Conclave (Vampire Conclave: Book 3), page 19
“I love you, Helen,” I proclaim as I approach the cart she’s standing beside.
Viktor meows from his spot on my bed and rolls over onto his back, as if to ask me to rub his belly and show my affection for him too.
“Yes,” I tell him as I reach a hand out and do as he demands, “I love you too, but you do realize that you’re not a dog, right? I’m not sure a respectable cat would roll over for a belly rub. I’m fairly certain it would be biting me instead of doing this.”
“Meow,” he says as if he thinks I’ve said the silliest thing ever.
When I reach the table Helen is by, she asks, “Are you excited about the battle royale today?”
“I’m not sure ‘excited’ is the word I would use,” I reply before I bite into a juicy purple apple. “Have you tried this fruit from Alfheim? It’s delicious. Everything I’ve eaten over there so far tastes good.”
“Oh yes, I’ve been sampling some of their dishes here at the mansion,” she tells me. “They’re all quite tasty. I hope they’ll let us take some supplies home with us when we leave so you can become accustomed to eating their food.”
“Helen,” I say, just now thinking about something that I should have thought about before, “when it’s time for Julian and I to live on Alfheim full-time, you are going to go with us, aren’t you?”
Helen smiles as if she’s pleased with my question. “Well, I was wondering how that would work, actually. I wasn’t sure I would be allowed to go there since I’m human.”
“I’ll need to talk to Shael about it,” I say, “but I don’t see any reason why you can’t come with us. In fact, I’ll make a point of asking her about it tonight at the engagement party, just to confirm that there won’t be a problem. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a part of my family now, and I want you to come live with us when it’s time.”
“I would love that, Sarah,” Helen says, sounding relieved that she won’t be left behind.
I feel bad for not reassuring her earlier that we intended to take her with us. I meant what I said. Helen is a part of our family, and life just wouldn’t be the same without her around.
After I eat, I groan—not because I’m too full, but because Helen informs me that I have to put my companion dress back on.
“I really don’t like this thing,” I tell her as she zips me up. “But all the girls were wearing them last night, even Winifred.”
“Oh my goodness, is she still alive?” Helen asks in surprise. “The last time Julian and I saw her she was five years old. I thought for sure she had passed away by now.”
“Nope, she’s still alive and sassy in her old age,” I say. “I like her. I hope I’m that spunky when I’m her age. I wish Julian had taken Evie up on her offer to have us over for breakfast this morning, but he got all moody last night and declined her invitation before I could say I wanted to go.”
“Really? What made him moody?”
“Vampire guilt syndrome,” I whisper, even though I know it won’t do any good. I’m sure Julian is in his room listening to every word we say.
“Ahh …” Helen nods knowingly. “Yes, I’ve run into that syndrome myself a few times over the years. What triggered it this time?”
I go on to tell Helen everything that transpired at the first meeting with the other vampires up until Julian’s ghost let him regain control of his body.
“Janus and Sophie,” Helen says with a disapproving shake of her head, “those two are a hot mess. Always have been.”
I laugh at her use of such a modern term. “I can’t disagree with you there. That poor Daisy, though. I just don’t know what to think about that situation, except that it’s bad for her.”
“It’s probably best not to think too hard about it, dear,” Helen advises. “Otherwise, you’ll get sick to your stomach.”
I decide to heed Helen’s counsel for as long as I can. I’ll have to endure Janus’s and Sophie’s company again sooner than I want to anyway.
“Are you coming to Mira’s with us today?” I ask her.
“Oh goodness, no,” Helen replies like the mere thought of going is out of the question. “It wouldn’t be safe for me there.”
“Is that because of Janus and Sophie? Surely they would know better than to attack you. Julian would kill them, vampire code or not.”
“It’s not them I would have to worry about.”
“Then who would you have to worry about?”
“Whatever they’ve brought to be their champions in the battle.”
“Whatever?” I ask, finding this an odd word to use. “Don’t you mean whomever?”
“Well, perhaps, but they could have brought any manner of creature to fight for them. It’s always a toss-up at these things, and Julian has never allowed me to attend a battle royale when they have one.”
“But you will be going to the Midnight Ball with us, right?” I distinctly remember Daniel telling Helen she owed him a dance at the ball that was to mark the end of the conclave.
“Oh, yes, that I can go to. Anyone who works for a vampire and helps with the preparations for the conclave are invited to attend. Even me.”
“Good,” I say. “At least I’ll have one friend there.”
“Meow,” Viktor says from the bed as he sits up and looks at me expectantly.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to stay here and keep Helen company today,” I tell him. “If it’s too dangerous for her to go, it’s not safe for you to come with me either. But I promise to take you to the engagement party later tonight.”
This seems to pacify Viktor, as he lies back down on the bed.
There’s a knock on my door, and I hear Nadia say on the other side, “Sarah, it’s time to go. Julian’s waiting for us downstairs.”
I kiss Helen on the cheek before making my way to the door.
“Be careful, Sarah,” she calls out to me. “And watch your back.”
“I will,” I promise her as I open the door and step out to meet Nadia.
“Are you ready?” she asks me.
“Not really,” I say truthfully. “Today is going to be a very long day. Once the battle royale is over, we’ll have to come straight back here to get ready for the engagement party in Alfheim this evening.”
“It’s definitely going to be a long day,” Nadia agrees. “But we’ll get through it.”
I know she’s right. One way or another, we’ll get through this day and the next and the next. That’s just how life is. No matter what it throws at you, a person can learn to adapt and survive. All I have to do is survive the next couple of days, and then I can start planning the rest of my life with Julian. The thought brings a smile to my face and a warm fuzzy feeling to my heart. I never thought I would become one of those hopeless romantics you read about in books and see in the movies, but here I am, living my own fantasy.
I only pray that it doesn’t turn into a nightmare.
When we walk into Mira’s mansion, the anticipation everyone is feeling over the impending battle royale is tremendous. I have to block my empathic ability before the combined excitement of those gathered overwhelms my system and sends me into sensory overload. A guard approaches our group as we enter and informs us that he’s been instructed to escort Nadia to the practice field, which we’re told is just on the other side of the back courtyard’s perimeter wall.
“I’m going to go with her,” Julian announces to me. “I would like to see who Janus and Sophie brought to fight for them.”
“Okay,” I say, uncertain about my place in the festivities. “What do companions usually do before the fight?”
“Normally, there’s a feast set up somewhere. I’m sure Mira hasn’t forgotten it this year …”
Julian turns to one of the two guards by the front door, presumably to ask them where I need to go, but he never gets the chance to voice his query.
“Sarah!” I hear Daniel call out to me from down the hallway in the direction of the formal living room where I first met Constance. “We’ve been waiting for you. You’ve got to see what the cooks brought up for us to snack on.”
“And now you’re in good hands,” Julian says without a smidgen of jealousy in his voice. Perhaps all the time we’ve been spending together the last few days has finally proven to him that only he holds the key to my heart. That’s my hope anyway, because him being jealous of Daniel is simply ridiculous at this point in our relationship.
Julian leans over and kisses me smack dab on the mouth for all those around us to see, even my alfar detail. Obviously, Nadia already knows about our relationship, but I’m not so sure about Alea and Kieran. I study their expressions when Julian pulls away and neither of them look surprised by his action. Either Nadia has already informed them about my real relationship with Julian or they figured it out for themselves. Either way, neither of them seem upset about the intimacy between us.
“Alea, Kieran,” Nadia says to them in a commanding voice, “stay with the princess until I can return to her side. If anything happens to her, I’ll hold the two of you directly responsible, and I can assure you my punishment won’t be a pleasant one.”
“Yes, Commander,” the two of them say in unison. It’s the first time I’ve been placed under the protection of my other alfar guards, and I’m not entirely sure how much I can trust them. Are they loyal to me personally? Will they tell others on Alfheim what they see me do while I’m on Earth? All I can do is assume they’re loyal to me since Nadia hasn’t cautioned me otherwise.
Nadia and Julian follow one of Mira’s guards to the practice field while I turn and give my complete attention to Daniel.
“Did you mention food?” I ask him with an expectant smile.
“That I did, milady,” he says rather gallantly, making a grand gesture in holding out his crooked arm for me to take.
As Daniel escorts me down the hallway to the living room, I ask, “How is Constance feeling this morning?”
“She’s been complaining about back pains,” he tells me, looking worried about our fellow companion. “I think she’s about to go into labor, but I’m no doctor. All I know is that her due date is a week away. I don’t think it’s unusual for women to go into labor a little early, is it?”
“No, it isn’t uncommon,” I agree. “I think I was two weeks early when I was born, which was just fine with my mom. I came out a healthy eight pounds as it was. Two more weeks of me growing inside her would have had me a lot bigger than that.”
As we walk into the living room, Alea and Kieran position themselves on either side of the entryway to keep watch and stay close in case I need them. Over on the couch, I see Constance sitting comfortably and being handed a single cupcake on a small white dish by Madeline, Filip’s companion. She accepts it and tells the other woman thank you, but I get the feeling she has no intention of taking a single bite of the sweet cake. To me, Constance looks like she’s on the verge of death, and I have to wonder if it’s because of the baby, her not eating real food, Mira taking too much blood from her during the conclave, or simply a combination of all three things at one time.
On the right side of the room is a long ornately carved wooden table that practically takes up the whole length of the wall, filled with almost anything a person could think of as far as tasty confections and fruit go anyway. I do spy something that looks similar to pigs-in-a-blanket and silently place a claim on the scrumptious little sausages wrapped in puff pastry.
Winifred, Nathaniel, and Daisy are standing around the table, each of them loading up a plate of their own. I look around the room, but I don’t see Thomas, Sophie’s companion, anywhere.
“Where is Thomas?” I ask Daniel as he escorts me over to the table, assuming correctly that I want to get a plate of food for myself.
“Apparently Sophie keeps him on a short leash, literally,” Daniel says in bewilderment. “Adrian warned me that she and Janus were odd, but I guess I didn’t realize just how strange they would be.”
“Speaking of strange,” I say, looking over at Daisy as she munches on a strawberry while searching for more scrumptious tidbits to put on her plate from the array of food provided.
“Yeah, that was … disturbing last night,” he replies in a low voice.
“Maybe she’s in trouble,” I suggest. “Maybe she just needs someone to step in and help her out.”
“I don’t know. The weirdness seemed pretty mutual to me,” he says. “I know she’s young, but she probably had to grow up fast living with Janus.”
“When do you think all of that started beween the two of them?” I ask, wondering just how young Daisy was when Janus began warping her mind.
“I honestly don’t think I want to know,” Daniel replies with a slight shiver in revulsion. “Why don’t we get some food and concentrate our thoughts on happier things?”
I know I should take Daniel up on his suggestion, but I can’t help but wonder if Daisy’s actions and words last night weren’t a silent cry for help. I know I’ll hate myself if I don’t at least try to see if she wants to escape from Janus’s hold over her. The worst thing that can happen is that she tells me to mind my own business.
When Daniel and I reach the buffet table, I say a friendly hello to everyone present as I grab a white dish from a pile of them on the corner of the table. I slowly make my way around until I’m standing next to Daisy.
“Save it,” she tells me brusquely before I even get a chance to say a single word to her.
“Save what exactly?” I respond.
“You came over here to see if I need help with Janus, right?” she asks tartly with a tilt of her head. “Well, save it. I don’t need your help, and I don’t want your help. He and I are perfectly fine. We’re better than fine actually. We’re totally into each other, and I like it that way.”
“You’re a child,” I remind her. “I don’t know what the laws are about it in the rest of the world, but here in the States, what he’s doing to you is considered statutory rape, whether it’s consensual or not. You don’t know the first thing about what real love is. Janus is just using you for sex and blood.”
Daisy lets out a short, solitary harsh laugh. “And your vampire isn’t using you for the same exact things? Get off your high horse, sister. I don’t listen to people who think they know what’s better for me than I do, and I certainly don’t listen to hypocrites.”
I quickly come to the conclusion that Daisy can’t be reasoned with, and there’s really only one thing to do with a person like her.
“If you ever need my help,” I tell her sincerely, “all you have to do is ask for it, and I’ll come, no questions asked. You act like you’re hard as nails, but I think there’s still something of a little girl inside you who understands that what Janus is doing is wrong. I just want you to know that I’m here if you need someone.”
Surprisingly, Daisy doesn’t make a smart-alecky retort. She simply stares at me silently for a few seconds before returning her gaze to the food on the table. I begin to pile some sliced mango on my plate when she moves away from me. Winifred soon takes her place by my side.
“I’m afraid you just wasted your breath trying to reason with that one,” she whispers. “Janus has her brainwashed into thinking he’s some kind of god. Poor child. She never had a chance being born from one of his companions.”
I sigh because I fear Winifred is right. I may want to help Daisy, but I also know you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. I’ve done the best I can by letting her know I’m here for her. Although, after the conclave is concluded, I’m not sure I’ll ever see her again. The only upside to that scenario is that I won’t ever have to see Janus again either.
After my plate is full of snacks, I walk over to the couch Constance is sitting on, still holding her singular cupcake on her lap.
“You’re not even going to lick the frosting off?” I ask her jokingly. “That’s the best part, you know.”
Constance smiles at me. “Normally, I would devour it whole, but I just can’t seem to bring myself to eat much of anything lately.”
“I don’t know how you’re making a baby and feeding Mira at the same time in your condition,” I say, truly amazed. “I eat like a horse and still feel a little weak after Julian feeds.”
“Oh, Mira hasn’t been feeding very much lately,” Constance reveals. “She’s only been drinking the bare minimum to keep herself from going into a coma. I think she’s scared she might hurt me or the baby if she takes her normal amount.”
“Really?” I ask, finding myself, yet again, amazed by how differently Mira treats Constance from everyone else in the world.
“She can be kind,” Constance tells me, looking amused by my surprised reaction. “I know it might be hard to believe, but when it comes to my needs, she’s always put me first.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” I say. As I look at Constance, I find myself wondering why she’s so desperate to have her child raised in Alfheim. If Mira is everything she says she is, why doesn’t Constance want her daughter to be around her?
“Thank you,” Constance says to me in a low voice. “I appreciate everything.”
She doesn’t have to spell out what she’s referring to. I know she’s thanking me for helping her with the baby.
“You’re welcome,” I say, deciding to leave it at that.
While we await the beginning of the battle royale, the other companions and I have a wonderful time getting to know one another. Since Winifred has lived the longest, she has the best stories about her time with Evie. I find her tales of globetrotting fascinating and wonder if Julian and I will be able to find time for such adventures.
“Julian told me that Evie is a famous violinist in Italy,” I say to Winifred. “How does that work since she doesn’t age?”
“Oh, she’ll have some tragic accident after I pass away,” Winifred says, not looking the least bit concerned about dying one day, “and change her looks so no one can recognize her. Then she’ll go back to being a famous violinist in another hundred years or so, just so she can enjoy bringing her music to a new generation of people.”
“It must be hard on her to have to hide her talent,” I say.
