Chapter 3 Beginning to Trust

Ashlee's eyes flicked open and for a moment she couldn't remember where she was. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes she looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings then it all hit her. Yesterday she had run away from home and Verona found her, she took her back the manor house where she had met Aleera, Marishka and Dracula. Ashlee stretched and smiled but then a thought came to her, something her mind hadn't even brushed upon the whole time she had been there.

I really don't want to go home anymore, I love it here. But I'm sure mum and dad will find me! I wish I could just stay here with Marishka and the others, but they are leaving… I wonder if they will take me with them.

She shook her head, lay back down and decided she wouldn't think about that, it was too soon to think about anything like that, she would just enjoy it while she could. Closing her eyes and relaxing her whole body she just cleared her mind and recounted her favorite memories in her life. There were so many of them but she got tired of thinking about them because it made her miss her family again. Throwing back the duvet Ashlee got out of bed and stretched her muscles.

Marishka was sitting down stairs and sensed Ashlee getting up and moving around. She was the only one in the house because when she woke up the others were gone, but she was used to it, they all did it to each other and found it best not to complain. Marishka heard Ashlee softly walking down the stairs and quickly hid the glass of blood she was drinking.

"Hello, is anyone up yet?"

Marishka smiled to herself

"Yes, I'm in the kitchen Ashlee,"

Ashlee walked around the corner and went into the kitchen and sat down next to Marishka and the breakfast bar.

"Hey, did you sleep alright?"

Ashlee asked her looking at her with the green eyes

"Yes I did thank you,"

Marishka couldn't really tell her that she had been awake all night hunting so she just lied

"And yourself?"

"Uh-huh,"

Ashlee looked out of the window and frowned

"It's really dark still, do you know why that is?"

As a matter of fact she did. Her master had gone to see the devil about helping them travel safely from Transylvania to England, so he made it dark all the time but still a little light at day so you could tell the difference between the two. But again she couldn't tell her that, so she lied. Marishka was getting used to lying to the girl but she didn't like it.

"No I don't, it is strange though,"

Ashlee looked back at Marishka

"Is it always cloudy in Transylvania?"

"I suppose it is. Maybe its just a funny time of the year,"

Ashlee and Marishka both laughed. When they had finished laughing and smiled to herself

"You know Marishka, you all have been really kind to me and I'm really grateful, I love you all but…"

Ashlee looked down

"I think I like you the most,"

That caught Marishka off guard. She looked at the brunette in front of her and couldn't stop smiling, she could have sworn that she almost felt a strong emotion; she felt that she really did love Ashlee

"Well, I wasn't expecting that,"

She leaned forward and hugged her hard

"And I really like you to,"

Ashlee hugged her back and smiled. They both came out of the hug and Marishka suddenly remembered something

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask you something… Have you ever been horse riding?"

Ashlee shook her head

"Would you like to go riding with us when the others get back?"

Ashlee nodded and Marishka laughed

"There are some things up in your wardrobe that might fit you, so you don't get your pretty jeans dirty. You can go up and change now if you want,"

Jumping down from the stool Ashlee walked quickly out of the room and ran up the stairs 2 at a time, she reached her bedroom door and closed it.

Marishka listened to her every movement, she heard a noise, much closer to her. Marishka turned her head around and saw Verona in the doorway looking at her sister with intense brown eyes

"Morning my dear, are you alright?"

Aleera and Dracula appeared next to her talking

"Yes I am sister; tell me, where did you all go? When I woke you were gone,"

Verona's eyes softened as she detected a hint of loneliness in her voice, with one swift move she stood next to Marishka and leaned her head on Marishka's

"We just had to sort out some vampires around this area urgently; we would have woken you but…"

Dracula appeared next to Verona and looked down at Marishka

"But you seemed deep in sleep, you looked to peaceful that we didn't want to wake you,"

Marishka stood up and blinked

"You didn't have to explain, I know you wouldn't just leave I was just wondering,"

Aleera walked over and sat opposite Marishka

"Are you sure my dear sister,"

She laughed and Marishka smiled deviously, she picked up the glass of blood she had hidden from Ashlee and finished it off in one gulp then threw it at Aleera who only just caught it in time. They both laughed

"Come on darlings, now Marishka did you ask Ashlee if she wanted to come horse riding."

Dracula asked walked to an empty an sat down. When Marishka nodded he smiled

"Good, well done my dear,"

Ashlee had just pulled on the last boot when she suddenly heard

"♫She's a teenage superstar, always got the VIPunky cars…"

That's my ringtone… why did I bring my phone… what a stupid thing to do.

She walked over to her bags and took out her phone and answered it

"Hello?"

"Oh thank God Ashlee! How are you? Where are you? We've all been really worried! Your mum says you haven't been home yet! Were so sorry for what we did, we don't know what we were thinking!"

Ashlee recognized the voice as Chloe, but she didn't want to talk to her. She would try and persuade her that she should come home but she didn't want to, Ashlee had made her mind up,

"Yes Chloe I am fine. But I don't really care if you al have been worried, you should have thought about that before you did it shouldn't you! Now I'm going to say this once and once only… I don't want to come home, I like where I am now and they are nice to me. Don't try and find me because you won't be able to! So just leave me alone,"

Chloe started to sound desperate but Ashlee didn't care

"Please Ash! Just listen. We,"

"NO! I don't want to listen to you! I've said everything I have to say… Goodbye Chloe,"

And she hung up. She didn't want to hear anything that she or anyone had to say. As she walked out of the room she chucked the turned off phone on the bed and shut the door. Walking down the stairs Ashlee saw Aleera and Verona standing at the bottom of the stairs

"Morning darling, are you ready?"

Aleera watched Ashlee as she walked down the stairs, the vampire could see through her skin and to her heart, the steady beats of it she could hear. Oh how she longed to taste her blood but she knew her master would be very angry. Verona followed her sisters gaze and nudged her

"Stop it Aleera,"

She told her quietly, the good thing was the Ashlee hadn't noticed because she was putting her hair up in a pony tail, and looking at herself in the mirror, it was both of the brides now that watched her. They both longed to be able to gaze into a mirror again. It was the only thing they missed about their human lives.

"Yes, I'm ready now,"

She grinned, Marishka and Dracula joined them and they walked out of the house and round to the back of the house where the stables were, they let Ashlee pick her own horse to ride as there were 7 of the magnificent beasts. She picked a large black horse with white feet and long, flowing main and tail, Dracula smiled. Ashlee had actually chosen a Transylvanian horse called Zaharia; they all mounted their horses and broke them into a canter as they went to the field.

About 6 hours later they were returning to the house, some sunlight was getting through the clouds and it was dangerous for them to be out. Dracula and Aleera were riding behind Ashlee and she heard them muttering, it was getting on her nerves a bit. After a while they both rode up beside Ashlee and she shot them an irritated look

"Finished muttering have we?"

"Yes we have as a matter of fact,"

Dracula decided he wasn't going to take offence; she was mortal and didn't know better… he hoped. Aleera watched her master and quickly cut in so that Ashlee didn't annoy him further

"Ashlee, my darling, would you like to come to a party tonight?"

Dracula realized what Aleera had done and was grateful

"It's our annual Masquerade Ball. Have you heard of it?"

Have I heard of it?! It's only the biggest party of the year around here!! I had no idea that it was their ball…Ohmigod!

"Ummm… Yeah alright, but i don't have anything to wear to it,"

Aleera laughed

"We already have something for you child! You are going to be our guest of honor! That's what we were muttering about!"

Ashlee almost fell of her horse…

Okay, I must be dreaming… if I poke myself I'll wake up!

"Still, the answer is yes! Of course I will,"

Both of their faces beamed. When they got back to the manor house Marishka took Ashlee upstairs and showed her the dress that Dracula had got someone to make for her. Now that it was finished, like Marishka's outfit it had a large piece of material that was attached at her wrist, to her shoulders and back to her other wrist. Marishka touched the dress

"Do you like it?"

"Yes! I love it, it's beautiful. Oh I forgot to ask, when is the ball?"

Marishka frowned; she thought Aleera had told her

"It's tonight, come on! We need to start getting ready. It's already 3pm and the ball starts at 7,"

"Well we've got ages then,"

Ashlee was getting confused

"Were not holding it here, It's in Ascot and there are 4 women who need to get ready here, I'm sure it will take a while,"

They both laughed and Marishka left Ashlee to get ready while her sisters and she changed into their dresses. They were wearing dresses with tight boned corsets at the top and the skirt puffed out, they were the same colors and the outfits they usually wore. Dracula was unusually excited, it had just dawned on him that in a few hours they would change Ashlee into one of them forever… This was such a big night for all of them…