The Queen and her Wolf

Chapter Ten

     "I wish my throne was still here," said Desirae as she paced the podium with all the grace one would expect from a Queen.

     I would probably be pacing too if my mind wasn't so full of information. I still couldn't believe what had happened in the garden. It seemed surreal that the Queen of all vampires would be sad if I died. Me, a lone wolf. It seemed that for every piece of the puzzle I figured out about Desirae there was always more of the picture I had yet to see. Trying to make sense of it all was an entirely different issue as she was a mass of contradictions.

     "Would you like me to fetch a chair for you, my Queen?" Sebastian offered.

     "No, it's fine," replied Desirae with a wave of her hand. "I just hate formal settings. They're so ... stuffy."

     I smiled to myself. Sometimes I wondered how old Desirae really was. At times she spoke as if she was from another era as she sounded so proper and formal herself and then there were times where she sounded almost adolescent in her casual use of certain words. More things to add to her mystery I suppose.

     Desirae flicked her gaze around the huge hall for a moment until she locked eyes with a servant in the distance. With a fluid motion of her fingers she beckoned them over. In a flash the nameless servant stood by her side and I noticed it was another one of those Quiets I'd met earlier. I couldn't be sure if they were the same one or a different one though, only that she was female and slightly shorter than Desirae as the Queen had to bend down slightly to talk in her ear. The Quiet nodded once and floated off without a word.

     "Are you nervous?" I asked. I couldn't help myself. I had to know.

     Desirae ceased pacing and looked at me for what felt like an eternity; a question seemed to linger in her gaze. "I don't know if nervous is the right word. Annoyed, maybe. Anxious, probably. I'm just looking forward to this day being over."

     Just then the Quiet returned holding a goblet practically brimming with a dark liquid.

     My stomach churned. Blood. It had to be.

     The Quiet handed the goblet to Desirae with a bow and backed away to return to her duties. The Queen took a sip and seemed to savour its taste just a little too much. I could only imagine the pressure she would be feeling today. I still couldn't that believe I would be drinking blood soon enough. Not only blood but blood from a vampire. I wondered if it would taste different because Desirae was royal. Probably not.

     I tried to keep the grimace off my face as these thoughts swirled around in my head. The previous night when Desirae had claimed me she'd mentioned some of the intricacies of the ceremony and bond but I don't think I really appreciated the enormity of it all until she'd repeated it to me a few minutes ago. Both times she'd said that I would have to drink from her but somehow I couldn't imagine them serving it up in a goblet for me like they had just done for Desirae. As elegant as vampires were they were also old school.

     I'd have to bite her. I'd never bitten vampire skin before. Was it tough? Did it taste gross and dead? I peered over at Desirae. Her pacing had slowed somewhat but I could tell she was still preoccupied in her mind. Somehow I couldn't imagine her skin tasting gross or dead, but I guess I was about to find out for myself soon enough and then we'd be linked.

     Linked. I hadn't said the word out loud but it still felt strange to think of it. Part of me absolutely abhorred the idea of being connected to a vampire. The other part of me was almost anticipating it. I'd have full access to goings on of the castle. I suppose it would be useful if I still wanted to make a run for it at some point.