16. The Myth

Austin followed Roxas through the academy grounds for a long while. She never spoke a word so neither did he. Before he even noticed it he was entering a laboratory. A messy one at that. With a faint scent of wine in it.

A woman with reddish orange hair sat at a table and was punching in something at a computer. She looked up and saw the two of them. 

The woman sucked her teeth looking at Roxas' lab coat. "Another one? That woman is being a real pain. Who are you?"

"Roxas el Bernard." 

"You a new assistant too?" The woman asked. 

"No. I was simply told I would have access to the faculties here. I'd prefer if I could set up in a place I won't be bothered with or by others."

The woman was pleasantly taken back. "I'm all for privacy when it comes to my own research so I can appreciate that mindset."

"Your understanding is appreciated."

"You are free to utilize this area as you please but my private data in the lower lab it is absolutely off limits. We clear?" The ginger woman's eyes went lower. 

"I have no interests in other's work. Just my own." Roxas returned promptly.

The woman smirked. "Good. I'm Fiadh." She looked to Austin. "Who's he?"

"Research material."

Fiadh looked as if she wanted more details but relented. "Very well. If you will excuse me." Before she left she added one more thing. "I'd lose the contacts. I tend to run experiments over night that may produce fumes that will adversely affect them."

Fiadh removed herself from the computer and walked to a door in the back. She swiped a card and it opened. She disappeared inside and it shut closed.

Roxas did a quick survey of the lab. Aside from being a bit messy it was more or less up to the standards she was used to. 

"So what do we need to do first?" Austin broke up the silence.

"Sit there." Roxas pointed to a chair nearby. "All I need for now is a few vials of your blood. Once I've analyzed it I will know where to begin.

"Oh that all? I was starting to think the process would be arduous."

 "Hard to say which way it may turn right now." She brought over a syringe, some tubes, a tube holder, iodine, tape and gauze.

Austin laid back deeper into the chair as she grabbed a tourniquet and tied it tightly around his arm. "That's comforting."

She attached the tube holder to the syringe and sat it on a tray beside her. "Give me your arm."

Austin obliged. She used iodine to clean the area she would use as a draw site. Then she took the needle and injected into him. She stopped.

Her red eyes glowed brighter. The smell of his blood was so strong. She had readied herself to ignore it, but she knew now there was no way she could have prepared. She fought off the urge to feed and shook her head. 

The vial filled quickly. She inserted a new one. It filled quick as well. She filled four vials altogether. Then stopped.

"This should be enough for now." Roxas' voice was heavy and labored. "You go on ahead I want to run a few preliminary test. It may take some time."

"You okay?" Austin hesitated to ask. 

More labored breathing, but her speech was the same as usual. "Yes. I am fine. Having a hard time dealing with your blood. So just go. I have work to do and do not want to be distracted by you."

She removed the needle and taped gauze around his arm. "Yeah will do."

***

Once Austin and Roxas were gone Bridget turned to Schera. "Hey why don't you show those two around. I need to talk with my lil sis."

"Of course Master." Schera followed orders and lead the two inside.

Once they were gone Bridget asked plainly. "Spill everythang you know. Something big is brewin' here."

"If its about the hunter from last night I know nothing about it."

"Come now lil' sis. We are partners and I know ya holdin' out on me. Dis lil' club ya' started is gotta be some kinda' front fa' something."

Cereza looked over at Eleanor who responded annoyed. "Oh come on if you got some ulterior motive for making me join I sure as hell would want to know."

"Just spill it lil' sis." Bridget waved.

"The Dracula"

Bridget frowned and for the first time was deadly serious as she dropped her accent. "Where did you hear that?" 

"Morinth. Sixteen years ago. I think she was scheming with a wierd guy. They plan to war with humans."

"What all did you hear, Cereza?"

"I didn't hear much but they need something called the Dracula she seeks power to rule human and vampyre alike. I don't know what the Dracula is..."

"Not what. It's who." Bridget cut her off.

"Who is the Dracula?"

"The son of Dracul. And our progenitor."

"I've never heard..."

"Of course you wouldn't. You don't have the title to be privy to that information. All things pertaining to The Dracula and our origins is mostly lost but what is still known is a closely guarded secret even within the royal family."

"This is why I want to become Queen. If Morinth gets the crown...I'm very fond of humanity..."

"If Morinth does have intentions for Dracula, then that is our biggest concern."

"But..."

"No buts Cereza..."

"What's the big deal? Why not confront Morinth and stop her now?" Eleanor stepped into the fray.

"It isn't that simple. Publicly The Dracula isn't a real thing. it's like a fairy tale. If we do that it'll only look like a smear campaign, a really sloppy and lazy one at that. It would only help Morinth."

"Stop her ourselves with force."

Bridget's eyes sharpened. "You tread a dangerous line little girl. Its close to treason. Getting drunk off of Austin's blood does seem to have its drawbacks."

"She's right Eleanor." Cereza added with a sigh. "What do we do then sister?"

"For now do nothing. I'll do some investigating on my own. Continue like normal and speak nothing of what you have said today. You even knowing about that tip toes the lines of treason on its own. To say nothing of attempting to implicate the first princess."

"You believe me don't you?"

Bridget closed her eyes. "I've been having dreams lately. Feel more like visions. Not so good visions. Visions that had me waking in ice cold sweats. In them was a vampyre so monstrous. No life was safe. Human. Vampyre they were all the same. Both worlds were brought to ruin."

"Bridget..." Cereza looked to her sister who visibly shook. She had never seen her sister so terrified before.

"Even as a dream I could feel a powerful darkness emanating from this being. I don't know much about him, just the bare bones, but I knew this image was The Dracula. In his hands was your lifeless body. Worst of all, I was so defeated by him I couldn't protect you."

"That won't happen..." Cereza started to talk.

"...No. Because you will do nothing and Let me take care of things."