Vincent, We aren't at Scott Manor Anymore. [Onyx]

The manor was uncharacteristically silent. It took me awhile to notice the absence of yelling, crying, and other general sounds of pain that always seem to echo through this house. I was reading a very interesting tome with dusty yellow pages when the ringing silence priced my concentration. I look up from the text and listen hard; nothing. Not a sound. Not even Maximus, the new baby boy, cried. I sat up in my chair, and set the book aside, curious and a little disturbed at what I was hearing, or rather, not hearing. In this house, there is always an undercurrent of noise. Phoebus running around with his rat, scarring the help; Penelope singing in her high, clear voice; Helena cursing boisterously, drunk off her ass; and Mama above it all yelling as her kids, or yelling at the help, or yelling just to yell. Noise meant people were alive. Silence… Well. I feared someone was dead.

I walk over to my bedroom door and ease it open, sticking my head out to test the waters. I saw nothing out of sort. A maid, Mandy I think, turns the corner and start toward me. When she sees me, she freezes. All the maids were wary of me. I give her my trademark wolf’s grin and step fully into the hallway. “Hello, My dear Mandy!” I say with false brightness. Her face turns a shade of red. “My name is Susan.” Anger cracks through me like a whip. I snarl. “You are nothing but a maid; I don’t care what your fucking name is. If I call you Mandy, then your fucking name is Mandy! Understand?!” I approach her in order to intimidate her all the better. “Yes sir!” She squeaks, and jumps back. I feel slightly annoyed that she doesn’t stand up to me, that she was so quick to cower. I back down. “Why do I not hear a chorus of a thousand weeping women and children, accompanied by the symphony of high pitched screams being carried throughout my house?” Susan looks marginally more comfortable now that I’m not towering over her, but mostly she looks confused. “Sir?” I give and exasperated sigh. “My family! Why don’t I hear my dear family making their usual ruckus?” Understanding alights on her face. “Ah yes. They are all down stairs in the family room.” She gives a quick curtsy and scurries away before I can interrogate her further. “Family room?” I say, bewildered. “We have a family room?”

Downstairs, I finally hear sounds of life. Murmured conversations and the tinkling of glasses. I cock my head, and follow the noises to a side room I had barely ever looked at before. Sitting in cozy couches, arranged in a lose circle, was my family. There was a table in the middle of their little powwow, on which they were playing cards. Actually playing cards, with actual smiles on their faces. “What is going on here?” I shout, my voice an octave too high. They whip their heads around to me in unison. My little sister looks somewhat guilty. “We are just playing cards, Adrian.” My mother drawls, laying a card down on the table. “I can see that.” I say harshly, coming further into the room. “Is there a reason why I was not invited to the happy little family meeting?” Penelope looks even guiltier. “Mama said that you are still in a bad mood over Jul-" I stop her mid-word with a snarl. “Do not say that deserter’s name in my presence! He betrayed us all!" My mother rolls her eyes, and clears her throat to signal that she wants to talk, so shut the fuck up. “Adrian, you have been storming around this house sulking ever since your brother ran away. We didn’t think you would like to join us. We were having a good time, until-“ I don’t let her finish either. “Until what, mother? I burdened you all with my presence? I’m sorry that I am showing my face! Excuse me! I was under the impression that I came out of your vagina just like the rest of the demon spawn you have gathered around. I apologize!” Before anyone can say anything, I turn heel and march out of the room. Maybe Julian had the right idea when he left home.

Out in the stables, I approach my high-strung stallion with caution. I wasn’t so angry that I had forgotten that Vincent would sooner bite me than let me ride him. I tack him up, and climb on to his back. I’m barely settled before he takes off. He’s galloping top speed before I can stop him, and by that time all I can do is hold on for dear life. He slows a bit when we enter the forest, but not enough for me to be comfortable. Eventually, he runs himself out and he stops, chest heaving. I breathe a sigh of relief; my heart was probably flying faster than his, from the fright he gave me. He was exercised daily by our groom, but I hadn't taken him out for a ride in a long while. He had a lot of steam to burn. Whoops. “Stupid beast.” I say with affectionately and jump off of him. I look around, searching for one of the many landmarks I had memorized over the years. Nothing jumped out at me. I felt a flash of fear. “Great, you big idiot, you got us lost! I don’t recognize this part of the forest at all!” Julian and I had been through a lot of adventures in the woods surrounding our house, but this looked well outside that territory. My affection for the creature lessened considerably.