by Aria Sparke
‘I suppose it’s like an arranged marriage in human culture, yet it’s also about the bigger picture. My father does it for the greater good. It isn’t perfect by any means, but if you could think of a better way we would all be grateful—my father more than any of us.’
‘What about the old fashioned way?’
Flynn sighed. ‘Can you think of any woman who would go gladly to a vampire if she knew of his ways and her future role without having her mind prepared with his glamour?’
‘Prepared?’ I said, almost choking. ‘What an interesting choice of words.’
Flynn shifted uncomfortably under my gaze.
With that thought we reached an uneasy truce—or rather silence because there was no way I could ever accept this arrangement as okay. In the meantime I vowed as a witch to try and search for a way out for women like Bella.
* * *
A couple of months later, when Flynn arrived at breakfast with more stunning news, I knew my battle for Bella’s freedom was definitely over.
‘We’re invited to Tarek and Bella’s wedding. Alexis is organizing it here in the college grounds over summer.’
‘You’re kidding?’ I hadn’t seen Bella for weeks, yet every day prayed she would escape him. ‘What about Tarek? Will it be safe for me to go?’
‘She’s wearing the Vampirica ring now, so there’s no danger.’
‘Poor Bella.’ I felt desperately sad for Bella and guilty to be worried about myself.
‘Anya and Bella are going to town to Wicklow to collect their dresses and get their hair done before the big day. You could go with them.’
‘I can’t afford it,’ I said flatly, hating the thought of having to trawl through dress shops or beauty salons for this farce of a wedding.
‘My family’s extremely well off and Anya has a card, so you can all buy whatever you need. Truly, the wedding will be a day you won’t want to miss.’ He grinned mischievously. ‘Many of the rellies will be there.’
‘Rellies?’
‘Relatives. Hundreds of dhampirs and their offspring from a jaw-dropping number of generations—and witches too. If you want to understand how prolific and powerful the Ruberio clan is, you need to come to the wedding.’
A wave of intrigue and curiosity spread through me and fed the growing buzz of excitement flowing through my veins. Perhaps if I went, I could learn more about this strange clan and that might help me hatch a plan to free Bella.
Before the wedding, Bella, Anya, Martin and I set off to Wicklow to collect our outfits. It was the first time I’d spoken to Bella since that fateful day in the Ruberio mansion. We shared the back seat while listening to Anya and Martin argue about the style of tie Martin was going to wear to the wedding.
‘So what’s he like?’ I asked Bella quietly.
‘Tarek? Wonderful. I’m so happy, Lily. To think I only met him a few months ago and now we’re getting married.’
I suppressed a shudder. Her eyes were shining unnaturally, and she seemed relaxed, but deep down I couldn’t help feeling dread and guilt. I could so easily have been in the same situation.
‘You know you could escape,’ I murmured. ‘You don’t have to return to Anubis. I could help you.’
Bella looked at me with a confused expression, as the conversation between Anya and Martin died. Apart from the hum of the tires over the road, there was silence.
‘Why wouldn’t I want to marry Tarek? I love him with all my heart,’ Bella said.
‘Of course you do,’ said Anya, frowning at me in the mirror.
‘It’s just so sudden. You’re so young. Why the rush?’ I said and stared defiantly at Anya.
‘Because I’m so certain,’ Bella said.
‘Couldn’t you wait a few more months?’
Bella laughed as though I were joking.
Gloomily, I watched the landscape rush past as Anya launched into a discussion about wedding dresses.
‘Actually, I’d love it if you would be a bridesmaid, Lily,’ Bella said.
‘Um, I don’t ...,’ I began. ‘Isn’t it too late?’
‘Nonsense,’ Anya said. ‘You can join me, Lily. It’s an honor.’
Staring out the window again, I squeezed my eyes closed trying to block out the image of Tarek and his threat to come after me. ‘I get horrible stage fright, so if it’s okay with you, Bella, I’m going to have to say no.’ There was no way I would stand so close to Tarek for the ceremony or sit with him at the head table afterwards.
‘Of course, Lily, that’s fine. I understand,’ Bella said with a sweet smile.
‘You can’t let Bella down on her special day,’ said Anya frowning at me again. ‘Martin, Flynn and I are all in the bridal party, and we’ll help you overcome your nerves. It will be good for you. Anyway no one will be looking at you because Bella will be the center of attention.’
In the end I relented, feeling responsible for Bella and not wanting to let her down although I felt badgered by Anya and annoyed at her pressuring me.
The shopping afternoon passed in a frothy white blur of tulle, lace and flowers. We were sized up by women wielding tape measures and thrust into frilly dresses and ridiculous shoes. After we’d selected our outfits, Anya hustled us into a beauty salon to trial hair and nail treatments and facials. I was so far out of my comfort zone, but I survived the onslaught yet realized it would begin again in a couple of weeks with the actual wedding.
After we caught up with Martin and had coffee together, we drove back to Anubis College.
‘I forgot to buy you a present,’ I said to Bella apologetically. ‘I wanted to get you something special.’ Actually what I wanted was to find something that could make up for her sacrifice to alleviate the overwhelming guilt I felt. A special spell to combat Tarek would have been perfect, but it was too late now.
She grinned. ‘Don’t worry. I have everything I’ll ever need or want. I’m complete, Lily.’
‘Let me think about it,’ I said. ‘I bet I can find something you’ll treasure.’
She laughed. ‘You’re on.’
* * *
The wedding day dawned perfectly gray with dark clouds releasing a fine mist of rain. The gloomy weather delighted the Ruberio clan, who had been arriving in droves since yesterday. The college was so full that Anya was sharing my room to make more space for the many visitors.
I sat with Flynn and Martin at breakfast and couldn’t help staring at the parade of peculiar people streaming into the dining room. ‘Family?’ I said.
‘All of them,’ Martin said jumping in before Flynn. ‘But don’t hold that against us.’
I grinned at him.
Martin stirred his bowl of cereal.’ We’re a remarkably handsome lot, aren’t we?’
‘And modest,’ I added.
‘Unfortunately you won’t get to meet our closest relatives, our ten brothers and six sisters.’ Flynn sipped his coffee as he gazed at a group of visitors entering the hall.
‘You’re joking aren’t you?’
‘No. They came for our mother’s funeral but a vampiric uprising in Russia has prevented them attending the wedding.’
I did the math. ‘You have nineteen in your family?’
‘Yes, remind me to show you our family portraits at the mansion,’ Martin said as though it was completely normal. ‘Actually we lost a half dozen over the years in vampiric battles, but you’ll find that’s not unusual in our world.’
I recalled Mirela had been close to ninety when she died and had used vampiric blood to keep her youthful. No doubt it had kept her fertile too judging by the ridiculous number of children she had borne. I wondered if Bella knew.
Men and women in a variety of outfits like you’d see in a museum or from a vintage shop strutted past our table. Many had the distinctive pale skin and dark hair so common at Anubis. A couple sat at the other end of the table. He was dressed in a tuxedo and she wore a shawl over a glittery long dress and her hair swept into a tight and painful-looking bun. Behind them
another pair, who were obviously a younger set of the clan, appeared as though they’d slid from the latest glossy magazine or a movie set. I could have sat there all day eavesdropping and ogling.
‘Alexis has asked you and me to the front office after breakfast before you start getting ready for the wedding,’ Flynn said.
I nodded absentmindedly as I chewed toast spread with honey.
‘That’s right,’ Martin said and swept his hand in the air. ‘Leave me alone to entertain the family.’
‘I’m sure you’re the man for the job.’ I stood with my toast and followed Flynn, who was already standing waiting for me.
As we walked under the jasmine-covered walkway, Flynn greeted people passing us with a ‘good morning’.
‘You don’t know your own family do you?’ I teased.
‘Afraid not. There are far too many of us.’
I wiped my hands on my shirt to brush the crumbs from them as Flynn held Alexis’ door open.
‘He isn’t here.’
‘He said he might be late but to take a seat and wait.’
I perched on the sofa in front of the fire.
‘Are you worried about today?’ Flynn asked.
‘A little.’
‘Don’t be. Tarek can’t do anything to you now, I promise.’
‘He’s right,’ said a voice from near the desk. The large chair behind it spun around to reveal Tarek sitting with an amused expression. Dressed in modern-looking pants, a dress shirt and sweater, he looked like he’d wandered from a modeling shoot.
I sprang to my feet, too shocked to comment while Flynn also appeared taken aback.
‘Father, what are you doing here?’
I sensed we’d been lured into a trap.
Tarek strolled to the sofa, sat and patted it for us to sit down, but I stood stiffly hoping Flynn would know how to back out of his invitation without causing Tarek to react badly.
‘I want to talk to you, Lily. Sit down, the pair of you.’
Flynn sat quietly on the wing-backed chair and nodded at me to comply. Trusting his expression, I sat gingerly on the sofa at the far end away from Tarek.
‘I won’t bite.’ Tarek chuckled.
‘But you’ve been known to,’ I said with an edge to my voice.
Tarek sighed. ‘You don’t approve of me.’
‘You don’t say. What does it matter to you what I think?’ I turned to face him and was hit by a wave of familiarity. He looked so like Flynn. After being assured Tarek wouldn’t use his glamour, I gazed into his eyes and saw the same deep blue depths as Flynn’s and when he smiled, I noticed the deep crinkles. ‘You look a lot like your son,’ I said absentmindedly. His striking appearance had thrown me off guard.
He seemed puzzled. ‘Which one?’
‘Flynn.’ I tore my gaze away from him.
‘I know you think I did the wrong thing to Bella,’ Tarek said.
I didn’t reply.
‘Modern life is different to yours, Father. Customs have changed,’ Flynn said as though trying to diffuse the growing tension.
‘I had to do it, Lily. Believe me, if I had woken and learned Vincent Berisha and his family had finally perished, I would’ve gladly walked into the sun and surrendered to my fate. I haven’t that luxury. My duty is to protect you and all the humans crawling on this godforsaken planet. If I stop creating new dhampirs to counter the Berishas, humanity will die.’
‘But you forced Bella with your glamour.’
‘No. All I did was speed up the inevitable. I could have wooed her in the traditional way, but we would have lost time and that is of the essence when fighting vampires.’
His ego was obviously healthy.
‘I am hopeful that with her witch heritage we will produce fine children more able to overcome the Berisha.’
‘But you’re ...’ I faltered.
‘One of them?’
‘Yes.’
‘And like Bella I was lured into my role by your kind.’
‘My kind?’
‘Great witches captured me and wove powerful spells over me forcing me into this destiny. And before that I was a human minding my own business farming my land in Albania with my young wife and newborn son when a vampire changed me.’ He stared vacantly into the fire. ‘So you see we are all victims of our fate.’
‘Is it a fate you would willingly have chosen when you were a young farmer?’ I demanded.
He gazed at the fire thoughtfully.
‘I didn’t think so.’ I frowned at him. ‘Why of all the vampires that exist, did they choose you to father dhampirs?’
He shifted on the sofa. ‘Because I turned Vincent Berisha and his siblings. Well actually, I turned my own siblings too.’
I stared at him in horror and disbelief.
‘That was in the early days. Now most clans are headed by a vampiric family who does what I do. They understand it is the only way to compete.’
‘You turned your own family too?’
Tarek shrugged. ‘At first my siblings wanted nothing to do with me, but eventually over a century or so, they saw the need to counter the Berishas. They forgave me and helped me in my quest to create more Ruberio dhampirs.’
Now I understood how the Ruberio clan had grown so large.
‘Unfortunately I am now the lone survivor of my family, which means the continuation of the clan depends on me.’ He chuckled. ‘I’d be happy to retire if someone were to step up to the plate.’
Tarek shifted his attention to Flynn. ‘Would you fetch Bella?’
Stunned, I realized he was responsible for this whole nightmare when he turned Vincent into a vampire and now he was locked into paying for his crime. His destiny was inextricably locked to Vincent’s.
Flynn obeyed his father reluctantly.
Tarek winked at me and called after Flynn as he left the room, ‘I promise I’ll look after Lily.’
I cleared my throat and crossed my legs awkwardly.
‘Do you have any questions?’ he asked.
I decided to use the opportunity to steer the conversation to neutral ground and to discover more about him. ‘How does your family survive financially? Did you work at some stage besides being a farmer once?’
‘One advantage of immortality is time and the ability to explore many options. Over the centuries, I’ve dabbled in finance and investment. Witches can be useful to predict markets and to recommend purchases of land, art, shares etc. Over the centuries with compounding interest my many investments have grown and in some instances, ridiculously so. As you can imagine, I no longer need to farm the land. Delightfully, it frees one up.’
I nodded and tried to think of another question as he eyed me in a lecherous way. ‘Hmm, if you’re 800 years old or so, why is your speech so modern?’
‘Good question. When I’m not in stasis, I read.’
‘Read what?’
‘Everything—history, finance, politics, biology, literature etc. I read and comprehend at vampiric speed; for example, I read the complete works of Shakespeare in a night. More recently, Mirela bought me a computer to access the internet, which has made it a breeze to keep up with human developments. Reading is one of the rare pleasures of being a vampire.’
‘That’s it?’
‘That and love and of course, a good feed.’
I shivered.
‘I promise, Lily, I will cherish Bella until she takes her last mortal breath. I understand our relationship troubles you, but I do love her.’
‘You’d better and that includes not leaving her alone to raise her children while you sleep in your wretched box.’
He tilted his head and regarded me with a curious expression like a strange animal.
‘Parents raise their children together these days,’ I rambled as I watched his roving hand moving in the corner of my vision. How crazy was this conversation? I was trying to tell an ancient vampire that he would need to be a good, modern parent.
‘You’re a feisty one.’ He stre
tched his arm along the top of the sofa toward me. ‘I understand you’ve overcome many hurdles to be here in Wicklow.’
I tried to ignore the velvety tones of his voice and his physical allure wondering if he was already exerting his glamour and toying with me.
He grinned. ‘I know you’d rather not hear it, but you’d make a fine wife.’
‘Stop it,’ I said disgustedly.
‘Stop what? Is that what you think?’ He laughed. ‘Believe me if I used my glamour you wouldn’t want me to stop. You would beg me for more. Would you like me to demonstrate?’
Although furious at his arrogance and annoyed at my weakness, I held my tongue. I heard voices outside the door before Flynn and Bella stepped inside the room.
‘Ah, Bella, my dear, how are you? Not too many premarital jitters, I hope?’ Tarek said smoothly.
I rolled my eyes discreetly at Flynn.
Bella smiled at him as though radiating pure love.
‘We have to go now, but I’ll meet you later in my room to get ready, Bella.’ I hastily made an exit before Tarek could object.
‘Your father’s scary,’ I said to Flynn, who had hurried after me. ‘He tried to flirt with me.’
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left him with you. He doesn’t really have an appreciation of how normal people interact. I promise he’ll be fine once he’s married to Bella.’
‘Although it’s unlikely, what if she were to die?’
‘He’d be dangerous, but don’t worry, that’s not going to happen. Bella’s young and has a long life ahead of her.’
* * *
CHAPTER 29
A Vampiric Union
Anya and I helped Bella get ready in my room before the ceremony. The white full length dress with its gauzy veil was the same outfit Mirela had worn years before. A dressmaker had been called to the college through the week to make adjustments, so it fitted Bella’s tiny waist. The dress was white, off the shoulder with a fitted bodice and a full skirt that made her appear as though she were floating majestically over the floor. Unlike the dhampirs, Bella’s skin was tanned, but no doubt the blood that flowed in her veins below the surface had pleased Tarek. I shuddered at the thought.