not-so-charming--charlie.
This war was a delicate house of cards, one wrong blow of the wind and everything very well could come crashing down. Which was why Frederick had to spend everyday ensuring that such a thing did not happen and that included keeping track of Clarissa Grayson’s apparent vendetta against Vivian Vanderviere. Fortunately for both Clarissa and Vivian, Frederick did not take days off since he, Edward and Engel had sealed the deal. He had been tracking her since the humanity spell had worn off, knowing that the sudden snap from human to vampire all over again was going to have its consequences. Until the Founder’s Festival, Frederick would have to continue to handle, hide and clean up all of these said consequences.
He was unsure of their connection but knowing the Vandervieres’ notoriety throughout the centuries, he was sure that Vivian had done something particularly nasty to deserve such a rage. However, that ferocity and bloodlust would be exactly what they needed in these early days of battle. Besides, both sister were ones of Amara and he dare not get on her bad side. The point was, he had to step in but not before he was sure of what was about to happen. There seemed to be a world of emotion, memory and conflict passing over Clarissa’s face as she watched from the shadows. He imagined she’d done this before but she was also still alive so surely she wouldn’t be so foolish as to attempt an attack now.
Frederick may have spoken too soon.
Something seemed to have snapped when Clarissa made her move, walking with such determination that nothing could have derailed her. Well, almost nothing. Just as soon as Miss Grayson had made her move on Vivian, Frederick had intervened at the speed that only an Original could posses and before she could have ever known, Clarissa had been taken out. Perhaps the only indication that anything had just occurred was the slight breeze created from him running but other than that, both he and Clarissa were out of sight and out Vivian’s mind.
His teeth had sunk into her neck on impact. A bite from a werewolf could kill a vampire without question and it had been one of the greatest weapons during the First War. Those times had passed of course but it was still effective. With a breath, he moved back from her, met with horror and realisation at what he had done and perhaps who he was.
“I suggest you say your goodbyes, Miss Grayson. You won’t have long.” And with that, he was gone.
For the briefest moment, Vivian thought she felt a shift in wind direction- perhaps even heard a sound not so far from her- but with the phone at her ear and the smile on her face, she was too distracted to be sure. Her head turned in that direction, but she kept walking, seeing and hearing nothing more. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m still here.” She spoke to the phone again, continuing with her conversation.
Charlie stared frustratedly at his phone, still waiting on a call or text from Clary telling him she was running late. They were supposed to be meeting at Lyndsy’s. The effects of the humanity spell wearing off were affecting him, he could only imagine how Clary was taking it. He needed to see her. They had to figure this out together. Plus, he was starving. After the tea, Clary was going to get him some blood since he still couldn’t get it on his own.
His leg bounced anxiously under the table, the mixing smell of coffee and blood driving him near insane. He had to get out of here. But where was she?
Standing rather abruptly, Charlie rushed out of the café and headed along the path to his shared home with Clary. Maybe she had just… forgotten? Checking his phone again, he almost found himself crushing it in his hand, but was distracted for the briefest moment by Vivian Vandeviere passing by him, a smile plastered over her lips. He hesitantly smiled back at her, but she didn’t stop to chat, too busy on her phone call.
Something didn’t feel right.
Charlie was almost convinced he could smell Clary’s scent dragging behind Vivian. Surely she hadn’t gone after her alone. Charlie knew better than anyone just how ruthless Clary could be, but… he had never been entirely sure that she could take down Vivian if the opportunity arose.
His pace quickened as he tried to pick up on Clary’s scent. She was near. She… was injured. “Shit…” He saw her across the road, sitting up against a tree. Blood… so much blood. “Clary!” He called out to her as he ran across the road, almost getting hit by a car, but he barely even acknowledged it. Did Vivian do this? Did she-…
“Clary. Clarissa. Wha-…” He was on his knees in front of her, hands either side of her face before he moved to check the wound on her neck. That wasn’t a vampire bite. That was-… “Oh god…”
Charlie stood, pulling Clary with him though her back was still against the tree. “Clary who did this? Who did this to you?” He had seen this happen only once before and he was not going to let his girl suffer and die like this. There was a crushing devastation weighing down on him, but the anger building inside him was enough to help him keep it together, “Tell me.”
Well... There it was. Her thoughts were shockingly calm after the fact, even as she leaned against the base of that tree, her own blood fast staining her skin and clothing. Two-hundred and seventy years snuffed out in less than ten seconds. Honestly, she could have laughed. She still might. That was what she got, wasn't it? Patience had been preached to her time and time again. Cautions, deterrents. Clarissa was no fool, she knew that when she was dragged away from her primary objective by friends or even lovers, they were deterring her. No one believed that she could actually do it.
In the end, they were right.
She hadn't even batted an eyelash. Here Clary lay dying and her despised maker, the very bane of her existence and very source of it all the same hadn't even let go of her cell phone. Now, just as she was about to be freed from Vivian Vandeviere for good, another thought struck her. If she were to be saved how ironic it was that the key ingredient to that would be her blood. As always, it came back to Vivian. She really did laugh then, just in time for Charlie to appear by her side, clearly distraught at the sight she'd become.
She tried her best to focus on him as he pulled her to her feet. “Sorry I was late.”
There was so much to sort through now, so much to say. Charlie had no idea. At least, she didn't think he did. She hoped not. All this time, despite everything, Clarissa's plan had always been to end it all. Perhaps not quite like this but once Vivian was dead, she had planned on joining her. After all, her human life had ended quite some time ago. Every second she lived this cursed existence... That was simply borrowed time.
Oh, how she'd lived in that time though. And loved. She had loved him, considered even giving up on her crusade once or twice but the endgame had remained the same. How did she tell him something like that now? What did he mean to do? Stand toe to toe with an Original werewolf? Clary shook her head. He would do it regardless of any protests from her. Her grip suddenly tightened on his arms as she tried to fight against the toxins she knew were attacking her as they spoke.
“Charlie... Just-,” there were accounts, storage lockers, her safety net for Drake, not enough time-, “I don't know his name, only his reputation. Although, they all have one, I couldn't say for certain which but I can attest... An Original werewolf still knows how to use its teeth and claws. But- Nevermind, nevermind all that. You have to... Have to get me away from all these people. I can't- There's only going to be so long that I stay lucid before the symptoms set in. Contrary to my previous actions, I'd really rather not make it rain blood down main street because I've slipped back into a darker time. Or worse, just have no control to speak of. In fact, it would be safer if you just---,” but she never got to finish for the aching cough that rattled through her, bringing up blood with it.
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