Where Loyalty Lies (18 page)

“I don’t think switching seats is going to help,” Henry answered. Before I could ask what he meant, Saul reached out and pulled Henry’s chair out.

“All the same, Henry, better remember your manners and do as she asks,” Saul said.

As I sank into Henry’s chair, I felt a flutter of excitement at being so close to Saul. Yes, the main reason I’d switched seats was because I was fed up of looking like a prat but it had also crossed my mind that it would bring me closer to Saul.

I fussed over smoothing my dress down, but I was really trying to stall until I could think of something really intelligent and interesting to talk about. Before I could come up with something, there was a bump against my chair. I looked round in amazement. There was another bloody vampire standing behind my chair.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me,” I said, mostly to myself. Okay, enough was enough; it was time to put a stop to this. I stood and glared at the man. “I’m sure this is all very entertaining to you, but I’m getting a little fed up with it so maybe you could stop your stupid little games and back the fuck off because the next guy who knocks into my chair is going to get a fist in his face.” I glared around the room at all the people who were now giving me appalled looks. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to threaten violence when ninety per cent of the room’s occupants could beat me with their hands tied behind their backs, but I’d always had a short temper and a quick tongue and that wasn’t about to change. The vampire standing in front of me gave me a filthy look, like I was the one being rude, and stormed off.

I mustered all the dignity I could and sat back down. Henry was laughing so hard I thought he might fall off his chair. Holt looked slightly paler than usual. I lowered my voice and leant closer to Saul.

“I just did something awful, didn’t I?”

Saul leaned even closer to me. I remembered Thomas’ kiss on the girl’s neck and shivered. “Nothing awful, but if you didn’t want to dance, you only had to say so.”

My brow creased in confusion and then, as realisation hit, my eyes became wide.

“What?” I hissed. “They were asking me to dance?”

Saul nodded. I buried my head in my hands and I could feel the heat flaming off my cheeks. Henry was laughing so loudly now that I thought I should go and push him off his chair.

“Oh God, why didn’t they say anything?”

“They didn’t really get a chance,” Saul said. “When you turn your back on a vampire, it’s considered a very clear signal. And the last two, well, being shouted at and told to leave is an even clearer signal.”

I groaned in embarrassment and lowered my head onto the table where it landed with a small thud.

“See, Bro,” Henry said, “a fraction of our age and twice as much trouble.”

I stood in the hallway, desperately trying to keep out of the way of all the people filing through the doors to my right. It was the morning after the Autumn Ball and, in a few minutes, I’d be attending my first MM.

At the beginning of every month, The Sénat held a meeting to discuss the events of the past month and to cover anything important that might be coming up in the month ahead. Unsurprisingly, MM stood for “monthly meeting”. Both Henry and Holt had warned me that these meetings were long and usually tedious but, as I’d be the topic of discussion for part of the meeting, it was decided that I should be there. Luckily I didn’t have a part to play; I’d simply be a member of the audience.

I swore under my breath as I pressed random buttons on my mobile. My old mobile didn’t get any network coverage and, as my examiners had wanted to ensure that they could get hold of me at any time and in any place, I’d been issued with a fancy new phone that I had no idea how to use. I’d just about mastered how to make calls and send texts but, search as I might, I couldn’t find the damned button that would turn it off.

For the hundredth time, I eyeballed every button, desperately hoping to see the universal symbol that stood for “power on and off” but it wasn’t there. Turning the thing over in my hands, I sighed. It seemed extremely unlikely that I’d receive a phone call or text during the MM, seeing as most of the vampires at Rillith would be in the same room as me, but I wasn’t going to tempt fate.

I was just about to give up and take the phone back to my room, hoping that I’d make it back in time, when a shadow fell over my hands.

I looked up and my heart skipped a few beats.

“Having trouble?” Saul asked.

“Um, yeah, actually I can’t turn it off,” I admitted feeling like a complete idiot. Saul smiled and I almost dropped my phone.

“Here.” Saul took it from me and, after a minute, he handed it back. I looked at the screen to see the menu still there.

“It’s still on,” I pointed out.

“It’s on silent.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.” I slipped it into the back pocket of my jeans.

“Not a problem. You should get in there before it starts.” Saul nodded at the doors and I remembered exactly why it was I was here.

“Oh yeah, well thanks again.” I gave him one last smile and left.

The MM room was huge; its layout made me think it had once been a theatre. The doors I came through led me to a balcony. The balcony was shaped like a horseshoe and, from this angle, I could see that the lower half of the room also had a horseshoe of seats around the edge of the room as well as many rows of seats in the centre. 

Wanting to keep out the way, I picked the back row which was mostly empty and sidled right up to the far end. I mumbled apologies as I edged my way past the few vampires that were sitting this far back and finally managed to get to the vacant seat. I’d wondered why this seat been free but, now I was sitting in it, I realised  it wasn’t in a very good position for viewing the stage.

I could just about make out a large table with thirteen empty seats. I wasn’t that bothered; I was sure there wasn’t going to be much to see anyway. I let my eyes roam, trying to find the faces I knew. I spotted Holt sitting in the second row from the front, he’d been looking for me and greeted me with a nod before turning back to face the front.

Henry was sitting almost opposite me but on the lower level. The seat next to him was empty and I watched it, waiting to see if it would be Saul who took it. Sure enough, a few moments later Saul appeared and made his way to the seat with a lot more grace than I’d done. Roy and Thomas were also sitting next to each other, just a couple of rows behind Henry and Saul. I felt a little nervous sitting in this packed room with nobody I knew close by, but I understood there was a strict seating plan. The enforcers were all on one side of the lower horseshoe with Henry and Saul. The vampires who’d worked for The Sénat for the longest sat in the middle with Holt. The rest of the workers sat where they could get seats, but the people who didn’t work and just chose to live at Rillith for the security and social life, had to sit in the upstairs balcony.

The Sénat appeared on the stage and made their way to their five seats at the table. Once again it was Sénator Aimery who seemed to be in charge. He sat in silence for a moment while he studied the top piece of paper on the stack in front of him, before adjusting the microphone that was attached to the table.  Finally he started the meeting.

As promised it was long and boring. I wasn’t wearing a watch but I moved my phone onto my lap so I could see the minutes slowly passing. I fidgeted in my seat, trying to regain feeling in the lower half of my body. All the MM seemed to consist of was reading lists. The first list contained any vampires who’d been tracked down by the enforcers and it included a note about whether they were in The Sénat’s custody or were deceased. Most of them were deceased. The second list contained any vampires who’d moved from or to Rillith. I was not included in that list. The third list was about anyone who’d changed jobs or positions. I have no idea what the fourth list was about because, by then, I’d stopped listening.

Just as I was wondering if anyone would notice if I took a nap, my phone lit up, making me tense. I hoped that Saul really had turned it onto silent and my ringtone wasn’t about to blast through the room. The little symbol of an envelope appeared on the screen telling me I had a text message.

I glanced around to see if anyone was watching me but the closest person was five seats away and he looked like he was in a world of his own.

Too tempted by the idea of something breaking my boredom, I opened the message.

Bored?

That was all it said. I frowned and then looked straight over to Henry, but it wasn’t him looking back at me. As I watched, Saul casually lifted a hand and gave a small gesture that, to me, was quite clearly a salute but, to anyone else, it must have looked like he was swatting away a fly or something.

Not at all. I’m just paying attention, like you should be.

I sent the message and watched Saul as he received it. He barely moved and, if I hadn’t known, I’d never have guessed he was using his phone. In no time at all, his reply came back.

Liar

I pretended to glare at Saul across the room.

Fine, I’m so bored that I’m pretty close to falling asleep.

I sent it and gave a subtle glance at the man a few seats away, just to make sure he couldn’t see what I was doing. I didn’t think he’d approve if he saw I was complaining about the first MM I’d ever attended. I didn’t need to worry, though, his eyes were glazed over and I had a feeling I could strip down to my underwear and he still wouldn’t notice. Saul’s reply made me frown.

Well if you did fall asleep you wouldn’t be the only one. Look at Tom Millar.

Before I could reply to say I had no idea who Tom Millar was, a second message came through.

Centre of the balcony, back row.

I scanned the area Saul had mentioned, wondering how I was supposed to find someone when I had no idea what he looked like. As it turned out, that didn’t matter. In the back row was a vampire who was actually asleep. His head was titled back against the seat and his mouth was hanging open. The fact that a vampire only needs a couple of hours’ sleep a night and yet he was bored enough to doze off made me laugh. I managed to keep silent, but the motion of my shaking shoulders was enough to stir the guy next to me from his daydreaming; he gave me an irritated look. This clear sign of annoyance threatened to push my laughter into one of those ridiculous fits of giggles that always occurs at the wrong time. I spent the next five minutes staring at my feet and trying to keep control of myself.

When my mobile lit up with another message I didn’t dare look at it until I knew I could keep a straight face.

I’m not sure you’re taking this MM very seriously.

Grateful that the buttons on my phone didn’t make a loud clicking noise, I texted back.

Well that’s your fault. Stop making me laugh; I don’t want to get into trouble.

Saul’s reply made my heart beat so hard that I thought I might earn myself another irritated look from my neighbour.

You look even more beautiful when you laugh.

Trying not to grin like an idiot, I replied.

That may be the cheesiest line anyone has ever said to me.

Don’t you know about the cheesy line loophole?

What loophole?

It’s not considered cheesy if it’s true.

No, I’m pretty sure it’s just cheesy.

It was a moment before Saul’s next message came through.

What are you doing this afternoon?

Assuming I’m not still sitting here?

It will be over soon.

I don’t have anything planned. Why?

Impatience flared through me as the seconds it took Saul to reply seemed to stretch on forever.

I was just thinking that we should meet so that I can teach you how to use your phone.

Sounds good. I also would like to know how you got my number.

It’s pre-saved on your phone. I took it when I put your phone on silent. I will come and find you later.

Ok. See you then.

After that, I was in such a dream, picturing how my afternoon with Saul might go, that I almost missed Sénator Aimery finally getting around to mentioning me.

“Our final subject of the day is that of Miss Faine Hawkes,” he said.

I suddenly felt like I was under a spotlight as many gazes turned on me.

“The suggestion has been made that she is half vampire. We are currently conducting tests that we feel are appropriate and there will be a trial held in this room on 15
^th
January to discuss the results and decide the outcome. In the meantime she will be a guest here at Rillith and has a temporary pass to attend any public events that we have during this period of time.” Sénator Aimery lowered the piece of paper he held and looked out at the room. “That concludes this month’s meeting. We will re-adjourn on 1
^st
of November at 9:00am.”

That was it? I’d just sat through hours of meaningless talk so that I could hear the four sentences that were relevant to me? The only thing I’d learnt was that my trial would be held in front of everyone and in this room. It was something I could have done without knowing; I couldn’t begin to imagine how sick I’d feel when the time came for me to stand on that stage and be judged by The Sénat in front of all these people.