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When he doesn’t though, I take the books to my room and decide to try some magic up there. I have zero idea what I’m doing, and the texts are all so old that a lot of it isn’t legible. There are pictures, but they don’t help, and you’d think a book about magic would have some magic in it, at least sense that I’m a witch and try to help me out a little. Aren’t they supposed to dance around by themselves and come to life?
Eventually though, Yvonne comes by with some gazpacho for a late lunch, telling me that Solon will be by my room at eight p.m., so I should be ready by then. To my surprise, Amethyst shows up a few hours later to help.
“Shouldn’t you be running the show?” I ask Amethyst as she comes in the room, armed with a curling iron.
“Everything is in place,” she says. “Don’t worry, these parties usually happen twice a month, it’s like clockwork by now. So, I was thinking we could curl your hair. I can do your makeup too, if you want.”
“Go nuts,” I tell her. I know I could do it but, it’s nice to be doted on. I sit in the chair by the desk and she opens the blinds enough to let some light in, then attacks me with the makeup she bought for me.
“You don’t seem to worry if I’m hungry or not,” I tell her, keeping my eyes closed as she rubs eye shadow primer on my lids.
“I know you’re not,” she says. “I’ve gotten pretty good at detecting when a vampire needs to feed. I know all the signs, and even more than that, I can sense it. With you, because you’re only half, food seems to go a long way. It satisfies you in a way that it doesn’t the others. Convenient if you ask me.”
I want to tell her what her mother told me, but decide it’s best to keep it to myself. Besides, spilling secrets seems to be an issue in this house.
“Did Solon, uh, talk to you?” I ask.
She pauses and I briefly open my eyes to see her droll expression. “You mean did he get mad at me because I told you all his secrets? Yes.”
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to put you in a tough spot.”
She shakes her head and starts sweeping on eyeshadow. “Don’t worry about it. I knew you’d tell him. I was just surprised at how angry he got. I’ve never seen him like that before, at least not with me.”
My cheeks flame, feeling horrible.
She pauses, switching brushes before dabbing highlighter on my brow bone. “The way you bring out his anger is almost frightening.”
I swallow uneasily. “Great.”
“It’s not all a bad thing,” she muses, taking a step back before doing my other eye, my lids closing. “I don’t think.”
“So much for being fond of me,” I mumble.
“Well, I was wrong. It’s much more than that. Deeper. Stronger. Intense.” She pauses. “And I know you love him.”
I open my eyes, and she almost stabs me with the eye shadow brush. “I do not—”
“Don’t talk,” she says abruptly, cutting me off. “You’re messing up the makeup.” She comes at me with the brush, forcing me to close my eyes again.
“I don’t love him,” I whisper harshly.
“I said you were in love with him,” she corrects me. “And there’s no use fighting it, babe.”
I practically growl. “What I feel for Solon is…complicated.”
She chuckles, her breath smelling like lavender. “Don’t tell me you believe the simplicity of fairy-tale romances. Love is complicated. Loving a vampire, even more so.”
“I don’t want to talk about this,” I tell her, pressing my lips firmly together.
She pauses and then does a pitch perfect impression of Cary Elwes from The Princess Bride. “As you wish.”
Luckily she honors my wishes, and we talk about more neutral subjects, my school, her traveling, things normal people talk about. I have to say, it feels really good to forget what I am for just a bit. Then, when she finishes my makeup and hair, she brings out a silver flask from the pocket of her oversized blazer and we both do a few shots of vodka.
“It calms my nerves,” she explains as she swallows it down, handing me my dress I’d decided on, the long red strapless one. “I still get a bit worked up on party nights. A house full of vampires can be a bit much.”
She could have fooled me. She’s cool as a cucumber. I guess vodka has been her secret weapon.
I go into the bathroom to get changed into the dress, wanting some privacy, and take a quick look in the mirror.
