Bloodgifted

by Tima Maria Lacoba

  ‘I suppose it is.’

  ‘Do you love him?’

  For a moment I didn’t know what to say. Our relationship was still relatively new and I wasn’t sure how I felt. Nor did I particularly wish to discuss it with Alec Munro. ‘Why do you ask?’

  ‘You didn’t answer my question.’

  ‘And I’m not going to. It’s private.’ I turned my head to look at him. He glanced at me at the same time.

  Neither of us spoke for a while. I would have loved to know what he was thinking. Then he said something I didn’t expect.

  ‘You know how to dance, Laura? As in someone’s arms, not standing in front of your partner and jiggling.’

  ‘Jiggling?’

  He smiled. ‘You know what I mean.’

  I really had to concentrate, as his smile had a way of leaving me breathless. ‘Oh, I think I can manage.’

  Part of my training as a primary school teacher was in physical education with dancing part of the curriculum. I could do a mean waltz.

  ‘There’s dancing and entertainment after the ceremony.’

  ‘Vampires dance?’

  He laughed. ‘Wait till you see the band leader.’

  Curiouser and Curiouser!

  His face grew serious and he changed the subject. ‘Laura, when we arrive please don’t go wandering anywhere on your own. Many among my kind can’t be trusted. Some here tonight are envious and dangerous and would do anything to possess you. They could even try to abduct you to stop the ceremony from taking place.’

  ‘You didn’t tell me this before!’ And I wish he hadn’t told me now.

  ‘I didn’t want to frighten you.’

  Gee thanks! ‘But once the Ritual’s over, I’m safe?’

  ‘Yes.’

  I took a deep breath and willed my heartbeat to slow to its normal pace.

  ‘I have friends here as well, one in particular who’ll protect you at all costs,’ he stressed. ‘My sire, Luc. The ceremony is being held at his house.’

  ‘I met him at my aunt’s place last night.’ And he terrified Matt so much he would have gone for his gun if he’d been wearing it.

  Alec glanced at me again. ‘He’s one of the five officiates.’

  ‘Oh, okay.’ I thought for a moment. ‘You mentioned the other night that he was my grandfather Owen’s guardian.’

  ‘That’s right.’

  My family had kept such a secret all these generations. Grandad knew I’d inherit one day yet he barely ever spoke to me. So what that he’d been a busy doctor with his own practice and family never figured high in his priorities. But still, you’d think on his deathbed—a few years ago—he may have mentioned something!

  My mind reeled with questions. One was whether Alec had ever known him, but that would have to wait. We turned into a private lane and massive iron gates loomed up ahead. Security guards in grey uniform scrutinised the car as we entered.

  Did he say house? The sandstone building at the end of the driveway was a magnificent neo-Gothic mansion of a style popular sometime in the late nineteenth century. A copper-clad tower dominated one side of the building. I gaped at turrets, arches with stained glass windows and gables, while stone gargoyles stared impassively down at all who entered.

  Perfect place for a vampire gathering.

  As Alec drove in, I rolled down the windows and inhaled the heady scent of eucalypt from the trees that lined the expansive driveway. Crushed gum nuts and leaves crunched under the tyres as he turned the car into a large clearing capable of accommodating up to a hundred vehicles. An area had been cordoned off for parking and was almost filled to capacity with a range of limousines and luxury cars, including one or two Ferraris, a Porsche, even a sleek red Corvette.

  ‘Sports cars!’ I turned to him with an I-rest-my-case, look.

  He smiled and eased into a spot marked, Reserved for Princeps. Coming around to my side, he opened the door and linked my arm through his as we made our way to the front entrance. ‘Laura, stay close to me the whole night. Promise me.’

  To my surprise, he sounded concerned.

  ‘Promise.’

  The impressive and heavily lacquered front door had carved eucalyptus leaves along the outside edge, and two multi-coloured glass window panels greeted the visitor at eye level. I did a quick scan, expecting to see cobwebs and scuttling spiders, but there were none. Then I wondered if we’d be greeted by the obligatory creepy butler, such as Lurch, from the Addams Family, and held my breath as the door opened. The porch was flooded with golden light and soft music could be heard in the background as a tall, blonde–haired man stepped out. It was Luc Lebrettan.

  I think I gave an audible sigh of relief.

  He smiled warmly and lifted my hand to his lips. ‘Laura, it’s a pleasure to see you once more.’

  Again, I experienced a sense of familiarity and felt the same prickling as on the previous night.

  ‘I believe you and Luc have already met?’ Alec asked.

  ‘Yes, at my aunt’s,’ I replied. Alec had said he was one of the five officiates, which meant he had to be one of the oldest vampires here. I only found out how old Alec was because I asked him outright.

  ‘There has been a change in the order of events. The Ritual will be performed first followed by the usual festivities,’ Luc said and glanced briefly at Alec. ‘I’m sure Alec has explained to you the situation we would like to avoid. Ensuring your safety is our priority.’ There was the slightest hint of the French accent I’d noticed at our first meeting.

  ‘I understand,’ I said.

  ‘Let’s go in.’ He tucked my arm into his so I was sandwiched between him and Alec.

  Luc led us through the house, but there was no time to stop and admire the amazing interior. A marble staircase led to an upper floor before dividing into two separate wings. Above us loomed stone arches, balanced on pedestals in the shape of sculpted angels. Stencilled images of griffins, dragons and other medieval mythological creatures decorated the walls. Our footsteps echoed on the white marbled floor which, here and there, was interspersed with boldly coloured Victorian tiles featuring scrolls, fleur-de-lis and acanthus leaves.

  I leaned over to Alec and nudged him slightly in the ribs. ‘Why does Luc own such a castle?’ I whispered.

  ‘It reminds him of home,’ Alec replied in a low voice.

  ‘France, Laura. I’m originally from the Rhone valley. My family has a Chateau there. I’ll tell you about it sometime.’

  I’d forgotten about vampire hearing.

  We reached a set of double doors. Waiting for us were eight figures who inclined their heads as we approached. Among them, in a floor-length white silk cloak, was my Aunt Judy. The fabric swished as she came to my side to give me a hug.

  ‘Don’t be nervous, dear. I’m sure Alec explained everything. I’ve been through this myself and it’s going to be fine.’ She gave me a reassuring smile.

  The other figures—seven men and one woman—regarded me curiously. They were a mix of ages and impossibly attractive. The thought raced through my mind: Does being transformed into a vampire make one stunning or did they simply pick on the young and beautiful in the world? Three were wrapped in gold cloaks, while the other four were covered in scarlet. I could just make out sword tips protruding from beneath the cloaks of the four-in-red.

  ‘Laura.’ Alec drew my attention to the gold-cloaked figures. ‘I would like to introduce the Elders—Maris, Kwame and Zhao.’ He indicated each in turn. I inclined my head assuming that was the correct form of greeting.

  The woman, Maris, was a tall, stunning blonde. I may as well have been invisible, for she barely acknowledged me as she locked her lavender gaze on Alec. Her eyes narrowed at seeing our linked hands and I wondered if there was some history between them.

  Kwame, the most striking of the group, was a well-built black man who stood at least six-feet-five. There was a regal air about him but his smile was welcoming. It was difficult to place his age, but it could have been a
nywhere in his late thirties. The gold cloak made a perfect foil to his dark skin.

  Beside him stood Zhao, the shortest of the five. He stood about five-feet-ten. His bald head gleamed in the light and even though he didn’t smile, his eyes showed a depth of understanding that only came through great age. I wondered how old he really was.

  ‘Laura, I’d like you to meet my friends, Terens, Jake, Cal and Sam,’ Alec said as he introduced the four scarlet cloaked figures.

  They were all so tall—like Alec—that I was glad I wore a pair of high-heeled shoes. It made looking up at them a bit easier.

  Terens smiled and winked at me as Alec introduced us. His straight deep-auburn hair fell into his eyes when he dipped his head in greeting and a diamond stud blinked in one ear. Next to Alec, he was the sexiest man I’d ever seen. But that wasn’t the reason why I took an instant liking to him. For one strange moment I felt as if I’d known him somewhere, a long time ago. Just as quickly I dismissed the idea.

  Jake stepped forward, and he too gave me a low bow and broad smile. His long wavy brown hair, close-cropped beard and aquiline nose gave him an aristocratic appearance. ‘Welcome to the family, Laura,’ he said.

  I liked him, too.

  Of the three, Cal had the stockiest build. With hair the colour of wet sand and dimples in both cheeks when his lips curled up into a closed-mouthed smile, he looked decidedly roguish. I had the feeling it wouldn’t take much to make him laugh.

  But then I could be wrong, for his right hand lovingly stroked the hilt of the sword at his side.

  Lastly, there was Sam. Light brown hair, gentle lavender eyes and with looks a male model would envy, he also smiled at me but it soon faded as his eyes turned to the woman Maris and speared her with a—warning?—look. His hand too, rested on the hilt of his sword.

  Just as I was determining whether I should be worried or not, Zhao came forward, slipped a white silk cloak over Alec’s shoulders and tied the smooth, white fabric in place with silk ribbons.

  Alec searched for my hand, grasped it and squeezed reassuringly. I felt a sudden surge of electricity. It was not the first time this had happened and I really wanted to attribute this to the rings, yet something deep within told me otherwise. Whether he felt it too, I have no idea, as he gave no indication.

  He lifted my hand to his lips and that’s when I noticed the glow. His ring shone brightly and bathed his face and mine, in a ruby-like aura. In my own ring the eyes of the serpents blazed.

  Now I knew its significance. No one seeing that would be crazy enough to challenge. My aunt looked overjoyed as she, and the officiates in white cloaks, took up their positions in front of us. The four-in-red took up the rear.

  ‘Ready?’ Luc asked me as he threw a gold cloak over his own shoulders.

  I briefly closed my eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Ready.’

  He pushed open the doors, which folded back on themselves, to reveal an expansive lawn area which led down to the water’s edge.

  Directly in front of us a roped-off pathway had been created leading to a white wisteria-covered pavilion. It stood on three sandstone platforms, elevating it above the level of the surrounding garden.

  I gasped as several hundred pale faces turned towards us. They rose from their seats and stood silently. Music played in the distance.

  I was too aware of their eyes on me and it was enough to make me want to turn and run. There was such a mix of people and some looked no older than their twenties. It was difficult to tell who was vampire and who was donsang, until I came close enough to make out their eyes. There wasn’t a fang or reptile-eye in sight.

  Luc must have sensed my hesitation, for like Alec, he grasped my other hand in his just as the Elders started the procession and we stepped down onto the grassy path. I was determined not to let my fear of being the centre of attention—especially among this particular company—paralyse me.

  Taking slow, deep breaths, I lifted my chin and looked defiantly around me.

  Alec squeezed my hand. ‘Good girl,’ he whispered.

  The assembled guests were in formal wear; black tie for men, evening gowns for women. There wasn’t a black cape, swishy cloak or “Morticia” dress in sight. I hadn’t expected stunning designer creations. Vampires have taste, I silently admitted.

  As we progressed towards the pavilion, a few murmured “Princeps” and “Ingenii” came from individuals in the crowd. All inclined their heads slightly as we passed. Waiting for us under the arch was another tall, gold-cloaked figure—a strikingly handsome man with olive skin and dark hair. It was impossible to gauge his age. In his right hand gleamed the longest, most menacing sword I have ever seen.

  ‘Who is that?’ I whispered to Alec.

  ‘Marcus Antonius Pulcher, the Cardinal Elder and your ancestor. He’s leading the ceremony.’

  I looked on, stunned, until, out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a familiar face in the crowd—my Dad. Alec told me my parents would be here, but the seat next to him was empty. It didn’t surprise me. Mum simply wouldn’t have had the strength to cope with something like this.

  Dad smiled sadly at me as we passed.

  We reached the pavilion steps and I desperately hoped no one would suddenly jump out and challenge Alec. Sometime during our procession the music stopped and the absolute silence was eerie. It was as if everyone waited for something to happen. My nervousness rose.

  Light glinted on the silken cloaks of the Elders in front of us as they alighted on the sandstone steps. All bowed their heads towards Marcus’s imposing figure. Alec and Luc, with me between, followed behind.

  ‘Marcus.’ Luc dipped his head and placed my hand in the man’s large outstretched palm. He bowed to me and kissed my fingertips. I looked into the saddest pair of eyes I’d ever encountered.

  ‘So much like Antonia,’ he said in a rich baritone voice before directing me to face the assembled crowd.

  Alec released my other hand and moved slightly to my right as the Elders arranged themselves in a crescent behind us. Aunt Judy stepped to my side, faced the crowd with me and took hold of my hand.

  Everyone waited.

  Marcus Antonius bowed deeply to the gathering and his voice boomed in the silence. ‘I, Marcus Antonius Pulcher, welcome you all, Brethren. We gather to recognise the new Ingenii. Child of the House of the Antonii, descendant of Antonia Pulchra, my daughter and her son, Paulus…’

  I listened rapt as he recited a long list of names. The first were all Latin, followed by French, until the last few. They were English and culminated in me. I realised he was individually naming each Ingenii, from the very beginning till the present, like some type of oral history.

  After he completed the recitation, my Aunt Judy spoke. ‘I, Judith Mary Dantonville, of the House of the Antonii, do this night in the presence of the Brethren, willingly relinquish my position as Ingenii and pass it to Laura Anne Dantonville, of the House of the Antonii.’

  While she was still speaking, the woman Maris came up behind her, removed the cloak from around her shoulders and placed it over mine. She let the silken ties hang loosely down the front of my gown. My aunt gave me a smile and squeezed my hand before stepping down off the dais to take her seat beside my dad.

  Marcus Antonius leaned over and whispered, ‘Laura, just repeat what I say.’

  I nodded. Alec’s presence close behind me made my body tingle.

  ‘I, Laura Anne Dantonville, of the House of the Antonii,’ I repeated nervously after Marcus, ‘this night willingly accept, in the presence of the Brethren, my position by blood as Ingenii to him whom I choose as my guardian.’

  ‘Well done,’ Marcus whispered close in my ear. He then raised my hand to expose the Serpent Ring and addressed the crowd. ‘The Ritual will now commence. Sanguis ingenii, Laura, est deligere. The Ingenii, Laura is to choose.’

  I was surprised to hear him speaking Latin. Just how old was this ceremony? I could only guess. And how many here could understand it? Maybe that’s why
he repeated everything in English.

  ‘I choose Alec Munro,’ I said.

  ‘Quid audient provocare? Who dares challenge?’

  A flash of red caught my eye as four scarlet clad figures strode to the front of the dais, positioned themselves on either side of Alec and me and simultaneously threw back their cloaks to reveal their broad swords.

  I held my breath.

  No one moved. No one uttered a word, although a few glances through narrowed eyes were aimed at us. Marcus Antonius waited. Alec’s face was taut and a tightness around his mouth revealed his tenseness. Though not reptilian, his eyes were fierce.

  Once again, Marcus Antonius’s voice cut through the stillness. ‘Nullus. No one’, he declared triumphantly. ‘Sino serpens dicere! Allow the serpents to speak!’

  Alec moved up to stand behind me and Marcus Antonius placed my hand in his, intertwined our fingers and raised them in the air with our rings facing the crowd. A ripple of sound grew into an acclamation and I caught my breath as a brilliant scarlet light flared from our linked hands. It illuminated the assembled crowd making them appear as if bathed in blood.

  Alec turned his face to me. His eyes were a deep jacaranda blue and the dazzling smile he wore took my breath away.

  Gasps and murmurs came from the crowd, but there was no time to ponder its significance as Marcus Antonius held up his hand for silence.

  ‘Consummato. Consummate,’ he announced.

  Alec released my hand and moved a step away. From the corner of my eye I saw the movement of gold as Maris and Zhao stepped forward, removed our white silken cloaks and let them to drop to the floor. As he resumed his position in the crescent, Maris leaned over me, her breath cool on my neck as she slowly lowered the chiffon strap of my dress. Her proximity and the cold touch of her fingers on my skin made me shiver.

  She swept my hair to one side exposing my throat and her hand seemed to linger there. I dared a quick glance. For the briefest of moments, naked hunger flashed from her eyes then just as suddenly was gone. Yet the image remained and with it the realisation I was surrounded by creatures who lived in darkness and thrived on human blood. How many here would want to kill Alec to possess me? My stomach tightened yet it was too late to turn and run, and showing fear among these creatures would be just as risky.