The Strangers of Precedent

“Do you know what today is?” Bobbi asked. She’d done her best to get Vlad alone, though the solution was a walk in the woods that left both of them on guard for Vampires. The attacks had become less frequent, but danger didn’t seem any different.

“Is it a day you’re supposed to be in class?” Vlad asked.

She shook her head, instead pulling a small giftbox out of her pocket.

“It’s our anniversary.”

“Our what?”

“The anniversary of the day we met. I gave Syren a gift yesterday since that’s when I met her.”

Vlad just stared at the box.

“It’s for you.” Bobbi pushed it closer to his face. He gently pushed her hand down.

“That’s hardly necessary.”

“Yeah, so?” of course he’d he ridiculous about it, “Gift-giving isn’t some special proposal in your culture, is it?”

“No, it’s just…” he shook his head, “I don’t like how we met.”

True, Bobbi didn’t like the idea of Drake nearly drinking all of her blood, but if she hadn’t been scared out of her wits, she wouldn’t have been anywhere near as curious, and that curiosity led to so much more.

“I forgave you already, besides, you saved my life then, it’s the least I can do.”

Carefully, Vlad took the box, lifted the lid, and took out a small chain with a red enamel pendant that looked like a rose.

“Where did you even have the resources to make this?” he asked, “Assuming this is completely your handiwork. Did you—”

“No, I haven’t figured out fire. I bought the chain, and I made use of the school’s workshop for the rose.”

“And why a rose?”

“Because roses make Vampires weak, and you protect me from them.”

His expression was less than convinced. Bobbi didn’t find it the best reasoning either, but once she got the idea of a rose, she couldn’t think of anything else to give him.

“I don’t wear many necklaces,” Vlad admitted, gesturing behind his neck.

“Oh,” Bobbi hadn’t thought about that, “Well you don’t have to wear it if you don’t—”

“I’ll wear it forever, I just may need help putting it on.”

“You can just clasp it in the front and turn it around,” she offered.

Drake flared out his skinny, malnourished fingers, and Bobbi finally got the hint.

“Or I can put it on for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Bend down,” she ordered, “You’re like a foot taller than me.”

“Can’t you fly?”

“I don’t want to.”

Vlad rolled his eyes, but obliged her as she took the chain back and moved behind him. His neck was cold as she closed the clasp, cold and hard, like there was a muscle density a human or something like her shouldn’t have.

“There we go.”

She returned front in time to see Vlad stuff the pendant into his hoodie.

“You don’t want to show it off?” Bobbi asked, barely a stain of offense in her tone.

Vlad didn’t seem to hear her.

“Bobbi, I—There’s—you shouldn’t—”

Whatever sentence he wasn’t managing to form was interrupted when they both heard a snapping of something around them. Vlad sniffed the air, and Bobbi scanned for the damning textiles. In sync they turned to their threat, a man in a reproduced Confederate uniform—Bobbi could tell by the freshness of the material.

“Did you steal the costume or are you just a reenactor a little too committed to the craft?” she asked.

He didn’t answer, instead lunging toward her. Bobbi grabbed her scarf with one hand and reached out with the other, trying to manifest a flame. Vlad moved in front of her as that strategy failed.

Then something else grabbed their attacker, pulling him by the throat. Its movement felt familiar as it squeezed harder, clawing into his chest to pull out his heart, which it threw into the woods. The head popped shortly after, and it threw that in the other direction of the heart.

Bobbi had never been so grateful that Vampires didn’t bleed because otherwise that would have been a much worse experience.

Vlad pushed her further behind him.

“It’s good to see you again,” he said.

The vampire disappeared, only for Bobbi to be forcibly turned around.

“Is this your reason for leaving?” a pale woman asked as Bobbi backed into Vlad’s torso. Vlad grabbed the Vampire’s arm.

“Yes, so don’t touch her.”

Bobbi kept herself from disagreeing.

“I had no intention of harming her, especially with you so willing to lie on her behalf, though perhaps you’re just doing that out of habit.”

“I don’t think this conversation involves me,” Bobbi said, trying to get out from between them.

“Stay,” the Vampire ordered.

Bobbi slid out from between them anyways, Drake grabbing the Vampire’s other arm before she could prevent it.

“Are you going to have her leave without an introduction?”

Vlad sighed, very audibly.

“Bobbi, this is my younger sister, Vita. Vita, this is my dear friend who I’d appreciate a less threatening demeanor with, Bobbi.”

“You didn’t mention a sister when you told that story about your family.”

“I didn’t mention being an only child when you and Singe bonded over it, did I? Besides, we don’t share a father.”

Considering who his mother remarried, Bobbi could guess her parentage.

“Gross.”

“Why did you come here?” Vlad asked.

“I wanted to talk. It’s not my fault you spend all your time with an ultra-mage or whatever she is to smell like that.” Vita fanned the front of her nose. Bobbi would be insulted if she didn’t want Vita’s knowledge on her at a minimum.

She could see the little things that marked her as Vlad’s sister, same hair, same red lips, she even held herself similarly, but unlike Vlad, she looked like she ate enough. She also showed a lot more skin, probably for that reason. This was the closest Bobbi might get to a fully fed Vlad.

“I don’t think there’s much for us to talk about,” Vlad said.

“You could explain why you actually left.”

“No, I cannot.”

“You can to me.”

“If it’s any help, he hasn’t told us either,” Bobbi said, “I didn’t even realize he was a Dracula until last month.”

“It’s not,” Vlad and Vita said in unison.

“Fine.”

“This place is too dangerous, too many distractions,” Vlad said.

“Then where shall we meet, brother?”

Syren watched through the window of the kitchen door, trying to guess what the Vampires were talking about.

“So, did you know he had a sister?” Bobbi asked, she had a variety of beverage ingredients on the counter in front of her that she was watching intently.

“He gave off older sibling vibes,” Syren said, “Though maybe that’s just because he spent so much time with Solomon.”

“Maybe,” Bobbi squeaked, looking carefully at her selected glasses, four of them.

“Why are you so worried about it?” Syren asked.

“What makes you think I’m worried?” Bobbi asked.

“You tend to make things when you’re worried, like cocktails in this case.”

Bobbi made a few noises in almost defense, but none of them actually came out, as she was too busy focusing on the concoction.

“I wanted to give them some privacy,” she finally got out.

“Why?” Syren asked. She wanted to know what was going on. Drake barely revealed anything about himself, like most people older than Syren. She watched Bobbi until she answered.

“Because I don’t want him to leave, but I also don’t want him to stay because of me. I already did that once.”

Syren had a guess why Drake stayed that Halloween, and she had a good idea now why he probably wasn’t going to take his sister’s offer. It was Drake’s job to admit it though.

“You don’t want him to know you want him to stay, because then you’re sure he’ll stay?” Syren asked.

“I guess so.”

“Why?”

Bobbi almost spilled what she was currently pouring, but recovered quickly. She didn’t answer the question.

“Why are you so sure he’ll do what you want?” Syren asked.

“Because he feels guilty,” Bobbi muttered.

Syren had to keep herself from laughing. She returned to her Vampire watching.

“Done,” Bobbi said, watching four rather full glasses, “Can you help me put the ingredients back?”

Syren extended her assistance, also grabbing a plate from a cabinet too high for Bobbi.

“Can’t you fly now?” Syren asked.

“I could always fly,” Bobbi answered quietly.

“Then why have I been getting things for you?”

“Because I don’t want people to know I can fly, especially ones who think I’m just a mage.” She pointed to the door.

“Oh.”

Bobbi took the tray, and Syren opened the door so they could finally join the vampires in the dining room. Bobbi set the tray in the middle, grabbed her drink, then sat far away. Syren rolled her eyes and sat closer, though still a seat or two down from the siblings.

They all took a sip of their drink, then everyone except Bobbi gagged at how intensely sweet it was.

“I think your paramour is trying to kill me,” Vita said.

Drake downed the whole thing in response, which his sister reciprocated.

“Sorry,” Bobbi said, moving to a closer seat, “I’m a little tired, and my palette leans sweeter than most.”

It was way too dark for Bobbi to be tired, but she might have been studying that long.

“Understatement,” Syren said, pushing her drink back to it’s creator. Bobbi pushed it back.

“So have you actually explained why you’re here?” Bobbi asked Drake’s sister.

“My brother hasn’t listened to his people, nor to my father, so I thought I could be persuasive enough. However, it seems I’m returning home without something to show for it.”

“And I’m not returning home,” Drake said.

“You can bring whatever thralls catch your fancy,” she flicked her eyes toward Bobbi, “Though I question your taste as much as I mistrust her palette.”

Syren watched Bobbi’s response. She and Drake did go off alone plenty, but Bobbi never seemed interested in more than that. Then why wasn’t Bobbi objecting?

“You saw where we walked,” Drake answered, “Mother never did well in our home, I doubt Bobbi would fare better.”

“Then perhaps your other friend would be willing to join, unless she’s also yours.”

“She’s too young for you, Vita.”

“I’m eighteen,” Syren objected, not that she wanted to join Drake’s very pretty sister wherever she planned to go. She just didn’t like being seen as a child.

“We don’t come of age until we’re twenty,” Drake answered.

“That’s only because the gift is least awkward at that age,” Vita said, “The girl can make her own decisions.”

“Then why is she a girl?”

“Can you discuss this at another time?” Bobbi asked, “It’s nearing sunlight, some of us want to sleep before we wake up, and this argument is only going to get worse.” She made a shooing motion that Syren didn’t want to argue, mostly because she would be asleep if their guest hadn’t been brought here.

“I’ll take you to your hotel or wherever you’re sleeping,” Drake offered.

“She isn’t much older,” Vita pointed at Bobbi, “Younger possibly.”

“I’m twenty-two,” Bobbi answered, annoyed.

Vita gave a feigned gasp.

“Four years, how much of a difference does that make?”

“Enough,” Drake said, “I don’t want to harm her education.”

“Fine.” Vita gave a bow, and Drake pulled her out of the building.

Bobbi slightly collapsed onto the kitchen table.

“That could have been very bad,” Syren said.

“The drinks had rosewater in them,” Bobbi said, “She would have only been at normal person strength.”

“What!”

“There are enough plants for me to stop her, and you could handle Drake if he suddenly turned on us.”

“I could?”

“He is nothing but skin and bones. I could probably handle him without much effort. They shouldn’t attract too much attention until tomorrow night, when the rose will probably wear out.”

Bobbi was going to be late to class, not because she was currently running late, but because a certain vampire was following her, getting ever-closer, and this was either going to end in a conversation or a fight.

“What do you want?” Bobbi asked, wheeling around.

“Tell my brother to speak with me,” Vita said, “Your word seems to be law with him.”

“Your perception is flawed,” Bobbi answered.

“I was right to think you poisoned me, and my brother, I suspect.”

“I couldn’t risk you harming the Eves’ furniture in case it got violent,” Bobbi defended, “Besides, it wasn’t like rosewater was going to hurt you more than bring you down to normal.”

“So my brother wasn’t involved in the task?”

“Aside from downing it for the sake of my honor, no,” Bobbi lied.

Vita smiled.

“I understand why he cares for you.”

Bobbi considered breaking the ruse there. Vlad didn’t see her that way, and she definitely didn’t see him like that. She was very tired of people, including her friends, thinking her friendships were harbingers of impending romance.

“I care a lot about him too,” she said instead.

“And I only want what’s best for him,” Vita said, “And given your age, I know for sure it’s not that he could have chosen you over me.”

“Fuck,” she breathed. Vlad had been here a long time. Bobbi probably wouldn’t have been an adult when he left, if she’d even been alive.

“When did he leave?” Bobbi asked.

Vita just cocked her head at her.

“You ungifted are so foolish, falling in love with someone you know so little about.”

“He keeps me safe,” Bobbi said, “And we like each other’s company. Maybe his reason to leave has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh,” Vita said, “I’ve known that. You don’t get abandoned and assume your brother had you in mind at all.”

Vita actually looked sad. She wasn’t some dangerous monster really, just someone who’d been hurt.

“I’ll talk to him,” Bobbi promised.

Vita shook her head.

“Don’t please. He’ll just blame me about it.”

“No,” Bobbi said, “He’ll blame me.”

“You don’t have to protect me, you know,” Bobbi said, “I have Singe, and I’ll figure out the fire thing eventually.”

Vlad shook his head.

“She put you up to this, didn’t she?”

“No,” Bobbi scoffed.

“She just looked pitiful and you bought it?” Vlad asked, “Maybe even asked you not to do anything about it because I’d blame her?”

That was rudely on the nose.

“Our mother kept several suitors off by claiming she was in love with a different one using that same strategy. The one she did end up engaged to was too dense to understand the message.”

“What, they’d each encourage the next guy to propose?” Bobbi asked.

“Exactly,” Vlad seethed, “And in the meantime, they’d keep the rest off of her back. Vita has our mother’s eyes, and several more strategies for getting what she wants.”

“Maybe you should give up then.”

Vlad looked very serious for a moment.

“The most I could do is leave here, but I certainly won’t be returning home.”

“Why not?”

He sighed, and shook his head.

“No,” Bobbi ordered, “Fuck this! You still consider that place home, so what’s keeping you here? What’s keeping you away from home?”

Vlad shook his head.

“It’s just old habit, it doesn’t mean—”

“Stop deflecting! Why?”

She’d shared her wings, she’d shared her insecurities, she spent most of her free time with him. The least he could do was offer her some context.

“If I told you—” Vlad snapped, eyes wide, fangs bared, before stopping himself and pulling back, “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”

“You severely underestimate just how exponentially weirder my life has gotten since I met you.”

That at least made him laugh a bit. That was something.

“Maybe you would believe me then.”

“But…” she anticipated.

“But telling you would put you in more danger than leaving you in the dark.”

“Bullshit.”

Vlad didn’t counter.

“I get it. You have a lot of shit going on, and maybe I’m overstepping by asking for some context, but…”

Did she even really care?

Yes.

“But secrets hurt, and I don’t like the idea of you hurting yourself.”

“Of course they hurt,” Vlad said, “That’s why you keep them secret, so they don’t hurt anyone else. Not every secret is ours to tell. It’s why I never detailed your heritage to anyone, nor did I share anyone else’s with you until they had themselves. I’m sorry if it scares you, but I am not sharing something like this, not unless necessary.”

Bobbi didn’t have a worthy objection, but she couldn’t just take it and go. It wasn’t like he was wrong though. His secrets were his, and he’d never actually made her reveal anything to him. Frank was technically the first person she told anyways, though she hadn’t told him much.

She gave him a hug, her head against his chest.

“You win,” she mumbled.

After a moment, he returned her embrace, his cold hands very noticeable, but not unpleasant, even when he started stroking her hair.

Then they heard a scream.

Vlad knew the sound of his sister’s scream deeper than any memory. He’d feel guilty about abandoning Bobbi, if he wasn’t sure she’d be safer in their previous clearing than dealing with whatever could make a full Vampire of Court Dracula scream in terror.

“Vita!” he yelled. She didn’t respond. He picked up his speed, already struggling with pain in his legs from how hard he hit the ground.

He saw the uniform, the old dresses that were somewhat tattered.

“She still has a court!” he bellowed, “To attack her is to declare war.”

Vita was on the ground, held down by heavy boots on each limb as she struggled. One seemed to have heard him, as her right arm was released, before another boot took it’s place.

“You bluff!” One of the women yelled, “Just like you bluffed with Lou and Jas!”

“And I handily defeated them.”

The Brotherhood of the Lost Cause laughed at his threat, and they were probably right to. Nonetheless, Vlad took the one vial he had of good blood, which would be stale by now if Juliet didn’t have the runes for preservation carved into the lid and bottle.

He was still frail by his people’s standards. But his legs were no longer sore, and his arms felt free of burdens for the first time in a long time. He’d take his time to savor this feeling if he didn’t have to win against several vampires with it.

He started with the ones on Vita’s arms, tossing them to either side. She took the hint and started shoving off the ones on her legs so she could stand.

The siblings exchanged a nod just as Vlad had to stop a bayonet from going through his throat. The process pushed him against a tree and had his palm suffer the blade’s fury. He hoped there wasn’t any ammunition in the weapon.

Vita wasn’t faring much better, going up against hoop skirts that didn’t offer her much room for movement. The corsets similarly kept any clashes with her claws ineffective.

So now he’d just given them another victim to harm, and if Dracula went to war over Vita, they were sure to bring him along after they won, and they would win.

“Step away from the dragons,” Bobbi ordered from where Vlad had stood before. What the hell was she doing.

Instead of laughing, the Brotherhood just ignored her.

“Alright, losers.”

The one Vlad had been struggling against was suddenly pulled to the ground, causing the bayonet blade to tear further into Vlad before coming out. His screech was silent as he held the arm.

“Sorry!” Bobbi yelled before tying her scarf around her hands, stabbing Vita’s attackers with the branches of the trees, which then grew more branches, so the women stayed skewered as the branches pulled back.

“I may understand your interest now,” Vita yelled. Grabbing the soldier running for Bobbi and tossing him onto another tree, which stabbed him through the heart.

Bobbi flared out the scarf again as Vlad finally stood up.

“So the candy gives cavities,” one of the ones Bobbi hadn’t gotten to yet said, “That tree wasn’t enchanted, was it?”

Vlad tossed him further into the woods as soon as he reached him.

“Did I just fucking do that?” Bobbi asked, incredulous.

“Team effort,” Vita said, “Weren’t there—”

Swift as anything, Bobbi was pulled away from them, a single hand clenching around her throat.

“She could burn you alive right where you stand,” Vlad bluffed, trying with everything inside him to believe it, “I recommend you leave her alone.”

Her captor clearly didn’t buy it, just cocking his head slightly behind her as Bobbi searched around for something.

“She already incapacitated most of your brethren,” Vita added, “Do you think killing her would set them free, or just lodge them in eternal torment?”

Bobbi let out a weak yelp as the grip tightened. Vlad watched, listened for anything that could help them, but no one was coming, it was just the three of them.

“What do you want?” Vlad asked.

“Leave us be. I want to know what she tastes like.”

Bobbi’s eyes widened, then the hand was severed from her captor’s arm as Vita pushed him down. Vlad ran over to pull the hand off of Bobbi’s throat. She leaned on him as Vita pulled out the man’s heart and head as she’d done before, tossing them in different directions.

“They’re going to think there’s serial killers in these woods,” Bobbi whispered, before a fit of coughing.

“Given how well they were fed,” Vita said, “That might be close to the truth.”

They took her extended hands to stand up.

“I owe you a debt,” Vita said to Bobbi.

“You kind of saved my ass with that, so I think we’re even.”

They exchanged an awkward nodding bow.

“You should probably go home, Bobbi,” Vlad said.

“And you?” she asked.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

She smiled, abandoning him to his sister.

“Are you not worried for her?” Vita asked.

Vlad gestured to the massacre around them, most of it Bobbi’s handiwork, before indicating they should leave for some privacy.

“Fair enough.” Vita said, “I won’t be going home with anything, will I?”

“Not as such,” he pointed behind them, “You could return with a captive of war, assuming they attacked you unprovoked.”

“Far as I can tell,” Vita admitted.

“The Brotherhood has a many enemies, diplomatically, this war could serve the court for generations.”

“And you could lead it, after all it seems you reason enough for vengeance with how they treated Bobbi.”

Vlad shook his head.

“The interest there is one-sided, and I will never act on it if I can help it. The only relationship to justify vengeance is that I’ve been acting as protector since these fellows’ first attack.”

“She played the part impressively. Perhaps you should check if there was method in her acting.”

“Definitely not.”

“What’s the harm?”

“Our line dies with me,” Vlad said, “I have no intention of pursuing a relationship with even a fraction of a chance of producing an heir.”

“You can’t be—”

“I can.”

“What’s so wrong about our family line? We have been leading the court for—”

Vlad put a hand up. He had some of that lingering pride in his family history, and a part of him wanted to leave her unaware again, let her love their family, but she was in this as much as he was, and Vita would be the next target if Vlad became too much effort.

“If I explain it to you, you run the risk of the information putting you in danger with the court.”

“Tell me.”

He swallowed.

“Your father is not my uncle.”

Singe was wandering. He was supposed to be training at the moment, but he was tired of this “gift”, and didn’t want to be forced to use it. Avery let him wander the halls freely, so he was going to take advantage.

He’d admit to not paying attention when the two redheads smacked into him.

They looked almost exactly alike, though one had longer hair and a slightly softer face. Singe made a subtle search for transition runes on one of them, but if they were there, they were hidden.

“Who are you?” Long-hair asked, clear judgment in their tone.

“I’m Singe Tyrain,” he answered, “My mother is friends with Lord Avery, and I work in the dragon-stable.”

“I just wanted your name,” they answered. Their sibling elbowed them. “Ow.”

“I’m Draco Craddock,” the sibling said, “This is my sister…”

“Name to be determined?” she offered, Singe gave a nod.

“Our mother just became the court wizard.”

That explained why she didn’t understand Singe’s long answer. She hadn’t clocked him as a zmeu, just as someone she’d bumped into.

“Are you familiar with the palace?” the unnamed one asked, “We apparently have to live here now.”

“That’s normal for court wizards.”

“Our mother’s never had a court commission before,” Draco explained, “I’m still not sure why she’d take one in Draconis either.”

“She named you for dragons,” Singe noted.

“That’s just because—” he stopped, “That’s none of your business.”

“Of course not, so you drakes have never been in a castle or Draconis before?”

“Did you just call us babies?” the sister asked.

“Do you want the tour or not?”

The twins—they had to be twins—shared a glance before looking back at Singe.

“The name is under negotiation,” Girl-Drake insisted.

“Sure.”