Chapter 10

Aria lay on her bed one afternoon before dinner. It had been a month since her training started and Gogron had decided to add claymore training to her daily lessons. Her body wasn't used to the new workout and she was sore. Gogron had noticed and let her go about two hours before dinner. After a long soak in the bath, she already felt better. Now she was hungry.

The smell of roasting beef drifted over from the kitchen, where Antionetta was cooking dinner. Aria's stomach rumbled as she got up and went to help her friend. "Smells good. What's for dinner?"

Antionetta looked pleased. "Roast beef, potatoes, and carrots, flavored with various seasoning. Oh, and individual apple pies for dessert."

Aria licked her lips. "Okay, stop. I'm already hungry and you're just making it worse." She looked around the kitchen. "Any way I can help?"

Antionetta opened the over. "Yeah, can you help me get this pan out? It's too heavy for me."

Aria grabbed a towel, folded it, and took the other end of the pan. "You're telling me. How'd you get it in?"

"Well, first of all, it wasn't hot, so it was easier to hold. Second, it's a lot easier to get something this heavy down than it is to get it up."

Aria grunted as they set the pan on top of the oven. The roast was perfectly done, and the blend of spices was making her mouth water. "Wow, that smells good. Now what?"

Antionetta picked up a tray of uncooked pies. "Can you get the others? Everything's ready."

Aria nodded and went to round up the rest of the family. Everyone crowded into the dining area, sniffing the air appreciatively. Aria helped Antionetta put the food on the table, then slid into an open seat next to Vicente.

Once everyone was served, they started eating. All around the table, people were complimenting Antionetta on the meal. Aria took a bite of the juicy roast. She had just started to tell Antionetta how good it was when Vicente suddenly started choking beside her.

"Vicente! What's wrong?" she cried, handing him a glass of water. He started gulping it down. At the other end of the table, Ocheeva put her fork down.

"Oh, dear. Antionetta, did you use garlic in this?" she asked with a severe look.

Antionetta's face went pale and she covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh, my word, I forgot!" She turned to Vicente. "Vicente, I'm so sorry!" She got up and fled into the kitchen, her eyes brimming with tears.

Aria, who was gently rubbing Vicente's back as he tried to breathe, looked around the table. "What's wrong with garlic?"

Across from her, Mraaj-Dar growled at her ignorance. Teinaava shot him a look, then answered, "Our Brother Vicente cannot tolerate garlic. There is something in the juice, I think."

By that time, Vicente had recovered enough to speak, although his voice was scratchy. "It's like acid. It burns," he said. He cleared his throat and took another drink of water before continuing. "I don't know if other vampires suffer from the same problem, or if it's just me, but I can't touch anything that's touched garlic."

"Antionetta has forgotten several times before." Ocheeva picked up her fork again. "It's actually a good thing Vicente is so sensitive to garlic. He can tell in one bite whether or not a dish is safe for him to eat."

Vicente pushed his plate away. "Easy for you to say. You'd think I'd have learned by now to cook my own meals when it's her turn to cook."

At that moment, Antionetta came out of the kitchen with another plate of food. "I'm so sorry, Vicente." Her voice plainly said she was trying not to cry.

Vicente took the plate and gently patted her hand. "It's alright. I know it was intentional."

Antionetta sat back down and the meal resumed. After a moment, the conversations around the table went back their normal volume. It seemed to Aria like everyone was trying to forget that the episode had even happened. Everyone except Antionetta. Aria could tell that her friend was still upset. She wasn't taking part in the usual playful banter. When it was time for dessert, she disappeared into the kitchen without a word. Aria followed her.

She got there just in time to see Antionetta hastily wiping away some tears. "Netta, are you okay?" she asked quietly.

Antionetta jumped and turned around. When she saw Aria, her face crumpled again. "I'm such an idiot!" she whispered miserably. "I know Vicente can't tolerate garlic, but I keep forgetting and putting it in the food. He keeps getting hurt because of me! And Ocheeva said last time that if it keeps happening, she won't let me cook anymore. I love cooking!" She ran her hands through her hair. "Ug! Why am I so stupid?"

Aria put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Antionetta, listen to me. You're not stupid. Just forgetful. It could happen to anyone."

"But it doesn't happen to anyone else! It only happens to me!"

Aria thought for a moment. "How about this? From now on, I'll help you when it's your turn to cook. We'll make a separate portion of each meal for Vicente, so there's no garlic in it. Then you don't have to lose your cooking privileges. Deal?"

Antionetta wiped some more tears from her brown eyes. "You mean it, Aria? You're really going to help me?"

"Of course."

Antionetta threw her arms around Aria's shoulders. "Oh, thank you, Aria! You're the best!"

Aria returned the hug. "How could I not help? You're my friend." She pulled away. "Now let's get these pies out there before they come looking for us."

The two girls brought out the trays of steaming apple pies, carefully placing one in front of each person. There was some laughter when Gogron asked if there was garlic in them, but most of the family members made a face as they tried to imagine that particular combination of flavors. The laughter increased when Vicente shuddered at the very idea.

By the end of the meal, everyone seemed to have forgotten what happened. Vicente even offered to help with the dishes, but was shooed away by Antionetta. Aria refused to go, choosing to help with the cleanup instead. The girls talked while they cleaned.

"How long has Vicente been unable to eat garlic?" Aria asked as they washed the dishes.

Antionetta shrugged. "As long as I've known him, so...at least three years."

"It's so strange. I've never heard of a vampire being, well, allergic to garlic before," Aria said.

Antionetta glanced up from the pot she was scrubbing. "Yeah, I guess it is strange."

Aria took the pot and started drying it. "I know vampires go through all sorts of physical changes when they become a vampire, like growing fangs, the enhanced senses, the faster reflexes. And I know their diet changes, since they have to drink blood, but I've never heard of any other kind of diet change."

Antionetta looked at her. "What are you, a vampire researcher?"

Aria turned red and shrugged. "I've always been really...interested...in vampires."

Antionetta stared at her for a moment, then handed her another dish to dry. "Freak."

By the time they were finished cleaning, Aria knew that something had changed between them. They weren't just friends anymore. They were truly sisters.