The Queen of the Night

Chapter 6

I wanted to sleep during Alexander's lecture on the history of vampires. He spoke with a monotonous voice that I was sure lulled even the rats to sleep. I couldn't shake out of my head the little blond boy I allowed to slip from my fingers so easily. Ky had clouded my vision all day and now through the night.

Alexander slammed books on the desk I sat at. "What?" I scowled.

"What did I just say?" He challenged.

"I don't know!" I hissed. "I don't care!"

He huffed. "Fine then. What do you care about? Because right now it doesn't seem like you care about anything!"

I puffed up my cheeks with air and slowly allowed it out of my nose. "Ky...my brother..." When I didn't get a snarky remark I continued though I tried to stop myself I couldn't after I opened my mouth. "He was my little brother. I used to live in this neighborhood that didn't really like my family because we used garlic in our food, which I guess everybody could smell, and put up things that they didn't like, normally religious symbols. We didn't live in an HOA neighborhood so dad just ignored it even after threats came up involving me and Ky. One day Ky wanted to play outside but I had to watch him so I watched him from the window and...I turned around to read and when I turned back minutes later he was gone. His disappearance held an array of suspicion because...well nobody just disappears without a trace like that. But there were no clues or witnesses..." I rubbed my forehead. "Sorry, I don't know why I told you that. You didn't need to know that."

Alexander rubbed his chin. After a long silence he took out his cell and stepped outside. Why did I just start telling him all of this? He probably didn't want nor care to know what was going on! He didn't come back until several minutes later.

"Do some independent studying for now, okay? Read everything on Edgar Allen Poe and I expect you to know the history of Poe as well. Oh and memorize the history of your family-your vampire family, I should say, because you have a quiz tomorrow. Oral, of course." He continued to ramble assignments off as he walked out.

Outside the doorway a very dark man stood alert like a statue to guard the door. Matthew found him necessary in case I tried breaking out of my room without an escort. At first I didn't think of this as much of a punishment but now I was so bored out of my mind! It would have been easier to make me do some chores and with my room constantly clean from lack of things I really had no choice but to do Alexander's assignments.

Hours later Jillian entered the room to escort me to lunch, which I had alone. Jillian explained that Matthew was out with Alexander but she didn't know what for or why. I had a bowl of broth laced with blood.

"It's just to start you out with," Jillian explained. "Soon you should be eating all the normal foods. It doesn't fill you up much but usually there's a bloody steak, which isn't always bad."

When I was halfway through I was sick of the silence. "Hey, Jillian, with the Strigoi and Moroi, are there certain neighborhoods that they tend to live in?"

"Sometimes," she said.

"What about in Phoenix?"

"Phoenix? Yeah, oddly enough for the Strigoi family. The Moroi, it doesn't surprise me that they have certain neighborhoods they try to keep between them and the Strigoi. A part of the Moroi family ability is being able to withstand sunlight, although they still burn very easily. Why?"

"Just curious," I watched her carefully. She didn't appreciate that I was keeping something from her but she didn't object either. "What family are you from?"

She almost looked taken aback but tried to recover some mask to hide the surprise. "Well, I was turned by a member of the Moroi, but due to certain events I was, in a manner of speaking, disowned. Master Matthew took me in when he heard. It's how he finds most of his staff, with certain exceptions like your tutor who is Perso. Maids, cooks, all of us are without a family to turn to. You can say that we have become sort of like a major family, in a way. We run the house, we clean and we cook, and without us the entire system would be in disarray. Sorry, I did not mean to speak so freely."