The Vampire’s Servant
Chapter 69

"Good morning, princess." Victor whispered.

I woke with my face pressed against something cool and firm. It felt good on my face. Like the cool side of the pillow, but better. I wrapped my arms around it and held on tight. It smelled like Victor. My eyes flew open. "They said I would sleep alone last night."

"After Bellamy was in bed and Talia had turned in to read for the night, we came to lay with you." He replied.

I felt a hand stroking my back. The heat of Gray's skin seeped through my nightgown and into my skin. I was a mix of happy and worried.

"We heard you apologize. They explained what happened. I'm so sorry, angel. We should've realized that you weren't being yourself. We should have seen it." Gray murmured from behind me.

"If I couldn't see it, I don't see how you two could have. I feel much better today. I'm not angry or weepy." I offered.

"You haven't fed on me in twenty-four hours, princess. That helps. Today, Bellamy said she will be feeding you human blood. I expect that you will feel a lot better soon. The effects of the werewolf blood will wear off and you will be yourself again, mostly." Victor said.

That made me happier. I wanted to be myself. I didn't like the feeling of that anger. It wasn't as easy to contain as my normal anger.

They wrapped me up in a hug. I never felt as happy and safe as I did in their arms. It was good that we all made up. I never wanted to fight with them.

"We should get up. We have training this morning, then you're going shopping." Gray whispered in my ear.

I groaned. I didn't really want to get out of bed. I wanted to cuddle with them for longer. I knew I had to, though. I couldn't go through life being weak.

Victor promised to have breakfast with us after training. He left to go to his office and work more. I'd heard them all talking about some curse. I hoped they got it fixed.

Once I was changed, Gray and I headed to the yard to meet up with everyone else. We started with a run, like usual. When we got back, Dillon and Jean-Claude tied a pad to a tree. Talia came out and worked with me on my form while the others did their training. I would hear Gray curse sometimes and knew he'd gotten hit. They really fought during their sparring. If they didn't heal as fast as they did, they would have looked truly dreadful. After they fought, I always hated seeing Gray. He was usually bloody and bruised, by the time we finished breakfast, he would look almost normal again.

They told me the worse the damage was, the longer it took to heal, but bruises and small cuts could heal within an hour. Talia explained to me that I healed like a werewolf when I was unhealthy, but I'd heal much faster as soon as I was healthy again.

I made sure to let Talia and Amy know that I had apologized to Victor and Gray. They smiled and nodded. I was glad I didn't have people upset with me anymore.

Victor ate with me, Gray, and Talia in the kitchen. I really should have gotten a table and chairs for the dining room. I added that to my list of things to get done as soon as possible.

"I want you to buy whatever you want today, princess. Don't worry about the cost. I have more than enough money to cover whatever you want." Victor said.

"You spoil her too much, Victor." Talia chuckled.

"She deserves everything. As long as I can give it to her, I will." He replied with a wink.

"I'd give you money for shopping, but it looks like Victor has it more than covered. Here's a little cash, so you can tip at whatever restaurant you go to. Cash tips are better than credit tips." Gray said, holding out some money from his wallet.

"Grayson, you don't make a lot, let me handle the financial caretaking of our mate. You save your money for taking her out during the days. I expect that you will take her out on dates to places I would never be able to take her to. It would be a favor to me. I would prefer it if your financial focus was on that. Credit tips are fine, she can just tip more to make up for it." Victor told him.

"I'm going to assume you didn't mean to insult me for not being as rich as you." Gray scoffed and put the money back in his wallet. "Fine. I'll take her to do a ton of stuff. Every night, you'll have to suffer while she tells you how much fun she had with me."

"That would not cause me to suffer. I would be able to see her smile and hear her laughter as she told me about everything she enjoyed. The time while she's alive is all yours. One day, Echo will pass into her second life and I will have her all night while you sleep. You'll have to do a lot better if you want to make me jealous." Victor laughed.

"I'm taking her to the prom. It's at night, when you'll be awake, but she's going with me. It will be Echo's first dance and she'll be all dressed up for it." Gray grinned.

Victor scowled and focused on his food. Talia was giggling. I sighed and shook my head. They were better, but nothing could seem to get them to stop antagonizing each other. At least they weren't really fighting.

After breakfast, I cleaned up and got ready to go out. I was nervous about the trip still. Amy and Dillon nearly dragged me out to their SUV.

It wasn't that I didn't want to go. I just kept remembering things that I needed to do. There really wasn't enough time for this. They both growled at me when I said something to that effect and I stopped trying to change their minds.

They chatted happily as we drove into town. I watched out the window. There was so much of the city that I hadn't seen. The mall was on a long list of places my sister and brother talked about, but I had never seen.

We parked in the ocean of cars that surrounded the huge building. I started getting nervous. I'd only had a week in a school and that was so much smaller than this. I was afraid of getting lost and never going home again.

Dillon and Amy wrapped their arms around mine and smiled at me. They were so comfortable and calm that I managed to calm down, too. They pulled me to the entrance. It was made of glass and metal. I had never seen anything quite like it. It was almost like a greenhouse.

Once inside, Dillon led us up some moving stairs to a place called Maia Hair. I looked around as we entered. There were shelves full of pots and bottles. Through the archway, I could see a couple women with cloths draped over them getting their hair cut. I started to panic a little, remembering the only haircut I'd ever gotten.

"Shh. Victor called in a favor from one of the vampires in the territory. This stylist wouldn't dare do anything to you except make you prettier than you already are." Amy whispered.

"We're here to see Opal." Dillon said to the girl behind the desk.

"I'm Opal! It's so nice to meet you! Who am I taking care of today?" She smiled and stood.

She was a little taller than me with golden blonde hair, with a dark pink stripe, pulled back in a bobbing ponytail. Opal was slim and dressed in a form fitting black outfit. Her ears had a lot of piercings and she even had some piercings in her eyebrow. She was very pretty. There was something very lively and engaging about her. "This is Echo Nightshade." Dillon said, pulling me forward.

"The servant of the Master of the territory, right? My master had me come in on my day off to take care of just you. Don't look so worried. I would do anything for my master. Have for the last sixty years, at least. He really wants to make your master happy. I heard he killed like a dozen vampires since he got here. Some of the older ones and everything." She said with a grin.

I nodded silently.

"Oh, sugar, don't be shy with me. I'm gonna be your personal stylist for as long as my master and I are in this territory. Come this way, what are we doing with your hair today?" Opal asked.

"I... I don't know." I murmured.

"Opal. She needs half of it cut off, at least. Layers would be nice. She wears it up a lot, but wants it to be cute if she wears it down." Dillon said.

"Got it. You two can have a seat over there if you want. We should be done in about an hour or so." She told them and led me into the back.

During the next hour I was washed, snipped, and fluffed. Opal told me all about her master. He was called Gareth and was nearly two hundred years old. She was actually the great-granddaughter of the girl who turned his marriage proposal down when he was human. She said she had a crush on him since she was a girl and saw his picture in the family albums.

I thought it was a sweet story. She saw him in a bar one night and thought it was a coincidence that he looked so much like the man she'd been in love with since she was young. She asked him to dance and he ended up driving her home that night. They started dating and she found out he was a vampire six months into their relationship.

Opal didn't want to be a vampire, but she wanted to stay with him, so he offered to make her his human servant. She called him master in front of other people, but they were still very much in love. She showed me the necklace of engagement rings he'd given her. It wasn't possible for her to marry him, because he was legally dead and she should be a little old lady, but he gave her rings for every ten-year anniversary.

Listening to her talk about her master was soothing. Almost like an insight to the future for me and Victor. I relaxed more and more.

She told me the salon was actually owned by a woman who only hired supernaturals or vampires' servants. The owner even helped with getting them through cosmetology school. Opal told me I should try it, but I didn't feel it was a good fit for me. I just wanted to take care of the house and Victor. I didn't need anything else. I told her maybe in a few decades.

"Alright, sugar. Are you ready?" Opal asked, as she removed the cloth covering me.

I nodded and she turned the chair so I could see myself in the mirror. My hair looked better than it had the last time it was that length. It was shiny and framed my face perfectly.

"Thank you so much, Opal." I replied.

"Next time you come in, it's your turn to talk." She laughed.

"How much is this?" I asked.

"Free. You're the servant of the Master of all the vampires in this city, and further. The owner said anything you ever need is on the house. I don't really need the money. My master and I are pretty well off and I get decent tips normally. Go on, your friends are waiting." Opal grinned as she helped me out of the chair.

I went out to the waiting area to meet Amy and Dillon. When I got there, I smiled happily. Harmony was sitting with them! She bounced out of her chair and started looking me over.

"Oh! Echo, you're so pretty! This is the perfect haircut for you! You look amazing!" She smiled back and hugged me.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Gray called last night and said you were going out shopping with Amy and Dillon. He asked if I wanted to go with and we could find you a dress for the prom while we were out. I thought it would be perfect. Are you okay with me joining you?" Harmony asked. "Of course! I really want to shop with you." I grinned.

She looped her arm around mine and we followed Dillon and Amy out into the mall. I didn't really know what to expect for the rest of my day, but I was thrilled to be spending it with my sister. This was going to be a wonderful day.