Of Wine and Roses

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I am So sorry every one. i thought i had uploaded this chapter long ago. I hope you can all forgive me.
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Chapter 7 Final Decision

\"Alright,\" whispered Teargoss. \"I\'ve had enough of this farce! Hailmann is a fool if he even dreams I\'m turning that child over to him!\"

\"We all need to agree. Now those of you who were bent on ruling in favor of Hailmann speak up now.\"

\"You\'ve got to be kidding me!\" Ados announced. \"From what I\'ve witnessed! I wouldn\'t allow him to be guardian over a RAT!\"

\"I still think she\'ll become a hunter,\" said a woman. \"But...I don\'t believe Hailmann is the right Vampire to raise her.\"

\"Do you still not believe that the hunters would make suitable parents to her?\" asked the oldest male.

\"Not that. But...they will probably do, if she has a Vampire near by should she have questions or need guidance.\"

\"Like Lord Dracula?\" The woman nodded. \"And you miss?\"

\"The girl was right. I want to do what is right, but...if I rule in favor of Hailmann, the hunters would be up set, and most likely would have sought revenge against us. I\'ve had little experience with Lord Dracula and believed he too would wish vengeance if is son didn\'t get the child. If I ruled in favor or the hunters, Hailmann would seek vengeance, and there would be a war between vampires, sense Lord Dracula will not stand by and watch another destroy his family. But...I don\'t believe Hailmann will treat her well. He\'s too into the nobility side of what we once were. I\'m going to follow the kid\'s advice. I\'m going to listen to my heart. Damn what anyone else thinks.\"

\"Very well, have you two reached your decisions?\" the other two males nodded. \"Then let us step closer to select a floor person.\"

Kale reached over and laced her fingers around D\'s hand. He was as tense as she was. They had to decide against Hailmann. Even spiteful vampires couldn\'t be that cruel. D\'s other hand came to hers where she held him, squeezing gently. \'She\'s our baby,\' she thought. \'They must see that.\' She looked over to Hailmann, as he sat smugly checking his fingernails. Never once looking to Aceline, who still occupied the main circle. \'Soon, baby. Soon.\'

His nails were immaculate, filed almost to deadly points at least a 1/2 inch from the ends of his fingers. They were incredibly strong, despite their fragile appearance. And he so loved to use them on his prey. \'I will teach the little bitch to hunt like me. And when she\'s older, her first solo hunt...will be D\'s whore!\'

Logan stood close to Aceline. The uneasy feeling he\'d had earlier had not gone. Instead it intensified. Something just wasn\'t right, and the wolf in him was on edge. \"What is it Logan?\" Aceline whispered, seeing him clench his hands repeatedly.

He didn\'t want to needlessly worry her. \"Nothing little Dark One. Don\'t worry.\"

\"Oh. Ok. Do you think they\'ll let me stay with mommy and daddy?\"

\"I\'m sure of it. You did very well,\" he smiled. \"You spoke with your heart and that is what they needed to see.\"

\"How long do you think they\'ll stand there?\"

\"Not long.\" \'I hope.\' Just as he looked up, the counsel grouped around Dracula, then after a moment, retook their seats.

\'Its almost over child,\' he thought. \'It won\'t be long now.\' He eyed each member as they took their seats. \"Has the counsel reached their decision, and agreed with the floor person?\" They all nodded. \"To confirm I will ask. Counsel one?\"

\"I agree,\" she said.

\"Counsel two?\"

\"I agree,\" he replied. And on Dracula went till all six had stated their agreement.

\"Very well,\" Dracula concluded. \"I shall reveal their Decision. Would the two sides, and the child please rise...Lord Hailmann, over the course of the last few days you have done everything, to demonstrate your incompetence about raising a child. Your argument is that what I would expect from a made vampire rather than a born one of the old world, like myself. Blood is not the answer to all problems!! A child builds personal strength from the care they receive from their parents, or guardians. It is not something that can be taught! The Counsel does not support your choice for guardian.

\"Kale, D. It is not by default that the child be placed with you. Please listen. Your choice of occupation is daunting. Even more so, the counsel is concerned that Aceline will have no choice but to become a hunter later in life, and that you would suppress her Vampire heritage.

\"However. The concern, care, and love, you have shown the girl, did not go unnoticed. The counsel believes she will mature to a bright and caring person, if placed in your care...but that is not all.

\"Aceline. For one so young, you are quite articulate in what you want. You have a remarkable memory for past events. A trait for all Vampire related individuals, though you seem to have honed it quite well at such an early age. I commend you. Are you sure...this is what you want? Once the decision is told, it cannot be undone, accept by death of whom you are placed with. I ask once more. Are you sure?\"

\"YES!!\" She clamped her hands over her mouth, surprised at her own tone. \"Sorry.\"

\"It\'s alright,\" Dracula chuckled. \"Very well...provided that Aceline receives proper guidance in her exploration of her heritage, the counsel chooses Kale and D...\"

\"DADDY!!!\"

\"...he he he...to raise the child. The decision is made, and is final. This counsel is closed. I thank the members. Good night.\"

Aceline wasn\'t sure if her feet had even touched the floor when she scrambled over the love seat. Instantly Kale was there, holding her as close as a mother could, nearly crying herself. D was there, when she stopped spinning around with the girl, smiling slightly, and spreading his arms around them both.

\"THIS IS INSANE!\" Hailmann bellowed. \"You realize you may have just sealed our doom!!\"

\"Careful Hailmann,\" Kale warned gently. \"One would think\'re\'re a sore looser.\"

\"I will not stand by and watch our kind be wiped off this planet! You\'ve not seen the last of this!\"

It didn\'t matter to Kale or D how he left. Only that Hailmann was gone. \"Kale?\" She turned to see Dracula standing there with perhaps the biggest smile she\'d ever seen on him. \"May I hold my grandchild? Please?\" Aceline kissed Kale\'s cheek and reached for the tall man with tiny outstretched hands. Gladly he took her to him. \"Do you have any idea how long I\'ve been waiting to say that word?\"

\"ty lty long, hu, grampy?\"

He laughed as he kissed her cheek. \"Yes. Pretty long. I have something to tell you. Your name; Aceline; in the old world, means highborn. And it couldn\'t be more suitable.\"

\"MASTER! MASTER TEARGOSS!!\"

\"Calm down Regal,\" Teargoss called from the door before it closed. \"What is it?\"

\"Hunters sir,\" he gasped. \"At least 30. They claim to have come for the vampires who\'ve taken refuge here. Sire you must flee! My brother is holding them back with as much reason as they\'ll listen to, but...\"

\"Why would hunters come here?\" Dracula asked. \"The village has given you autonomy.\"

\"I\'ll give you three guesses, and the first two don\'t count,\" Kale said, taking Aceline from Dracula and putting her next to Logan.

\"Hailmann,\" D whispered.

\"He wouldn\'t dare!\"

\"I wouldn\'t put it passed him,\" Kale continued. \"He lost his battle to get her legally, so he\'ll kill everyone here, take Aceline, if she doesn\'t get killed, and blame the attack on us.\"

\"Where\'s Hailmann!?\" Dracula shouted.

\"I don\'t know Lord Dracula,\" Regal answered quickly. \"But when I checked on Tow, for leaving him only for a few seconds, he was dead. He throat was...\"

\"That\'s enough!\" Kale warned, as Aceline huddled closer to her legs. \"There\'s a d hed here. Do you mind? Look the longer we stand here arguing, the more likely it is that they\'ll get fed up and get passed your brother. Hunters don\'t have any compunctions about killing mutants too you know.\"

\"She\'s correct, Regal,\" D announced. \"You and my father get our weapons from the lock up. The rest of you secure yourselves with your guards and assistants. Father, I\'d like for you to help Kale and I. Logan you stay with Aceline. Keep her safe. Lets go!\"

\"Come on! Lets get \'em!\" shouted a rather impatient man.

\"Keep your pants on,\" growled the leader over his shoulder. \"As long as we keep the place surrounded, no one is going anywhere. We\'ll attack at down. That will make things far easier to do. After all, vampires don\'t like the sun.\" He absently scratched his brow, pushing his hat up a little.

\"Yeah, well, what about the dunpeals?\"

\"We\'ll kill them,\" he said, lowering his distance viewer. \"Besides, a vamps a vamp. No matter what.\"

\"You\'d kill a kid! One of them is only five years old. Don\'t tell me you\'d actually kill a kid!\"

\"What did I just say?\"

\"A vamp\'s a vamp...but...\"

\"Exactly. No matter what.\"

\"You\'re sick. You know that?\"

\"Hey! Don\'t start! Or I\'ll start questioning your lineage.\"

\"Orpheus! Someone\'s coming!\"

The man looked up. \"Two of them. Males. Look like vamps. Be on guard. One of them has got a huge ass sword.\"

The two men stepped within easy earshot and stopped. It was the older one who spoke up. \"I understand you\'ve come to kill the vampires within these walls. May I ask for what price?\"

\"What\'s it to you ass hole!\" Orpheus scoffed, resting his hand on his gun.

\"Only that I will better the price, to allow them to leave. We gathered here on business. Nothing to do with you humans.\"

\"Tell that to the mayor. His youngest daughter was killed by one of you bastards! And he\'s promised a handsome reward for all you pricks!\"

\"Hey! I know him!\" shouted one of his men.

\"Shut up Davis!\"

\"Orpheus! The skinny guy! I know him! That\'s D, the Dunpeal hunter! Don\'t tell me we\'re gona kill one of our own cast!\"
\"You sure it\'s him?\"

\"Positive. Tall, paskinskinny, long sword. It has to be him!\"

\"Well. Ok. So where\'s his bitch?\"

\"Watch what you say,\" the older vampire warned. \"The lady has very good hearing. Lord Teargoss has an arrangement with the village counsel. If the agreement has been breached, I can assure you it was not by Teargoss, or any of the other\'s for that matter that have gathered here. You are after the wrong prey.\" The man tossed something on the ground at D\'s feet.

\"This was left behind, where the girl was found, with her neck torn open.\"

D looked the item over. \"Vampire lineage crest. Not many carry them any more,\" D commented quietly. \"I don\'t recognize the design though.\"

\"I do,\" Dracula huffed, glancing at the ornament. \"That\'s Lerix Dryer\'s crest. But no one here is of his direct line. No one, accept...\"

\"Hailmann!\"

\"Yes. He was told of the arrangement with the village.\"

\"And still he broke the rules.\"

\"Hunter Orpheus, if I provide you with the very prey that took the girl\'s life, will you allow the rest to leave?\"

\"Well, I do pride myself on being a fair man. All right. If by Dawn you can hand him over. The rest of you may go. PEACEFULLY. Agreed?\"

\"Agreed. And thank you.\"

The hunters stood in amazement as the two returned to the house. The door safely closed all eyes turned to Orpheus. \"You\'re not really gona let them go are you?!\"

\"Are you brain dead!? Of course not! But all the vampires are in the house. This way it will keep them busy trying to find the one they think is the weakest, sacrifice him, so the others can go. That\'s when we wipe them out. The whole lot of them. Spread the word. Stand ready.\"

\"And D\'s woman? She\'s human.\"

Orpheus thought for a moment. \"Take her alive. The men need a little fun after all.\"

\"YES SI


D secured the bolts to hold the door and turned to his father. \"They won\'t hold to their word. You know that.\"

\"Of course I do. But it buys us ttlettle time.\"

\"For what? This place isn\'t fortified like most of your homes are. We can\'t hold them off once daybreak comes. That\'s what they\'re all waiting for.\"

\"Of course it is,\" Teargoss mentioned from the side. \"When the light comes, so will they. But unlike Lord Dracula\'s homes, mine does have a means to save all of us.\"

\"What is that?\" Kale asked, appearing at thp ofp of the stairs, Aceline and Logan close behind.

\"Tunnels, dear lady. Tunnels I had the twin mutants continue to dig after their predecessors. Built in secret over the last 100 years. Regal, Toro, and I are the only one\'s who know about them.\"

\"Tell me, how far do they go?\" asked Dracula.

\"Six miles. It will be quite the trek.\"

\"D! The horses!?\"

\"Don\'t worry. I\'d prepared for that too. There are connecting tunnels to the barn and coach house. We can bring them all down without anyone knowing.\"

\"Very impressive, Teargoss. I\'d not thought of tunnels in centuries. Well done!\"

\"Thank you Lord.\"

\"Right. Kale, you get Aceline down below. Father and I will tell the others and find Hailmann. He\'ll stay nearby to watch all this.\"

\"It was Hailmann, Teargoss, who broke the arrangement you had with the village. The mayor\'s youngest daughter is dead.\"

\"Stacy! Oh no. She was only 15. How could he do such a thing?!\"

\"He has crossed the line,\" Dracula said. \"He\'s broken a trust, and destroyed your sanctuary. That alone is death to him.\"

\"As your laws dictate, Lord. So it will be done.\"

\"Quickly Mistress. There\'s little time.\" The last two of the counsel descended the secret stairs to the safety of the tunnels below the house.

\"Mrs. Kale,\" the lady Vampire called. \"Send your child with us. We\'ll watch over her, while you, your husband, and Lord Dracula search for Hailmann. I\'m sure that\'s what you want to do now.\"

\"Yes. But Aceline comes first. D knows that. I\'ll stay with my child. Thank you all the same.\"

\"As you wish.\"

\"Mommy. I\'m scared.\"

\"Don\'t be sweetie. We\'ll be fine. We just have to go underground for a while. Ok?\"

\"Its not that. Where\'s daddy and grampie?\"

\"They\'re off looking fhe bhe bad man right now. Don\'t worry. They\'ll be back.\"

\"Mrs. Kale. The carriage is here. Lets go.\"

\"Not without D. Logan. Take her and go.\"

\"But...\" he began.
We\'We\'ll follow. Now go!\"

\"Yes miss.\"

\"Mommy!\"

\"Mommy\'s gona go get daddy. We\'ll be right behind you. Go on no, be brave.\"

\"OK.\" She watched Kale venture carefully up the stairs, then followed Logan to the tunnel. As Logan helped the nobles settle and made sure D & Kale\'s horses would wait for them, Aceline stole back into the house. Now that they were officially her parents, she didn\'t want to be separated from them again.

\"Alright little Dark one, it\'s our-...ACELINE!\" Quickly Logan scrambled up the stairs, turned to his wolf state and followed the girl\'s scent through the house.

Kale took the stairs, silently, two at a time, hearing some kind of scuffle in one of the upper rooms. They didn\'t have much time. The sky was already starting to brighten, rolling towards dawn. She glanced into the ample storage room, only to find Tow\'s body, still slumped in his chair. She closed the door and continued down the hall. As she rounded the corner to the stairs to the next floor, she saw D lying on the floor, half out of one of the bedrooms. \"D?\" she whispered, checking his pulse. Good and strong. D tried to rise, but his head slumped back to the floor, succumbing to a greater battle. \"Which way?\" she whispered.

Without warning, someone came up and grabbed her from behind. \"The Dunpeal Can\'t help you now! You little BITCH!!\"

She tried to struggle free, but her arms were pinned. \"I\'m sick of everyone saying that!\" she hissed, throwing her head back into her assailant\'s nose. She stomped her foot down on his and used the closest wall to propel the unbalanced man and herself to the opposite wall, slamming him into its firm surface, leaving cracks in the plaster. \"A small lesson for you Hailmann!\" hisshissed, still trying to wrestle free. \"Its Dhampire, NOT DUNPEAL!!\"

\"MOMMY!!!\"

\"Aceline! What are you...?!\"

\"Let my mommy go!!!\"

\"No Aceline! Stay there !!\"

\"But---!\"

\"Stay put!!!\"

\"Yes, child. Stay, and watch!!!\" Hailmann drove his fangs deep into Kale\'s neck, where scars from her previous wounds had patterned her neck.

\"NO!!!! MOMMY!!!!\"

Suddenly a wolf appeared from around the corner, with Dracula. \"Logan, get Aceline out of here! NOW!!\" Dracula ordered.

\"MOMMY!!!!\" Logan promptly knocked the girl to the floor, pulling her dress waistband between his teeth, he ran off with her.

\"Hailmann! Now you suffer!!\"

\"NO!!\" gasped Kale. \"Watch...and see...\" Dracula wasn\'t sure what she meant, but the gleam in her eye, and the smile on her face gave slight reassurance.

A moment later, Hailmann released her, gasping for air. \"You WHORE!!! You eat GARLIC!\"

\"No...Hailmann,\" she said, as Dracula pulled her away from him, toward where D lay. \"You do get get it. Because of how I\'ve lived this long. My blood...every part of me...is forever changed. My blood is poisonous to Vampires, and Dhampires. But because of the human factor, Dhampires can vomit...Vampires can not. You\'ve taken in poison, Hailmann, and there is no cure for you. Now as they say...GO THE FUCK TO HELL!!!\"

D slowly sat up, shaking his head. He turned to see Hailmann struggling with some inner force, but not having much success. His skin split all around his face and hands, and red rivers seeped through his clothes. Wave after wave of the crimson shower flowed from him, seeping deep into the wood floor, inching ever closer to the three.

\"D? You ok?\" she asked, as Dracula tied a cloth around her neck.

\"Yes. My head is killing me.\"

\"Snuck up on you?\"

\"No. A fight, and a cheep shot.\"

\"Let us go. The dawn fast approaches, we must go.\" The three kicked at Hailmann\'s reaching hands as they passed, finding patches on the floor not yet stained by his blood. Then as they descended the stairs, the sun broke through the windows of the upper floors. As though it were planned, the light reflected off an angled bedroom mirror and came to rest on Hailmann\'s fading form. Flames spread over his body, and clothes, engulfing the remains in a cleansing dance of yellow and orange flames.

As the flames grew higher they set light to the wallpaper and some dried flower ornaments along the wall. It spread quickly along the upper floor, and the crackling of burning wood was soon heard by keen ears in the cellar.

Outside, the dawn was full on them, the valley before them fully bathed in sunlight. As the hunters moved toward the house, windows on the upper level exploded outward, hungry flames licking the shingle work outside. Within an hour the whole building was aflame. The hunters watching in bewilderment. Orpheus threw his hat down to the ground, an angry shout over the roar of the fire. They\'d lost their money. The proof of the vampire\'s deaths gone. Then a sly smile spread across his face. \'Perhaps not,\' he thought. \'We had them all trapped. We set fire to the house. They all burned. Yeah. That will do nicely.\'

Six miles away, on a hill overlooking the valley of a burning house, a village not far from it, several elegant carriages and single horse riders immerged from what appeared to be the remains of an old tunnel, believed long collapsed and abandoned. The riders on the horses looked down to the trail of smoke, leading from the house they\'d just left. \"Oh, Lord Teargoss, I\'m so sorry,\" a woman offered. \"All the things your line had left you, the history of it, all gone.\"

\'It\'s all right, Rachel,\" he replied. \"They were only possessions. They can be replaced, if found again. It is us we cannot replace.\"

\"Lord Teargoss,\" The two vampires in the wagon pulled the curtain fur asi aside to see Kale beside them, the full shadow of the wagon protecting them from the sun. \"I\'m afraid I\'ve committed an unwitting offence to you.\"

\"Oh?\"

\"While the counsel was not sitting, I wrote out the words from one of the books in your collection in our room.\"

\"There\'s nothing wrong with that.\"

\"No. But when I was finished, I\'d left my copy and yours, together on the bed. In my haste to get ready to flee, I mistakenly, tossed both books into my saddlebags. I\'d like to return your copy to you now.\" She handed him the small book, still in its mildly tattered dust cover. As it had been found in their room, just a few nights prior. Carefully he took it.
\"Thank you Kale. No harm done. But I have to say I cannot read it. The text is of the old world. And my master never taught it to me.\"

\"I\'ll be glad to teach you. It\'s called The Happy Prince. It was my favorite as a child, and I think you\'d like it too.\"

\"Thank you.\"

\"Lords, Ladies,\" They turned their attention to D. \"It isn\'t safe here. If we see see them, they only need their viewers to see us.\"

\"Yes, of course. Regal, lets go!\" And the carriages were once more on the move.

\"As for you missy,\" Kale said eyeing Aceline as she sat astride Nightmare in front of her father. Logan trotted up between them. \"We need to talk about your not heading what I said. You could have been hurt.\"

\"I\'m sorry mommy.\"

\"Like I said, we\'ll talk.\"

\"Am I in trouble?\"

D looked down to her. \"What do you think?\"

She huffed and looked to Logan as he met her gaze. \"I\'m in trouble.\"

\"D,\" called Dracula, as his carriage slowed to let the trio catch up. \"I\'ve been thinking. Why don\'t you and your family live with me for a time? I\'ve more than enough room at the new house. And you wouldn\'t have to worry about them should you leave on a hunt. And I\'m sure that Edward and Adrian would love to meet their new niece.\"

D looked to Kale. \"We\'ll discuss it father. We\'ll let you know.\"

\"D. I\'m not crossing that ocean by boat again! I can\'t!\"

\"You won\'t. How are you with flying?\"

She looked at hi tho thought. She didn\'t mind flying really. The last time they flew together, it was only a short distance, and their minds where concerned with other matters at the time. So really this would be their first flight. The prospect of being several thousand feet high, wasn\'t appealing to her. Planes crash after all. But at that moment, crashing was a far preferable end to one\'s life, than being eaten alive. \"Lead me to the plane.\"

D leaned over and kissed her. \"Bump, bump, bump...\" Aceline laughed as D\'s hand tried to cover her mouth. They really didn\'t need the sound effects of their hearts. They already knew, their hearts beat as one.

\"No one said that life was a bed of wine and roses,\" Dracula said to the child, over her giggles. \"But I suspect it will be for you three from now on. Driver. Let us leave this family some space.\"

The carriages pulled away leaving the three slightly behind. \'Yes,\' Kale thought. \'My family. At last.\'