Free The Legend of the Blue Eyes by B. Kristin McMichael

stay beside you,” he said only to her,
knowing Arianna was afraid to let go of the only person in the room
she knew. Hesitantly, with the urging of her aunt, Arianna took
Devin’s arm and walked up the last few stairs to the platform
beside her grandfather. Lord Randolph beamed as she neared him.
Arianna could feel his genuine happiness, yet she couldn’t do
anything but fear him. The applause began as she took her
grandfather’s outstretched hand.
    Arianna began to feel her knees weaken. The
scent of blood was becoming more overwhelming. The body of the dead
girl was gone and the blood wiped away, but her scent was now
mixing with the new scent of additional blood. The aroma was
growing stronger, and, closing her eyes, Arianna felt her face
flush. It wasn’t the overpowering thirst she felt before when Devin
had given her blood, but more of an automatic reaction to the large
amount of blood she could smell. Arianna opened her eyes as she
felt Devin place his hand softly on her back to steady her.
    “A toast,” Lord Randolph began. “To my
beautiful granddaughter, Arianna.”
    “To Lady Arianna,” the crowd cried in unison
as they raised their red-liquid-filled glasses.
    Lord Randolph nodded to Devin standing
beside Arianna. He momentarily let go of her back, causing her to
turn towards him. Quickly, he pricked the tip of his finger and
Arianna stared at the blood. The scent of his blood was different
than the blood in the glasses below and from the blood of the
imposter. The slight sweetness in the smell made Arianna unable to
keep her composure. A thirst began that hadn’t been triggered by
the scent of the blood below. Arianna felt the change come over her
as she involuntarily began the transformation into a dearg-dul. The
scent of blood and the change of her body disorientated her.
Arianna reached out her hand for Devin, and he smiled in response,
bowing to Lord Randolph. Confused, Arianna turned to her
grandfather. He smiled as the crowd began to whisper. Arianna
listened from one conversation to the other.
    “It can’t be,” an overweight woman with
brown curly hair proclaimed.
    “It’s true,” a younger, well-dressed
gentleman whispered in disbelief.
    “But how can it be,” an older, gray-haired
man asked his wife.
    Arianna turned back to her grandfather after
she scanned the crowd, wondering why they were shocked.
    “What’s wrong?” she asked him.
    “Nothing is wrong,” he replied. “They are
all just entranced by your beautiful blue eyes.”
    Arianna looked down below at all the
transformed faces. She searched from dearg-dul face to dearg-dul
face. Hidden behind colorful, feathered masks, she could not tell
who each person was, but one thing was all the same. She could see
only brown eyes staring back at her.

 
     
     
SEVEN

    The dance continued once Arianna released
her dearg-dul form, and the chatter died down. As she sat beside
her grandfather watching the crowd of richly colored dresses twirl
before her, periodically she could hear someone ask their neighbor
about Arianna. She sat and listened to several of the
conversations, still unsure as to why she was any different from
the people standing below her, or what it meant. Strangely, Arianna
was now relaxed sitting next to her grandfather. Love was pouring
off of him, masking the slight murderous feeling she felt
before.
    “Grandfather,” she hesitantly began. Lord
Randolph nodded, as he stopped watching their guests, and turned to
Arianna giving her his full attention. “Why am I different?”
    Lord Randolph smiled and patted her hand.
“You truly don’t remember anything of your past, do you?” Arianna
shook her head no. “We have a lot to tell you about, but don’t
worry about it tonight. We have plenty of time.” Arianna tried to
hide her disappointment from his loving stare.
    Arianna returned to sitting
in silence, and watched the people below enjoy themselves. She
hadn’t noticed when Aunt Lilly left, but the faint