Alright, finally, update time!
I don't really have anything to say… only that I hope everyone's thanksgiving and time off from school was wonderful!
This is one of my favorite chapters. It actually ties with eight for my very favorite I've written (so far). So, yeah, BEHOLD!
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"Go on," that ever-familiar voice said.
Sophia stepped closer to the edge of a precipice and looked down. The darkness of the night swallowed up the ground far below in sheer black and she was so high that the air almost felt damp. Strong winds blew her exceedingly long hair in her face and her dress clung to her side and whipped at her feet.
"Anytime now," spoke the voice again, this time, with more of a pressure to it.
Putting her right foot over the edge, she stepped… into the nothingness. She felt her stomach leap as gravity took its hold, and she plummeted, the air she was cutting through, tangling her hair and catching at her dress. She felt a cry of panic swell in her throat, seeming to choke on it, before it escaped past her lips. It nearly got lost in the sound of the wind rushing past her and she wondered if it was just a figment of her imagination that she had even screamed. To her horror she saw the ground through the clouds, not far below, and she realized how fast she was truly falling. Closer and closer and closer, she got to the hideously sharp rocks below.
At that very moment, she felt strong arms surround her and scoop her up into a well-built chest. She craned her neck to look up at who held her, only to find that it wasn't fully a man, but a… monster. He was huge, with large, dark wings and a muscular body. His face gray colored and he had long sharp teeth; his eyes were a gentle blue and seemed out of place in such a terrifying looking being. However, surprisingly, she wasn't scared.
One strong flap of his wings and they were shooting up and through sky again. After many, many feet, Sophia felt their speed slow, until they were just hovering above the clouds.
"Try again," he told her.
Before Sophia could even utter a word of objection, she was freefalling for the second time. Only this time, she looked up to see him plummeting also above her.
"Transform, Sophia!" he cried. "Spread your wings!"
She couldn't think from the feelings in her stomach and head, all she could do was scream. It seemed like this fall took longer than the other, but soon the ground was in sight again and that same fear came over her as she tumbled head-over-heels. She was getting so much closer that she began to wonder if he was going to catch her or not. But before her body could be broken on the rocks, she felt his powerful grip tighten around her ankle, stopping her. Though, he didn't catch her up in his arms like she thought he would, no, with one mighty swing of his arm, she went shooting upwards… yet another time.
"Why can you not get it?" he shouted from below her. "This is what will happen until you fly! I can do this all night… can you?"
"I cannot remember what to do!" she panicked aloud at the thought doing this over and over, all night, until she got it right.
"Do not think about the logic of it, the ground, and do not try and force it – it will happen naturally. Close your eyes and become one with the sky, the clouds, and the air around you. I will be here the whole time… I will not let anything happen to you."
With the promise of his protection, Sophia closed her eyes tightly, her face shriveling into a grimace and her body going stiff. She felt no change… nothing… and she forced herself not to open her eyes for seconds, before she gave in, snapping them open to see exactly how close to the ground she really was. Oh God, was he going to catch her? She tried frantically to see him as she tumbled, then felt his talons wrap around her ankle and he hurled her into the sky again, a little less gentle. Her head felt dizzy as she flipped back into the wispy clouds.
"I grow tired of this play, Sophia," he said, sighing as if bored. "Relax! Do you not trust me?"
She was determined to get it this time – she had to. Again, she closed her eyes, but this time, she slowly let her body relax while trying to imagine what it would be like to defy gravity, to harness the wind, to dance on the clouds, and to get as close as possible to the bright, twinkling stars in the midnight sky. Unknowingly, in that second, she changed into another form.
"Open your eyes!" he yelled at her. "And catch the wind with your wings! It is all up to you now!"
Sophia opened her eyes and saw how close she was getting to the ground again… this time he wasn't going to save her. She put out her left wing and easily swooped away from the rocks below as gracefully as if she had been doing it for years. He was right – it did come naturally. With a short pull from both her wings this time, she soared into the air up to his side. His eyes were even brighter on her than usual and she could tell he was taking in her change, her new form.
Her whole body was a silver-grayish color – toned, slim, and with the perfect amount of curves. Her wings were strikingly beautiful and one could tell the power in them easily. The only things that remained comparable to her before the change was her long, marmalade-colored hair, her eyes, some of her facial features, and, of course, her voice.
Pulling her wings close to her body, she swept around him, then spinning through the clouds with agility, the white mist trailing behind her. She couldn't help giggle at the newfound 'skill' as she showed off for him.
"Let us put those fledgling wings to use, shall we?" he growled mischievously at her.
She purred flirtatiously back, but before she could do or say anything else, he lunged at her. Grabbing the edge of one of her wings, he yanked so hard that she spun completely in circles a few times, making her disoriented and giving him a head start.
"You are 'it'!" he shouted from somewhere in the thick clouds already.
"That is not fair!" she cried in protest, but he was gone. She took off into the vapor, trying to follow the swirling water droplets, hoping that was sign that he had been there. Her right wing felt tighter than it had before, the same one he had grabbed. "When I find you, you will be in so much trouble! I think you pulled something."
"You might have to punish me then," he snickered, still hidden by the cloudy veil.
"Oh, I am going to punish you alright," she mumbled, cutting quicker through the clouds with more playful determination than before. A flash of something black caught her attention and she pressed her wings harder after it. "I am going to get you!" she teased.
"Not unless I get you first!" came his voice, and he grabbed her foot from nowhere and took off, out of the haze and towards the stars, pulling her hissing, thrashing and laughing behind him. He pulled her so high until the air was light for her – though not for him – making her lightheaded, almost drunk really, before letting her go, then diving back down.
She somersaulted down repeatedly and very gracelessly until she was out of the thin air where she could get her bearings back. Her wings fluttered as she hovered and scanned the sky for him. She snarled when she found him soaring around the tall, black towers she had leapt from to start with. He was going to pay. She flew down and into the closest clouds to where he was circling, hiding from his view.
"Did you give up?" he called to her.
Nothing. Silence. She wasn't even in sight.
"Sophia, my dear," he teased, "tell me you didn't give up that easily."
From out of the clouds, she charged at him. So unexpected was he and fast was she, that he had no reaction time, and she slammed into him, pinning him to the side of the stone tower. Their wings fought the others' for space, as Sophia kept him from moving.
"You should have seen your face!" She cackled. Barely able to keep herself from laughing so hard; she had to let him go, trying to regain her composure. She wiped the tears of laughter from her face and stopped enough to take off, flying around the tower before circling the utmost pentacle.
"Does that mean that I am 'it' then?" he asked, smirking, from below her.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose so."
"Good." And in spilt-second, he was after her again. Offering her no mercy as she spiraled around the tower, trying to lose him, around statues, under arches, and through windowless rooms. His laughter and her giggles reverberated off the sleek stone into the darkness of night. Soon though, she drained of strength and he was on her tail, just waiting for the right moment to strike.
She swooped around another statue and over a ledge, trying in one final and desperate attempt to shake him off, but he took her down with ease, both rolling through the air, before falling down on the ledge. He was perched above her, chuckling, while she panted worthless air; her hair scattered and wings sprawled out under her limp and exhausted body.
Effortlessly, the two of them began to transform back into their human forms, neither leaving nor forgetting the slightly provocative position they were in.
"You need more practice, darling, but you did good," he said, and then his eyes lit up that amazing blue and a smirk inched across his lips. "I think you deserve a reward, would you not agree?"
For the first time ever, Sophia's eyes altered into a wicked and lustrous golden hue….
Then she woke, breathless and panting, just as she had last been in the dream. In fact, she had to look around the room to make sure it hadn't been real. The sun had just begun to rise outside her window, pouring only a tad bit of light into her room, and she pulled the covers up and over her head. She would try to forget about it and see if she could get a few more hours of sleep – her mind had to be its sharpest for she had her weekly lessons with the Prince later that evening.
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A small pep was in Sophia's walk as she made her way to the library in the north wing, she had to tell herself to slow down every so often because she was nearly at a pacing rate. Like usual, she was eager for lessons or, well, to see the Prince, but she was just beginning to come to terms that she might actually be attracted to him. It didn't take long before she was at the door to the library but something stopped her from entering: a note. She noticed it was addressed to her, so she took it down. The handwriting was in long, perfect strokes, and straight away she knew whom it was from. It said:
'My dear Sophia,
I regret to inform you that I must postpone our meeting tonight for another time. I am sorry I could not tell you personally but only last night was notified of this new… predicament. It requires my immediate attention and focus, which sadly means I do not have the time to explain. I apologize for any disappointment this causes to you and to make up for it, I have arranged something for you in the ballroom. I believe it will lighten your spirits quite a bit.
With all hope to see you very soon,
Vladislaus'
Well, that is strange, Sophia thought. She turned on her heels and headed for the ballroom. It wasn't far from the library, being that most of the large and grand rooms of the castle were in the north wing.
Arriving at the elegant double doors, she took the handle with a strange feeling of anticipation in her stomach, before pulling on it and entering quickly. Once in the large room, her eyes scanned and then fell on what was awaiting her… or whom.
Prince Dracula stood in the middle of the dance floor with his hands clasped behind his back and a mischievous grin on his face. Sophia noticed that he was lacking his usual coat and vest, opting to wear only a black, silk shirt and trousers.
"But… your note? What are you doing here? I thought you had something important to attend to?" she questioned, while moving across the floor.
He chuckled, taking a few steps towards her, closing the space between them. "Indeed, I do…. This is it."
"How is this—what are you saying?" Her eyes narrowed, giving him a skeptical gaze, more like he was crazy than up to no good.
This made him laugh all the more. "Last night I received a letter from a friend, saying he would be coming soon for a brief visit and as custom, we will have a celebration for his arrival. A ball, to be exact. It wouldn't befit if you did not know how to dance properly, so I thought we would put aside your reading and writing lessons for a later time and work on your dancing skills instead."
"How long do we have before he comes?" asked Sophia, looking doubtfully down at her own clumsy feet. Did the Prince already forget when she fell off the stool getting the curtains down?
"I do not have a confirmed date as of yet," Dracula told her, "but I would say he will be coming when the weather permits better traveling, around the first of Spring. March, perhaps?"
"I see," was all she said, her mind already swarming with the thoughts of how close they would be, one of his hands pressing into her side and the other holding her hand in a firm grip as he swept her across the dance floor in his strong arms.
"It is a good thing we have that time… most of what you need to learn is court dances, slightly harder than couple dancing, that is why I recruited some help." He motioned with his hand to the other side of the room, where Gabriel and Nedezda were standing.
Sophia was somewhat taken back at seeing them there. She hadn't noticed them the whole time she had been in the room, which made her shift uncomfortably and wonder if they were just trying to stay out of the way of the Prince's surprise, or if she had been too interested in him to honestly notice their presence. Either way, when both heard that they had been mentioned, they stepped onto the dance floor, moving gracefully toward the middle as if it was their cue. Nedezda's face was smooth, but her eyes were ablaze; Gabriel looked more or less indifferent. Sophia looked back at the Prince, feeling her eyes widen as she watched him bow low to her then rise.
"May I?" he asked, offering his hand.
She grinned broadly, nodding, and delicately placed her hand in his, putting on the airs of royalty that he made her feel like.
Thus, began her dancing lessons. Over the course of the next few hours, she would learn the basics of dance, not to mention becoming accustomed to the intimacy of their bodies together and learning to give up control and let him lead her, which for some reason, she had a very hard time doing. Dracula, once again, proved himself a marvelous teacher, despite inwardly admitting after multiple missteps of hers, which landed on his toes, that she, well, wasn't the greatest or speediest learner in the subject. However, this didn't seem to put a damper on either of their spirits, although occasionally it did put a flush on her cheeks and a kind chuckle in his throat.
The others in the room could see they both of them were enjoying themselves immensely – from the genuine laughter, unrestrained smiles, and caring, exclusive manner that they spoke to and treated one another with. These little things unknowingly betrayed their inner feelings and quickly developing relationship to those that knew them well enough.
Nedezda could barely stand it and whenever she got the opportunity, she would slip a despising glance their way. While Gabriel could also see his closest friend falling for this simple yet uniquely stunning in-her-own-way girl, and he wasn't sure what to think of it all, whether to be happy for him, alarmed at the speed of things, or even envious that he had such a remarkable girl's favor.
Regardless, none of this was ever taken notice to by Dracula or Sophia, as they were only intent on each other, and when the lesson was over, neither would admit that it took more to part than ever before.
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There you have it. I ADORE the first part! It was one of those chapters that I actually had fun just writing… I tend to like the end result better than the process getting there. xD
Alexandra: LOL I think Nedezda has a life—Sophia's just stealing her place. Aha.
Becca: Thank you muchly!
WTF-is-this: Well, thank you SO much for that review, overflowing with all its wisdom, logic and well thought-out constructive criticism. You astound! You amaze! You actually made me laugh. Your dry humor/sarcasm is just brilliant, to put it mildly. Since your time and energy is very, very precious to you, there is no real need for you to read or review again. Once more, thanks for the laughs. You made my day.
'kay, folks. I'm REALLY looking forward to what you have to say about this chapter, so blow me away with your awesome reviews! I love them as if they were my children… so cute…