by Aria Sparke
I’d even asked her if she knew of any magic to help Zamira, but she’d only stared blankly at me as though she didn’t understand. Sometimes I felt she wasn’t altogether there and wondered how someone as logical and lovable as Alexis had fallen so hard for her.
I showered and washed my hair, and when I entered the bedroom realized I must have stupidly forgotten to lock my door. A long white box with a red bow and a small envelope stuck under the ribbon lay on my bed. Surprised, I fished out the envelope while wondering who had left it there. I laughed aloud as I read the card from Martin and Anya. They’d been shopping in Wicklow and thought this would be perfect for me.
Cautiously, I opened the box and was stunned to find a coral pink evening dress lying amongst tissue paper. Holding it close, I marveled at its beauty in the mirror. It was a strapless, delicate chiffon dress that draped around the bust and hung to the floor. I immediately lay it carefully on the bed and reached under the bed for my shoebox while praying my ballet slippers wouldn’t look to shabby with it. I shook my head in amazement because lying next to the slippers was an elegant pair of silver high heels in my size. Another note sat in one shoe, telling me to enjoy the ball.
I quickly tried the new dress and shoes on and stood in front of the mirror. I felt like Cinderella. Tears welled in my eyes with the thought of how incredibly lucky I was to have Martin and Anya as my friends. I was still standing in front of the mirror when I heard a knock on the door.
‘Who is it?’ I didn’t want Flynn to see the gorgeous dress until it was time to go to the ball.
‘It’s just me.’ Anya burst in and squealed at the sight of the dress. ‘It’s perfect. You look beautiful.’
‘I don’t know how to thank you,’ I said quietly. ‘It’s ...’ I was speechless with gratitude for their kindness.
‘We just want you to have fun! Come and see what I’ve bought.’
After I slipped out of the dress and shoes into my sweater and track pants, I followed Anya back to her room.
‘See, I bought this from the same shop.’ Anya held up a stunning emerald green dress with a daring split up the back. ‘Do you think I’ll look like a mermaid in it?’ She giggled.
‘Absolutely—a gorgeous one. It’s amazing, Anya.’
‘Martin and I had so much fun shopping. Flynn’s not really into enjoying the nice things in life. He thinks we’re decadent.’ She shrugged and laughed. ‘But why not?’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Are you okay?’
‘I’m fine.’
‘Really?’
‘It’s just this dinner. I’m still worried.’
‘About?’
‘Tarek.’
Anya grimaced.
‘What is it?’
‘I’ve also come here to ask you for a favor. You can say no if you really don’t want to.’
‘Go on.’
‘Alexis has asked you, Martin and me to meet Tarek’s new partner, Zamira tomorrow morning at college.’
‘Okay,’ I said slowly. ‘With or without Tarek?’
‘Without.’ Anya smiled hopefully.
That was a definite positive. ‘What’s the catch?’ I knew she wouldn’t be reluctant to ask me if there wasn’t one.
‘It’s all good, um although Tarek has asked us to take Zamira to Wicklow to shop for clothes for her. I don’t think she came with many belongings. She also needs a dress for the ball.’
‘So you want me to come?’
Anya nodded.
Although it sounded harmless, I felt reluctant. ‘I’ll meet with Zamira first and decide whether to come to Wicklow afterwards.’
After Anya left, I placed the gift box, ribbon and dress to one side and left my room to seek Flynn. I found him in the gym practising with six young men. I waved and he beckoned for me to join them, but I shook my head. I wasn’t dressed for exercise or warmed up. In any case they were all dhampirs and would leave me in their wake after a few moments.
They ran in a spaced-out line, springing over a series of hurdles and then left through the open doors of the gym where they each took turns to run up the side of a brick wall and flip by pushing from the top. When they hit the ground they sprinted and somersaulted. It was spectacular to watch and I felt an urge to learn the skills, although I knew I could never match the strength and speed of the athletic dhampirs. As their practice progressed, their movements became quicker and more agile. Soon they were moving so fast, I had to look away because their blurred motion was making me dizzy.
‘That looked fun,’ I said to Flynn when the exercise was complete and he walked toward the main building with me.
‘The best. You should try it.’
I laughed his suggestion off. ‘Did you hear about Tarek’s latest ploy?’
He nodded.
‘Should I go?’
‘I don’t know. It seems straightforward. Like I told you, I liked Zamira when I met her. She seems awfully young and naive though.’
Perfect for Tarek, I thought.
‘You’ll get to meet her properly when you guys take her shopping, but of course anything with Tarek’s fingerprints on it is suspect.’
‘I feel exactly the same. Yet if we shop in daylight, it’s not like Tarek’s going to be tracking us, which makes me more inclined to go. I’d also like to know more about Zamira.’
‘Go then, but please be careful,’ Flynn said.
I knew I couldn’t hide away from the world and refuse every invitation. ‘Do you want to come?’
He shook his head. ‘I can’t. Some of us are meeting with Ces over some new vision of hers.’
I frowned because I hadn’t heard of any new visions among the witches.
‘I think Ces is the only one who has had any premonitions.’
He was reading my mind. ‘Okay. I hope it’s a false alarm.’
‘She didn’t seem to think it was urgent, so maybe it’s a long way into the future. She’s been known to receive visions far ahead of the others.’
I would have loved for Flynn to come with us, but his meeting seemed more important than a frivolous day in Wicklow.
* * *
Before Zamira arrived at Anubis College on Friday morning, Anya, Martin and I were almost falling out of a window on the second floor trying to catch a glimpse of her. The day was uncharacteristically warm and the sky, clear and blue.
‘What a dreadful day,’ Anya said before putting on her sunglasses. ‘I don’t see how we’ll be able to shop in this weather.’
‘It’s a stinker,’ Martin agreed. ‘Don’t either of you have clothing you could lend Zamira for the ball? We could shop for her other needs next week.’
‘It depends,’ Anya said. ‘I don’t know her size or shape yet. I have oodles of clothes, but I’m guessing she’s not six foot.’
I sighed. ‘Sorry, but my formal wardrobe is close to empty as you know. She’s welcome to my new dress if it fits.’
‘No,’ Martin and Anya said together vehemently.
‘You need the dress to come to the ball and we aren’t going to accept any excuses,’ Anya said with her hands on her hips.
‘You can borrow our car,’ Martin said to me. ‘You could take her shopping.’
I looked at them both uncertainly with my heart sinking. ‘I don’t know. I need to meet her first.’
When a car wound its way down the drive, we all watched expectantly as it pulled up in the parking lot. A slim young woman emerged, wearing a straw hat and sunglasses.
‘Nope, she’s not going to fit any of my dresses,’ Anya declared. ‘She can’t be any more than five foot two.’
Martin laughed. ‘A hat and glasses! Maybe she’s one of us.’
‘No, her arms are bare,’ I said. ‘Anyway she’d be no use if she were one of you for breeding purposes, would she?’ As soon as I’d made the joking remark, I felt guilty. No one deserved the young woman’s inevitable fate.
‘She’s gorgeous—like a neat doll. Maybe she’s a movie star,’ Anya said.
W
e watched her wave the driver away and pause to look at the college.
‘Mother seems confident,’ Martin said. ‘Look at the way she walks. She can’t be timid.’
I half laughed but secretly cringed at him jokingly calling her Mother. ‘What if she’s bluffing and she’s terrified?’
‘I doubt it,’ Anya said. ‘She’s come all the way from Albania by herself to meet a foreign man. She has to be brave.’
‘Or crazy,’ Martin said.
Then they’ll be a perfect match I thought.
We hurried down to Alexis’ office just as he was walking to the front doors. He hissed at us as though we were naughty children making too much noise. ‘Wait in my office. I’ll bring her in. We don’t want to scare her.’
Anya giggled again as we tried to decide whether to sit or stand and how to make ourselves less confronting for the poor girl. ‘Don’t everyone stare at her at once or ask too many questions.’
I felt terrified for her.
We could hear laughter and voices in the foyer. Alexis came through the doorway first and welcomed Zamira into his office.
‘Zamira, I’d like you to meet my brother, Martin, my sister, Anya and ....’
‘And you must be Lily, Flynn’s girlfriend,’ said Zamira shaking my hand and smiling before turning to the others.
That was a good start, I conceded, but it still left me unconvinced and slightly unnerved with her singling me out.
‘Tarek has said you will all be taking me to Wicklow to shop. I’m so looking forward to it,’ Zamira said in perfect English with only a slight accent.
‘Well there have been a few changes in our plans.’ Martin winked at me. ‘Anya and I are unable to accompany you, but Lily will be delighted to show you around Wicklow and help you shop. We thought you might like to choose your ball outfit today.’
‘I’m very spoiled by your kindness,’ Zamira said.
Everyone looked at me expectantly. Martin and Anya had narrowed my chore down to finding one dress and a pair of shoes. I smiled as sweetly as I could manage although was secretly annoyed at them. ‘We’ll have a great time, I promise.’
Later as Anya and Alexis guided Zamira to the front door, Martin pulled me back by my sleeve and handed me a credit card before writing the pin number on my wrist with a pen. ‘Call me, if you sweat it off your wrist. Don’t forget to take her to lunch and remember, have fun. I don’t believe you’re very good at that.’
I grimaced at him, feeling well and truly snared. ‘I’ll just duck upstairs and get my bag if you don’t mind waiting.’ I sprinted to my room and fetched my bag, making certain I’d packed my cante. No matter where I was going, I would never leave college without it. When I returned to the foyer, Martin threw me the keys to their car.
As we drove toward Wicklow, Zamira was fairly quiet.
‘It must feel strange for you being so far away from home. Do you miss your family?’
‘I was raised in an orphanage, so no, I don’t.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Why?’
‘You lost your parents.’
She shrugged. ‘I was a baby. It was a long time ago and I’m independent now.’
‘Your English is amazing.’
‘Thanks. In Albania I learned English at school, which I finished at sixteen. For the past four years I’ve worked as a maid by day and studied more English at night.’
‘Life must have been difficult at times.’
She turned to me as her smiled faded. ‘Yes.’
Not another one. Tarek made it a habit of selecting unattached girls, I suppose because it made life less complicated.
‘But now life is good and I’m happy. Tarek said we can visit Albania any time we like once we’re settled.’
‘Why did you choose him?’
She laughed. ‘He’s very handsome and when we got to know each other well over the internet I just fell for him. I can’t explain. The attraction only grew when I met him for real.’
Funny that.
She sighed. ‘It’s like a fairytale. I’m not alone anymore.’ She hesitated before smiling. ‘I feel loved.’
She sounded so genuine that I relaxed. ‘When will you marry him?’ I really wanted to hear a definite date.
‘Tarek’s planning a grand wedding possibly in the fall. It’s a secret.’ She went quiet for a while. ‘Tell me, Lily. What do you know about his past wife?’
It was on the tip of my tongue, but I stopped myself saying, which of the many? ‘Bella?’
‘Yes.’
It was as though she had let her happy mask slide for a moment to confide in me. I felt pleased she had.
‘What have you heard?’ I asked cautiously.
‘Tarek said she died suddenly of an illness and couldn’t be saved. Did you know her?’
I nodded. ‘Yes, she had a blood complaint.’ She had bled out, so technically I was being truthful. Half of me wanted to blurt everything out to her, yet the other half of me was afraid. If she disappeared, I would be next. I felt so guilty and complicit, and because of this I struggled to relate to her naturally.
‘What was she like?’
‘Small, blond and friendly.’ I felt emotional describing her. I also felt embarrassed that I still knew little of her background or true nature.
‘I hope you don’t mind me asking,’ she began. I could see her twisting her hands nervously.
‘What is it?’
‘It’s just that Tarek mentioned to me that at one time you had a thing—an attraction to him.’
I felt my eyes pop. ‘He said that? No way, never.’ I laughed although it sounded like a growl. ‘The only man I’ve ever loved is Flynn. Do you understand? You have absolutely nothing to fear from me.’ Tarek, that conniving vampire was definitely up to something.
Zamira’s hands relaxed in her lap. ‘I’m sorry I asked you, but I had to—to be sure before I married him. If you love him, Lily, I will return to Albania. I would rather know now before it’s too late.’
‘That’s understandable. But as I said I’ve no feelings for the man.’ Well other than for that split second when he played dirty by exerting his power over me, although I certainly wasn’t going to bring that up.
She stared at me with her large eyes, almost imploring me to spill my story and confirm her fears.
‘I promise you, I have no secret affection for Tarek. I love Flynn and only Flynn.’
Zamira took her sunglasses off and polished them with the hem of her floral dress. ‘Tarek has already told me his big secret.’
I pulled the car over as soon as I could. When I turned the engine off I looked at her. ‘What secret?’
‘He’s a vampire.’
I felt like the last breath of air had been sucked from the car, so I unrolled the window.
‘I was horrified when he told me.’
Still speechless, I nodded.
‘He said you all knew. Is that true?’
I looked ahead and tried to avoid her gaze. How was I supposed to answer?
‘When he first told me I laughed. Later he showed me the coffin, his fangs and his store of bottled blood. I still thought it was some strange fetish until he showed me how he could move unnaturally fast.’ She covered her mouth and giggled nervously. ‘Then it was kind of hard to deny the truth.’
I kept my eyes trained ahead. ‘What did you do?’
‘I ran from the house in horror and down the drive into the night. If he had not come after me I would’ve run all the way to Wicklow, but he came after me.’
It wasn’t hard to imagine her horror.
‘By then I was hysterical. He wasn’t angry or violent but rather charming and kind which probably sounds ridiculous. We returned to the house and he told me of his sad history. In the end we made love. He gently pricked my neck with his fangs to show me how it felt.’
‘You let him do it?’ I said in astonishment.
‘She smiled coyly. ‘After a while I felt a strange compulsion, w
hich I’m unable to explain. You’ll think me completely mad, but I asked him to bite me again.’
My heart beat faster and I held my breath, waiting and wanting to hear more.
She sighed. ‘It was like nothing I’ve experienced.’
‘Was it awful?’
‘No, it was ecstasy.’
Her choice of words surprised me.
‘I expected it to be painful, but it was better than you know ....’ She giggled again.
I nodded in pure amazement.
‘Since that night, I feel I’ve made the right decision and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Does it make sense to you?’
Not really. At times she seemed like a giggly adolescent but fluctuated into this other worldly woman. I decided it might take a while to get used to her. Desperately I tried to scrounge the words to sound sincere and supportive yet failed.
‘It isn’t my decision, Zamira. Only you know how you feel about him. You obviously know him more intimately than any of us.’ I sounded so stiff and awkward, yet I couldn’t help it.
‘I think I do, and I love him.’ She turned to me and smiled. ‘I know you and I are going to be great friends.’
How could she possibly know she loved someone so soon? It was ridiculous. Although I wondered if she were better suited to Tarek than most. Her acceptance of him being a vampire and her willingness to go along with his fetishes blew me away. My only explanation for her curious behaviour was that he might have exerted his glamour over her to calm her after his big reveal. What a cheat.
My hands shook slightly as I started the car’s engine again and steered the car onto the road. ‘Shall we get this shopping done?’
She smiled broadly at me.
When we found the formal dress shop Anya had recommended, I was floundering when we were shown the racks of dresses in every color, style and fabric.
‘Sorry, I’m not very experienced at this,’ I confessed. ‘I’d love to help you choose, but perhaps the assistant would be better at it.’
Zamira laughed. ‘Me either. I’m not experienced at buying clothes, but I know what I like.’ She flicked through dress after dress and chose three dresses within fifteen minutes. After trying each on, she asked my opinion.