Savor, Warm Delicacy Series, Book 1

by Megan Duncan

Chapter 3

  Fox arrived at dusk, the black limo pulling to a smooth stop in front of my house. After tonight, I could no longer call it my house anymore. My mom helped me pack and talked animatedly the entire time as if I was just going off to college. She was so wrapped up in her own excitement that she didn’t even notice I never answered any of her questions, nor did I share any of her enthusiasm. Only a day before, I discovered a new respect and admiration for the vampires. Tonight, all I could feel for them was frustration and growing anger.

  When Fox exited the limo, he walked in briskly without waiting for the door to be opened for him. My bags were packed and I hesitated at the doorway to my bedroom, taking one last look, as I tried to recall every memory I ever had there. I grabbed the carrier in which I put Louie and was surprised at how heavy he was. They wanted to extract me from everything I knew and loved, but I wouldn’t allow them to force me to leave him behind.

  As I walked out the front door, Fox eyed the carrier and I shot him a defiant look. He didn’t say anything, which gave me a small sense of victory. My mom stood at the end of our yard, waiting for me, and I suddenly felt so sad about leaving her. I had made so many plans to move far away from her, but now that I was doing so against my will, I didn’t want to.

  As she hugged me tightly, I saw the curious faces of several of our neighbors as they tried to figure out what was going on. I was certain that by morning, everyone would know, but I wouldn’t be around to see it. My mom would most definitely announce it at one of her meetings, her voice so full of pride, like I had accomplished some kind of incredible feat. Only I was being simply selected as part of a political agenda, like a pawn. I had never felt so exploited in all my life.

  Before getting into the limo, I looked up the street toward Liz’s house. I couldn’t see her. She said she wouldn’t see me off; she didn’t want to see them take me away, but I hoped she might show up anyway. The sting of her absence hurt, but there was nothing I could do about it. I promised myself that I would make things right. Someday.

  I slid Louie’s carrier onto the smooth leather seats and crawled in after him. I expected that Fox would ride with me, but he firmly shut the door and walked to the passenger side front seat. Before I knew it, we were making our way down the street and my mom’s smiling face faded into a blur as we drove away.

  I had never ridden in a limo before, and always thought that when I did it, would be a thrilling experience. What I felt now, however, was incredibly lonely. I opened the door to Louie’s carrier and started to scratch his head. His familiar purring comforted me.

  “What are we going to do, Louie?”

  I cradled the carrier as I inspected the limo. It was top of the line, with a fresh, new car smell. The interior was all black with gold and wood trim. There was a television located near a small mini fridge. I opened the fridge, hoping to find at least a bottle of water, but it was empty, so I flipped on the television. I couldn’t find anything particularly interesting, but the sounds of it helped to break up my rambling thoughts that were whirring inside my head. I tried to remember how far away the royal family lived and recalled someone mentioning that it was about an hour outside of town. People often went there as a sort of tourist attraction, finding satisfaction in viewing it from the outside. The huge iron gates prevented any uninvited entry as well as the wrought iron fence that surrounded it.

  I settled in for the long drive and fell asleep, already exhausted from the stress of the day. The sensation of the limo coming to an abrupt halt startled me awake. My short nap failed to make me feel much better.

  The door of the limo opened and the cool night air flowed over me. I saw Fox standing a few feet away, waiting for me to exit and I toyed with the idea of just staying firmly seated on the smooth leather interior. I didn’t want to leave and if he wanted me, he would have to pull me out.

  When he continued to wait patiently I gave up and snatched Louie’s carrier before exiting the limo. We had parked alongside I assumed was a side entrance to the huge palace where the vampires lived.

  “Welcome to the Palace Noire, Claire. You can leave your items here; they will be taken to your room.” Fox’s tone had changed and he seemed kinder. I had already decided that I didn’t like him, even when he was being nice to me. I hoped I wouldn’t have to see him much during my stay at the palace. What was I thinking? Of course, I would see him! I was going to be stuck here… forever.

  I sighed heavily and handed Louie’s carrier to the waiting hands of whom I thought was a servant girl. “Please be careful with him,” I said as she carried him away.

  “Yes, your Highness.”

  The title with which she addressed me left me in shock and I looked at Fox with my mouth hanging open. “Don’t look surprised. A royal member of the family is what you will be and the staff have already been instructed to treat you accordingly. Now, let us get going, we have much to do tonight.”

  I quickened my step to keep up with Fox’s long gait. The palace wasn’t as medieval as I expected, but more like a modern mansion. The décor didn’t match that of the blood bank, but the beauty and grandeur of it was just as awesome, if not more.

  The tiled floor of the hallway was a smooth marble and the cream walls were lined with intricate tapestries that depicted epic battles or embracing lovers. There were great wooden doors which led to rooms I could not see. Intricately painted vases filled with a variety of fragrant flowers stood in alcoves, perfuming the air with their scent.

  The hallway led to a luxurious foyer that was encircled by a grand staircase. The steps were lined with a weaving iron banister that swirled in delicate curves. Above, hung an enormous chandelier that seemed as large as the room.

  “This place is beautiful,” I said in complete amazement.

  “Thank you, Claire. It pleases me to see you enjoying it.” A deep, soothing voice echoed down from the top of the stairwell. It was the voice of Nicolae Noire, the vampire king of our region. I peered up and found him much more impressive and spectacular than any portrait or vampire statue I had ever seen.

  He made his way, steadily and with purpose, down the stairwell until he came to a stop in front of me. His expression was not what I expected. A welcoming smile looked down at me and I glimpsed fangs protruding from it. The sight of them gave my body the urge to run immediately away, but as if sensing it, Nicolae offered his hand to me.

  I looked back at Fox, who was kneeling and I wondered if I should be doing the same. To avoid making the king wait any longer, I placed my hand in his and he firmly grasped it. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Claire. I am King Nicolae Noire.”

  I gave a small curtsey after he released me and kept my eyes cast downward, not sure of what I should do. I’d never taken an etiquette class in all my life.

  “Foxworth, please send for Robin Willow. Claire? Would you follow me?”

  The king turned down another hallway. I kept a slower pace as I walked behind him, surveying my surroundings, as well as the king. He stood impressively tall, with a lean frame and angular features. His skin was a rich caramel hue and he had dark hair, just slightly flecked with gray. He was dressed in a suit similar to Fox’s, however, it seemed more appropriate attire on him. Fox seemed to be unfamiliar with his suit, and I quickly gathered that he only worn it to dress the part while acquiring me. The king, on the other hand, wore the suit as if it were tailored for him. The very fabric weaved to pair with his skin tone.

  As we entered through a set of heavy wooden doors, we walked into what could be the most amazing office I have ever seen. The king took his seat behind a spacious oak desk while I walked into the room. I felt myself gradually gaping at all the overstuffed bookshelves, gold-framed artwork, immense hand-drawn and painted maps and large animal skin rugs that covered the floors. I caught the flames’ reflection from the blazing fireplace dancing in the frozen eyes of a lion’s head of one of the rugs.

  The king sat, gesturing toward an ample, antique armchair for me to si
t as well. I was completely engrossed with the splendor of the place and sat in visible wonder. The king allowed me plenty of time to take it all in as he watched me, looking quite amused.

  “It has been so very long since we last had visitors. We’ve become so accustomed to this place that it takes a new pair of eyes to remind us of its unparalleled magnificence,” the king said.

  “I’m sorry.”

  I didn’t know what else to say. I was still too afraid to raise my eyes and look at him. It didn’t help that my only encounters with vampires involved two very large and imposing men. I wondered if there were any women vampires around.

  “No apologies necessary. You will have plenty of time to explore the rest of the grounds and I am sure you will find them all equally impressive; but for now, we must get down to business, as they say.”

  I gathered my courage and locked eyes for the first time with the vampire king. Seated behind the regally appointed desk, I almost expected to see a crown and a majestic robe trimmed in a feathery border, but his black suit and maroon, button-down shirt made him look just as noble. The thought of Liz flashed across my mind for a moment. I was thinking that she could probably name the designer without even looking at the tag.

  Nicolae twirled a large gold ring around on his finger. It was adorned with a sparkling ruby much like the one on the necklace Fox presented to me. “I am sure you have a great many questions to ask me, as this life-changing decision was presented to you unexpectedly. We do not usually operate as such, but it has been a very long time since we have welcomed someone into our family.”

  His deep voice sang the words so soothingly, with only the slightest hint of an accent, which must have originated many lifetimes ago. “Foxworth’s orders were to explain the facets of the circumstances to you, but judging by the confused look on your face, I would venture to guess that you are not quite aware of what is happening?”

  “No, sir.” I tried to sound as polite and respectful as possible, but I had a lot of questions for him. Like for starters, was he crazy? But of course I would never say that.

  “Before you ask anything, allow me to explain a few things, which may answer some questions.” He stood up then and walked toward the fire, grabbing a poker to stoke the embers. “What you may not have learned in school is that the royal family is not merely a clan of vampires cohabitating in this estate, it truly is a family. Many, many years ago I swore an oath with the humans of this region, that no vampire would shed another human’s blood, if humans would willingly donate their blood in return. In doing this, I created a peace in our corner of the world that has saved, and continues to save, a great many lives.”

  The king paused for a moment, letting the glow of the fire skip across his features. I saw his brow wrinkle as he became lost in thought and I tried to think of something to say. I searched through my memory and recalled something my mom used to say. “You created a peace for mankind that would never have been possible. Many humans have fled the regions in the north to come here, and live a life of freedom, free from fear.”

  I was impressed with how mature I sounded and smiled. He returned my smile and continued. “What is not known to the world is the sacrifice that was made for this peace to be possible. Yes, we would survive on the blood offered willingly to us, but we require more to sustain us in our immortality.”

  He looked at me, begging me to understand what he was saying, but all I could see were his fangs and I worried that what he really meant was he wanted pure blood like mine to feed from. He sighed heavily when he saw me tremble and looked away.

  “We all desire family. An immortal life is a lonely life, and without the ability to feed on whom we choose, it is not possible for our family to grow. We would like for you to join our family, Claire.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but quickly snapped it shut. I should probably think my answer through first in order to be sure I would not offend him in some way. I was not sure what role I was going to play in this “family”.

  Then I remembered a comment that Fox made to me. I replied, “I am eternally to be offered this opportunity, Your Highness, but I don’t know why I have been chosen.”

  “Decades ago, my wife and I decided we were ready to expand our family, but because of our roles as the king and queen of this royal family, we had to select our new family member very carefully. Others have chosen with less discretion, but in our position of power, we had to find someone who could carry that position on their own. Blood is not only what feeds us, Claire, it also determines our strength. You are of pure blood, as am I and my queen. A vampire born of pure blood is highly respected and honored in our culture.”

  I was right. I was being chosen simply as a pawn in a game of power, because my pure blood would prolong their reign over the other vampire families and this region.

  “That is not entirely true.”

  I jumped, realizing that he had just read my mind. “You can read my thoughts?” I blurted out, sounding more offended than I had intended.

  “Not everything. I can catch bits and pieces, or quite simply, sense your feelings. You express them so openly. Please do not feel slighted. It is a natural ability for a vampire to sense the feelings of those around them. Perhaps one day you will experience it yourself.” The king walked toward me and took a seat in the arm chair opposite me.

  “Claire, the reason we chose you is not only because you can continue the power of our rule. The queen and I could forever rule this region, if we so choose, but we do not. We have done many great things to improve this world, but now we feel we would like to see someone else take over our work. Do you understand?”

  I felt relieved and a bit ashamed for being so eager to think that he had some sort of evil plan for me. “Why do you think I am the right one to assume your…” I tripped over my words trying to find something that fit, “legacy?”

  Nicolae smiled warmly at me. His dark eyes reflected the hot glow of the fire and his pristinely white fangs were visible under his thin lips. “You have not gone unnoticed young Claire. Your mother’s work is well known to us, along with her campaigning for good will, respect and loyalty. It is our belief that she has instilled these same values in you.”

  “You know my mom?”

  He nodded. “We like to keep our eye on our most passionate supporters.”

  “Don’t you think my mom would be upset about losing her only daughter?” The question may have sounded a bit rude, but I figured since I thought it, I might as well ask it. I was sure, he already sensed my irritation. I didn’t know vampires had special abilities, but I decided my best bet was to speak my mind from now on.

  “Your mother was overjoyed to have her daughter join our family, she has faith that you will do wonderful things for this region and this world. Do not worry, Claire. She will be well cared for. Anything your mother shall ever need will be provided to her. You can be certain of that.”

  It stung a little that my mom was not even the slightest bit upset at my sudden absence, but I knew the truth of it before the king had even voiced it. A slow, solo tear rolled down my cheek. “Will I ever get to see her again, or my friends?”

  I could see the expression on his face, revealing that the answer was no. “Although we do not forbid it, seeing your friends and family would cause them harm, thereby inducing pain onto yourself that you will have to live with for an eternity.”

  My spirits lifted at the thought I could see Liz and my mom again, but the king’s warning made me sink back into my seat.

  “Through the years, you will watch them age while you remain the same. You will witness their deaths and suffer the loneliness of life without them. Do you really desire to bring this pain unto yourself?”

  I thought about it for a moment, and was unable to give him an answer. It seemed worth it to me, just to be able to see them. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to see Liz as an old lady and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to, but I had promised her we would see each other ag
ain and I didn’t want to break that promise. I needed my friend. How could I live forever in this huge palace alone?

  “Ah, Foxworth finally. Come in!” The king announced Fox’s arrival into the room and I turned to see him enter with a young girl following close behind. She looked to be around my age and as she neared the king and me, she gave a small bow.

  “Claire, this is Robin. She is the daughter of the Willow family, here in the palace,” Nicolae said. He motioned toward Robin and she smiled politely at me. “Robin, please show Claire around, I would like for her to be as comfortable as possible during her time here. Could you do that for me?”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Robin answered with an excited tone as she looked toward me. I was hesitant at first because I wasn’t quite sure if I had ever given my consent as to whether or not I would be joining the vampire family, but Robin looked so friendly, I didn’t want to be rude.

  The king smiled at me as I rose to leave the room. I stopped for a moment, intending to say something to the king and he placed my hand in his with the most gentle touch I have ever felt. His hands were cold, but incredibly soft and it felt as if my hand was wrapped in cold silk. “Thank you, Claire. I know this is a lot of information to absorb, but I truly believe you will love it here. Robin is one of our most friendly and knowledgeable young members and she will make you feel right at home.”

  I looked at Robin, who was smiling proudly at the king. She was obviously flattered as well as honored to have him speak so highly of her. I nodded my head and gave him a polite smile before exiting the room with Robin. She walked briskly and came to a stop in the main foyer under the large chandelier. Her curly, red hair seemed to shimmer in the golden light.

  She smiled at me and ushered me toward the large staircase. The sound of our footsteps echoing was almost deafening and I wanted to say something, anything to break it. I was so relieved to see another person my age and I was eager to have at least someone to talk to. I wondered if she had been recruited, as I was, and if she had friends and family back home that she missed as much as I did.

  “You’ll love it here. When I first arrived, I was scared too, but that didn’t last long.” Her voice was young and energetic and I couldn’t help but smile up at her as we continued ascending the staircase.

  “Have you lived here long?”

  “Nearly all my life. I came here when I was six years old.”

  That shocked me. She had lived in this palace full of vampires as a child. I wondered what it must have been like. I struggled to find something to say to her. Everything I could think of sounded too judgmental when I repeated it inside my head; why would the Vampire Royal Family take a child to live with them? Or, don’t you miss living a normal live with real friends and family?

  “I am happy living here,” she said politely as we reached the top of the stairs and made our way down another artfully decorated hallway that was carpeted with an intricate Persian rug.

  “You can read emotions too?” I asked, feeling a little frustrated. I didn’t like the invasion of my privacy and I mentally added one check mark in my list of things I didn’t like about this place.

  “No.” She gave an embarrassed smile. “I could just read the expression on your face. When I was little, my human parents abandoned me at the gates of the palace. My father found me standing in the rain and brought me in. When my mother saw me, they decided they wanted to take me as their own and I have lived here ever since.”

  I was shocked by her story and felt a little sorry for Robin. Her real parents discarded her, but the vampires displayed such compassion by taking her as their own. They adopted her. I immediately began to question if she were a vampire, but if she were, how could she be my age? “How did? Are you a…?”

  As always, I stumbled with my words while I tried to comprehend what was going on. They obviously didn’t turn her as a child or she wouldn’t have grown up. Did they let her live among them as a human for all these years? I felt a glimmer of hope at that thought. Maybe I could do the same thing and I wouldn’t have to worry about never seeing Liz or my mom again.

  Robin laughed at me a little before she answered. “You’re funny. I’ve forgotten what it is like to have someone new in the palace. I lived here as a human until I came of age and then I was given the chance to choose the life I wished to lead. Of course, I chose to be turned. This is my family, the only one I’ve ever known. I couldn’t imagine my life without them in it.”

  “So… how long have you been a vampire?” I was curious. She looked to be my age, but the question was how long had she been my age.

  “I was turned ten years ago.” She smiled at me and led me into a room.

  The bedroom we entered made my jaw drop. “This is my room?”

  “Yeah, and mine is three doors down.”

  My new bedroom was something out of a fairy tale. The tiled floor was laid out in a patterned mosaic of creams and golds. A comfortable seating area at the front of the room featured a small antique sofa with two matching arm chairs, both framed in hand-carved wood and upholstered with a rich damask. I ran my fingers across them as I walked further into the room. I took in the aroma of freshly cut flowers that filled several blue and white vases. Heavy, thick curtains were draped over stained glass windows and I imagined how beautiful it would look with sunlight shining through them. Then I remembered that if I were turned, I would never get to see that again.

  A familiar sound caught my attention and I turned toward a small archway. Through the drapes, I saw Louie’s cat carrier sitting on a bed. His furry paws reaching through the bars brought a smile to my face and I ran for him. Robin followed casually behind me, giving me time to take everything in.

  I jumped onto the huge bed and immediately flipped the latch to let Louie out. I scooped him into my arms and hugged him tighter than he liked. After a few moments of ignoring his protests, I released him. He quickly went to work on sniffing every object in sight, but didn’t stray far from me. Robin petted him gently when he sniffed her feet.

  “His name is Louie,” I said as I watched her scratch under his fat little chin.

  “He’s really cute.” She smiled and then took a seat at a small table. “How do you like your room?”

  “It’s amazing! They didn’t have to give me such a nice room, I mean I don’t even know if I am going to stay here yet.”

  Robin frowned at this for a moment, but quickly hid her reaction. “Well, I would very much like it if you stayed. It would be nice to have another girl around.”

  “Is there no one else in the palace then?”

  “Oh no, there are two other families and their children…” She left the sentence unfinished, but the expression on her face was familiar to me. She didn’t get along with the other children.

  “So, tell me about your family,” I said without the trace of a stutter. I was finding it easier to talk with Robin. For a vampire, she was so much more human than the king or Fox were. Maybe I just related to her more easily because she was my age, or maybe it was because she had not been a vampire very long.

  Robin’s face lit up and she joined me on the bed as she gushed about her family. Her parents were the Willow’s. Their role in the royal family was to maintain, protect and document historical events. Vampire or human, every important event was accounted for. She went on and on about how her training started and the events she was permitted to record.

  “My parents have allowed me to document your arrival into our family.” She beamed at me. I didn’t quite understand her love of history, but something about her endless chatter reminded me of Liz, so I returned the smile.

  “I don’t think I am as interesting as anything in your history books, but if you want to record, then go ahead.”

  “My parents will be so excited. I promise I will write the best account of the events of your arrival and coronation as there has ever been.”

  I flipped my shoes off the side of the bed and looked down at the outfit I was
wearing. I was still attired in the clothes my mom had picked out when I met Fox. I stood up and started to look around for my bags.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “My bags. I want to change,” I said, tugging at the uncomfortable blue silk blouse.

  “Oh! I can’t believe I forgot to show you the best part.” Robin jumped off the bed and rushed to a set of wide wooden double doors. Grabbing onto their gold knobs, she pulled them open in one smooth movement, revealing a huge walk-in closet that led into an even larger bathroom. The closet was lined with shelves and hanger rods, filled with clothes. Everything was meticulously organized and perfectly folded. A large chaise lounge chair sat in the center along with an ornate standing mirror trimmed with gold. I avoided looking at my reflection, knowing I must be looked a mess.

  A large dresser was topped with dozens of sparkling jewels. Necklaces, earrings, and rings; all of them adorned with rubies of various shades. “These are all mine?” I whispered. I traced my fingers across the cool stones and couldn’t imagine ever having a reason to wear something so beautiful.

  “Gorgeous, aren’t they? I love the earrings the best.” Robin pulled back her curly red hair to reveal ruby stud earrings encircled in small diamonds.

  “They look good on you.”

  “Thanks.”

  I spotted my bags and quickly unzipped them to grab my favorite pair of jeans. When I couldn’t find anything but t-shirts, I turned to see Robin holding out a shirt she pulled off one of the many racks. It was definitely something Liz wouldn’t have chosen, which is probably why I snatched it greedily. Seeing that Robin had the same taste as I did, made me like her just a little bit more.

  “Okay, let me show you the bathroom. Then you can get changed and I’ll introduce you to everyone and show you the rest of the palace.”

  My bathroom was covered almost top to bottom in white marble. A roomy claw-foot tub stood as the main focal point of the room. Small ferns atop wooden pedestals surrounded it. A large window was open over the tub, letting in a cool night breeze. A standing shower encased in frosted glass occupied the left side. I saw bright, white towels monogramed with a large “N”. They were fancier than any towel I had ever seen and almost didn’t want to use them.

  “You don’t have to use those. The maids just put them out for looks, I think. There are more towels in the cupboard here.” Robin pointed. “It took me years to get them to stop putting them out for me.” She smiled and pulled two large towels out of the cabinet and set them on the counter by the sink.

  I watched her and tried not to look shocked when I saw her reflection in the mirror. Robin just laughed at me when she caught my expression. “Geez Claire, you look as if you’ve never seen a vampire before. Not all of those silly tales are true, you know,” she said as she spoke to my reflection in the mirror and attempted to adjust her wild curls.

  “Sorry. I’ve just never even met a vampire until today. I should probably know more about you, but I never paid attention in class. My mom was in love with vampire history, so I guess that’s why I did my best to ignore it. It was always more important to her than I was.” I hadn’t meant to admit that last part.

  “I’m sure that’s not true.” She put a hand on my shoulder and smiled, revealing a hint of her fangs. My eyes flashed toward them and I couldn’t help but stare.

  “Do you want to see them?”

  I didn’t answer, but my face turned red from embarrassment. I really needed to control myself around these vampires. They really seemed to be able to read me like an open book.

  Robin pulled up her lips to reveal two pristinely white fangs. They seemed to fit perfectly amongst the rest of her teeth and were nowhere near as long as the king’s. “They are almost full grown now.”

  I looked at her, confused for a moment. “You have to wait for them to grow in?” I had never heard that before.

  “A long time ago, when vampires turned humans by biting them, fangs would grow behind those teeth and push them out by the end of the change, which didn’t take more than one night. Now that we turn humans differently, the fangs grow more slowly. I guess you can say that our bodies have evolved.” She slid her tongue across her fangs and smiled widely at me, displaying them with a giggle.

  “All right, hurry up and get ready. I’ll wait for you outside.” Robin pointed to the room and slowly walked out, shutting the doors behind her.

  I took my time in the shower and stood under the hot water until it turned cold, which took a lot longer than it did back home. It gave me a lot of time to myself to really think, which I hadn’t had the chance to do since Fox picked me up. As much as I resisted and hated to admit it, this place was beginning to grow on me. Who wouldn’t want to live in such a gorgeous palace and become the daughter of a king and queen?

  I stepped out of the shower and felt my skin prickle as the cold night air blew in from the open window. I grabbed one of the towels that Robin had set out and wrapped myself in it. It was so large, I was almost able to wrap it around me twice. I had forgotten my bag of bathroom supplies, so I rummaged through drawers and cabinets until I found what I was looking for. The bathroom seemed to be stock-piled with the best products and I was excited at being able to use things that I had never had the money to try before.

  After getting dressed and running some products through my hair, I managed to style it in a side braid that Liz had once taught me. I ventured back out into the bedroom and grabbed some comfortable looking black flats along the way and slid them on.

  Robin was sitting in the main room with fat Louie lounging in the chair beside her. He looked more than comfortable and as picky as he was, if he liked it here, that said a lot.

  “You ready?” Robin asked as I walked into the room.

  I took a deep breath and nodded at her. I was growing more nervous about meeting everyone else, but I was certain there was no way I could avoid it. We made our way out of my room and back into the hallway. Robin talked candidly along the way, pointing out bits of history concerning artwork or a portrait of some historic vampire or event. The walls were nearly covered with paintings of every scene imaginable. There were landscapes and battles, lovers caught in embraces, and single portraits of expressionless vampires wearing outfits that ranged from ridiculously large ball gowns to the more stylish suit that the king was wearing just a short while ago. None of the portraits were modern. There were no photographs anywhere to be seen. When I asked Robin, she told me that they preferred paintings because it required the artist to take more time creating their work, which meant their efforts should be more appreciated. Anyone could take a picture, but only a true artist could make one.

  “This time of night everyone is usually busy getting things done, but they are all in the assembly room, waiting to meet you,” Robin said as she turned another corner. I wondered for a moment how long it would take me before I found my way around the maze of a palace.

  ~