WALPURGIA ✔️

Chapter 23.5 - Damned child of Aradia

Author's note: While I'm slowly publishing my story here on Wattpad, I'm finishing the last few chapters privately in the meantime. To catch up, this story will be updated regularly, since a good chunk of it hasn't been told yet.

Things are going south now, let me tell you.

☾

Tick tock, tick tock.

The clock sounded.

Tick tock, tick tock.

Baldwin shut his eyes firmer.

Tick tock, tick tock.

It only seemed obnoxiously louder.

Tick tock, tick tock.

He felt something on his hips.

Couldn't be, he hadn't smelled anyone.

Tick tock, tick tock.

Hands traced over his chest.

Tick tock, tick tock.

He opened his eyes.

Long fire red curls, reaching her broad hips. Her body sparingly dressed in a white see through cloth. Her chest struck out at him. Her lips parted wonderfully, her big amber eyes staring at him.

But they weren't Rebecca's eyes. Starry eyes stared at him.

Her touch felt as if she was dragging her nails across a board.

The bedroom felt so, so much colder suddenly.

Baldwin knew.

"Admit it, when you first saw me, your immediate thought was 'she's going to carry my child'. You knew I would be your mate. What woman had awoken your interest like me? You followed me, slowly accepting your fate."

The nails dug into his flesh. Horns grew out of Rebecca's hair.

Her voice - it was as if she felt remorse. So light, full of emotions. The demon had nailed his wife's voice. So light, so full of emotions. Music to his hears. Baldwin almost shut his eyes.

"You took me; and like any vampire I grew to be your whole world. You would kill for me, for every silly thing I would demand. You would create rules to let others suffer, while I would prosper."

"Stop talking as if you were her", he wished it could have been her. But the weight atop of him wasn't Rebecca's. Too light. The lovely hips weren't hers. Neither was her bum, her stomach, her full breasts. Nor the strikingly beautiful, cute almost, face.

Nor would have Rebecca talked to him in this position.

"Starry eyes, horns and the ability to shapeshift - who set you free, damned child of Aradia?"

Rebecca smiled. The twisted façade just didn't melt with his mate's. Nor was the smell the same.

Rebecca smelled of hope, change, life. Jezebel smelled of rotting flesh.

"Why are you hunting other houses again?" "I'm pleased you haven't forgotten me, Husraw. It has been far too long."

Rebecca's face exploded, spazzed out and distorted. The skin dragged over her face, arms, legs - underneath it was black. Blood ran out of Rebecca's eyes. Jezebel's horns got bigger, Rebecca's mouth was cut open and bleed as it was growing wider. Bones broke as Jezebel reshaped herself. Rebecca twisted back into an unnatural shape, falling off Baldwin. Her hair turned from red to white to black back into white.

Then she crawled on the floor. Loudly. As if thousand fingers were tapping the old wooden floor rapidly.

The horns dragged across the floor, leaving scratching marks.

Once she disappeared, Jezebel represented herself.

Baldwin sat up.

She was harmless as long as she was bound to another place. Yet, he still got the knife from under his pillow.

"I'm sorry you had to see that", Jezebel cackled. "Rebecca is stunning, isn't she?" Part of her body melted to Rebecca's. She traced his mate's hip fondly. "I would love to have her - I just quiver at the thought."

Baldwin gripped his knife tightly, his knuckles showing.

"What do you intend to do with that silly thing in your paw, Husraw? Kill me?"
"Just tell me how to."
"Silly vampire - what does she see in such an opportunist? Twisting words so he can prosper, grow in power. Lying the helpless creatures into their faces. Playing them", Jezebel twirled onto the chair Rebecca had done her hair in. "Long live the king, Husraw. May he use the people as much as he likes!"

Ethan jumped up at the voice. Baldwin heard him gather the house witches.

Jezebel played with her white hair. "How long has it been since we last saw each other? At your childhood home when your mother dropped onto her knees to pray to Allah? Or was it in Venice when I killed Isabetta?" Baldwin still didn't understand why the Medici had insisted on opening that damned book.

"We saw each other in Germany. 1920." He got up. Jezebel crawled backwards to the window.
"Ah, right - Isabel White had found my book in the public library - boy was she a joy to rip apart. The face her husband had made! Delicious!"

Ethan slammed the door open.

"I guess we have to hold today's meeting court. I'm off to meet your sweetheart again", she jumped out the window.

Baldwin dropped the knife. Ethan stared at his Sire, shocked.

Baldwin bolted by his servants, throwing some on the floor as he shoved them away. The door of his office sounded above them.

The Sire of the house returned with a letter and pressed it into Ethan's hands. "Deliver it now, Luc. Vienna. Genevieve's husband, Ferdinand. We need to let her know. God, Rebecca", Baldwin ran both his hands through his hair.

"I have to go to Margeaux." "She's asleep, Sire", Ethan drew out to touch his friend's shoulder. "Wait a few more hours-" "She could be dead in a few hours!", Baldwin snapped at him.

Ethan stepped back.

"If I were you", Ethan knew how dangerous these words were, especially as Baldwin was in this state, but he continued. "I would trust her. We both know her. Rebecca won't die."

Then the younger vampire turned and ran to Austria as fast as his legs could carry him.

Baldwin dropped onto his bed. The servants left him alone.

Baldwin spotted Jezebel's hair all over the floor. The claw marks too.

He started praying - the prayer his mother had taught him as a child.