Vlad’s POV
I watch Mina drive away as fast as she possibly can as I cry out, "Mina, come back!!!" I see nothing but dust in the air. She is gone and it is because of her mother. I suddenly feel my body go cold, and my heart stops beating. I grab a hold of the door frame, struggling to breathe in and out.
Luke comes running over to me asking me, "Vlad, is it happening again?"
I shake my head yes as he begins to record my reaction, taking my vitals so he can document this as soon as he returns to his house. Mina's mother, Cassius wonders what the hell is going on and tries to leave but Lucy slaps Mina's mother.
Luke and I are in shock of what Lucy just did. Cassius has a look of complete horror on her face that Lucy slapped her. Lucy growls in her face while pointing at her, "That is what we call a bitch slap. A bitch slap for a bitch such as you. Now you are going to stay right here and wait until he can do his work on you."
Cassius panics in what is to come for her and she has every right to be terrified when I get my hands on her. I feel the pain in my body and the struggle vanish it like it was never here. I look around my front yard, hearing and seeing through the senses of the birds flying, the sound of leaves falling to the ground. I ball my hands into a fist, feeling my knuckles crack. I know I am back in my vampire body and ready to do some damage.
My eyes slowly turn around to stare down Cassius. I give her a small smile in saying her hinted words to me earlier. "You are something else, Cassius. I detected your words since you first walked through my front door; Impaler, beast, evil, and bride. You are fully aware of what we are..."
"I do not know what you are talking about. I know nothing-"
"Ahh, but you do. Impaler, beast, evil and bride were your exact words, Cassius. You are fully aware of what we are." Lucy snarls to her and Cassius trembles at the touch of Lucy's hand brushing her hair back to her neck.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Vlad Tepes, The Impaler and Prince of Castle Dracula. However the whole world knows me as Count Dracula, Son of the Devil. Born 1422, reborn as a vampire 1462." I unleash what I really look like at night. She sees my white as death face, my smile shows vampire fanged teeth and my piercing red eyes.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!" She screams at the sight of me and runs.
But to no avail, I use my vampire speed to slam her against the wall with my hand over her mouth. She lets out as many screams as she can but my hand muffles the screams.
Lucy is standing behind me on the right, jumping up and down in joy like a little girl getting a new toy. She is wondering what I am going to do and allow her to do to Mina's mother. Lucy spoke truth when she said she would protect Mina from any human threat. I know she will against Mina's own mother.
Cassius lets out muffled sobbing now. I can hear her heart racing so fast that if she was on a hospital monitor, her heart rate would be over 200 beats a minute. My glowing red eyes glare at her intensely and focused in feeling my power dig deep into that heartless, rotten soul of hers. She freezes up like she is paralyzed. I slow take my hand away from her mouth knowing that her body is motionless but her eyes tell a different story.
Cassius gives out small moans like she is straining herself to move. Nothing happens though. She moves her eyes around frantically. I take a step back observing how this power has taken hold of her. Her eyes are filled with tears, moaning any way she can to beg for help by Lucy or Luke or the hopes that anyone will come to help her. No one is going to help her. It is quite astonishing to witness when it is on a human being that deserves it.
"I am sure you are wondering what I did to you. Call it Manipulation. It is quite the mighty vampire ability, only few are taught this. And Lucy is one of them. So if it wears off you, she can do it to you as well. Now, let us speak true adulating conversation."
I stop talking to feel my hunger coming on. I immediately go for my secret blood fridge, grabbing a blood bag. I rip off the top, drink it down that there is nothing left in the bag. I grab a second bag of blood, pouring it into an empty wine glass. I sip from it, allowing the blood to stain my lips approaching Mina's mother again. She whimpers at the sight of me. I stand in front of her knowing that she is only temporary in this freezing state.
I get close, smelling her and within a sniff of her, I know her blood type. She's type Blood A, I wouldn't expect anything less with this blood bag. Even her blood smells bitter, I would rather drink the blood of a homeless man, put him out of his misery than drink her dry.
"I know you are wondering what is occurring and going to happen to you. You have no need to worry. No one is going to hurt you much. All I want is the full truth about Mina's father, the private investigator you set on me and whatever else I want to know. Once you do, I will help you become the mother you are supposed to be to your daughter. After that, you will walk out of here with no memory of this and a better person."
Lucy shows the biggest sinister smile when Cassius lets out a paralyzed scream but I use my power over her not to scream. Her mouth is forced shut; she cannot open it unless I allow her to speak. Luke sits down unsure if I should let this happen. I place my hand on his shoulder.
"I am not going to harm her in anyway, Luke. I promise."
Luke lets out a sigh when I promise him. I do hold my word for Luke and I give him my word. She will walk out of here unharmed by me and Lucy. I stare at the watch Mina gave me to start counting down how long she will remain frozen. I am face to face with her knowing I need to ask the right questions.
"When did Mina's father die?"
"Twelve years ago." Her mouth opens at my will and not hers. She tries to fight against it; it is no good.
"Why did you lie to your own daughter about her father's murderer being dead?"
"She was a disaster after his death. She started taking drugs, driving like a mad teenager to forget the pain and loss of her father, and dropping out of school. Her life fell apart. If she knew the truth, her life would have been far worse, seating beside the coma bed of her father's murderer in the hopes of waking up from the coma. But the doctors said the girl had very little chance of ever waking up again. So I lied to her in the hopes she could move on. She didn't for long because she blamed herself, wondering what she could have changed that night. She nearly killed herself."
"Why pay the bills for the murderer's life support?"
"There was no family, friends. They would have allowed for her to slip away. But no, she has to answer why she took Mina's father away."
I gulp down half the glass of blood understanding but not enjoying why Cassius did what she did. I cannot imagine Mina the way Cassius described her. Her life has not been kind of her from a young age. I would take all of her pain away but everything she endured formed her into who she is now. Then I come to wonder what turned Mina's life around to who she is.
"What turned her life around? What made her into the most beautiful, and honest woman that I am growing to love?" I ask and I feel chills questioning those words out loud. I feel a strange yet warm feeling in how I feel for Mina in the time I have spent with her.
"She was nothing more than an empty shell, walking around like a zombie, getting arrested and hardly getting any asleep. The way she was going, she would have ended up with nothing, died with no one at her funeral. But that all changed. A Guardian came into her life and turned it all around; it was as if she was healed over night."
I recall Mina speaking about a Guardian of some kind to her mother earlier. "A Guardian? What or who is this Guardian you speak of?"
"I never knew who it was but whoever it was, she is alive today because of this Guardian. But something intervened between them. I suspect it is a man that knew her father and he was her first in all aspects of love. Mina even wanted to marry him, run away but he said he couldn't give her the life she deserved. He vanished however he comes back to town whenever he can to see and check on her. He even helped her get away from Michael the first time."
Lucy and I look to one another remembering those photos Michael had. Lucy goes over to her purse, pulling out small envelope that has the photos. She pulls out the photo that shows Mina smiling at the man she is with and the man's back to the camera. At first glance, it could look like me however he is around Mina's height. This must be her Guardian.
"Is this him?" Lucy shows the photo to Cassius.
"I couldn't tell you for sure because I have never seen his face but Mina has never smiled that way to anyone except him. Not even to you, Vlad." Cassius forcefully says.
I take the photo, studying the smile on Mina's face. I cannot even deny that she has never smiled like that to me. I want to know who this Guardian is but that is going to have to wait until later. Right now, I need to know what P.I she sent looking into my background.
"Her guardian is going to have to wait. Let's talk about your P.I since you have a few more minutes left like this. Who is the P.I you sent after me? I want a name and address now."
"I never knew the P.I's name or address. Just initials and where to meet to drop off payments and the information on you, the private investigator is a woman. She had jet black hair like the dead of night, and dark eyes, almost exactly like yours. She was quite beautiful to be honest."
"What were the initials of the woman? I will find her one way or another."
"S.VH 1648. There was nothing else she gave me. And there was no other way to contact her unless she wanted to contact you through a set of burner phones." Cassius tells me.
My mind comes to a complete stop in the words of the initials. Luke stands up, thinking exactly what I am. There is no chance in Heaven, Hell or earth that those initials stand for my past event I read up at Luke's family home. Serena Van Helsing 1648. I drink the rest of my blood glass in fear of what this could mean.
"When did you last meet up with her?"
"Yesterday at the exact same flower stand you met my daughter. She got a mix of bright orange roses from there. She had details on you unlike the other P.I's. It is all on a flash drive in my purse."
Lucy goes right over to her purse, pouring everything out in her purse. Lucy finds the flash drive, ensuring there is no other in her purse then puts everything else back into the purse. Luke goes to grab my laptop and starts it.
I do not take my eyes off Cassius in the short time Luke brings up the files on the drive. Her eyes are filled with the thought that she is going to die. I'll admit I have several good ideas to kill her but I cannot. She is Mina's mother and I am going to fix her, make her into the mother she needs to be to Mina. There will possibly be some pain however the pain will be short.
Luke searches through the files and finds something. I go over to him and stare at the laptop screen. My mouth drops a little in seeing evidence of my records dating all the way back to 1618, the beginning of the Thirty Year War in Europe. Luke opens every file, all of it checks out of my history, even down to drawings of me from those centuries. Any photos, paintings digitalized. This entire drive is proof that I am Dracula Son of the Devil...
Lucy takes a look at the files as well. All three of us glare at Cassius Barnes. She and whoever the P.I are the first human beings alive in the 21st Century to know my true identity. Luke immediately takes out his phone to call his contacts; he is going to find whoever this private investigator is before anyone else learns the truth about me.
Lucy and I go back over to Cassius knowing what needs to happen to her now. Cassius gets out of the freezing state, tries to run. Lucy slaps her so hard that Cassius falls to the ground. I know Cassius will have a major bruise later on due to Lucy using her heightened strength to hit her. Cassius starts to crawl away, begging for her life.
I grab Cassius by the ankle, than drag her. She attempts to grab onto anything she can but her grip is nothing compared to my strength. I turn her over onto her back side then force her to stand. Cassius is screaming as I hold her. Lucy shows her glowing red eyes and vampire fangs in her smile walking toward her. Lucy grabs Cassius's wrist about to feed but I stop Lucy. Lucy looks confused that I stopped her.
"No feeding on Cassius. You and Draven can have whoever the investigator is when we find them." I tell her.
Lucy does not argue with me. Both of us know that this entire situation works out in the end since I promised Draven I would choose him to feed on someone. Who better than the other blood bag that knows my identity? It is quite perfect.
"Lucy, you are going to have to use your power on her. If my power fails with my human flashes, she could remember then tell the whole world. It will not fail under your power. Will you do it?"
She rubs her hands together ready to put the works on Mina's mother saying, "With pleasure, Dracula. But before I do, where would Mina go to be alone from the world? Does Mina know about us?"
Cassius does not answer as she is crying uncontrollably. I moan in how much she is crying like a newborn baby or a mother finding out her daughter had sex before marriage in the 16th century. It is quite annoying that I am tempted to let Lucy feed off her.
"Cassius, answer the question or I will let Lucy feed on you." I extend her left arm out by force.
Lucy does not wait in grabbing her wrist, rolling up the black sleeve. Cassius does not answer in the midst of her cries. Lucy has her fangs ready to dig into her flesh.
"I am giving you one more chance, Cassius. Where is Mina now? Does she know about us?"
Cassius shakes her head no, refusing to answer while screaming, trying to fight me off. I shake my head yes for Lucy to do it. Lucy opens up, her fangs barely touching her skin when she screams, "At her Father's tombstone in Cimitirul Bellu! She is always goes there!!!! And no!!! She knows nothing that I know of you!!!"
Lucy stops from biting her however she sticks her tongue out, briefly and lightly licking her wrist. Lucy lets go of her wrist then place her left hand on the back of her neck, ready to do what needs to be done next to Cassius.
"Is there anything else we need to know about the private investigator?" Luke questions.
"Yes. She will never allow herself to be found unless she wants to be found. If you are going to kill me, best you get on with it." Cassius says while trying not to cry.
Lucy chuckles at her saying, "We are not going to kill you; death would be too kind. However, I would love nothing more than to tie you to four different horses and whip them to run."
"That seems like a bit of an overreaction, Lucy." Luke says with a somewhat shocked look on his face to her.
"No, the overreaction was to give her to my dogs and be eaten alive or maybe even give her to a certain wolf that I know." Lucy trails her fingers through Cassius's blonde hair.
I struggle not to smile in Lucy's words. Lucy places her right hand over Cassius's heart. Cassius attempts not to look in her eyes. Lucy gives her no choice when her mesmerizing powers take hold. I release my hold on her knowing that she is not going anywhere until Lucy says otherwise.
I have rarely showed this power to any other vampires I have turned in my time. Lucy is the only one I ever taught this power to. I didn't want to take the chance for others to know about this power of the vampire. I didn't know about this ability or Manipulation until my son, Ingeras was safely sitting on the family chair at Castle Dracula.
"Cassius, you will forget everything you learned here tonight about Vlad Tepes, and Lucy Westenra. Any findings, proof, conversations with anyone about this were nothing more than a wild ghost chase. You briefly went mad but you are going to seek professional help. As for your daughter, you will give her all the time in the world that she needs until she wants you back in her life. You will never speak of Michael ever again nor speak to him. You will be the proper mother that listens, give honest council and respects any decisions your daughter makes, spending good time with your daughter when she wants that time with you herself. You'll even respect any man she chooses in her life. You will be a good, devoted, loving mother until the day you die, Cassius Barnes. "
Cassius is standing almost like a zombie once Lucy's mesmerizing grip lets her go. All three of us watch as she begins to walk out the front door to her car. Then right before she opens the car door, she turns to look at us with an actual nice smile on her face then waves to us.
"Thank you for the Feast. It is delicious. Mina is really blessed to have all of you in her life. Let's do this again some time." Cassius shouts in joy. We all wave back to her with some sarcasm on our faces to her. We watch her get in the car and driving away.
As soon as she is off the property, I see that it is only 6:30 pm and it is now getting dark out. I stare upon the watch Mina gave to me. I cannot imagine how Mina must have felt when she learned the truth. I need to find her now. She shouldn't be alone in what could be one of her darkest hours.
"Lucy, will you please go and see if you can find Mina at her apartment? I will go to the graveyard to see if she is there. Luke, will you look into the murderer of Mina's father and the P.I? If what Cassius said is true about the bitch being in a coma, let's wake her up ourselves to get answers."
They do not hesitate to get started. Lucy forms into a swarm of bats, taking to the skies. Luke grabs the flash drive and tells me, "Vlad, if a simple investigator was able to get their hands on these files then we are all in great danger. All of us may need to relocate, new lives. If that is the case, you need to think long and hard but quick if you want to bring Mina or leave her behind."
I shudder in the terror of leaving Mina behind, never seeing her again. Luke walks past me to his car then drives off as well. I feel as if my entire world is falling apart around me and I cannot even think about this right now. I need to find Mina before something might happen to her.
I grab my phone, calling her. It goes straight to voicemail after the first seven calls I make to her. I yell out in anger and throw my phone. My phone shatters against the wall, and all the pieces going to the ground. I bury my face into my hands then walk out of the house. I lock up the house then take to flight in the pouring rain to find Mina.
Mina's POV
I stand before my father's grave stone as it is lightly raining. I have the hood of my jacket over my head while drops of rain go off the edge of my hood. My face is also filled with water in studying the engraved words.
Garridan Barnes
Loving Father and Husband
April 14th, 1960 – February 4th, 2002
I sob falling on my knees in front of his tombstone. I make my way over and lay down against his grave stone, resting my left hand on the words, Loving Father. I struggle to breath in how hard I am crying. The rain continues to pour down like it knows to go off my emotions. I close my eyes, rocking back and forth while crying.
I remember walking with my father right when the red haired homeless woman comes up, and shots him in cold blood. I scream in my father falling in the middle of the street. The woman takes off laughing as I beg for my father to talk, keep him awake. I begged for help, anyone to hear me; no one came right away. He places his hand on my face having trouble telling me that everything is going to be alright.
But his eyes close while so much of his blood is everywhere. His hand drops to the cold ground. I shake him so hard to keep him awake. It did no good. I take off my coat to try and stop the bleeding when some help finally came. It was too late for my father though. There was nothing I could do to save him. I was so weak just like I was when trying to run from Michael. I am a weak human being and nothing more as I cry for my father to come back.
Suddenly I notice the rain had gone like it was never here when I feel a familiar presence behind me. I gasp in such relief that it is him, my Guardian. He smiles and I cannot resist smiling back to see him again. He kneels down before me as I struggle to speak from all of the crying I have done.
"You're here..."
"Of course I am, Mina." My Guardian speaks with his strong yet solace, gentle voice.
"Can we talk?"
"Yes, we can talk." He says while his dark brown eyes look right into me like they always do. I sob when he wraps me in a tight embrace, resting his head on top of mine. I bury my face into his chest, unleashing all of my sadness as he kisses me on my head several times.
Vlad's POV
I get to the Mina's apartment and Lucy meets me outside in the pouring rain. "She was here but no sight of her now. Mina changed out of her dress into different clothes. She must be at the graveyard now."
"Ok, I will see if I can find her. Stay here in case she returns. If Luke calls you, tell him that I broke my phone. I will get a new one soon." I tell her as our entire bodies are soaked by the rain. I take to flight and fly right towards where the graveyard is. I notice the rain clouds have passed over the graveyard when I land on the tallest tree, observing the many graves as far as the human eye can see.
I listen for Mina's heart beat as my heightened senses spread through the land below me. The heightened hearing picks up her heartbeat but not just her heartbeat. She is not alone at her father's grave. I immediately fly above some of the tree line to get a closer look without being spotted. I remain on the strongest tree branch.
My vampire eyes go right to the tombstone where Mina is sitting with a man but I cannot see his face for some reason. I attempt to move my focus to get a better look at him, still nothing. I do not understand how this is happening. It has never happened before. I want to get a closer look however I do not want to take the risk of being seen.
I notice that Mina is holding hands with the man. I hear her talking about everything her mother said at the Feast. He listens to every word like his life depends on it, as if every word is the only air he can breathe. I can tell right away that they love one another. This must be the Guardian.
"My father always knew how to make things better, just what to say and do. It does not matter how much time passes, time is not the issue. I will always carry his death with me. A part of me to this day wishes I got shot instead of him."
"Mina, you couldn't have done anything different. You fell apart as most people do when seeing a loved one shot in front of them. And you may not feel like it now, but you may yet get some answers. Your mother was a complete total mad bitch lying to you, in some ways selling you off to marry a man for answers. Put that aside for now and see the chance of the answers."
"I am not so sure I want answers. I was glad in the knowing his killer was dead. An eye for an eye but no, she remains alive."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Mina. That woman in a coma for over twelve years, no sign of higher brain function. It takes more than a beating heart to declare someone is alive. It is probably nothing more than a never ending wake. And since your mother, that heartless man paid to keep the killer alive means the woman has no family or friends, she is truly alone. I find that a far more cruel punishment in what she did to your father."
I cannot help but to agree with the man. If that killer has no one, in a coma for over a decade is a cruel enough sentence. However Mina deserves answers to why the woman shot him, no matter what. Mina considers what he said but does not respond back. I will wake up the killer even if I turn that person into a vampire to wake them up for the answers.
"What would happen if the life support was taken off?"
"I believe they would cut off the machines that kept her alive or depending on the case of the coma, remove the feeding tube, cutting off daily things the body needs and within a few days, the body would fail, slipping away. There would probably be no pain or suffering no matter what course of action was taken."
"How long could a person live if the machines kept her alive or if the feeding tube was not removed?"
"It depends on the situation of the coma, some coma cases are over twenty years or more, never waking up. And I know that you cannot take another twenty years or more. Your father would want you to look ahead. I know how much you miss your father and how badly you want him to still be here. I miss him too. He was the closest thing I had to a father. I shed way more tears for him than the man I was told to be my father. I do not know where I would be without him. In a way, I wouldn't be here with you."
"And if there is anything I learned in my life, Grief is really just love. It is all the love you want to give but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and the hallow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go."
Mina rests her forehead against his. I lean a bit lower on the branch in the dread of what is about to happen next. I feel my vampire claws dig into the bark of the tree right as his lips are within an inch of hers. I may not be able to see his face but I can see his breathe due to the cold. Their upper lips brush as his right hand strokes her hair then rests on her face.
He is about to kiss her until she pulls away. I fall off the branch in relief that she pulled away but I am dangling from the tree. I do not make a noise in hanging from the branch then climbing back up. I stare back in happiness as she stands to her feet with her back turned to the man.
"What is it, Mina?" He asks her; curious to why she pulled away.
"I need to tell you something important, Johnathon."
I finally hear his name which is something to help go on to find whoever this man is. I also groan in frustration that his name had to be Johnathon. The amount of Dracula writing in the world with the name Johnathon, a man I apparently used. Of all the names in the world, it had to be the name Johnathon.
"This explains quite a bit. You are with someone. And you know you can call me Jace. " He says with a smile that I manage to see on his blank face. He pulls out a flask filled with liquor and drinks from it.
"How did you know?" Mina appears shocked in how quick he guessed.
He stands to his feet and grabs her hand in a compassionate way. "I see with more than eyes, you know that. So tell me, what is he like?"
Mina smiles in his reaction. Even I was surprised in how he reacted to her saying she has someone in her life. They remain hand in hand when she begins to talk about me. "He is amazing and so supportive. We have a lot of fun together. He works with horses and does other things in his spare time. He seems very cultured, smart and patient."
"I am happy for you, Mina. I truly am. Does he treat you right? If he doesn't, I will kick his ass just like I did with he who shall remain nameless." He extends the flask to Mina and she takes a drink from it.
I cannot help but chuckle since the man is smart enough not to say Michael's name out loud in front of her either. I was beginning to want to drain him dry but now, I may like this man.
"He treats me like a princess. It is strange but in a good way. I like it and I do want to see where it could go between us." She smiles before drinking more from the flask.
"So does that fully explain why your mother lost her shit when you gave him your father's watch? I can only imagine her reaction if she were to learn that you arranged for me to buy your father's vehicle."
"We swore we would never speak of it again. And yes, she would lose her shit if she found out. She believes she sold it to a man who collects American muscle cars, something she would never see again. If I could not change her mind on selling the car or allowing me to have it, I would rather have his car go to someone that he knew would take care of it and you do take care of it." Mina says.
I know this man truly is important to her that she ensured her father's car would be with him. I do wonder what kind of vehicle it is. Quite a number of people would pay good money, maybe even kill for the car if it is something any buyer would collect to American muscle cars. I put my focus back on them.
"And I have. Prayers your mother never finds out."
"I certainly will. However I never want to see or speak to my mother again after all that has happened."
"I do not blame you. However don't you dare go and apologize to her. You have nothing to apologize for. From what you told me, you didn't say anything that wasn't true."
"No, I didn't."
"Mina, maybe you could have come at it a little differently but if that is how you feel, how she made you feel, you have more than enough right to say so."
Even I cannot argue with his words to Mina. A part of me is beginning to see that I am not needed here to comfort her. Whoever this Guardian is, he seems to have it figured out. I just don't know how the hell I cannot see him from my heightened hearing or senses of any kind. All I can sense is his heart beating at a normal, calm and honest rhythm.
Mina and the Guardian stare at her father's grave then sit back down in each other's arms. They remain silent for a while as I watch how they are together. Their kind of love is just the company of one another, opening up about anything, and they never feel alone. It makes me think of what I had with Mirena.
Mirena was my first love. This Guardian man is the first love of Mina's. I wonder what is stopping him from being with her, not wanting to spend the rest of his life with her. I get the feeling that something is holding him back to be with her the way he wants. I feel his love for Mina even if I cannot fully see his face.
"Mina, after everything that you learned, all that happened with your father, I know you will find your way. Not all at once but I know you will. You may not feel like it at this moment however you are strong and you have people to help you. You will never have to do this alone. And I can stay as long as I am able to."
"How does the end of our lives sound? Does our lifetime work?" Mina looks at him realizing how her words came out. She sits up exhaling.
"I am sorry. I am seriously needful right now."
"I can handle it and you have no need to apologize, Mina. However I can only stay until morning. I'm so sorry I can't stay longer." He says in sadness.
"No. I am so grateful that you came. I wasn't sure that I was going to make it through this night."
She smiles to him the exact same way like in the photo of them walking together that Lucy got from Michael. Mina has yet to look at me the way she looks at her Guardian. I feel like I never have a chance with Mina in seeing her like this with another man.
"I still have over ten hours before I have to leave." He says to her.
"Alright."
Mina sinks into his arms again. They both lay down while the tombstone is at the head of them. I remain hidden so they do not see me in the tree a few feet back from the tombstone. They do not let go of each other for the entire night even when they manage to fall asleep.
I slightly bang my head on the tree that I have to wait until this man finally leaves to speak to Mina. I do not want her to think I am following her, even though that is what I am doing with good reason. I decide to make myself comfortable on the tree branches. I stay here until dawn finally approaches. Thankfully it is a cloudy morning when they both wake up.
He helps her up then walks all the way to her car. She wonders where he is parked at. He tells her that he is parked at the other side of the graveyard. Mina and her Guardian look at one another. They know they have to say goodbye however they do not say the words out loud.
Instead her Guardian leans forward, kissing her on her forehead for a few moments while his right hand rests on the side of her neck. Then their foreheads rest together before they finally part ways. Mina watches him walk away. He looks back giving her a small wave. She gives him a small wave in return.
She drives away from the graveyard. I watch him from the tree line and decide to get a closer look at him since I cannot see him through my vampire sight. I land on the ground without making a sound as I sneak up close behind the man.
I smell him however his scent is different from any other I have come across. His scent is the smell of willow trees with lavender mix. It's odd yet sweet. I can only imagine how much sweeter his blood is. There is something about him that I want to find out more, maybe even savor his blood as soon as I get my hands on him.
The man continues walking with me barely two feet from him until I step on a branch, making noise. The man immediately stops in his tracks. I freeze from coming any closer to him. He barely lifts his head up, smelling the air. Then he speaks, "I know you're there..."
I feel like I cannot move in the fact he knows I am here. He still does not turn his back to face me. I wonder why he does not turn around to look at me until he talks again.
"Come out come out wherever you are." He whispers.
I suddenly fly up to observe him from above. I remain hidden in the tree line in fear that he may somehow know of the supernatural world and being involved with Mina is dangerous. I don't want him anywhere near Mina if that is the case. The man slowly turns his head to the left and right observing his surroundings, waiting to strike if he has to until I hear someone approaching him.
He immediately turns around to the sight of quite a beautiful woman. I feel relief that it was this woman he heard, not me. He playfully hits the woman saying, "You know you cannot sneak up on me. At first, I didn't believe it was you."
"Oh, come on Jace. It is always me who attempts to sneak up on you." The woman speaks with a dark angelic voice that can cut right through the heart of the purest men.
She has jet black hair like the night sky and dark brown eyes that would stop any man in his tracks. She is even fit from what I can tell under her spectacular fit, low back, knee length pencil cut that gives creation to the gorgeous curve dress. It is a lavender color bandage dress.
"Yes, indeed. How about a drink before we leave?"
He extends his arm to her and she takes it. They start walking together as they smile. However it was a smile between really good friends. They talk about each other's night until Jace brings up Mina. The woman can tell something is bothering him.
"Jace, you love her more than I ever thought a man could love a woman and she loves you the same exact way. It is a rare kind of love. Why not be with her?"
"You are well aware why. My job won't allow it. She deserves a man that can give her the life she deserves. Tragically, I am not that man for her. You have no idea how much I want to spend a life with her. And to top things off, she started to see someone. He sounds like a decent one compared to the previous man. I am happy for her and I never want to ruin her happiness even if it is with another man."
They stop walking and the woman stares at Johnathon. She places her hand over his heart. "You are a good man and if you want out of your life, I am more than willing to help. I will do whatever it takes to make it happen. I will never leave you."
The man deeply exhales, placing his hand over hers. He rests his head on her shoulder, giving out deep sighs considering her words. She places her hands to his face to look at him. But sadly I still cannot somehow see his face. What on earth is going on with my powers?
I realize I need to get back to the house so if Mina comes, we can talk. I take to flight in the cloudy skies. I am flying over to see that Mina is driving her way to my house. I land at my house maybe ten minutes before Mina arrives. I get inside to do some cleaning of the blood bags up before Mina pulls up.
Mina's POV
I exhale in pulling up to Vlad's house. I tried calling him however it went straight to voicemail. I am not sure if he is mad but I can imagine he is upset in how I took off. I close my car door, walking up to his house when he comes out the front door.
"Vlad, before you say anything to me, I am so sorry for taking off the way I did and-"
He comes right up to me and hugs me. I am taken by surprise when he tells me, "Are you ok, Mina? I have been worried sick for you. We have all been looking for you."
"Yes, I am ok; better than I was when I left. I'm sorry that I sent you, Lucy and Luke on a wild goose chase."
I look at this good man in front of me and we kiss one another for a few moments. I am about to go inside the house when he tells me, "Mina, I want to show you something real quick. Let's go to the barn."
I shake my head yes to him however I need at least a cup of coffee. "Is it ok if we get a cup of coffee before we head over there and talk?"
"Yes, of course."
I start a brew of fresh coffee then sit down. He sits across from me, taking my hand. I rub my fingers against his hand. I feel as if everything makes sense for me in my hand holding Vlad's. I exhale in relief in what I feel for him.
"Mina, what happened after you left? Where did you go?" He asks me in such a soft voice.
"I had to get away from here. I went to my father's grave to clear my head and seek honest council from an old friend."
"Your Guardian?"
I knew he would catch on to what I said to Cassius and I never know what she said when I left. I hope she did not spill out every single detail about him to Vlad. I shake my head yes to Vlad. I need to tell him about Johnathon.
"His name is Johnathon Hunt however I call him Jace. He prefers that name. He was my first love in every way a first love can be. I wanted to spend my lifetime loving him. But whatever he does for work, it won't allow him." I feel such weight lifted off my shoulders telling Vlad about Jace.
"Has he ever tried to leave to be with you?"
"Yes but I believe they found out he was going to try and stop him before he could. They allow him to see me whenever he is in the area. However if he tries to leave again, I don't think I will never see him again. And I would rather have him in my life than not at all. We have to make it work with what we got. I learned to accept it, no matter how much I don't like it."
"How often are you able to see him?"
"Sometimes at the most, it would be every few months. The past two years, it has been twice a year, or once a year. And he calls me or writes me letters to let me know he is safe, checkup on me. I don't think I would be alive without him. If he never came into my life, I would be in jail or dead." I confess to Vlad.
Vlad place his right hand on my shoulder then moves his hand up to the side of my neck. I lean into his hand and continue to tell Vlad about Johnathon. "He helped me get away from Michael the first time. He helped me in the middle of the night; get that place I currently live at. He nearly killed Michael with his bare hands but stopped. He knew Michael was not worth it in the end."
"And he is right. Michael is not worth it. Now he will pay for what he has done in the Mental hospital. I haven't even met your Guardian and I already like him. Is there I can meet him?"
"Unsure if you are able to meet him since he is lucky enough to meet me. But if he is ever in town, I have no doubt he would love to have a drink with you. He loves a good old fashion drink."
"I like him even more in his choice of drink. Tell me more about him." He says with a pleasing smile.
I actually wouldn't mind if Jace and Vlad were to meet. I get the feeling they would be really good friends. I smile at the thought of them having drinks together. "My father started to teach me how to drive but then he died. After his passing, meeting Jace, he taught me how to drive; including driving in ways that are not exactly legal on the road. Plus he taught me how to fix vehicles and motorcycles. He helped me find something to take my mind off things, learn how to take things apart, put it back together like it was never broken, damaged."
"Like Jace did with you whenever he is around you..."
It is almost like Vlad can read my mind when speaking those words right back to me. That is exactly what Jace did for me. I recall the first red light I ever ran with Jace in the passenger seat, shouting in joy for me to go faster. The only sounds were his shouting of joy, a good song playing on the radio, and the engine roaring in the fast speed. Almost nothing compares to that feeling of forgetting any bad for a while.
"Mina, you have no need to worry for your mother. She left and let's just says Lucy worked her magic to see all of her wrong doings and will give you all the time you need before reaching out to you."
"That certainly would be some kind of magic if you made Cassius see her wrong doings." I tell him in a slight chuckle.
"And if you want, we can go to see the woman that took your father away."
I immediately felt something terrible would happen to him if we go to see the monster who took my father. I even feel a cold chill on my body at the thought of standing close to that heartless woman who pulled the trigger at my father, an innocent man.
"No. I do not want you anywhere near this. Michael tried to look into it, see what he could do to fix it. Look where he is at now. I don't want you anywhere near that murderer. That heartless woman has taken enough from me. I will not let her take anything else I care about from me especially you." I take his right hand in mine.
I do not want to lose anything else I care about. I exhale when the coffee maker dings when it is ready. I am about to stand up however Vlad stops me. He starts to walk me toward the back door but I stop wondering where he is taking me.
"Let me show you something better than coffee to get you wide awake and free of everything going on. Do you trust me?"
I stare at his handsome face and feel like I can trust him more than anyone else in the world. I can trust him with my life, my darkest secrets. I shake my head yes to him. "Yes, I trust you, Vlad."
We both head out and we walk the entire way to wherever it is he is taking me. We walk hand in hand the whole way. I don't even know how long we walked until we arrive at his horse barn. I smile to see that we are here. We walk inside the barn to see two horses ready at the cross ties. I see Dimitru and a horse I do not recognize.
I run over to Dimitru. He nods his head in excitement. I kiss him on his forehead smiling in joy to see him again. He is such an amazing horse. I go over to the horse to see this horse has a certain grey color coat. The horse is beautiful and quite the looker.
"Mina, this is Nar Rakasa. Her name is Arabic and it means fire dancer. Wanna see her dance?"
"I do very much, Vlad."
"Good because she is yours along with this." He brings out a grooming kit.
I am in shock to see that this horse is all mine along with the light pink polo wraps, saddle blanket is mine and blush pink grooming gear. I immediately go over to Vlad hugging him in so much joy. "Oh my gosh! You shouldn't have done this!"
He wraps his arms around me knowing how much happiness this brings me. "I know I didn't but I wanted to. All I ask is that you take care of her and if anything happens between us, she can stay here for free and still be yours. How about giving her a go and see how well you two get along?"
I give a slight squeal in excitement and do not hesitate to get her ready. I take my time brushing her down, saddling her up since I hardly know this horse. I want to take the time to get to know Rakasa and for her to get to know me on the ground before under saddle as Vlad would say. Her beautiful coat is unique and different color of gray.
I give him a watch and he gives me a horse. I know I cannot compete with him in giving gifts like he can. And I know he will not take no for an answer, no matter what I say or do. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that I have a horse now.
"What is her coat colored called?"
"It is called Dapple grey. You can see the pattern of dark rings over their grey coat color. A dapple grey horse is a color variation of many horse breeds including Lippizzans, Andalusians, and Percherons. Their mesmerizing color is caused by a special gene that dilutes the horse's base colors. The most distinct feature of dapple grey horses is that times their visually appear almost like star shapes or circles." He brushes down Dimitru and starts to saddle him up.
We both finish saddling up; we do some groundwork like he taught me. I move her to the left, right, forwards and backwards. Then we stretch her out; adjust the girth one more time before I hop on her back. I feel like everything I felt and learned of my father fades away for now. I take the reins in my hands and follow Vlad out to the riding pasture.
We both ride only at a walk and it is already waking me up far more than coffee would ever do. And it is clearing my head just like being in the fast lane. Rakasa is breathing calm and normal while we are walking as the sun is shining bright on me and Vlad. He closes his eyes while the sun is shining on him. He makes it seem like it is the first time he has ever been in sunlight however the feel of sunlight is an amazing thing in the sunrise to sunset. We ride right next to each other across the off color green pastures due to the autumn to winter weather.
Vlad and I ride through the entire morning, letting go of everything that happened in the Feast of Grim. I will never have a Feast like that ever again. I ride on enjoying the morning with Vlad, riding on the amazing blessing horse he gave to me. However I do not feel deserving of it since I only finally told him about Jace,
Suddenly Vlad tells me, "I want to tell you about someone. She was my first love just like Jace is to you. Her name was Mirena."
I slightly freeze in hearing the name since I spoke it to Lucy in our girl time and haven't spoken it to Vlad yet. Vlad lowers his head and talks about her the way I talk about Jace.
"She was one of the most beautiful women I have ever met. She was such a good hearted woman and would do anything, even give up her life to protect those she loves. Anyone in her heart is worth protecting. She actually gave her life to save me. I would not be here with her. She had a smile that made you smile right back. She was honest and knew what she wanted in life from the first moment we laid eyes on each other. I wanted to spend my lifetime loving her. But a dark fate decided to have other plans for me."
Our hands come together as he still talks about her. He said how fun and adventurous she was. I see how he must feel in how I talked about Jace in how he talks about Mirena to me. We both have people we love and wanted to be with however certain dark fates are in the way. This is a big sign that maybe my relationship with Jace and his relationship with Mirena was never meant to be.
Possibly we were meant to be with someone else, maybe even with each other in time. That is what it feels like as we continue to ride together side by side, hand in hand. We smile to one another in the sunlight and look ahead at the sunrise. And what is to come for us. I do not know where I would be without my Guardian, Vlad, Lucy and Luke in my life. I feel so blessed to be where I am now and GOD is the one that made this happen.
After all GOD makes all things new as his Word says in Revelation 21:5.
And he that sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
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