A Dark Night (Book One of The Grandor Descendant series)

by Bell Stoires

  “There you go. You see, you don’t care about anything or anyone but yourself. Why Ragon is friends with you in the first place, I will never know,” said Sandra.

  “Can’t teach an old vamp, new tricks,” said Clyde.

  Ari’s mouth was open. Why wouldn’t Clyde defend himself? He could have told Sandra what he had said to her, and then she would have realised that he was only trying to help. Looking around her room in frustration, Ari waited until she was sure that Clyde and Sandra were no longer arguing and then moved from her bed. She needed to talk to Ragon.

  When she left her room, she didn’t pause to see who was up, but stormed towards Ragon’s room, throwing his door open without so much as knocking first.

  “So it’s true?” she asked.

  Ragon was sitting on his bed, looking off into the distance, but looked up quickly when Ari had burst in on him. He was shirtless, and his normally flawless skin was pink and raw, as if it were slowly healing. When Ragon spoke, his sad eyes fell on Ari’s broken face.

  “God Ari, I’m so sorry,” he said, trying to sit up right.

  “You can’t blame yourself every time I get hurt,” cried Ari.

  She had hoped like hell that she wouldn’t break down, but as soon as Ragon had apologised, she had lost what little self-control she still possessed and salty tears spilled from her eyes and burned her nose.

  “I can’t blame myself?” asked Ragon, his voice high and angry. “Ari I might as well have been the person who hit you. It’s my fault,” he said.

  “You left because you were trying to protect me,” said Ari.

  “Yea, protect you from myself!” roared Ragon, “Which I wouldn’t have to do if I weren’t a monster!”

  Ari was a little taken aback at Ragon’s outburst, and sat down on the floor in shock.

  “I can’t stand it when you say stuff like that. Everything you have done has been to keep me safe.”

  “Please Ari,” said Ragon, forcing himself from his bed and into the middle of the room. Slowly he lowered himself, so that he was also sitting on the floor, and reached out a shaking hand to touch her face. “It kills me to see you like this. Don’t try to make me feel better; I know I deserve for you to hate me.”

  Ari scoffed loudly and pushed Ragon away.

  “How am I supposed to let you hate me? Don’t you get it? I am falling for you,” she said, letting her hand join his where it cupped her face.

  For one shining moment Ragon’s eyes widened hopefully, but then they hardened, and he pulled his hand away and pressed it hard against his side. Ari watched the gesture in horror, and reached a trembling hand out for him to hold. Ragon looked down but then shaking his head, raced from his room, slamming the door hard as he left. From the centre of the room, Ari stared dumbly at the door. For a few moments she was stunned, and then the tears which had begun to fall earlier, slipped faster and faster, until she burst out crying. Without thinking she raced from Ragon’s room and back to her own. Hurriedly she locked the door and moved into the bathroom, turning the shower on before slipping her clothes off and moving under the warm water. At first touch the water stung her skin, but soon her sobbing overcame all sensation of pain, and she moved so that she was sitting on the tiled floor of the shower, with her chin rested on her knees.

  She didn’t know how long she stayed in the shower. By the time she was turning the taps off, all her tears had run out, and her fingers and toes were wrinkled. It took her a lot longer than normal to dry herself. The towel felt like a razor blade on her throat and face, and so she had to dab it slowly against the bruises, trying to get it to soak up the water that clutched to her skin. When finally the fog in the bathroom had abated, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and almost broke down again. This was the first time that she had seen how badly Matthew had beaten her, rather than just looking at the reflection of horror in everyone’s eyes when they saw her. No wonder she felt so shit; she looked like a human punching bag. Determined not to think about Ragon or how he had rejected her, Ari moved back over to the bed and took another couple of ibuprofen tablets. She was desperate to pass out and leave the troubles of her waking hours behind her.

  Chapter 14- The Halloween Party

  The night of Wednesday the 31st of October was a cold one. A southerly wind had swept a storm from the coastline, bringing with it rain and lightning. As if in welcome of Halloween, the moon was full and round, casting an eerie yellow glow over the city that was only punctuated by occasional thick grey storm clouds. Even the habitual night-time wildlife surrounding the area had quietened; the normally screeching bats, who swept over the city at sun down like a black veil, had chosen to rest early, so as to wait out the storm.

  Ari woke late, creeping quickly from her bedroom and returning later with some cereal and milk.

  “Yuck,” she said, spitting out her mouthful of cornflakes and milk which splattered the bed sheets.

  Her hands pulled the bowl of cereal so that it was just under her nose and she breathed in deeply then frowned- off milk. Pushing the cereal away, she got up, stripped the bed and moved into the bathroom.

  Pausing to glance at her reflection, Ari smiled. Today was the first day that she could no longer see the marks left from Matthew’s attack. It had taken a few days for the swelling in her throat and cheeks to go down, and almost a full week before the bruises had turned a brownish yellow colour. This morning when she looked at herself, she was glad that her face no longer showed any sign of trauma. Still, the real pain she felt had nothing to do with the aftermath of Matthew’s attack, and everything to do with Ragon’s rejection.

  For a moment Ari considered remaining in her pyjamas for the day. Ragon had told her plainly that she was not going to the Halloween party and that she would stay at home with Patrick, while the others investigated whether Kiara knew that Matthew’s demise had been brought on by the coven. Ari did not object in the slightest to this; ever since their screaming match, Ari had been too embarrassed and hurt to talk to Ragon. She had confessed her feelings for him and he had not returned them. Going to a Halloween party with Ragon was the very last thing on her mind. Still, the eerie tension that had plagued the coven since Matthew’s attack did not sit well with Ari. There had been so many questions that the coven had been faced with. Would Kiara tell the Elders that the coven had broken their laws? Would the coven be punished at the Halloween party? Did Kiara even know that Matthew was dead?

  “Ragon,” Sandra called from the living room.

  For a moment Ari blinked and her reflection blinked back. It was uncharacteristic of Sandra to shout so loudly; especially with so many immortals in the house. Unable to fight her curiosity, Ari wrapped the fluffy white towel around her body and moved from the bathroom. Slowly she prised the door to her bedroom open just a crack and listened carefully.

  “Well what the hell does that mean?” asked Sandra.

  Ari watched as Sandra handed something to Ragon.

  “You know what it means,” Ragon growled, thrusting the object back into Sandra’s arms, as he began to pace the room.

  “She can’t be left here with only Patrick,” said Clyde.

  “You’re not suggesting… but we can’t take her with us,” Sameth protested, looking imploringly at Ragon. “I thought we decided.”

  “Seven protecting her is better than one,” Thomas said, turning to stare at Sameth.

  “But… but, we can’t be sure Kiara will attack tonight,” Sameth argued.

  “We can’t risk it,” said Clyde, moving over to Sameth and staring in disbelief at him.

  Forgetting that she was wearing only a towel, Ari pushed past her door and walked casually to where the others were standing.

  “Did I miss something?” she asked, turning to stare at everyone, her hands on her hips.

  Instantly Sandra looked guilty. Ragon, whose eyes had widened initially when he saw her, shook his head and said, “Change of plans; you’re coming tonight.”

  Ari watched
as Ragon stormed off towards his room, not bothering to look back.

  This was how it had been since their date, if you could call it that. Temporarily forgetting herself, Ari stared after him, feeling the sting of his rejection all over again, while trying to ignore the look on Clyde’s face. It felt like a horrible tease, that one moment they had been so passionate, and the next, he couldn’t even look at her.

  As soon as Ragon disappeared down the hallway, Ari turned to Sandra, who tried half-heartedly to hide something behind her back, but Ari moved over to her and said, “What’s going on?” and when Sandra looked confused, Ari added, “I know you’re hiding something.”

  Sandra hung her head but said, “This arrived a few minutes ago.”

  Ari took the small white box that Sandra handed her and after a moment of indecision, she opened it, but quickly dropped it as she clasped her hands over her mouth. The remnants of the expired milk from her breakfast was making its way back up her stomach and she gaged, before racing out the front door, knowing that she would not make it back to her bathroom. Leaning over the edge of the driveway, Ari opened her mouth and heaved up a few retched mouthfuls of bile.

  “Are you ok honey?” asked Sandra, rushing out the house after her.

  Ari held up a finger as she remained bent over, breathing heavily.

  “Can I get you something?” Sandra added, seemingly uncertain of what to do, as she fluttered around Ari looking concerned.

  “What the hell was… why would someone… who sent that to me?” Ari asked, regaining her breath and standing up straight, a few shades lighter in the face as she adjusted her towel.

  Sandra looked down at her feet but said, “It’s from Kiara. We think she’s realised that Matthew is dead.”

  “What was it?” she asked, trying to push the smell of rotten flesh from her mind.

  “A heart,” said Sandra.

  Ari coughed loudly before bending back over and heaving again. For a few more minutes she continued to dry retch, as she pushed away all thoughts of the red fleshy heart that was sitting in a box addressed to her.

  “Was it human or animal?” asked Ari, turning once again to stare up at Sandra.

  Sandra did not answer but looked back at the house and said, “Come on. The Elder’s party starts in an hour or so; we’ve got to get ready.”

  “But Ragon wants me to go?” asked Ari, “Because Kiara sent me a heart?”

  “More like he hasn’t got any other choice,” said Sandra. “Kiara is obviously out for blood. We can’t run, that might make Kiara tell the Elders and we can’t leave you here, then you would be a sitting duck.

  “But Matthew is dead; couldn’t I just stay here?” asked Ari.

  Two weeks ago Ari would have been thrilled to find out that Ragon wanted her to go to the Halloween party but now, what with everything that had happened between them, she just wanted to crawl up in a ball.

  “But what if Kiara has already told the Elders?” asked Ari. “Then you will be walking into a trap.”

  Sandra looked down at Ari and said, “We haven’t got any other choice.”

  Still wearing her towel, Ari followed Sandra back inside and moved into her room. She allowed herself only a moment to compose herself, before retrieving the plastic protective bag that held the Halloween costume Ragon had purchased all those weeks before. Slowly she pulled down the long zipper and a long flowing black dress was revealed. It took her only a moment to slide the dress on and attach the two large feathered wings. The last thing in the bag was a small diamante head piece, whose jewelled framework was a mixture of pearls and clear crystal, which she spent a moment pinning to her hair, so that it hung majestically along her forehead. When she was finally done she took one quick glance in the mirror; she looked just like an angel- a dark angel.

  A small knock at her door made her move over and push it open. She was entirely surprised to see Ragon waiting for her.

  He said nothing but his mouth fell open as he gaped at her. Ari, who was just as surprised as him, blinked furiously at him, confused. The silence was deafening, and Ari felt her face flush.

  “If we don’t leave now we are going to be-,” Clyde said from the hallway.

  A loud thud made Ari look around and she heard Clyde yell out, just as Sandra and Larissa appeared behind him.

  “Oh Ari,” said Larissa, “you look absolutely delightful.”

  “Angelic,” Clyde corrected and Ragon growled, though did not comment.

  “Make sure you take lots of photos,” said Patrick, waving as the group gathered at the front door.

  Ari looked around at the seven coven members, dressed in their Halloween costumes. Though the evening was supposed to be a festivity, it was clear from the sombre looks on everyone’s faces that no one was in the mood to celebrate. The fact that Cambridge and Thomas could be punished for killing Matthew and breaking a Final Death Law was most definitely the cause for the macabre mood. Only one thing kept the coven hopeful: Kiara could not possibly have a shred of evidence exposing them. Then again, Ari thought, what about Ragon. Kiara knew full well that he had not commanded Ari.

  “Oh darling, I am sorry you can’t come,” Sandra said to Patrick. “You know I would swap in a heartbeat.”

  “I know! I even bought my zombie sailor costume just in case,” he remarked grimy, indicating the blue and white stripped hat he wore. “And you know how I feel about sailors!”

  “But why can’t you go?” asked Ari.

  “Not invited,” said Patrick. “I arrived after the invite, and I wouldn’t dare go unless invited.”

  “But what will you do?” she asked.

  Patrick smiled wickedly and said in a mysterious tone, “I think I might order in.”

  The drive to William and Nikolas’s estate took about forty minutes, so that when they finally arrived there, they were fashionably late. Two large black gates creaked open when their cars pulled up; in the distance the unmistakeable booming bark of many dogs was audible. At the end of the driveway was an enormous house with many large windows that glowed warm, flooded with light. Ari thought the house must be heritage listed, what with the spectacular white washed sandstone that lined the mansion and the majestic columns that supported it. Just in front of the house was a large cul-de-sac, where many cars were hurriedly dropping off guests, who then ascended the small incline of steps before reaching the main house.

  When Ragon’s car pulled over, a man in a black suit opened their doors saying, “Welcome.”

  Ragon tossed him the keys and he, Sameth and Ari waited for the rest of the coven to arrive in Clyde’s car.

  The estate itself was beautiful. Small white fairy-lights highlighted what looked like a grape vineyard on either side of the front entrance, while growing up the sandstone columns were several jasmine bushes whose perfume permeated the night sky as they walked past. When Ragon’s coven approached, large french-doors were open in welcome and Ari saw many giant orange pumpkins dotted all over the entrance. They had been carved into eerie faces, with small tea light candles placed in the middle, which gave their shadows on the walls a macabre appearance.

  As soon as the coven walked inside, it was apparent just how seriously the Elders took their parties. The entire foyer was themed for Halloween, with a giant cauldron in the centre of the room, from which white heavy fog boiled out of, dropping silently to the ground and coating the wooden floor boards. The ceiling, staircase banisters and tables were draped with thick cobwebs, and there were large open coffins strategically placed, fashioned into chairs and couches. Something swinging above caught Ari’s attention and she saw large iron cages hanging from the ceiling, suspended by thick chains. The cages contained people dressed in various Halloween costumes, dancing slow and rhythmically to the music.

  “Trick or treat,” a young man said, and Ari jumped in surprise.

  The man who spoke was young, no more than eighteen; he wore no shirt, only a long pair of black fitted pants, a black bowtie and an unbuttoned tai
ls coat. In his hands was a serving tray, with many glass goblets containing thick red liquid. Ari spared these only a moment’s thought before her eyes danced to the boy’s body, where large bite marks gleamed. They were on his wrists, his neck, hell, everywhere a major artery was. The bites themselves however looked to be old wounds. They were pink around the edges, as if the healing process had already begun.

  “Which vintage would you prefer?” the waiter asked.

  Clyde walked up to him and twiddled his fingers, as if in contemplation, scanning over the various goblets.

  “Otherwise, I’m on tap,” the waiter added smiling.

  Ari, who had watched as the boy looked down to his arm, felt instantly nauseated, and for one horrifying moment thought that she might be sick, again. Coming from the vein in the boy’s arm was a cannula, attached to a long extension set. Looking around, Ari saw another waiter sitting down, while an older woman, dressed as Cleopatra, sucked hungrily at the tube now coloured red, as if it were a straw.

  Bringing Ari back to her surroundings, Clyde finally said, “1980’s if you have it?”

  “1980’s?” she asked.

  “It refers to the year the blood source was born,” whispered Ragon. “As in, the person who donated the blood was born in the 1980’s. It’s different to wine. It doesn’t mean how long the blood has been kept for; blood doesn’t last long.”

  Ari watched as the waiter bowed once and removed the glass nearest him and handed it to Clyde.

  “Hmmm,” said Clyde, drinking deeply, “there is just something so appealing about this vintage,” he added, looking at Ari longingly as he drunk.

  Next the waiter turned to face Ari.

  “Err… No thanks,” she said, eyeing the glass of red liquid in the waiters hands haphazardly.

  “She’s my source,” Ragon huffed, pushing her away from the bartender.

  “Perhaps some juice then?” a cool female voice asked.