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elfboyeros · 3 months ago

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The Witch's Library

🚨Stories in this series contain suggestive/triggering themes [Abuse, Stalking, etc.] where there are warnings on the post this is an extra warning if you wish not to engage with this series I completely understand.

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“—So wait a second,” Odette huffs as she, Margo, Venus, Delphin, and Henriette sit at that kitchen table. “You’re telling us there is an evil old man that’s been trying to kidnap us since we were born?!”

“It seems like it,” Delphin mutters, “and none of us realized until about 8 months ago.”

“8 months would have been June,” Margo mumbles, “So Gustave has been putting in more effort since we turned 18.”

Odette clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, “Gustave, of course, he’s a fucking Frenchmen.”

“Birdie,” Belladonna sighed.

“What! Can I not be angry?” Odette huffs, “Some disgusting… pedophile has been obsessed with us since we were born!”

“I think the correct term would be ephebophile,” Margo mutters.

“HE’S A FUCKING FREAK!” Odette shouts before hearing the front door open and close.

Belladonna jumps up from her seat and makes her way to the front door, “Wilhelm,” she sighs, running to Wilhem and quickly checking him for injuries before hugging him.

“I’m alright, mein Schwan,” he sighs, with his arms tightly around her waist, “Did you think a man like Peregrine would be the end of me?”

“Of course not, but I can still worry,” she coos.

Margo pokes her head into the hallway, and Odette leans against the archway to the kitchen as Wilhelm places his coat on the rack near the door, “Are you okay, Daddy,” Margo asks.

“I’m alright, Perle.”

“Can I get my car keys back?” Odette asks.

“No,” Wilhelm states firmly.

“What the hell, dude?! I have done nothing wrong, and you are taking my keys away!” Odette complains.

“This isn’t a punishment, dude,” Wilhelm mocks, entering the kitchen, “This is for your safety if you aren’t going to tell anyone where you are going –even if you are an adult—I’m keeping all the car keeps away from you.”

“So, it is a punishment!” Odette scoffs with her arms crossed.

“Call it whatever you like, Odette; it’s not going to make me give you back your car keys,” Wilhelm taunts back, sitting down at the head of the table.

“Feels like home,” Venus mutters to Delphin, making him choke on his water.

Wilhelm rubs his temples before remarking, “Tomorrow, we are going to the Witch’s Library. Hopefully, they will have anything on Gustave to help us.”

“And if they don’t,” Delphin asks.

Wilhelm sighs, only letting his body relax when he feels Belladonna’s hands on his shoulders, “We’ll have to use all the knowledge we have to end his life,” Wilhelm answers, “Whether it will work or not.”

There is this heaviness that persists throughout dinner. No one wants to talk about what is most prevalent, and asking get-to-know questions of Henriette didn’t help alleviate that heaviness. Even after dinner, when everyone was winding down when everyone was heading to their rooms, the air was still thick.

“Huh?” Henriette croaked as she entered the spare bedroom in the Con Vester home, seeing Delphin removing his jacket and hanging off the bedpost. “Uh… Mrs. Con Vester,” the young woman utters before the vampiric woman starts up the stairs.

“Belladonna,” she replies in a singsongy voice, approaching the young werewolf, “What is the matter, sweetheart?”

“Do—do you have an extra room?” Henriette asks.

“Is there something wrong with this one?”

“No, no, beautiful room, a lovely room, just… Uh…I—”

Belladonna hummed and nodded, “Sweetheart, I’m sorry we don’t have any more spare rooms; you and Delphin have to share.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Con Vester. Goodnight,” Henriette sighs, a bit defeated.

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” Belladonna retorts, walking back to the staircase, “And call me Belladonna, please!”

“She’s lying,” Delphin mutters once Henriette enters the guest bedroom once again, “Wilhelm filled his house with rooms upon rooms before he even knew he would spend his life with anyone.”

“Belladonna is sweet, I doubt—”

“Belladonna schemes,” Delphin scoffs, “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Henriette furrowed her brow, “No, don’t do that,” she muttered, “The bed is big enough to share.”

The change from dusk to dawn is quiet, breakfast is short, and after a quick bye to Aphrodite, as she goes to run errands, everyone is in one of Wilhelm’s beloved classic cars. “Mr. Con Vester?” Henriette asks from the backseat, “Why would the witches have any information on vampires?”

“Well, Mrs. Le Doux,” Wilhelm began, “Witches have always had a talent for keeping information guarded. Their spells, the things they have seen, the things they have heard. Witch libraries are not only a collection of classic literature but also a sanctuary for information on the supernatural and the magical. Thanks to the witches that have convened here in Romania over the years, we have one of the largest witch libraries in the world.”

“I think there used to be one in New Orleans, didn’t there?” asks Belladonna.

Wilhelm thought for a moment, “Yes. However, in the 1930s, the library was destroyed by fire. I think they relocated, but I don’t remember where,” He answers before the car comes to a stop.

The building they parked in front of bears a strong resemblance to an old church. Gothic architecture and open doors; however, there is no religious imagery covering the large building. Multiple women could be seen standing in the entrance hall from the sidewalk, all dressed in shades of black, with most of them wearing dresses that had a distinctly gothic look.

One of the witches, peach skin with milk-white splotches and brown hair, turns away to look outside the main doors as if she could feel a shift in the wind, eyes widening before grabbing the shoulder of the dark-skinned blonde witch next to her.

“Marjorie! Marjorie!”

Marjorie narrowed her aqua-colored eyes at the woman beside her, “Eleanor, we are in the middle of a conversation!”

“This is better than our conversation, look!”

The other witches rolled their eyes at one another as Marjorie turned around to look outside, seeing The Con Vesters and The Le Douxs approaching the library. “Mrs. and Mr. Con Vester!” Eleanor remarks, waving her eyes, which are kind, one white and one green, like grass.

“What can we help you all with today?” Marjorie asks, with a smile, as the group gets close and the other witches disperse.

“The girls are searching for some vampiric information,” Wilhelm answers.

“You’re not coming in with us?” Ask Margo.

“I have a hunch I want to follow,” He replies, smiling at his daughter before turning to Belladonna, who was giving him a: where do you think you’re going stare. “If vampires are traveling here to get the girls, they would need some place to get blood, wouldn’t you agree?” He quietly remarks.

Belladonna nods, looking past him to glance at Delphin, who was hanging back with his sister and his wife, staring at the library and observing the architecture. “Take Delphin with you. Maybe you can learn about the relationship he has with Henriette.”

“So, you are already scheming,” Wilhelm chuckles, kissing her cheek as a goodbye.

She shrugs with a smirk, “It’s what I do best.”

Wilhelm turned to leave. “Delphin, come on,” he called before the young werewolf man looked at him in confusion. “I need extra strength where I'm going.”

Delphin shrugged Venus and Henriette before following Wilhelm to the car, “I see how it is,” an elderly woman’s voice remarked, making Wilhelm freeze and turn back around, seeing an elderly witch in a long black dress and a large magenta shawl emerge from behind Eleanor and Marjorie. Pale purple eyes narrowed at the old vampire man, a smirk across her lips while her short light pink hair reached her chin, “Wilhelm Con Vester, leaving once again before saying hello.”

“You know that is fair from the truth,” Wilhelm retorts.

“I’m still not hearing a hello.”

“Hello, Winifred,” he chuckles, “Now, may I leave?”

“Fine,” Winifred laughed, “We’ll take good care of your girls.”

“Thank you,” Wilhelm remarks, walking to his car, “I’ll be back soon.”

Exchanging verbal goodbyes, Wilhelm drove off with Delphin in tow while Winifred, Eleanor, and Marjorie gave all their attention to Belladonna, Henriette, Margo, Odette, and Venus. “It is rather odd that you have come to us for information on vampires,” Winifred remarks, guiding them through the halls of the library. “Wilhelm is one of the oldest vampires to exist.”

“And he’s actually liked,” Eleanor comments.

Belladonna let out a slight giggle before replying, “We are looking for information on a single vampire, Gustave Batezatu.”

“Mhm Batezatu,” Winifred hums, “Yet again, I am surprised. I would think Wilhelm would have met him in his many years of living.”

“He says he knows nothing about him,” Belladonna retorts, “Only of him.”

“Gustave is a vampire from the 13th century,” Marjorie began to recite, “About 60 decades younger than Dracula, they were turned around the same time, some even say by the same person.”

“Remarked as mean and violent, many say if you are faced with his tall stature and large point teeth, you better have the running skills of a track Olympian,” Eleanor adds before hissing like a vampire with her hands up as if she were acting like a bear.

Winifred opens the large wooden doors to a library wing, bookshelves upon bookshelves even filling a lofted area, rows of large tables, “Our archives of vampirism and lycanthropy here. You girls are free to roam and view whatever you look,” the elder witch remarks before turning to Belladonna, “I can only assume you are searching for information on someone like Batezatu is because you all are in danger.”

Belladonna looked toward Margo and Odette as they ventured into the library with Henriette, Eleanor, Marjorie, and Venus, “Yes, ma’am.”

“We don’t have much on specific individuals when it comes to vampires. However, I do hope we can help,” Winifred replies, “Vampires on the bottom, Werewolves on the top in the loft.” She smiles at Belladonna, “I have to go babysit.”

“Have a nice day, Winnie,” Belladonna calls as Winifred walks away before entering the library nook with everyone else.

With the girls searching for answers in the Witch’s Library, Wilhelm and Delphin drove, “Where are we going?” Delphin asks.

“The blood bank; I have a feeling some of Gustave’s henchmen have gone through the doctor who owns the bank to get blood,” Wilhelm answers. “Find where they are. Find where Gustave is.”

Delphin hums, staring out the window, “How are you enjoying being married?” Wilhelm asks.

“It’s only been a few months,” Delphin sighed, “We haven’t had much time to be alone; we have only been in the swamp manor for like 2 months, and even then, I’m barely home.”

“Belladonna thinks you two haven’t been sleeping together,” Wilhelm comments.

Delphin opens his mouth as if to fight back. However, he sighs, “We haven’t been. Last night was the first time because Belladonna forced us to.”

Wilhelm hums, “Do you love her son?”

“I do,” Delphin admits rather quickly, “I wouldn’t have married her if I didn’t. I just—I—urgh—Having to take over Dad’s place has just fucked my shit up. I’ve known Henriette for years since we were kids, and now I feel like I don’t know her because I never get the chance to talk to her! I don’t know myself; I’m always tired and angry, I just want to spend time with my wife, having fucking dinner with her, and I never can because I’m never home! I haven’t even told her I love her, grah!”

Delphin sat in the passenger seat with his head between his knees, “I’m starting to think I scare her sometimes.”

“Oh please,” Wilhelm scoffs, “She may be an anxious young woman, but once she is aware and secure of her sourcing, her high intelligence shines.”

Delphin thinks back to before he left home. Even though she was anxious about trying to physically stop him from leaving, she was very assertive about accompanying him to Romania.

“You’re right,” Delphin sighs, “But why doesn’t she talk to me?”

“She understands the pressure and stress you are under; she is just trying to keep her distance,” Wilhelm explains, “Or only one could assume.”

“How is love so simple for you and Belladonna?”

Wilhelm let out a laugh. “I don’t rightfully know,” he admits, as his car comes to a stop, “even if I did know that the way individuals love one another is different. You know how to treat a woman in kind, and that’s all you must do.”

“It can’t be that simple,” Delphin remarks as Wilhem gets out of the car.

“It is the simplest part of the concept of love,” the elderly vampire comments, “Come on, son.”

Both men enter the small blood bank in the middle of Romania. The young receptionist is instantly nervous upon seeing two large men enter the business. “Is he in?” Wilhelm asks the woman, pointing his cane toward the closed office door.

The woman let out a squeaky hum while nodding before Wilhelm barged into the small office where an older man in a lab coat sat at a large desk, “Mr. Con Vester, what I surprise—Oh no, he can’t be in here.”

“Adam, I don’t have time for your bigotry!” Wilhelm remarked, “I need to see a list of the vampires that have visited you in the last 8 months.”

“Wilhelm, I can’t just give that information, no matter how powerful you are,” Adam replies, giving a hash side eye to Delphin.

“Look, man, this is important; we need those lists,” Delphin adds with his arms crossed.

“I don’t have to give out individual medical documentation to random civilians,” Adam says, narrowing his eyes at Delphin.

“This a blood bank; no one has come here for medical care,” Delphin huffs.

“You're not a lawyer anymore, Wilhelm. You haven’t been for a while, and even if you were, I am under no obligation to do anything you ask me to,” Adam comments smugly, “and I won’t.”

Wilhelm sighs, looking at the long side table under the large window in the office, where the surface is covered in pictures of Adam’s family and other decorative trinkets. “You’re right,” he mutters before taking his cane and swinging it across the desk as if it were a baseball bat.

“JESUS CHRIST!”

“I’ve about had it, ya' know. I’ve killed more people in the past 3 days than I have in the last 18 years, and I don’t mind adding you to that list, Adam,” Wilhelm admits before smashing his cane atop a picture frame on Adam’s desk. “Now you either give me the names of the vampires that have been here in the last 8 months, or I’ll break more than just your shit.”

“Alright, alright!” Adam shrieked, jumping up and running to his filing cabinet.

Whilst Delphin watched Wilhelm control a man by the sheer idea of fear, Belladonna, Margo Odette, Henriette, and Venus combed through books with Eleanor and Marjorie’s assistance.

The teens and the witches remained at the table they had settled on while Henriette ventured into the loft to research her heritage for a brief break from the gruesome readings on vampiric history.

“I see you have found something to read,” Belladonna remarks as she approaches the top of the loft.

Henriette hums, “I’m surprised there's so much on my family,” she remarks.

“I have found that werewolves are more open to sharing their history and legacy with the world than vampires,” Belladonna comments, settling next to Henriette.

“Would you ever share stories of your life with the world?”

“Wilhelm might,” Belladonna answers, “Are you enjoying married life with Delphin.”

“It’s… it’s different,” Henriette mutters.

“Different good or bad?”

Henriette thinks for a moment, “He’s under a lot of pressure… we haven’t had a lot of time to dedicate to our relationship.”

Belladonna hums, “I am afraid of doing anything that might make things difficult for him,” Henriette admits, “So I’ve kept my distance. He loves me, but I know I can easily get in his way.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Belladonna coos, “Everything will work itself out.”

“I hope it’s soon,” Henriette sighs.

Belladonna opened her mouth to offer words of encouragement; however, Odette yelling, “Momma, come look!” grabbed her attention.

Once Belladonna and Henriette had made it to the area, the girls were sitting, Margo had an old thick book in front of her, “Insatiable Hunger is a rare vampiric ability that acts more like a curse; vampires affected by insatiable hunger are never be satiated by anything but pure vampiric blood,” Margo read out loud.

“There have been countless rumors that Gustave has made deals with vampires that have had pure vampiric children to have them when they are of age so he can have their blood,” Marjorie informs.

“Wilhelm does have a reputation for hating vampiric society. Maybe Gustave knew that he could only get the girls force,” Eleanor adds.

“It is very plausible,” Wilhelm huffs, entering the room with Delphin not that far behind him, “More than plausible, actually, it is more than rumor; I believe it is confirmed.”

“Were you successful?” Asks Belladonna.

“Very,” he sighs, “I’ll deal with them tomorrow. We know where his pawns are; we know why he wants the girls. Let’s go home and reassess."

“Excellent idea,” Belladonna replies before everyone begins to file out.

Delphin grabs Henriette’s hand, leaving them alone. “Henriette,” he says her name quietly, making it carry a soft tone. “You know I love you, right?”

Her cheeks heat up, hearing him admit his feelings even though she’s been aware of them for years; nevertheless, she nods, “Of course,” she mutters.

“And you know I’m not just saying that,” he continues, “I really love you, doll, like really love you. I know I haven’t been present, but I really need you to know that I love you.”

“Delphin, I know,” Henriette reassures, “I love you too.”

There’s a little ping in his chest that makes his whole body heat up as he just stares at her in kind, “DELPHIN, HURRY YOUR ASS UP,” Venus yelled from down the hall.

“Venus! You’re in a library, keep your voice down!”

“Make out with your wife at another time, you're in a library,” Venus retorts before racing down the hallway toward the exit with her brother chasing down.

Once back at the Con Vester home, upon exiting the vehicle, Aphrodite comes out of the house standing on the porch, looking uncharacteristically anxious, “Aphrodite, what's wrong?” asks Belladonna.

“There is a man in the backyard,” she says.

“A man?” Wilhelm questions, following her into the house.

“He’s very tall, with really dark red hair, dressed in black, pale, very clearly a vampire,” Aphrodite informs as she follows him to the sunroom with everyone else not too far behind, “I have no clue how he got in or even to the backyard, I just got home!”

Wilhelm’s eyes widen just by seeing the back of the man’s head, “Aphrodite, get your shotgun and find a clean shot, now!”

“Wilhelm?” Belladonna asks, “What are you doing?”

“Daddy?” Odette questions.

“What’s going on, Wilhelm?” Delphin asks.

He doesn’t answer any of them rather, he exits the sunroom and descends to the back pouch to face the man in his backyard.

“Who is that?” Venus asks, looking to her brother and Belladonna for any sort of answer.

“That’s Gustave,” Margo croaks.

Standing a menacing 6’9, he faces Wilhelm with blood-red eyes covered by retro shades, a dark overcoat open to display his black button-up shirt and wine-red pants, his pale lips with the faded stain of blood for color hold a wicked smirk as he stares down at Wilhelm, looking passed him to look into the house and laying his eyes on the very scared twins Margo and Odette.

“Hello, Mr. Con Vester,” He laughs.

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elfboyeros · 5 months ago

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Purus Sanguis

Magnolia Delivery

Holy Shit, we are so back boys! Please enjoy Purus Sanguis! Feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged, to my friends I have made read this, hi pookies!

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Across an antique chess table sat a vampiric father and daughter, “You have to make a move, princess,” the older white hair, pale, man remarks.

“Shush, I’m thinking!” his pale, black hair, daughter replies.

Both with red eyes in differing shades, they stare at the almost-finished game between them, sitting in the office of a peaceful funeral home. The off-white walls have extremely dark wood paneling and a vintage design peppering the wallpaper, and the office is filled with many family pictures, not only on the walls but also on top of bookshelves next to law books and other pieces of fine literature, along with a large dark oak desk and a couple of lounge chairs.

“Margo~”

“I’m thinking, daddy,” the young girl remarks, waving a hand at him.

“Princess you’ve been thinking for,” her father looks at his watch, “five minutes.”

The sound of a door opening doesn’t pull Margo’s focus, a pale woman, black-haired with a white forelock, eyebrows, and eyelashes, stepped through the threshold of the office.

“Still playing chess?” She asks.

“My Belladonna,” the white-haired man yearns, taking hold of her hand as she stands behind the chair he was in and kissing her knuckles, “Your bunny has not made a move in five minutes.”

“Give her time, Wilhelm,” Belladonna coos, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“Where is my Odette?” Wilhelm asks as Margo still stares at the chessboard.

“She went to change,” Belladonna answers before Margo finally moves a piece.

“Damn,” Wilhelm mutters, as Belladonna releases him so he can lean closer to the chessboard.

“You have to make a move, Daddy,” Margo mocks.

Belladonna giggles at her daughter’s jest as Wilhelm moves a piece. “Check,” the young girl remarks now quickly moving a piece.

Wilhelm groans making a foolish move, “Checkmate!” Margo cheers.

“Oh, better luck next time, my beloved,” Belladonna exclaims with a smile, before kissing Wilhelm’s cheek.

“Again,” He huffs.

Margo giggles before setting the board back up with her father, her mother kissing the top of her forehead. “Kick his ass, bunny,” Belladonna remarks softly, before leaving the office.

“You did very well, Margo,” Wilhelm coos.

“I learned from the best,” she replies with a very wide smile. “I went first last time.”

The two of them soon became engrossed with the beginning stage of the game before hearing the front door to the funeral home slam and a soft commotion outside the office door. Panting from an individual, Belladonna’s soft Russian accented voice in a concerned and almost frightened tone.

“Stay here, Margo!” Wilhelm orders instantly jumping to his feet, all but rushing out of his office. Thinking of all the most horrific scenarios that could be taking place outside his office

“Bela—” He exclaims after opening his office door, shocked to see a young girl he was all too familiar with attempting to catch her breath in his funeral home’s main foyer. dark complexion short brown hair with a set of long braids that reached her collarbone, “Venus?! What are you doing here?”

“Venus?” Margo questions poking her head out of her father’s office.

“Hey, starlight,” Venus remarks, looking past Wilhelm to flash Margo a toothy smile

“Venus?!” Another young girl exclaims stepping out of the bathroom, Margo's twin with short extremely dark brown hair and magenta eyes.

“Hi, Odie” Venus mentions looking over to the young girl standing next to the bathroom door, before staring back at the large older man in front of her, “We have a problem.”

Both share a very instant look, “In,” Wilhelm instructs Venus, gesturing into his office before looking at Margo sympathetically, “We’ll finish our game another time, princess.”

Exiting her father's office, Margo approached her twin sister who had taken a place next to their mother, “Momma?”

“Stay here, my darlings,” Belladonna remarks looking at Wilhelm’s closed office door with a knitted brow.

“Is everything okay?” Margo asks.

“I’m sure everything is fine,” The older woman replies before walking toward Wilhelm's office, leaving the two vampiric girls staring at one another.

“How was ballet class, Odette,” Margo asks.

“Great,” Odette answers, with a small smile as the two young girls make their way to the buffet hall in the funeral home, “Momma let me teach the littles for a bit!”

Belladonna quietly shut the door to Wilhelm’s office, her husband holding a stern gaze at the young American girl who had collapsed in one of the comfortable chairs in front of his desk. “Venus, does anyone know you are here?!” Asks Wilhelm.

“I’m an adult, I don’t need to tell my father or brother that I’m traveling,” Venus huffs.

“Venus, sweetheart, we are usually told when or if you are coming. Does anyone know you are here?” Belladonna asks softly, rubbing the back of the chair the young woman was sitting in.

“Yes, everyone in the whole damn pack knows that “baby wolf” is here!” Venus scoffs, “You too should be more worried about the fact that I was chased down the streets of small-town Romania!”

There is a moment of silence, during which Wilhelm and Belladonna look at each other with wide eyes. “I’m sorry for being vulgar,” Venus mutters, sitting hunched over with her arms resting on her knees.

“Who was chasing you?” Wilhelm asks, a tone of frequency in his voice, “Someone fae? Mortal? Human—"

“It was a vamp,” Venus answers, interrupting him, “He was ugly and horrible, I don’t know a vampire could look that disgusting.”

“Did he follow you here, sweetheart?” asks Belladonna.

Venus shakes her head, “I think I lost him.”

Wilhelm grabs his walking cane from behind his desk and coat from the coat rack, “How long are you staying, Venus?”

“Just a week,” she answers, “Wilhelm, there is something else—”

“We’ll talk about it later,” he remarks heading for the door, “I’ll be back soon.”

“Beloved,” Belladonna calls following him out of his office.

Margo and Odette could see their parents through the buffet hall's open doorway to the funeral home's main entrance area, but the girls couldn’t hear them. Their father was clearly on a “mission” of some kind, given the scowl on his face, while their mother followed him.

“I’ll be back before the funeral starts,” Wilhelm informs.

“Wilhelm!” Belladonna states firmly, making him whip around, “Please don’t—”

“No,” Wilhelm remarks, cupping her face in his large hands, “I’m sorry, but I must. I will be back soon, I promise.”

“Please come back to me,” Belladonna mutters as Wilhelm rests his forehead against hers.

“I have never broken a promise or even lied to you, mein Schawn,” Wilhelm states placing a soft kiss on her lips, “And I don’t intend to start now.”

Belladonna sighs watching him leave, “Where is daddy going?” Margo asks, poking her head through the buffet hall door.

“He has something to take care of some business, bunny,” Belladonna answers, entering the dining hall.

“Oh, business who is he murdering?” Odette giggled with her chin resting on the little table she was sitting at.

“Birdie,” Belladonna sighed.

Odette straightened up and shrugged. “Come on, girls. We have a funeral to get ready for.”

“Yes momma,” the girls reply, the two of them ready and willing to help their mother.

Wilhelm reenters the funeral home 2 hours later to the sound of both the piano and the harp accompanied by soft murmuring in one of the chapels, Belladonna peers out of the chapel.

“Jesus Christ,” Belladonna huffs under her breath while matching over to him.

“I am fine,” Wilhelm sighs, combing his disheveled hair out of his face.

“Oh, really because the blood on your cheek says otherwise” Belladonna scoffed quietly adjusting his tie.

“You obviously know it’s not mine,” Wilhelm remarks in a hushed tone similar to hers.

While adjusting his large coat, she observes blood stains on his undershirt. However, invisible to one, nothing looks hard at him, and they are mostly covered by his waistcoat. “Anyone we knew?” she asks.

“No, just a young vampire that looked far too old for his age.”

Belladonna clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth with a disgusted look on her face, “I’m getting tired of this,” she remarks, “I would like to know who has it out for us! We missed a Le Doux wedding because of this, that hasn’t happened in over a hundred years!”

“I’m aware, It’s frustrating me too,” sighs Wilhelm, while Belladonna straightened out the wrinkles in his coat before getting on tiptoes and licking the blood off his cheek.

“We’ll figure it out,” Belladonna mutters as he kisses her cheek.

“We’ll figure it out,” Wilhelm repeats, with a heavy sigh before walking with her arm and arm into the chapel.

Time feels as if it moves slowly. The funeral feels longer than it should, the car ride home feels uncomfortable rather than soothing, and dinner is awkward, to say the least. Wilhelm pulls Venus into his home office with Belladonna to discuss the “something” that the young werewolf woman mentioned back at the funeral, leaving Margo and Odette to do their nightly routines with heavy pits in their stomachs.

“Margo?” Odette asks, standing in the doorway of her twin sister’s bedroom the room decorated in a gothic style with splashes of a deep magenta.

“Yeah, Odette,” Margo remarks turning in her vanity chair to look at her sister as she braided her hair.

“What do you think they are talking about?”

Margo shrugs, “Something that is none of our business.”

“I don’t like that,” Odette replies, “You could smell daddy just as much as I could when he came back from his “business” I know I made a joke about it, but he went out to kill someone! Venus isn’t being herself—”

“Venus is how she always is,” Margo retorts.

“No, she isn’t she usually laughs jokes. Throughout dinner when I was trying to lighten up the mood she didn’t laugh once!”

Margo sighs, “Momma’s even being weird!” Odette added.

“If it is something important, Momma and Daddy will tell us when they are ready,” Margo reassures, “I doubt it’s anything terrible.”

As if a cue from the Gods, they could hear the door to Wilhelm’s office shut downstairs, and the door to one of the downstairs guest rooms open and close. “Maybe Venus will talk—” Odette is interrupted by a very primal, loud, and angry scream erupting from Wilhelm within his office, along with the sound of multiple items clattering to the home’s hardwood floors. The volume and the amount of power behind the cry made both of the girls jump and stare at one another.

“You are aware that you have probably just scared our girls,” Belladonna remarks softly, looking at him from where she stood as he heaved in front of a disheveled bookshelf.

“I’m sorry,” he huffs, turning away from her gaze, “But how am I supposed to react.”

“I’m not reprimanding you, Wilhelm,” she sighs, stepping over books to wrap her arms around his middle, laying her head against his back. “Believe me I am just as furious as you are.”

“There is a vampire that wants our girls.” Wilhelm huffs, “And he has wanted our girls for years.”

Belladonna hums, “So we have to find him and kill him,” she mutters into his back.

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