Blood Ties (NaNoWriMo 2015)

Twenty-Seven

Damon chatted with Richard a bit longer, as well as his parents. Keith showed up several minutes later in a classy white tux drinks in hand. All that odd pink tinge excluding one which was the light gold color that I associated with champagne. "Isn't it a bit too early to be drinking Keith?" Caiyun said to her son with a slight shake of her head.

Keith smiled and showed his dazzling white teeth. "It's five o'clock somewhere." He held one of the pink flutes out to his mother who took it with a small smile.

"Richard," Keith said handing him a flute as well and kissing both his cheeks. This made me wonder if Keith was a European origin as well. "Wonderful to see you again and Adeline, you look even more beautiful than the last time we met."

Richard forgot all about Damon then and began talking solely with Keith and Johnathan. "Did you have any hand in this event?" Richard asked. "Helping your little brother out with all this? You must have more experience than he does."

Another subtle barb at Damon and I watched as Keith laughed, shoulders shaking. He clasped Damon on the shoulder and the impact jolted me as well. "Well I'd like to take some credit," Keith said. "Everyone likes a little bit of bragging but that would make me a liar, Damon pulled this off all by his lonesome, and I'm proud as hell."

His brown eyes were slightly narrowed though he still smiled. That was another subtle barb, this time aimed at Richard. The subtext was clear as day, And you'd better watch what else you say about him while you're talking to me. Going by the expression on Richard's face which would have been appropriate if he'd swallowed pure lemon juice, the message had come through loud and clear. I smiled and shot a grateful look at Keith and was struck by a thought. Keith was massive as a bear, taller than Damon and broader, but by the look he was giving Richard, how protective he was over Damon, I realized despite his exterior, Keith was just a bunch of cotton balls on the inside when it came to his family. Attacks on himself and his abilities I had a feeling he could handle and brush off without so much as a remark, but Damon or his parents were another matter entirely.

"You know your drink isn't poisoned," Damon said off-handedly to me. I looked at the flute in my hand, I hadn't touched it.

"I'm not twenty-one," I said. I hadn't been able to risk drinking while I was in high school, because I was employed by the school district as a lifeguard, part of the condition was that I followed the same code they gave me for the swim team. No drugs and no booze. Getting caught with either had penalties and in the case of my job, I was not willing to risk it.

Damon's eyes twinkled. "I promise no one here cares, just try it. If you don't like it I'll finish it for you." I smiled a little at him and took a sip. The bubbles tickled my nose and the dry sweetness of the drink was something I was amazed to find I liked. Seeing my reaction Damon smiled at me again. "See? Not so bad is it?"

"Not at all," I admitted taking another measured sip.

"Told you so," he said. "Come, dinner is starting soon, we need to sit down?"

I didn't have much time to be confused as Damon escorted me to a nearby table and pulled out my chair. I was slightly caught off guard by the old-fashioned gesture until I remembered how old he was. That must have been common curtsey back when he was young. "Thank you," I said.

"Your welcome," Keith sat with us but Johnathan and Caiyun did not. Adeline joined as well along with an unfamiliar man who introduced himself as Jasper Abbing, the leader of the Milita coven. I braced myself for a condescending treatment of Damon but as tables were dismissed to go up to the buffet I was pleasantly surprised.

"This is a lovely Cruor Luna you've put together Damon," Jasper said kindly through a slight accent that I couldn't place. I wondered if it came from his country of origin or because of all the changes in the English language over the last few hundred years. "Some first timers usually go far over the top. Attempt to pull off too many things at once," he chuckled. "I know I did! You were wise to keep things at a manageable level."