Untouchable like a distant diamond sky, Mmmm
I'm reaching out and I just can't tell you why
I'm caught up in you, I'm caught up in you
Untouchable, burning brighter than the sun
And when you're close I feel like coming undone - Taylor Swift
Derek carried me and finally set me down in front of large double French doors with intricate etchings and glass adorning them. Adjusting my gown and instinctively patting my pale locks I smiled up at Derek who was giving me the strangest look. Shrugging my frail shoulders Derek opened the door to a site that stole the breath from my body at the grandeur of it all.
It was like an indoor garden, something I'd never seen before. Flowers of all kinds were draped from the glass ceiling and walls as roses lined the windows in large healthy bushes. The fragrance was heavenly, a mixture of all the scents of the flowers. Drawing in a big breath I couldn't help but allow a shimmering smile to coat my peach lips. I'd never seen anything more beautiful in my life, except for the vampires. Turning I noticed Derek again giving me a look that I couldn't read. Meeting his dark gaze with my light one he shook himself from his reverie and gave me a sheepish grin. "Gardenia made this little place. Quiet lovely, are you familiar with flowers?"
Catching his words but instead still taking it in I slowly shoot my head no. I knew little about floors other then what roses looked like and daisies. Turning a particular flower caught my attention. Moving from Derek I walked over towards it my eyes glued to it. It was the most moving and lovely flower in the place in my mind. Fingering its pure white petals I felt Derek come up beside me. "Ahh that Ryali is the Lilly of the Valley. Named so because they say they formed when the Virgin Mary shed her tears at the cross. It's also referred to as 'Our Lady's Tears'. Though there is another legend saying that they came from the blood of during a battle with a dragon."
I listened to his masculine yet smooth voice speak as I kept my eyes focused on the lily. They looked like they were so pure, yet so sad because they drooped their bell like heads down off their stems. "Enchanting.." I hadn't even noticed the words escaped me before Derek and I were joined by possibly the most beautiful woman in the world. She could've put all the models to shame in an instant. The woman stood a few inches taller than myself and was slender yet curvaceous. She had the same dark eyes like Derek yet to me they seemed more crimson while his ranged from a dark blue to an emerald green. Her hair was magnificent dangling over her shoulders in flawless red locks.
Turning to face her I offered up as nice a smile as I could. If only I could ever be that beautiful, then no one would've hurt me. Holding back a sigh I watched as she turned to fixate her eyes on Derek, completely ignoring my presence. "Derek sweetheart how lovely to see you. I had no idea you'd be coming." Derek made a sound that reminded me of a snort yet I couldn't imagine why he'd snort at the woman. "Lauren, meet Ryali Leopold." Just then her eyes finally focused on me.
Giving her the friendliest smile I could muster given my present situation I expected her for some reason to give one back. Instead I was fixed with the deadliest glare I could have ever received. And the message was clear 'lay off my man' was practically being screamed at me through her eyes. What a bitch. Honestly if she and Derek were mates why show so much aggressiveness towards me? I was nowhere as beautiful as she was; in fact, she made me look like a child. But why hate me when they were clearly mates if I'd been told a vampire could only have one soul mate. If they even had souls.
Shaking in off I realized Lauren had turned back to Derek and was now linking her arm through his. "Now Derek, be a good man and escort this lovely lady to the luncheon. I'm starving." As her words about being hungry came out she purposely looked at me. I swore in that moment that if I would've had a shovel near-by, I would've used it on her. But that would be suicidal itself. Forcing myself to let it go I watched in utter amazement as Derek none-too-gently pulled his arm from her grasp and instead placed his hand across my waist. My skin tingled as his cool fingertips rested on my waist but I ignored it, silently wishing I'd had a camera handy to take a picture of Laurens face.
Complete embarrassment didn't even begin to explain her features and I had to stifle a laugh. Glancing up at Derek I realized he was no longer paying attention to the situation as he began pulling me along with his arm locked around me like a steel band protecting me. "Ryali, you're not going to be the only human at the occasion so loosen up, no one is going to eat you. At least not right now.." I didn't know if I should've been happy there were going to be other humans, or the fact that he was somewhat hinting to my impending doom. Instead I did the human thing and choose to look on the Brightside.
Drawing in my breath we continued walking through all the lovely flowers till we came upon a large wooden table with intricate wooden chairs filling in spots. At least a dozen humans, well, vampires and humans were seated along the table. Derek choose a seat closest to his father and I was stuck across the table stuck between a male and a female. I was positive the female was human, she wasn't strikingly gorgeous but the male beside me, well just by the way he gazed at me I knew he was thinking of other things then eating real food. Well, real human food.
Drawing in a breath to relax myself I turned to the woman seated beside me and offered her a small smile. Considering how my last meeting with a female had gone I was none too excited for this one. "Hi I'm Ryali Leopold." The woman immediately turned her gaze on me and smiled warmly and I felt relief fill me as I released the breath I hadn't known I was holding. "Nice te meet ye dearie. I'm Vanessa, Jordan's' mate." She had an interesting accent from the south but I immediately admired her. She couldn't have been but a few years older than me and though she was shorter she was as slender as I was and too me was a beautiful human. "You're an uh..Vampires mate?" I couldn't stop the question as it slipped from my lips but she just smiled at me as if it was a normal one. "Yup, and the damned finest one, other than Derek of course." At that I noticed the man seated on her other side who had light looks but held dark eyes also. Guessing that was Jordan I smiled to him as he returned it with a nod.
Turning back to my plate as Vanessa and I began mindless chatter I tried to keep up with the conversation except when I looked up I noticed Derek staring at me. Shaking my head and turning back to smile at Victoria I felt my mood lighten. I hadn't talked this much in ages. After my parents died I dropped the popular crowd and instead my iPod and oversized clothing became my best friend. Forcing myself not to think much into my past Victoria stopped speaking as she turned her head towards the entrance where human waiters and waitresses came in carrying large platters.
I watched as they gracefully set them down on the table in separate areas then proceeded to lift the silver tops to reveal all different assortments of foods ranging from fresh venison to beef. Everyone at once began digging in, the Vampires I couldn't help but notice going for the particularly bloody looking pieces of meat. Forcing my gag reflex down I felt somewhat better that it wasn't me who was being attacked. I knew my weak body though strong for a human, wouldn't stand a chance. Filling my plate up I ate and listened to the conversation around me. Derek and his father were discussing something silently though they each kept glancing at me that made me feel uneasy. Victoria and a human girl with flaming red hair seated across from her were having a heated debate on the latest fashion. Glancing to my other side I noticed the vampire sitting beside me grinning. A shiver ran through my body though there was sunshine flowing in from the glass ceiling and walls.
Shrugging it off I was surprised to hear his deep vocals come out. "Nice to finally meet you Ryali, I'm Gabe." Nodding my head to him I gave him a slight smile and pretended to be very interested in carving my venison into tiny pieces. Then I watched in udder horror as he reached out and ran his hand along my cheek bone. "Your very beautiful, just like your mother, tell me, Ryali Leopold, are you claimed?" My heart caught in my throat as he mentioned my mother while everything inside of me recoiled from his touch. It'd looked harmless but felt lethal. As I was about to retort back I suddenly felt a steel arm banding around my waist to hug me from behind and cool lips kissing my cheek that sent a warm chill down my back. Warming my blood. "Honey how about we go for a walk?"
Derek's voice entered my ears and I felt relief once again. Nodding my head I allowed him to help me from my chair as we escaped from the table. Once outside the French doors and back into the castle I let my breath out but noticed Derek had yet to release my torso. "Thanks for that.." Trying to pull myself from his grasp I watched as Derek simply looked at me and did something I'd never expect him to do. He kissed me.