Alexander-Fyn-Sanguinarian

filled with people, most of them taller than ordinary and pale of skin, seated at long tables, medieval-style, eating and drinking. Fruit was piled high on the tables in engraved gold and silver bowls. There was more meat than Evangeline could stand to look at. Red wine flowed freely and an abundance of food was being 130
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    continually brought in by the footmen and maids. Besides the meat and fruit she saw platters of steaming-hot potatoes and vegetables.
    The food looked for the most part quite simple with no great adornments and little in the way of fancy sauces. Several dishes looked like they were made from eggs but with blood added to redden them which made her stomach queasy.
    Flaming torches in wall sconces lit the scene, casting an eerie light upon the men, darkly clad in evening clothes, and the women in the kinds of gowns Madame Blethin had tried to fob off on her, low-cut, with trailing trains.
    They were as unconventional an assemblage as Evangeline would have expected to find at Castle Haven. Her breath came in short gasps and her heart pounded at the multitude of them. Raven was seated beside the elderly man on the dais with the beautiful Lady Ravenscroft to his right. She was smiling brightly and laughing at the conversation, seeming the very life of the group. One would never think she spent her days locked up in a tower.
    Raven seemed to think it the answer to all his problems to lock up anyone who took him to task.
    Evangeline watched him now, in his element among this strange fancy dress crowd, smiling, almost happy. She had never seen him smile so fully before. It changed his face completely, making him almost handsome. She was so intent upon watching him that she did not notice the elderly man and woman rise until a hush fell over the Great Hall. Raven rose also, with Lady Ravenscroft.
    They were elegant and beautiful and, strangely, very alike to look at. Munk stood beside a stone pillar, tall and very straight, watching the quartet with undisguised pride and admiration.
    “Friends, fellow travelers,” Raven called out. “Brothers and sisters of the blood , welcome to Castle Haven for our belated winter solstice gathering.” Murmurs of approval went round the room. “I hope you are enjoying your meal. We will soon get to the dancing, but we must first address Court interests and for that our dear elders,”—Raven’s Sanguinarian 131
    voice softened now with affection—“Rory Dancer and his dear wife, Ethella, will address you.”
    What in God’s name is this? Raven had said Court . Obviously this was what Munk had spoken of. It seemed Court was some kind of vampiric gathering.
    “Dear children,” Rory Dancer began. “Since we last held Cour t there have been three babies born among us, three more of our kind.
    This is cause to celebrate. The babies will be blessed at the first festival of the year in the spring.” Though there were no young children present, there were a few young women with babies at their breasts. Each stood proudly, displaying their little ones in turn, and were introduced to their fellows while receiving nods and smiles of approval from the assembly.
    “There have been five marriages. This too is a great cause for celebration as there will be yet more babies after the next Winter Solstice,” Rory continued. Again each couple stood up and introduced their husbands or wives to the people.
    From the shadows of the tower steps Evangeline watched the proceedings with utter amazement. These strange people with their immodest and inappropriate taste in clothes seemed all of a sudden very ordinary, showing off their infants and introducing their new husbands and wives. She had to remind herself that they were vampires, unnatural bloodsucking monsters, and if the old tales about them were to be believed, then surely the little gold cross she wore hanging about her neck would ward them off and keep her protected until she was safely outside. A gift from a relative long ago, she had found it among her belongings, and though she did not always wear it, she decided that if ever there was a time, then this was it.
    Raven spoke again. “Please listen while our dear elder, Ethella Dancer, speaks.” Raven smiled at the woman so lovingly that Evangeline could almost have believed she was his mother.
    “Thank you, my dear boy,” she said to him, then addressed the Court. “I have been asked to make a very special announcement and 132
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