Blur

Chapter 6: Failed Dinner

Chapter 6: Failed Dinner

Luca opens the front door to the ginormous mansion, and makes a grand sweeping gesture with his arm as he tells us to 'get our butts inside and make ourselves at home.' The mansion is as expensively decorated on the inside as the exterior walls had suggested that it would be. Glass figurines sit on tables and shelves in a show of how much money the owner of the mansion has to waste.

I recall Mother Anne mentioning outside that this mansion belongs to Luca. I glance over at him through the corner of my eye. He looks way too young to own this place. He appears to be only nineteen, the same age I am currently claiming to be. I will try to learn more about that later.

The main hall we step into when we first enter the residence appears to be never ending when you look to either the left or right. An elaborate staircase is directly in front of us and seems to disappear as it winds upward to meet the second floor. The steps almost look to be made of glass and the wood rail is clearly taken well care of and polished regularly.

What I did not expect though, were the other werewolves milling about the mansion. They are all in human form as Luca leads us to our room, but I know from their intoxicating smell that they are definitely not humans. None of them pays us any attention, pretending like we don't even exist.

I am so busy taking in my new surroundings that I barely catch Mother Anne's words when she speaks to Luca a moment later.

"Where is Baxter?"

"In his office. Second floor, third door on the left," Luca instructs. "You can go on up if you want."

"Thanks. Would you mind showing Amaya to her room while I go see him?"

"Sure," Luca tells her before turning to me with a cocky grin. "This way," he says taking my bags from my hands.

"I could have toted those myself," I protest.

"It never hurts to let someone else help every once in a while," Luca retorts.

We lapse into silence as we climb our way up the two flights of winding stairs. "Here we are," Luca tells me when we reach the last door in the hall. He pushes the door open and sets my bags on the floor. "If you need anything, Anne's room is across the hall. Usually when she visits though she stays busy," he explains. "But I'm normally free," he adds his trademark cocky grin for effect.

"I think I will be just fine," I reply.

"Great. Supper will be served at 7:30 in the dining hall. Wear something really dressy. It tends to be a formal event here," he informs me.

That gives me pause. Werewolves and vampires eating together? That does not sound like a good idea at all. Vampires only consume one thing. The same enticing substance that flows through any werewolves' veins.

"Ok see you then, I guess," I reply anyway

He chuckles, picking up on my unease. "You would be surprised how easily vampires and werewolves can get along together when they try," he says, turning to leave. He pauses right before exiting the room and adds, "There will be an empty seat beside me if you want it."

I begin to protest but he is gone before I have a chance to say anything. Now that I am in the room alone, I realize, in contrast to the rest of the rooms I have seen in this mansion, it is a simple room. The walls are a boring shade of brown, the ceiling is white, and the furniture is sparse and all off-white. Even though the room is simple I notice there is plenty of room for two people- especially since vampires cannot sleep and have no true use for the bed- and wonder why Mother Anne and I are not sharing a room. I will try to remember to ask her about that later.