by Aria Sparke
Cecilia blushed. ‘Yes, I’ve checked.’
Bewildered by the conversation, I immediately focused on Cecilia. She had told us Tarek already had a partner and that he had placed his ring on her finger. What was she playing at? I noticed she was pulling on the fingers of her left hand and that the fingernails of her right hand were black. Had she caught them in the car or a cupboard door or mucking around with an unfamiliar spell?
‘She’s Albanian, twenty and her name is Zamira according to the website,’ Tarek said.
We all glanced at each other in surprise, but no one was game to speak.
‘You’re not curious?’ Tarek tipped more blood from the bottle into his glass.
‘It’s entirely your business,’ Alexis said.
‘Ah, Alexis, ever the careful diplomat. Well I’m sure the others are dying to know.’ Tarek sipped the blood delicately. ‘The website is called International Love Hearts and arranges romantic matches all over the world. Cecilia verified its credentials, so I thought, why not?’
I prayed no one would snigger.
‘It sounded so thoroughly modern. I’ll be introducing Zamira at the Anubis College ball in a fortnight, which you will all attend.’
If Tarek hadn’t been so menacing, I would have burst into laughter. Unsurprisingly, his announcement had left me cold. I glanced at the others with their heads downturned, wanting them to object or at least comment, but the room was silent and still.
He hadn’t even met this woman and there was the possibility the arrangement might be a scam. Why hadn’t Cecilia told us? There was no ring on her finger, so I was still at risk. As for Tarek, he had shown me a split second of his power today when he glanced at me and I was completely defenseless. I worried he knew my wards were no match for his vampiric power. He could take me whenever he wanted. I had to tell Flynn.
‘Well my dears, apologies. I’m off to nap before I take a little jaunt about the countryside tonight. I feel a giddy urge to get out and see what’s happening in my neighborhood,’ Tarek announced. ‘It was delightful catching up. I hope you don’t mind me leaving before you, my guests, but I’m sure you’ll let yourselves out when the time comes.’
Before I had a chance to look away, Tarek turned and winked at me. ‘Nighty night.’
* * *
CHAPTER 19
Flynn: A New Bride
Lily was fuming by the time Tarek left the house. I was glad to see the last of him. My feelings toward him were growing progressively more negative each time I saw him. He knew he had power over us all and seemed to enjoy our obvious discomfort. His revelation about Zamira was ridiculous and yet also in keeping with his sick sense of humor.
It was early evening, so I took Lily for a walk in the rose garden at the back of the mansion to talk to her privately. I steered her along one branch of the pebbly path, so when we passed the angel statue with half her face crumbling she didn’t see the bad side. Her perfect side concealed the truth like the sweet smell and soft petals hid the rose thorns in our garden. I hated that we had inflicted my family’s problems on Lily.
‘He’s gone now.’
‘Why do you all put up with him?’ she said angrily. ‘He’s disgusting.’
I shrugged. ‘He’s our father.’
She went to say something but bit her lip instead.
‘Tell me what you were about to say? Please tell me.’
She struggled to reply but eventually answered. ‘He looked at me.’
I wasn’t sure what she meant.
‘I looked back.’
Oh no, it had to be his glamour.
‘I had whispered my strongest spell, but it didn’t work. If he hadn’t chosen to look away, I don’t know what would’ve happened.’
I could see she was embarrassed by her encounter with Tarek.
‘I get it.’ I found it difficult to meet her angry eyes. This was a serious development. Why was my father toying with her like this? He had lined up a new partner and yet was still teasing her. More worrying, if Lily had no power over his glamour how could she defend herself?
‘Is that all you have to say?’ Lily sounded exasperated by my lack of communication.
‘I’m sorry that happened to you. You obviously need a stronger spell especially if you’re going to the ball.’
‘No way.’ She stomped down the brick path and sat on the garden bench in front of a profusion of roses climbing on the stone wall. ‘I can’t go near him until I know for certain he and Zamira are a match. Can you believe him using that website? It’s bizarre!’
‘I must admit it threw me, but he likes novelty.’ I knew that sounded lame although it was true. I remembered when he first discovered online shopping and him ordering can openers, knife sets, a vacuum cleaner and exercise equipment he’d seen on television and the internet.
‘Why, Flynn, why do you all stick by him?’
I sat on the bench, leaned in and put my arm around her, feeling her softness and warmth.
‘He’s the head of our family and each of us knows it was only fate that placed him in that position. Can you understand he never wanted to be a vampire? He was a farmer minding his own business, who wanted a simple life. Sure, he feeds on people and takes young girls as wives, but in raising generations of dhampirs to fight vampires who kill for pleasure, he’s doing more good than harm. We know too it may have been one of us who ended up doing his job. In a way we’ve been spared by his sacrifice.’
Lily half laughed. ‘Sacrifice—hardly what I’d call it. He ruined Bella’s life and left Avery without a mother.’
‘You know what I mean.’
‘But he said he was going out. He might be in Wicklow tonight killing for blood.’
Flynn stared ahead.
‘You don’t know what he gets up to, do you? You could ask.’
‘No, he wouldn’t tell us.’
‘You don’t know for sure.’
‘Yes I do.’
I could see her growing frustration with me, but what I said was true. In the past when Father had spent a night out, we’d ask him where he’d gone and he’d always laugh at us and tell us to mind our own business. On one particularly embarrassing occasion, Martin and I had tracked him on his way to Wicklow and after losing sight of him we found he had backtracked around us and was shadowing us. When we turned to go home, he was standing leaning against a tree looking at his fingernails and had asked us, ‘Lost something, boys?’ He had joked about it for years afterwards.
‘And Cecilia, what’s going on with her?’ Lily asked.
‘Yeah, she was acting oddly.’ I was relieved with the change of subject.
‘Did you see her black fingertips?’
‘No.’
‘She told us Tarek had already put the ring on Zamira’s finger—but he hadn’t.’
‘I know. Maybe she was assuming everything would be alright, or perhaps he ordered her to do it.’
Lily stared ahead with a stony expression as though rejecting my suggestions.
I stroked her hair. ‘How about you plan to go to the ball? I promise Alexis and I will make sure Zamira’s bound to Tarek beforehand.’
Lily seemed to brighten for a moment but then frowned. ‘Zamira’s only twenty—around Bella’s age. It isn’t fair. If I or the other witches could find the right magic, no one would have to sacrifice their future to become his bride. We could end all of this.’ Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. ‘I’m going to find a way.’
We sat together hand in hand watching the last of the cloud-shrouded light fade on the horizon.
‘Come inside, Lily. It isn’t safe to be out here now. We’ll drive back to Anubis.’
* * *
Despite my assurances to Lily we’d check on Tarek, she was uneasy and reluctant to go to the ball. Alexis had agreed to come with me to the mansion to meet Zamira. All I wanted to see was Tarek’s ring on her finger, which may have been a selfish desire, yet I knew it was the only way Lily would be safe from Tarek.
<
br /> We headed out late on Monday afternoon when Cecilia was taking one of her regular witchcraft classes at college. Since Bella had gone, Lily had been promoted with the others in her class to one with more advanced students. It was now a group of twenty—the full witch population of Anubis College. Not all were Ruberios. Some came from the Varnas clan and a few from smaller dhampir groups across the nation. The witches intrigued me and like Anya sometimes I wished I were one of them. It would be so much easier to spit a string of words at a vampire and watch them disintegrate to dust. I hated the physical act of hurling silver blades into hearts or exposing vamps to the sun and watching them fry. The way of witches seemed clean and efficient.
Alexis and I drove out the front gates of Anubis toward home ready to meet our future stepmother. Neither of us was expecting to find a mother figure. It was just the way of dhampirs.
‘Lily’s refused to come on Saturday if we can’t assure her Zamira’s going to be Tarek’s new partner,’ I said, feeling apprehensive at the thought of meeting my father again.
‘I don’t blame her,’ Alexis said. ‘I wouldn’t trust him either.’
‘Have you noticed anything odd about Ces lately?’
Alexis glanced away from the road at me. ‘Yes, I was surprised she told us Tarek had already bound himself to Zamira when they hadn’t actually met in the flesh. Sometimes she can be what outwardly seems scatterbrained. I always put it down to the fact she drifts in and out of visions and may become disoriented.’
‘I get it. She could’ve seen the ring on Zamira’s finger in a vision and believed that it had already happened.’
‘Exactly. It has happened before.’
‘Did you notice Ces’ fingertips?’
Alexis shook his head.
‘They’re black.’
‘Maybe she went overboard with some magic,’ Alexis said.
‘What spells would do that?’
Alexis shrugged. ‘She didn’t go to a formal academy. She was self taught and has always been inclined to recklessness.’ He sighed. ‘She had a few close calls even when she was with me. I remember once she lay in stasis for a week just like Lily did.’
I was surprised by this piece of information. ‘Who rescued her?’
‘Leah—I’m sure Ces wouldn’t be with us today if it hadn’t been for her. That’s why I was stunned when I heard Lily had managed to escape stasis by herself. It shocked Ces too.’
‘Daniel said Lily’s mother, Elise often had to help Ces out of trouble when they were growing up,’ I said.
‘Those black fingers are probably evidence of just another bout of exuberance or recklessness.’
‘I hope that’s all it is. I think we need to keep an eye on her.’
Alexis sighed again.
He was used to her waywardness and knew she couldn’t always be relied on. He had learned the hard way when she cheated on him and their marriage failed, but I think he still had a soft spot for her that was also blind.
‘Is Ces still seeing him?’ I asked.
Alexis looked out the window. ‘I wouldn’t know.’
Outside the car a wind was rising in the forest, blowing the trees into a wild dance.
‘I loved her so much. I would’ve done anything for her—and still would.’
‘I know,’ I said feeling Alexis’ pain as though it were another passenger in the car.
Darkness had fully fallen by the time we snaked up the winding Ruberio drive and the wind had died. As soon as I opened the car door, I smelled the familiar sourness of creeping moss and decaying earth peculiar to this area. It hung in the air, which was still under the cloudless sky. I stopped to look at the only real light in the dark landscape, a slither of moon in the east hanging over the distant lights of Wicklow.
‘Ready?’
Alexis grabbed his jacket from the back seat and locked the car. ‘I think so.’ I could hear tension in his voice.
‘We won’t stay long. Just meet Mother and go.’
Alexis chuckled nervously and shook his head. ‘Mother? Christ, she’s only twenty.’
‘Aren’t they all at the beginning?’
Strains of classical music could be heard echoing down the hall after old Gregori opened the front door and ushered us in. ‘Master Ruberio is in the lounge entertaining his newly betrothed.’
Feeling relieved, I grinned at Alexis whose expression mirrored mine.
Stooped Gregori scurried ahead and threw the doors to the living room open for us. We followed at a more sedate pace not really relishing the thought of meeting our father again.
‘Come in. Come in, Alexis and Flynn.’ Tarek was standing by the fireplace dressed in casual modern style jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt. He looked almost normal.
A young woman with large blue eyes and dark hair flowing to her waist twirled around to see us. ‘Your brothers, Tarek. How lovely,’ she exclaimed. She spoke in surprisingly good English for an Albanian native. ‘I’m so pleased to meet you. Tarek has told me so much about you.’
Brothers? This was a new approach from Father. Had he dispensed with using his glamour to lure brides? Perhaps he was determining whether he could attract a wife the old-fashioned way—an interesting development.
‘So let me see,’ Zamira said in a light-hearted tone. ‘You must be Tarek’s older brother, Alexis.’ She turned from Alexis to me. ‘And you’re, Flynn. Am I right? You look the same age as Tarek.’
‘Yes, you’ve got our names right,’ Alexis said.
Zamira clapped in a happy, childlike way.
It left me cold and sad. It was like harboring an ax murderer and feeding an innocent to him.
‘Flynn and I are only a couple of years apart,’ Tarek explained. ‘People often mistake me for being one of the triplets.’
‘Younger or older?’ Zamira asked earnestly.
‘Older, not that it’s obvious,’ Tarek said, obviously enjoying himself.
‘Your mother must have been so busy.’ Zamira looked at me with her doe-like eyes. ‘I was very sad to hear she died only very recently. I would love to have met her.’
‘She would have loved you,’ said Alexis kindly.
It seemed weird hearing them talk about a wife and a potential one loving each other.
‘Show them your ring, Zamira my love,’ urged Tarek as he stood close behind her.
She held her hand up and proudly exhibited the Ruberio ring while admiring it herself. ‘I know it’s sudden.’ She giggled. ‘I don’t know if you believe me, but it was love at first sight. We have so much in common. Tell them, Tarek.’
Tarek smiled sweetly at her. ‘It’s so true. You’re my little piece of heaven,’ he gushed making me want to gag.
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask Tarek about their common interests, but like a good son, I dutifully refrained.
Zamira beamed at me. ‘As soon as we exchanged photos and messages online, I knew he was the man for me.’
I nodded politely. What could you say to that?
Her smile turned to a self-conscious blush as Alexis and I had obviously stared at her too long.
‘Congratulations to you both,’ Alexis said quickly with an unreadable expression on his face.
‘Yes, it’s amazing news,’ I said hoping my father would get my ambiguous message. He was a slimy old vampire preying on a mere child. I was relieved Lily wasn’t here to see the charade.
We celebrated their announcement with a bottle of real red wine. I didn’t suppose Father had revealed his preference for blood to her as he made a show of drinking the wine, which I hadn’t seen him do for many years. I knew he found food and drink abhorrent, so he was obviously trying to impress Zamira. Maybe he was in love.
When would he break it to her that he preferred the taste of blood sucked from his wife or any random stranger’s neck? I pictured them on their honeymoon night and him whispering the truth to her. She’d have to be pleased. Who wouldn’t be?
After we had toasted their engagement
, my father asked if Anya could take Zamira to Wicklow to buy new outfits as well as a gown and shoes for the ball.
‘I’ll send her with a servant on Friday morning to Anubis College,’ Tarek said.
‘I’ll be waiting in the front office to introduce you to Anya,’ Alexis said while smiling warmly at Zamira.
‘Thank you, I can’t wait.’ Zamira’s eyes sparkled with youth and excitement.
I felt sorry for her. We were a disgusting and depraved lot. She seemed a lovely young girl, who was walking blindly into our nightmare of a family. I knew I could do the right thing on Friday when she came to Anubis and warn her to run away. I could even put her on a bus to the airport and give her money for her fare back to Albania. It would be easy, and Tarek wouldn’t know until it was too late. But as I imagined doing so, I also pictured Tarek turning his attention to Lily. I wouldn’t do it to Lily—to us.
As I gazed at Zamira I felt complicit and evil because I was offering her up to hide Lily from Tarek. Were my ethics and courage ebbing away because I was no longer drinking blood? I knew I was a disgrace to the dhampiric race. Ultimately I knew Lily’s idea about trying to find a special spell to conquer the vampiric problems on this planet maybe our only hope.
‘And Martin and Lily? You’ll introduce them to Zamira?’ Tarek said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. ‘After all they’re family too. They’ll love Zamira.’
I said nothing but left the house feeling gloomy and uneasy, and I could tell without asking him, Alexis felt the same.
* * *
CHAPTER 20
Lily: Secrets
On Thursday afternoon I lay my only two dresses on the bed to choose from for the Anubis ball on Saturday night. I’d alternated them each week for formal dinners at Anubis, so it didn’t matter greatly which I picked as everyone was familiar with them. My spirits had lifted somewhat knowing I could go to this ball without fearing Tarek since Flynn had met Zamira and assured me they were bound. Part of me shared his depression and guilt over her fate and I’d delved into some of the witchcraft books searching for a solution. I’d also checked for spells that may have left Cecilia with her blackened nails.