The Celestial Kiss (22 page)

“Not enough.”  A devilish grin tipped her lips.  “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Famished,” I told her honestly.

“Good.”  Janna smirked.  “Mother has ordered a feast to put all others to shame.  Tonight we indulge in sin…
gluttony
.”  Her voice carried an ominous tone, as though gluttony were unforgiveable, an offense that bore the same weight as murder. 

“Well, seeing as how I’m on the highway to hell anyways, I may as well enjoy dinner.” 

“You’re going to Hell?”  Janna arched an eyebrow.  It was a delicate gesture, but she seemed on the verge of laughter.

“Yeah, seeing as I’m bound to it and all.”

“You’re bound to Hell?”  Janna leaned into me, realizing she’d spoken a little louder than she’d wanted.  Apparently this was news to her.  She cracked a grin.  “Are you referring to my brother?”

I rolled my eyes.  “You know—the whole vampire thing.”  I whispered ‘vampire’ like it was a dirty word.  “When I die in 14 days, I’m going to join with my long lost Father Lucifer in the fiery pit below your feet.”

“You’re so cryptic, Lilith.” Janna shook her head.  I shrugged and took a large sip of champagne.  I wasn’t fond of the taste, but I liked the way it sent fire chasing through my limbs, as though it had the power to control my extremities. 

“I’m honest.”  I objected.

Janna made a noncommittal noise and, looking like she was fighting off the urge to smile, asked, “What makes you so sure you’re going to go to Hell? I think you’ve overlooked one tiny detail.”

I waited for her to go on, but when it was apparent that Janna would say nothing more without being prompted, I decided I would just have to draw the answers from her.  “Which is...?”

“You aren’t a vampire.”  She said it simply and the corner of her mouth twitched, threatening a smile, even despite her wary voice.  “You are a hybrid…a mix.  Blood still courses through your veins.  I know you think that the devil has some kind of claim over you, but you are half His.”

Silence flickered between us like candlelight while I considered the gravity of her words.  “That’s ridiculous.”  I dismissed her after a few moments, attempting to sweep that notion under the rug.  But even as I said that, I didn’t believe it was all that ridiculous at all.

“You’re neither good nor evil.  The Creator and The Devil both have claims over you.  In the end, you choose where you’ll go.  Not James, not Lucifer, not even God.  Just you.”

“Janna, has anyone ever told you that you are—”

“Brilliant?”  She flashed a toothy smile.

“Insane is the word I had in mind.”

“I second that notion.”  A new voice broke the veil of our conversation.  I turned towards James with a smile, and saw that he had a similar gesture on his face.  I couldn’t help but wonder how he kept finding us in that mess of people, but the answer to that one was as obvious as I was.  “Sorry to interrupt the philosophy lesson,” James teased.  “I figured it would be best if we walked in together.  You know,” He mumbled, “For appearance’s sake.”

“That’s ok,” Janna said with a quick grin.  “We were done talking anyhow.”

“We were not!”  I objected.  “I still had questions for you.”

“I’m sure James can answer them.”  Janna said, looking at her brother from the corner of his eye.  “You know, later.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

James glared murder at Janna, who shrugged.  “Well, with all the guests who came in from out of town, we had to make room for them to stay.  We sacrificed your room, so you’ll be sleeping with James tonight.”  I gaped at her, trying to justify the words.  She laughed.  “Just sleep.”  She threw her hands up in a show of surrender.  “Unless you want to do something more, in which case I promise not to judge.”

“Janna.”  James warned. 

“What?”  She grinned. 

“I-” But I didn’t complete the thought, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention our way.  We had reached the door of the house and people were dotted all over, watching us and undoubtedly listening for any hint of gossip.  I swallowed back my objections and followed them into the opulent old home, my eyes taking in all of the shadows on the walls around us.

The marbled entrance hall was littered with people standing in clusters, carrying on private conversations.  As James and I passed the little groups, they stopped talking and turned to watch us expectantly.  James kept his eyes fixed on the doors to the grand hall, which were thrown open in a welcoming gesture.  I sneaked a look at Janna, who nodded her head forward, silently guiding me along.

The grand hall was nothing like it had been the day I had been brought here to determine where my fate lay.  That day the room had been empty; the king and his council and his family (minus James and Julius) had all sat at the front of the room in their fancily carved chairs, watching me warily as though they thought I might all of a sudden make a break for the door.  That day the room had echoed with the king’s deep, soothing voice.  Now the room was so stuffed with tables and people that an echo was impossible.  The tables covered every square inch of floor available, and in turn, every square inch of the tables was covered with food. 

It was clearly standing room only, as there were no chairs set up.  As more people began to filter into the room, my anxiety mounted, and I held tighter to James before I really considered the action.  I didn’t have a chance to speak to him, though, because within a matter of moments a small party came up and immersed him in conversation.  Julius soon entered and joined us.

The queen entered when the room had filled up, her head held high and her vibrant hair stacked higher.  She joined our group, and I stood a little straighter. 

When I thought the room could hold no one else, James stepped apart from the crowd, and no one followed.  He spoke a few short, eloquent words that made no sense to me, and then lifted to his lips a goblet that had somehow found its way into his hand.  He drank, and the entire room followed suit.  The solemn atmosphere lifted with an explosion of chatter, and people began to turn toward the tables set against the walls, helping themselves to the variety of appetizers.

I suffered through the night in similar fashion, following the conversations gracefully, smiling when it seemed necessary and looking out into the crowd when the chatter drew to a temporary halt. I drank when it was expected of me, and looked to James and Janna as my life preservers, following their cues. 

I’d be lying if I said I remembered any of the things we discussed, or even that I cared.  All I knew was that the way James was smiling at me, I had to be doing something right.

I followed James back to his room, half afraid that my red face could catch the building on fire.  If he was embarrassed, he didn’t let on.  In fact, he seemed very nonchalant about letting me into his room. “I’ve got the floor.”  He said, nodding at a pile of blankets on the ground a few feet from the bed. 

I’d been here the other day, but hadn’t bothered to look around.  Now I wanted to look anywhere but at James.  The room set up was similar to mine, though it felt bigger.  It was much like Julius’ in the sparing decorations and the minimalist grey sheets.  The walls were a navy sort of color that didn’t look too dark considering the white furniture. 

“Janna said she put out clothes on the bed,” James said, unbuttoning the black shirt he wore.  He faced the wall, but even from behind, he had a really good-looking physique.  I tore my eyes from him and looked for the clothes that Janna claimed to have set out, but there was nothing other than the crisp and neatly made bed.  I wondered whether someone came in and did that for him…mine was certainly never made.

When James turned back around, I swallowed.  This was too much too soon.  “Nothing?”  He asked, looking at the dress that I still wore.  I shook my head slowly.

“Well, if you want, I can go grab something from her?  Or, I could offer you a shirt and sweatpants?”

A shirt and sweatpants.  Sloppy, big, and zero sex appeal.  “That’s fine.”  I smiled.  James rummaged through his dresser, pulled out a stack of clothing, and handed them to me.  “I’ll be in the hall.  Just yell when it’s safe to come back in.”

I shimmied out of the dress as soon as the door was closed, grateful for the loose shirt.  I had to knot the pants at the waist to keep them in place, but at least they were comfortable.  I opened the door to find James sitting with his back against the wall.  “I’m decent.”  I said, and then cringed because that was an awfully outdated way of saying that I was covered.  James stood up and turned, and then he laughed. 

“What?”  I looked down at myself and crossed my arms.

“I guess I wasn’t thinking about the size difference.”  He shook his head and looked at the ground, where the extra fabric pooled at my feet.  “You could trip over those.”

I shrugged.  “Luckily, I don’t sleepwalk.”

His bed was even more comfortable than mine.  It was bigger, for one thing, and the sheets were softer.  I pulled them up to my shoulders and rolled on my side, facing away from his makeshift cot on the floor. 

Sleep didn’t come easily.  I kept feeling guilty for casting him out of his bed, and I kept seeing him every time I closed my eyes.  It was odd, knowing that he was so close, and yet there may as well have been a million miles between us.  We feigned a relationship.  We were connected by an otherworldly bond.  We were matched.  But we couldn’t hold a conversation without his guilt or my anger getting in the way. 

I stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally finding my voice.  “James?”

But he must have been fast asleep, because he didn’t make any noise to indicate he’d heard me.  I rolled over, burying my face in the cool pillows. They smelled like him, which was a really pleasant smell, but not conducive to getting him out of my mind.

I fell asleep hours later, practically encompassed by him.

              James was gone when I woke up, but Janna greeted me within minutes of my eyes fluttering open.  She smirked a lot and asked how I’d slept and winked as if she were in on a secret that I wasn’t.  After a torturous hour of her poking and prodding me with different makeup utensils and styling tools, we went down for breakfast.

              James met us there with his eerily-keen ability to search us out, which was quite remarkable considering the hall was crammed.  If it was possible, there were more people present now than there had been for the funeral.  They lined either side of the doors, a sea of faces wearing an array of expressions.  There was awe, and eagerness, and surprise, and...Unmistakable envy.  The werewolves may have been creatures of the Lord or whatever they thought they were, but they were not above sin.  The throne was definitely coveted, even in their world.  A divine set of morals did not put them above the desire for power, and it was clear on some of their faces.  I suspected a few jealous glares from girls were intended for me, but the knowledge didn’t make me as angry as it previously had when it had come from Delilah.   

              Today, the chairs had reappeared, crammed side by side along the long tables.  There were only two at the front that were removed from the rest, elaborate enough to be thrones.  I made to follow Janna into the crowd, but James turned to me gently and clasped my hand, leading me to the front of the room with him.  The second chair was undeniably mine, and I sat in it gingerly, hoping my cheeks were not as red as they felt.  I was sure to keep my spine straight, looking prim and proper...or at least, I hoped.  I did not miss the queen’s cool eyes sliding over me from where she stood idly listening to a rambling young man.

              James did not sit, which made me feel like I’d been in the wrong for doing so, but his position before the crowd elicited a sort of awed silence.  He held onto it for a few moments, then spoke with such a steady confidence it almost gave me chills again.  “Today marks the day that I give myself to you, to my brothers and sisters, to the humans, to the Creator.  Today I swear before you all my unwavering attention, my dedication.  I promise here and now to protect you from our enemies, to protect the innocent at all costs.  Our lives exist because the humans exist, and I will not see them harmed by the devil’s brood.  Today marks the day that our world changes.  I swear eternal devotion on your behalf, on the human’s behalf, and on the Creator’s behalf.  No cost is too great in regards to their lives, and as such my oath today is to protect you with my life, my sanity, and my blood, so that you may in turn continue to protect them with yours.”

He was a powerful speaker, and so the words did not come across weird at all.  Otherwise, he might have been precariously close to sounding like a political office campaign...which, I supposed this kind of was.  Still, it didn’t seem like an empty-promises speech aimed at giving his people a sense of false security.  James swore a promise to them, and the truth of his words was evident in the strength and quality of his voice.

James was silent a moment and I wondered whether he’d lost his train of thought.  Apparently not, though, because the crowd erupted with a chorus of cheers and ‘yeahs’ and whistles.  A few seconds passed and then James stepped down into the crowd to be swallowed whole by them all. 

Janna managed to find her way to me.  “That’s it?”  I asked her.  Thankfully, my voice only held a small note of disappointment. 

“There’s more.”  She assured me.  “But from here on out it’s just like yesterday.  You stand around looking pretty while James goes around shaking hands and kissing babies.  Then we eat.”

“That is...anticlimactic.  And possibly sexist.”

“You wanted something more eventful?”  She guessed. 

“I don’t know.  After the funeral yesterday, I was kind of expecting something...big.”

“Well, no promises but I’m thinking something big will happen, alright.”  I questioned her with a simple look.  “Yesterday was about my father.”  She explained.  “Out of respect to him, everybody held back.  But today...well, it’s a bit of a no-holds barred thing, really.”

Despite Janna’s grim prediction, the day swept by in a blur, for which I was grateful.  Mostly, I stood around awkwardly, pulling discreetly on the hem of my skirt as if it would magically grow, while people talked to James. On occasion somebody would stop to talk to me, and Janna would fade into the crowd, taking with her all of my knowledge about religion and politics, leaving me with a smile that was as fake as the stories I told the few people who bothered asking me questions.

It was not until lunch that anything of note happened, when a man took the briefest lapse in conversation to pounce upon James.

“So, let’s hear the plan.”  He said obtusely.  His dark eyes gleamed with mischief. After a moment, I recognized him as Olias, the man Janna had pointed out just a few nights ago.

“Which one?”  James only missed a beat.  His mouth hinted at a smile for the effect of the guests, but I noticed his spine straighten in tension. 

“For the vampires.  Surely you have something up your sleeve.  Look at what they did to her.”  His eyes settled slowly on me, daring me to speak, and though I’d never said ten words to him, I decided I didn’t much like him.  “They attacked a human.  You of all people will make them pay, James, if only because of what they’ve done to your family.”

“I’d have never met Lilith under other circumstances.”  James said, tight-lipped.

“Oh, you can’t believe that.  You’re a man of faith, with some belief in destiny.”

“What will be, will be.”  James agreed.  “But I hate to imagine that I’d never met her, and I fear that without their intervention, she’d not be sitting here today.”

“So you’d condone their violence?”  Olias looked as though he’d struck gold.  He was trying hard not to smile, but he was no actor.  “It’s okay if they attack a human, as long as it makes you happy?”

“I know it’s probably hard for you to believe,” I said quietly, trying to keep my voice level.  “But I am happy.  This is a better life than what I had before.”

Olias fixed me with a would-be sympathetic look.  “Right.  It really must have been hard for you.  All those years you were with the vampires...”

The room had gone quiet as a crypt.  Nobody spoke and not even the sound of the dishes clanking together could be heard.  Time had all but frozen at this chance for gossip.

“What are you talking about?”  Janna asked with an airy laugh.

“Her neck.”  Olias said simply, his eyes showing her the way to the proof that would back up his claim.  I shrugged a shoulder, discreetly allowing my hair to cascade over my chest.  It expertly concealed the spots his eyes were looking for.  “She doesn’t have just
one
scar.  She wasn’t bitten
one
time.  There are many.”

“I’m sorry,” My voice was cold, and I imagined the small smile I put on reflected that.  “But this isn’t a subject for the dinner table.”

“Afterwards, then?”  Olias smiled.

I squeezed my glass so hard I was sure it would break, but was spared the need to answer because Julius intervened.  “Grisly stories of pain and torture might appeal to you, but not everybody wants to recount them.”

“Of course,” Olias nodded his head, his fathomless eyes assessing the eldest brother.  “I didn’t mean to upset you.  How callous of me, to bring to mind those
memories
.”

“Yes,” Julius said through gritted teeth.  “Callous.”

“I merely wanted to hear Lilith’s brave battle recounted.”  I’d basically just met him, but already I could tell that Olias was like a dog with a bone when it came to outing me.  What I didn’t understand was why?

“Shut up.”  Julius warned, his body rigid.

“I’m sorry.”  He raised a hand, like he was swearing on his good name in court.  “I’ve forgotten my manners.”

“Apparently you’re not the only one.”  Trilled Delilah, who sat next to Olias, her beady eyes transfixed on Julius.

“Let’s talk about something happier.”  Janna suggested.

Olias didn’t miss a beat.  “Certainly.  So, what are your intentions?  Do you wish for a continued state of peaceful coexistence with the vampires?”

I looked down at my plate, gathering myself before I lost my patience with him. I waited for James’ response, but when it didn’t come I ventured a glance up to see that all eyes were on me.  Olias said my name, prompting an answer.

“I do not believe in war.”  I said slowly, making sure that he really had meant the question for me.  It gave me a moment to deliberate the rest of my answer.  Things right now were as peaceful as I imagined they’d ever be, but neither party was content with that.

“Even after all their injustices?  You know what they’re capable of.”

“Awful things,” I nodded.  “But they do not require war.”

“Don’t they?”  Olias looked stricken.  “You don’t want revenge for what they did to you?  That’s hardly human.”  I watched his finger swirl absently around the top of his glass.  “I know that there is more to your story than you’ve told.  You have a past with the vampires, and maybe that has made you blind to their faults.  Or are you a fool who would stick to your vices, no matter what they do to you?”  He didn’t wait for an answer.  “You would be tortured to the edge of insanity and still believe that they have a rightful place in the world?”

“Perhaps I am a fool.”  I was stubborn.  That much was true.  “I do not believe that they belong here.  However, I can only see that a war would be entirely too devastating to the werewolves, the vampires,
and
the humans.  I can’t see where it would be worth the risk.”

“Let me tell you where it’s worth the risk.”  He said, as if I truly cared.  “Every human life has value, where theirs do not.  The humans outnumber them, and us for now, but all it would take is for one of them to go on a rampage.  Already they are worse than ever before.  You are not the only person to have been bitten and left for dead, Lilith.  The first human, yes, if you really are a human after all.  But make no mistake that this has happened before.  The king’s own sister was attacked by vampires.  They bit her and left her for dead—”

I didn’t hear how that sentence was going to conclude because Julius stood up in a violent flash and threw his chair across the room, demanding silence.  Once he’d had it, he only stalked out the door, furious.  His mother looked to be on the verge of tears, and she ran after him, her long dress sweeping against the cold floor.  Janna’s mouth formed a tight line.  Next to me, James looked capable of murder.  But I wasn’t deceived.  I could see the sorrow there.

I took advantage of the pause.  “Disregard the injustices they are capable of and look at this as a matter of survival.  If we choose to wage war against them, we face a definite disadvantage.  We cannot go out and create an army of werewolves to fight for us, as our moral codes are of a higher caliber.  The vampires can go out easily and create others, make more and more and more until even the greatest amount of power would fall under their numbers.  And with our race obliterated, the humans would follow close behind.”

Olias was grinning, and I wanted to jump up and at least throw a punch at him.  But I held myself perfectly in place, my head still high, and commanded every muscle in my body to stay at rest.  I saw Delilah place a hand atop his, quelling whatever retort he had, and the rest of dinner followed in a sort of stilted silence. 

Janna disappeared the moment the dishes had been cleared, and though I longed to follow, I stayed at James’ side, scared of what he might do if left alone with Olias.  He still hadn’t lost the dangerous glint in his eyes, and it gleamed ominously as the hall cleared.  I wasn’t sure what he was waiting for, but we sat still.  I had plenty to think about, and my mind kept turning to Olias’ story.  The king’s sister.  Had he meant James’ sister?   It didn’t seem to be. Julius had appeared more bothered by the whole exchange than Janna had. Perhaps the woman Olias had intimated had been James’ aunt, the sister of the previous king.  It made more sense than the alternative.

An older woman came up and offered James a glass which he took with a curt ‘thank you’.  I accepted a glass of champagne and drank it slowly.  The room emptied at a glacial pace, with some of the guests seemingly reluctant to leave.  James refused a refill of his drink, which I was certain had some alcoholic content, and I nervously sipped from my goblet until my lips went numb.

At last, the room cleared...all except for me and James, Olias and Delilah.  They stood together talking, but they were throwing glances at us, daring James to come over.  And that’s exactly what he did.  I followed him across the room, nervous, and assessed them.  “Your highness,” Olias greeted, still wearing that infuriating smile of his.  Delilah smiled also, but it was a cruel twist of her glossy pink lips. 

“Leave here, and never come back.”  James said.  It was short and simple and caught me by surprise.  I had expected a verbal assault of some sort.  Judging by the rage I’d seen pent up in his eyes, he’d intended to hurt him.

“Not very hospitable,” Olias’ mouth turned now to a frown, but it was entirely for effect.

“You’ve worn out your welcome.”

“How so?  By speaking the truth?  Or was it the political questions?  Were you not prepared to answer those?”  He grinned and took a sip of his drink, all without moving his eyes from James’.