Chapter 11 (Mael)

Paris had been… Paris. Just as noisy and crowed as Versailles in my opinion. I found nothing particularly lovely about the city nor did I find her people any better. Oh they made accommodations for me and my wealth to be sure. They even lent me a smile now-and-again, but it was as hollow as my heart. It wasn’t hard finding a store that sold the kind of silk I wanted, in fact, had I asked they would have paraded it around for me. We must have gone through thirty bolts of green fabric before I saw it. It was the color of spring, of nature’s warmth, of the light that shown through the trees at sunrise. I didn’t barter or bicker about the price. It was outrageous. Had it been something for myself I would have called the man a cheat. But it was so perfect a color and feel and so fine a fabric, I simply paid and went on my way. It had taken so long to choose just the right color that it was getting close to dawn. I supposed it was rather nice of the shop owner to allow me in at such an odd time of night… in truth I guessed he earned the money.
I wasted as little time as possible in Paris and being the fool I was, forgot to have dinner. This was not only a painful mistake but a dangerous one at that. I would have to ask Corbeau if that drink he offered was still available. After all, Cossette may forgive me for falling on her but I doubted heavily she would forgive me if I lost control and bit her.
I traveled by carriage during the day on my way back and waited for nightfall to fly. When one saw something as large as I in the sky… well, questions would be raised. I had gotten into enough trouble already and I did not fancy another scolding from either Lillith or her Mistress. Well… maybe her Mistress…
I could actually rightly admit I was excited and hopeful to see if I could break the cool and stone-like countenance of the Duchess. Once dusk swallowed that horrid glowing orb that slowly drained away my amulet’s power, I left the slow carriage behind in a small village and took to the sky. Of course, I had no idea what would be awaiting me back at the castle.
The moment I arrived back, which had to have been only an hour or so past sundown, I found Ailo walking up the drive to the castle. “So?” I asked eagerly. He gave me a weary smile and bowed. “I’ll show you the list I comprised.” He said and took the bolt from my arm and carried it to the door. Lillith, with her lovely smile, allowed us inside. We headed for the dinning room.  “Leave the bolt there.” I instructed and pointed to the table. Lillith seemed beside herself with excitement and I had high hopes that I might see the Duchess smile too tonight. If only I was giving the silk to Lillith… I might have to get the girl something for her utter enthusiasm in this endeavor I thought to myself. Her ears perked up and she flew to the front doors. The Duchess was here. Ailo placed the silk on the table and then removed a small notepad from his pocket. It was obvious he had filled several pages of it, which thrilled me. The more I knew, the better my chances would be. Ailo began to quietly rattle off a short transcript of the entire day. “I informed her that you left, she seemed thrilled.” My brows furrowed. “I informed her that you would be returning tonight, she looked rather disparaged. She then finished her meal and had a bath. Before going to bed the girl, Lillith, informed her of your troubled love life after the Duchess said she found you, quote unquote, Irritating and a pathetic scoundrel.” My mouth simply hung open for several seconds before he continued. “She slept. Today she awoke early and headed into town. She met with a Volven named Jacobi after being assaulted by several school children spilling from what looked like a church. She actually found those little creatures to be amusing.” Ailo said this rather coldly and with a shutter. “But she smiled…?” I asked. “Oh yes, she even laughed, apparently being surrounded by children and that stinking beast make her smile. Not at all surprising if you ask me, she did stroll around barefoot after all.” He said. “Barefoot?” I repeated bewildered. “Indeed, you would think her one of the beasts! Utterly appalling. Aw, let me see… after that she went to a woman’s home and…” Ailo hesitated. It was then that I realized he was either lying to me or not telling me the whole truth. He seemed to have a perfect list when telling me of things she said that might offended me or did things that would confuse me… apparently he was having trouble trying to spin this particular part. I knew very well how Ailo felt about me and I ignored it and would deny his affection for the rest of my immortal life. The fact of the matter was he was a purely wicked person. But he was loyal and the only friend I really had… though I wouldn’t say he was a true friend, perhaps I should simply leave it at loyal. I grabbed his hand, brought it to my mouth and bit his finger, licked the blood from it and smirked. He looked ashamed, as he should. By tasting his blood I was able to see all that he saw… and several things were quite out of context. “Honestly… had a bit of trouble trying to turn caring for a weak pregnant woman into something terrible, did you?” I scolded and released his hand. I heard the doors open so I pretended that Ailo and I were examining the bolt, though what I would have liked to do was bash him over the head with it! What followed was not exactly what I had hoped for. Cossette began coldly, though I expected that and she did seem surprised by the gift, I expected that too. But what I did not expect was her rushing off, rushing off as if I were the devil himself. The cost of the gift did not matter, it never mattered, but I thought at least she might accept it for its face value. Honestly I never expected her to forgive me, deep down. No one had ever shown me mercy before and I did not expect it now but… I suppose I hoped she would. I really hoped she might smile. Ah… disappointment. It had been a while since I had felt that. And though it seemed a terrible thing to feel when you felt so little emotion, it meant for a brief moment I had really, truly hoped… and that was wonderful. She left me, nearly forgetting the silk that cost more than likely the entire Duchy’s tax earnings for a year. I was rebuffed, again, and the night ended there. Well, it ended for her at least. Ailo joined me and we retired to our rooms for a rest. The night was young yet for us, plenty of time for me to reprimand him for lying. Before I could begin scolding, he closed the door behind us and confronted me. “You must stop this before it is too later.” He said. His mouth set stubbornly. “What are you talking about?” I asked as if I didn’t know what he was referring to. “This damned obsession! It will destroy you. Don’t you see that she is not at all interested?” He asked. This was the last thing I wanted to talk about with him. “I’m only being kind to a gracious host.” I lied. “You are trying to repeat history. You and I both know who defeated you on that day and it wasn’t a sword that killed you it was that damn girl.” He burst out. I was speechless. “Your heart turned to dust the day she died… and now you seek the affections of a mortal woman, a mortal woman that does not want to even entertain the idea of immortality?! What will you do when she dies, when she dies of her own free will?” My jaw tightened. “Or will you forcefully turn her like Raya? And hope she learns to accept it…?” He looked me in the eyes. Pain flared anew in my breast, a pain I hadn’t felt in years. “When she realizes you are who you say you are… she will run. She will run because you are and always will be the man who sought revenge for that little girl. It will always be there and you will always look down on the humans for that reason and the fact they still fear us and treat us like monsters. Remember what those men did to you… and what they still do. Her father might have been one of them who kill us for sport, how many vampires do you think he killed before befriending Lillith and Corbeau? The Duchess has silver and knows very well how to use it… she would have liked to kill you many times. There is still the matter of the rogue as well. You have a duty to your people, my Lord.” I was seething, furious and he knew it. He also knew he was right. That was what kept me from ripping his filthy head from his neck. “Go for a walk…” I instructed him coolly. He knew what that meant and he left me without a word. I knew he was right about many things but he wasn’t right about Cossette. I saw what he saw and what I saw was a loving woman, veiled in a temper and harshness… because she was afraid of me ruining her little world she had created. I wished I could make her understand that I didn’t seek to change her world. I only wanted to be a part of it. Her reaction stung me, her disregard hurt and her coldness left me feeling… self-conscious. The only other time I had felt so unwanted was…. Aw well, I best leaves those memories for the morning hours. I thought.
I decided that I wouldn’t be able to look at Ailo for at least the rest of the night without killing him, so I thought to take a walk around, see if I could find anything out. Obviously the Duchess wasn’t about to help me tonight so I thought I best help myself. Outside the Duchy, in the rural country, was where the deaths had occurred. All young women and all drained entirely of blood. This seemed a rather classic case, except for the brutality of them. The women had puncture holes but were also mutilated. This was uncommon. Vampires did not often call attentions to themselves if they could help it. I thought I might travel to one of the scenes and see if I couldn’t smell out the fiend. Being that I never had a chance to remove my cloak, I headed out of my room and closed the door behind me. Ailo was outside the door in the hall, his head hung low. “The horses are in the barn, someone must have brought them back. It would seem odd for a lord to be walking about the rural areas at night without a horse…” He said quietly. My temper had waned slightly already so I placed my hand on his shoulder and nodded in thanks. He smiled and headed to his room after.

The wall of the castle seemed to be bustling with life even at this hour, to be honest though, I didn’t know if creatures, such as the ones living in the walls, even slept… I made my way down and out the door and over to the barn in a matter of a few seconds by stepping quickly, very quicky. I wanted to be back by dawn after all, my amulet was nearly drained from the Paris trip. I also prayed I would be able to find my way back. I entered the carriage house and barn. It had a wide entrance, which led immediately into the shedrow, a wide, long aisle with the individual stalls on either side. There was a hay loft towards the far end of the shedrow, where the hay bales were stacked and the grain was stored in large covered bins. There was a stairwell that led into a kitchen above, located in a small room just to the left of the hay bales.  Off to the right, opposite of the room, was the ladder leading to the hay loft. The horses were their in their own stalls, looking rather pampered and happy. I saddled one and pulled him from the stall and out into the night. Despite the fact they were my horses I still felt like a thief pilfering them from the barn at this hour.  I mounted the animal and headed out of the barn and down the drive toward Espoir. The night was strangely silent. Only the echo of hooves, trotting on cobblestone, could be heard.  No insects chirped, not ever a bat squeaked its nightly song as it fed. The moon was still bright as it waned from fullness, so the night was alight with the silvery shimmer of its glow. I found it interesting the way humans viewed our lives, the life of vampires that is. They called us cursed, doomed to live solely at night. As I watched the scenery pass before me, with its silvery sheen, I thought to myself I could not imagine living any other way. Of course I had the option of seeing the sun now but it held no more beauty than the moon did. Nor did the day hold anything more glorious than the night. There was a bit of mist creeping in the distance, adding to the ethereal beauty of the land. It would have been a pleasant night to spend with someone, it was too bad that she was asleep in her bed, I thought and grinned. I made my way through the sleeping town of Espoir and headed toward the road leading out. One of the farms that were supposedly attack was right on the outskirts of this little town, so I didn’t think I would have too much trouble getting back. It was reported to me that the family abandoned the farm after the brutal murder of their daughter and they had not been back since the attack which had been a week prior. I traveled on the road for at least thirty minutes, scanning the surrounding woods for any sign of life, when I began to smell blood. It was old blood, blood that had been exposed to air for a long time. I followed the smell, guiding the horse down a narrow little road that was nothing more than wagon wheel tracks through grass. The path had been traveled enough to cause the grass to grow between the tracks but not in them. The smell was getting stronger and fouler as I continued. A human could not have smelled the stench of death from this distance but I could. I could hear the sound of animals stirring at my arrival. The thickly forested path opened to a small shack and barn set deep in the woods, nearly invisible it was so over grown. The smell was nearly over powering, I wondered what I would find when I entered the home: Would I find nothing and assume that the horrid stench came from blood that leak through the floor boards or would I find a blood splattered mess? Certainly this could not be a week old… I dismounted and tied the reins to a low tree branch. The area was empty of life aside from the animals in the barn and a dog sitting on the front porch of the shack.  I started toward the shack first slowly waiting to be attacked by the dog but the dog simply lifted its head and perked its ears at me. When I reached the step I offered my hand and the animal crawled to its feet and licked me. I chanced giving its head a pet and it allowed it but I found my hand covered in blood when I brought it away. The animal did not appear to be hurt and after sniffing the residue on my hand, I could tell the blood was human. I wiped my hand clean on my cloak and stepped over the threshold. It was extremely dark inside, only a fraction of the moon’s light was able to penetrate the thick trees to creep between the cracks in the wall boards and the blood spattered windows. If I had not been used to death, I might have found myself taken aback by the smell and gore before me. This was not the farm I had thought it to be, this was fresher. This kill had taken place while I was here and the one who had committed this acted cared not who found it. The bodies were in a heap in the center of the room, it almost appeared the rogue had thought to set fire to it and was either disturbed in the process or frightened away by someone or something. The two young female bodies had been stripped of clothing and drain entirely from gaping wounds in the neck. The two young males were simply ripped to shreds and, what looked to be the mother and father, were mangled, dismembers and halfly eaten. My flesh actually crawled from this sight. No vampire could have done this… off to the far end of the room was a large wash tub, it looked as though it had once been filled with blood but now was only a quarter full. What on earth had taken place here? It appeared that whoever had killed these people did not wish to drink the blood as much as gather it in this tub. But to what purpose could this serve? I wondered. As I inspected the tub I noted that there were faint traces of blood leading from it toward the door… foot prints. They were foot prints, as if the killer had stood in the tub… “They bathed…. They bathed in it.” I murmured to myself. I stood and nearly became dizzy from it. I was literally starving but my appetite had vanished for the moment. In fact the thought of feeding now made my stomach lurch. I looked over to the pile of bodies. Two of them were mere children, likely no older than six or seven. The idea of a creature that could do that to children… it infuriated me and made me sick all once. I had to leave. I had to get away from the sight and the smell of it. I stepped out onto the porch and took a deep breath of fresh air. The dog was still there, waiting for its Master who would never come again. I checked the barn next. There were no dead bodies but two milking cows and a few riding horses left hungry. I couldn’t rightly bring the animals with me but I could tell the Duchess and see if she might wish to aid the creatures. I did however feel I could bring the dog back, its sorrowful eyes and patience touched me. “What the hell is happening to you…?” I asked myself as I lifted the dog up and wrapped it in my cloak. I fed a few soothing thoughts into its frightened mind so it would relax and sleep, then untied and mounted the horse. The ride back was, to say the least, interesting. I had honestly never ridden holding a sleeping dog… they kicked quite a lot while dreaming. Finding my way back into Espoir was easier than I thought and luckily I had a few hours before sunrise. Apparently the protectors of the Duchy took pity on me and the dog… likely more the dog than me however.  The town was still sleeping, the night just as quiet as it had been when I left. The lonely echo of the horse’s clip-clopping was all that could be heard. The castle was quiet, no lights lit, no sound… aside from Lillith.
I groaned inwardly. Apparently I wasn’t going to be sleeping well today either… I headed toward the barn and rode the horse inside. I dismounted, rested the dog in my cloak on a loose mound of hay, removed the saddle from the horse and returned it to its stall. I was quite sure I had been quiet while doing this but something stirred above me in the hay loft…
“…Is someone there…?” A sleepy, gentle voice asked from above. For a moment I was sure that the voice was… “Duchess, is that you?” I asked, almost positive it was. I heard rustling then, a blanket or loose clothing perhaps. I stepped around in front of the ladder leading up. “Hello?” I called gently. “Lord Seraph…?” The Duchess asked. Her voice was soft and dazed as if she had been sleeping. “None other... what on earth are you doing in the hay loft?” I asked then. Suddenly I saw movement and from the edge of the loft popped the loveliest sight I had ever seen. “What are you doing in the carriage house...?  Were you out to feed...?” She asked. I was unable answer at first. Her eyes were sleepy, her hair in a wild tangle about her head, little bits of hay poking out here and there, she had a quilt tightly wrapped about her and her shift falling from her shoulder. I wondered if she noticed how she took my breath away at that moment. “...I was out… I... There is something I must talk to you about. Are you able to come down?” I finally managed. “In a moment...is something wrong...?” She asked drawing her hair from her face but the waves continued to disobey and slowly fall back into place. “Yes… actually.” The image of the scene I had just come from flashed back into my memory, wiping out the lovely angel and reminding me that hell waited just outside. “What is it?  Did you get yourself into trouble?” The Duchess asked, her brows drawn in question. “No… I found a farm that had been reported as one that was attacked by the rogue and abandoned.... or so I thought but what I found was something else... something fresh. They have a barn of animals that have been left unfed for several days...and...” I stopped short. I wasn’t entirely sure I should let on to the details of my findings. I lowered my eyes and rubbed my jaw in a nervous habit. Cossette rose to her knees, clutching her shift closed. “A farmstead? Where?” She asked. “Taking the road out of Espoir, there is a little path that leads into the forest... nothing but wagons tracks really. I smelled blood, old blood. So I went to investigate.” I paused. She should know, I thought. She would want to know the details no matter what. I had to make her realize how serious this was. “This rogue... he is mutilating ... children... an entire family...” I said. Trying desperately not to remember the scene for it brought back too many bad memories for me.
“Again -- where!?  Was it near Ailes?” She burst out loudly. I shrugged. “I don't know. It was dark and deep in the woods. I'm going to take Ailo with me and we will remove and bury the bodies. I thought you might have a place for the animals or possibly a farmer here who would take them?” My eyes shifted to the dog in the hay suddenly and I bent down and lifted him into my arms so Cossette could have a look. “... and he needs a home too now.” I said and nodded to the blood smeared mutt. Hopefully Cossette would not think I tied to feed on the poor thing. He was in dire need of good bath. She vanished for a moment then came down the ladder. I stepped away so she had room. She examined the creature with an utterly heartbroken expression then stroked the blood stiffened fur atop its head. I could see when she pulled her hand away that she stifled a gag at the sight of the blood. I felt like a damned fool then, remembering what Lillith had said about her issues after finding her father. “Oh, you poor thing…” She whispered gently then. Her eyes rose to meet mine, perfect violet stars warmed with emotion. “Shock or thrall for this one…?” She asked softly. “Thrall. So I could bring him back. He protected them as best he could I would gather. Cossette... I know you are a strong woman but, please. Allow me to bury the bodies before you go there, if you even wish to. I will have Ailo retrieve the animals if you have a place for them.” I could already see a fire light in her eyes at my request. Though it was purely a request from knowing how blood affected her, I knew instantly she would fight, thinking I was trying to dominate her. “I can...see if there are any who can take in the remaining livestock from the farmstead.”  She glanced sympathetically back to the dog. “...But this one...I'll have to give him to Jacobi for care...no doubt the little fellow's been through hell and back...” I nodded and rested the dog back down into his little bed of cloak and hay. “I think I have a good suspicion who the rogue might be…” I muttered and turned from the dog to find the Duchess crossing her arms in an effort to cover her person. I nearly smiled. She feared I might be observing her even in this time of crisis… she was right of course but still… “...Let the rogue rest for now -- how old was the blood you scented?  More than three days or so?” She asked abruptly.
“It’s been done since I arrived. I can't tell you exactly but it was fresher than a week.” I answered. “Then the farmstead must lie outside our borders...otherwise I would have heard sooner than this...”  She gave me a resolute look. “I want you to take me there.  Now.” She ordered. “Never.” I said firmly. “Not after...” I stopped short, catching myself but not soon enough. “Not after what?” She demanded crossly. “I know you do not like the sight of blood.” I dodged. Hers eyes betrayed too much emotion for a split second but only for a split second. A slight twitch in her jaw was all that came by way of reaction. “That's hardly an excuse anymore.  You can either take me there yourself, or I will find it on my own while you're sleep.” She stated stubbornly. Her jaw set, her eyes aflame with a passion to conquer her fear. She was a warrior trapped in the dress of lady and I could not begin to choose which to fall in love with first. “You are impossible.” I whispered as I removed a piece of straw from her hair. She didn’t move away when I reached nor did she flinch when I grasped the straw and gently pulled it free. Our eyes met for a brief second before she broke contact. “...but I cannot let you go there alone...” I said. “Then give me a moment to prepare and we'll go.” She said, her voice not wavering but her manner certainly exposing the exact reaction I was having. The contact, though brief and subtle, was overwhelming. Heat, a spark of something, was always between us when so close. It was hard to rationalize whether it was an urge to fight or make love. “Fine. But the moment I see a look of hesitance in your eyes, I am taking you back” I stated firmly. “Agreed.” She said and hurried out. Only but a few moments later did she return in… I managed not to stare… while she was looking, but when she turned to ready her horse I couldn’t help but admire her attire for the evening’s outing. Her Chemise was stuffed into rather form fitting riding pants and a lovely, darkly colored corset, was synched about her waist giving aid to her… “You never answered me before...why were you out?” She asked, drawing my admiring eyes to her face. “I wanted some fresh air and I thought to make some progress in my mission here. Why do you ask? Is that not why I am here?” I asked and began re-saddling my horse. “Forgive me if I happen to be picking up nothing but mixed signals from you, my lord...” She reminded as she tighten the horses girth. I smiled, showing my teeth. “My emotions are a bit of a mess, I’ll admit. You see, I haven't had them for so long I forgot what it was like to feel things. Taking pity on the dog for instances... I would say it out of character for me normally but since I have been here with you... its not so out of character...” I mused truthfully. Cossette turned back to her work and finished readying her horse. “Flattery will not get you very far, my lord -- believe me, if I was to heed everything ever told to me by one looking to suit, I would have been wed long ago and impossibly unhappy for it...”  She mounted and started out of the carriage house. “Hurry up -- we might have a few hours more before dawn...” She called back.  I mounted and followed her out. It seemed fate would have us spending time together after all… I smiled, and for once, it wasn’t a bit wicked.