Chapter Five: Just another everyday vampire party.
My birthday party was nearly identical to Charlotte’s. We came downstairs at sunset and most of the estate was already full of vampires. The party probably looked similar to a human party as well except the ages were different. The teenage-looking vampires—most under a hundred—were in the basement while the older ones—some nearly a thousand—mingled on the first floor. There were plenty of smiles and hellos as I walked through the living room.
“Anna,” a middle-aged woman with a crystal glass of blood said as she came up to me, “I knew your mother well. You look so much like her.” Speaking of which, I thought, where are my parents? Plenty of people whom I had never met, but apparently knew my parents, had spoken to me but my mom and dad were nowhere to be found.
“Anna?” asked a man standing in the kitchen just as I walked past.
“Yes?” I turned and the man looked familiar. He had sandy hair and, while most of the vampire-men lacked facial hair, a short beard. Faint memories popped into my head of hushed conversations with my father years ago.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” he began, “but you’re parents aren’t able to come tonight.” I nodded briefly. I was disappointed they weren’t coming, but this wasn’t really the venue to have the length of talk I wanted with them. “They hope to come in the next few days, though.”
“Thank you. Um, I’m sorry, but don’t I know you?”
“Miguel Teniente,” he answered, extending his hand. “I’m a friend of your father’s.”
“Apparently, so is everyone else here,” I muttered. I saw Fletcher out of the corner of my eye and smiled at him. He came over but ignored Miguel except for a curt nod.
“Want to go downstairs?” he asked.
“Sure. It was nice meeting you,” I said to Miguel as I turned away. “Do you know him?” I asked Fletcher when we reached the stairs.
“Who?”
“Miguel Teniente—the man you gave the cold shoulder.”
“Sort of,” Fletcher answered and for a minute I thought he would leave it at that. “He knew my parents.”
“Ah, some bad blood there?” I said in a joking tone. Fletcher stayed silent and I dropped the subject.
“Anna manzana!” I heard Elena shriek as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Happy birthday!”
“Thanks Ellie,” I said slowly. She always came up with such strange nicknames for us. Charlotte had the worst when one time she was “Charlotte the harlot.” Somehow Ellie forced me into a tight hug even though I’m more than six inches taller than her.
“Come on, Anna,” Rachel said, appearing behind me. “Let’s get away from Elena,” she whispered in my ear. I glanced at Ellie to see if she heard, but if she did she didn’t acknowledge it.
This time it was Hayden sitting at the bar, but his glass wasn’t spiked with anything but more blood. Charlotte came out of nowhere and sat down next to him.
“Enjoying your first vampire party?” Charlotte asked him.
“It could be better,” he said with a smirk.
“What? Even with these amazing refreshments?” she asked picking up his glass and downing the contents.
“Maybe if we all turned into bats.”
“Oh really?” Charlotte said with a devious smile. I had a feeling she picked a halter top specifically so this could happen. She extended her bat wings and stretched them out to their full length. “Come on Anna,” she added turning to me. “Show off those new wings you’ve got.”
“I think you showing off is all we’re going to fit in this room.”
“So let’s go outside,” Fletcher chimed in. I turned and gaped at him. Of everyone, he was the last—well before Rachel—I would expect to encourage showing off vampire powers. I shrugged and we crossed the room to the stairs leading outside.
It was a weird sensation, extending my wings. They are usually inside my back when I don’t have them extended, so trying to bring them out was different than moving any other limb. But I can’t consciously feel the wings, so I tried to make the motions of using them.
“Whoa,” I gasped when I was lifted a few feet in the air then fell back to the ground. Charlotte smirked and climbed one of the columns using the claws at the elbow joint of her wings. She grabbed the balcony above us and climbed onto the railing.
“It’s easier if you jump off of something,” Charlotte explained as she stretched the huge wings. She leapt off the balcony and caught the wind under the large wings. Charlotte flapped the wings once and soared higher into the air.
I turned to the balcony and grabbed the rail in one jump. Turning toward the pool, I leaned forward and spread my wings. The water below me glistened and the trees farther beyond swayed in the wind. Charlotte made another pass by the house before landing on the balcony behind me.
“If you don’t jump I’m going to push you off,” she whispered in my ear. I smirked and pulled in my wings, jumping straight up before pushing the air behind me with my wings.
“Ay dios mio,” I whispered when I zoomed forward. Everything around me became blurry as I experimented with turning, accelerating, and maneuvering. Spinning back to the hacienda, my vision focused on the figured standing in front of the pool. I dived toward Fletcher, who was leaning against a column on the veranda. I landed at a run in front of him and Fletcher grabbed my shoulders to keep me upright.
“Thanks,” I said and turned to see Charlotte land gracefully on her feet.
“Ooh,” Charlotte called, “I guess Anna isn’t good at everything.”
“Eres demasiada graciosa, Char. Porque nunca te dejará, ni nada.”
“No, of course not,” Charlotte replied. She smiled mischievously and sat on a deck chair. I watched some of the guys who were having a contest to see who could run farthest on the surface of the pool. Last time it was jumping across tree tops.
I wandered along the veranda and could feel Fletcher watching me the entire time. He probably had some idea what I was going to do. When I reached the opposite end, I took off running at full speed. One of the guys had just gotten on the water when I jumped, clearing his head and crossing the pool lengthwise.
“That,” I said to him when I landed, “is how it’s done.” Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Charlotte for a second before falling backwards into the pool.
“Nope. That is,” she said simply and grabbed another glass of blood off the table.
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