CHAPTER NINE
Behind Closed Doors

Heylo whispers to Cantaria, "Hey, don't you want to go to your place...and get your belongings, so you can move in here?" *smiles* "Besides, we should leave these two love birds alone for a bit. You KNOW they've been apart for wayyyyy too long, and it will take some time to reunite...so to speak." *snickers* "I just need to go to my room and get my cloak. Then I'll be ready to go and help you gather your things to bring back here."

As Heylo set her glass down and stood...Priestess reached out and touched Heylo's arm, "I know that you are anxious to get Cantaria settled here, but I think that should wait. There are many things that must be discussed and planned. I don't think you or Cantaria should leave the Manor. There are a couple of things that we must take care of before anyone can leave here. I don't mean you are a prisoner, but for the safety of the clan I need for you to wait. Please escort Cantaria back to her room. If Cham and I decide that she can remain then that will be her room.

Heylo, nodding to Priest and Priestess, went to the steps and waited for Cantaria to join her. Heylo and Cantaria went downstairs, said their goodnights, then retired to their rooms for sleep. It had been a very eventful evening.

Heylo thought to herself, while preparing for bed...tonight HAD been an eventful evening for them all. They discovered that Mistress' Love had returned...then listened to the tales of his recent whereabouts. Heylo felt privileged to have this kind of companionship again. She had missed it so much, during her search for her Mistress and friend, Vilona. Now, she felt doubly blessed, being reunited with Vilona, and Natashia, briefly, before disappearing, then Cantaria...and now Cham.

Heylo reclined upon her beautiful Chinese barrel bed, and just stared at the ceiling for a bit, consumed by her thoughts. All the recent events just whirled through her mind. She didn't know what to think of some things...and others, she just "knew" how she felt. She was very happy to find Ress again...'er, Cantaria, whom she loved dearly. She knew she loved Vilona and Cham very much...she always had. She was grateful for Cham's return...not only because it made Vilona happy, but she felt safer, with all the unsavory activities that have been going on recently. She knew Cham was a trained warrior...and that his abilities were sorely needed during these unsure times.

Heylo's thoughts were momentarily disturbed by the sound of something being dragged along the floor upstairs, but by now she was used to the odd sounds that Vilona made during the few hours that she remained upstairs, alone. During the last few weeks, before they had found Cantaria, Vilona had sent Heylo to her room before sunset saying that she had things to attend to and Heylo was not ready to help yet. That is when the odd noises would start. Now that Cham is home, the sounds have changed a bit, but still odd.

After a moment of listening, Heylo pondered further about being a warrior..."I know nothing about being a warrior." *sighs* "I'm a novice, when it comes to my abilities within the clan. I wish I could be of more service to my loved ones, my family, but only time will help me with that. I'm learning about my abilities...but only through my own inquisitiveness. So much has happened lately, that there hasn't been much time for training of any sorts. I blame no one for that...so I search for my own effectiveness within this clan."

Upstairs, Cham holds the young woman's arm still, as Vilona holds the glass under her wrist to catch the drips of blood. Vilona talks softly to their willing victim and watches for the glass to fill, making sure not to take too much of her blood. The young girl looks into Vilona's eyes with a weakness that doesn't stem from the draining of her blood. Her voice quivers as she speaks, "Why did you not kill me the first time you came to me? You feed on blood and killing is within your nature, yet you are my only friend. Why? Is it pity, because I'm ill?"

Vilona, smiles softly into the dim blue eyes. "Don't fantasize about me, my dear. I once was a kind and loving mortal, but now I am what I am. Even though I am the killer that you say, I don't kill needlessly. You were kind enough to offer your blood, so I take it. I can only feed on ones that I would embrace into my family, and you are one that I would love to call mine. But it is your choice that I NOT embrace you. Therefore, I can not kill you. That would not be me. My young one downstairs has not found her blood source yet, therefore I must keep her going with the mixture of your blood and wine, but it is not enough. Soon she will need a full feeding or the 'beast' will overtake her and she will kill needlessly..."

Heylo got up and walked over to survey the many books lining the walls of her bedroom. "I love to read...reading offers so much information to me." She takes the Book of Noble from the shelf. "Vilona made me Keeper of this book." Although Heylo carried this book with her for many months, she never opened it. She felt she would be intruding if she had read it before being part of the clan. Since her embrace, Heylo had been reading the lineage, though...studying it...memorizing it. Every time she learned a new name in the list, she would rub her finger over the name...and by doing so, would grasp a sense as to who that vampire was. From the blood, there was some sort of information embedded in the blood...and just by touch, she could extract some of it, she had found. So, Heylo "studied" the book in this way. Every day, before sleeping, she would study...in order to learn. Learning things was one of the desires she had as a mortal...and this was something that came through the embrace, as well. I guess, in a way, she was a scholar...someone that learned...and had knowledge of many things. Maybe that is what she brought to her clan...knowledge.

Heylo realized that she was just an 'infant', compared to the vampires that were around...and had not just a few years of information available to them...but...hundreds of years of information they could access. *sighs* That is why Heylo read...and read diligently...every day...from the library on the walls of her bedroom. She seemed to absorb information and retain it easier, too, than when she was mortal. To her, that was such a plus.

Every day, Heylo studied the Book of the House of Noble...and then she would pull another book from the shelves. She hungrily devoured all the information. There were books on every topic, but the ones she selected to learn first, were the ones on her clan,...or ones about other clans...or how the Ventrues interacted with other clans and mortals...or histories about the clans, especially her own. Her knowledge had increased tenfold, since becoming a Ventrue...but there was so much more to learn.

Cham picked up the young woman after Vilona dressed her wound. "I will return her to her home, then I shall feed. I will be back before the sun rises."

Vilona stretched to her tip toes and kissed him tenderly. Cham walked out the front door, then increased his pace, to that of beyond mortal vision. Vilona turned back to the center island of the kitchen and mixed the warm blood with the room temperature wine. She sealed it, and placed it back in the rack with the other 5 bottles that she had prepared the nights earlier. She gulped down the remaining half of the glass of pure blood and let the tingle of the fresh life-giving elixir pulse through her body. Although April's illness would be terminal to a human, it has no affect on a Kindred. Vilona cleans the kitchen mess and prepares to go downstairs. She unlocks the sliding panel steps down the stairs to wait for Cham in their bed chambers. Today will be their first time to enter their room since it was sealed the day he left.

Heylo held a book, that was very old, close to her, as she lay on the bed and read from it. This book was information about the origins of all the clans. She studied every word, until she completed the book. Then, she drifted off to sleep, with her thoughts about all the information that was in this one book, alone. All the clans had something to offer...all the clans were brothers. Some clans chose not to associate, for one reason or another, with each other. Each clan had their own attributes that they pursued, above all others. There weren't many, from what she could gather, that were proficient in all abilities. Even vampires had secrets from each other, it seems. There were reports of extremely old vampires still among us...even today. There were some vampires, too, that felt they were of a more 'true lineage', and therefore sought to kill the rest of the Nations, and become the only clan remaining.

All this information swirled within Heylo...until it turned to a foggy mist, and she drifted off to much needed sleep. Words spoke to her, as if they were dreams, as she slept. Some information or details that she had gleaned from the day's reading, would focus themselves, during her rest. Each evening, when she would awaken, she would write in her journal, the things that spoke to her the most. Sometimes it would be just questions...and other times, it would be some information that seemed to stand out the most. Heylo thought, that at some point, she would have the opportunity to discuss any questions or information she found interesting, with Vilona...when times were easier for the clan. Until then, she would just have to keep writing in her journal, so she would remember, when it was time for discussion.

Cham returned, invigorated from his feeding. He slipped through the open doorway to the underground manor, then turned and closed the door. He reached behind the stone, to the left and found the lever. As he pulled it, he heard the panel slide back into place. The room above was secure. In pitch blackness he found his way to the 'stone lovers'. It had been so long since he'd seen this fountain. He smiled, in memory of the day Vilona brought it home. As he was standing there in his daze of memories, Vilona appeared at their bedroom door... her bare body visible beneath the sheer black gown, as it draped off her shoulders and swirled around her feet. Cham caught sight of her from the corner of his eye. His dazed smile turned to a hungry stare. He walked toward her as she backed away with a coy arch of the eyebrow. As he passed through the open double doors, he closed them behind him.

When sunset approached, Heylo tossed restlessly in her bed. Her sleep had been fitful. This evening, when she awoke, she was quite troubled from the words that came forth during her rest. She arose, and opened the drawer to the nightstand. She pulled out her journal and wrote quickly, as to not forget anything that had stood out to her, while she slept. She wrote, "They kill Kindred and kine." This sentence swirled in her mind...around and around. She feared these words. The swirling...and the fear of these words...made Heylo collapse. She slid out of the bed, to the floor. Her strength was gone, even though she had just woke up from her rest. Her mind became fuzzy...and she seemed to float within the mist of her mind...the mist that held those words..."They kill Kindred and kine." Her journal and pen sprawled, as they hit the carpet, beside where she lay.


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