Hollow Immortal

A New Beginning

Evelyn opened her eyes and waited a moment for them to adjust to the darkness. In the two months she'd been at Castle Dracula, her sleep pattern had adjusted, she'd gotten fairly decent at fighting with daggers and Ragnar had moved on to teaching her how to wield a light sword. Her muscles had strengthened with all the exercise so she could lift the weapons. Mercedes had taken over her magic lessons - she'd gotten quite good at using magic too - but they weren't half as interesting as the few Caine had been supervising. She was all about wards, safety and protection. Caine had been to the point and ruthless. She missed him terribly. She was beginning to wonder whether he really had been up to something or if he'd actually died.

She shifted a little but movement was very limited because she had a heavy arm encircling her waist. She smiled as the firm form of Ragnar stirred behind her. He mumbled something and pulled her closer. She happily went with it, even though he was ice cold. Not as cold as Caine, but still much colder than she was used to. Another thing she hadn't expected. Even though she'd grown up with the knowledge that vampires existed in her head, she had never, for one moment, thought she'd end up with one nestling his head between her shoulder blades.

Ragnar's hair was soft, long, and dark and, when he lifted his head to kiss her shoulder, she felt a slight prickle as his beard brushed her skin. He kissed her cheek and then she felt his lips near her ear.

"Why are always awake so early? It's six o'clock," he whispered.

"I'm human," she replied.

He rolled onto his back, pulling Evelyn with him. The bedding had tangled around her and Ragnar held her tightly so she had no way of getting away. She chuckled and rested her head on his chest. She heard his heart beat for the night and smiled while she ran her fingertips over the lines of his many tattoos.

                               ***

Dmitri pressed his thumbs to his eyes. If it felt strange sitting at the desk that had once been Vlad's, it felt downright wrong to sit at Caine's. Most of the bookcases had been cleared and their contents put into boxes for sorting later, but Caine's desk remained a mystery. Once he and Theodore had cleared some of the precariously balanced crap off his desk, they'd uncovered a typewriter and an interesting, if only a little depressing, journal. They'd also found a key that didn't fit any of the drawers in the desk. Dmitri had put it on the desk and he'd stared at it for over three hours.

What do you open? Why am I talking to a key in my head? Dmitri, stop talking to your... dammit!

He slammed his fist down on the desk, causing the key to shift a little. He'd tried it in every drawer and every lockbox they could find. He heard a soft click and looked up to see a bright-eyed redhead weaving her way through the boxes with mug of coffee in her hands. It had been rather peaceful at Castle Dracula. There had been no attacks, no fights and no internal squabbles. Katrina looked relaxed, she wasn't completely clad in leather. She was wearing faded jeans and a dark green cardigan. She sat on the edge of Caine's desk and took a sip from her mug.

"Find it yet?" she asked.

Dmitri rubbed his jaw, he was tired as hell and had no idea what half the stuff in the library was.

"No," he said, "knowing Caine he's put some kind of a spell on it. It fits in every drawer and every lockbox in this room, do you think it will turn?"

Katrina picked the key up and turned it over in front of her face, "Well, I don't see any symbols or anything on it. Maybe Evelyn knows something."

"I asked her," he said, "she doesn't know where it fits and she doesn't know where the other keys are."

"So are we just going to leave his desk alone?" Katrina asked.

"As much as I want to, Katrina, he had this key hidden in a secret compartment. Heaven alone only knows what he's got hidden in whatever it unlocks. We might have to break the locks open or get a locksmith in, neither option is particularly appealing. Seeing as we'd have to... er... deal with the locksmith and I'm a bit wary of breaking Caine's things."

Katrina raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"I don't know what he's attached himself to, he might come back to haunt me."

There was a loud cry from the raven in Caine's room and he assumed someone was entering. It turned out to be Theodore with a few more boxes and a message. Dmitri took the message from him to read.

New Fledglings in the training room, you're late.
- R

He turned to Katrina, "If you'll excuse me, duty calls."

"It never seems to shut up," Theodore commented as he walked past.

"I'll shut you up."

                               ***

Anthony stared at the text message on his phone. He'd sent it two months ago and he had yet to receive a reply from Morwenna. He hadn't said anything, he didn't know whether he should. She hadn't returned any of his calls, she hadn't replied to his texts and the last time she'd been on Skype was three days before he sent the text.  He'd gotten hold of the vampire, Donovan's, number from Evelyn. He wasn't answering either.

He felt his heart rate increasing as he thought about it, not a good idea. He reached over and took a sip from the water glass next to his bed.  Wiping sweat from his forehead, he took a deep breath. He had to remain calm. He'd already been locked up in a silver cage once for freaking out and accidentally wolfing up. He had scars on his arm to prove it. He wouldn't do that one again.

He didn't know whether he was more worried about Morwenna or Morwenna being around a vampire. He found that he'd developed a serious jealous streak since he was turned and the vampires didn't want to let him go just yet. They wanted to make sure he was stable first. He was disgusted that Evelyn hadn't tried to call Morwenna, they were best friends but she, too, was changing. It scared him.

She'd get angry sometimes and she'd have random outbursts where her eyes would turn red and she'd lash out at the nearest person for no reason. That really scared him. Mercedes said it was because her powers were developing but he hadn't seen it in any of the Feldglings. He didn't know Caine all that well but - from what be did know, a cold, vicious, remorseless force - he saw him coming out in Evelyn more and more everyday.

His hands were shaking and his heart rate kept increasing and decreasing like a yoyo going up and down on its string. He thought Caine had bestowed a gift upon him but he hadn't. It was a curse. His muscles would constantly go into spasm, his heart often felt like it was going to explode and his blood would feel as if it were boiling in his vessels. But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst was the loneliness. He could be in a room full of people or vampires and he'd still feel completely alone. There was no cure. He'd asked for it and he got it. It was his cross to bear. It was his new beginning.