Disclaimer: You know the drill everybody and everything belongs to someone else, except me of course. Also some stuff belongs to the creators of Blade. No money's being made of the its just for your enjoyment only.
Warning: Bad language, violence, and sexual content.
Chapter 9
We arrived at The Circus at a quarter till three. Anita pulled into the parking lot closest to the back door. She got out and I followed her lead, with Jason bringing up the rear. Standing against the wall in the lamp light was a vampire. He was tall and muscular, but in a slender way. He had blood-red hair that came to his waist. His eyes were the color of emeralds, that shined like orbs when the light hit them. He was acting as a door man this evening and opened the door for us as we approached.
"Good evening Damien," Anita said.'
"Good evening Anita." He replied.
He looked at me, then at Jason and busted out laughing. I didn't get the joke, or was there a joke?
Damien just shook is head, glanced at Anita, and asked, "Who is this lovely lady Anita?"
"This is Alexandra. She's Maximus's daughter," She answered.
"This is Maximus's daughter? Woo Hoo," He exclaimed with a whistle afterwards.
Anita just rolled her eyes and I tried to ignore the whole thing. He turned to get a better view of Jason and me, while trying not to laugh. I didn't like the way he was staring back and forth between us so I said something, "What do you find so damn funny?"
"I don't mean this the wrong way, but do you know what you two look like together," He asked, referring to me and Jason with a smile on his face. Anita turned around to see what Damien was talking about and started laughing. I was getting mad. Everyone was getting the joke but me. Anita knew I was getting upset, so she finished her fits of laughter and said, "Alexadra, your green and you look like a tree."
"So," I said trying to figure out what she was getting at.
She rolled her eyes and said, "Jason's in wolf form and you resemble a tree. What does that tell you?" I glanced over at Jason who was grinning from ear to ear and I finally got the joke.
I looked at Jason and growled, "Jason, you even think about peeing on me and I'll beat you like the blonde headed stepchild that you are."
I expected Jason to sulk, but all he did was stand there smiling, looking like he was stoned. I had this feeling he was still high from the power surge at the lupanar. Anita and Damien were trying so hard not to laugh. Damien stepped aside and we walked in ahead of him.
We entered a storage room that was occupied by two other doors. There was one on the right that went into the circus midway and another one that went downstairs to the sleeping quarters. My footsteps echoed through the staircase as we followed Damien down the steps. We came upon another door that was made of steel or iron. I was beginning to feel like Alice in Wonderland with all these doors. Damien took out a key and unlocked it. He put the key back into his pocket and opened the heavy door. Like a perfect gentleman he held the door open for us ladies. I followed Anita into a living room. It was magnifique. To my left was a fake fireplace with two chairs in front of it. In between the two chairs was a table that held a chess game. On my right there were three black and gold fluffy couches thrown with pillows. In front of the couches sat a glass coffee table with black and gold trimmed legs. Finally along the farthest wall was an entertainment center. Everything was done in black and gold including the drapes hanging around the walls.
There was a painting hanging over the fireplace. I went over to examine it. It looked like it came from the time of the musketeers.
Anita joined me in front of the painting. I asked her without turning my head,"Who are they?"
"That's Jean-Claude on the right and Asher on the left. The woman in between was Asher's first human servant, Julianna," She answered.
"Where are they now?" I asked.
"Julianna is dead and Asher's the new master of Orlando, Florida. He went down there to oversee some of Jean-Claude's business investments. He has also taken a new human servant. Her name is Tamara Lowery,"
She replied.
"My grandfather told me about all the members of the court. He wanted to prepare me for the unexpected. Belle's line was the first he warned me about, but he never mentioned Asher or Jean-Claude once. I believe he said once, if they are not a part of the court, then you have nothing to worry about. I do not like to tell other's about those who've gone their own way, it's a waste of time," I told her still looking at the painting.
"I wonder why that is?" Anita said trying not to laugh.
We stood in front of the painting, talking and getting to know each other. We were in the midst of conversation when we heard someone clear their throat. We twirled around to find my father standing behind the chairs. Damien and Jason had disappeared. My father was dressed in one of his Armani suits. It was a dark green one. I liked that color on him better than the other colors he normally wore. I thought it brought out his eyes better and made his hair seem redder. He was looking a little down tonight. He seemed almost agitated. I knew why that was, but I was not going to say anything until he spoke first.
He glanced at Anita and said," Good evening Anita."
"Good evening Maximus," She returned.
My father paused a moment before continuing on, "I hate to break up you two, but may I speak with my daughter alone Anita?"
"Of course," She said. "By the way where is Jean-Claude?"
"He's in the maser suite, taking a bath. I believe," He answered..
Anita said she would talk to me later and left the living room. She disappeared behind the drapes beside the entertainment center. My father came around from behind the chairs. He sat down in one and motioned for me to take the other. He leaned back into the chair and just sat there, not saying a word. He looked like he was in outer space for sometime. I began to fidget with my clothes, it was a habit of mine when I am nervous. I loved my father, but he scared the creepy crawlies out of me. I sat there waiting patiently for him to start talking. He finally leaned over in the chair and asked me, "Why didn't you tell me what has been happening to you, instead of me having to hear it from your grandfather?"
I looked over at him and said, "I wanted to, but the queen made me promise not to tell you. She knew you would be too worried about me to do your job correctly. She also said if I caused you to screw up your mission, that she would hand me over to Arturo for a week to do as he pleases with me."
"So I heard," He replied.
He sat back into his chair and glared at the fire place, before he started speaking again. "I want to hear your side of things. I want to know what the council did to you from the first day you left the hospital up to the present."
"Dad you were there. You should know what happened to me. You, grandfather, and the council have been planning my fate before I came out of the coma," I answered him, disbelieving that he would ask me that.
"Yes I was there, but I was called from Paris to London by the Ministry of Magic. I didn't get to have any say so in the matter. When I came back from London, everything had been signed, sealed, and delivered. They were making arrangements to put you through hell and back," He replied trying not to yell.
"I know you didn't like the fact that they put me in the tournament right out of the hospital, but I survived. Even though I was the vampire queen's little pet afterwards. I wasn't treated like the others. I was free to do whatever I pleased," I said trying to reassure him.
I got up out of the chair and went to kneel before him. I placed my hands on his and said," Dad I was put in their gladiator tournaments and survived. I fought vampires, lycanthropes, along with other night creatures without the use of guns and came out alive. Grandfather thought this would be better for me than ending up as someone's sex slave. I proved I could stand toe to toe with the best of them. I watched as they tortured others for pure entertainment. Hell I even had to hurt someone in front of them or face being beaten myself. I know your upset about all of this, but it's in the past and that's where it should stay. I agree with you that it wasn't right for them to make decisions without you, but that's the councils way. They will do anything they damn well please. You know that and I know that."
He looked at me and said, "Why do you think I'm here. I didn't ask for this, they put me here. They were trying to get me out of the way, so they could put your life in more danger. Jean-Claude had trouble keeping me from killing your grandfather tonight, when I found out about what they've had you do since I left.
I stared at him in shock. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My father almost killed my grandfather. That would have been a sight to see. I finally stopped staring and said, "Why on earth did you do that for?"
"Because, I trusted my father with your life. I believed he wouldn't let any harm come to you, but I was wrong. He talked the queen into putting you into the tournaments, that's why you're her little pet, her prized fighter. She won more bets off you that way. I could understand it was to keep you out of certain council member's beds, but he should still have told me. Then he allows you to get mixed up with the International Government by working for their Special Research Team. I can understand if you were just helping them out with clues, but getting involved with the cases is taking it a bit too far. Especially if it endangers your life," he said finally coming up for air.
Well isn't he just a little hot, and he was just getting started. He became a raving lunatic and started yelling, "Then he hands you over to the other three councils for them to drag you into their problems. They could have fixed them without you. He didn't have to go and make negotiations with them. I believe that is the queen's job."
Before I could think things through, I opened my mouth and inserted my foot by saying, "Well It was the queen who made the negotiations with head council members, not grandfather. Grandfather didn't actually give me to them, they requested me."
He stared down his nose at me and asked, "Could you please repeat that. I didn't hear what you said, because for a minute there I though you were implying that your grandfather was not guilty in you being involved with the other courts."
"That's what I said. Grandfather had nothing to do with it. It was between the queen and the other three councils," I replied.
I was still kneeling in front of him, when he got up. Anita was coming through the drapes in a hurry.
" Maximus I need to borrow Alexandral for a little while," She replied.
"Why?" He asked.
"There's been another murder and I told Dolph that she could tell him whose causing the murders," She answered.
"Oh no, she's not. She's not going anywhere, until I've talked to the queen," My father replied.
Anita came over to my father and nearly got into his face."Richard's being charged with these murder's. If she doesn't come with me to talk to Dolph. Dolph is going to have the entire pack arrested," She replied trying to keep her cool.
My father glared at her and she glared back. They both were about to set off the water sprinklers, that is if Jean-Claude had them. They both had smoke coming out their ears and noses. I thought I could look like a dragon about to erupt, but they got me beat. I was just standing there waiting to see who would budge first. My father moved first, but he was smiling. That wasn't a good sign. Anita thinking she had won, turned her back on my father. It gave him enough time to turn toward me with an up raised fist, before she had time to realize what was happening. I didn't have time to call out to her or move, before his fist came toward me in a speed of fury. I felt it slam into my jaw causing everything go black.