The Vampire Prince by Lissie (online e book reading .TXT) 📖

and blinked, sniffing to keep them at bay. She was aware of Elliott stepping forward and glaring at her, his coffee coloured eyes dark and unhappy.
“What do you mean, gone?” he demanded angrily, his jaw clenched tight.
Cleo lifted her head to look at him again, a placid expression on her face.
“Don’t you yell at me, Elliott Turner. I know you’re in love with her, but she’s my sister, and I am just as scared as you” she said acidly, her eyes narrowing at him.
Elliott blinked, realised he was towering over her and took a few steps back. He shook his head at himself and smiled weakly at her.
“Sorry, Cleo. I’m just…sorry” he said quietly, hanging his head and gazing at the floor.
Cleo sighed and patted his shoulder, squeezing slightly.
“It’s all right, Elliott. I’m sure we’ll see her again at some stage” she murmured, really not sure of any such thing at all.

Elara woke to another dreary morning in Jayce’s mystic land of nothingness and black fatigue. She woke without a smile on her face as she so often did lately. She sat up straight, holding herself upright on her hands. Already, Jayce was sitting on a gilt chair in the corner of her room, just staring at her. His black gaze was direct and unflinching, painful to stare back into for any length of time. He saw she was awake and lifted his chin slightly. To her untrained eye, he seemed to be defying her to think he had any personal interest in her of any kind by appearing haughty and indifferent. Thinking about him like that, Elara couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m awake” she said calmly, holding herself as still as possible on her trembling arms.
Jayce nodded.
“I can see that, Elle” he said coolly, one eyebrow arched.
Elara frowned at him and shook her head, her thoughts hissing wildly at her inside her head.
“Don’t call me that” she said darkly. “Only my friends and my sister get to call me by that name.”
Jayce gave her then what could only be called a smirk. Elara bristled at his impertinence and folded her arms over her chest, indignant. She closed her eyes and refused to look at him any longer. In a few seconds, Jayce stood next to her bed, staring right down at her. This time though, he was smiling and it looked quite real, though Elara couldn’t see it.
“Come now, Elara Montford. Don’t be so childish” he said softly, his breath stirring the blonde hair falling over her face.
Slowly, her eyes flickered open and Elara stared at him, right into his eyes. Her mind reeled with shock at having him so close to her, but her inner voice still managed to convey to her how beautiful he was. She blinked and bit her lower lip, making an attempt at squirming away from him. Jayce smiled down at her and held out his hands. Elara glanced at them, unsure.
“You’re coming with me to meet my family today, Elara. You’re right; I will not call you Elle, that name is clearly for relatives and good friends only. I won’t call you that again unless you allow me to do so” Jayce told her confidently, his eyes dark and clear all at the one time.
Elara considered him for a while, then nodded and got up, sliding over the edge of the bed, her hands in his cool grip. She noticed how careful he was to not hurt her, and knew he knew how ill she was.
“Why did you choose me?” she asked quietly, innocently curious.
Jayce swiftly glanced at her, saw that she was serious and honest, and sighed softly.
“You were so sweet and full of light. Your sister, on the other hand, is lovely and pretty, but so selfish. You might think that you are, not Cleopatra, but she never thinks about anyone else’s feelings. You do. And this kingdom needs some of your golden lightness, Elara. We need it here” he said somberly, meeting her eyes head on.
Elara stared at him, wondering how he could sound so sad and brave in the same instant. She gave him a tiny smile and squeezed his hands, still holding onto hers.
“I would like to meet your family, Jayce. I think I already know their names?” she said, feeling only slightly uncertain.
Jayce nodded, a small grin finding its way onto his flawless features.
“Yes, you remembered the dreams I gave you. I thought that you would, Elara. You are going to meet my brother Talor and my sisters Lacey and Kimba. You don’t know my mother and father’s names though, do you?” he replied.
Elara shook her head.
“No, I never found those out” she confirmed, slowly walking to the huge wardrobe embedded in the wall on the other side of the bedroom.
She chose a knee length dress of dark blue silk, gold stitching separating the bodice from the swinging skirt. The sleeves were short and puffy, and she smiled as she put it on and spun in front of the wide, full length mirror. From behind her, Jayce passed her a gold handled hairbrush and watched as she dragged it gently along the length of her blonde hair, flicking it out when she reached the flaxen ends. Elara smiled at her reflection in the looking glass, for the first time in a long time. Usually, she was smiling at Cleo’s reflection, the stronger, braver twin girl. Suddenly sad and despairing, she sank down onto the lush carpet and stared deolately into the mirror. She would have stayed there all day if it had been her choice, but it wasn’t, of course. Jayce bent down and lifted her up into his arms. Straightening, he turned around with her in his hold, and headed for the bedroom doorway.
Elara found herself surprised and greatly touched by his old fashioned chivalry, and wound her arms around his neck.
“Thank you” she whispered into his ear, leaning her head on his black clad shoulder.
Jayce looked at her, again unsmiling. She immediately missed his smile and looked away from him once more. As soon as they stepped out of the room and into the hall outside it, two young girls skipped up to them, bright grins on their lovely faces. Elara couldn’t help smiling back at them from her space in their older brother’s arms. She held her right hand out to them, and one after the other, they shook it gently. They knew she was sick, too.
“You’re Lacey, right?” Elara asked, directing her question at the older girl with emerald eyes and black as night hair.
She nodded and clapped, eyes shining; thrilled that Jayce’s bride-to-be knew her name and who she was. Elara then focused her eyes on the younger of the two.
“Kimba, am I right?” she said, smiling.
Kimba nodded shyly and swung her skirt nervously. Despite living in such a strange and foreign land, she looked just like any other little girl. She was about eight years old, with big blue eyes and scarlet hair winding in waves down to her waist. The two girls fell into step with Jayce and walked with him until they reached Talor, heading down the corridor in the opposite direction. Polite and good looking, he smiled at Elara and swept her a deep bow from the waist. She was charmed by him immediately. He had dark brown hair and black eyes to match his brother’s.
“How old are you, Talor?” Elara asked him politely, her eyes smiling at him.
“Sixteen, Elara” he told her, smiling.
She grinned up at him, still carried by Jayce. He was equally as handsome as his brother, but looked kinder.
“Sorry, ladies and younger brother, but I must introduce Elara to Mother and Father. If you’ll excuse me…” Jayce said, politely nodding at his siblings and sweeping past them all.
Beginning to walk faster and faster, he outstripped his two sisters, though they tried their best to keep up with his longer strides. Elara frowned reproachfully at him and tapped his shoulder. He glanced at her and saw her face. He shrugged.
“I’m under obligation, Elara. It’s got nothing to do with my baby sisters or my little brother” he murmured to her, glancing once over his shoulder to make sure none of them were following him.
Talor had obviously taken the two girls away somewhere else, to get their minds off of Jayce and Elara. Her eyes widened when she came into view of the King and Queen. Jayce lightly set her on her feet and bowed to his parents. Slowly, Elara curtsied to them, bowing her head as she did so. Out the corner of her eye, Elara could see Jayce smile in approval. His parents also smiled and inclined their heads toward her.
“Elara, these are my parents. King Elvin and Queen Alba” Jayce said in a grand voice.
Elara smiled nervously, but didn’t say anything until he gently nudged her with his elbow.
“It’s lovely to meet you at last” she said quietly, her eyes lowered slightly.
They both smiled down at her with pleasant expressions on their faces. After standing there uncertainly for what felt like forever and a day, Jayce took Elara’s hand in his and led her out of the room again. She noticed that when they were back in the hall, he didn’t let go.
Chapter 5
The loud tap on her bedroom door made Cleo jump, whirling round to find her mother standing in the doorway, looking in at her.
“Yes?” she said agitatedly, shoving her newly bobbed blonde hair behind her ears.
Her mother raised her eyebrows at her daughter.
“I think you need to revise your manners, child” Astra said coolly, staring her down.
Cleo gazed blankly back at her, not budging or breaking.
“It’s no good, Mother. You can’t intimidate me. I don’t know where Elara is, and I’m pretty sure that you don’t care anyway” she replied, her voice dead calm.
Astra sighed heavily and moved slowly toward her.
“What makes you think that?” she asked.
Cleo snorted in a very unladylike way and slumped back onto her unmade bed.
“Because you’ve never cared about her. Never. And now she’s disappeared and it’s probably partially your fault that Jayce chose her, because he knew she wasn’t very happy and never fit in here anyway. So don’t pretend you give a damn!” she began, ending in a shout that brought her father running upstairs.
“Don’t you yell at your mother like that, Cleopatra! Apologise immediately!” Damian ordered her, his eyes narrowed.
Cleo shrugged and shook her head, her hair swishing round her face.
“I think I won’t. I’m going to go to school now. Cheerio!” she called, pushing past them both and bounding down the stairs, two at a time.
Elliott waited outside the house in his old pick up truck, idling by the curb. Cleo opened her door and flung herself up onto the passenger seat. She buckled herself in and then sat there stonily, her arms folded across her chest as tight as they could go. Elliott eyed her worriedly, but pulled into the street without mentioning the state of her.
Cleo finally sighed and slumped down till she couldn’t see out of the window anymore.
“What’s the matter?” Elliott asked her. “Apart from the obvious, I mean.”
Cleo muttered something incoherent under her breath and glared at the dash board.
“My parents are sticklers in society and I can’t stand them. They don’t even care that some random guy from another world kidnapped one of their children” she growled, visibly sulking.
Elliott nodded as he found a free park in the school parking lot.
“They never did though. You and Alexander practically raised her by yourselves” he replied, twisting the key out of the ignition.
“I know” Cleo mumbled,