A Greater Love

Another Vampire?

A picture of the bracelet above.
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"Athena! Athena!" Annea continued to shout her name but to no avail, Athenodora didn't respond, all she did was continue to kneel on the floor whilst staring at the golden bracelet she held in her hand. "Athenodora!" Annea tried shouting at the snowy blonde one last time whilst also shaking the woman's shoulders.

"There was another vampire," Finally Athenodora spoke but even when she did her voice was low and quiet, just being loud enough for Annea's very human ears to pick up on. Yet after speaking all she did was continue to turn the gold bracelet in her hand and look at it.

"What?" When Annea heard what Athenodora had told her a gasp escaped between her lips and her voice came out breathy in disbelief. "But how's that possible, you haven't seen one in so long?" Annea had known of what had happened to Athenodora's coven, she was there the morning after, trying as best she could to console her friend who was in hysterics.

"I'm not sure, I didn't see much of her but I think she's just coming out of the newborn phase." Finally, Athenodora spoke again and this time she began to pick herself off of the floor, the bracelet still clasped tightly in her hand as she stood now facing Annea.

"But wouldn't we have known if a newborn was in Athens?" Annea asked a very concerning question as she combed through a piece of her auburn red hair, trying to distract her hands with a task.

"I would've thought so, no newborn I had ever heard of was so good at disguising its tracks." Athenodora's gaze was almost distant in look as she continued to think on the matter. Newborns weren't like other vampires, they were newly turned and still had human blood within them, most would act feral and animal-like when it came to humans, they couldn't be around one without killing it.

"Unless it wasn't in Athens to begin within," Annea whispered to herself her hands now going still in her hair as she herself started to think. She couldn't be certain but it wouldn't be the most preposterous thing she'd suggested before, and still, there was every chance that the connection and coincidence could be true.

"What did you mean Annea?" Athenodora quickly stopped all strands of thought when she heard what her friend had spoken. Surely there couldn't be something that Annea knew that she didn't know, but then again she hadn't seen the girl in nearly a month and so much can happen in a space of time like that.

"Well Um, you were right there was a story behind why I came back from Rhodes so soon," Annea spoke nervously, her hands smoothing out her hair at a faster pace than before. Almost all of the time Athenodora relished in knowing that she was right but this time she didn't feel like the outcome would be good.

"And that was?" Athenodora asked suspiciously her arms firmly crossed over her chest, she could see that Annea was becoming scared to admit that she hadn't told her friend the truth and she felt bad that she had to act so stern with her.

She didn't really act stern or cross that much, she actually rather hated having to do it but because it was to do with her kind, she knew she had to be assertive. If those in charge were to ever find out about an untrained newborn and even possible killings. Athenodora wouldn't be able to hide herself long enough if they ever came to Athens and that would mean she wouldn't be able to protect Annea.

"Well we had to leave early, my uncle hadn't thought it safe for us to stay any longer than we already had." Annea's voice shook as she spoke and when she gave up on smoothing out her hair to distract her hands, she then grabbed onto the white linen of her dress.

"Why did you have to leave early?" Athenodora hated seeing how she had made her friend so nervous and slightly scared to speak to her, so when the snowy blonde spoke again, she made sure to say it in a more calm and neutral voice, keeping her tone even.

"There were whispers and rumours in Rhodes, that something had been killing the people in the outer villages, they didn't know what, no one did but they couldn't see how it could be animal. Originally they thought the Gods' were angry but some said that it was something else, my uncle didn't want to risk it. The killings had started in December last year, they were only a couple of times throughout each month."

The answer couldn't have been any clearer to Athenodora there wasn't any other explanation, Annea was right the vampire she had seen wasn't from Athens but Rhodes. That at least explained why the mystery vampire's eyes were so intensely red, she had only just come out of the newborn phase.

"You were right Annea, it explains why her eyes were so red and why she was so skittish, she doesn't know the area and she probably doesn't know who she is." Athenodora's voice was no longer a neutral tone but still, it wasn't angered, it was sad. Annea saw how her friend's mood shifted she was never good at hiding her emotions, so many times she was like an open book.

"Athena is everything alright?" Annea asked the paler woman in concern as she reached out an arm to try and provide some sort of comfort to her friend's sudden mood change. Yet upon seeing how Annea had outstretched her arm Athenodora took a step back and went to respond.

"I'm alright Annea," But the red-head wasn't convinced she could always tell when Athenodora wasn't being honest and this was one of those moments. So she looked at her in a way that said "I'm here for you" and this look seemed to be enough to convince her.

"It's just bad memories little fox I promise, I just remember being in her position and how frightening it can be, how lonely it can be." Athenodora lifted her gaze to meet that of her friend's and gave her a sad smile in return.

"You've always got me, Goddess of Wisdom," Annea said almost cheerfully trying to cheer up her best friend with a similar and unique nickname like the one that Athenodora had for her. They never used the nicknames often so when they did, it always brought a smile to either one of them.

"Hahaha, you can't say that Annea she might be listening," Athenodora spoke jokingly as she chuckled at her friend's antics of trying to make her feel better. She spoke playfully acting as if the real Goddess of Wisdom may hear them and 'punish' them, in truth, there was no truth to it but it was a good bit of fun.

"Well she hasn't heard me yet, so I think I'm safe," Annea laughed along with the snowy blonde as the two finally made their way back out of the Alleyway. In actuality neither had realised how much time had actually passed, the sun was nearly set and the night had nearly begun.
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Hey everyone, I hope you all enjoyed this update. I wonder who this new vampire could be, well let's wait and see, shall we? Don't forget to comment and vote. Until next time fellow readers.