The next weeks passed in a paradox; each second seemed stretched into eternity while at the same time the nights flew past as they rapidly approached the evening of the solstice ball.
Vincent was a merciless teacher who allowed no room for mistakes or stumbles. Gabriela fell asleep each sunrise thankful for the enforced sleep otherwise she felt certain that Vincent would continue their lessons without an allowance for rest.
The night prior to the event the lessons ended and the true torture began as he turned her over to the older females of the family. The women each took a turn into grooming and preparing Gabriela's appearance for the event.
Her dress picked, shoes decided on, and even hairstyle was outside of her control. At least they all agreed on understated makeup versus the vibrant shades of eyeshadow currently popular, or the overly applied bronzer that sponsored every orange hued sorority sister.
By the first touch of moonrise she found herself shoved into a sleek lavender satin dress with transparent trumpet sleeves that fell over the back of her hands.
The simple dress hugged down her torso highlighting the soft curve of her hips and breasts that accented her waist. Gabriela shifted as she stared at herself, self conscious at the slight softness of her stomach when fashion pointed towards stick thin women with defined abs.
Her long deep brown hair was carefully worked into artfully messy ringlets with tiny pearlescent butterflies strung through them. Just the faintest shimmer of glitter tainted makeup brushed over her cheeks and around her eyes.
"Are you certain this isn't a bit much?" She turned away, banishing away the stranger that started back at her in the mirror.
Her attention focused on Bridget, Annora, and the other women who shared the room while getting dressed and made up. The rest wore ankle length gowns in varying designs all in deep dark colors. The only thing similar was the simplicity of their makeup and the whimsical styling of their hair.
"It has to be. Too simple and you will stick out like a sore thumb." Bridget sighed as she slipped an earring made of cast pewter, jet colored beads, and tiny crystal chips. Both beautiful and gothic, it matched the woman's black ball gown and its overlay of black lace shot with silvery threads.
Subtle and stunning with the tightly fitted bodice and its plunging neckline and the full skirt that was given further volume by the tulle petticoat worn underneath. With the earring in place Bridget sighed before running a finger along her eyeliner, smudging it carefully to give a smokey appearance.
"Can't we just do what I did at Prom? Dress up, pretend we are going, then go hang at the local Denny's and enjoy some greasy fried food and thick milkshakes?" Gabriella scrunched her nose in distaste at the idea of going out and being seen.
The drills and lessons Vincent had subjected her to only served to convince her that she needed to find a cure or escape from this world. Gabriella wasn't suited for the politics and ruthless culture that surrounded their entire beings.
"It is about time for winter formal dances. I bet we could find a good snack at those dinners." Vincent's voice broke over the room and the women snorted at his interjection.
The women all rolled their eyes before filing out of the room and heading towards the stairs as if his arrival were some unspoken signal. Bridget squeezed Gabriella's hand before she joined her sisters and the other female vampires of the family leaving.
"Well Creampuff you clean up nicely. Now come" He snapped his fingers before motioning towards the hallway.
Gabriella fought the urge to bark at his gesture. She didn't precisely enjoy being treated like a wayward puppy more likely to piss on the carpet than ask to go out.
If she still had the capability to urinate; she may have just considered squatting over Vincent's shoes out of spite.
Grinding her teeth Gabriella forced herself to keep her expression meek and head bowed as she slipped past him without a word of reply. Her fingers curled tightly enough that her nails bit crescent moons into the flesh of her palms.
Slow deep breaths encouraged her to continue down the stairs, thankful for her shoes having only a low heel.
"Just one slip up pet." She felt Vincent's breath against her ear as he whispered against her cheek before passing her on the descent. Her eyes pressed closed as she counted backwards with each step downwards.
The sound of her feet striking the landing forced them open as she squared her shoulders to file out with the rest of the family.
The small fleet of cars was organized for the family members to pile into. The women with their fuller gowns would take the outside positions in the vehicles while the men would sit between them.
The remaining men would go alone in a smaller two door coupe. Toyotas, Hondas, and even a sad little Daewoo sunk and trembled as they all slid into the less than gently used interiors. Gabriella found herself settling in the backseat of the battered Ford Taurus she had borrowed all those weeks ago.
Next to her was a large hulking male vampire, his bold features rough and showing signs of having been a fighter before being turned. The dusky color of his skin and the near obsidian of his eyes only added to the aura of menace that seeped off him.
'Perhaps he likes to knit in his free time. Or likes to cuddle kittens...' Gabriela tried to soothe herself. Even with everything she had survived so far, she still wanted to believe the best in others.
She did her best not to judge a book by its cover, but as he shifted, resting a hand larger than her thigh on his leg, she was fairly certain he wasn't some gentle misunderstood giant.
Desperate she took a deep breath and prepared for the uncomfortable ride to the rented ballroom where all the supernatural creatures would be gathering tonight.
Bridget sat in the front passenger seat with another unknown male vampire as the driver. His skin was a lighter tawny color and from where Gabriella sat she could see the hair at the back of his head had a few loose waves that struggled to break free of the pomade holding them into submission. The few glances he made in the rearview mirror allowed her to note his eyes as a softer earth brown.
The woman on the other side of their hulking middleman shifted enough through the drive that by the time they had reached the hotel and parked Gabriella had squished herself up against the door. Her entire weight rested against it as she tried to avoid being pressed against the man beside her and she nearly tumbled out of the car when the door was suddenly pulled open.
Only a hard hand against the top of her arm halted her ungraceful descent. Startled, she looked up to meet Bridget's wry smile before Gabriella carefully extracted herself from the vehicle.
A few moments of the women adjusting their dresses, fluffing the squashed parts of petticoats, and smoothing bits of hair gave Gabriella time to just breathe.
The air felt stagnant and was filled with the sharp tang of old oil, stagnant piss, and the clinical almost sandy scent of concrete. The sound of tires turning and engines rumbling were only amplified by the structure of the parking garage.
"Just stay with us and you should be alright." Bridget startled Gabriella out of the daze she had willed herself into.
"It's just a few hours then we will be released..." Her sire gave a gentle squeeze to her bicep, doing her best to reassure Gabriella that they would manage this one night.
Just one night then she could start plotting her escape. One night to see how the factions functioned around each other, to see how they each attempted to blend in with mundane humanity.
Enough to help flesh out any plans she could make to escape the nightmare that swallowed up nearly every waking moment of her life. She released her breath before joining the rest of the family as they grouped up to start their trek towards the hotel lobby.
The garage was supposedly secure, with only those with access codes being able to get in, however the elders weren't taking chances with so many of them in one place being a bit too tempting for the hunters looking for an easy strike.
The younger vampires, including Gabriella were nested into the center of the group with the elders in their black attire taking the outside.
It was then she noticed that most of the newlings were in pale colors with light gray suits on the men and the women in varying shades of pastel that ranged from blush pink to Gabriella's lavender. The contrast in colors would make them easier to spot but also make their group look larger by stringing them through the darker clothed members.
The trek to the elevators that led from the parking garage to the ballroom level of the hotel was dull. The largest event coming from one of the women stepping in a stagnant puddle of water and the resulting cry of annoyance and disgust.
Gabriella found herself wiping her hands against her skirt as her heart hammered away in trepidation.
'Just one night, one night' became the mantra that got her the three floors down, then through the tunnel that took them to the door into the building. Her internal chant broke as the ballroom came into sight. The double doors were propped open to reveal an interior that was expertly decorated.
Old world elegance met with new world exuberance that somehow complimented each other rather than clashed. Crystal chandeliers lit the room with a soft yellow light, fabric in rich jewel colors draped across the ceiling and down the walls muffling noise while providing a sense of intimacy.
Bouquets of flowers took space in tall vases that lined along the space. The tables were scattered along the edges with chairs in careful groupings to encourage conversation and even the chairs had been draped in soft velvets in coordinating jewel tones.
At the end of the ballroom was a raised dais with half a dozen ornate wood chairs. Each one held a carved symbol that Gabriella strained to make out at the distance. What caught her breath though was standing there, at the edge of the dais, was Callum.
Her nerves and fears were forgotten at the sight of seeing the man who had represented a beacon of hope.
Elation filled her only to be crushed when he shifted and an equally stunning Asian woman took his arm. The deep crimson red of her gown was tight and fit to her body. Perfectly slender, almost waifish, with lithe legs that Gabriella would bet had zero body fat.
"Told you pet, he doesn't attach himself. " Vincent pushed her forward and suddenly the world sped up again.
The room was full of different species. Some she knew, like the ghouls and lycans, and others she had no name for. The skin colors, builds, and attributes were too numerous and varied for her to make sense of.
Gabriella staggered forward only caught by Vincent's firm grip along her arm.
"Keep your mouth shut and stay with me." His last hissed warning nearly incited her to rip away from his hold.
Only her tentative plan stilled the action. The reminder she needed to pretend to be broken and meek; to be the obedient doll demanded by the elders.
Docilely she walked at his side, her mind far enough away she only replied to the greetings from routine habit.
Just one more night; yet that one more night was enough to remind her that men truly were the worst of liars. Even if they didn't know it.