Chapter 24: The Lullaby in the Dark
The halls of the Ainsley estate had a strange stillness at night. Not the peaceful kind that wrapped gently around one's shoulders—but something colder, heavier, like the air held its breath while waiting for something unspoken to arrive.
Eva lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her hands fidgeted under the sheets, tracing the hem of her nightgown. She had stopped counting the seconds after reaching two hundred. The room, usually warm and full of light during the day, now felt unfamiliar in the darkness. Her mind replayed her papa's voice from earlier that day, each word more confusing than the last.
"You're not just any child, Eva… there are bloodlines that change the world, and you—"
He had stopped himself then. He always did. Leaving the rest hanging in the air like an unfinished story.
She turned her head and looked toward the window. Beyond it, the moon was thin and high, like a silver thread stitching the sky. She didn't understand why her papa had become so strange lately. Mama still smiled at her, still kissed her on the forehead, still called her "darling one" with that soft look in her eyes. But papa…
He was there. But not really.
And worse, she had started to feel like maybe—maybe it was her fault.
She slipped out of bed.
She wasn't even sure when she decided to leave her room. But her feet knew where to go before she could question it. Down the hall, around the corner. Past her mother's study door, gently closed, past the grand staircase and the long corridor that led to the east wing.
Vivienne's room.
The door was slightly open, a soft amber glow seeping out into the hallway like a secret waiting to be told.
Eva hesitated only a second before slipping in.
Vivienne was curled up on the settee beneath the tall window, a book resting against her knees. Her white robe hung loosely over her shoulders, and her dark hair was braided back in a lazy twist. She looked up immediately, her violet eyes widening in gentle surprise.
"Little one," she said softly, setting the book aside. "Couldn't sleep?"
Eva shook her head and stepped closer. "I… had weird thoughts."
Vivienne patted the cushion beside her. "Come here."
Eva didn't need a second invitation. She crawled up beside her aunt and curled into her side. Vivienne's arm wrapped around her immediately, warm and protective.
After a moment, Eva whispered, "Papa said something weird again today."
Vivienne's hand stilled for a beat before resuming its soothing circles across her back. "What did he say?"
"He talked about gods. And bloodlines. And how people are scared of me." Eva's voice grew quieter. "Am I scary?"
Vivienne kissed her crown gently. "No, starlight. But you're… special. And sometimes, people don't know what to do with something rare."
Eva sat up a little. "But why talk about gods? That's just myth stuff, right?"
Vivienne looked down at her, a thoughtful glimmer in her gaze. "Sometimes, myths are just truths that got buried in poetry."
"That doesn't make sense," Eva said, frowning. "He said I could either make the world better or destroy everything. That's silly. I'm just a girl."
Vivienne gave a low hum. "There's an old lullaby," she said after a moment, as if changing the subject. "My mother sang it to me when I was small. Want to hear it?"
Eva nodded eagerly, scooting even closer.
Vivienne's voice dropped into a smooth rhythm, deep and calm like water over stones:
"Daughter of moonlight, born without shame,
Half of the hunger, half of the flame.
Goddess of war gave a whisper, a sigh,
And a mortal succubus reached for the sky.
With blood of a queen and the kiss of the night,
She danced with a vampire under starlight.
Three bloods entwined in a cradle of fate,
A child was born to open the gate.
Whether the gate leads to glory or doom,
Depends on the song that the child will tune.
Will she be fury or will she be grace?
Will fire burn or love take its place?"
Eva blinked, wide-eyed. "That's a weird lullaby."
Vivienne chuckled softly. "It is. But it's also beautiful, isn't it?"
"It rhymes." Eva thought for a moment. "Was the child real?"
Vivienne didn't answer directly. She tucked a curl behind Eva's ear and said gently, "Some children are born to write their own lullabies."
Eva furrowed her brow, trying to make sense of it. "I still don't get it."
Vivienne drew her into her lap, stroking her back. "That's alright, little bird. You're not supposed to understand everything yet."
"But Papa talks like I'm… supposed to save or ruin everything." Her voice broke a little. "I didn't ask for that."
Vivienne's arms tightened around her. "And you don't have to carry it alone. You never will."
Eva leaned her head against her chest and was quiet for a while. "Aunt Vivi?"
"Yes, darling?"
"If I become bad… would you still love me?"
Vivienne's eyes burned for a second before she kissed her forehead. "I would love you in every version of yourself. Always."
Eva's eyes fluttered shut.
The door creaked softly behind them, and Evelyn's silhouette stood in the frame, eyes filled with surprise and quiet warmth.
Eva opened her eyes sleepily. "Mama?"
Evelyn stepped in. "You weren't in your room. I was worried."
"Can I sleep here?" Eva mumbled. "With Aunt Vivi too?"
Vivienne looked at Evelyn with the barest smile. "There's room."
Evelyn crossed the room, knelt beside the settee, and brushed her fingers through Eva's hair. "Of course, my love."
As Eva nestled between the two women, her mother and the woman she called "Aunt Vivi," sleep finally came. Outside the moon crept higher, watching them in their fragile cocoon of truth and secrets, lullabies and love.
But in the dark corners of the estate, Reginald sat awake with an ancient book in his lap—its pages inked with stories that were never meant to be read aloud.
And Eva's dreams, that night, were not silent.