A thick, well-worn red carpet stretched down the centre of the hallway, drawing me along. I tiptoed for no good reason, creeping like an intruder. Technically, I wasn't supposed to wander around without supervision, but I couldn't resist the temptation.
Finally, I found myself at the top of a massive curving staircase. Lights from below flickered through the banisters, creating leaping deer and round-eyed owls along the walls. Knowing that my time wandering around the mansion was limited, I quickly made a decision and headed up the stairs.
I stopped at the very top floor, where there was only one door. That had to be the attic. I pushed the door open, surprised when I found it to be unlocked.
A musty cloud of cold air hit my face and shivers broke down my body. Spider webs hung like tinsel from the ceiling, and a thick coat of dust made my nose twitch. I tried the light switch. A lamp emitted a soft glow, one made even dimmer by the layer of dust on the shade.
I caught a whiff of thick, cloying perfume. Heavy masculine chairs flanked a fireplace, and French windows led out to a balcony. But the crown jewel of the room had to be enormous, intricate desk. The top was bare, but when I opened drawers I found bits and pieces of treasures.
Old photographs of a priest and a baby. A postcard with a hospital on the front and a note in spidery script on the back: Will be here at least two more months – facility is awful, but it has to be done. Much love, N.
A dried rose crumbled when I picked it up. Pens and pots of ink hid behind carved doors with knobs made of onyx and ivory.
Bundles of letters flanked the desk. Most were yellowed and frayed with age, tied together with grosgrain ribbons, but others were clearly more recent.
I picked up the top batch; the envelopes were still white and smooth. All were addressed to Karlheinz, whoever he was. I untied the ribbon and opened the first letter.
My Dearest,
Our little prophet grows stronger each day. But her time is coming soon, and it will not be long before she has to get her hands stained with blood. I have taught her everything I know. Swordplay, archery, and of course, staking. She does well for a young girl of four. Better than many of her peers, who are mostly older and tougher than her. At this rate, she might even survive the final test. I have thought of several names for her, none of them which sound quite right. She will be quite the lady, one we will be very proud of. My daughter would be proud of her, if she were to see my grandchild now. She will adore her. She has her mother's eyes, and her father's spirit. The future is not clear and it frustrates me. I can't see the visions as I used to, but I know she is special, and will be able to save both our families. This I trust.
Your friend,
Nicole L.
I picked up the next letter. They were spaced about three months apart. I riffled through the other piles. None were more recent than this batch, from thirteen years ago. I scanned them all, unsure of who this 'prophet' was.
My Dearest,
She has attracted the monarchy's attention. I am not surprised. She murdered everyone in the facility. She exceeded everyone's expectations. She is currently under heavy sedation. It will take a while for her to heal. Perhaps you could come over and quicken the healing process. It might be in her best interests to forget. She was rather… Taken with one of your boys when you came over last. I think it was the purple haired boy. Kanato? Was that his name? Even though he is older, and a vampire, that did not stop her from liking him. My suspicions are confirmed. Their destinies are tangled together. There is hope after all. War can be prevented. I will gamble everything on this girl. Until then, take care. Bring him with you if you can.
Your friend,
Nicole L.
I set the letters down with a sigh; this hadn't at all gone the way I'd planned. Who was this girl? And what the hell did she have to do with Kanato? I heaved another sigh, trying to explain the irrational jealously that welled up inside of me.
"Stop being stupid. You're his meal, not his friend," I told myself firmly.
"So this is who Kanato's chosen? Stupid brat didn't have the best taste, did he?"
I looked up. It wasn't Yui, nor was it any of the Sakamaki brothers. It was a woman, slender, and curvaceous. She was dressed in a tight dress that emphasized her hourglass figure and accentuated her bosom. Her purple hair was long and tumbled half-way down her back. She also had an extremely unpleasant scowl on her face.
Okay, I admit it. I freaked out. Hey! What would you if some big-breasted woman suddenly appeared in a locked room? Don't judge me!
"Who the hell are you?" I demanded, once I'd managed to recover the full use of my vocal chords.
She arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "You can see me?"
"No, of course I can't. I'm merely talking to the fireplace." I deadpanned.
Her scowl deepened, and I noticed that it made little impression on her perfect face. Man, how many Botox jabs had this woman gone for?
My eyes widened. I'd seen her before. In my vision. Ayato sucked her blood. He killed her. I was positive.
"I know you! Ayato killed you!" The words burst out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I clapped a hand over my lips, but it was too late. The damage had been done.
Interest shone in her otherwise bored expression. "So… Maybe that brat doesn't have such awful taste after all."
Annoyance pulsed through me.
"Stop calling Kanato a brat." I snapped. "It's rude."
"I can call him whatever I want. He's my son, after all." She replied in that snotty little voice.
"Your son?!"
Well. I could certainly see the family resemblance there.
"Tch. So he's bonded with you. Stupid brat. Maybe I shouldn't have gone easy on him after all." She clicked her tongue, annoyed.
"'Gone easy on him'?" I echoed. "What do you mean?"
A sly smirk crossed her face.
"Why, didn't he tell you about what his mother did? I did it with another man. In front of him."
My jaw dropped.
"You did what?!"
"Stupid, can't you even listen to what I say? Man, you are dumb. I did it with Richter. In the presence of that brat. And all he did was play with that stuffed animal of his."
I felt sick to my stomach. This was Kanato's mother? She was awful. And she didn't even feel any remorse about what she did.
"Call Kanato a brat one more time," I said, "and I'll destroy you."
She looked at me without the slightest trace of fear. "I did it while the brat was watching," She said in this stupid little sing-song voice, stretching out the sentence so that it contained multiple syllables.
I lost it. I hit her so fast she never saw my fist coming. I hit her hard, hard enough to send her flying into the wall. She landed hard too, on the marble floor, but was on her feet a second later. Her eyes glowed red, and for one moment I expected her to strike back at me. But instead, she growled and vanished.
"Huh," I said, mostly to myself. "Chicken."
She'd be back of course. She didn't seem like the sort who liked to leave things unsettled. She'd come back. But hopefully when I saw her again, she'd have a slightly improved attitude.
Ghost lady gone, I blew lightly on my knuckles (aiming for her bony jaw had not been the best idea), and scarpered. Back to Yui's room of course. I just hoped that I hadn't given the poor girl a heart attack while I was gone.
Hooray for quick updates! Man, I couldn't stop laughing when I wrote this. Because Antoinette punching the ghost of a long dead vampire is just too priceless to resist. Hope you all like this chapter! Reviews are much appreciated!