Vlad The Impaler (VAMPIRE-ELF)

65. Tricky Doors And Slippery Futures

After her afternoon with the Thilmador's, Erinna passed by Mara's house on her way to the castle. Mara was not home but Elijah let her in and she took another book to read that day. She was going to have to return the ones she had at home, they were piling up because of her growing habit of procrastination.

"Bye Elijah," she waved at Mara's owl after picking a hefty volume containing a detailed account of elven history from the time period Vlad was cursed.

She was looking at anything that would tell her more about the event and what followed.

When she arrived at the castle, Erinna was surprised to find her father waiting for her on the stairs.

"Father? Is everything alright?"

"I thought I could show you the archives before dinner is served."

Erinna could hardly believe it. Her jaw dropped right before her lips split into a grin. Her father had agreed but to believe the moment had finally came...

"Thank you, father." She hugged him, squeezing him tightly with bubbling joy and excitement.

"Let an old man breathe, Princess." He laughed but returned her hug.

He let her go after a minute and they walked into the castle together. Elven society was very different from vampire society. Due to the calm nature and tranquil disposition of her people, crime was hardly ever a factor in Ellingsdale. Doors could spend the night unlocked and there were never any guards loitering around the castle like there were in Castello Dracula.

But something had changed in Ellingsdale even if she refused to acknowledge it. Her people were more guarded. There were more over the shoulder glances and wandering gazes into the night as if they knew there lay something there, a predator lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce and attack at any opportune moment.

After all the events of the year, who could blame them? She wanted to believe Vlad had just been threatening when he had rounded up their kids and threatened to kill them if her father didn't give her up but she could not stand by that belief.

Her mate had been a different person then, anything could have been possible. But she had to convince her people he was not like that anymore, that they had no reason to live in fear anymore, that they could accept her among them without fear of retribution from the man who was their worst terror.

"Here we are," Eric pronounced with the pride of a father.

Erinna blinked, lost in her thoughts, she had not been able to see they had arrived. She remembered a descent into the dungeons and a series of turns but that was it.

"Oh," she gasped, looking at the doors before her.

They were not just bright, they were glowing. They shone with a yellow light that resembled the sun and bounced of the golden doors in dazzling rays. It seemed like she had been taken to an alternate reality. It was hard to believe they were in the dungeons because it felt like they were in the sky, the door shining luminously on its own.

It was almost blinding yet hypnotizing all the same.

Whilst she watched, the golden surface of the door seemed to shift and remold themselves. The golden vividness faded and was replaced by darker, earthier colors. Images that she had only seen in her head and dreams before, appeared.

"Beautiful isn't he?" Vlad asked her, a rare smile on his lips.

In his arms, he held a child, their child, swathed in infant clothes and blankets.

"He has your eyes," she said, caressing the cheek of their child.

"And your lips," he countered.