Her Broken Spell

Chapter 2

Through time, vampires became very much like humans. They eat, sleep, and feel just like how humans do. The difference was that they had keener senses, incredible speed and strength, and long lives that could reach up to half a millennium.

They were harder to kill because of their gifts but these gifts came with a price. They needed to feed at least once a month.

Human blood was crucial for the existence of vampires. These creatures needed to drink directly from healthy humans. The healthier the humans, the stronger their life essences were. This essence had been the sustenance of vampires for generations.

But this family of vampires could not drink from Dionne.

Her entire being was different up to the point that the vampires could not discern any essence from her. Her blood was useless to them. But she was useful for an entirely different reason.

She had been working really hard to help around the Huxley manor which was built in the heart of the city of Carmarine. Carmarine, being the capital of the continent, had a lot to offer but most of the time, Dionne was only working on herself. She would not be a burden to Irina and the family. She needed to be fit and to learn how to defend herself amidst her therapy to regain her memories.

"Sweetie, since Irina will be gone for a week and might even extend to who knows how long, you may postpone your mountain hikes. In the meantime, you may continue your daily work-out," Karyl interrupted her thoughts. Since Karyl was the family healer, she always saw to it that Dionne finishes her therapies and exercises.

"Can I also have my combat training?" Dionne asked.

"Well, if Annette won't drown you with work, I don't see why not?" Karyl chuckled as she pointedly looked at Annette.

"Of course, you can do some combat training. Ghandi's taking time off from working away, so he could also help here when you need to train," Annette suggested.

"Thank you," she replied.

"I hope you won't miss the mountain much," Jugger interjected.

"But we sure hope that you miss us!" Theodore added and the two exchanged high fives.

"I do not think that I will miss you both," she replied honestly and without malice.

"Ouch! That hurts," Jugger exclaimed while putting his hand on his heart.

"I truly cannot keep up with your energy. Maybe someday, I will," Dionne explained.

"Besides, it's not like Dionne's relaxing on the top of the mountain. For someone without incredible speed, it would be hard for her to hike up there," Annette said.

.

"I don't think so. There's a waterfall on the top so she'd really be sitting pretty with her vacation there," Theodore teasingly accused.

"Boys," Karyl interrupted, "and lady, Dionne needs to meditate. That's why she goes there every other week."

"Nah. If I know, that's just her excuse," Jugger joked.

"Excuse to get away from you and Theo," Annette muttered.

"Yes. I enjoy the company of birds. And I like how the waterfalls drown out the noise," she commented.

"It's like you're saying that we are noisy!" Theodore exclaimed in mock annoyance.

"No, not everyone. Only you and Jugger," she clarified.

"Gosh. How can she say that with a straight face?" Theodore asked Von.

"Well, it's because she's not joking," Von answered. "Dionne is just being completely honest."

"Dee, we need to work on your tact," Jugger offered.

And another round of banter happened before Jugger and Theodore went ahead since they were to accompany Irina. After the meal, she excused herself and proceeded to her bedroom.

Since all the private matters happen in the left wing of the manor, it was understandable that the bedrooms and private offices were in that wing. All the bedrooms were on the first and second floors, the personal offices were on the third, and the feeding stations were on the fourth. There was also a huge flower and herb garden on the rooftop.

There were about forty bedrooms in the left wing, just enough for all the vampires who joined the Huxley family. The bedrooms were strategically placed in the first and second landings to provide more security. That way, the feeding stations and the basement, which keeps The House's secrets, were less accessible to any intruders.

Dionne went to her bedroom on the first floor. It was the same bedroom that kept her when she was still unconscious. It has its own bathroom complete with toilet, bathtub, shower, and full-body mirror. The room had almost nothing save for her bed, closet, bedside table and chair.

The walls of her bedroom remained cream-colored but most of her furniture were now painted bronze. Her curtains were off-white just like the bed sheet and pillows.

She liked the monochromatic effect that it has. The consistency in color and arrangement reflected her inner self, monotonous and dull.

"Maybe, if I find out about my past, I could finally embrace my future," she told herself as she laid on her bed.

She looked at the wall opposite her bed and saw the painting that supposedly captured one of the best times of her life. It was the only painting that she found from the boxes that came with her when her unconscious body was transferred from her parents' estate to Irina's manor.

It was a painting of four people enjoying themselves at the beach.

"Mother, father, Yvonne, and me...Esmeralda. No, I'm Dionne now," she mumbled.

Yvonne was the woman who was with her when the accident happened. She had no idea what her relationship to her was. She could be a sister, but her physical appearance was different. She could be a cousin or a best friend. She did not know.

She looked at them again. One by one. She looked so much like her parents with their brown skin and black hair. While Yvonne stood out because of her rosy skin and dirty blonde hair.

She sighed.

No matter how many times she stared, she could not remember anything. Even her stuff from the boxes did nothing to juggle her memory. Her clothes from fifty years ago were hanging inside her closet. Although she did not want to wear them because of the misplaced fashion that they entail, she could not bring herself to throw them away.

She thought of the day that Irina brought the boxes to her. They contain her clothes, jewelry, and shoes. They still fit but they couldn't fill the gap in her heart.

Emptiness and uncertainty were her companion ever since. She tried to mask the feeling through physical training and working at The House. She tried to keep on learning new things and feed her curiosity. But each night before she succumbs to sleep, she would wonder if it was better for her not to have woken up.

She tried to grieve for her deceased parents and best friend. She tried to shed tears for her lost self but she never did cry. She was just so...empty.

She had no one. Those were the words she uttered to Irina one day but the vampire countered it.

"What do you mean? You have me."

She could still hear Irina's unapologetic voice. Yes, she had not just one person with her but a whole vampire family.