Chapter 5 – Shopping Trip
Walking out of the bathroom, she looked at the floor bashfully, feeling insecure now that she was in front of other people again.
"You look nice, even a little more alive. Do you feel better?" Dagrim asked kindly.
The girl nodded. Then she gave a weak smile, "I could almost just wear the shirt as a dress."
Dagrim petted her on the head, "That is why we're going to go out and get you some clothes of your own."
"Are you ready to go little thing?" Fenris asked as he stood in the door way of her room looking extra cool, in her opinion. "I'm driving."
The girl nodded, starstruck, as it sunk in again that she was standing before a super famous person. And someone she already had a fantasy crush on from the vampire movies she loved.
They walked in silence as Fenris and Dagrim lead her out of the mansion and out to the drive way where a super expensive sports car was parked. As the girl looked over the car she noticed something odd about it.
"But there are only two seats and there is three of us," The girl pointed out confused.
"You're tiny; you can ride in the trunk."
"You know we do have a driver Fenris," Dagrim reminded as he gestured to a limo further down the impossibly large drive way space.
"Is that a real limo?" the girl asked excited.
"You know I don’t like being driven by others," Fenris grumbled.
The girl darted over to the limo and climbed in as soon as Dagrim opened the door for her. In side it was so big she wasn't sure how it all fit. One whole side housed a bar, and the other side a long leather bench that wrapped around in a big L shape. Dashing for the bend she settled herself so she could look out the window and have her legs up on the seat. Dagrim and Fenris sat just a bit down on the long arm of the L. As they started to drive off, the girl got her first look of the mansion she was staying in. It was huge! About the only other building she had seen so big was her school, or a shopping mall. Even in the moonlight the white plaster walls glistened and looked cozy under the terracotta tiled roof. A smile spread against her lips as she thought of how funny it was for there to be so many windows, big open ones, on a vampires' house. After a few more moments of watching palm trees and sea front zoom by she wondered again where she was.
"Can I ask where we are? I smell the ocean, and as weird as it sounds, I feel like it's the Atlantic instead of the Pacific. I was heading north, but there is no snow here, or even a chill."
"The sanctuary is on an island off the coast of what is currently called Georgia." Fenris answered.
"Would you tell us why you were going so far north? You're too young to survive such cold."
The girl looked out the window a moment longer before she admitted, "I was scared. I had hopped no one would chase me over the border. Cops or vampires, then I could just hide and keep to myself so I didn't hurt anyone else."
"You realize vampires aren't cops and don't have borders. Well, not like humans do. All we have to do is ask permission of the territory ruler and we can go where ever we want as long we follow the guy's rules while we're there." Fenris pointed out.
The girl stuck her tongue out at Fenris, "Nyaa. No, I didn't know that."
"Well, no reason for it now. You are safe with us. Which name do you prefer; you gave us Jade and Wolfie?"
The girl shrugged, "Jade is a first name, Wolfie is a pet name." the girl said as she thought, I just don’t really want my human name anymore. It'll be easier to hide if I don’t use my real name..
"If Jade is your first name, what's your full name?"
The girl thought for a moment, *would it be best to use the full alias. It would be fun at the very least, * "Jade Marvel Riddle."
"Alright," Dagrim said firmly, "From now on you'll be Jade Marvel Riddle."
Jade smiled and kept looking out the window.
*Dagrim, * Fenris's thoughts drifted into the elder vampire's thoughts, *two questions for you. One, when are we going to tell her we can hear all of her thoughts? *
*When the time is right, she is still frightened and nervous around us. This way we can find out what we need to know, such as she doesn't want to use her real name in case her family releases an amber alert. Very smart if you think about it; it is a very valid point. But no worries, I will teach her all she needs to know when I think she is ready. *
*Alright, second question, I know why I have a reflection, * Fenris started as he pointed at the large mirror on the roof of the limo, *I know why you have one, but how is it she has one? *
Dagrim looked up surprised. *Good question, I haven't an answer. Maybe for a similar reason we have one. She was bitten by an old one, and then drank from you. Maybe she will fade in a few days. *
Once they reached a huge mall, Jade was told she could start where ever she wanted. Looking at the shop map, she found an undergarment store and went to it, asking the boys to stay outside. With a chuckle they agreed. Once she had her under things all taken care of, she let Dagrim come in so he could pay. Fenris tried to peek in her bag just to tease and she hit him with it, several times. He only laughed as they went to the next shop for clothes. The men seemed to grab every article of clothing that caught her fancy. She tried repeatedly to tell them all she needed was a week worth of tee shirts and at least three pairs of jeans. Dagrim laughed at her and said she was going to be a lady now and needed the clothes to match. Even Fenris agreed that if she was going to be in their charge, no one was going to say they didn't cloth her. It felt like they had bought the whole mall by the time they were done. They even went in the formal shop and picked her up a deep red wine and black evening gown covered in bead work and lace. Looking in the mirror Jade felt that she never had looked so petty or grown up. Dagrim found a platinum and ruby necklace set that matched with diamond accents. Jade really tried to say no, but by this point realized her protest was pointless. She was just so touched by all they did.
"You know what we haven't gotten yet?" Dagrim asked as they walked out of the dress shop.
"What's that? We got all the things I can think that a girl could need; hair things, pajamas, bedding and a toothbrush." Fenris answered.
"She hasn't picked out any shoes," Dagrim said as he ruffled her hair.
Jade blushed as she admitted, "shoes make me clumsy."
The men chuckled and dragged her to the shoe store. Along the way they passed a toy store that she looked at longingly, but said nothing. With all the clothes, jewelry, and everything else it would be rude to ask for more.
Fenris nudged Dagrim and pointed at the toys. Dagrim nodded and they stopped in there first.
"I know you said you were twenty-one, even though no one believes that, but a kid is still a kid. Go ahead; we don't care if you get a doll or something." Fenris said when she looked at them curiously.
She glared at him as she said, "I'm not a kid. I'm just younger than you."
"Come on, how old are you really? You don't look older than eleven or twelve." Dagrim said gently.
There was something about Dagrim that made her feel guilty to lie to him. Looking down at her feet she mumbled, "Fifteen."
"Really?" Fenris asked surprised.
"Yes really," Jade snapped. "I know I don't look that old, but I am!"
"I believe you; you just really do look very young." Dagrim said soothingly. "Fifteen is a better age. In past years you'd be an adult by that age."
"I've been an adult longer than that really. I know you have to have a job, pay bills, take care of your kids and be a good member of society. The other people who live in my old house more of a kid than I am, so I had to grow up. I helped raised my younger siblings, which is hard when you're only two to five years older than them."
"Well, see, that may be for humans, but we don't really have jobs, or pay bills. So, you may have thought you were an adult as a human, kid, but now you’re just a child again." Fenris teased.
Jade looked at him confused, but before she could ask anything Dagrim pat her on the head. "This is all things we’ll talk about later. Pick out any toys you want for now."
Jade smiled and started to look around. This was a toy store that had dolls and figurines form her favorite children's movies about fairytales and talking animals. She hadn't expected to see what she wanted, but as she turned down one row of shelves there he sat. He was marked as a limited-edition stuffed animal of the lion she loved when he was as a cub, but when she had gotten her lion cub years ago, he was the only one of his kind. She picked him up and snuggled him. It wasn't her lion, her lion had been ruined by her house-mates months ago, but the shape and color was familiar. It reminded her of her family and of happy times and of feeling safe. The lion cub had been her invisible companion as a child and protected her while she slept. He had helped her build zoos and draw art galleries in her room. He went on safari with her and helped her go camping on long fur trade campaigns. They had talk shows together and put on plays and musicals; even the more mundane episodes of playing house and hosting tea parties. So many memories came to her as if they were someone else's. Petting the doll, she debated about getting him at all now. Would he remind her of home too much? The apartment house they currently lived in was awful, but her family had loved her as best they could. Her parents were probably heart broken and crying and it was all her fault. She ran away, she hurt the only people she loved. She could not go back however. She was a vampire now. What if she went crazy and hurt her younger siblings? Her family would be the first to notice she had stopped aging. She wanted to fall on the ground, hugging the stuffed lion, and cry until her lungs hurt, but firstly she was in public. Secondly, Fenris and Dagrim were being so nice to her that it would just ruin the whole night. Wiping her eyes and taking some steading breathes she came back from the toys with the lion cub held tightly in her arms.
"That the only one you want?" Dagrim asked kindly.
Jade nodded. She was afraid that if she spoke right now, she would only cry.