by R A Browell
‘But you’re not all sanguins here.’ Mareena was staring at Rani and Andrew. She could smell their scent.
‘There’s no point giving me the look!’ said Andrew firmly as he stared back, completely unaffected by Mareena’s seductive charm. ‘I was married to a sanguin; my daughter’s one and so are some of her friends. There’s not much that fazes me nowadays and just so you’re in absolutely no doubt, I am definitely not on the menu!’ he grinned.
‘And neither’s Mum!’ added Hari as all the others threw Mareena a warning look.
‘More’s the shame,’ said Charlie, grinning at Andrew, ‘I reckon a drop of vintage Carfax would be pretty amazing!’ Andrew grabbed the young vampire and locked his arm behind his back. Mareena drew back, startled as she watched them through narrowed eyes.
‘Yes?’ asked Andrew. ‘You were saying?’
‘Yeah,’ laughed Charlie. ‘You realise that I can snap you into a hundred pieces if you do that again Old Man.’
‘Charlie!’ exclaimed Rani.
‘Except Lily would never forgive you!’ laughed Andrew and let go of Charlie’s arm.
The teenager turned and patted Andrew on the head.
‘Careful!’ Andrew warned, cuffing the youngster.
Mareena was watching them closely, unaware of Rakshasa’s own observation of her. She was puzzled by their familiarity; human and sanguin, play-fighting together with no agenda other than friendship. Rani moved and sat down beside Mareena.
‘It’s up to you,’ she said softly. ‘Stay a few days and see how you feel. You don’t look like you need to feed but if you do, you’ll be expected to alter your diet; the boys will show you how. It’s perfectly manageable,’ she smiled. ‘I can arrange for a room to be made up for you or you can go back through the gateway whenever you’re ready. It’s entirely up to you?’ she said with a maternal kindness that Mareena couldn’t ever remember experiencing. ‘And for everybody else,’ she called to the rest of the room, ‘we’ve got some catching up on what’s being happening.’
Mareena glanced towards the top end of the kitchen where the kettle was now whistling. Lily and Valens were piling bread into the outsized toaster; they were giggling, their heads close together. Andrew was listening to the three boys as they told him about the amazing adjustments that Hobnob had made to the bikes. Everyone was smiling and was genuinely happy, relieved to be safe and reunited at home. It was something Mareena had never seen before, the gentle teasing, the horseplay and most of all, the love, which only came from a feeling of belonging.
‘Maybe,’ whispered Mareena reticently, ‘maybe I could just stay for a few days until I decide what to do?’
Rakshasa nodded. ‘What happened to your sisters was in their own hands,’ she said. ‘Your destiny is yours and yours alone. There is no need for any person to be controlled by another. Everyone in this room has free will. Whenever we choose to live with others and have the benefit of being part of a proper family there are compromises, but believe me, I have lived longer than most, and it’s worth it.’ Rakshasa looked over at her family. ‘Loneliness is no life, still, it must always be your own choice.’
Mareena listened. She could see that this sanguin was old and wise. ‘I think I will stay, just for a few days,’ she stammered. ‘I need to think about what I’m going to do next. But only if you’re sure?’
‘You’re very welcome to stay for as long as you like Mareena,’ said Rakshasa, ‘but just one more thing. You need to give Lily some space. I can see that she feels special to you, but she has a family here and she’s been away from her father for a little while. You must be patient. And a little advice; friendships are like flowers, they are delicate and easily crushed if squeezed too tightly; they must be allowed to grow naturally, with room on both sides. Do you understand my meaning?’
Mareena glanced back at the others again. They were now all sitting around the kitchen table, talking excitedly about zoytail and lindorm, sipping mugs of steaming tea and devouring mounds of buttered toast and a giant plate of chocolate biscuits. Rakshasa moved closer, placed her arm around Mareena and drew her towards the table, as she introduced the new member of the family into her growing matriarchal clan.
End of Term
Renfield’s was an institution. Actually, it was more than that. To the pupils of Hallington High, it was a place of gossip, socialising, and scrumptious cakes and of course flirtations.
It was Friday afternoon and Lily and the girls had gone to Renfield’s after their last exam. Lily sat, hunched over her English folder, with her back to the large Georgian window, watching as her human friends, Lucy Warman and Joolee Cheng, placed their orders at the counter. The tea shop looked like it had hardly changed over the years, except now the frumpy middle-aged waitresses had been replaced by kids who needed the money but who looked far too cool to be serving drinks and snacks in a tea shop, even if the menu did now include skinny lattes and herbal teas. And even though the wooden panelling that lined the walls was painted white and looked clean and fresh and there wasn’t a single chintzy curtain at the large windows and the creaking wooden boards on the floor were scrubbed to within an inch of their lives, it still wove a kind of magic. It was the history of the place, like the calorie laden cakes, the creamy strawberry milkshakes, the hot chocolate and the cheesy music that was all part of the Renfield’s experience.
Lily looked up from her reading list. It was huge and even with the summer holidays; she was never going to manage everything on it. She glanced down at the titles again and smiled, wondering if she should tell her English teacher about the copy of Bram Stoker’s first edition back at Carfax Hall. Willy had let her touch some of the old books and manuscripts, but only after making her wear white cotton gloves to prevent any damage from her almost human skin.
‘Budge up!’ Lucy ordered, as she placed the tray carefully down on the wooden table in its little panelled alcove. She slid around the ancient benches so that she could sit next to Lily. ‘Here you go; hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows!’ she said, pushing a mug of frothy-cream, dusted with chocolate flakes across towards Lily. ‘I don’t know what’s happened to you in the last couple of months, you seem to have shot up and slimmed down and you eat nothing but rubbish.’
‘I do not!’ Lily exclaimed. ‘I eat what I feel like eating!’ she said, grinning and balancing a huge blob of chocolate-flaked cream on a teaspoon as she lifted it to her mouth.
‘Why don’t you join athletics club? We’ve got some tournaments coming up over the summer and to be honest we’re pretty desperate. Go on, tell me you’ll try out?’ Lucy pleaded, looking optimistically at her friend.
‘Desperate! Thanks!’ replied Lily. ‘I’m not sure what to make of that.’
‘Come on, you’re one of our best players. Your school needs you, I need you!’ She nudged Lily gently.
‘I don’t know. It sounds like one of your back-handed compliments!’ Lily grinned. ‘Maybe I will but I’ve got tons on at the moment,’ she sighed. ‘I’ve had to catch up on loads of revision. I didn’t get much chance, being away on holiday and on top of that I’ve been trying to rehearse for tomorrow night.’ Lily sighed again. Every time she thought about the school ball all she felt was a huge cavernous pit open up deep in her stomach. ‘I can’t believe I’ve allowed myself to get dragged into this by Abbie and Charlie,’ she complained, lifting the mug to her lips and slurping a mouthful of creamy hot chocolate.
‘What’s this about rehearsals?’ asked Joolee, squeezing herself around the table. She started handing out chocolate cake to the other two girls.
‘This band thing with Abbie and the boys,’ Lily explained. ‘I don’t mind concerts and plays but I’m going to die a thousand deaths if we mess up in front of the whole school. I mean this is the social event on the Hallington High calendar, isn’t it? What happens if it all goes wrong?’ She groaned and then stuffed a forkful of cake into her mouth.
‘There’s little chance of that,’ reassured Joolee
, ‘from what I’ve heard you’re all really good. I even heard Charlie saying that he thought you were on for some paying gigs over the summer.’
‘He’s desperate for cash and the people he’s talking to haven’t heard us play!’
‘So, he’s hardly going to include you if you sound terrible – it’s not in his interest,’ said Joolee. ‘You’re only in their band because you’re good enough. You know what boys are like, if you don’t make them shine, you’re out!’
Lily smiled. ‘Anyway, I’m not in the band, I’m just helping out where they need vocals!’ she tried to explain with her mouth still full.
‘So, you’re helping them shine!’ said Lucy. ‘Just like you could do with the athletics squad?’
‘Maybe!’ replied Lily.
‘I hope you’re going to get some time to enjoy the party. Are you performing all night?’ asked Joolee.
Lily swallowed hard. ‘I think we’re doing about an hour or so. That’s enough. I’d quite like to enjoy the ball with you guys.’ She paused. ‘I’m not doing this because I’m on some kind of ego trip,’ she explained, ‘most of the stuff we’re singing isn’t even my thing - too heavy but then that’s Charlie!’
‘I quite like heavy rock,’ said Lucy.
Joolee stared at her. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘Sometimes Jools, you are so uncool,’ complained Lucy. ‘You really need to get out of that library!’ Joolee shrugged, reached into her bag and pulled out her chemistry text book. ‘Okay, that’s enough, put the book away! What’s everyone wearing tomorrow night?’ Lucy asked, changing the subject.
‘I’m not sure yet. I’m shopping tomorrow,’ replied Joolee, cheerfully.
‘For tomorrow night!’ exclaimed Lucy. ‘Don’t you think you’re cutting it tight?’
‘It’ll be fine. I’ve got it sorted. It’s only a school dance, no big deal!’
Lucy raised her eyebrows. ‘Only a school dance!’ she repeated shaking her head, ‘It’s the school ball! What about you Lil?’
Lily was day dreaming. Looking out of the window and thinking back to Aldrovanda and being rescued by Valens.
‘What, oh, I don’t know, something long and black I guess. Abbie’s going to get something for me. Charlie had some idea about leather but I think Abbie put her foot down at wearing a biker’s jacket!’
‘You’re not letting Abbie choose?’ exclaimed Lucy with a frown. ‘You actually trust her not to dress you up like a Barbie doll?’
‘I’ve had worse,’ mumbled Lily, her minding drifting back to Aldrovanda and the tight crimson dress.
‘That’s exactly what worries me!’ replied Lucy amazed that Lily had actually agreed to be dressed by one of the fashionistas.
‘It’s fine, don’t fuss.’ Lily smiled to herself. Whatever Abbie managed to pull out couldn’t be any worse than her Seleni fashion experience.
It was five weeks since they’d got back from Kelpasia. Five whole weeks since she’d seen Charlie, Hari and James and been able to talk to them properly. They’d had a couple of band rehearsals at school, but they were all busy with exams and Abbie was always around. In fact, most of the time it had been just Abbie and Lily in the music room together, not that she minded; Abbie Parkins was growing on her.
Charlie and James were back at home, both of them grounded until the exams were finished. They’d had a hard time of it when they’d got home; something to do with taking off camping just before exams and their lack of revision. She’d had the odd text message, but they’d warned her to be careful - you never knew who was listening, especially now that there were so many of them together in one place.
One lunchtime Lily had bumped into Hari. He’d just finished one of his exams and was waiting to go into another. Mareena was still at Pemberton, quickly becoming the daughter that Rani had never had, and managing to adjust pretty well, but they hadn’t been able to talk properly and Lily was starting to wonder if their adventures had all been some kind of vague dream. Valens had gone back home. He was needed by the Laudis and even Silky had only visited Carfax Hall a couple of times. Life had slipped back into a kind of normality. No one had mentioned the search for the Elementals or what was going to happen next. She’d not needed to feed and she was learning to understand her body and then there were the exams and the small matter of concentrating on not making a total fool of herself at the school ball.
There was a sudden sharp knock on the window immediately behind Lily’s head as she jumped six inches and let out a pathetic squeal. Three faces grinned at her through the glass as the young waitress with pink hair glared over Lily’s head at the three boys and Lily shrugged apologetically.
Everyone in Renfield’s looked up as the boys strode into the tea rooms, leaving the bell swinging violently in the doorway. Charlie turned his head and his charm towards the counter and winked at the pink haired waitress before he slumped down on the bench beside Joolee.
‘All done. Finished!’ he sighed.
‘Hot chocolate and cake to celebrate?’ asked Hari, tossing his pencil case and phone on the table as he strolled over to the counter.
‘So, that’s it then?’ asked Lily. James nodded slowly, yawning as he stretched his arms up over his head. ‘So how do you think you did?’
Charlie was watching Hari out of the corner of his eye as he flirted with the pink haired beauty. ‘Good choice,’ he frequenced.
‘Go away, Charlie,’ Hari frequenced back. ‘We get bigger slices of cake if we’re nice!’ They’d clearly been practising using frequencing when the adrenaline wasn’t flowing.
‘Biology,’ replied James. ‘It didn’t seem that bad. What did you think Charlie? Which questions did you go for?’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Charlie yawned, ‘the one about haemoglobin, naturally,’ he said and smiled at Lily, ‘and that big question on genetic structure and natural selection. It sort of seemed appropriate!’
Joolee looked at Charlie with a puzzled expression on her face.
‘Why was it appropriate?’ she asked innocently.
‘Because we’d done tons of research on Darwin and Watson and Crick,’ lied Charlie, thinking quickly. Hari looked across at Lily from the counter, caught her eye and smiled.
‘So, ladies are we all ready for tomorrow night?’ Charlie asked. ‘Dresses picked, legs waxed?’
‘Charlie, that’s very personal and you don’t need to look like that – it’s us remember!’ replied Lily, rolling her eyes.
‘I don’t know what you mean!’
‘Abbie’s dressing Lily,’ said Lucy.
‘That should be interesting,’ he replied and grinned at Lily.
‘Well, if you want to know about ready, Abbie and I have practised to your soundtrack but it’s not like rehearsing with all band members present,’ Lily complained. ‘I still can’t believe I allowed you to talk me into this one. Are we actually going to be able to get together before tomorrow night or is that it? I mean I could end up looking like a total freak in front of the whole school because of you!’ she predicted gloomily.
‘Your problem is you’re so negative, Lil,’ said Charlie. ‘When have we ever let you down?’ Lily fixed him with her brown eyes. ‘Actually, don’t answer that,’ he added quickly. ‘Listen, we’re going to be fantastic!’
‘If you’re that worried we could go back into school for an hour or so after we’ve finished here?’ Hari suggested, placing his tray down on the table as he started pushing mugs and plates towards the other two boys.
‘Top up?’ he asked, looking around at the girls.
‘We’re fine…You mean now?’ asked Lily. ‘Go back and rehearse now? But what about Abbie?’
‘I just got a text,’ replied Charlie, wiping the froth from his mouth. ‘She’s meeting us here after her dance practice. I’ve just had a brilliant idea,’ he said and looked mischievously at Lucy and Joolee. ‘Why don’t you two come along and do backing vocals too?’
‘I’d rather stick
red hot needles in my eyes than stand up and sing in front of the whole school!’ replied Lucy but she was secretly pleased at being asked. ‘We’ll just stick to looking gorgeous, but thanks for the offer!’
‘Here we go!’ beamed Charlie. Abbie pushed against the door, looked around and glided over towards them in her flat pumps, black leggings and sloppy dance top. Around them, the general clatter died for a moment as the girls watched her move across the creaking wooden floor with envy and the boys with open mouths.
‘Hello everyone!’ she purred with her girly voice. She leaned forward and blew air kisses towards each of them before squeezing next to Charlie, shuffling close to press her plump lips firmly against his, lingering as the girls stared down into their drinks. James pulled out a magazine and Hari turned back to the girl at the counter, shaking his head.
Lily couldn’t help herself. She looked up, stealing a glance at them and then she heard it, a faint voice but instead of frequencing out, she stayed on line and tuned in. It was Charlie and she was listening to his most intimate thoughts as his eager lips pressed longingly against Abbie’s.
‘Lily, get out!’ frequenced James sharply. ‘Frequence out now, it’s not fair. He wouldn’t do it to you. None of us would.’
‘Go away Lily!’ said Charlie.
She looked up guiltily into James’s face, then across at Hari who seemed oblivious.
‘It just popped into my head!’ she explained sheepishly. ‘I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. How come it just happened like that? How come you can just do it at will?’ she frequenced James as she lifted another forkful of cake and started chatting to Joolee.
‘It’s like we’ve said, it takes practice and you’re going to have to learn to control this!’ he warned. ‘It’s always there but you have to learn to tune out. Switch off. Don’t forget that it works both ways! Think about it.’ Lily glanced at James; he was absorbed in the bike magazine spread out in front of him. ‘We only frequence when there’s nothing personal going on…If we’re hunting,’ he continued, ‘or where one of us might be in trouble and need help. It’s the only way to prevent a lot of embarrassment all round. You just need to get it under control. Like Ziggy said, learn to block.’ His eyes were still scanning the latest engine specifications on the page.