Rare Blood

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Bonding

After leaving Mr. Cleary's office and returning to Dmitri's, Roxy was sent to her room, and then isolated. The only person coming or going was that same vampire, that had been positioned outside of her door. He brought her food and drink, but no blood, and she was not permitted to leave. She hadn't seen Dmitri, Hector, or Tatiana.  She knew something was going down, but what she didn't have a clue.

In order to keep her thoughts from drifting to all of the possibilities she organized her clothes and shoes only to toss them around so she could do it again. It was ridiculous, but she did not do well with idle time.

She was in the process of rearranging her shoes by price, color, print, and heal size when she heard a knock at the door, that did not sound like the guard's. Her head snapped up, and then her hand was on the knob and she was opening it. It was Dmitri, he was wearing a navy track suit and its casualness distracted her from what was in his hand for a moment. The clothes didn't seem like him.

He said, "Hello Lovely," and held out a single long stem grey rose. She didn't take it. She pegged him with a hard stare and demanded, "Why have I been kept in this room?"

"I'll explain everything once you let me in."

"Are you going to keep me in here?"

"No. You are free to roam around the house, for now."

"Well if that's the case you can explain everything to me in another room, or outside even."

"As you wish."

            Huh, she wasn't expecting him to agree, but while she was getting her way she said, "And I need blood," which in another day would have become an absolute necessity.

"We will talk and then we will hunt, if that's what you want."

"Yes."

"Then follow me."

Roxy followed Dmitri back to the bedroom she assumed was his that first day. He opened a thick black curtain and revealing a glass door leading to a large limestone balcony.  He opened the door and extended his arm, "After you."

It was dark, but the moon was full and there were plenty of stars in the sky.  After a few days cooped up it was beautiful to her.

"The moonlight suits you," Dmitri said, appreciative of her beauty.

"Thank you," she replied, knowing how to take a compliment though it made her more than a little suspicious and she asked, "Why, after being locked away, are you allowing me out?"

"I've had associates on the property that I did not want to see you. You presence here was a secret, and you were denied blood in the event that I needed to question you. I told you I would get to the bottom of what happened with you... and I have."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have a story to tell you.  The other day when I mentioned that we had been deceived, it turns out I had no idea how deep that deception went.  I have been on a fact finding mission and many things have come to light.

"What did you learn?"

He looked her straight in the eye and said, "Hector was paid to get rid of Dominique so certain members of my council could keep her business and line their pockets behind my back. They worked together to cover it up by pretending Hector was legitimately trying to keep you. He was given a lot of money, money that should have been yours. That's why he never actually pursued you, but when you showed up on his doorstep, smelling how you did, he welcomed you in, then called Octavius.