the Vampire's Mistress part two

page 67 chapter 19; compromise

Every vamp's face, from Cyrille, Khan, David, who stood with an arm around Clarisse while Allen sat twirling the ice cubes on his empty crystal cut glass of sherry beside Mark---were all a study to behold after hearing my announcement to go back to my home for  Christmas.

we were ensconced in the sitting room.  the vamps trading the latest development about a new crisis regarding the scarcity of proctors needed to help organize the final test.

teasing Mark and i at least every five minutes,  about how they never could have guessed that both of us could overcome our prejudices in order to be together.

ever since they'd walk in on us the other night, after we returned from Michael's apartment.

when we lay quite cozily on the blanket covered afghan in a spoon position.   my bottom pressed against Mark's front. his arm wrapped around me to pull me close to his side. laughing softly in my ear as we traded jokes and stories of the first few weeks during our third year.

i was just beginning to drift into sleep then, when Allen with an equally surprised David and Clarisse in tow, entered.  immediately spotting us on the afghan.

but it was nothing compared to the puzzled frowns that creased their brows as they exchanged glances.

i was sitting behind the desk with fistfuls of crumpled drafts of the reply letter i was planning to send back to mom's previous one.

which was composed of the usual updates regarding  her new job as an executive secretary at a , travel agency company, Karen's irregular attendance at school, Gab's promise to come home for Christmas without Josh, and an invitation for me to come over as well.

a heartwarming postcript on the bottom, wishing me well and hope i'd fix whatever trouble i'd gotten myself into. ( i made a mental note to find out what sort of excuse Mark had used, for mom to let me stay somewhere without announcing my absence on National Television.)

knowing how impossible it was to sneak off and head to the nearest airport without either of the vamps tracing me.

i just resigned myself to the improbability of showing Mark the whole letter and practically begged for his permission  while he was skimming his eyes over the contents, David and Allen were also reading it over his shoulder.

and when they were finished, they had this, stumped, stufepied expression on their faces.

Now, i know that Master Vampire's like them did not usually mingle with humans and was therefore, unfamiliar with most facts about our way of living.

what i didt not expect was the extent of their ignorance.

i watched Allen turn to David--who scratched his head and tilted his head inquiringly upon Clarisse's direction.

i smiled, thinking that at last, someone besides me, knew the definition of Christmas and just what significance it held for all the Catholics  and Christiandom.

when i heard Clarisse speak in her heavily, accented voice;

" Yes, it must be the one when  children dress up in scary costumes at night and knock on people's doors for candies."

i nearly dropped dead with disbelief.    if only i hadn't been so exasperated,

"oh, for crying out loud! how can any of you not know what Christmas  is?!  especially you Clarisse!

you must be what----twenty-five?"

" i'm twenty. and No, how could i ? i had lived most of my life on Iceland where i was raised by my Grandma. who worshipped the Norse god.  we seldom paid attention to other's religion.

and i haven't even reached one year of living in Scotland."  she said defensively, obviously peeved.

i sighed, 

" Christmas is the most important holiday for Catholics like me,  because it marks the day of Jesus's birth. he's the Messiah, the son of God whom he sent to bring us salvation from eternal damnation. that's why during this special day, everyone rejoices and share gifts with each other, sing heart-felt carols, visit the church then prepare a feast in the evening to  celebrate this event." 

Mark rubbed one finger over his chin thoughtfully, as if mulling the matter over.

" It sounds rather tiresome and a perfect waste of time, considering that we had yet to train you for the last test this coming week. surely your family can celebrate this occassion without you? after all, this seems to be an annual thing and you can attend it  again the next year."

" I can't miss this, my mom would frak out. she would assume that something terrible has happened to me and i shudder to think what theatrical fits she'd pull if that were to happen."  hearing no response from the still, unconvinced vamps, i crossed the room to sit directly next to Mark, placing one hand on his thigh.

i pleaded my case to him once more;  " Ok. i know that this doesn't exactly tap into your top priority list right now.  but let's try to be reasonable here.  since the Elders still haven't got any proctors and the test was postponed for the next week, i just think it'd be great if i just use the time i usually have for training, in spending a couple of days with my family.  after that, i'd head back straight here and you guys can double the hazards in my training."

Mark suddenly rose from his seat, paced back and forth from one length of the room to the other, then heaved a sigh of resignation.

" You're never going to stop repeating this request again are you? the way i see it, you are going to sneak off in the airport if i refuse.   short of shackling you in the dungeons, i don't see anyway to restrain you at all."  his thumb traced lazy circles on the back of my hand,

" Very well, Angie, i would let you go back home. i ask only one thing from you." he finally said.

" and that is?"

"  We go together and leave right after this so-called celebration."

" But Master we have another trouble in the headquarters to settle--"  Mark held up a hand to silence any other protest or dissaproval from the others and turned to fix his gaze at me.

" This is my condition;  if you're not going to agree, then any other discussion is for naught"

it was a verbal trap, a challenge Mark was handing me, testing  me to see how much my patience 

( limited as it already was, under normal circumstances,) could stand such, an abuse.

if i raged on and fought him, any chances of escaping undetected would be pointless.

so even though i could practically picture the scene that would greet me as soon as i relate this same, condition to my family, i winced just thinking about it.

i met his gaze directly and finally nodded my assent.