Amnesia

Chapter Six

Palazzo dei Priori 

A week had passed, and Maeryn busted herself to being excited and hopefull to see Alec again. She had even dressed up slightly but wore her long, goldenbrown hair neatly loose. But throughout the day, no Alec.
She got ready to close the doors when the bell above the door rang, announcing someone entering. Maeryn turned around and was greeted by the gentle smile of Alec's lips. Maeryn smiled back, trying to not look too happy because he returned. "I hope you don't mind me barging in at closing time?" he asked. Maeyrn blinked her eyes a few times to get out of her dreaming state. "N-no. Ofcourse not." she said quickly, affraid he would dissapear again. Gosh, she sounded like a love sick fool.
Alec smiled and walked closer to her, a hand behind his back. "I honestly hope you can forgive my absence this week. I had some errands to run." he said as he pulled his hand from behind his back and showed her a beautifull white rose. Maeryn smiled and took the rose from him. "You are forgiven. Though, I have to admit it has been quiet this past week." she said as she placed the white rose into the vase with the red rose. Alec couldn't help but to smile as she said this. "Daemon has told me you've wanted to see the castle ever since arriving here." he said as he watched her turn around. "Eh, yes. But sadly the tours are for invited guests only. Believe me, I asked Heidi before but no luck." Maeryn said as she played with her fingers slightly. "Well, how about a private tour? Tonight? Just you and me, I promise." Alec said as he held out his hand for her to take. Maeryn bit her lip and debated it. Daemon and Mauno had warned her many times that the castle was dangerous, and they should know since they worked there, but her curiosity and the fact that she could spend a few hours alone with Alec tempted her to take his hand and accept his offer. And so she did. She gently placed her hand into his, which was cold as ice. Maeryn gasped slightly at the coldness but didn't dare to pull back, as she could feel small sparks travel up her arm making her heartbeat speed up slightly. Alec smiled and gently pulled her out of the cafe and towards the castle. Palazzo dei Priori.

Instead of going to the entrance, Alec led her into an alley. "Do you trust me?" he whispered softly to her, making her knees feel weak. "Yes." she whispered back, unsure if he had heard her. But he had and he gently scooped her into his hard arms and jumped down a small gap at the end of the alley. Maeryn had burried her face into his neck while they fell down and it ended with Alec landing perfectly onto his feet. He gently placed her back down onto her own feet and grabbed her hand once more, making sure that she wouldn't trip on the uneven stone surface. It was quite dark, due it being night and no light was coming through the gap they had just jumped down from. The path beneath their feet continued to slant downward, taking them deeper into the ground. Slowly the hallway turned dark gray instead of black. Maeryn and Alec were in a low, arched tunnel. Long trails of ebony moisture seeped down the gray stones, like they were bleeding ink. Maeryn felt mesmerized by the old castle walls and couldn't wat to explore even more, but she had trouble concentrating as Alec's cold hand firmly held onto hers, as if being afraid to lose her.
Slowly the temperature got colder and Maeryn had been unaware that she had been shaking slightly until Alec had stopped and turned around. "Are you alright?" he asked gently. "Yeah, I am fine. Let's continue walking. I am sure that will keep me warm." She explained which was true, but she was afraid that if she admitted she was cold he would take her back to the café, and that was the last thing she would want. She was finally in the mysterious castle and more importantly she was int the castle with Alec.
Alec nodded his head and continued leading her through the tunnel into the castle. At the end of the tunnel was a grate—the iron bars were rusting, but thick as a human arm. A small door made of thinner, interlaced bars was standing open. Alec ducked through and hurried on to a larger, brighter stone room. The grille slammed shut with a clang, followed by the snap of a lock. On the other side of the long room was a low, heavy wooden door. It was very thick because it, too, stood open. Alec and Maeryn stepped through the door, and Maeryn glanced around in surprise. They were in a brightly lit, unremarkable hallway. The walls were off-white, thefloor carpeted in industrial gray. Common rectangular fluorescent lights were spaced evenly along theceiling. It was warmer here, for which Maeryn was grateful. This hall seemed very benign after the gloom of the ghoulish stone sewers.
Alec pulled Maeryn along and the heavy door creaked shut behind them, followed by a bolt sliding home. Maeryn jumped slightly but Alec gave her a reassuring squeeze in her hand. "It's alright, amore mio. Come on." He said as he pulled her towards and elevator. Once inside the elevator, Maeryn took a quick glance into the mirror and tried to fix her hair slightly without him noticing. Maeryn looked at him quickly but was surprised by his eyes. Instead of their usual violet colour, they where now a bright burgundy. It slightly frightened her, but they also suited him much better than the violet ones. But to be honest, Maeryn couldn't care less about his eye colour.
The elevator ride was short; Alec and Maeryn stepped out into what looked like a posh office reception area. The wallswere paneled in wood, the floors carpeted in thick, deep green. There were no windows, but large,brightly lit paintings of the Tuscan countryside hung everywhere as replacements. Pale leather coucheswere arranged in cozy groupings, and the glossy tables held crystal vases full of vibrantly colored bouquets. The flowers' smell reminded Maeryn of a funeral home. In the middle of the room was a high, polished mahogany counter. Maeryn looked at the woman behind the desk. She was tall, with dark skin and green eyes. Maeryn was sure she had known everyone who lived and worked in Volterra, but she had never met this woman before. Maeryn was afraid that they where busted and that this woman would most likely call the police, but to Maeryn's surprise the woman behind the desk smiled politely in welcome. "Good evening, Alec," she said. Alec nodded his head. "Gianna." He said politely as he showed Maeryn some of the many paintings. Alec explained most of the paintings and by whom they where painted, but Maeryn felt like something was off. He was defiantly hiding something. But Alec treated her to another sweet smile and Maeryn's worries where soon soothed as they continued through a set of double doors in the back of the room.

Alec showed her all of the castle, almost as if he walked the corridors every single day and knew them very well. Their little tour ended in the garden, where two bushes with roses, one white and one red, where blooming and shining in the moonlight. "These roses look just like the ones you gave me." Maeryn said as she examined the roses. "Well, maybe they are from the exact same bushed." he told her. "It's not polite to steal from a castle garden." Maeryn said playfully while turning to look at him. Alec took a step closer to her and took her hand into his cold one. "Maybe I am not that polite." he said while kissing her hand gently. Maeryn blushed deeply and was gratefull that there wasn't alot of light for him to see her blush. But Alec had seen it. He gently placed a hand onto her cheek to feel her blood rushing through her thin, fragile skin. Skin he could easily pierce with his teeth while her sweet nectar would flow into his mouth and sooth the burning in his throat whenever he was so close to her. But he restrained himself, not wanting to harm this little flower.
"May I ask you something, even though it might be impolite?" Maeryn asked softly. Alec smiled gently. "Ofcourse you can, amore mio." he said softly as he lead her towards a bench and took a seat, Maeryn sitting next to him, her hand still in his. "What happened to your eyes? I mean they where violet before and now they are red." she asked bluntly but quickly looked away in shame. It where probably just contacts and she was worrying about nothing. But, to her surprise, Alec sighed and gently stroked her hand with his thumb. "I will tell you, but you have to promise to not tell anyone, not even Agnella or Adolfo." he said softly. Maeryn bit her lip but nodded her head in agreement. "I promise." she said, anxious to his answer. "Do you believe in myths about vampires?" he asked. Maeryn frowned. "Not really. That is why they are called myths, right? Because it doesn't excist?" Maeryn said as she watched her hand in his while his thumb circled on the back of her hand. Alec chuckled softly. "I guess so, in a human's book. But I am affraid some of those myths are true, seeing as I am a living one." Alec explained and looked at her. Maeryn frowned and looked up into his burgundy eyes. She felt like laughing. Him? A vampire? Yeah right. But when she saw the serious look in his eyes, Maeryn knew he spoke the truth. She wasn't sure what to do or, more importantly, what he will do to her. "Hey, it's alright. I promise I won't hurt you. Believe me, if I wanted too I would have done it the first day when I saw you in the cafe." Alec said trying to sooth her as he could hear her heartbeat quicken. Maeryn nodded her head and her heart calmed down slightly. Alec smiled once more and gently kissed the back of her hand. "Honestly, I don't know what has gotten into me lately. But when I first saw you I knew I wanted you for more than just your blood, which smells delicious to be honest." he said as he gave her a playfull smirk. Maeryn blushed slightly and Alec gently pulled her closer to him, resting his other arm around her waist. "I have told you how I feel, now I think it is only fair you tell me what you feel for me. I do hope I haven't misread any signs?" he whispered softly and his cool breath hit her face leaving the smell of his sweet breath on her face. Maeryn but her lip and shook her head. "You haven't." she whispered back. Alec smiled. "Good." he said and his eyes trailed down to her full lips. "May I?" his voice sounded husk and seductive at the same time. Maeryn could no longer anwser so she nodded her head. Alec slowly leand foreward and closed the gap between them by claiming her lips with his own. Maeryn had forgotten how to breath for a moment as his lips guided hers gently into a loving kiss, but he pulled away too soon for her liking.
"My appoligies. I am sure you have alot of questions that I need to answer before we continue." he whispered softly as he pulled her hair gently behind her ear. Maeryn nodded her head as air and oxigen filled her lungs and brains and she could think quite straight again. "So, you're a vampire?" Maeryn asked. Alec chuckled. "Yeah. Or so I have been told." Maeryn blushed in shame and looked down. Alec gently made her look up again. "I am sorry. That was rude of me. Go on. I promise I won't laugh." he said, sorrow in his eyes. Maeryn nodded her head. "Alright. So what can you do? As a vampire ofcourse." she added softly and watched as Alec took her hand into his once more.