+ 1.13: The Uninvited

“The master only sees people upon appointment.” Jeeves argued as he was pushed aside by a mean looking man who couldn’t be much older than Davrin – if he were human. He stood back flabbergasted as three figures pushed past him with a cold but magnificent air about them.  He watched them warily as they glided effortlessly through the entrance hall and into the library where his master sat.  

Davrin heard them come in – he had been hoping it was the girl. His keen senses were peaked the moment the bell rang.   

“Davrin!” A man’s deep commanding voice resonated off the walls. He stood up and turned to face his unwanted, uninvited visitors. He eyed them apprehensively sure that he had set eyes on the youngest looking one before.
“Yes?” He cocked his eyebrow and responded in a lazy drawl. His face was arrogant and irritated that they had had their way and barged into his mansion.  

“We want to have a word with you.” The man continued. His face was carved in soft but strong features unlike the other two whose faces were stern and striking.  Their eyes glowed, their skin was translucent and ashy, and they gave off an ethereal aura all around. He didn’t need to think twice to recognise his own kind. He gestured for them to take a seat still keeping his guard up. 

“I don’t believe we are acquainted.” He started. They obviously knew him; knew where he lived. He on the other hand knew nothing about them; he wasn’t even aware that there were others in Bridgeport. The man who had spoken was known as Hemlock and his associates were Elvira and Beau. Hemlock and the woman sat down while Beau loitered around pacing near the fire as if to make it known that he was the muscle; the force to be reckoned with.  

“You know... most of us turn our keeps.” He probed menacingly at Davrin who shot him a dirty look. He was referring to Azaria. “It’s almost as if you have real feelings for her; too scared to invite her in to this life in case you go too far and . . .” He slid his finger horizontally across his throat in the killing gesture.  

“Beau!” The woman disciplined him. He looked at her dejectedly as if to say she had cut his fun short

“It is unusual though.” Hemlock agreed. Davrin saw them nod in unison. He wasn’t about to be schooled by these three on Vampirism101 so he asked the question to get the ball rolling.
“Is there a specific reason why you have trespassed on my property and assaulted my butler” he shot Beau another dirty look. 

“There is.” The woman began. Her voice was steady, deep and husky and authoritative like Hemlock’s. “You’ve been causing quite a stir among the mortals, Davrin.” He glared at her. Although they were now acquainted with one another they didn’t share a first-name-basis relationship. He took it as an insult that they spoke to him like they had known him for all his 400-odd years. “Your parents wouldn’t have approved.” Her words tore his heart open at that moment.

They registered the shock on his face. He’d lost his cool and this made Beau all the more snarky and priggish. They knew his parents so they obviously knew the atrocities that were dealt to them by the humans. So they must understand where his was coming from! But he was sorely mistaken. He didn’t dare to enquire about their relationship with his parents for fear of appearing weak and vulnerable. But of course they had powers like his to read into the depths of minds.  

“They were old friends of mine.” Elvira answered his unasked questions in a mournful tone. She was sorry too for what had happened. “Things were bad then. We all left except for your parents. They believed things would turn around. But of course...” her voice, still steady, trailed off. The sadness in her eyes was unmasked and Davrin looked away unable to bear it. It was the first time his parents were brought up in conversation. He didn’t even tell the girl this. He was sure if he held Elvira’s gaze he’d break down. He couldn’t give that brute such satisfaction.  

“So you came to tell me how disappointed they would be? Well it’s a good thing they aren’t alive then.” Davrin snapped. He was growing impatient, thirstier and angrier at the girl for having not returned like he was so sure she would.  

“What we’ve come to tell you is that your quest for revenge is senseless and irrelevant to the times.” Hemlock explained. Davrin’s face was flushed with anger and hatred. Who was this old corpse to tell him whether his revenge was right or wrong? He dug his nails into the armrest and gritted his teeth.  

“What Wogan means to say is that in the space of a year you’ve destroyed the good reputation of vampires that we’ve worked so hard to build over the last century.”

Elvira was hoping to make him see reason but to no avail. He took this even worse. Now they were blaming him for some reputation he had never heard of.  “The Ministerial Council for Vampires is not amused with these latest developments. They know it is someone of our kind but they’ve kept it under the carpet so as to avoid another attack by the humans. You know how irrational and brutal they can be when mob mentality and blind fear are coupled.” She smiled curtly.

“This must stop immediately Davrin. For your own sake. We cannot protect you any longer. Soon they will want us to reveal the culprit’s identity. Giving you up is as good as killing you ourselves: a heinous crime against our own.” She shook her head sadly. “Don’t force us to take such action. This time the damage may be irreparable.”  

“Are you serious?” He stood up, yelling at them. “You want me to just accept the crime they committed against my family? I’ll tell you what a heinous crime is: you cowards fleeing and not meting out justice for their atrocities against our kind!” He balled his fists. From the corner of his eye he saw Beau pounding his fist against his palm challenging Davrin to make a wrong move.  

“It’s okay Elvira. He enjoys copulating with the mortals that’s why he won’t give it up.” Beau grinned. He’d just pushed the last button on Davrin’s dial. He wasn’t going to stand there and let them dictate rights and wrongs to him. He made the first blow. His fist collided with the strong jaw of Beau and a scuffle broke out between the two.