Forgotten Hollow – Vannucci Castle
The beautiful, lithe blonde woman moved with the swift grace of a dancer, though she wasn’t one. Her long hair shimmered like spun moonlight, and her skin held an almost ethereal alabaster tone, both features highlighting the unusual color of her eyes—a mesmerizing purplish blue.
When she noticed him standing across the room in the shadows, his back towards her, she winced and halted abruptly, holding her breath even though she didn’t need to breathe, being a vampire. She swallowed, her eyes darting towards the nearest escape route. As if he could read her mind, his voice echoed from the shadows with a tone that sounded like it came straight from the grave.
“Don’t. I already know you are there,” Caelan Vannucci’s voice intoned, deep and chilling.
She exhaled a brief, shaky breath, about to turn away, but then paused. Looking at him, she shook her head slightly and half-turned to leave, then closed her eyes.
“Caelan …” Her voice was gentle, soft, and light, much like her appearance—completely contrasting with his. They couldn’t be more polar opposites if they tried.
Caelan stood still, unmoving like a statue, exuding a dangerous aura. His presence was imposing, the quintessential vampire. He finally moved, ever so slightly, after standing stiffly. He too inhaled deeply, though he didn’t need to breathe. A vampire like her, and more importantly, her creator, the one who had turned her. He turned his head slightly so she could see his grim facial expression and the long scar running across one side of his face.
She couldn’t help it. With a shrug, she stepped towards him, her hand gently touching his upper arm, making him wince despite the tender gesture. His head turned towards her, his icy grey eyes, so light with an inner glow, appeared almost like liquid silver as they met hers.
“Caelan …?” Her tone conveyed a mix of discomfort, fear, and genuine worry.
He swallowed hard, closing his eyes and averting them, staring straight ahead again. His voice rumbled low once more. “She’s gone, and you can laugh at me now.”
“Caelan, you know I would never. I am sorry. Truly. Are you okay?” she asked, her genuine concern shaking his composure. Closing his eyes again, he shook his head, swallowed hard, then forced out, “Have I ever been? I am a monster. You know it better than most.”
“You’re not a monster!” she insisted.
He turned to her with a force that startled her. For good reason—he was more dangerous than most vampires combined. As a coven enforcer, his role was to protect the Grand Master Elder, the leader of all vampires, while also executing his orders. He hunted down lawbreakers, renegades, and rogues, either bringing them back to the castle for his father to pass judgment or eliminating them on the spot, depending on his father’s orders. Whatever his father commanded, Caelan would execute ruthlessly, scrupulously, and without mercy.
If angered, he would forget all social standards and could become a deadly force, killing first and asking questions later. Few things could anger a man like that more than being left by his wife, as Rhiannon had done.
Then again, Caelan’s response had been to have his illegitimate daughter, Leeora, a powerful Necromancer, raise his dead former lover—who had been in his life long before he and Rhiannon had even met—and propose to her after divorcing his runaway wife. Leeora, born from a secret, then illegal affair with a witch, had long been hidden. Unlike most witches who age normally, Leeora ages extremely slowly, if at all, making her presence and powers even more formidable.
“But I am, Rhiannon. I AM a monster. You left me because of it. Everyone leaves me because of it. I am unlovable.” His tone was dark, deep, and filled with inner pain, allowing no room for argument.
She feared him, it was obvious, yet she stayed. Bravely, she raised her shaking hand towards his face, hesitated briefly, then gently ran the back of her hand across the long scar on his face. He allowed it, closing his eyes, visibly enjoying the touch.
When she withdrew her hand, he opened his eyes and they looked at each other.
“Why are you here?” he asked, his tone softer but guarded.
“I … I … left a book here. I didn’t think you’d be here. Connell and Damon were dispatched, and I thought you would be with them.”
A brief, joyless laugh escaped him. “I’ve been pulled off duty. Apparently, I’m not good for that anymore either. At least not for the moment. Be proud, though. Our son is now the interim leader of the coven enforcers, while I am, once again, left in the dust.”
“Oh no! What happened? I know being a coven enforcer is everything to you,” she said, but it clearly felt like an insult to him.
“No. It is important to me. But never as important as you seem to think. My family trumps all else. YOU were everything to me,” he said bitterly.
“Well, we’ll have to agree to disagree. I will be out of your hair then. Just my book,” she said quickly, clearly not willing to rehash all the reasons they got divorced. Connell was their only child, Damon their grandson. Both had followed in Caelan’s footsteps to the prestigious rank of coven enforcer, a dubious honor likened to that of a medieval knight.
She stepped past him, reaching for the book, but he was quicker, pulling it from the shelf. His sheer size towered over her, and they were now closer than they had been in many months. Slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, he handed her the book. As she reached for it, he pulled it away, turning to fully face her.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Caelan asked, his voice echoing through the stone hall.
Her eyes widened. He was going down a dark alley she didn’t want to traverse with him.
“It’s okay if you are. You have every right to,” he said, his tone softer.
She shook her head, the flickering torchlight casting dancing shadows on her face.
“Why not?” he wondered, his tone no longer dangerous, but curious.
“I am not ready for a relationship again,” she replied, her voice tinged with sadness.
“I thought that’s why you left me! You found someone else. Someone who gives you all I evidently couldn’t,” Caelan said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
“No. I wrote to you why I left. In that letter. I wrote it down because I didn’t think you would be able to hear me if I had told you. Plus, I wasn’t sure if you …” Her words trailed off, and she looked away, the distant sound of howling wind adding to the tension.
“If I would kill you for leaving me? That’s why you ran and hid from me? From me, who makes a living finding those who didn’t want to be found? I did find you, and I saw you with a man. Yet, I would never hurt you. I am a monster, but not THAT kind,” Caelan insisted, his eyes meeting hers.
“There are different kinds?” she asked, her voice trembling.
He nodded, a somber expression on his face. They stared at each other for a moment, then he closed his eyes and swallowed hard.
“She is gone,” he said quietly, and Rhiannon knew immediately whom he meant.
“I am sorry,” she whispered, her voice filled with genuine regret.
His eyes opened, searching in hers, now filled with pain.
“Why would you be? I deserve it. And I know it.”
“Maybe you do, but I still don’t want you to hurt. I know how it feels to love and not be loved back the same way. The other man was nobody, meant nothing, I never even bothered to learn his name. I threw myself at him, knowing you would come looking for me. I wanted you to hate me enough to let me go.”
“I ALWAYS LOVED YOU!” Caelan roared, then realizing the irony of his harsh words and their intent, he lowered his voice. “I loved you the best I could. You know I am not … normal.”
“Caelan, you used to love me in your own special way, and it was more than enough. But you stopped. I could feel you slipping away until only a shell of you remained. THAT is why I left. I could deal with your strange ways, your quirks, your gruesome tasks, knowing each time you went on another assignment could be the last time, because beneath it all was still the man I fell in love with. Until the end, when he had left permanently. So, I had to leave too,” Rhiannon explained, her voice firm and resolute.
“You are wrong!” Caelan’s voice echoed through the hall, filled with a mixture of anger and desperation.
She shook her head at him, defiantly. “No. I know what I felt. And what I couldn’t feel anymore. You. I don’t know where you had gone, but I couldn’t feel you anymore. For the longest time, I thought you would come back, but you didn’t. And then I knew why. Your one true love had taken back her spot in your heart.”
“Nonsense! No! You left me, you hurt me, you betrayed me! Ingrid came later … when I couldn’t stand to come home from my assignments to a cold empty chamber anymore, I remembered the last time I felt happiness and even love before meeting you was with her, so I brought her back. But she was cold, like me, not warm like you,” he retorted, his voice laced with pain.
“We are both cold, we are vampires, Caelan. Part of it,” she replied, trying to reason with him.
“No. I am cold. You have always been warm. Inside, radiating it out. I need that. When you didn’t want me anymore I thought maybe Ingrid … I thought … but … I was wrong. They warned me. They all warned me. I am a fool,” Caelan admitted, his voice filled with regret.
“What happened?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
“She turned cold. Evil. Dark. Like the vampires in mortal stories. Another monster,” Caelan explained, his tone heavy with sorrow and regret.
“Oh no! Caelan… where is she?” Rhiannon asked, her voice trembling with concern.
“Gone.”
“Gone? What does that mean, Caelan?” she pressed, desperation clear in her eyes.
“Gone means gone for good. I eliminated her on my father’s wish. He said she had turned rogue, ruthless, and lost her humanity, and I have to agree. She was becoming exactly the type of vampire I usually hunt and eliminate. Father said she couldn’t be an exception to our laws and rules, and that I knew what had to be done, I should be the one to right that wrong. And I did,” Caelan confessed, turning to her with sad, haunted eyes. “You see, I am a monster.”
“Caelan, you are NOT. Cesare made the decision, and you only followed orders, as you were supposed to. You will find someone new. You’ll see. You are not unlovable,” she reassured him, her voice gentle and comforting.
Caelan gave her a strange look, then glanced down at the book still in his hand. With a huff, he held it up to her, one eyebrow raised.
“Sounds cheesy … like a guide on real estate,” he said with a hint of sarcasm lacing his words.
With a swift, almost imperceptible movement, Rhiannon snatched the book from Caelan’s grasp, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.
“It’s a classic. You should read it,” she suggested, her voice dripping with enthusiasm.
“I only read what I have to, to get by. You read it to me,” Caelan’s tone carried an edge of insistence, his gaze unwavering.
“You want me to read Wuthering Heights to you?” Rhiannon giggled briefly, the idea tickling her.
“Is it smut?” he asked, his curious nature making her laugh.
“No. It’s a tragic love story. You’re probably thinking of Fifty Shades of Grey. I have that one at home. And no, I wouldn’t read that to my ex-husband. It’s all about bondage and S&M. Honestly, if it weren’t for those elements, it reads like it was written by a prepubescent teen for other teens. Quite disappointing … except for the parts that can get a girl all hot and bothered…” she giggled, the sound like tinkling bells.
“Whatever happened to good old-fashioned … passion? Person to person,” Caelan mused, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
“Passion? Hearing you speak of passion is something else,” Rhiannon teased, her eyes dancing with amusement.
“Was I not passionate?” he asked, his tone turning more serious, dark eyes narrowing slightly.
“Oh, you were very passionate, and loving, attentive, when you wanted to be. Erm. Look, Caelan, I really don’t think this is a great topic for you and I, considering …” she started, feeling the awkwardness settling in, but was interrupted.
“I love you,” he said, his tone clear and genuine, silencing her.
She stared at him, lips parted, surprised.
“Caelan, I really should go,” she said, turning to leave. But with vampire speed, he caught her arm, swiftly pulling her towards him. His other arm wrapped around her waist, their bodies colliding as his lips found hers in a truly passionate kiss that made her knees buckle. She would have fallen had it not been for his tight embrace.
When he released her, she was overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions.
“Caelan…”
“I know. You fear me, you’re disgusted by me,” he mumbled, his voice filled with resignation, and turned to walk away. The sound of her book falling to the floor halted him. He turned, surprised, just in time to see her appear in front of him, her hands on either side of his face, pulling him down for another passionate kiss.
When they separated this time, she spoke, her voice quiet yet demanding, “Tell me again.”
His eyes found hers.
“I love you,” Caelan declared, his voice genuine and filled with raw emotion.
Rhiannon’s heart raced, and she gasped softly, “Oh God. Again.”
Caelan’s voice grew more fervent, “I love you. I love you! I LOVE YOU, Rhiannon!”
They kissed again, and again, each kiss more passionate than the last. The intensity of their emotions filled the air, resonating through the cold, stone walls of the ancient castle.
“Tell me again,” Rhiannon pleaded, her voice breathless with longing.
“I love you! But … Rhiannon …” Caelan’s voice softened, his eyes searching hers desperately for an answer. His words were a plea, a hope that she still loved him too.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she exclaimed, “Yes, you fool. Of course I love you too! Dumbass!”
Caelan managed a small smile, his heart swelling with relief. “How romantic. Is that from your book?” he asked with a smirk, attempting to lighten the moment.
“No. That was straight from the heart. Do you know how I waited for you to come back for me, to proclaim your love to me, to show me the old passion? Instead, you went and … hmph…” Before she could ruin the moment by reminding them both of his terrible mistake, he kissed her again.
“Now this is a sight to behold indeed!” They sprang apart when suddenly Cesare and Riordan seemed to have appeared out of thin air. The still-open door to the study, however, told another story.
Still speechless, Caelan and Rhiannon only stared as Cesare picked up her book, glancing at the title before handing it to her with a gallant bow and a smile. Then his eyes found his son’s.
“Is it safe to assume that this means progress in this awkward situation between you both?” Cesare asked with a knowing smile.
Rhiannon blushed deeply, while Caelan didn’t know what to look at, anything except at his father, making Cesare and Riordan chuckle.
Patting his son on the back, Cesare said, “I think you and our darling Rhiannon have much to discuss, which you have time for as you see the lady home, like a true gentleman.”
With a nod, Caelan took the hint, offering his arm to his ex-wife. She linked hers with his, nodded at Riordan and Cesare, and then they both left.
“You think sending them off together like that was wise, Uncle? As passionate as what we walked into looked, they might not be thinking all that straight, and I wager he might not have very gentlemanly thoughts at this moment. You might well have sent them straight into her bedroom,” Riordan remarked with a chuckle.
With a wink and a knowing smirk of wisdom from a man who has lived for centuries, Cesare said, “That would be my guess as well. Worst case scenario, I regain a wonderful daughter-in-law and another grandchild. And by ‘worst case,’ I mean ideally. Caelan needs this. He needs her. I knew that the moment she left him.
But I know Rhiannon too, after all, she lived with us for decades, mother to my grandson. I knew she still loved him. That’s why I dragged my feet on his nuptials to Ingrid. If you’ve lived as long as I have, you know death is final for all of us. I knew she wouldn’t make it. And I was right. She lost all that made her human, an empty shell, driven by an increasing lust for killing and blood. Caelan learned a lesson. Two actually. He belongs with Rhiannon.
Like a game of chess, I waited to make the strategic move. Checkmate.”
“Uncle Cesare, you sly old dog.”
“See, my boy, that is why they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. No need, as they already know them all and then some.”
EchoesOfLegacy 