Hello, everybody! So I have decided that I will bring back Blake, eventually. I still don't know when, but it might take longer than expected, so sorry about that. I have just signed up to be a beta, so if you need to beta your story, look me up! Thanks! :)

Chapter 17

We sat in silence throughout the entire breakfast. Awkward silence. Apparently no one felt comfortable having a half-nude girl sitting at their table. Go figure.

When everyone looked like they were done eating, Jareth broke the awkward silence. "Karigan, can you do me a favor?"

"Depends on the favor," she said hesitantly.

"I need you to watch Misery for me. I don't trust her to be by herself since she tried to escape," he replied.

"Why can't you just watch her yourself?" she asked rudely. I was slightly offended at her protest.

"Because I have a job and so does everybody else in this house, except for you. So will you watch her for me?" he asked Karigan again.

"What will you do for me in return?" she asked, glaring at Jareth.

He sighed. "I'll buy you a new set of throwing knives."

Karigan's eyes sparkled, but the sparkle died down quickly. "Fine, I'll do it. At least she's got more balls than your other pets. They would never walk around in just their underwear," she said. I took that as a complement, and beamed.

"Why thank you, Karigan. I'm flattered," I smiled at her.

"Yeah, whatever," she said. I saw her suppress a smile.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get ready for work. Karigan, just hang out with Misery. You guys can do whatever, but don't take her out of the house," Jareth requested, and left the room.

"You are very brave going out in just your underwear," Riley commented after Jareth left.

"I guess. I'm just sick of Jareth telling me what outfit to wear. I fucking hate that man," I growled.

Karigan snorted. "That makes two of us."

"Three," Alexander chimed in.

"Four," Isabelle added.

"Five and six," Riley said for himself and Asphodel.

"You all really don't like him?" I asked, disbelief plastered all over my face.

"No," everyone except for Marcelle said in unison.

"Then why do you live here? And I've noticed you haven't said anything, Marcelle. Do you not hate him?" I asked Marcelle.

"I don't hate him, no. I feel like somebody needs to like him in this house, and it might as well be me," he said with a small smile.

"And we stay here because our parents want us to stay together. And since our parents are the ones who turned us, we have to listen to them, to a degree, at least," Riley explained.

"So what of if they turned you? Why do you have to listen to them?" I questioned, slightly confused.

"It doesn't really have a name, but when the person who tells you to do something, you have this desire to please them and do it. Kind of like compulsion, but for vampire and vampire, not vampire and human," Alexander said.

"Compulsion? What is that?" I asked, even more baffled.

"Compulsion is when vampires can make humans do things. Mind-control, I guess. However, it's not called compulsion when turned vampires have to listen to the one who turned them. Like what Alexander said, it doesn't really have a formal name," Karigan clarified.

"So when Jareth told me to fall asleep, and I did, involuntarily, he… compulsioned… me?" I said, not sure what the verb form of compulsion was.

Isabelle laughed. "Not 'compulsioned.' Compelled. And yes, that is probably what he did."

"Asshole. Anyways, why do you guys hate him?" I asked.

"Because he's an asshole," they all (except for Marcelle, of course) said together.

I laughed. "I second that notion."

"Well, Misery, are you done with breakfast?" Karigan asked me.

"Yeah, I am," I said, even though I only picked at the food that was given to me by a young girl in a maid's uniform.

"But you didn't eat anything," Marcelle said.

I shrugged. "I'm not hungry."

"Well, let's go. I need to get ready, and I want to show you the training room," Karigan said.

"Okay," I said, having no idea what the 'training room' could imply. I stood from the table, and Karigan followed suit. I felt everyone else's eyes on my stomach and legs again.

"Bye, babe," Karigan said to Marcelle and bent down to give him a peck on the lips. "Alright, Misery, come on." I felt everyone staring at my back as I left.

I followed behind Karigan until we were in the hallway were Jareth's bedroom was in. Her bedroom was just a couple of doors down from his.

"Is everyone's bedroom in this hallway?" I asked when we reached her door.

"Yes. Well, everyone but the slaves, butlers, and maids," she replied, and opened the door.

"But there are like, twenty doors in this hallway. Do more people live here besides the slaves and stuff?" I asked while looking into her room. It was pretty mush the same as Jareth's, but it was smaller and the color-scheme was blue and white.

"No. The other doors are guest bedrooms, the basement, and offices. Just hang out on the bed until I'm done," she commanded while walking into the closet.

"Alright."

A few minutes later, Karigan came out of the closet dressed in a black tank top and a pair of dark grey yoga pants. I was immediately angry.

"What the hell?! All I get to wear are some stupid dresses in awful colors!" I shouted, springing from the bed.

"Whoa, don't get mad at me, get mad at Jareth. He can't control what I wear, seeing how I'm an adult, and I'm not a pet," she said quickly.

"Yeah, you're right. But I can't help to get mad. He's such a douche. I HATE the colors he permits me to wear. Wearing dresses wouldn't be so bad if they were in decent colors," I said, finally being able to vent to someone who (probably) agreed me.

"Yeah that really would suck. What colors does he allow you to wear?" she asked.

"Pink, purple, cream, and yellow," I groaned.

"I hate those colors, too," Karigan said.

"At last, a girl who agrees with me that those are the worst colors ever."

"What colors do you like?"

"Black, dark blue, and green," I replied.

"Jareth hates black. He only wears it for funerals and for work," she told me.

"Now everything makes sense. He just said he was old-fashioned, and women shouldn't wear black, blue, and green," I explained.

"Oh, that too," Karigan said with a smirk.

I just rolled my eyes. "So you said we were going to the training room?" I asked, anxious to do something.

"Yeah, but I'm going to get you something to wear. No offense, but it's super awkward having to look at you scars," she said, walking back into the closet.

"None taken," I called after her. I was relieved to be able to put on some clothes that weren't dresses.

Karigan came back out of the closet carrying an outfit identical to hers. "Here, these should fit. Jareth gets home around six in the evening, so I'll just take them back from you around five thirty."

"Thanks," I said with a smile. Just then a thought occurred to me. Weren't vampires supposed to burn in the sun? I've seen Blake and Megan in the sun before and in my freaky dream, Blake said that 'made' vampires couldn't go in the sun.

Karigan must have seen the confused look on my face. "What's wrong?"

"Aren't vampires supposed to burst into flames if the go out in the sun?"

"Only the first-born can go out in the sun. And by first-born, I mean first turned among the children," she clarified.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. So you, Riley, and Alexander can't go out in the daylight because Jareth is first-born? What about your guys' partners?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nope. Neither can our partners. They aren't the first turned in their family."

"Wait! So if I were to become a vampire, would I be able to go in the light?" I asked.

"Not if your parents already turned someone. Now do you want to go to the training room? Because you still have to put the clothes on." She smiled.

"Oh, yeah, hold on," I said, putting on the clothes. They fit perfectly.

As soon as I was done, Karigan grabbed my wrist and ran out of the room, dragging me along with her.