Chapter 30

Elizabeth opened her eyes and saw her maid, Lucille, dusting the top of her marble fireplace.

' Good morning, M'Lady,' she said without turning around.

Elizabeth yawned. ' Good morning, Lucille.' Then, she froze, her right hand still on her mouth. ' Lucille? What the hell are you doing here?' she gasped.

Lucille turned around, her eyes round like saucers. ' My Lady, if your dear mother heard that, we shall be in a lot of trouble. Her Ladyship Davenport absolutely hates vulgar words!' Then, she lowered her voice to a whisper, as if revealing a dark secret. ' That was why she fired that stable boy last week.'

Elizabeth was too shocked to pay any attention. Quickly, she stumbled up and pulled on her dressing gown. ' Where is my mother?'

' She is at town, accompanying Lady Lucas. They are attending the Rothschilds' party tonight.'

' They are at a party?' Why was everything so...normal?

Lucille looked alarmed. ' Her Ladyship thought it best you stayed at home, since you were ill.'

Elizabeth stopped in the act of putting her slippers on. ' I was ill.'

' Of course. Right after the ball.'

' The ball?'

' We all thought it might be the excitement from Master William's proposal.' Lucille giggled and arranged the red roses in the crystal vase by the door. ' When is the wedding?'

Elizabeth barely heard her. She was already out of the room and racing down the wide staircase. Voices drifted from the library to the hall and she stopped in her tracks.

Will. He's here.

Panicking, she quickly righted her hair and walked into the library. William was in there, with her father, in deep conversation about a hunting rifle. They both looked up when she entered. Instantly, William was at her side.

' Elizabeth.'

Elizabeth stared at him and then offered her hand, not knowing what else to do. ' Hi,' she said.

He grinned, a cute and boyish smile. ' Hi.'

Her father cleared his throat. Blushing, Elizabeth quickly pulled her hand away and hugged her father. ' Father, you're here!' she cried. When she pulled away, both the men were staring at her with a bewildered look. Then, they exchanged another bewildered look.

' I shall just leave you both, then,' said her father, clearing his throat again and walking out of the library.

' So....' Will began.

Elizabeth stared at him and then reached out to touch him. Will seemed pleased but a little surprised. ' It doesn't hurt?' she whispered.

' No,' he answered, looking puzzled.

' It doesn't,' she murmured. Everything was back to normal! Everything! William was here, there were no vampires around and best of all...she wasn't a vampire! Looking around at the familiar library, where she always spent her afternoons curled up by the window seat reading a book, Elizabeth suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia. The smell of baked pie wafted into the room and she immediately walked towards the kitchen without even thinking about it.

' Elizabeth! Where are you going?' William called out behind her.

The kitchen was busy this morning, preparing a breakfast for the duke and duchess of Wakefield who was coming to visit. Elizabeth's childhood governess and very excellent cook, Mrs. Porter, looked up from the vegetables she was slicing. ' Lizzie! Finally, you're up!'

' Yeah, I'm up,' she replied dazedly.

Mrs. Porter looked up and saw Will enter the kitchen and a knowing smile lit up her face. Momentarily distracted, the knife slipped of her fingers and cut into her hand. ' Of all the-' But, she quickly broke off.

Because Elizabeth's two upper canines had grown out and her eyes had a silvery sheen to it.

The kitchen became quiet.

And then, everybody was screaming. Some were reaching for the cloves of garlic hung on the walls, some were grabbing various wooden appliances. While others, like Mrs. Porter, simply stared at her in fright.

Elizabeth wasn't aware of all that. Her head was filled with the sweet scent of blood, enticing her and pulling her closer. Then, Mrs. Porter screamed and backed away, covering her hand with her apron.

Then, Elizabeth realised something. She was still a vampire.

A small yelp escaped her lips and she backed away from the kitchen, and then ran full speed into the thick forest behind her house.

Before she was even in the forest, a small voice entered her mind.

' See Lizzie? They just hate vampires,' Danae whispered.



Elena looked at the deserted Arc catacomb before her. There was a faint metallic smell in the air, like blood. Looking down, she saw bright red spatters on the walls and the floors.

William was still looking around, checking to see if Elizabeth was here.

' You know, I may not be a vampire,' Elena began,' but it's kinda clear to me that Elizabeth isn't here. Or my brother,' she added in an angry tone.

' Danae must've taken her somewhere. She wouldn't leave her here.'

Elena groaned. ' Perfect. So we went here for no reason at all?'

' I was just checking,' he muttered as they went out.

' I hate your sister,' she said in reply.





Elizabeth looked up. Will? She had just heard his voice. He was saying,' I was just checking.' He sounded near yet so distant.

' Will?' she whispered. Receiving no reply, she just curled up against a tree trunk and buried her head in her hands, crying.


William froze when he heard the voice. It sounded so much like Elizabeth. She had said, 'Will?'

The car he was driving stopped in the middle of the road, earning several curses and angry honks from other drivers but William ignored them. He steered the car to the side of the road. Exhaling, he leaned his forehead against the steering wheel.

Again, there was her voice. But she was crying this time.

' Um..Are you..okay?' Elena asked him but he shushed her.

' Elizabeth?' he whispered tentatively.




Elizabeth looked up and quickly dried her face. It really was William's voice.

' Will? Where are you? Are you still at the kitchen?' Then, she added in a very small voice. ' Tell Mrs. Porter...I'm sorry. Tell everyone I'm sorry.'

' What? The kitchen? I'm not in the kitchen? I'm in my car.' There was a long pause. ' Isn't Mrs. Porter your governess...from way back home?'

Elizabeth froze and then quickly pushed her damp hair out of her face. ' I just saw Mrs. Porter. I don't know what's happening, Will! Everything was finally right and then...'

' What do you mean right? Where are you, Elizabeth?'

' I'm at home, Will. But, I'm not sure it is.'

' Home. You mean, England?'

' Yes, Will.'



A loud honking sound filled the car along with William's curse.

' What did I do now?' Elena asked, puzzled.

' Danae.'

' What?'

' Danae sent Elizabeth back home.'

' How? And how do you know?'

' I just talked to her.'

' You talked to her?'

He ignored her. ' They don't like anything different than humans back then.' Then, he turned to her, his eyes filled with fright. ' They burn them.'