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Chapter 12
We could hear raised voices on the floor below. Corvus was angry. I could hear Celeste’s softer more feminine tones, though they had a distinctly whiny quality just at the moment. Rodney and I exchanged glances before jumping up and creeping to the door that led down stairs. Edging around Rodney, I looked down the stairwell. We both strained our ears to try and hear the details of the conversation. All of a sudden, everything went quiet and my heart sank as I wondered what was going on. Then Corvus appeared in our line of sight holding Celeste firmly by the wrists at arm’s length.
“Celeste, I have tried to be polite about this, but you just won’t listen. I am not interested!”
Celeste was trying to wrench her arms from his grasp, so Corvus sighed and let her go. She was crying bitterly.
“Why do you want her and not me, you hardly know her?” she wailed, and then flung herself at him, trying to reach out for his hand.
“You are being foolish, Celeste,” he said, clearly frustrated by her.
“It wasn’t always this way!” she sobbed. “Was it darling?”
“That was centuries ago, and it was never more than a fling, you knew that. I was never in love with you. I never lied to you about that.”
She gasped and gazed at him in horror. “Do you love … her?”
Corvus said something but it was muffled and I strained to hear her response. It wasn’t necessary, as she screamed at the top of her lungs. “You will regret this vampire!” Slapping him hard across the face she turned towards the stairs and left.
I heard her heels clacking on the stone steps and then the front door slamming shut. Rodney and I looked at each other and darted back into the apartment, arranging ourselves on the sofa as though we’d been there the whole time.
A few moments later Corvus walked into the living room with his hands in his pockets. I watched him nervously as he sat down on the sofa across from me and Rodney, who tactfully muttered something about making a cup of tea and busied himself in the makeshift kitchen. I looked down at the floor nervously before lifting my eyes to his.
“What did Celeste want?”
He raised his eyes and smiled across at me, “I imagine you already know that, seeing as you were both eavesdropping.”
Busted. I tried to think of an explanation and failed.
“I’m sorry…” I muttered, feeling appalled, though as much that I hadn't figured out that he'd know than at being caught. “We didn’t mean to,” I added.
His eyebrow quirked a little in amusement “Yes, I can see how you found yourselves standing and listening at the top of the stairs … by accident.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled again, feeling ashamed of myself.
Rodney didn’t say anything, and avoided looking at either of us, though he was stirring the tea rather more vigorously than was necessary.
“Why are you so interested in Celeste anyway?” His tone was mild, but I couldn’t avoid the piercing gaze that he was aiming in my direction. I shifted uneasily.
“Well, it’s obvious that she’s in love with you,” I said, sounding rather more annoyed than I'd intended.
He looked at me with undisguised interest. “Does that bother you?”
“No!”
I realised too late that I’d reacted far too strongly. He chuckled and I glared back at him, ignoring the choking sound that was coming from the kitchen.
“Oh, don’t be so smug.” I looked away, feeling self-conscious at his obvious amusement.
“So you’re not interested in my love life?” he pressed, clearly teasing me.
The blue eyes fixed on me once again and I realised he'd known I was listening when he told Celeste that he’d never loved her. I really wished that I had heard the answer to her question, but I could hardly ask him now.
“I …” I didn’t know what to say, especially with Rodney in the room. I felt foolish suddenly and wished he’d stop looking at me like that. “Oh, you’re impossible.” I sighed, looking away from him with an effort.
I heard a low chuckle. “You should get some sleep now, Jéhenne, we have an important engagement tomorrow night.”
“Oh?”
“Rodney will explain but now I really do have things to attend to.” He smiled at me, his eyes glittering with mischief. “I seem to have been somewhat distracted.”
“Corvus, tell me what’s going on!” I asked, intrigued to know what was happening.
He laughed at my tone but didn’t answer. Instead he got up from the sofa, pausing to lean down and kiss me gently on the cheek before making his way out of the room. “Sleep well, Jéhenne.”
I turned my glare on Rodney as he brought two steaming cups of tea over to the sofa.
“Explain!”
Rodney handed me one of the mugs and sat down, grinning at me. “Well, luv, it’s like this. At about eight am there’s gonna be a whole bunch of people coming into turn the place upside down and get it ready for tonight.” He took a swig of tea and then said casually, “Corvus is having the family over.”
“The family?” I had a strong feeling I wasn’t going to like this. “What family?”
“That’s what it’s called, Jéhenne, all the vampires in Corvus’ line. All the vampires he made himself, and all those that they’ve made and so on.”
Alarm bells starting ringing in my head.
“What, they’ll all be here?”
He spluttered into his tea. “Blimey no, luv, couldn’t fit ‘em all in - nah, just the heads of the families.”
“Will you be there?”
“Sure, I’ll be here tomorrow an’ all to help wiv the preparations.”
“During the day? I didn’t think that ghouls could come out during the day.”
“Yeah, we’re not bleedin’ vampires are we?” he said, sounding indignant. “It’s more of a practical thing for a ghoul to come out in the daytime. I mean, I’ve sorted the problem with yer Gran’s potion but the older ones, they don’t like meddlin’ with witchcraft. And it’s bit nasty if they’ve had a body for a long time, you know. Means you can see where the skin’s going a bit… off.”
I swallowed, trying not to think too vividly about it.
“You don’t need to worry about me though, I’m preserved! Do Damien Hirst proud I would!” Rodney added, and then grinned broadly at me.
“That’s great.” I tried to quell a slight uneasiness in my stomach.
He sipped at his tea, looking at me over the top of his mug. “Anyway, Corvus 'e's the Master of all these families. So the head of each one is comin' to pay their respects to him like, and deal wiv any problems they’re havin'.”
“Master?” I pulled a face.
“Sure” He nodded “Like a Lord I suppose.”
“Lord of the manor?” I scoffed. “Isn’t that a bit old fashioned?”
Rodney widened his eyes. “He’s nearly two thousand years old, Jéhenne.”
I laughed, it was a fair point. “I guess. Anyway how many families are there then, like five or six?”
Rodney burst out laughing. “Ah, bless you luv, no not five or six. There are more than three hundred different families over which Corvus is Master, and the head of each one is coming here.”
“There are going to be more than three hundred vampires in one house?” The uneasiness increased dramatically.
“Yep, but don’t worry, luv.” He reached over and patted my shoulder. “You’ll be quite safe.”
“How can you be so sure? Three hundred vampires and one human, Corvus can’t be able to control all of them!” I clutched at one of the cushions on the sofa hugging it against me but Rodney just snorted with mirth. “You don’t understand, luv. If Corvus told ‘em to go and stand in the sun, they’d do it.”
I gaped at him in astonishment. “Why?”
“Because they physically can’t do anything else. If the Master gives a direct order they 'ave to obey. It ain't a choice.”
I was beginning to get an idea of exactly how powerful Corvus was and
it was sending chills running up and down my spine.
“Am I even allowed to be there?” I muttered, hoping it would breach some ancient vampiric protocol.
“Master’s orders!” He smiled. “Cyd’s coming over to bring you something to wear. Now you’d better get some sleep, luv, or you’ll be shattered.”
“Oh, alright.” I got up reluctantly, wondering how on earth I was going to sleep after the day I'd had, and bearing in mind the one that was waiting for me.
“Jéhenne,” Rodney said, and I looked around at the serious tone of his voice. “This is a big deal, him lettin’ you be here tomorrow. He’s introducing you to his family. You get that, right?”
I swallowed nervously and felt my stomach begin to tie itself into knots. “Sure,” I replied, wondering if I should just make a run for it now.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. They’ll love you.” Rodney gave me what I’m sure was supposed to be a reassuring smile, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they’d love me even better with a side salad. My stomach made a complaining noise so I just nodded and smiled at him, hoping that he was right.
“Night, Rodney.”
“Night, luv.”
I just about managed to get to my room, before I collapsed on the bed. I was exhausted. Spending time with vampires seriously screwed up your sleeping pattern. It was 4am, and I’d set my alarm for 8:30am so I could get up and help with the preparations.