A/N: Thanks for your reviews, Rose and Nola. I'm so glad you like my story.


Chapter 3 ~ A gentle touch in water

Laughing, I tried to cover up my drunken state. Of course I wasn't really drunk, because I hadn't drunk anything at all. But the party had finally come to life with my dance. Mr. Sharma had soon joined me on the dance floor to show us all a sample of his dancing skills and Mr. Northman had asked Madame Lefevre to dance when the next song had started. Although the Frenchwoman had initially complained about the choice of music, she had really thawed out. But whether this had been due to the general joy of dancing or rather to the charm of the Swede, I cannot judge. The Merciers had started playing poker and surprisingly, Mr. Tanaka and the Irishman had joined them. It had been fine with me, this way I hadn't been forced to avoid the brothers all the time while dancing. My master had joined us a few dances later too and saved me from Mr. Sharma's dancing approaches. I had to admit that he was a fantastic dancer, but Pierre Mercier's behavior still stuck in my bones, so that I had had enough of sexual tension for the night. Furthermore, I hadn't forgotten how he had treated Priya...

Out of the corner of my eye, I had also noticed that Lady Tatarou and Godric had moved away from the poker players together and had retreated to one of the large windows to talk quietly to each other. Every now and then, it had seemed to me, that they had touched each other's hands tenderly that I had assumed that they probably knew each other better and wanted to be alone without being so rude as to leaving the party completely. That had been perfectly fine with me too. The card players had seemed to be having fun, the French vampiress hadn't stopped laughing while Mr. Northman whirled her around and even though my master had shielded me from him, Mr. Sharma had seemed to be completely absorbed in the dance.

One dance had followed the other, the minutes had turned into hours and after we had taken a break so that our guests could enjoy their blood sorbet which had been served at midnight, Juleka Lefevre had found herself between the Swede and the Indian often enough and visibly enjoyed it by dancing frisky.

And yes, I, too, enjoyed dancing through the night and just staggered into the open arms of the Frenchwoman who gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"Oh my dear Livia! I had truly never thought that Indian music could be so thrilling. I'm so happy about this night."

Having danced for hours had made me feel so happy and free from worries that I could have floated. Yes, I was like in a state of intoxication and so I couldn't help but giggle hearing her words. Then she pulled me even closer to her and whispered so loudly in my ear that all the men around us could hear it.

"Don't you think he's a handsome man?" A hungry growl vibrated in her chest and turned my giggle into a laugh. "Are you mocking me, child?" Playfully, she poked me in my ribs and then pushed me gently away. "I may have a taste for your Carmen, but having a man in my bed now and then isn't bad either." With these words she strutted towards Mr. Sharma, batted her eyelashes and then held her hand out to him confident of victory. Like a gentleman the Indian elegantly bowed to her, kissed her hand and then pulled her closer with a jerk that would most likely have dislocated a human's shoulder. Madame Lefevre just laughed flirtatiously. A few minutes later both of them said goodbye for the rest of the night and I was slightly startled when I heard the voice of the Swede close to my ear.

"That was unexpected. I had thought that dear Juleka would make a pass at me."

Then he sighed theatrically, and I couldn't resist another loud giggle. It was plain – I was clearly drunk without having drunk anything. I could only blame the music and endorphins with which my body had flooded me during the hours of dancing... This thought caused the next laugh and, astonishingly enough, the Viking joined in. It may sound crazy, but at that moment I felt a deep camaraderie with him. I looked at Mr. Northman and was pleased seeing an amused sparkle in his eyes. Then he raised an eyebrow inquiringly and looked around quickly. I followed his gaze and discovered that my master was talking to Mr. Kavanagh. The poker players had disbanded and the Mercier brothers were standing by my girls and boys, having their goblets refilled while Mr. Tanaka joined the Greek vampiress and Godric. A soft voice in my head was about to wonder what the two had been talking about for the last six hours, but then my hand was suddenly grabbed and I was pulled back onto the temporary dance floor. Concentrating on him again, I looked at the Swede and was given a mischievous smirk.

"Your master isn't here right now to protect you from me. You now have no choice but to give me this dance. Allow me this, you beautiful thorny rose."

"What impertinence!" Looking at him playfully angry, I took my hand out of his and – feeling bold – began to circle him. He wanted to dance with me? Then he should earn that right first. Watching him from top to bottom, I pranced around him lightly to the music and threw him a smirk as well when our eyes crossed again. "I propose a barter, Viking."

"Oh? Is that so? Well, I'm all ears."

With a faint giggle, I began a second circle around him. This time, however, I approached him close enough that I could gently stroke his tight-fitting shirt with my fingertips as I passed his back. It was just the feathery touch, hardly worth mentioning, but I hadn't been mistaken about Eric Northman's senses. He waited for my fingers to reach the end of his shirt and then turned his upper body towards me to simultaneously embrace my wrist.

"So a touch is what you crave?"

The look in his eyes was serious and told me that the answer was important to him. That brought me back down to earth a little and I closed my eyes for a moment to collect myself. "No," I whispered and then looked him resolutely in the eyes. "But I would be willing to share a dance with you if you would show me some swordplay basics in return."

For a split second he looked at me completely motionless, but then he threw his head back and howled in loud laughter. "You truly are a thorny rose, aren't you?" Then he took my right hand in his and led my left hand to his upper arm as if he wanted to waltz with me. Startled, I noticed how my body seemed to move automatically with him. But the combination of the standard dance posture and Indian music made me feel very awkward for the first few minutes. Then the music changed its tempo and I relaxed more and more in his arms during the slow songs and a smile crept back onto my lips.

"I'll take that as a yes?"

Suddenly I found his hands on my hip and he lifted me up against his chest so that he had to look up at me. Because of the fast movement my hands automatically cupped his face and – liking his northern blue eyes and blond hair very much – I couldn't resist sliding my fingers briefly through his long mane. Being held in this position, pressed against his upper body, I felt an increasing vibration from his chest resonating in my lower stomach and I felt my face getting hot.

'No!' I couldn't let that happen. Vampires have no pulse and therefore cannot blush! Seeing me in this state would tell him my secret. But the Viking held me too tight to let me break free from his embrace and away from him in the dance.

'Damn...' I had no choice but to quickly bury my face in the crook of his neck so that he wouldn't see one of my unique gifts which certainly would raise questions. So I pretended to scent him, which I should have guessed would only make his contented growl louder and more noticeable through the thin barrier that was our skin and clothes. At the same time I felt a certain part of his body come to life as he whirled us in circles together.

While I was still trying to get the blood flow in my face under control again I was grateful that he didn't rub against me excessively, for that would have destroyed any success on my part. But the longer he held me in his arms I realized that I didn't mind. It was different from the situation in which the French vampire had held me and forced a kiss on me. Because with Eric Northman, I felt I had his respect. Yes, he held me in this dancing embrace longer than necessary and yes, it obviously aroused him, but neither did his hands wander over my body nor did his mouth approach my skin in any way. Instead he surprised me with his next question.

"Do you have two swords in the house, dearest hostess?"

His question was so completely detached from the physical component of our dance that it helped me to catch myself again and I could straighten my head and look him in the eyes.

"Yes?"

"Well, then, it's a yes from me, too."

With that, he gently put me back on the floor and took my right hand to give me a kiss on the back of it with a mischievous glint in his bright blue eyes. Then he bowed briefly, but so elegantly, as if we were in a cheesy movie, and I saw my master standing behind him with folded arms and a look dripping with jealousy.

'Great,' I thought. 'I'll have to listen to another one of his jealousy tirades...'

That was another thing between my master and me. My brothers were allowed to find bedfellows as often as they wanted, but not once in the last twenty-seven years had I experienced such freedom. Whenever I had felt carnal lusts I had to come to my master. He had always been more than willing to help me with my problem, but because I didn't find him attractive in any way, this had always been extremely unpleasant and often enough even repulsive to me. Unfortunately, it hadn't helped that I had learned to suppress these instincts, which were inevitably connected with being a vampire, more and more successfully. For the less I had come to him the more often my master had visited me and demanded carnal pleasures as a return for his blood, which kept me alive.

With an inner sigh I waited for Mr. Northman to straighten up again and was about to ask Dragan for the swords when he beat me to it.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Northman, but my daughter has responsibilities to do yet and no time to deal with weapons that no one fights with anymore anyway."

'Show nothing! Feel nothing!' Oh, how I hated him sometimes. I was never allowed to leave the estate without him, let alone have any fun at all. The only reason I had been allowed to train with Mr. Tanaka all those years was because Dragan didn't want to mess with his good will. He didn't care about Eric Northman though, politically and even more personally.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw how the Swede frowned with an annoyed expression and wanted to say something. But surprisingly, Godric spoke first, who appeared next to me – once again – as if from nowhere.

"You are right, Dragan. Livia still has obligations. Come, my dear."

He left us with that, expecting me to follow him, I suppose. But he didn't get far. Even before I could decide what I would do, my master started growling at our guest.

"What is the meaning of this, Celt? My Livia isn't a blood servant you can take to your room!"

That made the said vampire freeze in mid-step. "You dare to insult me, Dragan? It was our hostess herself who offered me her services." He turned around then and looked at me with that insanely intense gaze of him. "I am entirely at your disposal for the duration of your stay. Those were your words, weren't they, Livia?"

I was sure I'd regret it later. But I had always been a person of integrity and I was true to my word. And so I nodded without hesitation, only to find my master standing dangerously close in front of me one breath later, glaring at me angrily.

"What have you done!" he hissed with clenched jaws.

Oh, he could go to hell! He could punish me as often as he wanted, but I wouldn't shrink from that. If I ever wanted a chance to be accepted by vampires outside of his holy halls, I couldn't mess up my own moral concept.

"Every guest has a right to be provided with what he needs, my Lord. When Sir Godric arrived, there was no-one there to serve him. And so I felt it was my duty and privilege to attend to it myself. I know you hold the law of hospitality sacred. It is also sacred to me and that is why I was sure that you would agree with my decision. Was I wrong about you?"

Had he not been a vampire, he would have turned white as a sheet. I saw it in the twitch of the corner of his mouth and also in the way his pupils dilated. I would regret my words at the end of the festivity. But at that moment his hands were tied. He would never chasten me in front of witnesses, especially witnesses older than him. I had no idea whether Godric had progenies, but Mr. Tanaka was known for always being fair to his own, and had at times put even other vampires in their places who had physically or psychologically abused their progenies. And knowing him quite well thanks to our training sessions I could be sure that although he was talking to Lady Tatarou, he was also aware of everything else around him, including the quiet words of my master that were only meant for me.

In order not to prolong the discussion, I curtsied to Dragan and then simply left him to stand with Godric.

"Would you like to retire to your room, sir? And would you like a serving maid to accompany us?"

In the front part of the hall I just saw Mr. Tanaka and Lady Tatarou leave after they had said goodbye to the other guests and my master with a nod. Sarai and Aliena followed them dutifully and from the corners of my eyes I saw Nila approaching us with blushed cheeks. She stopped near Godric and myself and not a second later I knew why. Mr. Northman had stood behind me and waved her over. Had I already gotten so used to his aura through our short time dancing together that I no longer felt him when he approached me? How strange...

"Come, beautiful Nila. If I cannot show our hostess how to wield a sword, I can at least show you my preferred weapon, which I always carry with me."

I praised all the deities whose names I knew that I was now in control of myself again; otherwise I would have turned bright red. Nila on the other hand couldn't control her blood flow and the Swede emitted a seductive growl at the sight of her.

"I see you understand me. I wish you a pleasant rest of the night. Godric, Livia."

With these words he left us standing and threw the young woman over his shoulder, who didn't seem to be bothered at all by this manhandling.

"Typically Eric," I heard Godric chuckle beside me and looked at him questioningly.

"You know Mr. Northman, Sir Godric?"

Our eyes met and I received only a silent nod in reply. But then he held out a hand, and I took it after hesitation.

"We have been so plenteously served that I see no need to keep one of your serving maids from other duties, my dear. Instead, I would like to take a bath and would be pleased if you give me a hand. I must confess that, shamefully, I am not familiar with the operation of your Jacuzzi tub."

"Of course. I-"

I was interrupted by the loud rattling of a carafe, which hit the ground and broke. Startled, I whirled around and saw Kjell staring at the French brothers with eyes wide open in shock, while each of them had a suggestive grin on their faces. Without worrying about whether it was appropriate, I laid a hand on the Celts forearm. "Please excuse me for a moment." Not waiting for a reply I quickly walked to the centre of the banquet hall and let all emotion vanish from my face.

"I hope you aren't hurt, messieurs." Addressing the boy, I spoke in a bit harsher tone. "You should be careful what you do, Kjell. Clean up the mess, and then help in the kitchen for the rest of the night as punishment."

That I saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes should have been a warning to me. But before I could think about it, Dragan grabbed my arm and led me back to Godric.

"If you offer yourself up like a simple maid, child, at least do your duty and don't keep your guest waiting."

So I had no choice but to follow Godric before I could make sure Kjell was alright. I could only hope that the French brothers wouldn't punish the boy for such carelessness.

Brooding over the situation it had completely escaped me how long I had been thinking about it because when the voice of the Celtic vampire brought me back, we were already standing in front of the door to his room.

"You care very much for your underlings, don't you?"

"Yes, of course. They are my responsibility. It is my duty to see that they are well. I'm sorry if I was distracted. I was still thinking about the boy."

"Hmm." With calm movements he unlocked the door and I followed him in. Looking around, I realized that he hadn't yet changed the personal settings of the security system installed in each of our guest rooms. At that moment it also occurred to me that I hadn't even pointed it out to him when I led him here after his arrival. Ashamed, I wanted to do it immediately right then and there, but when I turned around to him, he had already disappeared into the bathroom. I followed him and had to smile when I saw him standing with a deep frown in front of the big Jacuzzi. Apparently, even ancient vampires still had sometimes something to learn...

Refraining myself from any comment, in order to not offend him by accident, I stepped next to him and used the appropriate levers and buttons to let the water and fragrant foam into the tub.

"How warm would you like your water to be, Sir Godric?"

Instead of answering me, he let his right hand slide into the stream of water and stirred it with his fingers.

"The temperature is quite pleasant."

"I'm glad to hear that. Would you like to try the massage function?

I kept my eyes fixed on the water, which quickly filled the tub. Because from the corner of my eye I could see him first unbuckling his belt and placing it over a stool that stood next to the Jacuzzi. Then he took off his boots and pulled his green tunic over his head. He did this all with slow movements, as if he had all the time in the world. Well, thinking about it, he really had all the time he wanted…

Continuing to watch the water and foam rising higher and higher, I noticed that it was a very pleasant atmosphere between us. Even when the Celt was standing next to me half-naked, there was no sexual tension in the air as if I was standing next to our Indian or French guests. He also didn't seem to expect me to entertain him with constant conversation. The silence between us was pleasant and... yes, it was also eloquent. It may sound strange, but we seemed to understand each other without words. Because any other vampire would have climbed into the whirlpool in front of my eyes by now and wouldn't have stood next to me still dressed with trousers, watching what I was doing. He seemed to be really interested in how the technology behind the whirlpool worked.

Nevertheless, he had to know how the security system worked and I turned to him to point it out. But before I could open my mouth, he was already speaking.

"What were you thinking about before you followed me into the bathroom? You had been deep in thought again."

Listening to him, I felt a smile blooming on my lips.

"That's what I was about to tell you."

His gaze rested on me and I had to pull myself together not to fade away into his unfathomable eyes. Not only did he have so much depth within himself, expressed by his aura, but he also had a personality that he could hide well. I wondered if the three nights would be enough to understand him at all... When he raised an eyebrow questioningly, I remembered that I wanted to tell him something.

"You should know that our guest rooms are equipped with a security system that allows you to be completely safe and undisturbed during your daytime rest. You can adjust your personal protection by means of a switch panel embedded in the wall next to the door – you can choose between an iris or handprint scanner. But of course you can also use both. When you have entered it, a green display shows that it is recorded in the system. Once you have set it up and want to retire for the day, you just activate the system and are completely protected. The windows may look like ordinary glass, but they are made of special UV-impermeable safety glass that is reinforced many times. So, if you want to sleep in the sunshine, you can do so safely and don't need to activate the blinds."

I was proud of myself. I wasn't normally responsible for these technical explanations, but I had presented it confidently and without being distracted by his... incredibly interesting... tribal tattoos. They adorned his upper body and arms like a work of art and spoke of a lively past as a human being. I caught myself looking over his bared torso and over and over again to his arms. I would have loved to touch the jagged lines on his left arm and trace them, but that would definitely have been inappropriate.

I tried to collect myself and therefore lowered my head. But not a second later I felt the touch of his hand on my chin as he made it clear with gentle pressure that I should look at him again.

"So you are telling me that I can enjoy the sunrise here in your house?"

"Yes..." There it was again – all on its own my vision changed and I became aware of his inner flame again. But this time it blazed even a little brighter than when we first met at the front door. That relieved me. It had really bothered me that the foul words of the Frenchman had troubled him.

"How can this be?"

"Well, my master invests a lot in innovative ideas and generously supports various branches of research with funds. He thinks it only fair that he should be one of the first to benefit from new inventions."

"Hmm."

"I am sure he can provide you with good contracts if you want to equip your home with such windows as well."

"I am sure he can." Without taking his eyes off mine, he tilted his head and I began to feel a strong inner calm spreading within my chest.

"Bath with me, Livia."

His words nearly created a rift in me. A small soft voice near my heart, where the connection to my maker should have shone strongly, wanted to protest and make me believe that I was about to be glamoured. But the inner peace and calmness didn't allow any negative feelings and I just didn't want to break our eye contact. Seldom had I felt so calm and satisfied in the last years, as if nothing and nobody could harm me, because in that very moment the world was an absolutely peaceful place. Yes, a bath was just the right thing and stepping a bit closer to him I untied the laces of my choli.

"Could you help me with these?"

It was nothing more than a whisper that came over my lips, but I saw him smile. With slow movements he raised his arms and helped me out of my garment. His hands stayed with me then and when he ran one hand through my hair slowly and let his gaze glide over my face as if looking for something he let his other hand slide down my neck until he caressed the sensitive tip of my right breast. It was... an unexpected feeling – a very sensual feeling – which his touch triggered in me. As if lost in thought, he kept slowly stroking his fingers across my breast, leaving each time a pleasant cold spot that spread like waves on my skin from where he had touched me. Minutes passed and I felt that his tender caresses of my skin aroused me more and more.

I don't know why, but at that moment Dragan came to my mind and with that I sobered again. My master didn't find it worth the effort to give me other comforts such as caressing my skin besides the general act of intercourse.

Trying again to concentrate on Godric and what he was doing with his hand I heard myself quietly sucking in the air and was about to close my eyes to enjoy this pleasant feeling even more when his gaze and words captured me once more.

"Look at me, Livia."

It was crazy, but I couldn't resist his demand. But was that what I really wanted? I was sure what he was trying to do with his request to bathe with him, after all the Jacuzzi was spacious enough for half a football team. But I'd never been one to lay with anyone just for the act of doing so. Okay, well, except for the first few vampire years, but it had been those damn newborn impulses that had driven me into the arms of my maker.

Gathering my integrity, I too let my gaze wander over Godric. He was a little taller than me and had a striking but inviting face. His lips were wonderfully curved and his eyes... I could lose myself in them. So, optically, he was quite appealing. And I already knew that his character, at least that's what he had already shown, was hard but also compassionate. But we had only known each other for a few hours, and thanks to Mr. Tanaka's training I had my impulses so well under control that I didn't have to desperately try to get involved with everyone because I found him sympathetic to some extent.

"Your eyes are like a deep lake to look into. Whenever a thought goes through your mind, it is like seeing a flash in that depth. Tell me what makes your eyes shine so brightly."

Damn, that was good. I've never heard anything so beautiful and I had to bite my lip so the pain helped me not to blush. At the same time I took a step back to get some physical distance from him again. He allowed it, but his right hand moved from my breast to my arm and held me slightly but firmly, thus preventing me from moving back any further.

"I don't think it's a good idea to bathe with you, sir."

"Why? I can see that you are not ashamed of your body."

"Why should I be ashamed of my body? I may be young, but I have been a vampire long enough to have discarded that human emotion."

"Hmm."

A comforting shiver ran down my naked back as he made that stretched-out, soft sound I'd already heard from him. I almost wished he would repeat it...

"You will bathe with me and thereby fulfill your duty."

Hearing these words, dread spread through my chest before I could stop it. Would he really just take me like my master always did? Had I so misjudged him?

My thoughts were probably very visible on my face, for in the next second he had cupped my face with both his hands and looked deep into my eyes.

"'When I say bathing, I mean only that. You have delighted us for hours with your dance and deserve a little relaxation, Livia. I would never take someone against their will. Those days are over that vampires can get away with it scot-free."

I didn't know what to say. Relief and gratitude flooded through me and I had to bite my lip again so that no tears would fill my eyes. This time he let me close them.

"Thank you," I murmured softly. "But why are you thinking about me and that I can refresh myself? I am here to serve you."

Well, I know you don't look a gift horse in the mouth, but I just had to ask. The curiosity that suddenly aroused in me would otherwise eat me up later.

This time he took two steps back and tampered with the fastening of his trousers. I turned away while he slipped out of it and put it on the chair as well. I waited patiently for his answer, but he didn't look at me as he got into the hot tub before he started talking.

"It has been a long time since I brought my daughter over into the world of night. She always loved to bathe and have company while doing so. Call me sentimental, but I miss those times. She was always very responsible, like you, Livia. So I am reminded of her, even if you do not look alike in any way."

Meanwhile he had leaned his back against the edge of the tub and held his right hand out to me.

"Please do me the honor of keeping my sentimental memory alive a little longer."

"Oh..." I breathed, not knowing at first what else to say. After a short nod, I set about releasing the band that held the skirt and just let it slide to the floor. I quickly took off the holders of my daggers and my underwear too and got into the water as well. Smiling at him, I pulled my knees to my upper body and laid my head on top of them.

"I don't mind getting sentimental once in a while. But why do you talk about your daughter in the past tense?"

With a satisfied expression on his face – probably because he had gotten me into the water – he leaned relaxed against the edge of the tub and put his arms on it to his right and left. This opened up his posture and I could admire his tattoo to the fullest, which wound like a chain from one shoulder to the other. Without my involvement my gaze wandered a little downward on itself and I recognized through the foam on the water what wonderfully defined abdominal muscles he possessed. Just when I couldn't stop my gaze from gliding a little further and spot the beginning of short dark hair, Godric's voice made me turn my gaze back to his face.

"I guess it would not hurt to try the massage feature."

His eyes were calmly resting on me, but I knew that he knew where my eyes had just been looking. This time I couldn't prevent myself from blushing and to cover it up I quickly turned away and activated the appropriate switches. Then I also leaned my back against the edge of the tub on my side and closed my eyes in shame. Trying not to think anything, I just pushed everything away from me and for a little while I succeeded. Thankfully, Godric again didn't seem to expect us to make conversation while the water around us was bubbling and kneading our bodies.

I don't know how long I sat like this, but at some point I felt my muscles relax and with a smile I let myself slide further and further into the water until only my face looked out. Softly sighing and blowing against the foam I enjoyed this pleasant feeling. Forgetting everything around me for a moment, I stretched out my legs to float completely in the water. To have such a luxuriously large whirlpool available was the pleasant side of being a daughter of the Markaitis bloodline.

Before my mind could drift even further into a deeper level of relaxation, I suddenly felt something nearing my feet, which shortly afterwards turned into gentle touches. Shuddering with pleasure, it was clear to me that the Celt, too, must have stretched out his legs. Curious about what he would do, I began to move my toes and tipped them against the sole of his feet. In response I received a soft chuckle and that conjured a smile on my lips. He seemed to like it very much, because next he drummed his toes against my ones in the rhythm of a melody, which somehow felt familiar to me. But because of the constant massaging touch of the water all over my body I couldn't concentrate sufficiently and lost touch with the melody.

But that didn't seem to bother him, he just kept going. But after a few minutes he changed our little game and started to move our feet together in different directions just by simply applying light pressure to mine. This reminded me strongly of an anime series from my childhood, where pilots had to synchronize with robots before they could control them... Yes, maybe this insanely old and insanely powerful vampire wanted to synchronize with me too. I couldn't imagine why, but who knew his intentions. I just enjoyed those soft touches under the water and continued to float around in that little sea of my own. But one thing started bothering me.

"Damn it..." I whispered with a frown.

"Hmm? What is wrong, little one?"

"This… here and now is great; it's been a long time since I felt this relaxed. But it would be really perfect if I hadn't forgotten to dim the lights. There are special little lamps set into the ceiling that make it glow like a starry sky when you turn off the main light, or at least dim it."

"And you would like that now?"

"Yes... but I confess I'm far too relaxed to go to the light switch right now."

The gentle pounding of his toes stopped and I felt something like a buzz spreading in the water. Surprised, I wanted to straighten up and sit down again, but his voice interrupted my intention.

"If I turn off the light for you, would you be willing to give me something in return?"

A pleasant premonition came over me and made my curiosity rise to a maximum within a second. Without giving my voice the tone of approval, I just asked what he had in mind. A short silence answered me, but then I heard him... almost whispering.

"Trust."

"Trust?"

"In these last hours you have opened yourself to me. You have accepted my presence and you are here with me in a tub. Some would already call that trust. But that is just your nature. You do not know me, and a little distance would be good for an immortal that young. But I also know that Dragan expects this behavior from you and therefore I want to give you a present. But that requires trust on your part. Can you do that?"

Had I been a mortal, his soft and touching voice would surely have lulled me to sleep. Since I had gone into the water with him I had been so at peace with myself that every warning of my master had disappeared from my mind and I simply couldn't help nodding.

"I trust you, Sir Godric. Whatever you have in mind, I trust you..."

Not two seconds later the lights went out after feeling that strange buzz increasing that I felt before and he was suddenly above me. Slightly startled by the suddenness I took a breath and wanted to say something, but by then he had already lowered his floating body onto mine and together we glided under water. He interlaced his fingers with mine and while I felt his weight only slightly on me because of the water I noticed that he hadn't only turned off the light but also turned off the water jets at the same time so that the water around us gradually calmed down and cleared up.

I tried not to panic, because even though I didn't have to take a breath as often as a human being, I couldn't do without it completely. He seemed to feel my nervous restlessness, for when he caught my gaze I felt a wave of calm spill over me. Had I not known better, I really would have thought that he was helping me by using his ability to glamour. But that was absurd – he couldn't know what I was!

Your eyes are shining again. They are so beautiful… But try to relax. Just look up. What do you see, Livia?

I almost accidently swallowed water when I heard his voice in my mind. He could communicate telepathically with others? I had never read about such a gift in the ancient book of vampires! I felt a previously unknown feeling spreading in my chest and I stared at this vampire with big eyes, who looked at me with such a calm expression. Then something like a smile was stealing into his eyes and he turned us around so that we floated vertically in the Jacuzzi and looked up. Following his gaze, my eyes widened even further – the surface, stirred by our movements, made the starry lights sparkle even more beautifully than if I had just looked at them. I couldn't help it; I detached the fingers of my left hand from Godric's and stretched them upwards. But before my fingertips broke through the surface, I paused so that I didn't interrupt the magic of the moment. It was just so beautiful... And yet it would never be enough. It wasn't the real suns infinitely far away from our earth that I saw glittering through the surface and I would never see the sea if my master had his way.

Feeling a tender touch on my cheek, I looked at the vampire who had made this experience possible for me and this time I saw sadness shimmering in his eyes. Astonished, I realized that I was crying, even though my tears immediately mixed with the water. Nevertheless, he tried to wipe them off and I recognized that this unknown feeling that I felt towards him was awe.

Then another feeling came up that would soon turn into an unpleasant stinging and I knew that I couldn't be under water for much longer. But before I surfaced I wanted to thank him and floated closer to him until I could close my arms around him for a hug. He didn't hold me back or retreat, but simply returned this embrace. And this simple gesture of affection broke all the dams and I could no longer suppress a sob. Without warning, Godric started to move while continuing to hold me, so that we broke through the water together. With another sob, I sucked oxygen into my lungs and felt that I wouldn't be able to calm down that quickly. Why was it like this? What was it about him that made the walls around my soul collapse, which I had carefully built up all these years and stabilized by Mr. Tanaka's training?

"After your turning, did he deny you the closeness you needed?"

His question was no more than a whisper, but I heard him very well, as if he was speaking directly to my mind again.

"I had more than enough closeness and touch. But it had always been for the wrong motives," I sobbed.

His arms closed a little tighter around me in understanding and I was grateful that I didn't have to explain it to him.

"Is that why you do not ask back when you are not given an answer to a question? Were you punished if you were too curious?"

"No, I quite often have the feeling that it would be rude to ask again. It's different with humans, you know? But vampires... sometimes I have trouble filtering to see if a subject is appropriate. It's certainly not that difficult for you. You've lived so long and know the customs of our night society. As for punishing my curiosity…" I gave a soft sigh and lowered my eyes. I didn't like to speak badly of my master, but I didn't feel myself unable to answer him or to even twist the truth. "Sometimes he did..."

"I understand."

Then he took his arms off me and looked at me while brushing some wet strands of my hair out of my face.

"I am speaking of my daughter in the past tense, because she had detached herself from me. She asked me to release her and I did so. That was many years ago and we have not seen each other since that time. I feel that she is alive, but nothing more. But she is content with her present life, as a member of the American authority."

"What makes you think so? You say you can feel nothing more than that she is alive, yet you assume she is content?"

A smile played around his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes when he looked at me calmly.

"She had always been ambitious, even in her mortal life. Now she is in her element; that is why I think so. And that makes me happy for her, even if it pains me at the same time that I could not keep her by my side."

"But you were a good maker for her! You have fulfilled her wish and put her happiness above yours."

'Unlike my master...' I left this unsaid, but I could see he had the same thought. With a sigh I brought more physical distance between us and looked at him with a hopefully not too tortured smile.

"I thank you, Sir Godric. For this gift from you I will be eternally grateful. But now I must go. The sun will be up soon..."

He didn't stop me, but helped me out of the water gentleman-like by standing up and offering me his left hand while his right one lay gently on my back. When I wanted to take a towel, he stopped me by holding out a bathrobe to me, which he had fetched with his incredible speed so quickly that I hadn't even noticed that he had let go of my hand for a split second.

"Thank you." I smiled and couldn't help but think that we could become really good friends if we could continue seeing each other after that three-night birthday party. That would make me really happy, because he was so completely different from the way Dragan always described the ancient ones.

Feeling the tingling of the slowly rising sun on my skin, I took my garments and quickly left the bathroom. But before I left his chambers, I turned around once more and gave him one of my most beautiful smiles.

"Remember to activate the security system, sir. And have a good day's rest."

He had followed me and I tried not to look at him anywhere but his face, to not be rude. I wanted to avoid at all costs making him think I wasn't able to control myself. If I proved worthy, maybe I could ask him in two nights if he would like to continue to be in contact with me. Apart from the wonderful relationship of being friends, I could learn so much from him!

"Have a nice day's rest, Livia. We will meet again when the moonlight illuminates the coming night."

To my amazement, he bowed perfectly despite his nakedness and I found myself curtsying automatically. But I felt pretty stupid doing it in a bathrobe. Hearing my snicker he smirked in the cutest way.

"Bye…" I breathed as goodbye for now and went into the hall, closing the door behind me.