"Her name is Melody."
The picture of a beautiful woman with a serpent's tail, long flowing golden locks cascade past her waist. She looks so serene, so captivating.
"It was intended that she was to look after the other realm but she was unhappy with being given the lesser, in her words, the lifeless realm."
"But you said that the werewolves live there."
"This was a time where they did not. The only creatures that existed were in this realm. Godfrey had always intended to put inhabitants in the realm but was side tracked by what she did next."
"Am I going to want to hear this?"
"Probably not, but you asked, remember that." he mutters a little curt.
"She went on a feeding rampage, she was at the time a phoenix vampire, like Miranda. She took out young men but when she had wiped out an entire town of them, she noticed that Godfrey had paid no attention to her, because unbeknownst to her, he was still creating her realm. He was making a mirror image of this realm, putting the creatures that she so desperately craved to have. Sadly, he was almost done too. She resolved that she was determined to get his attention. The next night, she continued her rampage, this time directed at children, pregnant women."
His eyes are glassy, even in the dull light of the room, I can see this upsets him.
"She ripped the babies from their wombs. By dawn, she had his attention, the whole town was void of children and most of its young women. Those that remained in the town were so traumatised at the bloodbath that was strewn across their little town, they couldn't cope. Godfrey sank the town into the ocean, to ease their suffering."
He looks at me like I should know what he refers to.
Atlantis.
"As her punishment, he cast her out, he banished her, and in the process removed her phoenix status and turned her into the serpent you see here."
Then it hits me, the other phoenix that Miranda spoke of, the one that had been banished, this was her. He closes the book and returns it to the shelf.
"Is she here? In this realm?"
He nods.
"What is her intention?"
"We do not know. She should not have been able to return, but somehow she has." He shrugs.
"So what happens now?"
"Now the elders and the high council will meet urgently. Until we know her intentions, we are all at risk."
"Does she look like that picture?"
"To assume that would be reckless. We know that she has a marking on her back, like Miranda, only hers is of a snake. Originally she looked similar to Miranda, both created in each other's likeness, but with the way the world is today, there is nothing stopping her from getting plastic surgery, dying her hair."
"So she could look exactly like Miranda and the only way we are going to know is if we pull her pants down and look at her back?"
"Yep, that's it."
"I'll just walk around with my tramp stamp hanging out will I?"
I spin around seeing Miranda standing in the doorway.
"Yeah, that might be a good idea."
She chuckles and turns around, flashing her 'tramp stamp' at me.
"Just so that you know, her eyes are teal, the most beautiful colour that you could ever imagine. Nothing like any human could ever aspire to have."
"Will she still have the tail?"
"Probably not. She can shed her skin like a snake. If she has done that she may have legs until the new skin grows and stitches her legs together again."
"So do you get feathers or something?"
She giggles like a school girl.
"Jeez Steph." Alex groans.
"What? I don't know anything of this world, you forget that."
"The tail was her punishment." she explains.
"The meeting is set for tonight." she looks at me. "You should inform Steph about what is expected."
When he said that the werewolves were coming, I expected a lot of hairy people to come through the doors, but they looked like any other person on this planet, human. The front of the manor house was littered with the king's guard; everyone was on edge. Every single person that entered the residence was scrutinised, everyone was known to Terrance or the king.
I had watched the maids scurry around trying to organise the room for the meeting. The usual meeting room was insufficient; it was way too small. I looked at the meeting room, the rather large room that consisted of one long table and dozens of chairs, neatly placed around the table and found it rather concerning that this was way too small. How many people are going to be here tonight? A lot whispered my mind.
They entered the ballroom, the werewolves, the shape shifters, the vampires. It was the vampires that concerned me, they all looked at me and I knew they could hear my heart beating. Alex stood on one side of me, Gerald on the other. The vampires passed us, I watched as their nostrils flared, soaking up the smell of my blood. Even though I was one of them, I was not fully there yet, my heart still beat like a humans would, my blood still flowed, to them, I was human. I felt like getting a sign to hang over my chest that said 'I am a vampire, back off' but I knew it would make no difference. The queen entered the entry as the last of the guests entered the new meeting room. She had her ladies in waiting sent to their rooms and in their stead was her own personal kings guard.
"Mother?" His concern evident.
"All good son." She smiles at Alex and then enters the room.
"What's going on?" I whisper.
"She is pregnant."
"Oh."
That is such wonderful news at such a terrifying time.
"Why is she going in there, shouldn't she be away from harm?"
"Because she is stubborn and she needs to be in here."
He looks at me, his concern for his mother still darkens his face.
I sit behind Alex, a line of chairs that rest against the wall for the assistants or personal security that have attended the meeting with the council members. At the head of the table is Terrance and Miranda, to their right is Alex's parents and then Alex. On the opposite side is what I assume to be werewolf. An older man sits beside a good looking younger man. Dark sandy blonde hair, lightly browned skin. He wears a regal suit, a crown on the pocket of his jacket, a sash over his body, royalty just like Alex. What catches my eye about the younger man is the piercing blue eyes, pale around the slits for pupils, a dark ring circles the outer iris. He sees me staring at him and smiles back at me. I panic slightly at being caught staring at him and quickly look away.
Penny walks in after the king and sits down beside me. She quietly reminds me that I am to remain quiet during the meeting, mine is not a voice to be heard, just like hers and every other person in the row that sits behind the members of each of the councils. Three councils in total, each governed by one ruler, governing their own kind. That is why there is so many people here, each country has a representative in a council of their own kind and each kind has their own council. Far out, that is a lot of people. The table is long; it spans the entire ballroom. I wonder how the people at the other end will hear anyone up this end speak. Everyone speaks among themselves, not any actually talk of the issue at hand.
"What are we waiting for Terrance?" The older werewolf says.
He taps his fingers on the table, drawing my attention to the talon like nails, perfectly formed.
"We are waiting for one more."
I look down the table and see an empty chair.
"Who are we waiting for?" I whisper to Penny.
"The council member for Rostonin."
"The uncle?"
"His son." She shakes her head.
Half an hour passes and still this person does not show. The werewolves become restless, thumping of the nails of elder man becomes louder, drumming in my head. The younger man still stares at me, making me feel uneasy.
"Terrance, you would know that time for us is imperative, the full moon is nigh."
Terrance looks at his watch, distress shows on his face.
"Very well. Begin the meeting, for the record..." he looks at a woman sitting beside Penny, she scribbles away in her note book "We have waited as long as possible for the member of Rostonin to show."
He stands to address the members.
"At fourteen hundred hours' phoenix received word from Godfrey that Melody had broken her bonds. She had also shed her tail and now walks freely." he pauses for a second. "Freely among us. Godfrey has tracked her as far as this realm, beyond that he lost her scent."
Everyone gasps, murmurs from the other end of the table echo down the room.
"What is her intention?" I hear a booming voice from the other end of the room.
"We do not know."
"How did she break her bonds; how did she make it to this realm?"
"Godfrey believes that she had help."
The gasping continues.
"Who would do such a thing?" someone calls out.
"Well that is a good question, Odel."
He paces behind the chair, behind Miranda.
"It is being investigated."
"This is not the time for investigations, now is the time for action." I hear another, different voice boom from down the end of the room.
"Agreed, Lawson, but we do not know where she is. We are searching for her in addition to Godfrey's search for her."
"So what do we do?" the gorgeous younger werewolf finally speaks.
"We remain vigilant young prince. We protect those that she attacked last time and pray that it is not her intention to continue her rampage."
"You expect us to protect every man, woman and child in our land from history's worst killing machine? Are you out of your mind? How do you expect us to do that? You will create mass hysteria if you tell everyone that a psycho vampire is on the loose."
"Finn!" the older werewolf hisses. "Mind your tongue."
He leans on the arm of the chair, brooding in his thoughts. His gaze soon returns to me and when he sees Alex's attention is distracted to his father, the young werewolf mouths hi at me. Oh shit, is he hitting on me in the middle of a grand council meeting? Yes, says an unknown voice. I fluster, trying to find some bit of lint on my skirt of my dress to distract myself with.
Knock, knock neighbour. My eyes dart up at him, his arm still propped on the arm of the chair, watching me.
You?
He discreetly nods at me.
Everyone will hear you, I cannot lock my mind properly yet. Don't stress, I've got you covered. How? A perk of being a werewolf. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Prince Finn Conallan Lorccán Stiofán of the Askara'velmanti realm and the next in line for its throne. Well that's certainly a mouthful. Indeed, it is, you may call me Finn. Stephanie. Oh, I know who you are Miss Stephanie Mary Collins, personal assistant to Alexandru Leonte the third. I look at him his gaze still firmly fixed on me, his head resting on his fingers. How do you know me? Oh, I have my ways. Why do you keep staring at me? I could ask you the same thing. I do no such thing; I am in a relationship. With a man betrothed to another? Yes, I heard about that one. I don't think that is anyone's business but my own. Of course, however, I could offer you a much better solution. I highly doubt it. How would you know until you have tried? Am I not appealing to you? Very my mind betrays me. Well then, give it a go Miss Collins, I promise you that you will never forget a moment in my presence.
Someone breaks his concentration and speaks to him directly. Alex turns around and looks at me.
What are you doing? Sitting here being quiet, what are you doing? Don't be a smart arse Steph. Was Finn talking to you? Yes. He huffs in my mind. That explains why I couldn't get into your mind. Steph, I will speak with you about this at break, do not speak to him again. I don't really understand what your issue is Alex, am I not allowed to speak to other people? No, you aren't to speak to him he snaps at me.
And with that little outburst he left my mind, but I knew I wasn't alone. I heard him laughing. Oh he always has been a drama queen. I will leave you in peace Miss Stephanie Mary Collins, so as not to get you into trouble with your boss again but if you are curious, find me out at break, I will be waiting.
I could feel him leave my mind, I knew that I was now alone with my thoughts.
As soon as Terrance declares that we are breaking for a light supper, Alex drags me out of the ballroom to the amusement of Finn, who avidly watches us. Alex opens the door to my office and shuts it behind me, so quickly it feels like the wind that it creates might lift the skirt of my dress.
"Do not go near Finn." he hisses.
"Alex he entered my mind and blocked it himself, I cannot control that and you know how I feel about people entering my mind without my permission so don't start on me."
"If only I had more time." he sighs running his hand through his hair. "I could have taught you how to kick him out and block him."
"Teach me now."
"Not enough time." he grumbles. "He should be concentrating on the meeting."
He pulls me into his arms, moving my fringe behind my ear.
"You need to be careful. Werewolves do not eat like we do, it is not a pretty sight, the victim is better off dead. It is worse during a full moon, which is tomorrow night. We normally wouldn't bring them here so close to a full moon but this was important. He is like this because the twenty-four hours prior to a full moon they are at their peak of their sexual desire. I can guarantee you that he is in your mind to court you. If you were to submit to him, you would not survive, I promise. The twelve hours leading up to the full moon would be spent have sex with you, regardless of whether your body could cope and then at the peak of full moon you, would be dinner."
"Jeez, that is heavy."
"Now you understand?"
I nod.
"He will enter your mind again and try to pursue you more, just resist him. Do not agree to meet him, do not submit to him."
His head snaps up.
"Father is looking for me, I will see you back in the meeting."
He leans in and kisses me, quickly leaving the room. I reopen the door and see Finn standing there, smiling like he has a secret. More like a hidden agenda.