The Dead And The Risen

Chapter thirty- Welcome Home

I held Clarissa's hand as we walked up to the large wrought-iron gate that marked the entrance to my property.
It was seven feet tall and an equally-high stone wall surrounded the entire property, which was ten acres.
I let go of Clarissa's hand to type in the code on the padlock that opens the gate.
There was a click, and the gates slowly swung open.
I stood by the entrance and offered my arm to Clarissa.
"Come along, m'lady"
she blushed wildly, stepped forward, and linked her arm through mine.
"If you insist"
I smiled down at her as we began to walk up the cobble-stone driveway that lead to the house.

•••••••

The rain was freezing, and my wing was killing me, but I tried my best to grin and bear it as Robert led me up the driveway.
His house was magnificent.
It was no cabin, despite what he had said.
The exterior was made of wood, but it was three stories high, with a large front porch.
A chimney at the top was billowing smoke, and I could see lights on through the gigantic windows with half-drawn, white curtains.
The land itself was just as stunning, if not more so.
The trees were pines, and they filled the property.
Closer to the house, it opened up and I could see a garden filled with roses and a table with two chairs.
To the left of the house, there was a large, glassy lake with a small pier. The edges of the lake were dotted with red and purple flowers, and it had begun to snow, giving the whole scene a sense of serenity.
I was jolted out of my daze by Robert's soft voice.
"Do you like it Luv?"
I took a moment to soak it all in before answering.
"Yes.... It's absolutely beautiful"
He smiled and looked down at me
"That's wonderful..but now I must show you the inside"

We continued up the walkway, and came to the grand front porch.
He stepped around me to stand beside one of the massive oak doors.
He flicked his wrist, and in an instant, he was wielding the shadows.
The magic flowed from his finger tips, and the massive, eight foot tall doors swung open without a sound.
They were veiled in a dark black and purple haze, evidence of shadow magic.

The entry way was brightly lit, and inside, the first thing I saw was a grand staircase with a curving banister.
I gazed in awe at the huge room I was standing in.
Above me was a giant diamond chandelier, and on both sides of the doors were long, glass tables with large vases of dozens upon dozens of roses.
The area rug that extended over the hardwood floors from the doors to the base of the stairs, was magnificently made.
Shades of purple and green and deep blue and gold all caught my eyes as I stepped across it to reach the bottom of the large staircase.
The extravagant foyer branches off in three directions: The upstairs, to the left, and to the right.
I was most curious about upstairs...

I spun on my heels to look at Robert, who was patiently watching me from the middle of the foyer.
"What is to the left?"
I asked him casually, pointing to my left.
"The kitchen"
"And the right?"
A rec room...pool table... Air hockey...my own personal bar... Not much to see"
He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders as if this grand house were nothing.
It made me angry.

It made me want to kiss him so hard.
He was so aloof...
He seemed guarded all of a sudden...
I had to know why...

"Upstairs it is then"
I quickly turned around, racing up the steep stairs with newfound energy

••••••
I watched my beloved Clarissa rush up the stairs and my heart sank as if it had turned to lead.
I desperately hoped that she would enjoy what she would find upstairs...
Simply a private theatre room, and her own bedroom.
I quietly followed her up the stairs and directed her to her left, down a narrow hallway.
With a hand on her waist, I solemnly opened the black door to her bedroom.

The whole room was seemed like it was suspended in its own little bubble in the universe.
Everything shimmered with a dark purple glow, (my own handiwork of course) it was elegant and perfect, worthy of Clarissa.

In the middle of the room, there was her large, extravagant bed. Black, lace-lined sheets with purple throw pillows and a shimmering purple four post canopy over the bed.
I made sure that the room was spacious, large enough to spread her wings to their full extent.
I had given her a large closet, a vanity, bathroom, and a record play with a few vinyls to go with it.
She had a balcony too.
It had big, double-French-doors and billowy black curtains. it stuck out from the house about five feet or so, enough space for a midnight take off.
The best part...-for her at least- was that it was all hers.
I wanted to give her the best, before I lost her.
Looking at my feet, I gave Clarissa a little nudge into the room.
Her lips parted in surprise, and she strode towards the bed, -quite suddenly- and stroked the bedspread fabric.
She stepped back and took in the room, trying to do so all at once.

"T-the walls are so bright..."
She placed a hand on the bright white walls -to be honest, I had no idea what to do with them in the first place-
I held up a hand and let loose my magic, turning the walls from a snowy white to death black. The walls had a purple shimmer to them, as did all the other things I enchanted or created.
She took a step back as the walls changed color.
"Do you like it Clarissa?"
"Y-yes... I love it...but..."
"But what?"
"Why aren't we sharing a room?"
"I just thought it would be best for you to have your own space..."
I looked down at my feet once again.
"Um... I'm going to see how dinner is coming along... maybe you can get unpacked?"
I handed her our bag and quickly headed downstairs, and rushed out the door.