Valentina Grimmley was born to a Marquess father and a mother of little bearing. Her family consisted of three brothers and two sisters. Valentina was a well versed, well read, and always made herself to be proper lady in public. Her father sought to make sure his second daughter was well in mind as well as lady like. Her father had high hopes that she or her older sister would come to marry high. While they attended many parties and high society gatherings. Valentina just wanted to enjoy her books and being a well learned woman. Her older sister, Addison, dreamt of the grander lifestyle. Having riches, a fine husband, and being a proper hostess. A proposal came for Valentina in the way of a fine Duke. A man much older than her but still in grandstanding. Valentina wanted none of the man’s ideas of a proper wife. When Valentina spurned him in public the duke decided that she needed to pay. If she had known he was a Duke who knew magic she may have rethought her scorn of the man. Valentina remembers much of the massacre of her family. The evil glint of a smile on the Duke’s face as he made her watch and feel the pain of all the abuse, treated like a common whore. Valentina was thrown to the forest like so much discarded trash.
That was where he resided, the man with no body temp, no heart, and a fine smile. That voice of an angel who complimented her animalistic need to survive, truly the world’s great warrior beauty, and how the world would mourn the loss of such a work of art. He offered her a chance at revenge, at a new life, at the ability to be better than she had been. Valentina took the offer like a fish to water. She gave herself over to the darkness. To embrace the truth of death and false rebirth. She was made that night under the New Moon, a hellion siren of death. A vampire who sought vengeance on the man who wronged her. Her sire taught her how to hone her skills, hunt with little mercy, and manipulate strong business men. A true dark beauty she was in all her deathly glory. Her sire enamored and in love with the bloody, dark goddess he had created. Her sire had hoped his little raven would have forgotten her need for vengeance and accept everything he gave her. Sadly, Valentina choose her hate, her need for the Duke’s death over her love for her sire.
Her sire seeing her self-destruction left her with a single rose and a note within her favorite book. He had taught her everything he knew and thus moved on. He would not, could not watch her destroy herself for something so low as vengeance.
When authorities found her they say she was bathing in the blood of the Duke’s family. His family hanging above her while she bathed in their blood, a gruesome smile upon red lips. The Duke had watched in horror while he was nailed to the wall. Large railroad nails went through his biceps, thighs, and phallus. A gruesome sight that left many who saw the scene; full of nightmares.
Valentina of course was taken from the bath, laughing like a mad woman. Somehow Valentina had escaped the capture from the hunters and if you ask her how; you will always get a different story every time. Valentina went on to be cunning, ruthless, and a massed much wealth as a black widow in her many lifetimes. As Vita got older in her vampire age she began to calm down and settle into a normal way of life. Never forgetting that dark side of her but tempering it to the changes that society came with. Technology became a new thing that Vita had to learn to hide from. Then she grasped it and learned how to hone that knowledge. Her love for books became her profession.
Vita works in acquiring rare and hard to obtain books and artwork. A black market dealer more than legit. This is where she met Bernardo fighting over one rare book he refused to part with. Bernardo had won it in an auction ,outbidding Vita for the prize. Vita lost a client over the loss of this book. That day Valentina learned quickly that he would be a rival but also a dear friend.
Having not heard from one of her cluster mates in a long time she goes now to Wailing Rock to learn what happened and possibly make new connections. This is where Vita’s adventure begins.
Great background story.