The smoke remains of Armaretti began to fade in the night air. The wind blew through the trees gently as the castles began to shift as its protector was now gone. I could feel the weight of this place lift from my shoulders though the ominous foreboding would not cease from my mind. “Let’s carry on through the castle.”Brian whispered.

I nodded feeling his hand wrap around my forearm. “We will talk about this later.” I started forward once more listening to the sounds of the sleeping castle. Where everything began, Esmerelda had always told me at some point we would return here. Too bad, It was only me. We descended into the thick trees in front of the castle. “Hell I can' t take this anymore, what was that back there?” My son asked. I didn't turn, instead I kept walking as I spoke.

“That my son is forbidden magic.” “I know that! Vampires can't-” “Use it?” I cut him off. “No they cannot, I am a vampire but I have not always been a vampire. ” “You are of noble blood!” “I am not I am the lowest of all witches. I was working with my mother at the Hartford castle.”

We stood inches away from the crimson colored door; its entity was as frightening as it was all those years ago. I waved my hand over the front door where the family crest was present. The door cracked open groaning from old age. My hands slid against the rough inside of the doors prying it further apart so we could enter.

Brian's hands appeared above mine helping me in the process. Decay hung heavy in the air as the moon light began to flood into the darkness of the damned room. The once shiny marble floor coated in a century’s thick dust enough to make a foot print. The high ceiling remained intact trailed with many cobwebs.

The stair way loomed in front of the large glass stained window. "My mother worked for the Hartfords as they fought with a rival family.” My foot steps echoed through the large place as I stepped onto the first stair. “The Hartford’s were entertained thoroughly by having their fortunes told or just by the power of magic. My mother had been coming for quite some time before she let me tag along.

I was very entranced by the idea of vampires, especially noble ones. The only ones I had seen were the ones at the village, though most of them were ruely creatures. From the way my mother spoke of vampires they were evil and not to be trusted.” I turned down the first hall towards the hidden back stairs. The pictures of past nobles adorned the walls there paint chipping from age. I passed Katherine's photo without so much as stopping.

“I was a girl of fourteen.” I met Esmerelda 's mother Katherine first. She was a tall woman with a graceful stride. Her skin was a light tan and her hair was deep shade of brown that fell to her waist in waves. Her eyes were a dazzling green.

She was well into her age seeing as she was a thousand years old at the time. At her heels was a woman that looked to be my age. She stared at me with sparkling brown eyes that seemed to stare through my skin. Katherine hired my mother to do a weekly palm reading for her. Of course that is what she told me. My mother worked under Katherine in exchange for her protection.

The line between Witches and Vampires were already wire thin. I remember them greeting each other formally before she invited us in. The Esmerelda's eyes never left mine. I could feel her following me as I went after my mother and Lady Katherine.” I stopped at the back stairs looking downward at the room that we were about to come to. “Mother had explained to me very thoroughly during the ride that I was not to offend the nobles.

During the reading, I noticed that Katherine stared at me often. Sometimes she would go out of her way to be nice to me. I could not figure out what was going on. After the reading, she asked my mother to do spells around the castle for her.

My mother eyed me warily before doing the spells. I felt something was off with her. Katherine disappeared shortly with the other woman. My mother came to me. When she touched me, I felt it. Her voice was yelling in my mind. LEAVE.” I did not have the time to ask questions almost immediately I was pushed backwards into a black hole. When I woke up I was back at my home.”

“Are you saying that you are a turned witch? Does father know?” I stopped abruptly on the third stair. I felt Brian bump into me. “Of course, he knows.” I growled. We came face to face with a cement wall. “A dead end.” I stepped through the wall and into the private study. “What the fu-” Lance started. “Watch your mouth! Your mother is here.”Charity said. “Just step through the wall it's an illusion.” I felt a hard tap on the cement door I faced. “Believe that the door is there.” I said again.

Seconds later a hand went through the wall before a body. I was relieved to see My son before me. He looked at himself as if he were a ghost. I turned going over to the fireplace I snapped my hands sparking the past aged logs on the fire place. Honestly, I was surprised that the room illuminated at its glow. Row upon row of books covered the walls of the castle.

I spotted on the large desk before the fireplace, the family book and the Vampire’s history. “My mother returned later that night battered and bruised. She looked at me the expression on her face was grave. She told me that in Katherine's future she saw death. Of course, I would have thought her mad, but we were fortune witches and spell witches.

We knew all. She tried to keep me away from the Hartford castle and I did. The woman that I knew now as Katherine's daughter found me as I was picking ingredients for a potion. She told me she needed help escaping a hunter. Of course I was skeptical until I saw the large man burling towards us. I stood defending her. Once my mother and hers heard of this. The Hartfords made it so my mother had to bring me to the mansion. Esmerelda and i grew closer with the help of Katherine. My mother began to grow weaker in strength as she continued to help Katherine. It wasn't before long she left me in the care of vampires and disappeared.

I pressed my palm onto the book I flinched as it pricked my finger. The vampire's History opened its pages flipping rapidly. It settled on the page we were looking for. I gasped as I stared at the photo of the rival family. On the front page was a happy teenage boy, the boy was Charles. I fainted.

TOOK A LONG TIME TO UPDATE SORRY I JUST FINISHED WITH PROM. I HAD AN AWSOME TIME WITH THE BUDS! ALSO THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS WILL BE SOMEWHAT SHORT SINCE GRADUATION IS NEARING AND I HAVE A SENIOR PROJECT DEADLINE