A/N: This bonus chapter was brought to you by the amazing Banana19! All hail lord Banana! (that came out kinda sus)
[Blood Archive Entry]
After a few more minutes of relaxation, which were much needed after the stressful event earlier, Rebekah got back to the driver's seat, and Isolde decided to remain with her son.
The black-haired woman was feeling anxious, knowing her son had to fight two monstrosities in a row to keep her safe—then there was that intimate scene and even more intimate vow. She knew her son was more mature than any boy his age had any business being; she also knew the reason for it, but that didn't mean she would just accept things taking a wrong turn. He was still an eight-year-old kid, after all. Even if she had to sour her relationship with Rebekah, she had to impose limits.
She looked at the black-haired kid on her lap, resting peacefully. He was practically her spitting image, save for the paleness of his skin, the sharp ears and even sharper teeth—even his nails were sharper now… really, what isn't sharp about this kid? Shaking her head, she studied the boy's features; his cheeks were chubby like most kids, but he was also leaner and more elegant than any other kid she had ever seen. Her son always filled her with pride and joy.
Ever since she found the ancient family journals back in the old boarding house, she became obsessed with knowing about the occult and what hid in the shadows, but her city wasn't the best place for one to dive into that, so she chose to leave, abandoning even her brother Zach.
Her obsession drove her to Seattle, where a few years later she would meet the most fascinating and mysterious of entities, and in that fateful meeting, she was given the biggest gift of her life. Her shining star, her little knight. At first, she was skeptical, thinking she wouldn't be a good mother, that she would view her flesh and blood as a hindrance.
But from the moment she held the child for the first time, her world changed—he became her world.
Where once her research was about satisfying morbid curiosity, it became a means to an end, a way to keep her son safe.
She even discovered the faintest hints of a witch lineage in her; it was weak, but it was there. It didn't allow her to perform rituals or anything grand, but it allowed her to create the much-sought-after witch concoctions.
Using that, she established connections with the local vampiric authority, Prince Campbell, who, in turn, for her services, directed her to two of his best researchers.
But in the end, it all proved fruitless as she almost died, and her son had to awaken his ancient blood to save her.
It was an odd feeling. After that whole debacle, she felt closer to him, almost perceiving his emotions and intent. This newfound connection was what allowed Isolde to look past her son's monstrous nature and see the loving child beneath, a child who saw her as his world, just like he was her world.
Though Darian didn't seem to notice this bond yet, which was very curious.
But because of what he had to do to keep them safe, they had to leave Seattle.
She had regular contact with the local vampires and knew just how selfish and cruel they truly were.
If Campbell learned of Darian, god knows what could've happened.
Amongst the Kindred she met, only two warranted her trust: an overly honest Banu Haqim who ran a pawn shop, and Ms. Thorne.
The Banu Haqim wasn't close to her; actually, she could count on her fingers the number of times she met the odd man. It was his straightforward justice that gained Isolde's trust; the man would outright deny or even fight anyone if he thought they contradicted his sense of justice.
As for Ms. Throne, while a bit prickly, the old woman quickly warmed up to Isolde and Darian; sometimes she caught her covering Darian in a blanket when he fell asleep. She took for herself the role of a grandmother in the boy's life.
But Safia was the greatest wildcard, while she often seemed to be the gentlest of souls, a pure girl among the darkness of her peers. Sometimes, Isolde caught glimpses of cunning and cruelty behind her eyes, mostly because she probably wasn't seen as a big threat, and Safia ended up dropping her guard at times.
She was the biggest reason why Isolde wanted to run away as fast as she could.
Initially, her old home, Mystic Falls, was her only choice. A city dominated by the Council, brimming with vampire hunters, there was no better place to hide from vampires than this one. But it also could prove to be risky for Darian, as some Council members were quite deranged.
Though again fate seemed to have other plans, as one of the oldest known vampires cheerfully knocked on her doorstep.
At first, Isolde was scared out of her mind, though she wasn't scared for herself, but for her son—even more so when Rebekah admitted she was there for him.
Despair gripped her, and she thought her child would be taken away from her. The thought hurt more than she could possibly describe.
But when Darian seemed to be oddly at ease around the woman, she calmed down.
Their following conversation was nothing short of amusing, as she saw an eight-year-old tease a woman who had lived for thousands of years out of her mind.
This humane side of Rebekah put Isolde at ease, and she felt more secure in having her around.
An Original Vampire could prove to be an even bigger deterrent than a city full of hunters. After all, it was no coincidence that her family's bloodline had pushed all others into confinement and to the brink of extinction.
Fate seemed to want to put her on a never-ending rollercoaster, as yet again she found her life on the line. This time by a bloody ghost, and she didn't even know ghosts existed.
Yet again, Darian was the one to keep her safe, when that should be her job as a mother. But reality often proved that such notions never held in the face of overwhelming power.
Then came the vow…
A very intimate vow…
Perhaps even more than the ones spoken at wedding ceremonies.
Not to mention the sudden shift in how Rebekah acted around Darian now, much more affectionate than before.
She was looking forward to whatever explanation Darian would give them.
She was brought out of her thoughts when Darian stirred on her lap, and she saw the lights of a small town.