|
|
|
“Father!” Ben exclaimed, capturing the figure in one of his famous bear hugs. Laetitia skipped up to the figure, wrapping her gray arms around him also.
“Lucius!” she giggled.
“Ah, Laetitia!” the figure replied. “How I’ve missed you so!” Pulling off his hood, Lucius smiled warmly in my direction. “And you must be little Tabitha. Come and give your grandfather a hug!” He released Ben and Laetitia, stepping in my direction.
“Hi,” I whispered shyly. He put his large hand on my head, a gentle twinkle growing in his dark ocean eyes.
“You are beautiful! Benjamin told me you were, but I had to see for myself. Just look at those big green eyes!” A large finger lifted my chin up as he inspected my face. “And all those freckles! Now, where is my hug? I promise I won’t bite,” he laughed, wrapping his peach arms around me. His gray hair and wrinkles made his appear to an old man, but his grip was strong.
“Where’s Ziv?” Ben asked as Lucius kissed me on my forehead and claimed Anna as his next victim.
“Trying to get Julien out of that horrible machine he brought us here in!” Lucius motioned toward the doorway, where a small red corvette sat purring.
Ben ran out the door, the corners of his rose lips pulling up into a smile. Vincent followed him, his bow and arrows shaking with every step he took.
“Now, little Tabitha, I must warn you.” Lucius redirected his attention to me, his kind face becoming serious. “Please do not stare at my Julien. He has gone through a lot in the last couple of weeks.”
“Why would I stare?” Lucius shook his head and sighed deeply.
“You will see.” He took my small hand in his large one. We waited intently for two more cloaked figures. Instead, Ben returned, his pale arms around the biggest vampire I’ve ever seen in my entire life. He had dark blue eyes, just like Lucius, and dirty blond hair that cropped his square face perfectly.
“Ziv!” Laetitia screamed, running straight into his wide chest. He picked her up, kissed her on both of her gray cheeks, and set her down.
“Beautiful Laetitia!” he sighed, his voice deep and fatherly. “Now where is the little one?” he asked Ben playfully.
Lucius pulled me toward the giant, laughing at my surprised expression. Ziv looked me up and down slowly.
“Hi,” I whispered again. Ziv laughed, his deep laugh filling the large stone room.
“Oh, come here, you!” he insisted, picking me up just as easily as he had Laetitia. He kissed me on both of my cheeks, his lips cold like the marble columns that held the ceiling up. I retreated under Ben’s protective arm, a bit shocked from the entire reunion. “Julien, come in here this instant!” Ziv thundered.
A tall figure crept into the room slowly. Ziv wrapped one of giant arms around him, removing his hood with his free hand. I could feel Ben slap his hand over my mouth before I could gasp. Julien, his snow-white hair almost touching his angular shoulders, looked down, ashamed by my reaction. His silver eyes studied the room as I studied him. The silver irises of his eyes almost blended into the whites of his eyes, which almost disappeared in his smooth ivory skin. His lips were blue, as if he had been frozen in his past life. One word echoed in my mind, amazing. His eyes shot toward me, a quick smile stretching across his flawless face.
“Thank you,” he whispered, a strange, rose blush flaring up in his soft cheeks.
“Julien!” Ben exclaimed, hugging him lovingly before introducing all of the members of our house. “Julien, this is my wife, Anna.” Anna bowed slightly, her short black hair swishing with the sudden movement. “This is Ledya and her husband, Gregory.” Gregory smiled, his blue eyes darting quickly between Julien and Ben. Ledya hugged Julien, quickly regretting it after seeing the shocked expression on his bone-colored face. He managed a small smile to comfort her, realizing his reaction was uncalled for. “Their son Gavin is out at the moment, but when he comes back, I’m sure he’ll introduce himself.”
“I’m Laetitia and this is my husband, Vincent,” Laetitia interrupted. She wrapped her gray arms around Julien, his expression not faltering her enthusiasm at all. Vincent extended his gray hand out to Julien, which he happily shook. Laetitia’s social attitude always rubbed off on everyone, even this strange, shy boy. He shot another happy look at me.
“I suppose it does,” he replied a bit louder. The tone of his voice was just as amazing as his beautiful face. He sounded regal, his words slightly running into each other. But, why had he agreed with me? Did I say that out loud?
“You didn’t,” he replied again, a bit amused by my confusion. He shot another look at Ben, but this one wasn’t playful or happy at all. “You didn’t tell her did you?”
Ben tipped his head to one side, the corners of his mouth sagging slightly. Julien nodded and shrugged out of Ziv’s arm. He stood up straight, towering over me by at least a foot.
“This is Tabitha,” Ben announced. “We took her in seventeen years ago.” Julien bowed politely, his snowy hair almost touching the floor.
“Pleased to meet you all.” He stood up again, his expression slightly kinder. Laetitia took his hand and led him up the stairs.
“I’ll show you to your rooms!” she volunteered. Ziv and Lucius followed her happily, the rest of the group following them.
Ben put his hand on my shoulder lightly and shot me a strange look. Once the room was empty, he pulled me outside into the cool air. We walked down into the forest, where he had set up a swing set for me when I was only five years old. Vines twisted around the iron bars that held the ancient swing up greedily. All of the beautiful morning glories that Anna had planted for me peeped through the wall of vines, curious of the unusual visitors. I sat in the swing, facing Ben as he paced back and forth across the stone floor of the gazebo that housed the swing.
“Tabitha,” he began. “As you’ve noticed, Julien is not like most vampires that you’ve met. In fact, I can guarantee that you will never find anyone like him.”
“Why is he so pale?” I interrupted. “I mean, all of you are pale, except Ledya, of course, but he’s amazingly pale.”
“It has to do with his origins. When we found him, he all ready appeared to be a vampire. But, he wasn’t. I did all I could to rescue him after…” He stopped pacing and turned his full attention toward me. “He has extraordinary gifts. Ones that we first thought he got from being turned, but later found out that he’s had them his entire life.”
“Like what?” I kicked my feet playfully, trying to lighten up the mood.
“He can read minds.” Ben’s expression became grave as he turned his head toward the house. “And, he can create illusions.”
“Is that what he really looks like? Or is it just an illusion?” Sarcasm colored the tone of my voice.
“I’m serious, Tabitha!” Ben growled. His features became dark, his dark brown eyes shifting to a lifeless onyx. “Watch your thoughts around him. He suffered a lot in the last month from trying to go to school.”
“Why did he go to school?”
“He wanted to act normal. Their thoughts were brutal; he ran home in tears.” Ben continued to stare at the house. “He was always jealous that Ziv and I could go to school…"
“You used to go to school?” The sarcasm had left my voice completely, leaving me sounding small and mousey.
“A long time ago, yes.” Ben nodded. “Please be careful around him. I want living here to be as easy as possible for him.”
“Okay, Ben. I promise I’ll be careful.” He turned toward me, his peach smile returning finally. “Let’s go inside.”
Ben took my hand in his and led me back inside. As I turned to leave, I noticed something that hadn’t been there before. White roses, their soft petals covering the stone ground of my swing, fought the greedy vines. A picture of Julien’s shy smile flashed in my head.
“Ben, did he do this?”
Ben simply nodded.
 Lady Alvine · Thu Jun 28, 2007 @ 09:54pm · 3 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
