Claws of Eternity ✔️

Chapter 29: Cool kids

GISELLE

Alacaris was already drunk and the ball didn't even start yet. She danced across Octavia's room which was the largest in comparison to Giselle's and Ala's.

"You can tell the situation is terrible when Dracul decides to throw a ball. God, we're so screwed." Octavia commented while she combed her hair in front of the mirror. Her hair was completely straight and she preferred it that way, which wasn't the latest fashion.

"I welcome his effort wholeheartedly." Ala murmured. She had nothing but her undergarments on and her hair hung loosely over her shoulders while she jumped around with a flagon in her hand.

Giselle, on the other hand, wasn't feeling nowhere near good. The information she learnt about her mother and the entire plan haunted her for the past three days. She hasn't slept in weeks and Vlad made her go to classes with other disciples. Apparently, she had to learn how to be a vampire. Giselle grabbed the flagon from Ala's hand and drank deeply, wine mixed with blood.

"It feels surreal." Giselle said.

"What? The fact that we have to go to war with some crazed, left out vamps because some douchebag from London spent years killing them?" Alacaris stole the flagon back and grinned at Giselle.

"No, the fact that we, us three, will have to fight." Giselle said.

"Because we're female? Yes, the vampire world doesn't spare you due to your lack of cock. We're just as strong as males, so there you have it. I bet you like your Carcassonne lady status now, no need to swing a sword." Octavia turned from the mirror and looked at Giselle.

"I never liked my 'Carcassonne lady status,' and I still can't swing a sword." Giselle murmured. She felt the haze of the wine, but it did nothing but deepen her sadness.

"No reason to think about that now, tonight, we drink!" Alacaris threw herself on the bed. "Shit, I'm already drunk. I wonder where's Oton." She added.

"You're stalking him a little." Octavia laughed out loud and grabbed one of the dresses from the other bed. The fabric was cherry red and Giselle could only imagine how beautiful Octavia would look wearing it.

"I'm loving him a little." Alacaris whispered.

"Where's Jelena?" Giselle asked.

"She and Micchalo need to 'talk.' She leaves him every now and then and he begs for her affection again." Octavia took her brown dress off and tried on the cherry red one.

Giselle remembered her first night in Bran Castle, the blood and wine and the smell of herbs in the air. Secretly, she hoped someone would give her something, anything, to make her feel better. She was so sick of this nothingness in her heart, so tired of sadness. For a fickle moment she thought that was behind her, but it wasn't, her soul still bathed in guilt, her past life, all the things she had done. Giselle closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to focus on anything else.

Someone knocked on the door.

"We're naked." Alacaris shouted.

"Great." Oton said as he entered, a flash of disappointment on his face when he realised they were not naked.

"Where have you been?" Alacaris whined.

"Where have you been? The ball is starting." He walked over to Alacaris and sat next to her on the bed. He was entirely dressed in black, his white hair in contrast to his robes.

"I cannot decide what to wear." She leaned onto his shoulder and he half hugged her and smiled.

"You're beautiful in everything." He said.