Of Vampire

7

   The entire ride back home was quiet and strained. It was just Maddy and Uther who came. Once Maddy busted through the door making sure I was okay does Uther start barking orders. Him and Maddy loaded man bun into the car, restrained, while I waited for them to find a way to get me to the car without getting in the sun. Now we are home and I am getting out of the shower.

  Uther didn't say much to me when we got home, just to shower. So I did as I was told despite wondering what our next move is. Once I'm dressed I head back to the living room where everyone is waiting, speaking quietly. Man bun is laying in the floor but there is another person there. A human. Maddy smiles up at me while motioning me to the new man.

"You May have replenished on that vampires blood but only very few can actually survive that way. Secondhand feeding is seen as a taboo thing to do, especially towards the upper class section of our breed. You need to feast," she explains. I do as she says and feed off the human before we settle down on the couch for the family meeting Uther called.

"In light of Vanyas kidnapping, we have decided to take Emperor Kronos' invasion after all. I am sure he will want to hear about those events from all of you. Vanya, you maybe subjected to a more intense questioning purely because they only took you but I will try to talk them down since you did get us a prisoner to present. Go pack," Uther says finally. We all scatter to our rooms to do as said.

  Maddy eventually comes to my room to help me decipher what I need to bring, seeing I've never been to the castle. Lynn once told me that when America was colonized many vampires came over and took a segregated section of the Appalachian  mountains and had it hidden from humans. "Are you sure you are okay?" Maddy asks putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I feel more than okay."

  She looks at me skeptically before nodding her head. "I'm always here for you Vanya. The first year of turning is hard enough and to be drained during that year will only make it harder. That man will be punished for his crimes against you and against the Empire."

  I just give her a reassuring smile while pulling the handle to my suitcase up. "I'm sure he will be. We need to be leaving don't we?" I ask making her nod her head. I follow her out of the room only to spot that Jin is watching the guy on the floor.

"Body is gone."

"Thank you Jin," Maddy says disappearing into her room with Uther.

"I knew you were a secret badass," Jin jokes giving me a bright smile. I just shrug my shoulders. After awhile I help Haven load up the suitcases, once we are done she turns to me looking over my skin.

"You're healing perfectly. Hardly any scarring which will fade with the more feedings that go by," she says before pulling me into a hug. We go scout the hallways while Uther and Jin drag the guy to the car force him him the last row of seats with Lynn and Jin on either side of him.

The ride takes hours, for the most part I sleep, and we only stop to feed and get gas. For the entire trip Uther is the only member to feed with me, which I don't mind. Uther and Haven rotate between who drives. At some point I was able to steal headphones from Jin so that I can sleep better. I would much rather hear Echos than the snapping of the guys neck or Maddy and Haven chatting about their last visit to the castle.

I know I probably should be more curious about where we are going but instead I loop in my head what I could've done better in that situation. I could've fought back harder at the club, followed my instincts rather than let Lynn dictate them. I could've fought them sooner, before they drained me. Why didn't I?

I know I can't change anything but what if I get in that situation again? I need to make sure that I am more than capable of protecting myself and my coven. Once we get to the castle, I will ask Jin to train with me more or maybe see if I can find someone else. Maybe a new perspective would be nice seeing I've been training with Jin since I was turned. Maybe, he's been taking it easy on me. I need to to be pushed. I can't just rely on them.

I can't go back to be very dependent like how I was with Caleb. He done everything for me, he even picked out my outfit for the day. He's gone and I'm different. I'm not the same Vanya.

Someone softly shaking me pulls me out of my thoughts and I pull out my earbuds. Lynn smiles at me wearily. "We are here," she whispers pointing to the window.

The sight is mesmerizing as well as eerie. Mountains surround us with fog rolling through. "I completely forgot to wake you to see the town, it's only twenty minutes away though. We can go see it sometime," she offers as I stare out the window. My eyes land on breathtaking castle before us.

The building itself is dark rock with red flags rolled down with a black symbol on it. Though as I've been told this was built back in the colonization age it seems timeless. It seems as if this is a castle belonging to an evil queen who has a pet dragon to do her biding. Once we get through the walls am I able to see the courtyard which is filled with multicolored roses, statues, and pathways.

"Someone will park the car and get out stuff," Uther says before getting out. Thankfully it's night so I am able to get out. I pause looking around me in circles. The smells from the flowers is pleasant. There isn't much noise right now either making everything seem so calm despite the scary look the castle casts over us.

I catch sight of Dutch walking down the stairs towards us. "The Emperor is expecting you."