Vampire 01 - Daughter of Darkness

wanted it to go. My hair was difficult, and whatever I chose to wear seemed wrong. Finally, more curious about her now than she was about me and my night, I turned to her to put her in the spotlight instead of me. “Tell me something, Marla. Did you ever have a secret crush on any boy? Do you have one now?”
    “Crush? No,” she said. “Not like you mean,” she added after a moment.
    “How do I mean?”
    “Love and all that gook.”
    “You really think that’s what it is, gook?”
    “What else is it? They nauseate me.”
    “Who does?”
    “Girls my age who drool over boys. Every time they start, I have to walk away.”
    “Doesn’t that get them talking about you?”
    “I don’t care what they say or think about me. Why should I? Why are you asking me these questions? Did Ava tell you to do that?”
    “No. I was simply curious, that’s all,” I said, brushingout my hair. Looking at her in the mirror, I saw her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
She looks more like Ava than I do now
, I thought. But how could that be? How could either of us really look anything like the other?
    “Where are you two going? You can tell me that, at least. What city?”
    “You’ll have to ask Ava.”
    “I’m asking you.”
    I turned around. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t enjoy doing this, but she brought out the meanness in me. “You’re being impatient, and you’re annoying me at the wrong time,” I said. “Daddy’s not going to like hearing about that.”
    She recoiled. “I don’t care where you’re going. Go and have a good time,” she fired back, and left.
    I sat looking after her a moment, wondering what it would have been like to have a little sister who looked up to me, idolized me, and took pleasure in spending time with me, instead of one who couldn’t wait to put on my shoes and replace me in our daddy’s eyes.
    A little after five, Ava came to my room to inspect me.
    “Good job,” she said. “You put your heart into it.”
    I knew she was making a pun, teasing me, but I said nothing.
    “Daddy wants to see you before we go.”
    “He does?”
    “Don’t act so surprised. He saw me before I went out the first time. There’s nothing special about him asking for you now.”
    She had to make that point, perhaps to convince herself more than to convince me.
    “Just be careful. Remember, we’re doing this to correct your mistake, one made so soon after you brought that renegade here. This has to be a surprise, or it won’t work. Understand? Lorelei!” she shouted, making me nearly jump out of my skin when I didn’t answer immediately.
    “Yes, yes, I understand.”
    “Okay. Go up to him,” she said, stepping back. “Now.”
    I took a deep breath and walked out.
    Mrs. Fennel was waiting at the end of the hallway. She looked at me as I approached her, and nodded. “This is for you,” she said. She reached for my left hand and slipped a ring over my pinkie. It was identical to the ring Ava wore. “Wear it well,” she said.
    I looked at it, touched it, and then looked at her. She was actually smiling warmly at me.
    “You’ve come a long way from the little girl who used to help me in my herbal garden. We’re going to be proud of you, as proud as you will be of yourself. Tonight you will truly become your father’s daughter.”
    I looked behind me. Ava was standing there smiling as well. Mrs. Fennel nodded again and went into the living room. I gazed at the stairway. Right now, it resembled a steep hill to climb.
    “Go on,” Ava whispered close to my ear. “Get his blessing.”
    I started up the stairway. My legs felt heavier and my breathing harder.
Get hold of yourself
, I thought.
You could bring the whole house down on you tonight.
I sucked in my breath, fixed my clothes, and primped my hair one more time before knocking on his door.
    “Come in, Lorelei,” Daddy called.
    He was lying in his big bed with all the curtains closed and only a small lamp on. It threw a deep yellow glow over his face. His eyes were darker than ever. He pushed himself up on his pillow and beckoned for me to draw closer.
    “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “I’m simply conserving my energy for later. You do look breathtakingly beautiful, Lorelei. I can feel your sexual energy. It’s fully blossomed within you. You’re truly irresistible.”
    He held his hand out for mine and pulled me gently to him. Then he kissed me on the forehead. His lips felt so hot I thought they might burn me if he held them there