Thomas whispered with a smile. Marcus made his way over, smiling when he saw their clasped hands.
“It is as if they remember when they were born,” he commented as he gently pulled their hands apart, hoping not to wake them as he did. Marcus held Scarlett against his shoulder as Helka helped fix her arms around his neck. She did the same for Thomas with David before the three set out with the two children.
“Feel free to drop David off with us in the morning, Thomas. Helka is sitting out of the council meeting tomorrow.” Marcus said as they stopped at Thomas’ rooms.
“I do not believe they will need me tomorrow. So I can look after the two of them…. Give them time to get to know one another.” Helka explained as Scarlett twitched in her sleep against Marcus’ shoulder. “I expect to see you both in the morning.”
“Of course, Helka.” Thomas answered. He knew better than to argue with her. Along side his love and mother to his son, Helka was one of the few he actually feared.
The next morning, Thomas arrived in enough time to drop David off. He had been quite excited despite his hesitance the day before to go with Scarlett. He’d asked almost repeatedly of when he would get to see her again, and when Thomas had told him he would be spending the whole day with her again, David had practically jumped with excitement. It was so amazing how one day with Scarlett had changed his son’s demeanor from seemingly always depressed to the happiest child in the world. Mostly Thomas as just glad that the two got along considering the only other time they’d seen one another had been just after David’s birth, and of course they neither one remembered that.
But as he watched David practically run to Scarlett that morning, he was more than grateful that perhaps his son had been blessed with finding his soulmate very early in life. He just hoped that it would eventually be safe enough for them to marry… If there was a way to keep Viktor from finding out who David’s mother was.
Michael frowned when he heard Scarlett leave the room. He was a little irritated that she didn’t bother introducing herself to his daughter. He didn’t understand what was going on in her head, why she was insisting on leaving so much. He just wanted his family, all of his family, there with him, Scarlett included. He wouldn’t force her to stay, though, if she didn’t want to. He just wish he understood why.
Scarlett disappeared off to her old room, knowing that it probably had been kept up as always. She wanted to meet her cousin, she truly did. But staying one more moment with David not speaking to her was about to kill her.
Lena looked at Michael's expression, gently touching his shoulder. "Don't be angry with her, Michael.... She's in a great deal of emotional pain right now that she's not herself." She explained before going after her cousin.
Selene knew it probably upset Michael, but she also knew Scarlett and David had had nearly four hundred years together before something had caused this rift between them. "It'll be okay, Michael... they can meet each other in a little while."
Semira looked at Scarlett with confusion as the blood bag was offered. She took it cautiously, biting a small hole into a corner of it with one of her fangs. She smelled it first. It didn’t seem poisoned. Semira took a slight sip out of the small hole, and after the taste, she still felt nothing. Along with what Scarlett said, it seemed the other vampire was just offering her sustenance.
“Thank you.” she murmured, looking at Scarlett gratefully. She hadn’t fed in two days. She drank a bit more from the bag, silently consuming the blood for a few moments. “I thought you would want to torture me or… rub it in my face that I’m here.”
“Oh I want to.... Trust me on that one.” Scarlett sighed as she looked at Semira. She had just outgrown the pettiness that seemed to plague Semira. “I don’t understand why they aren’t feeding you.. Most likely because you tried to have David killed... Which to be quite honest you deserve that treatment... Torture would be too good for you. I’d rather be the one to take your head off your body... But sadly David has put your trial off until we can get the council settled. He’s wanting a regime change.”
She wanted Semira dead more than most. Her attitude had caused many things to happen in her life... Including Var Dohr to become less of a safe haven for a time for herself. “But I also know that you could serve the coven on some level.. Though it’s going to be difficult to convince any of them to give you any sort of freedom.”
Michael’s eyes widened and he looked between his daughter and his mate, the color draining from his face some when she said that she had been pregnant when they were captured. “Y-You… We have a daughter.” He looked down at her, before he went down on his knees to face her.
Eve looked worried. She didn’t know what her father was like, and was terrified that he wouldn’t accept her, but when he opened his arms to her in a hug, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him.
Selene was happy that Michael was happy, welcoming his daughter with open arms. She of course regretted that they had missed so much of her life, but they could make up for it now.
Scarlett pulled away from Lena, quietly moving away and through the compound. The last thing she wanted was to ruin the family moment. She’d known of Eve long ago in great thanks to Thomas. She didn’t need to meet the girl. She truly just wanted to leave. She understood Michael wanting her near, but he had his family... Scarlett’s was in Scotland where she belonged because it was quite obvious David didn’t want her.
