Blake, The Vampire King

4. The Dead End

Aiden had found his mate before the week was up. So that was one less issue for Blake to figure out. His daughter wouldn’t have to be accompanied around in the vampire academy with a werewolf. That would surely raise a flag. A big red one.

As he and Maria rode on another car, his mate decided to breach the subject that had been haunting her ever since he had received the call, “Is it so bad at the royal court?”

“Cara, you truly have no idea, do you?”

“Well, a bit,” an apprehensive smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Care to tell me more?”

“What do you want to know?” He said on a sigh as his strikingly beautiful forest green eyes bore into hers.

“Knowing what I should expect would be a good start,” she winked at him, trying to get him to smile or even smirk.

“Well, aside from the protocol which you seem to have completely forgotten, there’s a certain etiquette one must uphold at the court otherwise…” he didn’t finish, seemingly lost in the memories.

“Otherwise?” She probed.

“You’ll get frowned up. And that is putting it mildly.”

“What else?”

“Don’t believe the smiles and the cheerful tones of voice, you’ll end up being played like a fool. Most of them are hypocrites.”  

With the way he said it, worded it even, Maria couldn’t help the shudder that wracked through her.

Blake asked of the driver to stop them at a dead end's entrance, and he looked quizzically at him. “Sir, are you sure?”

“Positive,” Blake all but growled out the word at the impudent human in annoyance.

The man visibly tensed and Maria felt sorry for him and put a soothing hand on her mate’s shoulder who relaxed immediately.

“Tip him well,” she whispered, and she was happy to see him grin ever so briefly.

When they got out, Blake dragged the two big suitcases behind him, and headed straight for the dead end. It was rather obscure although it was still day time. And Maria started to secretly wonder if there was, much like in the Harry Potter saga, a secret passage or something that were to lead them to The Hidden Island.

“Don’t be silly, cara,” he told her in a soft tone of reprimand. “Do you really think it would be that easy to get to the palace?”

She frowned at him. What were they possibly doing in a dead end then?    

“We’ll teleport from here, away from indiscreet eyes,” he explained simply as he reached for her hand.  

Royal court, here I come, Maria thought resolutely.