Lady Dracula (CURRENTLY EDITING)

Chapter 2

"Lorraine?"

Louis' soft voice caught my attention as I met his wondering gaze, in his hands were mugs with steam emanating from them, he offered me the white cup as he walked over and stopped beside me. "I was admiring the stars." I breathed, sipping on the cocoa. He lifted his head up, "Yeah, they are." He said with a smile, resting his cheek against the back of his hand as he leaned on the wooden terrace. "Aren't you going to sleep yet?" I shook my head, "Day and night are inverted for my kind, what about you? Aren't you tired?"

"Nah," He stretched, grunting when a pop resounded. "I have work later, anyways. Besides, I take plenty of naps when here during daytime." He pointed towards a recliner, the umbrella was closed but the side table still had a couple of empty, nondescript bottles in varying degrees of disarray. "Ah...I should've probably cleaned that up, huh?"

"It's your home, do as you want with it." I shrugged. Still, I would be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit curious about his reason for...indulging in this much alcohol. "Do you have any neighbor's around?"

"Not really. Are you thinking of transforming?"

"How do you know that?"

He grew sheepish as I looked into his emerald hues, his shoulders dropped a centimeter as he scratched his neck and averted his eyes. "I...well, I knew someone who was like you. A vampire." Oh, now it made sense. "Is that why you were so accepting of me? Despite me being a monster?"

"You're not a monster." His posture changed from an aloof kitten and into a bold Doberman, his forwardness brought him a step forward as he gripped both my arms. What remained of my nerves told me his breath brushed against my skin as our noses touched. His eyes were holes at mine as gray clouds of indignation swam around those hues. His bravado faded a moment later when he noticed the space between was non-existent, he whispered an apology as he unhanded me and took a stride backward. "Are you alright?" I asked, scanning his face for any hint, but all I saw was shame.

And...pain?

"I'm sorry, I...I think I need some sleep." Without so much as letting me reply, he fled, leaving me alone in the wee light the moon gifted and the confusion that took hold of my mind. I shook my head, facing away from the door he had slammed during his departure, and stopped to think.

Inevitably, no answers came. So I flew into the night, instead.

Without the sun posing as the warden, I could behold the splendor of the dense mountainside. Flying in my bat form was a literal breeze as the chill invigorated my being, sending Yves down to the ground to further increase the chances of finding any sign of Gardien, I listened in to what the night could tell me.

Forests whizzed by and city lights came into view, I watched as Yves deftly traveled from shadow to shadow along the dead streets, a few humans were out and donning their work outfits of suits as they groggily made their way to a bus station, when neither a scent or a whisper of Gardien came into notice, I flew further away.

And there it was.

Entering through the barrier Father erected all those decades ago, I was greeted with the sight of still smoking wood. The mystical properties of the ancient oak that was used in constructing the mansion proved a delicious and hardy fuel for the flames to gnaw at. I landed unto the familiar cobblestone that comprised my un-life from before yester night, and felt my dead heart sink into the deepest depths of sorrow.

"Father...Mother..." My words died in the wind, the very same wind that witnessed the fall of my family, and I gave it a glare. Shaking my head, I walked pass the rubble and lifted a fingertip to get the rubble away from the entrance.