Page 9 of Lucy

CHAPTER 4

Marcus

Don’t look at her tits and just respond to the summons. I could do this.The moment that I got word from Lucy that she needed me. I wanted to come crashing in like a knight in shining armor. I was one once, a long time ago, so I know how a bloody hero is supposed to act.

But these days, I am not sure if I am the hero or the bad guy. My brother, Henry and I, were palace guards for the Vasile family. We were present during the massacre and were only able to save one child—a twin.

I enlisted my older sister, Helvetica, to help protect the baby, and I swore her to secrecy. Not only would she have to give up everything and go into hiding, but I didn’t even want the child to know of our connection. The less the girl knew the better.

Helvetica reported to me that the child cried nonstop for days for her sister. The girls were toddlers and old enough to know that something was dreadfully wrong. I cursed and promised Veti that she would soon forget about her past, and sadly that did come to fruition.

As the years rolled forward my affection for the child grew. She was always so engaging and excited when I came to visit. For a long while I was seen as a favored uncle. That is, until she started to go through the transition.

Her body had developed her into a stunning woman. And she was emitting hormones that would make a dead man sit up and take notice. I could smell her delicious scent from miles away. An untouched virgin vampire is something to be reckoned with.

I had to make my visits more infrequent. I suspected that Veti knew I was feeling uneasy about my attraction to the child. Thankfully she never said anything. It’s not a conversation that I relish having with my sister.

My brother, Henry, remained at the palace as the captain of the guards. We needed someone with inside information that could help us keep Lucy safe. When he first alerted me that Vivian had come to the royal court, I waited for the fireworks to begin.

Viv and Lucy’s mother, the king’s second wife, was a witch.

Witches were long thought dead in the area, but my family knew better. There is a coven that is hidden away so carefully that it is nearly impossible to find them. The young queen had foolishly fallen in love with the king and left their sanctity.

I considered taking the child to the coven for all of two seconds and then dismissed the idea. The witches hated the vampires almost as much as the vampires hated them. It was said that the young queen was officially banished when she married the king. She gave him the twins, but then went into a decline when the king was unfaithful to her.

Witches mate for life, usually more than one partner. Vampires, on the other hand, tended to have roving dicks. When it was said that another daughter was born, on the wrong side of the blanket, not six months after the twins, we weren’t surprised. It was said that in grief, the queen threw herself from the highest tower.

I somehow doubted that she could have done such a thing; even in her sadness, this was completely out of character. It was more likely that she would magic his balls to hell.

The king, unphased by his wife’s death, married a girl from the Draven line. He took the bastard daughter in, with no one the wiser as to who her mother may have been. She was a king’s daughter and therefore must be raised with the rest of the brood.

When the attack occurred, we feared that all of the children were lost. However, there were rumors, little glimmers of hope, that perhaps one or two survived. I knew that one had lived. By the gods, I would have done anything to save them all. But it was only Lucy that made it out of the fateful night.

Then, years later, Henry wrote and told me that Vivian appeared at court. Not to be outdone, Joanie was discovered shortly after.

I had considered bringing Lucy to court then. After all, with two of the Vasiles back in power, surely this was the time for her return. But something made me hold back.

I was glad I had when the next child was found. A girl of only seven years old, with DNA matching that of the princess and the Queen. The timelines didn’t add up, nothing added up.

This had to be witchcraft. Was it the coven? Or a new evil force to be dealt with? I couldn’t let Lucy loose on what looked to be a ticking time-bomb. So, I waited.

You can imagine my fear when I received the urgent summons from Lucy that she must see me immediately. I raced to the caves as quickly as my jet would allow, and then went through the wards and spells that Lucy had concocted to keep them safe.

“Lucy!” I bellowed upon entering the cavern. I could feel the emptiness and knew they were gone but my mind didn’t want to believe it. “Veti, Lucy!”

I went room to room looking to see if I could find them. Once in Lucy’s room, I caught a blue slip of paper inside the latest book I had sent her.

Dearest Master,

It is time that I face the world. Do not worry. I have Veti by my side, and a girl that looks identical to me. She and her sister have come to take me to the Vampire Royal Courts. I know what you are thinking, and you are right. This is dangerous and perhaps foolish.

However, Master, I can’t continue to live in the caves forever. I know my powers are staggering, you have mentioned it several times. I also know about the bigotry toward the witches. I won’t let you down, Master. I will hide that part of myself and you will see that this is a good thing.

I hate to leave without saying goodbye. So, I will only say that I miss you and hope that I will see you soon.

Best,

Lucy

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