by Megan Duncan
We were the last to arrive. Nicolae and Evilyn sat on their regal seats of power while the rest of us gathered around. Robin left my side to stand beside her mother who was visibly trying to hide her misery. I had followed suit behind Robin until my eyes caught sight of Dmitry and his parents. They stood far off to the side, and I couldn’t help but notice the small gap between them and the rest of the royal family. To any outside onlooker it wouldn’t appear to be anything significant, but to me it was a chasm.
Robin turned toward me and squeezed herself next to her mother to make room for me, but I shook my head and gave her a polite smile before directing me feet toward Dmitry. This might be my only chance to show his parents I didn’t blame them; to show them they were needed and wanted in this family. With so many cameras and every eye watching they wouldn’t be able to run from me or refuse my presence.
Their eyes widened in surprise when they realized I was walking straight for them. I watched as they peered from side to side searching for an escape route that wasn’t there. Smiling as I took my place beside them, my cheeks blushed when Dmitry’s eyes glistened with emotion. Arrick squeezed in behind me, and Nicolae gave a nod allowing the guards to guide the reports and news crews forward. They pushed ahead like a swarm of bees, still buzzing with questions even though they were given no sign that any would be answered, but I couldn’t blame them. I remembered what it was like to be on that side of things. The Vampire Royal Family was mysterious and mesmerizing. Liz and I would play and spend entire days pretending to be them, and now I was, but everything was so different than I could have ever imagined. Behind the lavish gowns and breathtaking décor there was a world of dark secrets and ancients evils.
***
Nicolae’s statement lasted a short twenty minutes before he allowed some questions. He’d announced that the attack had been the act of the anti-vampire league that had been plaguing our region for years. I wasn’t surprised to see that the reporters believed the story without question. One of the reporters; a petite blonde woman, questioned what Nicolae was going to do to punish those who were in league with the cult. Apparently, word had gotten out about the incident during my coronation ball. The blonde reporter didn’t seem to have the full story, but she did know that the anti-vampire league did make an unwanted appearance at the palace. I imagined it would cause quite a scandal if she were to know the whole truth.
With remarkable articulation, Nicolae evaded her most direct questions and kept the conversation going in the direction he chose. She was obviously looking for a story, something that would set her apart from the rest of the crowd. Something that would make her a star no doubt. Some kind of scandal, or intrigue in our lives that the public didn’t know, but he grew tired of her persistence and stopped acknowledging her when she raised her hand. Many of the reporter’s questions ranged around what was being done to ensure palace safety, what the community could do to show their support, or what steps to take if one suspects someone of being a member of the anti-vampire league.
“Security has been reinforced both at the palace and at all blood donation centers throughout the region. We want to ensure the safety of our family, but also of our donors who are as important to us as our own children.” Nicolae grasped Evilyn’s hand and looked at her fondly. His expression glowed with love. He was obviously enjoying the physical touch that she would otherwise not give him if the cameras weren’t rolling.
“We ask only that you continue to show your support and respect for our royal family as you always have. All those who make extra donations during this difficult time will be compensated.”
Oh, yes. I had wondered during the entire evening how Nicolae was going to convince everyone. I figured there would be some people who though they might not follow the anti-vampire cult, still have some doubts in the cult’s ability to launch such a devastating attack on the palace. The answer was money. It was wrong and manipulative. I bit my tongue as my body fought to scream out that it was all a lie, but I knew it was a lie that needed to be told. It was the lesser of the evils. If we told them the truth it could produce some disturbing consequences.
For centuries our region had been kept in the dark about the truths of the vampire world we lived in. To shatter that now would only cause more destruction. It would only aid Baal in his efforts to tear us apart. Our people could handle the story that the anti-vampire league had taken their protests to a threatening level, but they wouldn’t be able to handle the truth that the most frightening vampire that ever lived had come back to turn the human race into cattle; to hunt them down like prey ready to be plucked. It was ironic to think that the enemy the cult feared us to be was actually waiting in the shadows for a chance to kill us all.
As soon as Nicolae announced that the interview was over and the reporters were being escorted out, I latched onto Arrick’s hand and dashed out of the throne room as quickly as my tight dress would permit. There were two humans in this region that I refused to lie to. I didn’t care what anyone said, hell, I wasn’t going to even ask permission. I was going to get my human mother and Liz out of the Noire region as soon as possible.
Slamming my door shut behind us, I flew into my closet with incredible speed. Louie meowed at me as he batted the clothes that hung in the closet above him. His familiar, furry face calmed my sense of urgency. I could breathe; no one was going to stop me from going into the city. I didn’t need to get all worked up. I pulled the dress off over my head and tied on a robe before taking a seat next to Louie on the floor. He ignored my presence and continued his attack on the helpless tassel that dangled from one of the many dresses.
“Come here, fat boy.” I scratched his back until he plopped his body to the side. I’d never seen a cat that liked having his belly rubbed. “Do you want to come to Naos with me?” I cooed at him. He answered with a deep purr as I rubbed his giant belly.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re up to no good?” Arrick asked, strolling into the closet as he began loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top of his dress shirt.
“What gave you that idea?” I looked back to Louie and kissed his pink, wet nose.
“Gee, I don’t know.” He took of his jacket and draped it over the back of the chaise. “Maybe the fact that you’ve been thinking about nothing other than going into the city for the last twenty minutes.” I turned; ready to fight him on my decision, but his expression silenced me. “I’m not going to stop you, but I am coming with you.”
“You’re not?” I’d thought for sure he would have, and he was one of the few that might have actually talked me out of it.
“No,” his voice grew soft as he knelt beside me. He pulled my hair back over my shoulder and placed a delicate kiss on my neck.
I held back a moan as shivers ran down my spine. “I won’t lie to them, Arrick. I can’t leave them here. I want them to come to Naos when we go back.”
His arms wrapped around me as he took in a deep breath and let it out again. It traveled across my skin soothing the goose bumps he’d just given me. “I figured you would.”
I started to relax as I realized he was supporting my decision. I should have known he would have. I knew he worried for my safety every moment, but he was more than just my protector, the depth of our emotions ran deep. Someday when this nightmare with Baal was over we would be able to explore those emotions. Perhaps then I won’t be so afraid to.
Chapter 4
The ride into the city took longer than I had remembered. I stared out the window watching the world whiz by, and waiting for the city to come into view. I’d put my hair into a pony and braided the remainder, and now twisted the end around my fingers as I anxiously waited for us to reach our destination. I hadn’t seen Jacklyn, my human mother, or Liz since I’d left so many weeks ago. Would they still recognize me?
Arrick rested a hand on my knee, settling its incessant shaking. “Are you nervous?” I nodded, biting at my nails. “They aren’t going to feel any different about you, Claire. You’re still
the same inside.”
“You’re right. I don’t know why I’m nervous at all. I’ve known them my whole life, and Liz is my best friend. Nothing can change that, right?” I hoped not. I was still hurt that Liz had never seen me off the day I’d left for the palace, but I understood why she hadn’t. If it had been her, I might have done the same thing. It would have been too difficult to see her leave.
“So, where do you want to go first?”
Arrick took the exit that led into the city. The trees thinned out and made way for towering apartment buildings and business complexes. The differences between the Naos region and Noire region were suddenly so apparent. There were so many technologies here that we didn’t have in Naos. Would Liz still like it there when she learned there weren’t any night clubs or shopping malls? Would Jacklyn still agree to go when she discovered she couldn’t click away on her cell phone twenty-four seven? Cellular coverage in Naos was horrible.
“Let’s go to my house… I mean Jacklyn’s.” It felt strange calling her by her first name, or even calling it my house since it technically wasn’t and really never was.
The street I grew up on no longer held the same feeling it used to. Arrick pulled up in front of my old house. I’d always thought that when I came back here it would be different.
“Want me to go in with you?” he asked, putting the car in park before pulling the key out of the ignition.
I looked at the dash and checked the time, eleven-thirty p.m. Jacklyn would definitely be up, watching the news and probably the clip on Nicolae’s statement about the attack. I grasped the door handle, before looking at Arrick’s waiting expression.
“I’d like that.”
Before I knew it I was standing at the front door. I’d reached for the knob before catching myself. I couldn’t just waltz in, I didn’t live here anymore. Should I knock, or ring the doorbell? I decided to knock, we’d never liked the chime that played on the doorbell, but never knew how to change it. The high pitch of the dings and dongs always gave Jacklyn a headache.
I heard movement inside and the click of the remote as she muted the television that was blaring loudly. She’d always liked it loud enough that she could hear it everywhere in the house. I moaned at the memory. Growing up, I woke up with a lot of baggy eyes due to her loud television habit.
“Who is it?” I heard Jacklyn call from the other side of the door. She was no doubt standing on her tip toes to peep through the viewing hole, but it was too dark on the stoop to ever see anything. The bulb on the porch had burnt out long before I’d left and she still hadn’t replaced it.
“It’s…” my voice came out as a whisper, so I swallowed hard in the hopes of clearing it. “It’s Claire.” She must have recognized my voice because the door swung open before I could finish.
“Claire!” Her face beamed with complete and utter surprise before she bounded into my arms. “Oh, sweetie! I thought I’d never see you again. How are you? Come inside!” She bubbled over with excitement, stumbling over her own feet as she ushered me in.
I followed her into the living room to discover piles of boxes covering every inch of free space. Was she moving? She caught me eyeing the space and dashed over to a box, pulling the flaps open to dig inside.
“Take a look at these! Aren’t they amazing? I had them done a couple weeks ago, they just arrived.” She pulled out a handful of buttons, before handing them to me one-by-one. They each had individual sayings like; “Donate for Life”, “Blood = Love”, and “Don’t Hate, Donate!”
“They’re very nice.” I offered her back the buttons after feigning interest in their design. She was as consumed with VR as she ever was. Her obsession with vampire relations had definitely gotten worse without me around.
“Oh, keep them! Give them to your friends.” She smiled like she’d just given me the greatest gift and then shifted her eyes toward the television to peek at the news. I dropped the pins into my purse and rolled my eyes. Shifting my body aside to block the television, I lowered my head so I could make eye contact with her.
“I came here because there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Of course, of course. Come, have a seat.” She shuffled through a mess of papers on the couch, before picking them up and dropping them on the coffee table.
I sat down awkwardly, remembering that the last time I’d sat here was when Fox had uttered the words that changed my life forever. Where would I be right now if he’d never shown up? I turned to look at Arrick as he stood by the front door; would he still have come for me and taken me to Naos, or would he have let me live my life out as a human? Despite all the darkness that had entered my life I was still proud to be a vampire. I still felt the loss of the dreams I had once had, but I could no longer imagine a life without him in it, or the rest of my vampire family for that matter. They were my world now, not the one I’d left behind. Yet, here I was in the living room of a woman who’d always favored work over me. She’d never been cruel to me in any way, but there had always been something missing in our relationship. Even so, I couldn’t leave her here, defenseless against The Dark should they decide to attack the city next.
Her attention was finally riveted on me and her eyes widened as she gazed at my face. “Let me take a look at you.” She leaned in, cupping my cheek with one hand and caressing my long hair with the other. “You’re even prettier than on TV. Immortality suits you my dear.”
“You saw me?” I’d wondered if she’d seen me. My heart fluttered at the thought. I still craved attention from her, acceptance.
“I did. You look beautiful…” she took in my full form as I sat slightly slumped on the couch, “but you looked tired now. Is everything okay?”
I sighed. We were finally getting on topic. “No, everything is not okay. That’s what I’ve come to talk to you about.”
“Who’s your friend?” Her eyes shifted over to Arrick, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from moaning. She had always been riveted by vampires, and even though I now was one I still couldn’t get her to pay attention.
“That’s Arrick. He’s my…” How do I explain him? Humans didn’t know about Blood Mates and I didn’t feel like explaining it to her. Now wasn’t the time for that, I had other things I wanted to discuss. More important things.
“I’m her personal bodyguard,” Arrick answered for me with pride. He stepped further into the room, his hands locked behind his back. He’d kept the suit and tie on from the news interview, making him looked polished and virile.
“Splendid! Please have a seat.” She pushed off rolled up posters on a nearby armchair and gestured for him to have a seat. “It’s good to hear you’re being protected. You can never be too cautious in times like these. I saw the news. I’m so glad you’re all right.”
“That’s what I’ve come to talk to you about.” I grabbed her hand to direct her attention back toward me, she was worse than a child sometimes.
“What’s wrong?” Her voice was suddenly concerned.
How do I say this? There was no gentle way to let this cat out of the bag, so my only option was to just come straight out with it. “What you saw on the news wasn’t the whole truth.” Her brow wrinkled in confusion and she glanced back at the news that was repeating the interview, like she’d missed something. I couldn’t hold back a moan of annoyance, and as I clenched my teeth; my fangs pushing into my lips. Arrick nodded at me to continue. “It wasn’t the anti-vampire league that attacked the palace.”
“But that’s what King Nicolae said. I just saw it on the news. Those protestors have turned into a full scale gang since you left, dear. They’ve caused trouble all over the city and not just at the palace. Did I tell you they vandalized my office building?” The words were flying out of her at high speed, so I threw my hands up to silence her.
“Okay, okay. That may all be true, but they didn’t attack the palace and I know that for a fact.” I gave her a stern, challenging look and she swallowed hard. I realized then that she
probably felt what I had when I’d first met Fox. Did I have the same effect on her? If I did, I should probably keep my anger in control. I leaned back and softened my expression.
“What are you saying?” Jacklyn asked, sounding fearful.
“What I’m saying,” I grasped her hands in mine and sighed, “Nicolae said it was them because he didn’t want the people to know what really happened. It would cause mass hysteria, and it would be too dangerous for people to know the truth right now, but I couldn’t lie to you. It’s not safe for you here.”
Arrick leaned forward, balancing his elbows on his knees. “What Claire is trying to say is that a danger far greater than the anti-vampire league is at work here.”
Jacklyn shook her head. “Why are you telling me this?” Her voice was wavering in fear.
I dropped out of my seat to my knees and knelt before her. “I’m not trying to scare you. I’m trying to warn you.” Before I knew it I was emitting my emotions toward her and embracing her with them, trying to calm her fears. “I want to keep you safe.”
“Wha… What really happened then?” She began rubbing her temples as her voice calmed and her breathing relaxed.
“There’s a group of really bad vampires that don’t like the way we live.” I was sugar coating it to say the least, but did I really need to tell her that evil personified wanted to kill us all?
“Bad vampires?” She said those two words like they didn’t make sense to her. I should have known she wouldn’t understand. In her eyes, vampires were as good as gods. Bad and vampires were two words that didn’t go together.
“Yes.” I pulled myself back onto the couch. “You know the history of the dark ages, don’t you?” She nodded. “Well…” I was going to have to stop beating around the bush and just come out with it. Maybe she would be able to handle the truth better than I thought she could. “There’s a vampire named Baal that Nicolae fought in the dark ages. Everyone thought he was gone, but he’s been spending all this time regaining his power. And now…” I could see her mind reeling as her eyes grew wide. How could I put this without making her head explode?