Chapter 3

• An Unexplained Death
• Avellana glared at her brother as the child whimpered. Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she grabbed the small vampire by the shirt and pulled the girl towards her. This was what he had been hiding, so why in the world didn't he kill her yet?
• Frederick knew vampire children were not allowed in the clans! "What is a vampire child doing in Potestatem Borders?" she asked again, her grip on the fabric tightening. Did he really know what danger this idiotic action would put them into?
• The girl let out a small cry, trying to move around from Avellana's hands, but it was to no success. The older woman growled and slapped the prying hands away making the child scream as if she was being tortured. She ignored her, only focused on Frederick whose gaze had hardened when he saw how desperate the newly change vampire was.
• "Let her go," he said. "And I'll explain it to you."
• She sighed before she let the light shirt go. And Avellana watched the vampire run to Frederick. He carried her up in the air, swinging her around. Once the tears had slowed down, Frederick turned back to her, putting the little girl down. "I've done some researching."
• So what if he did some researching? With this problem in their hands, his arguments were invalid. The small blonde buried her face into her brother's shirt even more when she took a step forward.
• No matter how pitying she looked, she still needed to kill her.
• "Researching," she spat, shaking her head. "You know she couldn't live here. Don't you remember what the necromancers told us or do you need a recap because I believe you do."
• It was a few centuries back, and vampire children were still allowed to change. Humans were looking around, searching for their children, and the population was slowly going down.
• A few men went to them-to their father actually dressed in minimal clothing. In their history, they should be light weighted and have a small amount of fabric covering them to 'not block them from the dead' they had said.
• They told him that vampire children were getting larger than human children, and it was starting to affect the balance. A few parents had already suicide because of these incidents, and it was the moment where everyone was in panic as there were no children to continue their name.
• There were more people dead than alive that time, and it was a burden for the necromancers. Some of them could hear the spirits everywhere-talking. They couldn't set them in peace, and if it didn't stop, the world would end a bit faster than they would all expect.
• The necromancers told him to kill every single vampire children alive, for them to reconcile with the dead. That would cause a bit of peace and they could deal with the coming problems easily and thoroughly.
• And if not, any vampire child that was still alive in near future would be driven to insanity with spirits and ghosts talking to him. The child would become a weapon to bring down the vampire race.
• Having that young child here, as a vampire, would cause a war.
• "Yes," he said hastily. "Yes, but after my researching, Lizzie is worth it."
• Avellana's jaw dropped and she gaped at her brother for concluding to such a ridiculous hypothesis. That child-Lizzie-wasn't worth the destruction of their kind!
• What was so significant that he'd go head to head with her for a ridiculous child who wouldn't stop crying?
• "She is Olivia's descendant!" He shouted and Lizzie flinched at the loudness. Frederick looked down, muttering a few words to her that she relaxed in his arms. He massaged her shoulders and stared at Avellana.
• Her eyes widened and her arms trembled. Olivia Grey was a very close friend of hers before she had been turned. That was before her friend went off with her mother. That was before he turned her.
• "Prove it then!"
• He shoved his hands into his pockets and out came a gold necklace. In the middle, there was an emerald with carvings of the letter 'G'. Avellana walked forward like every step hurt her. It really was. Could it be? Her trembling hands slowly got hold of the necklace, and she observed it.
• "It really is hers," he said. "I checked it."
• After he had changed, a witch granted him a power in a reason that she was doing him a 'favor'. Till now, the reason was still a mystery on why he was given just after he had been changed.
• He could sense the history of every jewel or stone, and through the years, the history was always accurate.
• So why was she having a hard time believing this?
• She looked at Lizzie who let out a sob when Avellana came near. Her hard appearance softened, and she found her hand rubbing the young girl's back. "Lizzie, do you know Olivia?"
• The vampire didn't speak, but she did give a nod. "What happened to her?"
• Frederick spoke, his voice hard. They already knew the answer, but they wanted to hear confirmation.
• Once Lizzie shook her head, they knew that Olivia Grey was dead.
• No. Dead. Dead.
• The words ran over through Avellana's head as she broke down. She rubbed her eyes as the guilt rose. She had hurt her-Olivia's only descendant. She had made her cry. A monster.
• She was a monster, and she even thought of killing her.
• When she felt a hand on her shoulder, Avellana looked at her brother, shaking her head. The brunette removed his hand, closing her eyes in despair. I'm sorry, she thought miserably. She wanted to shout her apologies in the air, but it was no use.
• Her best friend was dead, and she wasn't even there through her wedding or even death. And here she was, harassing the small vampire who happened to be her grand daughter or whatever Lizzie was to Olivia.
• "Lizzie," her whispery voice sounded through the air and the child turned to her. Avellana felt her hands hurting as it ran down the said girl's blonde hair. It was sandy, just like Olivia's. The new recruit's hands pushed her away, still shaking from the past event. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
• It was her first time saying that out loud, and it cleared her conscience. Well, not really, but it felt right-saying it to her. She owed her that much. She felt tears running down her cheeks as Avellana sobbed. After centuries, it was also the first time she cried.
• It felt so bittersweet. She knew that Olivia would die somehow, but had never known that she would find out in this way.
• Lizzie gave a hesitant smile, "I forgive you," she wiggled upon Frederick's arms before dropping to the ground. "What's your name?"
• "Avellana," she answered.
• The small vampire nodded, backing a few feet away. This time, none of them made any intention to move. "Can I go back now?"
• She nodded in response, and Lizzie walked back in the cave with slow footsteps. What was she going to do? She couldn't just kill her... She couldn't bring herself to do it, nor was she letting anybody take her job in doing it.
• They needed to think of a plan. Her father would be returning soon, and he would surely not keep her. Though he usually showed a few emotions to Frederick and her, he was a man of law.
• "Avellana-"
• The sound of hard steps silenced them and she quickly wiped the dried tears that were on her cheeks. She blinked her eyes rapidly, rubbing her face once more. Nobody had ever seen her cry, and besides, it was a sign of weakness.
• She wasn't going to show any of that, especially in front of a vampire eve though the one who raced at them was a combatant, one of the oldest combatants they had.
• He didn't look so well. His eyes were squinted and his hair was disheveled. Crease lines invaded his forehead and the man's fists were clenched to his sides as if somebody glued them there.
• "Mistress, Master," he choked out. "This is bad. Very, very bad."
• "Speak," Frederick said as the other was in no mood to talk. "What seems to be the problem?"
• "One of our people was in the borders, making sure that nobody would pass it and-" He trailed off when Avellana held up her hand. She gave him a straight glare, making his eyes advert to the right, avoiding her stare.
• "Get straight to the point," she snapped. "We don't have time for story-telling." A part of her was curious. Nobody ever seemed this nervous in informing them something, and there were usually no emergencies through the years except some ongoing fights with the wolves.
• "The clan leader-your father-was dropped in the borders, dead."