𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 {𝐀 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜} [1] ✔️

15. RHONA

AS I DESCENDED THE STAIRS , MY EARS WERE met with an eerie silence that permeated the living room. The stillness was so palpable that I could almost hear the dust particles settling on the furniture. My heart began to race as I scanned the room, searching for any sign of life. But alas, it was empty.

My mind raced with questions. Where has everyone gone? It couldn't be a hunting trip, for Alana and Rhona had returned earlier with a fresh kill, their faces smeared with blood. So where could they be? The mystery hung heavy in the air, taunting me with its enigmatic presence.

With a flicker of my amber eyes, I scanned the spacious living room, searching for any sign of their presence. And yet, there was none. Perhaps they were indulging in a feast of venison, which would certainly explain their conspicuous absence. As I pondered this possibility, a movement caught my attention from the corner of my vision. It was Rhona, sauntering towards me with a cup in hand. Ah, just the woman I needed to see.

"Hello, Vi," Rhona greeted me with a sly smile. "How’s your immortal soul?"

"I'm doing quite well, thank you," I replied, my voice dripping with the honeyed tones of the undead. "And yourself?"

"I am as fine as one can be in this eternal existence," she said, handing me a cup. I took it from her, my eyes flickering to the crimson liquid within. "It's from the deer. A rare delicacy these days, as everyone seems to have a taste for their blood. But I managed to save some for you."

"Thank you," I murmured, bringing the cup to my lips. The blood was sweet and tender, a sensation that sent shivers down my spine. It was a far cry from my days as a human, when I wore black every day and was mocked for my gothic appearance. "Your eyes are amber," Rhona observed.

I shrugged, taking another sip. "Is that a good thing?"

"Indeed it is," she replied. "It means your diet is working. Give it a few more months, and you'll see the gold."

I continued to drink, savouring the taste of the blood. It was a far cry from my old life, but I couldn't imagine going back. The thought of being a vampire had once been a joke to my classmates, but now it was my reality. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

My gaze fell upon Rhona, and I couldn't help but wonder, "How on earth did you come across this coven? Your accent doesn't exactly scream British."

Rhona's lips curved into a gentle smile as she replied, "California, darling. Los Angeles, to be precise." Her voice was soft, yet carried a hint of sorrow. "I had to leave my home behind after I was turned into a vampire. I couldn't bear the thought of reliving that nightmare all over again."

"What happened to you?” I inquired of her.

"I was born in 1899," Rhona commenced her tale, “My mother, Sylvia, was a woman of colour who worked as a maid, while my father, John Frederick, was a white man of means. But, their union was not sanctified by the bonds of matrimony, and as you can well imagine, the life of a mixed-race child in those days was fraught with difficulties."

As she spoke, I could feel the weight of her words, and I pitied for the struggles she must have faced.

"I had a great relationship with her mother, " she continued," But my relationship with my father was estranged. I was just an innocent girl who came from a broken family. Suddenly, it changed when my father started verbally and physically abusing me and my mother; I was young. I couldn't tell anyone at the time, because it was common. The other person I felt safe with, other than my mum, was my older half-brother, Daniel. That was until I was abused by him for four years. Physically and sexually."

Rhona's golden eyes glistened as she stared at the ground, her heart heavy with the weight of her painful memories. "He said to me as he was doing this," she spoke, her voice laced with bitterness. "Since there is half-white blood in your black body, you're not my sister."