Lost in the Castle

~13~

I woke up with a start, gasping for air, my heart pounding crazily against my ribs. I had dreamt about the strange white-haired vampire who I had found waiting for me outside my room this morning. And I realised that maybe there were more dangerous vampires around than Radu. Those like Andrei. Just the thought of him made me shiver with fear.

Even with the curtains down on three sides of my bed, I could see it was an early evening already. The weak winter light coming in through the windows was fading away quickly, and the chamber was full of dancing shadows cast by the blazing fire.

I felt as tired as before, and the bed was so comfortable and warm... I might have just gone back to sleep if I wasn't starving. Katerina was nowhere to be seen, and I didn't really want to call her, I was fine on my own at the moment. I shook my blanket off, feeling suddenly too warm, and stood up. Finding my soft slippers under the bed I put them on; my other shoes, along with my coat, had disappeared. Katerina must have come in while I slept.

I walked across the chamber to the small table by the window, and there I found my dinner, still warm. The table was laid for one person only; apparently, I was supposed to eat on my own tonight.

Where is he?

I wondered if this was one of the nights when Vlad would not eat at all, when he would just drink... whatever it was that they drunk. I still didn't know enough about his needs and habits, apart from the few things he had told me and others that I had noticed myself.

He was very different from the other vampires I had met so far, much more 'human-like' and in control of himself. Less addicted to human or any kind of blood. Yet he needed it to survive, to live, even though very little. I noticed the same kind of self-control and discipline about his son; I knew I could trust him, too.

But then there was Radu, who obviously suffered in my presence, a victim of his desire for human blood. We need to talk, Samara... That wasn't supposed to happen. His words came back to haunt me, and yes, I wanted to talk to him. But how, with his lack of control over his own impulses?! I shuddered, thinking how his look and behaviour had affected me. Still, I couldn't bring myself to think about him as entirely cruel and heartless. After our brief encounter, I started to think that he was weak and suffering rather than dangerous. A broken man. It might be your fault, see? My subconscious was ready to remind me. I wished it wasn't true.

There were the knights then, looking very disciplined and self-possessed. Like Radu's friends, the group of leering vampires I saw hiding among the trees of the forest. Or the guests present in the castle the night I arrived.

And finally, there was the man who scared me even in my dreams, the strange and mysterious Andrei. His power was great, I remembered how he held me frozen to the spot, helpless, and who knows what he would do if I had been alone. He looked so much in control, and I knew he was one of those who killed for fun and excitement rather than the need for blood. Steer away from him, he is dangerous. I knew it was true, but who was he, and what did he want from me?

I ate my dinner so absorbed in these thoughts that I didn't notice what I put on my plate. There was a small teapot in the middle of the table, and I poured myself a small cup of the still steaming liquid it contained. It was the colour of the brightest honey and smelled heavenly, of flowers and sunshine... I brought the cup to my lips and realised it was honey mead, the best and sweetest I had ever tasted. As I sipped it slowly, I could feel it warming my body from the inside, relaxing my tense muscles and nerves.

I rose from the table and stretched, then walked closer to the window. It was completely dark outside now, and it was freezing cold. The glass window pane steamed up with a light shimmering mist when the heat rising from my cup landed on its surface. I could see nothing beyond the icy fog, except an occasional huge snowflake materialising out of the fabric of the night, hitting the glass with a soft, muffled whisper, before continuing its journey towards the frozen grounds lying deep down. Hopefully, it wouldn't snow too much, so we could go for another horse ride in the morning. It had been fun today, at least up to our encounter with Radu.