Original Publish Date: 2/17/2009

 When I woke up it was about one o’ clock in the afternoon. I lay there on my back, staring at the ceiling. Lucian didn’t love me; that much was completely obvious. I doubted a man (or vampire) like him was even capable of love. Still though, I felt like I was connected to him in some weird way.

 No. I pushed that thought out of my head before I got too caught in it. Lucian was an annoyingly prideful and selfish vampire who probably wouldn’t even speak to me after today. I kept telling myself that and finally just got up.

 My first destination was the kitchen, since I had left all my stuff out. I was pretty sure that no one had cleaned it up since they’d all been getting ready for bed by that time.

 Since I’d already taken a shower that morning, I felt pretty guilty for taking another one, but I doubted very many vampires took showers all that often. They had an unusual knack for staying clean a very long time. I kind of envied them in that, but I kept it to myself. This time though, I just threw on some really soft, blue and white plaid pajama pants and a white tank top. I wasn’t going anywhere for a while.

 As I walked down the hall to the kitchen once more (the doors were a considerable distance apart) I saw maids bustling around cleaning rooms and butlers helping or supervising the busy ladies. I smiled at them as I passed and their moods seemed to cheer a little; probably from seeing another human being who hadn’t been bitten by a vampire.

 I reached the kitchen and walked gracefully in, not surprised there were maids cleaning, but the thing that did surprise me was that they hadn’t touched the stuff I’d pulled out. I walked over in amazement and looked at the maid who was wiping down a counter a few feet away from me. “Excuse me, why wasn’t this stuff picked up? I mean, it’s not that I wanted it to be, I just expected it to be gone I guess.” I asked politely and the short woman smiled at me. She had wonderful thick black hair in a cute old-fashioned hairstyle, and I could tell she was Hispanic. I gave her my most cheerful smile.

 “We were told by Master Lucian to not touch it, as you would probably come to finish what you had started.” Her voice replied; a sweet, low tone that reminded me of a well-aged housewife who’d had her share of children and now took care of her grandchildren.

 “Oh? And did he mention anything else?” I asked. Master Lucian? God, the male ego never ceases. Of course, these vampires technically were their masters so I couldn’t blame her.

 “Yes, he gave a very detailed description of you and said that I could not mistake you for anyone else because you had beautiful red hair and the most vibrant and gorgeous green eyes on the planet. I now see he was very correct.” She smiled widely at me and I regretfully blushed. I nodded knowingly and sighed.

 “Thank you, uhhh…” I said, and blushed again. “Oh, I’m so sorry; I forgot to get your name.”

 “Chrysanthemum. Just call me Chrysa, my lady.” She bowed and walked out with the rest of the cleaning crew. I shook my head in amazement and found I was actually angry with Lucian. He sure did know how to show off.

 I turned back to my work and finished in about fifteen minutes. Next I had to sprinkle it around the edges of my room, while reciting the spell I wanted to cast. The potion helped the process. I padded silently down the hall, realizing how eerily quiet it was without all the maids bustling around. It was practically complete silence, since all of the undead were sleeping away the daylight. A few more hours and they would wake.

 When I reached my room I sighed. The maids had cleaned it up for me. I kind of felt bad because they probably didn’t usually have to clean in here since it was normally vacant.

 I twisted the cork out of the top of the potion bottle and began to walk along the edges of the room, sprinkling it sparingly and chanting the spell. It reminded me of old times, when my mother had been alive. She had been my mentor for years as I figured out all of my witchy ways. She was also how I’d found out about vampires, having been slaughtered by one three years ago; along with my sister and my niece. Which explained my distaste for vamps. I had been working when it happened, and that was how I was the only one that survived. I kind of blamed myself, because the vampire who had killed them had been hassling me the few nights before then at the bar, and when he’d killed them he’d been searching for me.

 I pushed those memories out of my head and continued on until I was finished. It only took about twenty minutes for me to round the whole room and finish off, so that left me with about two more hours to kill before anyone woke up. Well crap.

 When I began thinking though, I had an idea. I’d always been a runner, going at least three times a week for a jog to keep myself in shape, and in this mansion I didn’t even have to go outside. I decided to leave the tank top on, but I needed different pants. Upon a thorough search in the humungous wardrobe, I found a pair of exercise shorts that went to mid-thigh and were black with two white stripes down the sides. Cool. The stretchy spandex-like material made me smile. I didn’t bother with shoes, but opted to put on ankle socks so my feet at least had something on them.

 Then I ran. The hallways were long, and at the end were more hallways. I found myself hoping I wouldn’t get lost, but I figured if I just continued straight I could find my way back to the purple color-coordinated hallway my room had been in. All the maids had finished with every hall I went through, so I was free to enjoy what I was doing. It took about an hour out of the day, half spent just running, and half spent running back. Another hour and it would four thirty, when the vamps begin to rise.

 Since the vamps couldn’t sleep in regular rooms due to the windows, I figured all rooms were cleared, so I did some searching. I came across a few interestingly decorated rooms, and even came across one that smelled potently of pot – which I backed out of faster than you can say crack head. I tried not to go any farther than the threshold of each room, but one caught my interest in particular.

 I couldn’t but step inside and look around. The scent in this room was awfully familiar, but I couldn’t identify it. The room, even though it was dark as hell in here, was decorated in greens, silvers, and blacks. The walls were painted a distinct and almost shimmery chrome, and the carpet was soft and black. The sheets on the bed were an emerald green while the comforter and pillows were black. The bed frame (which happened to be a canopy – my favorite! – with smoky colored silky material used as the canopy and curtain around the bed) was unlike the other furniture, being colored a cement gray.

 Every other piece of furniture, which of course was made of wood and looked like it was from colonial times, was a sharp and smooth black but the flat surfaces on which you set things was tinted emerald, as if they had hot glued a slat of the jewel onto the top of things. Even the drapes on the windows were a deep emerald. The room was actually beautiful, despite how dark it was. Vampires really had a knack for color-coordinating things. Maybe they all had OCDs?

 I looked up on the wall opposite the bed, which happened to be the one the door was positioned in, on the far right. It held an enormous flat screen plasma TV and I felt my jaw drop. I quickly searched around the room for surround sound and found four large, professionally concealed speakers in each corner of the room, mounted as high as the wall would allow before hitting the ceiling. I definitely had to come back when whoever it was woke up just so I could watch a movie in here. The thought made me laugh, asking a perfect stranger if I could watch a movie in there room; but then realization donned on me.

 It wouldn’t be a stranger.

 I shrieked at myself for not recognizing that wonderfully masculine smelling scent earlier. This was Lucian’s room. Go figure I would like his the best, especially since he smelled so good… No. I quickly walked out of the room without touching anything and slammed the door. Wait a second… I opened it back up and looked at the TV and the surround sound. I thought he said he didn’t watch movies?

 Again I slammed the door. We would have a lot to talk about when he woke up. When I turned around though, Lucian was standing in front of me with an amused look on his face. I squeaked in fright and punched him in the chest. “Why do you have to keep scaring me like that? What time is it? Shouldn’t you still be asleep?” I rambled on.

 “Wow, I find you looking through my room and you’re asking me the questions? I think you got it backwards. It’s four thirty, so no; I don’t need to be asleep.” He quirked an eyebrow at me and I glared at him.

 “I thought you said you didn’t watch movies! And what was with the detailed description you gave the maid? I know you never expected me to hear that.” I stood straight and looked at him daringly. I wasn’t about to be afraid of macho-man.

 “I never said that, I asked you if I looked like someone who watched movies; there’s a difference.” Lucian stated in a very rude way. He was starting to get annoyed. “No, I didn’t think you’d hear it, but she had to know what you looked like. Besides, I was merely telling the truth. Do you usually get so offended when people give you compliments?” He asked.

 “Only when they’re from you.” I mumbled and he gave me a quizzical look. “Forget it, I’m out of here.” I said and started to walk away.

 “Oh no you don’t.” Lucian said and pulled me back.

 “What do you want from me?” I asked, completely exasperated with his behavior.

 “I don’t want anything from you.” He whispered in a husky voice as he got real close to me. He put a hand next to me on the door so he could lean in closer and he started kissing my neck. I protested but eventually, when he didn’t stop, I gave in and put my arms around his neck.

 “Lucian!” Ariella called from down the hall in a strict voice and Lucian hissed against my neck in frustration. His head swiveled so he could look at Ariella without moving away from me. I hoped to god she couldn’t see me, and tried to concentrate on slowing my heart rate so I could breathe again. “There is a meeting taking place right now and you are required. Leave your female friend here.” She actually sounded kind of disgusted, but I sighed in relief when it seemed she didn’t know it was me. Then Lucian moved.

 I heard Ariella gasp and I made a noise in protest as Lucian revealed it was me. I glared up at him and then looked over at Ariella apologetically. She was wordless with shock. “Ariella I-.” I began to explain but she shook her head.

 “Have you told her?” She asked Lucian and he looked at her like she was insane.

 “What are you talking about? Told her what?” He asked.

 “My god Lucian! How have you not realized? Honey, we need to talk after the meeting is finished, c’mon, let’s go.” She directed the last part at me and held a hand out to me. I took it willingly and Lucian stared after me with a shocked expression. He didn’t move, and he was late to the meeting.