Love Bites

Mast Manor

He was nervous, he'd admit that. Nervous he had to put his faith in someone who detested him and his family, nervous he had behaved so recklessly and nervous he had put himself in such a dangerous position. He could hear Selena telling him how stupid he was, and right now in this moment he'd happily admit she was right. So making another decision he dialled his phone again.

"Yo," Marcus answered with his usual no worries attitude.

"Marcus I need your help," Cal told him, no preamble or friendly greeting.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Selena, knows about the manor and everything we've been doing," Cal began to explain.

"So?" Marcus asked and Cal gritted his teeth in frustration.

"So, she has decided to punish us and our reckless ways," he imitated Selena's voice. "She has told some of the kids here about this great, secluded place to have a party. Told them all about the Manor House and where it is, and now thanks to her hundreds of kids will be descending on the manor...tonight," Cal explained.

"Ah," Marcus said as the penny dropped.

"Exactly, I have informed Cassandra to get rid of the stock at the manor. Leave no trace of our presence there."

"The fledgling too?"

"My first thought was yes, however Cassie came up with a magical Band-Aid for that little issue," Cal told him.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, she will magically seal off room 4, no one will be able to go in or out, or hear anything going on in there. Elliana can scream her God damn head off and no one will hear her."

"So, what do you need from me? Sounds like witchy has it all sorted," Marcus said.

"I don't trust her," Cal stated plainly. "I need you to make sure it all goes down according to plan and soon. People will start arriving mid afternoon I think to set up."

"On my way."

Cal thanked Marcus and hung up, a little more at ease now his best friend was involved. Still he knew he'd not rest easy until he knew the job was done.

                                                                                             ***

Cassandra hung up the phone feeling sick. She didn't want to hurt these girls, she hated herself for having to lock them up every day, hand them over to Cal or Marcus whenever they got hungry or horny. The whole set up was despicable and vile, and now Cal wanted her to take the final step over the line. Slaughter them like animals, as if they didn't have partners or family desperately searching for them, willing them to come home safe. Could she ensure that happened? could she disobey Cal?

She thought back to that journal, to the final entry that she'd read...

It is hopeless, the bond can not be broken and it is worse than I feared. I have not only tied my life to these freaks of nature but the life of every female De'Lamier of future generations. I am sorry. We are forever bound to the creatures of the night The De'Lamier witches now belong to the Luciens.

She had to do this. There was no choice....

She rushed to the conservatory and grabbed her grimoire, She might not need to kill them if she could make them forget. As compassionate as she was she had an ulterior motive for them having no memory of this ordeal. She didn't want them having any memory of her. Her role, no matter how coerced, was just as punishable as those disgusting animals she served. She knew she had a memory spell in there somewhere, but she also knew she was running out of time. No sooner than the thought of time popped into her head, the book began to vibrate, gasping Cassandra pulled her hands away. The book didn't fall, it stayed floating in mid-air, it's pages turning all by themselves. When it stopped Cassie peered at the pages and a smile spread across her lips, now she knew she was doing the right thing.

Opening the door to room one a thin ray of light pierced the gloom. A young blonde haired girl sat huddled against the headboard of the ageing bed. The stench of must and sweat mingled together created a disturbing odour. The blonde was trembling, terrified that Cassandra had come to deliver her to the vampires once more. It turned her stomach that these girls had come to fear her just as much as Cal and Marcus; after all when she opened their door, pain and humiliation were sure to follow. Cassandra took a few tentative steps into the room, the girl folded into herself, as if making a protective cocoon.
"What's your name?" Cassandra asked gently, but her voice echoed with obscene loudness and the girl shrank back more. "It's okay honey, really. What's your name?" The girl lifted her head a fraction, confused. Her dirty blonde hair falling over her eyes, another layer of protection.

"Rachel," she murmured, her voice hoarse from lack of use.

"Rachel, I need you to listen to me. I don't have much time," Cassandra said hurriedly. Rachel lifted her head further, finally giving in to curiosity, finally giving Cassie her eyes. "I'm here to set you free." The girls eyes were hopeful now and she sat upright giving Cassie all of her attention. Cassandra strode forward and despite her new found hope the girl withdrew instinctively. "I'm not going to hurt you," Cassie reassured her. She raised her hand and touched the girls cheek. She blanched a little but didn't break contact. "Conara pel a te vu sey natra, sey natrus. Cozave nurra tel handrav finestta!" Rachel slumped back onto the bed and a wave of unease swept over Cassandra. Had something gone wrong? Slowly Rachel stirred and sat up but her features were slack and her eyes unfocused. Taking a steadying breath Cassandra fed her the replacement memory, the new ordeal she had fictionally suffered, the new piece of her life that didn't involve her or this place.

Cassandra watched the third girl flee through the open front door. A short wave of relief washed over as she watched the girl named Emma disappear into the cover of the trees. Feeling drained and weak, each step she took drank more of her energy, but she had to finish what she started. She glanced out of the tall arched window at the far end of the landing. It gave a perfect view of the clearing and the forest outside, the thick canopy of trees that sheltered the house from prying eyes. The promise of summer had seen those trees bloom and blossom, the deep luscious green synonymous with its season. But, as beautiful as the forest looked Cassandra knew that horror hid in its leafy embrace; she could only pray the girls made it through safely.
At that second Marcus strode from the forests depths his purpose clearly written on his brutish face.

"Cassandra!" He bellowed.

Cringing and trying desperately trying to empty her mind of any wrongdoing she walked tentatively to the top of the sweeping staircase. "Marcus, what a pleasant surprise," she lied.

"Cal sent me." Marcus ascended the stairs towards her, stopping uncomfortably close. "He needed to make sure you are doing as you've been instructed," he scowled at her menacingly. "You are doing as you've been told, aren't you?"

Cassandra laughed, hoping that the action would cover her nerves. "Of course. I just need to take care of five and six, then seal room four." she began to walk down the corridor but Marcus roughly dragged her back.

"I'll deal with five and six. You get on with room four," Marcus commanded shoving her in the opposite direction. 

Cassandra's heart clenched as he walked towards the rooms of the remaining girls, she couldn't save them now, not without dying herself. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

                                                                                             ***

As the clock ticked slowly round another hour Cal's anticipation grew. Surely it didn't take this long to dispose of five weak and broken girls, and magically segregate another? Cal had already overheard several conversations about tonight's party at the mansion, they couldn't take much longer or they risked exposing them all.

It was another forty-five minutes before his phone buzzed in his pocket. 'Done' the text read, and Cal felt himself relax a little. He just hoped that Cassie's extra fortifications of room four held, or he would have the biggest blood bath this side of the Salem Witch trials on his hands.