Chapter Text
The last ray of evening sunlight fell through the crack in the drapes, laying itself across Em’s face. Her eyes flew open, reflecting red around the room. She looked over at Gavin, laying next to her in the bed. The sunlight played across his hair, turning it a brilliant amber color.
She still felt giddy when she looked at it.
It didn’t feel like only a little over a year ago she had been broken and bleeding, surrounded by shards of glass, dying in a bed of roses, when he had stretched out his hand and saved her at the risk of his own life.
Em smiled, and reached out to touch his hair, to capture the feelings of their reunion once again.
Gavin’s eyes snapped open and he grabbed her wrist, pressing a tender kiss to her palm.
Vampiric existence was supposed to be cold, she used to think, but with Gavin, everything was warm again.
“Good evening,” he said, pulling her over onto his broad chest, “You’re up early.”
“The sun woke me,” she murmured, content to listen to his steady breathing while he stroked her hair.
“I’m glad we convinced Victor to get the special windows put in,” Gavin responded.
“I’m glad too. The sun...sometimes that was the only thing that kept me alive, waiting for you.” Gavin pulled her tighter to his chest.
“If I could go back,” he said, “I would have come to the castle straight away. I never would have brought the other members of the Order. I never would have made you choose.”
Em lifted herself up a little bit, looking him straight in the eyes.
“However you got here, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we’re together now. Forever.” Her silver wedding band glinted in the late sunlight and she was reminded of how, once Gavin had recovered from being turned, she had insisted that they get married. Lucien had performed the ceremony, taking up his priestly mantle once more. Victor grudgingly served as their witness, although he complained about the stupidity of the immortal undead pledging their souls to each other and promising to be together “until death do us part.” Kiro, of course, had been nowhere to be found.
Gavin rolled up, reversing their positions and trapping Em under his weight.
“Don’t be sad,” he muttered, “It’s our anniversary.” He captured her mouth in a kiss.
“Did I also mention that I’m very glad Victor got rid of the coffins and gave us this bed?” Gavin asked, breaking the kiss off, a roguish grin on his face, “Because I’m very happy about that.” Em’s face flushed.
“Gavin!” she shrieked, laughing and covering her face.
“What?” Gavin asked, wearing an innocent expression, “two people can’t sleep comfortably in a coffin.”
“That’s not what you meant!” She shoved his bare chest.
“No? What did I mean then?” he asked, kissing her neck, letting his fangs skim across her skin. Em shivered, but before she could respond, there was a knock on the door. Gavin cursed under his breath and sat up, releasing Em.
“If you lovebirds are ever planning on getting up,” Lucien’s voice cut through the door, “Victor, in the spirit of family relations, planned an entire day full of festivities to celebrate the past year and officially welcome Gavin into the family.”
“Where does Victor get off on acting like our father?” Gavin grumbled, pulling on his suit jacket. As much as Victor had relaxed about some things, he still provided them with what he thought was best for vampires to wear.
“Be nice, Gavin,” Em chided, putting on yet another lacy frock, moving her hair away as Gavin came to lace up the back, “He’s graciously providing us a place to live and food to eat.”
Gavin tightened the laces with practiced hands and tied them off, then draped himself over her shoulders.
“Can’t he just leave us alone, today of all days?” Gavin asked, his breath warming her ear, “This is all just a distraction.”
“We have to repay him, Gav,” Em said, giving Gavin a quick kiss on the cheek before extriciating herself from his grasp. She finished getting ready and grabbed his hand. They entered the hallway only to see Lucien lounging against the wall, fingering the cross pendant he always wore.
“About time,” he said, pushing off of the wall, dropping his necklace. It swung around his neck hypnotically.
“I was about to come in and get you,” he said, striding down the hallway with purpose.
“That’s really not necessary,” Em said, trotting a bit to keep up, although Gavin obstinately refused to walk any faster. She let go of his hand.
“What does Victor have planned exactly?” she asked, tugging a loose strand of hair anxiously. Lucien looked back at her, and seeing the distance between her and Gavin, he stopped.
“Only Victor knows, kitten,” he said, taking the loose hair from around her face, looking at her with his original eyes, rather than the red vampiric ones, their unnatural shade of purple reminding her that Lucien might never have been fully human. He twisted the strand in his fingers, as if contemplating how to phrase his next words.
Gavin rushed forward.
“Out of the way,” he snarled, grabbing Em’s hand again and surging forward, pulling her in his wake.
“Gavin,” Lucien called from behind them, “Do you know where to go?” Gavin slowed, his grip tightening on Em’s hand for a split second.
“I hate that man,” he mumbled.
“Gavin, stop that,” Em hissed, “You know-”
“Yes, I know, he’s one of the only reasons you’re still existing today. And that’s the reason I don’t just take you and run away from here.”
“We can’t leave...not after Kiro…” Em trailed off. They hadn’t seen Kiro since the day Gavin had turned. When Em had returned to the wreckage of the solarium, she’d found the rose beds torn up, the silk lining of the coffin destroyed, and the glass panels shattered. Pools of water from a recent rainstorm had shifted in the night breeze, rose petals gently dancing in the small waves. All of this, but Kiro was nowhere to be found.
It had been a year, and he still hadn’t returned.
“Em, he tried to get you to kill me.”
“I know, but...he was part of the family. He really helped me, Gavin.”
“I’m here now, and nothing can keep me away,” Gavin said, looking at her earnestly as he brought her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss over her fingers, lingering on her wedding band.
“I just came to direct you to the special dining room for the day,” Lucien sighed, having caught up with them, “Stay on task.”
They drifted through the halls until they reached a dining room in the part of the castle Em had never spent much time in...the part leading to the forest outside.
The dining room was eerily quiet, still, breathless with anticipation. Not a single clock face in the room stirred, and the absence of the usual ticking was unsettling. Em shivered, and Gavin tightened his grip around her waist, molding her to his side. Lucien rolled his eyes.
“I go through all of this trouble, and he’s not even here,” he grumbled.
“Stay here, and behave,” the former priest said, strolling out of the room, “I have to fetch him, apparently. I am so tired of being the only responsible one in this entire castle.” Em stifled a laugh behind her hand and was rewarded by a slight grin from Lucien as he opened the door. Gavin’s hands clutched her even tighter.
Gavin flipped her around to face him, one hand sliding up her back to rest between her shoulder blades.
“Looks like we’re alone now,” he whispered, eyes glinting. Em blushed, noticing that Gavin’s ears were just as red as her face felt.
“Lucien told us to behave,” she said, locking her arms around his neck, “whatever that means. He also told me once that if anyone misbehaved, I should bite them.”
Gavin raised an eyebrow.
“What’ll you do if I misbehave then?”
Gavin didn’t give her a chance to answer before he pushed her up against the wall, kissing her neck.
“Gavin!” Em gasped.
“Just picking up where we left off before that damn priest interrupted us.” Em hummed, relaxing a bit against the wall, eyes falling shut under the gentle feeling of Gavin’s lips against her skin. He worked his way up to her lips and she leaned in to the kiss, clutching his hair between her fingers.
“Ahem,” came the polite cough from the doorway.
Gavin pulled back and scowled.
“What?” he snarled, fangs showing.
“I thought I told you two to behave,” Lucien said, “But I see that that was just a dream.”
“Can’t you just leave us alone?” Gavin asked, still pinning Em against the wall. She shoved his chest lightly.
“Gavin, let me down,” she insisted, looking at the troubled expression on Lucien’s normally placid face. Gavin stepped back, and Em extriciated herself, going over to the vampire to which she was blood-bound.
Although she loved Gavin more than life itself, the fact that Lucien’s blood ran through her veins was no small matter.
“What’s wrong, Lucien?” she asked, taking his cold hand in hers.
“There’s been...a change in plans,” Lucien said, still not meeting her eyes, “I need to take you to the entrance.”
Em and Gavin exchanged a glance. Even though the threat to them should have been gone after the massacre of the Order when Gavin was turned, Victor was too paranoid to let them outside much, preferring to keep them in the castle and import their food. They’d only been outside a handful of times in the last year. They followed silently as Lucien led them to the entrance. Victor stood by the door, running his hands through his hair in agitation.
“What’s the problem?” Em asked, approaching her creator. Gavin ghosted behind her. While he couldn’t understand the blood bond between her and Lucien, he understood the bonds between creator and offspring. After all, Em was his creator. It was a special bond, a sacred one for him. As much as it pained him to see the way Victor looked at her, he had to respect that relationship.
“Someone,” Victor announced, “Is encroaching upon our territory.”
“What?” Em asked, “I thought we were the only full-fledged vampires in the area.”
“We are. Or we should be. Everyone else was purified by the Order before we could stop them. My contracts with the lesser vampires prohibits them from hunting within a fifty kilometer radius from the castle. But this...this is a true tragedy. Our entire way of life here is endangered."
"But what exactly has happened, Victor? What's so terrible?" Gavin asked, breaking into the conversation.
"The village...everyone in it...they are dead. Drained. Nothing left but bloodless corpses."
Em gasped, stepping back and running into Gavin's solid chest. He placed a steadying hand between her shoulder blades, but Em could feel that he was shaking as well. That, more than anything, terrified her. Gavin, although at first averse to this way of life, was more cavalier about the realities of being a vampire and drinking blood in order to survive. He was her rock, he was solid and sure and warm. But this...this was weakening the foundation upon which she stood.
Em knew, of course, that there were vampires with no respect for human life, who lacked morals and given in to their monstrous instincts. But to have the evidence of it so close to her…
"Which of the villages is it?" Gavin asked, voice low and urgent, "Which one?"
"The one where you found her," Victor responded.
Em dropped to her knees, barely able to breathe.
"It's my fault," she whispered, "I'm sure of it."
Gavin knelt at her side.
"Did you drain those villagers, Em?" he asked, brushing the hair out of her eyes. She shook her head.
"N-no. But I probably drew someone's attention. All of you say you can sense me from far away because of my powers."
“Then it’s not your fault,” Gavin said. Em continued to stare at the ground. Gavin grabbed her shoulders.
“Look at me, Em. Look me in the eyes.” He tilted her chin up to look at her, ignoring the icy sting of the tears that were spilling down her cheeks.
“Even if someone sensed you and came close to find you, whether they were curious or something else, you are not to blame. You are the furthest from blame here. I’ve never met a vampire so reluctant to feed,” Gavin said.
“Finally, he says something I can agree with,” Lucien muttered from his post against the wall.
“What do we need to do to eliminate the threat, Victor?” Gavin asked, looking up at the count.
“We need to investigate,” Victor said.
“Count me in,” Gavin said, standing up and holding out a hand. Em grasped it and he lifted her to her feet.
“I’m going too,” Em said. Victor scowled.
“I would prefer if you stayed,” Victor said, “Especially if you have concerns about this threat being able to sense you.”
“No,” Em said, “If everyone else is going, I am too. Especially if this is because of me.”
“You don’t have to compromise your safety to fix things for everyone else,” Gavin said, “Please stay here. Stay safe. For me?”
Em ripped her hand away.
“Ever since I was turned, all everyone can tell me is that I’m powerful and then they keep me from using my power to help. No more! I’m going.”
“Em, please, stay,” Gavin pleaded, “I’ll be sick with worry if you go.”
“I think she should be able to do as she pleases,” Lucien chimed in, “She’s capable. She made you, after all, Gavin.”
“Back off, Lucien,” Gavin growled, “You’ve been in our hair all day. I’m getting sick of this.”
“Let him talk,” Em said.
“Really Em? Can’t you see? He’s just using you. I’m sure he’s upset that you didn’t choose him and the other vampires over me that night.”
Lucien’s eyes flashed red, a dangerous sign. Em felt her fangs dropping down, like they did every time she was agitated.
“Seriously Gavin? This again? I chose you because I’m in love with you. But I love the others too. They’re my family. I can’t just leave them.”
“Why are you so blind?”
“You’re the blind one here!” she yelled, forgetting their audience, “You can’t see past your own jealousy to realize that I can have other people I love! You’re not the only one. Stop projecting your guilt over leaving me and trying to kill me onto my relationships with other people.”
That one landed. Em watched the hurt fill Gavin’s eyes, but she was too angry to apologize.
“Since you and Victor don’t want me around,” she said, “I’m going with Lucien.”
She walked over to Lucien and took his offered arm. They walked out of the hall and into the bright moonlight. Lucien glanced back to Gavin, his expression an odd mix of satisfaction and pity.
“Gavin, perhaps…”
“Shut up, Victor, let’s go.”