Chapter 1 More and More
"Is that really necessary ma'am?" I ask Stanton. Even over the phone I can tell she likes this no more than I do.
"Yes Miss Sage. I'm afraid the guardians are insisting. They ignored my assurances that the protection already in place is sufficient. They also ignored the fact that your 'family' growing any more than it already has will attract attention. The newest dhampir will be your new roommate I'm afraid. Apparently things are escalating at Court and Moroi authorities insisted it was for your protection. That is something I agree on, if danger is coming you won't be the target you'll be in the way, The plan is for the newest dhampir to protect Manstrano and the Keeper girl to ensure your safety. "
"Am I really at risk?"
"We are just making sure our bases are covered Miss Sage. "
"Is there anything else?" I ask.
"No that's it. And Miss. Sage, keep yourself safe." Stanton hangs up but I am left thinking of her words. Stanton at
least cares; I noticed it was her and not my father calling with this news.I gather the Melrose family and take them to Clarence's for Jill's feeding. We find Adrian in the sitting room waiting for us.
"We are going to be having some company." I start. This causes Eddie and Angeline to tense, so I hastily add, "The dhampir kind. The guardians are sending another dhampir to watch Jill. Things are heating up at Court. She is young but already graduated, seventeen I think.
"
"Deka Zeklos?" Eddie interrupts.
"Yes, how did you know?" I ask it is actually Adrian who answers.
"She's something of a legend. Graduated at sixteen, already killed ten Strogoi. Just about everyone has heard of this dhampir with a royal name."
"okay then, she'll be here in about half an hour." I say the others are taken aback but don't comment. "Zeklos will be enrolled and our sister, coming up late because she was taking a biomedical program in South Dakota and didn't want to leave before it was finished. " Jill leaves to get her blood and Eddie and Angeline start talking about the legendary dhampir.
"Oh yeah, there's one more thing. You're probably not going to like this Angeline." I tell Angeline about the shift in protection. To my surpriseAngeline doesn't protest.
"Okay, if that's what the guardians what me to do." She pauses then smiles, "Don't worry no one will get anywhere near you." She says reassuringly. In that brief moment she reminded me of Rose and her actions around me. I'm just in shock that I have a guardian. Somehow I doubt that she can protect me from the witch that is after me. I shudder; that midnight spell session still haunts me.
"Sage," Adrian begins,
"Yes, Adrian," I say wearily.
"I-" He begins but is cut off by the door bell interrupts him. I stand up gratefully and go answer it, Dorothy is still busy to say the least. The dhampir at the door is a little taller than me, very muscular, tan skinned, with short cropped red hair and dark blue eyes.
"Hi, I'm Sydney Sage," I say offering my hand to shake. I show her to the dining room watching as she scans the area in the typical guardian way.
"I'm Deka Zeklos, but you already knew that." She says her voice and face giving nothing away. I introduce Deka to the others and we head back to Amberwood, after checking her in at the office I show her to my room and hover as she unpacks. The first thing she pulls out is a picture of two Moroi guys.
"Your brothers?" I ask.
"One brother one boyfriend." She says. One of them has the same red hair and blue eyes . My curiosity getting the best of me I ask,
"How is it exactly that you have a royal mane if you don't mind my asking. She answers but her tone tells me she really does mind.
"I was adopted, my mom was a drunken rebellious teen somewhere in the Zeklos family, pregnant from a one night stand. I grew up with Moroi parents and brother. They accepted me but others not so much, apparently I ast too much like a Moroi for some." She pauses then continues "The name is royal not me. The laws are very clear on that."
"oh," I am embarrassed by my ineloquent response but is the best I can come up with. She shrugs it off.
"I have to go talk to Eddie and Angeline about security." When she leaves I log into the alchemist data base and pull up the Alchemist file on Deka, feeling slightly guilty about looking her up. Her record is just as impressive as Eddie and the others suggested, she was actually guarding the queen before this. The fact that she graduated early is impressive, even Rose didn't do that. Of course now that the dhampir graduation age is sixteen that is the normal age. It makes me angry. The Moroi are willing to send children only a year older than Jill and Zoe to fight for them but are unwilling to fight for themselves. At least Vasilia is trying to change that.
I log off the alchemists database and pull up Lia DiStefano's website, I look around a little and find the picture of jill. I pull up my email and am about to start when my phone rings,
"Miss Melbourne, I need yourself immediately. Can you get me a cappuccino and meet me in the library in fifteen minutes?" Mrs. Terwilliger asks.
"Yes ma'am. " I say before I can hang up She adds.
"We need to talk,"
"We already talked." I say slightly angry at her refusal to take no for an answer.
"We didn't talk about your sister, Carly right?"