Lumiere

My eyes fell on Levi and his companions as I stepped into the ornate room. The view was stunning from the enormous glass walls, massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the tables were adorned with red and gold flowers. A bit too extravagant for my taste, but Levi had always liked red. 

 "Lumiere, my friend!" he exclaimed, taking a step forward with outstretched arms. 

 "Levi," I replied politely as we exchanged cheek kisses and pleasantries. 

 "Take a glass of champagne, sit with me," he offered, and I accepted his suggestion with ease. He led the way to two elegant armchairs set slightly apart, offering a view of the entire racetrack. "So, tell me why you're here." 

 I chuckled and sipped the bubbly drink. "You already know." 

 "Does he know you're here?" I raised an eyebrow, "Don't you think higher of me? Do you usually discuss your plans with those you're about to betray?" 

 Levi chuckled, "Touché." 

 "I'm here because our dear watchmaker has developed a touch of hubris, I'm afraid, just like his creator," I added, scrutinizing Levi. 

 "Perhaps it's hereditary?" he joked, returning my scrutiny in kind. "So you want to take his place?" 

 "For everyone's sake." 

 He smiled slyly, "Of course." 

 I took another sip of champagne and reached for the list of horses competing in today's event. "But I need your help." 

 Levi turned to one of his men, who immediately presented an envelope. "We have discussed."

 "We?" He leaned closer and whispered, "To the right of the horse sculpture stands Prince Frans, and over by the lady in the yellow dress is Valir." 

 I glanced at the two men and, to my surprise, realized they looked completely harmless, more like pampered, courted peacocks who had forgotten their powerful qualities and cared more about fine food and wine than their people. Bitterly, I realized it was Levi I needed to watch out for as he handed me the envelope and stood up. 

 "You have our offer in the envelope, read it carefully, think it through, and enjoy today's festivities. We'll see you at dinner, my friend. Then we want your answer." And with that, he turned on his heel and left me to mingle with the elite of France's vampires. 

I looked around the room; I could get used to a life of caviar and hors d'oeuvres, but I wanted it all to myself. I refused to have to flatter these stupid idiots and imbeciles to gain any form of respect. I planned to scare them into submission instead, grinning maliciously before pulling out my phone and sending a text to Theodor; Everyone is here. 

Enjoy the champagne, idiots, I thought smugly to myself. You won't get a taste of any in Hell.

Clocksworth

I opened the package of Cuban cigars that I had saved for this very day. Carefully, I peeled off the plastic and inhaled the scent of the tobacco leaves before lighting a match and savoring the feel of the cigar between my lips. Soon, I could finally taste the thick smoke filling my mouth. Pure bliss.

We had all heard the explosion from Marianne's bombs, and a few minutes later, our phones rang. Roch's group had taken care of all the survivors outside. Alexander was on his way up to Lumiere to make them believe he was there to protect them. But in reality, he was there to let us in.

I slowly looked up at Belmont, who had taken the phone call from Dominic. He raised his gaze with a smile and slammed the car door shut behind us. "Nico has shut down the lobby, no one is getting out, your orders?"

"Let everyone know who he works for." I took another puff from the cigar. "Then he can start shooting." 

The phone slipped into his pocket, and we began our walk toward the house. It was a long staircase leading up to the main entrance, but we weren't in a hurry. I knew they had control inside. 

"Remember, Belmont, Lu must kill the princes." 

He nodded and unsheathed the weapons he carried.

At the doors, Masson's guys welcomed us and let us into the bloodbath they had just created. I looked around the room; no one had survived, I noted, as I flicked some ash onto a plate of hors d'oeuvres.

"The elevator to the left goes straight up to the lounge, Boss."

I nodded at Nico. "Your guys stay here, but you come with me." Without hesitation, he positioned himself behind me and handed a keycard to Belmont. "Is everyone still up there?"

He nodded, "No one has gotten out."

"And Masson is in there?"

"Oui, Boss."

"Good."

We stepped over bodies and pools of blood that lay in our way to the mirrored elevator. We entered, and the doors closed. Dominic pressed the button for the penthouse, and we slowly began to rise as a ridiculously cheerful melody started playing, and I felt my body sway slightly to the music as I waited.

When the elevator doors opened, all hell broke loose. At my signal, Masson and all the waiters drew their weapons and began firing. Drops of blood flew through the air alongside empty cartridges. Everyone fell to the ground, all except for three princes and Lumiere.

I looked around and met Levi's smile. A smile that sent chills down my spine. It was too easy. Everything had gone too smoothly. Damn it, it was a trap. I cast a glance back at Bel and saw that he was thinking the same thing.

"Clocksworth!" Levi exclaimed softly, "welcome to our little gathering."

Before I could react, thick red velvet curtains were drawn across the windows, and the room became almost pitch black. Shortly after, a hissing sound came from the floor, and I felt Belmont gripping my shoulder tightly. 

"Les Affamés," he gasped as I cursed the whole damn world and this version of some sick déjà vu experience.

Around us, the downed bodies began to come to life, in a new form. Belmont was right;  but I couldn't help but be impressed by Levi's plan. He must have hired every scum he could find off the street and dressed them in expensive clothes, knowing they would transform if they became damaged enough after a night of blood drinking and an open bar.

 He had created himself an army.

"I see you've been inspired by Calvos," I muttered.

"Calvos?" He laughed. "That idiot had not an ounce of leadership in him. Do you really think it was he who made Anthony give up?"

I took one last deep drag from my cigar and enjoyed the scratchy feeling in my throat. "So it was you?"

"Of course."

"And the other princes?"

"Have you ever seen them, Clocksworth? Have you ever heard of their exploits?"

I sighed heavily and flicked the ash onto a newly awakened monster crawling on the floor. "So there are no others," I concluded.

He tilted his head and raised his glass of champagne. "Just you and me, dear friend, just you and me."

"Great," I muttered, glancing over at Lumiere, who stood a bit behind him, seething with anger. 

The floor was moving with disgusting creatures being born right in front of us, and he was far from me. There wasn't much I could do now.

"What do we do, boss?" I heard Dominic whisper with a hint of panic to Belmont, who stood behind me.

I turned around quickly and shoved them hard into the elevator, pressing the green button marked E and hissed, "Get everyone up here!"

"There's no reason to panic," Levi chuckled, "I have a proposal."

I slowly turned back and raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"We team up."

"You and me?"

He laughed at my skeptical tone. "Why not, my friend? We are alike, you and I."

Lumiere must have realized that I was actually considering the proposal, but his reaction was as surprising to me as it was to Levi. The vampire's words must have been the last straw for him. In a flash, he picked up a large heavy horse statuette made of gold and threw it with all his might straight at Levi's head. 

I watched in surprise as he fell to the floor. So unexpected, I thought, before I whipped a silver-bladed knife out of my inner pocket and threw it to Lumiere. Skillfully, he caught it in midair and immediately dropped to his knees beside the dazed Levi, who was trying to get back on his feet despite the large gaping wound in his skull. The blade sank easily through his clothes and straight into the prince's heart. Just like Anthony, he suddenly went up in smoke.

In wild panic, I threw myself backward, far from the chance of being pierced by even more princes wanting to live through someone else. 

The elevator door opened, and emergency exits opened with it. A few seconds later, Roch, Marianne, Dominic, and Belmont stormed into the room along with the rest of their teams. 

It was a massacre. But I saw none of it; my eyes were completely fixated on Lumiere, who rose from the floor with a satisfied smile on his lips. It had worked.

Belmont

It was over. 

I was so incredibly relieved, and I couldn't stop smiling. No one would mess with us anymore. No one would dare. We were royalty now!

Lumiere had proven that he was truly on our side. There were no doubts left, and we were the family I had always wished we could become. We had killed Levi, and Lumiere had gotten what he wanted with our help. Or rather, with Clocksworth's help. He was the brains, the heart, and the inspiration behind all of this.

I glanced at him. He was deep in thought and didn't seem nearly as happy as I was. However, there was still one small problem, which was probably why he wasn't relaxing. The princes were dead, but their closest friends were still alive. They had no idea about Levi's plan to trick us and would surely be quite surprised when Lumiere crowned himself king of all France. 

That was his problem now, and nothing we needed to worry about."Cheers to King Lumiere," I laughed, lying sprawled in bed with a bottle of champagne in one hand and a blood bag in the other, "and cheers to Queen Marianne!"

"He got what he wanted," Clock smiled as he sat looking out the window. "He usually does."

"Has it always been his dream?"

He shrugged. "Probably, he's always thirsted for respect."

"But not you."

He turned to me, and I sat up in bed. We were both exhausted from everything that had happened and the big party we had afterward. The whole next day was spent in bed, with most of Clock's whiskey supply brought up to the room. "I've never demanded respect."

"But you've always gotten it anyway," I replied.

He shrugged. "Not always."

"Power then?"

He sighed. "Power was Anthony's desire; if Lumiere is smart, he should stay away from that kind of lust."

"Like becoming the king of all vampires in France," I teased, and he chuckled.

"Mmm," he agreed, "like becoming king of all fucking France."

I got out of bed and went to wrap my arms around his neck, seeking his eye contact. "You know they would rather have you as king."

"King is an unflattering job," he grinned, "and they are often cruel and nasty."

"Do you have a lot of experience in that area?" I laughed. He nodded slowly with a much more serious expression. "But you would have been different."

He looked up at me with tired eyes. "But I don't it."

With a sigh, I realized he wasn't in a joking mood at all, so instead, I leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I know." I felt his arms around me and his forehead resting heavily on my shoulder. "We're free now, Theo; we can do whatever the hell we want!"

I felt his body tense slightly but knew he had been working like a beast for months; of course, he should be completely worn out now that it was finally over. It must be such a fucking anticlimax when you fight so hard for something and then it's over, I thought as I admired the man I held in my arms. The man who always smelled of cigar smoke, always looked at me with the most loving gaze, and always thought of everyone else before himself.

I brushed my thumb against his chin and tilted his head up slightly so I could see into those beautiful chestnut-brown eyes. "This is just the beginning, Tick-Tock; we have hundreds of years ahead of us," I smiled and pressed my lips against his in a tender kiss full of hope and future plans.

We fell asleep in each other's arms that night, tired but content with what we had accomplished, and when I woke up, I looked forward to what we would talk about, what plans we would make.

My hand searched for his warm body, but he was no longer there. I opened my eyes and looked around the room; it was empty. I stretched and yawned widely, thinking a proper breakfast was in order as I got out of bed.It was then I found the note on my nightstand. I fell back onto the bed like a stone, staring down at the letter in my hands, bewildered. 

It couldn't be. I read it once, twice, a third time. A fourth. A tenth.

The words remained; nothing changed. Even if I read them over and over again, it said the same thing.

I'm sorry, Belmont. I had to go.

He just left? Without saying anything? I didn't understand. He had left me here? I felt completely empty inside, like a shell without feelings. He had left without me! Rage began to brew somewhere deep within.

I stared at the note again, Forgive me!? How the hell was I supposed to forgive him?! The anger dissipated, and tears began to stream down my cheeks as sorrow and the feeling of being betrayed washed over me like a tsunami. My heart shattered, and it felt like a thousand shards of glass slowly cut through my body.

Alone. I was alone again.