Chapter Fifty-Seven
Moving Right Along
Departing from the Cirque du Freak was not a suggestion Juliet gave lightly. Her grandfather approached her on multiple occasions as she and Mika packed up their belongings. Juliet knew he was taking her leaving harder than he should, but she also knew that staying with the cirque would only bring danger to him and his friends.
The large city they passed through the next night was where Juliet bought a car. A black sedan with dark tinted windows so that Mika could sleep if they needed to drive during the day. When she pulled back up to the Cirque camp to pick the Vampire up, many of the Cirque's members came out to see them off.
"You'll be missed, lady." Gertha Teeth said, placing her hand on Juliet's shoulder. "It was great having you around."
Truska approached and offered Juliet a package. "No, Truska… no gifts, please. I promise I'll come back when this is all over-"
Truska shoved the pack in Juliet's hands with a big smile, then engulfed the woman in an embrace. Mika came walking out with his duffel over his shoulder. He watched the scene with impassive eyes.
"This looks expensive. Vampire's would not normally-" he began, looking over the sedan.
"Don't care." Juliet interrupted him. "Rules were made to be broken, livin' on the edge, blah blah. You can repent to the Vampire gods when we're safe. Besides, I'll sell it later. Or donate it. We needed proper transportation, so don't complain. Would you have preferred a Winnebago?"
Mika put his hands up defensively and shook his head, amused, people in the small crowd chuckled at their exchange. The Prince threw his duffel in the back seat as Mr. Tall approached and the crowd around the two slowly returned back to their business. Mika nodded to the Cirque's ringmaster as he walked back to their trailer to pick up the last of his and Juliet's belongings.
"You are positive you will be safer at your house?" Mr. Tall asked, looking at Juliet curiously.
Juliet adjusted her outfit, driving clothes. She had on the pleather leggings she had purchased before reaching the Cirque, and black flats on her feet, along with a bright white, sleeveless blouse that she had accessorized with a thick black belt. Fingerless leather gloves adorned her hands, and she tugged at them idly. "Even if he finds us there it's in the middle of nowhere, and safer if I have to take him out."
"You can't." he stated.
Juliet rolled her eyes. "I know." She looked up at him. "Don't worry so much about me. I can handle myself." She smiled brightly.
Mr. Tall stiffened, his features growing hard. "This I know. I am worried for far more than your safety due to this Steve Leopard."
Mika returned with Juliet's duffel over his shoulder, as well as a crate full of their dry foods and bottled water. He placed them both in the back seat alongside his own bag. "That is everything." He said, brushing his un-gloved hands on his black plants. He closed the door with a little too much force. "How long should it take us to arrive at your property in this vehicle?"
Juliet snorted at his use of 'vehicle'. "It's gonna take a few days. Maybe even a week. Especially depending on how often we have to seek sun shelter."
"The windows are suitably dark." Mika remarked.
"Dark enough to ensure you won't burn?" Juliet asked. Mika shook his head slightly, unsure. "Well, maybe we can get a thick blanket-"
"What is that?" Mika pointed to the package in Juliet's arms.
"Something from Truska. Let me open it…" she ripped the paper and pulled out a large silk square. Black with dark blue lining. "Well," Juliet smiled, unfolding the silk fully. "Is this dark enough?" she held it in front of her face, trying to see through the fabric. "I think so."
Juliet tossed the silk to Mika and he caught it, enjoying the feel of the fabric on his skin. "This will work." He agreed. He looked at Juliet. "Are we leaving now?"
She nodded. "Yeah, gimme a sec. Go ahead and get situated." Juliet tossed him the keys as well, Mika caught them with a question on his face. "Turn on the radio." She suggested.
Mika climbed into the passenger seat of the sedan with a grunt of acknowledgement. He didn't know how to turn on the car, let alone the radio in the car. When he closed the door, Juliet turned her attention back to her grandfather, who had been waiting patiently and silently. His eyes were downcast, and his posture heavy.
"What's wrong?" she asked, seeing the look on his face.
"I wish we had more time." He stated, reaching for her hand. She walked toward him and gave it to him. "There is so much more you need to learn."
Juliet smiled up at him as he held her hand in his. "We have plenty of time. Like I said, I'll be back when this is all over."
"If anything should happen to me-" Mr. Tall began, Juliet frowned.
"To you?" she interrupted. "What are you talking about? As soon as we leave you won't be in any danger."
"Please Juliet, let me finish." He looked down at her chidingly, fitting for the pout she was giving him. "If anything should happen to me please seek out Evanna."
"Your sister?" Juliet asked, frowning even deeper. "I thought you didn't trust her?"
"It is not that I do not trust her, but simply that I do not agree with how she interacts with our father and the Vampires." He nodded thoughtfully. "I have no doubt that she would assist you in your training if I cannot."
"And who trained you two?" Juliet asked snidely. "Maybe I can figure it out on my own?"
"You cannot." He stated. Juliet's eyes narrowed. "Juliet, I wish your abilities were as simple as sifting through others memories, but I have reason to believe you may be able to do much more."
Juliet was suddenly stunned. "Like what?" she said breathily.
"That first night when you practiced… you lit my candles."
She was confused. "What?" she said.
Mr. Tall shifted, dropping her hands and putting his on her shoulders instead. "You went into Mika's memory, and whatever you experienced ignited- so to say – another ability in you. The candles on my coffee table lit on their own. It was not normal fire, Juliet. It was intensely bright. Magic."
Juliet blinked. Repeatedly. "You never said anything about firestarting magic or whatever when you told me about our, uh… lineage."
"I was not sure if you would be able to kindle that sort of magic." Mr. Tall stated. "Helvsmina believed that you would make a wonderful priestess of many magical traditions. She saw much magic in you even as I refused to believe you were anything more than a normal half vampire girl, but I believe she was right on that account."
"Wait, so you're saying this a voodoo thing?" Juliet gasped.
"Yes and no. Voodoo requires calling upon spirits to do things for you, and perhaps that is what you did that night, but I don't believe so. I think, perhaps Helvsmina saw within you an innate magical ability." He smiled kindly. "She had hoped you would follow in her footsteps, but it seems you will surpass her."
Juliet wanted to smile back at Mr. Tall, but could barely wrap her brain around his words. "Innate magical ability." She repeated. He nodded down at her. "Can… you maybe just like… put that in layman's terms?"
He chuckled. "With practice, I believe you could be formidable with magics of many forms. I have these for you." He produced a stack of bound leather books. "Helvsmina's journals. Her voodoo spells, research into other magical practices… perhaps it could help you."
Juliet's eyes softened and she smiled as she took the stack of journals. "Thank you. Do you really think this will help?"
"If you work through your own memories I'm sure you will come across times spent with your grandmother. She tried on multiple occasions to teach you what she knew. I believe simply trying to call magic in this fashion will help you tap into your birth magic. Understand?" he looked at her fondly and Juliet nodded.
"Yeah I get it." She wrapped her arms around him. "I promise I'll be back." She said, he squeezed her.
"I know you will be." He replied, releasing her. "Be safe, my Juliet."
"I will gramps." She smiled, moving around to the driver's side of the car. She opened the door and handed the stack of books across the seat to Mika, who looked at her questioningly. "Goodbye!" she called loudly. A roar came up of farewells from the Cirque. For a group of diverse people, used to members coming and going, they made the effort to see Juliet and Mika off as she started the car and backed away from the compound.
"These?" Mika gestured to the books as they began the slow drive away from the compound, Juliet could see the towering figure of Mr. Tall in the rearview mirror, watching them leave.
"My grandmother's journals." She replied. "She was a voodooist."
Mika's eyes widened. "You are trying to learn voodoo?" he asked.
Juliet winked at him. "Among other things."
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Juliet Andères was not a capable driver.
That is the conclusion Mika came to during their trip. She sped, wove through lanes, cut other cars off, and all the while blasted music on some sort of flat discs she stopped to pick up- so loud his ears were ringing.
As a traditional Vampire, Mika had a hard time sitting in the car, when it moved he felt nauseated, but he dared not tell Juliet. She was excited to be on the road.
"I haven't been on a road trip in forever!" she sang after their first day on the road. She'd picked up the music at the first chance she could, and packed the back seat with junk food and drinks. As she spoke she was simultaneously driving, eating 'gummi worms' and drinking an 'energy' drink. "The best part is the food." She smiled over at him.
Mika was holding his breath. The smells permeating from the metal drink can and the bag of sugary candy were not helping his stomach. "Are all road trips like this?" he asked lightly.
"Yeah, no. I'm not sure. I usually go alone. Pretty sure when you have other people you're supposed to trade off on driving though…" she trailed off, glancing sideways at Mika.
"I apologize." He said.
"I'm just kidding, Mika. Jeez." She chuckled, eating another blue and red worm. "I get it, Vampires are weird about modern technology. So what does it mean for me to be driving…?"
"Not quite sure…" he sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Juliet once again glanced at Mika from the corner of her eye. Something was up. "You feelin' okay?" she asked. At her words the Vampire stomped his feet, waving his arm, trying to roll the window down. Juliet sighed. "Oh shit…." She pulled the car over and unlocked the door, Mika rushed out and released his vomit in harsh groans.
Knees on the dried grass at the side of the road, Mika retched, his throat burning. He cursed at not being able to control his body. "I'm sorry." He coughed, spitting on the ground.
Juliet was leaning against the side of the sedan, arms crossed. "I take it you were unaware of the term 'motion sickness'?"
"It is much worse than the illness I would get when traveling at sea…" he said, standing and brushing the dirt off his black pants.
Juliet tossed him a bottle of water that he hadn't realized she was holding. "Yeah sea sickness is basically like motion sickness, only the waves can sometimes calm your stomach. In a car… not so much." She chuckled.
"What will we do?" he asked, rinsing his mouth with the water. He spat into the grass. "Must we travel this way?"
"It's the fastest way." She stated, watching as he downed the water in the bottle. "But we've got some options. We could pick you up some motion sickness aid, or something to knock you out."
"I'd rather be awake for our journey." He said, shaking his head.
"Okay so does modern medicine work on you?" Juliet asked, motioning for him to get back in the car.
Mika shook his head. "I'm not sure."
"Worth a shooooooot." Juliet sang, starting the engine. "To the nearest pharmacy!"
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A Vampire's inner workings would forever be a mystery to Juliet, as none of the nausea aids she purchased at the pharmacy helped Mika's stomach.
Mika retched two more times before Juliet forced him to fall asleep, using a combination of alcohol and herbal tea, as well as soothing music. He held a package of dry crackers in his hands, and Juliet couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the beefy Vampire lulled to sleep on the car ride. They had to make a few stops to pick up everything, but Juliet could tell that Mika was grateful for the pause.
When he drifted off to the sounds of a flute played over ocean waves, Juliet shut the music off.
"Mika?" she said. No response. He was out cold. "Okay, guess it's just me, the night, and the long, stretching road."
The crescent moon stood stark against the black night sky as Juliet and a sleeping Mika travelled the long distance into the countryside. After a few minutes driving in complete silence, Juliet put music on, idly singing along to soft jazz.
Mika mumbled incoherently in his sleep, and Juliet couldn't help but wonder what the two of them were doing. Stuck in the past, driving to her house with a man she'd once loved- who was she kidding? Still loved, at least enough to risk everything to try again with him. Since even Juliet couldn't figure out the state of their relationship, she knew it would be useless to bring it up with Mika.
'Am I right to give him another chance?' she wondered, casting inquisitive glances at the pile of black shifting next to her. 'Or is he just going to hurt me again? I mean, it's not like I have any real reason to trust him romantically… maybe we should just be friends?' she sighed, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, and shook her head. 'No… I want this, right? Or I did when I first agreed to it. Or maybe I was just really horny. Man he can kiss… Fucking eh, though… I am in no position to date anyone ever…'
Stop it. A voice inside her whispered. You need to start trusting yourself again.
'How can I ever trust myself again?' she snapped internally. 'I'm sane now, but when will I lose it again? I don't even know why I lost it in the first place…'
You have the means to find out.
Juliet looked into the rearview-mirror at the bound pile of books on the seat. "Magic, magic, magic…" Juliet mumbled. "What will I use you for?"
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Mika's motion sickness was slowly winding down as the days passed, though Juliet continued to force him to sleep for as long as he could during their drive. She also began stopping more often, driving more courteously and lowered the volume of her music. One night she pulled off the road onto a beaten dirt path that culminated into a small, shaded area. A grove of trees surrounded a single little bench, perfectly open to the moonlight shining in from above. "Break time." She said, getting out and stretching her arms and legs.
"Are we making good time?" Mika asked, following suit. He watched as Juliet pulled the stack of books from the back seat. "When will we arrive?"
Juliet untied the books and pulled the top one out, closing the door. "Not much longer at all." She replied simply. "No need to push ourselves. We've got a few years." She winked at him, and Mika smirked.
As she led Mika toward the bench, she flipped through the pages of the book. There were small titles scrawled across pages, like the beginning of new chapters. 'What is this?' she thought. 'Didn't gramps say these were journals?' She seated herself on the bench, curling up as if ready to spend and extended period of time reading.
"You seem familiar with this place." Mika commented, continue to stand and observe the surrounding foliage. He had gotten used to the driving, following Juliet's lead and wearing comfortable clothes. He was currently in a pair of loose-fitting black linen pants and a black t-shirt that accentuated his frame. No shoes. Juliet flicked her gaze up to him then back to the book.
"Yeah sometimes I would drive out here to relax." She said, shrugging lightly.
"That's quite a trip." He sat next to her and watched her read.
Juliet didn't respond, leafing through pages. Words popped out at her: 'spiritus', 'exorcism', 'living sacrifice', 'exsanguinate', 'ash or hawthorn'. She shook her head and returned to the front of the book. 'Is this a voodoo book or…?' she wondered.
"Can you see that?" Mika asked, "Well enough to read?"
"Yeah, I've always had great night vision. Now I know why…" she shrugged.
"Will you not be cold?" he said with amusement, eyeing her simple outfit. A blue cropped blouse that fell off her shoulders and a pair of extremely short shorts that accentuated her generous bottom.
"Watch where your eyes travel," she commented, feeling his gaze on her. Mika smiled but she paused, interested in the first few pages. "Oh shit…" she gasped.
"What is it?" Mika demanded, trying to take the book from her. Juliet kept it away.
"She wrote these for me…" Juliet sighed. "She says it right here. 'Juliet, I know one day you will need my help, and perhaps I won't be there to give it to you. If that is the case, your grandfather shall give you these books. I have written them for you, detailing my experiences with voodoo, and other forms of magic. There are spells, incantations, recommendations for potions, their ingredients and their uses…" Juliet cleared her throat. "It goes on. But it's all right here…" she was smiling, giddy with delight and excitement.
"Your grandmother?" Mika asked.
"My grandmother." Juliet nodded.
"Do you want to read for a while?" He looked at her, engrossed in her book. She didn't respond and Mika smirked. "I'll take that as a yes." He stood, stretching out his legs. "I am going for a run." He said before taking off into the thicket of trees.
The run exhilarated him, as he kept himself from flitting to maintain the feel of exercise. The trees were tall, conifers and others mixed in making him wonder where exactly they were, and where they were heading. Juliet had said her home was in the country, but did she really mean 'in a remote, undisclosed location'? Mika ran miles and miles before realizing he needed to get back before sunrise. He upped his speed to make sure he returned in time.
Juliet was still reading by the time he made it back, she had hunched over, her face buried between the pages. "Juliet," Mika said, removing his shirt and wiping the sweat from his brow.
Juliet grunted and glanced up, eyes assaulted by the sight of Mika's bare chest glistening with sweat in the disappearing moonlight. His hair was disheveled and he was looking at her with a mix of amusement and interest. "Wh-wha?" she managed, setting the book down with trepidation. The Vampire looked godly.
"We need to get going." He said, offering her his hand. The bottoms of his pants were covered in mud from his run, and as Juliet accepted his hand and stood she felt her bare legs rub against them.
"Ick…" she whispered, then clearing her throat she said, "Where have you been?"
"I went for a run. I told you." He chuckled, picking up her book. "It was nice to have the space to move."
"Just wait. You can run around all you want once we get to my place." She smiled, walking to the car. "Ready to say night-night?"
Mika groaned. "No. I'll remain awake."
Juliet shrugged, pulling out the bottle of liquor from the backseat. "Are you sure?" she shook the bottle at him. "If you throw up I might just make you sit in it."
"I will be fine." Mika stated. "I think I am growing accustomed to the 'car'."
Juliet nodded and motioned for him to climb in. When Mika opened his door, though, she stopped him. "Wait, you're not getting in here with those on," she gestured to his muddy pants. "Take those off."
"As you wish." He said, smiling seductively.
Juliet rolled her eyes and climbed into the driver's seat. She laughed, "Uuuugh, get over yourself Vampire. Change clothes. Don't even try to get in my car naked!"
It was the last leg of their journey, and Juliet wasn't sure whether or not they should stop to rest. She glanced at Mika as time passed. He gazed out the window, watching the landscape as she drove past. Juliet wondered what it must be like for him… to have existed before cars and planes. 'Then again…' she thought. 'I existed before the internet, didn't I?' She was beginning to feel a deeper connection to Mika, not romantically, or even friendly, but one of two people who have experienced life with a youthful body and aged mind. She decided to focus on the roads instead of Mika, noticing the landmarks that pointed their arrival onto her land.
"Will we be stopping again soon?" Mika asked after ten hours of driving. "Surely you are getting tired?"
"No," she replied, hands gripping the steering wheel. "We're about four hours out. I'd rather keep going."
"Only four hours? I believed it would be a few more days…" he began. She shrugged and Mika's eyes widened, as he examined Juliet. Her stance was tense, her jaw set in a hard line causing her to frown. "What is wrong?" he asked.
Juliet clenched her jaw, clearly debating telling him what was on her mind. "I have neighbors, but at this point, what with the time travel and all, they wouldn't have heard from me in a few years…"
"What are you thinking?"
Juliet's eyes were hard. "My shit better still be there." She growled. "Or they're evicted."
"You are their landlord?" he remarked. "How many homes are on this property? How much land do you own?" Mika demanded, crossing his arms over his chest in irritation. "Will they pry into your affairs?"
Juliet's face relaxed at Mika's usual need for answers. "Our affairs, Mika." She said. "And it's nothing like that… but I suppose you'll find out soon enough."
Four hours passed with relative ease. Mika hadn't realized how fast Juliet had been driving sense they'd entered the densely forested area. Without other cars to dodge she didn't jerk the vehicle, and thus Mika remained in good health.
"Here we are." She said as they passed under a remarkable overarching canopy of trees. "I need to stop at this building." She said, directing the car to the small house a few meters ahead.
"Is this where your neighbors live?" Mika asked.
"Yeah. Neighbors, park rangers, wildlife biologists, whoever needs to be out here." Juliet parked the car and exited. "I'll be right back."
Mika knew Juliet had said that to alert him to stay in the car, but he exited as well and followed her into the building. Surprisingly it was larger inside than it appeared outside. He began to question how it was possible, but then realized that the trees and other foliage had completely overtaken the exterior of parts of the building, making it one with the surrounding forestation. 'Remarkable.' He thought.
The interior resembled a hunting lodge, thick wood beams and burning fireplaces, but Mika could tell by the furniture that it was much more than that. Modern televisions, lighting and the like turned the open space before them into a large living room, and a half dozen doors littered the walls, leading off to places unknown. Juliet approached an apparent concierge desk toward the front of the building. It was empty as she began to approach it, but immediately a young woman rushed out to greet her.
"Miss Gatsby!" she said, rushing forward and half-bowing politely. "So good to see you again." She went behind the desk and pulled out a leather bound item that Mika couldn't recognize. It was thin black plastic with a television screen. She carried it like a clipboard and began tapping at it with a pen. Mika frowned in confusion.
Juliet nodded and smiled "Dr. Spitzen, good to see you're still here." She replied. "Who all are staying with us right now?"
Dr. Spitzen, a young brunette with thin glasses and an infectious smile shrugged. "It's just me and Dr. Palo right now. You just missed a group of Japanese botanists that were studying the creeping moss on the outside of the building. They were here for a good three months." She tapped at her screen a few times. "Some wildlife researchers left about two weeks ago- they were here for the bears which have gone into hibernation."
Juliet visibly relaxed. "Good, I was hoping for some privacy for a while. Can we put a restriction in place? I want the twenty miles surrounding my home to be made off limits."
Dr. Spitzen nodded eagerly. "Of course Miss Gatsby!" she said. "Twenty mile radius of main cottage off limits." Tap tap tap. "Done." She beamed at Juliet. "Anything else?"
"Has anyone been to my home since I've been gone?" Juliet asked, leaning against the desk as Dr. Spitzen tapped.
"No ma'am, you left explicit instructions. We do have your cat though!" she said as an afterthought, setting the screen down and rushing back to the room she came from. She returned with a chubby, fluffy cat that meowed incessantly.
"Cat!" Juliet remarked, elated. "I've missed you cat!" she took the cat from Dr. Spitzen and began petting it furiously.
Mika frowned. "Does your cat have a name?" he asked. Dr. Spitzen seemed startled when he spoke as she looked at him confused.
"Cat! Short for Catherine the Catty." Juliet said, "Or Catstantine, hunter of demons. Or Catstantinople…. Catvalanche. She's cat." Juliet smiled at Mika and he shook his head. Juliet seemed to notice Dr. Spitzen's interest in Mika. "Dr. Spitzen, this is my friend Mika. He'll be staying with me at the main cottage."
"N-nice to meet you sir. I apologize for starting when you spoke. I didn't see you on the cameras." Dr. Spitzen smiled apologetically.
"It's quite alright." Mika replied, smiling handsomely.
Dr. Spitzen cleared her throat. "Is there anything else you need from me Miss Gatsby?"
Juliet set the cat onto the hard stone floor and the animal rubbed against her legs affectionately. "Keep looking after cat for me, Dr. Spitzen. You know how much she loves it here." Juliet said. "And can you have the grocer deliveries begin again? I need twice the amount now since I have company."
"Yes ma'am." Dr. Spitzen nodded.
"Alright then, we won't keep you any longer." Juliet smiled. "Keep up the good work. Call my main line if you need anything."
"Thank you Miss Gatsby."
Mika and Juliet returned to the car and Mika looked at her pointedly.
"You have questions, no doubt…" Juliet sighed, strapping herself in and starting the engine. "Go ahead."
"What is this place?" Mika asked as they pulled away from the complex.
"This is a government research facility." Juliet said. "I purchased this land in 1962 during the cold war for super cheap, mainly because the Russians were testing nuclear weapons on it. As the radiation subsides scientists have been wanting to study the area. I built both my home and that complex in the late 80's once it was deemed safe for human life. I struck a deal with the local government to 'rent' out the labs in the complex- or the second cottage as we call it- to scientists as long as they abide by my wishes for privacy."
"How much do you charge?"
"Nothing. Jay Gatsby is a philanthropist. I just asked for privacy. The government probably charges these scientists an arm and a leg, but I do my best to accommodate their wishes to make up for it." She sighed. "I get worried when I'm gone so often that someone will want to know more about the person giving them all this land to study… that's why I was so tense earlier. If they broke into my house… well they'd see a few things about Vampires and Vampaneze and…"
Mika nodded in understanding.
They continued to drive in silence, Mika gathering his thoughts on the situation. "How much land is there?" he asked finally.
"Two hundred and fifty square miles." Juliet said, smirking.
Mika's eyes widened in disbelief. "You are very well off financially, aren't you?"
"I don't mean to brag but… I've made some great decisions on the international stock market." She chuckled.
"How much farther to your home- ah... the main cottage?"
Juliet's grip on the wheel tightened. "It's a good hour from the second cottage so…." She trailed off.
Mika looked at Juliet, concern on his face.
"I like my privacy." She said quickly. "Enjoy the view around us. I own some beautiful land."
She wasn't wrong. The land was equal parts thick forestation and rolling hills. The plants were thriving, overgrown and healthy, and though Mika saw no animals he could tell that whatever was out here was more than likely just as well off. The road was nothing but a well-worn trail, some gravel and sand thrown in where the greenery was too lush to follow. It would be easy to get lost in a place like this. And easy to stay lost.
It was a little under an hour before they finally stopped in front of Juliet's home. At the approach of the car, the lights turned on, shining outside the windows and onto an assortment of flowers and vines creeping up the stonework of the cottage.
"Finally." Juliet said, hopping out of the car and stretching her limbs. "Home sweet home." She walked to the door which had no knob and placed her hand in the center. Mika followed behind her, observing his surroundings. Juliet's house was in the middle of about an acres worth of green grass. Behind the house he could see a few large trees, and coupled with the foliage at the front, he knew it wouldn't be long before this building looked like the second cottage.
A beep sounded from the door, followed by an unlatching sound. Juliet pushed the door inward. "Follow me, Mika." She said. Mika marveled at the door, wondering if it used magic to open without a key like the Hall of Princes at Vampire Mountain. He followed Juliet inside, eyes scanning everything from the dark, glossy wooden floors to the tall windows. The open area they stepped into was three white walls lined up and down with books. The front door was the only space in the room lacking books. The wall to Mika's left had a set of navy blue double doors in it, still lined with books, these books were kept in place by a navy blue railing. Mika walked to the door and placed his hands on the doorknobs, opening it and looking inside. Shoes were neatly lined in place along the walls. A shoe closet. He closed the doors at Juliet's voice.
"This is my foyer-brary. Follow me to the living room." She said, removing her shoes and tossing them to the left. They were set to hit the door, but at the last moment the doors swung open and the shoes landed in a pile on the floor inside. Mika's eyes widened, surprised and amazed.
Juliet continued inside and Mika hurried after her. "This must all be crazy to you." She said.
"Your doors all open on their own?" he asked.
She chuckled. "No just the front door, by handprint, and the foyer-brary closet has a motion sensor. It opens if things get to a certain place at a certain speed. Very high-tech." They exited through an archway directly across from the front door to enter the living room, and Mika immediately felt more at ease.
A large fireplace was the center attraction of the round room, and it was burning. "Fireplace auto-lights when the door is opened by my handprint if the temperature is below a certain point. Also very high-tech." Juliet explained, she moved to the fire and stood before it. "And so worth it."
Juliet continued to stand in front of the fireplace and Mika looked around the room. The entire 'living room' was threes steps down, making it seem cozy and contained. Behind Juliet, situated facing the fire was a large cream-colored, overstuffed couch atop an oriental rug of red, green and gold. The fireplace mantel held a display of flowers preserved in glass, breathtakingly beautiful and fragile. Along the left side of the living room wall were paintings of ocean waves in the Japanese art style, as well as a coat rack with three black sweaters hanging from it.
"Feel free to look around Mika," Juliet said, startling him out of his observations. "I'm going to go take a shower. No a bath. A bubble bath…." She made her way towards the right side of the room which had a sectioned off kitchen and dining area, a baby grand piano flanked on its sides by two hallways leading to the rest of the house.
"The left hall leads to the main bedroom, master bathroom and my music room. The right hall leads to two 'guest' rooms and the second bathroom. They connect at the end so it's basically a big 'U', you can't really get lost." She started toward the left then stopped. "I- uh. I'll have to make up one of those bedrooms. They're pretty empty."
"Tell me what to do and I can take care of it, Juliet." Mika offered. She shook her head.
"No, it's okay. Let me just shower and everything. We can do it together. Why don't you make some coffee?" she waved her hand at the kitchen and left the room.
Mika stared at the sectioned off kitchen and then to the baby grand piano against the wall between the two hallways. Shrugging he went into the kitchen, large, spacious and modern. It was roughly the size of the foyer, and a small tea table sat on the outskirts of the tile next to a large bay window that overlooked the front of the house. The cushion on the bay window looked surprisingly well worn, and a number of small, colorful pillows were positioned in the corners. He smiled fondly, imagining Juliet sitting with a cup of tea, watching the sun rise from her kitchen.
At his thought he heard the crank of water rushing through pipes as Juliet began running her bath. He sighed and set about at the kitchen, rummaging through cabinets looking for coffee. He discovered the press in the top left one, above the sink, but the coffee was nowhere to be found. He continued to look in every single cabinet, and the enormous French-door refrigerator before giving up.
He decided to explore the rest of the house. Passing by the left hallway, Mika followed the right hallway to the first door on the left. It was a relatively small bathroom with only a glass-enclosed shower, toilet and sink. The floor was white marble, and there were accents of gold throughout. He closed the door. 'The two doors on the right must lead to the two guest rooms.' He thought. And he was right. The first door led to a bare room with only a bedframe, box spring and mattress. A small closet in the back of the room probably held the items needed to make the bed, but Mika decided to heed Juliet and wait for her.
The second room, however, caused him to worry.
There was a large, modern desk in the center of the room, papers, books, maps, pictures, all sorts of items were scattered about on the desk. It faced the door, as if Juliet wanted to be able to spring into action should someone walk in. All the documents were pertaining to Vampires. The right wall was lined with weapons, as well. Crossbows, hunting rifles, a shotgun- many things Mika couldn't even name. He decided to leave the room and ask Juliet about it. She had said it was a 'guest' room…
Mika reached the end of the hall, and as he made a left he saw the end of the left-hand hall. They both converged at a set of large glass French doors. The doors were covered with delicate lace curtains and flanked by large windows that encompassed the remaining portion of wall, making the entire back wall glass. Peering outside, Mika could see that they led to a garden. A large chaise chair and small table sat amongst flowers and bushes. He left the door and headed down the other hall, hoping Juliet had finished her bath. Just like the other hall, there was one door on the left and two on the right. He peered inside the first door on the right, the Music room. It was smaller than the two other rooms he'd seen, comprised only of a desk against the right-most wall, and a few instruments hanging from the remaining walls. A small grey item was atop the desk and flashed a light every few seconds, irritating the Vampire Prince. He closed the door, blinking in confusion.
The leftmost door led to the master bathroom, and Mika had to admit, it was impressive. The walls were lined with sconces that utilized real flames, causing a relaxed, flickering light. There was a small sectioned off area with a toilet and stand-alone shower, but the main attraction was the large, sunken bathtub encompassing nearly the entire black marble floor. It was large enough to fit four people, brimming with bubbles, and Juliet was floating in it, eyes closed, clearly comfortable.
At the sight of the warm water, and the naked beauty floating it, Mika stripped naked and approached. He carefully stepped into the water and sunk down. There was so much water that Juliet was barely disturbed by the small waves he created. Mika moved closer to her and reached out a hand to tentatively stroke her bare stomach. Juliet's eyes snapped open as his fingers made contact with her flesh.
"What are you doing?" she asked, turning over and standing in the thigh-high water.
"Bathing with you." He responded, mischief in his jet black eyes.
"Mika," Juliet snapped. "We haven't laid any ground rules for how these years are gonna go-"
Mika silenced Juliet by raising his finger to his lips and approaching her calmly. Juliet didn't move as he approached, or when he took her hand in his and looked into her irritated blue eyes. "We don't need any rules, Juliet. Let us just do what comes naturally."
Juliet wanted to protest, years of being alone made it hard for her to imagine herself in his embrace, naked and vulnerable. This wasn't like at the Mountain, when there was still hatred in her heart. Now she was open to Mika, and she was afraid of what may happen if she did 'what came naturally'. Mika pulled her to him without complaint and moved to the side of the bath before sitting. Juliet turned and settled in against Mika's chest. Silence fell over them as they soaked in the water. Juliet sighed, content even though she was still unsure of her feelings. 'These Vampires… always trying to see me naked…' she thought with a small smile.
"Mika?" she asked.
"Hm?" he replied, the sound vibrating through his chest and making Juliet smile.
"Reach to your left, along the outermost edge of the bath." She said. Mika complied and felt a smooth, glass surface. "Tap twice." She instructed.
Mika tapped the glass twice and soft music began fluttering in, surprising him.
"Well," he remarked, Juliet continued to smile, head against Mika's strong chest. "That is very high-tech."