(LIB:I) Chapter 16

Kailin stepped into a long black dress with thin shoulder straps. The right side of the dress had a slit that came up to her mid thigh. Her hair was already done in a mess of curls atop of her head, that spiraled down around her face. Looking into the mirror, she thought about the week before and of Kristian. She wasn't even sure if Tzion was still going to pick her up, but she decided to be ready anyway.

She admitted to herself that she wasn't quite sure why she wanted to go. Something just called to her now, and the thought of being able to pick his brain, after what Mathias had told her was too good to resist.

Taking a deep breath, she began to dig in her closest for a pair of shoes. Sitting on the bed, she pulled on a pair of black stilettos, then placed a diamond charm necklace on. Grabbing her diamond earrings from the make-up stand, she stepped out into the living room.

"Not going!" Gabrielle snapped, still wearing her bathroom robe and sitting on the couch with the remote control in her hands. Her dark red locks flew everywhere, and Kailin grinned looking at her friend's fall from grace.

Kailin put the last diamond earring in before she spoke, "Did Gabby get her heart broke?" She stuck out her lower lip.

Gabrielle looked at her out of the side of her eye, "Shut up, Kai."

She walked over to the small coat closest in between Gabrielle's room and the kitchen, and pulled out her black dress coat. Placing the coat on the back of the couch, she walked into Gabrielle's room.

She was never cleanly, clothes were piled on the floor. Gabrielle was known for trying on several outfits before settling on one, normally the first one she had tried on. Kailin fought through the piles of clothes in her stilettos, and made it to the closest. She opened it and pulled out a strapless long white dress and matching high heels. Walking into Gabrielle's bathroom, she grabbed several white butterfly clips, a spray bottle of water, a hairbrush, some moose, and Gabrielle's make-up bag.

"No!" She heard Gabrielle scream at her, when the Pyrrhonian heard the clanks on her make-up bag.

Walking back into the living room, Kailin placed the dress and shoes on the couch. "Come here, and I'll do your hair."

"I'm not going."

"Why? Are you going to hide from Kristian all your life? That's not the Gabby I know." Kailin pulled some hairs out of the brush.

"I am not hiding from him, I am just putting myself in a position where I won't kill him."

She frowned, "Gabby, I want you to come. I don't want to be the only fresh there."

"Then don't go." Gabrielle changed the channel to cartoons, she hadn't meant to, but now that she was on the channel she was going to stick with it.

Kailin snickered, "Since when do you like cartoons?"

"Not going!"

"Fine, don't come, but you won't be able to meet any Pyrrhonian elders, and there are plenty of guys to flirt with. You could really make Kristian jealous for what he did." Kailin shrugged, as she picked up the white dress and shoes. "Guess revenge isn't your thing either."

Gabrielle's hand went over the white dress and pulled it to her. "Let me borrow some of your jewelry?"

Kailin smiled, "Which ones?"

"The pink diamonds, heart shaped ones."

She nodded, "I'll go get them, you get in that dress."

Kailin went into her room, and opened her jewelry box, and found the necklace, bracelet, and earrings that Gabrielle wanted. Returning to the living room, Gabrielle was dressed and held out her hand for the jewelry.

"How do you want your hair?" Kailin asked, going behind the couch so Gabrielle could sit down.

"Pinned up with those butterfly clips but let the curls be loose. I don't like my hair all crowded together on top of my head, like you do."

Kailin did as she was asked, it took an hour to get her hair brushed out, and another half hour to get it the way she wanted it. Gabrielle stood up to let Kailin look her over, she looked lovely except for the deep frown on her face.

"Put on your make-up." She offered her the make-up bag.

Gabrielle took it and headed into her bathroom. It wasn't more then ten minutes when Gabrielle reappeared in the living room. "Good?"

"Yes."

"You owe me so big for this, Kailin. And I am going to make you pay."

Kailin chuckled, "The jewelry wasn't enough?"

"No."

"What if he apologizes?"

She shook her head and folded her arms, "Fuck him, what he has done is unforgivable."

"Are you going to tell me what he did?"

Again she shook her head.

"Alright, well, don't expect sympathy from me then."

A knock came at the door, and Kailin went to answer it.

"I expect nothing from you, Kai."

Opening the door Kailin found Kristian standing in the hall. "Greetings, Madam Bramwell." He said.

Kailin stepped aside. "You look handsome."

He didn't respond.

She understood why, his pride was still hurt.

"You look beautiful, Gabby." He said, and Gabrielle only crossed her arms and looked the other way. Kristian looked over at Kailin, "Tzion is waiting downstairs in the carriage for you."

Kailin nodded and squeezed Kristian's shoulder, it was both an apology for what she had done, and sympathy for the way Gabrielle was acting.

Gabrielle watched Kailin step out the door, and as soon as her figure was out of sight, she missed her. Turning around, she walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water.

"I am not suppose to arrive for another hour, but Tzion wanted to get Kailin there early." Kristian told her, but got no reply. "He wants to explain to her how she should act, because…"

"Do not speak to me, Kristian. As soon as we arrive, don't even expect to see me until the end of the evening, where you will escort me home." Gabrielle walked into the living room with a glass of water in her hand, "After that we will have no reason to see each other again."

Kristian nodded, "If that is what you wish."

---***---

Kailin was surprised to find there was indeed a carriage downstairs, she had thought Kristian had had a slip of the tongue.

A dark covered carriage with two white horses pulling it. As she approached the driver jumped down and opened the door for her. Another surprise awaited inside, it was Tzion. She took her seat across from him, and the driver closed the door as soon as he was sure she was in.

"I hadn't expected you to come and get me."

Tzion grinned, "What kind of gentlemen would I be, if I didn't pick up my lady of the evening?"

Kailin shrugged, and realized she had forgotten both her purse and jacket.

"You won't be needing either where we are going." Tzion told her. "You look very beautiful tonight."

Suddenly her eyesight went dim, he was again using his ability to block her vision. "I would say the same for you, but I can't see you."

"I thought maybe we would take a tour of the past, when you were human, you rode around in things similar to this." He looked up at the roof of the carriage, "I thought maybe it would bring back some happy memories."

Kailin grinned, "That was…thoughtful."

It fell silent for a moment, then Tzion spoke. "It will take a lot longer to get to my home this way, but I think it's worth the time spent. I believe it took nearly a hour and a half to get here, so we have plenty of time to talk." He moved next to her.

"Talk? About what?"

He shrugged, "Anything you want to talk about, I am sure you have several questions as to what has happened."

Her eyes shot from the carriage window to the man next to her, "I do have a few."

"I am prepared to answer anything you ask."

"Why are you sending the elders to feed from me?"

Tzion rose an eyebrow, "I certainly wasn't expecting you to jump right into the meat of the conversation, but very well." He took a moment to select his words, "I am merely strengthening you, as I know there are rough times ahead."

"Then why not just tell me, and allow me to willingly choose to be fed from?"

"You aren't willing, that is the problem. Sometimes, others know what is better for you."

Kailin pressed her lips together, "What about Mathias, you forced him to feed from me."

He shook his head, "No, I think you misunderstand what has occurred. Mathias has a sick obsession with you. Kailin, he is very dangerous. As a fresh, you have no idea the thoughts that echo through that man's mind. Feeding from you is just the beginning of what this man desires."

"You seem to forget that when you exchange blood that you receive each others thoughts."

"Thoughts, not desires, wishes, secrets… Mathias is a demented man, who I was forced to turn. His heart is black and he wishes nothing more then to sabotage all the prophecies for what we have done to him, or at least what he believes we have done."

Kailin swallowed, "And what have we done?"

"I am sure Mathias has already told you this by now, but there were two guardians before you. The first was his lover, his wife." Tzion folded his hands into his lap for a moment, and then stroked his goatee with his right hand.
"You made him kill his wife?"

He shook his head, "I never made Mathias do anything. I told him that if she was to make the beasts that odds would be against a Bowery to fight them off. Bowery are dark within their souls, and our guardian had to be a Hallowed. It took him several years to see the truth in it, and I am not certain what occurred. Eventually, he did destroy her."

Kailin scooted slightly away from him, "Why do I feel like you and Mathias are in a constant battle to get me to believe one over the other?"

"Because we are."

It remained silent for a few moments, while Kailin tried to understand what she had just been told. "What exactly is this convention?" She asked, she didn't want to talk about the subject on hand any longer.

"Convention is rather a pet name for it. Similar to how the Academy Awards are called the Oscars."

Kailin grinned, she didn't expect Tzion to have any clue as to what the Oscars were.

"It is actually called the Revealing. I show my recent paintings over the last fifty years and explain what they mean."

"Paintings? You mean the prophecies?"

He nodded, "Indeed. Since we are speaking of such, I would like to advise you to use care when speaking to the elders. Those that do not understand you, will not appreciate your honest, blunt behavior."

She wasn't sure what he meant, but nodded anyway. The rest of the trip was left to silence, and Kailin couldn't wait to be far away from this man's presence. He had begun to make her uncomfortable, his stories seemed to be truthful, but she knew they were missing key facts. Knowing that, she also let her mind wander somewhere else, since the elder would gladly read her mind without her consent.

---***---

The driveway up the mansion was lit up with several lamps that weren't normally left on. Not that they were needed yet, the sky was a pink hue from the sun just setting. It was Kailin's favorite time of the day, it always reminded her of sitting with her sister under the tree.

She was taken off guard when the carriage drove past the front door, and headed around the side. Standing next to the cellar doors was several men in tuxedoes. The carriage door opened and Kailin was helped out by the driver. When Tzion stepped out, the men opened the cellar doors for him. He took Kailin's hand and placed it in the crook of his arm.

They began down the sturdy stairs, until they came to the cement ground of the cellar. It will filled with the scent of dust, but she couldn't see any. The room was filled with wine bottles, which Kailin decided was the way that Tzion continued to make his money. Many vampires aged expensive wine brands to sell, and she was almost certain that there were some in the room that were older then she was.

Walking past several wine racks, they came to a large iron door and another tuxedo clothed man. He opened the door, allowing them into the metal hallway. It began down in a slant, and continued to another iron door. However this door lead to a flight of stairs, that took them down several stories into the ground below.

"With as many elders that will be here tonight, we can not be too safe." Tzion told her, when he noticed the confused look on her face. "We hold the convention four stories below the ground, far enough below that the Mephis can't sense us."

"Why not an elevator then?"

Tzion grinned, "If it were to break, we would be stuck down there."

"There is no way out?"

He shook his head, "The convention lasts all night and day, until darkness falls once again. It is to allow the Bowery and Pyrrhonians the ability to safely leave."

They reached the final iron door, which was opened as they approached. Though the path that led to the party seemed to be the way into a torture chamber, the actual ballroom was exquisite.

There were marble floors, walls, and pillars throughout the large room. Cold blood sat on a large marble table in the corner, although none of the blood was human. The center of the room had a thin large rug that everyone danced on, and closer to the walls were large over stuffed chairs and small delicate tables. A band played closer to the doors, and candles were lit all around. Being a Hallowed Kailin wondered why they had chosen candles to light the ballroom, but she didn't ask.

"Enjoy yourself, while I prepare my paintings. I do not trust my underlings to correctly place them." Tzion told her, and left her alone at the door.

She made her way over to the drinks, in front of each line was a small card that told which kind of blood the line was. Pig, dog, rat, and raven were the choices, she chose raven. Human blood was a potent liquid, and drinking it cold and not from the body of the victim, could make any vampire very ill.

Tzion appeared next to her and grinned, picking up a wine glass.

"I thought you were checking your paintings?"

"They haven't brought them down yet." He sighed, and took a sip. "Guests should start arriving soon, including your Pyrrhonian. They only have two hours before all the doors are locked until night falls again." He looked over at the door as several fresh began to bring in the paintings. "Excuse me."

She watched him place his glass back in line with the other glasses, and walk over to the fresh vampires. He began to order them around. She couldn't see any of the paintings because they were all covered in cloth. Tzion, however, seemed to know which one was which without even looking under the cloth.

---***---

Within those two hours the ballroom became crowded. The band played softly and was almost completely drowned out by the voices. Kailin had spent several moments in the public eye until she realized that even though she didn't know the strange faces, they knew who she was. Those that glared sliced through the loud ballroom with their angry glares. No one wanted to speak to hear, not that she attempted to make conversation. Living among humans, she didn't quite feel comfortable to be surrounded by so many of her own kind. At first, she had thought it was because she was a fresh among so many elders, but a few over heard whispered told her that it was her past.

Without even attempting it, she found herself hidden behind a tall white pillar in the corner of the room. Not being able to see those angry eyes staring back at her, she took a moment to calm down. Trying to decide how she would spend the rest of the evening, she couldn't leave like her instincts wanted. They were locked in the ballroom with no way to escape, and she was certain that Tzion wouldn't unlock them just for her.

Her senses told her that someone in the ballroom was her familiar Pyrrhonian friend, but she wasn't ready to face the eyes again to search her out. Looking down at her empty wine glass, she folded her left arm around herself. Her eyes went around the pillar, only to find that everyone was going about their business. No one watching or waiting for her to come out from her make-shift den. Her eyes wandered across the dance floor to Tzion, who was speaking to several elders. Back across the room, she couldn't see anyone else that she recognized. Leaning back against the wall, she continued to wait, sure that Gabrielle would eventually find her.

It felt strange to be so afraid of being around others, after all Kailin had been a duchess and her husband had had many social gatherings such as the one she was in now. But it was the vampires, it had to be that, all her life living with the humans, and keeping a distance from all others of her kind. The Pyrrhonians were but a brief moment in time, and as for Gabrielle, she had lived with her for so long that she had just become Gabrielle. Fear was something not unknown, but never shown in Kailin's heart. The eyes of those that had stared lingered in her mind, she was hated, she could tell by just a single glance.

Never knowing how infamous she actually was until that night had made it all the more surprising, but the Mephis affected all races. A simple mistake made her a name spoken on every lip, and an angry glare in every eye.

Four fingers appeared on the pillar followed by some dark red hair, and then a grin from her friend.

"Why are you hiding back here?"

She wasn't sure if she wanted to answer the question, "I'm not hiding, I'm resting." Kailin answered, and saw her friend's disbelief.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, "Wouldn't a chair be better for that?" She gave her no time to answer. "What's really going on?"

Kailin shrugged, "I am not very well liked among the vampire community."

Gabrielle turned her head and looked at everyone that was dancing, after a moment she brought her eyes back to Kailin. Her lips mumbled the words that Kailin had just said, and she thought on them for a moment.
"Seems to me everyone is having a good time." She shrugged, and then grinned. "I think it's just Kailin being self absorbed, don't you?"

"I am not being self absorbed, Gabby. These people really do have issues with me being here."

"And since when have you ever cared about what others thought?"

Kailin let out a deep breath, "These are elders, it's different. I don't know… I… Damn it, Gabby, don't try to make sense out of this."

Gabrielle smiled, "We are all here to have fun, quit being so self-centered and come out here and dance. A few handsome fellows have asked me where you are."

"Looking for a reason to have me killed, probably."

Her grin faded, "Kailin, I am not going to spend this evening standing behind a pillar with you, hiding from a fear that doesn't even really exist. There are people here who came just to meet you."

"I thought you wanted to spend the evening in your bath robe watching television."

She gave a deep sigh, and seemed to want to cross her arms, but realized she had a wine glass in her hand. "If I were half as famous as you, I think I would have a little less shyness about me. What is wrong with you, Kailin? You aren't afraid of people."

Her shoulders gave a small shrug, "I don't know, there is just something unwholesome when they look at me. Like I am the butt of some joke, it's uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable? Try being a Pyrrhonian in here. Yeah, there are some elders, but I think I am the only fresh. You are sounding ridiculous, Kailin."

Kailin nodded, "I know, I can hear myself, but…"

"The only butt I am going to talk about is your butt moving over there and talking to that incredibly delicious man." She pointed at Mathias, who was standing by the drinks.

"Don't point, Gabby." She said as she looked around the pillar, "You mean Mathias?"

"He was such a sweet man that night that Kristian got hurt, he was very worried about you." Gabrielle looked over at Mathias and bit her lower lip. "Caring, considerate, protecting, he is just the man meat of my dreams."

Kailin closed her eyes trying to forget what she had just said, "Could you not call the elders man meat, please?"

A loud laugh came from Gabrielle; it made her look up immediately at her, "Did I just embarrass you?" She waited for Kailin to say something, but she seemed to ignore her. Gabrielle smiled left her face, and went back to Mathias. He was standing next to the wine glasses, seeming to choose which drink he wanted. "Well, he is looking for you. He has been asking me if I have seen you since I got here. I think he wants to talk to you about what happened with Kristian."

Kailin wanted to take the subject off Mathias, "You have certainly changed your attitude since I left you."

Gabrielle shrugged, "It's the party environment, makes Gabby a happy girl." She grinned. "You going to talk to him?"

"You and Kristian have a talk? Make up for what went wrong?"

Gabrielle glared at her out of the corner of her eye, "Don't think you can change the subject on me, I asked you a question."

"No, I don't want to talk to anyone. There is too much confusion going on between Mathias and Tzion, and I just need time to sort it all out." She sighed, "I wish I had never come to this stupid thing."

"Kai, what is your problem? Seems to me that you have a very kind, caring gentleman who just wants to talk to you. I don't know what has happened, but you were very eager to come here tonight. Now, I am going to get Mathias, and you are going to have a good evening." She said as she sashayed off.

"No! Gabby!" Kailin reached out trying to grab her arm, but missed. She watched her walk up to Mathias, who was stilling picking a drink. Gabrielle picked up the wine glass from the table and handed it to Mathias, then point over towards the pillar. Before Mathias looked over she leaned back against the wall, "Damn you, Gabby." She mumbled waiting for the inevitable

Mathias peered around the pillar, "Hiding?"

"Possibly."

"I guess Tzion never told you that a majority of people don't particular care for your role in the Mephis matter." he leaned up against the wall, next to her.

"I am not hiding from them, I am just hiding from the crowd, that's all."

He looked over at her, then took a sip of his drink, "What's the difference?"

She shrugged, "There is, that's all. What do you want anyway?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I have been ordered by Tzion to not speak to you anymore after today."

Her eyes shot up to him from her wine glass, "Why?"

"Apparently, I have explained to much to you. That is his excuse anyway. Truth be known, I am getting in the way of his plan."

"His plan?"

Mathias shook his head, "Nothing, forget I said anything." He went quiet for a moment, then looked down at her. "Do you want me to leave you alone? I know you said so when we first met, but…" He didn't exactly know what he was asking her, and stopped speaking while he looked into the crowd.

"But, what?"

"I am not certain."

Kailin swallowed, "Tzion says you have a sick obsession with me."

"Those were the words he used?"

She nodded, and watched Mathias' eyes go over to Tzion, who was speaking to several elders.

"I wouldn't call it a sick obsession. It is my duty to watch you, and protect you from which you don't understand. It is only natural that one grows attached, whether the other person knows or not." He cleared his throat, "It's not an obsession, I would of spoken to you a lot sooner if it were. The only reason we even met was because Lycorisa's ability failed."

"Attached to me?"

He looked over at her, "You are certainly full of questions."

"I prefer answers."

"I know." He turned his attention back to the crowd.

Kailin grinned, "You aren't going to answer my question?"

"I think I have already done so, you just want me to clarify on something I have already said. Make your own decision from what I have given you, if you dig too deep you might not like what you find."

"I don't think there is anything about you that I wouldn't like." Kailin about swallowed her own tongue, when she realized what she had just said. That wasn't something she would say, but she had said it.

Mathias didn't even twitch from her statement, and Kailin only assumed being as old as he was, he didn't read much into what people say.

"Would you like me to get you another drink?" He asked looking at her empty wine glass.

"Yes, please." She offered it to him.

"What were you having?"

"Raven."

Mathias looked into the glass, and turned up his nose. Walking over to the table of drinks. Watching him disappear into the crowd, Kailin stepped out from behind the pillar. Her eyes ventured over the others in the room, Tzion was still speaking with some elders. But she caught a couple glimpses of him glaring at Mathias.

There was no doubt in her mind that Tzion had told Mathias not to speak with her. She watched Mathias place the empty wine glasses on the table and pick up two more. His eyes glanced over to Tzion, who glared him down as if daring Mathias to disobey him. The large vampire held no upset in his eyes as he turned his back to his master, and walked back to Kailin's presence.

Before long, she had her wine glass in hand again with Mathias standing beside her. "Why?" She said, not meaning to speak out loud, but Mathias had heard her and it was to late to back down now.

"Excuse me?" He replied.

She turned her head to look at him, "Just why…" She sighed, "There are so many of them that I don't know where to begin."

It was quiet for a moment, while she gathered her thoughts. Mathias knew she was trying to find a starting point and just remained silent, waiting to hear what she had to say. "Why was this placed on me? Why can't I know what is going to happen to me? Why can't I be told what I am suppose to do? Why doesn't any of this make sense? Why does this feel I am watching it all as a bystander? It's suppose to be all on me, and yet I don't even understand what it is that I am doing."

Mathias took a drink from his glass, "I don't think that I can answer any of those questions. It's not that I am not permitted, but that I just don't know." His eyes wandered over to Tzion, who was still glaring at him. "Not even Tzion truly knows what it is that you need to accomplish. All we know is that you are the guardian."

"The guardian of what?" She snapped in frustration.

"Of everything and everyone, of life as it is now and as it will be."

Kailin had been staring at the crowd, but her eyes turned to look into Mathias' dark eyes. "Everything?"

He nodded and said in a somber voice, "Everything."

Kailin's eyes looked back into the crowd for a moment, as she thought it over. "No pressure, huh?"

Mathias grinned, then took her wine glass and returned to the table to hand them back to the servant.