Blood Descendants (St. Clair Vampires Book 1)

by Beverly Toney

  “You alright, Chey?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Because you are pumping enough rage into the air that even the oldest Vampire can feel.”

  A look around the room confirmed that everyone was staring at me, including Efia and Pleasant, who were already at the front of the room near our table. The stares revealed a variety of different emotions from the different groups. Efia and Pleasant seemed curious as to what had angered me, but not the slightest bit surprised that my anger could quiet such a large room. The Stewards stood at attention as if my anger was a call to arms. They had taken up posts beside every door and window in case the situation called for a response. The High Caste Fare were making sure that their Fare Electus stood up straight and never broke eye contact with me. My gaze was drawn to the rear of the room where the Lower Caste Fare stood and the emotion they showed was pure, unimpeded fear. I knew at that moment that what I was doing was being seen as a power play by everyone in the room except for those in my family. Because of my show of power, people were going to be jockeying for positions within my political circle.

  Sickened by appearing to do just the thing that I was angry about, I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. I made sure that I looked at the tables in the rear of the room where the Lower Caste Fare stood and smiled my most brilliant smile.

  “Sorry, everyone. I’ve had a long trip and I'm hungry and tired,” I explained as I continued forward toward the dais.

  The room erupted in laughs and applause as the air cleared. As we continued our slow, regal approach to our seats, Lucinda stepped away from the royal table and greet a boy, who looked like he could be her twin, and four adults. They eased towards each other and hugged with unabashed affection. The four adults, I was guessing to be her parents and grandparents, were proudly smiling at the arrival of their daughter and her royal Vampire patron. I watched Lucinda walk her family back to their table in the Lower Caste section. Lucinda, being a St. Clair Fare, could have chosen to sit up front with us. She chose, instead, to sit with her family. This was a badge of honor for the Lower Caste, to have a royal Fare in their midst, and there were smiles all around.

  As they passed between the tables, the High Caste Fare glared, pointed and laughed at Lucinda’s family. It continued to ripple through the room. I knew that etiquette would require me to suppress my anger, but I had never been one to follow the rules of civility when dealing with ignorance. Besides, Violeta had said I should practice, so what the heck.

  I let my anger loose in the direction that Lucinda and her family had walked. I tried to visualize it as having mass so I could control its speed. In practice I would used the color silver as a guide, but tonight I used red and I watched it trail behind Lucinda’s family, making everyone in their wake struggle for breath. The crowd quieted with a collective inhalation of breath and turned toward me.

  Lucinda and her family continued on to their table, completely untouched by my barrage of emotion. They reached their table and turned to find me watching them. I smiled, looked each of them in the eye and winked. Then I let my gaze land on some of the other Fare in the room. At first they held my gaze in an attempt to show strength, but I was stronger. Much stronger. And one by one each of them lowered their eyes. They were afraid and I wanted them to be. I wanted them to respect my strength.

  Preparing to be chastised, I squared my shoulders and continued to walk to my seat on the raised dais. Efia and Pleasant, however, had the most mischievous smiles on their faces. Apparently I had been set up. It didn’t matter, though. It felt good to put those Fare in their place.

  Finally on the dais, I took my position between Chloe and Pleasant. I watched Tabitha walk in with Jordan and head to the Miklos table. Maybe she would join him there since they were to be married. Watching her sit at Violeta’s table made me a little jealous. Dominic and Violeta sat in the center with Zander and Jordan flanking them. It was clear that Dominic had yet to find a mate since every other person at the table was male. Even the two clan tables directly in front of their table didn’t show any sign of a possible bride for him. Out of the 18 Physice Vampires seated, there were four females; two of them were mother and infant and the other two were obviously mated with the males seated with them. I felt sorry for Dominic. He had lost his entire family and was left with the massive responsibility to rebuild a monarchy.

  Everyone waited for Efia to sit before taking their seats but she was making us wait. Even with all of her prestige, Efia was reveling in the aftermath of the power I had just demonstrated. She stood there soaking it in,then released calming pheromones to counteract my anger. When the occupants of the room began to relax, Efia smiled and gestured in my direction.

  “Isn’t my granddaughter magnificent?”

  This time the High Caste Fare were slower to clap and laugh. They looked around at one another to see who would break the ranks first. The Lower Caste Fare, on the other hand, were applauding and whistling wildly. Lucinda and her family stood with straight backs and chins high. Their day had clearly been made. Maybe even their year. I was the Vampire version of Maid Marian.

  I looked at the Fare and Stewards and wondered what they were thinking. Efia’s Fare, Jeannette, and her family were sitting in the High Caste section. A woman, who must be Jeannette’s mother, or grandmother for all I knew, was looking at me with a mixture of respect and curiosity. I was sure they knew my story by now; how I had run from my new Vampiric family and fought against my powers. She looked at me for a few moments and then inclined her head as a sign of reverence.

  After Efia sat down, the rest of the St. Clair clan did the same. Most of the people who were sitting at the royal table looked familiar but there were some new faces at the two in front of us. The first person that caught my eye was a nervous looking girl about my age. She had sand colored hair and skin and amazing green eyes. Her wide nose and thick lips made her look like a lighter version of Efia. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of anticipation and dread. I gave her a smile of sympathy because I was feeling the exact same way. The two adults, whom I assumed were her parents, looked at her when they said the exchange. Her mother, who was as dark as the night’s sky, took her hand and squeeze slightly, trying to reassure her. Her father, a blond of Nordic descent, put his large arm around her and pulled her into a fatherly hug. I let out a sigh at the sight of that. What I wouldn’t do for a hug like that right about now.

  A few minutes later, the Steward Guard closed the banquet room doors. Directly in front of the Royal tables a long trap door opened up in the floor and a podium rose out of it. The podium was massive but made out of a clear acrylic so that it would not obstruct the view. Governor Ezekiel made a show of walking to the front of the room. He shook hands as he walked forward, smiling and laughing with people as he moved. Even understanding that he held a position of importance, I thought his behavior was pretentious and unnecessary.

  I turned to Chloe and said, “The next thing you know he will kiss a baby”. Chloe nearly choked as she pointed to Governor Ezekiel. I turned my head just in time to see him plant a big kiss on the top of an infant’s head.

  “Today,” Governor Ezekiel began, once he finally made it to the microphone, “is a glorious day indeed!”

  He waved his hands in the direction of all five royal tables and was so excited that he almost began jumping up and down.

  “Our Royal families and clans have arrived in Sanguine Township safe and sound. I am overjoyed to announce that, for the very first time, the Ludos Sanguineum and the Ludos Praesidium will be combined!”

  He waited for the ramifications of his announcement to sink in. By the looks on everyone’s faces, very few in the crowd knew of this beforehand. I knew from reading that the Ludos were like the Olympic games except that your family’s honor was directly connected to your performance. The Ludos Sanguineum, loosely translated to blood games, was for the Fare to showcase their talents. The Ludos Praesidium, basically the protection games, was meant for Stewards to show
that they could guard a Vampire family. Since the responsibilities of each were so vastly different, having them compete in the same events in a combined games seemed a little cruel and unusual.

  “You must all be asking yourselves ‘why?’”, he continued. “Well, I will tell you why. I have been visited by the Vampire Council and they have informed me of a real threat to our people. We must all, Fare, Steward and Vampire alike, be able to do battle in any arena; be that physical, mental or intellectual!”

  At that, I leaned forward a little bit and looked toward the Miklos table. I immediately locked eyes with Violeta and I saw something that I didn’t expect; compassion. She had drilled so much scientific dribble drabble into my brain for the last two months and I had thought she just got her kicks from torturing me. Maybe there was more at stake than just my dislike of Calculus. I blinked once and the compassion was gone, replaced by the raised eyebrow and the dangerous smirk.

  “I want to extend my warmest welcome to all of you as I announce the opening of this year’s Pro Vita Eligamus!”

  The entire room erupted into applause. I knew that I should have read more on the plane, but the whole concept of Vampires was still a little new to me and I honestly believed that I would still wake up in New Mexico and have to go to school.

  “Pro Vita Eligamus is loosely translated into choosing for life. It’s kind of a play on words since we choose our Fare for life and they give us their life’s blood. You know? So, after the games, we choose our Fare.”

  Chloe still thought that it was funny to point out to me that I would have to drink blood to sustain my life after my Embrace. Every time I thought about it I felt like I would vomit. I shot her a dirty look and returned my attention to the Governor. He was letting us know that we would be receiving our catalogs of the Steward and Fare Electus and what we could expect. I shuddered to think what I was going to see as a group of Steward youth entered from side doors and distributed the catalogs. The books were made of expensive paper with a high gloss finish. The binding was sturdy and I wondered how many Steward and Fare families kept these as keepsakes when their Electus were chosen by a prominent family.

  The first section described what was included in the catalog, everything from how test scores were calculated to the different types of breeding methods used. Breeding methods? OMG! This was too much. No matter how many times my new family told me, I could not fathom the Fare being okay with this. But, faced with the same people who I wanted to stand up for, I couldn't deny the pride on their faces when they found their family page. Fathers patted sons on their backs and mothers cried softly because their daughters' pictures came out so well. The whole thing was a way of life for everyone in this room. The Pro Vita Eligamus was a joyful occasion.

  Skimming through the first section of the catalog, Chloe and I had decided that we would leave the selection of our Stewards to Solomon. We figured the Steward would have to be trained and participate in the running of the household, so we didn’t want to be responsible for selecting someone that Solomon couldn’t work with. The only requirement was that he selected someone with a sense of humor.

  There were a larger number of Fare Electus in the catalog. Efia had said that there were more due to recent information that she had more blood descendants out there who might survive the Embrace. She had people searching for them night and day since, if they were viable enough to survive the Embrace, Grigor would be looking for them as well. The families in this book were anticipating Efia selecting more than the four for Chloe and I, and, by the way she and Pleasant were looking through the catalog, they just might be right.

  Efia caught my eye and smiled. It was a sad smile, as if she knew what coming here had cost me; my reality would truly never be the same. But, if I had to have my world come crashing down on me, it wasn’t too shabby to be a vampire princess.

  “Do you see anyone you like?” Efia asked me and Chloe. “Don’t they all simply look delicious?”

  I choked at the joke at the same time that Chloe laughed loudly. A number of people glanced in our direction but didn’t let their looks linger. I was absolutely mortified and Efia knew it. She wasn't trying to make this easier on me, she was trying to use shock therapy. I couldn't say that I blamed her. It wasn’t like I had my entire life to get used to the fact that I was going to be a Vampire. I had a few short weeks to wrap my head around it. I sat there as the St. Clairs gestured to the Electus that appealed to them. The Electus families, aware that they were on display, began brushing invisible lint off of the shoulders of their respective Electus’. It seemed that everyone was enjoying themselves. Everyone, that is, except me and the little green eyed girl right in front of me.

  We spent what seemed like hours on the meal. I have heard of seven course meals, but this was ridiculous. It started with trays of fruit passed around by young boys and girls. They were all smiles when they served the crowds but shy and nervous when they approached the Royals. Chloe and I did our best to encourage them and make them feel comfortable, but the presence of Efia and Pleasant proved too much for some and they were replaced by older servers for the next set of courses. We went from fruit that I couldn’t name to vegetables that I couldn’t name either. Everything was so delicious that it nearly escaped my notice that, while the Fare and Stewards were dining on meats and cheeses as well as fruits and veggies, the Vampire families were eating from an animal-free menu. Ironic.

  As soon as it was evident that the Fare had had their fill, several Vampires and their respective Fare excused themselves and exited through doors just behind our tables. Chloe and I were left on the dais and finally free to speak without being overheard. Chloe looked at me with a maturity that I was sure I didn’t even possess. I grasped her and squeezed. I had spent the last two months being her big sister, only to prepare to leave and fight Grigor. The odds were clearly against the success of our mission. Several had attempted exactly what we were planning and had failed. Why did I think I was any different?

  Chapter 17

  The rising sun brought anxiety with it. Even though Lucinda and Veronica were kind enough to educate me on the importance of the Fare system and how it was actually mutually beneficial, I was still creeped out about the whole thing. If it weren’t for the fact that I loved sporting events, I would have faked an illness and remained in my suite. I dressed in an identical outfit as last night and shook my head as I sat and reviewed my fact sheets.

  Chloe and I had been given fact sheets on all of the Electus, whether they were Stewards or Fare. After dinner the night before, I had been on my couch scanning the list of Fare, noting their physical attributes and wondering why no one else saw how wrong this was. The lists also included their hobbies and intellectual capabilities as well as blood type and family lineage.

  I thought I would just make it easy on myself, close my eyes and point, but I didn’t want to accidentally choose that jerk from dinner. Solomon had informed me that the High Caste Fare that had started the social assault on Lucinda was Wyatt Robeson. Wyatt was his father’s seventh son and thought to be this year’s catch of the day. His bloodline was ancient and impeccable, he tested through the roof in all of the Sciences and Mathematics but he was a pompous jerk! The entire night he and his family paraded around like peacocks. Most of the Vampires appeared to be impressed as Wyatt wove his way through the room, clearly reveling in being on display. I did my best to ignore him but that seemed to make things worse. His father clearly had his eye on placing his son in the St. Clair royal family. Many of his other sons were in attendance and made a show of their royal patrons, most of whom where Castellanos and Dubois'.

  Matthias Robeson, the family Patriarch, had come right up to our table and showered me and Chloe with compliments. They were all too sugary and impersonal to be sincere and it just made me resent him. Wyatt joined his father with a smug look on his face, as if the two of us should have been grateful to be in his presence. He smiled and his dimples did whatever dimples do, but he had no effect on either
me or Chloe. She simply smiled and excused herself, wanting to speak with Fare closer to her own age. Wyatt continued to stare at me with a crooked smile and an arched eye-brow until Tabitha showed up to save the day.

  A new day, however, brought opportunities to meet new people. Dressed and armed with my fact sheets, I was ready to go by the time I heard a soft knock on my door. Chloe and Tabitha were dressed in identical outfits as mine and I joked about how corny it was...until we arrived in the arena. Apparently this Ludos was such an important event that every spectator wore the same uniform. Each family was allowed to choose a different color if they wished, but there were no embellishments that might draw the attention away from what was truly important.

  With the Ludos being a combination of Stewards and Fare for the first time, the stadium was packed. I was told that often times the results would be so predictable that only the families of the competitors would attend. Today was different. Everyone from the island and the majority of the royal family members were present.

  I thanked a pretty Steward girl as she handed us a schedule of events when we entered and made our way to our seats. Governor Ezekiel stepped up to the microphone and signaled to the crowd for silence. It only took seconds for the entire stadium to quiet down and we all waited for the Ludos to begin.

  “Familiae Regalis, Praesidium and Sanguine Fare, I would like to welcome you to the first ever combined Ludos.”