Prisoner of War

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Ramona Von Trapp stared at her younger sister as their father spoke, almost wishing she could read her thoughts. Victor Von Trapp had been going on for over an hour about the importance of keeping up their studies and remaining studious above all else. At least he was no longer mentioning her part about keeping the house clean or turning away gentlemen callers. And of course the part about staying far away from their enormous home's basement. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even hear the servants coming in with the food or notice that she'd began to drift off. Her long red curls were beginning to slide over her shoulders and into her soup but her mind was on the strange roars she and her sister could hear late at night when they ignored their aging father and sneaked down to the dungeon stairs anyway.

"Would you like the first taste?" Ramona asked, holding out the spoon to Justin's lips. "If you remember my mother so well you can tell me if it tastes like hers." She added with a smile.

Shane stopped near the kitchen doors, his nostrils flared. But it had nothing to do with the pudding. He could smell Annabelle and he wanted to tear her apart.

Justin smiled politely. While he didn't need food to live, and couldn't actually taste it, eating it was not detrimental to his well being. "Would you really wish to be just like her?" He asked curiously.

Ophelia wasn't expecting the sudden halt and slammed into Shane's back. "What happened?" She grumbled.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be?" Ramona asked, waiting for him to say he proved of the pudding or didn't.

Shane bared his teeth and turned toward the kitchen. The girl smelled like her mother. It was a terrible thing. He wanted to kill her for it.

Justin couldn't bring himself to tell her. Annabelle had started out this sweet and kind too. "You should be your own person." He replied at last, taking a taste of the pudding.

Ophelia was surprisingly quick at placing herself between Shane and the door. Small hands were pressed to his chest holding him back. "Whatever is in there, you don't want it if it make's you act like a wild animal!"

The spoon dropped to the floor as Ramona caught sight of her sister. Relief flooded over her and it didn't matter that there were obstacles in her way. All at once, they didn't exist. Before any of them could react she had her sister in her arms and was hugging her tightly. "Ophelia, thank God you're all right..." She whispered into her dark her, on the verge of tears. "I was so worried."

Shane was left staring at the brother he hadn't laid eyes on in ten years and despite the situation, all he could do was smile. He loved his brother. The golden haired of them would never know how much.

Ophelia had returned her sister's embrace, but her whole body seemed somewhat rigid. All she could hear was the rush as Ramona's heart pumped all that blood through her body, and the smell... It was better than anything she could imagine. This was so much worse than the pain of missing the treatment's their father had administered. "I knew you would be okay." She managed to breathe, understanding why Shane had warned her not to see her sister.

Justin was beaming brightly when he saw his little brother. He was mirroring Ramona and pulling his sibling into his arms. "I don't know how she's still alive, but I'm glad you got what you needed." He breathed, relief clear in his voice.

"I was so worried these people wouldn't know how to care for you like father did. But Justin seemed to know exactly what would fix you. Your color is better than I've ever seen it." 

Shane looked down at his barely fleshed hands, and returned his brother's hug gently. "I'm glad to see Annabelle is gone from here."

Ophelia smiled, not wishing to trouble her sister with the truth. "I'm fine, I must have just been tired." She replied, letting go of Ramona to try and focus on resisting the smell of the elder girl's blood.

Justin's smile seemed to waver, though he ultimately kept it in place. "You know how women are... flighty as hell." He remarked playfully.

Ramona reached out to touch her sister's hair, smiling at the silken texture. "It's so beautiful. It looks like mother's always did. You are so lucky. Oh Ophelia, I'm so glad you're okay. Soon father will come for you and you can go home and be safe."

Shane snorted at this. "I was hoping to hear she was dead. Now that I am back, I can restore myself and take care of that for you. If you'd like..."

Ophelia shook her head in disagreement. "No, you must be the one to return with him, Mona." She breathed. "You belong there, I never did."

"Annabelle is old news, I wouldn't spare her a thought." Justin replied. "However, I am rather concerned that you came here with her youngest daughter... She was supposed to restore you fully. Why is it I can smell your blood on her?"

"I can't. I made a promise to stay with Justin in exchange for his help. You can leave anytime you want but...I promised to stay with him." Ramona said softly.

Shane chuckled at this, making it clear he didn't intend to answer that. "Why is it that I can smell Annabelle's eldest on you? Perhaps not her blood...yet..."

"Why would you do that?!" Ophelia hissed, grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a shake.

"And you never will." Justin swore. "I saw what the power did to Annabelle, I wont make the same mistake twice." He added, his eyes narrowing slightly at Shane in silent accusation.

Ramona was surprised by her sister's actions. The younger sibling never acted boldly. "Ophelia, what's gotten into you? You know full well I'd do anything to protect you. Why would that upset you?"

Shane couldn't help the half smile that made his still thin lips twitch. "So...dear Annie has gone insane." He purred. "Is that what my blood does to them? How interesting. And tragic for you. Not that the whore didn't deserve it, playing us against one another as she did."

"I always told you, I just wanted you to have the life you deserved, not the one my mere existance forced on you." Ophelia breathed. "And you deserve better than what you had, better than being stuck here because of me!"

"She didn't play any one, I told you how I felt about her from the start." Justin replied, though he was watching Ophelia out the corner of his eye. It was no secret she was now a newborn, and would feel hunger quite quickly after feeding. "If that's what you believe, enjoy your new toy while you can... Before insanity claims her."

"I'll be fine." Ramona promised her. "As long as I know you are going to be okay I will be all right."

Shane lost his smile. "What happened to you, boy? Has father and that woman made you so cynical?"

Ophelia's ruby-lipped smile was rather sad as she looked up at her big sister. "I'll have my books, of course I'll be fine."

Justin straightened up a little and smooth a hand over his golden hair. "Ten years I searched for my baby brother, only to find him in the hands of my greatest enemy. Tell me again how I should have remained a fool hardy optimist?"

"Books are no better than that dusty old mansion." Ramona said, shaking her head. She glanced at Justin, wondering why she'd dared to say something like that about her childhood home. 

"The darkness is not in your eyes. You are not lost yet. Get rid of the fool doctor's child and you should be fine." Shane said with a sneer.

Ophelia seemed surprised by that remark too. "Our home obviously looked different when you were the favourite." She breathed, taking a step away from Ramona.

"Funny, I could say the same to you." Justin hissed. "The girl was your food, and instead you made her one of us! Have you learned nothing?!"

Ramona hung her head, ashamed of her own words. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I was just trying to make you feel better...please..." 
"My aren't you the catty one?" Lillith purred, stepping past Justin to take a long look at Ophelia. That didn't last long however as she caught sight of Shane. "Oh my god!" She squealed. "You're home! You came back to us!" She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, placing a deep kiss on his lips that was instantly returned.

Ophelia couldn't explain why it hurt to watch Lilith and Shane, but it did. It twisted painfully at her now unbeating heart, not helped by the fact her hunger was returning and Ramona's scent was all too inviting. For ten years she had had that vampire's voice in her head, and she foolishly thought maybe it meant she wasn't as bad as her father claimed she was. In all truth, she had been no more than a cruel amusement. Though her dress was torn and still stained with her own blood, Ophelia made as dignified exit as she could, leaving these creatures to their own delights.
Justin had seen it all. He had watched the light die in those green eyes, and was thankful for it. He needed to keep Ramona safe, and for some time safe meant far away from her sister. He supposed he should thank Lilith.

Justin would get only a moment's peace. Ramona was quick to follow her sister, the entire thing way over her head. "Ophelia...what's the matter? Do you know that man? That woman is a whore. I saw her last night...she jumps on everything that moves."

Ophelia stopped, though didn't turn and face her sister. "I was never sick, Ramona." She breathed. "Father was just keeping me from turning completely into one of them to save his reputation." The younger sister added, seemingly staring down at her feet now. "That creature in there... He bit me when we were children, when father kept him in the basement for his experiments." She didn't even ask how much Ramona knew about what was going on, she was so desperate to get away from the sound of all that pumping blood.

"One of them? Ophelia...what in the world are you talking about? They're all a little touched in the head like father but...I'm not sure I understand..." Ramona said with a frown. 
Shane was quick to sweep the younger of the two women from the hall, recognizing the signs of her growing hunger. "What did I tell you? Stay away from her." He hissed in her hair, guiding her back into the kitchen. 
"Listen here, you!" Ramona protested, trying to follow him. She stamped her foot, furious with a man she didn't even know.

Ophelia was quick to turn to face Shane, baring her newly formed teeth at him like a cornered animal. "Don't you touch me!" She hissed, shoving him away from her as hard as she could, which given her newborn status, was considerably hard. Once moss coloured deep green eyes now seemed pale and filled with fury as they narrowed at Shane.

Justin was there to keep Ramona from re-entering the kitchen. He knew she was in serious danger if his brother's new pet lost what little control she had. "Come, let her calm down." He told the flame haired sister gently. "Would you like me to show you a room you may like?"

Shane was not one to back down, he never had been. He bared his teeth at Ophelia in return. His own ice colored eyes, glittering with warning. Having fed off the other vampire woman, he was even stronger now.

Ramona looked devastated. She stared up at Justin for several long minutes, her eyes searching his. "I...my sister still isn't herself. I can't leave her like this..."

"Stay away from me!" Ophelia practically screeched, pacing the kitchen now. "You had no right manhandling me like that!"

"Don't worry about her." Justin told Ramona gently. "Shane will look after her." He added, though was still not happy his brother had chosen the shrill little bookworm to add to their ranks.

"You were about to attack your sister!" Shane snarled, still showing his teeth. "I was trying to save you from that!" 

"I don't know him." Ramona said, chewing on her bottom lip. She again looked toward the kitchen, worried by the sound of hissing. "I don't trust many people, Justin. My sister is...important to me."

"I was not!" Ophelia insisted. "How would you know anything, you were too busy with your whore!" She added, revealing that it had indeed wounded her to see him with Lilith, even if she had no real right to feel that way.

"Why?" Justin asked bluntly, again trying to steer Ramona away from the kitchen. "She's a grown woman."

"She belongs to my brother. I merely brought her to me to feed from her." Shane shrugged. "I can't sustain you if I'm weak now can I?" 

"I know...maybe I'm just afraid of being alone." Ramona admitted ashamed of herself for just blurting it out.

"Sustain me?" Ophelia asked with a frown, seeming somewhat put down by the thought she was still having to rely on someone even now.

"You're not alone though, I'm here." Justin breathed, tilting Ramona's chin up with a cool finger.