Saturday, (12/25/23) 9:44PM
After spending Christmas with my family, it was time for Kazu to pick me up.
“I’m going to my friend's house!” I called out as I walked out of my bedroom.
“Alright, be safe!” My dad called out from the kitchen.
Anji stuck his head out of his bedroom door, peering at me through narrowed eyes. “A friend’s house? Is it Nikolas’s house?”
“What if it is?” I rolled my eyes.
Anji’s eyes widened. “Take this!” He placed a clove of garlic into my hand. “Vampires hate garlic.”
“Anji, that’s just a myth.”
“This might save your ass. You’ll thank me later.” He crossed his arms.
“Thanks…” I went down the stairs and straight out the door, tossing the garlic over my shoulder.
I met Kazu by my gate. His tail wagged happily upon seeing me. “Hi, Acchan!” Nikolas wasn’t here to stop the werewolf from pulling me into his embrace, but I didn’t hate it. It made me smile. “You ready?”
I nodded.
Kazu put his hand out for me to hold. As I grasped his hand, my surroundings blurred into darkness.
-
I thought my eyes were still shut, but it turned out that my surroundings were still blackened. I peered up and saw the sun barely peeking through gray clouds.
“Are we still in Japan?” I asked Kazu as I followed him.
“Nope, we're at Niky’s house!”
I followed where his finger was pointing and let out a gasp.
In front of us, there was a massive castle. It was covered amongst the snow-covered trees of the forest, but it could still be seen from this distance. Gloomy as it appeared, it looked magnificent. Its five grandiose towers, with the middle one being the tallest, and several glowing glass windows made it appear mystical.
I swallowed hard, struggling to take in all of the landscape.
Kazu saw my reaction and pouted. “It’ll be fine, Acchan. Niky’s family will like you!”
“His family!?” I screeched.
“Of course! This is the Ardelean household.” Kazu knocked twice on the large wooden doors and whistled a quick tune.
The doors slowly opened inwards, revealing more of the magnitude of the castle. My neck ached as I stared upwards. At the doorway of the main tower, there was a tall silhouette. Kazu ran on all fours towards it, squealing excitedly. The silhouette caught him in his arms, his balance unwavering.
“Nice to see you too, Kazu.”
I walked up to the two and my lips turned upwards into a smile.
Nikolas's eyes softened as his gaze landed on me. He opened his arms and I tightly hugged him close to me. His arms were securely wrapped around my waist.
“I'm so glad you're alright,” I said with my face on his shoulder.
“I apologize for not responding to you. I finally had enough strength to get up today.”
I lifted my face and looked up with a smile. “That's alright. I knew you weren't ignoring me.”
He stared at me, brushing my fringe out of my eyes. The vampire moved back and leaned against the door, gesturing us to come inside.
“Are your siblings home?” The werewolf asked.
I blinked. “Siblings?”
“Nezera is here. My brothers’ whereabouts are unknown.”
The three of us walked down a dim hallway with only the candles on the walls as our source of light. The interior of the castle was just as extravagant as its exterior. Paintings adorned the stone walls and exquisite royal blue carpet laid upon the floor.
Close to my ear, I heard a foreign tongue. Upon passing by another entrance, a slender woman was standing in the doorway. She had silky wavy dark blue hair that grew past her waist. Her eyes were the same color as her hair. The woman was shorter than Nikolas, but her demeanor was intimidating yet comforting. She wore a corset that matched her eye and hair color on top of her flowing puffy long-sleeve black dress. She had a black fur cape draped over her shoulders which made her appear ever more mysterious. Now that I noticed her attire, Nikolas was also wearing his usual Victorian-esque clothes. His clothes were similar to what he wore at the ball but were altered to suit winter. His clothing was made of thicker material and he wore a black cloak, its edges lined with soft fur.
She saw Kazu and smiled. She ruffled Kazu's hair, which made his tail wag profusely.
“Akio, this is my eldest sister, Nezera.”
I nodded at Nezera who bowed her head slightly.
She stopped petting Kazu and came up to me. “He is a cutie!” Nezera spoke in surprisingly good Japanese with a warm smile. She placed her hand on my shoulder and gasped. “He is a sturdy one. You must be very strong.”
I couldn't help but be flustered at the sudden compliments.
“If Nikolas doesn't treat you well you can tell me.” She gave me a pat on my head, her sharp sapphire-colored nails brushing my hair. “I'll deal with him.”
Nikolas glared at his sister.
She chuckled in return. Nezera made a hissing noise at Nikolas. I assumed it was the same language Zaros and Nikolas spoke back at the ball. I could tell Nikolas didn't seem too happy with what she said. He nodded and nudged his head towards the end of the hallway.
“Kazu dear, would you like to help me with some chores?” Nezera suggested in Japanese.
Kazu nodded happily. “I would love to!”
“I'll leave Kazu with you,” Nikolas said to his sister. “I'll guide Akio to his room.
Nezera smiled as the werewolf joyfully bounced in his steps while he followed her.
I waved goodbye to the two of them before walking beside Nikolas. I felt Nikolas’s finger graze the back of my hand. His soft touch was his way of asking for consent. I looked down and held his hand in mine. He turned to me with a slight smile.
“Can all of your family members speak Japanese?” I asked.
“My parents and Nezera are fluent in many languages. My brothers are too but they aren’t familiar with Japanese.”
Impressed with how knowledgeable Nikolas’s family was made me interested to learn more about them. As we inched closer to the stairs, I peered up to see a shadow figure looming over the railing. My eyes were met with a pair of piercing scarlet eyes. I felt my body stiffened as he continued to stare down at me. We were several flights of stairs apart, but I could feel his menacing aura from where I stood. Nikolas looked up as well with a grave expression. His hand tightly held onto mine. A few moments later, the person lifted his chin and turned sharply, his cape flowing behind him.
“Who was that?”
“My father. Please ignore him,” he sighed heavily. “Your room is up these stairs and down the hall on the left.” We stood at the bottom of the stairs as he pointed in the direction of the guest room. “I have to talk to my father.”
I calmed down hearing Nikolas’s voice. I nodded and smiled at him.
“I’ll meet with you soon.” Nikolas bent down a little and gave me a peck on my cheek.
My lips quivered into a goofy smirk as I pranced up the stairs and down the hall. I hadn’t seen Nikolas for a few days so I couldn’t handle the sudden affection he gave me.
I turned the silver doorknob of the guest room with a soft clicking noise. Inside was a king-sized bed beside the wall opposite the doorway. The bed was under a silver chandelier which illuminated most of the room. To my left was a window pane almost as tall as the room itself, revealing the dim outdoor scenery. All of the furniture inside is what I would call antique yet luxurious: a guest couch, a desk and chair, a bedside table, and a dresser. I felt out of place in my white sweatshirt and black jeans.
I couldn’t help but plop myself onto the maroon silk blankets that lay on top of the bed. The bed felt so soft and surprisingly warm. I gazed up at the matching canopy of the bed with the sudden remembrance of Nikolas kissing my cheek.
I turned on my stomach and squealed loudly into my pillow. Why am I reacting like this? He’s my boyfriend. I said to myself.
I let out a gasp. “Nikolas and I haven’t kissed yet.” I punched the pillow heatedly as I remembered the times I’d been kissed by people who weren’t Nikolas.
I groaned as I laid back down on the bed. As my mind wandered I felt myself falling asleep under the soft blankets and sheets.
-
Twelve books in each arm, I strolled down the hallway to the room Nezera told me to put the books inside. Nezera promised food as my reward for helping her. I could never turn down a meal.
As I headed towards the destination, I could hear a familiar voice coming from a darkened room. My ears perked up as I could hear Nikolas responding. I leaned against the wall nearest to the door which was slightly open enough for me to hear their conversation. I'm not well versed in Vampirish, but I can understand some words.
“I do not care if you approve of Akio or not, but I want to be with him.”
“That is not my concern.”
I held my breath as I concentrated on translating their words. There were a few sentences I didn't understand because of how quickly they spoke, but I could comprehend the last part of their conversation.
“No, my son. I mean a commitment for life.”
“Do you mean… marriage?”
Nikolas’s father sighed. “A human's lifespan is a mere century where our lifespan is a curse.”
“I know, father.”
“I am only reminding you because you will outlive him. I do not want you to go through the pain of loss.”
“A pain I will endure.”
There was an eerie silence. I peeked inside and saw Nikolas sitting across from his father who was at his desk.
“I will not stop you, but all I ask of you, my son, is to make a decision you will not regret.” Nikolas’s father took out a wilting flower from a vase sitting to his left on the desk. He held the blue flower up into the sunlight.
Nikolas watched in silence.
“A flower is not immortal, but its beauty is everlasting. Its petals whisper beauty even as it fades and falls.” Nikolas’s father let go of the flower as its petals withered off the bud.
“Do you need help with that?”
I flinched hearing a new voice next to my ears and almost let out a yelp. I turned around and saw their family maid. Her bones jingled as she swayed from side to side. She was a skeleton after all.
I shook my head with a nervous grin. “I’m fine, Stella. I can handle it!” My ear twitched as I could no longer focus on what Nikolas and his father were talking about. Without a second glance, I bowed to Stella and hurriedly skipped down the hall.
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