Dangers of the Dark

Chapter 3: Book Shop Drama and Emily’s Tragic Tale

Alex awoke to the sound of his alarm blaring out the most obnoxious buzzing sound that man could have ever invented. It was a rarity, as Alex was so annoyed with the alarm he made it a point to wake up before it had a chance to go off every morning. That feat was normally easily achieved, and only once in awhile did the sound shatter blissful sleep to pieces. Today just happened to be one of those days.

Alex was still very tired. Nothing was making sense. The world was fuzzy and mixed up like a jigsaw puzzle, and he had not the time nor patience to put it right in his mind. He tried to hit the alarm off, but his coordination was off and he hit near it instead. Normally he would hit just the fake wood, or a book, but today there was something else there.

It was smooth and cool, with a bit of hardness to it, along with a slight squishiness. If his mind was working properly, he would have began to puzzle what it was, but instead he just felt around until he came to the clock and turned off the alarm, finally bringing the proper order of peace back to his room. He wanted nothing more then to roll back into the bed and sleep. But he knew he had school and such, so heavy hearted he got out of the warm cocoon of blankets to make his way to the shower.

Eight minutes later he emerged from the bathroom, to see his mother sitting nervously on his bed. He was confused at seeing his mother not calm and collected, and dressed in causal clothing in his room when normally she would be at work. But the moments he studied her in brought back his memories of yesterday, and gave an explanation to why she was here.

“Alex,” she spoke gently, ushering him to come and sit on the bed next to her. She was acting like he was a skittish colt, ready to bolt at any wrong move she made. “Please just come and talk to me.” Alex just shifted his weight, standing awkwardly in front of the bathroom, gripping the towel around his waist tighter. He knew she saw the bruises and marks on his body that Kyle had left, along with the damage done by others yesterday.

“Sweetie,” she whispered again. Alex moved to a drawer and got out a change of underwear, then to his closet for a tee shirt and jeans. He went back into the bathroom, and emerged a few minutes later, still slightly wet, but fully dressed. He went to his mother and sat next to, leaving several inches between them. She quickly bridged the gap and held him in a loose hug.

“Mom,” said Alex. “You know what happened. Kyle assaulted me, and then told the entire school we were a couple. He gave me a few bruises, but nothing that is going to last. Most of the bruises are from a game of dodge ball yesterday.” He hoped this would make her not question him further, but he knew he was wrong. Mothers worried constantly over the state of their children.

“Has this Kyle,” she spoke his name as a curse. “Ever done anything to you before?”

“Just some bullying and stuff,” replied Alex. “He has never even touched me until the other day. No one has ever touched me like that.” He assured his mother. He could hear and feel a sigh of relief from her.

“I talked to your father last night,” she said. “He will want to talk to you tonight. Alex, baby, we are just worried about you. You’re such a loving and sweet child, that I fear that someone will use that against you in the future. And I tried to hold tight to you to make certain that it couldn’t happen. I know that sounds a tad foolish sweetie, but if you ever have children, you will better understand my actions.” She tightened her hug around him and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Alex gave her a loose embrace in return.

“I am sorry I didn’t tell you Mom,” he said. “But I didn’t actually think anything of it. And I kinda was afraid to tell anyone that another boy had....”

“Kissed you?” she asked. Alex nodded. “Sweetie, there is nothing to be embarrassed by that. Kyle did everything against your will there is nothing you are at fault for. And if anyone ever kisses you, and you like it, be them boy or girl, you can tell your dad or me about it.” They again hugged, and Alex smiled slightly. “But I want grandchildren and no losing your virginity until after marriage.” She joked, ruffling his hair playfully and giving off a too wide smile on her delicate face.

“Mom,” he whined, as she got up and he could laze on his bed again. “Gay marriage isn’t allowed in America, so if I am gay, how do I marry?” He joked back. She turned and gave him a playful glare.

“Better learn the lyrics to ‘O Canada,’ then (1),” she laughed. “Breakfast is in a few, come down and eat some actual food this morning.” He nodded and she finally left. Alex sighed and rolled on his bed, moving back to were he had originally woken up from. It finally dawned on him that there was something on his night stand that didn’t belong, the thing he had hit that morning. On top of Clara’s book, lay a single, now slightly drooping and squashed, white rose. Figuring that it was a gift his mother had left in an effort to cheer him up, he went into the bathroom to fill up a cup of water to place it in, before following his mother down the stairs.

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Breakfast with his mother was a rare occurrence in the household. Besides family visits and holidays, they never had a meal together except for dinner. Even on the weekends, their conflicting schedules often didn’t allot time for family togetherness. They all had their friends and hobbies to keep them occupied. Alex never thought anything of this until that morning.

His mother had out done herself in cooking. The informal and well used kitchen table was loaded with muffins, pancakes, bacon, eggs, and toast, most he could tell was made from scratch, and leaving hardly any room for a person to actual sit down and eat them. Sitting down at the table he remembered that his mother once told him her greatest dream was to open up her own bakery or restaurant. That along with having a huge house in the country side, a wonderful loving and strong husband, and about a million kids all over the place. But nearly all those dreams had died.

She worked in an office building that allowed her and her husband to afford that large home, in the suburbs. And it was filled with one child. When he questioned his mother on the subject, she would just smile sadly and reply “Times change, people change, and I changed.” Alex never thought that much of an answer.

“Mom,” he said, filling up his plate with the delicious food. “What ever made you decide to stop being a chef?” She was sitting across from him, eating some fresh fruit. She rarely ate her own food, always dieting or such, but insisted her too small son ate every last bite on his plate.

“It wasn’t practical, Alex,” she said, giving that always wistful smile when calling up a bitter sweet memory. “Yes I was good, but so were about a thousand other people who had more money and talent then I, and they still couldn’t stay in business for more then a year. Now I just cook for you and your father, and I prefer it that way.” She moved to the sink to wash off her dishes. Alex could tell that she didn’t mean any of it, but she preferred to believe it.

She returned to the table as he finished off a heaping plate of her fried and baked goods. She encouraging him to go back for seconds and thirds, but stopping as always after the first plate.

“All you can eat is wasted on you,” she smirked as they together cleaned off the table, putting away all the excess food for later.

“Gotta keep in shape,” he joked back.

“For what, the anorexic poster child,” she replied. He faked a laugh. He could tell she was trying to lighten the dark mood that had set upon the household, but it wasn’t needed. Through years of practice, Alex was use to getting through things alone, and he beat himself up coming to the conclusion that his mother was an unwelcome presence in his life at that moment.

“Mom,” he said, breaking the silence. “I was wondering, how long will I be out of school?”

“A week or so,” she replied mechanically, moving on to wiping down the counter. “Your teachers are sending home your work through one of your friends.”

“About your threat to change schools...” he continued on with what worried him the most.

“We’ll see,” she said, leaving no room for argument.

“But Mom,” replied Alex, not caring if the subject was final or not.

“We’ll see,” she said, applying more force to the statement. Alex mentally sighed and finished helping to clean the kitchen.

“I was considering walking down town to visit Clara and Henry,” he said, making it up as he went along. Truthfully he just wanted out of the house and away from his mother’s overbearingness.

“Walk? Downtown? I could just drive you sweetie,” She sucked her lips, and he knew she was just picturing another Kyle on the prowl for her son.

“Mom, it is still morning, and the shops have just open.” He replied. She still looked skeptical. “And I will take my cell phone with me. The store isn’t that far away, and it would be nice to...”

“Fine,” she said, sighing in defeat. “But I want you home by noon for lunch, you hear me? Straight there and back, no dilly-dallying in between.” He nodded eagerly, racing to his room for his wallet, keys, and cell phone. In the few minutes it took for him to ready himself, his mother had a care package ready for him to take.

“Take these muffins to Miss Phillips and Mr. Willis,” she replied. He looked at her puzzled. “The people at the bookshop that reported what happened to you to me.” She added.

“Oh,” said Alex, recognition finally hitting him. “Clara and Henry. Yeah, I will Mom. Bye!” He gave her a quick peck, and then picked up the bag, running at top speed out of the house. He kept running until he got past the gate and security guard, then finally stopped for a breath of relief and to start on a leisurely walk to the shop.

Business was just beginning to trickle in to the shops and trickle out of the cafes after the breakfast rush. Most people were moving like him, slowly so to taste what everything had to offer in this area, not caring how long it took, for they had all the time in the world. Most people followed the same pattern as always, housewives out shopping, elderly strolling to keep in shape, college students enjoying the morning off, or the occasional business man checking out something and yammering on a cell phone, looking disgruntled with the world.

The only thing not following this pattern happened to be at a café two stores down from the bookstore. It was two young men, both looking a couple of years older then Alex, dressed in black leather jackets and black jeans. They looked straight out of one of those old greaser fifties movies, except one had spiky brownish blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, and the other a wild mane of red and piercing green. They seem to be having a discussion over a late breakfast, and Alex wasn’t the only one who found them odd or worth some extra attention. He knew he wasn’t suppose to and that it was dangerous, after what had just happened, but he stopped near them to retie his shoes, and adjust the package he was caring.

“Just go out with her,” said the spiky haired man, apparently upset with his companion.

“If she is so great, William,” drawled the red head, who seemed bored with his friend. “Why not date her yourself.”

“I am dating Min!” William hissed at the redhead, who gave a huge laugh to that statement.

“Not according to her,” he kept laughing. “Min doesn’t date, she plays. And if I had as many girls after me as she does boys, I would not find it a necessary thing to do either.” William grew a bit red at that statement, and seemed to grow angry with his friend.

“Just date her, as a favor to me,” William said.

“I find it funny that you call me out to breakfast,” said the redhead, again bored. “To discuss my love life a week after Min called me to complain of your sheer stupidity and to ask me to consider dating the same girl that you also wish me to see. Either this girl is truly the prefect match for me, which I know we both highly doubt, or you are desperately trying to get back into Min’s good graces.”

“Neil, I love her,” William said to the redhead. “She is the only girl for me, but she always has her eyes on another. The only way to keep her focus on me is to help her with Clara.” At the last name, Alex interest peaked. Could this be the same Clara that he met at the bookshop?

“Maybe I should just wait for Min’s eyes to fall on me then,” laughed Neil. “I know she has something to offer a man. And as she won’t allow you near her, I can probably have a chance at winning her myself finally.”

“She would never betray Clara like that,” William huffed out.

“So to make me date your pudgy little friend, you are going to ruin any other chance I have at a relationship?” Neil asked.

“Basically,” said William.

“Better try next time then,” said Neil, getting up from the table. “There are plenty of pretty little fish in the sea. And you boy,” he said, turning toward the crouching Alex. “Try spying a little more subtle next time. The next person might not be as understanding as me.” Neil just left the little eating area, walking at a brisk pace that Alex didn’t think the man could possess down the block. William looked after him and sighed. He then took out his wallet and left a few dollars on the table, before walking in the opposite direction, not even noticing a gaping Alex nearby. He paused a moment at the bookstore that Alex was going to go visit, then went on his way.

When William was out of sight, Alex made his way into the bookstore. Henry was again at the counter and gave him a smile and a wave.

“Morning to you, Alex,” he said, coming out from behind it. “So good to see you again.”

“Morning Henry,” he said. “These are some muffins for you from my mom,” He tried to hand the package to Henry, but Henry laughed and refused it.

“With my diabetes, it is just asking for trouble to give me those treats,” he laughed good naturally. “But Miss Phillips happens to love bake goods, and she happens to be entertaining a friend here this morning. I will show you up to them.”

“Won’t she just be on the second story like last time?” Alex questioned. Henry just chuckled.

“No, she will be on the third, and you need a key to get there,” he laughed, ushering Alex to follow him up the stairs. When they reached the second story, Henry went to the back of the room to a door that was hidden in the shadows. He used a key that was on a ring in his pocket to open it, and gestured for Alex to go in. Alex cautiously did, a bit surprised at the hidden door. Inside the door way was another rickety staircase that led up to a well-lighted room. He started up the stairs, and Henry followed. He heard loud laughter that made him wonder why it didn’t carry through the door and bricks.

“I can’t believe he said that,” panted a voice Alex recognized as Clara’s. Another low voice mumbled back something that made Clara laugh again. They reached the top of the stairs to reveal a loft like apartment that was decorated overly elegantly. The kitchen, bedroom, and living room seem to be one large open room, and all were full with matching antiques that seem to have fit better in the Victorian age then the here and now, especially with the modern computer, television, and other appliances scattered about the area too.

Clara was seated on a pink Victorian couch, dressed in a Rainbow Brite tee shirt and jeans, her long hair hung in ringlets and her face flushed with amusement. She was sipping from a teacup that she then placed on the coffee table, and her entire attention was focused on the girl next to her.

The girl was an entirely different story then Clara. Clara, was a cute and adorable girl, but the other one was striking beautiful. She had artificially dyed black hair that fell to the end of her head, and was dressed in a very tight red tank top that left nothing of her thin and fit frame to the imagination. She wore black cargo pants with it, and had the same large honey brown eyes as Clara, but on her, they spoke mystery and seduction. Her face was fixed in a smile, but it reflected the same dangerous beauty as the rest of her.

“Miss Phillips,” said Henry, bringing all the room’s occupants’ attention on himself. Alex was glad, he feared a second later and the beautiful woman would be scolding him for looking. “Alex has come to visit you. I shall be going now to run your store.” Henry left the dazed and confused Alex to the girls in the room. Alex heard the door being closed and lock also.

“Hello Alex,” said Clara, rising up from her stop and gesturing Alex to take it. “I am glad you came.”

“These are for you,” he said, blushing and handing her the muffins. She looked inside the bag.

“One of my favorite things,” she laughed back. The other girl who was now sitting next to Alex gave a slight giggle too. “Make yourself at home, while I go and get you some tea.”

“Yes Clara,” said the beautiful girl in a low and singsong voice. “Leave the frighten boy with a prefect stranger.”

“Oh,” said Clara, slapping her forehead rather hard with a free hand. “Alex meet Minna, Minna meet Alex. Minna has been my best friend for many years, Alex.” Clara this time managed to leave the area and make it to the kitchen a few steps away.

“Hello Alex,” said Minna. “Pleased to meet you, and please call me Min, Clara is the only one to ever refer to me by my full name.” Min rolled her eyes in Clara’s direction. Clara seemed oblivious to them and was currently making Alex a cup of tea. Her name sparked the recent memory of the strange men’s conversation in the nearby café.

“Min,” he said. “Do you happen to know a William.” Min’s jolly face seemed to lose all happiness at the moment, and turned to sheer angry in a matter of seconds. Clara had chosen that time to return, handing Alex a cup of tea in a delicate green floral china cup. She took one notice of her friend’s expression.

“So I guess stalker boy is up to his old tricks again?” she questioned.

“Alex,” said Min in a strained voice. “Were did you see this William.”

“He was at the café near the shop, talking with a man named Neil,” said Alex. Min got up abruptly and went toward the stairs. When she reached to top, she turned toward Clara and Alex.

“I need to place a call,” she then walked down the stairs and out the door. Clara sighed and took Min’s place next to Alex.

“That idiot needs to learn to leave well enough alone,” she mumbled. Alex noticed that she had placed his muffins on the table too, next to some cookies and small cakes. Clara shook her head and took a drink of her own tea.

“Clara, what is going on?” asked Alex, setting his tea down on the table. “Did I do something wrong?” Clara turned to him and gave him a slight smile.

“Not at all,” she said. “Thanks for telling us that Will was acting like his normal self and doing exactly what I told him not to do when Min is mad at him.”

“If you don’t mind my asking,” said Alex. “What is the problem between Min and William?”

“Will has been friends for Min almost as long as her and I have known each other,” said Clara, placing her teacup down. “But Will wanted more, and did everything in his power to get it. Since they have known each other, Will has had a hand in breaking up all her relationships. Sometimes she just gets fed up with him and tells him to leave her alone, normally she comes and stays a few days with me, and Will normally follows. All I can do is tell Henry to not let him in the book shop and request all my brother’s businesses to not cater to him, but he always finds a loophole to my plans. Such as that café that is owned by his brother, so I have no say in the happenings there.”

“Oh,” said Alex, not fully understanding everything going on between Min and Will. “And what about this Neil guy? He seems to be friends with both William and Min.” Alex chose not to comment on Neil’s comments about Clara.

“I heard her talk about him a few times, mostly about how I should date him,” said Clara. “I have a feeling that Will thinks if he can get Neil to date me, Min might forgive him for whatever he has done this time, since she has made it one of her missions to set me up on a date.” Clara gave a slight giggle at that. The phone rang, and Clara made her way back to the bedroom area that boasted a large four-poster canopy bed. She picked up the old fashion phone on the night stand next to it. “Hello?” she spoke into it. After a slight pause, “Yeah I understand. You have a key to the place.” A few more seconds. “No Min, it is fine, I was going up there this weekend anyway. So I will see you there. Lylas.” Clara hung up the phone and walked back to Alex.

“That was Min,” she clarified. “She is going up to one of my brother’s lake houses to avoid Will. One of the few places he can’t go, as he fears my brother.” She laughed at that last statement. “So, enough about my life, how is everything treating you since yesterday?”

“Good,” Alex said. “I am out of school for a few days, until everything blows over, and reading that book you gave me. It is pretty interesting. Josh told me a little about this character called Emily.” At the mention of the name, Clara seemed to stiffen a bit, and let out a barely heard chuckle.

“Ah yes, Emily,” she sighed. “Quite a character. Josh and Min both like her because she is based on one of my ancestors.”

“What do you mean?” asked Alex, growing more confused the longer he was in Clara’s presence.

“The person who wrote the book was a friend of my eighth great grandmother,” said Clara. “And he wrote the book partially for her, so he based one of the characters off of her. That is how we own the book. I actually don’t know if any of that is true, as I don’t even know the author’s real name, and my eighth great grandmother’s name was Bellanca, as she was Greek.”

“Do you like Emily?” asked Alex.

“She is kinda hard not to like,” said Clara. “But I like the entire story. That is why I got so mad when someone destroyed my original translated copy. I have to retranslate all seven volumes of it now. The first, the one you have, is the only one I have completed.” There was a slight edge of anger to her voice.

“It must be hard to have to retranslate everything.” replied Alex, not knowing what else to say.

“It is more time consuming,” said Clara. “I mean, I am pretty good with Greek, but I still need to check a dictionary every now and then for some obscure word, and every time you translate, it turns out differently.” Alex nodded. He spoke a little Spanish, and he remembered how the translations of his and his friends changed when reading the same story.

“So about this place....” said Alex, looking around the room.

“My apartment when I don’t want to travel to my brother’s home,” she said. “I still live with him mostly, but he is always traveling for work. He is currently in Ireland, and I don’t want to stay at that big place all alone.” Alex could feel a lot of sympathy for Clara. He used to hate staying in his home all alone too, he couldn’t imagine doing it for more then a few hours or so.

Clara changed the subject to books and television, and she astonished Alex with her knowledge of both subjects. Alex had a better time then he thought he would have with Clara, but he was a bit upset that his visit with Henry wasn’t longer. He decided to come back another time to just visit with the old man.

When the grandfather clock chimed eleven, Alex bid farewell to Clara and went out of her apartment. She escorted him to the second floor, before he left. She closed the door behind her and made her way to the empty apartment. She sank down on the sofa and sighed.

“Why does he have to remind me of you, my love,” she sighed to no one. “Why am I denied a lover.” Tears streamed down her face. “First you, then Nicholas refused me, then Lee, and finally Akira.” She collapsed slightly on the couch, when her tears finally stopped, she whispered again to the nothingness. “Alex, why do you get everything that I am denied?”

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Lunch was a less formal affair, with the leftovers from breakfast, and his mom’s work calling every five minutes. Alex had an inkling that his mom wouldn’t be staying home tomorrow. By the fifth call, she had deserted the notion of eating, and had moved into her home office. Alex finished up his lunch and washed off his dishes before making his way back to his room.

His talk with Clara renewed his fondness with her mysterious book, and now he was dying to finish it. Remembering Clara’s story about it being more then one volume, the others unfinished, slightly dampen the joy he found in it. But he was determined to finish it, from cover to cover.

He read through the one hundred and so pages before the reaching any entries about Emily. He found pity for the Changeling, Thomas, the servant he had read about last night. He was so in love with his sire, Lucas, and when he had finally consented to being changed, an ex-lover of Lucas’s killed him and changed Thomas into her servant and left him to die. Nicholas had tried to save Thomas, but the man died of a broken heart. The female was later killed by Nicholas himself, in a very gruesome manner.

After awhile, Alex understood why Josh had suggested skipping this section. It was very gory. Nicholas’s friends seem to have little empathy for their victims, unlike the Prince, who seem to actually do everything in his power to keep his victims alive. Alex found an extreme liking toward Nicholas, who seemed more human then vampire and upheld the vampiric code to such a degree. Finally after about two hours, he came upon the entry that Josh had told him about.

June 18th, 1584

Dear Diary,

I again have made my home in London, such a dreary town as always. Such a differences from the sunny isle of Greece, or the exotic country of India I have recently visited. I must say though it is a change, and one I welcome. My dear friends had frazzled the last nerve I had in their constant rowdiness and bloodlust. I have grown weary of their disregard for life outside their own, even their parents and sires seem to grow upset with their actions. And as Father needs me to see to his business here, I must do what is requested of me.

Business is as booming as always. And as always, new merchants want a partnership with my family. One such is the bumbling fool of a merchant, Burton Grey. The stupid little man has nearly drove his small trading company bankrupt, and expects me to help him out? How absurd! If I didn’t think his stupidity might affect me if I drank his blood, I would have already feasted on him in broad daylight.

His sole redeeming feature is his daughter Emily, who I have only had the pleasure of a few minutes with. She is a sweet young maiden, who is full of knowledge. She so enjoys books, and I was able to loan her a few before that tyrant of a father of hers made a reappearance. He keeps a tight leash on his daughter, never allowing her a word in any conversation and ordering her about as if she was his servant. It seems the only reason his company is still a float is by her interfering.

In our few talks, she has expressed an interest in travel. She gawks at my stories of India and China, listening with such zest to my every story, even things such as mundane as me ordering food from a stall in a small village. She loves my endless tales, and I love watching the wonderment fill her cherub face. She seems forever stuck as a child to me, with the baby fat never being lost on her.

Being around her is a joy. She sneaks out whenever she can to talk with me. I know that if she was of a higher class, her father would have suggested a courtship. Now I think he keeps her away from me so no one will mistake her as a whore, or more to the fact, him the father of a whore. I do feel bad for Emily though.

Forever yours,

Nicholas Diodorus

June 20th, 1584

Dear Diary,

It seems young Emily’s lust for travel is second only to her lust for men. I do not mean to seem unkind, but I believe Emily’s undoing may be her heart.

Since meeting her, I have notice that she has a slight crush on me, that I thought she would dream into some wondrous whirlwind romance. But it seems that someone else has taken her heart for longer then I have been here. I found this out for I could smell on her during our walk in her father’s garden last night the scent of a male. I was surprised. She seem such a model daughter, I didn’t take her for any harlot like behavior. But as I can tell that her virtue remains intact, perhaps young Emily isn’t really in lust with her mysterious beau, but in love.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Diodorus

June 22nd, 1584

Dear Diary,

I have found out Emily’s lover! I must admit, I was a bit surprised when he turned out not to be a duke or some such thing that I thought would fall head over heels for the darling Emily. Then again, with each passing day, I found my liking of Emily growing. By next week, I bet I will be upset if her lover should be anyone less then a King who is willing to give up the throne for her hand.

The man is merely a boy, an illiterate farm boy, or so I thought. He is a young sailor on a merchant boat that has a lame leg. Other then that, he is incredibly handsome and in love with Emily. I came upon them nearing a state of undress in an alley. When Emily noticed my presence, she begged of me not to tell her father. Her lover, Richard, held her tight and had withdrawn a knife when I approached. I told her I would never damper her happiness, what little it was. She gave me a hug and kiss, before straightening her attire and finishing her walk with Richard.

In her state of undress, I saw many a bruise and cut, that I had a feeling Richard didn’t cause. I should have known her father was a beater with the way he acted, and I felt such angry with the man again. If it wasn’t for my love of Emily, I would kill him then and there, but she still needed the man, so I spared him in my infinite kindness.

Forever yours,

Nicholas Diodorus

A few more entries followed, most of them focusing on business or victims, with just a passing mention of young Emily, until one a few days later.

July 3rd, 1584

Dear Diary,

Apparently my young Emily has a touch of the fae blood in her! I was shocked one afternoon when I had requested her company for a stroll through town. She was able to foretell to me of a man slipping on some dirty water a woman would empty from the top window of her house even before the woman had arrived on the top floor, and low and behold a few minutes later it happened. She told me it happens often. I could tell she was afraid to tell of her gift, but felt honored she could trust me with such a secret, and made a promise to keep it.

She has since told to me many short-term predictions, and a few long-term ones. The ones involving love seem to be her specialty. I jokingly told her to become a fortune teller, but she went white at the thought. Of course, these peasants believe that all to be evil witch craft. But I noticed that she seems to be seeking out Richard at every moment she can spare. I wonder what her prediction for herself is.

Yours,

Nicholas Diodorus

More stories of Emily followed, many of them focusing on her father’s abuse, and one time how she had to beg Nicholas with a bloody lip and black eye to not harm her father. She seemed to be staying as much as possible with Nicholas, which made her father madder.

August 13th, 1584

Dear Diary,

Father, or should I say Brother as no one could believe this youthful man to be my father, has made a surprise visit to me. He seems to want to know what has kept me so long in London, and upon meeting Emily, was charmed by the young girl’s presence.

Though she now walks with a slight limp, she is as jovial as ever. The other night, after dinner at the Grey’s, he took me aside and told me that he found no worthier candidate for my sister then Emily. She possessed every quality a Vampire Princess should, and reminded him so much of my mother, especially with the value of her gift to us. I told him that her religious beliefs, father, and lover would make it difficult to turn her, but he assured me that those things could be easily dealt with. She wasn’t entirely religious, I will admit, and truthfully just felt fear for her father. Richard could easily be made a vampire too. With that in mind, we made up our minds to adopt young Emily.

I must admit, I agree with Father. She is such a joy in my life. I think she would make a wonderful sister for me.

Lovingly yours,

Nicholas Diodorus

August 15th, 1584

Dear Diary,

Disaster has struck Emily. Her father was arrested yesterday for beating her nearly to death and for killing her young lover, Richard! She lies in my home being attended by my own personal servants, though what little life she has is quickly fading.

The brutish man seems to have found out about Emily and Richard. Apparently Emily has more backbone then I gave her credit for, as she had a scheme to run away with her lover. When her father found out he beat Richard who was protecting Emily to death, and then proceeded with raping and beating my Emily! If her neighbor hadn’t have finally overheard, she would be joining her love in the grave. Her father, by my father’s hand, has already followed young Richard.

My father seems to be going on with his plans of changing her, saying that the rule can be bent. For once, I do agree. It is unfair to let such a jewel as Emily die. For permission to change her, Father has just asked if she loved us and if she wanted to die. She of course, answered yes to the first, before she promptly passed out. I couldn’t guess what the answer to the second question might be, but Father changed her into his new childe, and renamed her. So tonight I go to bed with a younger sister laying in my living room.

Goodnight Calandra Elecktra Diodorus, may you forgive us for what we have done to you.

Nicholas Diodorus

Alex was desperate to read the rest of the book, but turned the page to notice it was blank. He felt cheated of the story. Finally he closed the book, seeing as nothing else would be revealed by it.

“Poor Emily,” he said aloud to no one. “No wonder Josh said you were a character to remember. Able to make a vampire love you, that must take some power.”

“Alex, your father is home and dinner is on the table!” his mother called. Alex put the book down and made his way to the downstairs. From the shadows after Alex’s door closed came the same man that had been visiting him every night.

“A power you also possess,” said the Shadow, adding another rose to the cup on the night stand. “Farewell my love, until your dreams come to you,” his eyes flashed a bright gold, before he vanished again.

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Author's Note: Beta read by Saiwa of fictionpress.

1- Canada allows gay marriage, though one of my friends tell me it is very hard to get it there. Still, it much be better then the Republican system of government that we have in our fair nation.