Ethereal Kiss {Lesbian Vampire Romance} [ON HOLD]

Chapter Six

The silence in the cafe was excruciating. Every head had turned. Every pair of eyes were on us. Then suddenly, all the chairs in the cage simultaneously scraped on the hard floor as every vampire knee bent into some form of bow or curtsy. Standing there, looking bemused, I did my best in bowing slightly.

The female vampire before me, flanked by two vampires (guards, I would presume) walked quietly over to Adele and placed her hand on Adele's blond head.

"Rise, Adele," she smiled. "Rise, all of you," she added to the rest of the cafe. "I have yet to be made queen and I have been a regular to this cafe for half a century now. I wish only today to be a normal day." As Adele rose, I noticed how tiny the vampire actually was. I was taller than Adele and yet this vampire barely reached Adele's chest. Unlike Emilia, her brown hair was straight and styled with a side parting. The only thing that made her stand out from the rest of the cafe was the matter of her dress. It was... ancient...

"Well, I be damned, Natasha. Never thought you'd end up queen of Dragomiria."

"Almost queen! I have yet to have the ring on my finger and the crown on my head. And talking of damnation... I never thought you'd end up as a maker, Adele." Natasha looked up at me with her big eyes, framed with large eyelashes. "Who is this cutie?"

"It was not an intentional action but Natasha, soon to be Queen of Dragomiria, I would like to introduce you to my beloved protegee, Gabriella. Gabriella, this is Natasha de la Cruz, a dear friend of mine."

"Pleased to meet you," I said, putting my hand out to her. To my surprise, she leaned towards me and, on tip toes, kissed me delicately on the lips.

"Hmmm," she sighed. "Coffee. Still so very young. How old are you, Gabriella?"

"Eighteen... I mean, three years as a vampire, fifteen as a human."

"I was fifteen years old when the change happened to me as well. It's a hard age to change but I do love the beauty of it." Natasha turned away from me. "Now where have you been hiding out for the past fifty years, Adele?"

"Here and there. But enough about us. What's happened with you? Last time we met, you were barely out of your vampire nappies!"

Natasha smiled at that, little dimples forming on her pale cheeks. Sweeping her hair over her shoulder, she turned to her guard and barked at him in French. His reply (yet again in French) was too rapid for me to decipher and so I resorted to listening into Adele's thoughts.

"Jenkins. I will be bringing these two back to the palace. They will dine privately with me in my chambers tonight. Please contact His Majesty and update him with this information."

"Of course, Your Majesty... The King has received my message and has accepted it."

"Thank you, Jenkins. Now escort us to the palace."

Natasha turned back to us, her smile a constant feature on her face. How could someone be able to smile constantly? Even on a vampire, to me, it seemed a weird trait.

"Adele, Gabriella, would you care to join me for supper this evening?"

"Though it would be lovely, Natasha, I was hoping for me and Gabriella to spend a night... just the two of us." I turned to Adele. Why was she refusing Natasha? Why was she refusing the opportunity to see the palace? I opened my mouth to complain but shut it again immediately when Adele's voice rang through my head screaming at me to remain silent.

"Adele, I have not seen you in decades. Please join me." Natasha's lip curled into a pout. "Please, please, please!"

Adele's eyes turned towards the guards. One stood barely a foot away from Natasha. Another (Jenkins) stood behind us. A pair were stationed outside of the door. We were trapped.