Claimed

✴️3. Sillage✴️

French. N. The scent that lingers in the air, the trail left in the water, the impression made in space after someone has been and gone, the trace of someone's perfume.

*****************************

Amon Perceval

"Why?" John demanded, slamming his glass down on the bar.  The fragile material shattered beneath his hand.

I rolled my eyes.  "Relax, I didn't hurt a single pretty hair on her little head."

John picked up the glass and threw the remnants of it at the wall behind my head.  His veins popped out of his neck as he shouted, "This isn't a game Amon!"

I moaned in irritation.  "Brother, please.  I haven't the mood for your lectures this morning." He clenched his jaw tightly and narrowed his dark blue eyes.  "I won't hurt her.  Not yet at least." I added with vigor.

John leapt over the bar and sped to my location before I could blink.  His forearm shoved me back hard and held me in place against the wall.  The mirror behind me cracked and I found myself unable to hide a smile at his gaul.  "You know I can't let you hurt her.  If it's fresh blood you want then just step outside.  This city is crawling with people that won't be missed.  But Amon, I cannot let you kill someone like her." He let me go and stepped back, straightening his shirt.  "Her parents are famous.  She's practically famous.  You can't mess around with someone like that."

"On the contrary brother, I plan to mess around with her in every way imaginable." I tilted my head, admiring myself in the mirror behind the bar. 

"Amon, there are so many women that would kill to be the object of your desire.  Why her?" He pleaded with me in a feable attempt.

I looked away from the mirror and back into his eyes.  "Did you not smell her?" I furrowed my brows, confused why he wasn't as obsessed as I was.  "It was..."

"Intoxicating, yes I know.  But have some self control.  For the good of our family, I implore you not to pursue this woman." John went back to the bar to clean up the glass shards.

It amused me how much he wanted to make me more like him.  More controlled, more humble, more boring.  But I wasn't like him.  "Of course brother.  If it helps you rest easier, I will forget all about her."

He eyed me suspiciously.  "Just like that?" He queried.

"Just like that." I shrugged, giving him an innocent look.  "What? You don't believe me?" I feigned a hurt expression.

"You've never given me a reason to believe you in the past." He glared.

"Well you have my word.  The girl will be safe.  I won't kill her." I didn't give him a chance to accept my promise.  John would have deemed it not good enough, for it wasn't.  I had no intentions of not pursing Miss James.  Her blood smelled sweeter than anything else I'd ever been around in all my years.  Only two others had crossed my path with that scent.  The first I had ripped into without hesitation.  It was just a man in his early twenties, but his blood was ethereal to taste.

Sixty years ago I met a similar person.  A woman, with blood that I could smell from miles away.  I wanted so badly to drain her of it, but when I found her I couldn't.  She was beautiful, one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.  I seduced her that day and had my way with her.  It wasn't until a month later that I realized what made her so special, why her blood called to me like a beacon.

"Amon?" Marie rose from her chair in the corner of her room.

"Marie, I need a favor.  And I need this favor to stay between us." I toyed with a China doll on her dresser.

She snatched the doll away and set it gently down on her bed.  "Sneaking around again?  I'm guessing John wouldn't like what you're doing." Her big brown eyes shined under the florescent lighting.

"That isn't your concern.  This is." I put a strand of brunette hair in the palm of her hand.

"What is this?" She crinkled her nose at the stranger's hair.

"I need you to do a spell on this.  I want to locate the woman this belongs to.  I'll be back tonight to get the information, and Marie," she looked back up at me and I flashed my yellowing irises in warning, "this is between us.  No one else need know."

She gulped and nodded, tucking the strand of hair under her music box.  I left without thanks, it was her job.  I knew she'd have it done for me and then I could busy myself with some fresh entertainment.

"Amon!" I moaned and slumped my body against the hallway at the sound of my sister.

"Claire." I turned, forcing a smile to my face.

Her full lips were pressed together in a disapproving manner.  "Is it true?" Her arms crossed over her chest.  It was like having my mother around, constantly.

I lifted my arms innocently.  "You'll have to be more specific than that I'm afraid."

She scoffed and pushed a manicured hand into my chest.  "Don't act stupid, brother.  John tells me you fancy a woman, a famous one at that.  Please tell me she's nothing more to you than a quick lay and you aren't actually considering draining her." She folded her arms again and glared.

I smiled deviously, "Now why would you think I'd ever do a thing like that?"

"Because I know you.  I know that evil little heart like it's the back of my hand." She seethed.

"Sister, you wound me." I mocked a knife in my heart and pouted.  "I'll admit, it did cross my mind to bleed her dry, but then I thought what a waste that would be."

"So you'll leave her alone then? I don't think our family could survive such a public tragedy as that would bring.  We'd be hunted like dogs." Claire lowered her arms, a look of worry replacing her anger.  Her fingers twirled a lock of dark hair around while a scowl settled on her delicate features.  The patch of freckles over her nose wrinkled as her face scrunched in disdain.

"As I told John, I won't kill her.  I'm well aware of the repercussions it would have on our family." I spoke truthfully.  She gave me the same hesitant stare that John had.

"For our sake, I hope you're telling the truth." She flipped her black hair over her shoulder and strode off down the hallway.

"Little bitch." I muttered below my breath.  I hated being treated like an impulsive child by my siblings.  They always thought they knew best, that they had the upper hand.  But they forgot that I've been and always will  be more powerful than all of them.

"It's done." The small, frail voice of the young witch broke me from my trance. She pushed a piece of paper my hand with the location of her whereabouts scrawled on it.

"Excellent." A smug smile curled my lips.  I crumpled the paper and tossed it behind me. 

Marie dove for it and tried to salvage the note.  "I thought you needed this." She complained.

I laughed darkly at my luck.  "So did I.  But this will be easier than I thought.  What fun I'll get to have soon."