Allure Of The Night

Music Recommendation: Disintegration- Chromatics

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Marceline sat on the floor with a dumbfounded expression and stared hard at Eve. The vampiress’s perfectly shaped eyebrows deeply furrowed as she tried to make sense of what was going on in front of her.

“You should be the last one to talk about deception, dearest sister,” Vincent replied, with his hands slipping into his trousers pockets. “Doesn’t she have beautiful eyes?”

“What is she dammit!?!” Marceline demanded.

Vincent clicked his tongue and remarked, “You aren’t in the position to demand for answers.”

Marceline continued staring at Eve, and she slowly stood up, before coming to stand in front of the woman, whom until now she had believed to be was a lowly human from a disgusting town. She said, “Heal me. Help me bring my fangs and leg back to me the way you helped Allie! I have suffered enough.”

Eve ignored the vampiress’s words and questioned, “Why did you stab Eugene?”

“I did not stab him. I am telling you the truth, I–“

“If you tell me why, I will try to help you,” Eve wanted Marceline to own up to her actions. The vampiress had done nothing but escape and blame others without taking any responsibility until now.

“Mm, the sound of having a full limb and the fangs does sound enticing, doesn’t it?” Vincent chimed, while he watched the gears in Marceline’s head move.

The vampiress looked back and forth between her brother and Eve. She didn’t want to confess and accept, but knowing Eve could help put her misery to an end, she finally nodded.

Marceline closed her eyes and then said in a low voice, “I stabbed him… I needed a sacrifice and I know I shouldn’t have, but he was right there. Good news is that you saved him in time, and he is alive.” When she tried to smile, she said, “I was rude to you, Eve. I should have–“

“Your heart is darker than what I imagined it to be,” Eve interrupted Marceline, and the vampiress’s smile faltered. “You deserve the life you gave yourself. It wasn’t I, or Vincent or anyone else, but you. You were the one who did it to yourself.”

Marceline gritted her teeth, “I told you I am sorry and you said you would help me! I shouldn’t have hurt you or your servant–“

“My family,” Eve corrected the vampiress.

“Yes, your family. I am really sorry for what I did and I promise to never do anything like that!” There was desperation in Marceline’s voice, but Eve wasn’t fazed by it. Maybe if Eugene wasn’t harmed, she would have thought to overlook the vampiress’s actions, but she couldn’t forgive the woman.

“When I first met you, I thought you were a kind woman,” Eve said to Marceline, who had tears in her eyes. “I thought you were different compared to the other women of high society. You were poised, you cared and it appeared as if you wanted to be of help. But those were all a sham, and the real you is a narcissistic woman, who cannot see anyone happy but yourself. You prey on people’s kindness and manipulate them, using it to benefit you. The only person you care and love is yourself, and no one else. You lost your mother, but you have a family who cares for you, but that was never enough for you. The more I think about it, the more I realise how unhappy you are, because of your own selfishness.”

The tears in Marceline’s eyes spilt out of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks before they fell on the dirty grey floor of the room. She said, “I made a mistake, and I accept it. Everyone makes a mistake, and they get a second chance. Don’t I deserve to make amends for the errors of my ways?” She turned to look at Vincent and said, “I am your sister, Vince. Please don’t do this to me. Please don’t abandon me like how mother left us.”

“She didn’t abandon you. She died protecting one of the people, who never deserved it,” Vincent’s voice grew colder, and Marceline gripped the iron rods of the gate until her hands turned white.

“Are you saying that I don’t deserve to live?” Marceline asked in a low voice. “I was always selfish and self centred from the beginning. But back then you loved and considered me your sister. When did you change, Vince?” More tears started to fill her eyes.

“One of us had to change, Marcie. Unfortunately, you didn’t and I was forced to do it,” Vincent remarked, where he held no sympathy for her. He said, “I still consider you my sister, which is why you are here.”

“You are willing to leave me here in this morbid place and in my terrible condition?” Marceline’s words sounded gentle and pathetic now. She turned to Eve and begged, “Please, Eve. Please, don’t leave me here. You don’t know about the sabbi–“

“We aren’t at the Sabbit,” Vincent watched a look of relief enter Marceline’s features when she heard him utter those words.

Marceline laughed, and it got Eve to question the mental stability of the vampiress. She said, “That’s enough humour for the day, brother. If not Sabbit, are we at the Southern mansion?”

“We are at the House of Purgatory,” Vincent’s eyes held mirth, his lips holding a sliver of amusement when he noticed the remaining blood drain from Marceline’s face.

“No…” Marceline whispered with a look of pure horror. “You are joking… you are, right? TELL ME YOU ARE JOKING!!”

Eve watched Marceline shout and scream at Vincent, but he sighed and murmured, “So loud.”

“Get me out of here! What is wrong with you!” Marceline screeched while her eyes looked livid.

“The more you scream, the more attention you bring yourself,” Vincent told her, and Marceline clenched her jaw.

Marceline had never seen the House of Purgatory, but she had heard plenty of stories about it, enough that had her snicker when she heard during the soirees about people being held there. The place held the most notorious people across the land. The people were disciplined and schooled until they were passable. The funny stories now turned into an utter horror for the vampiress. She had never imagined to end up being one of the occupants here?!

Now that Marceline knew where she was, seeing how Vincent wasn’t joking, she begged, “Please, please, please, please, Vincent! You cannot leave me here! I will go crazy without any of the family. I promise to be good! I don’t want to go to Holy Oak, and will return with you and Eve to Skellington!”

But Vincent clicked his tongue and said, “I told you, didn’t I? That you would change your mind and want to return home. But as your brother, I shall respect your decision.”

Marceline shook her head, “No, Vince, you were right!” She said in haste. “I want to stay with our family. With father, mother, Allie and you, and Eve too! So please, don’t do this to me!” Tears of desperation fell from her eyes. “You were supposed to… look out for me.”

“I am,” Vincent answered, his voice emotionless and his eyes soulless. “You were right. You need some time for yourself, so utilise it well to get better.”

Eve watched Marceline sob, as reality finally started to sink into the vampiress’s head. The vampiress was a crying mess and desperately wanted to get out of the place. She beseeched her brother, “I will never do anything bad. You can kill me next time if I do something, but don’t do this to me. I will die here, Vince!” She then turned her tearful face to look at the mermaid and said, “I will stay away from you and your family. Please…!”

Marceline, who wasn’t scared of Eve until now had turned wary of the woman, after seeing the colour of Eve’s eyes change, not knowing what exactly she was. A werewolf? That explained why the Duke and Lady Anaya were close to her.

“No,” Eve responded with a slight frown, remembering Eugene’s dead body that Rosetta had brought in the carriage to  Meadow. “I have no forgiveness to offer you.”

Eve turned to look at Vincent and said, “I will be in the carriage.”

“Where are you going?!” Marceline demanded, but Eve turned her back on the vampiress and she started to walk away. “Vincent, please, don’t do this to me. I cannot survive here!”

“You will be fine,” Vincent pulled his hands out of his trousers pockets. “You will be living with a similar company as you.”

Marceline sobbed, shaking her head, and said, “Vince, what did I even do that you are putting me here?! I have already begged for forgiveness!”

“That’s the part, isn’t it? That you, my sweet and humble sister, don’t know what you did. I think it is quite perfect and time to humble yourself.” Vincent then pulled one side of his coat, took out an envelope from the inside pocket and stretched it towards Marceline. “This is yours.”

Marceline hadn’t bothered to wipe her cheeks as she only wanted to get out of there. Seeing the old envelope, she asked, “What is this…?” She took it from him through the gaps in the gate.

Vincent knew that Marceline had never bothered to read the letters written by their mother to her, which was why he had withheld one of the envelopes until now. He said, “I will miss you, Marcie.”

“Vincent! Come back!” Marceline shouted as she tugged the iron bars, “Don’t leave me, please!” While Vincent turned around, raising one hand to wave at her and left from there.