Lost in Shadows (ONC 2024)

Chapter Eight

My joking with Charlotte about the cliched aesthetics wasn't far from the truth. Dazzling candlelight illuminated the foyer while shadows swathed the corners. Decorations of skulls and roses struck me as too on the nose, but I doubted anyone would want my opinion. Monsters and mortals mingled, dressed in expensive fashions. A grand staircase led to a second floor with an elaborate bannister. On the second floor, some were giving into their monstrous natures, my superatural hearing telling me more than I wanted to know about what was going on behind closed doors. The music was a little louder inside, a delicate dirge that made me more jumpy than relaxed, but better than focusing on the gasps and moans overhead.

Charlotte was taking deep breaths, calmer than she had any right to be. In fairness, there was nothing too unsettling except the trite decor. It was only my vampire instincts that could separate the older guests from the ones with concealed bites. Long sleeves and scarves were always giveaways. Charlotte made the right decision not to hide anything. It would sell our arrangement.

"How are you doing?" I asked her in a cautious tone, as we made our way through the opulent house.

Most would assume I was being solicitous of a skittish mortal who was at a daunting party. But I needed her to alert me if she saw anything that she knew.

"Fine," she said, meaning she hadn't recognized anyone.

It would never be that fast. We would have to go further into the party if we had hopes of locating her sister. If we were careful, we could do it without too much attention. Older vampires were catching up with each other, ignoring anyone beneath them. A few of the younger ones were indulging in their monstrous cravings, biting their blood promised with such intensity that the poor mortals might perish. One young woman fell to the floor, and the vampire scooped her up. But considering her stillness, I suspected she wouldn't survive.

At least as a human.

Charlotte clutched me tighter, but kept her mouth shut. This would be hard for a mortal to see. The only good thing about these nightmarish festivities was that no one would recognize me.

"Luke?"

My shoulders tightened. We hadn't even been here one minute before someone noticed me. I was sure that wouldn't be a problem. I gave Charlotte a reassuring squeeze and turned to see who addressed me.

"Henry?" He was the last person I expected to see here. "I didn't know you attended these gatherings."

This vampire had every appearance of a young man, but his hazel eyes revealed centuries of experience. His stance had none of the uncertainty of youth. Dressed as stylish as the other guests, there was still a more casual quality about him.

He gave me a cheeky grin. "I could say the same about you. And who is this new blood promised? She is lovely enough to be a siren."

"I'm Daisy," Charlotte said.

We had agreed she should use a false name. Not that it would do much good if someone was really looking for her. Many of the blood promised used false names. We needed to do everything possible to keep her safe.

Henry cocked his head. "An apt name."

Though we were friendly enough, I remained on guard. Henry had been more Robert's friend than mine. He was older than me. From what I heard, he became a vampire in the 18th century. Still young compared to the older ones, he followed his own path. Like me, he had little interest in having a blood promised and avoided the arrangement. Unlike me, it wasn't for any ethical reason. Henry had no interest in an intimate relationship with a mortal or a monster. He wasn't above beneficial arrangements to feed, but was adamant that he didn't want anything closer. The older traditional ones never understood him.