6 Royal Blood by Ellen Schreiber Read Free Book Online

his politest voice. "Raven- it's for you." I took a deep breath and started for the door. Jameson stood before me, complete in his butler's uniform and gloves. "Miss Raven, your car awaits you." My mom winked and my dad gave me a thumbs-up. As Jameson and I walked down the driveway, I glanced back. Billy Boy and Henry were spying through the front window. Then two more heads popped into view-former hippies Paul and Sarah Madison. Jameson led me to the parked Mercedes and kindly opened the back door. My parents were impressed with my chauffeur and gothic limo service, even if the chauffeur was unusually creepy. Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) 12
    It seemed as if it took an hour for Jameson to drive me to the Mansion. I was afraid by the time we reached its gates, dinner would be stone cold. We parked in front of the Mansion, It was quite the celestial sight. Candles flickered inside the house like a festive holiday party. Jameson opened the car door for me. I reached the top of the crumbling stairs, and, as if on cue, the front door creaked open. On the other side were the first adult vampires I would ever meet. At first I didn't see anyone. Then out stepped Alexander, stunning in an oversized blue silk shirt and black jeans. "Wow! You are beautiful." He offered his hand to me and kissed me on the cheek. Somber violin music faintly filled the Mansion. A pewter umbrella stand containing at least half a dozen parasols sat by the front door. "Miss Raven is here," Jameson called to the second floor, and retreated to the kitchen. "My mom takes forever." The Mansion's air was unusually chilly, and I was shivering. "Are you nervous?" "Petrified. And cold." "My mom likes the thermostat set to freezing. I'll fix that." "That's okay-," I started to say. But Alexander had already taken off. A ghoulish and magnetically morbid woman descended the red velvet staircase like an apparition. Her perfectly straight jet black hair, streaked with a vivid violet, cascaded over her bony and beautiful shoulders. She continued to come down the stairs, with the confidence of Cleopatra but the attire of Elvira. Deep eggplant-hued lipstick and nails were ghastly and gorgeous against her corpse-white skin. Strong black eyeliner intensified her blue catlike eyes, and her long, purple, flirty eyelashes sparkled. A tattoo of a black rose crept out from her dark velvet corset, which shaped her chest like a heart. Her small cinched-in waist was accentuated with a fabric belt and a long, flowing black mermaid skirt. Her frame was petite but curvy in all the important places. I was mesmerized by her beauty. At the end of the staircase a man appeared out of the shadows. He was tall, with broad shoulders and blazing black and gray shoulder-length hair. He was utterly handsome, as striking as any fifties film star. His dark eyebrows were in sharp contrast to his frost-toned skin. He wore a dark silk suit with a bloodred tie and a matching cape. He had a sharp antique wood walking stick, capped with an ivory skull. Alexander's father formally took his wife's hand and led her toward me. Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) I froze. I was standing in front of Alexander's parents. I didn't know if I should bow or salute. To me, they were the most normal-looking parents I'd ever seen. Mrs. Sterling extended her hand to me. In the most lyrical Romanian accent, she said, "It is our pleasure to meet you, Raven." I couldn't help but notice the two purple bite marks on her neck. I tried to speak, but I was so in awe. My words stuck in my throat. Just then Alexander returned. "This is Raven," he said proudly, "We were just introducing ourselves," his mother stated. "I'm so happy to meet you, Mrs. Sterling," I finally said. Her hand was cold but firm. "Call me Cassandra." "And this is my father, Constantine," Alexander said. Mr. Sterling extended his hand to me.