12
My chaperone appears out of thin air as soon as the lights come back on.
"Jane will see you now. Please follow me," he instructs, ignoring my racing heart.
We enter a small elevator without buttons, and the doors close when Marcus waves a keycard in front of a metal plate. We shoot up to the fifth floor so fast I get a head rush and my stomach flip flops, making me hold onto the wall to keep upright.
"Jane?"
He nods but doesn't make eye contact. "Jane Volturi."
I'm apparently meeting one of the integral people behind V.A.M.P. I should be honored. Instead, I feel like I'm going to throw up, but Marcus doesn't need to know that.
The doors open with a soft swish, and he moves to the side. "First door on the right. Good luck, Mr. Cullen."
Before I can thank him, the doors shut, and he's gone.
I look around and almost jump when a childlike voice calls down the hall.
"I don't like to be kept waiting, Mr. Cullen."
I follow the voice and find a vampire who couldn't have been much older than my daughters are now when she was changed, sitting behind a big desk.
She looks me up and down before beckoning me forward with a bent finger. "Have a seat. I don't bite." She snaps her razor-sharp teeth, making me flinch, but she just laughs and motions for me to take the chair across from her. "I haven't since I was seven again, and that was ages ago."
Her doll-like eyes are a striking crimson color, telling me that, unlike my parents, she follows the traditional vampire diet.
The joke about biting is actually serious. Once President Swan took over, it became illegal for vampires to feed directly from humans because of the dangers that came with it. Blood banks sprouted up in almost every neighborhood, and orthadox vampires were required to register with their state.
Vegetarian vampires strictly drink animal blood, humanely sourced. You can tell the difference between diets by the color of a vampire's eyes. Animal blood dilutes the feral red to a light yellow topaz. In my opinion, vegetarians are a lot easier to handle being around thanks to the calmer demeanor.
Jasper has worked hard to change his diet for Alice, one of my first stipulations.
I take a seat as directed and watch the girl—I can't call her a woman — flip through my extensive application at warp speed. After all these years, their abilities still put me on edge.
When she's finished, Jane calls in Leah, and I'm introduced to the mortal counterpart in charge of the fifth floor. My application is off for another read through, and I'm embarrassed that Leah is about to find out about my habits. When the door shuts, Jane turns to me with a speculative look.
"Tell me, Mr. Cullen. Why are you applying for a live-in nanny for two girls over the age of sixteen?"