Charlie Gyid 2 by Anysia Eaton (book club books .TXT) 📕

– of course – have had blood delivered, and we will need to know if we need to order some more” asked Sir Mallot.
“I would say three weeks at the maximum. I am not one to intrude” he replied leaning back on his chair. “I presume you have went out of your way to order blood so my men do not feed off of your people?”
“Yes.” Replied Sir Mallot briefly.
“That is absolutely fine, of course. I have set strict order to my men, punishable by death. They will not disobey with that high of a punishment. Though I do ask you to set certain rules with your people. There is only so much I can ask of the self-control of myself and my men.”
“We already have done.” I spoke up. “We have instructed them not to approach unless asked to”
“Thank you” he nodded at me.
I nodded back. Royal formalities.
“Your sleeping quarters have been arranged. You and your men will be on the same corridor or two corridors, depending on how many men you have brought with you. Your men should be being shown to their rooms as we speak. We have asked our people not to wonder onto your corridor and we would be very grateful if you and your men do not wonder into theirs.”
“Of course, Sir Mallot. I wouldn’t dare and neither would my men. We know how powerful Wiccan and Warlocks can be, especially those who are fresh from school”
“Good. We do not want any unnecessary accidents” said Sir Mallot.
“Is there any plans to what I will be doing during the day, or is that for me to decide?” asked Sir Malice.
“Well, Tuesday and Wednesday, we wondered if you would like to sit in on one of the older student’s lessons. The rest is up to you” mentioned Mistress Halsente.
“Then I shall have a careful think about what I wish to do.” He said with a thoughtful face.
“Well, I should think that is all for now. Shall we retire?” Sir Mallot asked.
“I do have one more question. How do I find you should I need something?” Sir Malice asked.
Sir Mallot, Mistress Halsente and I shared a look. What do we tell him?
“There will be guard patrolling just outside your corridor to stop any misbehaving students, so ask him to fetch either myself or Hazel” said Sir Mallot.
“Of course” he replied.
We all stood.
The three of us walked to him. Sir Mallot shook his hand, then he kissed Mistress Halsente’s hand. He then turned to me. He took my hand and kissing it, but without looking away from eyes.
“It is so good to finally meet you, Charlie”
“The same to you” I replied. “but I’m afraid I must take my leave now. I have things to attend to.”
I knew I was lying, the only thing I wanted to do was to go to Brad. Go to my room and lie down next to the man I love. Next to the man I plan to marry. I turned to Sir Mallot and Mistress Halsente, pulling my hand out of Sir Malice cold gasp.
“If you’d excuse me. I shall see you in the morning. I’ll stop by the canteen to send the students to their rooms” I remembered to do a royal to royal bow and then headed out leaving them behind.
I hadn’t realized that two vampire guards had been stood outside the door. I walked past then, not daring to look them in the eyes. They were as beautiful as the rest of them. I kept walking quickly.
Like I said I stopped at the cafeteria. The students were all waiting anxiously in silence. I walked in and said, “You may back to your rooms”
Each student started to peak up, but the atmosphere was still intense. I waited until the last few people to exit. The very last person was Brad, Geska in his arms. He rushed to me and – with the arm that Geska wasn’t in – pulled me to him.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine”
He pulled back a little so Geska could wrap her tiny arms around me. She was practically asleep. Her eyes were starting to drop. I took her from Brad.
“Shall we go and read Cinderella?” I asked her.
I couldn’t believe her favourite story was still Cinderella. After three years of trying to get her to read another book she still insists on Cinderella every night, every single night. I could tell her the story without even reading it from the book. The book was just like a prop. Her head drooped onto my shoulder. Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.
Brad and I walked to her room. I held her onto my chest, not letting her fall backwards. I placed her down on her bed. She was already asleep so I tucked her in, lightly kissed her on the forehead whispering “Good night, Geska”
On my way out – passing through the side door to my room – I turned out her light. I was about to close the door behind me when I heard her.
“Charlie?”
I turned back to her. I could just see her shadow sitting up in the bed.
“Yes, Geska”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” I asked.
“I... I’ve been worried about you. I can feel when your over worked, cause you start drawing off me. And I was starting to get worried”
I walked to her and sat next to her on my bed. I placed my arm over her shoulders in a comforting fashion.
“Don’t worry, once Sir Malice has gone, everything will be perfect. The end of year exams would have gone, we’ll have a wedding to look forward to, and not forgetting you’ll get a chance to pick out your flower girl dress” I talked sweetly to her.
“Okay”
“Do you want a story? I think you’re about ready to drop off” I asked her.
“I’m fine” she yawned and then continued. “I just want to go to sleep”
“Okay, good night Geska”
“Good night Charlie”
I headed to the door. Looked back to make sure she had lay down. I closed it and turned to Brad.
He had climbed into bed, his chest bare. I just froze staring at him. When he saw me he started to chuckle – the chuckle I love.
I quickly changed and had a lady moment – washing – and then headed back out in my new silk pyjamas. I climbed into my side of the bed. He shovelled up to me, and tucked his arms around my waist. He pulled my back into his chest.
“Well, what was Sir Malice like?”
“Um... nothing special” I replied.
“Did he like his chair?”
“Yes”
“Was he nice?” he asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.
“Sir Mallot told you didn’t he?” I asked him. I knew what he was hinting at. He was thinking about what happened to Sir Mallot’s grandfather.
He nodded against the side of my head.
“Everything will be alright” I hoped I was going to be right.
I couldn’t help but feeling anxious that I was going to be proven wrong, that something was going to go wrong, that war would break out. So many things could spark it off. And so many things – that nobody wants to think about – might happen. We’ve survived the first challenge, but now we another. The Ball.

CHAPTER SEVEN
THE BALL
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Urh. Monday. The day of the ball. The wretched ball that I have to attend with a wretched vampire. Well, I don’t know if he is wretched but I still do not wish to attend with him. I know for the whole evening I will be preoccupied, watching Brad. The man I wished to go with. The man I love more than anything else in the whole world.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
I could hear a moan next to me. Brad leaned over me again, pressing his chest onto mine. He quickly switched off the alarm and then went to fall back, but I grabbed him, and held him in the spot.
“Charlie, come on, we have to get up” he said wriggling out my grip. He sat up looking over me.
“I don’t want to get up. The sooner I get up the sooner the day will finish the sooner it will be time for the Ball” I moaned.
“See it this way, the sooner the ball starts, the sooner the ball finish’s.” He compromised leaning down to kiss me.
His words spoke the truth, when I saw it that way, all I wanted to do was jump up and get it all finished, but now something else popped into my head, just enjoying the time Brad and I were sharing in the same bed. I placed my hand over his shoulder and pulled him back down.
“You have a point but I’m savouring the moments I can spend with my sexy fiancé” I whispered into his ear, teasingly.
“You are the most dangerous creature in the world.” He laughed. He wiggled free of my grip and climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom.
I waited. He came out fully dressed into the school uniform that hadn’t changed much in the last three years. It was still the same brown – tight – top and black trousers – for men – and black skirt – for ladies. I frowned.
“What?” he asked.
“You’re dressed” I moaned.
He chuckled. He flipped the bottom on the bed quilt, revealing my feet. He tickled the bottom of my feet, making me kick out. He grabbed my right foot and continued the tickling torture.
“Sleeping beauty needs to wake up” he chuckled as my left foot started to kick at him – knee jerk reaction. He grabbed hold of that one.
“Okay, okay, I’m getting up” I yelped half laughing.
He let my feet go. I sat up. He came and sat next to me, facing me.
“Sleeping beauty?” I asked.
“That’s what you are. Just ask the vampire prince if you don’t believe me” he replied with a mocking smile on his face.
The day passed in almost a blur. The school day was almost back to normal. Every student apart from Brad and myself were buzzing for the Ball. It was the first royal ball in years. The adults weren’t as happy. They were aware of the conditions that have been given, and they were well aware of the consequences should this fail.
War.
My stomach didn’t settle all day. I spent most of the day with my head resting on the tables. Most of the teacher ended up asking whether I was alright. My answer was the same all day.
“Just not looking forward to tonight”
They nodded with understanding and left me to my moaning and moping.
Sir Malice didn’t show for breakfast, he decided to have a lie in after the long journey. But he showed to Lunch. The Vampires were sat in the corner of the room. Sir Malice in the middle of their table. I walked in – hand in hand – with Brad. My eyes swept the hall for him. When my eyes locked with his, he looked angry. Very angry. I gulped and pulled my hand out of Brad’s. Sir Malice’s face seemed to relax.
“Come on. We’ll eat with the younger students in the cafeteria” said Brad. He had been watching Sir Malice as well.
The Expert students normally eat with the adults in the normal dining room, while the younger students eat lunch in the school cafeteria. Brad turned to go but I knew it would only make things worse and then we’d be