Chapter 43
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Chapter 43: Expectations
Warnings: Domestic violence, bullying, coarse language
Refresher chapters: Chapter 1 (events leading up to the "Oath), Chapter 32 (Clara's first encounter with Wesley)
They were in her home. Those brats were in her home. She had neither expected them, nor the "attack".
...And they were laughing at her.
She opened her eyes, the world coming into focus slowly around her.
She sat up, her body still feeling the effects of what had happened to her.
She could still hear their taunting and their jeers. She could still hear them laughing.
What were they doing in her home?
She got up quickly, still dazed. She needed to know what they were doing here... if anything precious had been taken from her...
It was starting to become a common occurence. They'd laugh and tease her throughout the day. They knew that she didn't like to go directly home. She would stay as long as she could on the school grounds before departing, possibly to other places, but never straight home.
She was a strange, eccentric kid. The other schoolkids didn't know what to make of her. Most left her alone. Not many approached her with any sympathy, or reached out to her in friendship. She was difficult to get to know and she preferred it that way. She didn't care if she had no friends. She'd rather be alone anyway than suffer idiots around her.
Of course there were those who wouldn't let that lie. It went beyond laughter and verbal abuse. At times, like this night, it went too far. Way too far.
Clara didn't know how late it was. The sun had gone down and the air was cold. She took the long route home, her limbs sore. She tried to clean up as much of the blood as she could. She wouldn't be able to hide everything. The kids had done a number on her. But what she most feared is what she'd have to go home to.
"Why are you home so late?"
"I'm sorry I'm late." Clara's voice was low and hoarse.
"You liar, you're never sorry." the woman at the other end of the hall quickly walked towards her, grabbing Clara's chin and holding her face up towards her. "What happened to your eye? Who did this to you?"
"No one did anything." she replied, her voice monotonous and emotionless. "I fell. Knocked myself out."
"Is that what you want me to believe? How dare you lie to me! All you do is lie you ungrateful little..."
Clara opened her mouth to respond, but no sooner than the words left her, the woman struck.
"You couldn't even defend yourself against insignificant little schoolyard brats. You are such a stupid little weakling. No wonder you took your time coming home. "
"Mother!"
There was so much brimming to the top of her head that she wanted to scream out at the old woman but it all got caught in her throat. She could feel the heat of her anger in her chest, spreading outward through her limbs, crackling like static at her finger tips.
For a moment it seemed that the old woman sensed it too.
"Go to your room. I can't stand looking at you anymore."
She heard his voice downstairs. It was meek and gentle, careful not to offend. But there was an earnest strength in his tone.
"Why do you do this to her?"
"She's better than this Makoto. You of all people should know."
"What do you expect from her? She's just a child."
"It's her birthright." her words were sharp and full of bitterness. "And it's time she learns. I will bring her to Malcolm myself."
If you won't do it.
She changed quickly out of her uniform listening from her attic room as she berated him downstairs. Most of the time they wouldnt interact at all. They were often quiet. Meals at the dining table were shared in silence. The tinny voices on the old TV were the only conversations under this roof. Canned laugh tracks from sitcoms was the only joy.
Only when she was scolding Clara for whatever transgression she has done would there be any real voice here. Clara feared and hated it.
She had tried to run away before. But she could hardly brave the night in the cold alone and she didn't know where to go. Even with a stranger's help.
... the stranger with the scarlet eyes and pale, dead skin. She knew what he was. She also knew she needed to find him again.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, that gentle voice of his irritating her.
"Go away."
"Let me look at you." He approached her slowly. The look of pity on his face just made her angrier."You didn't fight them back."
It was a statement more than a question. There was a strange, hopeful look in his eyes.
"What did you think I just sat there and took it? Of course I did, you idiot." she snapped. "What do you and that cow downstairs expect me to do? You think I'm enjoying all of this?"
"I know you're in pain." he said softly. "Despite what you think, I do care for you."
"Well stuff it old man," she scowled, glaring at him. "You are not my father so you can get the fuck lost. I don't need you pitying me."
He looked at her, hurt and defeated, and began to walk away. Before he disappeared down the stairs, he turned to her again. "Do you truly believe that?"
She never gave him an answer.
Clara felt drowsy. The sleeping gas was potent. She knew that only another witch could have brewed something that powerful up. Clara had conditioned herself to be immune to most of the weaker potions but the witch that created this was no amateur.
How a small group of teenagers had the potion concerned Clara more than them breaking into her home. Why were they here? Who were they working for? How could she have let this happen?
She frantically ran to her secret chamber, checking quickly to see if anything precious had been taken. Her eyes rested on Willow's spellbook sitting untouched on the podium.
They didn't even touch the Book?
If they weren't here for the Book, what were they here for? To spy on her? For who? Malcolm wouldn't send children and she couldn't imagine that the Circle would either. She was still weak, but she managed to activate her scrying crystal.
She knew immediately who the children were. The two idiot boys had been spying on her for weeks now. It wasn't difficult to find out that they were broods of the Marlen and the Baird family. She didn't concern herself with them initially, but now that they've broken in...
Was Willow more aware of Clara than she had thought? Did the younger witch foolishly send the teenagers to watch her? If they've discovered anything, then Clara had to act quickly.
She needed Wesley.
Clara wasn't an idiot. She knew that the younger witch was potentially dangerous, and who knows who was out there defending her. Wesley was definitely better for this task. But she knew that her vampire was avoiding her. She hadn't quite expected that his relationship with the girl could actually weaken his Oath to her. But she also knew that he couldn't resist it for long.
Just as she was, he was bound by the pact.
It didn't seem like that long ago that they made that Oath. He would serve her until she could bring him the potion that would "cure" his vampirism.
If she had such a potion, of course that's what she would do, as the Oath states.
Unfortunately for Wesley, Clara had decided to take her time fullfilling her end of the bargain. Fortunately for her, Wesley couldn't be bothered with these minute details.
Vampires often went with their more primal emotions and instincts rather than logical thought. This had worked well for Clara before...
They never stopped. All she wanted to do was be left alone. Whenever they found her, they were relentless. She was strange. Different. An easy target.
They taunted her, throwing bits of garbage at her. Then they'd threaten her. Demand her money, the trinkets she'd wear as jewellry, even her school blazer, collecting them all like trophies.
She'd scream at them to stop. If she could do something... anything for them to just stop, she would do it. But all she could do is shout back in fear and in anger.
If she could make them all disappear, she would. But she was helpless and weak. Just as her mother said she was.
Something dark flashed through the alley way, surprising her. Something was happening...
Their friend was simply gone. For a second they didn't realize that things had begun to go wrong for them.
It was as if everything else around her was moving slowly and in a blink of an eye another was gone.
"You owe her an apology."
The other girl stood frozen with fear. Instead of being the intimidating one, she was now just alone in a cold alley with a vampire looming behind her.
Another blink of an eye, he had her by the throat.
"Being helpless isn't exactly a good feeling, is it." he hissed in her ear.
"I'm... I'm sorry!" the girl stammered. "P-p-please don't kill me!"
"Fuck you." Clara shouted. "Just kill her. I don't fucking care if she's sorry. I want her dead."
The sharp rage in the young girl's voice took Wesley by surprise.
"Look, I said I'm sorry... oh god what did you do with the others..?"
"They're not hurt." but Wesley was suddenly more interested in the girl he was supposedly protecting. Slowly he loosened his grip on his victim. "They will be leaving you alone now." he said to Clara.
"Not good enough." Clara hissed. "I know what you are and what you can do. If you want to help me then break their necks. Bleed them dry. I don't care. Just kill them all. You can do that. "
"No, I won't." he said, shoving the girl aside. "Go and don't come back here."
"I didn't say you can go!"
Suddenly her anger took form, as dark energy bubbled up inside of her. She was a vessel and it was overflowing. All she knew was that if she wanted it to happen enough, she could cause all her enemies pain.
The energy she held inside of her that had been trying to escape finally did. It burst through her skin, propelling through the air, exploding when it struck the other girl.
Wesley watched in shock as the girl was flung back by the magic. It was suddenly clear to him that that's what this was.
The girl scurried backward, cowering below. Clara glared at her with hatred. She began to remember everything everyone had ever done to her and all she felt was anger. If all it took was just wishing her dead...
But he stopped her. He didn't act afraid of her. She pushed against him but he was completely unmovable, like stone.
"Let her go." they were simple words; Calm, yet strong, and as he touched her she suddenly felt afraid of him. The Vampire's effect overpowered her own emotions.
The other girl didn't hesitate. She took the distraction and made her escape. Clara stared, dumbfounded, but Wesley held her back.
Clara watched the girl run, suddenly realizing what had happened and what she had done. She looked down at herself, at the aura that surrounded her and she began to smile broadly. "Niiiice."
Wesley stepped back cautiously. He knew the aura all too well. It was the tell tale sign of witchcraft and he also knew that it was something he had to stay away from.
The girl's gleeful laughter echoed through the alleyway, down the cold, empty streets. There was nothing much in this world that could make Wesley afraid, but despite her young age, she was still a dark witch. For vampires, that meant certain danger.
Shaking his head, he turned away and disappeared completely. Clara could only continue to laugh. This was new. This was different and this felt completely right. She knew what she could do and suddenly she realized what Mother must have been talking about all this time. She'd let Wesley go for now, but she would find him again soon.
The aura around her began to fade as the energy within her came to rest. Clara continued to grin to herself, wondering what to do now. She could go home. Show her Mother what she could do.
This could be fun.
Like she had said she would, the old woman brought Clara to Malcolm Landgraab the IV. She didn't know what to think when she met him. He wasn't what she expected.
He assured her that she would learn how to use her powers under his personal tutelage. He was always eager to work with new witches, he said to her, and she had great potential. She was quite gifted. She promised that she wanted to learn, that she would never let them down.
He believed her. Malcolm knew that Clara St. Julien would go far.
Years had gone by. With the help of the Coven, she received the training that she needed. She grew to become one of the Coven's strongest witches, and one of the most feared. Yet she was not satisfied.
Whatever it was that Willow had with the blessing of the Coven, Clara wanted it. Whatever spells this Book held secret, Clara wanted to know it. And if that silly college student had any of the other Sorceress' relics, she wanted those too. Malcolm or the rest of the Coven couldn't keep those secrets away from her for long. As soon as she learned of the Coven's plan to find the Heir, she began her own plot.
She worked far too hard for any of this to be fruitless.
Clara: Oooh sorry! Did I wake you?
He slowly opened his eyes, disoriented.
Wesley: Clara...
Clara: Shut up.
Clara: Wesley Vaughn, I've summoned you to serve me as per the terms of our Oath. And don't you dare think that you're getting out of it this time.
next » [ Chapter 44: Harbinger ]
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Notes:
* Makoto St. Julien is a Maxis townie from Apartment Life. ;)
* Clara's bullies were recycled random teenagers from earlier chapters.
* Thank you all for reading. I hope I haven't bored you yet. :)