Brigitte lounged in a beautiful suite on a leather couch. She was dressed in a seductive lounging suit with hair that was still wet. She had primped herself up to look as beautiful as she could.
Astucia was sitting on the loveseat, she was wearing a gown of the brightest of red. She had finally found her favourite vampire again and she would be damned if she let her get taken away again.
They were trying to piece together why the Crawford mystics would want to curse her. Brigitte had already reached out to her contacts “What has happened to my House for all these years?”
Astucia shook her head “A lot has gone on. Sarah betrayed us and I had to put her down. As the enforcer for the house I executed your daughter. She had gone to be with Louis as his sex servant about 10 years after you disappeared. Alexandre had to disappear and he has lost contact with everyone but me and his wife”
“You executed Sarah?”
Astucia didn’t look away. “I did.”
For several seconds Brigitte said nothing.
“Why?”
“Because she betrayed the House.”
Brigitte’s expression hardened. “Then you will tell me everything she did before I decide whether I mourn my daughter.”
“Sarah’s betrayal had been simple but devastating. After you disappeared, she secretly sold the locations of House safehouses to the cadres iin exchange for protection and power.
Worse, she gave them Alexandre’s movements.
I had discovered the truth when three safehouses were attacked within a month. Sarah hadn’t just betrayed the House. She had helped enemies hunt her own family.
Brigitte looked shocked as she had expected something minor that she could forgive and grieve but this was very much worse. She had caused countless deaths that should have been avoided.
She nodded as Aurelie entered “Mother, Alexandre has been beside himself with grief over having failed you. He didn’t know how to help you with the Crawford Curse.”
Nodding Brigitte looked at Astucia “When were you put on the case my granddaughter?”
“It took a while as he was fleeing the trackers who wanted him dead. He isn’t well loved and only because of his devious nature and your house has protected him. With you out of the way his enemies felt free to act. I was also searching for the information on who had put a hit on him and the house.”
“Where is Delphine?”.
Aurelie started to cry “We don’t know. She disappeared 80 years ago. We just know she hasn’t been seen or heard from for decades”
Brigitte opened her mind and felt for Delphine. “She is near but something is odd. I will summon her.”. The summons happened and she felt some form of fighting as well as agreement.
About 25 minutes later she saw a woman walk in wearing a regal black dress. She was made over and she could see the lady of the night Gothic look “Hello Mother”. she said with a tone that showed both respect as well as shock.
“What have you been up to?”
Delphine tried to smile “I was captured many years ago asking questions around the court. I am a slave now and was sold to King Mander from India but he lives here in Rome. He has set me to work like we worked in my early years. I am a high priced blood whore.”
They had so much to answer for, but who where they?
First the attack on her made her lose sanity. Then Alexandre had to run before they attacked her. Then the big battle with the French Barons and Aristarco. Now they sold her house to be a blood whore. This was going too far and she would destroy whoever did this.
“Mother, you can’t do anything, they are too powerful. I am property and I am told I will remain that way. I fought, I really did, but they were able to put a blood geas on me to get what they wanted from me. Only your summons allowed me to countermand the powerful spell. “
“They will all die and I will have my vengeance”
Astucia was unhappy “Vengeance ends when the enemy is dead. Whoever did this has spent decades dismantling my family piece by piece.”
Brigitte growled “These are all linked together. We need more information. Who paid Sarah?”
She shook her head “I never was able to find out who paid Sarah. It is one issue I have had, but I couldn’t allow her to live, not when we were this close to me getting the family back. “
Nodding Brigitte said “You did right in killing the traitor. We need to track more back. I have had what Sarah died shipped here by Selene.”
Her eyes bored into Astucia but it was Aurelie that spoke “You can get visions by touch reading the object.”
As the guard entered he set down the equipment and left. Astucia reached out and opened the box and pulled out the knife. The vision struck her hard.
——-
Sarah entered the abandoned chapel alone.
A single candle burned near the altar, barely illuminating the shadowy figure waiting beyond it. She couldn’t see a face beneath the heavy black hood.
“Is it done?” the figure asked.
Sarah swallowed. “Everything you wanted. The names of our allies, the locations of the safe houses, even Alexandre’s hidden routes. My family suspects nothing.”
A small leather pouch landed on the altar.
Sarah picked it up. Gold coins clinked inside.
“That is only the first payment,” the figure said. “There will be more when House Brigitte falls.”
Sarah stared at the gold. “You promised me protection.”
“And you shall have it.”
“What about my mother?”
The figure stepped closer, but remained beyond the candlelight.
“Brigitte is no longer your concern.”
Sarah’s expression tightened. “She is still my mother.”
A quiet laugh came from beneath the hood.
“You sold your mother for gold, Sarah. Do not insult us both by pretending you care what happens to her.”
Sarah’s hand tightened around the pouch.
For the first time, she wondered if she had made a terrible mistake.
Behind her, unseen in the darkness, Etienne watched.
——
Astucia gasped and came out of the vision. Her powers were anything but gentle. The shook her greatly and she felt phantom pain from what happened in the visions.
“Etienne. This can’t be, he is the biological father of Alexandre. How did he survive?”
This came as a shock until Aurelie spoke “After Etienne refused the farmland and Homestead that Alexandre worked hard to get for him, he ended up living there paying the rent to his own son. 20 years later he was in his mid sixties and in poor health. He was changed by Alexandre along with his wife and their three children. Etienne and Genevieve were part of him feeling guilty the three children Lucien, Elodie and Matthieu were punishment for what their parents did “
Astucia had heard of Etienne. He was an older man and had long been assumed dead. The property that he had taken over was to help his family in secret.
She touched another item this time it was a bandanna. The vision struck.
——-
Étienne stood at the head of the long table while Geneviève, Lucien, Élodie, and Mathieu took their places.
Four silver goblets waited before them.
Geneviève immediately noticed the stranger standing beside her husband.
“Étienne, who is this?”
Étienne didn’t answer.
The stranger stepped forward. He was an ancient vampire, dressed entirely in black, his presence so powerful that even Lucien instinctively reached for the sword at his side.
“My name is Lord Severin,” the stranger said. “And from this night forward, House Montclair belongs to me.”
Lucien laughed.
“My family belongs to no one.”
Étienne closed his eyes.
“Drink.”
Élodie stared at her father. Her gift immediately screamed the truth at her.
“You’ve done something.”
Geneviève lifted her goblet and smelled it.
Her expression changed.
“Blood.”
“His blood,” Étienne admitted.
Mathieu pushed his goblet away. “Absolutely not.”
Étienne slammed his hand against the table.
“You will drink!”
Silence followed.
Geneviève slowly stood. “You have already drunk it, haven’t you?”
Étienne looked at his wife.
His silence answered her.
Geneviève’s face filled with horror.
“How many times?”
“Three.”
Lord Severin smiled.
Geneviève looked into her husband’s eyes and finally understood. The man standing before her was still Étienne. He remembered their marriage. He remembered their children.
But something fundamental had changed.
His loyalty belonged to someone else.
“You betrayed us,” she whispered.
“I saved us.”
“No. You surrendered us.”
Lucien drew his sword.
Lord Severin didn’t move.
Étienne did.
He seized his son’s wrist with terrifying speed and forced Lucien against the table.
“Father!”
“Drink.”
“Never!”
Étienne looked toward his other children.
“Severin offered protection. Power. Our enemies will never touch this family again.”
Élodie’s voice trembled.
“You’re forcing us to love him.”
“No,” Severin finally said. “Not love.”
He walked behind Geneviève and placed his hands upon her shoulders.
“Allegiance.”
Geneviève tried to pull away.
Étienne stopped her.
“Please,” he whispered. “Don’t make this difficult.”
Geneviève stared at the husband she had loved for nearly two centuries.
“You’ve already made it unforgivable.”
Severin lifted the goblet to her lips.
Étienne held her.
She drank.
Then came Lucien.
Then Élodie.
Mathieu fought hardest. Three vampires were required to restrain him before Severin’s blood finally passed his lips.
One by one, the Montclairs fell silent.
The change was subtle at first.
Then Geneviève slowly lowered herself to one knee.
Élodie followed.
Mathieu resisted for several trembling seconds before his knee touched the floor.
Lucien was last.
Tears of rage filled his eyes as his body betrayed him.
He knelt.
Étienne joined them.
Lord Severin looked down upon the entire family.
“Whom do you serve?”
Five voices answered.
“Lord Severin.”
Geneviève looked sideways at her husband.
The blood commanded her allegiance to Severin.
It did not command her to forgive Étienne.
And judging by the expressions of their three children, Étienne had just discovered the terrible difference between the two.
——–
Étienne had been turned by his own son, Alexandre, and for decades the blood of his sire had bound him to him. Unable to break that bond himself, Étienne sought out the ancient Severin. By drinking Severin’s blood three times, he underwent the forbidden rite known as Blood Allegiance. It did not change who had sired him—Alexandre would always be his maker—but it suppressed the bond between sire and child and replaced Étienne’s supernatural loyalty with an absolute allegiance to Severin.
Once the Blood Allegiance took hold, Étienne did the unthinkable.
He forced Geneviève, Lucien, Élodie, and Mathieu to drink Severin’s blood as well, binding his entire family to his new master.
Very few understood you could alter the Sire relationship by drinking another vampire’s blood of equal or greater power than the Sire.
The rules were simple but the effect was scary
Three feedings establish allegiance.
The allegiance overrides supernatural loyalty but not personality.
The original sire bond becomes suppressed rather than destroyed.
Astucia relayed this information. Then Brigitte turned to Delphine.
“Who sold you to King Mander?”
Delphine shrugged “I don’t know as the geas was already on me.”
“Who would dare put a geas in my child?”
Again the shrug “I don’t know. I know that the King would never waste his blood on me as I am nothing to him. You can help me can’t you?”
Astucia looked at Brigitte. Brigitte stared back “This wasn’t to turn you into a blood whore, This was to test if my family could be controlled by Blood Magic. They started with you as you were my first child so you should have been the strongest. “
“Brigitte there is something else. When I view with touch reading I am feeling that I am being watched. They used blood magic to put a spy spell on me.”
“That is impossible. We never declared your powers. The only way they would know is if we were betrayed before. Sarah didn’t know your powers so that leaves only one of the older vampires associated with us. How many are still alive?”
Aurelie and Delphine both answered “2”
That was a tiny amount of top tier supporters. She had ten times that when she was healthy. What happened to all of my people?”
Delphine looked sheepish “It’s hard to say fully but some were sold into slavery like I was. Some were imprisoned and others were killed?”
“What two remain?”
Aurelie answered this time “Celestine Rochefort and Gaspard Valcourt.”
She wondered what had happened to her other people. They had been a great group of people to be with. Now only Celestine and Gaspard remained and those were two who had been with her the longest.
Celestine was from the cadre of France before Selene. She had never been treated well so when Brigitte gave her the opportunity to join her ladies of the night. She had become one of spies who found out a lot of information and passed it on.
Gaspard was a strong warrior who had been a member of her guard. He was someone who she had trusted for years.
Astucia stepped forward. “Those two have been with you longer than I have been Brigitte. To think that one could be a traitor shocks me. Get me something of theirs and I will touch scan it.”
As they gave her something from Celestine she got only good feelings and memories. She was as loyal as they came.
When she touched the ring of Gaspard she screamed out.
—-
Astucia picked up the old silver signet that had once belonged to Gaspard Valcourt.
The instant her fingers touched it, the room disappeared.
—
Gaspard stood before a massive fireplace, watching the flames.
Three figures waited behind him.
Their faces were hidden beneath black hoods.
“You understand what you’re asking of us?” one said.
Gaspard turned.
“I understand perfectly.”
“You swore allegiance to Brigitte.”
“I swore allegiance to the woman she was.”
One of the figures laughed quietly.
“And what has she become?”
“Too powerful.”
Gaspard poured himself a goblet of blood.
“Brigitte created a House that was supposed to protect us. Instead, she surrounded herself with monsters. Alexandre is becoming impossible to control. Astucia kills anyone Brigitte points at. Her children are spreading across Europe.”
He drank.
“Eventually there will be no balance. There will only be Brigitte.”
The tallest figure stepped forward.
“Then give us something useful.”
Gaspard hesitated.
“What do you want?”
“Everything.”
Silence.
Gaspard looked into the fire.
Then he began.
“Brigitte can be attacked through her bloodline. Hurt enough of her children and she will feel it. Alexandre is her greatest weakness, although she would never admit it.”
The hooded figure remained silent.
“And Astucia?”
Gaspard’s expression changed.
“She has an ability almost nobody knows about.”
The figure moved closer.
“What ability?”
“Touch reading.”
“How powerful?”
Gaspard shook his head.
“You misunderstand. She doesn’t merely sense who touched something.”
He placed his goblet on the table.
“She sees what happened.”
The three figures exchanged glances.
“Memories?”
“Fragments. Sometimes more. Blood strengthens it. Personal possessions strengthen it further.”
The tallest figure became interested.
“Can the visions be manipulated?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can she be watched through them?”
“I don’t know.”
Gaspard frowned.
“But Brigitte might.”
The hooded figure stepped closer.
“You have given us something extraordinarily valuable tonight.”
Gaspard looked uncomfortable.
“I agreed to weaken Brigitte. Nothing more. Her family is not to be harmed.”
A quiet laugh filled the chamber.
Gaspard’s face hardened.
“That was our agreement.”
“No,” the figure replied. “That was what you told yourself our agreement was.”
Gaspard reached for his sword.
The doors behind him opened.
Lord Severin entered.
Gaspard froze.
Severin carried a silver goblet.
“No.”
Severin smiled.
“You have betrayed Brigitte once tonight, Gaspard. We merely intend to make certain you can never change your mind.”
Two vampires seized Gaspard from behind.
He fought viciously, throwing one across the room before Severin caught him by the throat.
The goblet came toward his mouth.
Gaspard understood.
“Blood Allegiance.”
“Very good.”
“I will not drink.”
Severin smiled.
“You already betrayed her willingly. Remember that.”
Gaspard struggled.
Severin forced the blood between his lips.
The vision shifted.
Once.
Gaspard screamed.
Twice.
He begged them to stop.
Then came the third feeding.
Gaspard collapsed onto his knees.
Severin stood over him.
“Whom do you serve?”
Gaspard trembled.
His face twisted with hatred as he fought against the blood inside him.
But his mouth opened.
“Lord Severin.”
“Who is your enemy?”
Gaspard’s eyes filled with tears.
“Brigitte.”
Severin smiled.
“And what will you give us?”
Gaspard’s answer came unwillingly.
“Everything.”
—
Astucia ripped her hand away from the signet.
She staggered backward.
Brigitte caught her.
For several seconds Astucia couldn’t speak.
“What did you see?” Brigitte demanded.
Astucia looked at her.
“Gaspard betrayed you.”
Brigitte’s expression hardened.
“But there’s more,” Astucia continued. “He wasn’t controlled when he did it. He went to them willingly. He believed your House had become too powerful.”
Brigitte said nothing.
“He told them about Alexandre. About your connection to your bloodline.”
Astucia swallowed.
“And he told them about me.”
Brigitte went completely still.
“My gift. The touch reading. Gaspard was the one who told them.”
Aurelie whispered, “Then the spy spell…”
“They didn’t discover my power,” Astucia said. “They studied it.”
Delphine looked horrified.
“For how long?”
Astucia stared at the signet.
“Long enough to learn how to use it against me.”
Brigitte’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“And Gaspard?”
Astucia looked at her.
“He betrayed you willingly.”
She paused.
“Then Severin made certain he could never come back.”
They all knew what must be done. Betraying Brigitte the only thing he could do was be put to death.
“Alena, I need your help”
A shimmering orb floated in and touched down. A lady in black leather who had braids that touched her hips. She walked over and kissed Astucia’s cheek. “Hello. Do you need my help?”
“
“My Lady Brigitte. Alenna has the ability to take us with her. You saw her shimmer and she can do it with others. Alenna the Lady Brigitte and myself need to get to Gaspard. He would be at Chateau Montenac his home.”
She nodded “So just the two of you to Montenac? I can do it but I have no permission to fight”
Brigitte nodded “No need for you to fight with us or for us. We will handle Gaspard, that traitorous guard. He betrayed us and now my family is almost gone”
Alenna nodes “Gather round me.” they moved closer and she quickly enshrouded them in bloodred mist.
——-
They stood in Chateau Montenac in the back courtyard. Alenna quickly shimmered away.
“So you have come at last Brigitte and Astucia. I knew eventually someone would figure it out and that you would eventually heal her. Now you have come to put me to death. I hope that you have come prepared to die.”
Brigitte walked through the front doors without knocking.
Astucia followed a few steps behind.
The enormous entrance hall was empty.
Brigitte looked around at the marble columns and ancient paintings.
A voice came from the balcony above them.
“I knew the moment you crossed the gates.”
Gaspard Valcourt stepped into view.
He wore black trousers, polished boots and an old-fashioned white shirt beneath a dark waistcoat. His silver hair was tied behind his head.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Gaspard stared down at Brigitte.
Something passed across his face.
Pain.
“Brigitte.”
She looked up at him.
“You don’t get to say my name like we’re old friends.”
Gaspard closed his eyes.
“I wondered if you survived.”
“You knew I survived.”
His eyes opened.
Brigitte’s voice became colder.
“You helped them destroy my House.”
Gaspard’s jaw tightened.
“I made one mistake.”
Astucia laughed.
“One?”
Gaspard looked at her.
“You.”
Astucia’s smile disappeared.
“You told them about my gift.”
“Yes.”
The admission came without hesitation.
Brigitte took a step forward.
“You gave them Alexandre.”
“I gave them his movements.”
“My safehouses.”
“Yes.”
“My bloodline.”
Gaspard hesitated.
“Yes.”
Brigitte’s eyes darkened.
“And then you allowed Severin to bind you.”
That struck him.
“I allowed nothing!”
His voice thundered through the hall.
Gaspard jumped from the balcony.
He landed hard enough to crack the marble beneath his boots.
Astucia immediately moved between him and Brigitte.
Gaspard looked at her sword.
“Still playing the loyal hound?”
Astucia attacked.
She crossed the distance between them with frightening speed.
Gaspard barely avoided the first slash.
The second opened his waistcoat.
The third should have taken his head.
Gaspard ducked beneath it and drove his fist into Astucia’s stomach.
She flew backward and smashed through a wooden table.
Brigitte didn’t move.
“Impressive.”
Gaspard turned toward her.
“You always did surround yourself with killers.”
Astucia rose from the wreckage.
Blood ran from the corner of her mouth.
“Oh, I am going to enjoy this.”
She attacked again.
This time Gaspard was ready.
Steel rang through the château as he drew his own blade.
Astucia attacked relentlessly.
High.
Low.
Throat.
Heart.
Gaspard blocked every strike.
He had known Astucia for centuries.
He knew how she fought.
Astucia suddenly realized it.
“You’ve been studying me.”
“For longer than you’ve been studying yourself.”
Gaspard twisted his blade around hers and kicked her knee.
Astucia stumbled.
His sword came toward her throat.
Brigitte caught the blade with her bare hand.
Gaspard froze.
Blood slowly ran between Brigitte’s fingers.
She looked at the sword.
Then at him.
“My turn.”
Her fist struck his face.
Gaspard flew across the hall.
He crashed into a marble column hard enough to split it.
Before he could recover, Brigitte was there.
She seized him by the throat and lifted him from the floor.
“You helped them take my sanity.”
She slammed him against the column.
“You helped them hunt Alexandre.”
Again.
“You gave them my daughter.”
Again.
“You gave them Astucia.”
Gaspard grabbed Brigitte’s wrists.
“And I regretted it!”
Brigitte hesitated.
That was enough.
Gaspard headbutted her.
Brigitte staggered.
Gaspard drove his sword through her stomach.
Astucia screamed.
“BRIGITTE!”
Gaspard pulled the sword free.
Brigitte looked down at the wound.
Then she looked back at him.
“That was rude.”
She punched him.
His jaw broke.
Astucia arrived an instant later.
Her sword cut deeply across his back.
Gaspard roared and spun, catching Astucia across the face with his forearm.
She crashed onto the marble floor.
Brigitte grabbed him from behind.
Gaspard drove his elbow backward repeatedly.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Brigitte refused to release him.
“ASTUCIA!”
Astucia rolled onto her feet.
Gaspard saw her coming.
Too late.
She drove her shoulder into him.
All three smashed through the doors leading into the grand ballroom.
Wood exploded around them.
Gaspard rolled across the floor and immediately stood.
Brigitte entered through the shattered doorway.
Astucia came beside her.
Gaspard stared at them.
For the first time he looked afraid.
Brigitte noticed.
“You remember us now, don’t you?”
Gaspard wiped blood from his mouth.
“I remember exactly what you are.”
“No.”
Brigitte stepped forward.
“You remembered why people feared my House.”
Gaspard attacked first.
He went for Brigitte.
It was a mistake.
Astucia intercepted him.
Their swords collided.
Brigitte came from the other side.
Gaspard ducked her punch and slashed Astucia across the shoulder.
Astucia responded by driving her knee into his ribs.
Bones cracked.
Gaspard stumbled.
Brigitte seized his sword arm.
Astucia seized the other.
Gaspard realized what they were doing.
“No!”
Brigitte twisted.
His shoulder broke.
Gaspard screamed.
Astucia kicked his legs from beneath him.
He crashed onto his knees.
Brigitte stood before him.
Gaspard breathed heavily.
Blood covered his shirt.
Astucia placed her sword against the back of his neck.
“Say the word.”
Brigitte stared down at him.
Gaspard laughed weakly.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Answers.”
“You already know the answers.”
“I know what you did.”
Brigitte crouched in front of him.
“I don’t know why.”
“I told you why.”
“You thought I had become too powerful.”
“Yes.”
“You feared Alexandre.”
“Yes.”
“You betrayed my House willingly.”
Gaspard looked away.
Brigitte grabbed his face and forced him to look at her.
“Then Severin gave you his blood.”
Gaspard’s expression changed.
Astucia pressed the blade harder against his neck.
“Three times.”
Gaspard said nothing.
Brigitte studied him.
“Who does Severin serve?”
Gaspard’s eyes widened.
There it was.
Fear.
Not fear of Brigitte.
Not fear of Astucia.
Something else.
Brigitte smiled.
“Finally.”
Gaspard shook his head.
“Don’t.”
“Who does Severin serve?”
“I cannot tell you.”
“Cannot?”
Brigitte leaned closer.
“Or will not?”
Gaspard began trembling.
Astucia noticed immediately.
“Brigitte.”
“I see it.”
Black veins were beginning to spread beneath the skin of Gaspard’s neck.
His eyes widened.
“No.”
Brigitte grabbed him.
“What is happening?”
Gaspard gasped.
“The blood…”
Astucia dropped her sword and grabbed his arm.
Her gift exploded through her.
Images tore through her mind.
Severin.
Blood.
An underground chamber.
Hooded figures.
A woman screaming.
A throne surrounded by candles.
Then—
Eyes.
Ancient eyes opening in darkness.
Astucia screamed and released him.
Gaspard collapsed.
Brigitte caught him before his head struck the floor.
“Who?”
Gaspard’s body convulsed.
“Severin… isn’t…”
Blood poured from his nose.
“Isn’t what?”
Gaspard forced himself to look at her.
“The master.”
Brigitte’s face hardened.
“Then who is?”
Gaspard tried to speak.
The black veins reached his face.
His mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Then his body went completely still.
Astucia stared at him.
“Dead?”
Brigitte placed two fingers against his neck.
“No.”
She looked toward the shattered entrance of the ballroom.
“He’s been silenced.”
Astucia retrieved her sword.
“Then we take him with us.”
Brigitte looked down at the vampire who had once been one of her most trusted supporters.
“Yes.”
Her expression hardened.
“Because someone just tried very hard to stop Gaspard Valcourt from telling us a name.”
Astucia wiped the blood from her blade.
“And now?”
Brigitte smiled.
“Now we find Severin.”
She looked down at Gaspard.
“And this time, we don’t announce that we’re coming.”
Crazy Canadian Writing 