Midsummer Misdeeds

I sat on the edge of my window seat, overlooking the vibrant greenery that was our back garden. The glass was fogged over from the cold damp outside. The sun was setting and the sky was becoming dark blue. My older sisters had gone out earlier that day without me, and haven’t returned yet. I knew I was old enough to be alone, I was 25 for christ’s sake, but i still felt off being alone in this giant house at night. Since our parents died and the rest of our family stopped trying to pick off their bones like vulchers, we’ve lived quietly in the countryside.

We all had our duties and jobs tending to our villages and people. We had plenty of servants and friends to talk to. I didn’t see a reason why they bothered to go out looking for fun or new people now that we were finally safe and secure in our own business. I knew there had to be romance involved and my stomach turned a little at the thought.

I avoided men like the plague, and stayed home and in my space most of the time. I was the youngest, the little hidden pearl of our family, while my sisters were proper grown women who were defiant, rambunctious, and outgoing.

Well, we are all shy and introverted. But they had more grace with dealing with outsiders. I am painfully awkward in front of new people, but with my accustomed friends would like to think I'm average?

I liked to stay home and heal people. I liked to garden and make medicine, potions, spells. I liked to play with the elements. My sisters and I come from very interesting stock. Our father was an extremely powerful vampire lord who came from impeccable ancestry going back thousands of years. Our mother was a halfling witch-elf from the royal elven kingdom to the east.

She was a beloved child of the Elf king and his human wife. She was the youngest though, so she wasn’t forced for a heavily political marriage like all our aunts and uncles. Luckily, our grandparents enjoyed their marital duties very much so we have dozens of aunts and uncles and hundreds of cousins. So we are very much considered mud-bloods in the various communities we stem from. This doesn’t bother us much though, being outcasts. We have our people, our home, our friends, we have everything we need.

“Mistress, your sisters have returned,” a familiar voice rushed as they nearly ran through the door. I sighed and glared down into the garden, listening carefully. I heard my other halves immediately. My twins, er, we were triplets- but yeah.

They were laughing alarmingly different than usual, then I heard what I was dreading. Male laughter, males that I didn’t know the voices of. I memorized everyone in my mind so I would never be surprised. This set off a fire inside of me.

Let them go out and do what they want, but to bring strangers into our home without asking?! Forbidden! Absolutely not! I put my lips into a thin line and narrowed my expression, my dark lashes shadowing my lilac eyes. I whirled my head around and my pale silver hair fluttered in thick waves around me. My gown swished as I stood from my windowsill and clenched my fists and thundered down the grand staircase to meet the merry bunch in the grand foyer.

My sisters quieted as they heard my approach, gliding down the stairs. With each step I felt angrier and angrier. Fire puffed out of my nostrils as I tried not to set our home on fire. They stared at me with humored expressions as I stood on top of the stairs, looking down upon them furiously.

“What is this? This is forbidden!” I hissed as I looked at my sisters and then glared at the four incredibly handsome men standing with them. They were expecting me to act like this and they thought it was funny. I frowned.

“Ophie, fucking chill! Goddamn, they’re just our friends!” Paige growled as she shrugged me off completely, her leather jacket audible as her many patches rubbed together as she moved. Her sun-kissed tan skin shone in the light of our hall, her pale silver hair tumbling down her back effortlessly perfect. She was the eldest sister, and probably the most beautiful. Her piercing ice blue eyes were like reflective mirrors compared to her warm tanned skin and striking silver hair. Everyone was drawn to her, and also Nissa. They radiated warmth and humor and they were fun to be around. I wasn’t. I didn’t understand how we were supposed to be identical.

“Seriously, Oph, you aren’t our mother! Stop being such an uptight spinster and come meet our friends, please?” Nissa pleaded, emphasis on the please. Her tanned skin glowed next to Paige’s and her sky blue eyes begged me silently. I softened at her words but still kept my guard up as I looked over the men carefully.

Two vampire men, both with midnight raven hair and pale, perfect features. One had shorter cut hair and also sported a tight leather outfit and dirty ripped jeans. I curled my lip a little absentmindedly at his disheveled appearance but I couldn’t deny he was handsome. My sister's definitely had different tastes in personality, but these men were fine specimens.

You could see their muscles rippling under their clothes, almost like an invitation. I cringed, looking away. I didn't want to be obviously oogling these strangers. His friend, or maybe relative- they looked very similar, was dressed completely different. More like the vampire men I’m used to. More my type.

He wore a simple all black suit with tails and tight collar, his hair was long and flowed to his waist, tied back loosely behind his pale nape. Both of their eyes met mine and they appraised me in my lavender elven gown, my sleeves and silver waves touching the floor. I was not dressed for visitors, I realized.

I blushed and pulled some of my hair over my shoulders to cover my lascivious figure. That was something all of us sisters had in common, we were not too tall but not too stocky. We all sported the bodies of goddesses. We were plump, elegant, and lush where they needed to be and tight in others.

I didn’t want any attention, at all. I hated being perceived by strangers. I hated being put on the spot like this by my sisters, I just wanted to turn and retreat to my chambers and my animals.

“So this is your shy, nerdy, and wicked little sister, huh?” the short haired vampire said to Paige, chuckling and winking at her. She laughed and blushed, her features lighting up in ways I hadn’t seen in decades. Interest sparked in me. Nissa noticed and smiled, calling up to me again.

“See? Come on Oph, it’s safe! I promise! I swear!”

I tensed, one foot coming out slowly, but hesitating. I looked at the other two people they had brought, one was obviously a wolf shifter, you could smell him from across the room. He gazed up at me curiously, but he stood very close to Nissa, almost possessively. He had dissheveled blonde hair and striking indigo blue eyes. He hovered close to my sister in a way that almost pissed me off. He didn’t need to protect her over her fucking twin sister, what a moron. The other was a man who seemed to glow from the inside, serenity flowing around him. I almost laughed.

“You guys brought two vampires, a wolf, and an ANGEL to our house?”

“There she is! Come on, Ophie, do you think I’d bring them here if I didn’t trust them? You know me!” Paige insisted, gesturing for me to come down the stairs. I glanced at Nissa, nibbling my lip. She just smiled the sort of reassuring smile that made everything else melt away, holding her hand out for me.

I sighed and floated down the stairs, my sleeves, gown and hair just dragging behind me like some mess. I came down to my sisters and they hugged me instantly, tightly. They pulled back and looked at me with hopeful expressions.

“Ophie, these are our um… Close friends! Mine are the lovely leather studded fellow Augustine and my angel, Gabriel,” Paige said, gesturing to the men in question. My eyes widened and I nodded, smiling as best as I could. Gabriel smiled at me pleasantly, his pure energy making me feel a bit better. I could see why she’d be attracted to an angel. They could ease anxiety just by being in the same room. Maybe I should make an angel friend? All of us suffered from crippling anxiety that we’d grown accustomed to laughing about.

“Nice to meet you guys,” I stuttered as politely as I could, my face red as I strained to socialize.

“Oh and this is Augustine’s older brother, uh… do I have to say the whole thing dude?” Paige asked, glaring at the tall dark dignified looking vampire standing beside his punk-styled brother. He looked at Paige with disgust, as if she should know better.

“Of course, this should be a proper introduction, Lady Morrowgrove.”

“Fucking prude,” Augustine grumbled under his breath. His brother shot him a piercing glare, but then returned his calm gaze to mine. His crimson eyes glowing in the light, I swallowed hard, something sticking in my throat.

“Okay well, Lady Ophelia Willow Rose Morrowgrove, this is Archduke Amodeus Valentin Oakheart,” Paige said in an overly dramatic voice, bowing deeply before us. I curtsied politely and smiled at him, he bowed to me.

“It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Archduke,” I said in my perfect lady voice.

“And I am very humbled to meet such a lovely young lady like yourself, Lady Morrowgrove.”

I laughed weakly and tried to look away, but he held my gaze ferociously. I swallowed again, my throat going dry like I’d been stranded in a desert.

“Um, so why are you canoodling with a royal vampire family, Paige?” I asked, my voice a pitch higher than intended.

“Because I want to, and they don’t care what we are,” She answered passionately, grabbing Augustine’s hand and pulling him to her without thinking. He looked at her with something akin to how my father looked at my mother. Pain lashed through me and I looked away, my face on fire again.

“Well that’s good, and what about your friends, Nissa?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“Um, this is my boyfriend Nikael. He’s not my only boyfriend though- but I promised him he could spend the night first.”

I raised my brow and looked from my fairy-like sister in her smokey black makeup and black lipstick to the golden stud muffin over her shoulder. He took a step forward with a beaming smile that was exceedingly out of character with the way he was hovering over her a minute ago- his white teeth shining as he smiled. Mid step he tripped over thin air and nearly fell on his face but Nissa held her arm out instinctively as if she anticipated it and gave him an exasperated look. I instantly knew this boy-man-dog was totally hers and I liked him despite what an awkward possessive attitude he had earlier.

“Wow, so both of you have multiple boyfriends?” I ask, looking around for something safe to look at.

“Don’t even get us started, Ophie. You have always been attracted to the same shit, so shut the fuck up,” Paige retorted, glaring at me with a smirk dancing on her full rosy lips. I laughed and looked at the floor, shuffling around awkwardly.

“Yeah, that’s true. Um, I’m going to um, go outside for a minute,” I say before curtsying flawlessly and dipping out of the room like a ghost, my bare feet thumping on the stone floor while my hair and gown flew behind me like a cape.