by A. M. Manay
“Oh, no, please do tell,” Lilith sneered. “I’m sure we’re all interested.” November hesitated, prompting Lilith to add, “Afraid to reveal yourself as a fraud and a show-off, are you?” Several courtiers tittered, and November felt her face redden.
“She isn’t a fraud,” William replied, obviously irritated. “If she were, I wouldn’t have kept her here nor presented her to my father.”
“Perhaps you kept her for her . . . entertainment value,” the Grocer replied amusedly, provoking further giggles in the courtiers and instant hatred in November.
Throughout the banter, the king had not ceased in quietly examining November, though his face revealed nothing about his assessment. “I’ve seen her reports. My children are satisfied that she sees true, and I trust their judgment.” Lilith did not look terribly pleased at her master’s quiet rebuke, but she quickly schooled her face. “We’d best hope she is genuine, at any rate. She may be the best hope for saving the kingdom,” the king stated, never taking his eyes from November’s face. His unblinking gaze was profoundly unsettling. He paused before continuing, “Enough greetings. Settle in. Some of us have work to do.”
A small group walked quickly toward the offices, while the rest of the courtiers followed Rose to find their quarters. November and Zinnia escaped to the garden, followed closely by Pine. With all of these people in the house, William was taking no chances with the psychic’s safety.
The two girls collapsed on a bench in an out-of-the-way corner of the grounds. It was freezing, prompting November to wrap herself in a thick wool coat provided by Pine. Zinnia, of course, could have been out there in a bikini and been comfortable. November slid off her shoes and curled her cold toes into the dirt to wash away the last dregs of her vision. “So, what did you see?” Zinnia asked as soon as November had tucked her icy feet back under her coat.
“I was in the ground, buried. I couldn’t breathe. Someone in the vision, maybe the king, took my hand, and I felt better. Like, I still couldn’t breathe or see, but I realized that it didn’t matter anymore, since I was, you know, dead. Then the real king took my hand, and I came around. That’s about it,” she replied.
“Creepy. Ever see that before?”
“Nope. I suppose that’s officially the second vision I’ve ever had of my own future, though I guess it’s really just an addendum to the old burial one.” She looked up through the bare branches at the dark sky before adding, “That Grocer is pretty much repulsive.”
“For sure. I wanted to punch that withered old blood-sucker in the mouth,” her friend loyally agreed. “Premier Hazel seems cool, though,” she added. November nodded agreement, unsurprised that the powerful matriarch of a family that had produced Birch and Pine was a tall drink of awesome. “So, what did you think of the king?” Zinnia asked avidly.
“Imposing. Scary,” she said after pausing to think. “I’m nervous that he thinks I’m a twit, with all the falling down and everything,” she confided.
“Didn’t you hear him? He thinks you’re his salvation,” her friend retorted. “Plus, he was totally checking you out.”
“I’m pretty sure 2500 year old vampire kings don’t check people out,” Pine said, reminding them of his presence. He had this way of blending into the background and making them forget he was there. “But if they did, he totally was,” he teased with a smile. He held up his phone. “You’ve been summoned,” he informed November, so she dusted off her feet, replaced her shoes, and tried not to shake in them as she returned to the house, this time up to Lord William’s office.
On the walk back to the building, she saw a number of humans lined up by the service entrance under the eye of Lilith, who stood by the door with an assistant with a clipboard in hand. At her inquiring look, Pine explained, “Dinner.” He grimaced, seeming to find this all a bit unseemly. “There are a lot of prostitutes available in Oakland. Not as many as in Las Vegas, but plenty. And if some vampire goes too far, no one will miss them. Some of the guests will have brought their own humans with them and stashed them in a hotel. The fairies will go out hunting in the daytime, of course, since we can’t feed at night and it’s a lot easier for us to eat on the sly.”
"Ew," she replied. She shuddered to think of how many of those poor girls might be victims of human trafficking or drug addiction or both.
"Yup." Pine shook his head.
Once she reached the office, she was greeted by William, Savita, Birch, and Hazel. After having a seat, November asked, ‘Where is the king?”
“Dining,” Hazel said, strain showing around her mouth. Evidently, she did not approve of the Grocer's methods any more than her grandson Pine did.
“So,” William began without delay, “What did you see?”
“It was nothing. Really. I was in the ground. I was scared because I couldn’t breathe or see. Then someone took my hand and squeezed it, and I calmed down. That’s all.” The vampires both had a far-away look in their eyes for a moment, along with a touch of sympathy, as they remembered their own rebirths.
“That is the worst part,” Savita mused. “Not the dying. It’s the waking up that is so frightening.”
“So you saw nothing about Lilith?” Birch asked with a tinge of disappointment.
November was a bit surprised at the sudden turn in the conversation. “No, sorry. I probably wouldn’t, unless she touched me, or I had her favorite shoes or something.” Apparently Lilith wasn’t very popular with this crowd. “Did you want me to try?”
“No, I don’t think that’s wise. We definitely don’t want you to catch her attention. She is a very dangerous woman.” William shook his head. “I just don’t understand why he keeps her around.”
“She supplies a distraction from his pain,” Savita responded. “And she keeps the courtiers in line, more or less.”
"You mean she encourages the king's worst impulses and she lets the courtiers skim money while I try desperately to keep the ship from running aground," Hazel chimed in bitterly. Savita's little head bob acknowledged that perhaps Hazel's characterization was more accurate.
“Anyway, November, you can go. Stay close to Pine and out of the guests’ way, and once the bloodsucking starts at the ball tomorrow, hightail it.”
“Yes, Lord Governor,” she said primly and rose to depart.
“Thank you for saving my grandson’s life, by the way,” Hazel chimed in as November reached the door.
November smiled as she turned back to face the elder fairy. “I got lucky,” she replied. “And he is a good friend to have.”
Pine walked her back to her room. She was grateful for his presence when they passed vampires and enthralled humans in the hallways. There were lots of suggestive moans coming from behind numerous closed doors. She stiffened when she heard a scream and looked to Pine. “Nothing to be done,” he said sadly. “Some enthrall them before so they won’t be scared. Some like to scare them and enthrall them after so they won’t remember.” His voice was tight with disapproval. “They do get paid, handsomely, if that makes you feel any better.” Part of her wanted to do something, but the rest of her knew that like much of what she had seen in her life, there was nothing for it. Someday, when I'm a vampire, I'm going to fix this, she swore to herself.
She did her best to keep her psychic blinders up, to little avail. Sex and blood flashed through her head in roughly equal measure. The worst part was the glimpse she got of King Ilyn with a rather pretty redheaded girl who seemed to have misplaced her clothes. She, at least, was not terrified. In fact, she seemed to be having quite a good time. There was an image she was going to have trouble forgetting. I need some eye bleach, she complained inwardly, her ears flushing bright red.
Zinnia was waiting for her when she finally reached her room. The fairy was sprawled out on November’s bed having changed into her favorite footie pajamas. November pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh, prompting Zinnia to aggrievedly ask, “What?”
“First, you don’t even sleep. Second, you
look ridiculous,” November replied with a smile.
“They’re cozy. And just for that, I’m getting you some for Chirstmas.” Zinnia was quite gifted at making November forget her myriad worries, at least for a moment.
They settled in for a night of girl talk and continued their gossiping until November could no longer keep her eyes open.
***
With so many people in the house the night before, and so many expected for the ball, November savored the quiet time in the late afternoon right after she woke. The vampires still slept like the dead, and the fairies were out mingling with their prey and enjoying the Bay Area’s sights almost as much as they were enjoying their fellow tourists. She decided to prepare for the evening’s upcoming ball by practicing dancing in her new shoes, so she headed up to the ballroom in her jeans and turtleneck with her ridiculous heels in hand.
She shook her head in disbelief when she put them on. This is insane. This is literally insane. After taking a few wobbly laps, she opened herself up to visions of past celebrations, allowing the music to fill her heart as she danced with ghosts, surprised and pleased that she seemed to grow slightly more graceful with practice. By the time she stopped dancing, she was reasonably sure she would be able to avoid abject humiliation if called upon to dance that evening. She laughed at herself as she returned to the present. Her giggle nearly turned a scream when she turned toward the door and saw King Ilyn standing there wrapped in a black hooded cape.
“Christ on a crutch! Shouldn’t you be dead for the day?” she cried out in surprise before she'd had time to think. Her eyes flew open, and she covered her mouth when she realized what she had said and to whom she had said it. Her heart was pounding so loudly that everyone in the house could probably hear it.
Ilyn crinkled his eyes in amusement before answering, “I did not mean to frighten you. The older we get, the less rest we need during the day. The sun still burns, of course. One must take care walking by windows.” He twitched the cape by way of explanation. “I heard dancing but no music, so I was . . . puzzled.” He raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.
“I, um, wanted to practice in my shoes?” she said lamely. “So I wouldn’t embarrass myself? Though it seems I’ve managed that anyway . . .” she trailed off.
“Why didn’t you turn on the music?” he asked, gesturing toward the tastefully hidden sound system.
“I just listen to the past. I immersed myself in a vision of a dance that already happened,” she said. “I think it’s kind of fun, learning all the old dances you people seem to like.”
“I see,” he said evenly, his face blank. The young woman had no idea what to do or say, so she just stared at her crazy shoes.
There was a long silence before November finally ventured, “I should probably start getting ready for the party. . .” She began inching awkwardly towards the door.
He suddenly said, “It has been some time since you have been bitten.”
“I beg your pardon?” she managed, taking a step back away from him.
She tried to take another one but found she could not move an inch. She felt as though she was pressed against a wall, bound by some invisible force. Ilyn came closer, gently brushing her hair back away from her ear before running the tip of his nose against her jaw. Her eyes went wide, and it took all her self-control not to scream. He sniffed her like she was a particularly expensive glass of wine before stepping away and releasing her from her invisible bonds.
His mouth twitched at her discomfort, briefly revealing a fang. “You had a falling out with my son. He has since permitted you to refuse him your blood. This will obvious to every creature in the building tonight, as you barely smell like him at all. That, among your other attributes, will make you the object of some attention. That could be . . . problematic.” And with that, he zoomed away through the doors faster than November’s eyes could follow.
“Well, that was hella creepy,” she whispered to the empty ballroom before beating her own hasty retreat.
She forced herself to eat something, not really tasting it. She tried to stave off her nervousness while getting dolled up for the vampire soirée. Hot rollers and makeup went more smoothly than expected, much to November’s relief. She packed her little evening purse with lipstick, her rosary, and her little silver knife. She put on the earrings William had given her for her birthday. It seemed to her to be a shame to waste them. Fortunately, her hands didn’t start shaking with anxiety until she started struggling with the zipper on her gown. It was a lovely dress, long and beautiful and the exact dark blue shade as her eyes. Sleeveless, it covered up most of the rest of her skin, which was revealed only by a rather demure keyhole just below her collarbone.
Unfortunately, Zinnia wasn’t available to calm her down or manage her zipper. November’s friend had very mysteriously explained that the fairies were meeting in the afternoon and that she wouldn’t be available after dark, but that November should come out to the garden at some point in the night to see something special. Even Pine had ceased shadowing her about 10 minutes before sundown. The upshot was that she was alone when the Grocer barged in.
“I suppose that will do,” Lilith began, looking her over with disdain. She had not bothered to knock, of course.
“What?” November exclaimed, taking a step back.
“You have been summoned by his grace. You’d best move quickly, as he is not accustomed to waiting.” The vampire surveyed the room, seemingly disapproving of the human’s somewhat lavish accommodations.
“What am I being summoned for?” November replied, stalling. No way in hell do I go anywhere with you.
“Presumably for the only two things humans are good for,” Lilith said snidely.
November flushed with anger. “Pardon me, ma’am, but you seem to be under the mistaken apprehension that I am one of your prostitutes. You can tell him I'm unavailable.”
Lilith went from disdainful to violently angry faster than the blink of an eye. With her gloved hand, she yanked November’s hair back, forcing her to look into the vampire’s face as she hissed, “How dare you defy me, you filthy human?” November was opening her mouth to scream for help when Lord William suddenly appeared behind Lilith’s shoulder.
“Are you lost, Lilith?” he said mildly but with palpable menace. “Because I’m sure you’re not assaulting my favorite human on purpose.” The Grocer quickly stepped away, fear flashing briefly across her face before it was masked once again with her usual unpleasant expression.
“You need to teach her obedience,” she said. “A defiant human needs a firmer hand than yours,” she snapped before zooming out of the room.
November’s knees gave out and she collapsed on the edge of her bed, putting a hand to her tender head. “Are you alright?” William asked, kneeling beside her.
“Yeah.” She took a deep breath. “Does my hair still look okay?” she asked, peeking around him to see the mirror, trying to be nonchalant. William, on the other hand, looked deadly serious.
“What did she say?” he demanded.
“That I was being summoned by the King.”
“What for?” he asked, confused. November just looked up at him from under raised eyebrows. “Oh,” he replied, still confused. “That seems odd. You’re not exactly his type. Also, he usually has better manners than to do that without my permission, though as my maker, he doesn’t technically need it.” William seemed a bit too blasé about this summons for November’s taste. The human was only growing more angry as her fear faded along with the smell of Lilith’s offensive perfume.
“Well he sure as hell needs my permission, and he sure as hell doesn’t have it,” November spat, standing up and shaking out her skirt. “When do I need to be in the ballroom?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“I’ll be in the garden until then,” she proclaimed, pulling on her gloves, grabbing her purse, and stomping rather inelegantly out of her room.
William called out to her, “Nice earrings!
” November smiled in spite of herself.
***
November stood on the patio by the pool, mesmerized. The garden was filled with what looked for all the world like delicate, glowing little birds, flittering around far too quickly to make out any details. She had never seen fairies in their alternate form, at least not in person. She’d caught a quick glimpse in vision once or twice, but the live experience was so much more amazing. She felt as though she could watch them for hours. One of them made a quick lap around her head before rejoining the others. She was certain this was Zinnia. This quick welcome from her friend made November grin all the wider. They do rather look like Tinkerbell. I'd better not tell Zin that.
“Beautiful, aren’t they?” came a deep voice only a few steps behind her. November somehow managed not to jump right out of her skin.
Refusing to look at him, she replied, “Yes, they are,” as evenly as she could manage.
He came closer, saying in a more dangerous tone, “I am not accustomed to refusals or disobedience, November.” He tried to place his overcoat on her shoulders, but she shrank from him and stepped away.
She forced herself to turn and face him as she replied, “I am not accustomed to being treated like a whore, your grace, so I guess we’re both of us disappointed this evening.” She'd meant to sound defiant and strong, but it came out a strange mix of angry and deeply wounded. She felt the tears she’d smothered in her bedroom welling in her eyes, and as one escaped down her cheek, she swore and angrily brushed it away, turning her back once again to the king in the vain hope he wouldn’t see it. She had always hated the fact that she cried when she was furious.
“I have caused you pain,” he stated, sounding more confused than irritated now. “I do not understand.”
“You don’t understand why sending a pimp to procure me for your use would upset me?” November wanted to scream, but she struggled mightily to keep her voice down. “You know, the only comfort I ever found in the vision of my upcoming funeral is that the people burying me seem to care about me, that you were –" Her voice broke, and she had to swallow before continuing. “And if that weren’t enough, my mother was a part-time prostitute, which fact I’m sure every one of you people is whispering about by now, and I swore I would never let anyone treat me the way people treated her. And then this woman tells me that I’m being summoned for ‘the only two things a human is good for,’ and it surprises you that this caused me pain.” She was shaking like a leaf and only just managed to keep her gaze on his face.
