Savor, Warm Delicacy Series, Book 1

by Megan Duncan

Chapter 8

  I don’t know exactly how much time had passed, but to me, if felt like a lifetime. The night of my transformation remained pristinely clear, however the time that followed was foggy. I recalled waking on several occasions to retch into a waste basket, which I later saw and deemed too beautiful a waste basket to vomit in, even for a princess.

  When my body finished the change and finally accepted it, I was able to think clearly. It was as if a veil had been lifted. I was aware of my surroundings like never before. My eyes widened at the sight of my room and I found it hard to comprehend that it was actually more beautiful now than it had been before. I could see all the textures and I noticed the changes in colors made by the candlelight on different kinds of fabric. I could even differentiate between the vampires and the humans in the room.

  There were two vampires in the room and I found them quickly as I sensed where they were without even having to look. Mara and Evilyn were seated in my waiting room just outside my door. Evilyn felt my eyes on them almost immediately and smiled as she returned my gaze.

  As they both rose to approach me, I noticed that they looked far less formal than I had ever seen them before, but no less beautiful. In fact, I think they looked even more beautiful with no makeup on their faces and dressed in more casual clothes. Or was it because my improved eyesight truly captured every angle of their beauty?

  “How are you feeling, child?” Evilyn asked as she took a seat beside me on the bed.

  I had to think on it a moment to pick the right words to describe what I was feeling. It was difficult to find a word that could express the new sensations flooding through my body. Still in awe of the whole experience, my hands flew to my mouth, touching my teeth where my fangs would soon begin to grow.

  I was silly to expect them to be like to Robin’s, clearly fangs, but yet not nearly as long as the older vampires; even though she told me that it would take a long while. I was shocked to find two fully grown fangs and ran my tongue across them, not trusting my fingers’ discovery.

  “I have fangs,” I said in a shocked tone. “Robin told me that fangs take time to grow.” I looked to Evilyn for an answer and found her expression both pleased and concerned.

  “You are developing quite fast, Claire. I’ve never heard or read anything about it before,” Mara said in the same fascinated tone I noticed in Dmitry. When I saw her looking at me like I was some prized science experiment, I turned to Evilyn for a better explanation.

  “Is there something wrong with me?” I asked.

  “Of course not!” Evilyn said with a tad of arrogance and an almost irritated tone. “You are a Noire now, a princess, pure of blood. The acceleration in your transformation is only more proof of our superior blood line and the strength of the ages that now runs through your veins. It was my very own blood that was used to change you.”

  I noticed the expression of concealed hurt on her face and realized that I may have accidentally insinuated that something was wrong with her blood. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I just wasn’t expecting… well these,” I said as I pointed to my fangs.

  “They are beautiful, child,” Evilyn cooed as she ran her hand softly across my face. Her touch was no longer cold and I smiled back at her. My new mom. “I have something for you.”

  The queen rose from the bed and retrieved a small silver goblet from a servant standing at the doorway. Before she even told me, I knew the contents of it, blood. The coppery smell quickly traveled through the air and my body responded immediately. A sensation of yearning coursed through me, a hunger pang that wasn’t just in my stomach, but throughout my entire body. Every inch of me desired the blood that was in that goblet.

  “We chose correctly,” Mara commented as Evilyn stood at the end of my bed. “You can see how strongly she desires it.”

  Feeling embarrassed, I quickly clamped my hands over my mouth and looked away. I must have looked like a dog begging for scraps from the dinner table.

  “It is a good thing, Claire. A great deal of work goes into the pairing of a vampire to the blood they must feed on. The greater your desire for the blood, the better match we have made.” Evilyn smiled at me as she handed me the goblet.

  I was surprised to feel the warmth of the blood through the silver of the cup. It seemed to warm my fingers and only made me crave it more. I expected to be hesitant the first time I drank blood, but the longing I felt was undeniable. I looked at the queen before bringing it to my lips and she smiled almost wickedly and nodded at me.

  I brought the goblet to my lips and drank greedily. The thick blood coated my throat and I moaned as I savored its metallic taste. It felt like liquid satisfaction mixed with electricity when I swallowed. I could almost feel it travel throughout my body, igniting every inch of me, making me feel utterly amazing. I resisted the urge to wipe my finger around the inside of the goblet and get every last drop. Instead, I maintained some semblance of composure.

  I handed the goblet back to Evilyn. It still didn’t feel natural to call her mom. Taking a deep breath, I pulled myself out of bed and headed for the full-length mirror in my closet. I was dreading this moment most. Would I still look like myself? Would I recognize the reflection staring back at me?

  I passed Louie, reclining lazily on the chaise, and he simply yawned at me. “I’m glad you’re not scared of me, Louie. I don’t know what I would do without you,” I said as I scratched under his chin.

  “I’ve never seen an animal take to the change so well. You must have a very strong bond,” Evilyn commented from the doorway.

  I closed my eyes and took the last couple steps until I was directly in front of the mirror. It took some time to build enough courage to open my eyes, but I slowly did. What I saw not only shocked me, but filled me with incredible happiness. I was flawlessly beautiful!

  I had always thought myself pretty, but somehow the transformation into a vampire perfected all the imperfections I thought I had. My skin definitely had taken on a paleness, but seemed translucent as it reflected the light of the room. Even my hair seemed to be more vibrant as the red hue in my auburn locks contrasted with my new ivory skin. My eyes were now the limitless dark pools of all vampires. I worried that I would agree with the nay-sayers that my eyes looked soulless, but I could sense there was something buried deep inside me now that was never there before. An understanding and connection with the world around me unlike I had ever imagined was visible in my countenance.

  Stepping closer to the mirror, I opened my mouth to reveal my new fangs. They stood out amongst my other teeth and oddly enough, I felt like they looked completely normal. I couldn’t understand how having fangs felt perfectly right, as if they had been missing my whole life and they finally were where they belonged.

  As I ran my tongue across them, Evilyn stood behind me and admired my reflection lovingly. “You are more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. Your father is even calling you his little miracle,” she said as she stroked my hair.

  The mention of the word “father” made my heart ache with both sadness and happiness. I thought of Nicolae then and I could feel the connection between us as I felt between the queen and me. A wave of understanding washed over me. “He turned you,” I said in surprise.

  “He did, child. His blood flows through my body as it now does in yours. We are bonded for all eternity, daughter,” she kissed the top of my head and then dramatically turned about the room and started sorting through the gown section of my elaborate, walk-in closet.

  I sat down in front of the mirror and continued to inspect my new body. Testing how quickly I could swing my arm this way or that, or what sounds I could hear and how far away they were. The queen continued to look through gowns, mumbling things to the servants as she handed dresses to them.

  “The coronation ball is tomorrow night. There we will announce you to the region as well as the Vampire High Council and all the high ranking vampires in our region.”

  The mention of the ball drew my atte
ntion away from my reflection. It was one of the first things about turning into a vampire that most excited me. I glanced over to my new vampire mom who was holding up a shimmering, royal blue gown.

  Evilyn was studying the cut of the dress and rubbing the fabric between her fingers when a vampire came rushing up to her side. When I was human, vampires were only a blur when they moved so swiftly, but with my new, enhanced vampire eyesight, I could see him quite clearly and his speed didn’t seem particularly fast.

  Evilyn leaned into the man as he whispered into her ear. I watched him as his dark eyes darted at me and then back to the queen. Even with my improved hearing, I couldn’t make out his words. When his message had been delivered, he exited the room as quickly as he had entered, leaving the queen looking slightly irritated.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  “Nothing you need to worry about. Your duty right now is to focus on preparing yourself for the ball and your first public role as Princess Noire,” Evilyn said as she hung the dress back on the rack. “Fetch the young Miss Willow please,” she ordered a nearby servant who quickly left the room. “I trust Robin will help get you properly prepared for tomorrow night. If you need anything, just send a servant to summon me.”

  I simply nodded at her, straining to contain my excitement. I knew I was being obsessive, but the idea of being a princess and attending a royal ball was simply magical. Even though I had about a million questions, I was sure Robin would be more than willing to tell me everything I wanted to know, now that I was a vampire.

  As the queen left, the servants followed her and I realized that Mara had gone as well without my knowledge. I was grateful, however, for a quiet moment to collect my thoughts. I knew it would be merely seconds before Robin arrived in her usual exuberance and although I knew I would enjoy and partake of her cheerfulness, I always savored the time I had to myself. I very much wanted to test my new abilities, but I still felt greatly exhausted from the transformation. A memory from that night flashed through my mind and I recalled finding peace by looking at the stars in the sky, so I made my way to the small balcony that extended off the far end of my sitting room.

  As I parted the curtains, I found the night wasn’t as dark as I had expected, nor was it my improved vision that made it so. The sky was aglow simply by the glare of the abnormally bright moon that was fuller than I had ever remembered seeing it.

  “It is called the hunter’s moon,” Ana said sharply from behind me.

  If I could have hidden it, I would have, but she visibly startled me. I didn’t sense her approach and I should have.

  Ana laughed sarcastically, “What’s the matter, Princess? Little Miss Perfect Pure-Blood can’t even sense a single vampire?” She clicked her tongue between her lips, “Tsk tsk. That just won’t do, what would Nicolae think of his precious stray? How sad is it that they chose you in their desperate attempt to cling to the throne.”

  I put my hands on my hips as she looked me over, obviously appraising my transformation. “What do you want?”

  “Oh, I just wanted to see for myself if you were even close to what everyone seems to think you are. I must say, however, they may be sadly disappointed.” She smiled at me and flashed her fangs in an almost predatory manner as she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

  “And who is everyone?” I didn’t think she would really tell me, but I figured I should try anyway. I knew Ana was the biggest bitch in the palace, but one thing I learned from Liz was that those girls knew things that no one else did. It was getting them to spill it that was the hard part.

  “You really have no clue, do you, princess?” Ana asked in an amused hiss. “Dmitry was right, you are very entertaining.”

  She was really starting to piss me off, although the mention of Dmitry talking to her about me was what really ruffled my feathers most. “Why are you such a bitch?”

  Ana’s face contorted to extreme hatred and disgust as she flashed toward me in a sudden rush. She stopped just an inch from my face, her teeth bared. I sucked in a breath, which only made her break out in laughter.

  “You are pathetic. They really think they can continue their reign with someone as weak as you. What a joke! They knew my parents and me were the rightful heirs. And when all the other elders of our region agree…” She hissed at me like a snake, “all of a sudden they have this perfect pure-blood magically found in our region.” Her sarcastic tone was filled with hate. “You are no more than their puppet!”

  She got in my face, fangs bared, but I held my ground even though she was uttering my one true fear. That I really was their puppet. “They are weak and exposed. I would bring back the respect our kind deserves!”

  “With a vampire like you as their only option…” Robin said as she entered the room with a wavering confidence. I could tell that this was probably the first time she ever stood up to Ana, and I was never more proud of her than in that moment.

  “Robin, you’re even worse than this joke of a princess. Soon you’ll both see. The world belongs to the strong and powerful.”

  With that, Ana sped from the room, but not before swinging her arm across the large bouquet of flowers on the coffee table and sending all the petals flying off their stems. Her laugh remained, echoing throughout the room for a few moments after she left.

  “She has serious issues. What is her damn problem?” I asked Robin as she inspected the ruined bouquet of flowers.

  “She was hoping you wouldn’t survive the change. To be honest, I was a little surprised you made it. Not because I didn’t think you were strong enough, but…” Robin looked at me then and smiled, as she viewed my new vampire body. “Look at you! Va-va-Voom!”

  I laughed at her, but wasn’t going to let her change the subject. “But what?”

  Robin rolled her eyes at me, “You don’t give up, do ya?”

  “No,” I smiled at her. “I’ve been known to be rather persistent.”

  “Your screams could be heard throughout the entire palace, Claire. We’ve never heard anyone take the transformation so brutally,” Robin admitted as a look of sadness crept onto her face. “But look at you now! You’re tougher than anyone could have ever thought.”

  I wasn’t sure how to take what Robin said. Should I have been proud that I was strong enough to survive? Or worried that something might have gone wrong to make the transformation worse than it should have been?

  “Do you think something went wrong?” I asked Robin even though I was sure she probably didn’t know. The one vampire I should be asking that question was Robin’s mom, Mara.

  “I don’t know. You look fine to me. My mom has done countless transformation ceremonies. I heard her talking to my dad and she said she hadn’t ever seen anything like it before. You’re okay now though, so don’t worry about it.”

  “I’ll try.” I reluctantly gave up pressing her on the subject. “So what are you going to wear to this shindig?”

  “Well… I was hoping my best friend would let me borrow one of her dresses,” Robin said as she eyed me mischievously, baring her fangs in a playful grin.

  “Duh, Robin! Of course you can, but only if you help me decide what to wear. Evilyn said you needed to help make sure I’m prepared for tomorrow night.”

  “Oh my gosh, Claire, I totally will! You will look so stunning I promise,” Robin jumped me with a hug, that didn’t take my breath away as it had before and flew into the closet with a wicked giggle.

  I started to follow her and decided to test my speed ability. I steadied myself and took off at an incredibly fast run. It probably would have been better do the test somewhere with a bit more space. Stopping was a little difficult and I had to latch onto a handful of hanging blouses that tore quickly in my grasp.

  I stood frozen for a moment while both Robin and I stared at the destroyed garments in my hand. Then we both broke out in hysterical laughter.

  “You’ll get the hang of it, I promise. At least you just ruined some shirts. I
knocked an antique vase over and it shattered everywhere. The look on Fox’s face was both hysterical and frightening. I wasn’t sure if he was going to start crying or rip my throat out.” Robin giggled at the memory.

  “So, what color do you want to wear?” I asked as I joined her in looking through all the gowns in my closet. Every one of them was incredibly elaborate, made with the richest and softest of fabrics.

  “I’m not sure, but you should wear this one,” Robin said as she held out a silky, low-cut, black dress.

  I eyed the deep v-neck cut and shook my head, “It’s beautiful, but I doubt Evilyn would approve.”

  “Are you kidding? Of course she would! She bought all these dresses. Vampires don’t have the same… Well let’s just say they appreciate the human body.”

  I hung the dress back up, not certain that I wanted it to be the dress I revealed myself to the region and the vampire community in. I didn’t mind something sexy, but I was really looking for something with a wow factor.

  Robin and I spent the next few hours trying on dresses and jewelry. Discussing hairstyle options was even harder than choosing a dress, but we were certain we nailed down some semblance of a plan.

  I chose the gown Robin would wear. It was a gorgeous, light blue, with a detailed fitted corset that was delicately embroidered in gold. The large skirt billowed below her waist and made her look like a fairy tale princess.

  “Are you sure?” Robin asked me as she spun around in front of the mirror.

  “Totally, that color looks amazing on you,” I said as I rummaged through the display of jewelry and found the perfect gold bracelet for Robin to wear. “Here, put this on too.”

  Robin quickly latched on the bracelet and posed in front of the mirror. “I think you should wear the cream dress.”

  I looked at the two dresses I couldn’t decide between. The cream dress didn’t have as large a skirt as Robin’s. It had an intricately embroidered bodice that gathered on the side of the hip and led down to a small train. It also had a beautiful, strapless, heart-cut neckline and I loved how tiny it made my waist look.

  The other was an emerald green silk dress that clung to my body. It was simple with no frills. It too had a train, but much longer and I worried that I would trip, but the one shouldered neckline was gorgeous. The fabric was twisted into a tight, rope-like design and crossed between my shoulder blades to open up into a sparkling green train.

  Robin saw me looking at the dress longingly, “I don’t think Dmitry likes green.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, don’t hide it, Claire. I see how you look at him. I don’t blame you, he is gorgeous!” Robin teased as she carefully changed out of her gown. The fabric puddled gently as she placed it onto a chair.

  “I don’t think of Dmitry like that,” I lied. I knew I was starting to develop feelings for Dmitry, but I could feel my heart being invisibly pulled in another direction I hadn’t discovered yet. I wanted to like Dmitry and I was undoubtedly attracted to him, but there was something missing.

  “Whatever you say. All I know is that I want to dance with Drake. He is the son of vampire Duke Aldric from the east. He is so gorgeous, Claire, jet-black hair and a killer smile,” Robin swooned as she sighed aloud.

  “Sounds like you’re in love,” I teased as I hung the cream gown back onto the rack and chose the emerald green. I looked through my jewelry and found a pair of large ruby earrings that hung like blood drops from sizable sparkling yellow diamonds. They were dramatic and probably flashy, but I didn’t plan on wearing any other jewelry so I thought they were perfect.

  “I suppose we had better get some work done, otherwise the queen will have my head,” Robin slid her first finger across her throat and giggled while she stuck her tongue out.

  “I take it this isn’t going to be just some fun party?”

  “Well, for the most part, it is a celebration, but there are some formalities. Think of it as a coming out party. The king and queen are going to formally announce you as their princess and heir. Everyone will bow to acknowledge you and show their acceptance, and then on to the partying.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Pretty much. You actually don’t really have to do anything, except stand there. The king will make his announcement, everyone will bow and then you must bow to the king and queen. Like this.” Robin slid her right foot behind her left and bent her knees as she lowered her body steadily to the ground. “See? Easy.”

  “Hmm… When Evilyn said she wanted you to prepare me, it sounded like there was more to it than that.”

  “There are some things I can’t exactly prepare you for.”

  “Like what?”

  “Because you are the princess, there are certain customs you will have to follow. Once you are presented as the princess, the cameras will leave and another announcement will be made for vampire ears only.”

  ~