The Crest

                                    

                                          

P.O.V: Lillian
I didn't need to be Upir to smell the blood which now coated one of our walls. It slowly dripped to the floor as we stared at it in shock, it wasn't the blood which terrified me, it was the image it made. I knew the symbol well, I had seen it multiple times by now, but seeing it emblazoned in our home in human blood was chilling.
The Godfrey family crest was painted on the lounge wall, it was clearly a gruesome message, and I could tell that it affected Roman most, this was suddenly even more personal than before.
"It was them, I can smell it." Roman's voice was monotonous as he said it, he and Peter still stood transfixed on the sight before them as I caught a glimpse of something in the back yard. 
"Oh god..." I said softly as I turned Nadia's head away from the scene which lay before us. A young mans naked body laid on our veranda, the skin on his back was flayed to look like an angels wings. It was a sickening sight and I had to force myself to not be sick all over the floor. "R-Roman." I said softly trying to get his attention without scaring Nadia. 
"What is it?" He asked as he walked over slowly, he stopped dead in his tracks as he caught sight of the body. "Fuck." He said softly as he ran his hand through his hair, he was clearly trying to figure out what to do.
"Should we call the police?" I asked softly, Roman practically bit my head off as he vehemently said no.
"Getting the police out here is going to create too many questions, we are going to have to move the body." He said seriously and I paled as he said it. 
"That's a crime Roman, moving a body is illegal!" I interjected and he glared down at me as I said it.
"And killing dozens of Dhampir isn't? Lillian we have to protect ourselves too!" He said softly, I felt my hands shaking slightly as I held Nadia closer to my chest.
"Y-you two go and move the body, I-I'll clean up here." I stuttered as I glanced down at Nadia and placed a small kiss on her forehead. 
"Are you sure you'll be okay here?" Roman asked and I nodded, there was no way in hell that I was helping them move that body. "I'll go get dressed, Peter call Destiny to come and be here with Lillian." Roman instructed as he headed upstairs quickly. He returned five minutes later as he pulled a black trench coat on over his black jeans and black button down, I mentally kicked myself for noticing how attractive he looked in the outfit.  
The knock at the door made my heart skip a beat, Roman walked over and let Destiny in. She was about to undoubtedly moan about being woken up in the middle of the night, but as soon as she saw the sight in front of her she shut up. 
Roman walked over and wrapped his arm around me gently.
"Are you sure you'll be okay here?" He asked softly and I nodded mutely as I handed Nadia to Destiny so I could go find some bleach and other cleaning materials to start mopping up the mess. The Godfrey crest was just barely visible as the blood dripped down the wall.
I heard Peter and Roman disappear into the back yard then, I tried my hardest to not look at what the were doing, I didn't think I could stomach it. Instead I started to wipe off the wall, just keeping my focus on the task at hand and not on the fact that my best friend and boy friend were committing a federal crime. 
                          
P.O.V: Roman
                          
I felt bad for leaving Lillian, but we had to move this body as soon as we possibly could. He had been cumbersome to get into the back of the G class, but we had eventually succeeded. 
"I can't believe we are fucking doing this again." Peter sighed as he shakily lit a cigarette. 
"I think we need something stronger than that." I said softly as I glanced in my rearview mirror to ensure that the body was still covered. 
"I got you." Peter said as he stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray and pulled a joint from his pocket and lit it. He took a long hard drag before handing it over to me, I followed suit and held the smoke in my lungs for a second before blowing it out of the side of my mouth.
"This is fucking crazy." I sighed as I sped towards he town border. 
"You think? I honestly just wish that we could have a normal fucking life! I want you me, Lil, and Destiny to be able to have a normal night in, or throw a party and get black out drunk because we want to, not because we have to to forget all this shit." 
"I know exactly what you mean." I said as I reached out and took the joint from him again, as I did though I heard the wail of the sirens behind me and I cussed to myself as I pulled over.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Peter asked under his breath as I quickly put the joint out and slid the ashtray closed. 
"I can't run from the police, they know exactly who it is in this car, the fucking registration is literally my name." I sighed, I knew that I should have taken Destiny's old fucked up station wagon. 
"We have a dead body in the boot Roman." He said seriously and I sighed as I ran my hand through my hair and wound down the window trying to get rid of some of the smoke.
The Sherif got out of his car then and slowly started to walk over, he turned his flashlight on and I just prayed that he didn't look in through the tinted windows. 
"Good evening Mr. Godfrey." He said before he reached my window, as soon as he arrived beside me he scrunched his nose up slightly. "I see you've been partaking in something more than just cigarettes this evening." He said seriously, I gave him a small smile as I nodded.
"I have a prescription." I stated and he raised an eyebrow.
"Anyone that can corroborate that?" He asked.
"Dr. Johan Pryce, I get the worst fucking headaches, they're practically debilitating." I said trying to cover my own ass. 
"And what is Mr. Rumancek's story? Does he have severe period cramps or something?" He asked with a entirely straight face.
"He just has a dopey face, he hasn't had any, I assure you." I said seriously and he sighed as he stepped back and surveyed my car.
"Where are you heading in such a hurry?" He asked, this time I found myself slightly lost for words.
"We are heading into Newfolk County for the night, we're heading over there to celebrate." I said trying to be as nonchalant as possible. 
"And what is the towns golden boy celebrating tonight?" He asked seriously as he folded his arms slowly.
"We are launching our new nanotechnology next week Monday, I was just taking a friend with me to go take a much needed break." I smiled slightly, the sheriffs face changed slightly then.
"I doubt you know this Godfrey, but you paid for my daughters surgery last month. You gave her a new lease on life, and what your girlfriend said today was true, you're the best thing that has happened to that institute in a long time. Just take it easy okay? Newfolk isn't going anywhere." He said and gave me a two finger salute before slowly walking back over to his car, he got in and made a quick u-turn before heading back towards town. 
"You have got to be shitting me, you actually did something good which saved our asses for once." Peter said and I glared at him as I pulled away quickly. "Why didn't you just use your fucking creepy eyes." He asked seriously.
"If you don't shut up I'll use them on you and you'll walk back to town clucking like a fucking chicken." I said and he packed out laughing, I knew it had more to do with the weed than anything because eventually I started to laugh too.
"God." Peter scoffed as he tried to calm himself down. "Has it ever occurred to you how fucked up we are?" He sniffed as he took the joint out of the ashtray and stuffed it back into his pocket.
"Every single day." I said seriously as I turned down an old abandoned dirt road which had originally been used for mining way back in the day. I drove down the road a bit before I eventually parked beside a ditch and glanced over my shoulder at the body in the boot. "This'll do." I sighed as I slowly got out, Peter followed suit and proceeded to open the boot for us.
"I've got feet." He called and I rolled my eyes as I grabbed the naked man under his armpits, we wanted to make this look as haphazard as possible so we just tossed him into the ditch. I slowly peeled my gloves off and sighed as I stared down at him sadly.
"Do you think it'll ever change?" I asked as Peter tossed his gloved into the boot.
"I want to say yes, but I really don't think so." He sighed. 
"Fuck." I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. "All I want is a bit of calm, ever since I turned seventeen this town has practically been destroying my soul bit by bit. I had an offer the other day to merge the institute with another large biotech firm out in Chicago, right now I'm actually considering it." 
"You're thinking of giving up the tower?" Peter asked seriously and I nodded slowly. "Roman that'll have a huge effect on this town man, the tower is the number one employer, not to mention that this is one of the only things you're actually good at." He said seriously, there was truth in what he said but that didn't stop me from glaring at him. 
"Lets just get the fuck away from here." I sighed and Peter nodded as he got into the car hastily.
"You think we should stay the night in Newfolk just for incase the sherif gets nosy?" My initial instinct was to say no, but the more I thought about it the more dodgy this seemed if we didn't.
"Let's go get shit faced in Newfolk, I'll text Lillian first though." I said seriously as I pulled my phone out and told siri to text Lillian what was happening. Her reply came in quickly after that, she didn't seem overly enthused at the prospect of staying home without me, but it'd just have to do.
We continued on across the town boarder, I stopped at one of the nicer hotels and booked the penthouse for Peter and I. The more people who saw us around town the better, so we decided to leave the car in the garage and walk into the town centre. Unlike Hemlock this place was pumping at this time of night, it had a lot to do with the University being nearby. 
There were a lot of tipsy girls walking around, and Peter and I got quite a few interesting looks from some of them. 
"Why didn't we get looked at like this when we were in high school?" Peter asked as he led me towards a bar which was buzzing with people.
"I think it had something to do with the fact that people thought you were a werewolf, and for the record I did get looked at like this." I winked as we headed inside, we had to practically fight our way towards the bar and people were stubborn to say the least.
The bartender took five minutes before he made his way around to us, I set my credit card on the counter and asked him to open a tab as Peter and I both ordered three shots. 
"Are you actually going to let Lil come with us when we go?" Peter half yelled over the din, I sighed as he asked and shrugged. 
"I think she's way too stubborn to listen to me." I said seriously as I downed my second shot and set it down on the counter with a clunk.
"I think your right, woman like her and Destiny are infuriating." He sighed as he finished his shots and ordered another three rounds. 
"You've got that right, but can we live without them? No." Peter chuckled as I said it and handed me a shot.
"You're falling behind Godfrey." He smirked, I rolled my eyes as I took the shot glass from him and downed it. 
After our rounds were finished we went onto our drinks of choice, Peter got a craft beer and I ordered a Chiva's on ice. I leaned back and sighed, I felt the slight effects of the tequila cloud the peripheries of my vision, but I was still good. 
As I looked back to my left though I noted that Peter was gone and his seat had been taken by a petite blonde. I glanced around and saw him on the dance floor with a red head who looked a little too much like Destiny for my comfort.
"You and your friend seem to be here on a mission." The blonde commented as she indicated to our discarded shot glasses.
"Just unwinding." I shrugged as I finished my whiskey and went to get up, as I did she laid her hand on my forearm.
"You get up now your girlfriend will die a slow painful death while your daughter watches on. Sit down Roman and listen to me, okay." Her voice was scarily calm as I begrudgingly listened to her, my heart was pounding like a base drum as I sat and glared at her.
"What the fuck do you want Delphine?" I spat as she glared at me.
"Your mother might have put up with you calling her by her first name, but I am not like your mother. I demand respect, it's either Aunt Delphine, or Mrs Wuornos." She said seriously and I rolled my eyes as she said it.
"You get to choose between Delphine, or bitch face, thats all you're entitled to in my opinion, so choose wisely." I said as I ordered another glass of whiskey.
"Tread carefully Roman, my children are hungry and your girlfriend is particularly mouth watering." She said as she ordered a glass on wine on my tab.
"What do you want?" I asked again, I didn't have time for her shit.
"I want you to come home with me Roman, you're so much better than all of this. You deserve to be sitting upon a thrown, and I have your followers waiting." She smirked as she lit a cigarette and leaned back as she looked at me cooly.
"I don't want a fucking thrown Delphine." I said through gritted teeth and she leaned forward slowly.
"You're lying, that's all you've ever wanted Roman ever since you were born. Your mother ensured that you'd get some kind of status, but it is nothing compared to what you can be. You can rule this town, we've already introduced the fear, all you need to do now is swing the axe and they'll be cowering at your feet." Her smirk was sickening and all I wanted was to slap it off of her face, but I had to remain calm for Lillian's sake.
"You're delusional Delphine, that is not how life works." 
"Oh Roman, you have no idea do you. This is what our family have been doing for centuries, we were rulers before those wolf bastards came and took it all away from us." She said and glared at Peter who stood dancing with the red head. 
"There is no way in hell that I will ever come with you." I said bitterly as I started to stand again.
"You'll have no choice eventually my dear nephew, you'll come crawling back to me when anyone you've ever loved is dead at your feet. You're pathetic like that, you cannot be alone, you always need constant affirmation from those around you, you crave it, and I can give it to you." She smiled exposing her fangs, I had to urge every fibre of my being to not wrap my hands around her throat then and there.
"F-fuck you." I slurred as I stood and had to steady myself against the bar as the room spun. "W-What have you done to me?" I managed to force out as the room started to close in on me, I noticed two large men walk to her side then.
"I'll see you soon Roman." She smiled as she kissed my brow before disappearing from my limited line of sight.
The two men lifted me up then and proceeded to carry me from the bar, everything from there was a blur.