Becoming a Legend (5 page)

“
She was born only to be fed to someone?” Arianna was still not used to the night human world.

“
She was born to be fed to you. Your uncle knew you’d need strong blood to turn, and he needed more than a day human. We don’t look kindly upon sacrificing night humans for the change. This way he had what he needed, and my parents couldn’t protest. To save me, they would have to sacrifice her.” Thomas laid back and closed his eyes. Arianna returned to staring outside. “There’s still so much about this world you don’t know.”

“
Then why doesn’t anyone tell me?” Arianna tried not to whine, but it came out that way anyway.

“
Devin is doing his best, and, as much as it hurts me to defend him, so is Turner. They’re afraid for you. You’re not safe, and may never be, until you fulfill the legend.” Thomas didn’t move as he spoke.

“
And why doesn’t anyone tell me how to do that?”

“
You need five keepers before you can even think about doing that,” Devin said, appearing from the shadows. Thomas didn’t even stir from the couch. “You don’t need to know more of what needs to be done until you get those five people pledged to you. You only have Turner. One doesn’t mean a thing until you find four more. Can we go home now?”

FOUR

Arianna stared out the glass window of the plane as they descended into her own private airport. It technically wasn’t her airport, but that of the Randolph estate. Being the sole heir made it hers by default, but over the years it had been a way for night humans to avoid commercial airlines, and the temptation of being locked in a space with access to tons of day human blood. In such a situation, newly turned would have a hard time sitting still if their blood supply was used up. Arianna was thankful to be past that stage of her new life. Now, being fully night human, she could change at will and use as little blood as possible to perform night human tasks. She could last weeks or longer without needing blood.

“
We will have only a few hours before the celebration begins,” Molina said, as she stood next to Arianna.

Arianna followed Molina out of the plane to the waiting car. She still
hadn’t talked to Devin or Turner. Thomas was right in that they only wanted to protect her, but Arianna wanted at least some choice in the decision. Being a science experiment was never part of her plans.

“
Who will be your escort to the Randolph party since we already know who will be escorting you to the Grace party?” Molina asked, sitting inside the limo as it took its short trek to the manor. Molina was nice enough to not mention Andrew’s name. The clans got along much better now, but they still wanted to honor her birthday in their own ways.

“
Thomas,” Arianna replied, staring outside at the passing scenery.

Arianna
didn’t look around the car but felt the change in moods. Turner was pissed off at her choice. He was the prime candidate for her date, as he had already pledged himself to becoming her keeper, but he was never her only choice. She could show up with Devin just as easily. Devin’s emotions didn’t change, but that was due to years of practice. Arianna checked so see if she could find a small chink in his emotional armor. It wasn’t there. Annoying as it was, Devin was true to his word. To the outside world, he would only ever be her bodyguard.

Arianna did her part and got ready in record time. Parties
weren’t something she liked, but life as the head of the Randolph clan required it. In the past year, she had already attended at least two dozen parties in her honor and other people’s honor. Everyone wanted the same thing: to bask in the presence of the girl that was now the head of the clan. For some, it was the glory and awe of being able to see her, for others, it was to watch and assess her growth, and yet others sat and looked for her weaknesses. All the higher-up people in the dearg-dul community would be attending. Arianna didn’t wish to see any of them, but tradition dictated protocol.

Arianna went through the motions of welcoming all to the party. She acted surprised
when they brought out a cake and sang to her, and graciously thanked everyone for attending. As boring as the parties normally were, her birthday celebration was especially stifling. Formal announcements and decrees of fidelity to their leader filled the time, and Arianna blanked out listening to them. The only entertainment that even brought a slight real smile to her face was Thomas. He was holding up especially well for all the hateful glares, but he was still more uncomfortable than she was.

“
And this is why you chose to not bring Turner?” he asked quietly for her ears only. “You wanted some form of amusement.”

“It’s
always fun to make you get into a monkey suit since you love it so much,” Arianna smiled mischievously. Thomas tugged again at the bow tie. Turner sat further away, just as displeased at his clothing also. Turner and Thomas were quite similar in many ways in Arianna’s eyes. They hated each other enough to have never had a full conversation, therefore they would never know it, but Arianna did.

“
I don’t think it’s the monkey suit you’re finding so humorous.” Thomas ignored the nearest glares that he would even assume to talk to their precious Arianna.

“
Maybe not.” Arianna’s coy smile faltered as Paul Seeger approached.

Thomas stood quickly and nodded his head
toward the elegant silver-haired man. Seeger nodded back, but Thomas didn’t return to his seat. He stood, on guard, partially between Arianna and Seeger. Seeger wouldn’t try anything in such a formal setting, but Thomas didn’t trust the man any more than the rest of Arianna’s guard. The only difference was that being tengu meant Thomas didn’t have to adhere to etiquette and give the older dearg-dul leeway. Seeger’s formal title meant nothing to Thomas.

“
What a celebration,” Seeger commented, not trying to break through the wall that was Thomas. Seeger stood and glared briefly at the young man before he smiled down at Arianna, who only nodded her head without a smile. “The council would like to see you tomorrow. We’re holding an emergency session. It’s been a year now, and you are no further along with the prophecy than last year at this time. We would like to have a planning session to help you along and give you some guidance.”

Arianna felt the meaning behind the words. Seeger was
a masterful manipulator. It had helped get him out of trouble last year after he murdered her grandfather. Seeger was able to convince everyone beyond Arianna’s small circle of supporters that the assassin worked alone and was only using Seeger’s name as a cover. Arianna knew the truth though. Seeger had killed her grandfather, and she was next on his list.

“
That would be great,” Arianna replied. “I’d love to hear everyone’s ideas. I’ve been running through a few of my own, but additional input is always welcome.” Seeger paused only a beat before nodding to leave. “Will your son be attending, Lord Seeger? I heard rumors that you were starting to train Michael to take over for the Seeger family.” Rumors were actually that Seeger wouldn’t let Michael do anything for the family. He didn’t completely trust the boy, but was trying hard to mold him into the child he wanted. Seeger smiled.

“
Try as I might, it’s hard to get young people interested in such things as politics,” Seeger complained before bowing to Arianna and leaving.

“
Did he expect a confrontation?” Thomas asked, sitting back down beside Arianna.

“
He always expects a confrontation. The best way to play his game is to just agree with him, whether you intend to listen to him or not.” Thomas suppressed a laugh, knowing that she had won the war of words with Seeger, once again.

*
* * * *

The next morning
Arianna sat at the head of the council table. Twelve pairs of eyes stared back at her, including Lord Seeger’s. The council wanted progress on the legend. If they truly had the blue-eyed night human, they wanted the power that was said to go with it. They had said everything she had suspected they would and were all patiently waiting for a reply. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to fulfill the legend, though it kind of scared her, but she was too busy to actually do anything. Arianna felt her stomach flip around like she was going to be sick. She never liked to go to the council meetings, and she detested everyone sitting in front of her, but it had never made her feel sick before. As always, Devin caught her slight change. He wouldn’t question her in front of everyone. Turner didn’t see it as he was still sulking at not being her date for the party the night before. That was the difference between Turner and Devin. Somehow, no matter what, Arianna couldn’t deny that Devin knew her better than she knew herself.

“I
f I’m to understand this correctly, you think you’re giving me an ultimatum?” she asked. Several pairs of eyes quickly turned away. Lord Seeger continued to gaze unnervingly at her. He wasn’t giving an ultimatum, he was issuing a challenge. Everything with him was a challenge. There was never a conversation that wasn’t a verbal sparring match. Arianna was learning how to play the games but detested them nonetheless.

“
My son is an excellent candidate for your dearg-dul choice. No one here has any problem with that. We just want you to take on both my son and a baku so that you can fulfill the legend.” Seeger talked as if there was no question to his logic. Seeger had always suggested that Michael was the best choice. Arianna finally understood all the comments about grooming Michael.

“
Last time I checked, this isn’t a democracy.” Arianna remembered her conversation with Thomas. He smiled behind her, also remembering, and glad he finally told her since no one else was going to. “Either you listen to me, or choose to go elsewhere.” The men around the table all showed various forms of shock at her harsh words. They had all grown accustomed, in the past year, to pushing their agendas on her.

“
Where else can we go?” Lord Learing, a thin, balding man, couldn’t look her in the eyes as he spoke. “This has been my family for centuries. Why can’t you just agree to actively pursue the legend?” His last statement was more of a whisper for himself. “Michael Seeger is an excellent match for a dearg-dul, and I’m sure there are baku lining up.”

“
I wouldn’t know, since I’ve never met any of the other clans,” Arianna replied, remembering the girl from the park. She was a night human, and possibly a dearg-dul too. The men all became instantly silent. No one would talk about the other clans. The Randolph estate was self-sustainable, and they wanted to keep their isolation from the others.

“
We do not mix between the clans,” Seeger informed her. As far as Arianna could tell, it wasn’t that they couldn’t mix, but that they chose not to. The night human clans were a bigger mess of politics than the Randolph or Grace families alone.

“
Nor do we mix between night humans,” she replied. “But I guess that’s not so true anymore either.” Each man avoided her gaze. No one wanted to talk about the other clans. “Why shouldn’t I seek a dearg-dul outside my clan?”

“
Because there’s no need,” a thin, short man named Lord Robert replied. Arianna always thought Robert looked more like an elf than a vampire in night human form. “We do not mix because we are the superior night humans. We have excellent men right within our clan. You just need to look around, and not even that far, since Michael Seeger is the best choice.”

“
If you’d tell me what the legend states, maybe I’d be willing to play the game,” Arianna replied. She was growing much bolder with her elders after a year spent listening to the clan bicker amongst themselves. “I refuse to put any more humans, night or day, at risk by being associated with me, unless I know what it’s for.” The balding Learing began to sweat. Arianna immediately saw that he was the weak link in the chain.

“
Since you brought it up, Mr. Learing, would you like to tell me what I want to know?” Arianna asked sweetly. He shook his head no as he snuck glances at Seeger. Seeger was pulling the cords behind this meeting, as usual.

“
If I may speak for Learing.” Seeger interrupted the interrogation that was beginning. “We commend you on the advances you’ve made thus far. You have a day human.” Seeger gestured to Devin, who had never made any formal commitment to the cause. “A lycan, and now a tengu.”