Sorceress

BACK HOME (Ruby P.O.V)

We land again, feeling dizzy and sick, although this time wasn't that hard for me: the significant amount of blood I got from my girl earlier, even if it was involuntary, has given me extra strength while she's leaning on a tree trunk, sweating with her jaw clenched trying not to throw up with the cats at her feet wheezing on the ground covered with dry leaves. It's way colder here and humidity seeps through my clothes giving me goose bumps even if I'm a vampire. Iselen sneezes behind me.

- I'm sorry, babe – I whisper while making a coat appear out of thin air for her and I help her to put it on. My girl buries her chin in the soft fur collar and she stops shaking a minute later.

- Where are we now? – She looks around confused: this is a dark forest with very old oak trees next to a lake that looks grey due to the clouds reflecting on the surface. I think it's about to rain so I'd better find a refuge for her – Ruby...

Iselen has moved a few steps to her right and has found the edge of the clearing, always covered with green grass and wildflowers even if it's winter. I made sure of that with a powerful spell that invokes a permanent spring. I close my eyes for a second and then get closer to her looking down at the ground, I don't need to raise my head to know what she's seeing now... I know it perfectly because I built it: a small and round temple surrounded by columns with a narrow bronze door and above it in golden letters 'Anthony&Vika' can be read. Behind this small building there's a path that runs across the forest and goes up a hill, there's a castle on top of it made of grey stone and red roofs surrounded by a wall, there's a massive square tower in the middle overlooking the lake and some round and smaller on the front. It's very big and impressive despite it looks a bit deteriorated, some tiles are missing on the roof and some windows are broken, walls are stained and moldy due to the humidity and ivy almost covers the front door.

- Is he your brother? Are we at your home? – She whispers quietly next to me. I nod sadly and she takes my hand putting her other arm around my waist, we remain silent for a long minute while the cats take a look around till I feel a rain drop falling on my cheek and sliding to my jaw. My protective instinct kicks in immediately and the only thing important for me right now is to find a safe place for my girl.

- Let's go, babe, before we get soaked... - I walk towards the castle quickly, telling her where to step in order to avoid the mud and loose rocks, till we reach the small bridge above the moat that protects the main façade of the castle.

- Oh my... this is stunning... You told me that you came from a good family, well actually you told me that your parents had money so I just assumed that they were wealthy merchants or aristocrats but this is... Was your father a count or a duke?

- A prince... - I answer amused while we walk through the door to the stone yard. Several staircases protected by little roofs made of wood lead to different wings of the building, I guide Iselen till we're under one that provides us shelter from the rain and I look at the lancet windows, checking which ones have their glasses broken and trying to remember which rooms are those.

- Are you a princess? – She asks surprised while I push a door and we walk through an ice-cold corridor towards a massive room. Walls are painted in red shade with birds, lions and deer in blue and green, the beautiful coffered ceiling is made of walnut wood and the red marble columns come from a former building much older than the castle. The dark wooden furniture is covered in dust but there're some tables and chairs, a cherry wood sideboard with some china and silver trays and several trunks.

- I'm just a Serene Highness and you're a Royal Highness... don't worry, you're still socially superior.

- Yes well, it hasn't done me any good... - I laugh amused because she's right. I walk across this massive hall and we leave through another door stepping on a wooden balcony than runs along a wall in a different stone yard. My girl crosses her arms and starts shivering from cold. Shit, I need to find a place... wait, I know where to take her finally.