by Mandi Casey
Thankfully, Aunt Judith had strengthened the charms around the house to keep the rogues from entering the dwelling. I felt more at ease knowing she was protected and safe as long as she stayed inside.
When we got a spare moment, I planned on spending time with her, hoping that she would share her wisdom about the charms and spells she crafted. I wondered if my mother still concocted charms like she did when she and Aunt Judith were younger, or did she ignore that part of her life altogether?
The interior of the limo was chilly due to present company. Even if it were summer with sweltering temperatures, it would still be cold. I’d have to keep that in mind as the months passed. If I kept a handy vampire around, I wouldn’t need to turn on the air conditioner in the store.
The smell of cigars mingled with that of glass cleaner and treated leather in the limo cabin. I found it a bit disconcerting sitting on a bench across from Liam with his red eyes uncovered. Vampires tended to wear glasses to cover their eyes so humans wouldn’t see that they were different. I hadn’t realized how much I appreciated that habit of theirs until I had to sit in front of one without them on.
“Liam, what color were your eyes before you were turned into a vampire?” I couldn’t help but ask. My guess was they were a brilliant shade of green, like the rolling hills covered in vibrant colored grass in Ireland.
“Brown.” The tone of his one word answer told me maybe now wasn’t the time to ask him more about his life, the one he had before he was turned into a blood-dependant creature of the night.
Well, I was way off on that one. “Liam, where are we going?”
“Kieran’s Blood Rites Ball, of course.” He smiled that boyish, charming smile. The tuxedo he wore made him look like a young James Bond.
Liam always knew how to lighten up the mood, and I was sure he purposely let his fang catch on his lip, making me laugh. Liam was the only vampire I’d met so far that had a genuine sense of humor. When he said something funny the words came out more natural, almost humanlike.
Kieran tried to be funny at times, but the awkwardness of his attempts at humor ended up being funnier to me than the jokes he tried to make. Kieran laughed with an unnatural stiffness. When he threw his head back to emphasize his enjoyment at a joke, it looked like he was going to fall backward from the effort. Of course, he never did. Like all vampires, Kieran had a gracefulness dancers would kill for. The only thing that gave him away, besides the red glowing eyes, was when he tried to express emotions.
I tried not to stare at Liam’s eyes but failed, so I asked, “And where would that be located?”
“One of Kieran’s many properties. It’s a huge mansion he rarely ever visits.” If I didn’t know any better, I could have sworn there was a hint of disdain in his voice. Maybe it had something to do with Kieran’s excessive wealth, but Liam was the most loyal vampire that worked for Kieran, besides his uptight, rigid, second-in-command, Aaron.
Liam told me Kieran had saved his life. He said the coven leader made Liam part of his family, so I didn’t understand where that ounce of contempt was coming from. Liam must have something else on his mind. I’d never heard him speak with any type of malice toward Kieran before. My guess was I never would again. Maybe he was preoccupied with what was going to happen at the ball. I knew I was stressing out about it.
Liam, as the head Knight, must have a lot on his mind. There was so much that could go wrong during the gathering. From what I’ve heard of the Elders, the merest glance in their direction that they perceived as having an ounce of malcontent, could end with the whole ball resulting in a total blood bath. Yeah, the Elders were rumored to be that bad. Add demons and vampire royalty to the mix, and Kieran could have a downright massacre on his hands.
As the limo glided down the city streets, my mind turned introspective. If it came to that, where would Kieran’s loyalties lie? If the Elders decided to go all wonkers at the Blood Rites Ball, would Kieran protect me in the end? Or would he heed to their wishes if they wanted me dead? My gut told me that he would, in the end, do whatever they told him to do, especially if his coven was put in jeopardy.
He’d pretty much proven that already when he dumped my grandma, the supposed love of his life. My mind continued to wander while I thought how Kieran tucked tail because the Elders didn’t like that he and my grandma had something going on. The Elders made him make a choice, and he chose the coven over his lover.
Before I could ask for further details, the limo pulled in through a wrought-iron gate that blocked the view to the house and protected the entrance to a large property. Liam wasn’t kidding, or over exaggerating, when he said Kieran’s house was huge. Torches lit the length of the long driveway, their flames dancing in the chilled windy air. I could see smoke trailing off into the darkness of the night.
As the limo approached, my mouth gaped open at the size of the dwelling. The house, or mansion, must have been one of the first built in the country. Many of the architectural aspects of the structure had a lot of influence from the castles in Europe. The similarities were so great I was a bit surprised there wasn’t a moat surrounding the property. A tower stood sentinel in the middle of the house. A flag decorated with what must have been Kieran’s family crest waved in the night’s breeze. The shield blazed in red over the black material.
A long line of limos waited in single file to unload their occupants. I was surprised the vampires didn’t just get out and walk their lazy butts to the door, but that was my uncouth opinion kicking in. There was so much about what was accepted as proper behavior in the vampire community that I didn’t understand.
Kieran said I had to wait to be addressed by the Elders if I wanted to have words with them. In my world, if you had something to say, you just said it. There was no need to wait for permission or an invitation to speak like you were a dog. Another thing that didn’t make sense to me was that Kieran insisted if the Elders made the decree that my care was to be given over to his brother, Cian, I wasn’t to openly dispute the decision. In other words, he told me not to fly off the handle if I didn’t like what they said.
There was an appeal process I’d have to start, very similar to the human’s court system. I had somewhat of an issue with that, but I’d do what I could not to embarrass Kieran with my uncivilized ways in front of his coven, the Elders, and the royal vampires.
I’d have to remember to keep my opinions to myself tonight. I really didn’t need to offend the wrong person, vampire, or demon. All it would take would be just one of them getting ticked off at something trivial being said by an ignorant person, me in particular. I didn’t want to set the whole party in turmoil, causing a raucous. I was sure any one of them could snap my neck with the merest flick of their fingers. It was smart to acknowledge that fact and tread lightly where the Others were concerned. Problem was, I had a bit of a problem keeping my mouth shut. That was a non-Selected trait I had to work on.
Blake went to his room. The black tuxedo he had purchased a week ago hung on a clothes hanger from his closet door. Werewolves weren’t into flashy shows of wealth like the vampires were. Blake couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about having a vampire ball to impress the Elders. When wolves had something to say, they said it. If a meeting had to be called, then they would all get together to discuss whatever issues were at hand.
He admitted to himself as he put on the tux that he hoped Sydney had the chance to see him in it. He knew it was vain, but damn, he looked good in it, despite the itchiness at his collar from the tailor having used too much starch. Looking in the mirror, he admired the fine lines of the well-cut material. He shot his hand out, pointing his finger at the mirror like he was holding a pistol, winked at himself, and thought Bond, James Bond. He laughed at his own silliness. It had to do with having Sydney in his life. He had never been so happy before, and never as frustrated.
Swinging his arms up in
to the air and then finishing off with a spinning backward jump-kick, Blake tested the durability of the sleeves and pant legs. He didn’t want to be in battle and have the backside of his pants split wide open, showing everyone he wasn’t a fan of underwear. Blake didn’t mind nudity, but having his backside bare would be a distraction in a room full of hostile bloodsuckers, and he didn’t want them staring at his naked ass.
Half an hour later, Blake watched the vampire’s mansion from the top of the hill on the side of Kieran’s property where his father told him to be. He didn’t like being so far away from Sydney, knowing she was surrounded by vampires and demons. To his dismay, Blake agreed with his father that he and Michael would wait outside at their post until they saw something that would cause them to expose their position and go in.
Definitely a test of his patience.
Our driver turned down a service road and rounded the house to the back.
“What are we doing?” Fear gripped my chest in a vise, like a palm had reached in and given it good hearty squeeze.
“Relax, Sydney. Kieran said to bring you to the back so he could speak to you privately before the party. No big deal.” Liam put his hands up to calm me, but his efforts weren’t successful. At that moment I realized no matter how much I liked Liam, I didn’t really trust him, or any of the vampires for that matter. “Sydney, whatever happens tonight, please know you are an awesome person. I really enjoy hanging out with you.”
“Liam, what could possibly happen tonight?” I swatted the air and shook my head, trying to shake the fear that continued to slide icy fingers up my spine. “I’m sure there’ll be plenty more opportunities for us to hang out. No need to be dramatic about it all.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
Liam was nervous. That made me nervous. He was a vampire, a creature of the night, able to run and move faster than any other being on the planet, except for older vampires. Even though Liam was old in terms of human years, he was one of the youngest vampires to be in attendance at the ball. My anxiety was strengthening its hold on my breathing. Closing my eyes, I tried to think of Blake and all the wolves that were going to be outside watching, in case the ball was attacked.
“But thanks for saying so. You’re not so bad yourself, for a vampire.” I smiled, trying to lighten the mood and tamp down the nagging fear that was also making way into my conscious thoughts while it crept its way into my chest, making me not want to leave the limo. In fact, I was tempted to go screaming all the way home and hide under my covers.
I tried to ignore the flipping sensation going on in my gut. It was most likely nerves from having to be at the ball with the Elders and royal vampire family, not to mention demons that liked to play with humans for fun.
I was surprised I had a glimmer of suspicion toward Liam and the vampire driver when they didn’t get in line with all the other limos, but that was my overactive imagination kicking in. I admit it. I was a bit jumpy. Not being at least a little worried would be an ignorant thing to do. I was the Selected; everyone knew it. Everyone wanted something from me. I’d needed to learn to control my anxiety and fear, to use them to my benefit. I needed to be able to tell when there was a legitimate threat compared to when I was worried for no reason.
Right now, I was pretty sure I had every right to be a little freaked out. The fact that Kieran would have human servants present for the ball made me feel a little better, though. Being the only human in a big house full of vampires would make anyone paranoid and have a serious itch to cover their neck. No need to flaunt arteries pulsating with the liquid the vampires’ bodies painfully ached for. Too bad Kieran’s assistant always picked out dresses with low-cut necklines. I’d have to talk to her about that.
We pulled up to a non-distinct entrance in the back of the house. I figured that it must be what the servants and caterers used so the guests wouldn’t be bothered with people bringing in the food and party supplies. I wondered if this were the door the humans would use, the ones willing to donate their blood to thirsty vampires. They were basically food, too, right?
“Sydney, no matter what happens tonight, I’ve got your back, so you can relax and enjoy the show. Besides, you don’t have anything to worry about where Kieran’s concerned. It’s those Elders and his brother, Cian, that give me the creeps.”
I smiled at him. I believed what he said to be true. If push came to shove, my bet would be more on Liam than Kieran. Liam didn’t have to deal with all the political relationships Kieran did. Liam only had to make one vampire happy, and that vampire was Kieran. Besides, Liam was my favorite vampire. He was funny and made me laugh. Plus, I trusted him with my life. He had been a loyal Knight to Kieran for hundreds of years.
Aaron, Kieran’s second-in-command, was a different story. Aaron gave me the creeps. If anyone ever tried to take over Kieran’s coven, Aaron would probably be first in line. He gave me the impression of a very power-hungry vampire. I also didn’t care for him because he liked stuffing his proper decorum, rules, and etiquette down other people’s throats, including mine. Plus, the way he looked at me from down his long bumpy nose made me feel incompetent, and no one should have to feel that way. Aaron treated people like he was better than them, but he wasn’t. He was just a snooty old vampire that walked around with a stick up his you-know-what, and he acted like he could do no wrong. People like that were annoying. No one was perfect, least of all Aaron, no matter how high he thought of himself.
The door on the side of the building opened. A large shadow from inside loomed closer until it blocked the frame. Kieran stood there with a half-smile on his face, waiting for me in the doorway.
The driver stopped the limo. Liam helped me out, which I was grateful for. The pointed high-heeled boots that came with the dress weren’t easy to walk in. It was like walking on the tip of a pen on a cement walkway covered in salt.
“Sydney, you look wonderful.” The giant of a man leaned over and kissed each side of my face in greeting. Taking my hands in his, he held them out so he could look at my dress, the dress he had had Liam deliver the day before. I really appreciated that Kieran’s assistants, Sara and Kim, had such great eyes for fashion. They had yet to pick a dress out for me I didn’t like. Their tastes were a bit more revealing than I was used to, but everything the women chose fit perfectly, and poor people like me couldn’t complain too much. Each dress cost more than I could afford, ever.
“Come, we have a few issues to discuss before the Blood Rites Ball officially begins.”
I gathered the short train of my dress so it wouldn’t drag on the floor as we walked, and then followed him down a few hallways, past the kitchens. Yes, I meant plural, as in multiple kitchens. Wonderful smells lingered in the air out into the hallway. Looking in, there were a myriad of people wearing white tops, aprons, and chef’s hats to keep their hair out of the food they prepared. I could never chop vegetables with any speed like the contestants competing with Bobby Flay on Iron Chef, but all of the people in the kitchen seemed to have no problem doing just that. Then I realized they had an advantage over me, being undead and all. Their super reflexes and keen eyesight protected them from nicking their fingers. I bet even vampires wouldn’t want to bleed in front of other vampires.
After another turn down a hallway with a wooden floor covered by a long carpet runner, the curious pattern dyed into the fabric caught my eye. I leaned closer to get a better look at what I was seeing. I couldn’t believe it. There were symbols overlapping each other in a gold color. Those symbols were vaguely similar to the ones I saw carved into the stone circle the rogues were filling with blood. It also looked like the symbol marked upon Kasdeya’s companion the other night at the club.
Why would Kieran have a carpet with the same symbols the rogues were using when they were trying to summon someone from the Underworld? Kieran was an Other. I didn’t have any illusions over that reality. I chalked
it up to the fact he was old, really old, and had probably associated with all different kinds of beings over his very long lifespan.
Kieran turned to me when we reached a set of double doors and raised his forehead once in an effort to show a human facial expression, despite it not being the appropriate time for such an act. I wasn’t sure, but I thought he was trying to be playful when he wiggled his eyebrows. I laughed, despite the overwhelming sense of dread in regard to tonight’s upcoming events. I did appreciate Kieran’s attempts at being more ‘human’ when he was around me. It didn’t make me trust vampires any more than I did, but it made me more receptive to hearing what they had to say.
I knew there would always be that elephant in the room when Kieran and I were together. He had given my grandmother up for power. I knew that in the history of the world, it was something that happened, and not only in the world of vampires. When people are offered power, they tended to reject the person who they were with, for one reason or another. Heck, marriages were set up to align people into power, to make certain the persons in powerful positions would have their legacies ensured for the future. Vampires weren’t any different.
Kieran turned the elegant, gold-colored door handles to pull the doors open. Stepped aside, he swept a long arm inward, waiting for me to go first. The hairs on my neck rose. I wasn’t sure why I was so jumpy. My Selected senses weren’t going haywire. It was my anxiety setting in. I definitely had to work on being able to tell the difference between that and my Selected senses.
