Barely Legal

Part 5

We walk through the halls, my heels clicking along and Bridget almost gliding gracefully. I have no idea how someone so tall manages to glide but she is extremely graceful and almost willowy in posture. We walk past the magnificent carved doors of the library and the noise begins. It is almost like a buzzing noise that vibrates down the corridors. As we go further along the louder if becomes until I hear lots of distinguished voices. It almost sounds like a council meeting, it's so frantic. Everyone seems to be trying to get their point across. We reach the door and Bridget stops me.

"Are you ready?"

I reply, "Will I ever be?"

"Good point," she laughs and opens the door. As soon as I step into view everyone quietens except one lone voice of an oblivious man. 

"It's preposterous! She could be anyone. She could be a spy for the House of Derb-...." 

He suddenly realises everyone else is quiet and turns around to see me stood there. 

"Oh please, continue," I laugh. Nothing like giving the bear a poke is there?

"Well you could be a spy!" he mutters indignantly turning round back into his chair. I walk past all of the people to the buffet at the back of the room and pour a glass of blood from the turreen on the side. Bridget also pours one and leads me to a table at the side full of lots of people; some of them carrying swords. I go to sit down thinking that was what she wanted but she holds my wrist and shakes her head. I spot Maxwell towards the middle of the table and next to him is a man with the body of a rugby player and the looks of a god. His dark hair is tied back. He almost looks familiar like I've passed him before but I know I couldn't have done because he is by far one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen. He has this air around him that makes me want to fall to my knees. I don't though because this is the 21st century and I have too much respect for myself. 

Still, I deferred my eyes as he looked straight at me. It was pure animalistic instinct.

"So, you're the girl who's been causing the riots in the building," he smirks, "Well I have to admit for all the paranoia and fear you're causing I would have thought you'd be taller."

"Well I might have had time left to grow but you know, I died...." I say to myself.

I can almost feel the tension in the room thicken until it feels like mud. Shit, vampire hearing. I groan inwardly. I have a feeling this man is very important to everyone in the room.

I cringe, "Sorry!"

The man  just laughs. It is a hearty laugh that neither I nor anyone else seems to get.  I redden, embarrassment creeps up as a voice in my head whispers in a velvetty tone "I like you. You're spunky".

I blush further, so much my face feels like its on fire. I'm literally the warmest I've been in a week.

"Sit down" he commands, "Join the group. They won't bite... unless you ask them too".

Feeling the size of an ant I drop into the nearest chair straight across from Maxwell. He gives me a sympathetic grimace.

"I suppose you have questions, so after breakfast we can retire to my suite and I can get them answered. Maxwell will be joining us, of course. Yours is quite the interesting turn story I believe. Quite the twist to the tale," he almost sounds like he knows something I don't.

"Shouldn't I know your name before I'm taken to your suite?"

A collective gasps runs throughout the whole room. For the first few seconds everyone is deadly silent. Deadly being the key word here, and then the man in front of me laughs rambunctiously and the whole room erupts. There are people heartily laughing and grinning as if I've just told the worlds funniest joke. I must be sat here with idiot across my head. Everyone is staring at me waiting for me to catch on. And then I realise he's the Master of Stafford House. I pour through TV images in my head trying to pull up his name but I'm still left at a blank. I think he realises this as the whisper echoes through my head again "It's Lucas... Lucas Everwood". I blush again. It's nice to meet you Lucas, I reply without speaking.

The tension in the room disappears when Lucas smiles at me. I breathe a heavy sigh of relief which seems to echo back at me. For the rest of my meal (and by meal I mean while I finish slurping at my blood) I shatter nervously with Bridget who spends most of her time making eyes with the guy to the left of Lucas and blushing furiously when he catches her. She just can't seem to keep her eyes averted. When Lucas stands everyone else stands with him. I shoot up nervously nearly tripping over the bench as I do. Maxwell catches my eye and grins. Great, now even the guy I fancy is laughing at me. Did I just admit that in my head? Can't Lucas hear my thoughts. Lucas catches my eye and winks. Of course he can. That's just great!

I follow him and Maxwell out of the room. As we leave half of the room also moves towards the door whilst the rest sit back down ready to continue with their breakfasts. We walk in the opposite direction to where me and Bridget originally came from. Instead we head towards the main hallway and down a long corridor towards the front doors. Lucas and Maxwell glide straight past them as I trip and stumble to catch up almost running on my much shorter legs. They turn right and I follow and realise as my legs go from underneath me that inside the dark unlit doorway is a set of steep stairs. When I finally get to the bottom - and when I say to the bottom, what I actually mean is land there - both men are stood there laughing heartily. Cheers, I seethe.