WALPURGIA ✔️

Chapter 2 - Past, present, old future

  ☽  

And landed in my new one.

I landed easily, Baldwin fell to the floor. I offered him my hands with an apology.

"Sieur Gerald! Are you alright?", Ethan rushed to our side and eyed me angrily. "A witch? Another woman to spent the night with?" I merely raised my brow.

Ethan was the exact same – the laughter lines, the hasty nature, the brown eyes, the brown hair, the same built. He even was still smaller than me. After a good look, his expression softened so minimalistic I could have almost missed it.

Baldwin got up with a groan, fixing his suit. "This is the woman I'm spending several nights with, Luc. This witch is my-." "Mate", the cold glance drilled into my ring finger. "By gods! You suddenly disappear from your office and return with a woman by your side! Your father was right to dub you unpredictable!" 

It took me a few moments to comprehend what he had said. Ethan was still talking in his rapid speed. "A bit slower for the lady, Luc." Baldwin leaned forward. "To my office. Now."

The house couldn't have been more Victorian era styled even if it tried to be.

Like my old home, a more gothic approach had been chosen for the house. However, it was more imposing and elaborate than my humble home could have ever been and the furniture in every room seemed more beautiful than practical. 

Baldwin – or his architect William – had chosen wood for the exterior and interior design, and every room was more complicated built than the other. The scalloped shingles were new, the smell of wood, the missing electricity and generally everything was different compared to our getaway house.

Ours in the future was a Victorian home from the outside, but inside it could have been a temple – marble, pillars, comfortable pieces of furniture, sparing touches when it came to detail.

This home was vibrant, old, had several stories with small rooms and more inhabitants than back home. Witches I knew passed by us, some vampires too. Charlotte wasn't there however, though I hoped she would have stepped out from one room to greet us like she usually did.

Ethan led us to the tower Baldwin had kept in the future – what a strange thought – and I sighed as I noticed how tight it was. Baldwin really had gotten a lot of work done on his old home. "Ask me. For my size, it's a hazard", Baldwin offered me his hand and side-ways climbed up the stairs.

The scent of leather, wax, and Baldwin's sage smell hit me like a wave as the big, wooden door was opened. It was the same table he had back at home, the same chairs, the same array of furniture. However, behind him were books, and not a fireplace, along with files and files of documents, letters, papers, ink, seals and wax.

Baldwin wordlessly motioned us to sit down. Ethan and he waited until I sat down first. "Ethan", Baldwin started. He straightened. "My mate and I are from the future", he started. "From the 21th century. We travelled back in time to meet Genevieve." "And you arrived safely", he eyed his Sire. "You have not changed by much." "But you have." "He's the same to me", I added. Ethan's eyes darted over me.

"Judging by your looks you must be an ancestor of Genevieve. You look like her." "I am." "But she'll be known as Constance Jerret while we are here. We cannot cause a ruckus by openly spreading her real name." 

"Certainly", Ethan – Luc – nodded. "What's the plan, Sieur?" These two knew each other's intention instantly. "Some of her decisions in our time are questionable, and Constance wanted to ask her as to why she made them."

"Constance ... Madame, is that your real name?" "My name's-" "What does it matter? If she tells you her real name, you'll burst it out once I'm gone again." "Wait, I won't be allowed to tell the real you about your own mate?"