The Queen of the Night

Chapter 8

Alexander started in on my lessons during breakfast. Matthew wasn't there today, which nobody really took as odd. I guessed he was away often. Even when I finished he never moved into another room.

I flipped through one of the books out of boredom while he rambled on about the history of vampires. There were old pictures of vampires who had their canines in odd places in their mouth. Out of curiosity I ran my tongue across my teeth and found them to be where the canines usually are.

The next page showed different types of creatures. I tilted my head and sat up straighter and looked at the pictures. Mermaids. Satyrs. Unicorns. Wizards. Witches.

The book shut on my hand and I jumped up and yelped. Alexander stared down at me. "What the hell?" I shouted at him.

"You weren't paying attention!"

"That's no reason to...ugh! That hurt, you ass!"

In his eyes, I could clearly see he wanted to shove me and hit me and he struggled to hold it back. "You might be Matthew's daughter, Amelia, but you are nowhere near a princess or a queen."

I shook my head and stood, our noses barely touching. "I. Don't. Care. I don't care about any of this!" I threw the book on the floor.

Now he really didn't hold back. When he shoved me, he made sure I fell onto my chair. He pinned me by my throat and I became thankful that I didn't need oxygen.

"What do you think you're doing, Alexander?" The shrill voice of Jillian made him let me go. Jillian shoved Alexander to the other side of the long table. I was stunned at how strong she was and how pissed she could become. When she touched my neck, I flinched. "It's okay," she cooed while she looked for any signs of damage. "Matthew is going to kill you, Alexander." She told him.

"It's not my fault she's such a-"

"Don't finish that sentence!" She threatened. "Get out and get back to your family and pray to whatever god will hear you out that Matthew doesn't kill you."

Alexander took her at her word and fled the house and pushed past Alec on his way out the door.

"What's with him?" He pointed at Alexander with his thumb. "And what's with you, princess?"

"Don't call me that," I snapped while I rubbed my throat.

"Whoa now, keep talkin' like that and I won't take you on a field trip."

"To what? A zoo?"

"Be nice, he wasn't the one that attacked you," Jillian hissed.

"Sorry," I muttered to Jillian but she didn't seem to hear me while she picked up the book.

"Well I was going to take you on a ride along on a case I'm gonna be working on but if you're going to be like that I just won't take you, Princess." He folded his arms and turned around and walked slowly to the door.

I straightened up and smiled a wide smile. "Really? I get to get out of here?" Without regarding Jillian, I followed him out the door.

Jillian followed us too. "You shouldn't go, Amelia. Master Matthew-"

"Don't worry about Matthew, Jillian. I'll be back before he gets back."

Alec drove a small Nissan truck whose red paint was starting to come off. Azalea sat in the front and wouldn't get out or move over so I had to crawl over her to be between her and Alec.

"Does Matthew know she'll be out?" Azalea looked at Alec from the corner of her eye. Alec answered her by stepping on the gas and taking off as quickly as possible. "Alec James Fuller!" Azalea scolded. "I don't want the most powerful vampire in the world after us!"