Returns & Rebirths

Leeora Levesque Couture

The beautiful woman with the clipboard pushed a strand of her long, wavy, fiery red hair out of her face, then bent down again. She sensed a presence behind her, and as she turned, she said, “We’re closed for inventory … ahh…” A startled shriek echoed through her boutique as the pen and clipboard she had been holding fell to the floor, a black cloud settling around her.

The same black cloud was settling in a different environment. Disoriented and upset, she took a few small steps backward, looking around at the eerie surroundings, then at the tall, dark figure before her. His appearance was frightening to most, but he only evoked glares from her narrowed eyes and arms crossed angrily across her chest.

Veilwood Cemetery, Forgotten Hollow

“Mind telling me what this is all about now? I was busy! Why am I on a creepy date with my creepy dad at some creepy cemetery?!” Leeora’s voice rang out, her annoyance palpable as she confronted the dark figure before her.

“This is more important,” the dark figure rumbled, his deep, gravelly voice matching his imposing appearance. Dark hair fell long across his back, partially braided in a style reminiscent of ancient cultures. His long black leather coat, heavy and nearly impenetrable by most weapons, and the long scar across the left side of his face told the rest of the story: he was a warrior.

Yet, the red-headed beauty before him didn’t seem afraid. She tilted her head and grimaced, her irritation evident. Her figure was perfect, tall like the former model she was. She seemed ageless, and with the help of spells and magic, she kind of was, but unlike the man who had brought her here, she wasn’t immortal, though it seemed that way.

“I’m sure my customers won’t mind waiting another day for me to reopen the shop, once I finally finish something I could have finished tonight, had my daddy dearest not decided I had to take a field trip to creepy Forgotten Hollow instead. What am I doing here?” Leeora snapped, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“You sell clothing, not emergency supplies, I am sure your customers can wait for a fancy dress one more day. And you used to love coming here! Beg me to bring you here every time I came to see you,” her father retorted, his patience thinning.

“When I was a child, since it was the only way to get to spend some real quality time with my creepy dad! I am not a little girl anymore, dad. Now it just clashes with my warm complexion and luscious red locks, not to mention running my business,” she retorted.

“I need your help, Leeora,” he admitted, his voice softening slightly.

“Yeah, I kinda figured that. Do you not realize that the whole fanged world is looking for you, dad? And you go straight back into the lion’s den? You are officially deranged. You were always a certain type of special, but now you are certifiable. How am I supposed to help you, and here of all places? Bit outside my wheelhouse, wouldn’t you think? In case you forgot, I have some vampire in me, but I took after my mother and am a witch. Using my powers here in the vampire HQ equals a declaration of war and it will be open season on my kind, and as confident as I am in my powers, I don’t think I could protect you from entire hordes of your brothers and sisters of the fanged creed,” Leeora ranted, her frustration clear.

“We both are safe here, and you know it. Even ‘hordes,’ as you put it, of my ‘creed’ haven’t a prayer against me. Do you know your stepmother is a traitor and a whore?” he said coolly, making Leeora throw her hands up, rolling her eyes.

“Wow. Just because Rhiannon was tired of your bullshit, you think she has another dude? Sexist much? Dad, I saw the letter. I mean, I don’t know what else to say here than ‘DUH!'” she replied, her sarcasm cutting through the tension.

“I saw her with another man. Watched them. And no, they were not just friends. Not after what I saw them do together,” he stated, his voice dripping with bitterness.

“Oh shit! Now you’re a stalker too? Okay, what did you do, dad!? Tell me right now you didn’t kill my stepmother!”

“Not yet. Why do you care?”

“Well, I happen to like Rhiannon, she helped raise me. And frankly, I don’t blame her. I would have left your ass too, were you my husband and not my father. You are hard to love, daddy.”

“No, Leeora, you would have killed me, like you did your first husband. Careful passing judgment on me when I know all the skeletons in your closet, sweet child of mine. Rhiannon knew who I was, what I was, and how I was when she decided to marry me! I didn’t compel her to love me or marry me, nor to let me turn her. She WANTED this!”

“Ah, Dad, look at you desperately digging for ammunition because you know I am right. Yes, I killed my first husband, that liar, because he wanted to kill you and I own every little bit of that. That’s what I got when I married one of my own kind, a witcher. He kept secrets from me and was one of the vampire hunters, using me to get to you, so he could kill you and Grandfather. Well, didn’t end too well for him and the only reason you know is because I needed you are Connell to help me get rid of his body. Tells you where my loyalties lie. Blood is thicker than a wedding band. And then I went on and fell in love with a vampire with a shady past. Guess there is that grain of truth, as they say girls marry men who are like their fathers. So, Rhiannon accepted your way of life once, and now she doesn’t. People change, even those with fangs. It happens, Dad. Sucks, but it’s part of life. My current husband has fangs, used to be a nomad, coven-less and almost landed on your special lists of vamps to kill several times, but he changed after we met. Sometimes, our differences bring people together, like Artemus and me, and sometimes the opposite. It’s called divorce, Dad. It happens. Now, why am I here? If you wanted relationship advice from me, we could have done that at my boutique while I continued my inventory, you could have even helped me with it, rather than stand around in this cold, dreary place. Some of us do feel temperatures!”

“Want my coat?”

“No! I want you to answer my question or take me back!”

“I want you to right a wrong your mother did. You are the only one who can. If you do, I will take you back, and you can finish that inventory that seems so very important to you, while my life is—once more—falling apart. All because of women!”

“Nice, dad. You do realize that I am a woman too, huh? And what wrong did my mom do THIS time, from beyond the grave, no less? I think it would almost be easier for you to just list the things you think weren’t her fault, it would be so much shorter. I know she was a flawed human being, but it’s getting boring how you hold her responsible for every little thing wrong in your life.”

“This!” Caelan pointed at the ground. Leeora’s eyes, the same unusual icy silver-gray as his, followed. The moment she read the name on the small stone marker, her head snapped to her father, and she took a small step backward as if trying to physically distance herself from the mere idea of his ask.

“Oh no! Dad, just no! No!”

“You have done it before. Do it again! For me!” Caelan’s voice was filled with desperation and anger as he pointed at himself.

“I caught so much shit for it last time. I didn’t even mean to do it then. I was visiting my mother’s grave when I noticed a dead squirrel and realized there was one spell I never actually tried. That was the night I learned two very important things any witch should know: yes, the most powerful witches can alter life spirit, including raise the dead, but no, we never should. That squirrel was partially on a grave, I didn’t move it and ended up raising two, Mr. Squirrel and Hailey’s friend. That was unplanned. Not to mention the moment I cursed for months because Chase just wouldn’t let it go. Whiney bitch cousin of mine. His wife enjoyed having her friend back, so whatever.”

“Well, I am sure the squirrel and Hailey’s friend thanked you for the second chance.” Caelan’s tone oozed sarcasm.

“Yeah, especially the squirrel, which was so confused it ran off and straight in front of a car. Short-lived victory for it. Luckily the graveyard was fenced in and Hailey’s friend’s ass had liked food too much to just slip through it to end up as a hood ornament of the next car. Needless to say I got years of BS from Chase, Hailey and everyone for dropping her resurrected bestie off with them. What was I supposed to do with her? Off her again?! Long story short, I am not doing this again!”

“You will, for me.” his face neared hers, looking dangerous, without flinching she held his gaze and stepped closer herself.

“No dad. I won’t.”

Caelan’s anger was palpable. He was not famous for his patience, and it was clear as he now stepped closer to his daughter, his face a mask of anger.

“Yes, you will!” he snarled, glaring at her from narrowed eyes, which she mirrored for her response as she hissed back “No, I won’t!”

He grabbed her, shook her, then insisted “I will kill your children!”

“Your grandchildren, you mean? Two of whom are vampires? Brilliant plan, Dad.” With one eyebrow arched, Leeora looked more annoyed than concerned, completely unimpressed by his threats.

Caelan halted, as if woken from a trance, then found his composure “I will kill their spouses then. Starting with that awful guy with the sock on his head who won’t quit with this ‘save the environment’ nonsense! As if I would not have more profound worries!”

Leeora barely managed to subdue a laugh. “It’s a beanie, dad, not a sock, and Knox is a bit of an acquired taste, I give you that. But he is a good dad and Ophelia loves him, so no, you will not kill him either. Dad, this is nonsense. You have to see it. I am not going to raise your former lover to replace my stepmother. Normal men would try to change and win their wives back. Not have their illegitimate daughter from an at the time of my conception very illegal relationship with a witch raise a former lover from the dead. That has to flag, even for you, daddy.”

“It does, but it’s what I want. It’s the deal, Leeora. You want Rhiannon to live, you want ME to live, this is how. Deny my wish and I will kill her, and your grandfather would then have no choice but to kill me. I am not compromising here. You know I can turn off what little emotions I have and I can kill anyone I want. The mother of my only son, I will see to her death.” His tone gave Leeora reason to halt; her smile vanished as she knew him well enough to know he had moved past idle threats and meant what he said. His tone warned Leeora that he was done discussing this matter; there was no more reasoning with him, yet she tried one last time.

“Dad, every vampire in existence is hunting for you. If you seriously think you can just stroll into the castle with your ex-lover, who has been dead for decades and poisoned by my mother, and Grandfather will just shrug it off, you are in much worse shape than I thought. That is a new level of delusional and deranged. Unless you crawl back to Grandfather right now, on your hands and knees begging for forgiveness, you will be in a world of hurt. Who knows what they would do to Ingrid. They will know I was involved. I am the only witch who has ever mastered necromancy. I could reignite a millennia-old war between our kinds, and I can’t risk that,” she said, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and desperation. Her eyes, glowing with a fierce determination, bore into her father’s, leaving no doubt about the gravity of her words.

“I will tell them the truth. I forced you. I won’t let anything happen to you. Look, Leeora, I know everyone thinks of me as a cold-hearted monster, but you know better than most that isn’t true. I do what I have to do, to do what is asked of me.” Caelan’s voice trembled slightly, betraying a depth of emotion he rarely showed. “Aside from my immediate family, I only truly loved twice in my life, the rest were at best infatuations of a foolish young vampire. I am always accused of being incapable of feelings, of love, you know better. I do love my children, I love Vivien, I love my parents and my sister. I would give my life for them, for you, without pause. Women are my weakness. Their charms turn my head until I believe there is more than there really is, but that was only true twice. I thought I loved Rhiannon, and maybe at some point I did, but our love for one another had turn to ice. I loved your mother, Seraphina, truly and passionately. But she betrayed me many times, twice when it really mattered, which turned my love for her irrevocably cold. The first time, when she and I were both still so young, back when such a love between your kind and mine was strictly forbidden. We both knew the risks, but the feelings we had for each other were stronger. Yet when it came time to confess them, to a panel of the highest vampires and witches, I did so, publicly, but she denied them, lied through her teeth, feeding me to the wolves, not to mention humiliating and hurting me.”

He swallowed, still reeling from the betrayal. Leeora seized his pause to defend her mother. “Don’t act as if I didn’t know the weight of it all! You know Mom did it–had to do it–to save me! You know Grandmother would have killed me! To this day, the Grand High Priestess Minerva Latimer’s actions are legendary among my kind, teetering between trailblazing heroism and ice-cold insanity. My mother had to burn her own mother at the stake several decades ago when I was still a toddler. It was the only way to stop her from killing me for being the daughter of a witch and a vampire. You know this, Dad—you were the one who found out and helped dispose of the remains. I know our secret rules and laws, just as you know those of the vampires, which I was never privy to. Mom did what she had to, in order to protect your child! A love child. That’s what I was—nay, AM—a true love child, Dad! My kind has strict rules too, just like you vampires. That’s one reason why, despite being the most powerful witch in existence, from the oldest witch lineage in existence, daughter of the late High Priestess Seraphina, who is legendary for finally bringing peace to the magic lands, yet I am not the High Priestess and why I practically live in exile. Instead of running the magic realms, I am running a boutique. I chose love over duty, Dad. I chose to marry a vampire, which disqualified me from any dreams of grandeur among my kind, even though I am more qualified than the whole lot of them combined! Though such unions are no longer forbidden as it was when you and Mom dated, creating me, and we can thank my late mother for that fact, she is the one who fought to write it into law, it’s still not accepted enough to let me have both—the title I SHOULD hold and the man I love. Marrying my vampire made me and our descendants impure, and therefore unable to lead our kind. It’s a tough choice; ask Grandfather if you don’t believe me.” Her voice broke, and tears welled up in her eyes as she finished, the pain of her words lingering in the air.

Caelan wanted to snap back at her, but didn’t. Instead, he resumed his speech, his voice heavy with old pain. “Well, she betrayed me a second time. She poisoned MY Ingrid before I could finish turning her, on the eve of our wedding! She killed the second woman I ever loved! And now you and everyone else blame ME for turning cold?”

“How is that Rhiannon’s fault? That all happened long before her time with you. She stood by you for decades! She let you turn her! She dealt with your creepy profession! She knew the man she was gonna marry, live with, wake up next to, was a killer! Might not feel odd to you, daddy, but to most people, that’s a dealbreaker! And it does not warrant digging up dead ex-lovers!” Leeora’s tone was sharp, defending Rhiannon passionately.

“Ingrid wasn’t just my lover, but my fiancée. And don’t raise Rhiannon onto some pedestal she has no business being on. She married me because she was running from someone. She had gotten onto a very dangerous Irish group’s bad side. They were after her, they would have killed her. I was her way out. THAT is why she married me. She knew they would never find her with me, and even if they did, I would end them all before they could finish a thought. I was a means to an end. And don’t you try to challenge it, I know that straight from the horse’s mouth. Rhiannon admitted it. She loves our son, she blames me for the child we lost, our little girl, even though I had nothing to do with it. THAT is when all fell apart and that was a long time ago, Leeora. I asked her to try again for another child, thinking enough time had passed, thinking another child would make her find her love for me again. Instead it led to this! The exact opposite. I am done trying to pretend to save something that was never really there. Clearly, so is she.”

Rendered speechless, Leeora stared at her father as if seeing him for the first time ever. “Dad … I had no idea. Why did you never tell me?”

“I told Vivien. She thought it best to not tarnish your and Connell’s image of your mother. Well, his mother, your stepmother anyway. Your mother was yet another level of awful, a … well, you know my feelings on Seraphina. I couldn’t say anything nice about her if my life depended on it. Except she gave me you. But that’s it. I sure know how to pick them. My track record with women is dubious at best.”

Leeora’s eyes widened as she listened, her mind reeling. The world seemed to grow smaller around her, the air thicker.

“Ingrid was different,” Caelan continued, his voice softening as he spoke. “The night we met I was out hunting in San Myshuno, for sustenance, not an assignment. Ingrid stood out to me in the crowd. She was supposed to be a snack, first to satisfy my sexual desires, then my thirst for blood, but something about her made me halt. Before I knew it, I was obsessed with her, and she with me. No, that is not true. I was in love with her, and she with me. She saw something in me, the man I wanted to be, for her. So, I hid who and what I was from her, the monster everyone else knows me as, for as long as I could, for months we just dated, until one night my dark instincts took over and I lost control, drank too much, and had to turn her to save her life.”

Leeora, standing nearby, felt a chill run down her spine. He had never seen his father so vulnerable, so … human.

“I took her to the castle and explained everything. She forgave me, told me she loved me enough to want to live that life with me. We got engaged on the spot and scheduled to marry the next day when your mother slithered into the castle like the snake that she was, under false pretenses, supposedly to drop you off to see me. She knew you would distract me long enough for her to poison my bride when she was in the most vulnerable state. I wished Seraphina would have torn my heart from my chest while she was at it!”

Leeora’s breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest. “Dad…”

“Vivien agrees, I was always meant to be with Ingrid. But I couldn’t, because of your mother! I was hoping I could feel again what I felt with Ingrid, but I never have. Now Rhiannon did what all women in my life do, betray me. You are here to right a wrong your mother did, you are the only one who can, Leeora, I besiege you to take mercy on me and help me. I need this. Vivien agrees. It’s unusual, maybe, but I need my second chance with Ingrid. It’s the only way I could ever feel again,” Caelan’s voice trembled with a mix of anger and sorrow.

“Of course, Vivien. Always Vivien. Instead of coming to me, or even Connell, you go to her. You know, some people suspect something going on between you two, the way you are close and all over each other, telling each other about your dirty little secrets like teen girls,” Leeora’s voice had a hint of accusation.

“That is disgusting! She is my niece! How dare you! I know I am not everyone’s taste, but THAT is taking it too far! As if you or Connell would even entertain any of this. He wants me to be with his mother, which I can’t and won’t do, nor does Rhiannon and you, well, we see how you feel. You won’t even think about it for a moment. I am standing here, baring my soul to you, Leeora, proverbially naked and vulnerable like a newborn babe, yet all you do is judge me for it. You and everyone is always on me about not displaying feelings, yet when I do, they are meaningless, for they do not fit into your rigid molds.” Caelan’s outrage was clear.

“Fine, dad. Okay, so if I do this for you, you promise to leave Rhiannon be. No matter what? You have to swear it to me, say the words that you will not harm her, hurt her or kill her and you won’t have anyone else do it either. No compulsion of other people to do it, no orders of your men to kill her, no odd accidents, you will leave her be and even try to act civil around her. I am not one of you, but I know it is vital for vampires to be part of this coven, and she can’t do that if you are hunting her. Promise me all that and I will do what you ask. But YOU will answer to grandfather about this. He will come after me for this, we both know it, as certain as an Amen is in a church.”

“I promise all of that. I want my second chance with the biggest love of my life, which your mother took from me. Ingrid was different. I could never forget her. One of the many reasons Rhiannon’s feelings for me grew cold. Evidently, I sometimes called Ingrid’s name out while in deep vampiric slumber. That is when vampires…”

“I know what that is, dad! I am the daughter of a vampire and have been married to one for a long time! This is starting to feel like the beginning of a lame joke, where a witch is standing on a creepy vampire cemetery with her vampire hunter dad having vampirism mansplained to her! Okay fine, step back and make sure nobody interrupts me. Do not interfere, no matter what you see or hear, some of it will be very gruesome so try not to look unless you want to regret asking for this. Stay put until I tell you it’s safe or you will screw this up badly, I am talking Stephen King meets Tim Burton shit, okay dad?” Leeora’s voice was firm, her resolve clear.

Caelan nodded, then stepped backwards, turning around, assuming a guarding stance, his eyes scanning the area, while Leeora started drawing patterns into the earth with her long fingernails, chanting in a language Caelan could not understand.

The rest happened fast. Eerie moments filled the air, accompanied by otherworldly sounds that sent shivers down Caelan’s spine. Flashes of light illuminated the foggy cemetery, casting grotesque shadows on the ancient tombstones. The earth began to tremble and shift, as if something deep below was awakening. Partially skeletal hands broke through the soil, reaching up with desperate, clawing motions. Flesh and skin grew around them at an unnaturally rapid pace, as if time itself was being manipulated.

Then, a face emerged, gasping for air, its skin and flesh still reforming in a grotesque display of life and death intertwined, a body rising higher and higher from its grave. It was a scene straight out of a horror movie, a macabre dance of resurrection. And then there she was, Ingrid, collapsing into Leeora’s arms. Her appearance was strikingly youthful, almost teenage, despite having been in her mid-twenties when she died. Her big, blue eyes were wide with confusion and fear. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, adding to her ethereal beauty. Light blonde hair framed her delicate face, giving her an almost angelic appearance. Leeora, with a calm and methodical demeanor, checked her vitals, peeking under her clothing here and there, front and back, top and bottom, to ensure everything was as it should be.

“What are you doing!?” Caelan, who had turned again at some point, sounded horrified, his voice echoing through the eerie cemetery.

“Checking for completion, or do you want a partially see-through bride, dad?” Leeora retorted, her tone sharp. “She’s fine, no patchwork moments, she has a pulse and her heart beats, but weakly and oddly. She might have had a heart problem, are you aware of this?”

“Umm, no, but maybe the fact I started turning her when she was killed might have to do with it,” Caelan admitted, his voice tinged with guilt.

Leeora’s head snapped around, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Seriously, dad?! That would have been good information to have BEFOREHAND! I don’t know how to raise dead vampires, but I am certain that would require different spells!”

“I DID tell you, or were you not listening to how I met her in the first place? She wasn’t… isn’t a vampire yet. I… when your mother killed her, she was still mortal but had the spark in her. I had started turning her just the night prior. We were awaiting signs that she was ready to start the transition,” Caelan explained, his voice heavy with regret, and Leeora nodded. “Right. You did say that. Well, fingers crossed for all of us then I guess. So far, it’s just like the last time, so seems okay. Here, this should be YOUR job, daddy dearest. I have done my part of the bargain.”

Dragging the still partially limp body of a semi-conscious Ingrid towards her father, Leeora slammed it into his chest, forcing him to quickly assume holding her. As he lifted her up into his arms, Ingrid’s head lifted weakly, her big blue eyes opening, and a smile forming on her pale face.

“Caelan… hi lover… what happened to me? Why am I outside in a nightgown? Was I sleepwalking?” Ingrid mumbled, her voice soft and confused, her big blue eyes searching his face for answers.

Caelan looked mesmerized; his lips parted in awe. “Yes, my angel, in a way you were. I’ll take you home, my love, where I will keep you safe now. Forever.”

“Oh boy, I am going to puke. Look, dad, not to down the sappy mood here, but I need to get back to my shop now. Put her down, she’s still weakened and disoriented, she can’t walk just yet, so she won’t run away in the few moments it will take you to take me back to my shop and port back here. When you do get back here, before you run off to the castle with her to startle Grandma and Grandpa with your fun new toy, fix the grave first. I think even here in creepytown, others might flag open gravesites. And then good luck walking into the castle with that unexpected cargo—oh, grandfather is going to love this. Call me if anything out of the ordinar… you know what, I’ll check in with you again later. Unless grandfather drags my rear back here sooner to answer for this. Oh, this is gonna come back to bite all of us, I just know it. Now please, I want to wash the dirt from under my fingernails and finish my inventory. I need to get out of here.” Leeora sighed dramatically.

Leeora glanced one last time at Ingrid, now safely in Caelan’s arms. She watched her father kiss his resurrected bride gently before placing her down on a nearby bench, taking off his heavy coat to cover her up. With a heavy sigh, he turned to his daughter, wrapping his arms around her to port her back to her shop. As he did, he placed a kiss on her forehead, mumbling, “Thank you, sweetheart.”

Leeora Levesque Couture

Dropping her clipboard after recording the final items for the inventory, startled when she noticed the man suddenly standing in her locked-up shop.

“Grandfather! For all that is holy, could you not let me know you were there?! Is being creepy a family trait I wasn’t aware of?! Or are you and my dad trying to be extra-vampire-y these days? This, twice in the same night. I swear, if you are taking me to Forgotten Hollow now, I will scream!” Leeora’s voice was a mix of exasperation and surprise.

Cesare stood there, his presence imposing and calm, his gaze piercing. “Why?” was all he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Leeora sighed, knowing she couldn’t evade this confrontation. “Okay, here we go, the inevitable lecture. Cliffs Notes version: He made me. I had no choice. He was gonna kill Rhiannon, I couldn’t let that happen, I couldn’t talk him out of it, trust me, I tried, dad was being absolutely stubborn, which we both know will equal violence and probably death if he’s being told no then, so I did it.” Her words tumbled out in a rush, a mix of frustration and resignation.

Cesare only nodded; his expression unreadable. “That’s what I thought. Do you think Rhiannon will be fine? He will keep his word? I find it hard to predict what my son will do next these days.” he asked, his tone even, but his eyes betrayed a hint of concern.

“If you don’t take Ingrid from him, he will be the same good old, but somewhat predictable creep dad has always been, yes, I believe that. And he gave me his word that Rhiannon will be okay, which is good enough for me. Can I ask how that Ingrid-chick is doing?” Leeora told him.

Cesare’s voice was softer now. “Confused, but seemingly all right. After more than five hundred years on this planet, you would think nothing could shock me anymore, yet, this did. She seems…so…. disturbingly normal. She is turning now, Lord only knows what will rise once she does,” Cesare replied, his voice carrying a mix of awe and uncertainty.

Leeora took a moment to process this, then spoke, “Well, if she hasn’t decomposed on you by now, she should be okay, at least physically. Her mental state depends on how well she takes the news of how she got back to your castle and that she missed the last several decades on account of an extended dirt nap. That’s what magic is, Grandfather. I don’t make new things; I corrupt what’s already there by bending the laws of nature. My spells restored all that was there before. Now, the part where she was partially turned adds a factor of unknown, my magic clashing with your dark powers, but I guess she was still human enough.” She paused, her eyes searching his. “Are you here to bend me over your knee? Or for one of your lectures?”

Cesare allowed a rare, faint smile to cross his lips. “I know it’s not your fault. You are very much like your mother; you even look so much like her. Caelan holds a deep grudge against Seraphina, and I suspect that will never change, but I could never help but admire her. Your mother had her flaws; one of them was a possessive kind of love towards my son, which has now resulted in what some might call a zombie vampire turning in my basement. But she was a very good ally for the vampires. She helped me end a millennia-old war between our kinds. I see a lot of her in you and truly wished you could have taken her spot at the witches’ helm once she died. I’d much rather deal with you than that dingbat—pardon my expression—but your current leader is just not grasping what all is at stake at any given moment. Inviting the high vampire council and the leaders of the wolves to that naked feast was just the height of it! Your exclusion from leadership is unfortunate, not just for you. I should get back to the castle. And you should get home, it’s not safe for an attractive lady to be out and about alone at this hour. Shall I see you safely home?”

“Oh Grandpa, I would pity the idiot who’d ever try anything with me. But did you say our High Mage Eldrin Whitewood invited you to the Enchanted Equinox Ceremony!? That is hysterical! I guess that is what you get when you put a man in the lead role, hahaha,” Leeora couldn’t suppress a burst of laughter at the images that came to mind. The ceremony, celebrated during the Autumnal Equinox, involved witches chanting ancient spells and dancing around a colossal bonfire in luminous white ceremonial robes, which they eventually shed to dance naked in a trance-like state. Clearly, that is not something vampires or werewolves would do and Leeora regretted having missed it this year on account of her youngest granddaughter being born that very night. When she saw her grandfather wasn’t amused, she pulled herself together and answered his question. “Sorry. I don’t normally keep these hours, especially since looking half the age I really am requires a good sleep schedule. There is only so far my tinctures and brews can assist me in fighting off old age. However, my darling renegade vampire dad interrupted the boring part of business ownership—inventory. So, I had to stay until I finally finished it. Thanks, Grandpa, for understanding what I had to do and why. You are taking this much better than I thought you would. Can I assume Dad will be okay? You won’t punish him too harshly, right? Oh, and… what about Rhiannon? She needs a coven,” Leeora responded, her tone lightening slightly.

“I have half a mind to throw Caelan into shackles and leave him in the dungeons to think about what he put us all through, acting out like a lovesick teenager, but I am not inclined to deal with his recently excavated former—and presumably current—fiancée on my own. Both are at the castle, in your father’s quarters. Normally, we put those in the process of turning into the coffin hall until they are ready to rise again, but your father was rather persistent in not wanting her brought there. Like a little boy with his teddy bear, as your grandmother put it. I already have your half-brother looking for Rhiannon with his son. I will keep Caelan in line around her until I can trust he remembers how to act civil in her presence, although I assume he has a shiny new toy to keep him busy now anyway. That reminds me: How… umm… well… realistic and…umm… functional are those you raised from the dead, Leeora? Any special things to look out for?” Cesare’s curiosity returned, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Don’t make it sound like raising the dead was a hobby of mine, this is not a regular thing I do. I have only done it once before, Grandpa, and I am just as creeped out as you are. I think Chase and Hailey might be better suited to answering those questions. When I accidentally raised Hailey’s bestie, they took her in, and she lived with them for quite some time. But if by ‘functional’ you are asking about bodily functions, all that will be as you would expect.”

“What about… purely female functions. Such as… you know… things that can happen if other things happened… a lot.” Cesare was clearly uncomfortable, making it hard for Leeora to keep a straight face until she realized what he was asking. Her expression became a grimace.

“You mean… oh! Eeew! Yikes. Dad is seriously… with her?! Ugh! Pregnancy?! Umm, well, it’s always hard for a daughter to think about such things concerning her dad, but the answer would be yes. Theoretically, she has been restored to the way she was before my mom poisoned her, so if she was fertile then, she would be now,” Leeora explained, trying to dismiss the images popping up in her mind.

“Oh boy. Yes, that was exactly what I meant. I am rather confident that they have been enthusiastically enjoying the pleasures of the flesh and considering that, for some odd reasons beyond my grasp, your father had been pressing Rhiannon for another child for years, the natural equation here is obvious. I will go speak to Chase and Hailey next. Thank you. Hopefully, this will have been the height of this drama, the wayward son returned safely into the fold with only minimal carnage, albeit with a previous love interest returned under dubious circumstances. I have to admit, knowing my son was a loose cannon made me very uneasy. We both know what Caelan is capable of,” Cesare acknowledged, his voice carrying a weight of concern.

“Yeah, I know Dad can be dangerous, but I know Daddy loves me. He wouldn’t hurt me. Or Connell. And he gave me his word that he won’t hurt Rhiannon. He said he found her, watched her with some other man. Ask him where she is, and you go talk to her. I can’t port and my broom doesn’t take me that far. That needs to be your fancy vamp porting,” Leeora replied with a hint of a smile.

“Broom? Oh, please do not tell me that myth is real,” Cesare said, shaking his head slightly.

“Of course it is. Well, technically it wasn’t, but witches have a sense of humor too. Some hundred years ago, one of our leaders thought since the normies make up all that silly nonsense about us, why not feed into it? I am still waiting for you guys to figure out how to sparkle in the sunlight. It may raise the love the mortals feel for you, since modern literature has made vamps quite popular. You should use that and feed into the modern fancy for the sparkly, sexy vamp,” Leeora teased lightly.

With a faint smile, Cesare shook his head, then stepped forward, planting a surprisingly gentle kiss on his granddaughter’s forehead. “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that,” he said with a playful wink before vanishing into the usual black cloud.

When Leeora walked into her home half an hour later, she was greeted by her husband. “Finally. I know you texted me that it would be late, but I don’t remember inventories taking THIS long! You should have let me help. I do not like you out alone so late.”

“Oh, baby, if only you knew the night I had…” she sighed, leaning against him. Like her mother, she had fallen for a vampire, but unlike during Seraphina and Caelan’s time, laws for both occults had since changed and such a union was no longer forbidden.

Castello Vannucci, Forgotten Hollow

Cesare Vannucci stood in the center of the richly decorated room, his commanding presence accentuated by his white shirt, black vest, and black pants. To his right, Riordan Hargrave stood in a dark suit, his gaze steady. All the way to the left, Rhiannon, adorned in a dark, elegant deep plum colored dress with a necklace, maintained her composure despite the tension in the air. On Cesare’s left, Caelan, dressed in his long black coat with intricate details, stood close to Ingrid, who wore a white crop top and high-waisted pants, her expression unreadable. In the background, half-siblings Connell and Leeora observed the scene; Connell in a dark outfit with a high collar, and Leeora in a form-fitting dress.

In the background, Connell and Leeora lingered. Connell, Leeora’s younger half-sibling on their father Caelan’s side, a vampire who looked unlike the usual cliche of their kind with his light blonde hair falling long across his back and purplish-blue eyes, resembling his mother Rhiannon, stood with a look of apprehension. Leeora, contrasting starkly with her long fiery warm red hair and warm skin inherited from her late mother, witch Seraphina, was the only non-vampire among them, exuding a powerful presence as a force to be reckoned with.

Cesare stepped forward, his voice echoing through the hall in a medieval tone, “We have gathered here today, in the presence of our kind, to address the matters of bonds both broken and new. Our kin must uphold the sanctity of our traditions and ensure the continuation of our lineage.”

Riordan unrolled the script and began to read, “By the decree of Cesare Vannucci, leader of all vampires, we are here to dissolve the marriage between Caelan Vannucci and Rhiannon, and to accept Ingrid Rykerson into our fold as Caelan’s future wife.”

As he read, the atmosphere grew heavy with anticipation. Leeora couldn’t help but mutter to Connell, “Well, this is awkward.”

Connell shot back, “You think? I’m just here to see if this circus will actually end without a bloodbath. Unbelievable, this! I never thought my parents would break up, and certainly not like THIS!”

“Oh, poor Conny-boy. Guess neither one of us gets the parental fairytale after all. Let’s hope your parents don’t end up at a permanent war, like mine had until my mom died. Since yours won’t, unless she keeps pulling stunts like this one pissing off our dad, you’ll have an eternity of this. I don’t envy you. And no, your mom will be fine, which is why I did what I did, Connell. Blame me all day long, and I am sorry your parents’ marriage failed, but it happens and at least you get to keep both of them! I saved your mother from what our father would most definitely do to her and you are welcome. Had I not done what our dad asked of me, there would have been a lot of bloodshed and death. I know you are close to dad because you are vamp like him and you work with him, but I have known him longer and I know a different side of him, a human side, the one he doesn’t have to hide from me like he does from you because you are both big, bad evil hunters. I did this and I stand by it! Besides, you are a grandfather now, you don’t need mommy and daddy to pretend they are happy so wee lil Conny isn’t sad,” Leeora replied, rolling her eyes, ignoring Connell’s unflattering but very sibling-like hissed response, for which she flipped him off.

Caelan, holding Ingrid’s hand, looked over at Rhiannon with a mix of regret and resolve. Rhiannon’s eyes were filled with a mixture of sadness and acceptance. She knew this was inevitable.

Cesare continued, “Rhiannon, by accepting this decree, you are released from your bond with Caelan. You will hereforth assume your maiden name again, and be no longer known as Rhiannon Vannucci, but as Rhiannon O’Cavanaugh again. Ingrid, you are welcomed to this coven as Caelan’s future bride, you will bear the name Vannucci before this year is out, once your wedding could be arranged in style, and your union shall strengthen our coven.”

Connell couldn’t resist another jab, “Future bride?! Damn, they’re already planning a wedding, not wasting a single second. My poor mother! Seems Dad definitely has a type. Blonde and blue-eyed. That Ingrid could be my mother’s sister. YOUNGER sister. She looks like a child. What was he thinking?!”

Leeora smirked, “Well, to be fair, Dad and that Ingrid were about to be married when my mother poisoned her, so had it not been for that, they would have been married and you wouldn’t be here, or you’d be her son. Better question would probably be which body part of Dad’s was doing the thinking here, you’re right, she does look very young, makes him look like a cradle robber. Leaves another question: how do you count the years of someone who took a few decades long dirt nap? Is she 25 or more like 55 or 65? Plus, our grandfather already asked me if she can have children, so you better start wrapping your head around us having a sibling before too long. And yeah, daddy dearest definitely likes pretty little blondes. Well, except for my mom, she looked just like me, fire in her hair and her veins. You wouldn’t know that, but there was some chick before her, was obviously before my time too but her name came up a lot when I was little, some Ally something whom our father had some sort of serious stalking-kind-of-love for, while I think she just wanted some no-strings-attached thing, which clearly ended disastrous. Guess what she looked like. Yup, blonde and blue eyed from what I was told.”

Unaware of her future stepchildren’s quiet background conversation about her as the main topic, Ingrid, now fully aware of her new existence, looked at Caelan with love and determination, “Caelan, love of my life, and obviously beyond, I am ready to stand by your side, now and forever. Yes, Your Excellency, Grand Master Cesare, I am ready for this step, for our second chance.”

Cesare raised his hands, “Let it be known that this decree is final. The bonds of old are dissolved, and new bonds are formed. This serves as a renewal of a previous promise of marriage between my son Caelan and Ingrid. You are herewith officially engaged. And you, dear Rhiannon, let it be known that there are no hard feelings between my family and you, and that you are still a welcome and cherished member of our coven. You must not fear any retaliation, and we ask the same of you. However, I do have to ask you to vacate your chambers here at the castle and find new accommodations immediately. Do you have a place to go?”

“Move in with her new lover. Oh, don’t try to deny it, Rhiannon, I saw you. I found you days ago. And I saw you. With him.” Caelan snarled, his eyes blazing with fury as he grabbed her arm hard, causing Rhiannon to wince.

“You whore!” he spat, his grip tightening.

Before Rhiannon could respond, Cesare made a slight movement with his hand, and Caelan was suddenly hurled across the room, crashing into the wall with ease. The power radiating from Cesare was palpable, and the room fell silent.

“Enough!” Cesare’s voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority. “You will not lay a hand on her again, Caelan! Your behavior is disgraceful and unbecoming of my son. Your insolence of doing this right under my nose is appalling!”

Caelan, dazed and humiliated, struggled to his feet, his anger momentarily quelled by the sheer force of his father’s power.

Cesare turned to Rhiannon, his expression softening. “Are you all right, Rhiannon? I apologize for my son’s actions. You are still a welcome and cherished member of our coven, and I still care for you as if you were my own. Let me therefore repeat my question, before my son so rudely interrupted our conversation: Do you have a place to go? I would offer for you to remain here at the castle, but for obvious reasons, I think that would not be wise.”

Connell stepped forward, his voice steady. “Mom, you can live with us. We would love to have you.”

Rhiannon looked at her son, her eyes filled with gratitude and relief. “Thank you, Connell. I would like that very much.”

Connell then turned to Cesare, “Oh, and Grandfather, please make note that Damon, Emmy, Fiona, and I will be changing our last name to O’Cavanaugh as well. Jaymie is already married, so we don’t have to worry about her.”

Cesare’s stern expression softened slightly, a glint of approval in his eyes. “Very well,” he replied, his voice carrying authority. “Riordan, please note my grandson’s name change request and also call a Town Hall meeting with the entire coven, so everyone knows this disaster has been averted. I will need your help, and maybe even call in Scarlett to assist us to dream up something to explain where Caelan’s new bride comes from so suddenly, but let’s hold off on the entire truth for now.”

As Cesare spoke, the room remained tense, the other participants watching intently. Caelan stood silently; his earlier anger now subdued but his eyes still burning with resentment as he made his way back over to Ingrid, who glanced at him, her face a mask of indifference, yet her eyes revealed a flicker of worry, while Cesare spoke again.

“I think not one member of our coven hasn’t endured the fate of us vampires by losing someone they loved; if they hear of this resurrection nonsense, they will be running down Leeora’s door with their wishlists. Apologies to you, dear Ingrid, but I am sure you understand. May you just be a new acquaintance of sorts, believable, since Caelan’s tasks as coven enforcer do often require a fair amount of travel,” Cesare continued, his voice carrying a note of finality. “May our kind prosper.”

Connell nodded solemnly, feeling the weight of his family’s legacy on his shoulders, exchanged a glance with his father, silently vowing to uphold their lineage’s honor, even if he didn’t agree with his choices.

Rhiannon felt a mix of emotions swirling within her – relief, gratitude, and a lingering sadness for what had been lost. But as she looked at her son, she knew they would face whatever came next together, as a united front. Connell had made very clear that he sided with her.

As Cesare called the meeting, the small group began to disperse, Leeora sidled up to Connell with a teasing smile. “Changing our name to O’Cavanaugh now too, huh? Isn’t that a bit dramatic? I get that you want to show daddy what you think of his BS, but shouldn’t you have talked to your wife and kids about that first?”

Connell shot her an unamused look. “Emmy supports my decisions, as do our kids. If father has you resurrect dead lovers to marry and have kids with, while treating my poor mother like a common streetwalker, I want to make sure to distance myself and my family as far as possible from it all. He could have handled this better. It’s disgusting.”

Leeora’s smile faded, replaced by a look of understanding and sympathy. “I get it, Connell. We all do. I am not loving this either, but we all deserve to find our own happiness. If this keeps him happy, more power to his Spring fever, you know him being unhappy usually is bad for everyone else’s health.”

Connell sighed, feeling the weight of his decision. “Yeah. He is still our father, and he has been a good father all my life, plus, I have to work with the man. Let’s just focus on moving forward.”

The siblings shared a moment of silent solidarity before rejoining the rest of the family, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.