As the redwood forest succumbs to the night, an unsettling wave lands upon us and time passes slower than ever. Perry ran with me in his arms until the other two couldn't keep up with him any longer. To him, his speed was only a jog, yet the others said it was anything but that.
Though after drinking that chupacabra's blood I'm not surprised, he of course is on some sort of power high with endless energy. I almost bet he could run the rest of the way to Dibbley and wouldn't be fatigued.
When he's finally convinced that the chupacabras aren't following us anymore he places me down so I can walk on my own, "Will you be alright?"
My injury is still in the healing process where it can get irritated after a period of time, "Yes, I'll be fine."
It feels like we've spent hours upon hours hiking but that's just because of my paranoia, "Is it always this dark in here?"
My warmed body is starting to get used to Perry not holding me against him anymore. The tingles his bare skin give me have subsided but a small pulse is still felt in my body.
Out of no where goosebumps start going up my arm. I feel uncomfortable like I'm being watched in the dark.
"Yes, that's one of the reasons why the vampires decided to settle here. Lots of coverage from the sun in case of any foreign attack. We also try to coexist with the chupacabras, who end up after our enemies if they try to plan any fights. We can't control them but can kill them quickly if we need. Non-vampires don't usually have that option. Secondly, the forest has few ground plants, which make it difficult for witches to defend themselves."
I'm not fully understanding these reasonings so I state, "I don't know anything about witches."
"Us vampires don't get along with plant-wielding witches, and they should not be found on our public or private land. They like to use plants to defend themselves, so traveling through this forest is unlikely. I'm sure the more powerful witches can use the vines above, but they have to be very strong sorcerers."
I nod, enjoying the distraction of our small talk, "Does this place give vampires the option to go outside during the day in Dibbley?"
"Depending on where you are in Dibbley, sure. The surrounding area is all forest, including homes in the country, but our main street in front of the Donnan Castle has no coverage at all."
The four of us end up on the outskirts of Dibbley, easily finding homes, farmer's markets, and small local businesses in the forest. We begin to pass by vampires who emerge from their slumbers, ready to start their days and run errands. They all eye our group strangely, but I don't dare ask Perry why.
Soon enough the path takes us away from the settlement in the woods and once again we find ourselves alone. We come across a fork in the road and instantly Perry knows where we are, "I've briefly gone into the countryside before, if you turn left it will take you to the castle from the side. If you go right you end up having to go through the whole main street."
Leddy growls, "Don't tell me where I'm going."
This time I'm fed up with her not taking anyone seriously, including Perry, "Listen, you're not here to show us how to get to Dibbley or to boss us around. You're here to protect us, but clearly, Perry handled that chupacabra fine without your help."
My anger causes anxiety to build up inside of me and I can't stare Leddy in the face like I should. My cowering worsens as she grumbles more.
"Maybe I should've let those other two chupacabras eat you!"
I gasp, realizing her narcissistic behaviors include not caring if someone dies or not. Let's be real here, this whole time saving my family she didn't once sigh of relief that we all survived.
Afraid of a huge scene I decide sticking up for myself isn't going to get us anywhere so I turn to the left, following the path Perry was talking about. Our escorts follow behind, Leddy specifically grumbling to her brother who is not interested in the banter.
It takes some time but before I know it we are standing at the edge of the forest, staring at a side garden alongside a massive structure that blocks the moonlight. I'm unable to see the full scale of the building but considering the stars in the sky are blocked by something I know it's the Donnan Castle.
For once, Perry allows a large smile to grow across his face, "I haven't been here in years," His eyes wander and I'm slightly disappointed I can't see his home in its full glory in the darkness. "It's just like I'd remembered."
"Good now little princess?" Leddy starts with me once more, "You've got your castle and bloodied prince. I wonder how long before he drinks you dry, or someone else?"
This time Abe intervenes, pushing her shoulder and making her fumble, "If you don't shut up I'm going to knock you out."
"Fight me, brother."
"No, we're leaving!" He grabs ahold of her arm and pulls her away from Perry and I.
"Fine, let's go to town!" She punches her brother in the jaw, causing him to release her.
As she storms off my vampire friend sighs, "Town is the other way."
She turns around and passes by us, following Perry's direction, "Fuck you!"
After thanking Abe for his assistance tonight and bidding him farewell, he runs to catch up with his sister. As Perry and I stand in the grass and watch them disappear we say nothing to each other.
I listen to our escorts leaving us behind and eventually, I lose their sound in a busy street of vampires.
Now, not being able to see the castle walls at all, I pay attention to my companion instead. From his stance, and frozen body, he doesn't appear prepared to go inside at all. We only know what we have to do once we're talking to his family, but we didn't prepare ourselves for how we'd get inside.
With hesitation I stare up at the night sky, finding beauty in the only thing I can truly see, "Perry?"
"Just a little longer, I need to forget my emotions."
Suddenly I'm understanding that he has to come to terms with his past, where he was just banished from his home and sent away with no remorse. I don't expect him to have a loving welcome, or an easy time here at first. He's going to need somebody to be here for him while all of this change is happening, I have a feeling that's going to be me.
I put my hand on his chest slowly, "It's okay, we've got this."
When his head falls to look at my hand on his chest I notice his face starting to soften again. He doesn't say anything at first, only placing his hand over the top of mine. I feel his chest loosen, sinking back into where it should be. His tenseness begins to fade.
"We?"
"Yeah," I smile. "I'll be here until everything is worked out."
Perry puts his hands on my back and pulls me into him, my hand still on his chest. He squeezes me gently, wrapping me up in his arms like he did days ago on the beach, "I don't want you to leave."
Even though I shouldn't, I give in and relax against his body. He holds me for a while, gently rocking me side to side. I want to tell him we need to go inside, but this is a much-needed moment for the both of us before things could go hectic again.
I lift my head from his collarbone, "I'll have to leave eventually."
He holds me tighter, "I know."
The moonlight glares against the vampire's face, where his pale skin shimmers. I find myself staring at his full lips, wishing I could be his just one more time. One night was not enough, but I have a feeling a second one would only make me want more of him.
A rustling catches my ear, "Did you hear that?"
"No..."
My ears listen as something in the redwood forest comes our way. Paranoid, I don't move, wondering if a chupacabra could've followed us this far. My breathing becomes heavy, worried about another fight.
Once the thing is closer I finally calm myself, finding that it is much smaller than that strange fox-like animal. As the small unknown animal emerges from the forest behind us, I pull away from Perry, curious.
I snatch the flashlight lantern out of Perry's hand, remembering how he'd insisted on holding it for me yet he has vampire night vision. I shine it in the direction of the creature, while Perry spins around glancing down at the tree line.
I scan my eyes across the ground but can't see a thing, "Perry? What is that?"
Out of instinct, a panic overwhelms me and I grab ahold of Perry's arm, trying to drag him towards the castle door.
"Don't worry, it's another one of those rabbits."
A small voice from below sighs, "I didn't mean to scare you."
A round shadow comes out from behind a tree and runs through the grass toward us. I do not doubt in my mind it's that strange talking rabbit. Why would he reveal himself in front of another person like this?
Beside me, my companion is in shock.
"Perry," I whisper. "This is..." I realize I don't know the rabbit's name.
"I'm Rex," He stops at our feet.
"I've been thinking I'm crazy this whole time. Have you never seen a talking rabbit before?"
He shakes his head no.
Now in the light of our lantern, the little white rabbit only stares up at Perry.
"I finally get to experience this moment in history..." The rabbit sounds thrilled, but I'm entirely confused.
I'm already fed up, "What history?"
"The future history you and Perry cause. It is prophesized."
Perry's mind becomes less clouded with surprise, making him able to speak, "There's always prophecies and predictions of the future."
The rabbit continues, "These were made by The Prophet, we all know his powers are real."
Instead of stating he's been living under a rock for hundreds of years, he says nothing, making me know for a fact he knows nothing of the matter.
"It's so great to finally meet you, Perry."
My friend looks at me, "What did you tell him about me? Why didn't you tell me about him?"
It clicks in my head and I take a step back from the creature, he knows who I am and who Perry is but we didn't tell him anything, "I didn't say anything, he just shows up and knows things."
Perry is suspicious, "Where did you learn about us?"
The rabbit only laughs nervously, "Someone from your past, someone in Elenor's future."
I'm not into his mind-bending games, "You need to leave."
This refreshing feeling of power rushes through my body. I've never had the opportunity to take control like this. I've always been too frightened to stick up for myself.
"I have the right to be here, just as much as the rest of you."
Feeling as though I upset the little guy I say, "We just need some time right now to figure our lives out, and I don't know how to react to you right now. It's too difficult for us tonight to worry about a stranger who somehow knows things about us when you won't explain yourself at all."
He turns away, "I'd be in danger if I told you the truth."
Perry speaks to him softly, "We understand that we have to deal with it too."
"What do you want from us?" I ask.
"To spend time with you before it's too late."
Why would he want to spend time with us?
Perry and I turn our heads in the direction of each other. In the glare of the lantern, I find his eyes going wide. Without a doubt this is insane, but it is not what I expected his answer to be. This could mean anything, it could mean we are in danger right? Too late? Are we thinking the same thing?
I decide giving him an ultimatum could be beneficial, "We will meet again once you are ready to tell us some things."
Perry adds, "Don't go back into that forest, the chupacabras will be after you."
"I'll be staying in the gardens."
Perry smiles, "Good choice."
As he leaves to go around the back side of the castle, Perry and I step up onto the side door of his previous home. He tells me this is an entrance for kitchen staff and is a place he expects to enter safely without wandering eyes that could recognize him from outside the castle. We take a breath and brace ourselves, but when he tries the handle it is locked, "Should I break in?"
My stomach falls at his idea, "We can't draw more attention to ourselves! Let's just go through the front. Who would be there to notice you anyway?"
"We can't let anyone know that I'm back in Dibbley, or even alive."
"We can be cautious."
Sneakily, we go to the front of the castle, finding it empty to Perry's surprise. He states that in the past it has been guarded heavily so nobody can enter without permission. The reflection of our lantern gives off a moving wave of light at our feet as I stop at the bottom of the marble steps with hesitation. I don't move, wondering if a non-royal such as myself is even allowed to step upon such a beautiful marbled staircase.
A crackling sound fills my ears, drawing my eyes to two lamp posts at the top of the steps. The white marble reflects the red and orange light from the massive fires which light up the front of the estate. The flames are exposed to open air, mixing a smoke and wood scent in the spring air.
After giving my attention to the beauty of Perry's previous home, it comes to mind that the fire isn't there for people to see. The vampires have night vision, and they don't expect many outside visitors. The fire is there to enhance the view of the home, showing its color in its full glory.
I pass the railings that swirl at the end, ascending the steps as slowly as possible. The more I gaze up at the front of the castle the more of a chilling vibe it gives me, though its beauty stands out just as much. Its architecture is completely symmetrical, tickling my brain with pleasure.
The windows seem as if they could be two stories tall and are covered by red velvet drapes on the inside, making me wonder in what century they were made. Between the windows and the huge wooden front doors are two identical pots of unfamiliar plants. They have spikey vines and some sort of dark red flower.
My accomplice stands feet away from the door when I finally regain my attention on our task. He lifts his hand slowly towards the door handles that a giant could hold, but then he stops and instead puts his arm down.
Perry turns to me, "Shouldn't I ring the bell?"
He gestures towards a string hanging off to the side of the door, I didn't even notice it considering how large this place is. I step back, fully realizing this door is triple the size of any door I've ever seen, and that's just one side of the double doors.
I nod, "Yeah let's ring it."
I go for the string, but I don't pull, feeling the hesitation weight on my shoulders. I'm thinking about Rex suddenly and his statement. Do I have the right to be in vampire territory? Does Perry? Suddenly my take on this situation flips, knowing this little creature may be subconsciously telling the future. It chills my bones more than the fact that we made it here.
"Do you think Rex hinted that we'd work things out?"
"I was not under that impression..." Perry becomes aghast at the fact that we're talking about this and not ringing the bell. He adds, "I thought he meant we would die soon."
I stick to my sudden positive mindset, "Think about it, he said we have the right to be here."
From the inside, I hear sharp footsteps across a floor nearby.
Perry's face falls, "And him?"
The unknown person inside comes closer.
"Somehow?" I shrug.
On the other side of the door, someone prepares to open it, but I'm unable to mouth anything from my nervousness. They're going to expose us!
I pull Perry towards me but before anything can happen he tanks for the bell himself. Yanking on a string that rings a beautiful echo through the inside hall.
Before he can even release the piece of equipment one of the doors is being pulled open, causing him to jump unexpectedly. I step back catching a glimpse of a brighter light coming from the inside, then a figure becoming revealed.
A lump in my throat forms, and I ignore a greeting altogether. Perry's face goes ghostly white, "He-hello."
The stranger starts laughing, making me more uncomfortable. They choke back a huff and as I glance up they're already covering their mouth with their hand, muffling sounds of surprise.
"It's about time!" The woman tries to contain her excitement, "Come in before the whole block knows you've arrived!"
I'm guarded with precaution, almost tiptoeing into the doorway. I fumble, not being able to step up on the seal where the door sits. When I lift my head back up I'm catching a view of a long hallway, sandwiched by old stone walls and a white marble floor that matches the outside.
My head follows the rounded end of the long hallway up, seeing an extremely high ceiling with exposed wooden trusses. Hanging from the middle are basket-looking objects, holding flames for lighting.
The floor is so shiny white that I can see my reflection in it, it's almost like looking into a mirror.
Perry whispers, "You must take us somewhere, please! Nobody can know we are here."
The door shuts with a loud bang, echoing through the hallway making me flinch.
The woman turns serious and bows to us, "My apologies, sir. Come, the Queen's quarters shall do. Milday's Foyer is free."
She rushes forward where many doors line each side of the hall, Perry follows close behind appearing like he knows where we're going.
Off at the end of the hallway, I hear two voices but pay no mind to what they're saying. My stomach falls and I rush everyone forward, knowing they could be in eyeshot soon. We enter through a large door and before the woman can shut the doors for us I do it myself.
I put my back against the door, "Does this lock?"
The woman nods, "Please sit, I'll do it for you."
I take a breath and remove my eyes from the high ceiling, discovering a large room of couches, side tables, plants, and a fireplace.
I hear the click of a lock behind me and with that, my shoulders are loosening.
"We knew after a matter of time you'd be here, Perry. We were getting close to thinking you were dead."
Her words give me this deja vu, experiencing a similar feeling to meeting my family for the first time. Every single one of them commented about how they thought I was dead. Every day I find that Perry and I are more similar than I could've ever imagined.
"We saw the flyer." He states.
When she comes to seat herself across from Perry and me, I watch her eyes carefully examining my every move. She gives off an observant energy towards me, somewhat careful but more wary as if trying to prevent danger.
"Elenor legally had to come with me. I've been a slave..." His voice becomes shaky, "...I am a slave, still." His fingertips point in my direction, "This is my master, Elenor."
The woman's eyes go wide, "How pitiful that must feel."
My stomach clenches.
He ignores her, "We have come to set me free. I have no intention on my royal duties."
"Out of necessity, you will be taking on royal duties, Prince Perry." She looks at me, "That is if your banishment is lifted and your master sets you free."
Realization hits me like a brick, "I was gifted Perry," I don't want her to think I've been mistreating him. "I don't want him to be a slave."
She says nothing to me and diverts all attention to Perry, "My Prince, would you care for any beverages before we discuss anything?"
This formality makes me uneasy.
"We would love some!"
She stands to leave the room.
"By any means, do not tell anybody I am here."
She nods, "You have my word."
After she's gone I lean back into the sofa, "She doesn't like the way I'm talking to you?"
"There is no need for you to call me Prince, she just doesn't know I gave you permission."
I sigh.
"Ellie..." Perry changes the subject, "You have to know that soon everyone will know who you are. Once they see me there will be conflicts..." His words cause my heart to race nervously, "I don't know what to expect. So whatever happens please don't back out."
I turn my head to meet his green eyes, "I'm not going to give up on you."
Millions of things run through my mind, hitting me like a train because I'm going to meet my possible lover's family for the first time...his vampire family. I'm afraid they will not accept me, or they will become bloodthirsty of my kind.