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Vlad glares right back at her, and the entire room holds its breath in the strained silence that follows. Until Vlad finally breaks out in a low chuckle that releases the room’s tension. “That’s my girl. Fine. I’ll stay out of your sex life, but don’t think for a moment that I don’t expect results. By this time next year, I expect to be a proud grandpapa.”
“It hasn’t gotten old already?” Phoenix can’t help asking snidely, gesturing to the four men in the corners. Because we both know his “sons” are actually grandsons going back untold generations already.
“None so interesting as you, my lovely,” Vlad says, reaching out a hand to caress Phoenix’s face. She jerks back from his touch, and I feel her shudder.
Vlad just smiles that predator’s smile again.
Fuck I wish I could kill this bastard. Phoenix swears he’s untouchable, and I understand her reasons, but still…
To my right, little Raven suddenly flies up out of her chair, evading her mother’s arms as Hannah tries to reach for her.
“Raven, honey, you know we sit while we eat breakfast,” Hannah tries.
Raven’s little face is contorted, and she points a finger at Vlad.
“Bad,” she pronounces loudly.
Then the small toddler flies up and out of her chair at Vlad like a little bullet.
We’re all so shocked that no one moves in time to do anything about it. All of us, that is, except for Vlad’s sons, one of whom shoots from the nearest corner and snatches Raven out of the air by her wings a moment before her little snaggle-toothed fangs can connect with Vlad’s face.
“Filthy meat-eaters,” Vlad’s son snarls at her.
Raven’s not finished with her surprises for the morning, apparently. Suddenly, she transforms in Vlad’s minion’s hands from a cute little toddler into—
We all gasp as she lets out an animal growl and shapeshifts—I can’t think of any other word for it—into some sort of monster three times her size. She opens her mouth and has three rows of razor-sharp teeth and a tail with spikes whips out. Her torso is furry and muscled. Instead of being cute and fluffy, her wings have become leathery and veined and stretch out behind her like a huge, mutant bat.
Vlad’s minion drops her at the same time that she shoves him back.
When Vlad’s minion grabbed her cousin’s wings and snatched Raven out of the air, Luna began crying. As the vampire flies back from Raven’s shove, a portal opens behind him. He doesn’t even have a chance to realize what’s happening before he disappears into the shining man-size pool hanging in the air like a liquid mirror before it closes up behind him.
Right after, Raven transforms back into her adorable child self and hovers to the side of Vlad’s chair, fluffy wings flapping madly as she looks at where Vlad’s son disappeared. There’s a moment of silence as the rest of us do the same.
It’s broken by Vlad clapping loudly, enjoyment transforming his angular features. “Such delightful allies I have as in-laws.” He looks at Phoenix and me and, with a dark, avaricious tone, adds, “I can’t wait until we get our own.”
“Raven!” Hannah jumps up, holding her arms out to her daughter. “Get away from him.”
“Father,” another of Vlad’s sons objects. “Make them bring Avram back!”
“We’re leaving,” Abaddon declares as Raven lands back in her mother’s arms, thumb embedded in her mouth, looking for all the world like a normal toddler apart from her wings and the little horns peeking out from the abundant curls on her head. “Now.”
The rest of my family stands up from the table.
Beside me, Phoenix shudders, and I understand last night’s performance more than ever. She’ll never give Vlad what he wants. If I’m really her friend, and I am—friend before hungry monster, always—then I’ll do everything in my power to aid her cause.
“That’s hardly necessary,” Vlad says nonchalantly from his throne-like chair at the head of the table, his tone no more bothered than if a fly had just been swatted in his presence.
“Father,” his son says again. “What about Avram?”
Vlad looks annoyed for the first time since breakfast started, turning a stone face toward his son. “We’ll have a far-superior replacement for your fool brother soon. If Avram had been quicker-witted, he’d still be with us, wouldn’t he?”
His son is astonished and obviously furious, but one look from Vlad has him swallowing it back as he bows his head to the floor. “Yes, Father. Of course, your wisdom prevails.” He backs away to the corner.
Abaddon is already shuffling my family out of the room. Good. I’m glad to have them out from under this man’s roof and sphere of control. I’m just sorry I can’t get Phoenix out with them. I hate that she’s under his thumb in any way.
I hurry over to my brother as he ushers the last of my family out, pulling him aside. “Will you go back to the castle?”
I can feel Vlad’s eyes on us, and it makes my skin crawl. I pull Abaddon into the hallway, even though I hate to have Phoenix out of sight for even a moment.
