Walking with the Vampire |COMPLETE|

7.Prisoner of the Manor

She wrinkled her nose at the metallic smell of blood as Nicholae carefully drank from his cup.

'It never used to make you squirm.' Nicholae spoke after he wiped his lips with a black napkin.

Valentina simply shrugged off his accusations. What did he know about her anyways? If she was uncomfortable with the sight of him drinking blood then she was. However in this case, he was right. Was it unnecessarily petty? yes, but it had to be done.

'You don't know anything about me.' She retorted.
He would have said something but his keen hearing caught the shuffling of approaching feet.

'Hide.' He instructed Valentina.
She wanted to argue but the anxious look in his face made her obey. Something else in her ordered her to obey him. She'd investigate that traitorous voice later, but for now...
She went inside his closet just as the door to his room opened.

'Papa.' It was Niko, but he didn't sound very happy.

'Nicholae.' A deeper voice spoke.
Valentina immediately recognized it as Ivan Tchkovskys.
'So you returned and I'm the last to here of it?'

'You aren't the last to hear of it Papa.' Nicholae's voice was tight.

'Since I wasn't the first, I might have as well been.' His voice held a certain overbearing note to it. It reminded Valentina of Cornelius Lynch, her guardian and lord.

'Well you know now. What do you want?'

Valentina peeked from the opening.

Ivan's hand was possessively placed on his grandson's shoulder. From the look on Niko's face, he wasn't pleased either. The poor boy.

'I'm sure Sonya told you about moving the truce banquet forward. There will be very important people present. Like your future wife for instance.'
Ivan raised his other hand and silenced his son's protests.
'For so long we have condoned your actions and left you alone. Now the half breed needs a mother and this house needs a pure heir.'
Ivan squeezed Niko's shoulder before pushing him towards his father.
'When you aren't busy, your mother would also like to see you. And she would also like to be told when you are leaving and when you arrive... from your lips. Not the staffs' or the child.'
Then he quietly closed the door behind him.
'Take me with you.' His son ran into his arms and hugged him.
'I thought you were mad at me.' Nicholae smiled ruefully lifting up his son.
Niko laid his head on his father's shoulder,
'Uh uh.' His voice wobbled.

Valentina stepped out of the closet in time to find Nicholae checking his son's neck.
It looked like Ivan had scratched the boy.
He signaled Valentina to remain in the closet. Begrudgingly, she returned to her spy hole.
'You're sleeping here tonight.' He said to his son the news made Niko smile brightly. How easy it was to please children.

Once he had his son settled into the bed he whispered in his ear.
'There's no need for me to leave again. I've found what I was looking for.'

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Valentina couldn't sleep. One of the downsides to being a spirit.
Nicholae had shut the black curtains preventing the sunlight from disturbing their slumber.
Vampires hated sunlight, it wasn't a secret. It killed the made vampires and pure breds alike. However the Tskovosky manor was enchanted with wards to prevent such casualties. Even the clothes and jewelries were enchanted to allow them to walk in sunlight. They could never be too careful.
Had she been in full control of her powers as a witch, she'd have been tempted to to spell Nicholae's clothes and so when he walked into the sun he'd burst out into flames.
Sadly, she didn't have her powers so that could only be a passing thought.