The Vampire and Her Human Mate

15| History

She was still smiling as she made her way downstairs to the lab. Her mother looked up as Bianca entered the room.

"Good morning, dear." She indicated to a French press. "Coffee?"

Bianca started to shake her head- she hadn't drunk coffee in years. Changing her mind she went over to it and poured herself a cup with just a splash of milk.

She felt her mother's eyes on her. "I can ask Lorenzo to get some blood."

Bianca took a sip of her coffee. It was nicer than she'd remembered. "No, this is good."

"You haven't eaten since you got here."

Bianca came over to where her mother was working, she was writing up some instructions. "Don't need it right now."

Freya didn't say anything but Bianca could feel her scrutiny. She could feel her mother holding back whatever she wanted to say. Bianca could only imagine. They hadn't spoken or spent one on one time since she was a child- any conversation they'd had as she got older had been at a formal event and Bianca practically iced her out. She'd never been able to forgive her mother for leaving her and her father the way that she had. She'd never forgiven the isolation she had had while stuck at the academy knowing he was gone and her mother was now married to his childhood friend, who was responsible for his death even if he hadn't killed him directly.

Bianca hated to admit it but she was starting to feel empathy for what her mother went through. Bianca's father, Carlo, had not been her fated mate. Theirs had been an alliance marriage and while her parents had built some kind of relationship they hadn't loved each other. It wasn't until after Bianca was born that Freya and Vigo had the opportunity to meet. Vigo was from a rival house but had gone to the academy with Carlos and they had become friends, which bled into adulthood and had meant harmony in the Italian vampire community for the first time in centuries.

Freya had fled her marriage for her mate. It had incensed Bianca's father and the two families had gone to war over it.

Bianca had been left behind with him when Freya left. She had been seven years old. Carlos had been a cruel man but he had been her father and she had loved and respected him. Feared him too.

Her vampirism had been evident from birth and he had been very proud of that, honing that part of her as a child. She had not been allowed to eat food as a young child, really only having it occasionally with her mother. He enrolled her into the academy three years earlier than usual, at age nine, and she graduated at sixteen. The early enrolment was both because of her early development as a vampire and as the war was ramping up and he wanted her safe, physically at least. It had been rough- a vampire school was not for the weak. If the study and training workload didn't break you, the cruelty of the faculty and other students were there to pick up the slack.

She didn't know all the details of her fathers death, but when it happened she had been practically imprisoned at the academy. It was the safest place she could be as no one could touch her there with the enchantments in place- though many tried. All other members of her father's family were killed- her being the last one. She hadn't been able to leave for three long years. Vigo came to see her when she was fourteen, offering to swear an oath that he would not harm her if she swore an oath she would not seek revenge against him, his family or the Council. He had not wanted to kill his mate's daughter. After that, he had adopted her and she took his name over her father's, essentially ending his line.

She had liked Vigo despite herself and after proving herself, at her insistence, he had put her to work from the age of Fifteen. She had refused to see or speak with her mother so she hadn't known what she thought of her child becoming an assassin- it was only in the last year of Vigo's life that she had started to interact with the woman again at all and after his death she hadn't spoken with her.

Vigo had died mysteriously only a year ago, Cordon taking over from him. Bianca had been trained as Vigo's heir but the council had overruled it, favoring the older vamp and next in line if you took her out of the equation. Bianca didn't care. She hadn't wanted the title either her father or Vigo had tried to put on her.

Everyone suspected Cordon had been involved in his death but nothing could be proven- and Bianca had tried to find out. She had Raven work on it and even they couldn't find anything to link Cordon to his brother's death.

She only thought it strange now how she had accepted Vigo's relationship, not holding anything against him, yet with her mother she had felt bitter hate. Was it hate? Now that she knew love she started to think that what she felt where her mother was concerned was far from hate. She had felt hurt. She had felt abandoned. She had had no one when she had learned of her father's death. Sitting in her room at the academy, the youngest person there, the story of her fathers death the joke of the school.

She had heard the loss of a mate to be devastating. She hadn't even called to see if her mother was okay. Bianca had been so angry that Vigo was now also gone- a man that shouldn't have wanted her to live in their world- the spawn of a rival and a risk to him- yet he had been kind to her. At times fatherly even. Vigo's death had stung differently, she had wanted so badly to have the proof needed to avenge him. She had felt guilty when she mourned his death, feeling his loss more than her own father's.

Freya had packed the items into a box, the lid still off. They had made five of each of the three different types of talismans and four different potions, 10 doses of each. Bianca said it was for contingency but she was thinking of Beaus' family. If Cordon found Beau, he'd find them too.

"Are they all done?"

Freya nodded, reading over her instructions to double check they were complete. "I also found more information about masking." She showed Bianca the book she was deriving instructions from. "This is very old so may not be the most precise, but from what I can tell you want to give the human enough vamp blood so it exudes the scent through their sweat glands. It needs to be calculated based on their weight. Age will be a factor as well as hormones. Humans will sweat more often after eating, so feed the blood and wait half an hour then have them eat. I'd say less is more and adjust by small increments until you hit the desired mask."

"How can I tell if it's too much?" Bianca chewed her lip nervously- they'd all heard of the horror of the undead creatures humans became when they were "turned".

Freya just gave her a sympathetic look. "Unfortunately only once it becomes too late. I wrote it all down in case you need it, but you should use it only as a last resort."

"Anything about prolonged use?"

"It only talks to the effect of too much concentration in the system all at once, not if it will build over time."

Bianca thought about that. "You would think that if the scent wears off then it expunges from the system- it might do long term organ damage though. To the kidney and liver for sure. Maybe even the heart as I've heard it can pass on some short term vamp abilities…" They all learnt human biology- as their primary source of food it was important to understand how they worked.

Freya agreed with her daughter's summation.

Bianca thanked her and placed the paper into the box with the other items. "I guess I can go now."

"Would you stay just a little while longer?" Freya reached out to her daughter before thinking better of it and dropping her hand. "Just until after lunch?"

Bianca did some calculations- she could make that work. "Okay.”

"Will you eat or should I get…"

"I'll try the food."

Freya nodded and started to pack up her work station.

"What does Cordon get you to do for him?" Bianca asked suddenly. It felt like her time needed to be spent collating information.

Freya was guarded. "You know there are restrictions on me. I can't share much… it is usually so he can sense the true intentions of others and…" she went quiet. Bianca could tell she was working out how the phrase it around whatever oath she had had to swear to him. "He is interested in lore about mates."

Bianca gave a bark of a laugh. She wondered if that was what the idol was for. It was a male fertility idol- very powerful. It was supposed to increase a male virility and allure. "He must be wanting to secure his heir soon. He's looking for his mate?"

Freya only responded with, "He has grown impatient."

"Never has there ever been someone less deserving…"

"Does it make you feel better about yourself now that you have found yours? Knowing you are worthy of the bond?"

Bianca was quiet. It did. And it was changing her. She had never felt much empathy before- she wondered if it would have been different if he hadn't been human. Hadn't been the man he was. Would she have still been her usual cold self?

Instead, she just shrugged.

"Will you tell me about him?" Freya queried.

Bianca shook her head and pushed other thoughts forward. She still didn't want to risk her mother learning too much.

Freya frowned. "I know my choices weren't easy for you, but know I had always thought you would be untouched by them. Your father loved you very much. I really thought he would just let me go…"

"I get it. And really-" the words stuck in her throat. "Vigo was a better man than my father. What's done is done. I'm sorry you lost your mate." She turned away, as tears came to her eyes. "I'll go pack and meet you in the parlour."

~*~