Loeki sat on the front
steps of the sweeping porch, a cigarette burning between
his fingers as he stared into the darkness of the mansion
grounds. Footsteps fell close, his eyes did not care to
meet with her face as she approached him from the iron gates.
Her chest heaved, her disheveled hair lay windblown from
the night. "What do you want?" he asked roughly,
the cigarette finding it's way to his pale lips once again.
"I don't know what I want anymore..." Ana replied,
taking a seat beside him. She pushed strands of hair from
her face, her eyes becoming dull from many sleepless nights
of nightmares and violence. "Shouldn't you be telling
that to Epic? I'm sure it would be something he should know
before he gets in too deep." Ana stared at Loeki a
moment, knowing that she had every ounce of his bitterness
coming to her.
"I deserve that,
I do. But listen to me for a moment, what if everything
comes out? What if Raynee were to find out? Then she would
leave and all we would have left is a mess with no one to
help us." Loeki stared at her a moment, shaking his
head as he finished the cigarette and discarded it into
the driveway, "Raynee knows..." "How? Did
you tell her?" Loeki shook his head once again, looking
up at the sky as he spoke, "I didn't have to. If she
didn't see it written all over our faces, she would have
known sooner or later from someone else." "So
you never confirmed that we were together?" she asked,
her hands clasped tightly in her lap, "She just assumes
and she has yet to know her assumptions are right?"
"Like I said, I didn't have to say anything,"
he replied. Silence grew between them until Ana finally
spoke, her words escaping her quietly, "What are we
going to do now? Epic knows because someone has told him."
Loeki shrugged gently, "What can we do? My marriage
will be over, my daughter will never know me and you'll
go along as you always have ...leeching off someone else
for another century." "And you won't?" she
asked defensively, watching as he finally looked at her,
"I'm sure you'll just move onto the next rich woman
that crosses your path." "Don't you get it, Ana?
It's not about the money anymore. I don't stay here and
deal with the same bullshit night after night for a few
million in my pocket." "Then what do you stay
for?" she posed the question calmly, waiting for the
words she had so long feared to escape his lips. Loeki thought
for a moment, choosing his reply carefully, "Because
of my daughter." With that spoken, he stood quickly
and entered the house, leaving Ana alone on the steps. Epic
approached Ana slowly, his foot coming to rest beside her
along the step as he leaned an elbow upon his bent knee.
"Waiting for me already?" he asked softly, a cigarette
dangling unlit from his full lips.
Ana glanced up slowly,
her emerald eyes dull and lifeless, "Yes...let's just
get this over with." "Well, I see the blushing
part is not your style," Epic replied, standing up
and walking slowly towards the front doors of the large
mansion. He held the door open, awaiting Anallee. She stood
finally, stepping past Epic and into the dark, gothic decorated
sitting room of the house. Her eyes drifted along the walls,
the portraits staring back at her with lifeless eyes. The
candles flickered gently against the small gusts of wind
that had blown past their bodies, the furniture sitting
pristine against the hardwood floor. Epic took her gently
by the arm, leading her further into the room as her eyes
laid upon Raynee. She sat casually across the plush plumb
couch, her black corset and pants hugging her body tightly,
her long hair drawn back into a sleek ponytail. Loeki stood
near the fireplace, his back turned to them as though he
hid the shame he felt now. "I see we're all here now,
so why don't we begin," Raynee spoke, her words echoing
through the quiet house as small trails of smoke rolled
from her dark lips. Epic led Ana to a tall chair, waiting
for her to sit before joining Raynee on the couch. He looked
the two women over before speaking, "This is a big
step for us...for me and I just want it to be right. I don't
have the money that you poses Raynee, so this is why we..well,
I am asking you to help us," he began. Ana sat quiet
in the chair, her gaze had drifted downwards to the wooden
floor, her eyes focusing on the worn spots in the delicately
crafted wood. Loeki sat the empty glass of bourbon across
the top of the wooden mantle, turning now to face all that
had come to join them. His eyes laid on Ana for a moment,
not daring to linger too long for fear of being noticed.
"Just tell me
what you need and I am sure I can provide it for you,"
Raynee spoke, focusing her words on Epic as she glanced
between her husband and Ana.
"I really want
nothing from you..." Ana said finally, her words were
low and cold. Raynee arched a brow, noticing the pain that
laid just beneath the other woman's pale skin, "Are
you saying you don't want to be married, Ana?" "It's
not that, I just don't care how we are married. I would
rather not make a big deal out of this." Loeki stared
at both women now, glancing to his cousin for only a moment
before speaking, "Then maybe you should just do it
and get it over with. It's what Raynee and I did."
"Only because she has been married like 9 times,"
Ana replied, looking up now to gaze across at Raynee. Raynee
narrowed her gaze, her mouth smoothing into a distinct frown,
"I have only been married three times, Ana. But Loeki
is right, you don't need me to waste my money on something
that you do not want." "Don't waste your money,
I don't really care. If this were up to me Raynee, I would
not be here right now at your mercy." "Then why
are you here, Ana?" The room filled with silence as
Raynee's last words fell on each occupant. "I'm here
because Epic made me come," she replied finally after
a long silence. "Good, then it's settled. You two will
go get married quickly and I will not be forced to attend
some suit and tie affair from hell," Loeki proclaimed,
clasping his hands together loudly. "Oh shut up, Loeki,"
Raynee snapped, glaring at him before looking to Epic. "You
take too much pride in helping people who you think are
below you, Raynee," Loeki snapped back, pushing himself
away from the fireplace, "In fact, was it just not
this evening that you swore I should go finish myself off
on Ana?" Epic looked quickly to his cousin, trying
to control his temper as best he could. Ana's eyes dropped
quickly back to the floor, her bottom lip drawing inside
of her mouth as her teeth sank viciously into the soft flesh.
Epic turned, patting Raynee along the knee as he whispered
gently to her. As both rose from their seats, they were
greeted with jealous, confused stares.
They exited to the
front porch of the mansion, standing just outside the door,
"Please...do me this favor and don't listen to Ana,"
Epic almost pleaded, but retained his dignity. Raynee sighed
heavily, looking away from him as she found herself torn
with emotion. "Please Raynee, I wouldn't ask you if
I didn't need it." "What do you need, Epic?"
she asked finally, sighing as she spoke. A small, grateful
smile spread across his pale lips, "Anything she needs...dress..hair...whatever.
I also want the land of the church to be bought and bulldozed
for the service." "Fine, it will be done. Are
we through here?" Epic nodded and patted her gently
along the arm before turning and departing. "I have
some things to take care of, but tell Ana I will be home
shortly," he called before vanishing into the fog.
"Finish yourself
off on me? How crude is that, Loeki?" Ana snapped,
unaware that Raynee had entered once more and stood hidden
in the shadows, "Your wife has some nerve." "Well,
you have some nerve even coming here asking her for help.
Do you think this is easy for me, Ana? Do you? I have to
parade around this asylum with a damn happy to be here face
on all the time or she's throwing me out and burning my
clothing," he snapped back, running a hand through
his mess of raven hair as he paced." "And it's
supposed to be easier for me? I live with the man who defines
the word insane!" Tense silence filled the air as neither
cared to look at the other. "Look Loeki, I am not the
one asking for any help here," she began with a heavy
sigh, "I am merely trying to make Epic happy."
"Why? You said it yourself, you don't want to go through
with this." "I ...I don't know what I want. I
know I want to be content for once in my life though, and
Epic is the only person who is going to give that to me."
Loeki turned to finally look at her, his eyes wandering
along her body as she sat almost motionless. "You deserve
more..." his words came out softly, almost heartfelt
as he approached her.
His hands laid across
her face as he knelt in front of her, "You don't need
to be tied to someone that you don't love just to be content
for a small amount of time." "Oh? And who is going
to give me what I deserve? If you look at it through Raynee's
point of view, I only deserve to die slowly and painfully
in the sunlight." "Raynee..." Loeki shook
his head slightly as he chuckled, his fingertips caressing
her skin gently, "Raynee is jealous over her own shadow.
You have to be who you are, Ana...be the person I began
to..." his words fell short as he stared into her emerald
eyes, finding himself unable to finish the sentence he wanted
to speak for so long. "Began to what?" she whispered,
her eyes searching his for the answer. "That I...that
I have began to care so deeply for," his answer whispered
gently along her lips as he pressed his own to them. Her
arms left her without control, embracing him tightly as
he held her face in his hands and continued to work her
mouth with his own.
Her chest heaved hard
as she found it difficult to breathe, her words trapped
inside her throat unable to escape. Her eyes closed tightly
as his words echoed throughout her mind, her face becoming
flush with anger and pain. Running the back of one shaky
hand along her tear streaked cheeks, she took a deep breath
before speaking aloud, "Well, everything is settled,"
she said, pushing the large front door shut loudly, "I
will begin working on all the things Epic has asked for."
Raynee walked around the corner defiantly, trying hard not
to show the pain that rose in her face. Loeki stood in front
of Ana, his back to her as a hand ran nervously through
his raven hair. "Epic will be waiting for you at home,
Ana." Her words were almost bitter as she looked between
the two, their guilt ever so present on each of their pale
faces.
Ana stood slowly, looking
at Loeki a moment before walking towards Raynee, "I
guess a thank you would be appropriate, but I am not sure
what exactly I am thanking you for, so I will just leave."
Raynee stared at her coldly, watching as Ana finally exited
the mansion. "Well," Loeki began, running his
hands along Raynee's arms as she kept her back to him, "I
guess we have a wedding to prepare for." "Don't,"
she replied, pushing him away as she stormed through the
sitting room. The echo of her boots tapping lightly against
the hardwood floor was the only sound made before the tense
silence between them began.
The sun rose and set
as the days seemed to drift by unnoticed by the mortal world.
Darkness fell on the seventh night as Raynee exited the
house alone, making her way to the construction site of
the remains of the church. A small crew of men worked diligently
through the night, flattening the land so that they could
build upon what once was. Raynee stood away from the larger
machinery, watching over the work as her mind fought with
the demons that haunted her. "It's not a pretty night
to be wearing that outfit. You'll catch your death,"
a voice beside of her spoke. She did not turn at first,
merely replying, "The cold does not bother me."
The man seemed taken in for a moment, amused by her attitude
towards him. "So what would a rich woman like yourself
want with a destroyed piece of land like this?" he
asked, watching as the large cranes lifted pieces of the
old blocks into the air. "I see you have been checking
up on me. How are my purchases any of your business, Mr...."
"Chupa, just Chupa." Raynee looked to him finally,
her pale eyes traveling along his body as she took in his
image. His dark hair blew past his face with the sweeping
wind, his dark eyes greeting her warmly. "Alright Chupa,
how is this any of your business?" she asked, turning
to face him.
He smiled slightly,
"Because Liebe, when Anallee is involved, then it becomes
my business." Raynee arched her brow, curious and confused
at the same time, "Ok Chupa, you have intrigued me.
How would you know Anallee?" "You don't honestly
think your marriage is the first she has ruined, do you?"
he replied, walking away from the workers as he approached
Raynee's car. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't know," she
called after him, following him to the vehicle, "You
could say that Ana and I are not on the best of terms."
Chupa smiled at her slightly, a small chuckle escaping his
lips, "I don't believe there is anyone well acquainted
with Anallee, excluding myself of course." "And
just how acquainted are you with her?" she asked, controlling
her interest as best she could. Chupa chuckled once again,
leaning back against the smooth pewter finish of the BMW,
"You could say we were more than friends." Raynee
sighed, feeling as though the conversation was only meant
to torment her. Turning, she began walking back towards
the construction, "I really don't have time for games."
"I think you'll have time for this," he replied,
having moved quickly upon her. His hand moved along her
lower back as his words whispered along her neck, "You
act so unafraid, so strong. Yet, you carry weapons."
His hand grabbed the dagger, holding it gently. Raynee swallowed
hard, her eyes growing colder, "What the hell do you
want?" she snapped. "I want you to help me give
Anallee what she deserves," he replied, turning her
to face him. "Oh? And why should I do that?" "Because
it will not only benefit your marriage, it will benefit
you. Think of it this way...Anallee would be gone for good
and a nice little sum of money could come your way."
"I'm rich enough, thanks," she replied, pushing
him away as she continued on.
"That may be true,"
he called after her, "But wouldn't you love to have
the satisfaction of knowing you helped bring down the woman
who has ruined your life? Think about it Raynee, why give
her what she wants when you can help her husband give her
what she deserves." Raynee stopped quickly, standing
perfectly still as his final words sunk into her mind, "Husband?"
she asked as she turned to face him. Chupa nodded slowly,
walking towards her with a hurried stride, "Yes...Ana
was once married to me in Romania. I was her first while
she was mortal. She bore my child, then things happened
and one night, I was drugged. I woke up to find myself having
been pulled from a river behind our farm land, a dagger
stuck in my chest. As I lay dying, the immortal that had
found me turned me to save my life. I have sworn vengeance
on her and Keeria ever since." "Whoa..wait! Keeria
was in on it too? They tried to kill you?!" Raynee
shook her head, almost not believing the story he had just
been telling. "Yes, Keeria Davidovich, her cousin.
They did not like the way I seemed to treat Ana, so they
concluded that I should die. I was merely treating my wife
as all men had in those days, but I never stopped loving
her as I put her in her place," he replied gently.
"So, what do you want from me?" Raynee asked,
crossing her arms lightly over her chest. "I want you,
Liebe to go along with the wedding. Make sure that both
Ana and Keeria arrive. I will do the rest," he replied,
smiling gently as he ran his hand along her arm. "And
my involvement in this?" "Will never be spoken
of," he assured her, turning his back as he walked
away, "I will contact you." Raynee watched him
leave, as a small, gloating smile crept slowly across her
lips.
She awoke in a daze,
her body jolting forward as sweat dripped readily down her
pale face. Her hand clutched at the white tank top, her
chest heaving as her eyes darted around the darkened room.
A dream....only a dream... She gazed once more, making sure
to notice the windows and the door. All were closed tightly.
Ana laid back against the soft pillows once more, her eyes
closing as she forced herself back into a fitful sleep.
The young man stood poised in the shadows, waiting for her
to dream once more before standing over her slender frame.
His eyes held the same emerald brilliance as she once held,
his hair much darker. "Mother..." he whispered
softly into her ear, his voice echoing through her nightmare,
"I've come back for you mother." Ana awoke quickly
again, yet the room remained darkened and still. The quiet
held no comfort for her, the night held no security anymore.
Pushing the blankets away, she threw herself from the bed
and stormed from the room. Walking quickly along the hardwood
floor of the second floor hallway, she found Epic's room
peacefully quiet. Standing in the doorway for a moment,
she smiled gently as he slept. Slipping into the room, she
moved his arm as she climbed in beside him, almost afraid
of what he would say should he be awakened. But, he was
not. Sighing heavily, she slid down beneath the soft quilts
and stared into the thick darkness of the room, wondering
if all had really been a dream.
Razvan waited until
he heard her footsteps no more before pulling himself from
under the full sized bed. He brushed his hands along the
dark clothing, smiling as he exited the room by way of the
balcony. His feet landed swiftly on the ground, his legs
carrying him towards the shadowed figure that leaned against
the tree just outside of Ana's window. "Does she buy
it?" Keeria asked, her cigarette meeting with her lips
briefly. "I believe so," he replied, leaning against
the tree to study her closer.
"You believe so?"
she snapped, pushing herself away as she paced around him,
"It's either yes or no, Razvan. We have no room for
childish errors." "Fine, yes," he snapped
back. Keeria glared at him hard, her anger rising as she
tried to push it back down. "Look, do we have to focus
on just driving her crazy? You said it yourself, who's going
to believe her?" "Razvan..." Keeria began,
shaking her head slowly, "The point is to make her
look like a complete lunatic so no one will believe her
when your father kills her." "Ahhh yes...my father.
I love how you have managed to use us all as your pawns."
"Pawns?" Keeria scoffed, turning her back to him
for a moment, "Why would I use the two of you when
I could easily kill her myself?" "My question
exactly," Razvan replied, stepping away from the tree
and joining her. Keeria sighed heavily, turning slightly
to face him as she spoke, "I need the two of you because
why just kill Anallee and have half the damn town she's
been sleeping with after me when I can make her look insane
and have everyone turn their backs on her, thus she has
no one to help her when she does need it." Razvan smirked,
then nodded slowly, "I see...your mind may be twisted
and not completely there, but you're almost brilliant at
times." "I don't deserve complete credit, Alucard
helped me. If it would have been up to me, I would have
simply gave her a beheading and been done with it. But there's
no fun anymore in a painless death." "I see..."
he replied softly, their eyes drifting away from one another
as the night gave way to small breaks of dawn. "Well,
time to sleep for another morning...I suppose you will be
heading to the old hotel in town." Razvan nodded in
response, turning away as Keeria started towards the cellar
doors of the mansion. "Better hurry, 11 minutes to
sunrise," she called out, not noticing he had already
left her alone to sleep for another day.
Epic rolled slightly, his mind dazed from having been woken
too soon. He stared at the burning sunlight, masked through
the heavy dark drapes that lay across the windows. His eyes
blinked a few times, adjusting to the new light of the room,
his hand feeling across the bed slowly. Epic's head turned
quickly upon realizing he was not alone. "What the...?"
he muttered lowly, his eyes focusing on Anallee slowly.
His mind wandered, pondering what had made her choose his
bed this particular night. Unable to control the urges that
compelled him, his hands began to touch her skin gently,
his lips moving slowly along her bare shoulders. Ana winced
slightly, turning her head slowly as she remained in a sleep
like state. She felt his hands along her stomach, pushing
the white tank top up as his lips brushed gently across
the soft flesh of her breasts. Her mind raced, her dreams
more vivid than usual as his caress echoed through her sleep.
Epic glanced up at her briefly, largely hoping that she
would awaken soon while a small part of him hoped she would
simply remain asleep. He laid on top of her slowly, his
lips kissing her's gently as Ana's arms began to wrap around
his neck. Her finger tips ran through his hair, her lips
pressing against his as she drew him into a warm embrace.
As her eyes fluttered open slowly, she gasped loudly, startled
by who she had come to embrace. Pushing Epic away quickly,
she bolted from the bed and ran her hand nervously through
her long hair, "What were you doing to me?!" Epic
stared at her in confusion, the dark blue sheet laying gently
across his bare stomach, "I was just doing what I thought
you wanted me to do. What the hell are you doing?!"
"I don't know! I thought you were someone else and
I got-" "Scared? Disgusted?" Epic asked,
cutting her reply short. "No, I got confused,"
she answered angrily, her mouth drawing into an unpleasant
frown.
"Confused? So...you
thought I was someone else, although who you could have
thought I was is a mystery to me," he snapped, climbing
from the bed, not caring that the sheet had dropped and
he stood completely naked before her. Ana turned away quickly
after gazing upon him, her face flushing with heat. "I..I
was having a dream," she stammered, trying not to show
her embarrassment to him, "I just didn't realize that
I had gotten in bed with you last night." "Well,
you did and here you are," he replied, pulling on a
pair of black pants as he lit a cigarette. "Isn't it
a little early for you to be up anyway, Epic?" she
asked, turning once more to face him. "Obviously if
you cared to know anything about me, you'd know I am always
up at this time," he began, placing a hand on his hip
as he stared at her, "And just what were you doing
in my bed if you weren't looking for anything?" "I
told you I don't know!" she yelled, her frustration
rising quickly. "Well, Loeki lives about 2 miles that
way," Epic replied, pointing his hand in the direction
of the neighboring mansion, "Better get those little
legs a movin'." "At least Loeki can make me scream
without beating me, he just knows what I like I suppose,"
she smirked, turning to exit the room. Epic raised his hand,
biting his bottom lip hard in anger. He threw a heavy glass
ashtray at the door, wishing it would have hit her head
before she was able to leave.
Ana laid her back against
her bedroom door, her eyes closing tightly as she tried
to remember the dream. Her hands had touched his raven hair,
his navy blue eyes pierced her deeply as he stared into
her own. She remembered his smell, his touch along her skin.
Her smile faded as she knew no longer would she have that
again. Loeki was lost to her as a lover, even a friend.
She heard the ashtray hit Epic's door and shook her head
slowly, not sure of what she had been so frightened of that
she had to run to his bed.
She looked around her
own room once more and tried to remember the night before,
but merely came up with hazed hallucinations that fit nothing
she could imagine on her own. Weary and tired, Ana laid
across the bed, burying her face into the soft pillows for
another fitful attempt at sleep.
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