Her Red Knight

Chapter 10

Aspen woke up when the car stopped. She was not sure how long she had been asleep for, she remembered landing in the UK, but after that blank. Though she did not have any strange dreams which was a huge bonus. She looked at Matthew opening the gate to a grand house, somewhere, she presumed near Oxford. He got in and noticed she was awake. "Good morning, Aspen, slept well did you?" He asked with a slight humour in his voice. "Yep, it is good not to dream for once." She shrugged as they began up the drive. "Guessing, this is one of your houses." She commented as they came to a stop where Miriam and Marcus were waiting. "You would be right, now wait here." He said getting out. Aspen scoffed, not a chance, something was going on and she did not want to be kept out of the loop, she mainly came to grab some extra clothes as France was colder than Venice and she really wanted some other clothes and research materials. She stepped out the class and walked over to where they were arguing. "What is she doing here?" Marcus said snidely. "I need to grab some stuff from my rooms, and I wanted to see your delightful face again." She said folding her arms and glaring at him. "Marcus, she is here because we also need to retest her DNA and she refused to be left at Sept Tours." Matthew said and she smiled. "Nice to know I am a living blood bag. Any way why are we here and not at the lab?" Aspen asked looking at them. "Making sure we all had a clear head and the lab has been compromised. You wouldn't happen to know any witches who would step on vampire territory?" Miriam asked. Aspen thought for a minute, she did not know that many witches in Oxford, and those she did know wouldn't have the balls to go any where near. One name did pop into her head though. "I cannot think of any one specifically, but Sylvia or Gillian probably, though most likely Gillian. If Knox has been here I would guess he saw the coven leader and that is Sylvia and Gillian is I think a friend of my sisters and insecure enough to do it if Knox used the right words." Aspen said thoughtfully. The three vampires looked at each other and before nodding. "Alright, we will go to the lab." Matthew said as we walked back to the cars only Aspen was with Marcus this time and he did not seem too thrilled about it. When we started driving he spoke with bitter suspicion. "I don't know what your playing at but I wont let you hurt my family." "What on earth are you talking about, why would I want to hurt them, Ysabeau, Matthew, Baldwin and Freyja have been nothing but kind to me." She replied a little taken aback. "That is why, you remind them of their sister and daughter, but you aren't, she has been gone long before I was turned and any time they talk about Liv, they speak with hurt, I don't want you to give them false hope." Aspen got where he was coming from, if it was the other way round she would be the same. "I get it, I have seen the look in their eye when they speak of her, but I don't ever intend to hurt them. I trust them with my life, Baldwin saved mine while I was in Venice. I also think, it may seem crazy, but I am Liv, just without the memories of them. I keep getting random flashes of memories when I look at paintings or when I have sent a large amount of time with them." She said quietly, she saw Marcus look over at her but said nothing else, leaving a very awkward tension in the car. Aspen was glad when they finally reached the lab. Aspen got out and followed the three vampires in. She had been in the lab before, almost two weeks ago, though then she had been having a panic attack and her arm itched at the memory. She shook her head as she entered. The lab, was like any other lab, cold, grey and sterile, with warm over head lighting at the end of the room was an office like space she assumed was Matthew's. "This is Peter Knox's doing." Aspen shivered slightly at the name, but she knew it could not have been him directly, he would most likely be in Venice waiting for Diana. "It is because of you, Matthew. We've run this lab for years without being noticed. Flown under the radar of humans and creatures. Then suddenly, it's all jeopardized because you decide to mate with a witch." Miriam said hotly, Aspen looked over at them, this was dangerous, Aspen knew something was between her sister and Matthew and a mate bond made sense only there was no history of that happening, if she remembered rightly and usually she did, a photographic memory was useful like that. "That's enough, Miriam." Matthew growled, obviously he was not too happy about the bond either, and he was clearly trying to fight it Aspen thought as she watched the two. "Don't even begin to deny it. I'm the only one of us who's mated before. I know the signs." She said. "Domenico knows too. He saw it when he was at Sept Tours with the way you protected my sister." Aspen spoke up and they turned to her. She may not be a vampire but she was observant and any vampire would throw someone to the wolves if it meant protecting themselves from the congregation. "Domenico can go to hell." He snarled. "Agreed. Are you sure nothing was stolen?" Aspen asked putting them back on track as Miriam nodded. "Their DNA samples, their bloods?" Matthew asked as the storm cloud grew over his head. "They're secure." Miriam said. "You think this is about Diana. About Aspen?" Marcus asked, it was almost guaranteed that it was everything since that stupid book "Of course this is about Diana." He paused as he sniffed the air. "I know that scent." And that was all it took for him to march out the room leaving the three of them behind. "Where are you going? Matthew, don't go there!" Miriam called after him but it ultimately fell on death ears, Aspen saw them why the world saw vampires as terrifying he was a predator on the hunt for his prey. "Call Baldwin. It's time we told him the truth." Miriam said to Marcus, snapping Aspen out of her daze. Marcus looked unsure but obeyed and pulled out his phone. Aspen stood awkwardly before going to the office and putting her bag down. Looking back at the two vampires Miriam was sitting on one of the counters while Marcus was crouched in front of it. She debated with herself whether to go out there but she decided it was better too, after all it would be the closest she would get to seeing him any time soon. As she walked out she heard Marcus say "He's gone back to Oxford and she's at Sept Tours. Ysabeau says he will respect the Covenant. He just needs to get his head on straight." Aspen watched them as Baldwin answered and Miriam kicked his side and he put it on speak for her sake as he replied. "It was. It still is. But there's more to it than that. Someone broke into the lab, witches. Matthew thinks they were looking for information about Diana or her sister." Marcus glanced to her. "I was just thinking, with you being a member of the Congregation and the head of our family that..."Baldwin cut in, "That I could save him? Matthew never destroys only himself, Marcus. He always drags the rest of us down with him." Aspen looked to Miriam, who found the floor interesting, something to do with her mate Aspen surmised. An image of Miriam with a man she didn't recognise danced across her brain, that must have been her mate Aspen thought, Matthew had something to do with his death. "Well, I can't help him this time. If he breaks the rules..." Aspen wasn't sure what she was doing but she knew that she had to try and persuade him otherwise. "He pays the price.""May I." She breathed out holding her hand out for the phone. "Aspen, what are you doing with Marcus you're suppose to be in Sept Tours where it is much safer." She heard him and knew a lecture would come as Marcus handed her the phone. She took it off speaker, she knew they would still both here but it felt less invasive somehow. "Wanted a day away from my sister." Aspen said trying to insert humour to the situation. She heard him sigh. "You're lying, what is the actual reason you headed back to Oxford." Aspen gnawed on her lip, unsure whether to say or not and in the end she decided to. "To get away from memories, I get weird flashes, I become dazed and I get cracking headaches. Plus I needed to grab some stuff from my rooms and I didn't want any one to snoop." She cut him off when he was going to counter. "Look I am not here to argue, I will be going back when Matt decides too and that wont be long, a week max, but until then I will be with Miriam, Marcus or Matt. Will you find a way to stop whatever hell will be unleashed when Domenico licks his wounds. He saw me, he knows I am there I do not think he knows that you set me there, rather Matt kidnapped me on the way back." Aspen heard a string of expletives come down the line and she held the phone away from her ear. When she finally heard his voice die down she brought it back to her. "Feel better?" She asked cheekily, Aspen imagined steam practically coming out her ears. "You are a nightmare ursi." He sighed, the nickname caught her off guard, it meant little bear, or something similar. "Aye, but your nightmare apparently.""Yes, now I will do my best to keep them at bay while you are in Oxford, as it comes to punishment, I will try and keep it light, Matthew is a De Clermont, killing a member of my family is a declaration of war. As for you and your sister I will angle it as you didn't know the consequences. Can you stay out of trouble and lie low for a bit?" He asked suddenly sounding tired. "Possibly, but where will you be, I can only read Dracula so many times." She smiled as she heard him chuckle slightly, that was good, he was not totally mad at her then. "Stuck here, Matthew and you cause trouble." "Me cause trouble? I believe you have the wrong sister." "I highly doubt that Aspen. I have to go, stay safe." "You too Baldwin." The call disconnected and she turned round to give Marcus his phone back to see their jaws on the floor. She handed Marcus his phone back before going back into the office, she really did not want their comments right now. She set up her laptop to continue writing. Miriam and Marcus ignored her and Matthew came back absolutely furious, so Aspen decided steering clear of the vampires. Around 4 she got a call from Diana and when she answered she heard her Aunt Sarah, she was going to decline it when she heard her Aunt. "Aspen Harper Isabelle Rebecca Olivia Bishop do not hang up." She heard Sarah warn and as tempting as it was she still listened, this had to be big if Diana thought she had to be involved. "Honey, is everything okay?" Emily asked in a much calmer tone. "This Venetian vampire came. He's on the Congregation. He told me about the Covenant. How come I didn't know about this?" She asked, Aspen could already picture her biting her lip in worry and running her hand through her hair. "Well." Sarah paused as she was trying to find the right words. "You... You turned your back on being a witch. You... You refused to talk about magic. We didn't tell either of you because... It wasn't relevant to your life." Sarah said quietly. Aspen sighed, that wasn't the reason for her, she had no magic so it was never relevant. "Well, it is now. I love Matthew." Everything went silent as she admitted what Aspen already knew. "I can't help myself." She said quieter. "That's impossible. Witches and vampires can't be together." Sarah said panicked and Aspen got why, there was no memorable example but she knew, somewhere in the depths of her memories that they could, that she had. "Yeah, everyone keeps telling me that. But for me there... There is no choice." Diana said quietly. "Aspen, help me out here." "Look, it is possible Dee, but it is extremely dangerous." She pointed out. "You cannot put yourself in that danger." Sarah said. "Look, Dee can do what she wants Sarah, she is surprisingly an adult, all she needs to do is plead ignorant and Dee will be mostly okay." Aspen sighed as she leant her head back. "I thought you two might understand." Diana added"Honey, it's just the Congregation is going to do everything in their power to stop a mixed species relationship." Emily said. "They don't choose who I love, no matter the consequences." Diana said fiercely, Aspen sighed Diana was going to get a shock about the world of creatures if she doesn't tread carefully. "Dee, tread carefully, I have someone advocating for the both of us with the Book of Life I cannot guarantee he will protect you and Matt." Aspen warned. "Honey, what do you mean? Where are you now?" Emily said, Aspen debated lying but decided it would be fruitless. "Oxford with Matthew and his son Marcus and colleague Miriam. Why do you suddenly care for my safety." Aspen asked, even when she had spoken to Emily she never cared where she was, but suddenly Diana was in danger, Diana pulled out the book of life and they cared where she was. "Your with vampires?!" Sarah exclaimed."Yes, Matthew is a friend and I am staying at Sept Tours, I needed to grab everything from my rooms. Don't worry, his brother is fully aware after all the man saved my life." Aspen snapped, she heard Sarah say a list of expletives and Aspen winced. "Homey, what does Matthew have to say about all this?" Emily asked taking the heat off of her. Aspen decided then that it was her time to leave. Disconnecting the call she chucked it on Matthews desk and sighed, she had almost finished the book but she desperately wanted Baldwin to read through it for her and yet at the minute he refuses to answer her calls so an email was definitely out of the question. As she finished the final sentence of the book she heard the door burst open. "For fuck sake Matt, where is she!" She heard Hamish shout, she jumped up as the door to the office slammed open and she felt arms wrap round her and the familiar smell of Sandalwood and pine which calmed her racing nerves instantly. "Hey Hamish, miss me?" She asked playfully as she returned the hug before pushing him back. "Always, you need to get better at answering your phone trying to restrain Felicity is almost impossible." He said slinging an arm over her shoulder as he packed her stuff away. "Oi, I was not finished." Aspen said elbowing him in the ribs as she grabbed her bag off him and they walked into the main lab. "A pleasure as always Hamish." Miriam said sarcastically and he sent a charming smile to her. "You should be glad, I'm taking Matt and Aspen out of here to give you both space." He said happily as both in questioned scowled at him as he pulled them out of the lab and as he dragged them to Matthew's rooms at All Souls. Aspen left them quickly to pack her rooms, she had very little to pack as she had very little. Being by herself since she was fifteen in a completely different country meant she had to keep her stuff to three, four bags maximum. When she was done Aspen turned off her lights and she had a feeling it would be for the final time if the last week was anything to go by. She walked over to his rooms and pushed open Matthew's door and dumped her stuff unceremoniously on the floor before pouting a drink as both men turned to look at her raking their attention away from the chess game. "Moving in?" Matt asked as he stared at her stuff. "Of course, a castle is superior to my rooms here and less likely for Knox to come knocking." She said as she downed her glass before pouring another and sitting on the arm of Hamish's chair. "I heat you both left her with Ysabeau? A twisted idea of culture." Hamish said somewhat seriously. "She loves me. Or she says she does." Matthew said as he stared at the board. "Oh no Matt, my sister loves you, she does not give a damn about the Congregation." She said softly and Matthew glared at her. "And you love her?" Hamish asked and Matt sent them both a withering look confirming what Aspen already thought. "Oh, Christ, Matthew." "I know. I've been fooling myself that the Congregation would no longer care. And somehow she didn't even know about the Covenant." He muttered turning his gaze to Aspen."It is what happens when your parents are murdered though she is often more ignorant than me, she was not questioned by them. As for the Congregation, get rid of Knox and Gebert you would be in a better position." She said as Hamish sent her a look. "Why should they tell us who to love? They haven't stopped me." He said and Aspen rolled her eyes, it definitely was not the same but she also got why he was saying it. "A relationship between a demon and a human doesn't threaten them, but a vampire and a witch." He stared at Aspen, Aspen shifted as she thought of his brother, they were keeping there distance, they didn't have a choice and it wasn't like he liked her back but still. "This vampire, a de Clermont no less, and this witch. Honestly, Hamish, she... She is astonishingly powerful. And she's clever and funny. She's full of courage." Aspen rolled her eyes, so she was still the same, Aspen had heard all of that, well similar, before her entire life at school was spent hearing adulations about Diana. She got up and added more to her drink. Normally she wouldn't touch alcohol but normally her life hasn't turned upside down like this. "Then don't fall in the trap of thinking for her. This isn't just about the Congregation, is it?" Hamish asked. "Diana is a historian. And Matt is her latest research subject. I am guessing." She said as Matt nodded. "Ah! And you fear she'll come to know your past? I know about it and I love you." Hamish said as Matt looked to her, Aspen suspected she knew everything but something in her stubborn brain prevented her from remembering, not just Matt but all of them and it was growing infuriating now. "There are many things in this life one can control... Love is not one of them. If you love her, then don't let anything get in your way." Aspen sighed, she knew Matt couldn't stay away if what Miriam said was true. It was about nine when Hamish got a call, Matt was brooding and Aspen was itching to go somewhere anywhere away from the man who kept looking at her with sadness, like he wanted her to remember then and there and it was getting irritating. When Hamish came back, he told Aspen that Felicity was at a club and that they should go. Aspen didn't hesitate to agree, she may hate the environment but Felicity was there as well as alcohol and that was what she desperately needed. A night out with her sister and to drink enough to forget Tobias, to forget her feelings for the leader of the congregation and to forget the way a family looks her with such sadness and hope. Aspen did not remember much, the entire night was a bit of a blur after she had met with Felicity, if there was one thing she knew how to do, it was to make anyone forget there problems and it worked more often than not too well. Aspen groaned as she cracked her eyes open before immediately shutting them again as her head pounded in protest. She remembered why she hated drinking and Felicity by proxy, a hangover was the worse. She heard the woman in question laugh. "Take the paracetamol and drink water, you'll be fine. Oh and your phone keeps going off." With that Aspen was left alone. Groaning Aspen sat up and rubbed her head. She looked around and guessed this was the Osbourne house just outside the city, she had been there a few times and every time it was different and now it was a bright blue room with clashing accessories. It was really quite awful but it wasn't her house and the demons were known to clash whether it was outfits or decor. It made no difference to her though she loved her friends whacky designs. So did the world apparently as Felicity's design company was gaining traction. She took the tablets and down the water before reaching for her phone. Low and behold she got a butt ton of messages from Matthew, Marcus and Miriam. Matt she got but the other two surprised her until she saw that there was four missed calls from Baldwin and she understood he was worried.A smile came to her face, it probably shouldn't have but he cared, he was worried, she felt some satisfaction with that after all maybe her crush was being reciprocated. Or he wanted to know more about the book. At that thought she deflated. It was probably that because who would want the mess that was Aspen Proctor. No one, she knew if Hamish and Felicity knew the full truth of her mental state then they would leave her just like everyone else. Sighing she sent a message to the three M's. Her finger hovered over the call button for Baldwin, a message would be easier, after all he wouldn't pick up, he hadn't yet. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she put her phone down and decided to change. Felicity had left her an outfit and Aspen decided she would rather be in comfortable clothing than in day old clothes if she was going to get chewed out. So after changing into the borrowed sweats and hoodie she pressed the call button and waited with baited breath.