DISCOVERY OR DREAD?

CHAPTER FIVE

“When you walk to the edge of all the light you have and then take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for you to stand upon or you will be taught to fly”

PATRICK OVERTON

THE DUKE

We drove slowly, I had instructed Arthur to take his time driving because I did not want her to be discomforted. Closing my eyes although I wasn't asleep reduced her anxiety in being alone in the carriage with me and so I closed my eyes, all of my other senses super aware of all her movements. She was twirling fingers and glancing at me from time to time, I could hear her breathing and could smell her scent so strongly.

"Can you not teleport?" She asked me after some time

"I can"

"Then why are you riding in this carriage." She asked again, her voice getting stronger

"Teleporting drains energy"

"What do you when your energy is drained."

"You are awfully curious." I responded opening my eyes to observe her

"Seeing as we are to be married, I need to know what I am dealing with and the books I have read are not saying anything I do not already know." She muttered, her voice breaking as she tried to avoid my gaze

"Blood" I stated and watched her go rigid

"What?" She asked suddenly afraid

"I drink blood when my energy is drained." I told her and watched her eyes shift from me to the roof of the carriage.

She was afraid of me and although, it was something I did not want but it was something I could not help. I wanted her just as I wanted her blood and she had every right to know that I would take it.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked again

I did not respond to this not because I wasn’t going to kill her but because I had no response. I have been in this world for centuries and I have lost loved ones, some of which have died by my hands. It had been years I had thought about Katherine but her question jogged that painful memory back to life.

Katherine was the only woman I had ever loved, centuries ago I was human too. An unassuming human who had stumbled upon a gathering of Vampires and had been taken hostage and turned by their leader. I was made to run errands and do things which a normal me wouldn't do and even though I tried to run away, I couldn't because of the sire bond. There was one person that treated me better than the others and that was his daughter Katherine, she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. At that time the vampires were at war and their mortal enemy was the witches, they now had a weapon that could destroy them and the vampires were not having it.

The reckoning came and all vampires were killed including Katherine, she had died in my arms while I cowered in a corner like the coward I was. Humans got rid of all witches by burning them at the stake during the reckoning but I ran out of town with nowhere to go.

Years ago I had come back to the very same town that Katherine had died, I was made duke even though some people knew I was a vampire they employed my help for different jobs they could not do themselves. You could say that I was some sort of assassin. It was for a job that I had gone to the manor of the Pedros and that was when I had seen Guinevere, she was a replica of Katherine. I had heard of reincarnation but never had I believed that it was possible, now she was grown into the woman that Katherine was before she died and her scent was irresistible. I know she is not Katherine but I cannot be away from her.

I could sense we were close to my home and as soon as Arthur stopped the carriage, I opened my eyes. Guinevere was fast asleep beside me with her mouth slightly agape, she was beautiful and innocent.

"We are here" I shook her gently

She turned and stretched, opened her eyes and then flinched at the sight of me

"What are you doing?" she asked, sliding backwards

"We are here" I repeated my jaw hardening in anger

For a moment I had thought... never mind, it was better this way

GUINEVERE

Immediately his eyes had blanked off at the way I flinched when I looked at him, I mentally beat myself on the head. He did not speak a word to me as we went into his home, he gestured to the maid to show me my room and walked into a place I assumed was his own study.

I followed the maid silently as she welcomed me smiling, I wondered what she was happy about because I could see no reason to be when I was soon going to be food to a starving vampire

"What is your name?" I asked the maid

"Amelia, my lady." She curteised

" Amelia, what is your lord like?"

"I am afraid I do not understand." She muttered

"Is he cruel?"

"Never my lady, my lord has never being cruel to anyone as far as my knowledge serves me." The girl said looking me over like I had blasphemed

"That's fine, thank you for your help but I can take it from here."

She nodded and ran out of my room muttering things under her breath I could not make out. I looked around the room I was and was it breathtaking. The ceilings were so high up and the bed so soft, the room smelled very clean and the curtains were drawn, my favorite color pink was used to decorate everything in the room and I wondered how he knew what color I liked.

I left the room and took a walk around the house looking at pictures of none other than the duke from different times hung, he had the same face from photographs to drawings. I came upon a picture that stopped me in my tracks, it was a photograph of the duke and a woman that looked exactly like me!

I could hardly breathe as I looked at the photo, it was definitely not me because I could not have been born in that time but the resemblance was striking.

"What are you looking at?" I heard him say behind me and turned around in surprise, I had not heard his footsteps. Silly me, he was a vampire.

"Who is she?" I asked suddenly curious

"That's Katherine, my wife" he said