Betrayal Bites (Tales of Sydney Sedrick Book 2) (14 page)

Chapter 13

Opening my closet door, I assessed the big ball gown hanging there. Kieran had outdone himself with the latest fashion purchase for me. Deep purple material made the dress, while gold hems and quarter-sized gemstones accented the rest. In all my life, I’d never thought I’d ever have an occasion to wear something so spectacularly opulent, nor did I ever think I’d own a piece of clothing that cost so much.

My closet had certainly blossomed since meeting the vampires. Kieran sent a dress every time he requested my presence to one of his gatherings. The dresses were always spectacular and way out of my price range. I never understood how the vamps and wolves seemed to have endless amounts of funds. I’d have to ask Blake about that someday.

Careful not to tear any of the material, I lowered the dress to the floor and slowly stepped into it. The zipper in the back started at the base of my spine and ran just above where my bra sat underneath. Thank the heavens for small favors. Kieran’s assistant liked picking out dresses that showed off my back. The problem was, I liked wearing a bra. With many of the dresses Kim had chosen, that was virtually impossible. I often had to pull out double-sided sticky tape, which wasn’t all that comfortable, especially while dancing and sweating. Not that vampires had to deal with sweating, the lucky finks.

I felt like a princess as I turned in front of the mirror hanging from my closet door to see how the dress moved when I moved. I looked in the reflection at the pink ruby necklace Grandma had left me. This particular piece of jewelry was a symbol of Kieran’s protection over the Selected. It warded off any vampires or wolves from messing with me. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work on the rogues of either group, but I liked it. The necklace made me feel connected with Grandma Maria somehow, giving me comfort knowing she’d also worn the beautiful pink ruby necklace. Aunt Judith said she had never taken it off, so neither did I.

I headed into the bathroom and gave my hair one final layer of style spray, powdered my already shiny nose and forehead one last time. With a deep sigh, I decided it was now or never.

Once I was finished getting ready, I made my way-oh so carefully due to the ridiculous high-heeled shoes I wore-down the stairs.

“Oh my goddess, Sydney, you look absolutely stunning.”

Aunt Judith stood in the doorway of the kitchen with a purple-and-gold trimmed bag in her hand.

Holding the delicate bag out to me, she said, “I made this for you, for the ball tonight.” Aunt Judith had a twinkle in her eye. She limped over and handed it to me. She must have seen my dress hanging in the closet because the purple of the bag matched the color of the material perfectly.

“It’s beautiful, Aunt Judith, thank you.” I ran my fingers over the delicate gold chain that ran just long enough over the top of the bag to be carried across my wrist.

“I left something inside of the bag for you, too. You know dear, just in case.” She smiled.

I opened the bag and pulled out two glass vials filled with white powder. Holding them up to the florescent light on the kitchen ceiling, I assessed the powder and appreciated Aunt Judith’s handiwork as the substance sparkled under the light. I couldn’t tell what the powder was, but it was very similar to the flour she baked with, except the substance in the glass containers sparkled. I turned to her for an explanation.

“Do you remember when those terrible demons kidnapped you from the house and Kieran rescued you from the compound? Meredith and I had made this powder to fight off the lightning demons. We’re not sure if it will work against all demons, but from what I’ve been told it works well against those bad lightning ones.”

I couldn’t have been luckier.

Love and appreciation for my aunt made my heart surge. She was in constant danger because she had chosen to help guide me through my new life as the Selected, but she didn’t mind. Aunt Judith never complained at having to always watch who she spoke to or who was following her throughout life. She focused on doing everything she could to help me, and she seemed to enjoy every minute of it. Aunt Judith had taken on the role I felt my mother should have had all along.

I did remember being kidnapped. I also remembered suffering from toxic bites from the rogue vampire when he took blood from spots all over my body. The pus-filled sores that remained from where that thing bit me had luckily healed inhumanly fast because Kieran had nicked his tongue and given me some of his potent vampire blood. Experiencing that type of pain wasn’t a memory I’d easily forget.

A vision of Kieran using a white powder, provided to him by Aunt Judith, flashed across my mind’s eye. He’d used it on Trevor, the lightning demon that had orchestrated my kidnapping when he planned to combine Kieran’s and my blood to make his sister, Lisa, immortal.

Trevor thought he was faster and stronger than the leader of the local vampire coven, but he was wrong. Kieran had knocked Trevor to the floor just outside of my prison cell where I was strapped to a filthy, bloodstained mattress. Kieran poured the powder along the length of Trevor’s body as he lay there motionless from Kieran’s punch. Trevor’s form had dissolved into nothing as the white powder traveled over him, leaving only dust-covered clothes lying on the ground where Trevor used to be. The sulfuric smell oozing from the demon’s disintegrated body assaulted my senses, and I shook my head to dispel the horrible memory.

The powder Aunt Judith had concocted moved along the body with a mind of its own until the entire body dissolved into nothing. I hoped never to repeat having to see a lightning demon dissolve, or any other being for that matter. If I did, that meant I had once again put myself at the mercy of the demons. Mercy was one attribute lightning demons didn’t have.

“Thank you, Aunt Judith. I can’t tell you how happy and lucky I am to have you beside me. Your knowledge and wisdom have been priceless with all of this going on. So, thank you.” I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

We both knew there was bound to be trouble at the Blood Rites Ball. Aunt Judith was worried for my safety, just as I was worried for hers. She was well aware of what and who I was about to be surrounded by all evening. The endearing thing was, she wasn’t worried about herself one bit.

The difference between her and my mother was unbelievable. It was hard to stomach that two siblings had grown into such different people. Aunt Judith lived by a very honorable code of morals. She had such a giving nature. My mother was the total opposite. She was selfish and did little that didn’t benefit her in some way.

“Have you found where the ball is going to be located yet?” Aunt Judith went back to the stove to stir the simmering brew she was cooking. The entire kitchen smelled of warm chicken broth. I took a deep breath in, savoring the aroma and the anticipation of delving into leftovers when I got back home.

That was, if I lived to be able to get back home.

“Liam called. He left me a voicemail on my cell. He said he’ll be by to pick me up shortly. He didn’t mention where it was going to be, though. One of Kieran’s vampires told me the ball is being held in honor of one of the Elders, hence the masquerade ball attire. I’m sure it will be somewhere big, secure, and capable of allowing Kieran to plan an over-the-top party.”

Smiling, we shared a knowing look. Kieran, the vampire who had fallen in love with Grandma Maria, was well known for going all out with his parties. The attendees were always expected to dress in the latest high fashion and act with the utmost decorum.

A knock on the front door made me jump.

“That must be Liam. Aunt Judith, I’m not sure what’s going to happen tonight, but I wanted to tell you that I appreciate you being here for me. Your allowing me to come into your home and run the store, it means the world to me. I love you so much.”

We hugged. The frailness of her body caught me off guard and made me worried. I could feel individual bones in her ribcage as I held her. Her collarbone pressed sharply against my shoulder. She’d definitely lost weight since I’d arrived. I imagined the huge amount of stress in having the Selected live with her had something to do with that, even though she never mentioned how it directly affected her.

I’d have to watch what she ate a little closer. She made the most delicious meals, but I hadn’t noticed if she was eating them as much as I was.
Wow, way to go, Sydney. You’re supposed to be protecting her just as much as the wolves and vampires.
My stomach tightened a little from guilt. I’d start paying attention to what was going on with my aunt. Maybe I’d have her teach me about those plants she tended to and loved so much, That way I could be close if she needed me.

“No need to thank me, dear. I was born for this kind of stuff.” She winked, a sparkle of mischief glinting in her eyes. That’s when I noted the light in her eyes was a bit duller than usual. She looked tired.

Liam stood in the front doorway while I hugged Aunt Judith one last time before leaving. It was possible we might not see each other again, and we both knew it. The rest of my future, if there was a future for me to have at all, was to be decided on tonight, by old decrepit vampires I’d never met.

“Hey, pretty lady, you ready to go?”

I grabbed the ornate mask Kieran had sent with the dress and the purple bag carrying the two precious vials of anti-demon powder, then took Liam’s outstretched arm so we could take our leave.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

A long, white, stretch-limousine waited in the driveway. I caught the license plate and an unexpected laugh left my lips before I could hold it in. GOT BLUD? I turned to Liam. “Do all of Kieran’s vehicles have vampire-related license plates?”

Liam charmingly put his head down a little and kicked a pebble from the driveway off into the snow-covered grass before answering. “Well, yes, I guess they do.”

“Isn’t that a little obvious to the human population of the city? I mean, don’t you think that would draw the human’s attention and have them looking a little closer at the person riding in the back of the limo or whatever vehicle had those kinds of plates on?” I couldn’t believe how open Kieran would be with something like that. He might as well advertise saying ‘VAMPIRE HERE’. I didn’t get it.

Liam lifted his head. He laughed when he saw my perplexed expression, then dropped his head even further back to howl into the night air. “Sydney, I can’t say enough how delightful it is to hang with you. Just remember that, okay? I really like you as the Selected. As far as the plates go, well, have you ever heard of the best place to hide is out in the open?”

I have heard that, but I never really believed it. “Yeah, I guess, but I’m just surprised Kieran would draw that kind of unnecessary attention.”

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t draw attention like you’d think. Humans probably look at the plates and think whoever is in the ride is just some type of freak, and then they look the other way because whoever it is probably doesn’t fit into their mundane mold of expectations. That’s all. Don’t fret, lass. It’s nothing important to think about.”

Well, I wasn’t the one who had to hide the vampires existence, so if they weren’t going to worry about it, I guess I wouldn’t, either.

The night air was cool. When the vampire limo-driver stepped out from the driver’s seat, the air became cooler still. He smiled when I locked eyes with him. He seemed pleasant enough.

I was a bit surprised Liam and the driver weren’t wearing the normal set of sunglasses to hide their glowing red eyes. Not knowing why it happened, my gut churned when the driver focused on me once he let his smile slip away. I didn’t get the telltale pain that came when a rogue vampire or werewolf was around. Maybe I wasn’t getting the uncomfortable sensation from the driver, there might be a rogue lurking on the outside periphery of the property line. Something was giving me a vague vibe that not all was well. The unpleasant sensation hadn’t grown so strong that I had to bend over and vomit from the pain, but something was throwing my Selected senses off kilter soon after I shared the same air space as the vampire driver.

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.