Innocent Blood

Innocent Blood (chapter 15)

     Chapter 15

      The door closed behind me and all the chatting stopped. The room was filled with sunshine and I had to squint against it to distinguish the several people that sat at the big white table in the centre of the room. As they kept looking at me wordlessly I got the urge to run back out the door. "Hey Accalia, there's a seat here", I recognised Alastor's voice right away and smiled at him gratefully.

      I took my seat between him and a tall fair haired man, who smiled at me coolly as I slipped into the chair. "Lot of people here", I whispered to him as a glanced over the faces. "Yeah, a lot of people came for the wedding. Some of my cousins stayed for my birthday, its not often we all get together", he whispered equally as quiet.
"What wedding?", I asked confused. He looked at me quizzically for just a moment before answering me, "you know, my brother's wedding...", he let out a small laugh, "you came to the celebration ball for it...?".
"Oh". His brother's wedding. I hadn't thought of there being a reason behind the ball, I guess i just thought it was something royals did. I felt a crushing disappointment and although it was completely irrational, the feeling of loss was immense.
      Alastor had began naming the people that sat around the table, some of them waved or nodded in response. I smiled back at them but wasn't actually listening to Alastor, my mind was still on Aristaios. Maids poured into the room, distracting me momentarily from my thoughts, there were three of them and carrying trays of food. They placed them in the centre of the table and I was surprised to see everyone jump up and eagerly fill their plates. "Better hurry up, there won't be any left soon", Alastor teased. I eyed the food in front of me, there really was everything, bacon, eggs, croissants, pancakes, fruit and all kinds of cereal. Way too much food to be eaten by the ten people sat at the table, myself included. I filled my plate and stared at it as everyone around me tucked in. "Where is Asteria?", I asked Alastor.
"She doesn't eat breakfast, neither does my parents". I held back the questions I wanted to ask and got to eating my breakfast.
      The door opened again, this time no one paid attention to who had entered, but I did. It was a tiny girl. She skipped into the room, carefree, like any child would, her tiny corkscrew curls bouncing as she jumped into a chair beside one of the girls. She began to pick at the food, as she ate, she glanced over the faces of the others at the table, her eyes met mine and locked. I gulped, unable to avert my eyes. The child eyed me narrowly, her eyes were a familiar colour, an indescribable blue, just like Aristaios. "Hi", she chirped with a huge smile. Her greeting surprised me and I returned her "hi", then shifted my gaze back to my breakfast. "What's your name?", her voice was sweetly angelic. I smiled and looked back up at her, "Accalia", I told her, "what's your name?".
"Calliope, but everybody jus' calls me Calli", she looked between Alastor and me, "are you Alastor's girlfriend?", she giggled.
"No", I told her as a few people snickered and Alastor blushed.
"Shut up Calli", he scolded, she laughed and stuck out her tongue at him. The girl who was sat beside her gently nudged her, "never mind him Cal, just eat you breakfast". Calli smiled and done as she was told. The older girl smiled apologetically and I recognised her, "Achlys". She looked up and smiled then went back to eating her food.
      Yesterday Alastor had mentioned his twin sister in passing and although I could vaguely recall the name I couldn't see her face. Now she sat in front of me and I remembered why I knew her name, on the night of the ball Alastor had been about to introduce us before Asteria had appeared. Calli looked like her sister, the same blue eyes and dark hair, only hers sat in tiny ringlets, whereas Achlys' hair had a slight wave through it, much like Asteria's. "Hey Liss", said Alastor between mouthfuls, "Accalia needs somethin to wear to the party tomorrow, you wanna help her?". I swallowed my food down quickly to protest but she answered first, "sure, we'll go shopping".
"Eh hmm", Thalia mocked a clearing of her throat, "leave shopping to the professionals please. Accalia", she said, turning her eyes on me "come to my room, I know the best sites". I looked back to Achlys for her reaction but she looked resigned to letting her sister do the task. "Okay".
      When breakfast was done, Thalia took me to her room and introduced me to internet shopping. The concept was totally new to me, I had very rarely got on my dad's computer and when I did it was really just to play games. Thalia helped me pick out three dresses along with a selection of everyday wear that I was in serious need of. "So your Aristaios' twin?", I asked her as she sat painting my nails. "Uh huh", she hummed in response.
"So how old are you?"
"Seventy four", she answered easily then arched an eyebrow, "you're not into him are you?".
"What?!", I gasped, "no!".
"Alright cool, just checking. So", her voice changed into a we're-best-girlfriends tone, "what went on with you and Marius?". I didn't really know what to tell her so I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "nothing". She cocked her head at me and pushed for an answer, " come on Accalia, you can tell me".
"He just gave me a place to stay".
"Whatever, don't tell me then", her voice now sarky, "he's in trouble anyways, I heard they can't even find him, you know, just like he's completely vanished".
      When I left her in her room only a few moments later it was Marius that was plaguing my mind. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen to Marius, would he go to prison or is there some other way the punish vampires. In the back of my mind I wondered where he was and actually I wondered why he hadn't tried to come back for me. Yet.