Love Bites

Forever yours

The grandfather clock in the hall struck the hour, it's solemn chimes echoing round the house calling to its masters, calling them home. Selena stepped through the front door and removed her coat and hat, to any onlooker she may have looked like a normal girl, but the days heat and the girls clothes clashed making her a mystery to unravel. Other's opinions were not something she had time to worry about though. She flitted up the stairs and knocked on her brothers bedroom door, however she did not wait for a response, she merely pushed open the door and entered anyway.

"What?" Cal's voice was muffled by the bed covers.

"We have a problem brother," Selena said hoping to entice him from his pit.

"What?" He repeated, he didn't have time for games.

"You're leaving a trail, and soon it's going to lead right back to us!" Selena hissed at him.

"Fuck off," he mumbled lazily. Selena marched forward and ripped the covers off the bed, not the least bit embarrassed by her brothers nakedness. He sighed and sat up. "What is your problem?" He demanded getting up and throwing a pair of shorts on. He did not want to have this conversation with his dick out.

"Cal you're being reckless, you and Marcus."

"No we are not," he countered.

"Oh really, the dog walker on the track, the male cyclist on the woodland trail and the missing girlfriend , the young girl at club HD," Selena told him reeling off the points on her fingers. "One of these days it's going to come back on us."

"It won't," Cal said unworried.

"If it does Cal you're done for," she very nearly told him that she knew about Mast Manor but she decided to keep that to her self for just a little longer, until she really needed it. "And do you think getting involved with that human piece of trash at college is a good thing? If father finds out he'll kill you himself."

"What? Tasha? A plaything to keep me amused, a possible donor too," Cal shrugged, hoping the sound of his heartbeat wouldn't betray him. He knew all to well his fathers stance on dating humans. "But if it makes you feel any better, we will make sure we dispose of any bodies better in future, okay?" 

Selena nodded, it would do for now.

"Good, now get the fuck out of my room."

                                                                                          ***

Cassandra stood in the shadows of the study. She took a deep breath, being surrounded by books on magic she could feel the energy in the room and she revelled in it. She had asked Tobias if she could enter his study to advance her knowledge, to study. He had merely grunted and retired to his personal den. He had been doing that a lot recently and Cassandra was intrigued as to why. Pulling a hefty book with a thick green cover and blood red bindings off the shelf she flipped through page after page, then suddenly, she alighted on something interesting. Eagerly she read the page, soaking in the words, excellent, now she had found the perfect spell, all she had to do now was wait for her opportunity.

                                                                                           ***

Tobias paced his study, not sure of how to handle the news that had recently come to his attention. It was not the sort of thing that could be ignored but nor was it the kind of thing one wanted splashed all over every newsfeed and phone screen in the kingdom. He sat down at the elaborately carved teak desk, and unlocked the desk drawer. From inside its depths he pulled the folded sheaf of paper, his hands trembled as he opened it up, smoothed out its creases. The spidery black writing only served to make his skin crawl, the contents of the missive made his stomach roll and lurch. Throwing it down he stood sharply, his high back chair threatening to topple with the force and suddenness of the movement. He eyed the paper as if it were a living breathing thing, that would grow legs and scuttle off the table. Slowly he sat back down, crumpled the letter and threw it back into the drawer which he locked swiftly. Then taking a fresh leaf of paper from the pile on his desk, he picked up his fountain pen and began to write. 

                                                                                         ***

From the vantage point on the wall above the fireplace, most of the room could be seen. However it couldn't give complete surveillance of the study. No matter, this would provide her with an adequate place to start and an insight into Tobias' unnatural behaviour of late. Perhaps she could glean something with which she could barter her freedom. Taking a bowl of water to the table she set it down and muttered the incantation. "Shey lo te breya vu," the surface of the water began to shimmer and suddenly Cassandra was looking into Tobias' study, a perfect picture reflected back at her. Tobias was sat at his desk writing, only the name of the intended recipient could be seen, but it shocked her enough to look away. She waved her hand over the bowl of water and the image disappeared. She sat back on her haunches, stunned. Why on earth would Tobias be writing to her?

                                                                                       ***

Cal let himself quietly out through the front door, he didn't want another lecture off his sister about being a good little boy. His mobile vibrated in his pocket, extracting it he checked the caller I.D, Marcus. Swiping his finger over the screen and answered, "Yes?"

"I'm hungry" Marcus cut straight to the chase, no preamble.

"Well I'm busy."

"Fuck off! Doing what? Or doing who?"

"None of your business," Cal replied a little testily.

"Oh God, it's that human girl isn't it?" Marcus said a hint of disgust in his voice.

"I'm trying to sort out a donor," Cal told him, lying to his best friend over a human, what had come over him?

"Fine, see you later." Marcus hung up without waiting for a reply.

Cal hurriedly dialled Cassandra. "Marcus may appear at the Manor, don't let him in," he told her.

He sped through town to Tasha's neighbourhood and then slowed to walk up her street. The road was lined with identical houses, all with quaint gardens and white picket fences. This was the sort of street where kids played outside, neighbours talked to one another and they helped each other with eggs and sugar when they ran out.

The crystal clear windows of Tasha's house watched him walk up the path, the neatness of the lawn and flower beds were practically unnatural, it was almost as if the house knew he himself were unnatural. He thumbed the bell, eyeing the garden gnomes with interest. He was glad of the canopy over the porch to shield him from the suns rays, the short walk up her road had taken its toll. He waited patiently, the only sounds coming from a neighbours lawn mower. He tuned himself in to Tasha and felt her conscious in the house, he rang the bell once more. No answer. 

Frowning to himself he walked slowly round the back the sun beating down on him making it difficult to focus, the back door stood open and needing to get out of the heat he stepped inside. Another thing that humans got wrong about vampires. They didn't need to be invited into a house. They could be ejected but they could come right back in. Silently he walked through the house, taking in the little homely touches her grandmother had lovingly decorated the house with: miniature crystal ornaments, pictures of family and hand stitched - no doubt by herself - cushions. Things his own house was missing. Climbing the stairs, he heard soft murmuring. He smiled when he realised it was Tasha singing, peeking round the semi open doorway he saw her, lying in a steaming bath piled high with bubbles. His heart caught in his throat, her long hair was pinned messily on top of her head, tendrils of which had escaped its binding and fell gently around her face, sticking to her damp skin. Her modesty just covered by the flowery scented bubbles that almost took over the bath, Cal felt his own temperature climbing, his blood quickening. The thin wires of her earphones hung from her ears to her phone, perched precariously on the edge of the bath. He wanted to dive in there with her, take her and show her what he truly felt; instead he backed out and let himself out, sprinting all the way home, the smile never leaving his lips.