Angel Vicky

~Bonsoir~

On some level Vail was right, it was only a matter of time before the Wynters attacked the Hygrace clan as well. The way he mentioned the word ‘us’ made her feel not so alone in this endeavour. She surmised they were both in this together after forming this dangerous pact. She knew it was dangerous, yet she did it anyway. However, it seemed it formed a sort of alliance between the two. Perhaps even a bond.

Her question seemed to take him aback with some surprise. This amused her seeing his toothy grin. Whenever he flashed his rare smile at her, she liked it. It suited him rather nicely. It softened his features. And the way his eyes swept up and down her visage, caused her to tremble with excitement. As he reclaimed her gaze to explain his standing, she smiled up at him, water welling up in her tears. The way he spoke to her like he actually valued her as a person. It touched her deeply.

“You..think that highly of me?” She never knew a vampire could think that way about a human. Weren’t they looked down upon as inferior to them? As his finger traced the curve of her hip, she bit her lower lip and clenched her fists to stop herself from feeling faint from the sensation. He made her feel such things nobody ever had. She did exhale rather deeply as he complimented her further and said she was smart and capable who deserved more than what life had dealt her. She really didn’t feel she deserved much better than fate’s hand, this was the life she was born into.

“Then…what do I deserve, Lord Griffiths?” She couldn’t stop her hand from reaching up to his chest to rest on it. It felt firm and toned. She began to feel the chill against her skin. If he wasn’t going to feed, she would have to grab her cloak or get into the fireplace. “A lifetime of servitude to you instead of a Wynter?” It didn’t matter who fed on her blood, her fate was the same. The only thing she hadn’t counted on was actually coming to care about her predator.

~Bonsoir~

When Vail neared, she tried to keep her gaze on the fireplace. The closer he got, the more nervous she felt, she knew he could sense everything about her. How fast her heart raced when she neared him, when he touched her. She could not hide anything from the vampire. What surprised her next was that he stopped in front of her and instead of searching for an ideal location from which to feed upon, he merely held her hips gently and his eyes met with hers. It was if he were studying her every feature.

She listened to his words, they werent out of dryness or sarcasm or even condescending. They were of genuine curiosity borne out of concern of her situation. Did that mean Vail really did care about her welfare more than just having access to her blood? He noticed her torment and instead of ignoring it, he challenged it, asked her why continue to let them torment her? He asked her why she should even return to that predicament, it wasn’t that simple, she was in too deep now already without even realising. Maybe even before her father died.

As he brought a hand to the back of her neck, she almost lost balance. Being so close to his charismatic vampiric charms held their power over her still. She was not immune to his aura. It served its purpose in that it forced her to look at him, she couldn’t escape his gaze. In that moment, she was rendered speechless and time itself seemed to slow down. Her eyes glinted in the firelight as she looked at his hazel pearls. After slowly hearing his second reiteration about not going back at all.

“I have to…they could…kill my mother. They could go after your family…they have leverage.” She had no idea the extent of Vail’s feelings toward her. She thought to him she was only prey, something to feed on and enjoy like a fine wine. It wasn’t if she could just walk away from him but she did avert her eyes to elsewhere. “Besides, I have nowhere to run. They will find me.” They had Saints everywhere, even in the farthest reaches of the Scottish Highlands. She had read of that in her father’s journals.

It was nice he showed some care for her awkward situation. He even told her that he didn’t think she should stop fighting if she were outnumbered. Did he think she were that skilled to fight the Wynters and The Order? She was alone in this fight. The Hygraces wanted nothing to do with either party and keep in hiding, as it was in their best interest to do so. Even if Vail did not, that only made two against a good many Saints and Wynters. Even if they had Ray’s assistance, it still wouldn’t be enough to beat them. But she could rally the honourable saints against The Order…it would be a challenge, but doable.

She sighed softly at Vail contemplating his words further. She then dared to ask, fearful of the answer he might give would hurt her feelings she had inadvertently developed for him. “..Are you actually concerned about my safety or…worried you won’t get to drink my blood anymore?” She had to know his true intentions, she could not just keep assuming the worst. She wanted his honesty.

~Bonsoir~

Victoria suddenly felt his arm wrap around her waist. Why would he want to comfort his prey? He was only here to feed and she honour their deal so that he would honour his end of the bargain. It was strictly business. Or so she had thought. She shivered slightly within his embrace. Even just this closeness, sent her pheromones raging like wildfire. Her heart sped up and her lungs increased their intake of air. He may have said he knew that she didn’t mean for any of it to happen but she felt guilty nonetheless. If it weren’t for her, Vail would be safe, his family would remain unharmed.

She took his hand lightly with hers and grasped it, he would notice she was shaking, not from fear but from her state of mental distress and the fact he made her knees go weak whenever he touched her. She was glad he wanted to keep their pact and even had further resolve to kill Lord Spencer now. She didn’t know what was going on either and she liked it even less since she was the one everyone seemed to want to get at. Did they conspire against Alex? Did they get rid of him to get to her? All they ever wanted was her, her blood, her wealth. She had never felt more alone despite Vail was here now pledging that he would help her plan.

“I appreciate that you still wish to get rid of him…but he’s going to find out about this and he will kill you, Vail…” And then who would she have? She fought back her tears. “And let’s not pretend that the only reason you want him dead is so that you can have my blood. That’s all anyone wants from me...my blood and my money.” She pulled out of his arm’s grasp and walked a couple of paces toward the fireplace. Since Spencer already wanted both, The Order probably the latter. All she ever felt now was used. And abused.

She stared at the flickering flames for a moment. She didn’t see how they could kill Spencer between them, even with Ray’s help. There were too many Wynters and too many Saints. There was nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide. Her days were limited, for sure. She’d be lucky to see her next birthday. “So just…do what you came here to do and get it over with. I have to be back by dawn…” She revealed gloomily, then she unclasped her cloak and let it drop to the floor, revealing her naked form in all her glory. Her natural curvature of the hourglass figure, her silky-smooth skin that glistened in the firelight, her soft eyes that twinkled in the fire’s wake. He could have any pick of a spot to feed upon, there was nothing restricting him. As she had teasingly suggested the last time she could wear less, this was her promise. “This may be the last time you can feed on me so easily…I don’t know if I’ll be able to sneak away again, or when I’ll be able to.” She kept her gaze away from his eyes because if she looked upon them, she may just shatter into a thousand pieces. For he was a man she could never have. He was a vampire. He could never love her, a human…

~Bonsoir~

Hearing footsteps near the door, she turned to it, fully expecting Vail to burst in and attack her in some sort of pre-emptive strike. Although he did not, he remained cautiously distant and near the door. She could not blame the man for being suspicious. It would look that way to her too if she were in his shoes. “Vail..” she stood from the chair, keeping her cloak covered around her by holding it together. Her eyes were weary, full of concern and innocent.

“Are you alright…?” She asked him as guilt plagued her expression. She felt like crying but she fought back her tears. She didn’t meant for any of this to happen. “I..I am so sorry about last night…I was careless…I slipped up somehow and Gerald…he found out.” She didn’t even know where to begin to explain. “Gerald is…my father’s former comrade in The Order. I was looking for him the day before as usual, to find out what he knew about him. He found me instead. Before I knew it, he’d knocked me unconscious and I woke in that basement!” She shook her head in disbelief, she didn’t even know what happened there. She wasn’t being careful enough.

Victoria sighed and gazed down with a heavy heart. “He is very protective of me…to the point he’s keeping me under lock and key. Another Saint, Ray, helped me escape the manor tonight. I think there is something going on between The Order and the Wynters. Gerald knows about Spencer, yet he hasn’t done anything about him. And Ray told me I wasn’t safe there, he knows something is very wrong within the organisation since my father’s death.” It was all too much of a coincidence.

“I realise that…I’ve nearly been the cause of your death twice now…and I wouldn’t trust me either. That’s why I gave you the chance to back out of our deal. I’m a huge risk for you.” He knew it wasn’t going to be that easy, surely? He did say she was worth it, god only knows why. “But I had nothing to do with that trap he set for you. I begged and begged him not to hurt you or your family. They aren’t safe either now…all because of me…” She turned her back to Vail and sniffled, she didn’t want anyone dying because of her. She was only a burden, a nightmare.

~Bonsoir~

So the letter to Vail will contain something like:

"Crest Manor unsafe. Saints everywhere. Meet at The Shire. Midnight."

The letter would have been delivered anonymously to the Hygrace estate for "Vail Griffiths" as a clue.

~Bonsoir~

The Day After

With Saints crawling the manor house, it was hard for Victoria to do anything without being watched. It was impossible for her to leave the house, as she wasn’t allowed. Someone would go out for her errands if needed. Someone from Crest Industries brought the various work documents to the house for her to peruse. She could not spend time training; thus she spent her time figuring out how they ran the family business. It appeared someone else ran the day to day business for Alex. She found it incredibly tedious and difficult to follow. She needed a business advisor, someone impartial and smart. Someone she could trust. Especially when she wasn’t going to just hand it all over to Spencer to look after. But that was the least of her priorities. First, she needed him gone from her family’s life. Without Vail that would be a lot harder to do.

Sunset fell over the estate as Victoria pondered at her father’s desk in the study. She gazed out of the window with a sigh. She suddenly gasped. ‘Wait….Gerald knows Spencer is a Wynter. So why hasn’t he done anything about him?’

‘If you kill Spencer, the entire Wynter clan will descend on us like a plague.’ His words rang in her mind. Something did not smell right. It seemed The Order was allowing the Wynters to take over the Crest family wealth. So soon after Alex’s death, coincidentally. She felt a cold sense of dread wash over her. She needed help. The only ones she could turn to were the Hygrace clan for refuge. Perhaps if she kept up her bargain Vail would protect her from the Order and Wynters however necessary. Although she couldn’t imagine his family would agree to him keeping her as his prey, even with her consent.

She got up from her desk and walked to her bedroom. A Saint was always stood guard outside it whenever she went in. She closed the door behind her, knowing a Saint as right outside. She had to do something. She looked around her room for inspiration. She eyed the bedsheets and went to the balcony doors. She opened them to the cold night’s air and peered over the ledge. Could she perhaps make a climbing rope of some kind from the bedding? She got to work quickly and quietly. She was a little afraid of heights, but she couldn’t afford to think about that now.

As she made ready a bedsheet rope and began to climb over the balcony in readiness to descend, she tugged at the knot tied on the balcony door handle. It seemed firm enough. She leaned back and held firmly onto the bedsheets when suddenly her bedroom door opened. She jumped in shock and almost let go. Ray entered and closed the door behind him then rushed to the balcony. He grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling but he didn’t pull her up. “Let me help you down.” He offered as she looked at him confusedly.

“Why would you help me escape..?” The Lady asked.

“Because you’re not safe here. Something is definitely not right in The Order. You need to get word to that Hygrace heir. He may be the only one who can protect you now. I will cover your absence but you must be back by dawn when Gerald returns.” Ray explained as he had his doubts within his own company. He instructed her to slowly lower herself foot by foot. He then climbed over and started to climb down after her but only using the structure of the building itself. If she lost footing or grip, he would be able to grab her. She managed to abseil down it without much of a hitch except half way when she grazed her knee against the stone.

Once both on the ground, Ray handed her a map. “Take your horse. Go to this countryside inn two miles northwest of here. I’ll send a letter to the Hygrace estate with a letter for Lord Vail’s attention to meet you there at midnight.” He whispered his instructions as she nodded. She turned to run to the stables, but before she did, she turned back to him. “Ray...I….” She felt a little sheepish. “Thank you. Make sure it says Vail Griffiths on it though...” She told him with a weak smile. He nodded and climbed back up.

Victoria ran to the stables and prepared Phillipe for the ride. She made haste as the horse galloped out of the Crest Manor grounds. Ray stood guard outside her bedroom all evening, when questioned he informed them the Lady was bathing and not to be disturbed. And then she was sleeping after 10pm or so. But she had to be back in her room by dawn or her cover would be well and truly blown.

---

She made it to the countryside inn, aptly named The Shire. She jumped down from Phillipe and tied him up. She ventured inside and it was relatively quiet. She walked up to the bar and presented them with a few coins. “Please may I have a room for the night?”

The barmaid nodded. “Of course. Under what name?

Victoria blinked. “Lady Griffiths.” She used Vail’s fake surname from their first meeting. How ironic. The maid wrote it in the book and took the coin. It was well over a hundred pounds, she actually gasped at how much she gave her. Money was no object to her. “Would you mind sending up some tea to my room?” The maid nodded “Y-yes My Lady of course.”

“Oh and…I am expecting my husband to meet me here later. Lord Vail Griffiths.” She informed the maid who nodded. “I will be sure to send him up.” This way it would not look as scandalous. Though the maid wasn’t sure if she was just using a fake name as many call girls did when they met their clients here at this country inn. The only difference was, she looked like a Lady and had the wealth that went with it.

“Thank you kindly.” She bowed her head politely and took the key to the room from her. Room 2. She ventured up to the room, once inside she removed her long purple velvet cloak. She sighed and looked around the basic room with a bed, nightstand, two chairs and a table at the window. She didn’t know how angry Vail would be with her when he arrived. He must have thought the worst of her. That she betrayed him and went back on her word. Even if she ran away, the Wynters and The Order would both find her. She was under their hawkeye watch from now on, which would make their bargain all the harder to continue. She had to think of a way to make it up to Vail.

She decided to remove all of her clothing. Corset and all beneath the dress. That way he could have his pick of a spot to fed on. It was the only way to satiate him and prove to him she didn’t betray their pact. But she did cover herself over with her cloak until he would arrive. She sipped her tea with a shaky hand from the stress of it all. This situation was getting more and more complicated. Twice now she had endangered Vail’s life. But as he did once say to her, he thought she was worth it. She only wondered how much as she stared at the flickering flames of the fireplace.

~Bonsoir~

The Lady Crest felt relieved as Vail managed to break through the cellar door and escaped the house. He was safe, most assuredly angry with her, but alive. Not long after, giving her time to calm down she heard Gerald’s footsteps coming down the stairs. She lifted her head to see him wander into the room. “Are you INSANE?!” She shouted at him, evidently perturbed.

“Are YOU?!” Gerald retorted back to her and set his shotgun on the table. “You are using a vampire to kill your fiancé? Who I know is a Wynter, by the way. Do you know the repercussions of such an act? If you kill Spencer, the entire Wynter clan will descend upon us like a plague!” He walked over and with only one arm, he grabbed the silver chair and hurled her back up to a seating position. He unrestrained her metal bonds and grabbed her hand and puller her to a standing position. “I know where this leads. With you dead!” Gerald pulled her with him to the doorway.

He was much stronger than she, as much as she tried to pry herself out of his grasp, she could not. And he had removed her weapons. She was practically dragged with her feet dug into the floor. “Where are you taking me?!”

“I am taking you home.” Gerald growled as he geared himself up. “And then I am going to pay Peter Hygrace as a visit….”

Victoria gasped. “Please don’t kill him, he has nothing to do with this bargain!” Victoria pleaded as Gerald pushed her up the stairs gently.

“His son broke their truce with Alex. There will be no stopping the Saints from hunting them now. They messed with the Crest family.” Gerald explained. It was then she realised, she had inadvertently sent Vail to his and his entire family’s death. She had doomed them all. Not only did she feel incredibly guilty, she felt her heart shatter at the thought Vail could be killed. He may have been addicted to her blood, but she had become addicted to his charm.

Past the cellar door, out of the unknown house and all the way to her manor, she pleaded with the Saint. “Please Gerald, you must know Spencer killed my father. He wants his entire estate. I won’t let him. I needed help to kill him. They didn’t break the deal, I did! So please, please spare them!” Victoria was practically in tears by this point a Gerald sighed and opened the manor gate. Already she spotted an army of Saints outside her manor, keeping guard. “Oh God, what have you done?!” She asked him.

“I’ve sent them to protect you from that thing. No doubt he’ll be back for more…” Gerald explained as he pulled her up the driveway. “I can’t believe you let him feed on you….” He sighed with disappointment as he got to the front door. As they went inside, her mother was up and waiting for her return. She stood from her lounge chair. “Victoria, how could you? Using yourself as bait for that monster?”

“He is NOT a monster, Mother! He’s a person like everyone else, with thoughts and feelings! Likes and dislikes.” Victoria protested as Lady Diana rolled her eyes in disbelief. “You think that man will love you?! All he wants is your BLOOD! They only ever want your blood. Vampires do not care about humans. He will never care about you..”Diana had grasped her daughter by the shoulders and nearly shook sense into her. Victoria’s eyes welled up with tears before she ran off up to her room and slammed the door behind her. She threw herself on the bed and cried into the pillow. On some level, she knew her mother was right. As much as she wanted Vail to care about her, he only cared about her blood.

“I told you. He’s already captivated her…” Said the Saint who had been watching over Diana. The same Saint that shot Vail and helped Victoria at the black market. Ray Pierce. Diana sighed. “What am I going to do with her, Ray?”

“You can only keep her from reuniting with him.” Ray suggested. “She thinks she is in love with him. That is how their pheromones work. It changes the chemical imbalance in their victim, making them more agreeable to feed on. Then the paralysis sets in and that’s when the vampire feeds.” Only there was no paralysis that overcame the Lady Crest when Vail fed on her, she was fully aware of her surroundings, she felt every sensation. And she liked it…

~Bonsoir~

Victoria heard the sound of the door being opened, she lifted her head slightly with a groan. She expected Gerald again but it was indeed her predator. She gasped as she realised, he was walking into his trap. “Vail get out of here!” Her eyes were filled with worry as she was helpless to stop Gerald from attacking the vampire. Even though Vail was on the defensive, she didn’t know what Gerald had planned for him. Until the cellar door locked shut behind him. Too late to run now.

Victoria’s bonds were made of silver. He couldn’t touch them to release her. Not without great discomfort. They could hear footsteps running up stairs and overhead. A small hole was unplugged from above and a silver shotgun barrel poked through it. “You’ve had the last of her fair blood, vampire scum!” A voice growled through the ceiling hole. The gun went off and caused the Lady Crest to scream in terror, she could only shut her eyes tight and hope Vail dodged the silver bullet. She heard the sound of the gun cocking and another round exploding from the gun a second time. Her ears rang as her ear drums nearly burst from the sound. He could have shot her in his attempts to kill the vampire, she wasn’t best pleased.

Once she heard Vail’s footsteps once more, knowing he was alive. She felt relieved. The ringing in her ears dissipated slowly as Gerald reloaded the shotgun shells in the gun overhead. “Gerald stop! Please! I need him alive!” She kicked at the metal chair but she was well restrained to it and it was unbending.

“Nobody needs a vampire!” Gerald mumbled as he took aim again. “Please don’t kill him, I need him to kill Spencer!” That seemed to stop the shotgun from firing. The gun barrel disappeared from the hole. It seemed the Saint was contemplating the situation. She knew nothing about Gerald, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t let Vail continue to prey upon her. She almost cursed herself from revealing her plan to the Saint but it stopped him long enough for Vail to make his escape.

~Bonsoir~

And track her down he would. Victoria knew it was only a matter of time before Vail would find her, even if it took him all night. She knew he was going to be livid with her for bailing him on their agreed night, but she didn’t bail on him or run away, she was taken. She was a woman of her word. She made a bargain with Vail and she intended to keep it, not only did she enjoy their closeness, she enjoyed his company. And she couldn’t wait for his hands to touch her again. She shuddered at the thought.

It was past midnight, though she couldn’t tell the time due to no window, no sundial or pocket watch. During the day Gerald had come in to relieve her of her bonds so she could toilet and to give her water and food. But as soon as it was over, back to her restraints it was. He didn’t trust this rebellious daughter of Al’s. If Gerald was her father, he would be a lot stricter with her like he was now doing, taking it upon himself to become her Guardian.

She pleaded with him each time he came in. “Please you know not what I am risking!” She couldn’t exactly tell him her plan of dispatching Spencer, in case it got back to him somehow. “You don’t understand, I need Hygrace!” She pleaded all day long. Gerald laughed at her. “You are just taken in by his charm. Like all predators. They lure you in with false pretence and then BANG, you’re dead!” He was having none of it.

A few more hours in, she attempted to jump in the chair toward the door but only managed to topple herself over and she had to lay on the floor until his next visit…but it had gotten late, and she was beginning to tire. She drifted in and out of sleep. But she didn’t want Vail to kill Gerald either, he held valuable knowledge. She was caught between two enemies, in the midst of their underworld war.

~Bonsoir~

The day after tomorrow, the Lady was out prowling the taverns once again that evening. She still needed to track Gerald down. She was actually in the hopes of trying to find anyone in The Order for that matter! Even the obnoxious one that hit her across the face, called her a vampire sympathiser and nearly shot Vail dead. It still bothered her that she didn’t know his name, yet he seemed to know exactly who she was. The daughter of his colleague or rival perhaps within the organisation? It mattered not how, she needed to know what he knew. And why did he help her with the gun and silver bullets the other week?

Her wounds had scabbed over and there was no risk of blood leakage unless she moved her torso sharply and ripped the scabs off. She had no intention of fighting anyone, though she kept her weaponry on her persons at all times just in case. There were still human threats on these streets of Whitechapel, such as rapists and murderers. In just a few short years there would be one notorious serial killer on the prowl who would come to be known as Jack the Ripper.

Victoria sighed as she wondered the streets, suddenly she heard a rush behind her and then felt a heavy thwap on the back of her head. All went black…

---

Dawn - ahead of the Third Day’s meet

Victoria awoken with a groan several hours after losing consciousness. She didn’t know where she was or what had happened. Her head was clouded and it took her time to come around. When she did so, she found herself restrained, tied to a chair. She scoured the room and it was merely a basic room in a basement of an unknown house. No windows and barely lit with candle light. There was nothing in the room except for a bucket, another chair and a table that housed various…of what she could only describe as torturing tools. She gulped as she had been captured. But by who knows what?

After a time, falling in and out of consciousness, possibly suffering concussion, Victoria heard the door latch from the other side being opened. She lifted her head slowly, her long hair tied back as it usually was in her nightly outings, the long strands cascaded over her left shoulder. As the door opened, a man stepped through it. One she hadn’t met before, but he was most certainly with The Order. As he stepped into what little light there was provided by a candle. She gasped. “..Gerald…?” She recognised him from the painting of him out of her father’s journals. At least, the man she had been trying to track down, had tracked her down instead.

He pulled up another chair opposite to her and sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the top. He looked her over. “I don’t know how Alex coped with you. You are a nightmare.”

She looked back at him in shock. “Excuse me?!” She was overcome with slight anger in her eyes.

“Don’t act all surprised Princess. I know what you’ve been getting up to with that…thing…” He couldn’t even say the word vampire. “Allowed yourself to become a vampire’s prey? You are suicidal!” He protested her actions as she stared at him. She suddenly panicked, her breathing became erratic. He knew. He knew about her pact with Vail. And now she was tied up in his custody. “Why am I restrained? Let me go!” She demanded.

Gerald stood up. “Trust me, this is for your own protection. I promised Al I would keep you safe.” He didn’t trust her to attempt an escape if she were unrestrained..

“If he knows I am missing, he will come looking for me.” She warned him. Gerald grinned and unholstered his silver gun. “And I’ll be waiting for him.” He left her alone in the room and locked the door behind him.