Tanya felt a pang of a different sort. She didn’t like the fact that her bond to Lazarith was stronger than her friends’. Judging by the looks on their faces, they weren’t concerned with that. The only thing weighing them down was their sire’s absence.
Makinzee turned her swollen and bloodshot eyes on Tanya. “Do you think something bad happened to him? Surely, he wouldn’t just up and leave us like that. Would he?”
Tanya rocked back and forth before unfolding the note in her hand. “To answer your question, no, he definitely did not come and talk to me.” True, he kind of visited her by appearing in her dream, but she would omit that part. A dream was a dream, right? Dealing with his abandonment would be hard enough. “He did leave this note on my dresser.”
Looking over her shoulder, Dannika gave her a reassuring nod. It was time to share with her friends the harsh reality that their beloved sire was no longer with them. Letting out a breath, Tanya handed the note to Serienna.
Serienna smoothed the paper and cleared her throat. A tear escaped her eye as she read the note aloud. When she read the part about other family members, her hands trembled and redness tinted her cheeks.
Regina jerked the note from Serienna’s hands, scanning it. “So, you mean we are not the only ones that he claims as his children?” Tears filled her eyes. “So, what does this mean? I don’t understand why he’d change us, help us develop in our first stages, and then leave us to fend for ourselves.” Crumpling the note, she chucked it across the room. “What ever happened to wanting to be there with us and helping us in our journey. Didn’t he say that he would be there for us in this new life?”
Tanya nodded in confirmation. Those words had left his mouth more times than she could count.
Makinzee dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “Wait.” She picked up the crumpled note from the floor where Regina had tossed it. “He said that he left money in your drawer, right?”
In her haste, she had forgotten all about it. “Yes, but I was so upset by the letter that I didn’t look. I have no idea how much he even left us.”
Hands gripped her shoulders and shoved her toward the door. Someone was in a hurry to get her out of there. Glancing over her shoulder she found Dannika motioning for her to move. “Well, don’t just stand there. Go get that envelope.”
Chapter Thirteen
Walking up the two flights of stairs to her room, Tanya kept her eyes glued to the floor to avoid eye contact with any of the paintings. The hallway was quiet, almost eerily quiet. Even though her focus was on the plush carpet, she felt them. There were no words to describe the feeling other than a gentle caress to draw her attention.
As much as she loved Lazarith, she refused to look up at any of the paintings. It was just too creepy.
This experience is something one would expect to see in a horror movie. One of those paranormal movies where the girl feels the paintings watching her, trying to talk to her. The girl tries her best to avoid eye contact which, of course, pisses off the spirits residing in the canvas. Angered, the spirits end up jumping out of the paintings to possess the innocent people passing by, and once they receive their new bodies they set out to murder the girl who refused to listen to them. She shivered at just the thought.
With each step, she felt their eyes watching her, especially Lazarith’s. She couldn’t explain how she knew his eyes followed her every move, she just recognized them. When his voice started filling her head, she sped up. If he’d been there in the flesh, Tanya wouldn’t hesitate to listen but this, this was too much.
The walk to her bedroom seemed to take an eternity. Running her fingertips along the smooth wooden top of her dresser, tears blurred her vision. Letting out a shaky breath, she opened the top drawer.
“Be strong, don’t you dare start crying.” It felt silly to talk to herself, but this wasn’t the time for a breakdown. Tucked neatly between two rows of socks was a thick manila envelope. Written on the front in his neat handwriting was:
To my Dearest Children
Not daring to open the envelope alone, Tanya headed back to the parlor at a dead run. Everyone stood straighter when she walked in the door. It was obvious this was just as hard for them as it was for her.
“Well?” Makinzee asked.
Tanya handed her the envelope, and Makinzee wasted no time tearing into it.
Looking inside, Makinzee let out a long whistle. “Oh, my gosh.” She dumped the contents onto a nearby end table. Five large stacks of bills, each tied neatly with a red ribbon, fell out. “Are those stacks of hundreds?” She picked up one of them and untied the ribbon. Thumbing through the bills, she placed them in neat piles of ten.
Tanya chewed her thumbnail as she tried to patiently wait for Makinzee to finish counting. How much money could there be, anyway. Several thousand by the looks of it.
Makinzee straightened the money and tied the ribbon back in place. “Wow.”
The anticipation was wearing on Tanya. “Spill it. How much?”
A grin spread on Makinzee’s face. “There is exactly one million dollars in that one stack alone.”
What? A million dollars? Who in the world has that kind of cash just lying around? Apparently, Lazarith does. What amazed Tanya was the fact that there were four more stacks of bills the same size as the first.
Everyone grabbed a stack of bills and began counting. One thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four…each had the same amount — one million.
It was at that moment the hurt Tanya felt started to lift, and love filled the void it left behind. She was as equally confused as she was happy but rather than dwell on the big question of why he left, she was determined to focus on the fact he cared enough to provide them with enough money to carry on.
Chapter Fourteen
After claiming a stack of neatly tied bills, each girl took their money to their room. Taking Lazarith’s advice and preparing to leave this beautiful home, they gathered back in the parlor to discuss where they should go. “Rayford?” Regina called from the doorway.
Rayford, Lazarith’s butler, resembled Lurch from that old television series about the kooky family. It took him no time to enter the parlor, standing tall and ready to serve. “Yes, Madam. How may I be of service to you?”
“Rayford.” Regina gave him a hug, and his body stiffened. Clearly, he isn’t used to being touchy-feely. “We seem to have some planning we need to do. Would you mind bringing us something to eat?”
“As you wish, Madam. Would you like anything in particular?”
“Fruit is always good.” Regina turned to look at the rest of the group. “Is that okay with you all?”
Every head nodded in agreement. Fruit is the best sustenance, it’s both filling and sweet.
“Would you like wine as well?” Rayford asked.
Regina smiled. “Definitely bring the wine.” It wasn’t just wine. When a vampire drinks wine, he or she is drinking a wine-and-blood cocktail.
Rayford bowed his head and then slipped from the room. Tanya continued to stare at the spot he even after he left. She remembered the day they met. Rayford had stood tall, his crazy hair mussed up on top of his head. The way he spoke reminded her of Lazarith, old and formal. As awkward as it was to be around him, he’d grown on her during their time here.
One of the things Lazarith had taught them, was that in the nightlife there were two rules that must always remain unbroken. Rule number one, never drink blood from a human. Rule number two, never reveal your true identity to a human. They must remain ignorant to the supernatural beings living amongst them.
Since drinking from the source is prohibited, the night world has a large blood bank branched throughout the world. L&A Blood Bank. They have blood trucks that go out periodically and gather donations from willing humans.
Tanya sat on the floor, and the others joined her, gatheri
ng in a circle to discuss their plan of action. The one thing that was evident was the fact they all needed to leave town. With the changes to their bodies and their abnormal emerald eyes, everyone in Spencer, Nebraska would notice. Which draws back to rule number two. Keep the vampirism a secret.
Entering the parlor with a smile on his face, Rayford set a tray of refreshments on the floor next to Tanya. She smiled in return then picked up a glass. “Thank you, Rayford.”
“My pleasure.” He turned on his heel and was gone before she could say another word. Eyeing her friends’ anxious gazes, she set the tray in the center of their circle. Each of her friends reached for a glass of wine.
“We could just start heading south.” Serienna tipped her glass, sipping the delicious wine.
“You know, that’s not a bad idea.” Makinzee popped a grape into her mouth, chasing it down with a wine. “We’ve never been down south, and no one will ever recognize any of our changes. Sounds like a plan to me.”
A peace fell over Tanya. Heading south would not have been her first choice, but it felt so right. There was one state she felt drawn to, Oklahoma. She couldn’t explain why she felt drawn to Oklahoma, it just called to her when she looked at the map. “That sounds great.”
The door opened, and every head turned. Though she knew it wasn’t him, Tanya hoped to see Lazarith on the other side.
Rayford stepped over the threshold towing a dolly with five large boxes.
Curious, Tanya stood and met him halfway. “What’s this?” She tipped her glass, polishing off the remaining wine. “Thank you for the refreshments, they were great.”
“You are most welcome, Madam Tanya.” Rayford unloaded the dolly, placing a box next to each girl in the room. “Master Lazarith has requested that I bring these to you. He mentioned that you would need them once you made the decision to leave.”
The boxes had their names written on the top in his hand writing. Tanya absentmindedly ran the tip of her finger along her name. She missed him so much. It was strange how strong their bond was especially since they’d only known him for a few weeks.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she opened her box. The first thing she saw as she lifted the flaps was a violet-colored, ankle-length dress with spaghetti straps. Dresses were not really her thing, but this one would be the exception. It was gorgeous.
Inside was more clothing. There were dresses, shirts, blouses, pants, slacks, and shoes for every outfit. In the very bottom of the box was a black sack. Tanya peeked inside to find expensive panties with matching bras. Heat spread up her neck and into her cheeks from knowing Lazarith had gone shopping for her underclothes.
Lazarith hadn’t just shopped for her, he’d shopped for her friends as well. Each of them had enough clothes to last through all four seasons. He had apparently done his homework because he’d gotten their likes and dislikes down to a T.
Putting her clothes away, Tanya glanced at the clock. Had they really spent the entire day in the parlor? No wonder her eyes burned. “I didn’t realize we’ve wasted the entire day in here. I’m off to bed.”
“Oh, wow. I didn’t realize how late it was.” Serienna ate the last strawberry and then stood. “Love you girls but I’m off to bed as well.”
They hugged and set their dirty dishes on a table for Rayford. After tidying up, they headed upstairs.
Chapter Fifteen
Tanya descended the steps like a madwoman. The smell of coffee had awoken her, and she rushed toward the heavenly scent. Her friends had beat her to the dining hall, and each of them had steaming cups of java in their hands. Laughter filled the enormous room as they chatted about music and hot celebrity guys.
The crystal chandelier above the table sparkled as she moved forward. It reminded her of twinkling stars. Once they found a place to settle down, the first home purchase would be a chandelier like this one.
“Anyone want to join me?” Regina asked as she finished her bowl of strawberries with whipped cream, her favorite morning dish. “I’m going out to the shopping center in a little bit to get some luggage. There is no way I’m traveling with cardboard boxes. That’s just gross.”
The carafe had just enough coffee to fill Tanya’s mug. She inhaled the wonderful aroma before sipping the hot java. It burned her tongue but she welcomed it. Coffee was her drug. Taking another sip, she leaned back in pure bliss. “Yeah, I’ll go with you. It’ll be nice to get out of the house for a little while.”
Since becoming vampires, none of them had left the premises for fear of being discovered and thus breaking the law. Tanya wasn’t sure about the others, but she was starting to experience cabin fever. Maybe traveling would do them some good. It would give them a chance to get back into the world and start living life again.
She had no idea what their future held, but one thing kept playing over and over in her mind. You girls will become very powerful and do many great things. Your futures are unfathomable. Those words spoken by Lazarith wouldn’t leave her thoughts and had her anxious.
Tanya scarfed down her fruit salad and rushed upstairs to shower. It didn’t take her long to get ready. Closing her door behind her, she headed toward Regina’s room. Regina had the bedroom at the opposite side of the hall as hers, the one closest to the staircase.
The paintings still called out to her, but she had gotten good at tuning them out. It had been a couple of days since that first experience with them seeking her attention, and she still hadn’t looked at Lazarith’s painting. Mostly because she still felt abandoned by him.
The door opened before she could lift her hand to knock. “Hey, good timing,” Regina stepped to the side to retrieve her purse from the dresser. “I was just about to come get you.” She waltzed out of the room, her movements reminding Tanya of a ballerina.
No matter how many times Tanya had walked through this house, the beauty of the staircase always took her breath away. The steps were made of shiny, pearl-colored stones, and the railing was iron with swirling gold symbols embedded into it.
Stepping off the bottom step, Makinzee rounded the corner. Ascending the stairs, she called over her shoulder, “Have fun.” Then she paused and spun, almost losing her balance. “Oh, could you pick up some lipstick while you’re out?” The girl could not possibly need any more lipstick.
Tanya liked to think of Makinzee as the lipstick queen because she buys every shade in every brand. She smiled at her friend. “I suppose. Any shade in particular you’re looking for?”
Tapping her forefinger on her chin, Makinzee thought for a moment. “Ooh, let’s go with something bright like cherry red.”
Tanya giggled. “Okie dokie, artichokie. I’ll see what I can find.” Honestly there was no shade she could find that wasn’t already upstairs in Makinzee’s room. Her dresser top was covered with tubes and tubes of lipstick and lip gloss.
“Thanks.” Makinzee flipped her hair over her shoulder and continued her ascension. The way she danced up the stairs reminded Tanya of Dirty Dancing. Unlike Regina, who had spent her entire childhood in the dance studio, Makinzee was born with this natural God-given talent.
Regina snatched their jackets from the hooks in the entryway. The jacket was just for show since the cold doesn’t affect vampires like it does humans. Opening the front door, Tanya let out a gasp. Sitting in the driveway was a brand new, shiny car.
“That’s a sweet ride. I wonder who it belongs to.” Tanya circled the black Mercedes Benz, a low whistle escaping her lips.
Regina plucked a folded piece of paper from the windshield. “I don’t know, but here’s a note.” Her eyes scanned the small sheet of paper twice before she cracked a smile. “It’s ours.”
“Nuh uh.”
Regina moved to Tanya’s side so she could read the note along with her.
Dear children,
I know that you have a
long journey ahead of you and that you do not have proper transportation. I took the liberty of buying you this vehicle.
Take care,
Lazarith
Tanya was lost for words. This was the most amazing thing anyone had ever done for them. Pushing her hurt aside, she had to admit that Lazarith was an amazing man, always aiming to please those he cares about.
“Oh, my goodness, I can’t believe this is ours.” Regina was so ecstatic she jumped up and down. They had always talked about owning a Mercedes. She was a car junkie and loved expensive vehicles.
Feeling overjoyed, Tanya joined Regina in her happy dance. None of them had much growing up, and the five of them didn’t make much money running the bookstore, either. For her, going from second-hand clothing to designer and from a jalopy to this was the stuff fairytales are made of.
After a few moments of giddy dance moves, Tanya opened the passenger door. “Well, shall we?”
“Uh, yeah.” Regina took no time heading to the driver’s door. She stuck her head inside and inhaled deeply. “Oh yeah, baby,” she said, caressing the interior. The key was dangling from the ignition. Buckling her seatbelt, she cranked the engine. It purred like a baby kitten.
“Oh my,” Tanya sighed with contentment. “I love it so much.” This was a dream come true for her. These were the types of cars she only got to see on television, and now, here she was sitting in one. Not just sitting in an expensive car, she was part owner of said vehicle. Oh, how she wished she could drive it to the college and show it off to all those stuck-up, brainless twits that used to harass her.
Princesses of the Night (Royal Blood Book 1) Page 5
