“Sounds perfect. Thank you,” I said, still overwhelmed by the way she’d called this my home, as if I could just live here for the rest of my life in this castle.
“Stop thanking us. You are family and that is what family does.”
I couldn’t really reconcile the idea of it, the whole family thing, to even think toward the future. I guessed staying in the present could be a very good thing, given where I was. I just needed to appreciate every moment of it, no matter how long it lasted.
Chapter Eighteen
The servant who led us to our bedroom either had somewhere he had to be afterward or else he was a fan of power walking. Lex didn’t have any trouble keeping up, but I had struggled to keep up, trying not to let my huffing and puffing to do so become noticeable. We passed a large opening to a dining hall where several servants scurried about, probably getting it ready for our lunch. We’d been told we had two hours, so they had to be planning something elaborate to be already starting. Unless there was to be some party we didn’t know about later. I guess that at this point, it wouldn’t be wise for me to guess at anything. I needed to live in the moment, I reminded myself. It would be my new motto.
Not that I could ask at this moment either, as I feared my voice would show how hard walking at this fast clip was for me. Really old paintings hung on the walls in the hallways. From what I could see, most looked to be really old portraits. I’d never seen any of them before, and was getting cheated out of getting a better look at the moment. Still, as brief as my glances were, I had this strange sense that I knew each one of them.
This had to be a magical connection thing, as the last one we’d practically run by had been a woman dressed in clothing that hadn’t been worn in decades. Outside of the black and white thing, the flowers on her large hat and petticoat were dead giveaways. Still, I felt I’d met her, like I knew she was kind and generous to a fault, always had a warm smile for everyone, and had been a champion of the underdog like me. I couldn’t have known all of that about a woman who lived centuries ago, but the ideas came to me, like some ancient memory unlocked in my head, and now they flowed through my blood. In fact, this had been just what happened to me when I’d met Nira and the other vampires. I just seemed to know things.
By the time we’d reached our room, I was dizzy, as in sorely overwhelmed, at how big this place must truly be. Like at the mall, it needed lit up signs that said ‘You are Here’ with a map to the rest of the place so you could figure your way from A to B. I hoped Lex remembered how to get back to lunch. I’d been a little too preoccupied with the photos and streams of doors, wondering what was behind each of them as we went.
Once our two small bags were deposited and the servant went on his way like there was a fire, I was able to stop, catch my breath, and then lose it again as I scanned the bedroom we’d been assigned. Here, too, the eclectic, yet refined look of updated to modern old castle appeared warm and inviting. This room was a bright cream and maize with accents of cherry wood all over it, including the decorative trim, molding, and chair rails that matched the furniture.
We had our own fireplace. Maybe every room had one, like in the olden days. The place was huge, big enough for a bed beyond king size with a canopy, along with a living room style seating area. I couldn’t wait to check out the bathroom, but Lex grabbed my hands and pulled me to the bed. Seeing the smile on his face as he lifted me up onto it, letting my body bounce when I landed on the softness, I knew he was thinking of all the things we could do on it.
“I can’t believe we are getting to share this room,” he said like a little boy poised over a full candy jar. “I wasn’t sure if you would stay here and I would stay in a cabin like when I came for training or not. I’m thrilled that this is what they offered. The other would have made it hard to get to see you much. I wasn’t ready for anymore separation. I’d have dealt, for you, for them, but it would have sucked, so as I said, I’m so glad it worked out this way. Now, no matter what the days bring, I know I can have you here, to myself, all night.”
“Why, yes you can, sir. You can have anything you want all night long,” I said with a sly grin and a wink.
“Anything?”
“Yes, anything. With you, I’m up for anything. That is unless this place has a dungeon and you are planning on shackling me in it naked. Well, even then, I’d consider it with you,” I mentioned hesitantly as my cheeks flushed at the truth of the statement.