“Is it ok with you if Sophie comes over? She just got out to the mortal world and she can’t find Alex.”
“Keep her in your room though and make sure by tomorrow she finds her boyfriend. I never liked Sophie and you know that.”
“You love Sophie! Also Dakota rescheduled the fight from next week to tomorrow. All of the packs from around the continent. They will be in the meadow arena.”
Maria walked to the bed and sat behind Kai. He leaned back until is head was on her shoulder and she started playing in his hair.
“I came in here to see what weather you wanted. I figured no sun because you would probably want to bring Claire. So maybe snow? Will she get cold though?”
Kai growled and turned around to her.
“What would make you think Claire was coming with us?”
“Well you two seemed pretty close.”
“She’s not coming Maria. She’ll get killed right when she walks into the borders. They can smell her Maria.”
“Well you don’t want Logan to fight so get her to watch Claire.”
“I’m not taking her.”
“Fine. I will. And you both need to get dressed in some fancy clothes because your child arranged it that way.”
Everyone looked at Logan and she smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Maria played with Kai’s hair some more then looked at Kai then me.
“I heard that you are special. Is it true?”
Kai grabbed her hand and closed his eyes. Maria screamed a couple of times before Kai dropped his hands. She looked at him scared.
“That is why you want her alive? You’re sick Kai! You’re just going to kill her away like that? You’re going to take away that happy wedding and that beautiful child? And replace it with pain and death? I hope you die in that fight!”
Maria got up and left the room and Cynthia filled in her spot.
“Kai,” Cynthia’s cat voice surprised me again. “ Your children are going to be at the fight. You have to go and take Claire. If you want to keep her alive you have to take her.”
Everyone left the room and the door locked behind them. I looked at Kai.
“How many kids do you have?”
“Sixteen. Only one is mine. I took in Logan the rest are just orphans.”
“You have sixteen kids!?”
“Yah and sorry about the whole fight thing. You kind of have to come.”
“Ok.”
“Ok? You can get killed.”
“I’ll be with Logan.”
“Then you need to get dressed. Go to room sixteen and get James to help you find a dress.”
I walked out the room and went down the white hall until I got to sixteen. I opened the door to find that it was Logan’s room. It was pink and yellow with bunny toys and pictures on the floor. There was a TV, couch, and Logan in the closet. I walked over to it and Logan handed me a dress. She had on a pink dress with red lace on it. It stuck out on the sides like a tutu and was barely above her knees. James came into the room and laughed. He left then came back with a long pink evening gown and another one that was purple. We both got dressed then left the room. Logan grabbed a pink bag then picked me up and supported me on her hip like people do to children. She locked the door to the bedroom then walked gracefully down the staircase. Everyone was already downstairs in the main room. Kai and Paige were sitting on the couch but when I came down Kai walked over to me. Logan passed me to him and he put me on his hip. We all walked out the door and into the woods. I could see the sun coming up and then big rocks in a clearing. I saw that the rocks had curves in them to be seats and I figured we where there. Logan ran off somewhere and everyone else went to the middle of the rocks where the grass was. Kai looked over at me smiling.
“We’re here. You fell asleep.”
“Why is everyone so fancy?” I could hear the drowsiness in my tone.
“It’s the style for the event. I’ll find Logan and you can go back to sleep.”
I opened my eyes wide and saw Logan with a boy in the fog. Kai bounced me on his hip and the boy and Logan were in front of us. She waved her hand to Kai.
“This is my father Kai,” She waved to me. “And my step mother Claire.”
The boy nodded to Logan and bowed to me and Kai.
“It’s nice to see you married again Master Kai. It’s nice to meet you Mistress Claire. I hope you enjoy the royalty.”
I glared at Kai and he slyly smiled. I saw the boy glance at the position we were in and Kai dropped me on the ground.
“Kai! Your royalty?! Why wouldn’t you tell me that? And what else do I not know?”
I felt my face getting hot and saw Kai rolling his eyes. He picked me back up and slung me gently onto his back.
“I barely know you Claire Juliet Lamone Pattinson. Relax and please don’t stress Logan.”
I looked at him puzzled and then behind me to see the boy still there. Logan came up to me and opened her arms. I slowly slid into them and watched Kai go away. Logan put me on her hip and grabbed the boy’s hand. We walked to an empty spot in the rocks and sat. Logan put me on her lap and put down her bag. The boy left and I got up to turn to Logan.
“Step mother?! What were you thinking? And since when have you’ve been royalty? And how could I possibly stress you? What was he thinking?”
“Well your stressing me now, I’m royalty not Kai and the rest of his family. I have fifteen brothers and sisters who are royalty. And Kai doesn’t care anything about you! He’s only after your future! That’s why he’s been keeping you alive! The first day you two met he was going to kill you!”
She covered her mouth quickly and gasped.
“Why do people want my future? What did he see?”
“I can’t tell now just watch the fight it’s starting.”
The thick fog turned into light snow and the vampires walked out to the snowy clearing. There were about fifty of them and they all lined up. Only twenty were girls and three were children that looked at least five, ten, and fourteen. I looked over at Logan who was clapping her hands.
“This will be good. The Blaudeer children are fighting.”
“Who?”
“There are six families fighting. The Blaudeer, Pattinson, Andreania, Baniaria, Aerospile, Ladmarine.”
“What are they even fighting for?”
“Their wishes.”
“What was Kai’s?”
“To kill you.” She spoke softly but I could still hear her words. They stung and I felt sadness and fear flooding over me.
There was a ring and I looked out at the arena. Logan grabbed my hand and put it in her lap. The families came out in groups from both sides even though I never saw them leave the middle. They crouched down growling. Another ring and they were grabbing and biting each other. I looked everywhere for Kai and found him biting another man maybe his age. Logan was clapping and there was another ring. She turned to me.
“That was a warm up. This is the fun part. I love the sound in the beginning when some of the cloth rips. It’s so fun!”
“You shouldn’t be so happy about this.” I felt the frown on my face and Logan giggled. We faced away from each other and towards the arena. Another bell and they were off again. I saw that they were paired up except for James. I heard rips and tears and Logan’s claps and giggles. There was a sound like metal being scraped and Logan gasped. She squeezed my hand.
“Kai is hurt. He was scraped and bit.”
I felt the panic taking over. Logan looked at me.
“He’ll be fine. He’s been worse than this.”
“He has?”
“Many times,” She looked at the arena and laughed. “He just got his shirt ripped off! Ha!”
I looked up at the sky and saw it clearing up from snow and turning into clouds half covering the sun. In the arena some girls were ripping the bottom of their dresses and taking off their heels. The bell rang and like the rest of the times they started fighting again. A man ripped through Kai and he slid into a spot in the sun. Everyone in the crowd gasped. I strained to see what had happened and saw Logan dong the same. We both saw at the same time. He was covered in red stripes and slashes on his arm, chest, and face. He stood up and Logan and I sighed with relief. Paige grabbed his arm and rubbed it. Kai grabbed the man that threw him and bit his arm. The man bit Kai’s shoulder in return. I let out a tiny scream. My shoulder was burning. I looked at Logan rubbing my shoulder.
“Are you ok, Claire?”
“No my shoulder burns.”
“Probably sunburn here,” She reached into her pink bag and pulled out suntan lotion. “This’ll help.”
I grabbed the bottle and started putting it on my shoulder. “Who was that guy that bit Kai?”
“He’s Max Ladmarine I think.”
Max and Kai fought some more. Kai was bit in the stomach, scraped on his arm, and was bit in his leg. He delivered as much pain to the others but I seemed to feel what happened. My leg, stomach, and shoulder burned and my arm stung. Logan looked over and screamed.