The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series) (8 page)

             
"Hey, trouble!" he chortled, playfully scrutinizing me with his sky blue eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you.  We've met before.  I'm Adrian, the duke of sector six."

             
"Ah, now I have a face to go with the voice," I quipped, taking in his wavy, chin length, blonde hair and light skinned complexion.  "Still, that doesn't explain why you're in my room."  I tried to sound bitchy, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling.  For some reason, the guy made me warm inside which was a stark contrast to the resentment I felt toward Tsedaka. 

             
"I thought I'd come speak with you for a bit to make sure you're alright, help you settle in, that sort of thing."

             
"Well, since you're here," I replied, batting my lashes in my best show of innocence.  "How 'bout giving me the pass code to my door."

             
He chuckled dryly.  "You get right to the point, don't you?" 

             
"Yeah, I mean, if you really wanna help, there's no better time to start than now."

             
"You're going to be trouble, such trouble," he jested, recoiling in mock distress.  "In all seriousness, darling, I don't have the code.  And, anyway, you should stick around.  Considering you're a newly changed vampire, it's essential for you to acclimate in a secure environment."

             
I released a deep, aggravated breath.  "I'm not a vampire and neither are you guys.  Vampires don't exist." 
I sounded like a damn broken record.

             
"Actually, princess, they do."

             
"Oh god, not that again too!" I growled, balling my hands into fists.  "Look, if we're gonna talk about this crap, I wanna sit down.  I'm not just gonna stand here while you lounge comfortably on my bed.  Let's go to the other room."

             
"You could lay here, beside me," he teased mischievously, patting a spot next to him.  "There's plenty of space."

             
"Yeah, you wish, buddy.  C'mon, let's go."  And with that, I marched into the living room, plopped onto the love seat, and cleverly stretched my legs out across it so he couldn't sit beside me.  Moments later, he strolled in and settled himself on the only piece of furniture available, the couch.

             
"You have to accept your new reality," he advised, his demeanor sobering.  "Denial will assuredly weaken you during a time when being strong is of the utmost importance.  This place isn't safe for you."

             
No shit, Sherlock, you guys kidnapped me.  Of course, I wasn't safe. 
I wanted to scream in rage, however, I somehow put a damper on my emotions and managed a meager amount of control.  "That's the reason I need to get the hell outta here.  Why do you think I asked for the pass code?" 

             
"You shouldn't leave, Luna.  Remaining here is definitely the lesser of two evils.  That said, you must have your wits about you.  Several factions oppose your rise to power and they'll stop at nothing to usurp the throne." 

             
"So, in other words, you're saying I've got enemies," I surmised, rapidly becoming disinterested as my stomach's rumbling once again signaled that it was ready for food. 

             
Mouth watering, I jumped up and headed for the bar.  After which, I quickly grabbed a pop and the rest of the meat and cheese plate, then returned to the love seat.  All the while, he droned on with more of his, um, stories, tall tales, delusions? 
Whatever they were, I really didn't care.  Well, unless he said the words 'escape' or 'pass code'.  As a result, I scarfed more food and, boy, it was delicious.  Yummy, juicy, finger licking...

             
"Are you listening?  Hello!  Earth to Luna!" he barked, obnoxiously snapping his fingers in the air.

             
As I glanced up from my platter, I realized from the look on his face that I must've been tuning out his ludicrous ramblings for quite awhile. 
Sorry dude.
  The food was just
so good
.  Plus, the stuff he'd been talking about was plain ridiculous.
  Vampire wannabes.  Sigh. 

             
I leisurely washed down a chunk of ham with a big swig of Mountain Dew before finally discharging one of my snotty replies.  "Look,
mister sector six
, no reason to get all pissy. 
I was listening,
well, sort of.  You were jabbering on about me
supposedly
being a half breed."

             
"At least you caught a portion of it," he grumbled, aggravation lining his face.  "I was explaining that you're not a full blooded born vampire, like me and the rest of the aristocracy.  You're what many of our kind call a half breed.  Although, I prefer the term hybrid seeing that it's a bit more politically correct.  At any rate, the main idea here is that born vampires are the ruling class and made vampires are the foot soldiers and servants.  There's no intermingling of the two."

             
Totally bizarre. 
"Okay, hypothetically, let's say Tsedaka is my father.  It still doesn't mean that I'm half vampire or whatever.  I grew up the same as everybody else.  No cravings for blood, no sleeping in coffins." 

             
"Aside from intelligence and athletic capabilities, half vampires typically exhibit very few signs of their ancestry.  Regardless of what you want to believe, you were born a half vampire.  Your birthmark proves it."

             
I rolled my eyes.  "Assuming you're a
born vampire
, as you claim.  Then how did you grow, um, you know, from a baby?  Because, in the movies, vampires are immortal and they don't age."

             
"That's a good question.  We mature similar to humans until early adulthood when our development slows.  Nonetheless, we do continue to age throughout our lives.  That's the reason the older ones tend to have gray hair and wrinkles.  Made vampires, on the other hand, more closely resemble the vampires portrayed by popular culture in that they remain the same age as the day of their change."

             
"Uh-huh," I muttered, not having a clue how else to react.  For real, the number of layers to their delusion was truly amazing.

             
"Anyway, my point is that you were half vampire by birth.  Once you reached a proper age, Tsedaka decided to turn you.  Hence the kidnapping, chalice, and changing room.  So, in effect, you're born and made with Tsedaka as both your father and your sire.  A true hybrid."

             
"Okay, let me get this straight," I marveled, trying my best not to laugh.  "In the world of
the
vampires
, I'm basically considered a second class citizen because of my, um, my
hybridization
?"

             
"Yes," he affirmed with an eager nod of his head.  "That said, being a hybrid isn't all bad.  It's entirely possible that your unique lineage could make you exceptionally strong, more powerful than other vampires.  By the same token, you might also end up being weaker.  We'll know more as you develop."

             
"This is all interesting,
in a fantasy novel kinda way
.  But, frankly, you guys have got major issues.  I can't be a vampire.  Look, I don't have fangs."  I lifted my lips to show off my pearly whites.  "And my heart's beating which means I'm alive.  Also, check this out.  Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  See, I'm not..."  Then, at that exact moment, my straight-faced façade shattered and I started laughing so hard that it brought tears to my eyes.  I couldn't help it, their charade was simply asinine. 
A sick joke.

             
Unbothered by my shenanigans, Adrian responded with utter calmness.  "Nothing will happen if you eat garlic, wear a cross, go to church, say the lord's prayer, or take a swim in holy water.  These are old wives' tales.  And we aren't the undead, that too is a fallacy.  Moreover, your fangs won't extend until it's time to feed..."

             
"That's just it, though," I panted, barely catching my breath in between giggles.  "I don't wanna
feed,
as you put it.  I'm hungry for food and all.  But I'm not thinking about biting you or sucking your blood."  I punctuated my words by forming a vampire-ish biting gesture with my mouth which, of course, caused me to laugh even harder.

             
"I'm a vampire; it wouldn't be very appetizing for you to feed on me," he explained, sincerity emanating from his voice.  And, in a flash, it finally sunk in.  To him, the whole vampire thing wasn't an act. 
He believed it.
 

             
I shook my head in disgust, honestly beginning to feel bad for the guy. 
He needed to see a shrink in the worst way.

             
"You'll see what I'm saying in the days to come," he rebuffed with an air of certainty.  "You haven't been around any humans since your change."

             
"Well, that remains to be seen,
I guess
."

             
"You really must take this seriously," he cautioned, leaning forward in his seat to stress his point.  "There's no way to outrun your destiny and you're endangering your life by ignoring it."

             
"Destiny?  More like karma, if you ask me.  I mean, I must've done some horrible shit in a past life to deserve being kidnapped by a bunch of
vampires
."  As I said
vampire
, I rolled my eyes and immediately cracked-up again.  I just couldn't help it. 
Vampires, yeah right
.

             
And that's when his patient attitude snapped.  "Stop laughing!" he yelled.  "Focus!  Right here with me!  Now!  This is important!"

             
His sudden outburst caught me off guard and brought my amusement to a screeching halt.  "Okay, okay, simmer down," I backpedaled, knowing I needed to weasel a little more information out of him before irritating him further.  "So, um, where's here anyway?"

             
He inhaled deeply, attempting to curb his emotions.  "You're at high court, princess."

             
"God!  I'm so tired of getting the runaround!" I blurted, unable to keep a lid on my temper.  "You want me to be serious, yet you keep giving me your dungeons and dragons, sci-fi channel explanations.  If you can't start shooting me straight, you might as well go."

             
He slumped back into the couch as if I'd slapped him.  "I apologize, princess, upsetting you isn't my intention.  I'm merely unaccustomed to speaking with those who don't already understand a lot about our world.  You're at high court; I gave you a truthful answer.  That said, you're also in a decommissioned missile base about an hour outside of Topeka."  He paused briefly to make eye contact.  "Is that the real world answer you were looking for?"

             
"Um, sort of." 
This story was growing stranger by the second.
  "A missile base?  Like from the military?"

             
"Yes.  Several decades ago the United States government decommissioned around one hundred missile silos throughout the country.  They built the facilities for the cold war, originally.  However, once it ended, they had no use for them.  The nukes were removed and the empty underground compounds were auctioned off to the highest bidder.  Since then, our people have purchased many of them."

             
"Well, I guess that explains why there aren't any windows."

             
"No windows, although still quite extravagant."  He motioned toward the chandelier.  "As you can see, the king enjoys making a statement." 

             
I didn't respond right away.  Instead, I just stared at him in silence, secretly moving closer and closer to ripping a few handfuls of hair from my head.
  It wasn't enough to simply be kidnapped by these maniacs, I had to go and find out that they'd trapped me in a goddamn bunker.
How in the hell was I supposed to escape a setup built by the military?  Why me?  Why fucking me?

             
After watching my tension rise for a couple minutes, he eventually walked over and knelt at my feet.  "I'm here for you," he murmured, grasping my hand tenderly.  "You have my loyalty.  I swear it on my crown."

             
Instantly, tingling sensations cascaded across my body awakening memories of purple sheets and warm skin. 
Loving, cuddling, nightly visits. 
In turn, my heartbeat quickened and my eyes grew incredibly round.
  Could he be the guy from my dreams?  Nah, no way.  Sure felt like it, but no.  Not possible.