Enticed By His Darkness

3

I curled up on my bed and then rummaged in my purse for my phone. No net. Naturally.

Maybe it was all just a dream, so I closed my eyes and thought back to New York. Maybe someone mixed something in my champagne and I was on a trip. That would at least explain what it was all about.

I heard the door being pushed open.

"Go away" was all I said and buried my face in the pillow. The curtains were opened and the warm rays of the sun fell directly onto the bed.

"I know that this is all difficult for you and that you cannot or do not want to believe all this, but you will be protected here and you will be helped."

"Go away Nick" I turned to him and threw the pillow at him. But he dodged and suddenly he was standing right next to my bed. He had moved like he was Flash himself.

"Like.. is that another trick? Like Kate's?" I asked, staring at him.

"No Elizabeth. This is not a trick. Everything she told you is true." He leaned against the wall next to my bed. "You can't help it."

"It's sick" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You think that's sick and a trick too?" He was right in front of me. Just as he had come by my bed. He bared his teeth and an animal growl came from his throat. His canines had become fangs and so had his eyes I backed away, startled.

He had to laugh and leaned casually against the wall again and ran his tongue over his teeth. "Did I scare you?"

"No" I lied and looked at him steadily. I wasn't going to show him how upset I was and how scared I was.

"Oh no. I can smell it. Your fear and your insecurity. Your heartbeat and how the blood rushes through your veins. I can even smell your vanished perfume"

He looked at me with raised eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You can believe it or not Elisabeth. But it is what it is and Kate was telling you the truth just now."

I swallowed and looked at him. I wanted to keep fighting back, but there was no logical explanation for that. At least I couldn't think of any.

"Let's assume .. that's really all true. What.. are you?" I then asked, looking up at him.

He laughed, "Isn't that obvious? sexy vampire"

I raised an eyebrow "It's in the eye of the beholder. But.. ok fine. If I believe in witches, vampires and all... how do I fit into the story? I am a human"

"Well, not for long. You must have a headache and it's not because of your hangover. Everything is gone and you have the feeling your skin would burn. This, Elisabeth, is your transformation phase" he grinned at me and sat down next to me on the bed.

"Wait, what?! Transfiguration?" I jumped up and looked at him "Are you kidding me?"

"No Elizabeth, I don't want that. Can I abbreviate your name It's too long for me" I looked at myself as if nothing had happened.

"That doesn't really matter here. You just throw that at me like I just got a cold"

I just couldn't believe it all. That was crazy. I swallowed and walked over to the window. "Please tell me this is just a bad joke," I said, turning to Nick. He was still stretched out on my bed, his eyes following me.

"I could do that, but that wouldn't change the fact that it's different. That you are stuck in a crazy world and your life will change" he said and got up.

"Lessons start in a few minutes. So I would advise you to stay here if you don't want to be mauled or shredded. You are still vulnerable and weak. And I can't always be here to protect you. Also, I have an assignment from Kate" he put his hand on the doorknob and looked at me "What's your nickname from your friends? Beth? Did I hear that right before? So I'll call you Bee. Nice short and unique" he grinned and winked at me. Then he disappeared through the door and left me alone with my thoughts. I wrapped my arms around my body and crouched on the windowsill. It was all so crazy and hard to believe. And I wouldn't believe in it either. Was it all just a dream or was I still so drunk that I was imagining it all. I was still wearing my short dress and my boots. From outside I heard a familiar ringing followed by a babble of voices and footsteps. So the locked doors led to rooms like mine was. So it was really a kind of boarding school. But.. that didn't mean that the students here were witches and vampires. Or what ever. I slowly slid off the windowsill and took a closer look around my room. A bed, a closet, two shelves, a desk with a chair and a couch. And another door. I carefully pushed the door open. A bath. Hallelujah. So the locked doors led to rooms like mine was. So it was really a kind of boarding school. But.. that didn't mean that the students here were witches and vampires. Or what ever. I slowly slid off the windowsill and took a closer look around my room. A bed, a closet, two shelves, a desk with a chair and a couch. And another door. I carefully pushed the door open. A bath. Hallelujah. So the locked doors led to rooms like mine was. So it was really a kind of boarding school. But.. that didn't mean that the students here were witches and vampires. Or what ever. I slowly slid off the windowsill and took a closer look around my room. A bed, a closet, two shelves, a desk with a chair and a couch. And another door. I carefully pushed the door open. A bath. Hallelujah.

It was quite large, in fact, with a walk-in shower, a radiator, and a beautiful gold-framed mirror over the sink. Towels and a blood-red bathrobe lay on a chair next to it. Maybe a hot shower would help wash away all the madness. I undressed, consulted the shower and slid the glass doors shut. The water was pleasantly warm until I turned it on hot. It felt so incredibly good to wash off all the dirt and the night before. And of course what happened earlier. I washed with the soap that was here and scrubbed my skin until it was red. The water trickled down on me and at least calmed me down a bit. I must have been in the shower for what seemed like forever because my mind was on so many things. But that didn't make it any better. I turned off the water, dried off, and wrapped myself in the robe. It was nice and soft, but way too big. But I didn't mind. I used my fingers to comb my wet hair and braid it into a ponytail that fell down my back. The shower was good. I went back into the room and cried out.

"Damn Nick, can't you knock? What do you want here again?" I asked and pulled the bathrobe tighter around me. It was stretched out on my bed as before

"Well, I've done my job," he said, pointing to two suitcases and six boxes.

"Are those?"

"Yes. This is your stuff from your apartment. It's sad that your life fits in so few boxes and two suitcases"

“The rest is still on the way. They screwed that up at customs," I said and opened the suitcase. I looked for underwear and something to wear. Triumphantly, I pulled out a black set and tight jeans and a red blouse.

"Sexy" Nick looked over my shoulder and pointed to a pair of white lace lingerie.

I closed the suitcase "Do you have no idea what privacy means?" I asked and glared at him.

"There's nothing like that in this house. Secrets don't last long here" he leaned against the bed frame and crossed his arms over his chest.

I rolled my eyes and went back to the bathroom. I fervently hoped he was gone by the time I got dressed, but he was still there and had opened the top box that had books on top.

"You're taking it all pretty well. That's really strong," he said, putting three books on the empty shelf by the door.

"What else can I do? I'm pretty good at keeping my composure. It wouldn't do any good to drive me crazy" I said, watching him continue cleaning out my box.

"Can I introduce myself. I heard that from your parents. I'm really sorry, it must be bad." He arranged the books carefully and threw the empty box on the bed. I don't answer that. It was difficult for me to talk about it despite the four years.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked, pointing to the boxes. He was already clearing out the next one with more books in it.

“Well, I don't think it would do you any good to be alone. And I have nothing to do anyway. Elijah is in a pretty bad mood. We share a loft in the attic but when he's in a bad mood it's better to run away" he winked. "And I also like hanging out with sexy Bee" he grinned at me and wagged his eyebrow. I punched him in the side and had to laugh.

"Wow, you're laughing. Nice to hear" he smiled and we cleared out the boxes together. Books, pictures, all my little odds and ends and my art stuff. Now the room looked reasonably comfortable with all my stuff in it. But it was still scary here. I was less than two days here in london and my life had turned three hundred and sixty degrees vampires witches a new home a school the school tomorrow was my first day at art school but the way i saw it i was allowed to come here I wasn't allowed to go out and to go to school. This should have been my new life and I wouldn't give it up so easily, at least I would try. This couldn't be my new life, also because I didn't want this life at all case wanted.