Everything was black, it had been that way for so long I couldn’t even count the years anymore. My only company was her voice, constantly taunting me, telling me that she had made sure my child had lost everything. Vivinity was living a loveless life as a vampire; no family, no friends, no love, nothing but bloodlust and hate.
Vivinity had been forced to become something without ever really knowing what she was to begin with. There was so much I wish I could explain to her, so many things I needed to apologize for.
I wanted to cry, knowing Vivinity must have been scared and so alone. But other than her voice in my head, and what she occasionally let me experience through her eyes and ears, I was basically dead, or wishing I was.
What might have been different if I hadn’t thought to hide what I’d done, how I had loved? Terrance would have made sure I’d suffered, he’d have done everything in his power to take what was mine before our marriage, and keep Falcon from me. I had feared losing so much more than what I may have gained. At the time it had seemed too much to risk—now I knew better. Love would have been worth anything I could have lost to Terrance, my son would never have stayed from me for long. But she… she would have come for me eventually, she never would have allowed me happiness. I may have been able to steal some moments of happiness, but I never would have escaped her wrath.
I caught glimpses of her stray thoughts every once in a while. I knew she was extra irritated lately; something was happening that she didn’t like, something that made her amp up her taunting of me. I feared, and hoped, that one day she would let me just be dead, I was so tired of waiting. I would never have my soulmate again, or my children.
Death was the only thing to look forward to now.
I woke up before noon, which was not what I normally did and I was instantly on alert. What had brought me out of my deepest sleep? I slept like a vampire, dead to the world for as long as the sun was high in the sky, unless forced to wake up. I didn’t sense any kind of danger, so I quickly began drifting back off when I heard something from the living room.
Grunting.
Falcon was awake, my mesmerization must have worn off. I rolled over, he was fine and I was tired.
I fell back asleep for a few hours but was woken again by a crash that brought me up and out of bed running for the front room. I saw the bottom of my chair and Falcon’s feet kicking in the air. He’d flipped the thing backwards, but he hadn’t gotten out of his chains. I thought about leaving him like that and going back to bed.
“Damn-it who’s there? I deserve to know who my captor is, and why I’m here!” He yelled and shook his body. His sharp intake of breath told me he’d moved a chain far enough to get contact with skin.
That’ll teach him, I thought with a smug smile. I walked around the chair and looked down at him, hands on my hips. His face was confused for a long time, but I waited, I knew he’d recognize me eventually, we were blood. I could feel it, a tingle of recognition when I was near him. It was a fairy thing.
“Sister?” He asked, still not seeming sure he believed it.
“Falcon, my brother, it’s been a while. I must say, you don’t look good.”
“What the hell are you doing?” His voice was accusatory. “Are you going to turn me just to get back at dad because—”
“No,” I cut him off and bared my fangs at him, enjoying the fear that passed over his face. I stepped back and glared. “I wouldn’t curse you to this. I just want what’s mine.” Never in all these years had I turned someone, it was an act of creating family, I had no interest in that.
His face was confused again and I had to wonder if he was as dumb as his pretty face made him seem. Humans who looked like that, and took up stripping, weren’t generally high on the intelligence scale.
“I don’t have anything of yours. Were you in the club last night? What did you do to me?” His voice was demanding now, angry, and I decided he probably wasn’t an idiot, that was good.
“My inheritance that mother left me. I want it, its mine, and you are my hostage. I did what I had to do in order to get you here safely, don’t worry, no permanent damage was done. You can go back to your life of luxury and stripping very soon.” I let my voice show my disdain for everything about him and his life.
“You highly overestimate Father’s care for me.” He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. “I feel severely damaged by the way, these chains are incredibly draining. Can you take me outside? I need sunshine and earth.”
I frowned down at him, not believing one word about Father. “I will bring plants near, that’s the best I can do.”
His eyes opened and he glared, seemingly unsure if his best approach was anger and outrage, or simpering hurt. “At least flip me over and get this iron off of my wrist first, that shit burns!”
He was naturally demanding and arrogant, just as I’d remembered. I thought about ignoring him, but I didn’t hate him that much. I flipped the chair, rearranged the blanket and chains, then dragged a couple plants near him. I curled up on the couch, still tired, but at least it was closer to my normal wakeup time. He leaned his head close to the plants and breathed deeply, I knew it would energize him, they energized me when I needed it too.
I suddenly realized he needed so much more; his body functioned different than mine. “Do you want some coffee, or something to eat?”
He regarded me doubtfully. “A vampire with a full kitchen?”
“No, but I can order something.” I grinned viciously. “And take a sip from whoever delivers.”
He looked disgusted but nodded his head. “Everyone’s gotta eat.”
It wasn’t the first time I had ordered food, not that anyone had been here to eat it. I had just used it as a ruse for an easy meal for myself when going out had seemed like too much effort. I dialed the familiar number and held the phone up for Falcon to order, he didn’t even try to alert the person on the other end of the line. Humans were not aware we existed and would be no help in this situation anyway. I was glad to see he was smart enough to realize it would only make me angry if he tried.
I went back to the couch after and stared at my brother, he stared right back with open curiosity.
“How often do you feed?”
“Every couple of days is enough. I fed from you last night, so I don’t have to feed again now, but I won’t turn down a free meal either.” I shrugged; it was the truth.
“Do you have any of your fae powers?”
“I have my wings.”
“You look…” he hesitated and I was impressed that he seemed to care he might offend me.
“Dull?”
“Exactly! You don’t shimmer like a fairy anymore.”
“No, and I don’t react to iron anymore either. At least not in small exposures, I haven’t tested it too far.”
“So, you can fly, you aren’t harmed by iron, and you suck blood.”
“Basically.”
“You’re like a super supernatural!”
I laughed; this was a side of my brother I remember from childhood. Happy and teasing. I hadn’t expected to see it. Why wasn’t he hardened into hatred like our father? Of course, he could just be trying to get on my good side so I would make a mistake and he could drive a stake through my heart. I wasn’t about to start trusting him just because he was being mildly pleasant in conversation.
“Well, I react to silver, wooden stakes, and too much sun. I can’t digest food, and I sleep the days away.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad if you ask me. This is far from a dark cave, at least what I can see from here.”
I looked around. It was a two bedroom, two bathroom, condo that I had decorated in light colors. I never used the second bedroom or bathroom; they were pretty sparse. It had a modern kitchen I also didn’t use. The living room was comfortable and so was my bedroom. I’d mesmerized myself some free expensive furniture a few times. I felt like I could be myself up here, and I wanted to be comfortable. My vampire fairy self…
“Do you need to use the restroom?” I remembered the fact of such a need, I hadn’t been in that condition in so long. My vampire body just absorbed and burned the blood I took in, since there was nothing else going in, there was no waste to take out. It really was a most efficient system.
He looked embarrassed, his face was red, but he tried to sit up tall and proud. “I wouldn’t mind a few minutes alone in a bathroom and shower. Perhaps you have something I could wear that’s a little more appropriate for a hostage situation?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and examined him carefully. I didn’t think I could trust him. I also couldn’t make him sit there without access to a toilet, shower was debatable as a need, and so were clothes, but I had to feed him and that would lead to more trips to the bathroom. He was no good to me dead, and I didn’t wish him harm, he was just a means to an end. I was kicking myself for not thinking this far. “I will be right back.” I went into my room and checked for a message from our father. A quick end to this hostage situation would solve all of those problems. There was nothing, so I called the only person I counted as even kind of a friend in this life.
“Hello! Viv, how’s it going? It’s so nice to hear from you!” Jackie’s cheerful voice made me roll my eyes, she was never not cheerful.
“Jackie, I need your help.”
There was a moment of silence where I could imagine she was dancing with joy. She wanted nothing more than to be my best friend, much to my own frustration. I had met Jackie a year ago, when I’d first moved to Vegas in search of my father and brother. She was working at the real estate office I’d walked into and I could tell right away she was a witch, so I knew she’d understand why I wanted to be shown all the places in the dark. What she couldn’t have understood, and had been seemingly terrified to ask, was why I had strode into the office the first time in full daylight. She’d looked like she was going to freak in that moment, and if I hadn’t given her my friendliest smile, and warning eyes, she might have revealed us both in those moments. She’d calmed quickly and I knew I could trust her to a point, but I hadn’t dared let her get close enough to know much about my life. Now I needed her, and I had to hope she would be able to handle it.
We’d spent some time together since she’d sold this place to me, a few meet ups for clubbing when I got very bored or wanted to check a place out for possible fairy activity. She didn’t know what I was up to, but she knew it was more than social outings for me. She didn’t pry, even though I could feel her dying inside to ask me all kinds of questions. I’d also started to wonder if she wasn’t part fae herself, though I’d never asked; the less I knew about her, the less chance I would get attached.
When she was calm enough to speak, she asked brightly, “What do you need and where are you? Do I need a weapon? I have some mace somewhere.” I could hear her digging around, probably looking for said mace, as if it would do anything to an enemy my fangs wouldn’t be better apt to do, or her magic.
“Bring me some men’s clothes, size large. Also… something to keep a fairy confined in my condo.”
“Viv!” She said it like it was two syllables, Vi-iv. “What the hell have you gotten yourself into— never mind, I’m on it! I will be there in an hour.” She hung up before I could ask what she had in mind.
I was more than a little worried about her excitement. I’d been holding her at arm’s length for so long, kind of hoping she’d stop trying for friendship. I guess it was good she never took the hint. I walked back out to the living room and found Falcon with a pained look on his face.
“You’ll have to hold it an hour. I have a friend who’s going to bring clothes and something to keep you in the condo, whether or not you’re tied up with iron chains.”
“I hope you aren’t fond of this chair,” he threatened calmly.
I glared at him and hissed, barring my fangs. His eyes widened slightly, but he quickly hid it and tried to match my glare. “I could bite you again, and then I could safely untie you.”
He thought about that for a second. “I can wait. I have amazing self-control, it’s a fairy thing.”
I rolled my eyes. “I thought so.” He’d just been trying to up his chances for escape. “So, tell me, why do you think I am overestimating Father’s care for you?”
“Because he thinks I’m a fuck up, and he has washed his hands of me… or so he says. He cut me off, said I needed to learn what it meant to make money in order to survive. That’s why I had to start stripping. Of course, I did it my way, bought my own club, offered jobs to fairies who needed it. I’ve managed to gain quite a little following. Not that he cares, it’s never good enough,” Falcon grumbled.
He sounded sincere. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear my father had kicked out his only son who was living off of him like a parasite all these years, trying to make him into a man. I did doubt that our father would let him die, or worse, become a vampire, which is exactly what I planned to threaten if he didn’t release my inheritance.
“He won’t let me turn you.” I met his gaze and spoke with certainty.
Fear and disgust filled Falcon’s face, and he didn’t bother trying to hide it. I steeled myself against the feelings of hurt and shame they threatened to bring up. That same look had filled my father’s face when I had come to him after I’d been turned. It was the last time my father had laid eyes on me, that I know of. I hadn’t stuck around to hear his hurtful words.
“Is-is that what you plan to do?”
“No, I plan to get my money and property, then release you back to your life. I plan-I plan to do things, things that I need that money for.” I didn’t bother explaining my reasons to him, he didn’t deserve to know my life.
“And if he refuses?”
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t.” I didn’t have a contingency plan, and that scared the hell out of me.