Chapter Text
~four centuries ago~
The freezing wind that swirled around, knocking the few remaining leaves off the bare trees, didn't bother them. Snow crunching under the fledglings bare feet as he dragged himself towards the looming doors of the mansion.
A dim lamp that hung just above the entrance, illuminating the steps that led up to the door. The fledgling let out a weary breath as he climbed them, a little puff of fog that quickly dissipated into the cold nighttime air.
He lifted his hand up to the door, gently knocking on the hefty spruce wood. And, almost as if they were expecting him, the door opened barely a second later. The enormous doors gave way with an eerie squeak to reveal a petite little girl. She couldn't have been older than 11 at most.
She had dark brown curls that cut off just before her shoulders, much like one of those horror movies with the whole 'evil child' trope, and a strikingly pale complexion. She must've only been a little over 4 feet at most, just about reaching his waist.
She would've been considered a kind and even innocent child if it wasn't for the practically glowing, crimson eyes that adorned her otherwise innocuous features.
She stretched out a small childlike hand, asking him to take it.
This is when he should've turned back. Gone back to his little hideout in the trees. Even if it meant he would've died weeks, days maybe. But he didn't. The newbie vampire took her hand, though hesitantly, his practically engulfing hers.
She immediately tugged him inside, the wooden door slamming behind them. The opening lobby was massive, with two sets of marble stairs on each side leading up to one meeting point adorned with black iron railing. One large intricate chandelier dangling from the ceiling in the center of the foyer giving off a dim haunting aesthetic. The floor was the same caramel brown marble, a small round table set between the two sets of stairs with two adorning wooden chairs. Just past them was another room, with matching mahogany wooden walls.
The girl led him past all that and up to one If the sets of stairs, then down the left corridor taking the first right and past another few sets of stairs, these not as grand as the ones in the main entrance. They soon came to a stop at two tall mahogany-colored doors.
The girl whispered a few words, closing her eyes. Too low for the tall, lanky man, whose hand she held, to hear. And the doors opened to reveal a large dimly lit, much like the rest of the mansion, throne room. It looked much like the rest of the place, with the marble and all, besides the deep red tapestries that were found hung up along the walls.
A large throne sat in the middle atop a few steps, then two more on each side. Each had the basic color scheme, black with burgundy accents, the only difference being the gemstones placed at the top of each.
On them sat a vampire each, presumably one of the royals the fledgling had heard about, all wearing the same annoyed expression. One in particular, a redheaded female on the left of the main throne, gave him an extra hard glare.
The fledgling was confused and amazed at the same time, amongst other emotions.
The petite little girl released his hand and bounded forwards to the center throne, muttering a few words to the woman seated there then running off.
"Shane Alexander Madej, " The woman's voice rang out. "It's nice to finally meet you-" A few mutters of protest easily silenced with one look from the woman. "You've built yourself quite the reputation over the years." She said with a smile. You could say that. Shane thought to himself.
"Not that it's a very good reputation, dear, impressionable maybe. But not good." Shane's mood immediately dropped after she said that. Yeah, so maybe his habits weren't the best...but who gave her the right to critique his eating patterns!?
"And?" It came out harsher than he intended, which he instantly regretted when her eyes flashed the same crimson color the little girls were - which also happened to be the current state in which were his stuck.
"And, " She gave him a hard glare. "We can't have that, now can we?" Shane lowered his head, a low grumble escaping him that sounded much like a 'no'.
"Exactly. That is why I've assigned Maeve here-" The woman nodded to the ginger on her left. "To mentor you." Shane snapped his head up and shook it in disbelief.
"What, why?"
"Because-"
"I don't need a 'mentor'." He growled, interrupting her and twisting his head sharply to glare at the redheaded female - who in turn gave a taunting smile.
"Yes. You do." Suddenly an overwhelming crushing weight was placed on his chest, one that caused his breathing to come out in short gasps. Shane clutched his chest in pain. "O-o-of cour...cour-se-" He stuttered.
"As I was saying, " She, whose name he still did not know, continued. The pressure abruptly lifted. "Maeve will mentor you on all there is to know about vampirism. The ordinances in which we live by, how to manage your growing bloodlust, and, " She grinned. "Your 'gift'."
~present day~
Shane had been feeling dizzy all day. His throat was drier than the Sahara desert and his stomach ached for something a burrito couldn't quite fill.
He unscrewed the cap of the water bottle sitting on his desk and chugged it like his life depended on it, which it practically did, with all his co-workers strolling around and about and all. Though it did little to quench his growing thirst.
They were right there he could just- No. He was over that part of his immortal life, he couldn't, wouldn't, go back to being the vampire he used to be. Driven to commit mass murders nightly, and worse, for his killings to stand as a territorial thing. A trophy of sorts. It would only feed into his instinctive predatory mindset. He was better than that now. He had to be. For his best, and only, friend.
~4 years ago~
When Maeve appeared in his room, more like a dungeon Shane thought, for the first time in a long while, he knew something was up. He quickly sat up from his sprawled out position on his bed. Silently cursing himself at his instinct reaction, practically forcing himself into a more relaxed pose.
Maeve just gave a light, satisfied smirk at his actions. Crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe she said, "Almyra has an assignment for you."
"Couldn't she have just popped in herself?" Bit Shane. "Of all the vampires in this damned castle, she sent you." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and shooting her a hard stare.
"Well, " His 'mentor' scoffed. "I am in charge of you."
"I don't need looking after." He hissed, like a damn cat, sitting up straight.
"That's not the point, you can't-!" She suddenly changed her mind, shaking her head. "Anyways..she thinks you need to get out more so she has a job for you, you damn humgruffin!" She spat the end, putting as much venom into her voice as possible.
Shane couldn't help but burst out laughing. Humgruffin?? "Did-D'you just say-" He wheezed. "Hum-Humgruff-fin??" His head flew back in a fit of giggles. "How- " He gasped. "Old-are-you-?"
She sent him a glare, stomping her foot lightly. "Want to hear it or not?"
"Not." And he was back in his annoyed headspace.
Maeve rolled her eyes and sighed, "She wants you to look after some human." He didn't notice she had approached him until it was too late. "Humgruffin." All he felt was a light touch on his temples before he was abruptly dropped into water. The words "We'll send the details later" ringing in his ears.
I'm finally free! Was Shane's first thought as he sunk to the bottom of the ocean. But little did he know, that nice intermission of freedom would be short-lived once he emerged from the ocean to see where exactly he was just zapped too. Los Angeles.
~present day~
"You okay, big guy?" Shane looked over to his left to see Ryan watching him, two Chipotle burritos in hand.
Ryan glanced down. "You weren't answering me about lunch so I figured I might as well just go grab us something…" Shane nodded and thanked him.
"What we're ya thinking about?" He asked, mouth full of burrito, causing Shane to chuckle lightly when a piece of corn spilled out along with his words.
"Stuff."
"What kind of 'stuff'." Shane shrugged, unwrapping his own burrito. "What's this week's' 'supernatural' episode gonna be about?" There was no way Shane could tell him what was really on his mind.
"Oh!" Ryan's eyes immediately lit up with excitement, like a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
"I've been waiting a while to do this one!" Ryan pulled out his notebook and flipped through his notes until he found what he was looking for. "Here!" He shoved it over to Shane's space, narrowly missing his still open water.
Shane gathered the notes in his large hands, ciphering through the scribbled out words. His eyes zeroing in on one phrase specifically 'Azazel's Saint's Church'.
"-Devil's Playground'. Known for its inhuman exorcisms back in the day. Albeit old, ancient probably, it's supposedly a major hotspot for the supernatural. I've done extensive research on it-!"
Shane froze when he said that. Extensive research. "-just need them to approve it first." He concluded.
This was bad. Very, very bad. Worse than that time he had accidentally stepped onto hallowed ground last October on Halloween. And that was bad. But Shane couldn't help but crumble at the look of pure enthusiasm on Ryan's face.
"Let's hope it gets approved then!" Shane chuckled dryly with as much fervor he could muster up. Which wasn't a ton. It was worth it as Ryan's face glowed even more if that was possible, and he squeaked. "This is going to be awesome!" Before rushing off to, what Shane assumed, get it approved.
This isn't going to end well. Shane thought, the scorching pain in his throat returning full force without the temporary distraction. The half-eaten burrito long forgotten.