Chapter Eight (Alexander)

The ball was more lively now that all the guests had arrived.

I felt a little uncomfortable, though. I lost Mark, Zander, and Slade completely. I couldn't see them anywhere amongst the group and I could only hope Mark's mission was a success. In the mean time, I probably had too much blood because my stomach felt gross.

I felt like I was going to faint.

I slipped out of the ball room into the hallway, taking a deep breath of relief before I started down a long hallway, only to pause and look to the side. One side of the hallway was completely made of gothic style windows that looked out over a snowy courtyard. At the center was a large Christmas tree, decorated in glowing little Christmas lights with thousands of decorations adorned upon it. I blinked, unable to look away.

It was beautiful. I just stood there for a while, staring out the windows at the tree and how it seemed to tower into the night sky. I lifted my eyes further and they locked on the full moon that stared down into the courtyard, staring at the tree just like I was doing.

"Enjoying the scene?" I blinked and looked up to see Storm coming down the hallway. I smiled lightly, then looked back out the window as Storm stopped beside me to stare outside too.

"It's beautiful. Who decorated it?" I asked, studying the white lights and the multiple decorations before looking at Storm, who was still staring at the tree.

"We usually make the servants do it, but this year Mark wanted to try it. We spent almost a week trying to get everything done. Mark and I, even my father and William joined in. It was strange. I'd never decorated a Christmas tree before. Or eaten Christmas cookies." Storm admitted, making me smile.

"Sounds fun." I commented. Storm smiled lightly, then looked at me.

"I saw your parents in there." He said after a moment. I blinked, then averted my eyes, shifting uncomfortably.

"Yes."

"Did you say hello?"

"Tried to anyway." I responded. Storm just nodded and said nothing else as we continued to gaze at the tree outside almost as if we were entranced. I could hear the music drifting from the ball room, switching to Christmas music and classical for a bit. I could also hear Storm's heart beating in his chest gently. I could smell blood and human food in the air as well as Storm's sandalwood scent. The air was warm and crispy inside, far better than the bitter cold outside.

"Would you care to dance?" Storm asked suddenly, making me blink and look at him. I raised an eyebrow for a moment as he held his hand out to me before I took it. I'd easily learned how to dance with another man because my father had spent years teaching me how to dance with Storm, and now all that was being put to good use.

"Nice of you to ask out of the blue. What about Mark?" I asked, taking in Storm's masculine scent that made my heart throb. I'd be a liar if I said Storm wasn't devilishly handsome, just like his father.

"Mark's busy playing matchmaker." Storm responded briefly, making me raise an eyebrow.

"Does that upset you?" I asked, watching Storm's icy blue eyes flicker and glow for a moment before he smiled lightly.

"It just makes me jealous." He responded honestly, then let me rest my back against his arm as he tipped me back before bringing me forward again to clasp our hands. I cocked an eyebrow.

"At least you're honest." I commented. Storm smirked, then twirled me so my back was against his chest and he held me there for a second.

"Maybe I am. What about you? I've seen you eyeballing my father all night." He said in my ear, making me blink as I pulled away from him. I turned to face him, taking a good step back so we were no longer dancing. Storm was giving me this look that very obviously accused me of liking his father and it made my cheeks flush pink as I stiffened.

"I do not like your father." I stated. Storm just studied my face, obviously not believing me.

"He loves you, you know." He said. I frowned instantly, shifting uncomfortably. This time, Storm's expression became sad as he tilted his head a little and stepped up to me. I turned my head the other way to look at the Christmas tree outside. Storm's fingers brushed my cheek before trailing down to my jaw. He turned my head so I was facing him, his fingers under my chin as he tilted my head up.

"If you want to blame anyone for what happened to Nicholas, blame me." He murmured suddenly. I blinked and stared at him in surprise, smacking his hand away and stepping back.

"It wasn't your fault at all. You didn't have anything--"

"Yes, in a way I did," Storm interrupted me firmly, "Nicholas was trying to kill me. If he wasn't trying to kill me to get to you, my father wouldn't have killed him." I glared at him in irritation, clenching my fists. He was trying to justify Vladimir's actions and I was trying hard to forget that he was the one that killed Nicholas.

"You're just saying that to protect your father." I muttered, aggravated.

"Yes, I am," Storm answered, making me look at him in surprise at his honesty, "You want someone to blame. You want someone to hate because you don't know what to do with all the pain inside you. And of course my father is the perfect person. He's arrogant and cocky and he's powerful. He's scared of losing that power, so he'll kill anyone who threatens his position. He's also the one who physically killed Nicholas. He's the one who beheaded him."

I held my breath, parting my lips to say something, but nothing came out. I felt like he'd slapped me, and his last sentence made tears threaten to spill. I bit hard into my lip, feeling my fangs slice my skin.

"Please, stop." I managed at last. Storm frowned.

"Alexander, stop trying to blame people and stop turning that pain into hate. My father saved my life, and in a way, he saved Nicholas' soul. We both know that even if Nicholas had killed me and my father let him get away with you, Nicholas would still be trapped. He'd still have the natural instinct to be loyal to a clan he hated. He'd have to deal with holding you prisoner and killing everyone you know and love. Nicholas was a prisoner. We know that. And Nicholas will not be punished for his mistakes. He'll return and become part of the world again."

"Storm, seriously, please--" I started, but Storm cut me off again.

"No. I know you're dating Nathan and that you think it makes you happy, but how long do you think that's going to last? Nathan's not the one you're meant to be with."

"You're just saying that because you're defending your father!" I protested angrily at last, clenching my fists. Storm narrowed his eyes.

"I'm insulted that you'd think I'm biased. I'm saying this for your sake. I may not love you the way I love Mark, but I love you the way Amber does. You're like the sibling I never had, Alexander. And to be quite frank, you're pissing me off right now. I know you love my father. The way you act around him is different and I can feel something is more relaxed. If you want proof, just ask Amber's girlfriend. She can see your auras change when you come in contact." With that, Storm was whirling around and heading back into the ball room.

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. My head was spinning with dizziness and I instantly whipped around, heading to the bathroom. I quickly stumbled, slamming the door shut and locking it behind me as I finally made it to the toilet where I heaved up all the blood I'd drank earlier.

Why did Storm have to bring up any of that? Why now?

I was having a perfectly good day. I was enjoying the time with my friends, ready to stay up and play video games with my friends, thinking about my date with Nathan on Sunday, happy to see my sister and her girlfriend again.... And now...

I suddenly felt miserable.

I felt sick. I felt confused. I felt like crying, but I'd already puked. There was no way I was gonna cry; people would notice instantly. I took a few deep breaths as I flushed the toilet, then leaned on the sink before splashing my face with water.

Calm down, Alex.

Don't make a scene. Just stick around until the party ends, then head upstairs and forget anything Storm said.

I kept repeating that in my head as I came out of the bathroom, taking deep breathes to calm down. I continued down the hallway and into the ballroom where the next song had begun to play and people were dancing, laughing, and sharing glasses of blood wine. Part of me wanted to take a sip out of curiosity again to see if I could handle it, but another part of me knew it would be disasterous if I ever got drunk in public when I was in this foul mood.

Instead, my eyes searched the ballroom for anyone who'd distract me.

"Looking for someone?" A voice asked and I almost leapt into the air, wincing as I whipped around to see Vladimir standing behind me with this secret smile on his face. I frowned.

"Where's Mark?" I asked. Vladimir shrugged, scanning the ballroom.

"With Storm most likely. My son seemed a bit disgruntled, though. Too bad. I was going to ask him to make a speech tonight." He responded with a sigh. I raised an eyebrow, then frowned again as I studied Vladimir as he watched everyone mingle. Despite his watching, he looked more thoughtful than anything.

Part of me was curious. Vladimir did confess to loving me and Storm backed that up too, but at the same time, I had trouble believing. It annoyed me, so I just looked away and managed to spot Amber and Mary-Kay.

"Excuse me." I told Vladimir, who just nodded silently and watched me approach my sister and her girlfriend.

"Hey, Mary-Kay." I greeted politely, glancing at Amber, who was busy talking to Maria about her occult shop. Mary-Kay looked at me, seeming relieved to talk to someone, and smiled.

"Hey, Alex. What's up?" She asked. I smiled uncomfortably, glancing toward Vladimir, trying not to lose him as he walked around, mingling with his guests again, before I turned my attention back to Mary-Kay.

"I don't wanna sound pushy or anything, but... My aura. And Vladimir's. When we're together, do you see anything weird?" I asked. Mary-Kay blinked owlishly, reaching up to touch her lip thoughtfully before tilting her head.

"Well... I'm not sure. Vladimir did have a really super dark aura when he told us you were dating someone. I could feel his irritation too, but it was hard to tell. I'd have to get you guys close together, maybe aware of each other's presences--"

"Good, let's dance."

"Wait, wha--" I cut Mary-Kay off as I took her by the hand and pulled her out onto the dance floor, watching her stumble for a second before righting herself as I apologized briefly, glancing around to see Vladimir dancing with one of his cousins, who was laughing at something he was saying.

"I can't dance very well." Mary-Kay managed in embarrassment, glancing down at her feet as she tried not to step on mine. I didn't have to be empathetic to know that Mary-Kay was nervous, and that I was being rude. I took a deep breath and smiled.

"Just move your feet with mine. Don't look at your feet either. You'll end up stepping on mine and your heels look really painful." I added. Mary-Kay blushed.

"At least you're not wearing them," She agreed with a snort as she forced herself to look anywhere, but at her feet and my face, "Amber said they were cute and that's all that matters." I smiled lightly.

"She can be pushy." I concured. Mary-Kay's lips tilted upwards in a shy smile as she paused to push her glasses up before continuing our dance. I made sure to stay aware of who was around me dancing as we made our way closer and closer to Vladimir.

"Yikes," Mary-Kay managed, blinking a few times in surprise, "Your aura's really super red."

"What's red mean?" I asked, confused. Mary-Kay blushed.

"Uh, depends. What do you want to hear?" She asked uneasily. I raised an eyebrow, giving her a deadpan expression.

"The truth, maybe." I offered, trying not to sound too sarcastic. Mary-Kay laughed a little, glancing out the corner of her eye at Vladimir as we neared on the dance floor, swirling and twirling around a few more couples and avoiding the younger children, who were laughing and running around.

"Uh, well, let's wait until we get closer to Vladimir. Maybe then I can get a better reading." She decided as I spun her outwards, then twirled her back in up against my chest, making her blink and look up at me in surprise.

"Whatever you have to say won't upset me, Mary-Kay. I want you to be honest with me. What are you reading about my aura?" I asked, my voice hard, even though I was forcing a smile. Mary-Kay winced as I put some space between us as we danced.

"Well, first off, it's really on fire kinda red. You're passionate about something." And by something, she meant Vladimir and I felt my cheeks flame. Mary-Kay responded the same way, so we just danced in silence until I felt a hand on my shoulder and I instantly stiffened, halting my dance with Mary-Kay to turn and see Vladimir standing beside me, smiling at Mary-Kay.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but may I steal your dance partner?" He asked. Mary-Kay blushed bright red and just nodded her head. I blinked as Vladimir took my hands in a way that meant he wanted to dance with me himself. I quickly looked at Mary-Kay for help and she just stared, her eyes widened.

"Really red!" She whispered quickly before dashing off to Amber. I winced, then snapped my head to look at Vladimir with a frown.

"Don't you have someone else you want to dance with?" I asked, trying not to sound as irritated as I felt. Vladimir smiled, clasping his hand together with mine as he let go of my arm with the other to slip his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.

"I much rather dance with you. You need a good scolding, harrassing poor Mary-Kay like that just so you could find out what you feel towards me." He chided. My eyes widened and I felt my cheeks flame as I wiggled a little in his grip, trying to get away from him, but he held me tight.

"You ought to look within yourself to find yourself. Asking others won't tell you anything."

"I can't see auras."

"You don't need to see auras to know how you feel." Vladimir pointed out wisely, making me frown for a moment to let that sink in. For a while, I didn't say anything, just watched Vladimir's expression as we danced. He was doing that annoying thing again where he wasn't looking at me. I sighed in frustration as the song finally ended and I managed to pull away from Vladimir, rubbing my fingers where he had grabbed me.

"You're really insistent." I commented under my breath, turning away from him. Vladimir walked past me, brushing his knuckles against my cheek and making me wince as I watched him walk off to speak to other guests. I rolled my eyes and glanced around the ballroom. A wave of relief swept through me when I spotted Slade leaning against one of the walls, staring up at the ceiling. I walked over quickly and almost grabbed him, making him jump.

"Where the hell have ye been? I've been all on me own since Mark ran off wif Zander." Slade added, both his eyebrows going up. I smiled uncomfortably.

"Uh, honestly, I'm not sure what's going on in my head right now." I admitted. Slade studied my expression, then looked away to watch people dance.

"Ye 'avin' seconds thoughts 'bout Nathanial?" He asked bluntly. I blushed and averted my eyes for a moment before looking at him.

"I... don't know. I like Nathan. He's really nice and he's sweet and he makes me feel way better about everything that's happened. I have so much in common with him." I explained quietly, slumping against the wall. Slade studied the people for a while longer before looking at me.

"And what 'bout Vladimir? Anyfin' that turns ya on 'bout 'im?" He asked. I felt all the blood rush to my cheeks as I looked at the floor.

"Vladimir is... cocky and arrogant. He's super powerful. He's really smart. Oh, yea, and apparently he's in love with me... But he... He's done some things I'm having trouble forgiving him for." I managed, then looked up at Slade, who was looking at me with a thoughtful look.

"Well... If ye can forgive 'im for whatever it is tha' he's done, tha' makes ya mo' powerful than 'im, don't it? The power to forgive is very rare and very strong." Slade said carefully. I blinked and looked out at the ballroom for a moment before looking back at Slade.

"That was smart." I told him. Slade blushed.

"Yea, well, I ain't just psychic. I learnt a few smart fings." He replied, averting his eyes. I smiled and pushed off the wall with a sigh, opening my mouth to speak when the lights flashed off. I gasped and several people yelled in shock as the ballroom was plunged into darkness.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, reaching my hand out and hitting Slade in the chest, making him snort.

"I dun know! What 'appened ta the lights? Is there a switch?" Slade asked, reaching out to touch my hand. We laced our hands together and stayed near the wall as the music continued to play, making me frown suspiciously. If the power went out, why was the music still on?

"Come on, I think I saw a switch somewhere along this wall." I told him. I'm sure Slade probably just nodded as he remained silent and gripped my hand as we walked along the wall, one hand linked and the other scaling for a light switch.

There were too many people protesting and yelling as the music seemed to get louder. I frowned, trying to remember where I had seen the light switch when Vladimir suddenly came into my head. I rolled my eyes, but hesitated as I remembered him standing near the door where a group of light switches had sat. I instantly moved quicker, making Slade yelp until my hand bumped into the switches, which had all been turned down.

I frowned until I heard a shriek, making me jump and Slade gasp, letting go of my hand.

"Slade!" I protested, then went to turn the lights on. I flicked the switches up, light filling the room. I was about to turn around when a sharp pain pierced through my chest, making me gasp. I heard people scream and Slade cried out, taking a step away from me. I winced, my whole body aching with pain as something bubbled up my throat and spilled past my lips.

The familiar metallic taste matched the red that began to pool at my feet. I blinked and looked down to see the silver tip of a sword sticking out of my chest. I gasped in realization, then choked a few times.

"Noo!" I hardly recognized the person's scream as my world tilted to the side, forward and backwards as I slumped to my knees, breathing hard. Dizziness overwhelmed me as I tried to hold onto the wall for support, but my bloodied fingers slipped on the wall and I fell to the floor.

I only had enough time to see a hand on the lights switches and someone coming up behind Slade, making me wince as I parted my lips, but only blood came out as everything turned black.