There Is No Me Beyond You

~14~

When I woke up again I was alone in the bed and it took me a while to remember who, or where I was. The sight of the thick, burgundy coloured curtains drawn on three sides of the bed and the two yellow orbs staring in my eyes from underneath a shock of grey fur as I turned to the side, made me finally understand that I was at home.

"Shadow!" I exclaimed, moving farther away from the bed's edge, letting the wolf jump up next to me. I laughed at his excitement as he hopped and turned around, not sure what to nuzzle and lick first, my hands or my face.

I giggled when he settled for my cheek, feeling absolutely happy until I remembered that Vlad had been next to me before I fell asleep, and now he was gone... Where is he?

"Vlad!" I called, willing the wolf to calm down and stay still for a while.

Shuffling of feet approaching the bed followed my call after a short moment and Katerina's head peeked around the curtains.

"Now, I made your husband leave the beast here, knowing that you two... posed no danger for each other... but if you won't behave, my lady, I'll just take him out again." She scolded me as she climbed the wooden steps of the dais, trying to look oh-so-proper and serious, but I could feel the happiness radiating around her like a halo.

I made a quick mental note to ask her later what exactly she meant by me and Shadow not being dangerous for each other and then, the moment she made the poor wolf get off the bed and sat in his place, I pulled myself up and drew her in a bone shattering embrace.

"Katerina, I missed you!" I muttered, eyes flooding with tears.

"Shh... " she said soothingly, caressing my sleep muddled hair. "You are back now."

"Katerina... there's so much I need to know, I have so many things to ask you... Where have you been? Why did you... never tell me anything?" I asked, searching her eyes as her palms rested on my cheeks. "The year was... so long... I have a daughter, Katerina, and I had to leave her... on the other side, waiting for my return... to come back here again..." My voice morphed into a hoarse whisper barely audible over the crackling of the fire filling the chamber with a soft, moving light, as she pulled me closer and kissed me on the forehead.

"Everything will sort itself out, Lady Samara," she said simply. "If you feel well enough, you should wash and get dressed. You have visitors. And even though your husband insists that you should avoid seeing humans for now," she said, shaking her head in disagreement," there are quite a few of those you can receive in safety."

I actually agreed with Vlad, I remembered how it had been the same with Sorina when she was changed-- weeks passed before she was allowed back among the humans. Why Katerina disagreed was beyond me. I observed her disappearing shortly, then coming back with one of my dresses. As I let my eyes drop to Shadow, now lying on the floor, when I swung my legs over the side of the bed and my bare feet connected with his wonderfully soft and warm fur, a new question sprang in my mind... Shouldn't both his and Katerina's presence affect me? The same way as the presence of humans?

"Katerina, why..." I asked, slipping out of my white shirt and taking a clean one from her. I wished I could take a bath but she had said that there were people waiting to see me, and I could not wait to see everybody either. The bath would have to wait until the evening.

"Later, my lady. I'll tell you everything but not right now."

I nodded, resigned, as I let her tie the laces of my dress. If there was anyone more stubborn than me, then it was definitely my old nurse. She would tell me nothing until she decided to do so herself...

"Will you at least tell me where my husband is, then?" I asked after I drained the golden cup she passed me when she made me sit down on a stool standing next to the small bedside table so she could brush my hair. Surprised, I noticed my copy of Dracula lying there.