“Babysitting papers?” she asked, confused.
“Babysitting you,” he responded, straightening his hair.
“But I’m not a baby,” she stated. Devin rolled his eyes. “Did you say you would answer all my questions?” Devin nodded but still didn’t look up. “How long have you been stalking me?” she asked, smiling politely.
“Three, maybe four years,” he replied, not taking the bait to argue with her.
“So, that’s how you know things about me. How much do you know about me?” she asked.
“You’re not going to remember most of this conversation tomorrow, so why not save the questions until later?” he wondered.
“So, you don’t know too much then,” she replied as she flopped on the couch, upside down, again.
Devin looked over his papers to her face by his knee. “Though you tell everyone you hate the color pink, your favorite bra and panty set is the pink and white striped one Lilly gave you for Christmas last year.”
Arianna’s mouth dropped. How could he know that? She’d never told anyone. She’d never written it down or said it out loud, even. Arianna blushed as she searched her mind to figure out how he would know. There was no reason he should know such information. Arianna sat up and pulled the papers from his hand throwing them messily on the coffee table.
“Did you guys set up camera in my room or something? Isn’t that invasion of privacy?” she asked, angry that they must have been watching her for a very long time.
Devin picked back up his papers and began to read again. “First of all, it’s only invasion of privacy if it was not owned by your grandfather, but Lilly and Dean’s apartment is one of the hundreds that Lord Randolph owns. Second, I wouldn’t stoop so low as to use cameras to watch you. Cameras can be fooled. It’s far better to watch over someone in person, even if they are annoyingly drunk off their grandfather’s blood.”
“I’m not drunk. I’m not old enough to drink,” she laughed as she answered, no longer angry with Devin.
“You could save us all a lot of trouble if you’d just go to sleep until it wears off,” Devin suggested, as he set his papers down and picked her up. Walking to her room, he gently placed her in her bed. Placing his hand gently on her cheek, Arianna could feel his pulse echo loudly in her ears. Arianna smiled up at Devin as she became sleepy.
“All this following me around, and learning every detail about me, do you love me?” she asked sweetly. Devin blushed, but didn’t reply. Arianna smiled back as she could feel his answer. “Why?” she asked.
“Just get some sleep,” he instructed, not answering the question. “We can talk more tomorrow.”
Arianna pushed his hand off her face. “No, I want to talk now,” she complained. “You said you would answer every question I had today. I want answers now,” she demanded. “I’m living in a strange place where I’m basically being kept captive. My aunt and uncle have left already. I’ve listened to the whole house. I know they’re not here anymore. So, I’ve been basically abandoned by the only family I have. Then, I hear there are marriage proposals. Marriage! I’m only sixteen. Who asks for a sixteen-year-old’s hand in marriage? I am beginning to feel like I’m in a nuthouse. Vampires exist, marriage at sixteen, killing without any remorse, my blood being valuable, I have family, an uncle that kidnaps me, strange men trying to kill me, oh, and did I mention that vampires are real? What does this all mean? Why am I here? Why didn’t Aunt Lilly and Uncle Dean take me home with them?” Arianna began to sob. “Why did they leave me? Don’t they love me anymore? Aunt Lilly always told me that even though she wasn’t my real mother she always felt like she was meant to be my mom. Then why did she leave alone in this strange place? Doesn’t she love me anymore?”
“She loves you more than you will ever know,” Devin replied, gently stroking Arianna’s head as she sobbed into his chest. “She didn’t want to leave you here, but she knows that this is the best place for you.”
“Why am I this way?” Arianna asked. “If I wasn’t so different, then she would have kept me, right? Why did everything have to change? I feel so alone here. Everyone talks about me, but no one wants to talk to me. Everyone seems either in awe or a bit afraid of me. Am I always going to be alone?” Arianna pulled back and looked at Devin, her blue eyes still filled with tears.
Devin gently wiped the tears away. “I’ll never leave you,” he promised. “I’ll always stay by your side.” Tenderly he took her chin in his large hands and tilted her face to meet his. He pressed his lips briefly to hers.
TEN
Snuggling in close to the warm sensation beneath her face, Arianna opened her eyes to find that it was already morning. Outside, the birds were chirping to signal the beginning of a new day, but in the house, filled with people who slept through the morning and most of the day, there was silence. Arianna lifted her head to listen. Complete silence. No maids walking through the halls, no gardeners giving orders to the young boys that worked for them, nor were there any cooks clanking dishes. Arianna listened to the sounds around her. In the peacefulness of the morning, Arianna closed her eyes and lay back down on Devin’s warm chest.
Aunt Lilly would kill me if she saw me now, Arianna thought. Devin’s grip around her waist tightened as he continued to sleep. She wasn’t allowed to date, let alone sleep in the same bed as an unrelated boy. Arianna didn’t care that she was breaking Aunt Lilly’s rules. In this strange place where she had been abandoned, he was the only thing constant. If it weren’t for him, she would have turned, and attacked some unknown person, three nights ago, or she could still be sitting in the cell underground withering away from lack of blood. Devin had been by her side since she entered this strange, new, dreamlike reality. Of all the strange and scary people she was surrounded by, she did not fear Devin. He was safe—her protector. Smiling, Arianna compared her small hands to Devin’s by placing her hand over his. His large hands were twice the size of hers. These hands keep me safe, she thought, as her heart began to beat a little faster. Arianna’s gaze continued up the muscular arm that held onto her. She knew he was strong, yet he held onto her so gently. Arianna felt warm and safe within his grasp. Although he was serious most of the time, she knew his affection for her was real. She could see it in his eyes when he spoke. Arianna’s gaze rested on his bare chest. Gently, she traced the muscles. His well-defined muscles were a sign that he had worked hard to get where he was today. Arianna blushed while he continued to sleep, unable to stop herself from touching the man sleeping beside her.
Arianna could vaguely remember the night before, as if it were a dream covered in fog. Exact words and conversations were not registering in her head, but she did remember one thing. He kissed me, she thought, staring at the sleeping Devin beside her. Arianna was entranced by the rhythm of his chest, rising with each breath he took. Analyzing his face, Arianna stared at each feature: golden eyelashes that fluttered slightly as he slept, the rosy color in his cheeks, his messy blond hair that hadn’t been cut for months, and his light red lips. Arianna continued to stare at his lips. She had never been kissed by a boy before. Reaching up carefully, so as not to wake him, Arianna gently touched his lips. Though she still felt like she was in a dream, it was real: the boy lying beside her, the large, fancy room and house, and the blood. Arianna jerked up suddenly, looking around the room. She could smell blood. Was it in her room? Whose blood was it?
Devin rubbed his eyes as he released his grip on Arianna.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“There’s no one awake in the house, but I smell blood,” she replied.
Devin lay back down. “Don’t worry about it,” he responded. “It’s probably my blood you smell.” Arianna thought for a moment. The scent was familiar, but she couldn’t understand why. She glanced over Devin and couldn’t see any exposed blood. “Now that your grandfather completed the transformation, blood you have tasted doesn’t have to be showing for you to smell it. Purebloods tend to be really sensitive to blood, and ca
n even smell blood within someone.”
“Oh,” she replied, lying back down on her own pillow.
“Are you finished sleeping?” he asked, noticing her shy away from him. Devin rubbed his eyes and grabbed his watch from the nightstand. “Seven o’clock,” he read aloud. “I don’t know too many night humans that like these early hours,” he joked. Arianna continued to stare at him.
“Why?” she asked as she stared intently at him.
“Why what?” he replied, rolling to his side to face her while still lying down. Devin had grown accustomed to the life Lord Randolph led, and also did not normally wake early.
“All of this. Why? Why do you watch over me? Why do you do all of this? You are human, aren’t you? Why get involved, especially with me?” she wondered.
“Do you remember any of last night?” he asked. Arianna shook her head no while beginning to blush from head to toe. “So, you at least remember that,” he chuckled.
“But why me?” she asked. “I’m nothing special. I’m just some supposedly orphaned kid whose grandfather was kind to you. Just because he took you in doesn’t mean you have to like me.”
“No, I don’t have to like you; I just do. I’ve watched over you for the past few years as a ‘thank you’ to your grandfather, but falling for you wasn’t part of the job description. It just kind of happened,” he replied. “I’ve had a crush on you since I first met you. It used to be a treat to go see you at Lilly and Dean’s house. Your grandfather would promise me if I did well on my studies and training, I could go with him to see you. Year after year, we would stop by to visit Lilly and Dean without you knowing.”
“Grandfather would visit also?” Arianna asked. Devin nodded. Arianna pictured her grandfather but couldn’t recall ever meeting or seeing him at their home or restaurant.
“No matter what you say to me, you can never convince me that you are not special. You are the most important person to your grandfather and me, along with many people that have been waiting to see the legend about the blue eyes come true,” he added.
“You still won’t tell me about the legend though.” She pouted.
“Nope, not even if you make a cute face like that. I respect your grandfather’s decision. He will tell you when he feels you should know,” Devin added.
“So, you really do like me?” she asked, feeling like she was in a dream. She had never had a boy tell her he liked her before, especially not a cute one. Her heart began to beat faster as she waited for his reply.
“Very much so,” Devin replied seriously.
“But Aunt Lilly said I can’t date until I am sixteen,” Arianna automatically replied before quickly covering her own mouth.
Devin laughed. “And I suppose sleeping in the same bed with a boy night after night wouldn’t be allowed either?” Arianna blushed as he climbed out from beneath the covers dressed only in boxers. “Besides, I’m not asking you to date me. I’m not even asking you to like me back. I just want to be your friend. I am satisfied just being beside you.”
Arianna continued to blush, not knowing how to respond.
Devin walked to the door. “If you want, I can give you a tour of the house and grounds while everyone is asleep,” he offered. Arianna nodded. “Take your time getting ready. No rush.”
Arianna sat on the bed as Devin shut the door behind him. She finally realized she, too, was dressed in her pajamas. When did I put these on, she wondered, as she searched her hazy memory. Nothing, she thought. I can’t remember anything after the kiss last night. Arianna fell back against the fluffy comforter and pillows and stared at the ceiling. Arianna laid still and listened as the soft dripping of Devin’s shower began. Beyond the water, she could hear no sounds. Everyone in the house was still asleep.
“Molina was explaining how each dearg-dul has a keeper to drink blood from. Since I drink your blood, does that make you mine?” Arianna asked, as they walked around the estate gardens.
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Devin replied, sitting on the edge of an empty fountain. “There are rituals involved in making someone your custodian.”
“Like what?” Arianna asked.
“How about I explain that to you in a few years? Dearg-duls usually take four or five years or longer to choose their keeper. It’s a big decision. Once you choose someone, it can’t be undone,” Devin replied.
“But Molina said I can have as many as I want,” Arianna replied. “Couldn’t I just choose someone new, if I make a bad choice?”
“She didn’t explain it all to you. Once you make someone your custodian, they are obliged to follow your every order. They’ll never be able to tell you no, and they will always know how to find you if you call for them. It’s a bond formed between two people, and it’s stronger than you can imagine.” Devin watched the clouds drift overhead.
“Well, then, some day, when I finally get to choose one, can I choose you?” Arianna asked.
“You don’t need to make me into a custodian to keep me close. I already live only to protect you,” Devin replied, not looking at Arianna, who was staring at him. “You’re sure the sun isn’t bothering you at all? No blisters?” Devin took her face in his hands and scanned it over, looking for burns. “It must be the baku in you.”
“What are baku?” Arianna asked. “I know Gabriel is one and you say I am also, but what exactly are they?”
“They are very similar to dearg-duls. They come out only at night and drink human blood. That’s why I think baku and dearg-duls can’t get along. They need the same food. The only difference is where dearg-duls are sensitive to sunlight; baku can sit in the sun all day long in their human form. On the other hand, dearg-duls can turn any time they choose, but baku can only change into their baku form at night time.”
“What does a baku look like?” Arianna asked more specifically.
“You saw them when I picked you up at Gabriel’s house: those men I fought with. Big, pigment free, long white haired guys? They always look like that,” Devin replied. Arianna pictured the men that appeared out of nowhere to surround them that night.
“They all looked the same,” Arianna complained. “With straggly hair, and very tall, muscular bodies. Eww. Will I look like that if I change into a baku?”
“I don’t know,” Devin replied. “I’ve never seen a female baku before.”
“What?”
“I’ve only ever encountered male baku, never female,” he repeated. “There are some females, children of purebreds that can partially transform, but never a full transformation. I’d guess, with being a purebred, it will be a full transformation for you.”
“Eww,” she repeated, imagining herself growing into a large, ugly, muscular man. “If dearg-duls change at sixteen, then when do baku change?”
“There’s no special age. Baku change through a ceremony that I believe Gabriel, or the head of the clan, performs. I’ve never seen a baku changing,” Devin admitted. “I do my best to avoid them. They don’t bring back too many fond memories for me.”
“Right,” Arianna replied, remembering the reason Devin was also an orphan. “Then what happens to me now? This isn’t a life I ever dreamed of, or wanted.”
“You learn to live this life and decide what you want now,” Devin replied.
“And what if I want my old life back?” Arianna complained, picking at the stone beneath her.
“You can’t go back,” Devin replied. “Just forward.” Arianna hung her head in defeat. She knew that she couldn’t go back. There was no way to erase all that she knew. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want to go back.
“And how do I do that?” Arianna looked back up at him.
“By learning about who and what you are at our own school,” Devin responded, offering her his hand to help her stand back up.
“When do I start?” Arianna asked.
“Tonight,” Devin replied.
“Of course, night people have night school,” Arianna deduced. Arianna took his hand and s
tood. “Great. More new people and another new place. How exciting,” she added sarcastically.
“You’ll be fine,” he reassured her, leading her away from the fountain. “Besides, I’ll be right there with you.”
“Promise?” she asked. Devin nodded.
ELEVEN
Arianna walked into the neatly-organized classroom behind Molina. The blackboard was near the door that she entered from, and six long rows of tables were filled with students sitting before her. She didn’t like how all the students eyed her over as the teacher talked. Devin moved to the back of the room and sat down as Arianna stood beside the teacher. Arianna had no problem being the center of attention in a group of people she knew, but strangers were a different matter. Arianna stood like a statue as the teacher talked.
“Everyone, we have a late arrival to the school term. This is Arianna Grace,” the older, gray-haired woman introduced Arianna.
“Hello,” Arianna replied, with a slight wave, before going back to curling the edges of her new uniform skirt between her thumb and forefinger.
“As everyone should be able to tell, she’s a purebred dearg-dul. These are two of her PPU. Here, Miss Grace, we can make space right here for you, since you will have to catch up to the class,” the teacher said, pointing to a seat already filled with a student. “Molly, move to the back please,” the teacher added, smiling kindly at Arianna. Arianna could feel the distain behind the girl’s eyes as she smiled sweetly back at the teacher.
“No problem, Miss Johnson,” Molly said nicely.
“Don’t worry about it,” Arianna added, moving to stop the girl from standing. “I can just sit there. There are plenty of seats free back there.”
“But,” the teacher complained, getting frustrated as Arianna walked past the seated students to the empty last row of tables. “If that’s what you wish,” the teacher finally replied.