COLOURS || Seth Clearwater

TEN

September, 1663

It had been nearly three hundred years since Lucinda lost Kane to the villagers of Harpoon, and she now lived in London, England. She had parted ways with Leon roughly thirty years prior, having lived and moved around the world with him and Dorian for nearly a decade.

Lucinda had decided that she needed some peace and quite — the three had gotten into many troubling things that Kane would not have been proud of — and naturally ended up moving to the noisiest town in all of New England; London.

"Miss Emrey," one of her stable boys greeted respectfully as she walked down the path outside her manor. Lucinda smiled back, though it was fake and did not reach her eyes. She hadn't truly smiled since she had lost her first true love, earning her the nickname 'The Heartless Lady'.

"Good morning, Ben," she murmured, continuing on her path to the city. Lucinda had been the subject to many witch hunts — all lead by William Cullen and his son, Carlisle — but ever since the day back in Harpoon three hundred years prior, she had grown smarter. They all suspected what she was, though none of them had ever managed to gather enough proof.

"Will you be needing your horse today, M'lady?" James asked loudly, causing her to turn around. He was a young boy, maybe fourteen, and was one of the main incomes for his poor family. Lucinda had grown a soft spot for him, much to her distaste. But she had made it her job to take care of him, seeing as he was one of Charlotte and Alec's decendants.

She had visited the both of them on their death beds, and it broke her unfeeling heart to know that her friends were slowly dying one by one, leaving her almost completely and utterly alone in the hateful world.

Almost.

"No, but please do not work yourself too hard," she mused, shaking her head as he flushed slightly. As Lucinda walked into London, she ignored the envious looks from men and women alike and strutted towards where she intended to go; the library.

"Should you be here, miss?" One man asked with a chuckled, the other two standing next to his joining in the laughter. The we're standing out front the entrance door chatting loudly to each other, much to he distaste. "Women should not be educated, it isn't right." Lucinda turned to face them with her infamous wicked smirk and took two steps closer, wanting to laugh at how quickly they grew nervous.

"I am one of the few funds this building has, gentlemen, I will come and go as I damn well please." With a confident smirk engraved on her lips. Lucinda paced inside, the heels of her outrageously expensive shoes clacking quietly on the floor beneath her.

"May I help you?" The man at the front desk — though he looked completely baffled — asked politely, closing his book at setting it on the counter in front of him.

"If you would not mind, that would be much appreciated. I am looking for your section on Astronomy, though I cannot find it," she mused, rolling her eyes slightly at his look of surprise.

"We do not have a very big section," he confessed. "But it is just down the isle there." Lucinda smile falsely at him and after saying a quiet thank you, she followed his directions and wandered through the library.

•••

Lucinda had sent James home hours ago, around supper time, knowing that his family wouldn't like him walking alone on the streets of London at night; she didn't like the idea either. She had long since missed her usual eating time, but the book about constellations that she had gotten out of the library made up for the rumbling in her stomach.

"Rochelle!" She called to her French hand maid, who still worked her time away frantically in the kitchens. The light patter of feet made her smile and the pregnant woman made her way into the sitting room, completely out of breath. Lucinda had made a habit of hiring people from the streets — commoners, as the rich liked to call them — and give them good paying work.

"Yes miss?" She asked breathlessly, grimacing as she shifted from one foot to another.

"You should rest your feet and eat something," Lucinda chuckled, and the middle aged woman smiled thankfully, running a hand through her long golden hair.

"Is there anything else I could do for you before I leave then?" She asked, and Lucinda shook her head with a sigh.

"No, but I will help you to your quarters, just to make sure you do not fall." Rochelle and her husband lived in one of the small sheds — she had fixed it up nicely for them — because when she met them, they did not have enough money to afford a home, and Lucinda would not allow a growing family to live on the streets.

"Thank you," Rochelle smiled, and pulled on her thin coat that did nothing to keep the cold out. As the two woman walked the short distance from the manor house to the shed, she almost smiled at the smoke that rose from the chimney.

The young woman's husband always made sure his wife would be warm when she got home, and Lucinda was jealous.

It made her think of Kane.

"I will leave you here then," the red head sighed patting Rochelle's arm gently before turning on her heel and walking back towards her home.

A low groan and a scuffling noise stopped her from opening her door, and Lucinda felt the supernatural energy that was her magic flood to her palms as she spun around, looking for the source. "Who is there!" She yelled, her hands held high in the air, her blue eyes scanning the surroundings.

"I mean you no harm, I swear," the weak voice came from the poorly lit dirt road leading up to Emrey Manor. She couldn't see through the veil of the night, making it difficult to put a face to the voice, though she could barely see a shape beginning to form.

Lucinda stepped closer to the figure emerging from the darkness, and was surprised to find a blonde man who she couldn't recall the name of — the son of the Anglican Pastor who had attempted to kill her on multiple occasions — standing weak and pale and bleeding.

"What do you want with me, child," she scoffed, not once lowering her hands. He stepped closer and all of Lucinda's muscles tensed, preparing to either curse him or use a spell, she wasn't sure which yet.

He held his arms up shakily, as if he were surrendering, and stumbled forwards another few steps, his eyelids drooping as he let out a quiet whimper of pain and clutched his right wrist.

"My name is Carlisle Cullen, and I am in need of your help."