The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 17/He had blue eyes

One evening I came back from the Duke's rooms to find Mary unexpectedly drunk sitting with a bottle of wine on the small table in my room.

"I hope you don't mind" said Mary - she was fried worse than crispy calamari.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Mary looked troubled by something.

"I didn't think you would be coming back tonight" she tried to stand-up but I pushed her back down.

"Sit down. What's wrong?" I asked again.

Mary looked at me, her eyes uncertain an uncontrolled I sat beside at the small table next to her.

"It's a bad anniversary and I've had some bad news,... you know why they call me bloody Mary?" Said Mary

I shook my head.

Mary tilted her head. "Well let's say love came in and spoiled everything"

I leant in towards her "You fell in love?"

"It's not forbidden, there are regular balls, you meet people, get to know them. I was a magistrate then, the Duke liked me he thought I had potential. He taught me to read. I'm the first one in my family for a generation to learn to read, you know that? He made me a magistrate. "

Magistrates were well like judges, they commanded a number of military familiars acting as police.

"People from the villages come to me for justice and I did what I could. The Duke had set up schools, in English. Except the kids didn't go. He wanted me to find out. They couldn't spare the kids for the long enough to teach them.  I had the idea of taxing the fish harvest and giving it to the schools to feed the kids... where was I? So yeah I was that in love, I thought I could change the world then. I had someone to love but we couldn't admit it to anyone. ish nard allowed " Mary said slurring her words.

"What did he look like?" I said leaning back and wondering where Cub was.

"I don't know, the soldiers, the long coats aren't allowed to take their hoods off even in the coven. I know he was a dog head, 242 was his number. have you ever heard a more wonderful number?"

I smiled "No - what was his name?"

Mary took another sip of wine "242 ,the men don't get names, just numbers. He was wonderful, strong, but you know kind with me."

"So what happened"

Mary took another sip "He was with a long coat patrol in Balham taking food to a local school. They got ambushed by the first earth army. They were trapped for four hours before I could lead a rescue team in get to them, he died during it."

She paused.

"I'm sorry" I said.

"Na...You don't have to pretend. I was commanding the rescue. We came in and I found his head on a spike." there was a pause "I saw the hood first and hoped it was empty. People loose hoods right? I ordered the hood open and his head was in it. He had blue eyes, I never knew he had blue eyes."

Mary started to cry, then continued. I held her. 

"Well I wanted to hurt them as much as they hurt me, I ordered the prisoners executed, I told them I was going to make an example of them and we did. I gave permission for the dog heads to use their guns. The rioters and the streets were piled high with the dead. I was young and stupid then. The coven lords of course loved it. They feasted on spleen and kidney for weeks. Soon I was in the Lord's personal stock and I was in line to be sired. Our spies related the commonalty was calling me bloody Mary, the Balham butcher. It didn't endear me to the coven's familiars, they lost lovers in the action, some had family out there. Then every time some town's people died, I was blamed. I was the one who got the food to the schools and then I found the kids being kept away because of it. You know I watched as hungry kids had food and writing slates pulled from their hands and thrown in the sea? The first earth army put a price on my head so big that bang went my ambition to sneak out one day going some were normal. ... Today is the anniversary of the battle in Balham."

She fell on me and I held her. I tried to change the subject

"So what are you doing here handmaiden to a mortal?"

Mary looked at me with sleepy eyes.

"Let's say I fucked up again, handing out food to school kids, made me enemies in the coven, their dislike of me had been drowned out by the river of blood and territory I brought in, but they don't forgive or forget. The coven war changed things. We were fighting the coven of Midnight when your father attacked from the bad lands. We were near a town called Thaxted defended by the First Earth Army. I tried to negotiate a ceasefire with the First Earth Army, I wanted to save lives on both sides. But you know what?  First Earth Army didn't believe me, thought it was some complex trick, I was bloody Mary after all and my reputation did all the talking. So they attacked when they were at their weakest, they were disorganized, poorly equipped, badly led, it was a gift and they made their own killing field. I was lying to the war council through my teeth, trying to keep the FEA alive but they didn't want that. Then the smell of blood drew half the coven away from the front. It was a feeding frenzy. The spearhead was badly weakened, the whole attack failed. A fuck up and I got the blame. Sadismann knew better so he stopped me being flailed. So here I am, perhaps if I had stayed the serving girl things would have gone better. You know what I learnt from that?"

"No" I said Looking in her eyes

"Never help anyone, I'm just going to make things worse. You know why I'm here? I had a friend I had grown up with called Elizabeth. She was the good looking, one I was the smart friend you knw.  We went out to a dance and it was getting close to sundown. I wanted to go home, she wanted to go after this boy. I told her she needed to get the last boat back with me. We argued so I left her. Got told later that she got captured during familiars raid. So I deliberately hung round places where I could get captured myself. I felt it had all be my fault, where was finally caught I found out Elizabeth had already disappeared. Some time during the start of that coven war.  I'm a curse you see, all the people I try to help just get destroyed quicker. So I help the coven, good plan huh?"

"You're helping me?" I said. 

"You hate me and that's the best thing I can do for you. The worst thing for you is to accept this. No, I'm lying the worst thing for you is to love him and like us. So the more I do my job, the more you hate them, us, what ever, the better for you. The softer I am on you the more fucked up everything will get. I used to think I wasn't evil but I've realised I am."

"Mary your not evil" I said  and I looked around "Where's Cub?" I asked. She hadn't really been around since the ball. It was hard to know all the coven girls looked alike and wore the same masks. I'd been so cut up with being with the Duke I hadn't noticed. 

"Tell you a secret. At the feast of fools Cub slapped up with this man called Tom. Remember he had curly black hair, good body? He's part of the Duke's staff outside the harem but could get there. Spies for Electra. Yeh well he came round to see her the day after the party. Let's say he pushed himself on her. She's too bruised to work. I'm covering for her."

"He attacked her?" I said shocked and horrified "you should do something about it. I'll tell the Duke."

Mary shrugged she put her head on my bare shoulders.

"He's smart, he's belongs to the Duke and he know's Electra will cover for him. It would be his word against hers and they really don't care what we do to each other. but you know she's pretty bruised looks like an living egg plant ... I think she will go, her time is nearly up. One last feed and she will be set free. She likes you and was thinking of hanging around for you, but I think Tom had taught her there are no good people here. We are all lost. Lost souls in the black keep. That's me."

"I'll speak to the duke about it" I said. 

I looked down, Mary had fallen asleep.