CHAPTER 2
The dark entranceway stood giant and ornate. Like a ballroom the ceiling stood high and almost domed. At the head of the room stood two large red carpeted staircases gently curving up to lead up into two hallways that wound through the castle. The cove created by the two staircases held a small gold podium with a black book perched on top. Behind the podium sat a door, the wood, aged as the oak entryway doors. The walls held burning torches that illuminated the black and red carpet below and the black walls on which they hung. To the immediate right sat a large double door, and to the left sat a small door that seemed to lead into a closet.
The girls stood in the small indention of the giant double doors looking into the amazing room eyes wide.
"Welcome to my home." Vayn said stepping forward. "Adrian!"
"This is your home?" Kristy murmured looking along the torch lit room.
"It is indeed." Vayn said walking forward to stand on a large red emblem embedded in the black carpet.
"Welcome ladies." A voice said from the top of the right hand stairs deep and welcoming.
The girl's heads jerked up to see a suave looking man stepping down the stairs slowly. The man had pure black hair, dark as a ravens wings and deep green eyes. His hair sat around his shoulders, his black and red jacket around his strong chest. Vayn walked over and stood beside the man, the two seeming like distorted mirror images of each other.
"I would like to introduce you to my brother." Vayn said with the seemingly permanent smile still on his face.
"Adrian, at your service." Adrian said with a low bow, his long arm sweeping out below him.
"Roxie."
"Max."
"Kristy."
"These young girls's bus broke down on the road back there and as it began to rain I decided to invite them in. Give them a few jackets to get back there and call a mechanic." Vayn said to his brother, understanding flashing across their eyes.
"Very well I will get Roxie and Max jackets and a little food. You take Kristy to the phone and get her a phonebook." Adrian said to Vayn his voice an octave deeper than Vayn's.
"Get them our best food and I'll be back in a moment." Vayn said with a slight bow to Kristy. "This way."
As Vayn wheeled Kristy away up the stairs to disappear down the hallway an uneasy feeling settled over Max and Roxie. Adrian smiled kindly and turned to the girls something dangerous in his smile.
"I hope you like meat." He said with the smile that seemed to portray and animalistic quality.
"I think we need to go." Roxie said fear plain on her face.
Adrian walked to the large double door to the right of the entrance and opened it, warm light pouring passed the threshold.
"Of course." Adrian said, "After dinner."
Max stepped forward and took Roxie's wrist pulling her along. Adrian smiled holding open the doors as Max pulled the reluctant Roxie into the room.
Adrian closed the door and turned to hold out his arms loosely.
"Welcome to my dinning hall." He said, his voice echoing throughout the room.
One wall of the room held four large windows showing the raging torrent outside. Between each of the windows hung large drapes the same emblem on the carpet in the front room hung there. In the center of the room was a long table with a total of 32 chairs surrounding it, fifteen on each side and one at the beginning and end. At the end of the room a small door sat obviously leading into the kitchen.
"Sit, sit." Adrian said pulling out to chairs as he traversed across the room toward the small door at the end.
Roxie watched him disappear into the kitchen then quickly turned to Max.
"Listen I'm going to go find Kristy. You are going to stay here to distracted Adrian then we are leaving." She said turning to look through the open dinning room door.
"You're going to leave me alone with him?" Max asked her voice holding some fear and some hidden excitement.
"Don't get to close to him. He's dangerous, they both are." Roxie said turning to run out of the door.
Max sat in the red leathered chair her pale arms relaxing on the old wooden armrests. Her eyes drifted around the large dinning hall, the rain pelting down on the widows didn't make a sound as the wind slammed the water droplets into the thick glass. Along the dinning table sat a plate and fork and knife and spoon in front of each chair. Two candlesticks sat on the dark brown table dimly glowing along with the torches on the wall, the two types of flames dancing in sync with each other almost casting a trance like state across the dinning hall. Max's eyes seemed caught in the flame something like panic running in the back of her mind.
The sound of a door shutting and footsteps snapped her out of the trance to look at Adrian walking along the table two silver dishes in his hands. With perfect balance he sat the plate in front of her and sat the other at the head of the table.
"Where is your friend?" Adrian asked calmly something in his eyes flashing across to quickly for her to understand.
"She had to give Kristy a…phone number." Max thought quickly, yet the shudder in her voice sounding it out as a lie.
"Oh, well, when she comes back I will bring her plate." Adrian said sitting down at the head of the table.
Max looked down at her food, the amazing choreography of how the food was placed made it beautiful, almost making it art. Adrian watched her from the end of the table, his hands folded, his arms propped up on the table by his elbows. Max felt his eyes on her and looked up to see his eyes smoldering over her. Her pulse picked up a little making her pale skin grow a little red.
No Max! Calm down you dumb bitch. She thought, her face contorting a bit, her skin returning to its pale color.
"Tell me Maxine," Adrian began, "Why do you look angry?"
"I don't like people staring at me." She snapped her voice coming out a little weaker than she had hoped.
Why is he doing this to me? How? She asked herself keeping her scowl on her face.
"Well I'll be sure not to stare from now on." Adrian said looking down at his food to take a bite.
You don't have to. A small voice spoke up in the back of her mind.
Max looked down at her food and shoved a bite of the meat into her mouth, the sweet food calming her suddenly hungry stomach. She took off her jacket and hung it on the back of the chair revealing her short black t-shirt. Her bellybutton held a small ring with a black bead.
"Is the food good?" Adrian asked his voice the only sign he was there.
"Yes." Max said staring down at the food as she felt his gaze settle on her again.