XIX
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwyXrXQSJ8
Helga rushed across the courtyard and plunked onto the bench Luiza had vacated moments earlier. I raised questioning eyebrows at my new companion. Since our aborted departure from the castle, I avoided the chambermaid. Inadvertently, she had told our secret to her grandmother, thus spoiling the planned escape. Madam Balan informed Baron von Helfin, causing him to appear at the last moment.
"What do you want?" I imperiously snapped. I rose, but Helga grasped my arm. I stared down upon her haughtily. "Release me!" I yanked my arm to free myself, but her grip tightened.
"I'm sorry," the girl muttered, lowering her haunted eyes. "I didn't mean to tell granny. It just came tumbling out."
"Apology not accepted," I coolly responded. Nevertheless, I regained my seat beside Helga. Folding my arms tightly across my chest, I allowed a 'humpf' to escape my lips.
The sun peeked over the horizon in the east, chasing away the moon's shadows. The dismal courtyard brightened slightly. Behind us, the castle loomed darkly upon its precipice. The yellow sun could not chase away our gloomy surroundings.
Back to back, Helga and I crouched on the stone bench. Harboring our own thoughts, we waited for the other to speak. Silence prevailed between us as dawn took its grip on the new day.
"Norah," Helga's hollow voice finally broke the stillness surrounding us.
"I'm not speaking to you," I stated tersely.
"But…"
I did not respond. Instead, I stood and aimlessly wandered toward the high iron gate. The long, windy road remained empty. Its barrenness exclaimed the stark isolation of the castle and its inhabitants. My mind raged against fate as I clutched the railing in desperation. Mama and I had walked into a trap that held no escape.
"I wanted to go to England with you," the chambermaid began again. Her sudden appearance at my side startled me from my dark thoughts. "Next time…"
"Next time will never arrive," I responded in clipped tones. "You ruined it, Helga, simply ruined it. Mama decided to leave this hellhole. Now we're stuck here—probably forever. England is a fantasy, a fairy tale, a forbidden myth."
Briskly, I pivoted and stormed toward the castle. I wished to put a long distance between the betrayer of my plans and me. Holding my head high, I swooped past Helga and grasped the door handle. She rushed behind me and inserted herself before the castle entrance.
"Ranulf doesn't love you," the maid demurely stated. "He will use you just like the Baron uses your mother."
Her sudden exclamation froze me on the spot. My mind whirled as I considered my budding relationship with von Helfin's ward. At first, I had remained wary of Ranulf Zamphir. However, as time passed, I realized he had my best interest at heart. Several times, he had inserted himself between the Baron and me, thus alleviating a distressing situation. I grew fond of him.
Helga stood before me, clasping her hands behind her back. Smirking, she rocked back and forth on her heels. Grasping her shoulders, I tried to force her away from the door. Nevertheless, she held her ground. I stared at her incredulously.
"What do you know about it?" I demanded in exasperation.
"You are not the first nor the last," Helga coyly announced.
"First or last what?" Anger filled my sharp inquiry. I grew furious with each passing moment.
"Viccccctimmmm." The eerie elongated response echoed throughout the lonely courtyard. Helga stood on tiptoes and, lifting her arms above her head, shook her fingers wildly.
"Victim," I repeated disdainfully. "Oh, for God's sake!"
A sharp wind howled and rushed through the courtyard. My long brown hair fell loose from its pins and swirled above my head. Swiftly, the temperature dropped, and I shivered. The denuded trees came alive with bats furiously flapping their wings.
"Let me pass," I demanded, dodging quickly to the right.
Helga followed my movement, continuing to block my way inside. I dodged to the left, and she mimicked me again. Our actions became a parody.
"Stop!" I yelled, grasping the chambermaid's shoulders to force her aside. "Stop playing games with me."
"Listen to me, Norah," Helga implored, standing still instantly. She grasped my coat sleeve and yanked hard. "I want to help you, make up for my mistake. Pleeezzze." Suddenly, she fell to her knees and bowed her head in submission.
I looked down upon her bare head. A stark white stripe of skin stood out against her dark hair, where she parted it. The unkempt strands tumbled forward, covering her face. Wistfully, she peeked through them, her dark eyes demure.
I gnawed my bottom lip with my front teeth. Did Helga sincerely wish to help, or was her plea another attempt to gain my attention? In a way, I pitied Helga. Working day and night in the castle provided little entertainment for a girl her age. Lonely and forlorn, she desired companionship. She had probably never seen other people besides the von Helfin occupants. My heart wept for her, and my stance softened.
"All right," I finally conceded.
Grasping hands, Helga and I returned to the garden bench. I awaited her explanation eagerly. However, the maid hesitated. She plucked a plain white handkerchief from her sleeve and worried it in her fist.
"What's it all about?" I demanded, my patience dwindling.
"Your mama isn't the first governess," Helga hastily exclaimed. "You're not the first governess's daughter. The Baron picks 'em special and coaxes 'em to come. They're always down and out. Poverty-stricken widows with young daughters are his favorites."
I stared at Helga incredulously. Her ability to fantasize grew audacious with each passing day. Filled with frustration, I began to rise. Her restraining hand on my arm held me back.
"It's the same, over and over," she continued, her breathing hastened. "Ever since the Baron was bit…centuries ago."
"Centuries?" I guffawed, appalled by the extent of Helga's lying. "You're out of your mind."
I roughly pried her clasping fingers from my upper arm and stood indignantly. Purposely, I strode toward the door and grasped the handle. I yanked it open and stepped inside. Helga grabbed me by the arm again and, sinking to her knees, began to plead. I pulled away and swiftly stepped inside. The stout oaken door slammed shut behind me.
"THEY'RE VAMPIRES," the little maid screamed as I shut her out. "VAMPIRES, NORAH. PLEASE LISTEN! THE BARON, RANULF, THE CHILDREN—ALL VAMPIRES!!"
Helga pried the door open and raced toward me. I continued to march toward the dilapidated grand staircase, my heels beating a rapid staccato on the flagstone floor. Bowing my head downward, I plunged upward toward the wide landing. The maid's voice followed me, reverberating around the empty hall.
"YOU'RE MAMA'S THEIR HOST; THEY'RE USING HER TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES," Helga continued to shout. "RANULF WANTS YOU. HE'LL ATTACH HIMSELF TO YOUR NECK AND SUCK YOUR LIFE. PLEASE LISTEN, NORAH. PLEASE!"
I hesitated at the top of the stairway and, grasping the railing, turned. Below, Helga scurried across the entranceway. When she reached the bottom riser, she stumbled, and her ankles became tangled in her long black skirt. Still, the young maid attempted to continue upward, gaining a half dozen steps. I cringed when she collapsed with a thump and slid back to the ground floor. Beneath her crumpled form, her left leg sprawled awkwardly at an odd angle. Instantly, I realized she had broken a bone.
Hurriedly, I rushed down to help. However, Mrs. Balan appeared and assisted her granddaughter to her feet. The housekeeper glared at me accusingly, and I hesitated. Grasping the newel post, I watched them move slowly, painfully, toward the kitchen. I finally moved toward them, but Mrs. Balan spun on me.
"I will attend, my granddaughter," she hissed menacingly. "You will not come another step near her. You are to blame for this…this mishap. Leave us alone."
A sharp rebuke rose to my lips, but the look on the chatelaine's face stopped me from uttering it. Instead, I pivoted and ran pell-mell up the stairs. On and on, I ran along the first-floor corridor, then up to the second and third. I did not stop until I bolted the turret door. Finally, I dashed into my bed chamber and locked myself in.
"Vampires," I muttered, hysteria rising in my voice. Crumpling to the carpeted floor, I hugged my knees and sobbed. The sound echoing around the still room shocked me. Alternating between high-pitched mirth and unworldly howls, I did not recognize my own voice.
"Vampires," I repeated, my heightened tone diminishing. "Vampires?"
My mind settled, and I wondered at the new word. It seemed vaguely familiar; however, I could not place it precisely. Straining my thoughts, I pressed for a memory of the term. Nothing came to mind.
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