Savor (18 page)

I opened a small bottle of lavender oil and poured it into my palms. The soft, flowery scent was incredibly relaxing and I greedily poured more, hoping it would completely fill the entirety of the bathroom with its pleasant aroma.

With the easing of my nerves, came clarity. I knew the more I fought the traditions and decisions of Nicolae, the more unhappy I would be. I chose to join the royal family and in doing so, I chose everything that went with it, whether I knew about it or not. I would never admit it, but I knew I was acting like a spoiled human girl. I hoped I was growing as a person. There was also no way I was going to let Ana win. If I knew anything about myself with complete certainty, it was that I was incredibly stubborn and I wasn’t going to let anyone push me around, especially not her.

As I did my makeup, I found myself wondering what other evil plots and schemes Ana had up her sleeve, and if I had to worry about Luka and what he may do as well. So far, he hadn’t done anything but act like an arrogant jerk as far as I knew. That was more than enough to make me not like him. Just thinking about the two of them got my emotions boiling and I had to focus twice as hard to stay calm.

Searching through my huge walk-in closet, I pulled on a pair of frayed jean shorts and a white camisole. I eyed my attire in my full-length mirror and admired my look. I realized how tired I was of dressing different than I normally did before, and it was nice to not look completely put together for once.  Sometimes, I thought that I looked prettier this way, like I was more myself.

I clasped the cold metal of the knob on my bedroom door before taking a deep breath and heading out into the hallway. I had expected it to be bustling with vampires and servants getting ready for yet another event, but they were eerily quiet, which was an odd sight to behold, considering I lived in a vampire palace.  Eerie was probably the norm.

An unexpected twinge of excitement bubbled through me at the thought that I would have time to myself. I was always a bit of a loner at heart and didn’t mind being alone. It gave me time to think and clear my head. Tonight was definitely going to be a night where having a clear head would do me a world of good.

Along with my old-Claire attire, I felt the urge to live like a normal girl, and not like an heir to a vampire legacy. Encouraging my desire to feed some guilty pleasures, I snuck to the media room and sprawled out on the large sofa before clicking the remote to my favorite channel. I knew old reruns played late at night. When Liz and I had sleepovers, we would stay up all night. We threw caution to the wind and pigged out on pizza and Twinkies, painted our nails, talked about boys and watched really corny sitcoms. I couldn’t imagine a better night than that at this moment; and even though I was homesick for Liz and my old life, it brought some happiness to my otherwise stressful current existence.

Normally, after a couple shows I would be fighting to stay awake, but now as a vampire, I could have watched the television all night. I knew my pleasant distraction would end soon. Luckily, I didn’t get the rude interruption I had expected.

The scent of blood immediately perked my body into a sitting position and I turned to find a servant heading toward me with a silver goblet on a similar silver tray. The familiar fragrance was tantalizing and mouthwatering, but I maintained my composure and urge to dive for the cup, allowing the small woman to offer it to me.

The tiny, gray-haired servant lowered her eyes as I grasped the goblet.  She finished with a small curtsey before exiting the room faster than usual.  “Thank you!” I called out to her, trying to be polite and she smiled nervously. “I wonder what has her so jumpy?” I asked myself as I curled back onto the couch and sipped the contents of the cup as if it were warm cocoa. The blood coated my throat and revitalized my body, filling it with energy to begin another night in my new life. I found myself wondering when the ceremony would begin and, as if on cue, Robin strolled casually into the room, goblet in hand. 

She curled into a side lounge chair and finished the contents of her cup, wagging her pinky at me as she did so. She attempted to place it quietly onto the coffee table, but as usual, she inaccurately judged her strength and sent a vibrating echo of metal hitting glass throughout the room. Our heightened senses felt the sensation ten-fold and the hair on our arms stood on end, making us both giggle like little school girls.

“Whatcha watchin?” Robin asked as she picked up a magazine from the coffee table. I glanced at the cover and waggled my eyebrows at her when I saw that the cover model was the vampire she had danced with at the ball.  According to the headline, he was “To Bleed For!”

“Just some old reruns of
Teen Queen
. So… are you going to tell me why things are so quiet around here? Or do I have to pull some princess rank on you?” I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

Robin smiled excitedly as she tore out a centerfold of her dream boy, who was modeling a particularly saggy pair of jeans and opened button-down shirt. She eyed it affectionately, but I could see her peeking at me to see if she was successfully keeping me in suspense and she was.

“You do know that I won’t tell you any details about what happened with Dmitry last night at the ball if you don’t tell me what’s going on?” I tried bribing her.

“Oh, I bet I can guess that easy.” Robin smiled at me wildly and made kissy faces as she pretended to make out with an imaginary figure. I grabbed the closest pillow and chucked it her. She caught it before it hit her, then leaped with impeccable speed to the open side of the couch next to me. “You’ll never guess what’s going on!” she squealed in delight at the fact that she knew some gossip that I did not.

“Go on,” I pulled my feet up under me and waited eagerly for Robin to spill it.

“Apparently, Ana, her family and Luka are all making a big stink about the fact that you are getting a Blood Mate. They are all locked up in Nicolae’s office, arguing about it right now.” Robin’s tone grew quieter as if someone was listening to us. “My dad told me that they are demanding they all receive Blood Mates.  That if they are truly that concerned with your safety to practice such an old custom, then they all deserve the same protection.”

I simply nodded as she spoke, not sure of how I felt about this news. I didn’t see the harm in letting them have one if they wanted one, but a small part of me just simply didn’t want Ana to get anything she wanted. The fact that she was concerned about her “safety” when I believed she was the one who let the humans in was a little perplexing. “Doesn’t it take a while to find a Blood Mate to match a vampire?”

“Yes, it could take a long time, but I wouldn’t put it past them to have already secretly matched themselves with someone.” She sunk into the couch as the excitement of revealing her news wore off.

“I guess if they want one, what harm could it do really?” I paused for a moment and another thought came to mind. “Did your dad tell you if Dmitry was demanding a Blood Mate?” My heart sunk at the very idea.

Robin eyes looked up as she pondered it for a moment, “No I don’t think he mentioned Dmitry at all. I can’t see him doing that anyway, not after I saw him with you. I’ve known him a long time, Claire, and he’s never cared for anyone the way he cares for you. Girls have always been after him, but he quickly grew bored of them before anything ever even started.”

She smiled at me reassuringly, her fangs slightly exposed and I nudged her with my shoulder. “Thanks, Robin. I really hope that he and I can work things out. I don’t want this whole Blood Mate thing to come between us. It seems to be okay for Nicolae and Evilyn so I have hope that we can do it. So, do you think the ceremony is still going to happen?”

Robin grabbed the remote and flipped the channel to
VSN: Vampire Society News
. The coverage of the ball was playing and my attention drew away from Robin as I saw a statuesque emerald form walk confidently down the grand staircase. “Wow, that doesn’t even look like me,” I said as I watched myself onscreen.

“Sure it does, silly. You were incredibly beautiful and poised. Everything a Vampire Princess should be. Look,” she said as she pointed to the screen “that’s the curtsey of a natural.”

“Well, underneath all the
natural vampire princess-ness,
I was a frizzled ball of nerves, but I’m glad it didn’t show.” We watched the coverage in silence as the pretty young reporter with ruby red lips and incredibly white-blonde hair talked animatedly about the coronation, commenting on who was present and what they were wearing. Then it replayed back to the beginning of the night as it aired the arrival of all the guests being announced like celebrities on a red carpet. “Looks like they’ve been playing this on a loop all day long.”

“Yeah, they usually do. Didn’t you watch stuff like this all the time before?” Robin asked. Vampire society was almost an obsession for lots of girls at my school, but I always seemed too busy for it. Occasionally, when I would be at the store or waiting in a doctor’s office, I’d grab a magazine and get the recent gossip, but more often than not, it was just made up stories to keep people hooked. It was probably the reason why everything I thought I knew about vampires turned out not to be true. For leaders of our region, they really kept quiet about the true details of their lives. I figured that the writers for the mags didn’t have much of a choice, but to make things up.

Either way, it was probably for the best. The more I was learning, the more I came to not like vampire ways and I was sure all the humans in our region would feel very much the same. “You didn’t answer my question, ya’ know?” I looked at Robin, whose eyes were still locked onto the television screen. I couldn’t tell if she were truly that interested or if she were trying very hard to not show me her true feelings for this new development.

“Oh,” she looked at me and smiled, “they are definitely still going to do it. Pretty much unavoidable at this point. You’ll need to get ready soon.”

A tiny emotion I couldn’t identify trickled from Robin, she had masked it very well, so I decided to ask one of the questions I had been holding back. “Do you want a Blood Mate?” 

Robin’s face took on a look of embarrassment and shame, which I didn’t understand. She avoided my gaze and I quickly responded not wanting her to continue her internal torture. “Robin, I don’t mind if you want one. If you feel you need the added protection, then I fully support it. In fact, I’d be happier about you having one than I am for myself.” I tried smiling at her reassuringly, my fangs sliding lightly against my bottom lip.

“Thanks, Claire. It’s not that… Well, I just don’t have the guts to ask for something from the king or queen which they did not offer to me. I know I am not important enough to need such added protection.”

My mouth fell open and my heart ached for my friend. She had been kind to me since I first arrived at the palace and was as dear to me as my old best friend, Liz. “Don’t you ever say that again, you hear me?” I scooted across the couch and pulled her into as tight a hug as she always gave me. “You are very important to me; and I say if you want something, you shall have it.”

She smiled and giggled slightly at me as she wiped away a single fallen tear. “I suppose we had better get down to business.” Robin sighed and stood from the couch with renewed confidence as her bubbly personality began to return.

“Business…yes…so what kind of business is that exactly?” I knew very well that it would involve my getting ready for the ceremony, but I was still hoping to pry a bit more information from her.

“Well, you need to get ready of course, and the queen wants to speak with you beforehand.”

“She does? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Robin’s eyebrows furrowed between her eyes in confusion, “I just did.” I laughed and stood up to follow her out of the media room. She led me to the eastern wing of the palace which I had seen very little of. Double doors opened to a long hallway that was completely lined with windows, much like a green house. 

The hallway ended with another set of large wooden doors, however these were carved intricately and portrayed a magnificent scene of vampires praying to a starry night sky while an ethereal figure looked down on them lovingly. 

That must be Nyx, I thought. She was as beautiful as I had imagined and I thought that whoever carved this scene must have taken care to ensure her beauty would shine through the multiple grains of wood. “This is so amazing,” I said as I ran my fingers softly across the smooth polished wood.

“Mhm,” Robin nodded as she eyed the carving with admiration. “There is a great story about this scene. Thousands of years ago, according to legend, vampires were hunted by humans and lived in constant fear of extinction.” My eyebrows rose in surprise as she continued. “Since we could not be out during the day, the vampires gathered at night and prayed for help so urgently and with such ferocity that the goddess, Nyx appeared. They begged her to give them peace and save them. Nyx, in her great wisdom, blessed those who prayed to her and showed them how they could survive without the blood of humans. She taught them to see how strong and powerful they were and urged them to forgive the humans.” Robin traced her finger along the carving of the goddess.

“If the vampires were scared of humans, then how did the dark ages come about?”

“As they began to realize their strength, many grew arrogant and believed they were part of a superior race. An uprising spread throughout the world like wild fire. Hundreds of thousands of humans and vampires were killed, but not until the vampires started killing each other did the war finally end.”

“But why would they kill each other?” I never heard that was what caused the war to end and was surprised, although I had no doubt that it was the truth. That fact appeared to be deliberately left out during history lessons in school. I presumed the vampires preferred not to be portrayed as predators of their own species.

“There were two… um, factions of vampires, I suppose you could call them.  There were those who favored their newfound power and those who still followed the ways of the goddess. The latter claimed that Nyx called them into action to protect the humans from the vampires who had forsaken the goddess.  In doing so, they were looked upon as traitors to their breed and attacked openly.” As Robin told the story, she opened the doors to reveal a beautiful temple with a glass ceiling that allowed the brightness of the moon to bathe the statues and pews inside with glowing moonbeams.

“Wow,” I gasped as I took in the beauty of the room. I immediately felt a connection with Nyx that reminded me of the night I was turned. I could tell this temple held great power.  We walked along the center aisle and then turned to our left into a smaller chamber, which was a dressing room. A large mirror stood at the right, along with room dividers for changing. As with everywhere else in the palace, there were huge porcelain vases that held freshly cut flowers of countless varieties. The aroma was intoxicating and filled the room heavily. Evilyn wasn’t waiting for us, so we took our seats and Robin continued her story, clearly enjoying her role as history teacher.

“Among the believers, there rose a powerful vampire. He followed Nyx and was willing to fight to the death for her. It was through his guidance and training that allowed them to overcome the evil, taking us out of the dark ages.”

“Nicolae,” I whispered in realization. I had never heard the true version of what had happened and a newfound respect for my vampire dad was beginning to blossom inside me.

“He is an inspiration to us all,” Evilyn smiled from the doorway. She was wrapped, head-to-toe in a velvety black cape. Her lips were full and painted in a luscious red. A band of black stretched across her eyes like a mask, yet a tiny hint of love escaped her.

Robin and I immediately rose and curtseyed toward her. “Mom,” I tried my best to show respect and did not hide my happiness at seeing her.

“Oh, Claire. Please rise, you need not bow before me.” She reached for my hand and pulled me up. An amused expression lifted the corner of her lips into a slight smile. “You tell the story beautifully, Robin.”

Robin beamed and stepped aside as Evilyn sat down on the loveseat and patted the empty place next to her. She looked at me expectantly to take my seat. As I obeyed, Robin smiled and excused herself to get ready for the ceremony.

We sat in silence for a moment and I hesitated several times when I found myself dying to ask a thousand questions. Evilyn caught on to my feelings, as she always did, and rested her hand on mine. “It will be alright, child. I know of what you are suffering and I promise you, all will be well.”

I gave her a weak smile as my heart missed a beat and made my eyes start to burn before tears began to fall. I wiped at them, angry for allowing myself to break down in front of her. I wanted to look strong, and crying like a baby was quite the opposite of my intention. 

Evilyn lifted my chin so that I looked into her dark eyes and I saw a sparkle of the woman she used to be visible deep within them. I had never noticed it before and found comfort that somewhere hidden secretly, she carried a piece of her former human self. “If he truly loves you, this will not affect your devotion to each other. In truth, it can make things stronger.” I looked at her in surprise and she wiped the tears from my face with the hem of her cloak. “Do not look so surprised. A woman knows well the tears of a lost love.”

I sniffled as the tears ceased their onslaught and regained some composure. “How did you make it work?”

“It took time, my child, but because of it, Nicolae found a deep respect for Foxworth. It is difficult for a man, especially a vampire, to allow another to do what they cannot. Eventually that began to change.  In the beginning, when times were still unsettled after the dark ages, Foxworth was able to protect me when Nicolae could not. Saving the life of a loved one is an action that Nicolae could not ignore. In doing so, Foxworth earned his respect and Nicolae realized they shared the same goal, my safety, because nothing else mattered.”

Evilyn’s tale sounded like a romantic love story, and although I wanted to ask her for more details, I knew there wasn’t time. I made a mental note to ask her again someday. I wanted to know more about my new mom and it comforted me to find that there was a loving romantic hidden under her stern vampire exterior.

“Who will be my Blood Mate?” I feared asking this question and wondered if it would have been best to remain ignorant of the truth; but I didn’t want to be unpleasantly surprised at the altar.

“His name is Arrick. I have spoken with him myself, Claire, and I believe he will be an excellent match for you. Not only his blood.” She rose and began to sort through a pile of black capes that lay draped heavily over a chair. I wanted to ask her what he looked like, and what made her think he would be an excellent match for me, but another question seemed more important.

“What is going to happen in this ceremony and what exactly does it mean to have a Blood Mate? I know that I willingly joined this family, but it isn’t right to expect me to do things without giving me some information about it.” I knew I sounded a little defiant, but I was hoping that she would admire my strength for standing up to her.

“As I am sure you have already learned, it is a very old custom that has not been practiced in our region in many, many years. There are many duties a Blood Mate is created for, but first and foremost, they exist to protect their mate.”

“How can they do that?” I interrupted too quickly and saw the slight annoyance that wrinkled Evilyn’s lips, but her tone remained neutral.

“As with vampires a Blood Mate is created. However, the method is dramatically different, and it takes an altered path of transformation. With this change, they take on extraordinary abilities, unlike vampires.” Evilyn held up a cloak in the air, visualizing whether or not it would fit me. When she determined that it would, she directed me toward her to sit on a small stool in front of a dressing table. She draped the cloak around me and started styling my hair, continuing her explanation.

“As I said before, a Blood Mate can protect his or her mate in places where a vampire cannot. Tell me, Claire, where might such a place be?”

I thought about it for a moment while she pinned the last of my hair back.  She braided it on each side, allowing small strands to fall around my face, framing it delicately. A black velvet gown that matched the cape was laid on my lap and Evilyn asked that I quickly change before she did my makeup. 

As I dressed, I couldn’t help getting a little excited. Not about the ceremony, but about spending more time with Evilyn. It was the mother-daughter moment that I never had with my human mom, and although it made me miss her, I was savoring every bit of it.

“Daylight!” I answered triumphantly as I twirled out from behind the screens in the black, floor-length gown. As with most vampire dresses, it was low-cut and revealed an ample amount of skin for such a long frock, but I was slowly becoming accustomed to this fashion. Vampires didn’t have the same reservations about nudity as humans did. They viewed naked bodies as objects of beauty and not something to be ashamed of.

“That is correct. Well done. Blood Mates can exist in direct sunlight; they can also stay awake during the day, and we cannot.”

“How else do they differ?” I asked, eager to learn as much as I could.

“They do not need to feed on human blood as we do. Blood Mates can survive on human food, much as they did before, although many do enjoy feeding.”

“Feeding?”  That sounded to me like they liked to drink blood.

“This is where much of the jealousy can be born, should you already have a lover when you are matched with a Blood Mate.” My cheeks flushed at the word “lover”. I definitely wouldn’t say that Dmitry was my lover, but my feelings for him did run deep, and I wanted to see where they would lead. “Many vampires and Blood Mates become lovers and feed on each other.”

“I thought vampires weren’t allowed to feed and that’s why we have blood banks.”

“They aren’t allowed to feed on humans. A Blood Mate is not a human, although they can still walk under the sun’s light. As Robin’s dad would say, they are a sort of ‘hybrid’. They are equally as strong, if not more so, and they do not age. That’s what makes them the perfect bodyguards! They can stay bonded to their vampire for eternity.”

I pondered this and started to prefer the idea of being a Blood Mate myself, rather than a vampire. There seemed to be more advantages. “Why haven’t Blood Mates been made in a long time?”

“Well…” Evilyn thought about it as she prepared my makeup, creating the same black band she had across my eyes. “There was great speculation, and I would say fear as well, that Blood Mates might become more powerful than vampires. If there is one thing a vampire will not share, it is power. That is something very important you must learn as you begin your journey in this family.”

“Are you and Nicolae… I mean Dad doing the same thing? Eventually, when I take the throne?”               

“No, Claire, there is a great difference between choosing a successor and having your power wrested from you by force. Hence, the urgency for you to join our family.”

It sounded like Evilyn might have wanted to say more, but she stopped mid-sentence, staring off into space like she was suddenly lost in a memory. I remained silent, hoping that she would continue and confirm what I suspected that a vampire in the palace was plotting to steal the throne from Nicolae. Just who that vampire was, I didn’t know for certain yet.

A small knock on the door snapped Evilyn out of her trance and she quickly rose from her seat in one smooth motion. Robin popped her head in, adorned in the same matching black outfit that the queen and I wore. “Come in, Robin.” Evilyn waved her in as she headed for the door.