Blood Ties (NaNoWriMo 2015)

Forty-Eight

Later, when I'd just finishing swiping blush across the apples of my cheeks when I heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I played coy, I knew perfectly well who it was, I was just too irked from our earlier encounter to make things easy.

"It's me," Damon's voice came from the other side of the door. "Can I come in?"

I don't know, can you? That was what the more childish part of me wanted to say, but the more mature side of me couldn't bring myself to do it. We'd have to talk about what happened sooner or later and it was best to get it over with now. "Yes," I said, rolling my shoulders back and ready to stand tall in the event that he was still sporting an attitude.

The door creaked open and Damon came inside. "About what happened," he began and I heard an apologetic tone. So far, he was on the right track. "You're right, I was acting like an ass."

"I never said you were acting like an ass," I told him, snapping my blush compact shut."But you're certainly right about that."

"Yeah and I'm sorry for it."

I smiled and the tension relaxed out of my shoulders. "And I forgive you."

Damon smiled, relieved. "Great," he leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Should we get going?"

"Yes," I agreed, the butterflies in my stomach returning with a vengeance. If I managed to get any food down at all I'd consider it a miracle. "Let's go."

We locked the room before we left, I hoped my shaking knees were hidden by my pants as we entered the elevator. "Nervous?" Damon asked we moved down.

"How can you tell?" I asked, forcing a smile to my face. I had a list of items already but I wanted to see what he'd say.

"Your heart is like a humming bird's," he informed me. "Your breathing is far shorter than usual, your legs are shaking and you haven't noticed, but you're picking at your fingernails."

"You heard all of that?" I whistled. I knew vampire hearing was strong, but I didn't think they'd be able to hear the sound of my joints moving.

"Not all," Damon told me. "I saw your legs shaking, it's subtle, I wouldn't have found it if I hadn't know what to look for. I could hear your picking at your nails, but I saw it too, you do that when your stressed by the way, did you know?"

"No," I admitted. "I didn't, when did you figure that out?"

"You did that all the time during Cruor Luna," Damon told me. "I noticed a pattern with you is all there is too it."

The elevator stopped, the door dinged and opened and I saw standing face to face with an elderly woman. For a split second I thought I was facing the queen of England, she had the same sliver-blue hair and was dressed in similar fashions I'd seen in magazines. At her side was a young man with slicked back blonde hair. Damon smiled kindly at them, "Marilyn, Dominic, nice to see you again."

Who where they? Damon knew them so clearly coven leaders and I wracked my brain trying to recall any of the names on the guest list for Cruor Luna, but all I did was draw a blank. "Damon," Marilyn said, smiling in a very grandmotherly way, but I saw a glint of a gold tooth as well as something mischievous in her grin that made me think she was tougher than she looked. "It's good to see you as well, I was sorry to hear about your father, he was a good man."

"Thank you," said Damon and I saw a shadow of pain cross his face. "So am I."

Marilyn smiled, this time I noted sympathy. Then her little brown eyes zeroed in on me. "And you must be the human staying with Robur."

I swallowed my dislike at being referred to as "the human" would it have killed her to ask for my name? "I am," I answered, glad to hear my tone was pleasant, perhaps more icy than I would have liked but too late now. "Ember Hawthorn, it's nice to meet you, Marilyn isn't it? There a last name that goes with it?"

She took my hand, eyes sparkling and I had no doubt that my tone had been missed. "Marilyn Docrine and this is Dominic Markhan, Saxum coven. I'm training him to take my place."

"Nice to meet you as well," I addressed the blonde man who regarded me with an openly curious gaze. His blue eyes were enormous behind his thick glasses. "Sir is there something on my face?" I teased and he recoiled like I'd just thrown a snake in his direction.

"No," he replied stiffly, voice haughty and instantly I decided conversing with this man was not going to be easy. There was a certain quality to his voice that I hated. "But there might be something in your mouth, no one talks to Ms. Dorcrine like that."

His remark stung and my anger flared once again. "Well, perhaps it might do her some good if someone started."

Dominic gaped at me and Damon looked between both of us, furrow between his eyebrows and mouth in a tight line-all clear signs of worry. Marilyn stepped into the elevator, silent as she stood between me and Damon. Dominic was blubbering trying to form a coherent comeback and shame me. I did certainly feel ashamed already, I should have controlled my temper better than I had.

Mariyln held up a slightly wrinkled hand, many rings glittering on her fingers and Dominic fell silent instantly. She and looked me up and down, eyes twinkling and smiled. "Miss Hawthorn," she said. "I think I'm going to like you very much."

I blinked. "Really?"

She smiled, "Yes really, I like women that have spines. Hell, I like men that do too, Dominic, take note," her voice rang with authority and her apprentice, for lack of a better word straightened up at it. Alert and listening to what she had to say. "Age and power don't equal automatic respect my dear, if someone treats you poorly, make sure they know you won't accept that laying down. Gets you farther in life, trust me, I'm old enough to know."

"Duly noted," I replied. "I'll put it to use."

"Sooner than you'd think." she interjected. "Half those fools down there will disagree with me and try to knock you down, both of you." Her eyes darted to Damon and he stiffened, caught like a deer in headlights. "Don't give them that power." Then Marilyn's gaze turned back to me. "Now Ember, mind if I ask you some questions?"

"You just did," I bantered back, "but I assume you have more so, fire away." Maybe tonight wasn't going to start off as badly as I thought it would.

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New chapter! Damon and Ember have made up and we got to meet another coven leader! I don't know about you guys, but so far I've gotten a grandma meets Maragret Thatcher vibe from Marylin! I like writing her so far! Thank you for reading, you're amazing!

Write on! =D