Lily drummed her fingers against the door of the car. They had been driving for a nearly an hour and she was bored. Bored and frustrated, she could be doing something so much more important that going to see some referee organization for the supernatural. Dorin turned to the left down a wide little street that went into the woods and after driving ten more minutes Lily tensed as they come to a large black gate that crossed the street with four bulky men.
Dorin got out of the car, speaking to one of them looking perfectly friendly. She also noticed the dirty looks the men threw her way. She leaned against the headrest and frowned. “My list of fans just keeps growing,” she thought bitterly, the urge to hit something was growing.
Dorin returned to the car and they drove passed the gate and she shot the men on her side nasty looks. She huffed loudly crossing her arms across her chest earning a look of disapproval from Dorin. “Try to behave yourself tonight hybrid,” he told her and she scowled at him.
“Afraid I am going to embarrass you?” She asked with a sickly sweet tone and a mocked pout and he scowled at her now. She gave him a smug look, and turned her attention back to the dark street but gasped when the large… mansion come into view. It was quite honestly the largest and most elegant building she had ever seen; in fact the word mansion didn’t even begin to describe it! “Holy mother of Buddha,” she breathed as they got closer. “That leech queen really knows how to run the place don’t she,” she added quietly.
“I suggest if you want to live out the night, do not to call her a leech,” Dorin with a hint of a smile on the edges of his mouth.
“I may be mouthy and blurt out the most absurd things Dorin, but I am not stupid,” Lily shot back at him. “I’m sure while I’m here the only one that is going to get insulting nicknames is myself,” she added as the car stopped in front of the mansion. As they got out of the car, a teen boy or he looked to be a teen boy walked up to them with a look of boredom.
“Welcome Dorin Stancu, the queen has been awaiting you,” he said with a snooty tone voice. His gaze slide over to Lily, his bored expression turned one of pure disgust then he turned on his heel walking up the steps. This is going to be fun, she thought silently as she followed Dorin up the large marble steps feeling more out of place than she had ever felt in her life. The inside of the mansion was, even more, impressive than the outside.
Lily licked her lips nervously as she looked around the colossal room. It looked like something out of a movie. The floors were a white-grey glossy stone that worked perfectly as a mirror. The walls were bright white with elegant designs running across them; the height of the room was astounding and in the center of the ceiling hung a gigantic chandelier. There were two wide staircases each on the other extreme of the room.
At first, Lily didn’t notice the people coming down the stairs but when she did she wondered how she could have missed them. Each was vibrantly different than the other. The woman that stood at the forefront was about Lily’s height. She wore a long flowing dress of brilliant red and gold. Her hair and neck were covered by clothing with the same color and design. Beautiful didn’t even begin to describe the woman at all.
Behind her was a blonde that looked like he jumped out of a surfing billboard. He wore a loose white button down shirt but wasn’t buttoned exposing his perfect chest and abs with a pair of baggie shorts and flip flops. Next to him was another man, taller and darker. He just seemed to scream bad news all over him.
Coming up from behind was a girl that looked about twenty at best. Her blond hair was highlighted green that matched her bright green eyes. She was dressed in shades of greens and browns in punk fashion. “Dorin, it is a pleasure to see you again my child,” the woman who was in front started with a sweet musical voice.
“You too Queen Hazar,” he replied with a small bow of his head. Her striking brown eyes turned to Lily.
“Is this the hybrid I have heard so much about,” the Queen asked and Dorin nodded. Queen Hazar walked up to Lily with an examining look and for the first time in her life Lily felt insecure. The woman was elegant while Lily was graceless, she was beautiful and Lily was plain. She dressed strikingly while Lily was wearing a ratty t-shirt and jeans.
“Interesting,” the queen stated as she walked around Lily. “You are quite right Dorin, she isn’t like the others,” she continued and Lily felt a spark of irritation at being examined and prodded to see if she would turn into a crazed monster. She wanted to tell them both to shove it, but she physically bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from actually saying it. Queen Hazar suddenly stopped and gave a soft laugh that was just as sweet as her voice.
“I see the same spirit as I did with Valeriu,” she stated and Lily’s curiosity flared with the flash of emotion that washed over Dorin’s face for only a second, emotion that she had never seen the vampire express ever. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lily, allow me to introduce my council,” the queen said turning her attention to Lily again.
She waved her hand to the surfer guy and he stepped forward. “This is Crocell, he’s a demon,” she explained. Surfer guy, a demon? Lily thought amazed.
“You can all me Cro and I’m not just any demon but a duke of hell. Welcome to the Aequivalere headquarters hybrid,” he said with a smooth, calm voice that had an Australian or maybe British accent to it. For some reason, his voice made Lily think of the sound of a waterfall. The queen nodded then turned to the darker man. He took a step forward to stand to the vampire’s left and Lily felt a little nervous. If surfer boy was a demon, what was this guy… Satan himself? “This is Uriel, he’s an angel,” the queen stated.
Lily released a gush of breath as if someone had hit her in the gut. “What? You’re kidding right,” she blurted before she could stop herself earning a glare from Dorin. However, the angel simply laughed a loud, joyous laugh.
“That’s the thing with stereotypes, no matter how we much we know they mean so little, somehow they managed to worm in and form our world,” Uriel told her and held out his hand. She eyed him skeptically for a moment then took his hand. His larger hand shook hers and he gave her a warm smile to seem to dispel all the bad vibes she had from him earlier. “It is a pleasure to meet you hybrid,” he told her.
Queen Hazar smiled and waved to the girl with green highlights. “This is Karya, she’s a dryad or forest nymph, if you will,” she said and Lily couldn’t help but wonder how much weirder her world was going to get.
The girl nodded and stepped up to her. “S’up hybrid,” she said with a quirky smile and Lily smiled.
“Now that we’re all introduced, won’t you please follow me,” The Queen offered walking down a large hallway. Everyone followed Queen Hazar silently into a smaller room, larger than any room Andrew had in his house, though.
There were bookcases, and statues lining the walls with old paintings on the walls. Plush sofas and chairs littered the room with a large fireplace that home an equally large fire was located in the wall front of them. Large rugs lay on the floor with immensely intricate designs that almost made Lily regret stepping on them.
The snooty boy from earlier rushed up with a tray of extravagant crystal wine glasses filled with a variety of liquids. Everyone took a glass and the queen turned to Lily. “Do you drink Lily?” She asked and indicated to the glass full of blood. She wondered how the queen knew her name since it seemed she was known only and simply as “the hybrid.”
“Only when I can’t avoid it,” she told the queen honestly earning another disgusted look from the boy but the others smiled at her or laughed as if she was joking.
“It does take some getting used to,” Queen Hazar commented taking her own glass and waving off the boy without another glance. “When I was made, I had difficulty coming to terms with that part of my existence too,” She admitted taking a sip from her glass.
“I don’t see how you could ever get used to that…. honestly,” Karya demanded sitting on a chair with her legs hanging off the arm and the queen simply gave her an amused smile.