The Vampire's Heart [Sequel to the witch's heart]

Chapter 6

Elspeth cries, her sobs muffled by her pillow. Thoughts of Gregory float around her head, will she ever be able to be with him?

"Gregory was right," she mutters bitterly into her sheets. "All the powers of a dark god, yet this immortality is like a curse keeping us apart."

She turns over in her bed, a few tears falling into her hair and pooling in her ears.

"How cruel." She chokes out.

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"Isn't it kind of illegal to break into people's houses, dude?" Tony whispers, his small legs working to keep up with Gregory's long strides.

"Mostly, yes," Gregory replies quietly. "I told you two that you could've stayed home."

Tony and Rudolph look at each other then back to Gregory, "and let you have all the fun?"

Gregory rolls his eyes, "yes, fun. If that's what you'd call finding my missing girlfriend by breaking into her house. Listen, you two are too small to make the climb to her balcony, the vines and bricks are just too far apart for you. Wait here."

Gregory begins the ascent to Elspeth's balcony doors and notices that the curtains are closed, though he's sure they were open just a moment ago. This fuels his determination and his hand finally grasps at the metal balcony fence and hoists himself over it, landing on his back on the cement with a quiet "oof".

He scrambles to the door and reaches for the handle only to find it locked.

"Gee, what a time to start locking your door," Gregory grumbles, as Elspeth had never before locked her balcony door, not even when Rookery was after her life. Perhaps it was her faith in the protective magick of the house.

Gregory jiggles the handle a bit harder even though he can see that it's locked with the deadbolt. He hears the lock click and the tumblers slide to unlock. Had the house recognized his presence and opened for him?

Gregory slowly pulls open the door and pushes the curtain aside. He hears a low growl as he enters the dark room and almost recoils from the strong smell of herbs wafting towards him. The smoke almost tangible it's so thick as it rushes out through the now open balcony door.

He sees a figure crouching in the dark like a cornered animal.

"Elspeth?"