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TO Rewrite: B2 — 16. A Night of Discord
🕑 Added 2024-03-11 08:17:37 +0000 UTCPoV:
1. Rachel (Our Supportive Lunar Hare!)
2 Scarlet (Our Little Fang)
3. Mystery Vamp
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In the uproar that followed Scarlet’s declaration and the revelation that Elizabeth’s daughter was now fair game within the masquerade, Rachel shifted her position on the lower stairs to survey their opposition. Her thumping heart stilled as she compartmentalized.
[Mental Acceleration] brought the evolving scene to a crawl, her wide field of vision taking in the wealth of activity happening throughout the bloody hall. They were not going to win playing defense, and Anthony had taken on the daunting task of handling the House of Morgan. The barons and baronesses were the true threats, yet that could be postponed to satiate their love of drama and the rules of engagement in this world.
On the other hand, the vampires and hunters alike would be happy to either put the Countess of Blood under their thumb or murder her outright. Strategically, it didn’t make sense to her, though; why would she put her daughter in such a compromising position?
Her mind reflected on the imperious and strong image the countess projected in their entrance. It had been Cássia who had introduced her mother’s party. Perhaps it was a means of not showing favorites to her other servants? Cássia could be at odds with her mother; there was indeed a case to be made via her actions. Still, something didn’t feel right.
Aurora’s appraising emerald eyes flicked to her in the sparkling woman’s descent to the ballroom floor, wearing a smile that asked her how she would handle the fiasco her adopted fanged sister had created. She was not going to be much help.
In the tense atmosphere that Audrey’s bloodlust and Hrisu’s projected fear aura brought, all eyes were on Scarlet and Cássia. A smile bloomed on Rachel’s lips as the Crimson Moon’s energy surged through her veins. Opportunity came from chaos; all she needed to do was seize what ground she could, and she needed Experience anyway.
Her current Lunar Pools with Nia were occupied with some potent energy for her to use, and she had Coral to refuel her Greater Harvest Moon stock when needed—it cost 50% of her Pool to create her in the first place.
Rachel mentally reviewed her present arsenal, which had plenty of firepower if she decided to invoke any of them using [Lunar Spike].
Active: [Normal White Moon - 94%]
Active: [Crimson Moon - 11%]
Pool 1: [Blood Moon - 21%]
Pool 2: [Black Moon - 45%]
Pool 3: [Greater Harvest Moon - 50%]
Pool 4: [Hell Moon: Yomi - 47%]
Pool 5: [Hell Moon: Yomi - 100%]
Her Normal Moon energy was being slowly converted from the crimson orb overhead, bathing them in red light. It was fair to say that by the end of the week, she’d be accustomed to it, which opened up some interesting possibilities.
With [Lunar Pool I - Overload], she could reach 105% of her total cap, and if she slotted in [Lunar Amplification], it could jump up to 110%. But [Mental Acceleration], [Strategic Mind], [Lunar Spike], and [Blessed Lunar Grace] were too good to give up. [Lunar Amplification] and [Lunar Burst] would have to stay on the shelf.
Using 50% of one of her Hell Moon Pools against Relica was a bit of a hit.
The world sped up from its crawling motions as her Feat ran its course, and her gaze lifted to Leopold’s somewhat agitated face. He wouldn’t be happy that Cássia had once again embarrassed her mother, and thereby him in the process; he would want to reign things back under his control.
Rachel gave Nia a side-angled look, her glowing scarlet fingernails lightly pressing against the flower blooming out of the center of her chest. Start preparing the stage while I stir up a little trouble. Prepare the sun gauntlets for when I ask for them.
Nia’s left eye narrowed, ears shifting with her small smirk. “I suppose I can spend the last of my adult time sowing seeds. I get the feeling we might be close to making another.”
Oh? Rachel’s gaze flicked to Coral, now floating around Nia’s head in a dance as she relished the terrifying aura that came from the House of Heitinga. I’ll keep that in mind.
She could shift Yomi’s Pools around to free up a reservoir by creating another Soldier Bun, but she was still worried about creating a Unique Moon Bun if Coral was already trouble to handle. Her fingers tingled upon touching the flower, a humming resonating with the trace amounts of sparkling dust that the imposing lunar sphere overhead blanketed the planet with.
Being connected to the Crimson Moon gave her insight into how the population of humans likely lived their lives in this world. They half lived in dreams, enjoying what they had due to the pollen that fell from the infernal sphere overhead, corrupting this planet’s sea.
Rachel turned away from Nia as her twin plucked off a seed that grew out of the shimmering flower on her own chest, and dropped it on the stairs. Roots crawled out of it the second it touched the crystalized blood steps, burrowing through the structure to send its rhizomes out within the liquid underneath—the game was on.
She went to Maria and Fiona as Leopold brought the throng’s attention back to him, the strum of the instruments humming through the walls increasing its tempo. On approaching them, she held up a finger to stop Maria from peppering her with questions.
“I don’t have much time to explain.” Her focus darted to the blue-eyed and blonde saint next to the Celestial Unicorn. “Catherine, what would it take for you to help us in this Legend Quest, primarily sticking around Maria and Fiona? A lot of vampires, and possibly hunters, will be coming after them.”
Fiona hugged herself, floating up a little to stare around at their enemies, paying attention to Leopold as he explained Selene’s death and what that meant. “Why? I get you want us to split up, but how frugal should I be on sugar, because I don’t know if I’ll be able to find much here?”
A faint halo shone above Catherine’s golden locks as she showed a charming smile, her thorn-like earrings glowing. “I am only here to observe and report back to the church what occurred. I am allowed to defend myself. If you were to accept an invitation to the Vatican when time permits, then I would be happy to offer Maria and Fiona my shield, should it be for a just cause.”
Rachel’s tail bristled at the condition; she had no desire to go to Rome or meet with the Vatican. She wanted to ask for more details regarding the condition, but she was strapped on time, and it was in the distant future, which she could plan around later.
“I’m fine with going to the Vatican when I’m able. As for your cause, it will be to defend a 13-year-old girl. So, why don’t you three go into one of the many rooms around the hall, and Scarlet will join you shortly? Oh, and here is something for insurance…”
Shimmering lights brought out Conner’s sun gauntlets, catching a few eyes from the vampires nearby and making them edge away at the faint light the items produced.
Maria accepted them with a frown. “Aye, ya don’t think you would be better with these?”
Fiona giggled. “Yeah, I don’t think they pair well with Rachel, Horse Butt. We’ll handle things on our end, Captain Ears!” she saluted with a grin, quick on the uptake that they’d be protecting Cássia—or so they thought. “We’ll be in… that room over here! Wait, Selene is dead? What about Scarlet’s dad?”
The three women looked up as Leopold addressed the topic. Rachel patted Maria’s shoulder in passing, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the door Fiona had pointed out. “Don’t sweat the complicated stuff; you just have one job.”
Leaving the woman to rise up the staircase, she rolled her eyes upon seeing Aurora pulling away a Noble Vampire in one of the other groups to dance with her. The woman’s partner on this trip had been murdered, and she was off dancing on her grave without a care in the world. She shouldn’t expect anything less of the Baobhan Sith.
Rachel also spotted Illa snatching a bottle of blood from the bar on her way up while everyone was occupied. The 16-year-old ginger was another mystery in this puzzle that she needed to solve, yet she drew Rachel’s curiosity while dodging around groups to rejoin Scarlet; when Leopold announced the results of his investigation, she tripped, bottle flying out of her hands as she fell right onto her face.
“Ahem!” The man’s voice was carried throughout the hall, silencing the packs of vampires and hunters to listen to what he had to say. “It… would unfortunately seem that Our Countess’ Cássia has been brought into the masquerade. Yet that is not the primary purpose that should draw our attention.”
He paused, his white mask gleaming with a red tint in the giant mirror above, showing his cool leer that swept the gathered throng below. “No… Count Dracula’s fiancée, Lady Selene, was murdered in her room before the masquerade so much as began. Such an act against the spirit of this event must be met with swift justice.”
A loud female wolf barked from the back of the room. “Varc and I saw the Vamp Messiah at the scene of the crime. Isn’t that right, gothic brat?”
Leopold promptly responded before Scarlet could bite back. “Indeed, Lady Scarlet and Cássia were at the scene of the crime, where they accused Lady Red of being in the room before they arrived.”
Nosferatu’s chuckles were heard from the left side of the room. “Convenient, no? It wouldn’t be all that surprising if the Fablekin wanted the old bat’s lover dead after what he did to them. What does Crimson Huntress have to say? Hmm.”
“Precisely what I wanted to know,” he replied, hands clasped behind his back. “Lady Red approached me on my way to conduct this meeting and informed me of her side of the story, which lines up with the evidence at the scene despite the… ‘inadvertent’ tampering that may have occurred due to Lady Scarlet and Cássia’s actions.”
A hush fell over the atmosphere as his sharp eyes darted to the pair. “As many of the attendants are aware, the Crimson Huntress uses an ax, bullets, teeth, and claws as her trade. Many of these types of weapons were found to be used against Lady Selene’s outside attendants, which Lady Red has admitted to slaying, yet for a purpose…
“When she came to Lady Selene’s room, she was barred from entry, but she could smell something wrong and acted on instinct, bypassing her guard to break open the door. It is then that she saw the cause of Lady Selene’s death… an ethereal iron maiden, designed to kill, not torture, and a hazy female shape that vanished like a mirage.”
He made a dismissive gesture as Illa tripped. “Upon finding their mistress’ state, her attendants attacked Lady Red, who promptly slew the lot of—”
“Wait, wait!” Illa shouted, the redhead stumbling to her feet. Her face was beet red, and she looked panicked as Rachel reached the top of the stairs. “I had a dream about Selene when I had that crazy drink, and… and I saw something like that! There was this… this figure, and I, uh, I couldn’t see her face… How is that possible?!”
Rachel paused at the top, her vision narrowing upon seeing Maria’s head dart in Illa’s direction just before entering their room. It was at what point in the girl’s rambles that Maria reacted which drew her attention. Illa did see the assailant’s face; she just didn’t want to say who it was.
Interesting…
Figuring it was about time she took the stage, Rachel raised her voice and adjusted the mask on her face, a smile on her lips as she moved to Leopold’s position. “As you said, Lord Leopold, the masquerade has already begun—blood has been spilled—sides need to be taken. So, I have a proposition to spice up the competition that I believe the barons and baronesses will find quite enjoyable.”
Leopold’s tight mouth tilted to her as she approached his stage, keeping herself bathed in the Crimson Moon. “Your group leader has already chosen your side, Lady Rachel.”
“Indeed, she has,” Rachel chortled, holding her elbow behind her back as she made it to the open stage and appeared in the mirror above. “Greetings, fellow guests; may I start by pointing out how many of us there are? Would it not be better to narrow down the competition, as Baroness Audrey thinks such numbers are… unsightly?”
“Oooh?” Audrey’s black lips and large, slightly transparent black wings fluttered with interest as she leaned against her throne’s arm support. Her daughter was currently ignoring them, captivated by Anthony. “And what might you have in mind to appease my disgust and boredom, my long-eared friend?”
All eyes locked on her as Rachel placed a hand against her chest, wearing a gleaming smile. “Let us not pretend to have misheard Lady Cássia’s relationship with the host of our great party. I am no fool to believe there are many here who wouldn’t wish to use her as a bargaining chip.
“In that light, I suggest we open this party with a hunt for all those unaffiliated guests who have yet to choose a side. For these groups to have the opportunity to engage in a challenge at our expense—I offer myself and my group as a tribute for the entertainment!”
Leopold’s knuckles became white as they tightened at his back. “Such an event has not been sanctioned by the—”
“Come now, Lord Leopold,” Baron Hrisu Heitinga laughed, the tension rising with his thumping aura of fear, “let the woman put herself on the altar! I can feel something familiar in the hare—a pulse of terror ebbing out of her clothes that makes me curious. What do you say, Baroness Belleza Melchiott?”
The woman of silence whispered soundless words to her family, causing vicious, unheard laughter to shake their gaunt, thin frames as their matriarch lifted her hand in acceptance.
“Excellent! And you, Baron Vyse Bruhl?”
The giant of a vampire grinned, shadows deepening around his family and corner of the room. “I am always up for a good culling. In either scenario, we stand to win. I am for this game the flowery hare suggests. Would that brighten your mood, Baroness Audrey Morgan?”
The bat-winged woman’s entertained smirk lifted as she studied her before her ruby eyes drifted to Scarlet and Cássia; the 13-year-old looked too stunned to speak, having lost her tongue at what was even happening at this point.
“Personally, I want my own claws around my dear Lady Cássia’s throat… but I would enjoy watching her squirm and struggle to survive. What are the parameters you are seeking approval on, Lady Rachel?”
Not skipping a beat, Rachel proposed her thoughts: “Until the end of this night’s party, Lady Cássia will be on the open market, along with those who joined me... including Saint Cathrine of the Vatican and Lady Aurora…”
She paused, ear twitching as she realized the damnable Baobhan Sith had left the party for her own room before she even had a chance to finish her plan. If there was one thing Aurora was proving good at, it was annoying the ever-living daylight out of her.
Smiling and trying not to show her agitation, she said, “Let the opening entertainment be a dance between Omen—my organization—and those who stand against it.”
She turned her twinkling, flower-like crimson eyes from the baroness to Leopold before performing a sweeping gesture to the other nobility of this vampiric world. “Let the castle floor be bathed in ashes and blood alike! I welcome your fangs at my throat or stakes against my breast. If you dare to challenge me, then I will show you the face of misfortune. So… what will it be, Lord Leopold? I only ask for ten minutes to prepare.”
Rachel gave the man the floor as she curtsied to the audience, only presentable due to [Divine Lunar Grace]’s influence, and turned on her heels to join Scarlet. Illa was now hurriedly running up the stairs to join them, face white as a ghost as everyone put their attention on the blond man.
Silence ensued, the howling of the wind outside picking up as it swept through the colossal Grand Ballroom Hall. The beams of the Golden Moon were now casting their glow fully across the terrace as it rose further into the sky; it had been low in the heavens when they entered and cloaked as she was, she hadn’t had the chance to experiment with it. The moon’s addition would hopefully be a welcomed support for what was to come and not a hindrance as she scrutinized its pale glow mixing with the crimson sphere it shared the sky with.
The vibration of the haunting instruments left a chill in the misted air, the yellow and red hues of the moons causing the air to sparkle. Leopold’s tight gaze followed her exit in the swirling fog that Belleza’s presence brought, a compressing hush closing in around them like claws encircling a pumping heart.
Leopold lingered on Cássia’s pleading face, yet he didn’t seem moved. His voice was tempered and distinct as he turned to the expectant barons, baronesses, and ravenous, waiting throng, anxious for any action to whet their appetites.
“Since The Countess has yet to intervene in this matter, I will ask directly… Should this opening event be sanctioned, viewing angles will need to be made available. Do you approve, Countess Elizabeth?”
Rachel’s gut tightened with apprehension as the giant mirror overhead rippled like a drop of blood into a basin of water. The image of the Countess of Blood in what appeared to be her private office took shape. Back facing them and standing by the massive, wall-length window that overlooked the giant city below, she held a cup of untouched blood in her hands.
What drew Rachel’s eye was the white sheet resting over what must have been a body lying atop her desk; her first thought went to Scarlet’s father. And suddenly, her paranoid mind began to knot into a tangled mess.
Red said an iron maiden was used to kill Selene, and Illa didn’t want to say who she saw in her shared dream with Selene… Cássia gave Illa that special blood and Selene was given the same bottle from what Scarlet mentioned. Is all of this planned by Elizabeth, or is someone trying to frame her?
Cássia fell to her knees, fingers sinking into the crystalized floor. She breathed heavily as she stared at her reflection in disbelief, tears gathering in her eyes. “Countess… I’m sorry.”
Elizabeth’s low, methodical voice echoed through the halls, bleeding through the orchestra as if whispered directly into their ears. “Punishment is required of any who step out of line. Sins must be paid in blood. The event will commence in ten minutes. I hope to see you when this is done, Cássia… but know I will not.”
It was all Rachel needed to hear, and she could feel the seeds taking root throughout the hall as Nia spread their seeds. She leaned in to whisper to Scarlet, “Teleport us into the room Maria and the others are in. Nia will meet us there. It’s show time.”
* — * — *
Scarlet didn’t like where things were heading as Rachel moved closer, and Illa latched onto her arm, trembling as if she’d been whipped. Most of the looks directed at them from below were hungry, yet a few voices rang out, refraining from the event.
“I will be observing with my friend from China,” Nosferatu chuckled, standing beside a stiff Asian woman who wore a paper talisman on her forehead, a place cut out of her mask for it. Scarlet instantly knew who her myth was from anime; she was a Jiangshi—a hopping vampire. “I’d love to make wagers if any are interested in joining us.”
He laughed, several others moving to join them, including the Vorcaloac Twins. A few human hunters entered their own room, whispering to one another, and each of the barons and baronesses rose to the 3rd level to take their own private areas. Anthony was carried away with the giggling winged vampiress to continue their conversation.
Something didn’t feel right to Scarlet as she absently brushed off the scared redhead to kneel down beside Cássia. Her heart went out to the girl; she could feel her heartache and self-disgust as if it were herself—the feelings she’d had before taking that mind elixir.
“I know you’re hurting so much right now, Cássia.” She was somewhat surprised that she was blowing off Rachel’s prompt to take them below, but the hare seemed to be accommodating her as she leveled with the teary-eyed 13-year-old vampire. “I know everything is falling apart for you, but I’m still on your side, okay? We’re not going to let anything bad happen to you.”
Cássia’s frame shook with pained laughter as she stared into her reflection on the bloody floor, her breaking body struggling to keep itself alive with the support the castle subtly weaved into her. “I wish you could protect me from myself… but it’s already done. I guess I have to try, though…”
She dislodged her fingers and rubbed her tears away before shakily rising to her feet. “I hate who I am,” she mumbled, biting her lower lip and making Scarlet’s nose burn as she empathized. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way… This isn’t me. None of it was supposed to be this way.”
Scarlet pulled her into a hug. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”
Illa was now sniffling and joined them. “Yeah, we’ll all be okay—we’re not monsters—we’re just… unlucky girls. Right? We can be good. We’re not scary monsters inside; we’re totally normal girls… Totally normal…”
Knowing they were on a clock and a dangerous one, Scarlet looked through the floor as Rachel put a hand on her shoulder. It was difficult to see through the mass of blood, but she managed to get a blurry outline of the Unicorn. Shadows embraced them, carrying them into the private room.
Rachel didn’t waste a second as they appeared, disengaging to address the Saint, Unicorn, and Fairy while she guided Cássia and Illa to a couch before they both collapsed. However, all of them froze when the hare plucked out a seed that formed from the flower on her chest and dropped it on the floor.
“Maria, your group will be tasked with protecting Cássia. Take her out and through the West Wing. I don’t care where. A part of the group will come after you, so be prepared to escape; we’ll try to make it look like a botched escape.”
“Aye! Aye, chica!” Maria cried backing into a bookshelf as the seed’s roots dug into the floor and rapidly matured into a colossal flower. “What the hell are you playing at? Yo, this feels a lot stronger than the shit in the air!”
A puff of crimson smoke exploded from the bulbing flower, making everyone cough and cover their noses as it dissipated, almost as if it never existed at all. In its place was a blinking and confused clone of herself, well, sort of.
“Is that… a clone? Shit! Two Rachels?”
“Huh?” Fiona swiftly shook her head. “No, no—it’s a clone of Cássia—a decoy! Nice, Rach!”
Catherine hesitantly shook her head and moved closer. “Not… correct from my eyes. Is this… an illusion?”
Maria snorted, rubbing her nose and coughing a bit. “Hell no; it’s an airborne pathogen that manipulates the senses… That moon outside gave you this shit?”
Rachel sighed as she looked at her maroon skin and scarlet veins, beginning to recede now that she was outside of the light, yet her clone remained. “We don’t have a lot of time. The second ten minutes are up, and only those who are actively participating in the hunt are left in the hall, our trap is going to be sprung.
“At that point, no one should be able to tell which group is which. Splitting up their parties is our only way of fighting them. Nia and I will be taking out as many as possible. Coral will stick with you, Scarlet; she’ll be able to pass us along information through our connection if needed. All you need to do is run away as far as you can…”
Scarlet rubbed her arm as she saw Rachel’s serious look and the gut impression she got from the Lunar Hare; she’d come to realize when the fighter felt like she was in a losing battle and needed to tilt the odds in their favor.
“What’s wrong, Rachel?”
Illa bounced up with a short squeak out of nowhere. “Eek! Eh, no—sorry, just a little freaked out—what is wrong?! I am so freaking out right now! Selene died to an iron maiden—like in my dream! Was that real? I don’t have that kind of power, right—I’m not a visionary!”
Scarlet ignored the girl, more focused on the claw-gripping sensation she got from Rachel. “Sure, you’re excited to fight, like always, but none of these guys should cause you this much anxiety after everything you’ve gone through. So what aren’t you telling us?”
Rachel swallowed a lump in her throat as Nia slipped inside, losing her own reddish skin. “It’s done?”
“All ready to go,” Nia replied, holding up a thumb as Coral phased through the door with a wicked grin. “We have to make it look believable. We’re copying everyone, right? The seeds aren’t strong enough to deal with Legends and Myths.”
“No,” Rachel agreed, walking over to check on her blank, unresponsive clone, “I can’t operate them if I’m not under the Crimson Moon… Shit. I was afraid of that. Umm. No, it is bad, Scarlet, but give me a minute to get everything I need set in motion.”
Cássia’s brow set as she tried to clean up her puffy and red face. “What do I need to do? I can open up a hole in the wall to allow us to escape into the rooms beyond.”
“Not needed,” Rachel bluntly stated, shutting down the girl and making her hands tighten in her lap, feeling useless. “Scarlet needs to make a show about teleporting you out, allowing us to make it seem like we could be anywhere. What you’re really going to do is lead Scarlet to your mother’s office.”
“H-Huh?!” The brunette’s eyes flew open. “Why? Do… we have to see her? It’s too dangerous to interrupt her! Especially for Scarlet. She… isn’t herself,” she winced, losing much of her noble facade. “Others could be aiming to attack her, as well.”
“Exactly,” Rachel said with a strained laugh as she turned to the stiff ginger. “Illa, who did you see in that dream vision—who used the Iron Maiden to kill Selene and set all of this off?”
Maria gave the petrified girl a serious stare. “Looks like the hare saw my reaction, chica—Rach is sharp like that—we know you were lying your ass off about not seeing who it was. Spill the beans, Pumpkin. Nosotras no tenemos todo el día!”
Illa’s frame began to quake, breathing harder as everyone set their gaze on her. “I-It was just a, hehe, a dream, guys! I, uh—I was so drunk on that stuff—I could totally have just been seeing shit, ya know? It can’t be real! Cássia, tell them the stuff is stupid powerful, a-and makes you see things! I don’t understand what I saw, okay; it was all a super weird dream about a girl I wouldn’t even call a 10! I mean, if she wanted to make out, then I mean, eh—no, it’s just—I’m wrong! Okay? I’m wrong!”
Not getting why she was freaking out so much and knowing what everyone was expecting the answer to be, Scarlet sat beside her. “It’s okay, Illa. Just tell us what you saw.”
Cássia’s hands pressed against her belly, not able to look at her. “Why can’t you tell us? Iron maidens are… pretty rare.”
Catherine sighed. “Can we just say that it was Elizabeth already? It was her mother, wasn’t it? She’s been plotting this whole thing from the start.”
Illa gulped, closed her eyes, and said, “It was… me.”
“Exactly,” Rachel nodded, “it was Elizabeth who—wait… You?”
A short stillness came over the room as all eyes fixed on the trembling ginger.
“…Damn,” Maria mumbled, scratching her neck before glancing at Rachel. “I didn’t expect that twist. Shit. You were wrong, Rach?”
Rachel opened her mouth, taking a step back as if dazed, eyes narrowing and falling to the floor. “You… used the iron maiden in the dream… to kill Selene?”
“I-I don’t know if it was me!” Illa stammered, rising to her feet and clutching at her breast as her unusually active heart for a vampire raced. “It was like… a twin—umm, like… me, but it wasn’t me! She had this cold… sadistic smile, and, and she told me I wasn’t even the real me! I don’t even know, okay?! Everything is just… insane. I’m not bad or evil! I’m a normal girl… a good girl. M-Maybe a little deviant—sure, b-but I’m a good girl. I promise, Scarlet!”
Scarlet looked to Rachel, utterly lost again. “What does that mean?”
Rachel’s tight eyes drifted to Cássia. “It means… we shelf that issue for now. My concern is that I don’t expect Countess Audrey to play by the rules and sit this out—at least, misfortune is tilting in that direction… and I doubt the others will, either.
“They may be playing by the rules because of one another, but ultimately, they don’t see Elizabeth as an actual noble, and once that facade breaks down… they’ll make their move. I don’t think this Legend Quest to last the week we have to complete it. The bulk of it will end tonight.”
* — * — *
Baroness Belleza Melchiott dispersed into fog, slipping through the cracks in the doors to materialize in their given large sitting room. Her family followed, taking shape in their chairs.
Her eldest son spoke in their silent communication method that reached all of them equally through the mist, examining the bottles of blood that had been provided for them in the armstone cabinet beside the hearth.
“Do you believe the others are aware that our dear Countess is, in actuality, an alien to our planet, worming her way into our courts?”
Her husband responded, rubbing his short beard and studying the portrait of the previous lord over this nation; his painting had yet to be removed in this room, it seemed. “Perhaps the more pressing question is why someone close to Elizabeth became a turncoat, providing us with such information. You must think that Baroness Audrey received the same letter with corresponding evidence, dear?”
Belleza hummed, accepting a bottle her son brought her and peering into its pearly inner liquid; it wasn’t blood but a rare flower that they had given Baron Morgan before Elizabeth somehow murdered him. It was not an accident.
“Patience… I look forward to asking our host that very question soon enough. It is easy to tell that Elizabeth has not let a single drop of blood touch her skin since draining Baron Morgan’s blood and taking his land for her own. She is weak.”
“I see,” her daughter giggled from her chair, popping a cork and filling a glass her brother had brought her. “She cannot dilute Baron Morgan’s blood in her system, or the castle and land will reject her. She has forced this Bloody Masquerade in hopes of sinking her fangs into the neck of the next Head of House to strengthen her connection to the land… Baroness Audrey Morgan is her target.”
“Bold,” her husband laughed, vision rising to the mirror that expanded over the fireplace, showing the Main Ballroom Hall as the throng of weaklings dispersed or prepared for the hunt. “I will say that there are a few interesting aliens that our dear Countess has brought from her world…”
“Oh?” her son inquired, smoothly sitting in his chair to smell the sweet nectar of the pearly liquid he’d poured for himself. “The House of Blood is so… unrefined to have let such rare items waste away on a shelf. Who have you marked as the most formidable candidates, Baroness?”
Belleza leaned her head against her sunken cheek, a small smirk lifting the corner of her thin lips. “Oh, there are a few that have caught my eye in this game, which could make valuable additions to our court… Scarlet is certainly hiding something deep within her soul, but perhaps the most intriguing… is Aurora. Baltish, invite the young temptress to our room.”
Her son sighed. “I will say, Baroness, I am enchanted by her ‘upper half,’ but the lower part is… unsightly.”
“You needn’t suckle each other’s necks, Brother,” Kastilla scoffed, rolling her eyes and sweeping her black braid over her shoulder; the girl was the next in line to be matriarch. “Just wait for her to return to the room. Who do you think she went to meet through that portal—Elizabeth?”
“No,” Belleza whispered, feeling a tad queasy about looking further into that particular area of the castle where her mists shied away from. “Whoever it is, she does not appear to be interested in causing us trouble if we do not engage her.”
Baltish rose to his feet with a heavy sigh. “A neutral party then… Boring. Still, the fact she reached out to Aurora is certainly something to take note of.”
Belleza’s face lit with a small smile as her son departed for the lower level. A few others had caught her eye, but she would be patient. Audrey thought she would be the one to kill Elizabeth, but she couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, her overly beautiful head would be on a pike when this was over.
“Kastilla… knock on the Morgans’ door and mingle a little with that lovely redheaded human that Harper has her fangs on. Stir up a little trouble.”
Her daughter’s thin frame shook with silent laughter. “You are devious, Baroness. I don’t need to be the prettiest girl in the room to leave an impression.”
“You most certainly do not,” she fawned, “yet you are lovely nonetheless.”
Mist surrounded them as she heard a knock at her door, and her husband rose to his feet to answer it. Of course, the veil told them who it was, and when it opened, a rat-like woman in a dark dress entered.
“Well, if it isn’t Black,” Belleza soundlessly said to her husband as the small woman slunk in to sit in the seat her daughter had occupied. “The rodent scurrying about, gathering information throughout the city and castle as her puppy lapdog stumbles about, causing trouble.”
Black silently took out a notebook from under her arm, opened it, ripped out a page, and slid it across the table to her husband. He took it and handed it to her.
Scanning the content, Belleza’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and she spoke for the first time to another party besides her family since arriving at the castle. “Is this supposed to be a threat I am to take seriously?”
Black’s cold, calculating eyes didn’t waver, her hairless tail remaining motionless beside her legs. “Not a threat. A certainty. If you confront Elizabeth, you and your entire family will die. I can prevent that from happening if you follow those instructions. If you do not… Scarlet will kill you, and you will be the first link broken that will usher in the end of everything. Do not confront Scarlet, or you will meet Scarlet.”
With that cryptic warning, the rat woman left her to stew on her words, and a pulse of excitement ebbed up within Belleza’s dead heart for the first time in centuries. Crumpling up the paper, she tossed it into the fire.
“What if I want to meet Scarlet? Thank you for the warning. Consider me intrigued. Hehehe.”
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