Weekly Drabble #281: Que Sera (Patreon)

This week's prompt comes from Pyro Hawk with 'once and forever'. With a prompt like that, it seemed only natural to return to one the supernatural stories on the go, this one with the newly-turned vampiress Leila as she's brought back to a coven, wondering about her fate.

Enjoy!

~

Que sera:

The sun had set and twilight had enveloped the land, slowly growing into full night. The carriage had pulled off the road into a small glade on the edge of a forest. William had started a fire, the old man roasting a pot filled with beans and pork over it as he unfurled a bedroll. And, as he’d promised Leila days earlier, he kept a stake and a silver dagger close by. He might serve a vampire clan, but he certainly didn’t treat the presence of a newborn lightly, especially one like her.

As the human stirred the bubbling pot, owls hooted in the forest. Leila anxiously waited as Victor rose from the tree stump he’d been sitting on – only yesterday she’d realized he always sat between her and William – and drew the key from his pocket, unlocking her manacles. She’d begun to look forward to this part of their journey and not because of being able to fully stretch her arms and legs after a day in shackles. Even then, he only let her out when he would be close at hand. Leila wished she could resent such mistrust, but she knew well the reason for it.

At first, she’d seen it as justified penance, but as the journey had gone on, she was coming to realize just how dangerous she could be if she ever gave in to her sire’s calls. If Victor hadn’t been here, she probably already would have.

She was still having the dreams, her sire calling out to her practically every time she closed her eyes. Only when the other vampiress was weak from thirst did Leila have any respite. She glanced at the carriage. Still within it was the casket holding the woman who’d turned her, chained shut and only ever opened enough that Victor could fill the renegade’s sheepskin with fresh blood. Just enough to keep her alive, but ensure that she was not at full strength.

Leila had asked several times what would be the woman’s fate, but Victor had only told her that she would be returned to the coven for their judgement. After letting Leila out of her bindings, he left to check on the casket. Every night, he inspected the chains for any sign of strain or damage. No one could fault Victor for not taking his duties seriously.

While he was gone, Leila turned William and asked him the same question. The old man looked at her somberly. “Moonlight Walkers ain’t like some gaggles of bloodsuckers,” he told her. “They take their laws seriously. If they’re feeling merciful, they might give her a final chance, but that mercy’ll be a harsh one.”

“And if they’re not?”

“Then that bloody bitch won’t be causing any more problems.” he spat tobacco into the fire. “For my druthers, that’d be the smart thing. This one’s been trouble more’n once, but never so much that they’ve had to send Victor out.”

From what Victor had already told her, she’d gathered his duty within the vampire clan was like that of a marshal. “He does this a lot?”

The old man had nodded. “He’s the one the coven’s most likely to turn to when such things happen. Not that they do, you understand. You bloodsuckers may be ungodly beasts, but you ain’t no more prone to evil than a man is.” He looked at her evenly. “You should take that as assurance and warning both, missy. Think of all the things a man with cruelty in his mind is capable of an’ then you put all of that in a body what craves blood and is stronger’n most men.” He shook his head. “It’s the degree to which you all can hurt folk if you step off the straight and narrow that’s so much larger, as I’m thinkin’ you know.”

Leila pursed her lips. “I do.” Tobias... she’d loved him so much and wanted to see him but the hunger had overtaken her and before she knew it, she’d... the flash of regret and shame was a fresh, sharp pang. She hadn’t forgotten what she’d done for one moment. “What will happen to me?” she asked.

“That’s a harder question to answer,” William told her. “Ain’t no laws against being born, whether those are from men, God or vampires. But you understand missy – even the most heathen covens have strict laws about siring. They say it’s because with too many wolves in the forest you run out of deer, but there ain’t all that many deer that’ll band together to burn down the wolves’ lair, neither.

“More’n a point than that – you lost control. All newborns got that problem, but you went farther than most. You killed the love of your life, eh?” William shook his head. “Doesn’t speak well, does it?”

Leila was silent. The old man’s comment had cut deep. Victor had found her on a church’s steeple, huddled against the cross that had been burning her flesh and waiting for dawn. He’d convinced her to come with him, but there was some part of her that still didn’t believe she was worth saving. That wanted the coven to see the same thing and to put her down before she hurt anyone else, just like the thing that had sired.

“No,” she agreed after a few moments. “I guess it doesn’t.”

“What doesn’t?” Victor asked as he returned to the campfire, giving his companions each an assuring nod that the renegade was still held fast in her cell.

“Just telling your pup what t’ expect when we get back to the coven,” William said, stoking the fire with a gnarled branch. “Someone’s got to keep her hopes from getting too high.”

“Or too low,” Victor said with a scowl. William met the vampire’s glare with a shrug.

“William’s a good man,” Victor said to Leila as he sat down – between them, she noticed again. “But he’s never seen a silver lining without a raincloud.” He was a loyal and dutiful servant, but he never shied away from offering his opinions.

The human scoffed. “When you’ve been around ‘long as I have, you get to learn that every smile hides a sharp knife. Or in your case, a sharp bite.”

Leila looked at the fire. “Maybe it would be better...” she started to mumble.

Victor sighed, then stood up again. “Come with me,” he told Leila, leaving the fire behind to head into the woods. He paused at the first large copse of trees, turning and looking expectantly back at the small camp.

Leila glanced at William, but the old man was more interested in his pork and beans than what the vampires were up to. After a moment, she rose to her feet and joined Victor. “What are we doing?” she asked as they headed into the woods.

“We are going to do nothing,” he told her. “You are going to hunt for your own dinner tonight.”

The young woman raised her head. Since their journey began, Victor had been the one to provide for them. “Me?” she asked. It came out as a squeak.

“You. And you are going to bring whatever you catch for the three of us.” He paused. “You’re not to leave these woods until you have something, or dawn comes. So,” he gestured to the dark depths of the forest. “Go on, then.”

Leila stared at him. She’d never hunted in her life. Even when she was newly-turned, her prey had been farm animals in pastures and pens – no great challenge. This was different. He was testing her, though she wasn’t quite sure. Maybe to see if she would run or if she would try to kill herself again. Whatever the result, she didn’t want to disappoint him. Not again. With a choppy little nod, she turned and headed deeper into the forest, wondering what she should do next.

Victor watched as the young woman vanished into the woods. He waited several more moments, then followed after her, as silent as a shadow. He wouldn’t help, but he’d still be there. Watching to see how she behaved without him and ready to intervene if he needed to.

Until then... this was all up to her. This wasn’t really a fair test; Leila had been existing on rations of animal blood for several days. Her newborn body was demanding much more than that. If she caught anything, she’d probably drink it dry in moments. That wasn’t the point though. The point was he wanted to see if she would try.

Would she let selfish hunger take over, or would she at least try to control herself? He honestly wasn’t sure. The outcome, though... it would be the start of the answer to the question she’d asked William.