chapter 21

She had the loveliest of voices. Iris knew that song, the one she was singing. It was Habanera. The song was about love.

Love is a rebellious bird

that nobody can tame,

and you call him quite in vain

if it suits him not to come.

Iris stood at a corner watching the singer as she sang in the most melodious voice that it touched her soul though she was not getting the lyrics because love wasn't something she cared about.

All around you, swift, so swift,

it comes, it goes, and then returns …

you think you hold it fast, it flees

you think you're free, it holds you fast.

Suddenly something happened. It was not in sync with time or the moment. The chandelier fell on the pianist and broke his neck.

Love! Love! Love! Love!

Love is a gypsy's child,

it has never, ever, known a law;

love me not, then I love you;if I love you, you'd best beware!

The blood spilled staining the piano. The singer screamed. Iris could hear the screams of people. "You're all too loud". She muttered, losing control of herself. She didn't want this to happen but she couldn't control the curse's effect on her. She shut her eyes trying to calm down but when she opened it it was thick black and she devoured every single human, young and old alike.

Drella stared in horror as that creature devoured people, its eyes changing to different colours. So this was how she was going to die. Just if she had stayed in Paris a little more… just if she wasn't overly ambitious about her career, she would have been alive and well.

She watched the beast lunge at her and the last thing she saw were its eyes… it had no specific eye colour. In other words it was blank.

***

Months had passed and the young and talented opera singer was withdrawn from the world and herself. She was the only survivor out of five thousand plus people that were in the opera house and she had no injuries.

She was sure that creature bit her. She told the police that she could feel herself screaming but she couldn't voice her scream.

"That's your petty music talking to you, lady", the police had said.

Everyone said she was lucky, but she knew what she saw. That creature had bitten her and she was going to prove it.

Drella sat in the woods reading a book, but one could tell she wasn't focused on what she was reading. She looked into the woods and saw something fascinating. It was almost angelic.

She ran towards the place she saw this fascinating thing. Then stopped halfway when she saw a fox. It was a white fox with dark fur on its head. It was bleeding.

"Maybe I should help it", she muttered and the fox looked her way. Drella hid behind the trees. The fox groaned in pain and her injuries began to heal rapidly. She was surprised that she couldn't even move. She stayed hidden still watching this fascinating creature.

Then, slowly but steadily the creature transformed into a human.

"Fuck! Where did that poisoned thorn come from". The creature who was now human said looking around. "There you are", she said picking up a bag and opening it. She brought out some clothes and put on.

Drella couldn't believe her eyes. Was those stories real. If they were, that meant vampires and werewolves were real.

"Yes, they are. You could say the wolves are a distant cousin of ours". Someone said pinning her to a tree. Drella gasped. "And the vampires are like a common enemy we both share. The witches seem to hate them too, Drella", Iris said still choking the young singer.

"Ho…how did you know my name?" She asked trying to catch her breath , but this creature was choking her to death.

"I know your name of course. And the fact that you were in Paris some months ago"

"Are you a stalker?"

"I should be asking you that. But I won't" she said holding her neck tighter than before. "Wh…why's that?" She coughed and knew she was out of air. Iris let her be and she fell to the ground breathing heavily while rubbing her neck.

"Because you're my slave and I'm your maker". Iris smirked knowing she had struck a chord. "Maker? Like…Creator"

Iris kissed her chin with her hand. "Let's say, I transformed you to sometthing better than a human"

"A fox?" She scoffed. How could a fox be better than a human?

"A werefox. And my type live quite longer than anyone because it's me. As long as I'm alive… Don't dream of dying", she said and Drella nodded though confused. "That means I can't die?"

"Not that, you can die if someone killed you… you'll know her soon. But naturally, you're immortal, just like those goddess forsaken vampires". She nodded still surprised.

"So you're saying that I wasn't insane, that you actually bit me and somehow I'm now a slave to you?" She asked partly hurt and partly satisfied.

Hurt because she was no longer human and satisfied that she wasn't crazy and knew what she was doing.

Iris placed her hands on her shoulder and smiled. "I'm Iris by the way and I'll treat you like a person not a slave". Drella smiled a little.

"Why did you pick me?" She suddenly asked. Iris sighed. "Most of the people I turn don't survive it or they get killed by Cordelia… I'll tell you about her later. You survived, plus I like you", she said winking at her.

"Today's gonna be a long day fox"

***

There was peace for sometime and Jacob came to Toulon to find Iris. She was annoyed that he left Cordelia but didn't think much about it. After a year, Jacob decided to leave for Paris, he and Drella weren't the type that loved to stay together in the same room.

Things went smoothly until one day, during her hundredth year in Toulon, Drella had seen Cordelia.

The sky was dark as it was about to rain, Iris was doing a manicure and Drella was having her beauty sleep. But her sleep was ruined with a dagger made of pure silver pointing at her neck.

"Nice to meet you , singer". She opened her eyes annoyed, but when she saw the face that looked at her. Heavy make up, beautiful and wearing a veil. She turned white.

"Cordelia"

"Wow, you're quick. So she told you about me, I like that", she said. Just then, Iris came into the room and sensed that familiar aura.

"Drella…"

"You don't need to be protective, witch, I'll end her soon". Cordelia snarled, her eyes turning black as she raised the dagger to stab her. Drella dodged and ran to the woods with Iris.

The fight was tough and Drella was tied to a tree. "Iris save me" she cried her body for having being poisoned by wolfsbane.

Iris shook her head. "Drella… run", she said and disappeared into thin air.

"Fuck!"

***

Iris ran as fast as she could and when she looked around, she realized where she was. Egypt.

"So this is the famous Egypt" she muttered sitting on the ground. She closed her eyes.

Cordelia wouldn't be here for at least another hundred years… .