There was a question brewing behind Sariyah’s eyes, Lucia could tell. Every now and again she would not-so-subtly glance up at her from her book, pause for a moment as though considering her timing and then return to the words held in front of her face. Lucia didn’t know how much longer she could wait before she cracked and asked what the older woman wanted, this game of glances was incredibly distracting. They were chilling in Elijah’s room as usual but he had been asked by his father to help him work on something for the family business, apparently he was going to take over eventually.
Finally, Sariyah was the one to break, sliding her book to her lap and asking very non-casually, “How are things with Elijah?” when Lucia hesitated to answer, the question startling her for a moment, she added, “I heard you’ve been spotted gliding around the ballroom like a swan!”
Lucia closed her own book and chewed on her bottom lip nervously before answering, “It’s been lovely,” she sighed dreamily, in front of anyone else she would be embarrassed to behave so lovestruck but Sariyah wouldn’t judge her, she saw the older woman as a sister, mother and personal cheerleader rolled into one amazing tiny person. “and not just the dancing, he’s finally talking about himself! Whenever I asked him something about himself or his life he would always twist the conversation back to me and my fall and how I’m feeling, now we talk so much and I’m learning everything about him all over again!”
Sariyah grinned as though enjoying a private joke, “I’m so happy for you! I told you he was sweet on the inside, he’s just shy and also a massive dork.”
Lucia laughed, “Well, I like him. The last couple of nights we’ve been up until the early hours just discussing books, it’s been so wonderful! That reminds me… I meant to start a book he recommended to me last night - ‘Under The Skin’!” she began to dig through the towers of books she had built through her many library trips with Elijah over the days since their first dance. “Although, he said it might give me trouble sleeping, apparently it’s quite creepy!” She paused, a question she had been holding onto for some time bubbling on her lips. “Speaking of sleep… Elijah doesn’t seem to get very much of it.”
“Oh, yeah,” Sariyah laughed awkwardly, “he’s a bit of a night owl.”
“He doesn’t sleep during the day either.”
“Right-”
“And I’ve been occupying his bed for weeks, where does he sleep?”
“Well, these chairs are awfully comfy, you know-”
“Sariyah, I’ve never seen him eat, sleep or leave to use the bathroom.”
A pause hung between the pair of them for a few seconds as Lucia gave her best puppy-dog eyes and pouty bottom lip and Sariyah did her best to look away at anything else in the room besides Lucia’s face.
“Lucia,” She sighed, “I feel like this is a conversation that Elijah should have with you.”
“Sariyah, you’re my closest friend here.”
Lucia knew she had her by the emotional balls the moment the words left her mouth, she watched Sariyah physically cave under the pressure as her kind expression crumpled.
“Fine, you probably won’t believe me anyway.” She ran her hands lightly over her tight braids, perfectly shaping her small head. “We, the Bonnet family and their clan that live on the grounds, we’re all vampires.”
Lucia found all of her muscles frozen, she couldn’t move them no matter how much she wished to, all she could do was blink dazedly.
“We don’t drink blood from living creatures, we have blood bags brought in that have either been donated by humans willingly and who get paid for it or ones from butchers that have animal blood in. Just like the kind used for black pudding. We have enhanced abilities but we’ve all been doing our best not to use them in front of you so as not to frighten you.”
A beat of silence sat in the room between them as Lucia mulled her words over.
“I know you probably don’t believe me…”
“Weirdly, I do.” Lucia admitted.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I kept hearing people use the word ‘human’ like it was the name of a different species so I knew something strange was going on. Although I can admit that at first I wondered if this was some kind of cult.”
“It feels like it sometimes.” Sariyah laughed. “Oh, and we can nap if we want to but it’s not real sleep, more like dozing, and we don’t need to do it.”
“How about you show me some of these super vampire powers then?” She asked curiously, leaning further forward towards Sariyah in anticipation.
Sariyah grinned wickedly, “Well, it’s really only enhanced speed and strength.” she said, flicking her hand out in a blur of movement and snatching a mug from the bedside table, she held it over the round open-top bin and crushed it into ceramic dust in her small palm. She sprinkled the grains into the bin delicately.
Lucia made a ‘whoa’ sound of appreciation which earned her a wink from Sariyah.
“And immortality, right?” Lucia reminded her. “Or is that just in teen novels?”
“No, that’s true. And we have tough skin, which I am very grateful for given that we also can’t heal from any injuries we sustain.”
“Really?”
“Yep, can’t do any of those pesky human habits like crying or pooping either.”
Lucia laughed, you could trust Sariyah to lower the tone.
“We also can’t carry children, which is why they won’t turn you into one of us until you’ve popped out a screamer or two.”
They’ll turn me into one of them… she says it as easily as you would reveal the weather, Lucia thought.
“Where will I get the babies from if vampires can’t make children?” She asked slowly, although she wasn’t sure if she was ready to process the expectation for her to give her husband children… she hadn’t decided if she even wanted children yet. Or had she? It could very well be that she and Elijah had discussed it, that they had made great plans for a whole litter of baby Bonnets. What kind of father would he be? She wondered. A pushover, probably.
“Oh lord, has no one had the talk with you? What are you, twenty-something?”
“I know where babies come from!” Lucia laughed, “I mean, if Elijah is a vampire then-”
“Penis-owners can fertilise, but those of us with wombs can’t incubate the babies because our bodies aren’t able to change or adapt to a growing baby.”
“Do you have eggs?” The question had shot out of Lucia’s mouth before she could consider whether she may offend with it.
“Well, I did before I was turned so I’m assuming they’re still in there but you’d probably need a pickaxe to dig them out - like I said, vampire bodies are made of strong stuff.”
Lucia frowned, “So, why is it that you didn’t have to wait to have children before you were turned?” she asked.
Sariyah bobbed her head from side to side with her mouth scrunched as she carefully chose her words, “My husband rebels against the Bonnet family expectations in his own dithery and oblivious way.” she said vaguely.
“Explain.” Lucia ordered with a cheeky grin.
“Let’s be real,” Sariyah sighed and tilted herself back in her chair, “I’m not exactly the Bonnet model of excellence. I’m short, I’m black - dark-skinned black - and I can’t give him a biological child as I was turned before we were married. My darling Reginald is too dopey to even notice those things about me as significant, let alone consider their impact on his family and what they would think of him marrying me. None of the Bonnets were even at the wedding,” she shrugged, “he simply brought me home as his wife and that was that.”
“And they weren’t angry with him?”
“He is very old and set in his ways, he bumbles along doing as he pleases and they do their best to ignore him. Don’t get me wrong, they do punish him in their own way, they exclude him from family matters and treat him like a nuisance that happens to live in their house. Fortunately for me, my husband cares little about climbing to power and becoming the new family dictator though, so their attempt to injure his pride through isolation has yet to be noticed by him.”
“So why is it different for Elijah?”
“Elijah is a direct descendant, he is in line to take his father’s place as head of the clan. There are certain expectations set for him, very clearly set.”
“Such as?”
“Marry a human woman, pop out an heir - that fits the Bonnet family aesthetic of course - and when his father retires or is killed by a rival clan he will become the head of the Bonnet family and train his son or daughter in order to be able to fill the seat should something happen to him.”
“What is the ‘Bonnet family aesthetic’?”
She feared the answer before Sariyah had even opened her mouth, she already got the feeling she didn’t fit the mould - she had yet to see anyone in the Bonnet mansion that resembled her…
“Black curly hair, blue-green eyes, average to tall height and white skin - essentially the exact look that your darling beaux exhibits.” Sariyah stated simply.
“But I only have one of those,” She admitted, despite knowing Sariyah has a pair of perfectly capable eyes to look upon her and see that the only item on the list she holds is black curly hair. She was just about average height for a woman if she really strained her neck… but Elijah’s height could make up the difference in the gene pool, right? “our children definitely won’t have white skin and my father’s family all have green eyes but mine are brown!”
With a wave of her hand Sariyah shushed her, “I wouldn’t worry about that, Elijah certainly isn’t.” she said softly.
“Then who is it that does care about it?”
“His mother mostly,” Her expression told Lucia al she needed to know about Sariyah’s feelings towards Mrs Bonnet, “although many of the clan also respect the efforts that are put in to keep the Bonnet family so ‘perfect’.” she licked her lips and pressed them together tightly, “I suppose it’s the same for humans though, they like consistency, right? The clan like to be able to tell on-sight who is important around here.”
“Did they have a problem with him choosing me?”
“His mother had a problem with you but I can say with a good degree of certainty that his father very much approved of you.” She had that grin plastered on again, the one that looked as though they were sharing a private joke that Lucia couldn’t remember. “I think that deep down he doesn’t want his son to be held to such strict rules and regulations as he was, even if it’s only a slight bend of the family expectations, it’s a start. Maybe Elijah will get to enjoy his life more than his father has.”
“He’s immortal and he’s rich, “ Lucia countered, making her exasperation clear in her voice, “he can go anywhere and do anything!”
Sariyah broke their eye contact to stare at her hands, “Most human women only have the strength to carry one vampire child to full term before they need to be turned,” she explained slowly, her tone uncharacteristically melancholic, “it puts incredible stress on the body, so they can’t risk anything happening to him, he’s their heir.”
Lucia frowned again as she remembered that Elijah has sisters, one may be adopted but the other was his blood - Eden. She liked Eden, she had recently started visiting and brought her flowers and sweets and books… Her looks resembled Elijah’s but Lucia had come to see her as the extroverted version of him, full of positive energy and endearments.
She began to suggest, “They have Eden-”
But Sariyah took over from her, “She was their bonus gift, they have not groomed her for leadership like they have Elijah.”
“Don’t they have a third child? He has another sister, doesn’t he?”
“Adopted.” Sariyah replied with a look that told Lucia she was very glad that his other sister was adopted and not blood.
“Right, but legally she’s their child, isn’t she? And I’m assuming they chose a child that fits their look or that wouldn’t make any sense.”
“Oh yes, although her hair dropped its curls in her teens - she cried for weeks.” Sariyah snorted unkindly to herself. “They only put blood heirs at the head of the clan though, otherwise anyone could be shoved into the seat.”
“You don’t like her?” Lucia guessed with a raised brow.
“She is her mother’s daughter.” Was all Sariyah gave in answer.
Lucia considered her words, “So she believes in upholding the strict expectations and aesthetic?” she deduced.
“Exactly,” Sariyah’s lips split into a sickly sweet fake smile, “a very proud young lady.” she cooed.
“Did we get along, before my accident?”
“You only met her once and she made her disinterest in you very clear.”
“Ah.”
“Don’t worry, all the people that matter in this house like you.”
Lucia bit her lip awkwardly, “Thanks.” she mumbled, and she truly meant it. Not just for reassuring her but for everything she had done for her since she awoke, she hoped she conveyed all that gratitude into that one tiny word but if not, she would find a way to repay her one day.
A comfortable silence fell over the women, both returning to their books and enjoying each other’s company.
Comments (0)
See all