I don’t look into Olivia’s mind. I touch the edge of it and feel a viper bite back at me mentally. How am I supposed to read minds when they can just attack me back? I rub my head and pick up the remainder of my coffee that sits beside me. It’s cold, but I don’t mind. I want to make sure my body is full of things Olivia doesn’t like. Should have asked for some garlic to down? I’ve never eaten straight garlic, but I’m sure my breath would send them running even if it wouldn’t actually harm them.
I’m about to peek into the unknown vampire’s head when my door flies open, and Olivia is standing there looking quite pale and pissed. Yep, should not have tried to look into her mind. Before I can utter a word, her hand is in my throat and she is picking me up.
“Never do that again,” she hisses.
I can’t breathe, my hands go to hers, trying to pull them away. She just squeezes tighter.
“You’re here to look into the minds of my guests, do you understand?”
I try to nod my head, but I can barely do that. I see spots in my vision. After forcing me to look into her angry eyes, she drops me on the bed.
“Good, now that we have that out of the way, it is time for you to eat; then we can start preparing,” Olivia says as her voice goes to the soft purring of a kitten. One minute bitch, one minute a lovable kitten with very sharp claws.
I gasp for air, rubbing my throat. I’ve got tears at the corners of my eyes from how hard she squeezed, and I start wiping at them frantically.
“I was just seeing what I could do,” I say between breaths. “I have to see if I can just dip into a vampire’s head. I don’t know how I am going to do it without them slamming their mental shields shut like you did.”
“Oh, sweetie, that’s why I’m getting them drunk,” Olivia says like that should be an obvious thing for me.
I had a feeling. Then another thought consumes me. “No one bites me tonight.” Like I really have a say.
“Of course not, you’re my special guest this evening. You’ll act as a server and be that delicious piece of meat they can’t have. They’ll all want to be near you,” Olivia says.
“And if they do bite me?” I ask.
“Well, you’ll be able to see into their mind better. I won’t let them drain you, they’ll only get a little taste, and will then be kicked out with a few broken bones to show I’m displeased with them. I can also put them in the basement to keep Vincent company if you would prefer. If you do a magnificent job, I’ll even let you torture them,” Olivia offers.
“Can I decide later?”
“Of course. Now come to eat.” She helps me off the bed, and I stumble forward slightly in the shoes, my arms flailing out to keep my balance. Olivia does not look pleased by my inability to navigate the boots gracefully but gritting my teeth I put one foot forward and then another. I follow her out of the room with my shoes clunking to announce my exit. Somehow, I am going to have to master grace before the vampires come in.
I smell the steak in the kitchen, and my stomach growls despite the knots in it. When I peek into one of the many side rooms downstairs and see Charlie with Cara, I freeze. Olivia notes my pause and waits patiently as I take in the scene. Cara has blood trickling down her neck and is in a fit of giggles. Charlie strokes her hair with his new grown hand and smiles fangs at me. Cara is all bones as if it has been several days since she has eaten anything. Her skin and hair are unhealthy.
“Look at how happy she is,” he says.
I want to throw something into that smug face of his.
“Are you feeding her?” I blurt out.
“What?”
“You need to be feeding her if you are going to be keeping her alive,” I snap.
Olivia floats into the room with them. She takes a careful look at Cara’s deteriorating body then smacks Charlie across the face. His head whips to the side, I can see a cut on his lip. He turns to growl at Olivia, but something in her eyes makes him back down. Cara is sobbing.
“Don’t hurt him,” she begs. “And don’t let her hurt him.” She points a shaking finger at me.
“Charlie, you feed the human. Everyday. If you are to keep them, you feed them, or one day they will die while you drink and you’ll be poisoned. I need this one alive. You make sure she takes the proper vitamins, eats, and rests. Then I want you to feed her as much as her body can handle. Your fangs are not to go into her for two nights,” Olivia commands.
“Yes, mistress,” Charlie says, but it’s a snarl. Olivia hits him again. I’m starting to like her a bit more. That could be dangerous, Amy.
“With respect, Charlie, or I will put you down there with Vincent. You’ve always been careless, maybe you should see where carelessness leads you in my kingdom.”
Charlie nods his head, takes up Olivia’s hand, and presses a kiss to it. “I am most sorry, my queen,” he mutters.
Is Olivia a queen? I could see that. I don’t know how old she is, but she is powerful. No one can enthrall like she can. I think of the net of careful webs in Mabel’s head. Mabel is able to make decisions for herself but only certain ones. If Mabel wanted, she had the ability to run away from Olivia, but her devotion to the vampire would keep her here. I wonder if Olivia plans on turning her when she gets bored. Three years is a long time, and Mabel is worried about there being a replacement. Would Mabel become a vampire? Or would Olivia just drain her dry?
Olivia comes to push me out of the room, to follow her into the kitchen where Mabel has cooked two steaks medium rare. They’re large steaks and smell delicious. I take my seat at the table and eat, hoping this meal with somehow fill Vincent as well. He is aware of me now in the house but isn’t sending me psychic messages. There is just a world of hopelessness surrounding him, but the majority of his mindset is primal. Escape, feed, kill. There is very little of Vincent left in that head. I hope I find that enemy vampire soon. I don’t like the feeling of who Vincent is turning into.
I eat all of the steaks. I almost want to lick up the juices on my plate but refrain. Mabel picks up her plate and drains it dry. She licks it like a dog, and I turn my head away, not that I feel she is embarrassed by doing so. She smiles at me when I turn back, licking the blood from her lips.
“Think you’ll be able to accomplish your task?” she asks.
“Yes,” I say with all the courage I have in me. I’m glad my response came out strong. Charlie comes into the kitchen to get vitamins out of the cabinet and a large glass of water. He does not think it is important to keep a human alive but since he has been ordered, he will do as the queen demands. I hope she doesn’t expect me to call her by all her titles. Olivia is about all I could manage. I have a few choice words I’d like to call her that could definitely get my neck broken.
“When does the party start?” I ask.
“In a couple of hours. We have to make you look presentable. I’m glad the dress fits you as it does, but you have to master those heels. I won’t have you looking like a fool out there,” Olivia says. She stands and brushes her lips across the top of Mabel’s head. Mabel melts into the affection.
“You need to get dressed as well, my pet. It is going to be a big night,” she says.
My hair is still wrapped in a towel as I follow Olivia upstairs to another room. I wonder if this is the room she sleeps in or if she has a coffin somewhere in her house. There is an elaborate layout of makeup on the table, and she orders me to sit on the bed.
“I think what I pity the most about humans is in their short lifetimes they indeed begin to look ugly,” she says as she finds the perfect foundation for my face. “Your skin is still good, but you have slight wrinkles I find very unattractive. We will have to do away with all your flaws. Thankfully, human makeup does wonders for the skin.”
I’m not sure if I should be insulted or not. Instead, I sit as still as I can manage as she applies the cold foundation all over my face with a brush. I’ve never had anyone do my makeup before. She outlines my lips before getting a small brush to paint them i
n dark red. Then she orders me to close my eyes as she blends together several colors to give me eyes like you’d see on the cover of Vogue. I’m silent as she works her magic, which takes well over thirty minutes. By the end of it, I feel I’m wearing a mask. Somehow, she does not spill a drop of it on my dress.
I don’t recognize the face staring back at me. Even with wet hair, my face looks flawless, as if somehow has photo shopped it to perfection. My eyes are wide, the lashes long. My cheekbones are highlighted by just the right amount of blush. I wonder what Damon would think if he saw me now.
“Wow,” I say.
“Oh, I’m glad you like it. Now for your hair,” she says.
I sit in front of a makeup table as I feel the blow dryer on my still damp hair. Olivia takes a curling iron to it, and I can feel her pleasure in making me look to her standards. Maybe she should open her own nighttime beauty salon. Not something I am going to suggest to a queen. She lets my hair fall around my shoulders in great curls that look natural on me. I feel beautiful. I almost want to indulge in taking a selfie. Hashtag vampire look.
“Good,” Olivia says right next to my ear. “Now, you go practice walking in those shoes while I get myself and Mabel ready.”
I walk out of Olivia’s room a little steadier. Mabel is waiting by the door and glares at me as I come out. She’s wearing a short dress as well with a tight corset of white on a dress of black. It looks good with her straight shoulder length hair. I give her a smile as I do my best to walk eloquently out of the room, but I’m not sure where I should go. I get the urge to visit Vincent, let him see how pretty I am, then shake it out of my head as I began to walk up and down the hallway.
The more I pace, the easier it is to walk, though there is pain shooting up my legs. Hopefully, I won’t have to be on my feet all night. I hear the front door open, and loud human voices enter the house. They are not complaining, just talking about how awesome the place is. I really can’t see the charm, even with the lights on, for Queen Olivia is taking her tastes to the bare minimum. Maybe after all of this is done I can be on her good side and suggest some really great interior designers. I guess they don’t make good vampires.
Since I was not told where to go and where not to go, I decide to go to the kitchen where I heard the human voices – most likely to be dinner for tonight. That’s where I meet the fourth vampire.
There is nothing elegant about this vampire. He was turned with scars of war on him. He stands almost seven feet tall, and I feel like an ant next to him. He has facial hair, a long beard of tawny blond, and long hair to match that he has pulled back into one long braid down his back. On his back is a colossal sword that does not seem to bother the five humans he has sitting at the table with booze in front of them. All the people appear to be college age, in the prime of their twenties with healthy, good-looking bodies like the type often seen on the MTV Spring Break show. None of these people look like they have any criminal record and I really hope they make it through this night. I do not want their spirits following me around, asking for revenge.
In front of each of them is a different beverage. A tall boy with a perfect tan but dark hair gelled in a stylish manner has a bottle of fine whiskey in front of him. Beside him is a bleach-blonde beauty with equally brown skin that has vodka in front of her. A strawberry blonde girl with adorable freckles all over her face has a bottle of fine white wine, and the boy to her left with brown highlighted hair has red wine in front of him. The last boy who, looks a bit foreign, and when he talks I can hear a Spanish accent, is drinking tequila. There are shot glasses in front of them and more glasses of wine.
“You will drink until there is no more,” comes the booming voice of the great vampire. They all look at him at the same time and nod their heads. They have been compelled. They throw back their shots and then start on their larger drinks, not tasting, just drinking as fast as they can.
“Ah, you must be the witch,” says the large vampire, who offers a hand to me. I take it, and it easily wraps around mine. “I am Voric.”
“Amy,” I say. He smiles, and his teeth are not set perfectly in his mouth. In fact, I think he might have lost a couple. For some reason, I instantly like Voric even though he is giving these humans alcohol poisoning for the sake of vampires.
“You do good work for the queen,” he says, his accent so strong it is almost hard to make out the exact words that he is saying.
“I hope so. Will these humans live?” I ask.
“Eh, depends,” he says, avoiding the question. Apparently, he isn’t too pleased with the party idea either. “I like Vincent. You save him, yes?” Voric says.
“I hope to,” I say. I wonder if the humans can drink all that alcohol without puking all over the place. I can see the liquor beginning to fill their eyes, but they don’t laugh, they don’t make jokes, they just drink.
“Voric, do you have any idea who is plotting to take over Olivia’s territory? I thought it was against vampire law to kill another vampire.”
“It is, but there are always ways to get around the rules. I tell Queen Olivia with me here, no one will harm her, but the whispers have gotten loud. Vampires think she is soft,” Voric says.
Okay, if Olivia is soft, who are the tough vampires? The Sisters were quite terrifying, but are there more? I couldn’t imagine Olivia being soft, not since she has ultimately tortured all my friends into making me complicit in this plan.
“Voric, I need some practice if I am going to do this. Would you allow me to look into your mind?” I ask.
He is quiet as he turns his gaze back to the humans he has enthralled heavily. If they do survive, they certainly won’t remember this night. Somehow alcohol poisoning and having their blood drained doesn’t sound like it would yield a high survival rate. Oh God, how am I going to live with this?
“You may look into my mind,” Voric says slowly.
I close my eyes and focus on Voric. I can feel a barrier slide down that I do not think he was consciously holding up, but that is just always there unless a vampire is projecting strong emotions. I find his mind to be relaxed, like uncontaminated springs. I can smell fresh air from the top of a mountain, he is thinking deep into the past. Olivia pops into his mind, it is nighttime, she sneaks her way into his bedroom that is more like a den. Other males sleep around him but it is Voric she has chosen. Gently she awakens him with a kiss and he automatically views her as a goddess. He takes her hand and allows her to lead him out into the night.
“You will be my guardian,” she tells him as her hands move over his scarred face. There is no glamour, he believes her to be a goddess. He still believes her to be a goddess. I watch her transform him under a full moon. All Voric can think about is how bright the stars are, how good it is to feel her fangs in his neck. He is unaware he will never see the sun again. When he wakes up, he discovers what he really is – a guardian of the night. Ever since then he has followed Olivia, killed for her. I see there are vampire heads that blade has slashed through, along with human hunters who have tried to break into her sleeping quarters. Apparently, Voric does not always die with the sun but can function through the daylight hours as long as the sun does not touch him.
I pull back, and he smiles at me.
“You took me to a happy place,” he says.
“I didn’t mean to take you anywhere,” I say. I don’t know how to do that, but maybe I can try to pick through their memories to find the right one. I am beginning to guess just how old Olivia is. She was defiantly going for power in the Viking age. I can see why my city, and I suppose the surrounding areas, would be a place she would want to rule. There are so many people to feed on here.
“The humans are about done,” Voric says. The bottles are near empty, and I can see the urge to throw up on some of their faces. Voric does something to their brain to cut off the instinct. He then stands them up and begins removing their clothes but puts them in a nice pile. I turn away to walk out of the kitchen, I don’t want to see this even
though I’m going to have to see it later. I turn and bump right into Charlie.
“I’m going to enjoy ripping you apart, witch, and I’m going to start with your hands,” he says. He is dressed in a black suit with a tie, his hands are in his pockets, but I know they are itching to go around my neck.
“I’d be more worried about Olivia, Charlie. I don’t think you’re completely off the hook and are certainly acting like you would love to overthrow her right now,” I say, keeping my voice even and forcing myself to look into his eyes.
“I have nothing to hide from her,” he snaps and pushes past me to go into the kitchen. Left alone again, I practice walking in my heels up the stairs towards my designated bedroom. Since the stairs barely creak, I think I can give my feet a moment of rest. I close my eyes and reach out to Cara’s brain, which I can sense through all the webs laid across it. Would she go mad if I removed them all? I see she’s sleeping so I pull back, not wanting to ruin that much-needed rest. Already my body intends to take a nap, just from looking in Voric’s mind. I look at my empty cup of coffee and hope I have the mental energy to do this job. If I faint in the middle of a drunken vampire party, I’m likely to become a sobering up meal.
Chapter 10
I’m never really sure when a vampire calls me a witch if they actually mean bitch. They try to use what I am against me as an insult. I never wanted the life or the power I have. I try to use it for good, but good is such a gray area. What is good for one person could be bad for another. The term is so relative. I yearn a lot for things to go back to normal but I’ve accepted that is near impossible to do with how deep in a vampire nest I am. I haven’t even discovered what Damon is facing right now, and there is some guilt there, but it’s also a blessing that I can just fix one problem at a time. Tonight, that problem is simply surviving and trying to get into the heads of drunk vampires. I already knocked one potential suspect off the list, Voric, and maybe since he likes Vincent, he could make a safe companion to stay near all night.
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