CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It was raining the next day. Winds pelted the windows like no tomorrow as the clouds just dumped a load of water over the city. At eight the roads were quieter than they had been during the day so we didn't get into any delays.
One thing was on my mind though. The talk of pure bloods yesterday sparked another question in my mind.
"Hey, Sam?" Sam was driving. He wore a tuxedo with a little bow tie that made him look kinda cute. I guess it was the bow that did it since I was so used to the suit and tie combination for formal wear.
With his black hair slicked back people might have guessed he was a waiter but we were in the presence of vampires who barely make a mistake and see and know all.
I, on the other hand, wore a silver dress that 'poofed' at the waist like a tutu and ended just above my knee. Coupled with a set of silver matching strappy shoes, they made me look taller than I was. Did that fashion sense even work with vampires?
"Alice?"
I wasn't too sure how to phrase it. "Since there are pure blood vampires what do you call vampires that aren't… pure blood." I looked at him like I regretted my words. In the middle of that I realised Sam wasn't a pure blood vampire and that I might have offended him.
"Iain told me you'd ask a lot of questions."
"I can't help it!" I mumbled. What's wrong with all the questions? I just want to make sure of everything!
"That might be hard. We don't really have a word for that. But a vampire can tell how much 'pure blood' is in another vampire just by smell.
"Say pure blood vampire and a normal vampire - that is a vampire without any pure blood, have a child together, that child would have half pure blood, right? If that child has a child with a vampire without any pure blood, then that child would have twenty five per cent pure blood. The blood gets diluted further down the line.
"Vampires who were once human are different in the sense they smell different. They can still be substituted as a vampire without any pure blood in them."
A moment went by as I tried to get my head around what he said. Damn it was technical.
"Let's use some names you know as an example then?
"Say you were changed into a vampire, Alice. No pure blood whatsoever. Keeping track?"
I nodded. "This example I could follow."
Sam grinned. "Okay. So you had a baby with Mattie, that baby would have fifty percent pure blood."
A baby with Mattie though… I looked away as my cheeks flushed hoping the lights from the posts did not illuminate my face. I was conflicted. My chest ached but there was a feeling between my legs still…
Why did he use Mattie as an example!
Sam continued, "Say you called him… I don't know, 'John'. That child would have fifty per cent vampire and human blood. He'd eventually become known as vampire though.
"When John has a child of his own, John's child would have twenty five percent pure blood."
"Oh! I got it now!" I said.
"Yes! Sorry, I should have used examples."
I told him it was fine. "So, you could be distantly related to a pure blood and not have any pure blood in you."
"Yes."
I meant it as a statement but I suppose my tone lead him to think that was a question.
"So what about Mattie?" I asked. Then I instantly regretted it out loud when he looked at me as if to say, "you're still on about him?" or he was just giving him a dirty look like the rest of the vampires at Rose.
"Well… what about him?"
He wants me to say it clearly and out loud? "Well I noticed not many vampires love the idea of Mattie's presence." Is it even okay to talk to Sam about this?
"Hm." He didn't say a word. It seemed like forever and if the ride would have lasted forever, then I would be perfectly prepared to bug him for an answer. But it didn't.
"Sam, tell me."
"I'm not really sure how to describe it. Mattie is a vampire, I mean, he has the same characteristics with us but… there's something off about him - something human." Sam shrugged. "It's a bit weird and I can't really put my finger on it."
"Eh…" So Sam doesn't know? And he's a vampire.
"You care for him?"
Shit! "What? No, it's just that I wanted to know why people gave him dirty looks when he walks past… you know, stuff like that."
"Ah yeah… well that's the same feeling all vampires get with him. I daresay Mattie knows why but I'm glad he hasn't let that put him down. With any other individual, all the looks might... force them back in their shell, but with Mattie… I suppose he's gone past that."
I agreed. Hearing that I felt kind of happy I got to know Mattie despite all the stares he got and met all of his moods even if I didn't really enjoy them. I was kind of in awe of the guy.
The conversation slid away as our car neared our castle. The party was being held in loomed over the distance, every window lit up like a candle casting a shadowy gaze over the grounds and the water fountain just in front of it.
It was large. To get inside you had to walk up some steps where a butler or some staff member was waiting to get your keys and your coat. With its Victorian design, it was the only thing that was part of the landscape that held detail.
"You ready?" Sam asked me once we had gotten out of the car. He was holding an umbrella just above my head.
I held the open door in shock of the people around me. It wasn't that some women were wearing really lovely dresses that I didn't have to assume to be designer, but their faces. Most of them I knew, well known people. What I didn't know was that they were vampires themselves.
It's Damien O'Neill and his wife, the Managing Director of O'Neill Publishing. And that's Cindy Price the pop singer! She's with someone that's not her boyfriend?
"S-Sorry." I took his arm and we crossed the space between us to the member of staff in front of the door.
"Good evening, Sam." He said nodding his head.
"Evening, Pat." Sam didn't bat an eyelid and we just walked past him as if he wasn't there.
I looked at him quizzically. If I whispered anything then I can bet the dozens of vampires here at the party would become listeners.
Sam shrugged. "Long story."
"Well, okay then."
The foyer was a large room with barely anything in it furniture-wise. Six pillars lined each side in regular intervals, each with a small walkway between the pillar itself and the wall. A window sat evenly in the space between pillars.
At the far end of the room was a set of double doors. Groups of vampires were scattered across the room, their dresses billowing softly in the light breeze that blew in.
Men wore tuxedos, I noticed. Some had tried to make theirs unique by changing the classical bowtie to something of choice.
Man, there are so many vampires here that I didn't even know were vampires…
"We're still early."Sam pointed to the doors at the other end of the room, "When it's time, those doors open."
I nodded. It made sense that if he met one Hartley, he would know how their parties are done.
Sam and I just huddled together when the clock hit nine. There was that atmosphere when you know people were looking at you without looking at you. Some had the nerve to actually stare at us as if they couldn't believe the human scent.
When it finally hit nine everyone started flooding into the next room as the doors opened. There was minimal talk. Heads were forward. Very different from the other security party.
We descended a large stairway that was elegantly decorated in white and gold. The same pillars stood here - ceiling to floor - four of them, larger than the ones before. They hid the small round tables that were dressed for the party in a white tablecloth with what looked like little cake stands meant for afternoon tea. They dotted the floor making it look like polka dots. It was accentuated by the lighting coming from several four tiered chandeliers that had trails of either silver or clear beads hanging through each tier and swinging down to just a few metres above people's heads. Running parallel to the back wall was a long table of dishes and behind that a staircase curved up to a door that was strangely placed right in the middle of it.
A couple of people stood at the bottom of the stairs. A blond woman in an A-line white dress that floated down her body with a permanent smile plastered on her face as she and a guy with brown hair in yet another tuxedo, greeted people.
I leaned over to Sam. Not that it mattered but it felt right, "Sam, I assume they're…"
He nodded. "That's Roland, the girl next to him is Rosy Hartley, his sister."
We had finally reached the bottom of the stairs when my hand was eagerly held by Rosy. She beamed at me and I could help but return that smile with one of those, 'I-have-no-idea-what-you're-planning-on-doing-but-I-have-to-be-nice-and-smile'.
She has really blue eyes.
"Hello there, Rose!" She said, jiggling my arm as if it was made of jelly. "I'm so happy you could make it on short notice!"
"Of course we'll make it if you're inviting us!" Sam grinned as he clasped both of Roland's hands. "This," He gestured toward me. "This lovely woman is my new advanced feeder, Lucy Henderson."
I plastered on my smile. I don't know, something about this party seems off to me. Everyone's too… I'm not sure of the word exactly but it seems fake and too ordered. I don't like it. It's the same in Rose. Was it the society I didn't like?
Is it because I'm not with Mattie?
Professional Alice took me and shook my shoulders, stop thinking about that man!
I nodded my head. "It's lovely to meet you."
"As am I." Roland said. I think he might have wanted to catch up with Sam but saw there were a bunch of people behind us. "If you would help yourself to a table or the food, we'll have this party started soon."
Already some tables were full with some people sat down, chatting away. There were some people who directly stared at us, but when they realised I noticed that, they turned away to continue chatting.
Did people stare at us the last security?
"Let's pick a table round the sides," Sam said. Leaning over he said, "Less newbies would stare."
Oh. I think that made sense. Although I didn't like making assumptions, newly turned vampires needed to adjust to the new society they were now part of. I'd assume that loads of things would be easy to remember knowing a vampire almost never misses or forgets any detail, as Sam mentioned with everyone staring.
We picked a table in the far left corner. No one chose a table next to us. Actually they didn't choose a table within our circumference. Not that it mattered.
I looked at Sam with a face that said 'what the fuck', indicating the empty tables but he mouthed a 'I'll tell you when we get home'.
"Are you hungry, Lucy?" Sam said. Since he was my new vampire partner that's how he knew I hadn't ate much before coming to this party.
"Yeah, I can get it myself." The smell of meat, fish and other dishes brought my appetite back. Unlike the atmosphere. Somewhere out there in the world, a cat hissed.
The table with food was just under the stairs, which could only be seen once you had reached the bottom of the stairs where the hosts were welcoming people. From where we sat I could see only a few people browsing but they had no plates in hand to put food on even though one table was absolutely stacked to the brim with it.
"I'll go scouting alright." Sam said before getting up and head toward the stairs. Scouting was what the vampire did on security cases. Mattie did it when he left me in the middle of the last case. That was the only thing that needed to be done on a security case. I don't know the details exactly of what they do though. I'll have to ask later.
Two women were browsing the food when I got there. One looked like she was a model, she was wearing all gold with her hair a lovely brunette colour that fell down her shoulders and back like a waterfall. It was really mesmerising.
I could only see her profile from the side but she looked like a woman from one of the cases Sarah was telling me about. One that involved Bloody Gold.
But I put that at the back of my mind.
Like before, I decided to grab something to eat before I got grouchy because of hunger. But dear Lord the food looks appetising. Trout on a bed of salt with a few chives, salmon in a tomato sauce, roast lamb, pasta, rice, even a table to accommodate gluten free dishes. It was pretty hard to pick though. It was a bigger decision to see if I had enough space in my stomach to try everything.
Just as I was going to grab some salmon, I felt it. That familiar feeling you get when you came gone after hard day of work or when you're relaxing.
He stood next to me in a navy suit which was the only part of him that I could see from the corner of my eye.
"You haven't ate again?"
"You know I don't really eat before a party," I said.
Look straight ahead.
"That's right, I do."
A silence descended upon us. It lasted for several moments. Or minutes. Or however long the awkwardness lasted.
Until Mattie took my hand and started dragging me.
"W-wait!" I cried almost dropping the plate of food. Luckily I placed it somewhere. Hopefully I could pick it up later. "Where are you taking me?"
When he looked back his eyes had turned red. With the smile that didn't exactly reach his eyes, it was like he was planning on doing something bad. Really bad.
No. Professional Alice perked up. He's probably thirsty. Probably…
"To a place where we can be alone." He frowned. "Aw, come on, Alice. You've known me for how long to know I won't pull any funny business with you."
I hadn't realised I had stiffened as he dragged me until I relaxed. I was going to say something along the lines of 'I don't have much experience with vampires with blood red eyes', but stopped myself as that sounded stupid and the room was ninety-nine per cent filled with vampires.
We wove through the mass amount of tables and up the flight of stairs that snaked up the wall. The door it lead to was open. Surprisingly gentle despite his red eyed nature, Mattie let me enter first by holding the door open and encouraging me in with a push at the small of my back.
It was dark. I could only note a large sofa and a railing with a bunch of clothes hanging due to the light the door let in.
Mattie shut the door then took my hand. He opened another door and with a flick of a switch somewhere (damn, his vampire sight), light flooded the room.
It was a shower room. The whole thing was covered in tiles. Larger tiles covered the walls making the smaller ones look like a mosaic. There was a drain in the corners of the room and several shower heads lined two walls.
"Mattie…" I said turning to him as he closed the door behind him. "I'm not your feeder, remember?"
"On paper you aren't." He said. I thank God he did not advance toward me or I would have been really scared. "In reality it's a different thing entirely. Or rather… we vampires follow the records at Ruby, you remember the first time you met Daniel?"
I swallowed. Daniel and Jess...
I nodded slowly. It was that circular room I had to go through every time to donate blood.
"That is Ruby, the researching department at Rose. Ruby keeps track of your blood including a vampire's intake of it."
I could tell he was trying to say something. "What are you…"
"It means I'm still taking your blood, Alice."
Did those eyes turn a shade darker? Is that possible?
"Do you still want to reason with a thirsty vampire?"
That's right. I have no choice. Rule four.
I sighed. Giving up.
Mattie stepped closer till he could take my hand to maneuver me to a corner to where I sat down.
"Suppose I shouldn't have been wearing this dress then." I said smiling slightly.
He kneeled down, "No. You shouldn't have. Perhaps on another occasion."
"If it's not ruined."
Mattie trailed kisses on my forehead before reaching my neck and I… loved it. Damn. Every kiss that landed on my skin felt hot even though it was so gentle. And my breathing… it grew heavier just a bit.
"Mattie…"
"Shush." He murmured against my neck. He was kissing it, licking, scraping his teeth against me so much I found myself wanting him to bite. Fuck sake. "Tell me when to stop." He whispered before he bit. Deeply.
"Shit!" I gasped, grabbing hold of him. I'd forgotten the pain. It felt like the energy I had was just leaking out of me via my neck. I couldn't really make sense of the confusion running in my head or the blinding pain of wanting it to end faster.
Until I hit the point where I instantly felt tired.
I gasped. "Mattie, stop."
But he kept going.
"M-Mattie!" My voice sounded weak. Was that me? Didn't I shout? It was all I could do before I collapsed..