Vampire Heart 12

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Scroll 13: Vampire and Human Relations
Naoko skipped up to the door and waited for Vicente to join her. "She'll definitely give us some answers."
"I hope so," Vicente smiled half-heartedly as he lugged Naoko's and his own luggage up to the house. "Don't you ever feel like Little Red Riding Hood having to walk through the forest to get to granny's house?"
Naoko laughed as Vicente joined her on the porch, "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think you're the most evil thing that was in the woods. Plus, you're hardly a wolf. You're too pretty to be a wolf."
"Thanks, I think," Vicente replied.
Naoko opened the door, "Grandma Bonnie?"
"Come on in, Naoko. I've been expecting you," an elderly woman's voice rang though the air like a bell chiming.
Naoko signaled for Vicente to follow, and he did obediently, not knowing what to expect. "Grandma," Naoko hugged a woman that was about her height with long, silver, braided hair that reached the middle of her back. "Meet Vicente. Vicente, Grandma Bonnie."
The older woman looked him up and down, "I'd say that you've picked up the best looking vampire I've ever laid eyes on..."
"So I've heard..." Vicente remarked, half-heartedly.
Naoko blushed a little, "Care to answer a few things?"
"Only if you tell me why your friend is carrying luggage," Bonnie replied.
"Mom threw me out because I can't fix the fact that I'm Vampire Mistress and he's my vampire," Naoko motioned toward Vicente.
"Just drop your bags anywhere," Bonnie ordered.
Vicente shrugged and set them on the ground before following Naoko and Bonnie into a cozy living room that was dimly lit by the crackling fire. "Why would anything need fixed?" Vicente asked, obviously offended by the thought of a problem arising from their situation.
"Nora is only a gifted human. Only a few select bloodlines can truly empathize with your situation," Bonnie replied.
"But I know this is right. Before I met Naoko...my life was empty and bland...not really worth living...and now I know that..." Vicente sat next to Naoko and crossed his arms in frustration.
Bonnie studied Vicente's face and contemplated his words, "You can feel all of that after a day of being her pet?"
Vicente nodded, "I can't picture living without my mistress. I can barely remember my life before her."
"What do you feel, Naoko?" Bonnie asked expectantly.
"I feel the same. I don't want to even think about Vicente not being with me all of the time," Naoko replied, stroking his hand soothingly.
Bonnie nodded, "You two are definitely a star-crossed match of vampire and mistress. I suppose you want to know everything?"
Vicente took Naoko's free hand in his and studied her face before facing forward and meeting Bonnie's eyes, "I do."
"Me too," Naoko agreed without missing a beat.
"Well," Bonnie took a deep breath, "The necklace was made to control vampires. More or less, when vampires were discovered, humans still wanted to remain at the top of the food chain. They wanted to demonstrate what powers the conjurers had and what could happen to the vampires who embodied power. The Valentine conjurers all decided that virgin blood and the family's crown jewel, so to speak, were what they needed since they were the best of the best at what they did.
The jewel and a single drop of the oldest heiress's blood was used with the pricking of the Valentine ritual dagger were placed in a cauldron of boiling vampire blood and liquid gold.
The medallion was formed and cast. Unfortunately, they didn't know that the oldest heiress wasn't a virgin. She was intimate with a vampire who she deemed her friend and who swore his life on protecting her. Since her blood was used, only she could use the amulet.
She used the amulet to bind her protector and only love to her soul forever. The power didn't intimidate the vampires. It enraged them. The thought of being used as a pet was humiliating for such a beautiful race of men and women.
So the amulet was passed down by the heiress to her grandchild. And since then, it was a family treasure...and secret. Your father's grandmother didn't have any girls, so she gave it to me as a friend. And I gave it to you."
"Are you telling me that vampires can reproduce?" Vicente asked.
"And that vampire runs through my blood?" Naoko added.
"Yeah, that, too..." Vicente muttered.
"No, she was forced to wed a human and bare his children--although she kept her lover on the side, secretly. She said that he gave her whatever she wanted and that is what made her love him," Bonnie replied.
"What were their names?" Naoko asked.
"Isis is your ancestor."
"The goddess?" Vicente gasped.
"She wasn't technically a goddess," Bonnie replied. "What she stood for was embodied as an immortal thought--and the gods are immortals so she was symbolically an immortal beauty."
"Is our bond formed because of the jewels?" Naoko and Vicente chorused.
"I think you should ask yourselves that, not me," Bonnie smiled at them both as they blushed.
Vicente and Naoko glanced at each other and glanced away just as quickly. "What do you think?" Vicente asked.
"I think I know the answer," Naoko whispered. "I mean, she loved a vampire and the vampire's blood was mixed with hers...so that's where the bond must come from, right?"
Vicente's heart fell to his feet, "I-it makes sense."
Bonnie read the discomfort on his face, "I think you should rest for the night, Naoko."
"Good idea. Do you mind if we crash in the guest room?" Naoko asked.
"Feel free," Bonnie replied.
"How is the bond broken?" Naoko asked before she stepped onto the first stair with Vicente at her heels.
"It's ended by your marriage, or a spell," Bonnie replied.
"I have a goal, then," Naoko grinned.
"Me too," Vicente whispered as he grabbed their suit cases.
Bonnie signaled for Vicente to lean down. Vicente nodded and leaned toward the elderly woman who whispered in his ear, "You can just tell her the truth. Naoko is very understanding."
"I can't break her idea of happiness...even if it kills me," Vicente replied as he followed his mistress up the stairs.

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Vampire Heart 14