Memoirs of a Vampire Countess: Isabella...

By DC Johnson

This is the first book in a new vampire series called 'Memoirs of a Vampire Countess' by DC Johnson. This first book, written from the perspective of Countess Isabella, has been signed to a movie deal and will be in theaters in 2013.

My name is Isabella. I am Countess of the Moon Coven. I fled from my former Master and nest one night, desperate to seek solace and safety. My former Master, Dimitri, wont let me leave by choice. In his eyes, I belong to him because he chose me, he made me. In my eyes, I belong only to the night. Since leaving, I have placed my entire created coven in danger, am partially responsible for creating a new strain of vampires, and now the vampire world threatens you humans as much as myself. I am writing this journal to you, in hopes that you do not hold my crimes against me. What I am about to reveal to you is indescribable...but it is truth that will save your life...and maybe mine.

DC Johnson is a Minnesota author and music lyricist who uses her training as a Mental Health Therapist to reach readers of all ages. She has written playful children's stories to stories about the dark world of vampires. Her vampire series brings you to a time past and lays in your lap a world you will not want to leave but would never choose to enter. It brings together new dark gifts, tempered blood lust, forbidden desires, and chilling realities. Each book in this series continues the journey of the Moon Coven, but each is through the eyes of a different vampire countess, bringing you twists that will surprise even the most accomplished vampire readers. Her second book in this series will be released in December 2011 and subsequent books throughout 2012 and 2013, leading up to the movie based on her first vampire book in 2013. DC is also publishing a children's fantasy novel entitled "The Secret of MeadowBrook Orphanage" in early 2012 and is co-writing a childrens Christmas story with Rowan Creations to be released in 2012. For the latest on DC Johnson's books and movies, go to www.DCJohnsonBooks.com.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Oct 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466901858

DC Johnson

DC Johnson is a Minnesota author and music lyricist who uses her training as a Mental Health Therapist to reach readers of all ages. She has written playful children's stories to stories about the dark world of vampires. Her vampire series brings you to a time past and lays in your lap a world you will not want to leave but would never choose to enter. It brings together new dark gifts, tempered blood lust, forbidden desires, and chilling realities. Each book in this series continues the journey of the Moon Coven, but each is through the eyes of a different vampire countess, bringing you twists that will surprise even the most accomplished vampire readers. Her first book in this series released in October 2011. Her second book in this series released in December 2011 and subsequent books will be released throughout 2012 and 2013, leading up to the movie based on her first vampire book in 2013. DC is also publishing a children's fantasy novel entitled "The Secret of MeadowBrook Orphanage" in early 2012 and is co-writing a children’s Christmas story with Rowan Creations to be released in 2012. For the latest on DC Johnson's books and movies, go to www.DCJohnsonBooks.com.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Lilly & Cori

Lilly, as we call her, is the youngest of my dynasty. She has red hair, green eyes, and fair skin. For a vampire, she is sweet tempered. She is, you see, a forbidden vampire. She is a six year old child vampire, and that is not allowed. Let me explain. I was walking one night and I heard a child sobbing and pleading for her mama. I flew up to the window and saw her mama. She was drunk and passed out, or so I thought. Being a mother myself, I entered the room through the window, and stared down at the child to see what I might do on her behalf. She was a natural beauty. Red heads, especially red heads with green eyes, are becoming an exotic rarity. She looked at me in fear. Did she know to be afraid or was she just in the stage where strangers frightened her? I did not know… I could not remember such human aspects any longer. She was a very small child, but acted much older. I looked around for some food, thinking that would calm her, or quiet her at the very least. She appeared to be about four, so I knew she would not choke on any bits of bread or drink I might find for her. I found some bread and meat, and made her a small meal. Then I got some water for her in a cup from off a nearby table. She held her arms up to me, now convinced I was safe… although there was some trembling when I picked her up. Perhaps she was afraid I would leave her alone? Perhaps something in her knew I was different?

I looked over to her mother; she laid there, a dusky color. As I walked closer, I smelled the scent of death. This repelled me. Vampires do not like death, as many assume. We like the living, and abhor death. Some of us even fear it. This woman was not drunk; she was dead from a combination of liquor and drugs. I could smell the scent of old spirits coming from her, and there was residue from pills, dust, and tonics on a nearby table. I looked to the child in my arms, and wondered how long she had been here crying and hungry, watching her dead mother lay unresponsive to her pleas. No wonder she held out her arms to me. As I looked back to the mother again, the smell of the child’s blood became more pungent to my senses. Such a tender neck, so easy, and very ripe with the sweetest of the dark drink. The child looked at me with eyes so trusting. I leaned in to bite her, to end her misery, but she giggled as soon as my lips brushed her neck. She pulled away so quickly, and innocently, it caused me to smile. She thought it a game, one I had forgotten. I played her game for another few minutes. She was quickly tiring from this and the crying earlier. She lay against me with her head resting on my shoulder. I pulled the blanket from her bed and wrapped it around her. She snuggled her slightly chilly body into my even colder one. She felt so warm somehow.

How weird it felt to have a human so close to me and to have her feel so secure. In an instant I felt I had to protect her. Where this came from, I cannot say. Perhaps I missed my mortal life. Perhaps I was bored from decades of only hunting, feeding, and sleeping. But how was I to do this? I would need to get her to my coffin. But how was I to hide her from the others? How would I keep her silent? How would I keep her by day when I slept? Hundreds of questions went through my mind as fast as the speed a vampire travels in angry flight.

I knew I had to make my decision soon, either leave her for the day maid to find, or hide her somewhere with me. I gathered all the belongings that I thought I would need for a child this age. Books, toys, clothes, food from the pantry, items from the scullery, as well as an assortment of other random things. How odd this felt, to be grabbing things so unnecessary to my world.

I needed a means to transport all this, and her. I looked through the window and saw a horse and a small buggy outside, occupied by a human female. I set the child on the floor and flew to my answer. Once inside the buggy, I drank the woman dry, then pushed her lifeless body to the back. I would dispose of her corpse later. I then flew back through the window to claim my new task. I loaded her and her things, and we set off to find a dark place for me to hide with her, until next nightfall. Daylight was only three hours away, I did not know where we were going, and I had only drunk of the woman whose buggy I now claimed. I was still hungry. I looked at the child in my lap, playing with her toys and looking out at the road in delight. I thought, ‘She really is a night child’. How awake she was. How happy she was to be outside in the dark. She was overly tired, but had come alive again through a second wind somehow. I tried to recall my own childhood, and getting a second wind… I could not. Any memories of my adult human life were distant enough, let alone my childhood. I could still recall some but most memories had gone for good. This was one of the many.

About an hour had passed and I saw an abandoned house. I stopped, broke in (it had been boarded up), but to my dismay it was not usable. The flooring had rotted through, there were rodents everywhere, and not one of the pieces of furniture that remained was usable any longer. Only two hours until the deadly morning light remained and I was still hungry. I started growing angry. Back into the buggy I went and we drove farther down the road. We passed a little cottage, with an elderly man outside closing up the shutters on a barn. I could see his silhouette through the falling February snow. He was old, frail, but his place was well kept. I turned into his driveway. He turned around and stared at me and the child, clearly not expecting any visitors in this still dark time of the very early morning. After we were stopped, he started walking towards us. I set the child on the floor of the buggy, climbed out, and latched the buggy door. I flew at him so fast he couldn’t even see me coming, but I felt his fear and panic as he felt my bite upon his neck. Oh how good the rush of the warm blood felt as it entered my cold body. Even when licking the last drops of his blood off my lips I felt comfort. I watched a few drops of blood trickle down his neck where I had bitten him, and fall into the white snow. Crimson blood red on snow white. It is a sight, to a vampire, that equals the best artistic beauty in your world. After just this one feeding, I could feel my anger had dissipated. I set his lifeless body in the barn he was closing up, then went into his cottage to look for his wife or grown children. There was not another soul to be had. The cottage was warm (a fire was roaring in the fireplace), it was neat, and breakfast porridge was cooking in the hearth. This would do. This would do quite nicely.

I went to the buggy, retrieving the child and her things, and brought them into the house. I set her down with a bowl of the old man’s porridge, and started closing out all the light from the windows, in all the rooms. I needed to rest, and the child had not slept, so hopefully she would sleep deeply with me after she had filled her belly. I set up a place for her to rest while she ate her fill of the old man’s porridge, then gave her a cup of the warm milk the old man had brought in earlier, from a cow in the barn. She started drinking from the wooden flask, and as she drank, her eyelids slowly drifted shut. I took the cup from her and stared at her while she fell into a deep slumber. I lay on the table all the things from the room she and her mother were in, and it was then that I saw her birth papers. She was a triplet. She was about five years old, but small for her age as she had other siblings who were born with her. I wondered where they were. Had I taken one when more were to return? Did they die in birth? She had been born Lilly Katherine, on April twenty six, here in Helena, Montana. The year was slightly smudged, but I now could tell exactly how old she was, and what her name was.

Lilly, I said aloud, I like it.

I looked at her sleeping in the make-shift bed I had created.

I smoothed her hair from her tiny face, and said Lilly it is then.

I had a new daughter, and her name was Lilly, and I wanted her. Exhausted, I lay down beside her in the old man’s bed, and we slept soundly.

She woke me at six pm. She had slept through the day, for the most part, and I had gotten enough sleep to revive myself. Both of us were nearly starving, and still a bit more tired than we wanted. I found eggs, milk, cheese, and some lamb meat for Lilly. I waited patiently for her to finish eating, then put her toys in a pile on the floor, where she began to play. I waited for night to fall a little more heavily so I could feed. When it was eight pm, I gave her a snack, and set out to find a nearby neighbor for my breakfast. I told her I would be back in just a little bit, and that she should not go outside. She still had not spoken a word. I wondered if there was something wrong with her. I didn’t want to scare her by trying to force her to say something. If she would speak, I would let her do so on her own time.

I didn’t want to leave Lilly too long, as she might wander off in the cold outside, or get hurt. Nor did I want anyone to come and find her alone, as they might take her away from me. I had no idea if the old man had a wife coming home, children who checked in on him in the day or night, nor did I know if he had people from the village who stopped in for business. I needed to be careful and watchful… and not linger in any one place too long. I also couldn’t risk being seen by anyone in my coven. I would not be able to give them answers they would approve of. It would surely be the end of Lilly… as much as myself.

I found a family about two miles down the road. I had just set foot on their land when one of the older males, about twenty-five years of age, startled me.

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He asked, Who goes there?

I lied, I was looking for an elderly man who lives just a mile or two from here, I am his granddaughter.

He said that the only elderly man around these parts was just two miles down the road, but he didn’t have any family. I was pleased to hear that bit of information. I immediately flew at him and drank him to his death. I then dropped his body in the nearby well where he had been working at drawing some water. I heard his corpse break through some of the ice that froze over the well water. I looked around at the place. It was small, worn, and tired looking. There was lantern light inside the little cottage, as well as in the barn, and also a light in a nearby large shed. I first looked in the house, where there was woman and two female children cleaning up what appeared to be an evening meal. I flew to the barn where there was an old man inside feeding some cows. Chickens were wandering everywhere, as were some goats, and a couple lambs as well. I entered next, the large shed. Inside was a dog and some cats, field equipment, and a covered wagon. At the end of the shed, was a wood shop with several projects in various stages of completion. I returned to the barn and fed of the old man, then went to the house and waited for the children to be bedded down, where I proceeded to drink of the mother. My thirst quenched, I looked around to find anything Lilly may need, or my sons, when they returned. I will tell you about them soon.

I had begun packing up some food and clothing items, when a female, about fourteen years of age, came out from one of the rooms and saw me. She screamed, so I drank her as well. I dropped her lifeless body and watched it crumple to the floorboards as the other child, yet another female, came out to investigate the noises. She stared down at her lifeless sister and did not move. She stood as silent and motionless as a grave. Being a vampire is sometimes messy, and I would have gotten myself into a royal mess, had the two in the house with me not been human children. We are powerful and quick, but not invincible against others of our own kind. It is then our speed and strength that keeps us alive. The child finally asked me who I was and what my business was there. I thought, ‘A sensible child, she is.’ I told her I was here to take what I wanted and she could come with me or stay, her family was now dead. She looked capable enough to help with Lilly while I needed to feed or conduct any business. I might eventually need someone who could drive the buggy during the day, answer the door, or run errands. I asked her how old she was. She stated that was fifteen… I had estimated closely. I asked her if she wanted to come with me or stay. She said she would come. I asked her name, she said she was, ‘Molly Cori’. I thought for a moment, and then said that we would call her ‘Cori’ from now on, as I didn’t want anyone to recognize her by true name. I immediately knew we would have to relocate to another town… and soon. The further I was from those in this town, and those of my coven, the better.

I went to the barn and hitched up the horses to the large covered wagon. Cori and I loaded or tied everything of value from the house, shed, and barn (including animals), into or on the wagon. We then set off to the old man’s cottage. When we arrived, Lilly was crying and asking for Mama. No doubt she thought she was to be left alone again, or maybe she was simply hungry. I motioned with my head to Cori that she was to tend to Lilly. She went immediately to the child and started playing with her, although silently. Lilly liked Cori from the very beginning. I think Cori liked Lilly as well, although she was still somewhat in shock from losing her family, and being swept up in this undefined madness. However, she did not complain… she did not make even one sound. I read a strange relief in her eyes, but could not read her thoughts. I made a mental note to later ask her about this relief. Her thoughts were blocked somehow, or her mind was blank from the emotional intensity of the past few hours. Perhaps she was simply as good at keeping me from her thoughts as she was at not letting them show on her face. She was a mystery indeed. It excited me somehow. How was it that she was able to keep her thoughts from one who could normally read a human so easily? Perhaps it was that she was so compliant, therefore was quiet and obedient? Both maybe?

It was now about two am, and I decided that I would keep Cori up with Lilly, so that their sleeping and waking schedules were as similar to mine as possible. I needed Cori some during the day, and Lilly needed Cori some during the night, so I had to figure this dilemma out. Something told me I also needed them, and that I had to make sure they were well cared for. On top of that I needed to make sure they were protected from my kind, even though they would be with me in my night world. I sat for a minute; the reality of what I had done over the past twenty-four hours was finally hitting me. As much as my head was spinning with questions and worries, I noticed that I also felt great contentment in my new additions. How could I not want them, two beautiful girls who seemed as content to stay with me as I was with them? I finally felt some purpose and excitement, after years of nothing but stalking my prey in order to survive. Cori put Lilly on the floor and she wandered over to me. As I looked down, she smiled, and held her arms up to me. She somehow trusted this monster I was, and sought affection from me. Me, who very nearly took her life. Would I ever tell her about her mother? How would I explain to her, or Cori, the reality of their lives now… or mine? Would they keep each other safe? Would they keep me safe? Could I keep them safe? All I knew was that I had to figure out what pieces I could, and soon.

We were in the old man’s cottage, and I left a note on the door to anyone who might try to stop by, writing that there was a quarantine on the house for a fortnight. I warned Cori and Lilly that they must be silent as the night, until we moved on again. I had no idea where we were headed, nor did I know if my coven had been looking for me yet. By now they knew I had not returned to the nest last night. However this is not unusual on occasion, for vampires to return after a day or two of hunting elsewhere, often taking in sights not of their own area. I also knew that I had only a little time to make my move, before they did come looking for me. If I were to be found, I would be held very accountable to the master vampire. I figured I had one night, two at most.

Ahh… the master vampire, Vincenzo Dimitri Marek. He had taken the name ‘Dimitri’ as his night name. I do not know how that came to be, I only know that he reveals very little but takes in much more than he discloses. He knew everything, knew everyone, and knew when something was amiss. If he were to find out what I was up to, he would have stopped me without hesitation. I would have been mercilessly and publicly punished (in front of my own coven), or killed as a warning to others. I feared for my dead life, as well as for those new ones I now called my own. I feared also for my two sons, PJ and Salem.

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Chapter 2

PJ & Salem

I said I was already a mother, and so I am. I have a vampire son, his name is Phillip, but he is called PJ for short. He is sixteen in human years, as that was his age when he was turned. However, he is already considered true vampire by any coven, although the youngest allowed of members. I had given birth to PJ when I was in my human twenties, before I was married to my only human husband. PJ was the result of the union between myself and a man who I met when I was too young to understand a man can lie, but old enough to be with child. I turned him two days after his sixteenth birthday while I was in my thirties. He was born in February, how symbolic of his life now… dark and cold. I had been bitten and turned along with my human brother-in-law Rune, a story I shall tell you later. The night I drank of my son, I had not yet known how to stave off the urges to feed, as I had only been a vampire two days. I nearly drank him to death, except the love a mother has for her child kept me from doing so. He slowly lost his strength due to so much blood loss. He was turned by his Uncle Rune, who did not want to lose him anymore than I did. He was fed by his uncle and thus given his immortal soul. Not exactly the gift most children receive from family members.

Rune found me with PJ, and fed him, thus keeping him from human death, instead of my having taken his life. It takes as long to turn as it takes to have your first feeding. When PJ fed for the first time, his thirst was ravishing with the little control a new vampire has. PJ took, as his first, a younger friend (by six months), named Salem. He managed to stop drinking of Salem before he drained him of his mortal life completely, as he had learned much from his own experience. Salem was also sixteen. They were now night blood-brothers, and they learned along with me and Rune, the ways of the vampire world and to control the thirst… as well as the powers each of us found ourselves gifted with. Sixteen is a child, yet not a child. Sixteen is an adult, yet not an adult. Because of this the vampire clan could not hold it against me. They gave me leniency. I accepted it, with great gratitude. I then started my training to learn control in all areas, along with my night children, and Rune.

I was turned but not taught, so my maker should have been charged with all my transgressions, until I learned to control the thirst and choose my victims more wisely. Dimitri, my maker, was also master of my coven, so he would not be touched in any event. It seems that being a master exonerates you from punishment of crimes that would cost any other vampire their dark existence. This was the worst dilemma I could have ever imagined I would be condemned to.

Although that was the past, it rivals the present. I am in another dilemma, this one self-created. I have two children who are not vampires, living with me, and that is forbidden. Add to that my vampire sons, turned when they were so dangerously young, I was already pushing the envelope. Two of the youngest vampires allowed, tempered with two human children, is two too many. My boys, as soon as they were in my presence, would know what had transpired with Lilly and Cori. You see, PJ is as wise as he is intuitive; Salem is as loyal as he is strong. PJ has the gift of reading minds and Salem has the gifts of making some vulnerable humans do what he wills through mind control. Not all humans are as weak willed as one may think. Neither have their uncle’s gift of the kiss, even though they once drank of him. I knew as long as they remained together, they would be safe from all predators, be they dead or alive. My night-brother, Rune, has the gift of the kiss. Rarely do vampires have this gift. If kissed by a vampire with this gift, you fall helpless to do their will and bidding, forever. You become their servant, no matter the task set before you. Rune is about 4'10", straight black hair, black eyes with a silver ring around the iris. What he lacks in height, he makes up for in personality. He is the charmer, he can rally a crowd, and he has an ability to influence most any body… dead or alive.

Back to my night-children…

PJ is a homebody. He likes to explore, but only a little at a time, venturing out a little farther each adventure. Salem is the complete opposite, trying to take in everything at once. PJ is the one with common sense, while Salem is more impulsive. PJ spends more time planning, while Salem gets things done. They made a nearly invincible team, so PJ and his night brother were gone on many adventures together, and tonight was no different. Our coven was used to them being gone for days or even weeks at a time.

I needed to talk to PJ and Salem soon, as well as Rune, before my nest found me. Together we would know what to do and PJ could help me best right now. He had been with Salem to many places and knew of many safe places to hide. He was the one with the most common sense, along with the best resources for survival, for all of us. I sent a mind signal to him, to come to me as soon as possible. My worry was that Dimitri would also hear my thoughts and come to inquire. Hopefully he would just pass it off as a mother checking in with her son. I had to take that risk. PJ answered that he would be home in a night, and would come to find me. I left it at that and did not respond. I knew that the less communication, the better, at the moment… considering the mind-reading powers of Dimitri.

PJ is 6'0", has brown hair, brown eyes, and is part Cree Indian. He loves horses in particular, but has an affinity for all animals, and is quite considerate of all life. He came into this world a happy little boy, and remained that way until I turned him. After he turned, he was very dark, quiet, and somber… and has remained that way to this day. He is smart as smart as he is intuitive. However, I have come to believe that all the stress of knowing more than he wants to know, has shut him down some, but also made him a quieter and wiser type. He is the observer and the thinker, and what he does, he does in private. What he says is always well grounded.

Salem is 6'2", blonde hair, and blue eyes. He resembles a Viking, due to his Scandinavian heritage and his tall stature. He loves dogs, is adventurous, sometimes self-centered, but very protective of those he considers family. He is strong, has the dark gift of mind control, and is most loyal. His adventurous nature causes him to have seemingly little sense of fear. But then, most vampires do not know fear, unless it is of the sun or the stake. Salem is the one who gets things done. I am the one who makes sure the plan is foolproof. PJ is the one with the contacts and is trusted on the outside. A select few humans have come to know that protecting us, through PJ’s name, keeps them safe from the rest of the vampire world.

Not many humans know about us though. Yes, there are rumors and tales, but no one goes alone in the dark if they believe there is even the slightest chance we really exist. Humans are very superstitious creatures. We take great pains to keep our anonymity. We want to be invisible, to do our deed, and be left alone. Humans want to know everything! Their thirst for adventure and knowledge seems to rival our own for blood. True, many humans have found our lair, but every one of them lost their lives, or their souls, as the price of their quest. We only take what we need of human blood, for the most part. We turn few, kill as few as possible, and it works for us. Yes, we often have lavish surroundings of which we do not need, but those things we took from ones who were dead already, or those who we killed who were evil leeches on your human society. How many of us are there? It is hard to say. More than you think, but not as many as there could be. We have clans and covens all over the world. But we are not all as those few humans who know of us, think us to be. We too, have our families, companions, and jobs within our covens. We too, seek solace and a way to survive with some pleasures life (as we know it) can offer. The only pleasures we may never know is that of eternal peace or to walk in the daylight.

Anyway, back to the problem at hand… finding PJ and a new home for our growing dynasty. I also had to notify Rune, as he was back with the clan and could keep those who may interfere, occupied. As well, he would give excuses to cover my absence. But how could I contact him? I thought I had better send PJ when he arrived back with Salem.

The animals we had collected from Cori’s home were in need of water and food. I found that moving the wagon they were tied to every few hours was enough of an answer for the time being. During the day I would have to have Cori move the wagon to the edge of the water a few miles away. I had nothing with which to water them; no troughs, no wells. I needed to rely on her during the day to do this. When would she sleep, I wondered? I had assured her it would only be for the week, and then we would be settled in our new home, where sleep would take on a more timely pattern for her. I did not tell her I had no idea of how or where that would be, nor even when this could possibly happen. The safest time to move was during the day when the other vampires were sleeping, but that was impossible for me of course. I needed to be in charge of the move. I also needed to be alert during my feeding time when other vampires were awake.

There were too many things I needed to figure out, and I needed PJ to help me, as I needed information and contacts that only he could provide. For now, I could do nothing until at least one of them arrived. So I sat with the girls in the evenings after my feedings, and enjoyed what I was creating; the first real glimpse of family that I had ever known (at least, a sense of family that appealed to me after the dark gift was set in my life). Lilly was of the age that she could speak well enough, even though her size would lead one to believe that she was far younger and less able than she was. Cori was finally talking a little, and set to teaching her all sorts of things a child her age should be learning. She learned quickly but asked a million questions. She certainly worked for her knowledge, as well, she worked Cori. Cori appeared to be quite adept in these areas. One would not expect such a homely looking girl of fifteen to be so wise beyond her years. I wondered if she could even see her potential. It now became a priority of mine to see that she was educated to the level she had not had provided to her in the past. I still wanted to know what the relief I could read in her earlier was about, but it was not the time to ask her about that just yet.

We settled into the evening, cleared the supper dishes, the girls had their baths, and we played for a few hours together. Cori had not eaten much. It was as though she were afraid to. With time, she would make her needs known, I hoped. I awaited the return of the males, and tried to ward off the thoughts and concerns about what the next few weeks might hold.

Chapter 3

The Boys Meet Their Night-Sisters

As I sat at the table thinking, Lilly crawled into my lap, still munching on some lamb I had given her a few moments ago.

She looked at me and asked, Where’s my Mama?

I did not answer. I smiled down at her, very aware of a growing affection for her, and very aware of the smell of her blood. Would she eventually remember only me as ‘Mama’? Would she be able to forget the pains of hunger, fear, and the sadness her last few years had brought? Would she take to me as I am with her? Would she blame me for her mother’s death, even though I had nothing to do with it? I secretly hoped she would never know any different, although I knew that my day of reckoning would somehow come. I put that out of my head for now, as she would know eventually, and make her own decisions based on this awareness. I looked across the room at Cori, who was sitting timidly on the edge of a chair in a far corner of the small cottage.

I spoke to her, for the first time, words of comfort, Are you hungry? Do you need anything?

She looked up at me and shook her head silently, ‘no’. I knew she had to be hungry, as she had not eaten much. I softly ordered her to come and eat, any and all that she desired, and drink what was of interest to her. She obeyed silently and moved to the small table laden with the evening’s meal. I also invited her to take and use anything she needed, as it was hers as much as mine. She nodded ‘yes’ silently. Then I laughed out loud. It startled her.

I asked, Do you ever speak?

She partially smiled. Then she started to cry. I asked what was wrong.

She had but one spoken request, Please don’t send me to my relatives.

I didn’t know why, but something told me to protect her at all costs. I immediately told her she was a part of us now and that she would have comforts and protection beyond what she had ever known. She heaved a huge sigh of relief. Her eyes said much that her mouth was not yet ready to. She filled her plate with enough food to feed several humans. I wondered if human children, like we vampires, were ever truly full. With time, both girls finished what would be your human breakfast, but their supper. First Lilly, now Cori. I had two daughters. It was only in this moment that I first saw her as mine… truly mine. I would have liked to have shared that with her.

It was now about six am. The three of us had settled into the old man’s house and were now getting ready to turn in for some sleep. The fire had been replenished with wood, the dishes had been done again, and Lilly was asleep in my arms. I laid her in her bed and covered her up. I turned to Cori, walked towards her, and stopped by her chair. I could smell her fear, and it excited me. I stroked her hair, telling her that everything was going to be okay and that tomorrow I had a surprise for her. She looked at me and I saw, for the first time, a faint look of trust. It was going to take time to win her trust, and I could only guess it had to do with her past, as well as the uncertainty of the situation she was currently in. She said nothing, and her mind was still blank to me. I could gather no information. My own thoughts of protecting my new-found children were intoxicating my mind, so I didn’t try to probe hers further. I had quite enough to think on for now.

Cori lay down in the old man’s bed with Lilly. Exhaustion overtook her and she was asleep within minutes. I looked around for a place to sleep as well. The only spot was the big rug by the fireplace. I found a rough, homespun wool blanket and lay down in front of the hearth, then fell into the deep sleep of the dead. I was awakened to noises of Lilly and Cori playing in the old man’s bed. Cori had made Lilly a rag doll, and Lilly was singing to it. How simple I thought, the life of a human child, and their needs. All they need is love, toys, food, and warmth. Unlike vampires, we can never get warmth into these cold bodies, food is of no use to us, toys we care not for, and love is rare. All we get is hate; for the things we become, the lives we take, and the rumors inflicted upon us without even a single thought to the lack of choices we have (at least, those of us turned without a choice). I got up and asked if anyone was hungry; the girls nodded ‘yes’. I thanked Cori for attending to Lilly whilst I slept. I asked her to gather firewood as I prepared the hearth for cooking. As she did so, I stepped into the back room to hide from any sunlight that might be waiting. She opened the door and I saw no sunlight shine in. I peeked around the corner, it was about six pm… I had but an hour until I knew for sure I could hunt safely. I was ravenous with my need to feed. I would have eaten twice what I had the past nights, but normally I had no human little ones to attend to. I needed to feed tonight, a lot. I was glad Cori was there to sit with Lilly. I also decided to find some things from town she had never gotten to enjoy this far in her life; perhaps some new dresses, some powders, new shoes, maybe a toy or book as well. I had no money, so I knew I would have to rely on what money I found in the old man’s house, or craftily gather the desired items.

I searched the old man’s house for coins, but found nothing. If he had anything, it was probably in his pocket-purse. I made a human dinner and the girls ate their fill. By this time it was eight pm, and I could safely leave. I told Cori I would be back in a few hours with some presents for her and Lilly. I wanted to say, ‘For you and your sister’, but I was not sure how she would take that yet. I warned them to keep the door locked and not open it to anyone, and to be silent if someone were to approach. I hitched the buggy to the horse, climbed in, and drove off toward the village. The ride seemed to take forever, but I planned on a large haul, so did not want to carry it all.

Upon entering the village, I immediately fed on two thieves, taking all they had. I then proceeded to a shop where the owner was just closing up and begged to make a large purchase. He, of course, let me in. I led him to the back of the store, pretending to inquire about an item and fed again, on him. Dropping the body on the floor, I locked up the shop. I closed the shades and turned down most of the lanterns. I found, and wrapped, gifts for the girls. For Cori, I packed up dresses, perfumes, candies, books, shoes, jewels, and personals. For Lilly, I packed up dolls (since she seemed to like them so well), toys, candy, clothing and shoes to fit her for the next whole year. For myself, I packed up a few dresses, shoes, jewels, lanterns and oil, and a stack of leather-bound journals. I intend on penning every detail of this journey to my new life… wherever that might lead. I know that I may need it one day if I am to rely on any others to keep me safe from Dimitri, as my actions will be held against me. I then emptied the register of all money and cleaned out the shop owner’s strong-box (I may need to send Cori to town with money for supplies one day). I loaded all this into the buggy, then went back into the shop and looked around for anything else that might be of any interest, but was not an immediate need or desire. I found a few more items and packed them into the buggy as well. I had barely enough room to fit myself in, when I left for the old man’s cottage again.

I arrived back and had just settled in again for the night, when PJ and Salem walked in the door. The shock on their faces when they saw their vampire mother with two human children was clear. Immediately PJ read all the past events through my mind. I held nothing back… he nodded. He took everything in stride, as vampires usually do, but I could tell he had questions for me for later. He would also send word to Rune to come quickly, without letting on to the rest of the coven what was happening with me. I had asked the boys to carry in the items from the buggy, as an excuse for them to go outside, where PJ would explain everything to Salem. They left and I waited inside with the girls. After a bit, they returned, arms full of the items from the buggy.

After everything had been carried in, we made another meal for the girls. I could not remember how often humans ate, so I made sure to keep plenty of human food ready and available. The girls never seemed to be full. Even the boys tried their hand at cooking. As the girls ate, I sorted through everything, placing the gifts for Cori neatly on her bed. She watched, clearly with no idea that it was all for her. Then I placed all Lilly’s gifts in a pile by the warm hearth. Lilly immediately went over to the hearth, attracted to the packages. I laughed with the boys over her excitement.

I told her, After dinner, and before bed, you may open them.

The girls ate with lightening speed. When the meal was done and the bulk of the cleanup was well underway, I asked the boys to finish any last details, while the girls opened their parcels. The delight in their eyes was worth all my transgressions from earlier this evening. When everything was opened, I settled Lilly into bed with her new dolly, and watched her as she fell asleep. To my surprise, Salem and Cori were talking up a storm. This was the first time I had heard her speak more than just a few words. I don’t know if it was the excitement of the gifts or just the fact that she was still a human girl with two supposedly sixteen year old boys, but I was glad to hear her talking. She had a beautiful voice, was quite intelligent, and was enthralled by the stories of the boys’ adventures. I could tell she liked adventure like Salem, but was like PJ, a little at a time would do her just fine. The three would get along well.

Eventually I told her she needed to sleep, and she nodded ‘yes’ to me. After she was in bed, I knelt down beside her, telling her that this was only the beginning, and everything would only get better for her. She gave me, for the first time, a real smile. I wondered if she would smile when she knew the truth about who we were and what we did. Would she hate us? Would she turn on us? Would she need to be killed or turned? I knew that all these possibilities were very real, and I knew they all needed to be considered carefully.

Waiting until I was sure the girls were asleep, I asked PJ about a new home, one for all of us. He said he knew the perfect place but that we should move as soon as night fell tomorrow. He said that the coven was growing suspicious, regarding my absence for two nights, with no word. I agreed quickly and the boys and I laid down for our dark sleep (your day is, after all, our night). As I put out the lights, Salem said Rune was on his way as soon as dusk fell. I sighed with relief. Knowing that Rune would arrive soon lifted an incredible weight from my shoulders. He would bring with him wisdom that only a male vampire of his standing could posses. Finally, there would be someone who, on a level other than my children, could be trusted to help my predicament. In spite of Rune’s absence, it was nice to have my night-family together under the same roof.

Chapter 4

Coven Sweet Coven

As soon as we woke, we wasted no time packing up everything from the old man’s cottage into the large covered wagon, and setting off for our new home in Minnesota. Lilly was, once again, giggling happily and watching the evening activities. After we started to pull away from the cottage, Lilly spotted a kitten and cried out for it, almost jumping out of Cori’s arms. A pet, another thing I had forgotten human children desired. PJ nodded to Salem. Suddenly they jumped off the back of the wagon and scooped up two kittens, one for each of the girls. Cori seemed as pleased by these two new additions as Lilly was. She immediately started thinking of names for them both. Cori decided on Tiger, for Lilly’s, as the kitten was male and had tiger-like stripes. For hers, she decided on Ice, as it was pure white, except for the dirt on its paws from being outside. I could smell the blood of the animals and it seemed somehow inviting tonight, although not nearly as attractive as the human blood of their new owners. I have drank of animals before, but do not usually desire them.

The blood of an animal does have an attraction for vampires, despite what many may believe. There have been moments when animal blood was the only source of food for many of us. Not desirable over human blood, but palatable enough when nothing else was available, and almost as nutritious. We stopped at Cori’s previous home to see if there was anything else she wanted from her former life that the boys may have overlooked. We now had more than enough of everything; food, furniture, animals, and coins. We had to drive through South Dakota to get to our new home, which would be in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. We knew we would never make it in a day, so PJ sent word to his contacts to have lodgings prepared for all of us. Salem however, had been the one to get everything loaded up and rolling on time. What would I do without my night-children?! They were my sanity in this insane existence. Leaving was very risky, as my nest would kill me for such a crime, but it was worth it. I had more sense of family from these four children, and of course Rune, than from my whole emotionless vampire coven. I had somehow, through a series of unexpected events, infused more sanity into our darkly insane existence.

I noticed a ledger among the items that Salem had loaded. In it was Cori’s birth date. It was tomorrow, March sixteenth, and she would be sixteen. A ‘golden birthday’ as humans called it. I talked to PJ with my mind and told him we needed to have a human birthday celebration for her. He told me not to worry. He would make sure she had the greatest birthday of her life thus far, and they would only keep getting better. I told him that next month Lilly would be six and we would need to do it again. He smiled and nodded knowingly. I knew that I could count on him and Salem to find what we needed, and set it all into motion. ‘My boys are amazing!’, I thought, slightly nodding my head in approval of their efficiency. We traveled for a couple days, and eventually made it to South Dakota, and stopped for the night at a place a contact of PJ’s had set up. His contacts had been responsible for keeping us vampires safe during the day, when we would let the horses rest. Again, it was nothing fancy. It was just another empty building, but closed tight from rain and sunlight. We started a small fire and made the girls their meal. The boys, with Cori’s instruction, were becoming skilled cooks. After dinner we played, told stories, and made it as fun for the girls as we could. It felt like a real family in every sense for all of us. For all of my brood, it was the closest it had been to ‘family’ in years, and I knew that we would be okay as long as we together… for now anyway.

We slept most of that day. Salem, PJ, and I took turns keeping watch, while the girls slept. The building was an old, high roofed barn. The wagon, animals, and all of us fit inside with plenty of room to spare. It was winter, so we had a few fires going to keep the girls warm enough to sleep without waking. The only problem was the smoke from the fires, as there was only one opening at the far end of the barn for the smoke to go out and the fresh air to come in. But it was safe from predators and sunlight, so we could not complain.

We awoke around dusk, loaded everything we had used, and left no trace of our stay. Other than leaving a small ‘thank you’ gift for those who allowed us safe shelter, we made sure our stay would not be known by any who happened there anytime soon. It was Cori’s sixteenth birthday today and we would celebrate it tonight, hopefully in Minnesota. We were right on the boarder, so Minnesota was only a few hours away. Right now we needed to get moving because I knew my coven would begin looking for us tonight. We could make it to our new home soon, if we had no delays. I was grateful that I had taken so many toys from the shop owner in Montana. The toys kept the girls busy and even occupied the males at times. It was nice to hear laughter, and the occasional squeals of delight, from the girls as the boys took turns entertaining them. They seemed to bond as if we all knew our lives somehow depended on each other. We stopped occasionally to rest, the boys and I secretly feeding on whoever passed by. The girls ate at camp unaware of what we three were up to on our stops. We took whatever was of use from those we drank of, and loaded it into the wagon without the girls’ awareness. In this way, we kept from them our deadly meal rituals, and our deeds. We were on the road again before even an hour had passed. We traveled for hours. Night was drawing to a close and the first light of morning could be seen on the horizon when we arrived in Minneapolis. We stopped at another place that one of PJ’s human contacts had set up. The day passed the same as all the others had; eating, sleeping, then loading up to move on. Soon we were at our new ‘home’. The town was named Eden Prairie, known to hold many other vampires, but none that knew us. We already had a couple nick-names for the town, calling it ‘Eden’ or ‘EP’. There was a long time established coven there, but I had heard that their numbers were smaller, as compared to those of the larger surrounding cities. We could be safe, maybe make new alliances, but for awhile just lay low and figure out what we needed to do next. And the farmhouse we would occupy was perfect for our needs; safe and roomy.

It was a two story farm house. The main floor was simple with two bay windows. The upstairs was very open, with a terrace of sorts that faced Red Rock Lake. There were two levels below the house; first, a cellar, with a passage to a second secret earthen level. The access to the bottom-most level could only be seen if one knew where it was, but