Court of blood and fangs

3

A slender glass of blood sat in my pale hand, dangling from my fingers as I looked out across the forest-covered terrain from my balcony. From downstairs, I could hear the musical instruments playing and vampires conversing — nothing about fathers death, which was very good at the moment.

"First day back and you're letting Dallick throw a party, that's not very motherly."

I rolled my eyes at Cartis's voice but didn't bother to turn and look at him.

"I'm, not their mother am I, I'm just here to keep them from killing each other."

He hummed as he sauntered up next to me, leaning against the marble rail and turning to stare at my expression.

"And Dracula's death? I heard you're investigating it."

I shrugged. "Who wouldn't. Plus, his death doesn't make sense. If the Crimson pack had killed him their pack would have been wiped out. But they weren't touched at all."

He rolled his eyes. "You always were the one to look for something that was never there."

I snapped my head to face his. A deadly glare glinting through my red eyes.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. "Don't deny it, Celeste, you know I'm right."

"You better watch your mouth Cartis, otherwise you may just lose that tongue of yours."

"please–" he teased, followed by a small scoff, "–you know my tongue can do wonders, why would you of all people want me to lose such a prize."

I turned my glare back to the landscape of trees, taking a sip from my glass. The sweet taste of human blood momentarily distracting me from the twat beside me, taking in even breaths as I had practised, I felt the rage that burned inside me slowly begin to fade.

The next time I looked at Cartis my eyes were undoubtedly back to their usual colour of electric blue — a look that was void of interest rested in them.

"Go bother someone else Cartis, you bore me." I waved my hand dismissively, not bothering to spare him a single glance.

"My bed is free for you anytime, your Majesty." The words that addressed me formally came out as if he were mocking me. He turned and exited my balcony at a leisurely pace. Each calm step painfully clear to my ears.

I clenched my jaw, wondering if it was such a good idea to snap his neck? But I couldn't, his family have been by our side for centuries. Besides we didn't need an outrage right now.

The door to my room opened, revealing a new voice.

"Celeste this is your party come dow– oh Cartis, I didn't know you were up here."

I turned my head over my shoulder, casting a look at Genevieve and Cartis who stood by the door before I turned back to the forest.

"He was just leaving."

"Excuse me, your Majesty," Cartis pardoned himself politely.

"Oh, yes of course."

There was a click of the door shutting before I heard my sisters' heels make their way towards me.

"What was he doing in here Celeste?"

"Bothering me."

"You're not going to sle–"

"No Gen, I'm not foolish enough to do anything like that again."

She sat on the flat marble rail — next to me. Swinging her legs lightly.

"Come downstairs and enjoy the night, everyone hasn't seen you for so long."

I looked up at her, the corner of my lip twitching up ever so slightly. She was the sweetest most kind-hearted of us all. Her mother was said to be a small sweet village girl who had fallen for Dracula when she was born he found that she was not a full vampire, she had the appearance of one but did not share any of the qualities — although she does age a lot slower than the average human. So it made sense why she was so nice compared to the rest of us.

"Tell me, Gen, how have the rest of the siblings been doing?"

Her legs stopped swinging, and the brightness behind her smile dimmed, "not too good. They've been fighting over the throne, Dallick and Divina recently fought, resulting in the music room being destroyed as well as the hallway to it. Luckily I was there to stop it, but it is hard since I don't have much power, they only stopped because I started bawling my eyes."

I sighed, disappointed by their actions.

"I missed you, you know," She said, her voice laced with sorrow.

I sighed. "I know Gen."

"The others did too. When you left, we didn't know what to do."

"I couldn't stay here Gen, it..."

Was too hard.

She slipped off from the rail and wrapped her arms around me, her chin resting snugly against my shoulder. We stood there silently for a few moments before she spoke.

"Well your here now, and I want you to celebrate with us."

I sighed, reluctant to join the party downstairs. She pulled away slightly to look up at me with her soft doe eyes.

"Celeste can you play with me please, Dallick is training with his friends and Divina is out shopping."

I turned away from the books I was studying, to the small girl that held a stuffed doll tightly to her chest, her midnight hair pulled into pigtails, a cerulean coloured frilly dress adorning her small body.

"I'm busy at the moment Gen."

She pouted, her doe eyes staring back at me pleadingly — something she would do whenever she wanted something.

I sighed.

"Fine."

"Haven't changed a bit have you," I muttered, with a thin smile.

She smiled brightly. "Is that a yes!"

"Only an hour."

She nodded vigorously. "Trust me you'll love it." With that she let go of me, only to grab my hand and tug me towards the door.

The party wasn't that bad if I had been in better spirits the night would have been near to fantastic but Cartis meeting me in my room had thrown me off.

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7 pages