The Blood Rose Lady

"I'm thirsty," Rozelyn muttered as she saw a middle-aged woman walking by the street with her dog. It's been days since she last drank from Romaine's blood-full fridge. But, she was searching for fresh blood, one that she'll harvest straight from her prey's neck.

There are still leftover foods from yesterday's birthday beach party of Romaine. And as expected, she vanished into the thin air again-probably with her stepmother's cinnamon roll who goes by the name Dorrien. 'Is Romaine hiding something?' She pondered.

'Maybe,' her consciousness answered back.

Surprised, she stood from the veranda and decided to trek towards the forest where she learned how to hunt. "I really need to feed after all. My mind is now talking with itself."

It took only less than an hour before she reached the forest. And when she did, she was lucky that she was wearing green as well because unexpected folks had already arrived at this freaking forest before her.

***

'What are they doing here?' Rozelyn pondered as she slowly crawled towards a near tree where Maebh and Ludwig were standing, along with a few black-clothed people whom Rozelyn thought were some of the Heathens. "Xellaena Xavier has heard what is going on here, Maebh! And Rhella is not the real Heathen Queen, she's just the ephemeral one!"

Rozelyn listened carefully to them talking. One of them whipped a head to where she was hiding when she accidentally stepped on a twig. She must be thankful that she's a Thaumaturge and she happens to quickly cloak herself from them using her magic.

'Pheww! That was close!' She thought.

"So what are we going to do now?" Rozelyn was sure it was Ludwig's voice.

"Since Leonardo Richards is the real Heathen King and Rhella is the reigning Ephemeral Queen, we should take this current opportunity that the highest-ranking witch is on our side," Maebh then threw a glimpse at where Rozelyn is. For Rozelyn, she felt as if Maebh knew she was there and was just ignoring her. Or that she wanted something from her in exchange for not telling her companions that a vampire, a Thaumaturge, is eavesdropping.

"What about Xellaena? You know that Witch Queen doesn't like half-breeds like you."

'So there is a different queen per witch coven just like vampires and werewolves, eh?' She mused.

"I'll take care of her. Meanwhile," Rozelyn watched Maebh's eyes slide into the tree she was taking cover. "We will prioritize how we are going to take down the vampires and werewolves. Surely, Xellaena will not be bothered by that." "Xellaena Xavier is a peace-loving bitch, Maebh," Ludwig remarked.

"I know. That's why we are going to attack the vampires without really incapacitating them." Maebh's piercing gaze seems to linger deep into her bones. Does Rozelyn's cloaking spell don't work? Or is Maebh more powerful than she thought? "The other Heathen Queens: Xellaena, Feyraj, and Tamara doesn't know that you are the Blood Mistress, that you are Mary Bathory's daughter and that—"

The speaking black-clothed witch began to choke as if the air on her lungs were being blocked.

"Say that again, you low-ranking whore of a witch or that will be the last time for the air to enter your lungs!"

Rozelyn watched the poor witch gasp for breath. The witch removed her cloak and Rozelyn realized she was a redhead girl-and too young, probably younger than Rozelyn.

The redhead witch ran to the tree to where Rozelyn was hiding and she saw Maebh's eyes widened.

"Get away from there, Aruba!" Maebh was instantly beside her and the woman grabbed Aruba by the hair.

"Listen here, Aruba Lynn," Maebh tilted the witch's head further into the dark skies. "You are lucky that you are the last Romanian witch left other than the descendants of the Bathory family. And I mind you..." Maebh inserted some sort of an insect into her mouth. "Talk to me back again without my permission and this black beetle will feast on your insides!"

Rozelyn watched the poor Aruba sobbed into the ground, with her face inches away from the filthy mud. She yielded a step in order to help her. But Maebh...there's no way she could see her, could she?

Pity over safety. Rozelyn guessed she would set aside her pity for this time. After all, the humane side of her heart had already left her ever since she drank blood from Romaine's offer during her eighteenth birthday. Well, even if she refuses Romaine's offer, she will still be a vampire anyway. She is destined to be an immortal blood sucker-cursed to be a creature of the night for a lifetime.

Ludwig grabbed Aruba by the neck and stripped her clothes. "This will be your punishment for disrespecting the great Blood Mistress!"

Rozelyn couldn't do anything but watch the poor Aruba whipped-naked and bare. Not to mention what other things Ludwig did to that unclothed pitiful witch behind the shadows of those damned trees.

Ludwig has no mercy for that witch, even if she's a witch. Technically, he doesn't have any respect for any woman despite him being the town's sheriff. Rozelyn even doubted if that is respect he had for Maebh, or is that simply a lustful, carnal emotion.

Rozelyn Nadeshiko Zadzisai turned away, unable to stomach Ludwig's actions towards that red-headed heathen. The muffled screams, Ludwig's laugh and moans, and the horrendous sounds of someone doing someone in a forceful, despicable way.

When Rozelyn turned around, she was in front of her now. Maebh. Was. Smiling. No, the great and unholy Blood Mistress is smirking at her.

"I'm done, honey!" Ludwig's voice is the utter definition of noise pollution. Maebh simply dropped something in front of her and then simply walked away.

But when she picked up the thing that Maebh dropped, the Blood Mistress turned back at her and said, "I hope you will consider my offer, Thaumaturge."

Ludwig and the other black-clothed people whipped their heads instantly to Rozelyn, to the tree she was hiding.

"Who are you talking to, Maebh?" Ludwig asked candidly.

But Maebh just smiled as soon as she turned around and continued to walk. The others looked back at where Rozelyn was cloaking herself but just immediately trailed behind. "To the tree," Maebh briefly answered.

***

Planning your weekend reading? Ensure you're on 05s.org for uninterrupted enjoyment. The next chapter is just a click away, exclusively available on our site. Happy reading! Rozelyn has already read this letter three times in front of the sleeping Aruba Lynn.

She gave shelter and food and healed her wounds, despite the two kinds being archenemies.

"What did Maebh say to you?" Rozelyn roamed her eyes around Thalia's house and said, "She wanted me to join her, to join them."

"And will you?" Aruba's poor face was still beautiful despite the scars, wounds, and bruises given to her by Ludwig and his company.

"I'm no fool, Aruba. Why would I when I can just erase them from existence all in just a click of my finger?"

"Arrogant vamp..." They both laughed when Thalia entered.

"As I told you already Roz, go to Tanzania and retrieve the Primary Blood Rose," Thalia muttered.

"You're a healer...and heathens treat you as a great, valuable asset," Aruba declared.

"Asset? Not an ally?"

"No. Heathens only see themselves as superiors; all the other creatures of the night are just 'things' for them."

Rozelyn looked at Aruba, then to Thalia.

"And can we really trust you, Aruba?" Thalia's firm voice would have seeped and cracked Rozelyn's bones if not for the fact that Thalia's her godmother.

"I am a half-vampire, that's why," Aruba Lynn breathed.