The car ride to the Gala is a bit long but we are together. We stay close to one another, always touching the other. I knew that the drive would be long but it's worth it as long as I'm with my Eirik. The trees flew by turning into buildings, and light posts start illuminating our way. The country giving way to the city, and soon the hustle and bustle of the beautiful city we call home can be heard outside of the limo. I get lost in the scenery outside, and all too soon the ride is over and we pull up to an old building. Illuminated with spot lights, flashes from photographers' cameras, and the noise of people shouting.
"Are you ready for this?" Eirik asked as I readjust my dress trying to look every bit the part of a proper girlfriend for a man of his status.
I simply nod my head and the door opens. Eirik steps out and I am momentarily blinded by the flashes from the cameras. Once my eyes adjust, I see Eirik holding out his hand for me, helping me out of the limo.
Making our way along the red carpet lined with photographers taking our picture. We pose for a few magazine covers, but I don't remember their names. I feel like a movie star. Yes, I come from wealth, but I was never allowed to the parties and galas that mom and dad went to. So in all honesty, this is a first for me. Eirik is called over by a few different people wanting statements, but again, I don't pay attention. Eirik puts his arm around my waist, pulling me close. I feel safe in his arms. Something similar to being home. Most of all, I can feel his love for me in that one single gesture. Laying my head against his chest I listen to the vibration of his voice as he answer questions. Soon though, he is urging me forward and we are making our way inside.
I drop my fur wrap off at the coat check-in, then we are greeted with a glasses of champagne by waiters wearing black suits and full face masks. Eirik smiles at me and places his hand on the small of my back, tracing circles around, and around. I take a sip of my drink and we enter into a large ballroom of sorts. Scattered throughout the room are display cases. Some hold priceless artifacts, but the majority of them hold priceless jewels. All from different eras, and collections. I recognized a few of them from history classes when I studied abroad. It stole my breath away at how elegant everything looks and feels. A few people are dressed like Eirik in period costumes. Though, I doubt any of the others' costumes are real like his. I wonder if anyone here knows the truth like I do. I feel him squeeze my hand as he peers down at me smiling.
A lady wearing a 19th century bustle gown stands in the center of the room. As soon as, we turn to look at her I feel Eirik go stiff. I have no clue why other than maybe this woman in front of us knows him. It's the only logical conclusion I could come to. As she spoke I didn't really pay attention to her. All I heard was her saying "I want to welcome friends, both old and new. I hope that everyone enjoys our beautiful displays tonight. Thank you to our benefactors for being so kind to loan us some pieces from their personel collections. Having generously loaned out to us for the night. Again thank you ladies and gentleman for joining us tonight. Please enjoy yourselves tonight." She continues to talk but I tune her out. Her gown is just too beautiful to ignore. It is a bustle style. The top skirt fabric were an ivory aged beaded lace that fell over a black velvet looking fabric. The bodice was a laced corset that came up her back with a stiff collar. It exposes her neck and scoops over the tops of her breasts in the front. It's trimmed in a gold stiff lace, it has ¾ inch sleeves, and is in a black velvet. The train is the same black velvet as the bodice. It too has the aged beaded ivory lay over it. The trim on the bottom of the bodice has beaded strings. She looks like she stepped out of a history book. Her hair is black and pinned up in a beautiful up-do. She has a jeweled hair comb and jeweled pins scattered through out her thick curls. "Eirik!" I hear her yell waving her hand in the air. She is motioning us to come to her.
Making our way over to this stunning woman Eirik is stiff as a board and seems as though the temperature in the room falls the closer we get to her. "Good evening Jacolynn. I was not aware you would be here tonight." He says keeping his hand on my back.
"Yes I am running this event tonight. A dear friend of mine does so miss the old days." She says the last words in a seductive tone. "My my who is this beautiful young woman with you tonight?" She says taking my hands and moving me slightly away from Eirik. She looks at him waiting for answer as she looks me up and down. I feel like I am being inspected under a microscope.
"This is Lilianna, she is my girlfriend." Eirik answers her. I can hear a touch of harshness in his answer to this woman. He lets go of my hand and takes Jacolynn's arm rather harshly. He whisks her away from ear shot of me.
I turn around and see the others that are here to experience the gala. I decide to let the two of them deal with their issues on their own. Choosing to walk along the rows of beautiful jewelry. My breath is taken away as I see all the different crowns, earrings, pins, livery collars, and such on display. Of course, those on loan by Eirik are the most beautiful in my eyes.
"My lady."
I turn around feeling a hand on my arm and to my surprise I see Henry. "Henry!" I exclaim and wrap my arms around him hugging him tightly.
"Where is our dear Eirik?" He asks letting me go from our hug. He looks around for any sign of Eirik. Though, by now I am sure I am no where near where he left me.
"I don't know. He was talking to Jacolynn. They went off somewhere to talk."
"Hmm that's a little odd." He says and I see anger flash across his face. His eyes glowing slightly. "Well none the less I see no reason why you should be left unaccompanied. Come I'll walk with you." He pauses taking my arm in his. Placing his hand on top of my own.
I shrug off the sneaking suspicion that there is something I am not being told. Henry and I walk around for what seems like hours. Still no sign of Eirik. "Excuse me I think I'm going to step outside for a little bit. I'll meet you back here."
"Go enjoy yourself. I am sure Eirik is lurking around here somewhere." He says as I walk off.
I grab a champagne flute of champagne and raspberries and take my small walk outside. I go straight for a small balcony overlooking a large dimly lit garden.
"Lily..."
My name is whispered as if the wind is carring it along. I look around and see no one. Though, not long after hearing my name I hear it again and I see a figure dressed like the phantom of there opera. The strange figure wore a long black cloak, black pants, brown knee high boots, a black shirt, black jacket, just black everything. I could see a sword on his side. Though, most intriguing of all is his black half mask. No one else has a mask on, yet here this stranger is. He bows to me and I curtsie back.
"Lilianna..."
My name is whispered again. I look to see the stranger putting his hand next to mouth as if making it to where I can hear him.
"Are you the one calling my name dear sir?" I ask setting my drink down.
He nods. Motioning for me to come to him.
"Will you not speak to me other than calling my name?" I ask.
He simply shakes his head. I make my way down the stairs to this stranger. I feel no danger, have no warning bells going off, and no red flags. I stop just short of two feet from him.
"Who are you?" I ask. Just as the scent of cedar, roses, and earthy woods smell fills my nose. Assaulting my sense of smell. It clicks in my head who it could be. Though, I don't let on that I know who he is. I decide to continue to play coy.
He takes my hand and starts to pull me along into a labyrinth of tall hedges. I gather up my dress to the best of my ability so that I may take longer strides. Got to be able to keep up with Eirik. We go deeper and deeper into the green labyrinth. Becoming more and more lost. Finally, after what seems like forever running in my heels, we stop. I look around as a shiver runs down my back. The cold weather finally catching up to me. The stranger takes off his cloak in a similar fashion as those who lived back in the earlier centuries. Still the stranger does not speak. I simply nod my head in thanks for him giving me his cloak. I wrap it around myself and start to become a bit warmer. He takes my hand once more and guides me over to a large oak tree where a large plank swing hnags down from a branch. I take my seat on the swing and the stranger kneels in front of me.
"Please give me some clue as to who you are. Please..." I beg. The uncertainty driving me almost to insanity. I still think it's Eirik, but I'm unsure. Still he shakes his head and conveys different emotions in a way.
He holds up his gloved hand and with his index finger curls it. Motioning for me to come closer to him. I hesitate for a moment but still no red flags go off so I bring my face closer to his. He leans in and before it registeres in my brain he is kissing me. I kiss him back. It just happens, but something I did not realize. I just did, a reaction. A thought occurs to me and I use this opportunity as a way to undo the mask and see who this masked man is. His tongue touches my lips and I part them automatically. Allowing him to deepen the kiss. While his hands cup my face, I do the same to him. My hands travel further back and I pulled the satin ribbon that is keeping his mask on. Once the bow was undone I break the kiss pulling back so I can see who this man is.
The mask falls to our feet, and I in complete shock. "Antony!" I exclaim and whisper at the same.
"Yes, my dear it is me. Please I beg you leave with me. We can escape and live our lives far far away from here. We can go where ever you like. Please come back to me." He begs.
I stand immediately. Pacing back and fourth before stopping near the tree. "Antony." I whisper again staring at the man before me.
"Yes my dearest." He steps close to me.
"Please you need to leave me alone. I love...I love Eirik. I-"
" Sounds like you are trying to convince yourself more than me." He pauses, takes off his glove and cups my face.
"Antony..." I trail off as I lean into his hand. He is so gentile. " We can't. I won't I love Eirik. That's it. No more. You must leave or Eirik will surely kill you. Please."
"Then you still love me or you would not worry about my life." He leans in and kisses me again. Pressing me against the large tree. " I will always love you my Lilianna. You will always be my lily in a world of roses."
"I will always care for you Antony. You will hold a place in my heart forever, but you did betray me."
"Yes, I know and I am so very sorry. I have tried to find ways to apologize to you, to make amends with you, but when I would write a letter or a text message or anything. I would stop. It would either be thrown away or erased completely. All I can ask is for your forgiveness. I should have been honest and up front with you. I did not know you knew of our kind or of any kind except for human. Neither Mary nor John ever mentioned you knew what they were." He pauses and kisses my cheek. "If only I would have known what happened to you. I would have told you everything. I love you. I always will...no matter what happens, you will have my heart. No other woman will ever have it for it is in your keeping." He pauses once more and stares at me. " I swear I will always do what I can to protect you. Just please get away from Eirik. Something horrible will happen to you sooner or later."
" Antony, Eirik has always taken care of me. He has always been there for me. He has always been honest with me." I pause looking at my hands in his. I could still smell the scent of roses, cedar, and earth on him. I just hug him. "Please go back so we are not discovered. The last thing I want is for someone to see us and get the wrong idea." I say into his shoulder.
He pushes me back so that we are once again staring into each others eyes. How I've missed these amber eyes. "Please take care of yourself and maybe one day you will come home to me." He says and takes off.
I am left at the tree alone. I stagger my way over to the swing and just sit down. The things that had just happened playing over and over again. Pulling the coat closer to me, I know I will have to get rid of it before going back to the party. How can I go back? How can I face anyone including Eirik? I don't even know my way back through this stupid labyrinth. I collapse my head into my heads and sit there for a while.
After a little while I finally get up, shed Antony's cloak, and start to try to make my way back through the hedges towards to the party. A left, a right, a right, another left, then a dead end. After turning around and taking more rights and lefts I find myself lost. "Wonderful now I'm lost. At least I can hear the party is still going on now. So I must be close." I say to myself. I start taking more turns still having no clue where I am going. I listen closely trying to hear the party to see if I am getting closer or further away. Still turn after turn and I am greeted with more hedges.
"Come...come with us." voices calls. It is the faintest of whispers, yet my ears still pick it up. It's a seductive tone was enough to make any girl dreamy eyed and follow it. Shaking my head I go in the opposite direction of where I think the voice is coming from. tThat voice isnt one I recognize gather my dress up over my knees and run as fast as I can in my heels. This isn't my first time and I am certain this won't be my last time running in a pair of heels. I run and run as hard as I could. Finally there seems to be an end to this ridiculous maze. Hope that I will finally be done with this stupid labyrinth and back at the party. Back in Eirik's safe arms. "Come with us dear child." The voices call to me. Tyring tolure me to them and away from safety.
I spin around, finding myself on the other side of a mysterious body of water. "Oh come on. You've got to be joking. This cannot be real. How in the hell did I end up over here?" I drop my dress and look out over the smooth waters. Just on the other side of the dark waters I can see the gala still in full swing. It's not so far away that I could not see those milling about outside. However, I couldn't tell if anyone that I knew was outside. "Stupid me for following Antony. Stupid dogs..." I curse under my breath. I turn around and start walking along the outside of the maze. The cold weather starting to get to me. I let a few shivers run down my back as I start making my way around. I can hear the party but I can't tell if I am getting closer or further away.
After about an hour of walking I am starting to get cold and tired. I can see the well groomed gardens of the estate in which the gala is being held. I see Mary and John standing on the balcony where I was standing earlier. Next to them is Antony dressed in an all black set of tails. " That was quick...oh well." I mutter to myself and shrug it off. My need for warmth and Eirik's arms out weigh any other thought. I take one more step forward before I am restrained.
"Well well. Looks like Eirik's little pet has wondered off her leash." A male voice says
"I have never been nor will I ever be a man's pet or on a leash." I grit out as I try my best to get free. 'Great another supernatural.' I think to myself. His strength is obviously greater than my own.
"Give up child even if you do break free from my grip there are others here that will keep you away from your beloved vampire. And the dogs you call your friends. " The male says again. "Come on sweet girl it's time we take you away from here. As the old saying goes out of sight out of mind."
When the last words left his lips I kicked my leg back as hard as I could. I heard my dress rip, but I'm not about to go away with anyone without a fight. It's just not in my nature. When he let go of my arm, I whirl around and punch him as hard as I can. It felt like I hit a brick wall.
"Well well you are a feisty little firecracker aren't you." It came out more of a statement than a question. Just as I am about to run someone else comes up behind me and I feel a sharp stinging pain in my arm. I look over just in time to see yet another man pushing the plunger down on a syringe filled with some kind of liquid.
"You bastards." Black dots start dancing in my vision. My legs feel weak and my knees feel as though they were going to buckle at any moment. I stumble backwards into the arms of the man who stuck me with the needle. "Eirik...Eirik will..." And then my world goes completely black.
My dreams re filled with horror. Dark figures constantly tormenting me. Calling me names and taunting me. I fade in and out of conciseness. I know I am tied up and attached to a wall. It's cold, dark, and damp. 'Great a dungeon. Can't these people get a little more creative. Or do all the crazy people get a discount rate on these things.' I think to myself once I finally come to. Looking about myself I see that I'm in some kind of cell. God knows where I am or how long I've been passed out. "Where's Eirik when I really need him?" I ask out loud though no one is there.
"Well well well. Look who has finally decided to wake up. So glad we didn't kill you little princess. I surely cannot wait to taste the sweetness running through your veins. For that to happen you do need to be alive. I'm not the one that is going to kill you. If I decide to let you go."
He is the same man from last night. The original man who grabbed me. "Why am I here? What do you want from me? If it's money believe me I have plenty."
He just looks at me and laughs. A laugh most people would think of when they think of a serial killer's laugh. Still it's deep and rich. "You dear girl are here because my mistress wants you here. Money is of no value to us. What I personally want from you. Is to taste that sweet red liquid coursing through your veins. Maybe even to get between those lucious thighs of your's. "
I spit at him. He hisses back at me. Typical vampire, typical male ego to go along with it. "You obviously know who I am dating. You know who I am. Why am I here?" I repeat the only question my jailer was ambiguous about. Why had Eirik not come for me. He loved me. Really truly loved me, or so I think he does.
"You don't get it do you dear child. My mistress and your... boyfriend are together. They have been together since they meet in Elizabeth Tudor's court." My jaw hits the floor. "Ah I see it's clicking in your head now. Good means I don't have to explain much else. Now..."
I tuned him out after that. Was he serious? Could Eirik just walk out on me like that. This woman, who is she? Why did she have so much power over him? Is she the one that turned him in the first place? A million questions, reasons, excuses run through my head. Fear and realization hits me like a Mac truck. It's happening again. I have been kidnapped again. This time at least I wasn't betrayed by family. "Are you going to torture me? Or really anything like that?" I ask interrupting him.
He just stares at me a bit dumbfounded. Like a deer in head lights. "No none of that. Like I've already told you. I want your blood. It would be to my benefit to keep you alive and well. Don't worry, I'm your keeper now. No need to worry that pretty little head of yours about Eirik. My mistress is tending to him as we speak. She will take good care of him for you. In turn I will make you forget all about that pretty boy."
"Look can you at least untie me, let me change out of this dress, and possibly tell me where I am? And how long was I out for?" I ask as unannoyed as I can muster. I really want a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. I honestly just wanted to know what was going on. I have a feeling if I am nice and play along, I will get everything I want. Hell I might even be taken out of this cell for a short time.
For the first time since the gala I'm able to get a good look at my new keeper. He is actually very attractive. Black hair, blue eyes, 6'0", very well built. He looks like he is 30 however, I had a feeling he is oh so much older. I just stare at him as he comes into my cell. He brushes a few stray strands of hair out of my face.
"You really are very beautiful, when you're awake." He whispers. His hand is rough, like he performed manual labor through out his life.
I jerked away from him. Not meaning to. It's just a reaction.
"Oh come come now beautiful. I promise one thing." He says grabbing my chin forcing me to look at him. " I won't harm you. Like I've said a thousand times now. I want your blood. I'm sure I will want it for a long time. Who knows if you're a good girl I might even turn you and keep you for myself. Make you my little pet." He says letting go of my face.
"And if I am not good? What then?" I ask waiting for his answer.
He stands up in front of me and before I know what's happening, he backs hands me. I taste metal in my mouth and know that I am bleeding. Before I can turn my head to look at him. He is on his knees in front of me kissing me. I struggle and jerk away from him but he holds my head still with a hand on each side of my face. A moan slips past his lips and it dawns on me that he is licking the blood from my mouth. He pulls back and I spit in his face. A mixture of blood and saliva. He laughs deeply and wipes some of the blood from his face. Licking fingers he stares at me. This is going to be a long fight.