She paused.
"Your book?" She said stupidly. It sounded odd, even to her ears.
"Perhaps you could be of use to me." The voice mused. She felt her heart begin to pound in reaction to the silky sweet voice.
"Now is not the time to go hormonal." She commanded herself silently. Who knows who I'm even talking to.
"Face the mirror." The voice was gentle but insistent now, with a definite note of command. She got up from the chair demurely, trying to look like a harmless tourist. To her shock, she found no stern-faced night guard, merely her own reflection in the mirror. She was more than anxious now.
Wondering what had possessed her to come here. What she was doing in France at all. She could be home listening to the purring of her cat with a good book-undoubtedly the one she held in her hand-in front of her face. Not feeling as if she was about to face the firing squad. Talking to a man that chose not to disclose his location.
"Like Erik," she thought wildly.
"How felicitous you should appear here." The voice continued, disregarding her discomfiture entirely. "If you agree to help me, I just may," he emphasized the word, "decide to not disclose your trespass to the night watch."
She hadn't expected this. Her first instinct was to agree, but she realized with a start that this person could want anything from her, and she responded warily.
"I am interested in your offer. Please tell me what kind of help you have in mind." Did he hear her voice quivering? She closed her eyes a moment and waited for a reply.
He laughed. The unexpected sound flowed mellifluously through the air in waves, and she was hard put to keep her composure. It was not an unpleasant sound, in fact quite the opposite. In order to reign her thoughts back to the immediate problem, she became exasperated.
"Please, messieur, if you don't mind."
The voice replied back, amused. "Perhaps you are exactly the person to help me, indeed."
She closed her eyes again. The fear she had felt before channeled nicely into irritation, a fact that pleased her. Both emotions could lead to problems, but she was infinitely more comfortable in the power of anger. Nevertheless, she attempted to calm herself by deeply breathing with closed eyes.
She opened them again ,more in control of herself and aware of a draft. She gasped. Before her was a passageway of stone where the mirror had stood moments before. A man also had appeared.
"Your book?" She said stupidly. It sounded odd, even to her ears.
"Perhaps you could be of use to me." The voice mused. She felt her heart begin to pound in reaction to the silky sweet voice.
"Now is not the time to go hormonal." She commanded herself silently. Who knows who I'm even talking to.
"Face the mirror." The voice was gentle but insistent now, with a definite note of command. She got up from the chair demurely, trying to look like a harmless tourist. To her shock, she found no stern-faced night guard, merely her own reflection in the mirror. She was more than anxious now.
Wondering what had possessed her to come here. What she was doing in France at all. She could be home listening to the purring of her cat with a good book-undoubtedly the one she held in her hand-in front of her face. Not feeling as if she was about to face the firing squad. Talking to a man that chose not to disclose his location.
"Like Erik," she thought wildly.
"How felicitous you should appear here." The voice continued, disregarding her discomfiture entirely. "If you agree to help me, I just may," he emphasized the word, "decide to not disclose your trespass to the night watch."
She hadn't expected this. Her first instinct was to agree, but she realized with a start that this person could want anything from her, and she responded warily.
"I am interested in your offer. Please tell me what kind of help you have in mind." Did he hear her voice quivering? She closed her eyes a moment and waited for a reply.
He laughed. The unexpected sound flowed mellifluously through the air in waves, and she was hard put to keep her composure. It was not an unpleasant sound, in fact quite the opposite. In order to reign her thoughts back to the immediate problem, she became exasperated.
"Please, messieur, if you don't mind."
The voice replied back, amused. "Perhaps you are exactly the person to help me, indeed."
She closed her eyes again. The fear she had felt before channeled nicely into irritation, a fact that pleased her. Both emotions could lead to problems, but she was infinitely more comfortable in the power of anger. Nevertheless, she attempted to calm herself by deeply breathing with closed eyes.
She opened them again ,more in control of herself and aware of a draft. She gasped. Before her was a passageway of stone where the mirror had stood moments before. A man also had appeared.