The Legend of the Blue Eyes (27 page)

Arianna stood between her two best friends
as they cheered the basketball team on. Devin had protested her
choice of seat within the crowd of people, but she ignored him and
decided to have a good time with her friends. Arianna wanted to be
normal. Around her, the crowd was mainly lycan like Tish and Mary
Ellen had explained. Down in the far corner was the baku, Andrew,
from the morning choir room. He wasn’t watching the game at all,
but just her. Arianna felt uncomfortable, but he wasn’t the only
one watching her. Turner stood right behind her, cheering for the
team and keeping her distracted from all the glances her way.

“It’s ‘cause I’m so good-looking,” he
explained, and Mary Ellen agreed.

“Just keep ignoring them,” Tish replied. “Or
see it as a sign of worship. You’re a goddess to them,” Tish
teased. Arianna tugged on her friend’s ponytail.

“I can ignore most of them, but I find
Andrew’s stares hard to ignore.” Arianna looked across the gym and
found him smiling more after her comment.

“How about this,” Turner slid his arms
around her waist, and Arianna blushed at the public display of
affection. Andrew’s smile faded as he glared at Turner.

“Not your boyfriend?” Mary Ellen complained
only to Arianna.

Arianna wanted to push his arms away, but
with all the stares and curiosity around her, Turner’s arms were
like a shield. Until the timer buzzed to end the game, Arianna
stood with Turner’s arm around her. Cheers erupted around them as
their school won by only three points. Turner raised an arm to
cheer with the students around them but made sure to keep one
around her. Arianna was actually relieved to not be left alone in
the gym full of night humans.

“Let’s go congratulate Chris,” Tish
suggested. “Since he invited you to the game and all.”

“She could at least leave one cute one for
us,” Mary Ellen complained. Arianna punched her friend playfully on
the arm.

Tish grabbed one hand, and Mary Ellen the
other, as they dragged Arianna across the court, which was now
filled with people congratulating the team. Turner followed close
behind. Arianna was so glad to use the excuse that she had hurried
across the gym to explain her red cheeks to the captain of the
basketball team, who was standing in his group of friends.

“Hey girls,” Chris said, walking over to
them.

“Great job,” Mary Ellen added, smiling
sweetly at the large guy towering over the three girls.

“Hey, we couldn’t disappoint when we had
such cute fans,” Chris responded.

“Who are you calling cute?” Turner asked,
hitting Chris up for a high-five.

“The youngest Winter son,” Chris added,
smiling at Turner. “Are you hanging around? We could always use
another guard.”

“I think we head back in a couple days.
Sorry man,” Turner added. “Not technically enrolled here.”

“Too bad. I heard you’re pretty good,” Chris
replied and Turner shrugged. “So, is it true?” Turner smiled in
response to the vague question. “Man, you royalty always get the
good ones.” Arianna turned a brighter shade of red, knowing they
were talking about her. “This is sort of embarrassing, but would
you mind coming to meet my parents?” Chris asked, turning to
Arianna. “They’re seated up towards the top in the parent’s
section.” Arianna looked around the room. Devin was in the corner
near the door.

“It’s part of who you are now,” he said
quietly, urging her forward.

Turner smiled and grabbed her arm. “Of
course,” Turner replied, also hearing Devin.

Arianna climbed the stairs slower than her
four longer-legged friends. While Mary Ellen and Tish chose to
trail behind with Arianna, the two boys climbed ahead, continuing
their conversation about the game. At the top of the stairs sat a
couple that looked like they were ready for a fancy dinner, not a
basketball game. Arianna couldn’t fail to see the resemblance
between Chris and his father.

“Hey dad,” Chris hugged the man who was
smiling proudly at his son.

“Great game,” he added. “And the winning
shot, even. You played so well tonight.”

“How could we not play well when we have the
Randolph heir watching?” Chris added. Arianna was unsure if she
liked the sound of that, the Randolph heir. “Mom, Dad, this is
Arianna.” The two parents stared in both shock and awe at
Arianna.

“And I’m Turner Winter,” Turner added.
“Sherwood? From the east coast?”

Mr. Sherwood was pulled away from staring at
Arianna to finally respond and shake Turner’s hand. “Yes, yes,” the
gray-haired man replied.

“I think I have a cousin living over that
direction that talked about Sherwoods,” Turner explained. “A
winery, if I remember right.” Turner turned on the charm, and fit
right into the world she was now part of, where everyone knew
everyone but she knew no one. Mary Ellen and Tish talked to Chris
as Arianna drifted over, watching the people still milling around
the school basketball court. The people were mainly human or lycan.
Every now and then was a dearg-dul, and in the corner Andrew still
sat with his constant baku companions. His blue eyes twinkled under
his dark curls. An older man arrived through the exit door, and
multiple heads turned to the slick-haired baku that entered with
his personal guards. Andrew stood immediately, and followed the man
as he left. At the door, Andrew paused and didn’t turn around as he
said one word.

“Tonight.”

Arianna shivered at the message meant for
her.

“Sorry we can’t join you,” Turner said,
grabbing Arianna’s hand and pulling her close. “We have a previous
engagement to attend.”

“Would you mind…?” Mrs. Sherwood barely
whispered her request.

Arianna looked to Turner to try to
understand what they were talking about, as she had been distracted
by Andrew. Turner smiled before checking with Devin, who nodded his
assent.

“She’d like to see your eyes,” Turner
explained. Arianna blushed more. The center of attention was
getting more and more embarrassing. Her friends had stopped talking
with Chris, and were now also staring at her.

“It’s so embarrassing,” Arianna complained,
though in reality, she just didn’t want to scare her friends.
Everything would really change if they saw her as a blue-eyed
monster. The more perceptive Mary Ellen understood and grabbed
Tish’s arm.

“Let’s go get our coats,” Mary Ellen
suggested. Tish suddenly understood and agreed. Once they were back
down the bleachers, Arianna turned to the Sherwoods. Her blue eyes
gleamed in the well-lit gym. Mrs. Sherwood grabbed her husband’s
arm in shock. Around her, Arianna heard the talking stop as every
night human in the room turned to her.

“We need to leave,” Devin said quietly from
his position on the floor, as Molina’s boots clicked from her
pacing behind the door.

Arianna released her dearg-dul form and
turned around to find everyone in the room staring at her. Awe and
wonder filled the night humans as they bowed their heads towards
her when she passed through them. Turner kept a tight grip around
her as they made their way through the people milling around that
were now frozen, watching her. Devin met her halfway, and created a
protective bubble around her with Turner. Turner and Devin ushered
Arianna outside to a waiting car. Tish and Mary Ellen said their
goodbyes as they left also. Arianna climbed into the car and sat
next to her uncle.

“This is it?” Arianna asked as the car began
to move. “I get to join yet another secret society?” she joked to
hide her nervousness.

“There’s no rush,” Gabriel replied. “We
don’t have to do that tonight.”

Arianna sighed. It made no difference now.
She was already different. The people that walked down the streets
were now different from her. Humans were different. Arianna watched
each passing face: a girl smiling at a boy, a child holding their
parents’ hands, an old man crossing the street. They had one thing
in common: humanity. The stares in the gym told her that. As much
as she wanted to return to her normal life, she couldn’t. She was
no longer human.

Arianna walked into the dimly-lit yard
behind her uncle. The backyard of her uncle’s house had a large
tent and tables put up. She wasn’t surprised to find more than a
couple of hundred people milling around the backyard. Curious eyes
looked up to her briefly, but most people continued chatting away
with the person they were talking to. Towards the middle of the
crowd, Andrew sat with the greasy-haired man from the gym. He was
dressed in a formal tux, like the rest of the guests, but unlike
all the curious glances, he continued to stare. Arianna shrank
behind her uncle, and tried to hide behind his large frame. Molina
walked around the perimeter, obviously irritated to be around so
many of her enemies. Devin and Turner stood in the shadows, each
watching the situation calmly.

Gabriel ushered Arianna to the front of the
tent, past all the guests. Now standing in front of another large
crowd, Arianna wanted to hide, but Gabriel wouldn’t let her.

“You don’t have to do this today,” Gabriel
explained again, noticing her hesitation.

“It’s the crowd,” Arianna replied. She could
feel the hateful glares from the people that now realized she was a
dearg-dul. Gabriel also noticed the stares.

“After tonight it should get better,”
Gabriel explained, and Arianna nodded. Arianna focused on the one
person not staring hatefully, Andrew. His face was stoic, like the
rest of the people around him, but he didn’t have any hate towards
her. Instead, he radiated the complete enjoyment of being near her,
as he had in the choir room. Arianna looked across the crowd to
him, and he smiled slightly.

“Then let’s do it,” Arianna replied, hiding
her shaking hands. “What do we have to do?”

“We need to do a blood test on you while you
are awake and sleeping, in front of witnesses. Then, you will drink
baku blood to cause the transformation,” Gabriel explained, his
back still turned to the hostile crowd. Arianna nodded and wrapped
her hands in her skirt to keep them from shaking.

“Does it hurt?” Arianna asked, remembering
the pain of transforming into a dearg-dul the first time.

Gabriel shrugged. “We use the blood of the
high baku to transform people. Our ancestors say that if you use
the strongest blood it won’t hurt. With your level though, no
matter what we do, it might hurt some for you.” Arianna nodded at
her uncle’s honest reply. “Are you ready?”

“Let’s get this over with,” Arianna
replied.

Gabriel turned and faced the guests.
“Greetings everyone, and welcome to my home tonight. I hope you are
all enjoying yourselves.” Gabriel’s gaze challenged anyone to
object to his choice of guests. Molina took the brunt of the glares
as she passed behind Arianna on her walk around the perimeter.
Keeping her cool, Molina didn’t glare back. “I’ve asked you all
here today to witness my niece as she joins us.” The room broke
into whispers. Arianna listened from one group to the next.

“Baku are male.”

“Is she really his niece?”

“But she’s a dearg-dul.”

“Has the old man finally gone mad?” Arianna
turned toward the sour voice beside Andrew. The greasy-haired man
finally spoke. Andrew stared up at her.

“No. She’s baku, uncle. I saw her asleep
today,” Andrew replied. “And a very powerful one. More powerful
than anyone before.”

“But only one baku had that power. Travis’s
daughter,” the man replied. “I thought she was dead.”

Gabriel turned his head to the man who made
the comment. He contained the anger that was beginning to flow out
of him. The crowd quieted, assuming the anger was for their noise.
Only Gabriel was listening to the greasy man.

“Sixteen years ago, my nephew had a child.
His wife was murdered the next day, and he went into hiding to
protect his child. Travis was the strongest baku to come along in a
century, but even more, his child was stronger than anything anyone
had ever seen or heard of. Later, he was murdered also, so her
grandfather and I decided to hide her,” Gabriel explained, and the
murmur began again. Arianna turned to Andrew and his uncle, but the
man didn’t say a word. “A week ago, she turned sixteen. We could no
longer hide her, because she changed into her mother’s linage,
dearg-dul. Today we will complete the change for her father’s
linage, baku.”

“That’s impossible,” someone in the front
row commented.

“Improbable,” Gabriel corrected. “Not
impossible.”

“But she can’t be both,” someone else
complained.

“This is why I have called so many
witnesses,” Gabriel replied. “For she is both. Let’s begin.”
Patrick walked to the front of the room with a bowl of water.

“We need a drop of blood,” Gabriel
explained. Arianna nodded and easily pierced the skin on her finger
with her own sharp dearg-dul teeth before placing her hand in his.
Gabriel dropped a bit of blood into the bowl and swirled it around.
A faint blue shimmer occurred as it diluted into the water.
“Dearg-dul.” Gabriel confirmed. “Next we need to put you to sleep
and take another drop. Sit in that chair,” Gabriel pointed to a
chair. A slight mist began to be blown onto it. Arianna walked over
and sat down. She scanned over the crowd as she waited. She felt
sleepiness coming over her, but every slight sound kept her eyes
awake. The crowd watched and waited. Arianna waited in turn.