Brave New World
Grip My Heart

November15, 2002

Even though it was barelyfour in the afternoon, the sun was quickly setting due to daylight’ssavings. Reyna hated it. It was dark when she woke up, and she barelyhad any time to play outdoors after her lessons with Dunstan because he didn’tallow her out at night without supervision—and Dunstan seldom eversupervised.

Dunstan and Reynastood standing face to face in the middle of a baseball field. Reyna was a ball of jitters. Today was the day Dunstan was supposed totake her to meet Lilith the Vampire queen. After two years studying the woman, she was finally going to meether.

Ascowl marred Reyna’s face. “Reyna,” Dunstansaid, unfazed by her sullen attitude, “I’m not about to take you into thehornet’s nest without being one-hundred percent certain that you’ll be able tohandle yourself. You’ve aced everyanatomy test I’ve given you, you’ve proven yourself with other organs, now grabmy heart!”

Reynalet a low growl reverberate from the back of her throat as she mulled over herchoices. Dunstan threatened to take herhome unless she proved without a hint of doubt that she could force her magicaround his heart and give it a squeeze. The purpose of this was in the case of a vampire attack. Lilith banned stakes of any kind entering herfortress—being found with one meant your immediate death. Vampires could withstand a lot of damage, buta ripped out heart was a ripped out heart, it didn’t matter what sort ofcreature you were.

“Ican do it. I just don’t want tookay? It hurts!” It didn’t hurt her to do it, Reyna didn’tmean it that way, but she knew firsthand how it felt for someone to reach intoyour body and grasp your heart thanks to Dunstan’s demonstration on her a weekago.

“Grabmy heart or we’re going home right now. I mean it,” he told her once more. After a moment’s silence filled only with the young girl’s shiftingfeet, the sorcerer took a step back towards the dugouts. Reyna watched him go, and heard him sigh ashe did. Biting down hard on her bottomlip she sucked back tears of frustration. Dunstan’s sigh of disappointment was the worst sound in the world forReyna and she tried so hard the past two years to keep him from making thenoise.

“Fine!” She shouted at his back. Her master turned around with a chuckle and asmug smile on his face. Walking backtowards her, he spread his arms out and gave her a ‘hit me with your best shot’look. Swallowing back the bile that rosein her throat, Reyna took in a few evening breaths before going in for theplunge. Sharply extending her right armtowards Dunstan, her hand formed into an open fist. Her fingers curled around an invisible objectand Reyna could feel the pull of his heart in her hand. Squeezing, she felt the heart beat two quickbeats before letting go.

“Canwe go now?” She asked, her nose curlingin disgust. Dunstan let out a heartylaugh, rubbed his chest, and nodded.

“Comeon, then. I want to get there before thesun’s completely set.” He told her as hebegan to walk off the baseball field they’d been practicing on and back towardsthe paved walkway that led through the park.

“Whereare we going, exactly?”

“ToLilith’s apartment on the Upper East Side. I want to catch her before she can go out, so hurry. Otherwise it’ll be a bitch to replace her in thecity. She rarely goes to the same clubor bar twice—well, at least in the same year.”

Thetwo ended up making it to Lilith’s apartment just as the last rays of lightbegan to diminish. Reyna’s mouth droppedopen as she took in the building. Dunstan’s brownstone was nice—like, really, really, really nice—but thiswas on a whole other level. With itsmarble engravings, gothic windows, and carved baby angels over the doorways andwindows it just screamed class and money. Lots and lots of money. Snappingher mouth shut, the Reyna figured if she lived for two millennials she couldprobably afford a place like this, too.

Walkingin and past the doorman, who Reyna noticed was also a Vampire, Dunstan calledfor the elevator. When it arrived he hitthe highest floor and Reyna’s ears popped several times before the doorsfinally opened to what looked like a glammed up waiting room. Swallowing and popping her ears for one finaltime, Reyna waited by Dunstan’s side for someone to greet them. They didn’t have to wait long before a prettywoman with short blonde hair, wide hips—what Reyna’s mother would have referredto as child bearing—and breasts larger than Reyna’s head.

“Dunstan!” The woman squealed happily, throwing herhands up in the air before taking a few steps to place them on his shouldersand air kissed his cheeks. She soundeddistinctly French, and from her hair style and choice in clothes Reyna had toguess she was turned in the 1920’s. Definitely not Lilith. “And whois this darling creature hiding behind you?” She asked, bending over to look Reyna in the eyes. Up close, the she could see that the woman’seyes were blue and looked as endless as the open ocean. She had a small, slightly upturned nose, rosypink cheeks and full lips that were painted red.

“I’mReyna,” She finally said after only a second’s hesitation. Reyna wondered if all Vampires were thisentrancing. Shaking her head, she knewshe had to get her game face on if that were the case. She couldn’t be going all moony-eyed overevery Vampire she encountered.

“Pleasureto make your acquaintance, Reyna. I’mSophie!” She greeted and held her handout for the young girl to shake. Reyna’slips quirked up at the word ‘acquaintance’, remembering when she’d first heardit.

“Sophieis Lilith’s personal assistant and second in command,” Dunstan explained.

Sophie stood toher full height and nodded half seriously, “That’s right! She turned me herself back in Paris!” She said Paris without the ‘S’ though, likePary, causing Reyna to tilt her head and repeat the word silently. “She said I had potential and we’ve beentogether ever since!” Sophie did alittle shimmy, making the frills of her purple shirt jostle withexcitement.

“I trust Lilith isin?” The Sorcerer finally asked, his face showing his failing patience with thesmall talk.

“But ofcourse! Right this way. She’ll be happy to see you, Dunstan. I trust you brought a gift?” Sophie asked as she led them deeper into theapartment. Dunstan grunted in responseand waved his hand. A dark green bottleappeared in his hand. Reyna hasn’t triedconjuring yet, Dunstan hadn’t gotten around to that lesson yet. She knew it was coming up though because he’drecently given her a Physics book to read and told her to focus on the chaptersabout Matter and Mass.

Sophie made anoise of approval and opened a pair of double doors that led to an ostentatiousliving room. Dunstan walked in and Reynafollowed. “The queen will be with youshortly,” She said before closing the double doors behind them.

“I like her,”Reyna told Dunstan.

He snorted inamusement, “I dare say she likes you, too,” and placed the green bottle on thecoffee table that stood in the middle of the room.

“I like thisapartment, too.” Reyna announced as shelooked at the room. It had a pretty palewallpaper with the image of a sunflower growing in the corners of theroom. The blue satin couch mated theblue drapes. There was a marble fireplace across from the couch, with two chairs mirroring both sides. The wooden coffee table stood in the centerand was bookended with two white, plush lounge chairs. Paintings from Imperial Russia decorated thewalls and the lamps were made of some sort of metal that matched the couchcushions. “I wish we could live here,”Reyna mused, then wondered, “Wait. Howcome the drapes aren’t closed? The sunjust setted!”

“The sun just set, and the glass is made to protectfrom the sun’s rays.” Dunstan corrected,walking over to look out the UV protected glass. The sound of the double doors opening causedboth their head’s to swivel. “Lilith!” Dunstan greetedcongenially. He picked up his gift andwalked towards her.

Reyna looked atthe queen of the Vampires with wide eyes. She was young, almost as young as Reyna herself. Her hair was also blonde, but unlike Sophie’sthat looked like shining gold, Lilith’s was practically white. It fell straight down her back, landing a fewinches before it reached her waist and was cut perfectly straight with straightbangs and everything. Reyna thought itmade her look harsh, but figured that’s what she was going for.

Lilith’s skin waspaler than even her hair. It even gaveoff a blueish tint! The queen came up toDunstan’s collar bone and, in complete contrast to Sophie, had the body of astick. Reyna liked her clothes,though. She wore a blue and black, longsleeved top with a white skirt that reached her knees with a black and blue flowerdesign and black heels. The young Casterfelt a twinge of envy, wishing she had that outfit in her closet to be able towear when she was older.

“Hello Dunstan,” Lilith greeted. Her light, airy voice brought Reyna out ofher childish stupor and then she felt a stir in the air. She blinked and when she opened her eyes Lilithwas a hair’s breath away from her face. Smiling down at Reyna, a gleam twinkled in her pitch black eyes, “What alovely little gift you’ve brought me.”