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Special Note
In the Darkness is a constant work in progress. Everything you read is subject to change as I continue to add more to the story. Also, please note that this means this is not the final peice.
In the Darkness: Chapter 3
Katheryn stirred as the light hit her eyes. She cautiously opened them and looked for the source.
�Good Morning, Milady.� Lily smiled as she turned from the window and wandered into the closet. Katheryn yawned and stretched her still sleeping body. Lily came back out with another sundress. This one was light blue with ruffles along the neckline and along the hem of the skirt. Katheryn can�t remember ever wearing something so frilly. She never was the type of girl to play dress up with.
�Lily, can I go out into the courtyard today?� Katheryn asked, trying to ignore the dress in the girl�s hands.
Lily looked at Katheryn for a moment then out the window. Katheryn sensed her hesitation and frowned. �Let me guess. No?�
�None of us have been out there.� Lily spoke slowly. �Except for Michael of course.� Lily added quickly as she returned her eyes to Katheryn. �He keeps it locked from anyone else.�
Katheryn sighed, �Why am I not surprised?�
�I�m sorry, Milady. Why don�t you talk to Michael about it?� Lily suggested.
�Easier said than done,� Katheryn mumbled as she gave in and pulled the dress over her head. Lily hurried over and pushed Katheryn gently over to the vanity. Katheryn gave in reluctantly and collapsed into the chair.
Lily continually ran a brush through Katheryn�s hair until it was silky smooth and it shone in the light. �Do you have anything interesting to do today, milady?�
�Should I?�
Lily�s smile faltered a bit as she heard Katheryn�s heavy sarcasm. �Well,� She hesitated as she tried to think of an appropriate answer. �You are free to wander the manor as you please.�
Katheryn started to respond but hesitated. Maybe she could try to find the entrance to the courtyard. It couldn�t be too hard to find. Out loud, she said. �Yea, I guess I could wander a bit.�
Once Lily seemed satisfied enough to leave, Katheryn tried to pull open the window so she could see the entrances to the courtyard clearly. To her dismay, the window wouldn�t budge. She looked for a lock, but found none. Frowning, she stared at the window.
It seemed just like an ordinary house window. Why it wouldn�t open like an ordinary house window, she couldn�t figure out. Giving up, she climbed up on the window seat and peered out the window.
She couldn�t see the wall directly below the window. However, there was a door on the opposite wall. It was on the other side of the house, but she figured she�d be able to find it eventually.
Pausing outside her door, Katheryn tried to match rooms with general locations. The main stairwell was down the hall to her right. That led to the foyer. From there, there were several doors. One led to the living room where she first woke up, and one led to the dinning room. Further down the hall was the library and what Katheryn assumed was the entrance to the west wing. Michael�s warning was still fresh in her mind, but that seemed to be where her destination lie.
Katheryn found the library easily. She walked past it and paused when she came to a set of double doors. They seemed to practically take up the whole wall in their size. There were etchings carved into the wood paneling, but the light was too dim for Katheryn to make out what it was.
Instead, she eased open one of the doors and slipped inside. The house was always eerily quiet, but the pursuing darkness made it worse. Cautiously, she made her way down the hall. She remembered the lack of light from her previous wanderings, but this time she wasn�t afraid of it.
She was never afraid of the darkness. Only what came from it.
As Katheryn walked, she noticed a shadow forming against the wall ahead of her. The figure seemed to be standing outside a doorway, as if guarding it. Katheryn slowed down her pace and debated turning back or not.
Too late. The figure saw her.
Stepping towards her, the shadow became a heavyset man with sharp features and a serious face. Katheryn hesitated as she saw him reach for the hilt of a sword that hung at his waist.
�State your business.�
His voice was deep and rumbled when he spoke. Katheryn cleared her throat before she spoke. �I�m looking for-�
�Lord Michael is asleep. Get lost, human.�
Katheryn frowned as the man stepped back to stand against the wall again. The sudden brush off ignited her temper and she stalked towards him.
�First your Lord kidnaps me and traps me here. I have no idea where I�m going or how to get to the bathroom, much less anywhere else. But now I have to deal with rude guards too? And by the way, I wasn�t looking for Michael.�
Startled, the guard peered down at her. His eyes trailed up and down her form. As he dropped to one knee, Katheryn froze and stared wide-eyed. She didn�t even notice when he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. �My apologies, milday. I did not recognize you.�
Katheryn stumbled back a few steps as the door opened and Michael�s form filled the doorway. �Why, Princess, isn�t this a pleasant surprise?� He easily slipped an arm around her waist and guided Katheryn into the room while she continued to stare at the guard, who was still on bended knee.
As soon as the door shut, she blinked back to reality and spun around. Michael fell back a few steps to give her space. �Is there something you wanted?�
�No, I was looking for the-� She stopped as she finally got a good look at Michael. He wore a pair of soft black pants. And that was all. His shoulders were wide and his chest was lined with well sculpted muscles. His hair was tousled lazily. He looked like he just rolled out of bed. Katheryn could barely manage to keep the blush from rising to her cheeks.
At her pause, a slow satisfied grin rose on his lips and he stepped closer to her. �Now, Princess, I do believe you are staring.�
Shifting her gaze, she decided to look past him instead of at him. Looking at him was too distracting. What was also distracting was the unusual feeling his presence brought. She noticed it for the first time as he stood in front of her, watching her intently.
�Selene?� His voice was soft as he stepped closer still, reaching for her.
The name broke her out of the trance she had fallen into.
Stepping back, she looked up into his face. �What did you call me?�
As if waking from a dream, Michael blinked and stepped away from her, suddenly distracted. �Nothing.�
Katheryn stared at him. Suddenly, she realized that she wasn�t really afraid of him. Not of what he was anyways. For the most part, she felt at ease with him. Comfortable.
At least until he spoke that name.
�You called me Selene.�
Michael turned away from her and started absent-mindedly pacing the room. He didn�t answer her. Instead he asked again, �Was there something you wanted?�
�Michael.� Katheryn sighed. She didn�t want his games. She wanted a straight answer for once. However, when he rounded on her, fury on his face, she regretted pressing the matter. In a near panic, she changed the subject. �I was looking for the entrance to the courtyard.�
�The courtyard?� She had obviously caught him off-guard. He frowned down at her. �Why do you want to go to the courtyard?�
Katheryn hesitated. He was standing close to her again. She wanted to step back, but was afraid of making him angry again. �I saw it from my bedroom window.� She managed.
�Continue down the hall until you come to another hallway to your left. There�s only one door so you should be able to figure it out from there.� Michael told her before he disappeared. That was the second time someone coldly brushed her off today. However, this time it really bothered her.
Katheryn absently left Michael�s room and walked down the hall. She barely even glanced at the guard as he watched her walk past him. Suddenly she found herself standing in front of a closed door and pushed it open.
The blinding light brought her out of her thoughts. Blinking rapidly, she waited until her eyes adjusted before she continued. Pausing at the center, she stopped to look around her.
Looking from above and being actually in it, were two completely different experiences. Katheryn could hardly see from one side to the other clearly. A small pond sat off in one corner. She found herself going to it. A stone waterfall ran into the water with a small trickling sound. The water was clear and ran nonstop. Leaning over the edge, Katheryn saw numerous fish of many colors swimming happily. Around the edge of the water were large, flat stones.
Perfect for sunbathing, Katheryn thought as a smile tugged at her lips. A vampire sunbathing made her laugh. Moon-bathing seemed more likely. Vampires couldn�t survive in sunlight.
Frowning, Katheryn looked up at the building that surrounded her. Numerous windows could be seen from where she stood. Not one of them had the curtains drawn. She also remembered the fact that Michael had stood right behind her as she looked out one of those windows. Katheryn made a mental note to ask about that little fact later.
A faint rustle brought her back and she spun towards a small grove of trees. The trees stood about twice as tall as Katheryn and were thick with leaves. A few, she noted, were littered with white flowers. She was never much of a gardener so she couldn�t identify them. But they were beautiful.
Motion caught her eye as some of the lower branches rustled again. Peering inside, she could see nothing but darkness. When a small bird jumped out of the trees and skitted across the ground, Katheryn nearly fell backwards into the pond. She would have succeeded in regaining her balance if the rocks weren�t wet. Instead, her foot slipped and she fell directly into the middle of the pond.
The water was cool. Almost too cool. It was an abrupt change from the sunlight she had been standing in. The pool wasn�t deep. When she stood up, the water came up to her knees. As Katheryn wrung out her hair, the bird turned to look up at her. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at the small creature. The bird simply chirped before it took flight.
Hoping for the warmth of the sunlight, Katheryn climbed up on one of the large rocks and stretched out. As she waited for her clothes to dry, she mentally continued her tour.
Her fingers touched the thick moss that touched the edge of the rock from which she lay. The moss looked springy to the touch and reminded her of the numerous carpets that littered the manor. Near the center of the courtyard, there was a large pale ring. It looked like someone drew a circle in the moss with chalk. It looked so random and out of place, that Katheryn wondered why it was there.
She was still wondering when she drifted off into sleep.
�Milady, a gift arrived for you.� The young woman said quietly. The girl looked over the top of the book she was reading.
�A gift? From who?� The girl asked as she closed the book and set it on her lap.
�I�m not sure, exactly. It came from Earth.� The young woman replied.
�Earth?� The girl�s eyes widened as she repeated the word. �What is it?�
�Come, I�ll show you. It�s in the courtyard.� The young woman opened the door to the library and waited. The girl nodded and set the book on the table beside her. Then standing up, she followed the young woman into the courtyard.
In the courtyard, laid a beautiful white tiger. As they entered the tiger turned her head towards them. Her eyes were crystal blue and her fur shone brightly in the sunlight.
�It�s beautiful.� The girl gasped. �It came from Earth?�
�Yes, Milady.�
�You don�t know whom exactly?� The girl stepped towards the tiger. The young woman caught the girl by the arm.
�I don�t think that�s safe, Milady. And no, I don�t know whom.� The young woman replied.
The girl disengaged her arm and stepped closer yet again. �Well if it is a gift for me, I should at least get it to trust me.� The girl said. �Does it have a name?�
�Yes, her name is Diana.� The young woman replied. There was a strain in her voice as she watched the girl edge closer to the tiger.
�Diana... how typical.�
Katheryn was roused from sleep as someone sat down in the moss beside her. As she cracked open one eyes, she saw Michael watching her. It was then that she also realized that the sun had set.
Sitting up, she attempted to rub the last bits of sleep from her eyes. �What time is it?�
�Just after sunset.�
�I was looking for more of a specific time.� She muttered as she stretched her arms above her head.
�I don�t pay attention to the time.� Michael�s eyes briefly skimmed her figure as she stretched.
Seeing this, Katheryn immediately lowered her arms and curled her feet under her. Vampires never needed to know the time. All that mattered to them was sunrise and sunset. Maybe knowing the specific time reminded them of their fate.
Immediately, Katheryn felt almost sorry for Michael. She assumed living for eternity would get boring after a while.
Michael said nothing as Katheryn turned her head away from him. He simply kept his eyes on her as she watched the moon shimmer over the surface of the pond.
�Do you enjoy staring at people? Or do I get special privileges?�
�Only you.� When Katheryn turned abruptly to look at him, a grin stretched across his lips. Narrowing her eyes, she stood and turned towards the door to leave, but hesitated.
The door was a dark wood color. Etched into the wood was an intricate vine design painted in green. Framing the door were real vines that were littered with roses of such a deep color, Katheryn wondered if they were black.
Feeling Michael�s eyes on her, she started for the door and pulled it open, stepping once again into the darkness of the manor. Michael watched her leave, but didn�t attempt to follow her. Katheryn paused as she realized she just brushed him off the same way he had only hours before.
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