Henrietta gripped tightly onto the brass handle of the door, and paused upon the door’s threshold. She turned to look back at me and said, “Once we step through this door a spell will become active, where no one but us will be able to enter into this apartment without your explicit invitation – and I mean no one but us, not the guards and not even Caspar, will be able to get through. This is for your protection should Casper ever enter the fort. Do you understand?”
I nodded my head.
“Good,” she smiled and stepped through.
I hesitantly followed her, eager to get away from the guards and wash off sticky blood that was hidden under my dress, but also nervous of what I’d find once I got into this apartment. She’d told me the apartment had been abandoned for centuries, and this had me worried. I mean, I wasn’t expecting wi-fi or a smart tv, but I’d like to think that the apartment would be clean, warm, and have indoor plumbing. I couldn’t imagine having to wash in a tin bath like they did in the olden days, or even worse, using a chamber pot.
Holding my breath I followed her through the doorway, and breathed a small sigh of relief when the room opened up into a warm reception room with a welcoming fire surrounded by several large comfortable sofas that were decorated with giant fluffy cushions and shimmering velvet throws. Part of me melted inside, and I rushed over to the sofa and sank my fingers into gorgeous fluffiness that was one of the oversized cushions. Groaning I said, “This is heaven.”
Henrietta smiled, “I thought you’d like it. I’d tried to get this stuff sent to your original room, but Louis and Caspar wouldn’t allow it. They’d clearly don’t share our similar appreciation, and enthusiasm for beautiful throws and soft…soft angora cushions.”
I wrapped myself in one of the velvet throws that was lying on the back of the sofa and sat down, “This is bliss, just bliss,” I murmured snuggling into one of the cushions. Warmth and softness enveloped me, and all thoughts of Caspar, Casper, Louis and good old dead Nurse Poison drifted far away from me.
“I’m glad you like it,” Henrietta said softly, “I want you to be happy here.”
“This room alone is perfect,” I replied.
“Well, there’re three other room to visit,” she said with a smile.
“Are they all like this,” I asked dreamily.
“You’ll have to come and see for yourself,” she said cheerfully beckoning me to follow her.
I reluctanly got up from the sofa and followed her to the other side of the room, where there was a small door disguised as wall panel next a pretty hanging landscape of a valley. She tapped on the door once and gave it a push and the panel opened outward. Pulling the door forward, I jumped in surprise when white silvery light came pouring through the door cracks.
“What is that?” I gasped.
“Take a look,” she said opening the door fully.
I peered in and saw the moon shining through a small bay window lighting up entire room. My hands lifted to cover my mouth, now opened with excitement and wonder – it wasn’t just the moon shining through the window that had caught my attention. I walked through the room, which was modestly sized and filled with books, magazines and other materials too keep me occupied, and kept moving towards the window. The light was bright, unusually bright for the moon, but when I saw the tiny flakes of snow and the frosted edges of the window pane, I knew why.
Looking out, I saw thousands of rooftops in the distance covered in brilliant white snow. We were up high, much higher than I’d original thought, and we were looking out over the fortress walls down towards a great town or city. I turned to Henrietta and asked excitedly, “Is that Port Cressida?”
She nodded her head, “I thought you’d enjoy the view.”
I returned to stare out over the great vampire city I’d heard so much about and whispered, “It’s beautiful.”
And it was beautiful and nothing like I’d ever seen before. The city looked more European than American with narrow winding streets and olde worlde feel. I was mesmerised by its snow blanketed spires and rooftops that glowed magically in the bright moonlight, and the streetlights peeked out from between buildings, like tiny orbs golden amber.
It was a gorgeous winter view that was fit for a Christmas card.
“Utterly beautiful,” I murmured again and heard a sigh.
“Everything looks beautiful in the snow,” Henrietta observed sadly.
I spun to face her. There was something in her voice that urged me to ask why, but before I’d even had the opportunity to ask there was a knocking noise coming from the other room. Both Henrietta and I exchanged glance and returned to the reception room, where the main door was rattling on its hinges.
“Hazel!” A muffled voice called from behind the door.
My heart elated and I couldn’t suppress the smile growing on my face, “Caspar!” I called back.
“Invite me in, we need to talk,” he said curtly.
I paused, remembering that he couldn’t enter the apartment without an invitation. So I opened my mouth to invite him in, but then felt the sharp pinch of fingernails digging into my arm. Henrietta had grabbed hold of my arm, and was leaning down into my ear.
“You must get rid of him,” she said.
“What,” I asked confused.
“You’re covered in blood, Hazel. If he comes in here, he’ll smell it on you,” she explained.
My heart sank in my chest and I looked longingly towards the door. I wanted to talk to him, in spite of everything he’d done to me, but I knew that Henrietta was right, I couldn’t let him in. He’d definitely smell the blood on me, and goodness only knows what he and he has brother would do to me. I groaned inwardly, feeling my heart splitting in two.
The door rattled again and I heard Caspar yell impatiently, “Hazel, invite me in.”
The pain in my chest worsened and I found myself speechless. He was there, right behind that door … so damn close. I wanted to take a step forward and open the door. I just wanted to see him so badly, especially after he’d left me on such bad terms. Suddenly I felt Henrietta’s grasp tighten around my upper arm, “Hazel, you’ve got to get rid of him,” she urged softly.
“But I want to see him so badly,” I protested.
“I know, but you can’t, and you know you can’t. Tell him you’re ill,” she said.
With a trembling voice I called out, “I’m sick Caspar – I can’t see you right now.”
“I don’t care if you’re ill, open the damn door, Hazel,” Caspar snapped impatiently.
I shook my head and said, “No, I’m too sick Caspar right now, but maybe if you give me a couple of hours then-”
“Hazel, open the fucking door now. I want to see you now, not later, but now,” he cut across me.
“I can’t,” I replied.
Henrietta squeezed my shoulders and called out, “Caspar, I’m getting Hazel settled in right now. Maybe if you could come back in a couple of hours when she is feeling better, then you could talk to her.”
“Stay out of this Henrietta. Hazel and I don’t need a damn mediator,” He growled.
“Caspar,” I began, “she’s right. I need a nap and some food, then I’ll be in a much better state of mind to talk to you. Please be reasonable.”
Silence followed, and Henrietta and I exchanged hopeful looks that maybe Caspar had come to his senses. But just when it sounded as if he was quietly contemplating our request, there was a rushing of footsteps outside the door, followed by a terrible bang. The door shook in its frame as something fast and heavy slammed against it.
Both me and Henrietta jumped out of skin.
Furious, Henrietta yelled, “It’s no good, Caspar. You can throw as many tantrums as you like, but you’ll never break that door down.”
“Hazel,” he called to me, ignoring Henrietta, “open the door, please baby. I don’t want any drama. I just want to talk.”
His voice curled around my heart and squeezed it tight. I could sense his desperation and longing to see me, and to make things right – but it was a wish I couldn’t grant. Maybe if he’d believed me when I’d said the nurse was trying to poison me, then we wouldn’t be in this mess, but we were in this mess, and because of it I couldn’t see him.
“I’m sorry Caspar, but now is not a convenient time,” I said coldly.
Henrietta added with a smirk, “From now on, Hazel will see you when it suits her. Until then, you’ll just have to wait.”
With great sadness in my heart, I turned my back on the door and walked away with Henrietta to view the other rooms in the apartment.