Acacia Gold

Chapter 3

3

Thumping. There was something thumping against my head. Over and over. It got louder.

That’s when I opened my eyes. Someone was knocking on the door. No. Not my door; a door somewhere else. I sat upright. 

I’d fallen asleep where I’d sat with the soup. Someone must have taken the soup, lucky. I’d have hated to be woken by a bowl of soup in my face. I didn’t really like the idea of someone in the room while I was asleep though.

I pressed my ear against the door. The knocking sounded somewhere near. I had to jump back to avoid being knocked out by the door. The door handle turned and just missed. 

Myckah stood staring down at me.

“Did the knocking wake you?” he asked

“Er, yeah, but it’s okay” I mumbled trying to regain a little composure and failing.

Myckah stepped through the door and I stood aside.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t check in on you, but I doubt you’d have been awake anyway”

“What time is it?” I yawned.

“A little after five” with a raised eyebrow from me he quickly said “Five in the afternoon”

“Wow, I haven’t had such a good sleep in a long time”.

When I looked up at him, he was smiling. “I take it my bed was to your liking”

“Your bed?”

“Yes. It is a bed belonging to me that I spend most days in. That signifies my bed”. He was mocking me lightly, so I frowned deeper.

“Where did you sleep?”

“I haven’t yet”, he circled the bed to open the armoire. 

That’s when I realized he wore the same clothes as the last night. They were lovely, but they were not the type of clothes to be worn for more than a day. His torso sported a charming blue shirt with dark swirls on. His glossy hair looked gorgeous, the browns and blondes mixing against the blues. His slacks were plain black silk and expensive looking, like a month’s salary expensive. He wore no shoes. Pale slender feet showed stark against the black of the pants.

“I have been busy negotiating for your safety and trying to find the whereabouts of Icarus”

Negotiating bare foot? I doubted that very much but I sensed it wasn’t the best time to make remarks. Point for me, I kept my big mouth shut.

Myckah pulled out a black shirt and a pair of black slacks. He hauled out a draw and took a pair of shiny dress shoes from it.  

“Why are you so concerned with my well-being?”

I’d wanted to ask for some time no but I hadn’t had a chance. Answers are funny things and very rarely make us feel better, but I had a right to know. What was one human’s well being to a powerful vampire?

He looked up. “Why shouldn’t I be? Communities should look out for one another”

“Communities? Austin is huge!” I replied disbelievingly.

“It is in all our interests to stop Icarus. I would like to maintain my position. If Icarus continues to turn your kind he will be strong enough to defeat me”. 

He wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t telling the full truth either. He had told me quite a bit so I decided to let the rest slide. I gathered I’d be staying for quite some time. It appeared until Icaarus was dead or gone. I’d have plenty of time to find out more.

I decided to change the subject. 

“I need to go to my apartment,” I informed.

“Why?”

“I need my clothes, my phone, my laptop, my possessions. You can’t expect me to stay here without my stuff”

“I expect nothing of the sort”

“So I can go?” I asked hopefully.

Myckah didn’t answer. He walked out. He didn’t lock the door so I followed. Myckah didn’t go far. In fact he went straight across the hall. 

I entered the room. It was a bedroom and just as beautiful as his own. It was decorated in soft lavenders and black. Everything was silk or satin or velvet. It was as if the whole room shimmered. There were heavy curtains like the ones across the hall; and like Myckah’s room, they hid brick instead of windows.

I looked around and noticed some of my things laid out on the women’s vanity table. I made my way to a matching armoire and pulled it open. It was filled with my clothes and big enough to hold pretty much all I had. The draws held more of my clothes and underwear. There was a large oak chest at the foot of the bed. It held my shoes. Jesus.

“I had them fetched and set up here. That’s why you stayed in my bedroom instead of this one last night”.

“So…there’s definitely no hope of me going home”

He turned and smiled softly, “I am afraid not”

“Just wanted to be clear,” I replied sadly.

“At least not for a while and even then you should change address. No, this will be your home for now”.

“This is my room?” I asked just to be certain.

“Of course”.

“We are not all the monsters we are made out to be you know” Myckah looked strangely wistful at that.

“I didn’t…I never” I stumbled.

“Do not fret, it is a simple misunderstanding; not helped by those like Icarus, might I add,” Myckah seemed tense and angry at the latter part. I guess some of them really were good. Or as good as a blood sucking creature could be. That left a pretty wide birth for what good counted as to them.

“Well…thanks I guess”

“You are most welcome” he smiled. This time it was joyous and he glowed. He circled to leave.

“Myckah?”

“Yes?”

“Can I do something? I don’t want to be stuck in a room all day every day” I carefully asked.

His expression showed he was considering my request. He bit his lower lip, a nervous habit I guessed, but all I could wonder was how those soft lips would feel to kiss. I shook my head and concentrated.

“Please?” I persuaded. Myckah was a gentleman and I was betting it was easy to butter him up.

Raising a delicate eyebrow he said, “very well. Clean up and change. I will send someone to escort you after. Knock on the door when you are done and they will unlock it”. 

With that he left, fastening the latch on the door. I listened to his light footsteps retreating. 

Sighing I picked out some clothes. A black cashmere sweater, a pair of my favorite jeans and a pair of boots.  

I went into the en suite to shower. At least I’d upgraded. I’d gone from being chained in a cellar to being locked in a room. Hey, at least it was my own room. Things were looking up. In any case I hoped so.