7 Chapter Six

♦Selena's POV♦

I hover near consciousness, still taking my time deciding if to get up or continue sleeping when something moves behind my close eyelids. Reflex takes over and I attack pining whoever it is against the wall my eyes still shut.

"Umm, Miss Selena it's only Madeline." She says calmly even though my fangs are out beside her throat. But then she's used to the routine.

"Yes fine." I murmur letting her go.

She doesn't even look shaken up as she goes to prepare my bath, I ignore her familiar movements around my room and fall into my daily routine of exercises.

I clean up in a daze not really concentrating on anything, I slip on black jeans and a random top, too lazy to put on anything fancier.

Normally I'd take my time going to the dining room but today I'm more worried about September to piss off my mom besides I shouldn't take the attention, so I stroll quietly to the table if the servants buzzing around are surprised they don't show it although I'm an empath so I'd know either way.

The table slowly fills up and September is still no where to be found, well today's bound to be very interesting. Maids serve us glasses of blood which nobody acknowledges.

Mother taps her gold tipped fingers against the mahogany table, one hand surreptitiously patting her severe chignon like she hopes it'll fall apart so she'll have a good reason to torture some poor maid.

Finally September decides to make her appearance, coming to take her steaming glass of blood in a white crop top, dark blue bum shorts and white converses, her white - gold hair streaming out behind her. This is way different from her usual style of dressing which involved her puke worthy formal gown, I shake my head when I see her anklet and arm bracelets alongside her usual charm bracelets and silver bangles, trust her to always go over board. I'm dead sure that if she didn't have vampire movement she'd be jingling like keys in a cup.

"Morning September." My dad says to her greeting. "Cute buttons." He adds, referring to her silver earrings before going back to strike at his tab.

"Thanks." She perks up sipping her glass of blood.

"September?" Mother calls coldly tapping her glass with a manicures finger. Icy blue eyes blazing.

"Lavinia," Dad warns trying to avoid the oncoming scene.

Ignoring him blatantly, she continued. "You're late for another meal and Selena I forbid you to interfere." She commanded icily.

I grin, "yes mother." Grinning wider at her surprise.

'What are you so happy about?' Cyril snarls in my head.

'You'll see,' I mentally reply my tone ominous.

"Well." Mother prompts, growing impatient with my twin's growing silence.

"Umm... I..." She stutters, tousling her already tousled hair - so cliche of her.

"Pathetic spawn," mom snarls, smiling - almost as if she found a sort of satisfaction in torturing her youngest daughter.

-go for it- I tell Ember with my eyes, instead of turning her eyes to the ground and whimpering in pain as mother expects her to, September sits up straight and focuses her forest green eyes on mother.

   If mom is surprised, she doesn't show it and the only emotion I read from her is concentration.

The stare down starts and I notice dad and Cyril grip their cups, hard!  Looking down I realize that I cracked mine and ice-cold blood seeps out. A maid quickly replaces it.

♦September's POV♦

I feel myself reach inside, deep down to find the walls I built around my head the last time I practiced with Selena, although that was just a simulation as Selena didn't have mother's powers. I couldn't find it, all my mental windows were wide open as mother inflicted agonizing pain on me.

    I try not to let it show how much it hurt, luckily she couldn't tell only Selena could.

I grind my teeth and grip the sides or my chair, feeling like I'm going to reel. Seeing the triumphant light come into mother's eyes ticks me off and I reach inside again with a new aggressiveness - finally I find it.

I pull up the walls as fast as I can, sure that my brain is bleeding at this point, it doesn't take long for me to make her avert her eyes.

"And mother." I say coldly even though my heart is thumping erratically, "my heater isn't working so the maids had to transport hot water to my room." I say smoothly. "Now are we eating or not," I add watching as the maids begin to bring in food on trays.

♦Cyril's POV♦

'Did I just hear Mom right?'  I ask myself, tugging at my varsity jacket.

'Did you just hear mom what?' Selena asks in her head loud enough to catch my attention.

'Shit!'. I curse face palming.

'Well.' She drawls, laughter in her voice.

'Whatever... Mom said and I quote 'my baby has grown' unquote and mind you,' I add, digging into my pancakes. 'She said that with emotion.'

'W-What!' She splutters giving me a dumbfounded expression.

"What I said,' I tell her and we both turn to look at mother.

'Can you hear anything?' Selena asks me, furrowing her brow.

'Nope, she built a wall to block me out. What about you?'

'Nada'

"Children, children," mother says softly startling us. "I birthed you, surely I must be able to resist all your charms.

I eye roll, we both do. She can be frustratingly smug at times.

"Huh..." I look up as I feel something bump my head. "Dad!" I growl out when I realize he's using telekinesis to pass the salt. "You could be a normal father sometimes and ask someone to pass the salt."

"But then I could never show off," he says petulantly like a five year old while making his salt pour by itself. "Anybody needs salt?"

"No." Selena and I answer dryly, used to the routine at least a routine that happens once in a blue moon when mom is too occupied to ruin it.

"Dad," September calls out as expected. "I could use some pepper on this bacon."

"As you wish." He agrees flamboyantly, I honestly think she pampers him too much.

'Seriously, what am I to do with all this drama.' I drawl to Selena, wiggling my eyebrows exaggeratedly. I grin as she snorts.

♦September's POV♦

"Hurry up kids, or you'll be late." I hear my dad call out as we clamber down the stairs - see we could be a normal family sometimes - and out the door to our identical pitch black power bikes. Scratch that, we're back to being an insanely rich, crazy, vampire family.

I straddle mine and turn to Selena and Cyril, shooting them suspicious glares.

"Well, what is it?" Selena asks, picking up her helmet.

"What were you two yammering about at breakfast?" I whine.

"Stuff." Cyril drawls succinctly.

"Uh-huh." I say slowly not believing them one bit. "And?"

"Nothing, just stuff." He repeats monotonously.

'Damn it, he's so annoying.' I growl mentally.

"I heard that." He replies out loud.

"I wanted you to, pompous Ass." I mutter.

Laughing, Selena revved her engine, her bangles jingling.

I snort and push my hair back, jamming my helmet on.

"Ready?" Cyril asks - always the big brother. "I should probably tell you now. No. Detention. On. Your. First. Day." He warns tightly.

"Whatever, sheesh! Lay off." Selena grumbles.

"I know right," I say supporting my twin. "It's not like we go out of our way to fund trouble, it finds us just fine wherever we are."