I study his expression. It seems genuine, so I let it go, for now.
CHAPTER 17
After a few moments of silence, Mr. Delanciennes clears his throat. “I think it is time you meet the rest of my children.” He looks to the doorway where five people are watching us. None of them look much younger than Damien.
“May I present my eldest daughter, Alyssa . . . ” Alyssa stands tall, with white blonde hair hanging down her back in a perfectly smooth, shiny sheet. Her brown eyes are wide with excitement, despite her pink lips revealing only a demure smile. She’s wearing a royal blue sundress that flatters her figure.
“ . . . Her younger brother, Demetrius . . . ” Demetrius looks like an inverted copy of Damien. Their physical features are nearly identical, but he has blonde hair like his father, and has inherited his mother’s porcelain skin and brown eyes. He looks slightly younger than Damien does, as though he has not fully matured yet. He’s wearing a green button up shirt with dark brown slacks.
“ . . . the next youngest, Sebastian . . . ” Sebastian is an interesting mix of his parents’ features. His hair is golden brown, his eyes are hazel, and his skin is somewhere between olive and porcelain. He stands proudly, and I sense a bit of roguishness about him. His bright red shirt makes me think he likes attention, but he mutes it somewhat with black slacks.
As I look at him, I realize he seems familiar. “Sebastian? Have we—”
“Ah, you remember me! I must have made quite an impression.” He waggles his eyebrows.
That’s right. He interrupted Damien and me at the club. “Damien, you told me he was just a friend.”
Sebastian clutches at his chest theatrically. “A mortal wound! To be cast off by my brother so callously.”
Damien shakes his head with a smile. “And that is precisely why I choose not to acknowledge you. When will you ever grow up?”
Grinning, I join in their fun. “Be nice to the poor boy, Damien. Not everyone can be as perfect as you.”
“An arrow right to the heart, darling!”
“Sebastian, enough!” Sebastian’s joking look sobers instantly at his father’s admonishment, turning into an expression of respectful interest. It’s like he’s flicked a switch. “Lys, allow me to continue. Next to her unruly brother is my youngest daughter, Selene . . . ” Selene looks delicate, almost ethereal. She has long, mousy brown hair, longer even than my own, and light blue eyes. Her nose is aristocratic, but small, and her lips are a light pink. She wears a floaty, periwinkle dress.
“ . . . and my youngest, Eziano . . . ” Eziano is a nearly identical copy of Damien, right down to the goatee, long hair, and edgy clothes. He must look up to Damien immensely to dress and style himself in the same manner.
They had each bowed or curtsied when presented, and, not knowing what else to do, since I’m not wearing a skirt, I nod to each of them.
“It’s nice to meet you all. Damien has mentioned that you’re all close. It makes so much sense, seeing as you’re all so close to the same age.” They all grin, and I can hear a couple soft chuckles. Damien gently pulls me to himself and encircles me with his arms.
“Perhaps that is one more thing you should know.” He mumbles in my ear. “Our ages are not mirrored by our appearances.”
“Yeah, I know.” I close my eyes as a bit of knowledge drops into my head and I process it. “You age normally until you reach puberty, at which point aging slows down until you meet your mate. If your mate looks too much older than you, you will age quicker, and if your mate is much younger, aging will almost cease until they catch up. Once you are mated, you will age at approximately one one-hundredth the rate of humans, allowing you to live for hundreds of years, should you so choose.”
Damien nods. “Yes, exactly. Was that part of your dream as well?” he asks inquisitively
I think for a moment. “No, I don’t believe so.”
“Then how did you know?”
“I’m not sure.”
Damien looks at his father.
“Again, I have a theory,” he answers, “but nothing concrete, yet. I will need to consult our records.” We both nod.
“Okay,” I say. “So, you aren’t all close in age.”
“No, Chérie.”
“Then tell me the news. Just how old are you really, Damien?”
He takes a deep breath. “I am 217.”
“Wow. Damien?” He looks down at me, curious. “You’re old.” His grimace makes me realize how my comment sounded. “Don’t worry; you’re a hot old man.” I laugh, and he squeezes me in thanks. I realize Shawn hasn’t said much recently, and turn to look at him. He’s gazing at Selene with a look of amazement. I elbow him to bring him back to reality. He shakes his head and mouths “Sorry.” “Okay, so, Damien, you’re 217. Why are you still in school?”
“It is tradition for an heir to attend some human educational institution every twenty-five years or so, to ensure we stay up to date.”
“Oh, wow, that has got to get boring.”
He shakes his head. “Actually, especially recently, things have changed quite quickly. You would be amazed at how much is new information.”
I shrug. “Oh, okay. Um, how old are your siblings?” I turn to them quickly. “If you don’t mind my asking.”
“Not at all,” replies Alyssa calmly. “It is natural to be curious. And, for obvious reasons, age is not an embarrassment to vampires, but rather a thing of pride. After all, age brings wisdom. I am one hundred ninety-two.”
“I’m one hundred fifty-three,” continues Demetrius. “Sebastian is one hundred thirty-three. And Eziano is eighty. He’s the kid.”
“Hey!” I can distinguish the differences in accents and formality between the siblings. I look to Selene, who has not yet answered and is blushing.
“You don’t need to answer if you don’t want.”
“No, it’s quite all right. I will be turning one hundred later this year.”
“Wow, that sounds big.”
“It is. It rivals your coming of age ceremony at sixteen.” Glancing around me at Shawn, she asks. “Would you mind introducing your friend?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m sorry. This is Shawn Dooley. He’s been my best friend since we started high school.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dooley.”
Shawn grins like a maniac, obviously happy to be speaking with Selene. “Call me Shawn, please, Miss Delanciennes. And the pleasure is definitely all mine.”
Selene blushes deeply and pauses, biting her lip. She must come to a decision about whatever is on her mind as she answers, “very well, Shawn. Please, call me Selene.”
“Thank you, Selene.” Selene turns an even darker shade of red at Shawn’s comment.
Damien’s other siblings also request a more familiar mode of address before a young lady, a servant of some sort, judging by her clothes, comes in to announce breakfast is ready.
“Breakfast, what time is it?”
“It is nearly seven, Chérie.”
“Really? How did that happen?”
Damien and his family chuckle as we all follow Mr. Delanciennes to the dining room. Mrs. Delanciennes is waiting for us at the door. Like the rest of the house, the dining room is enormous.
The ceiling is formed in an odd shape; it comes down the walls to meet the decorative pillars spaced out around the room. It’s a pretty design. The chandelier above the table is gold and crystal, sending light dancing throughout the vast area. The table itself can easily seat fifty. It’s currently set for just the ten of us.
We all sit grouped around one end. Mr. Delanciennes sits at the head with his wife on his right and Damien on his left. I sit at Damien’s left, with Shawn at my left and Selene next to him. I’ll have to keep an eye on those two. Alyssa sits next to her mother, with her brothers sitting next to her by age.
Breakfast is delicious, and, once we’re done, Mrs. Delanciennes asks me to join her and her daughters in her sitting room to plan the Bonding ceremony.
“Mrs. Delanciennes, I’d really like a chance to speak to Shawn for a few minutes. May I join you after that?”
“Of course, Cara. Damien will show you to the backyard, and you can ask anyone you come across to bring you to my sitting room when you are ready.”
“Thanks.” Although Damien obviously wants to stay, I give him a look that quite clearly tells him I need a private conversation with Shawn.
Shawn and I settle under a tree that’s just out of sight of the house windows.
“How are you doing, Lys?” He tosses an arm around my shoulder, and I lean against him.
“I’m kind of overwhelmed.”
“But you’ve been granted your biggest wish,” Shawn seems surprised by my answer.
I pull away to look him in the eye. “About that. Shawnie, after all of the arguments we’ve had over the years about my vampire obsession, I would have expected you to be more opposed to all of this.”
He shakes his head with a bemused smile. “Lys, our arguments were never about you liking vampires. They were about you confusing reality and fantasy. About seeking substitutions that would almost certainly lead to disappointment.”
“So, you don’t have any problem with me joining a family of vampires? Bloodsucking monsters? Soulless creatures? You know I’ll ask Damien to turn me, right?”
Shawn snorts. “Of course, I do. And no, I don’t. Okay, that sounds bad, but I’ve had a while to get used to the idea. And you’re being ridiculous about the bloodsucking, soulless monsters bit. It’s obvious they’re fairly normal people. They just have different dietary needs. I don’t know if they’re representative of the population as a whole, but Damien’s a decent guy, and his family seems all right.
“By the time I’d worked out that he’s a vampire, you two had been together for months. He certainly wasn’t going to harm you. If he’d had any plans to, he would have done so already. I’m actually pretty surprised you didn’t put the pieces together like I did. The clues were all there.”
I let my mind wander to some of the clues. “I guess I was too focused on reminding myself that vampires don’t exist.” I shake my head at my foolishness. “I was so happy with the relationship that I didn’t want to risk it by saying or doing something stupid and vampire obsessed. I did slip up a couple of times, but managed to cover it. How did you figure it out?” I ask curiously.
He leans against the tree and blows out his cheeks. “There were a bunch of clues. His black eyes that day your idiot ex called, his reaction to blood, his mannerisms. I just finally put it all together on your birthday.”
“What happened on my birthday?” I try to think of some big “ah-ha!” moment, and come up blank.
“When we were cleaning up, there was a mug with a weird, dark liquid in it. I set it to the side, planning to see if it was your drink, since everyone had been drinking out of solo cups. Damien came by and chugged it. Some dripped down the side of his mouth, and I saw that it was blood red before he wiped it away. All of the clues just clicked, and I knew what he was.” Shawn holds his hands out in front of him with a wide-eyed look of someone who’s solved a major mystery. He reminds me of the ‘aliens!’ guy on TV.
I shake my head to dispel the image. “But you never said anything.”
“Lys,” he raises an eyebrow. “Would you have believed me?”
“That’s not the point,” I grumble.
“That’s what I thought.” He looks down, his hands fiddling with some blades of grass. “I assumed you knew and were keeping it from me. I’m glad you weren’t, though. For a while, I was afraid you didn’t trust me.” He meets my eyes once more. “Once I figured out you didn’t know, I was more confused about why Damien was keeping it from you.”
“Shawnie,” I say, eyes wide, “I wouldn’t keep something like that from you. You’re my best friend!”
He nods, conceding the point. “So what are you going to tell your parents?”
“I have no idea. I hadn’t even really thought of that.” I pull my legs up and rest my chin on my knees. “My dad still barely tolerates Damien. How do you think he’d react if I told him we were essentially getting married in less than a week? He’d wonder at the rush.”
Shawn puts a hand on my shoulder. “Will you ever tell them?”
“I’ll have to tell them something. How else do I explain moving to France? I’m kind of hoping they’ll come with me.” I look up at him, feeling suddenly vulnerable as I start to realize what I’m getting myself into. “You’ll at least come visit me, right, Shawnie?”
“Of course.” His reply is instantaneous and accompanied by a blush.
“Shawnie, you’re blushing. Wait, would Selene have anything to do with your eagerness?”
He grins. “She is pretty hot. And I know I’ve barely even spoken to her, but I feel like we share a connection.”
“That’s great, Shawnie.” I yawn. I’m starting to feel tired, but I agreed to meet with Mrs. Delanciennes, and I don’t want to be rude after they’ve been so nice to me. “Sorry. I better go meet with Damien’s mom before I fall asleep. You should hang out with the guys. Maybe you’ll find out a bit more about Selene.”
We rise and head back into the house, where a maid just happens to be cleaning right inside the door. She shows me to Mrs. Delanciennes’ sitting room before leading Shawn away.
The room has plush carpets, multiple comfortable-looking sofas and armchairs, and lovely drapes. Here, too, is an elaborate chandelier. It has three circular tiers, each tier having both lights and crystal drops. The room is a bit pink for my taste, but still pretty.
I apologize for keeping them waiting, but they don’t seem the least bit bothered.
Alyssa eyes me eagerly. “So, you are to be our new sister? Damien has told us so much about you.”
I nod. “Yes, I suppose so. It will be nice to join your family. Now I’ll have siblings!”
“You are an only child? Truly? What is that like?” Mrs. Delanciennes’ question surprises me, as do the interested looks all of them wear.
“It gets boring sometimes. I often wished I had someone to share secrets with and confide in. Shawn has taken that post over the past few years, but that’s only recently.”
“It sounds like Shawn is a special friend. What is he like?” I grin at Selene’s interest.
“He’s great. He’s my best friend, and like an older brother to me. We take care of each other, and support each other as much as possible. He’s funny, and very loyal, and we have the kind of friendship where nothing breaks it. We’re always okay, no matter what is said.”
“He sounds perfect. How is it that you two are not dating?” She gasps at what she’s said. “Goddesses forgive me! I did not mean to say you should not be with my brother.” She grimaces.
I rush to reassure here. “Don’t worry. A lot of people have asked that. He did like me at one point long ago, and I tried to like him, but he was always a best friend to me, like a brother, even. He accepted it, and our friendship grew even stronger. And, of course, we now know that we definitely were not meant to be.”
Mrs. Delanciennes turns to me with a determined look. “I think we should continue. Lys, do you know about our Bonding ceremonies?”
I shake my head. “Not really. I didn’t dream of a Bonding ceremony, just of telling Enlil and his Chosen to plan it.”
Alyssa looks eager to ask more questions, but her mother shakes her head and offers me some information. “Very well, let me explain. It was our Goddess Nyx’s idea that bonds arranged by the Fates should be recognized and celebrated just as regular bonds are. Therefore, a Bonding ceremony between a Destined and his or her Chosen takes place on the night of the full moon at midnight. Our Goddess Nyx is at her most powerful on the night of the full moon. We honor her, and thank her for allowing the love to be recognized, by holding the ceremony on her night.
“Essentially, during a Bonding ceremony, you are declaring your love for your partner, and asking the goddesses to
recognize it. You exchange rings, much like a marriage ceremony, but they are engraved with the markings of both of our Goddesses.
“Bonding ceremonies are quiet, with only the immediate family involved. It is your decision whether you would like your parents there, Lys. The ceremony is also simple. We do not decorate at all, as that would be an insult to the beauty of the moon and earth. Guests wear simple formal wear, nothing gaudy.
“The two being Bonded are dressed a little more elegantly, but still, nothing extravagant. The male wears a tuxedo or tails, depending on his preference, and the female wears a blood red dress with white accents to symbolize vampires and the moon, respectively.”
“Nothing to represent the sun?” Have I misunderstood the importance of Diasta’s role in modern vampiric society?
Mrs. Delanciennes shares an uncomfortable look with her daughters. “No. The Goddess of Day, although still very much revered and worshipped, is somewhat eclipsed by her sister. At some point, our Goddess Diasta withdrew from her creations, and it is not known why. There are no confirmed appearances of her in over 5,000 years.”
“Oh. I see.” So, she’s being punished for abandoning them? That doesn’t seem smart.
There’s an awkward silence before Mrs. Delanciennes clears her throat and continues. “Traditionally, at the completion of the Bonding ceremony, the Bonded couple is led to a tent to share the first drink, then joins the rest of the attendees for a meal, after which, they retire for the first mating.”
She pauses, and I’m concerned she disapproves of Damien and I having already had sex. My feelings must be visible on my face, as she gives me a kind look. “Do not worry, Lys. Humans have always been susceptible to vampires, and as a Chosen that would be increased tenfold for you. Especially since the two of you have known each other for so long.
“In the same way it was becoming harder for my son to resist the call of the Bond, so it should have been with you. I am honestly surprised the two of you held out for so long.” I nod, blushing. It had been difficult to resist. But now I understand why Damien affects me so much.
“You and my brother have—”
The Most Special Chosen (Exalted Bloodlines Book 1) Page 24