“I don’t know,” Michael said. “I’ve always had a thing though … about looking back at one’s past. It was my idea to go back to your valentine’s maze, wasn’t it?”
“I remember.”
“The gate was closed. So I boosted you over. Couldn’t get over it myself,” Michael laughed. “But it wasn’t until I saw you in the garden with him that I realized I’d gone too far.”
“Right…” Pru trailed off. She thought a moment. “Except, you didn’t see him, did you?”
Michael didn’t reply.
“Michael?”
“What?”
“You said … what did you say?”
“It’s nothing. Forget it.”
They stopped again. Further along. Further afar.
And yet, somehow closer…
“Did you see him?” Pru asked. “Did you see him that night?”
Michael swallowed. “I’m sorry,” he said.
She grabbed his arms. “Did you see him?”
“I … I saw him.”
Pru’s jaw dropped. Tears rushed.
“How could you act like – how could you say I made it up –?”
“I don’t know,” he muttered.
“Michael!”
“What was I supposed to do?” he thundered. “You think I can compete with that? The mysterious para-fucking-whatz-its super-being? I’m just – I’m just a guy. And … I loved you.”
“You lied to me. You manipulated me.”
“I know,” he said.
“This whole time – this whole fucking time, you knew I was right! You knew I wasn’t crazy!”
“You see,” he nodded. “You see how messed up we are?”
She stepped away from him. Turned to face the lighthouse.
“I’m sorry,” Michael called. “Prudence…”
She kept on going. Faster. And faster.
And faster.
“What was I supposed to do?” Michael shouted. “Allow him to steal you away from me?”
She’d reached the lighthouse’s door. She stood in front of it … breathing the atmosphere in…
“Prudence,” Michael called behind her. “Prudence please!”
She turned around.
She saw he was running. Running right for her.
But he wasn’t getting any closer.
He was so far away.
“Prudence!” his echo cried. “Prudence…”
Pru turned back to the glowing red door.
And she knew it was time.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The sound of Michael’s voice was immediately snuffed out the moment she stepped through the door. On the other side Pru found what she would otherwise expect – the base of a lighthouse tower, with a set of spiraling stairs leading up. She looked away from them and back out to the open doorway and the beach. She could tell immediately it wasn’t the same beach she and Michael had just been at. And outside he, along with everyone else, had completely disappeared.
Prudence swallowed. She knew where she was. She knew the vibe of it. The feeling in the air.
She made her way back along the shoreline, the winds picking up speed, and blowing up her dress.
Yes, she knew where she was.
But she was lost. Disorientated.
Unsure.
There were things to be afraid of here. Things she could not yet see…
Taking her time, Prudence moved away from the shore and found a set of stone steps leading up to the rest of the land. In the distance she could see the mountains she was supposed to walk towards, though she was coming at them from a new angle. She had no idea where the courtyard she’d met Bastian to begin with was, in relation to her location now. She somehow wished she could find that instead.
Dark clouds had gathered. It had started to rain.
Shivering, Pru walked through the muddy textures of the ground and into the forest where she could barely glimpse where she was supposed to be walking.
How long would it take her?
How far was there to walk?
She didn’t know. The estimates … were all over the place.
She wondered if he could see her now, as he had seen her before. Did he know of her plight? Why didn’t he come out to find and meet her? He knew the way. This was his world. Why wouldn’t he come to her…?
Thunder rocked the sky.
A fierce wind blew Prudence off her feet and headfirst into a nearby tree. She slipped and fell, muddying her dress.
“Oh no,” she whispered. She could see she was ugly now. And… And what if he wasn’t happy to see her? What if it wasn’t a good time? Should she just ask him to help her back to her time? Was that too much trouble?
She looked up. She couldn’t even see the hills anymore.
“Oh blast,” she sobbed.
But she had to keep going.
Using the tree as support, Pru climbed back to her feet and faced the journey ahead.
Hours passed.
The sky was thick with darkness. Her belly ached. Her knees wanted to buckle. She was out of breath.
Yet, she continued. Through the thickened trees and the uncomfortable textures on the ground. She trudged on. Alone, cold, and miserable. With each step, she could feel the regret. Of leaving her world behind. Of sacrificing herself, for something indefinable.
Michael had said he’d seen Bastian that night in the maze.
But what if they hadn’t? What if they were both crazy? What if this was all taking place in their mind? And she was asleep. In a faraway land. Unaware and vacant and not knowing how –
A break between the clouds.
Light shone on the soiled earth and Pru collapsed to her knees.
Large iron gates blocked her path from going any further. Beyond them she could see movement flicker. Shadows breeze by. Had she made it? Had she somehow crawled between the hills…?
The gates were opening. Prudence looked up at them, her eyes wide with desperation.
And in their path, he was there, waiting.
As he always had been.
“Well done, Prudence,” Bastian greeted her. “I’m so glad you made it. At last.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Bastian carried her tired body through the gates of his fortress and up towards his palace. Once inside, Pru was frightened to realize that the air here was even colder than it had been outside. She began to shake uncontrollably in his arms, her frostbite glowing with pain. He didn’t say anything, just continued to hold her, climbing stairs and passing through doorways. Eventually they came to a dark room lit by surrounding blue auras. Steam from a hot bath hovered through the air.
As he sat her down on a nearby bench, Prudence began to cough.
“Soon you’ll feel better,” he assured her. “Take your bath and get dressed with the clothes my servants have prepared for you. If you need help with anything, ring this bell, and one of them will come to attend to you.”
He handed her the gold bell, which she clutched in her fingers, while he stood up.
“I shall see you for dinner shortly,” Bastian stated. “We have much to discuss.”
He turned and left the room.
Pru looked around, squinting. She peeled herself off the bench and moved round to inspect the large bath area. The water was bubbling hot. But not so much that it burned.
Glancing around to make sure she wasn’t being watched, she slowly removed her saturated dress and undergarments. She climbed into the tub and let the water take hold of her. Gradually, her temperature returned to normal. She leaned back, and breathed a sigh of relief.
How easy it would have been, to drift away here. To forget everything. She had come so far. She wasn’t even on the face of the earth.
Still, she felt unsettled by Bastian, as he was a stranger, and these were strange surroundings. She wondered what he expected of her, and how much he already knew. She wanted to ask him … but was afraid to upset him. His powers gifting him with a presence Pru had not experienced be
fore with another man in her life.
After the bath was finished, she opened a nearby closet to retrieve a towel and the clothes that had been left for her. It was another dress, this one a dynamic purple. At mirror she combed her hair and brushed her teeth. A makeup box had also been left, with various pieces of jewelry beside it. She guessed he wanted her to wear them, and she would not refuse him.
Once she had made herself as beautiful as she could, she rang the bell and a young woman with tired eyes entered, behaving polite and courteous. “Do you have everything you need?” she asked.
“I believe so,” Pru said. “Do you know if … I’m safe here?”
The servant stared at her blankly.
“I mean, nothing bad is going to happen to me, is it?”
“The Master’s plans for you are not my affair,” she answered. “But I have been instructed to look after you for however long your stay is here.”
“Thank you,” Pru said. “I think I’m ready now.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Bastian was standing at a fireplace that sparkled with blue and pink flames within it. He was dressed in a black robe with red inner lining. He wore red gloves as well. With his face as ghostly white as it was he looked something of an evil sorcerer or wizard, though she doubted he would care for that observation.
The young servant who had met Pru in the bathroom helped her to be seated at the dining table, her eyes fixated on Bastian while he seemed to be watching everything in the room – not just her.
He walked across the floor to take the chair opposite her and sat down slowly, placing his gloved hands on the table.
The servant walked away and exited the room.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked.
Pru nodded. “Much better, thank you.”
“It means a lot to me that you decided to come,” Bastian said. “I know you wouldn’t have made that decision lightly.”
“It feels … like I was pulled towards this,” Pru said. “Like I couldn’t escape it.”
“I feel the exact same way about you.”
Pru blinked.
The servant then reentered the room, bringing a bowl of soup for Prudence and setting it in front of her.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
The servant walked away.
“Go on,” Bastian said. “Try it.”
“I should wait for you.”
“I won’t eat till later,” Bastian said. “But it is important that you do. For what you are about to endure.”
“Endure?”
“Please,” he said. “Don’t offend poor Phillipa.”
Pru leant in and smelled the soup. It seemed fine. She tried it.
“Very nice,” she said after her first mouthful. “It was … made properly.”
“Oh?”
“Not out of a tin, I mean.”
“Of course,” Bastian said. “Please. Enjoy it.”
“Okay.”
“I know also, you have questions,” Bastian continued. “Please feel free to open up and ask me. I shan’t be offended by anything. I want you to feel as safe and comfortable as I can allow.”
“Alright.” Pru paused. “So you … you knew Scott was attacking me?”
“Of course. I’ve been watching you today. Listening to you. You had me hanging on every word.”
“So you know … you know this isn’t that easy for me.”
“There’s a large part of you screaming to leave. You feel as though you would be my captive. But I can assure you that is not the case.”
“You mean? If I decided to go back home … you’d be fine with it?”
“More than fine.”
“And I don’t have to choose you right now?”
“Well, we did have an agreement earlier, I believe.”
“Oh.”
Bastian smiled. “It’s okay. I haven’t decided how invested I am in you yet.”
“What?”
“I won’t really know until you submit completely.”
“Know what?”
Bastian stared at her carefully. “If it was worth it.”
Pru put her spoon down and shifted the soup to one side.
“Not hungry?”
She shook her head. “Say something real.”
“What do you mean?”
“Say something that reminds me of why I’m here.”
Bastian rose from his seat. “Come join me by the fire.”
Pru slowly stood up.
They walked around opposite sides of the table, and met at the fireplace. His whole body glowed with the fire’s strange colors.
“Give me your hand,” he said.
Pru offered it to him.
He produced a small red box and placed it with her.
“It’s yours if you want it.”
She opened the lid.
Inside was a ring with a large blue stone.
“You don’t still love him, do you?” Bastian asked.
Pru inhaled, blushing. “I don’t think … I ever really did.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Bastian said. “He’s been very good to you overall, but there’s no sense of adventure there. You know the end of that story before it’s even begun.”
“That’s so true,” Pru whispered.
“If you place the ring on your finger, then I can promise you,” Bastian said, “your life will be forever changed. You will experience the absolute best and worst of things at the same time.”
“How will you treat me?” Pru asked.
“As I’m treating you now,” Bastian said. “My aim is to soothe. To pleasure. To immerse. I want to discover you. And I want you to discover me.”
He bowed his head, and walked past her.
“If you can’t do this, I understand,” he said. “I’ll send Phillipa for you in a moment, and she will show you the way out. If that is your wish.”
He continued walking through the room.
Pru turned towards him, trembling. “How do I –?”
“Dare to decide,” Bastian cut over her. “Make your final choice now. I won’t pursue the matter further.”
He exited.
Pru crouched down to her knees, staring into the crystal jewel.
She wondered what its future contained.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
A short time later the door opened and Pru turned, expecting to see Bastian. It was of course, Phillipa the servant.
She walked along the side of the table meekly, avoiding eye contact.
Pru stood up. “What’s it like here?”
“Pardon me?”
“What is it like for you … here?”
Phillipa hesitated. “Please. I can’t…”
“Can’t what?” Pru walked over to her. “How long have you worked for Bastian?”
“I don’t work for him,” Phillipa said. She lowered her voice. “I’m imprisoned.”
“Imprisoned?”
“I am his slave. To do with as he wishes.”
Pru’s eyes narrowed. “And what does he wish then? What does he make you do?”
“Please,” Phillip hissed. “You’ll get us in trouble.”
Pru tried another approach. “Are you saying you can’t leave here?”
“It’s forbidden.”
“What’s stopping you?”
Phillipa failed to reply.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Make your choice,” Phillipa said. “Don’t distract yourself with me.”
Pru looked away from her. Back down to the ring. How beautiful its crystal was. How it shined in the light. She knew there was magic in it. There was magic everywhere, in this moment…
“What should I do?” Pru asked. “Help me decide.”
Phillipa shook her head.
“I … I order you to. I … command you to.”
Phillipa looked up with sadness in her eyes. “If I were you, I would throw the ring in the fire, and run as fast as I could.”
&n
bsp; The door at the end of the room opened, and Phillipa jumped with a start.
“Phillipa, you’re required in the kitchen,” a young man said.
She turned and moved quickly to exit.
“But who will –” Pru began. “Who will –”
“Who will what?” the young man demanded.
Pru shook her head. “Nothing.”
They left.
Pru stared down at the ring. It was now or never.
“Oh…” she murmured. “I just don’t know…”
She closed her eyes. Let her senses drown deeper. Felt the cold in the air. And the heat from the fire.
There was an answer here. An answer to what she should do.
But part of her was pulling in one direction, and another part was pulling in the other.
Which was correct? How could she make this decision final?
For when she thought of putting on the ring, she saw Michael’s beautiful face, and all the wonderful friends and family who had come to support them. She saw her whole life with him. Normal. Silent. Something to be proud of. Something … for her baby inside…
But then, she thought of putting the ring down. And watching this whole place freeze and then crumble. An imaginary dream once upon a time. Alive, and then dead. Broken by a foolish girl who chose not to believe. Who wouldn’t risk anything.
Who was just … living in fear…
But Phillipa’s warning stayed with her. Bastian was obviously not the kindest of men. Or the most gentle. But she was a servant, and Pru was to be his wife. He would have to listen to her. He wouldn’t try to control her. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.
It was painful.
To not know.
But then she thought about how Michael had deceived her. And how his step-sister had told her that she didn’t deserve a second chance.
For Prudence, she didn’t know if she did deserve one. Or if Michael would deserve his.
But maybe… Just maybe…
Bastian did.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Christine was the one closest to the lighthouse when it happened. After everyone had given up searching for Prudence, here she remained. Her partner Raymond sat beside her on the sand, both gazing up into the tower.
Vampire's Wedding (Vampire's Valentine Book Two) Page 4
