Ten, p.41
Ten, page 41
Eventually, she leaned forward little by little and closed her eyes.
“The truth is,” she said, stopping just in front of his lips. “The truth is, there was someone I loved more than anyone, and I wish so hard that I could have him back, no matter the cost.”
“The man in the photo?” Bam-Yin asked.
Georgia nodded and pulled away. “Ren, I loved him. I love him still, and I’m not ready for anyone else,” she said.
Bam-Yin nodded slowly and took her hands. He gave them a surprisingly gentle squeeze before he leaned over and whispered,
“Be careful what you wish for,” and then disappeared back into the night.
29
“DAMN IT TO HELL,” Georgia sighed as she stared at the black scrolls that still sat in her purse. “You had one job to do—”
“Did you need something, Miss?” Ashley asked as he finished stacking her breakfast dishes.
“No, nothing, sorry,” she said. “Unless you have a crash course in vampire wedding etiquette. I think Mr. Lambley omitted some details.”
“The etiquette depends entirely on the family and the status of those getting married,” her assistant explained. “Sir Edmund and Dame Corazon are lesser nobility, and the purpose of this entire affair is to show that the Azarola and Pendragon families plan to stand together; so it’s a level of formality that is quite similar to a human wedding, only far less religious.”
“I think I can handle that,” she said. She did a final check of her makeup and hair. “Any faux paus I should look out for?”
“Well, are you squeamish around blood?” Ashley asked.
“Only if it’s my own.”
“Then you’ll be fine, Miss. Just don’t stare awkwardly or cause a scene. The ceremony should be short and to the point, and then the celebrations will take over the night. Both the Azarola and the Pendragons love a good party. I’ll have your dress ready for after the ceremony.”
“Because I think of under the sea when I think of vampires,”
Georgia said. “Also, I never thought I’d say it, but it is wonderful to
have an assistant. I’m finally getting what Mr. Lambley sees in me, Ashley.”
“You had best be on your way, Miss. I’m sure you’ll want to get a good seat,” Ashley said. “Do you want me to escort you?”
“I’m sure I can find it.”
“Just be cautious, Miss,” Ashley said. “I can’t explain it, but I felt like I was being followed.”
Georgia smiled. “Thanks for the warning,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine.”
“As you wish,” he said before leaving.
“Bob, are you there?” she asked as soon as the door shut. The air in her room remained frightfully still. She sighed and transferred the scrolls from her pink clutch to a more sensible black one. She peeked at the corner one more time before she left. She hadn’t made it three steps when she felt a shiver on the back of her neck.
“Bob,” she whispered. A shadow flickered, and she breathed a sigh of relief. “Hey, you—”
Her eyes widened as she saw an arm dart around the corner.
She stepped towards it gingerly as she heard furtive muttering.
“Just stay hidden, just stay hidden,” she heard. She could barely see a hulking form trying to skulk in the shadows.
“Hello?” Georgia asked.
“You need to stay away from me,” a creepy, raspy voice growled.
He made a strange grunting noise.
“Are you OK?” Georgia asked as she saw the shadow double over in pain. “Hey, Awkward Morgan?”
He kept his face turned away and his shaking hands balled into fists. “Stay away from me!” he said.
Georgia gasped as she saw blood drip on the ground. She reached for him, but he recoiled and ran for the stairs. Georgia saw something white just a few feet away. She darted over and picked up a syringe. “Oh, lord, crazy diabetic at a vampire party,” she said. She called after him, “Hey, do you need some orange juice, or are you taking drugs?”
This time the shadows flickered in response. She whirled around, but there was still no sign of Bam-Yin. Georgia tensed and started
looking right and left. Her heart flickered as the lights flickered again.
“This isn’t funny,” she said as something brushed past her ear.
She grabbed her head as the faint scent of some sort of flower tickled her nose. Sweat beaded on her brow as she felt something itchy under her nails.
“Georgia!”
She shook her head as she saw Steve running towards her. He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Georgia, Sweetheart, you OK?” he asked as her eyes started focusing again at last. “Where have you been?”
“Huh?” she asked.
“You ran out on me. No one saw you all day—”
“I wound up asleep in a hammock by the barn and then I ended up back in bed thanks to some nice servants. Wait, were you really worried about me?” she asked.
“I know it’s crazy, but. . . a friend said he saw some sort of invisible vampire,” Steve said as he checked Georgia’s neck carefully.
“Well if he was invisible, how did your friend see him?” she asked.
“Remember the freaky thing that attacked you—?”
“That wasn’t real.”
“Georgia!” Steve said.
She eyed the flickering shadows. “I’m telling you, we were drunk.
There is no invisible vampire stalking me. Now, let’s just go to the wedding—”
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked. “You’re really warm—”
“I’m pretty sure that’s because you’re dead, and I’m not!” she snapped. She let out her breath and cringed. “Look, we should get going. I know tardiness isn’t against the four laws, but I don’t think Mr. Lambley’s dad wants his wedding interrupted by us being late.”
Steve nodded and took her hand. “Come on.”
They made it to the front doors of the ballroom just as the main throng rushed for decent seats. As it turned out, their fears were unwarranted as a pair of servants quickly rushed them to the front
where Mr. Lambley, Minerva, and Lady Pendragon awaited them.
Lord Pendragon and his date, however, were nowhere to be found.
“I’m so happy you could join us,” Mina said. “I’m sure this will be a real treat.”
Lady Pendragon smiled weakly. She rubbed her temples as she kept scanning the crowd. Finally, she slumped against the pew.
“Mina?” Georgia asked.
“Sorry,” Mina said. “I’ve been planning these parties non-stop, and I suppose it’s caught up with me.”
She gave Georgia a little squeeze. “I’ll be fine. Nothing a good meal and some music won’t fix. You know, maybe Lorcan actually showing up on time to a wedding he arranged—”
Steve leaned over. “Don’t, just don’t say a word,” he whispered in her ear.
They sat in silence as the pews filled up. Two seats remained empty next to Mina until the Romanian sensation himself, Vlad Tepes, slid next to her and started whispering something in her ear.
“Is Lorcan going to ditch the wedding?” Georgia asked.
“If he does, I’m pretty sure there will be hell to pay,” Steve hissed.
“Um, your great-granddaughter is missing too. Oh, you don’t think
—”
Steve shook his head and recoiled in horror. “He’s not touching Paige, because if he did, I’m not the only one who’d be ripping his throat out. He swore to me—”
All of them hushed up as the music changed in the great hall.
Georgia studied the bountiful garlands of flowers and the candles lining each pew. An altar had been moved on stage and dressed in a red sheet. A single golden cup sat in the middle.
“I think I know exactly what is going to happen here,” Georgia muttered.
“Yeah, Lady Pendragon is about to lose her—” Steve muttered.
He looked down at his pocket as everyone in the row heard a little buzz.
Minerva hissed, “That is low class, even for you. Also, how zee hell do you have service?”
Geoffrey, Georgia, Minerva, Vlad, and Mina all stared at the blushing young vampire. Finally, he slipped it out and switched it to silent. He looked sheepishly at his date.
“Um, Georgia, I have to go,” he said.
Paige snarled as she banged her fists against her door. “Let me out of here!” she called. “Can’t any of you hear me?”
“The door is made to be locked from either side,” Lorcan sighed as he lounged in her pit of beanbags and toyed with his phone. “It’s apparently been shielded against cell phone use too.”
The vampire flung his hunk of plastic onto the bed and yanked at his hair. He kicked one of the cushions into the wall and snarled.
“Are you done with your tantrum?” Paige snarled. “What is this, vampire hazing?”
“If I am not at the wedding, it will be a terrible insult to our Azarola guests, not to mention make me look like a fool in front of all my peers. Of course, you are missing too, which will prompt even more talk—”
“The door shut the moment you stepped inside. I couldn’t stop it,”
Paige growled. She sniffed the doorjamb and started poking at everything in the room. Lorcan flopped onto another cushion. Paige sneered at him. “You know, you could help.”
“I’m thinking,” Lorcan sighed.
“No, you are being a lazy ass who expects everything to be done for him,” she snapped.
“You watch that tone, Paige,” he snarled.
“Or what? Are you going to brood at me?” she taunted. Her claws popped out. He snarled.
“My head is pounding,” Lorcan growled as he rolled to his feet. “I want to just—”
Paige sauntered over to him, her claws still out. She leaned in and stared right through him. Her voice sunk to a raspy, inhuman
tone as she said, “You don’t want to know what I want right now, bloodsucker.”
Lorcan’s claws slipped out from under his nails. He bared his fangs. Before either of them could lunge for the other, however, there was a bang on the door.
“Paige? Pipsqueak, are you in there?” a voice called from beyond the door.
Paige’s eyes snapped back into focus. Lorcan shook his head.
They both ran to the door and pounded on it this time.
“Steve, is that you?” she asked.
“Just get us out of here,” Lorcan snapped. “Try the latch, or get a key, or something!”
“Haven’t you ever heard of manners, Lord P.?” Steve asked.
“Have you ever heard of—?” Lorcan was cut short by the door swinging open.
Paige jumped on her great-grandfather and gave him a huge hug. He smiled smugly at Lorcan. Steve pointed down the hall where a trembling Morgan held up his special-issue servant’s phone. Paige shoved past Steve and ran to Morgan’s side.
“Morgan—” she said. Sweat poured down his face.
“Something is wrong,” he said. “Every little thing is making me angry—”
“It’s affecting us too,” Paige said. “It’s like I’ve had tequila and a sunburn and then had to wait in the DMV.”
“We need to warn Kyle, Kayleigh, and Nadia,” Lorcan said.
“Morgan, can you get to them?”
He nodded. “All the staff have to go to a reception before the ball.
Lady Pendragon is thanking us, but I can sneak to the upstairs afterwards. I just need to keep my head on straight,” Morgan said as he slipped a syringe out of his pocket.
“Morgan,” Paige said. “I thought you—”
“Emergency use only. Do either of you need a hit?”
Lorcan took one of them. “Come on, Paige,” he growled. “We haven’t got much time.”
He nodded to both Steve and Morgan. Steve clutched his chest.
“Could it possibly be that you owe me again, Lord P.?” Steve asked.
“I think we all owe Morgan,” Paige said. “I’ll find you later. Just, try to stay out of trouble.”
He gave her a quick kiss. Lorcan dragged Paige away. “Later,”
the vampire snarled as he made a beeline for the door. All of them stopped cold to see a lovely, pale woman in an intensely bright red gown covered in purple flowers.
“Lady Corazon,” Lorcan said as he nearly crashed into the vibrant bride.
Steve grabbed Paige’s hand and the two of them slipped through the main doors a split second before the ambient music changed to Pachelbel’s “Cannon in D.” Paige smiled her brightest and most innocent smile as the pair had to run across an aisle of rose petals and skid into their front row seats. Lady Pendragon smiled, but her glare bored through Steve.
“Sorry, the descendant is lactose-intolerant and hit the sundae bar earlier,” Steve said as they both shoved into the pew.
Paige grimaced as the full weight of her body landed on her bound tail. She grabbed her stomach and smiled sheepishly at all the vampires staring at her. Lady Pendragon’s eyes softened. “You poor thing, but you really should avoid the food we lay out for the help. It’s considered poor form if I treated an honored guest as a commoner,” Mina whispered in her ear. “If you need a doctor, just ask.”
Paige waved her hands in horror. “No, no fuss needed—”
Georgia gave Paige a sympathetic smile and slipped a foil pack out of her purse. Paige watched the pills travel across Lady Pendragon, Steve, and even Lord Dracula himself, until a fresh batch of Pepto-Bismol landed in her lap.
“Now, if only my husband would show—” Mina sighed as the music swelled.
Paige had to smile as none other than Lord Pendragon escorted the bride down the aisle. The vampire onlookers pointed and whispered as Lorcan led Lady Corazon towards her incredibly sour-faced groom to be.
“Such a human tradition,” Paige heard whispered. While others in the crowd hissed, “What an honor!”
Lady Pendragon breathed a sigh of relief, but Paige could see Lord Tepes scowling out of the corner of her eye. Lorcan handed Lady Corazon to Edgar and gave a little bow. He smiled expectantly at Vlad, and the eastern European overlord was forced to slide over so that Lord Pendragon could settle down next to his wife.
“Are you ready for the wonders of a vampire wedding?” Steve whispered to the human girls on either side of him.
The music and the crowd grew quiet as a lone figure drifted towards the altar. Paige fought down a snarl as Merlin took his place on stage. He now wore a plain, white, linen robe with sandals that looked like they were woven from reeds. He stretched his hands broadly as if he was embracing the crowd.
“Honored guests, noble houses, and witnesses from the Cesare,”
he said. “The couple has requested a ceremony fully divorced from human superstition and the gods of the mortals. I am merely here to state this fact and to allow those who have chosen to be wed a fair hearing of their vows. You, good creatures of the night shall bear witness to this happy event and are invited to share in the celebration of the Azarola and of the Pendragon both tonight and tomorrow for the Solstice. Pray continue, and let your minds and hearts be clear.”
Merlin took a step back and both Corazon and Edgar joined hands in front of the cup. They nodded stiffly to one another.
“Dame Corazon, of the Pendragon house,” Edgar said in a dreadfully British voice. “I swear an oath to you this night. I swear not to kill you nor cause you embarrassment. So long as you please me, I shall endeavor to do the same, and I offer you the hospitality of my house and the communion of my blood. This I do swear.”
Corazon smiled, cracking her thick layer of lipstick. “Sir Edgar Lambley of the Azarola, I accept these terms. I too swear not to kill you and to entertain you when the occasion allows. So long as you please me, I shall endeavor to do the same. I offer you the hospitality of my house and the communion of my blood. This I do swear.”
“I accept your terms,” Edgar replied flatly. “Shall we?”
They both slashed their wrists with their fangs. As the blood dribbled into the cup, Paige had to cover her mouth. She barely managed to fight down the gag reflex as she watched them take a sip. The longer the couple drank, the more she could feel a phantom force pushing at the back of her throat.
“Called it,” she heard Georgia whisper in Steve’s ear.
Merlin walked back around the altar. “The couple will now retire to complete the union. If you would all please return to your rooms. The next ball shall begin when the clock strikes midnight,” he said with one more triumphant gesture to the crowd.
“Was it just me, or did the happy couple seem a bit—?” Georgia started.
“Cold?” Paige finished.
Steve gave an obnoxious, knowing grin. “A vampire’s word is his bond, ladies. No one wants to make a promise that they can’t keep, especially in front of all these people,” he explained.
“But they didn’t promise to love each other,” Georgia noted.
“What does love have to do with marriage?” Lady Pendragon muttered as she swept by the humans. She gave a pointed look back towards Lorcan. “Still, I’m happy for them. They kept it dreadfully traditional.”
Steve kept explaining as he led them to the door. “Yeah, they will be a bit gushier after they are done with all the sucking and the fucking, but those two were never in it for anything other than money and prestige. I mean, can you imagine if a vampire made a human marriage vow? Till death do us part means a very different thing to a vampire. Now, if you look at the Jaeger and his first wife, that is one of those rare cases where they did choose to have a religious ceremony and human vows. Then she turned out to be barren, so he had to have a more vampire-y ceremony and bring in the adorable Nazi that we all know and love.”
“I’ve never met her,” Paige interjected.
“And I’ve only met her once,” Georgia said.
“Well, let’s keep it that way,” Steve said. “But yeah, most vampire weddings are just like this. The divorces are usually more entertaining and have the same amount of catering. All I know is that
they claim that the cake is not to be missed, and that Lady Pendragon has outdone herself.”
