by Jones, L. A.
"But Dax," Aradia asked, "You know what my going out on a date with Roy means don't you?"
He raised his eyebrow wondering if she was deliberately baiting him.
Aradia rushed on. "It means that now I am all yours!"
Dax smiled seductively. "Aradia love, do you have any idea how tempting that sounds?"
Aradia blushed and said, "You know you are the only who is capable of making do this."
"Do what?"
"Blush," Aradia said giggling.
Dax chuckled sounding, and looking even sexier then he usually did
"What can I say love?" Dax asked rhetorically. "I intrigue you."
Aradia laughed softly and then asked, "So what do you want to do for our date?"
Dax shrugged, but after a few moments, he smiled.
He then snapped his fingers, and said, "I know! Since you met Roy's family how would you like to meet mine?"
Aradia was silent for a moment and then asked, "You don't have twenty cousins do you?"
Dax laughed sounding astounded and said, "Good lord no!"
"Then sure I would love to," Aradia said smiling.
On Saturday, Dax picked up Aradia in his new blue hybrid BMW and took her to his manor. It was as they were driving to the manor when suddenly something occurred to Aradia.
"Wait a minute Dax; I just remembered I have already met your family."
Dax laughed and said, "I was wondering when you were going to figure that out."
"So what? Are you trying to trick me again?" Aradia shouted angrily.
"No," said Dax sounding slightly amused. "It is true you have met my family but it was only briefly. I mean yeah you met Xan but the only time you ever met my father was when you were bleeding all over the couch."
"Oh yeah," said Aradia blushing again.
"It's alright," said Dax, "The fact is you have never had a proper dinner with my family and now you will."
He smiled after saying this while Aradia smiled in return. Once they got to the manor, they walked hand in hand to the door.
"Do you think your parents will like me?" Aradia asked nervously.
"Not as much as I do," Dax smiled at her and Aradia just giggled in response.
They were still holding hands they walked into the manor, and the first thing she saw was Xan, leaning against the staircase.
He saw Aradia and then said in a spooky drawl, "Welcome to Castle Dayton. I am Xan Dayton"
"Ah," Aradia said sarcastically. "Idiotic children of the night. What annoying shit they say."
Dax burst out laughing while Xan just scowled. All of a sudden, they heard two female voices coming from upstairs. Aradia looked up, and saw two of the most beautiful women she had ever seen in her life.
One of the girls had long straight blonde hair pulled behind her ears, freckles, a pale pointy super model face complete with the runway model expression of indifference. She was wearing a long sleeved black sweatshirt, and long black shiny leather leggings. She wore a peace sign necklace, and a silver bead like belt hanging around her waist.
The girl who stood next to her had long brown hair curling down her shoulders like ringlets. She had almond shaped eyes almost oriental, cherub like rosy cheeks, and a large smug courtesan like smile. She wore a dark blue blouse, and long khaki pants with small black boots. She wore no jewelry save for a pair of pink plastic star earrings.
"Um hi," Aradia said as the two girls sauntered down the stairs to look at her with complete and cold indifference.
For a while, they all stood silently facing each other, Dax holding Aradia's hand.
Xan crossed his arms looking as smug as ever, and the two girls standing as stiff as magazine models.
Xan then put his arms around the two girls and said, "Rai-Rai, meet Ginevra and Domitilla."
"Don't call me Rai-Rai, my name is Aradia!" Aradia snapped.
Xan looked offended and argued, "But that's what Roy calls you."
"Yeah, and Roy is the only one who can," Aradia stated firmly.
"Why?" Xan asked.
Aradia opened her mouth planning to explain, but was immediately cut off by one of the girls.
Ginevra said, "Aradia? Ah so you are the skanky little redhead that has been shacking up with both our brother and a werewolf huh?"
Aradia eyes grew wide with shock; Dax slapped his hand against his forehead while the girls and Xan just smirked. Luckily, the impending battle was stopped by Mr. Dayton appearing and ushering them all into the dining room.
Aradia just nibbled at her food for a while until she looked over at Domitilla and asked, "Do you really have to eat?"
"Excuse me?" Domitilla said.
"Well I have read that vampires do not need to eat is that true?" Aradia explained. She was also hoping to God that she had not just given Domitilla a reason to kill her.
Domitilla looked at Aradia amused and asked, "Do you believe everything you read?"
"No, that's why I am asking you," Aradia replied smiling.
The others all stopped, and looked at them silently. Domitilla said nothing for a few minutes while Aradia waited patiently.
Until finally Domitilla chuckled and said, "We do not need to eat but if we get enough blood then we can consume food as regularly as anyone else. It helps boost our energy a little bit but not as much as blood does. The only downside is that because we are technically undead the food only has half the taste"
"So the drinking blood thing is true?" Aradia asked warily.
Domitilla cocked her head to the side and said, "No. You think?"
Aradia just shrugged while Dax and the others stayed silent except for Xan who chuckled, and smiled softly.
"My God Dax," said Xan, "You sure know how to pick 'em."
Aradia looked at him venomously and growled, "And you sure as hell don't know how to keep your damn mouth shut!"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Xan asked her.
"Everybody now knows that I am the last witch! Last time I checked the only people who knew were my parents, Dax, your father, and you. Now of all sudden I cannot even walk down the street without people pointing me out like a freaking zoo exhibit. I might as well hang a sign around my neck identifying me as the 'lastus witchus'!" Aradia snapped.
At least Xan had the decency look uncomfortable.
"You can't prove anything," he told her sounding unsure.
Aradia looked at him straight in the eye and said, "You do realize of course in spite of you being a vampire not only can I read your mind but I can search it too! However, most importantly I can rip out of your mind your passwords to access your email account, and Facebook to see exactly what you posted! Therefore, as matter of fact Xan I can prove anything. Hell at this point I can prove everything!"
Xan was already pale being a vampire and all, but after hearing Aradia's words, he became even paler.
His father looked at him accusingly causing Xan to say quickly, "Would you excuse me please? Thank you."
He then got up from his seat at the dinner table, and walked off.
Ginevra looked at Aradia long and hard and finally said, "I don't know about you guys," she trailed off leaving the family hanging with suspense shortly. "But I like her!"
The Dayton’s all laughed while Aradia grinned as they finished their dinner with the ice between them finally broken.
After dinner, Dax showed Aradia around the house, the backyard, the TV room, the library, indoor swimming pool, and tennis court. Aradia was amazed at how huge the house was. However, with Dax hovering about her and specifically pointing out the rooms Aradia was getting restless. She liked wandering on her own seeing things at her own pace, and discovering new places. When she was a kid, such habits would drive her mother crazy with worry. In spite of Aradia growing up and learning better, she could never cure herself of her habit of wandering off alone so as soon as Dax turned his back, Aradia snuck off.
On her own, she managed to find Xan’s room, and resist the temptation to set fire to it. She also found three
entertainment rooms with pool tables, and video game consoles in addition to a weight lifting gym. She had been amazed at how beautiful everything had been.
What had truly surprised her, however, was when she noticed that in all the bedrooms instead of beds there were coffins! She had opened them to see dirt strewn along the bottom. Dirt from their native land, Aradia had concluded.
So far, Aradia had discovered how many vampire stories was myth or fact such as the coffins and no mirrors in the bathroom. In addition to no windows in any of the rooms, black curtains covering the balconies, and mini fridges in every room filled with red plastic bags that Aradia could only guess what the contents were. Most of all she found in every medicine cabinet thousands of bottles of suntan lotion. In spite of finding all this, Aradia had to admit that it was all boring and there was nothing intriguing in the house.
At least until she found a huge white door on the deepest part of the house with a heavy padlock on it. She did not know what she expected to find, but still wanting to find out what was in the room. Aradia quickly unlocked the door by using her powers, and slipped in. At first, she saw nothing, but after feeling along the wall, she found a light switch.
Aradia's eyes adjusted to the sudden change from dark to light. She looked around to see the room she was standing in was an artist's studio. It had sculptures, blank canvases, and an open closet full of smocks. There was also a painter's easel, and dozens of finished magnificent works of art. Aradia walked all around the studio, marveling at their beauty, and staring in amazement. It was as she was passing a sculpture of a unicorn rearing on its hind legs she saw a covered painting in the back of the room.
Aradia wondered what was so strange about a painting that the artist would want to hide it. Curious, she edged towards it thinking that since she had come this far she might as well go all the way. Aradia reached towards the sheet covering the painting. At this point, Aradia wondered if Dax was the artist and maybe the painting he was hiding was of her. This made her more eager to rip off the sheet.
The first thing she saw as the sheet fell gracefully onto the floor was blonde hair so she now knew that it was not of her. However, what the painting was of was a beautiful woman with long flowing wavy blonde hair, pale skin, red lips, and she had a sharp defined but highly elegant pale white face.
She was wearing a pale blue 16th century England gown, walking by a river, wearing gloves, accompanied by two greyhound dogs, and was smiling the most charming sweetest smile Aradia had ever seen on any woman. I wonder who this is, Aradia wondered. Her first thought was because the painting had been covered that it must have been of an old girlfriend. But whose? Aradia thought. She then remembered she was not supposed to be in here, and decided to save the answer to that question for another day.
Quickly she reached for the sheet but then stopped when she heard a voice. "What are you doing in here?"
She immediately recognized the voice but tried to play dumb by saying, "Dax, is that you?"
Dax groaned as strode over to her.
Aradia held the sheet meekly in front of her like a pathetic excuse for a shield, but Dax just walked right past her to look at the painting.
"So what do you think?" he asked her.
Aradia hesitated but finally she said, "It depends."
Dax raised an eyebrow and asked, "On what?"
"On you being the artist," Aradia replied without missing a beat.
Dax chuckled and said, "Yeah I am."
"Oh well then in that case the art is amazing!" Aradia smiled brightly.
Dax shrugged, looking frustrated and said, "I was talking about the painting,"
"Of the woman?" Aradia asked.
"Yes," Dax replied.
"Oh then..." Aradia studied the painting more closely and said, "I think she is beautiful!"
"Oh really?" Dax asked while laughing a little.
"Yeah, is she your girlfriend?" Aradia asked.
Surprisingly, Dax became solemn and grim looking at Aradia's question.
After a moment of awkward silence, he replied "No."
"Oh well then who..." Aradia began to ask.
Dax cut her off by explaining, "She was my mother."
"What?" said Aradia?
She looked back at the painting then at him, confused.
Finally, she asked, "But what about Mrs. Dayton?"
"Oh, she is my foster mother," Dax explained further to her.
"Oh," said Aradia nodding with sudden understanding, but then her face grew puzzled again. "But what about Mr. Dayton?"
"He is my foster father."
Aradia nodded, but now she had even more questions for Dax.
"So you are a foster kid?" asked Aradia.
"Indeed," Dax nodded.
"Why?" Aradia asked again.
Dax sighed, and Aradia started to wonder if it had been a good idea asking Dax these questions. He now seemed angry, and upset with her.
Finally Dax said, "My real mother died years ago and my father in addition to the vampire who turned me both abandoned me years ago."
Aradia gasped while Dax nodded solemnly and said, "It had happened when I was barely over eighteen years old. A vampire killed my mother and turned me because the last thing she begged for was for the vampire to spare my life. In a way he did but by turning me...he not only spited my mother but me as well."
"How so?" Aradia asked.
"He did not kill me but made sure that I could probably never die and be with my mother again in heaven. In addition, by turning me into a creature like the one who killed my mother...well what do you think he meant by doing that?"
"Oh my god," Aradia said softly.
"Yeah well that was the past so..." He trailed off and looked at the painting once again.
For a while, the two of them just stood in silence looking at Dax's mother portrait until finally Aradia remarked once again, "She’s so beautiful."
"Yeah she was, wasn't she?" Dax agreed softly.
"Was this painted when she was still alive?" Aradia asked.
Dax shook his head and said, "No I painted this from memory."
Aradia said nothing after that.
After a few minutes of silent scrutiny she then said, "You miss her don't you?"
Dax looked up at her looking stunned, and Aradia wondered if she had pushed him too far this time.
However, Dax just looked at her silently.
Finally, he said, "Sometimes."
Aradia sighed, relieved that she had not hurt Dax's feelings.
"It must be tough living forever and never being able to see her. It must really rip your heart out knowing that you will probably never see her again even though she meant so much to you." Aradia had not meant to sound so brash. She covered her mouth as if that would help her to forget the cruel words that had come from it.
Dax, however, laughed. "You know what I like about you Aradia?"
"Certainly not for the way I talk that is for sure," Aradia, muttered.
Dax laughed and said, "No it's because of your honesty."
"You say honesty I say rudeness," Aradia quipped.
He laughed again, and the two of them turned to look at each other.
"Why are you telling me this?" Aradia finally asked. "About your mother and all?"
Dax shrugged. "Because I trust you and the reason we are doing this is so I can prove to you I am trustworthy."
Aradia frowned and remarked, "I thought the reason we were going out was to see if you or Roy are worthy of being my boyfriend."
Dax raised an eyebrow.
Aradia said slowly, "Wait that did not come out right."
Dax shrugged. "Whatever love. It's like I said before the reason I like you is because you are honest."
"More like blunt as knife," said Aradia.
He laughed again.
The two of them then stared at each other in romantic silence until Aradia asked him, "But Dax can I ask you something?"
Dax shrugged which Aradia took as
yes and then asked, "Are you really interested in being my boyfriend?"
Dax was stunned. "Why do you want to know?"
"Because," Aradia replied. "I don't want to get hurt again."
Dax looked at her silently.
After a while he finally said, "I never meant to hurt you."
"Then what did you mean?"
Dax sighed and said, "I was worried about my family..."
"And you thought I would hurt them?" Aradia interrupted angrily.
Dax shook his head and said, "No it's just after seeing you use your powers...well sometimes Aradia I think you underestimate how truly powerful you are. So powerful that should you ever decide to turn against us..."
He trailed off not wanting to finish his explanation.
Aradia gaped at him until finally she said, "You think I would try to hurt you?"
"Not after I got to know you," Dax stated in fact.
They met each other's eyes.
Dax finally broke the silence by asking, "So have you come to a decision about who’s going to be your boyfriend?"
"I want to," Aradia muttered.
"So why don't you?" Dax asked.
"Because..."Aradia trailed off and looked away.
Ironically, Dax finished her statement for her. "It is because you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings especially Roy's."
Aradia nodded, but all of a sudden, a look of confusion came upon her face. "Now wait. Why do you assume I would be hurting Roy's feelings?"
Dax shrugged again and said, "Isn’t it obvious? You don't want to hurt Roy's feelings because you are going to pick me as your boyfriend."
Aradia put her hands on her hips and said, "Now how in the hell could you possibly know that?"
Dax combed his fingers through his hair and said, "I don't mean to be rude. Roy is your friend after all but honestly when it comes to choosing between a vampire and werewolf it is obvious that the vampire would emerge victorious."
Aradia's mouth fell open and sputtered, "You think I am choosing you because you are a vampire?"
"Good heavens no!" Dax stated firmly. "You are not that type of person. You would make a choice like that only because of your feelings towards the person, not for what they are."