Sire

While fast, the car isn't as fast as Marcus's running, I wonder if I can run that fast. The city, while in ruin, still has a distorted beauty to it. I suppose it could be worse, like in New York, where all their towers fell or LA, where the fires consumed everything in their path until people had no choice but to move elsewhere.

We come to a stop outside an old building, inside various shops line the two floors. Fake plants adorn the entrance to a shop selling jewelry.

"I thought malls where gone," I say as we pass a stall with tiny figurines.

"This place is immortal run," Carmilla leads me towards a boutique with two intertwined serpents as its logo.

"Carmilla," an exquisite looking female rushes over, "why didn't you call," a snake wraps around her shoulders, its head resting in one of her hands, "and who's your friend?" The female looks me over, the snake in her hand, hisses, "don't worry, Sari doesn't bite."

"Drishika this is Lilith she requires your services," Carmilla walks past her and starts looking through clothes on a rack.

Drishika moves towards me with a smile on her beautiful face, "tell me what is there any style you prefer?"

"Not really," I take my coat off and set it on one of the lavish chairs.

"Good figure," Drishika nods her approval and heads towards the back. I start browsing through some of the clothes on the rack closest to me.

"What do you think?" Carmilla holds up a black dress with diamonds on the side.

"Fancy."

"But is it proper," she purses her lips, "you see in two weeks Marcus will host the Night of Remembrance."

"Night of Remembrance?"

"It's when we honor our dead," she walks over to another rack and inspects one of the dresses, "I think not."

"Here we go," Drishika returns with a purple and black dress embroidered with silver and a crimson dress with a red lace corset.

"That one," Carmilla takes the crimson dress and drags me into a changing room, "just try it."

The material is soft to the touch, at closer inspection, I find the lace has tiny rose patterns. Not only that, but the dress fits like a glove.

"Well?" Carmilla sounds a little anxious.

I step out and walk into a firm chest. Taking a step back, I find Marcus looking me over wonder in his eyes.

"Don't you agree it suit's her?" Carmilla asks.

Marcus doesn't say anything; instead, he takes a step back and takes a seat next to his sister.

"Exquisite indeed," he finally says.

"Isn't it too much?" I turn to look in the full-length mirror, the dress seems to bring out the red in my eyes.

"You can wear that one during the masquerade," Carmilla says as Drishika hands me another dress.

"When is that?" I ask.

"Winter Solstice," Marcus's eyes travel up and down as if savoring the sight of me.

Careful not to step on the dress skirt, I step back into the dressing room. The second is a white-collar cocktail dress with a black skirt and white lace bodice. When I step out, both Carmilla and Drishika clap their hands.

"Indeed," Drishika says, "dressing people like her is so easy."

"Like me?" I ask.

"Everything looks good on you," Marcus says, "I need to check on something, stay out of trouble."

"Yes, your Highness," Carmilla sinkers. Marcus rolls his eyes at her and gives me a once over, "we'll take them."

"I'll have them delivered," Drishika says, "do you want to try your dress on?"

Carmilla nods, and Drishika disappears towards the back, "I can't afford these," I say, looking in the mirror. I've never worn anything this expensive or lovely.

"Don't worry, Marcus is paying," Carmilla stands behind me and rest her chin on my shoulder, "we should get your shoes before leaving."

As if hearing her, Drishika returns with Carmilla's dress and a foot measure. I step back into the dressing room and change into the clothes I came in. Drishika takes the dress and motions for me to sit.

"I just need your foot size," she says, placing the dress inside a black bag labeled S, "I'll have Anuka make the shoes for each dress."

"Anuka?"

"My wife," Drishika says as a lithe female floats over.

"How are you doing that?" I ask.

Anuka smiles while Drishika laughs, "you are new to all of this, yes?" Anuka asks.

"Yes," Carmilla answers as she steps out in an ombre red and white dress.

"It matches your hair," I blur out.

"That was the goal," Drishika says, "I figured I'd play off the feature that almost got you killed."

"Why would her hair get her killed?" I ask.

"I was born during the Salem Witch trials. My mother realized she'd been tricked and tried to hide my pink and white hair," Carmilla says, "one day after my twenty-first birthday, a townie accused me of being a Witch after my coif flew off revealing I had hair as red as strawberries with streaks of white."

"Wait, how was your mother tricked?"

"She met a stranger there one night gone the next, my guess is he was Fay," Carmilla shrugs, "anyways as I was about to be burned at the stake, Marcus and Naran swept in and took me away. Naran gave me a choice to become one of the undead or go back and get killed."

"Whose Naran?" I ask as Carmilla steps back into the dressing room.

"He Sired most of us," Drishika says.

"You're a Vampire?"

"I was born a naga my mother died, and my father tried to kill me, like Carmilla, Naran gave me a choice."

"Our Clan is made up of hybrids," Carmilla steps out in a vintage of shoulder black cocktail dress, "you are the first mortal turned vampire to join it," she twirls before looking in the mirror, "you are magnific."

"I know," Drishika writes down my foot size and hands it to Anuka, "now hurry and change so I can send everything to the Manor."

"Yes, mother," Carmilla ducks out of the way missing the pillow Drishika throws at her.

"She thinks she's funny," Drishika wipes her hands and stands, "wear your hair up for the Night of Remembrance and no makeup."

"Why?"

Carmilla sets her dresses atop mine, "it's so your loved ones may recognize you."

"Thank you," I say, and follow Carmilla out the door, "where are we going?"

"Chose," she points at a salon, then at another clothing store.

I point at the salon, when we step inside a pixy rushes towards us, "Milla," she twirls Carmilla's hair, "can I play with your hair?"

Carmilla shakes her head and points at me. The pixy lets out a little squill of joy.

"So, pretty," the pixy leads me to a chair, she runs tiny fingers through my hair the strands turning into red ombre dark on top bright red at the ends. Which, when I look, are no longer split.

"Magic," I whisper as I run my fingers through my hair, "will it last?"

"Of course," pixy smiles, "whenever you want to change it, just come see me," she bobs her little head sideways.

Carmilla places a gold coin on the table in front of me, "the folk don't care for cash or credit cards."

Ah yes, credit cards somehow survived the downturn of the century. We thank the pixy and head out, stopping at a few shops here and there. By the time we near the food court I've gotten an entirely new wardrobe.

"How will I pay him back," I ask.

"What did you do before?" Carmilla asks.

"I helped a midwife and worked at a bakery," I take a bite of the sugary donut and stop myself from moaning since when did donuts taste this good.

"Anything else?"

"Before that, I use to work at the library, but then it got shut down, due to lack of funding," I wait for the doughnut to come back up, but it doesn't.

"Told you," Carmilla finishes her scone and hands me a napkin, "we'll think of something."

"Lilith!" someone shouts my name.

I turn to find Sean and Mika standing there, dumbfounded, "oh, hi."

"Where have you been?" Mika takes a step towards me, "We were worried."

"Why?" I tilt my head sideways, "did you worry you couldn't poison me anymore, or lie for that matter?"

"It's not what you think," she protests.

With a sigh, I say, "when someone says it's not what you think, it tends to be so."