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Chapter 10: Promotion
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Bound to the Vampire's Heir Chapter 11: Meeting Arabella
Waking up next to Isaac felt much more natural than it should have. It felt somehow incredibly normal to wake up and shift slightly, moving closer to him under the covers. Looking at him in the early morning light, Lavinia could tell that he truly was asleep. She smiled slightly. So, there were some human needs left after all. Eating, sleeping, what else would he need?Unbidden, the thought arose to Lavinia of herself as one of those needs. Of her being as necessary to Isaac as his instinct to feed. She quickly pushed the thought away, reminding herself that while Isaac seemed earnest, this could just be a whim. Her trust was not yet guaranteed. Though, the previous night had certainly garnered more of a bond.It was hard to take his actions and care as a ploy, but Lavinia could not help but remain cautious. Surely, had Isaac only been playing with her he would have served only his own pleasure. He would not have given so much attention to Lavinia, waiting for her to respo
Bound to the Vampire's Heir Chapter 12: He Lets You Call Him Izzy?
Isaac moved to the door."Oh, and Izzy? Tell mother I'll be over budget. With three dresses to commission my previous limit will be too stifling.""Why don't you tell her?" asked Isaac indignantly. "It's your problem, you're the one who wants to use someone else to play dress-up with.""No thank you. I'd rather you do it." Arabella put her hands on Isaac's shoulders and started pushing him towards the door. "Just make her look presentable.""Yes, fine. Bye now, I'll give her back later, don't wait up." She slammed the door behind him and slumped her back against it. "God he's exhausting."Lavinia stood still for a second, taken aback. Arabella, despite her looks, was nothing like her brother. This short girl exuded warmth. While her hair had the same cool sheen, her skin was slightly tanned and seemed to burst with life. Arabella pushed herself off the door and went back to snatching items off the floor and stuffing them haphazardly away. "He lets you call him Izzy
Bound to the Vampire's Heir Chapter 13: Leaving the Manor
Arabella and Lavinia spent the morning sitting and talking. Lavinia found Arabella to be surprisingly enjoyable company. While she was certainly a departure from Isaac's serious tone, her levity was infectious. Lavinia felt herself smiling easily and giggling at Arabella's jokes.It was fascinating to her to hear about Isaac from a different perspective, through closer eyes. Arabella tended to close off a bit the more Lavinia tried to broach the topic of Mrs. Astor, but she readily spoke about Isaac's nature in private and what he was like before he was turned. It confirmed many of Lavinia's suspicions. Isaac from Arabella's eyes was much softer. He seemed to dote on his sister, serving as her protector and her playmate. He had used to be quite popular, frequently having friends over from the private school he attended. That all ended when Mrs. Astor turned him and started bringing him along to meetings for the business. He had become much more vicious and distant, a shel
Bound to the Vampire's Heir Chapter 14: Consulting the Dressmaker
After speaking briefly with the carriage driver, Arabella jumped down onto the sidewalk. She froze for a second and then turned back to Lavinia."Look who's here," she smirked, pointing to the corner. Lavinia followed her indication and spotted a young man sauntering slowly towards them. His gleaming hair was smoothed back into place but he kept his eyes downcast, flicking them up only to see the other pedestrians. "Is that-""Funny running into you, Izzy," Arabella said.Isaac jumped, looking up at the pair of them. "Arabella. Lavinia. Uh, yes. I was not expecting to see you two here.""We're right outside the shop that you knew we were visiting.""Yes, well, I also have to get fitted.""We still have three weeks and you certainly know you don't need that much lead time on a suit."I thought you two would have left by now. It's midafternoon.""I think," said Lavinia, stepping down from the carriage. "That he was rather hoping to see us.""I think you're right, Vini.""Tha
Bound to the Vampire's Heir Chapter 15: First Day in a New Job
That evening Lavinia was escorted to a new room. It was on the floor below Isaac and Lavinia's rooms and not nearly as grand, but in comparison to the shared room far below it was pure luxury.The linens on the full bed were clean and starched, the pillows full and thick. Lavinia threw herself down onto the bed, stretching her arms above her head. She lay there for a moment just resting, then started to take down her hair. She had let Arabella braid her hair intricately and her deft fingers had left more plaits than Lavinia could count. After removing most of the pins, Lavinia gave it up as a bad job and decided to let the rest fall out naturally. She had been told by Arabella to rise early. Her day dress should be arriving and she was expected to wake Isaac. This task yesterday morning would have seemed simple, but now a rising sense of panic swirled in her gut. She could see now the danger she was in. The previous night with Isaac she had thrown caution to the wind. She d
Bound to the Vampire's Heir Chapter 16: Reviewing the Options
At first, it was jarring to watch Isaac and Arabella interact with the household staff. Lavinia quickly realized that what she had taken for guards were nearly interchangeable with the rest of the faculty. Their uniforms, crisp and ironed, matched the ones worn by the kitchen and cleaning staff and were mirrored in the dresses worn by maids. All of them had the same spreading black veins. Arabella caught Lavinia staring and shook her head."I'll explain later," she whispered.Isaac and Arabella seemed dedicated to the divide and conquer method. Isaac focused mainly on the technical side of things while his sister engaged with the details. She made remarks about color and shape. Arabella insisted on white and green centerpieces, much better to contrast the dark mahogany and stone of the manor house.Isaac watched the staff set up the ballroom. He made adjustments to the tables they placed and pulled tablecloths to be more centered. The young woman waxing the dance floor shook s
Bound to the Vampire's Heir Chapter 17: The Arrival of Guests
The weeks leading up to the ball passed with shocking speed. The manor transforms before Lavinia's eyes. It loses its gloomy facade and starts to come alive. The floors become finely polished and the windows are washed and open. Even the weather seemed to clear. The grey of the skies broke into a welcome flush.For a time, Lavinia became Isaac's shadow. She acted as his personal assistant and constant aid. She woke and dressed him, ran errands through the day, and tried to blend into the household personnel. Isaac himself took on the role of director. He wielded the manor's staff as a precise tool, insisting that perfection was a baseline rather than a lofty goal.The first family to arrive did so just a day before the Betrothal Ball. Lavinia was not quite sure what to make of them. They offered no family name and Isaac simply referred to them as shades. They were definitely people, or at least they had been. They sported limbs and heads and bodies, but otherwise no disce
Bound to the Vampire's Heir Chapter 18: On the Edge
She had hardly spent a day in recent memory outside of the confines of a corset, but Lavinia has never a corset feel like this. She struggled for air as Arabella pulled the laces taut. Her chamise creased under the pressure, the folds more pronounced as the corset cinched Lavinia's waist to a daring angle."Some of us," gasped Lavinia. "Still need to breathe.""Not tonight you don't. And in any case, we breathe too. Just less." With a flourish Arabella tied off the laces, winding her excess under the modesty panel. She stepped back, picking up a thick bundle. Opening the waist, she held the petticoat out for Lavinia to step into. She then buttoned the crinoline into place, spinning Lavina around to face her."Now the hoop.""The hoop too?" Lavinia complained."Trust me. The hoop is easier to dance on. Way more space to move. I've worn layered crinolines before." She shook her head. "Simply put: a nightmare.""So we're compromising on the skirt and you still insist
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