Blood Ties (NaNoWriMo 2015)

Twenty-Two

A few days later, the planning was at an end and Cruor Luna was upon us. I woke up that evening with a sense of relief, like a weight had been taken off my shoulders. No more planning, no more phone calls, no more having to send flower arrangements back because the florist screwed up! I flopped back onto my bed and shivered from head to toe with excitement. Everything was in ready to go, now we just had to get the ball rolling.

Well Damon did anyways, I couldn't help him with this for two reasons. One being that it was a rule that a coven leader was supposed to pull off the last minute things alone, supposedly it was a show of competence and ability to work under pressure but I thought it was stupid. There was a hundred things still to be done and only one of him-too much to ask of anyone. Then there remained the fact that I was human. Some of the arriving vampires wouldn't have a problem with me, others would and that would only cause problems for Damon.

I couldn't afford to be seen there which meant I was going to spend the rest of my waking hours vegging out in front of the TV. Life could be worse. I snuggled underneath my warm covers for a moment more and then got up and entered my bathroom. Despite my disastrous first attempts at using this fancy shower, I was now a pro, I could adjust it to the correct temperature every time.

I scrubbed at ink stains on my fingers and relaxed far too long under the hot spray, but found that knowledge wasn't enough to stop me from doing it.

I finally excited my shower, skin bright red and rubbed lotion onto my freshly washed face. I debated whether or not put makeup on (for my request for some had recently be granted and I hadn't had much time to play around with the products) and decided I'd deal with that after I had some food in my stomach. For among other new additions to my living quarters, Caiyun and her crew had finished that mini-kitchen and it was now fully-stocked.

I ran my fingers over the cool grey granite, admiring the way the light reflected against the polished stone before I opened the fridge and grabbed the egg carton. My three frying pans hung above the stove on little pegs and I grabbed the smallest of them and set it on the burner. Soon my little apartment was filling with the smell of fried egg.

I dropped two slices on bread into the toaster and grabbed my spatula like it was a weapon, I bit my lip as I slid it underneath my egg and braced myself. I was quite terrible at this who egg-flipping business, I either got it right, or I wound up eating a scrambled egg instead of a fried egg. I hoped this time it would not come to that.

I held my breath as I lifted the egg up and turned it over. Success! I jumped up a little, fully aware of how childish that was and how grateful I was that no one was around to see it.

Five minutes later, I was dressed in my favorite sweats and was eating a fried egg sandwich and a glass of orange juice. Not a terrible way to start my day off at all. (Or was I supposed to call it night? I still wasn't sure.)

I was starting my waking hours, regardless of the proper name for it with a very optimistic feeling but that shattered when Ife burst into the room with a wild look on her face. "What's wrong?" I demanded. "Is someone hurt? Did a bus boy drop the plates and break them? Oh please do not tell me that that caterer screwed up and sent us the wrong food!" From there my mind went to an event worse possibility. What was worse than a party without food? A vampire party without blood. "Oh no! The Red Cross didn't come through-!

"Calm down," Ife said instantly. "This has nothing to do with the party, or at least the sort of things you're talking about."

"Give me a heart attack why don't you?" I growled, thankful I had not dropped my breakfast in my sudden panic. "If that's not the issue what's wrong?"

Ife stomped her sandal covered foot on the carpet and glared at me like I was missing something terribly obvious. "I can't figure out what to wear and I need some help."