Metamorphosis (Part 4)
Me
Chapter 4
Blood. Such a sweet word to Drusilla‚s ears as she drained her latest
victim. It had been days since she had fed, but the servants of the Devlin
household had finally become so afraid of her, they left her alone in her
room without anyone watching. If they hadn‚t decided to let her go un
supervised, she probably would have made a meal of one of them, regardless of
what Angelus had told her. She had been so hungry, her entire body had been
aching with unfulfilled lust for blood.
But now she was free. As free as the wind blowing through the trees, telling
of a coming storm. The trees themselves painted beautiful silhouettes across
the night sky, reaching out to her, calling her. Her heightened vampire
senses picked up a faint scream in the distance. She envied the vampire that
had slayed this one. Fear made the blood so much richer.
She thought about the family that had taken her in, the ones who weren‚t
servants. Their blood wasn‚t that of one who serves and takes orders. The
older man, the master of the household, his blood flowed strongly through his
veins; thought the blood itself was weak. The woman, so controlling and
nagging reminded her a bit of the way Darla used to treat her, like she was
some kind of threat. Of course, Angelus always assured his sire that
Drusilla wasn‚t a problem at all, as she was so weak and stupid. Still, her
master knew enough to keep the two of them away from each other.
And then there were the two younger men. Brothers, they were. But never
again. The elder, she didn‚t like. He wanted to hurt her. His heart stunk
of hatred for her kind. But she would make sure he didn‚t live for long.
Drusilla smiled at the thought of the younger one. He was kind to her, he
was. Angelus was her sire and master, but he was her William, her pet. He
made her feel all pretty and safe. She liked that. It was something she
hadn‚t felt since...
Looking around for the first time at her surroundings, as she could only
think of blood after first getting out of that dreadful place, she wondered
what kinds of flowers grew here. Miss Edith had always loved flowers.
***
Edith‚s nimble fingers plucked nervously at the weeds in her garden. Ever
since the man she only knew as Angelus had told her about her Œdestiny‚, she
had been on edge. It wasn‚t that she actually believed him, the man should
be dragged straight to a mad house, but there was something about the
seriousness in his tone that sent shivers running up her spine. Vampires,
demons, walking the earth, feeding of people? Her, Edith Hargrave, the only
one who could stop them?
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She
loved her garden, she really did. It was the pride of the village, for her
flowers seemed to grow without effort, lasting longer than any around. It
seemed that all Edith had to do was put them in the ground, and they would
grow, easily and quickly.
As she reached for another weed, a sharp pain tore at her head. Putting a
hand to her temple, Edith closed her eyes. She was having another vision. A
night sky flashed before her, though it was in the middle of the afternoon.
Floating around were the faces of her family and friends, their mouths open
in screams. Then the vision changed, and everything was blood red. A head
appeared to her, it was fuzzy, so she couldn‚t make out who it was. The head
suddenly snapped up, as if pushed, revealing a long, slender neck with two
punctures in it. Blood flowed from the wounds, engulfing everything around
her. She screamed.
And then it was dark again. Edith opened her eyes to see the familiar
surroundings of her garden. She was clutching the plant tightly in her hand,
so tightly her fingernails had begun to draw blood.
"Edith!" Came a sharp female voice.
She behind her to the small cottage she called home.
"Yes, mummy?"
The door opened to reveal a slender, dark haired woman, much like Edith
herself. She would have been beautiful if not for the cold harshness in her
eyes. Catherine Hargrave frowned at her daughter.
"Edith, you screamed so loud the entire village probably heard it. Do you
want everyone to know you‚re a devil‚s child?"
Edith didn‚t say anything, just looked at the ground and shook her head.
"I don‚t know why your uncle doesn‚t lock you up. That‚s why you can‚t get a
husband, Edith, because you‚re Satan‚s spawn. You know only God can see the
future."
"Yes, mum," Edith whispered. "I know. I‚m sorry."
"Well get into the house and pray to the good Lord for forgiveness. Right
now!" Catherine made sweeping motions towards the door.
Silently, Edith got up, and bringing the plant she still held tightly with
her, she walked inside the house, and to her room.
Once inside the room she shared with her sister, Anne, she looked at the
plant she clutched. It was a dead daisy.
***
Victoria looked critically at her new Watcher, sitting in the chair across
from her in the small room.
"So...how did you get--" she motioned to his cloak which contained the
severed eyes of her former Watcher, Gareth.
Philip Devlin looked uneasy. "Actually it was delivered to me at my house by
a woman in a cloak, so I couldn‚t see her face. I didn‚t know what it meant,
but my father, who‚s a Watcher too, explained."
"Your father‚s a Watcher?" Victoria was surprised. "Then why are you
assigned to me, not your father? I‚m sure he has more experience and
knowledge about being a Watcher."
Philip raised his head defensively. "I know just as much about demons as my
father does. Besides, it‚d be easier for me to work with you."
"How so?"
"Well, um, see..." He grinned sheepishly. "My mother wants me to get
married anyway, and it would be easier for us to work together..."
Her eyes widened. "Are you asking me to marry you?!?"
As he nodded, her mind tried to keep up. A few days ago this man who was
just someone to flirt with, was now her Watcher, and potential husband! Oh
sure, he was attractive, but marriage...
"But I thought Watchers aren‚t supposed to get attached to their Slayers and
maintain indifferent to the Slayer‚s feelings, doing what needs to be done, "
she protested weakly, already knowing his answer.
"I don‚t think anyone can help not getting attached to you, Victoria.
Besides, what other way is there?"
Her thoughts trailed off to Gareth. Gareth had been a father to her, the
only father figure she‚d ever had as her own, and died soon after she was
born. He was her only family for most of the time after she‚d become the
Slayer. Even now she couldn‚t imagine life without him. Would Philip
protect her, like Gareth had? Would he be there in times of need? Would he
love her?
She nodded. "I accept your proposal, then."
***
Billy gasped for air as he sat straight up in his bed. Good Lord, he
thought. That was...intense. It wasn‚t the first time he‚d dreamt about
her, nor, he knew, would it be the last. He didn‚t know what it was about
Drusilla Morgan, but there was something about her...Still reeling from the
intensity of the dream and feeling a bit restless, he got out of bed and
walked towards the window of his room.
At first he thought he was still dreaming. A white figure danced against the
black shadows of night, her faint laughter barely audible. Drusilla. Just
the thought of her made his heart race. Without thinking, he quickly put on
his clothes and raced outside, careful not to wake anyone up.
The air was cool, that night, and a light rain had begun to fall. Billy
looked around for Drusilla. All he saw was the well cared for lawn of the
estate and the entrance to the nearby forest off to the side, the trees
looking tall and forbidding in the mist.
"Drusilla?" he called out, making his way towards the forest.
His feet, as if they had a mind of their own instantly carried him to a small
clearing he and Philip had once called their own when they were children.
The trees that had once seemed so tall when he was young, now looked old and
twisted in this light. His eyes scanning the scene, he saw the old tree
house he and Philip had built when they were younger. His mother had
chastised them for getting all dirty with work, saying it wasn‚t of their
status, but their father had allowed the boys, saying it‚d be good for them.
The tree house was now worn with various weather conditions and much use. It
was small, able to fit only two or three people, but back when Philip and
Billy were young, a castle couldn‚t have been more grand.
"Miss Edith," he heard a soft whisper. "We have a visitor."
Looking around for the source of the voice, knowing the lovely creature it
belonged to, Billy's heart began to race. Urgently scanning the scene, he
saw no one. Turning around to leave, he bumped right into the woman that had
been haunting his dreams both day and night.
Though startled, his first instinct was that of concern. "Drusilla! What
are you doing here? It's raining, and you're weak. It's dangerous to be out
at this time of--"
Drusilla cut him off, touching a slender finger to his lips. "Shhh. I've
never felt better."
How strange, just a touch from her seemed to calm him. And her eyes...he
couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from her. It was as if he were in a
trance. All he could focus on were her eyes. They were the color of the
ocean, of the sky. So large, and innocent. So trusting. Shaking his head
slightly, he looked down, trying to break out of his reverie.
What he saw were the crimson stains on her dress.
"My God, are you hurt?" He reached out to examine the stains.
Dru shook her head, confused. "No, why would I be? Daddy's not here, is he?
Have I been bad?" Her face was full of worry. Almost fear.
Looking up at her, Billy suddenly grew bold and put his hand on her cheek,
wet with rain, his thumb just barely touching her bottom lip. "No. Never,"
he whispered.
She smiled impishly, taking his other hand holding it in hers. "Dance?"
Though confused, Billy decided to humor her. Moving away, he grasped her
hand in his, lifting his arm up for her to twirl under. She giggled a bit,
but then, when he tried to continue to dance with her in the normal fashion,
she stopped him.
"No." She took his hands and placed them on her waist, putting her hands
around his neck. "I've seen people dance like this," she explained. "I've
always wanted to try it, but Daddy thinks it's stupid." Her voice took on a
sad tone. "He thinks everything I say is stupid. You don't, do you?" He
pulled her closer to him in answer as they swayed to music only she could
hear.
All Billy could think about was the way she felt in his arms. She was so
cold, yet somehow radiating some inner heat. Like an ice sculpture boiling
inside with spicy warmth. Her wet dress clung to her form, outlining her
figure, yet leaving so much to imagine. Her arms, slender and delicate, yet
so strong at the same time, were wound about his neck, sending shivers down
his spine. Lord, she was beautiful.
Drusilla, for her part, was just as hypnotized as he. This man was so
different from Angelus. He listened to her, seemed to care for her. Angelus
always beat her if she ever told him about a vision, and even though
occasionally he'd spoil his princess, most of the time he treated her like a
toy. But perhaps the greatest difference between this Billy Devlin and
Angelus was what they seemed to stand for. Angelus was dark. He was her
angel of the night, her master, her creator. But he was also her jailer. He
reminded her that she was a Devil child, a vampire, a creature of the night.
Billy was...different somehow. He reminded her of day, of happiness, of the
life she'd never been able to have, and would never get the chance to have
again. He treated her like a princess.
Billy examined Drusilla's seemingly flawless face, starting from the top,
working his way down, he studied each and every tiny detail, trying to
memorize her every little feature. Her hair, matted down in the rain, was
dark as night itself. Her skin was like a petal of a lily, pale, smooth, and
soft. Her eyes, so serene and hypnotizing. Her lips...
He focused on her mouth. She was humming a little tune he didn't recognize;
her lips curved into a sweet smile. God, he wanted to kiss her. Just the
thought of touching those full, inviting lips made his blood burn and his
heart race.
"We shouldn't be doing this," he told Drusilla rather breathlessly.
"Do you care?" Her innocent tone was both seductive and sweet.
He shook his head. "No." He leaned down.
"Mr. Billy Devlin, get back into the house this instant! It's pouring
outside!"
Billy's head snapped up as he jumped away from Drusilla. He recognized the
insistent voice as that of Laura, one of the servants. Laura had work at the
Devlin household for longer than he could remember and was a part time nurse
to he and Philip when they were younger. Obviously she'd noticed him gone,
and was worried. He hoped she hadn't woken up everyone else in the house.
Drusilla, startled by the voice, had also jumped back several feet, her eyes
wide. She looked at Billy and calmed down a bit as he took her hand and led
her back towards the house.
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