Fire & Pain - A Vampire's Tragedy
Chapter 20

Sophia

When I rounded the car, all eyes fell on me again, but like last time, it wasn’t the same as the times I entered a room at a party or joined the dance floor in the club. It was the sort of attention you wanted to hide from, but there was no way to hide. I tilted my chin up and walked to the group of people waiting in front of the tomb. Pascal caught up to stand next to me. No one spoke a word as they kept glancing at me. I held my gaze straight, hoping they would start this ceremony soon, so they had something else to focus on.

Around five minutes later, the elders arrived, together with Samuel. My heart sank when I saw him walking next to them, as if he belonged to their group already. I searched for his scholars, hoping to replace Adam, but he had two other scholars with him this time. It made me feel even more alone.

“Ms. Jones, I’m glad you could make it,” Blaine said when he reached me. “Pascal informed us yesterday that you wouldn’t be feeling so well and won’t be able to attend.”

I glanced at Pascal, who didn’t even twitch as I put on a smile. “I’m feeling much better today, and I wouldn’t want to miss my family’s funeral, after all.”

He nodded. “No, of course not. Well, shall we start then?”

The elders entered the big tomb, which looked out of place in this graveyard. The tall white walls and thick black doors were so pompous that they didn’t fit into the more simple design of the graveyard. All the other gravestones here looked meager in comparison, and I’m surprised this environment was even high-class enough for my mother, next to all those other species, too. As far as I know, all communities shared this graveyard.

We followed the group inside the building; the temperature dropping significantly the deeper we walked down the stairs. Plenty of torches enlightened the narrow staircase, as the sound of our steps bounced between the walls.

No one uttered a word, and a dreadful feeling settled in my stomach. I didn’t want to bury them. I wasn’t ready yet. Claire wasn’t back home either, and she should be here, too, saying her last goodbyes. But I couldn’t leave, squished between the other community members. I was forced down the stairs until we entered a large room that split into several smaller rooms.

Four marble coffins stood in the middle of a pedestal, their lids open. I pushed through the people in front of me, reaching the coffins, a whimper leaving my throat as I saw my dead family members once again, lying peacefully in a bed of flowers.

A tear slipped down my cheek, and I wiped it away. I straightened my back and stepped away, as I took my time to look at each of them.

They looked as if they were sleeping, and the cuts on their necks were nowhere to be seen, almost as if the horror had never happened.

My mother wore a dark red dress and a ruby necklace, her blonde hair fanned around her pretty face. I wondered if she would have been happy about the outfit choice, but she would have looked beautiful in everything, anyway.

My father wore a navy-blue suit with a checkered tie, his hair brushed out of his face and his beard neatly trimmed. My heart throbbed watching him. He looked like he had when I last saw him, and I would give everything to see him wake up and speak to me again. To pull me into a hug and pat my back like he always did. But he wouldn’t wake up again.

My sister was wearing the same dress as my mother. Now that would have led to real complications if they were both still alive, and I almost chuckled, imagining how much bickering it would have been. Wearing the same outfit as someone else? Impossible with those two. Other than my mother, my sister had her hair braided, small diamonds decorating it, glistering in the light of the torches.

And my brother looked like he always had, with a Buzz Cut and a black button-up shirt. There was nothing fancy about him, and that’s what he always wanted to portray. He hated to dress up or show off, which was to my mother’s disdain, as she always wanted him to look like Prince Charming. But I was glad they kept his image like he always wanted it to be until his last day. It gave me peace to see them like this. Another tear escaped my eye, and it dropped to the floor.

“Ms. Jones, would you mind if we started now?” Wright asked, placing his bony hand on my shoulder.

I turned to him and nodded. “Of course, sorry.”

He smiled, squeezing my shoulder ever so softly. “It’s your family, and you should get the chance to say goodbye. There is no need to apologize for that.”

Surprised by his words, shocked even, I walked back to the other community members, his hand dropping off my shoulder. For the first time, I felt something like compassion from someone in the community, and I didn’t know how to feel about it. Was it an act to make it more likely for me to convince me of something? It’s all possible with those guys.

The room grew quiet when Earl took his spot in front of the coffins. He folded his hands in front of him as a sad smile hushed over his face. “Thank you for attending this last farewell in such great numbers. The current time isn’t easy, and scary as well, so we appreciate your effort even more so than usual. We still don’t know who is behind this horrible crime, but we won’t give up trying to replace the culprit, so that the members of the Jones family may finally replace peace and the culprit the judgment they deserve.”

A murmur went through the crowd as I glanced at Samuel standing on the far right of the room. His long, black coat with golden buttons, wooden walking stick and pulled back, shiny hair made him look like a super villain. Quite fitting for him. It would be funny if it wasn’t so accurate. Since when did he need a walking stick, anyway? Was it a new fashion statement?

As if he felt my eyes on him, his gaze darted to me, his eyes turning dark before he forced a tight smile on his face, tilting his head. Anger rushed through me, wishing it was him we would bury today, but I still had to bid my time. For now, I had to tolerate that the murderer they were looking for was right in our midst.

“The Jones family had been a more recent addition to our community, moving here from Yuatina after spending time in Tierelia and falling in love with it. We wholeheartedly welcomed the strong family in our community. They not only brought important and valuable assets with them to strengthen our community, but they also had knowledge and know-how in all sorts of areas,” Earl continued as he ran his finger over the rim of my father’s coffin. His eyes turned foggy, and with his mouth hanging open, it almost felt like he wasn’t with us anymore, drifting off into deep thoughts.

I couldn’t remember our time in Yuatina, at least not the time we had been living there. We went there on vacation a few times, but nothing else would ring a bell. My family often sat together as they talked about all the moments they had shared in their old house, their voices thick with longing, almost as if they didn’t want to leave, like they hadn’t had a choice. I usually removed myself from the gathering when their memories started to overwhelm me. When my heart hurt and my stomach felt heavy, as if I were drowning in their memories. I used to spend most of my time with Claire then. Other than me, who had forgotten about her childhood because of a clumsy accident, Claire was too small to remember. We created our own memories in the hometown of our family, filled with laughter and adventure, far away from the heartbreak of the others.

Blaine cleared his throat, pulling Earl out of his thoughts, a shy smile hushing over his face as he shook his head, his long, gray beard jumping left and right from the motion.

“Jonathan Jones was a businessman, through and through. His bright and calculated mind helped immensely with the finances and funding of projects. He added ideas and changes into the process that optimized all steps towards a better, more successful vampire community. He truly was a substantial loss for the vampire community in Yuatina. No wonder they kept acting so offended whenever we met them on get-togethers.”

Soft chuckles filled the air as broad smiles spread over the faces of the people around me. There weren’t too many things everyone could agree on, but wanting to be better than all the other vampire communities was running through their system like blood.

“He also was an avid historian and archeologist. Together with his wife Kaylee, they shared their common interest in the beginning of time and our ancestors. Both insisted it wasn’t more than a hobby, but especially Jonathan always had these sparkles in his eyes whenever he had the chance to discuss all things history. And I believe we all got our fair share of history lessons from him.”

More laughter echoed in the room, and I couldn’t help the smile that tucked on my lips. My father loved to talk, and when you gave him the chance to start, you better have plenty of time on your hands.

Earl smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening. “I’m sure we’re going to miss the conversations, now that he is gone. But we can always think back to them and keep them close to our hearts.”

Several heads nodded in agreement, while I wondered if they really would miss it. My heart clenched painfully, knowing that I would. He always went out of his way to meet me halfway, and while fashion was nothing he held an interest in, he still took all opportunities he could to tell me about the historical clothes that were worn back in the day. Some nights I would replace him in his study room, his head buried in a book about historical fashion, plenty of notes and sketches scattered over his desk. At times, he would catch me sneaking around and inviting me in, telling me about the things he had found, and he would have those sparkles in his eyes, too, just like Earl had said.

A tear rolled down my cheek as I looked back at Earl, pain shimmering in his eyes. I thought they never cared about my family, but it now felt as if they truly missed them. It made it even worse that they didn’t want to believe me when I told them who the real danger was.

“Kaylee Jones was such a blast to have around. Most times,” he said, grinning. “She was headstrong and always knew how to keep a conversation going. Her temper and wittiness oftentimes helped us focus on what was most important, and she could lead meetings like no other. Her guidance will be missed, just like the open ear she had for problems. Being the advocate for everyone in the community, I’m sure everyone shares my sentiment.”

This time, mostly the women nodded, as a frown covered their features. I knew my mother was meddling in everyone’s business, but I didn’t know it was appreciated. Maybe all those afternoon teas she hosted for all the women were actually what I always suspected them to be: a gossip round. And I’m pretty sure I was the center of attention of plenty of those. I wish I wouldn’t feel such animosity towards my mother, hoping I could drop it, but she was never the person Earl portrayed her as to me. But I would miss her anyway, and knowing that she was someone other people could replace guidance in, did calm my mind a little.

“And while it might not be solace for us, it surely is for Jonathan and Kaylee that they both reached the end of their lives together. But I’m sure they are still together somewhere, dwelling on their love and connection.”

I smiled, hoping he was right. I never thought about what would happen to us after we died, because we usually don’t, but I hoped they would be in a place where they felt happy and satisfied.

Earl stepped to the right, turning to my sibling’s coffins. “Now Jessica had a big heart, and like her mother, always had an open ear for everyone in the community. While she had been eagerly helping with her family’s company, working as a PR representative, and handling concerns with the company’s image, she also focused her free-time on medical training. For two years, she even volunteered in the human military, which was a first. The human community appreciated her strength and dedication, bringing us closer to them and helping us secure blood donations on a much larger and cheaper scale. Thanks to her, we get high-quality and fresh blood, for only a fraction of the price we used to pay.”

I stared at the old man, as he dropped his gaze onto Jessica’s face, his face turning into a sad grimace, as his chin trembled. “Her death is such an enormous loss, and it pains me to see that we have failed this young woman who had tried so hard to make our lives better.”

I looked at Jessica, my chest tightening at how unaware I was of everything she had done for the vampire community. I knew she had been serving in the military for a while, because we had a huge feast with the humans, celebrating the connection between the two communities, but I always thought that we didn’t receive anything in return. Humans have the least amount of market shares in any of the markets they both were involved in and that it was more of a PR stunt than anything, but I suppose it wasn’t. Jessica used to be a completely different person to me, barely speaking to me, and if, it was condescending. She always gave me the feeling as if I were at fault that we had left Yuatina, and she took any opportunity she could to show it to me. Not that she ever showed that publicity, because in front of strangers she would lovingly hug me, and praise me, hiding what she actually felt for me. But I was still sad to see her gone because even if we didn’t get along, she didn’t deserve to die.

“And lastly, Josh, the knight of the Jones family. Whenever he had free time, he spent it honing his abilities in fighting techniques or new weapons. When Josh was near, I always felt safe and protected, knowing that he would risk his life to protect us. How many times did he stop a robbery in our shops or factories, always quick on his feet and eager for judgment? Josh was fair, and his interest in law helped us in all of our business transactions between other parts of Zefaroia. I couldn’t even count how often he managed to get us a better deal or saved us from signing a bad contract. He’ll leave a big hole in our midst, just like everyone else did,” Earl said, turning to us again. “But we can’t lose hope. We might have lost these important people, but our community is still strong, and with Samuel at our side, we’re even stronger. He’ll never be able to replace the members of the Jones family, but he’ll make the gap seem a lot smaller, that I’m sure of.”

I clenched my hands into fists as I stared at my brother, wondering why he didn’t see the true nature of Samuel if he was such a knight. I shook my head. No, he shouldn’t be blamed. No one expected Samuel would infest our community from the inside. But I was sure that if he had survived, he would have taken care of Samuel already. And everyone would have believed him. Other than me, the shadow of the Jones family.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Samuel moving to the front, his back turned to us as he looked at my family members. I wanted to shove him out of the way, telling him he didn’t deserve to bid farewell to them, but I stood rooted in my place.

Only a few moments passed before he turned around and cleared his throat, his eyes roaming over us. “The day of their death marks a dark day in our lives. We don’t know who is behind this murder, but we know that there is an enemy out there, someone who might not stop, and before we haven’t found them, no one is safe. I feel responsible for their deaths. We should have been there and prevented it. It’s our part of the agreement to make your lives safer, yet we failed. I can’t even put into words how sorry I am, and I hope with our strength combined, we can stop any other attack before it can happen.”

His gaze stopped on me as he stared right into my eyes. If I didn’t know better, there might be something like compassion in his eyes, but under the surface, I saw the real him. The anger that I was still here, not dead with the rest of them.

I smirked and arched a brow, glad that the rest of the group still stood behind me, blocking my face from their view.

“I hope Sophia knows that she can always ask for my guidance whenever she doesn’t feel safe or needs help. I would hate for her to feel alone in times like these,” he said, a tight smile spreading over his face. “It’s what her family would have wanted; for us to work together.”

I bit the inside of my cheeks, swallowing the insults that dared to bubble up in me, and instead cleared my throat, flashing him my best fake smile. “Thank you so much, Samuel. I’m sure my parents would truly value your support, trust, and loyalty. With you, we don’t need to be afraid of any enemy, now do we?”

His smile faltered as his left eyed twitched before he dipped his head. “Indeed.”

Silence hung in the air, tension building between us. It was only a matter of time before this would escalate, and I was sure even the elders felt it as they ushered Samuel away from the caskets, lining up in front of them.

“You’ll now get the chance to say your last goodbyes if you wish so. Ms. Jones, are there any last words from you?” Earl asked. Everyone’s gaze turned to me, and for a second I thought about telling my truth again, but I stopped myself. It wasn’t the right time.

Instead, I shook my head. “No, elder, everything has been said. I’ll carry all the memories of my family in my heart, keeping them alive. And I’m sure the same counts for Claire. May she be found soon.”

Earl nodded. “Yes, may she return to our midst.”

The elders stepped to the side then, letting the rest of the community close to the caskets. I walked to the other side of the room, waiting for everyone to bid their farewells, and only when everyone was gone, I stepped closer again.

The room was silent now, and being here alone felt eerie. A shiver crawled down my neck, but I ignored it, looking at my parents and siblings one more time, for the last time.

“I’ll bring Claire back, and he won’t be getting away with what he has done, I promise you,” I said, my voice nothing more than a whisper. I stood there for a little longer, not sure what I was waiting for, but when the place remained silent and everything had been said, I turned around and left, with my heart still heavy in my chest.