The next day, Lana woke up early like always her body felt exhausted and tired. But she got out of her small bed anyways, dragging her feet towards her wardrobe she removed a broken mirror from there and scrutinized her face. She sighed in relief seen no visible marks on her face. She unbuttoned the top three buttons of her dress and checked her neck, the skin around there had turned to a purplish color which she figured would take some days to disappear. She touched the area there only to wince in pain,
'Damn those vampires.'
She muttered under her breath as she checked for any visible marks. As she was doing so, her thoughts drifted off to what happened the previous night. She felt lucky and grateful towards the man who had saved her. She remembered how he single handily handled those two vampires, the man had even been kind enough to bring her home. She blushed when she remembered how he had held her hand saying he would be escorting her home, she should have been scared but she found herself drawn to the man.
"Ah I didn't even get to ask his name." Lana said regretfully. Realizing where her thoughts had drifted off, she held her face in both her hands shaking head, 'oh God what am I even thinking.'
"Clean yourself up and follow us to the market" Lana jumped dropping the mirror that was in her hands. She turned to see her cousin Caitlyn standing by her room door still in her night wear.
"What are you going to do there?" asked Lana bending down to pick the mirror before placing it her clothes.
"They Carlos will be holding a party tomorrow; we need to go find something to wear." Caitlyn said with a smile on her face. They Carlos are one of the richest vampire families in Woodlensia and them been a pureblooded family made them fearful and powerful. Most people couldn't wait to be in their good graces and that's why people never missed occasions like this.
"Don't you already have a lot of gowns that you've never used before, why do you need to buy more?" asked Lana her blue eyes staring into her black ones.
"They place is going to be brimming with fine and dandy men from respectable families' vampires to be precise, this is an opportunity for us to find one for ourselves but of course a dumb person like you wouldn't understand" this time it was her other cousin Katherine who answered her question. Caitlyn and Katherine were twins with Caitlyn been older than Katherine by a minute. They were both older than her by a year with them been 20 and her been 19.
"Ah I see" said Lana before looking back at Caitlyn to say, "But what do you need me for?" she asked her. Knowing her cousins, she knew she wouldn't get to buy anything for herself and she doubted she was going to attend the party not that she was interested.
"What would we need you for except for carrying our bags, now hurry up I can barely contain myself I just can't wait for tomorrow." Said Caitlyn with a giggle before her and Katherine left her room.
After breakfast, the trio went to the market. It was already noon when they returned. Mr. Johns who was reading a newspaper looked up and smiled when he saw his daughters walk into his office.
"Did you find what you went looking for?" he asked placing the newspaper on his desk.
"We did and we have bought some dresses of excellent quality, though most of the fine dresses were awfully expensive." Caitlyn said with a little disappointment. Going to sit next to her sister on one of the chairs across the desk, Katherine said, "father can we bring our dear cousin to the party tomorrow, am sure she'll be bored been home all alone." Lana's heart sank hearing this, she didn't have to be told to know that something bad was waiting for her.
"Of course you can bring her with you." Came her uncle's answer.
"Can't I not go?" asked Lana.
"Make sure to stay out of trouble," standing up from his sit Mr. Johns continued, "Am going to visit your uncle in the other town. I'll probably be back before you return. I'll see you then." With that he left the room closing the door behind. Ignored, Lana decided to keep the rest of her thoughts to herself. 'it's just going to be for a day anywhere, what can go wrong?'
They day of the party, Lana watched as her cousins happily looked at their reflections in the mirror, both their dresses were beautiful that it was nearly impossible to describe them with exactitude. The skirts were draped so mysteriously, the arrangements of the trimmings were one-sided and the fastenings were so curiously contrived. To call them beautiful right now would be an understatement as they looked as if they were not from this world. Caitlyn and Katherine were both beauties who could bring any man down on their knees, Lana wished the same could be said when it came to their attitudes but she knew that was only her wishful thinking.
In the carriage on their way to the Carlos, Lana sighed as she gazed out the window. 'Today is going to be a long day,' she thought.
The carriage soon arrived at the Carlos Mansion, they stepped of the carriage,
"wow!" exclaimed Katherine looking at the vast mansion in front of her.
"Come on let's go," Caitlyn nudged her sister's shoulder with a smile before stopping to say, "And Lana walk a step behind us and don't say anything unless asked to." Lana opened her mouth and closed it, unsure of what to say.