Blue Moon

by Danielle Sanderson

  “Dallah, I can handle Richard, he doesn’t scare me. I will stay away from him, but don’t make a big deal out of it, please for me. I want to feel happy that I’m with you, not scared you will go off to find him,” I ask her in desperation.

  She takes me in her arms hugging me tightly,

  “I don’t want this for you Zara, you shouldn’t be here.”

  “I don’t want this for you either, but that’s what we got. I’m not going anywhere without you, and Richard can try to break me, but he never will, as long as I know I have you and the guys.”

  “You are so stubborn, you know that right?”

  “Yeah, I do. Seriously though, let’s go get breakfast, I’m starving.”

  We spend the day together, as she shows me around the palace and the gardens outside. The palace is magnificent and the gardens are something from a fairy tale, not what I expected the Dark Coven to be like at all, with lush green lawns, stunning flowerbeds, and a beautiful water fountain. Dallah told me that I can tell the royal Witches and Warlocks apart from the non-royals, by a silver ring they wear on their thumb, and to stay away from them at all cost, as they have great power and magic, and subtly telling me that they don’t like me. She also told me that to tell the difference between Werewolf and Vampire, is that a Vampire will breath in your scent when you get close, and a Werewolf will look deeply into your eyes to see the shade, as werewolves have a great sense of knowing what you are by the shade of your eyes, which I never knew.

  Chapter Six

  As it draws close to the evening, the ground floor starts to get a little crowded for my liking; it is hard to ignore the snide comments and snarls that I get of many of the people. Nevertheless, I do, I ignore them all. They think I don’t belong here because I’m not one of them, but they are wrong, and one day I will enjoy showing them so.

  Dallah tells me of a secluded bar on the third floor where no one will bother us, which puts a smile on my face straight away.

  We change into our outfits for tonight, again beautiful gowns, I have a white dress on, that is backless scooping down, just above my bottom. Dallah has on a deep purple dress much like mine, but with a v-neck that shows off her breasts elegantly. We do our hair and make-up and sneak off to the secret bar on the third floor, rather than eat dinner with Richard and his merry men.

  “Oh wow this place is... wow!” I tell her as she shuts the door behind us. The small bar is amazing! Everything is glass, the bar, the stools, the tables, and the retro looking duke box. The floor is black tiled and a stunning chandelier hangs from the ceiling.

  “I know this is my favorite room. What can I get you maim?” She asks me in a terrible English accent.

  “Wow, that was really bad,” I laugh, “A bottle of you finest champagne please waitress.” I tell her, putting on my posh voice, and then winking at her as I point to a bottle of champagne cooling in the fridge.

  “Oh, you’re good, I didn’t even see that. I hope its Richards.” She tells me, and I laugh aloud because I was hoping for the same thing.

  “So do you think Richard will be mad that we missed dinner?” I ask as I take a gulp of the delicious champagne.

  “Oh, I hope so, could you imagine his face if he saw us here, all dressed up and drinking his prized stash?” She lets out a drunken giggle.

  “Oh damn! What is this stuff? It’s so strong, I have had half a glass and I’m seeing double!” I tell her with a hiccup.

  She near enough falls on the floor in a fit of giggles.

  Man, this is some really strong stuff. Suddenly I feel Angus, it’s as if he had just entered the room with us, but he hasn’t.

  “Angus is here I can feel him!” I tell her excitedly as she looks at me in high spirits.

  “Let's go down and find him, but after I finish this, and you!” she says, while knocking her drink back and lifting my glass to my lips with a mischievous grin.

  We stumble out of the bar, and to the staircase, which we walk down in a zigzag pattern whilst holding on to the railing to stop us from falling down in our drunken state. We look at each other and laugh hard, when we realize that Kiss-ass is behind us, and looking so uncomfortable that he actually looks to be in pain.

  A girl walks down the steps elegantly, unlike us, and then her phone starts to ring, which plays an Alisha keys song.

  “OH SNAP!” I laugh as I sing at the top of my voice, “THIS GIRL is ON FIRE, everybody stares as she goes by...” I sing the rest of the song to Dallah with my pretend microphone, as she stands and watches me with an open mouth. By the time I finish, Kiss-ass cannot wait for us any longer and walks past us with a disgusted noise.

  “You never told me you could sing?” She says looking at me in awe.

  “I don’t, that was a one timer!” I wink at her and pull her down the last step, as we laugh hard looking at the disgust on kiss ass’s face, as he waits for us to hurry our asses up, and get in the ballroom.

  “You need to sing more often, you sound like an Angel.”

  “Dallah?”

  “Yeah?”

  “One timer!” I tell her with a wicked grin.

  We both push open a door to the ballroom, and stop laughing as we have a hundred eyes on us. Dallah and I lock eyes as I burst out laughing once again.

  Richard appears in front of us, roughly taking Dallah’s arm in his, trying his utmost to appear scary, but failing miserably.

  “What the fuck is going on? Where have you both been?” He asks infuriated.

  “Lighten up Dick, we got lost,” I tell him with an eye roll.

  “You’re both acting like teenagers! Sober up!”

  “Uhh, you’re such a bore!” Dallah tells him, as he drags her angrily across the ballroom. Just then, Theo stalks over to me smiling and offers me his hand.

  “Hey handsome, thank you very much,” I tell him with a playful wink, making him laugh.

  “You’re going to get yourself in trouble angel.”

  “What’s he going to do, beat me?” I joke, but he doesn’t find it funny.

  “Hey, come on, Parrise’s friend just turned up, it’s a very special night tonight, but you stay with me angel.”

  “Where is he?” I ask searching the room.

  “You like the Vamp’s?” He asks with a raised brow.

  Shit! I need to keep my cool.

  “Yeah, I suppose.” I shrug my shoulders.

  “Well, come on then he is over here, I’ll introduce you.”

  I walk beside Theo with a smile, as I cannot wait to see Angus; I have missed him so much. When I was going through a living hell after finding out about Sallack and Mary, he was the one person who knew what to say, and when to say it.

  We stop at a table full of Vampires, as I see Angus’s head turn to me and we lock eyes, I just can’t help the smile that forms on my face.

  “Angus, this is Zara, Zara Angus.” Theo introduces us.

  Angus stands and picks up my hand laying a kiss to it, and making me blush, the little bastard.

  “What a beauty, will you join us?” He says with a stunning smile.

  “I would love to.” I tell him as I take the seat next to him, and Parrise on my right.

  “Parrise, lovely to see you again.” I tell him drunkenly.

  He nods his head in acknowledgement, and then goes back to staring daggers at Theo who joins us at the table. Dallah is introduced to Angus, and she smiles knowingly at him, as he kisses her hand.

  “Angus, Parrise, I’m sorry for the way these women entered the hall, and watch out for that one she loves the men!” He says smiling smugly at me, pleased with his comment. Angus and Parrise goes stiff beside me and Angus address’s me.

  “Is that true sweet?” He asks me with a raised brow.

  “No it is not, Dick loves to joke, don’t you Dick?” I ask looking at Richard, as his lips twitch in anger.

  “Just don’t drain her, Dallah would be upset.” He tells Angus with a wicked grin, as if egging him on.

  “
Oh, never would I drain something so beautiful, it would be a waste.” Angus tells him, before looking back at me.

  “Ha, I would hardly call it a waste.” Richard laughs, making me roll my eyes.

  “Richard a word!” Dallah tells him through gritted teeth.

  “Dog house!” He tells the men at the table with an arrogant grin.

  Dallah and Richard walk away from the table, while Angus faces me with a smirk.

  “Was that you singing?”

  “Did you hear it?” I whisper in shock, feeling embarrassed.

  “We did, who would have thought you have both a beautiful face and voice,” Parrise tells me as his hand slips onto my thigh, making my blood tingle and my heartbeat race.

  “Can I borrow Zara for a moment?” Richard asks, cutting in on our conversation. He stands directly behind me waiting. Dallah takes the seat next to Angus, the smile from earlier completely wiped from her face.

  Parrise reluctantly nods his head to Richard while slipping his hand off my thigh.

  I let out a sigh as I stand up to face Richard, who then guides me away from the table with his hand on the small of my back, making me cringe inside at his touch, surprising me by leading us onto the dance floor. Turning me to face him, as he takes me in his arms to dance, making a frown appear on my face.

  “What do you want?” I finally ask in annoyance, the last thing I want be doing is dancing in his arms.

  “I wanted to apologise for being rude to you.” He tells me, smiling at me with a wicked glint in his insincere eyes.

  “Really! I don‘t think you’re sorry at all, Dallah told you to apologise to me, so well done.” I say, trying to twist away from him, but he holds me in a death grip.

  “Now, now! Little Zara, Play nice and dance with me, I just want Dallah to see I’m making the effort with you, maybe you should too?”

  “This is sick! Dallah doesn’t want us to be friends, and you sure as hell don’t have a friendly bone in your body!”

  “Shut up Zara, and just dance, or I will feed you to the wolves!”

  “That’s more like the Richard I know and hate,” I reply, with a snort.

  “So what’s with all this dinner and dancing every night?” I ask needing to change the subject.

  “We have much to celebrate, Dallah and I will soon be bonded, and I have allies’ cueing up to join me.”

  “How soon?”

  “We will be bonded next Saturday.” He tells me with a knowing smirk.

  “Next Saturday?” I ask in shock.

  “Yes,” He tells me simply.

  Dallah didn’t tell me the bonding had moved forward or why!

  “Why are you doing this to her? Do you love her?”

  “No! I despise her, but she will be a welcomed asset.” He says coolly.

  “Can you take another?”

  “Yes, if I wish to.”

  “Well...why don’t you then?”

  “Because she is strong, and she isn’t needy.”

  “Charming. There are other strong Witches you could have a pick from, so why not just choose one of them, someone who wants you and could love you back?”

  He stops dancing and looks me in the eye, holding me tight against him.

  “Why could I have my pick, Zara? And what makes you think I would want someone to love me?” He asks with a snigger.

  “You're a Prince, as you keep reminding me! And everyone wants to be loved, it’s natural.”

  “Not true, love is for fools. Look around you Zara, you are in a room full of monsters, no one loves them, but they are happy, are they not?”

  “Maybe on the outside.” I shrug.

  “Dallah has been sending women my way for over a year, trying to get out of this, it hasn’t worked, and neither will your desperate attempts! Maybe you want to take her place, is that it!” He mocks.

  “Take your hands off me Richard, now!”

  He spins me around and pulls me back into his chest as he lowers his head to mine and whispers,

  “Will you make love to the Vampire Zara, worship his body?” He asks, in such a cruel mocking tone, as I lock eyes with Parrise across the room.

  “If I were to sleep with him, it would be all those things and more. Not that you would ever understand that, it’s something you could never feel in life,” I tell him as I walk out of his arms and back to the table.

  There is something in the way he looks at me and speaks to me, there is hate, there is lust, but there is no heart.

  Dallah told me that if he takes another before their bonding that the bonding will be called off and he will have to choose another. I will not sleep with him, but maybe I could find the perfect girl for him, no, I think Dallah and I need to knuckle down, and think of a way out.

  “Love?” Parrise whispers to me, as he stands up from the table, holding out his hand for me to take. We get everyone’s attention at our table and a few odd looks from some of the men. Shit! I am blushing like an idiot.

  “Will you join me in my room, I am a little thirsty?” He asks, with his eyes now glowing a brilliant red, and his fangs showing as he strokes his fingers slowly down my cheek. I know he is talking and acting this way for the men at the table, but it’s a little mesmerizing.

  “Yes,” I answer him coolly, followed by the men at the table looking away as they lose interest in us. Thank god!

  Richard Steps in front of us, stopping us in our tracks, and addresses Parrise,

  “Another time Parrise, for now I need to speak with everyone, follow me!” Richard commands, as he looks at me with contempt in his eyes.

  I share a look of sadness with Parrise, as the men rise and follow Richard out of the room. I haven’t had the time to speak with Parrise and Angus how I desperately want to, and with them being Vampires needing to rest throughout the day, it leaves no space open for us to be ourselves together.

  Sitting on Dallah’s bed, now in pyjamas, I turn to her with a raised brow.

  “Why didn’t you tell me the bonding has moved forward?”

  “Ahh, I’m sorry you found out this way Zara. I was going to speak to you about it, but the thought of telling you makes it all too real.” She tells me, full of gloom. I hold her hand to get her to look at me.

  “We will find a way out of this Dallah I promise.”

  “Yeah, I know.” She says unconvincingly.

  “Do you want to me to take you to Julian? Cos I’m going to the beach with my man Den.” I ask, wanting to make her smile again.

  “Oh, nothing would make me happier.” She tells me, with a sparkle back in her eye.

  “I know. Come on, let’s get dreaming.” I playful wink at her as I jump up and shut off the lights, then dive into bed.

  “Hey dream lover.” I call to get Den’s attention from where he lays on the sand with his hands held behind his head.

  “Hey babe, come here?”

  I walk over the hot sand and lay down beside him.

  I took Dallah to Julian before coming to Den, and when we got there, my heart swelled for the two of them, they are clearly meant to be. There is a certain glow to them when they are together; it’s just a shame that they can only be together in a dream.

  “What did you do today?” I ask him leaning up on my elbows to look at him. He is wearing boxers, that’s it, and boy does he wear them well.

  “Work, then had a few drinks with Mickey at the bar. What about you babe? No, actually, tell me what happened last night?”

  “I’m sorry, It’s just we didn’t to hang around too long in a dream as we were altogether, you can never tell who is keeping an eye on you in the Dark Coven. On a better note, me and Dallah got drunk, I sang to her and embarrassed myself in front of hundreds of people, and here I am.” I tell him with a laugh.

  “You sang to Dallah? You never sing to me.” He says as he rolls on his side to face me.

  “Yeah, because you look at me funny.”

  “No, I do not! So you and Dallah got drunk, I would have paid to h
ave seen that.” He tells me with a playful nudge, “I miss you Zara.” He tells me, looking serious.

  “Yeah, I miss you Den, but it won’t be for long.”

  Den and I were brought up together by adoptive parents. We spent every day together, we have done everything together, and up until this point, we still did.

  “How are Parrise and Angus?”

  “They’re good, I didn’t get to see them for very long tonight, which is a blessing really, as I just want to talk to them how I would normally, without all the pretense.”

  “Yeah must be weird. So...you and Parrise?” He asks, then lies on his back and closes his eyes.

  “I love Parrise, but I can’t give him what he wants right now, I need to get my head sorted first. You and Candy?”

  Even saying that woman’s name makes me cringe.

  “Um, sort of, I guess.”

  “Are you guys getting serious?” I ask him, while silently praying he says no.

  “I don’t know. Come here.” He pulls me on top of him and pushes my head onto his chest.

  “I love you babe.”

  “Ditto.”

  The following day I sit alone on the bed, trying hard to think of a way to get Dallah away from Richard. Dallah has gone to meet her cousins that have just arrived, and will be staying here until her and Richard’s bonding is complete. They are three women, which Dallah seems to think I won’t like one bit, as she told me that she can’t stand them, but I will give them a chance.

  There is a gust of wind, as I feel a calming presence flutter around me. I jump off the bed looking around the room, when out of thin air walks a man. He is almost transparent, but with every step he takes, his body forms and becomes almost bright, as if he is an Angel. Oh, shit! An Angel? Oh no, not an Angel, It is the man from the woods that helped me realize where I needed to be, with Dallah.

  “Child, how are you?” He asks gently, with a beautiful smile in place. He holds out his hands for me, which I willing take.

  “I’m fine, thank you. Thank you for the message from Dorothy. What are you doing here?” I say looking at him deeply. He is such a beautiful looking man, with his blond hair and stunning big brown eyes, he looks to be around 35 maybe 40, he is well over 6 feet and has a huge build.