The Legend of the Blue Eyes by B. Kristin McMichael Page A

Lord Randolph
was not a forgiving man.
    “You seem to be fine,” he commented, as his
tone and facial expression changed.
    Arianna looked at her own arms. It was true.
She had been sitting in the sun longer than Molina, but nothing was
burned. “I don’t know why, but I’m fine. We were only outside for
ten minutes or so.”
    “Please join Devin and me for dinner,” Lord
Randolph added, as he stood and walked to the set table.
    Arianna stared at the elaborate elegance of
the place settings. This wasn’t a normal dinner in her eyes. From
the delicate flower pattern around the edges of the expensive
china, to the lace napkins at three place settings, everything
indicated that it had been specifically arranged for Devin and
Arianna to join him for his meal. Lord Randolph sat down at the
head of the table as Arianna moved to the seat set next to him and
across from Devin. Arianna’s forehead wrinkled in confusion as food
was brought to the table by a maid.
    “Don’t I need blood to survive? Isn’t that
my food now?” Arianna asked softly, afraid of her grandfather, who
was still mad.
    The loud laugh at the head of the table
nearly made her jump. Lord Randolph’s tone changed as he replied.
“Yes, you will need blood to survive now, but you are not always a
night human. There’s a day human side to you too. So, for that we
eat food as well as blood.” Arianna nodded. The older man’s eyes
twinkled at his granddaughter. It had been ten years since she
left, but he had thought of her every day. Once a year, he had
traveled with Devin to check up on Arianna, but he never talked to
her. Each time, he found delight in watching her do just about
anything. Her mannerisms reminded him of his own daughter so much.
It was hard, year after year, to leave her behind.
    Arianna sat uncomfortably through the meal
as she was waited upon by maids in black and white dresses. It was
too extravagant for her, but Devin and her grandfather didn’t seem
to find it odd at all. Devin and her grandfather talked to great
lengths about everything and nothing at the same time. There was a
clear bond between them. As the meal finished, the maids returned
with dessert. Arianna stared at the pie on the delicate plate. It
was her favorite, lemon meringue pie.
    “Was it made correctly?” Lord Randolph asked
as Arianna took her first bite.
    “It tastes just like Captain Lou’s,” Arianna
replied. “I didn’t know anyone could make it like him.”
    “Lou did teach our staff how to cook,” Lord
Randolph replied, and Arianna stopped eating.
    “Is Lou,” she began to ask, and Devin nodded
a reply. “I didn’t know.” Arianna stared at the pie in front of
her. Everything was so new to her; she didn’t realize that it had
always been happening around her. Just because she didn’t know
about it, didn’t mean that it didn’t exist. “Who else?” Arianna
wondered.
    “More than we can list right now,” Devin
replied.
    “But then, why didn’t anyone tell me about
all of this?” she asked.
    “Because I ordered them not to, and Gabriel
did the same. Very few people knew who you were, and those who did
could not say. We wanted you to have a childhood free from this
world; the same world that killed both your mother and father, and
would do the same to you if they knew about you,” Lord Randolph
replied.
    “Are Aunt Lilly and Uncle Dean really not my
family?” she asked earnestly.
    “No. Lilly is a friend of your mother’s and
Dean is her older brother. Lilly was raised here at this estate
beside your mother, and they were the best of friends, almost like
sisters,” Lord Randolph explained.
    Arianna turned to the entering maid, who had
the lingering scent of blood on her. Arianna’s sharp eyes quickly
glanced over the maid. She wasn’t a night human; yet, she had the
strong scent of blood all over her. Her blond curls bobbed as she
near Lord Randolph and bowed to him before speaking.
    “Excuse me, my Lord,” she said