The Heiress Of Ronzerony

04

Chapter 4 | Glistening Flowers

What are we doing in the middle of the woods?".

The faint sunlight from between the big gray clouds cast its way onto the earthy road. Every rock and stone, as well as the splatters of snow, seemed to glisten under the golden rays of sun, the leaves seeming brighter and duller at the same time. A few birds chirped here and there, their voices once far and once close. Somehow, even though it was winter season, everything about nature whipered of serene, hushed magic.

Ahead of her, Vyrane and Aunt Penolope were strong and fast on their steps throughout the woods. Hailee jogged up to them, catching her breath once she slowed down. "Going to my house, of course." Vyrane simply replied. Hailee gave him a sideways glance which stretched past the figure of her aunt next to her. His eyes were set ahead of him, and in the delightful, small light coming from the skies above they seemed to sparkle. His hair was messily swept back, blood stuck to his pale forehead. His skin, for how pale-ish it was, glistened like the rocks and stones on the sides of the road. To her, he looked like a knight who just fought the battle of his life and was coming home after victory.

But she knew this would not be that battle. What happened at her once-calm house was nothing compared to what was going to be happening in the future, as she heard Vyrane mumble to himself when he wasn't paying attention to her walking so close behind him. Needless to say; she was scared. Fighting those creatures had been such an energy-draining mission for her, and yet Vyrane had called it the easiest thing.

"Hailee?"

Aunt Penolope's voice struck Hailee out of her trance, so she snapped her head in her aunt's direction. She realized how far she was behind and grunted as she jogged up next to them again for what seemed like the millionth time since they started walking. She hated how they couldn't take a taxi to Vyrane's house, her aunt saying that if people saw them with blood on their clothes they'd call the police on them, and how she couldn't put a glamour spell on people since it would probably put them in danger. So they had to walk up allies and narrow roads and now they were cruising a forest. She hated it and wished she could go home, but knew that there was no such thing as home now that it is completely destroyed.

"As much as I hate to say it since I just love that pissed off look on your face," Vyrane said, earning a scowl from Hailee in return, "We're here." Hailee looked around with joy filling her eyes, but she saw no house. Not even a tiny shack. "There's nothing here, Vyrane." she said, looking at him with disbelief. "No, you're looking but you're not seeing." he replied as he stepped closer to her. "Close your eyes and focus, Hailee." he whispered soothingly. She closed her eyes slowly and took a deep breath in. She cleared her head of everything, even the tingles she felt climbing up her skin at the touch of Vyrane's breath on her. "Now, open." Hailee did as told and was taken aback.

Before her, a mansion was located, surrounded by a massive garden and a tall, stony wall. She could see the peaks of slightly narrow towers. The whole building looked like it was built off old stones, like the ones you see when you visit a castle. The three of them were stood before a wide, black iron gate, and Hailee could see the garden which held a lot of roses and trees in different shapes and colors and, moost importantly, kinds she had never witnessed on Earth.

"I remember you said you are willing to let us accompany you in your simple house?" Aunt Penolope asked, her voice a steady, serious melody between the symphony of chirping birds. "Yes, I have." Vyrane answered, confusion lining a flat, dull stripe on the edge of his deep, rich voice. "Well, I certainly hate to break it down to you boy but this," Aunt Penolope said, gesturing to the place in front of her eyes with her hands. "This is no simple house. It's called a freaking mansion!" she exclaimed in disbelief. An airy laugh escaped Vyrane's lips, filling the comfortable silence around. "Welcome to your new home, then." he said after regaining his posture. He stepped closer to the gate and fished out his dagger. With careful and steady hands, he gracefully stuck it into the hole of the key and turned it. The gate opened with a click, then after Vyrane pulled the dagger out it opened wide, allowing the three to get in. Hailee stuck a strand of sticky, sweaty hair behind her ear as she stepped inside behind the figure of her aunt, Vyrane right after her.