8th chapter
The following day started as usual, slowly Caroline got more emails and the phone rang a bit more than the past few days. A few tourists got in and Caroline handed them a pamphlet and talked to them a bit. She always stayed friendly, a smile on her lips and she just realized that she actually liked to work with people. She could talk freely about the castle, even though she knew close to nothing about it. Just what she read in those pamphlets in her free time, the last couple of weeks. But she quickly learned, that she just had to act confident and most people would be easily persuaded. No guard passed her way that day, but she didn't mind. Though, she wondered where Heidi was. She had not seen her since, but she should be back as well.
The whole day, her mind wandered still about everything Corin told her. In all honesty, she liked her, she seemed to be cheerful and open-minded and, in her presence, she could just be herself and not worry about anything. A smile formed on her lips; she was glad that she might have found someone to talk to. Even though she had no idea, how she could initiate further contact herself. Caroline couldn't just roam around the castle, looking in every room, just to find someone. For now, if someone wanted something, they got to her, not vice versa.
Monday and Tuesday passed quickly, as Caroline got more and more to do. The bookable tours would start again soon and therefore she had more to prepare. The incoming invoices had to be sorted, unimportant newsletters and such to be shredded and emails and phone calls answered. She was in an extraordinarily happy mood that day and slightly hummed a song that got stuck in her head since she first heard it, yesterday. Occasionally, her head bobbed in the rhythm of the beat and sometimes even her foot tapped along. She was completely on her own on that Wednesday and she was partly glad. She could focus on her work and on the upbeat song in her head.
When her shift was over, Caroline kept humming the song, wondering when she was so captivated by such a catchy tune. She wandered slowly back to her room, she wasn't in a hurry, but completely lost in the song, so she didn't pay any attention on her way. After a while, she seemed to notice her surroundings again and realized, she was in a completely unknown part of the castle. She gulped slightly and turned around. She tried to remember her way back, but she couldn't. Inwardly, she scolded herself for not paying any attention at all. Caroline walked carefully through the dimly lit corridors; she had no idea how far away she was from her room.
She just turned right into another hallway, when she suddenly heard a voice from behind her. "Are you lost, little doe?" Caroline almost screamed at the sound, as she didn't expect anyone near her; she neither heard nor saw anyone. Her heart skipped a beat only to increase its pace in an instant. Instinctively, she held her hand above her heart and turned to the voice, her eyes still widened in shock. Once her eyes landed on the man, who approached her with inaudible steps, she tried to regain control over her body. The amused smirk on his face wasn't helping and the way he stood there, with his hand behind his back and a cocked eyebrow, made her extremely nervous. When she didn't answer, he made another step until he was right in front of her. He enjoyed the view; the alluring quick heartbeat, the intoxicating smell of her blood and her quivering form; all within his arms reach.
"Cat got your tongue?" A dark chuckle left his throat as he eyed her. Aro told him to keep an eye on the secretary, a usual procedure to make sure, once they got the news about vampires, that they didn't run away when they were alone. One of the reasons, some of the guards were left behind. Occasionally, he would search for her tenor to localize her, but when he realized, she was closer than usual, probably somewhere in the east wing, where she wasn't supposed to be, he had to check up on her.
Caroline tried to calm her breathing first, her back was still pressed against the cold stone wall and she started to fiddle with her fingers. After a few seconds, she felt confident enough to answer. "I'm sorry, I was lost in my thoughts and didn't mind where I was going," she started and slowly but steadily her heartbeat calmed down. Her voice trembled a little at first, but got stronger with every word. He didn't respond, he just observed her. "I do admit, though. I don't know how I ended up here and I don't know how to get back." Caroline didn't want to ask him to escort her back to her room, it seemed kind of rude to her, but she hoped he would take the hint.
Demetri's lip twitched slightly at her comment, his eyes wandered to the ground and back to her eyes again. The smirk was still present and the amusement clearly readable on his facial expression. "Don't you worry, little doe. I'm usually pretty good at finding my way." He extended his arm in the old-fashioned way and looked at her invitingly. Caroline needed a moment to sort her thoughts, she looked from his eyes to his arm and back again. She knew what he expected from her and she took a step into his direction. Her heartbeat quickened once more, when she slowly tucked her arm into his. She couldn't hide the deep blush on her cheeks and didn't dare to look even remotely at him.
A soft chuckle left his throat at her reaction; he truly adored human women. "Shall we, milady," he said in a low voice, while he leaned a little closer to her. The red on her cheeks just intensified by his behavior. "Yes, please," she answered quietly, her voice higher than usual.
No matter how hard Caroline tried, she couldn't calm her racing heart or her unpleasantly red and hot cheeks. Her eyes roamed the ground and walls to her right, so she didn't have to look at the man next to her. She even had her hand barely on his right arm as he guided her. She was never too fond of physical contact, except for really close ones, like in a relationship. She didn't like to be hugged and touched by strangers and especially strange for her was the kissing on cheeks for greetings. Everything more than a handshake made her uncomfortable. Caroline tried to occupy her mind with abstract thoughts on their way, but they were going slowly, so painfully slow, that it felt like eternity. Or maybe, she really went that far earlier. She was just glad, that no one else crossed their path.
After a few more minutes, Caroline risked slight glances at the man next to her. He was way taller than her and she couldn't deny the fact that she envied his confidence. She wasn't shy per se, but she was quiet, since she didn't like to talk much. He kept his gaze on their way, little did she know that he was full-well aware of her actions. Caroline still wondered, why that man had such a dangerous aura, her 'little gift' didn't warn her about him and so far, he did nothing she should be afraid of. She sighed deeply, without realizing and slowly she started to recognize her surroundings. She lifted her gaze and without noticing she held onto him a little more.
When they finally turned into the hallway, Caroline was staying at, her face showed relief and a small smile spread on her lips. Once they stood in front of the door, she put her free hand on the handle but didn't open it. Demetri slowly released the woman and stepped aside; his eyes now fully focused on her. For a second, she held her left arm still in position before she pressed it against her chest. Growing nervous under his watchful, piercing eyes she wetted her lips and her eyes roamed through the corridor for a moment. "Thank you," she finally said and met his gaze. A small but honest smile formed on her lips.
Demetri tilted his head lightly. "You're welcome," he answered and his signature cocky grin appeared on his face once more. "You might want to abstain from strolling around in those parts of the castle. You could get lost or worse," he continued. Unable to see through her human eyes, he quickly stepped behind her, he bent his head to her level and inhaled deeply. He closed his eyes, as he took in her scent and his hands held her shoulders. It was pure instinct, that kicked in. For him it felt like hours, when in reality it was a happening of a few seconds. He opened his eyes again, but kept his position when another smirk spread across his face. "Unless you want to be rescued again." His voice was low and seductive, his own amusement clear to be heard in his voice. Aro's orders to Felix echoed in his mind, he had to make use of the potentially short time she was still around.
When Demetri appeared behind her and held her, she whimpered lowly. She didn't know how long her heart could support her at that rate. Her breath quickened at his behavior and she wanted nothing more than to disappear behind the door and into safety. Her body trembled slightly but she didn't dare to move a muscle willingly. "I will stay away from there," she said barely audible to her own ears. Within a split second, he appeared in front of her again. He bowed slightly and took her hand in his. He put a feather-light kiss on the back of her hand, while his eyes never left her face. With another slight smirk he disappeared out of her sight.
An unwelcoming silence filled the large hallway and Caroline still stood in front of her room. Her eyes still stared at the spot where he stood, just a moment ago. Her breaths came out heavy and she blinked uncontrollably as she tried to regain control. After what felt like minutes, she finally managed to get into her room. Her mind raced as she changed her clothes. It was already 7pm and she didn't feel like staying up so long, so she got into her bed. If she was hungry, she wouldn't have noticed; all she felt was exhaustion. She just hoped, that she could sleep after everything that happened that day.
Caroline stared at the ceiling; the room was engulfed in complete darkness. She let out an extensive yawn and stretched slightly. She turned her head to the window but couldn't see anything but darkness. The stars were hidden behind clouds, not even the moon could be seen. She thought about that evening's happenings again and she couldn't help it but blush. She didn't understand why he acted like that. She was just a woman, nothing special. By the way he looked and the way he carried himself he could get anyone. Maybe he had fun doing it, an eternity could be boring. She let out a deep sigh. Caroline promised herself, that she didn't need anyone. She was strong and independent; she shouldn't get flustered about such advances. A slight smile formed on her lips. If he did it for self-entertainment, so could she. There was no harm done in pretending, it wasn't as if he had just waited for her, that his whole immortal being has anticipated her arrival; the one-and-only, a soul mate. Caroline was far too old to believe in such childish fairy tales. She laughed at her own thoughts. She turned completely to face the window, the smile still on her face. She was single again, there was absolutely nothing wrong in flirting, truth be told, she wasn't ready for another relationship, yet. Slowly, she closed her eyes and soon after, she fell asleep.
When Caroline awoke the next morning, she was covered in sweat. She breathed shallowly and her eyes roamed through the dark. She had another dream and not a pleasant one. The fear she felt during her dream was worse than ever, mostly she felt uncomfortable but this time she felt true, deep panic from the bottom of her heart. The intensity almost took her breath away and her hand instinctively touched her throat, where, in her dream, she was held in a painfully strong grip by the other guard, she saw in the throne room. She gulped hard at the thought of his large hand around her throat, ready to snap it once the order is given. His rock-solid body, she was pressed against, didn't even move in the slightest at her attempts to free herself, it only worsened his grasp. And she saw Aro in front of her, lowering his hand but she couldn't read his expression, it became blurry. The throne room was also not clear for her to see, there could be others present as well.
Caroline tried to calm down and took deep breaths. She got out of her bed and started with her morning routine, but she seemed off. For the rest of the day, she was deep in her thoughts, wondering why her 'little gift' warned her now, and hoping that it would be wrong for the first time. As she stared at the monitor in front of her, a single tear ran down her cheeks. She wasn't ready to die, not when she just started anew. Quickly, she rubbed with her sleeve over her eyes and tried to concentrate back on her tasks. But her mind had different plans, every so often she felt an invisible force around her throat and she couldn't breathe. Every time she panicked, but the feeling disappeared as quickly as it emerged.
To disrupt her thoughts, she spent the evening on the couch. Caroline watched a talk show and after that, she switched to a historical documentary. Such shows helped her to fall asleep whenever her mind raced or something exciting just happened. She just hoped, that this time, her dream was false. She knew running away was futile, she probably wouldn't even make it out of the city. A deep and slightly shivering sigh left her lips, as she cuddled herself into the cushions and the blanket on her couch. Almost an hour later, Caroline finally fell asleep.