Walking with the Vampire |COMPLETE|

23. Return to the Manor

Valentina paced behind the line of trees just outside the gates of the Tchkovsky manor.
A serious debate was being held between her head and her head. It was split right in the middle.
'Isn't it too late now to be having this conversation with yourself?' She said.

She felt the strong pull towards the Manor. An with every time she wasted, she felt herself unconsciously drifting towards the manor.
She hadn't even executed her plan and she was already regretting her return.
It was as though fate had conspired against her to bring her back here.

It was only then, when she looked over at the iron wrought gates that she got the idea of having Semi just ask for her gift back.
Nicholae wouldn't have minded, surely. And if he would have, Osei could always do the asking. Along with Malaki and Loki.
She laughed at her own little joke.

If she could smack herself for acting rashly. So the harm was done. So what?
All she had to do now, was get in there, grab the journal and then hitch a ride out of there.

With her mind made up, she went unnoticed on the farthest side of the perimeter.
Valentina wasn't taking any chances.
She hid herself when she saw a guard coming her way.
Although she'd made herself invisible, she wasn't sure what kind of wards she'd me tripping over this time.

It was only when she was close enough to view the open window into Nicholae's room that she decide to dematerialize.

It looked like she'd given Niko ample time to place the picture where she told him to put it.
And the boy had followed her every word.
Yet when she materialized, it wasn't in the large room.

A cold darkness greeted her on arrival. She was in the dungeon-tomb place once more.
She didn't fall asleep, did she?

And this time she was still a spirit.
There, in the center of the room was the body she possessed a number of times.
She could only assume it was.

This was her opportunity to have a closer look at the body. Maybe she knew the person.

As she edged closer, a chilling hand stroked her spine sending the ripple effect along her entire body.
With each inch covered, the twisted realization of just what she was seeing was made more real.
It was impossible!
Valentina stared directly at her peaceful face lying right in front of her.

Flames leapt up from candles which had been dormant until a second ago. Valentina leapt back in surprise. Even more to her alarm, a dark shadowy figure stepped forward.
It had its hands stretched towards her body... she meant the body that looked like her.
Disoriented was an understatement of just how she was feeling.

'What are you doing!' She couldn't conceal the fear in her voice. Not like she was even trying. She was terrified!
The figure pointedly ignored her, giving the task at hand all its attention.

If it wouldn't listen she'd make it listen.
She rushed at the shadow pushing all her will on making contact with it.
She made contact, just not with the demon.
She'd decided it was a demon, or at least a demonic entity. Valentina decided that when she ran through it and ran straight into the wall.
She tried a couple more time without success then she settled on trying to get it distract.

'Do you think you're honestly doing any damage here?' She started.
'I'm already dead! That body is useless.'
She couldn't admit to the body truly belonging to her, because she wasn't sure it was.
Her body was supposed to be maggot food after all these years.