Chapter 13
" Number 17!" Mika announced. " The Serpent Stone!" Gabriel and Michael caught their breaths. " This may be your toughest challenge to date. May the gods be with you."
The Hall of Princes started to empty out. As the Raine vampires approached the door, something stopped them. The princes gasped as an odd sound was heard. Everyone turned to the platform. Something from behind the thrones was glowing bright red and making a buzzing sound.
" The Stone of Blood is activating!" Vancha exclaimed. He got up and turned to the giant stone behind them.
" Vancha, allow me," Vladek insisted. The handsome prince got up and walked over to the Stone of Blood. He put his hands on the stone and analyzed it. A few seconds past before he let go. " The last vampire has arrived. Star Regale, always fashionably late." Everyone looked to Mylana. The short haired, brunette General was standing near the door wearing a grimace on her face. " Anyway, the Festival of the Undead must begin. All official business must be postponed. Including Jace's Trials of Initiation. The gods are truly with you."
The Raine vampires left the hall to return to their rooms. Gabriel and Michael left Jace by himself. The black haired vampire was going to his room when he crossed paths with his friends.
" Hi Jace!" Christy squeaked with a wave.
Jace nodded to the blondes and the dark skinned gypsy boy.
" Hey Jace, we're going to the dining hall. Want to come?" Cato said.
" Sure, I'll meet up with you later," Jace replied. He circled around the three and went to the room. He entered and saw Kross sitting on Darius's hammock. Jace sat himself onto his own hammock and faced Kross. " You're always here when you need to talk to me."
" Whispers inform me of when and where I can find you," Kross replied. " As for the matter at hand, I believe Prince Vladek Zaja is trying to kill you."
" What makes you think that?"
" I saw Vladek in the Hall of Princes alone once. He was very secretive. He was using the Stone of Blood, muttering incantations and such. I'm not sure what he was doing, but it wasn't trustworthy ."
Jace stifled a laugh. The mysterious and mendacious Kross talking about trust.
" What would he gain from killing me?" Jace asked.
" The whispers tell me Vladek is doing this for personal gain. Perhaps he has a grudge against your mentors or he will be granted some reward." Kross had an aloof look on his face.
" I think I should have a talk with your whispering friends," Jace implied.
" Possibly another time," he smiled. " But for now I must leave. As the prince's son I must play a role in the Festival of the Undead. So long for now Jace."
The hour before the festival was quiet. Jace and Cato were dressing for the party, Michael leaning in their doorway. The vampires idea of formal was different from modern day. They wore clothes that looked to be from the medieval or Renaissance times ( and had the dust to match). They wore tunics, capes, embroidered vests, and fancy boots. Jace chose a black themed costume, matching his guardian Michael. Cato was dressed in a blue themed outfit.
" You ever been to a dance Jace?" Michael asked as Jace slipped on his boots. " In your past life?"
" I went to one dance in the eighth grade. I went to the Valentine's dance with Emily Rodgers. She was kind of cute, but she wasn't for me. Thinking back, I was supposed to go on a date with her the weekend when I was………turned."
" Hey," Michael said. " Look on the bright side. You could always be Cato."
" What's that supposed to mean!" Cato exclaimed.
" Dude, your head is filled with the most useless information ever," Michael commented. Cato grew angry. Michael shined a goofy smile. " I'll meet you guy in the Hall of Gathering."
Michael ran out of there, leaving Jace and Cato in the room. They exchanged glances as they finished dressing their attire.
" Stahrvos Glen was one of the most admired generals in vampire history. The Hall of Gathering is aptly named for him. He was a great speaker able to gather people up and rouse them up. He spoke of virtues and codes we vampires live by. Because of him we………….."
The beginning of the festival. The three princes were standing where all the five hundred or so vampires could see them.
" It's great to see you my friends!" Vancha called out.
" We welcome you to Vampire Mountain!" Vladek said.
" And wish you well during your stay!" Mika added.
" You've all been called here as an emergency. A threat has arisen, but it doesn't matter," Vancha beamed. " At least not for the next three days!"
" We will address the matter at the Ceremony of Conclusion, But for now, there's only one official matter to go." Mika announced.
Mika called out the twenty four names of the vampires that died since the last council. The vampires blessed their souls before they finished.
" Now!" Vladek declared. " Let the Festival of the Undead begin!"
Even vampire teenage boys are wallflowers at dances. Jace and Cato stood on the side drinking blood as they watched the vampires dance elegantly to the music. They saw Michael dancing intimately with a dark skinned woman. Kristy and Darius were aloes dancing closely. Jace monotonously sipped his drink as Cato described the band.
" The one with the long dark hair and matching goatee is Pettru. The one with the long blond hair is Jossen. The guy with the short dark hair and glasses is Florek. Thank the gods we got a new band. A lot of drums gets really boring."
The three cellists played extremely well. They looked like they were native to Eastern Europe. They dressed in black and played a mixture of slow and fast songs. The band also included two women.
" The woman playing the harp is Koyosan. Her sister is the one singing. Her name is Su."
The woman playing the harp was familiar. She was the pretty Asian woman Gabriel was talking to. She played the harp beautifully, her nimble fingers strumming the strings to make elegant sounds. Her sister looked similar to her, the only exception was that Su had a shaved head and was more warrior-like. Regardless, Su sang everything from powerful opera to heaven-like soprano. The band was amazing.
Christy and Darius got off the dance floor and went to Jace and Cato. Darius wore a handsome, blood red costume and Kristy wore a flowing, matching red dress.
" Are you boys still in the awkward, prepubescent stage of life?" Darius mocked as he proudly squeezed his arm around Christy's bare shoulders.
" Play nice Darius," Christy said. " You boys look handsome."
Cato grinned widely as Darius shot him a death glare.
" So," Cato said. " Where's the lovely Maddie?"
Jace shot Cato a look.
" She's in our room," the blonde girl peeped. " I spent hours on dressing her up and all she does is hide!"
Jace's mind strayed somewhere else. For some odd reason, Jace thought of Maddie, specifically of her looks. Feelings poured into his head. Lust. Desire. Want. Need. Affection. Love.
" Go to her," a voice whispered. " It is your destiny. To be with her. Touch her. Love her."
Jace left in a trance. He walked silently, like a zombie. He passed drunken vampires throughout the halls. Jace reached her room. He raised his hand subconsciously. He skipped a breath as his heart raced. Jace knocked on the door.
" Go away Christy," she said harshly.
" It's Jace," he replied tediously.
Silence.
" Come in."
Jace opened the door and went in. Maddie was on her hammock, looking away from him. Her dark hair covered the side of her face closest to Jace. She wore a slim, beautiful white dress. Her caramel skinned glowed in the orange of the torch in her room. Maddie was gorgeous.
" Why aren't you at the party?" Jace simply asked.
" I hate parties," she hissed.
" Then why get dressed up and let beauty go to waste."
" Shut up," she growled.
" I'm serious. If looking awesome isn't for the party. Than what's it for?"
" I changed my mind at the last minute. A blast from the past scared me out of going." The honest, real Maddie shined through. A fearful, hurt girl.
" I'm guessing something traumatic happened to you involving a party-dance type thing?"
Maddie gulped. " No guy would ever go to a dance with me. No girl invited me to parties. All because I was different."
" I'm sorry you had to go through that. And now you have to settle being a vampire. Need a hug?"
Maddie stood up. She sniffled back a tear as she smirked. Her dark eyes twinkled.
" I'm not following for that ' nice guy, vulnerable rebound' trick," she remarked. " But thanks for trying."
Jace opened his mouth to say something clever, but Maddie stopped him. She gave him a quick kiss which froze the two of them. Jace put his hands at her sides. Maddie wrapped her hands at his neck. The kiss grew into deep, intense passion.