Replacement

by Wojciech Cram

  "You can't go home," Thierry changed the subject, sensing another awkward pause. "Stay, at least for a while. From what we learned, Hunter's letter to your aunt said you might be moving to Las Vegas permanently. He had friends of yours pick up your things the day you were…rescued, if that's the word. All of your belongings are now in your room."

  Mari looked at him in disbelief. "I don't have a room here. I could have a room at my aunt's mansion, I could tell her…" Mari didn't have anything truthful to tell her aunt, anything

  that would make sense. And her aunt already had distrust from the years of lies Mari had fed her. "I could tell her I changed my mind," she pointed out, her chin thrust out

  defiantly.

  Quinn cut in. "How would you get there? Nobody here is going to drive you." Thierry gave him a look that clearly demanded silence.

  "I'll call a cab," she said, almost yelling. Mari began to get warmer, and more desperate. She was sure this was how trapped animals felt like. Or at least how they felt in those

  stereotypical movies, where they were beset with warriors armed with spears. Mari was surrounded by Abercrombie and Fitch savages.

  "But we're not going to let you out of the door." The lazy blondehaired person said, going with Quinn's lead. "How are you going to manage that?"

  "A number two pencil ought to do the trick," she answered menacingly, worrying a few vampires present.

  "We don't want you to think you're a prisoner here," Thierry explained in a soothing voice.

  "Your friends here are doing a damn good job about that," she snapped.

  "Ash, Quinn, shut up," Jezebel said pleasantly. Both glared at her.

  "If you think keeping me here against my will is going to get you another wild power, you need lessons in persuasion."

  "Well they took you to a castle against your will and in two weeks you were getting adopted. We were just borrowing an idea. Be happy we got electricity here!" Delos yelled.

  "Don't you dare raise you're voice to me! You're acting like I'm Benedict Arnold and I wasn't on any body's side to begin with." she erupted, making the prince's eyebrows shoot up.

  "Carn said that…" She paused remembering her favorite vampire's words. Go back and wait to get picked up by the Daybreakers so they can brainwash you. "Carn said a lot of

  things," she reminded herself, voice dropping from the roar she had earlier. Before they could say anymore, she stood up. "I'm not saying that I'll fight on your side when the time

  comes. I'm just staying here so you'll have your chance to tell me why I should. Will somebody please take me to my room?" Mari hoped that Ash and Quinn wouldn't feel

  triumphant at her decision.

  Once she was settled back in the room she had first awoken in, she curled up on the huge bed and thought.

  The dagger Carn gave her was gone, probably left back in the gore fill basement. She was in a mansion that she couldn't leave. Her aunt thought she had moved to Las Vegas,

  which in rough terms she did. The people here were trying to make her feel welcome, save the three men she had yelled at. Then again, it could be another act. Everybody had

  been a trained thespian so far…Carn, Hunter, Alastair, the men, and the men's leader, Valdis. Wait, Valdis had been the only one who said and did what he felt like towards her. It

  was only a small comfort.

  There was nothing else to do. She was just going to have to adapt to this new place and new people. It couldn't be that hard.

  July 28, 1999

  Hunter had just killed Lily and was now planning his next move in the study. He would have sent somebody else to carry out the deed, but that wasn't as satisfying as seeing the

  surprise. It wasn't only for the pleasure, though there was floods of that, but because she was going to tell the council members about his existence and his failure.

  Even as he began to think about him, Traces came into the room silently. "How goes my adopted daughter?"

  "Living with Thierry in his Las Vegas mansion. We have no clue as to what is happening in the house. All four wild powers are in the house and it's too dangerous to actually try to

  attack. There are wards all over the house and under the house. Nobody can get in except daybreakers."

  "That shows what you know." Hunter told him. Then he waved the spy away. Now he had to think because he had absolutely no idea what to do. And he wouldn't even let himself

  think about letting the Daybreakers have the girl. That would be sickening.

  August 19, 1999

  "Let's say one nice thing about the people next to you before we go to dinner." Mari rolled her eyes. She did not like Rashel's friend.

  "Point being, Daphne?" Morgead asked with a dismal sigh.

  "I don't know many of you, so this way I'll learn what others think of you. Plus it will kill the time before dinner." Then she said the words that Mari hoped she wouldn't say. "Mari

  will start."

  "Who said I was going to play this game any way? It's stupid," she snorted.

  "What's the matter, Mari, suddenly speechless? If there's a word to describe you it would be never shuts up." Morgead grinned.

  "Wait, was that your attempt at a joke? Why am I not surprised that nobody laughed, hmm I wonder…"

  "They're all afraid you'll bite their head off and then play soccer with it," he replied easily.

  "I enjoy volley ball better," she informed him coolly.

  "I'll start," Iliana interrupted, for with Mari's endless supply of comebacks, the sparring would end around dawn. "Delos is dependable and Fayth always has answers. Delos's turn."

  Here it goes, Mari thought.

  Delos mumbled, "Iliana is cheerful and makes everybody happy. And she knows how to make good pancakes. Iliana is really one of those people that you can go on and on about

  really…"

  "Del, you're ruining it," Maggie complained.

  "Oh yeah and Mari. Mari, um, Mari…Mari hasn't interrupted me once while I've been talking." Mari glared at his smiling face.

  "My turn I suppose. Delos has successfully managed to walk and talk at the same time. And Maggie is admirable for putting up with this excuse of a man." Maggie laughed and

  hastily covered her mouth when she saw Delos's face.

  That was the end of the game however when Nilsson came to tell to bring it in the kitchen. Of course many of the Daybreakers didn't need the evening meal, but most joined the

  humans for the fun of it. It was chefs' night out and the groups that were scattered about the mansion were now gathering in the kitchen. Pandemonium ensued until Keller had

  ordered lines in front of the five refrigerators as to get their own makeshift meal.

  Mari secretly loved it; the noise, the confusion, and the interaction. At her aunt's, in the castle, and especially her old home, nothing ever like this happened. The only flaw of the

  beautiful disorder was the fact she always had trouble as to who to sit with, considering she had stolen Blaise's station as resident bitch.

  She saw Maggie wave her over to an island counter and pulled up a stool. In front of her, a certain vampire prince sat happily until the fourth wild power settled in her seat. "Tell me, Delos, are your eyes permanently hindered by that rolling effect, or are you just happy to see me?"

  "Look, she started it," he said loudly, pointing an accusing finger at her. Maggie gave a look of dismay.

  Mari pouted. "No, I didn't mommy, he started it. He pulled my hair." Mari was loud and proud of her toddler voice. Again Maggie laughed.

  "I swear, you're the only one who would mock him like that, other than me," she said. "Come on guys get along for once. I'm tired of playing referee. Delos stop rolling your eyes

  in front of her and Mari stop…being yourself," she said jokingly.

  "See if that happens, then pigs will start to fly," Delos pointed out, shaking a cold fry at Maggie.

  "We could always put you on a plane." Mari shot daggers at Delos. Then c
ame eating time and Mari didn't have time to talk.

  "Maggie, she's giving me the silent treatment." That's not true, I'm just eating, she spoke silently to him, downing her second chicken sandwich. Eating always took full

  concentration.

  "You'd think you'd want that," Maggie answered with a full mouth. Delos reached over and wiped the mayonnaise from her lip. Mari continued eating, pretending not to notice.

  "You know what Mari?" Another Delos insight, Mari sighed. "You have the expression of a statue. I'm not being mean, okay, just starting a conversation. Not many people can do

  this, even vampires, keeping that poker face all the time. It's like it's glued on and you're forever going to have that aloof, cold mask on." Mari continued eating, and wondered

  where the hell Delos learned conversation skills. Maggie punched him.

  "You're not a good conversationalist, you know. Beside Mari can change her expression whenever she likes. It just takes a lot of emotion for her to do that." Mari nodded.

  There was a loud "ahem." All boisterous teenagers turned to the double doors where Nilsson stood. Then he waited until the roar had quieted down. "Claire is here, Jezebel. And,"

  he paused letting Claire move to her cousin. "We have a visitor." There were a few sniggers at that; Thierry's mansion was always full of visitors.

  Mari wasn't paying attention, because it didn't matter to her who was here. Like Delos said, she was keeping the statue's expression steady.

  "Mari," a soft voice said.

  Calmly, she turned around. There must be dozens of Mary's or Mari's here, but she was just tired of fighting her curiosity.

  She screamed. An ear piercing, glassbreaking scream. She stopped and then let out another. "Ohmygod," she panted, never losing her volume and unable to find anything else to

  say. Frantically, her head whipped about, staring from one confused face to another. Couldn't they see that he wasn't supposed to be here? Then the man took a step closer, making

  Mari scream again. But she couldn't stop, she wouldn't stop; she had to get it out. A hand cupped her mouth from behind.

  "Calm down," a harsh voice said from behind. "You're making me deaf." It was Morgead and he was holding her arms to the side. She bit into one of his fingers.

  "You're carrying me," she said in the most normal voice she could manage, but apparently by Morgead's wince, she had shrieked. Mari's feet were inches from the ground.

  "Who is he?" Morgead motioned the man in the doorway with a nod.

  Mari wrenched herself from Morgead and stepped closer to the visitor. That shining deep gold hair, those usually mischievous and now sad, dark blue eyes… She stepped closer and

  touched his cheek, his perfect cool cheek. She knew it was because he was a vampire that he was so amazing, but she still looked at him as a friend she had known for years.

  Nothing spectacular…he was just…him. Then she rushed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  "Oh God, Dorian, I thought you were dead," she whispered into his shoulder. She kissed his shoulder and then his neck, the soft skin tensing under her lips as she did so. Stupid

  thing to do, really, but for some reason Mari believed that he might have left. And she would not let this vision leave before she gave him at least one treasured kiss. Mari could not

  help squeezing so hard, just to be sure he was there.

  He was real. She could feel his heart beat hammering against hers, his breath ruffling her hair.

  Oh god. He was real.

  She felt him straighten and remembered with a smile that Dorian was a foot taller than she was. Her feet were in the air and she didn't care for the indignity of it. "Dorian, I

  thought you were dead," she whispered again, her awe filled eyes searching his face. Everything was right again. He carried her out of the kitchen and closed the doors.

  "I know," he murmured in her hair. Mari had no idea what she was doing. She never even bothered to say hi to him when he was her only friend. And now she was practically dry

  humping in front of strangers. The chaos of prophecies would change a person, she guessed. "I know… I know."

  "Dorian," she said again, running her hand through his silky hair. She missed him, every part of him. She wanted to remember every finger, every inch, and every strand of

  beautiful hair on his head. Her golden boy. She was placed back on the ground and was again reminded he was abnormally tall to her. His hand was softly caressing her cheek. And

  then his lips were on hers.

  "Okay I think I heard a slap or a clap," Claire whispered to the people around her, who then whispered it to around them, and so on until Claire waved them to be quiet. "Now I hear

  footsteps… I think they're walking away."

  "See? That's violence and we do not allow violence to run rampant through this mansion," Warren said. He'd been trying forever to come up with an excuse to get out of the kitchen

  and Iliana mistakenly admitted it was feasible.

  The concept of sneaking up on the two was ruined when Ash yelled, "Coming through," and pushed the door open. They followed him to the entrance hall way, where the wild power

  and guest were shouting. Technically, the wild power was shouting. Mari shot a hand out to stop any speech from the crowd.

  "What the hell was that? You come here, I hug you for all the heaven's sake…" Her tone suggested it was a monumental action. "… and you kiss me? This is unacceptable, Dorian,

  unacceptable." She was past shouting, and had moved onto ranting and raving now.

  "That's emotion," Maggie whispered to Delos.

  Dorian looked toward the audience for any help then turned back to the small, hissing girl in front of him. None were really eager to lend it. "It was a greetings kiss, a hello kiss, a

  family kiss…" The males in the crowd shook their heads, having attempted and failed that explanation before.

  "Dorian! There was tongue; don't you deny there was tongue. And nobody kisses their family with tongues, except for maybe in Alabama." She paused, thinking, and then continued

  with a new light in her eye. "And what the hell was in that drink you gave me?"

  "You know I feel sorry for him. I mean, he kissed her. It's amazing he's not a crisp vampire or dying from the poison of her lips," Quinn said, clearly enjoying this outburst.

  "I don't know what you're talking about! I bought that at the Donut Hut. You could ask anybody." He took a breath and then gave sideways glance at the crowd. "Listen can we take

  this Attack Dorian moment to some place private?" Mari followed his gaze.

  "Oh, them? They're not important," she said impatiently and ignored the chorus of indignant words.

  "Um Mari?" Trent stepped out. She gave a look that would have normally stopped him dead, but he was too absorbed by the situation to notice. "He did get a drink from the Donut

  Hut. We saw him." She turned back to Dorian as if he hadn't spoken.

  "The kiss was…"she started again.

  "Was totally unacceptable, highly unnecessary," he finished and looked to the crowd to explain, "she used to say that a lot to me." Then he turned back to Mari. "And I will never do

  it again." He looked sincerely apologetic until he drew a gleam in his eyes and whispered what everybody could here. "Unless you want me to."

  For a moment they held their breath as Mari's eyes narrowed to almost impossibly thin slits. She pinched her mouth to say something but, surprisingly, let out a long breath. She

  smiled a mischievous smile and stepped closer to Dorian. "I think…"she said in a voice so throaty Jez could not help but roll her eyes. "that you need this, not just a kiss." She

  stepped closer to him so that their bodies brushed against each other with palpable electricity.

  Her palm connected with his cheek before he knew what was coming.

  "Ooh," the people let out and winced as she smacked him with enough force to knock his head aside. He moved his angry eye
s from the onlookers and then to Mari, who was

  standing in front of him with her hand on her hips. There was an evil smile on her lips.

  "That hurt! I thought you were going to kiss me!" Dorian was towering over the girl but she stood her ground, completely invulnerable to his threatening stance. He continued to rub

  his cheek.

  "Mari." It was a deep, and slightly angry voice. She turned to meet the head of Circle Daybreak.

  "You know, if you just came a few minutes earlier, I wouldn't have smacked him," she explained with wide, beguiling eyes. Thierry had to admit when she looked at him with wide

  amber eyes and protruding bottom lip she looked sorry, but he knew that trusting Mari would be the same as trusting the "Bad Seed."

  "Mari," he repeated but again she cut him off, this time with rushed excuses.

  "Dorian started it. He assaulted me. In my opinion, he shouldn't be here, causing sexual attacks that leave the victim severely traumatized. We should kill him." Her voice began as

  childish and ended violently. Dorian simply glared back.

  For a second, Thierry looked at Dorian and the boy looked back. And then one blinked as did the other. A nod of the head, a wordless grimace, and various facial gestures ensued.

  It took quite some time of this exciting exchange before Mari realized what they were doing. "Oh, stop that! I hate it when you guys do that! Talk out loud."

  Dorian complied, out of fear or the hopes of getting lucky that night. "I got pretty banged up after they took her. This lady found me and brought me to a hospital. Of course, I left

  before they could actually treat me and went to a friend. He couldn't take care of me, but I healed and hid for a while. Then I went to find this little…thing." He pointed at Mari with

  disgust. She slapped his hand away.

  "Is there any possibility of gluing her arms to her body?"

  "Do you want to join Circle Daybreak?" Mari knew if Dorian refused Thierry's offer they'd have to kill him. Oh please say no, please oh please say no…

  "Well, I'm not fond of being on the Night World's side when you blow them to bits. Sure I'm in," he shrugged.

  "That's the spirit," Mari said impassively. She couldn't believe that he was in the club like that. She thought there'd be hazing or other humiliating events.