Little Doll (Blackmoth House #1)

Chapter 23

Nova

Despite the unfurling of our family within the chaotic walls of Blackmoth House, life for Ren and I settled into an easy, peaceful rhythm. She often stayed either in my bed or with Fane. She spent nights in the garden with us and with Astrid.

One late night, Ren and I lay entwined in a hot bundle of naked limbs in my bed, spent. I thought she had drifted off to sleep until she spoke.

“I think that you should make Fane into a vampire.”

I laughed. Even though he basically lived his life like a vampire already, the last thing I would do is to force this curse on anyone.

“Seriously,” Ren continued. “It’s what he wants.”

My sleepy stupor vanished, and my eyes widened. I shifted to lift an arm up on an elbow and rest my chin on my palm. “What are you on about?”

She peered up into my eyes and twisted a ringlet of my hair round and round her finger. “He wants to be a vampire. He wants to be around forever to care of Astrid.”

“You two must be daft, talking about something so horrid,” I remarked.

“Why? Why is it horrid?” she questioned. “You’re a vampire and you’re lovely, Little Doll.”

“I’m a monster whose only purpose is depraved fucking and constant murder. Plus, I get headaches so bad that I want to kill myself. But I can’t since I’m a goddamned immortal. They don’t call this a curse for nothing, Willow Wisp.”

Her face fell, and she regarded me sadly. “I had no idea you felt that way, Nova,” she whispered. “I hope you know that isn’t how I see you. Or Fane. Or Astrid. I'm sure your other brother doesn't see you like that either!”

I chuckled again. “Draven is like a big dumb yellow dog who loves everyone, so strike him from the list because he’s a horrible judge of character.”

Ren laughed too. “Well, maybe you’re right on that count. But on all others, you’re wrong. You’re a perfect monster.” She craned her neck to lift her lips to mine.

The next night, Ren came to me and told me to get dressed. We were going to London. I was ready for adventure and always wishing to get out from under the oppressive atmosphere that had infected Blackmoth House since my father’s and Cleo’s deaths.

She was wearing a lovely deep purple silk dress with her copper hair plaited and woven into a sophisticated updo. I put on a purple dress of my own, although mine boasted a plunging neckline versus her high neck. I left my tresses curly and flowing down by back. We complimented each other, the perfect picture of good and evil hand in hand.

Soon we were off in a carriage, rattling off the grounds. The driver seemed to have already made some sort of arrangement with Ren ahead of time, since he knew right where she intended us to go.

Once in London, we came to a ramshackle building which housed, among other things, an old coffee house called Shadow and Steam. A “penny university,” as my brother Fane would call it, because you could get coffee and tea cheap, and have a great conversation with questionable sorts. Anytime of the day or night. He had been a frequenter of this place in my previous life and I’d always wanted to know what it was like. But I had always been rebuffed like a pesky little child trying to tag along with her much too important older brother.

But now here we were, being let out at the front door.

Inside, the place was bursting with patrons. Who knew there were so many people up all night? And it wasn’t even the sort of place I would frequent at night to fuck and feast… People were seated all around at small round tables, consuming tea, smoking, talking boisterously, laughing. And that was all. No major sinning or broken laws happening to speak of. I detected a few vampires among the patrons, but even they seemed to behave.

Ren clung to my hand, and we wandered on a winding path among the tables as though we had someone to meet.

Soon, I realized we did.

My brother Fane. He was flanked on one side by our cousin Carmilla, and on the other side by an unearthly tall and thin man with long stringy black hair, whose face was as yet obscured under the brim of his tall and dirty top hat.

I recollected Ren’s suggestion that I turn Fane and felt ambushed.

We slid around the table with the others, and I nodded primly at Carmilla and then at Fane. The third fellow lifted his chin and revealed his face to me.

I shoved back from the table so hard that my chair overturned, and I toppled unceremoniously to the grimy floor.

His face was long and white as death, the skin sagging and peeling as though he’d long since begun to rot. He had a jutting chin and a smile that was meant to be friendly but appeared monstrous as his thin lips pulled back and exposed rows of long and jagged razor sharp teeth. His eyes were tiny, yellowed pins. The suit he wore was dirty, disheveled, and about one hundred years out of style. He hissed and lowered his chin, retreating once more beneath the shadow of his hat brim.

Fane groaned and leaped up to circle the table and help me right my chair. “Oh please, Little Doll. You’ve always wanted to come here and be a grownup, and this is how you act? Rude. It’s just our cousin, Varney!”

I frowned and looked at the ugly man again, tipping my head to get another glimpse of that nightmarish visage. “Varney? Like Varney the Vampyre from that book?”

Varney shyly peered up once more and gave another smile, which he made an obvious attempt to dial back to a less terrifying wattage.

“Yes, Varney from the book. Which was a hit piece, by the way,” said the deathly man. It was so peculiar to see a vampire that was so…

Terribly ugly.

“But it said that you threw yourself into Mt. Vesuvius,” I remarked.

Everyone at the table rolled their eyes and groaned.

“Oh Nova,” Ren begged. “Please, just sit down.”

I shrugged and sat back into the seat that Fane was holding out for me. What, was I supposed to be some expert on penny dreadful vampires who were fictional, but who were actually real, and were all related somehow, and also were apparently related to me?

I was annoyed and thought about leaving Ren to get home with Fane while I turned myself into black moths and vanished.

I ended up between Carmilla and Ren. My exotic cousin leaned to kiss both my cheeks and to hug me. Warm as a cold-blooded monster can give, at any rate. My frustration eased somewhat, as I was glad to see her again.

This Varney character, I could not yet decide.

A waiter came and gave Ren and me teacups. Varney busied himself pouring hot water into them and steeping fragrant tea leaves inside an ornate black tea ball into the water. I stared at his long claw-like hands, mesmerized by how gracefully he worked his fingers in spite of the fact that they looked freakish.

Fane pushed back from the table, leaning back as he always did, spreading his long legs and clasping his hands as his arms rested leisurely on his thighs. He’d dressed up for the occasion in a spectacularly fashionable black suit. His chin dipped down, and he peered at me with hooded eyes and a serious expression on his face.

As though I was a snack, and he was very hungry.

“Let’s cut to the chase, Little Doll. I want you to make me a vampire.”

I chortled. “This again? I’ve already given my answer to this cockamamie notion.”

He smirked. “Well, we’re reopening the debate because I’m afraid I can’t take no for an answer.”

My cheeks heated with fury. “I suppose you’ll have to, Fane, because that’s what the answer is.”

Carmilla moved her gloved hand over mine. “Nova,” she said in her velvety voice. “May I ask that you hear your brother out? We’re talking about a time-honored family legacy here. He has a right to be part of it, don’t you think?”

“Family legacy?” I accidentally shrieked. My eyes darted around, and I lowered my voice. “It is no legacy. It is a curse. A nightmare. To be a vampire is to be a devil. Locked out of heaven forever.”

Her face looked pained. “Oh darling, how sad that you see it that way!”

“Look, Nova,” Fane interjected. “Astrid got no choice. You got no choice. And now, I want to make the choice to join you, come what may, so that I can take care of you both. Forever.”

My angry heart softened, but his sweet musings were nowhere near enough to get me to do this to him. In fact, I planned to never, ever turn a human being, for all of my existence. I may snack on them or kill them. But I would never turn one.

“So have Astrid change you then,” I replied with a dismissive wave of my hand.

“If only it were that simple,” he pleaded. “I know you don’t know the ins and outs of this yet, but I’m sure you can guess what sort of dangers would be involved in a child vamp changing someone. Especially a… special child, like Astrid.”

I rolled my eyes. Naturally. A super-duper monster would create a super SUPER duper monster. Obviously.

I gestured at Carmilla and Varney. “Fine, well, here are two other fine candidates for you. Why can’t one of you two do it?” I demanded.

It was Varney’s turn to lean back and assume the same casual posture as Fane. Except that Varney managed to make it seem cumbersome and awkward with his long and gangly limbs. “ You see, here is the issue with that, Nova. When a vampire creates a new vampire, a bond is formed.”

Varney paused dramatically, as though to let an extraordinarily important bit of information sink in. However, I hadn’t the patience for theatrics, nor did I find the information he revealed to be important or interesting.

“And?” I snapped. “So what?”

“It’s a deep, soul bond. Once you sire a new vampire, he will remain connected to you for all of eternity. Your emotions and thoughts will intertwine. If you are lost, he will find you. If you hurt, he will hurt. If you are happy, you will be his greatest joy,” Varney explained.

Fane stared into my eyes. “We have that connection already, Little Doll,” he murmured.

I hissed a long, exasperated sigh. “You both are family. What difference would it make for him to form the bond with either of you instead of me?”

Carmilla smiled and licked her lips. “I only enjoy the bond with females,” she quipped.

Varney gestured vaguely. “I’m a grouchy old prick. Don’t care for the company.”

Fane lurched forward and pounded both fists down onto the rickety wooden table. All of our tea cups jumped and clinked. He hopped to his feet and leaned across Carmilla to put his face in mine.

“Truly, dear sister, I am not asking,” Fane seethed, his breath hot on my face. “You will do this for me. And you will love it.”

As if sparked by a rough stroke of flint, pain blossomed behind my eyes and I winced. It was so bad that I cried out and tears sprung to my eyes. Ren jumped up and rounded the table to coax Fane back into his chair by pressing her little hands to his chest. I leaned back limp in my seat, exhausted and overwhelmed by the pain.

Carmilla took my hand again. Varney also reached across and took my other hand. “Darling,” Carmilla said. “We’ll be there with you. We’ll make sure that everything is done properly and goes smoothly. And your Ren can be there. All will be well. We promise you.” Varney nodded his agreement, giving me the softest look he could manage with his dreadful face.

The pain spiked to an insufferable level.

I peered around at them, and it seemed they were lined up shoulder to shoulder, leering at me. The noise in the coffee house suddenly seemed unbearably loud, as though all the patrons were screaming at me. Demanding. Ordering me.

My head spun and the blood rushing to my ears became loud enough to drown it all out. Fane raced around the table once more; this time to catch me before I crumpled out of my seat and fainted dead away.