The Mirrored Souls

4.

I'm running with wolves and all of a sudden stop at the edge of a cliff where the moon is shining brighter than the sun would. I hear the howls of the wolves beside me now as I feel my feet cement into the ground. A woman wearing my face calls the wolves off and comes closer holding my face as her eyes glow red. "You're already dead," she viciously says, digging her vampire nails into my neck getting ready to push me off the cliff.

Waking I hear the sound of water running from the kitchen sink and get up wanting to know why it was on.

Lightly walking to the hallway to the kitchen sink, I see Neriah washing a now dead chicken as he snaps its neck and drains its blood over a small tin bucket. Jumping from fear, I knocked over a book, he turns and stops what he's doing.

"I thought you were sleeping," he says low.

My eyes peer over his shoulder as I see the lifeless chicken in his hands.

"I...I had a weird dream."

Placing the chicken down and washing his hands, he walks over to me but I step back.

"I'm not going to hurt you Oriana," putting his hands up he stops where he is and I worriedly look back to the sink then him.

"When you have to prepare your dinner...do it out in the garden."

Understanding how uncomfortable and frightened I am he nods.

"I'm going to be traveling to the realm I went to before," I walk back to my room and wait for him to voice his concerns but he doesn't.

Opening my closet I grab a maroon dress that hangs off my shoulders with a pair of heels to match.

I take a bath then get dressed then head out to the garden passing through to the Specter then to Moribund.

As soon as I entered, eyes trailed behind me, following my every move as if I was a celebrity.

Darce, sitting on black and red couch, spots me and calls me over telepathically.

I make it pass some very aggressive vampires, crossing the velvet rug, straight to Darce.

"Now that," he checks me out from head to toe with no shame smiling, "Is an outfit fit for here," he pats a spot next to him on the couch and I sit.

"Why are they staring so much?" I ask him gulping scarcely.

His eyes change directly in front of me as he says something only those around can hear leaving me out of it.

"I put out a do not touch memo and they seem to be having a hard time hearing it."

The bartender places two drinks on the black table in front of us and salutes Darce with a small head nod going back behind the bar.

"Friend of yours?" I say not touching the alcohol in the cup until he places it in my hand showing it's just club soda.

"Marv and I go back some centuries," circling the ice with his finger he looks to me and leans forward. "Have you heard of the name Odette?" Raising an eyebrow when I answer no, he leans back spreading his arms back onto the couch. "If we get closer, I'll show you a portrait." Grumbling comes from my stomach having him snicker forgetting I don't drink blood like the rest of them. "I'll take you upstairs and have Marv get you something," standing he reaches his hand out for me to grab hold of but I dust myself off and just follow him.

There were so many rooms you would think it was a hostel he was running and not an underground bloodsucking club.

"It's actually both," he says, hearing my thoughts.

Remembering what I read, I only saw this place as a club almost like a casino the way it was described and it seemed different from when I found it the first time.

Going up and entering a room, Darce lets me walk in front of him then loses his suit jacket only having a black shirt with a chain showing. His skin is covered in tattoos up to his chest and neck, being more visible since it's not so dark in here. "I never heard of a vampire having so many tattoos..." hovering my hand over his hand ready to touch the forbidden ink, he takes it and places it on his neck jolting my body onto him. "If you wanted to touch me," leaning into me he says, "all you had to do was ask." Yanking my hand away and moving to the furthest corner of the room he smirks.

"Why'd you come and find me?"

Darce shrugs, "Things that interest me always get my attention," a knock from Marv has us both look and as it opens I smell the food from the bag it's in. Darce gives Marv a small vile of blood as payment and has him leave us alone. "Doesn't the smell bother you?" I take the bag from his hands, making him chuckle.

The salad, grilled chicken and vegetables all disappeared in the span of me sitting. When I go to throw it away my nose starts bleeding, dripping onto my dress then floor. Being scared of what could happen, I hurriedly grabbed a napkin, stuffing it up my nose. Darce comes up behind me and sits me on the couch while handing me water. "Is this a common thing for you?" Drinking the water I nod. "It means I'm overworking my abilities to be here," ready to go he reads my mind and we're in my room out of nowhere.

Hearing footsteps I give Darce the go away look and before he does he slides something into my hand then vanishes.

"Oriana?" Neriah calls out and I clean my nose walking out of the room, "Yeah, I just got back." Seeing what I'm wearing he gets taken back but steadily keeps a straight face. "Can you actually make me a smoothie?" I say already getting lightheaded. Glancing at the blood stain on my dress he nods and goes to the kitchen getting the fruit out the fridge and washes them. I take a quick bath and walk out sitting at my mom's table with my leg up as I read a few of her travels she's done.

So focused on the journal, I haven't noticed Neriah watching me, wondering if I knew what I meant for him as his brother is thinking the same as he's drinking at the bar while Marv tells the girls trying to hit on him to leave him alone.