Eternal Night

(II) Chapter 8: Tempest Hambly

Frankie's personal preparations before an interview had become nearly ritualistic in nature. In addition to the countless hours of research, study, and those long walks she'd take during the daylight hours when rest evaded her, it was the time spent in meditation the day of that proved the most beneficial. That distraction-free hour of absolute silence not only granted her the chance to mentally review all she had learned – organizing thoughts, questions, and impressions – it also provided an opportunity to mentally and even emotionally prepare herself for the task ahead.

Interviewing a stranger was easy. Questions to ask were always prepared in advance and being well-over four centuries old practically guaranteed her ability to maintain a conversation with just about anyone. It was the taking on of the life-memories of another person, however – particularly when that individual happened to be immortal – that proved the burden; especially for someone as damaged as Frankie.

Learning how to manage the lifetimes of others had been a struggle after she had discovered her unusual gift, shortly after being marked by Mariella Bernardini. Despite the initial challenge, though, she had risen to the occasion, learning how to cope with and, more importantly, how to control and use her gift for good.

But when Marcus Augustine had wreaked havoc on her mental, emotional, and even physical wellbeing, he had undone decades of hard work, leaving her to manage the lingering side effects even to this day. The personal cost to Frankie had been far-reaching, Augustine's evil rippling and tainting nearly every aspect of her life. Yet, despite the oft unseen scarring she sustained, it had been the art of self-mastery that had aided her in reclaiming control over her life. Meditation allowed her to better prepare for those instances when she would not have as much control as she would have preferred, and, historically speaking, it helped to quiet the anxieties of her mind more effectively than anything else she had come across.

It had been trial and error, of course.

The last four times she had conducted interviews with the Dracul Sânge in particular, something hadn't gone according to plan in one way or another; but this time would be different.

Frankie had had over eight months to plan and prepare for her interview with Tempest Hambly – eight months of study, rumination and pondering, the meticulous review and re-reviewing of the previous interviews with the four elder siblings. Drawing connections, creating timelines, putting the pieces of the very intricate puzzle together, all while being more diligent in feeding so she could keep her strength up, minimizing the risk of succumbing to blood-rage after she would absorb Tempest's memories.

Yes, for the first time since she had begun this series of interviews with the children of her intended, Frankie Chase found herself void of fear or anxiety when it came to the scheduled events of the evening. If anything, she was looking forward to them.

She left her parked vehicle in its usual place in the south side, climbing out of the car with a smile when she noticed Tristan waiting for her at the end of the alley that would take them underground.

He was leaning against the old brickwork, his familiar grin a welcoming sight.

"Am I late?" she asked, knowing perfectly well she was actually early. The werewolf's smirk broadened.

"I always had the impression that it was physically impossible for you to be tardy for anything," he stated with a meaningful look as she made her way over to him.

"I just wasn't expecting to be escorted by royalty," she mocked with a sly grin and a little bow of her head, making him laugh.

"My brother-in-law actually wanted to be the one to wait for you, but convincing Isabella that it was safer for him to stay underground with everyone else proved far too easy," Tristan explained.