Black Sun [New Horizon Trilogy]

08 ~ The Work of a Secretary

Chapter Eight

The Work of a Secretary

Claire woke up early that morning, just as the sun began to rise. Her bed was warm and comfortable, and despite the lack of Shane - her fiancé, she still couldn't believe it - she was more than happy to spend the entire morning drifting in between sleep and consciousness. She would have let herself sleep in, she didn't have school after all, if it weren't for her irritating little phone.

AMELIE: You start work this morning. Do not be late.

Claire stuck her tongue out at the brief text, and she almost ducked under the covers to spite the vampire royalty. She knew that was a bad idea, however, and could potentially result in her demise so she woke early - Amelie hadn't even told her what time she started work - and mentally cursed the day she had become involved with vampires.

She sat quietly in the kitchen, sluggishly chewing her chocolaty cereal as she flipped through one of Michael's newspapers. There weren't too many interesting things happening in Morganville; weather news, politics news, and the occasional 'journalist' (who just coincidently might be a vampire) clearing up 'animal attacks,' and 'disappearances' in the less 'sophisticated' end of town.

"You're up early," Michael commented, and Claire flinched, the cereal she'd loaded onto her spoon tumbling back into her bowl.

"Michael," Claire sighed, breathing slowly to calm her frantic heart. "You have got to stop sneaking up on me like that."

He shot her a sheepish smile as he sat in the chair in front of her. "Sorry."

Claire slowly sipped her orange juice, but when Michael remained quiet, she realised that she would have to explain herself. "I start work again today," she told him. "I was told to go in early."

"Really? I thought Myrnin would have preferred afternoons over mornings."

Claire shrugged and worked to abruptly change the subject. "You know about those people that wanted to see you, right?"

Michael's eyebrow cocked but he nodded and leaned forward in his chair, elbows resting on the table. "Yeah," he breathed.

"What do you think you're going to do about it? I saw the journalist the other day, did you know? She was asking me about Morganville." He glanced up at her, and Claire was familiar with the look in his eye. "Oh, no. You told Amelie, didn't you?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Michael defended. "When a music producer and a journalist from another state show up in town and ask around for me, a vampire, am I not supposed to tell the woman in charge?"

"Michael," Claire groaned. "He could have made you a music star and now you've potentially signed him up for his death bed."

"It's not like I could leave anyway. Amelie would never let me move away from Morganville."

Claire pouted her lips as she watched him through narrowed eyes, and finally she sighed and continued to eat her cereal. "Amelie should stop dictating people's futures," Claire murmured around her spoon, but Michael's enhanced hearing easily picked it up.

"Careful with what you say," he warned. "She's like a God. She hears all."

"She's only a God if mortals worship her." Claire shot him an exaggerated grin and she stood, collected her bowl and her cup and dumped them in the sink. "Can you clean up for me? I've got to go."