In a flash of Fangs

Redemption

Vlads POV

The night had come and nothing was said, I was leaning against a pillar with a glass of wine listening to the music when she entered the ballroom. Her eyes surveyed the room glossing over everyone in their masks and landed on her parents. The intense stare she could give with a single glance was enough to make anyone's stomach clench with envy and longing. I had brought a gift with me knowing girls liked jewelry but had carefully selected the pieces myself, I was proud of the pairing, the polished moonstone shone brilliantly and I knew it would enhance her eyes dramatically. She wasn't commanding the room with her voice but rather her presence and stillness. Stela was a lively young girl full of a spirit I had only seen in Mirena and no one since it brought a sadness and heart-wrenching longing into my soul. The night passed on and everyone had left, some more intoxicated than others and Sorin her betrothed was boasting to all about their engagement in the confines of the carriage. My hands clenched in anger at Sorin's boasting and lack of respect towards Stela, it was like she was a prize and not a woman that he would be spending his life with out of love for her. I was the last to leave the party, I had set the present on a small table near the ballroom and was going to wait and watch her open it but her parents had said their last farewells and I left out of fear of being seen. I tried to hide and watch from a window but she had already opened the box and was wearing the ring and holding the necklace in her delicate hands with the most splendid smile on her face, the hidden want of being adored and receiving something so simple and resilient shone in her features.

I had been following Stela the night she was told about the Guild and she wasn't very happy, tears streaming down her face, she was still in that beautiful dress but she had no cloak to warm her as the moon rose high into the sky. She seemed to just be wondering the grounds not paying attention to anything around her, I kept a close on just in case she got herself into trouble. It was well past midnight and she still hadn't moved from her spot, dew was starting to form on the blades of grass next to her. She looked comfortable for the first time since I saw her, her hands tucked underneath her head making sure it wasn't touching the wet grass. Her legs curled under the thin fabric of her dress and moved slightly as I laid my cloak over her I had bought it thinking it would be a way of showing her who got the jewelry but it came in handy for keeping her protected against the morning dew. I stayed by her side until the sunlight trickled into the garden and I sighed, I left the cloak draped over her and retreated into the shadows as the sun rose higher into the sky. Unwillingly I left and made my way back to the old house I claimed as my own, it wasn't breaking apart and it was secluded on the edge of the woods so I could come and go without being seen. I must say this house wasn't a normal house but more of an abandoned castle I had chanced upon. It had a stone facade with a walkway going through an arch into a large but comfortable courtyard, a little beyond was the front door with a solid oak door it reminded me of my castle a long time ago. Back then my castle was a grand palace with many oak doors and endless hallways but that had since been taken over by tourists. I quickly made my way in and shut the door just as the first ray of light hit my hand, I sucked in with a hiss and shook my hand as the heat receded and my hand returned to normal. It was still a feeling I couldn't get used to and hated that I could no longer watch the sun rise with happiness but rather regret as I had to tuck into the shadows and wait for its rays to sink into the rising night. I didn't always spend my days sleeping during the light of day, sometimes I would read or even tried to walk outside if the clouds permitted such pleasantries I still had a human side that craved seeing people going about their daily routines, even if I could not reciprocate most of the tasks.

A few days had passed and Tulcea Lupeni was getting restless with waiting for the newest addition to their ranks. Sorin was getting loud with each passing day of not being with her and I know it wasn't because he was in love but rather he wanted the recognition of marrying royalty. The leader of the guild was trying to calm everyone down and even Stela's parents weren't present in the meetings that followed her party. I started to worry what had really happened that night and tried listening to the concerns being voiced but one voice was louder than the rest and it got my attention. I was fully aware that a few of the members wanted nothing to do with this and left the room once the chatter had switched over to Stela and Sorin. I stayed curious to what might happen, my chair was far from comfortable and had moved slightly to get in a better position when Sorin caught my eyes. He was intently watching me almost with a glare and I nodded trying to remain civil when in reality I wanted to rip his limbs apart. I returned to the conversation hoping that he couldn't sense that I was secretly trying to stop him from ever being with her, the discussion took a turn within seconds of Sorin staring at me and I tried hard to not lose control. They had started making plans on killing the family if nothing happened within two more days, I was vivid. No reason came to mind as to why killing this family would do this group any good and yet they still managed to find it within themselves to come up with this plan. I had to warn the family and with the last of the members leaving I made my choice, I would tell them tonight and hope that her parents wouldn't think I wasn't telling the truth. 

Phew! That was fun to write, hope you all enjoyed it.