Chapter two- The Scream

There was another vampire in the house.

Lucien traced the vampire, and with full speed he caught up with him, holding the intruder by the collar and slammed him against the wall. Just then he realised who it was.

“Darius,” he said, releasing him immediately. 

Darius straightened himself, letting out a quiet laugh. “Damn, you have gotten stronger,” Darius said.

“You idiot.” Lucien replied. You should have announced yourself,” 

Darius grinned as Lucien pulled him into a brief embrace.

“And ruin the surprise? Of course not.”

Lucien stepped back, studying him.

“You're back? It's been what? A decade?” Lucien asked. Walking towards the counter to pour some wine and blood into two glasses.

“Yeah. I just got back. I had to come see you,” Darius replied. 

Darius was Lucien's right-hand man for almost a century.

Lucien had saved him and turned him 92 years ago when he was dying at war, on the battlefield in the Army. He and Lucien had fought together in the army. They were so quick to become friends. 

Darius had wondered why Lucien was so strong, why he rarely fed like the others, why he was able to hear enemies coming from afar. 

Darius wanted what he had.

 While they fought, Darius was shot. Lucien couldn't bear to watch his friend die. He turned him right there on the battlefield, feeding him his blood, and Darius woke up, fed on their enemies' blood and transformed. 

Ever since, Darius has stood by his side, ever grateful to Lucien for saving him. They were basically best friends.

Just then, the housekeeper, Mr. John, walked in. Mr. John was human. He came around the house occasionally, same as Lucien's chef and other workers.

“Good evening, sirs. Sorry to interrupt. Mr John said politely. Would you like anything to eat this evening, sir Lucien? The chef is currently available to make dinner.”

“No, John, thank you. You should both go home to your families,” Lucien said. 

John nodded appreciatively and walked out, leaving both men.

Darius took a sip from his glass, watching Lucien carefully.

“What's up, man? You don't look so good.”

Lucien exhaled.

“That obvious, huh? It's my father. He has asked that I marry-”

Just before Lucien could complete his sentence, Darius burst out laughing.

“Marry?” he repeated. “You?”

Lucien gave him a displeased look. “It's not funny.”

“Sorry, it's just… Lucien Delacroix, settling down? I never thought I'd hear it.” Darius said, still amused.

“It's political. A witch. Bennett bloodline.” Lucien stated.

Darius' smile faded.

“Well, that explains it.” He sighed. “So what do you intend to do about it? Would you go on with your father's plan for you?”

“The fuck! No. Of course not,” Lucien said, his face slightly irritated.

He stood up, walking towards the window. He stared outside for a second and took a sip from his glass. 

Darius noticed how restless he was. All the years he had known him, he hadn't seen him this confused and disordered.

“How about you go out for a ride alone, you know. Clear your head or feed?” He suggested.

“I stopped feeding directly from humans a few years ago,” Lucien said. “Except when necessary, of course,” he added. 

Darius looked confused.

“You survive on what? blood banks?”

“Yeah. And bad people's blood.” Lucien had worked hard to reduce his intake of human blood because it controlled him. Whenever he fed on humans, he couldn't stop till he killed them. 

Reducing his intake helped him control and manage his urges. Whenever he fed directly from humans, he made sure they were bad people and deserved it.

Darius understood, so he didn't ask further questions.

“I still think you should take a ride around the city. Clear your head. You look like hell,” he teased.

“I'll do that,” Lucien said.

Darius got up from the couch.

“Well, I think I should be heading out now,” 

“Do not run off again,” Lucien teased.

“I won't, I promise. I'll get you a fresh blood supply from the blood bank tomorrow.”

After Darius left, Lucien picked up his car keys and headed out. He drove far into the city without direction. He wanted to be somewhere quiet where he could hear his thoughts. His father's words kept ringing in his head- duty, power, sacrifice, marriage. 

He drove faster as if that would clear those lingering words from his head.

Then he heard it.

A scream from miles away, which he could only hear due to his vampire senses.

Lucien held the brake of his car immediately. He was out of the car in seconds.

 The sound came again, and like a flash, his heightened speed followed it till he arrived at the old Wickery Bridge.

A car had crashed into the railing.

Without any thoughts or hesitation, Lucien jumped into the water. The water swallowed him. He swam deeper and deeper till he got to the almost-sinking car. With his supernatural strength, he pulled the door open, pulling her out immediately. 

He wrapped his arm around her waist and swam upwards, bringing her to safety. She was heavier than she looked. He could feel her pulse, her blood pumping. She was human. She coughed as she clung to him.

“Easy,” he murmured. He wasn't sure she could hear.

He laid her down safely. Just then he began to hear sirens from afar. She wrapped her fingers around his index finger.

Lucien froze instantly. He looked at her gentle face and fragile body.

Her eyes opened briefly, though it was unfocused.

Lucien stood up. For a moment, he wondered what she saw and felt- his face? His speed? Or something impossible he did?

Just then, voices shouted nearby.

With his vampire speed, he moved back into the shadows just before they saw him.

 He watched from a distance as they attended to her, lifting her onto a stretcher. 

She was beautiful.

He could see the look and wonder on their faces as they attended to her. Their faces asking one obvious question- how did she get out of the water? How did she survive?

As the ambulance door closed, one thought ran through his mind:

Did she see me?