Chapter Four

What happened the day after that damned ball that I spent a total of ten minutes at, shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. Dear old Uncle Drac s**t a brick and then put me under house arrest. Actually he got a Mage to put me under house arrest. Which meant that I couldn't leave my house, literally. There was now a magical force field around the doors and windows of my house, preventing me, and as I soon found out only me, from leaving my living quarters.

It was about eight-thirty in the morning when I figured this out; I was on my way out the front door for an early morning jog when I was forcibly thrown back into the house. I landed hard on the tiled floor. What the hell...? I thought to my self as I got up to investigate. I walked straight toward the door with my right hand outstretched; it went maybe two inches outside of the doorway before it hit an invisible solid mass.

"Ah good morning Ravenna, I trust that you slept well?" The arrogant prick asked me in a cheery tone.

"What's going on? Why can't I leave my house, I have things to do today Uncle Drac." I asked him with a glare.

"In light of your actions last night I have decided to.... what's the word?" He paused for a few moments before continuing. "Oh yes, I have decided to 'ground' you until such a time as you have repented your actions and come to terms with your new situation. You are not to leave this structure with out an escort, who will be approved by me, and you are not to have any weapons on your person upon leaving. Do I make my self clear?"

I punched the force field, "It doesn't look as if you're actually giving me a choice in the matter there Uncle Drac. What happens if I don't agree to your terms?"

"You will not leave your home until the next Ball, which my dear is in three months time." He said with a cruel smile.

"Aww but Uncle Dracie I thought you said School was an important part of growing up? If you don't let me out of the house how ever will I continue my sacred learning career?" I asked in a mock baby voice, I hate my school, and most of the people in it.

"As I said you will not leave without an escort."

"It's a boarding school."

He didn't have a quick response to that one, score one for me. "The dormitory rooms are usually built for two are the not? Your escort will simply move into your dormitory with you."

"Except for the fact that you can't lock me in my dorm room, especially with magick, the Board of Trustees won't let you. Plus I already have a Roommate." I said with a smart a*s smirk.

"You try my patience..." He scowled menacingly.

"Alright fine... how exactly do you expect me to 'repent my actions'?"

"Accept that Gregovich is your protector and do as he says to keep you safe. As well as doing as you are told in the future. When I give an order you will obey me is that understood?"

"Were you like this with my mother? God, no wonder she hated you... I reluctantly have to agree with the very first part of your terms, but I make no promises on the rest." I told him sighing resigned to my fate. "Now have Magick Man over there take down the damned force field."

"I am sorry but I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request, the force field will remain in place for the remainder of the month. I do hope the rest of your day is pleasant." With that he laughed evilly and walked away. What an A*****e.

A few hours later, while I was down in the basement (this time working on a gun design for one of my clients) some one rang my doorbell. Oh great who could that be? I thought to my self as I got up from my work bench, Pollux was sitting across my shoulders and I was too lazy to take him off before going up to see who was at the door. "Oh it's you..."

"Look Raven, I don't like this anymore then you do, but it's now my job to... is that a Boa constrictor?" Greg asked surprised to see Pollux resting across my shoulders, his favourite position by the way. It's a little more awkward to have him sitting there now that he's bigger then the foot long baby I received as a present from Rocko five years ago, Pollux is a heavy brute, but I love him to death.

"No. Pollux is an Amazon Tree Boa; they're not even the same genus, God. Do you want to come in or do you enjoy standing on the doorstops of houses belonging to girls you don't know?" Pollux lifted his head off my shoulder long enough to look Greg up and down and sample the air around him, then he went back to resting. Sometimes I wonder if my pet is more then meets the eye, after all Amazon Tree Boa's are supposed to be aggressive, and Pollux is more passive then a pillow!

"I'll come in since you can't come out." He said with a grin. "Did you just feed him or something? He's awfully passive for an ATB."

"No I fed him yesterday, but I think it's time for him to go back into his 'environment', you can come along if you want." I told him with a shrug, I don't usually let Pollux roam the house wild when I have company over, or if father wasn't dead, he always did hate my snake, I can't imagine why. Anyway, I led the way down into my basement, past the door to my work room, through the Rec room, to a plate glass window of sorts. It was actually a large plate glass panel (it ran from the ceiling to the floor and touched both walls) that acted as a viewing window into Pollux's home.

"It's a lot bigger down here then I expected." Greg said in awe. I pulled the little screen gate in the middle of the glass panel open and gently encouraged Pollux through, he was reluctant at first but then he noticed the grass along the floor of his enclosure move. Apparently he hadn't eaten all the rats I threw in there yesterday.

"That's because this is the only house on this street with a basement. My father paid a great deal extra for that commodity. Right now we're actually under Ms. Borgia's House across the street. If you listen closely enough you can hear her singing old Broadway tunes in the middle of the afternoon." I told him with a smile, we walked over to the Rec room and sat on mother's favourite couch. "So tell me about yourself. Since you're now my bodyguard I need a little background info."

"Fair enough." He said with a sigh, "Alright, well my name is Gregovich McCrae, I'm nineteen years old and I work for your guardien..."

"Uncle. Drac's my uncle, since you're supposed be my 'protector' I figure you have a right to know the truth."

"Alright then... I was born and raised in Scotland and I moved here to Canada when I was fourteen. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Why do you work for a Vampyre? Or are you a new Werewolf who doesn't know any better?" I asked him grabbing a can of pop from the built in bar fridge in the coffee table in front of us.

"You asked me this last night I believe. I was born a Werewolf, but I guess you could call me the black sheep of the family. Excuse the pun... I started working for your gua... uncle when I was ten. He was the only person who would hire me being that I was so young, not that it's been a great work experience. Not many people will hire me now that I work for Drac and I do have bills to pay. How about you?"

"Well let's see, just the basic's now." I paused to take a sip of my pop, "My name is Ravenna Dragoon, but never call me Ravenna, Raven will do fine or Rae if you really feel up to it. I am seventeen, I have a weekend booth at the Toronto Convention Center during the summer, where I loan quality hand crafted firearms to any and all hunters of the night who can pay for them. I have never liked my Uncle and hope to be there when he dies. Anything else you'd like to know?"