Skinwalker

Chapter 9

I've been playing Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines. 

It would so much fun if it wasnt for the fact these type of games give me motion sickness.

Read, comment/vote/critique. 

Kthxbai 

Anwen tried to rub the soot off Blackie’s perfectly white fluffy tail and noted the singed ends as a young woman a couple of years older than Anwen came hurtling down the corridor.

            She had long, graceful limbs like a dancer and her black hair was tied back in a severe bun away from her elfin like face.

            “Louis said you brought someone home- oh! Hello! I am Aria,” the woman said at once, holding out a hand. She had a foreign accent when speaking

            “Anwen,” Anwen replied, shaking her hand, looking a little bewildered.

            “Aria is Louis’ girlfriend,” Victor explained, “She’s a ballet dancer as well as a singer.”

            No wonder. She was so tall and thin and graceful. Anwen felt like a clumsy duck next to her.

            “Are you here to visit too?” Anwen asked curiously.

            “No- she’s one of the Hargreaves’ victims,” Victor said and Aria grinned.

            “And proud of it. My parents wanted me to become doctor. Stable job and better money. But I wanted to be on the stage- so Louis become my sponsor. Papa and mama were furious so I moved out and started living with Louis,” she said, “I’m between shows now, so Louis and I come back for a couple of weeks.”

            “Annie- play with us!” the twins interrupted.

            “Um…” she looked at Blackie’s singed tail, “I don’t think that’s a very good idea…”

            “There you are Aria,” Louis said, coming round the corridor. He kissed her and looked at Victor, “Father wants to meet your friend. And then he says you might as well introduce her to Uncle Charlie after he has his dinner. Remember what happened last time?”

            “Yes, yes…” Victor said, shaking his head, “Come on, Anwen- and keep Blackie with you.”

            Anwen trotted after him and he glanced at her, “Is anything the matter?” he asked.

            “It’s… It’s so lively here and noisy too.”

            “Yeah- well, considering my brothers’ girlfriends are about a lot of times, and there are seven of us, and other people that are simply living here because they have nowhere else to go. And a couple of distant relatives… so yeah- it’s always like that around here. That’s why I told you I like hanging around you. It’s nice and calming for once,” he told her.

            They arrived before two hand-carved mahogany doors. Victor knocked on the door and called, “Father.”

            “Come in,” a deep voice replied.

            Victor pushed one of the doors open to reveal a dark study with heavy wooden bookcases as high as the ceiling. There was a lamp at the mantelpiece and on the desk with a fire roaring in the hearth.

            From what Anwen could observe, there was absolutely no electricity in the manor.

            Behind the desk was a tall man that Anwen had seen from pictures on the Internet, though his hair definitely had more white now than in the pictures. He had a stern face with a strong bone structure.