Vampires' Lair

by Connie Ruth VeJar

  After relaxing their mornings were filled with the monotonous work of nursing Jasmine Willow back to health.

  Stormy assisted Jasmine with her shower and applied new bandages and medication. Day in and day out Stormy made sure that she never touched Jasmine Willow again without having gloves on. She had no desire to ignite the unintended, unknown magical force that lay hidden from Jasmine herself.

  She had not been able to gather more information on what is still a mystery, not only to her, but to Jasmine Willow.

  Stormy had not spoken a word to her patient about her suspicions. What would she say to her? It was obvious that Jasmine had no clue as to her magical heritage.

  No, she had to stay close to her, had to figure out what she should do. She needed to find a way to ease Jasmine into her new reality. She couldn't just come out and say, hey do you know that you are one of the most powerful witches in the world? She would be out the door faster than Barbie had been.

  Of what little she did know about Fire Angel’s is that when their powers start to show it would not be long before they would present themselves full force.

  Stormy had to prepare Jasmine for this new life.

  Chapter 5

  Longing was one of the emptiest feelings that one could have. Longing for Hunter Blaise left him feeling even more empty with each passing day. He had this emptiness, an emptiness that he did not know what it would take to fill this void. He didn't know what he was longing for. He had everything that any being could desire. He was one of the wealthiest vampires there was. Money was never an issue. He could travel the world on a weekly basis if he chose to. He had no job to tie him down, his wealth was acquired over many of centuries. He owned home after home in every part of the world.

  He could and has had every woman who he ever desired. He was even married to a woman who he thought was his soulmate many years ago.

  With all this, Hunter Blaise felt empty. Maybe it was time for him to show the world how courageous he really was. This was possibly the only way to free himself from the grasp of the longing that filled his life with emptiness.

  For now, Hunter would try to push his desire to the furthest depths of his mind and try to enjoy the next few days. He had not decided whether he would be staying for the entire length of the winter's retreat.

  He planned to attend that night's first celebration of the season.

  He expected that he would run into Stormy and her guest. Stormy hadn't told him much about her only that she was nursing her back to health after a series of surgeries.

  This woman seemed to be important to Stormy, so he would be as hospitable as an emptiness filled vampire could be.

  Chapter 6

  Since that first meeting with Stormy, Jasmine noticed that Stormy Morgan has kept her distance from her as much as possible.

  Why she wondered, why did she feel as though she was keeping something from her?

  Jasmine did approve of this nurse. She connected with her, unlike Barbie, Jasmine felt at ease with Stormy.

  Could it be that Stormy did not connect with her?

  What did Jasmine care, she thought, it wouldn't be much longer until she would be able to take care of herself and no longer need a nurse.

  She could lock herself away from the world in her book-lined room and immerse herself in her writing.

  Writing gave her all of the exciting adventures that her solitary life lacked.

  Nestled in the midst of her own orange grove, her cottage was as close as she could possibly get to total isolation as she could. She desired the isolation that her cottage gave her.

  Sure, she longed for that special someone who she could spend the rest of her life with. Jasmine had all but given up on ever finding her soulmate. She had hoped that getting a total body makeover might open up new possibilities.

  ****

  Stormy needed to get her patient to a place where she hoped that her powers would be able to come forth and shine.

  She had a few select friends that she trusted to help her with what would be the most important find of their lives.

  Stormy had been able to speak with them and she had arranged to work the winter retreat with them. She had also hoped that she could convince Jasmine to accompany her on this trip.

  Stormy had the perfect cover; a healing retreat. A healing retreat for the wealthiest people to spend the winter basking in the warmth of deep hot springs that ran beneath the castle at Castle Blaze.

  Stormy Morgan had many friends; mortal and immortal, that she had made over the years. One of her truest friends was a powerful vampire named, Hunter Blaise. He was the owner of Castle Blaze.

  He was generous enough to allow her to work at the castle this winter and allow Jasmine to stay there free of charge if only she could persuade her to accompany her.

  ****

  Stormy had decided that today was the day that she would invite Jasmine along on the healing retreat.

  With the morning routine completed, Stormy assisted Jasmine to her recliner in her library. She served her breakfast and a second breakfast of medication, she would let the pain medication start to take effect before she mentioned anything about the retreat.

  Stormy started out with what would be a selling point for most people, a free vacation with the prospect of getting in a little rest and relaxation. She told her of the spa that would be at the retreat and of the hot springs. Jasmine still didn't look as though she was interested. Stormy went on to tell her about the retreat’s location. When Stormy mentioned that the retreat was a castle and situated in Romania in the Carpathian Mountains. Well, Stormy saw Jasmine's face light up with excitement. This was the selling point for Jasmine, the castle and the location of the castle. Not the spa or the hot springs, it was the atmosphere and the isolated location.

  Well, Stormy might have known that Romania would appeal to the powerful witch that lay hidden inside of Jasmine Willow.

  ****

  Having always been drawn to dark and gloomy places her entire life, she had always loved cold, blustery days. She would have moved out of the sunshine state, if money were no object. She barely made a living on what she made writing books. She hadn't had her big break in the publishing world. The only good thing that she got out of her marriage was her little cottage in the orange grove that was purchased with her settlement. Her life started out deep in the eastern Kentucky mountains. She was the descendent of Sophia Willow, who passed away many years before Jasmine was ever thought of. When Jasmine divorced, she took on the name of her distant grandmother.

  Sophia Willow had been suspected of practicing what some people might call witchcraft. What she did know about her was that she was a woman in touch with the land. She delved into the art of herbal remedies. Jasmine did not think that this made her a witch.

  As a child, Jasmine would climb the steep and wander through the thick brush in search of her own herbs. She of course was a child playing make believe. Jasmine loved to pretend that her grandmother was walking alongside her, teaching her the all about the herbs of the forest.

  Jasmine would spend many hours at graveyards growing up as a child and even into her teenage years. She would sit and read among the gravestones and get lost in a good vampire or witch novel.

  Chapter 7

  Stormy had done it, she convinced Jasmine to spend a few weeks at Castle Blaze. Stormy was surprised by how quickly Jasmine had agreed. When Stormy had mentioned that they would be flying to Romania to a secluded castle deep in the Carpathian Mountains, hidden from the outside world, well, that was all it took.

  She hadn't expected that, Jasmine seemed like she would never want to leave the comfort and protection that she had built up for herself here in the middle of this orange grove.

  The flight was long and very uncomfortable for someone who has been recently sliced and patched back together. Jasmine was lucky that they were flying first class. She was at least able to lay down most of the flight.

  When Stormy approached her about thi
s retreat, she didn't hesitate to accept. How could she pass on the opportunity of what she thought was the opportunity of her lifetime?

  When Stormy told her where they would be going and that she would not have to stay anywhere close to the other guests. She was ecstatic that she would be able to enjoy the solitude and the Carpathian Mountains. She would take advantage of this opportunity to start her next vampire novel. What better place to spend time to do what she truly loved, writing about a world that she was in control of. A world that was truly make believe.

  ****

  They had traveled thousands of miles, but they finally reached their first destination. The Otopeni airport in Bucharest. Jasmine had medicated herself just after landing. Stormy had suggested that she do so since the ride to the castle would be a long and treacherous one. Jasmine did what Stormy suggested she had no desire to in any discomfort on the long ride there.

  Stormy and Jasmine were greeted by a couple of men who Jasmine would have thought would fit perfectly in one of her vampire novel's. They were dressed in long black trench coats. Both men were tall, thin, and had the same her black hair as Stormy. Unlike Stormy though, they had this gaunt look about them.

  Jasmine stood and watched as the men collected their bags, she turned to Stormy, "Are we going to a funeral? Because I am not dressed for a funeral.”

  Stormy could tell that the pain medication mixed with a sedative was thankfully taking effect.

  The drive to Castle Blaze was definitely both long and treacherous. Lucky for Jasmine it was only scarcely remembered. She only remembered bits and pieces of the drive. The pallbearers were stoic in the front of the vehicle the entire length of the trip

  Toward the end of the drive, Jasmine's cocktail started to wear off, and finally, after what seemed like hours, they pulled up to a stone structure which must have been the gatehouse. There was a guard who spoke to pallbearer number one. The guard who was just as gaunt as the pallbearers, glanced at the two ladies and waved them in. The gate opened and as they drove through Jasmine thought to herself that the gate had to be at least twenty free tall.

  In the distance situated on the side of the mountain, Jasmine saw what would be her home for the next few weeks. It was an enormous castle with many turrets. The turrets were extremely high and came to a point at the top. The castle was constructed of large stones that had weathered with age. This only added to the castle’s beauty.

  Never in her lifetime would she have thought that she would have ever been able to come to a place such as this. This surely must be a dream. Jasmine felt as if she were in one of her vampire novels.

  They pulled up to the main entrance and there they were greeted by another person who was in a butler's uniform. Stormy pulled him aside and spoke to him in a whispered voice. When Stormy rejoined her, they were instructed to follow him. They were escorted though the castle, down long winding halls, then up flight after flight of stairs. Finally, they stopped in from of a room with a double door entrance. The butler swung both doors open. “Miss Jasmine Willow,” he stretched out his arm and beckoned her inside.

  Jasmine looked at Stormy. “This is my room?” “Yes, you will be staying here, I will be on the other side of the castle. Since this was short notice, you got lucky. You don't have to stay where the other guests stay, which is also in another part of the castle. You get to have this wing almost totally to yourself.”

  Jasmine was glad to be able to have all this seclusion it seemed to her to be a little bit too far away from everyone.

  “Wait, you said almost totally to myself?”

  Stormy spoke up. “Yes, this side of the castle is the private quarters of the castle’s owner. I am sure that you will meet him tomorrow night at the retreats opening night's festivities.”

  Well, Jasmine did not know how she felt about being alone in this part of the castle with the castle’s owner.

  Well she thought, I will be staying in my quarters and she hoped that he would keep to himself and stay in his.

  Chapter 8

  Jasmine closed the doors behind her after Stormy and the butler left, making sure that the door was securely locked.

  They had arrived before most of the other guests. Most of the others were set to arrive that next morning. Looking out one of the many windows, Jasmine stood and watched as a few them arrived.

  From what she could tell from a such a long distance, they looked to be very wealthy. They had massive amounts of luggage with them, obviously, they were going to be staying here for the entire length of the winter's retreat.

  Stormy had not told her how many other guests that there would be. But by the size of the castle, it would probably be a lot of people.

  She heard a knock on her bedroom door, she turned away from the commotion below. She assumed that it would be Stormy. Opening the door, there stood the butler with a cart in front of him.

  “Miss Willow, Miss Morgan thought that you would prefer your meal in your room this evening.”

  She nodded, stepped aside, and waved him in.

  Jasmine did appreciate Stormy having her meal delivered to her. She had no desire to trot back down the long staircase just for her food.

  She had come here to recuperate. Jasmine would discuss having all her meals in her room with Stormy.

  Jasmine would be content with staying to her herself the entire time that she would be here.

  After having her supper, Jasmine decided that she would take a bath and prepare for bed.

  Her bathroom was a gilded palace in itself. The tub was massive and could easily hold four or more at a time. Jasmine turned on the hot water. While she waited for the tub to fill, she rummaged around the bathroom in search bubble bath. At last she found a door filled with all type’s toiletries, she found what she was looking for.

  Jasmine added the bubble bath to the water. Stepping into the hot water, she eased herself down slowly the hot sudsy water. Her scars had closed, but had not fully healed. The water was probably hotter than she should have it, but after the plane ride and the long ride into the mountains her body was in need of a long hot soak.

  Jasmine stayed in the soapy water until its warmth had almost faded away.

  Pulling herself up out of the deep tub was almost impossible but with a little persistence she finally managed. After her hot bath combined her climb out of the tub exhaustion set in. Jasmine hoisted herself into the giant four poster canopy bed.

  As soon as she got settled another knock at her bedroom door.

  What now she thought? Opening the door, she found Stormy and a man whom she thought must be another employee at the castle.

  Stormy greeted her and the man walked past the ladies, nodding at the as he passed. He went straight to the fireplace and building a fire.

  Stormy had come to go over the plans for their stay. Jasmine voiced her wishes staying to herself and having her meals in her room.

  Stormy agreed of course, but she insisted that she spend some time with a few of her friends that worked at the castle. Jasmine would rather not, but since Stormy had arranged this once in a lifetime vacation how could she refuse her. Jasmine said that would be glad to after a few days of rest.

  Stormy made sure that Jasmine didn't need anything before she returned to her quarters.

  Stormy would have liked for Jasmine to meet with her and her friends sooner than Jasmine had agreed. She would take advantage of this extra time to obtain as much information on what she and her fellow witches needed to do with their Fire Angel.

  Jasmine didn't understand why Stormy wanted so badly for her to meet her friends.