Chapter 82

Eight heads lowered over the books, whispering among themselves, noting names and bickering about them. Noah looks up from his page and says quickly, 'Don't worry Milady, we will have this done in no time.'

I nod and he continues, 'Go ahead and explore as we do so.'

A smile comes over my face as I nod and leave them to hash out the books.. I was really of no use when it came to this and they could do so faster without my help. I step away as they do so, knowing it would take hours.

Walking down the rows of books, seeing some so old that they were falling apart on the shelves, others were papyrus scrolls under glass. Milan would love this, as I smile down at them.

My eyes wandered to the isle that said Dracul and I walk over to it. It was about time I learned about the family I had married into, something ai should have done before, but time didn't allow. Tomes of books stood, history of this vampire line. In Nick's bloodsong I had seen a statuesque man with features so very familiar to Nick's. His father. He had been a hard disciplinarian, but seemed a good man. Nick had only had him for a millenia before his death. But I had never seen his mother, an absent figure in his life. I could only see her in his bloodsong as a child, pale skinned, black hair, blue eyes like himself. He had his father's features but his mother's coloring. She seemed so distant to him, but more loving to his twin. Or so it seemed, her name was was obscured, and all I could remember was mama. I could see glimpses of her laughing with Igor, his face bright and happy as a child. Was it because he was the younger of the two?

I walk down the isle till I see The Diary of Vlad Dracul and stop. Sliding it out, I flip through it till I see wedding and read, 'Today I marry a young Pureblood of the Wontolee family, a modest household of Purebloods though comparatively young to my own ancient line. Her name is Hope, a strange name to be sure, but father says she will be a good addition to insure a stronger royal line. I must trust him on that, though I feel no wish to marry.'

Hope...

Slowly my eyes widen and I run to the tome I had read that word in, carrying the book of Vlad's diary in my hand. Sliding to a stop in front of the pedestal of the history of Fideous the great I look at the words.

There is Hope...

Why would he capitolize that word, it wasn't a feeling but a person. Quickly I open up the book again and flip through Vlad's diary until I stop at one word.

It said:

Lose... to loss, I have lost. Today my wife died, a terrible thing I never hoped would come. It happened suddenly, without warning. She had told me the night before that she had something important to tell me but this morning I find she has died in the night due to illness. We do not get ill, so how could such a thing be.

I stop there and feel sick as I look at the date at the top:

July 24, 1803

My eyes look up at Fideus's date:

July 23, 1803

She died the day after these words. Had Fideous killed her? Was he the leader of the Phantasma? She couldn't have died of illness, but possibly poison. It's furst victim perhaps? If so how could we hope to destroy a being so powerful...

Slowly eyes lift and stare at the books to my right and I blink, there on the middle row, second down, covered in spiderwebs was something I didn't expect, The Diary of Hope Wontolee.

Setting Vlad's book on a table, I look down at Fideous words once more:

There is Hope...

My eyes lift once again, and the hair on my neck stands on end. His words weren't figurative that there was something to hope for, it was literal. There is Hope, the Diary of Hope Wontolee, something physical to find. I even look down at the page, it was on the right side of the page so when you lifted your head you would see her diary. I whisper to myself, 'Could it really be that simple?'

Slowly I walk over to it. Pulling the book from the shelf I open it. Looking down I flip to the page where the writing stops:

July 23, 1803

I met a man today I know from many years ago and he has told me something that could shape the future as we know it. I have lived in solitude since my seperation from my husband. But tomorrow I must tell him something that will change everything...

That may change him...

It was nothing, nothing but blank pages after thise words and I laugh self-deprecatingly as I murmur, 'Of course there isn't anything. What did you expect Natasha, a sudden revelation?'

Looking up, I start to put the old Diary of Nick's dead mother back when I stop. In the empty spot I took this book down from, I see what looks to be an envelope. Frowning, I slip my hand through the opening and pull it out.

The envelope was thick with dust, many years of sitting unnoticed by the seekers I had seen among the shelves, reading. A lone diary, a lone person could be the key?

Sliding the diary back, I look at the envelope. It was old, the wax seal untouched by time. The paper was yellowed by age and it was heavy. No name was on it to tell who had placed it or who it was for.

It couldn't be that simple. Slowly I turn the letter over and placing my fingers under the lip of the seal - of what looked like a sunrise - I break it. Pulling out the old paper, I unfold six pages carefully and look at the first word.

The first word that made me stiffen, and all my skin gooseflesh from it.

Natasha...