Nova's Diary

Chapter Five

-later, 10:00, pm- I was downstairs at exactly 9:59, my eyes scanning the room nearly immediately. I looked around for Dexter and Draven, but to my dismay, all of the masks and similar clothing really threw me off. Nearly everyone I was looking at had black hair, spare one gentleman with pure white hair. They all stood around talking, a total of 20 people I believe. My standing there still must have drawn a bit of attention, because people began to look my way, I felt my face begin to heat up, the mask luckily concealing my reddened cheeks. I closed my eyes and let out a breath, before putting my brave attitude up. Just as I was about to move, the white haired man began to walk towards me, his long legged steps reminded me of Dexter. Graceful and nearly floating, walking with such purpose. He stood in front of me, bowing and taking my hand, kissing it softly. I examined him quickly, he was in a black and red suit, something that looked similar to Dexter's taste in fashion. He was tall and lanky just the same, his height just a bit taller than Dexter.
"You must be the lovely lady lawyer my sons told us about. Words do not do you justice, Fräulein. Welcome to the party. My name is Adelram, I am Dexter and Draven's father. I have forgotten your name, my apologies." He had a strong accent, which made it a tad bit difficult to understand the fellow, but I was soon able to work my way into figuring it out. I gave him my sweetest smile, nodding.
"Mein Name ist Nova Evans." I took one German class in college, to which I could only remember simple phrases and introductions, I was by no means the bilingual master. Adelram, I will be calling him Ram in this from now on, much easier to write, seemed pleased by my small action, and began to talk in German, to which I gave him a lost look, my eyes widening a bit. A woman came over, she had dark grey hair that sat at her shoulders. She muttered something in a language that was not German nor English, I could not understand a lick of it. Ram calmed himself and smiled at the woman, patting her back and walking back to a group of people. The woman held out her hand, to which I shook.
"I take it you are Miss Nova, the lawyer. My name is Alexandria. I am Dexter and Draven's mother. It is a pleasure meeting you." Her voice had a different accent to it, more like Draven's and Dexter's. She was beautiful, what I could see of her face anyway. She wore a black and baby blue dress, which showed quite a lot of leg thanks to a slit up both sides. Her eyes were a piercing red, just like Dexter's. Gracious I am comparing everything to that man, he must have invaded my thoughts more than I admit. Alexandria and I chatted for a bit, before a woman with lighter, longer grey hair came rushing over, grabbing my hands and spinning me about, which very much took me by surprise.
"What a lovely lady! Much different than the last ones! You must be Nova! Such a darling little sheep.~ My my look at all that hair! You must take such good care of it for it to be so shiny and healthy!" Her voice was was heavily accented with that accent of Alexandria and the two brothers. She continued to hold my hands, her bright green eyes shimmering like gemstones in the candlelight. She let out a happy breath, it was as if she didn't breathe throughout that whole ramble. I gave her a nervous smile, my face flushing from the compliments. The woman finally introduced herself, much to my delight.
"My name is Nerine.~ An absolute delight to meet you." She leaned in, placing a quick peck on each side of my cheeks, causing me to jump a bit. I let out a soft laugh, tilting my head a bit. I was adoring her outfit by now, it was a lovely long black dress with red and gold accents, long and flourished, trailing behind her elegantly and smoothly. Nerine wore a cat looking mask, made of lace and metal it looked like. She looked like Alexandria, which made me wonder if they were sisters. I gave her a curious smile.
"May I ask your relation to the Lucard family? Miss Alexandria's sister I am assuming?" Nerine let out a laugh, putting her hand on her chest as her laughs slowly subsided.
"Oh goodness no, I am Alexandria's mother!" I gave her a surprised look, the woman looked not a day over 25, how on earth could she be a mother, let alone a grandmother, to two adult men? She must have noticed my look, to which her cheeks tinted a soft pink.
"Oh you must think I am fibbing, I assure you I am not. I just look young, my family always looks young and fresh.~" I looked around, my mind wandering a bit, wondering where Dexter could be. My look must have reflected my loss, as Nerine reached out and grabbed my hand, leading me to a couch and handing me a glass of wine, which I never even saw her retrieve. I sipped it, giving her a nod as thank you. I noticed a man watching her, he looked like the oldest of the bunch, slicked back long hair, and a Victorian looking suit, a thin face and a bulkier build than the rest I saw, more muscular. He had no mask, his pale skin enhancing the brightest, reddest eyes I've ever seen. I blinked, almost jumping out of my seat, as the man was gone. Nerine cleared her throat, smiling at me as she tried to get my attention.
"Miss Nova, you look as though you feel a bit out of place. Is everything alright? You look in thought, something on your mind?" I looked down at the glass of wine in my hands, rubbing the top of it softly. I gave a faint smile, a breathy chuckle escaping my mouth.
"I suppose something is on my mind yes, well, someone. Dexter. He-I don't know he just keeps invading my mind! We kissed. I'd gotten drunk and I kissed him and he seemed to like me but I said things were to take time. But at the same time I don't WANT to take things slow like that. I don't know, there's something about him that makes me just-ugh. I don't know." Nerine gave a sympathetic smile, my embarrassment still not fading. Nerine reached over and grabbed my hand, patting the top of it.
"My my, it sounds as though you've been bitten by the love bug. So that explains why you are so tense." Her eyes focused on mine, they nearly seemed to glow as they bore into my very soul.
"Why don't you tell me why you feel so tense about this hm?" I did not want to bother this woman with my problems, but the more I stared into her eyes, the more my mind told me to tell everything I was worrying about. She had such a motherly tone, a trustworthy demeanour.
"Well, I suppose I am a bit anxious with this because I have just gotten out of a very abusive relationship. He was not a kind man and I am just a little nervous. I feel like the feelings are developing so fast, which is rare for me, but I'm also not getting any younger. I still want a family but my biological clock is ticking. I am nervous that that is the reason I am developing feelings a bit too fast. Dexter is a fine man with such gentlemanly manners, but I feel as though he likes me because I have been around more, and he does not seem to go out much. I do like him, very much, but I don't understand WHY. I usually take years to learn to like a person, but he has struck me in such a manner that I haven't a clue what to do anymore." Nerine nodded, patting my hand as I spoke, her gaze never leaving mine. I let out a soft breath, hanging my head as I sat down the wine glass on the table in front of me.
"Well, I think it is important to think about what you want. If this man you were with before did not treat you well, I can see why you wouldn't want to jump into another relationship. But as his granny, I know he's a good man and will understand your feelings. He's a tad sensitive himself. I probably shouldn't tell you this but he won't. Dexter has had just as bad luck with women as you with your man. He dated a woman for a while, and she stripped the life out of him, tried to turn him into something he wasn't. He dated another woman who stuck around mostly for his money, and also tried to change him to what she wanted. He doesn't trust people very well, but he saw something in you that made him trust you, my family is incredibly insightful as we age, and he may be hitting that age of telling. You said something, something that bothers me a bit. You said you had to learn to like a person. My dear, you don't learn to like someone like that. Love comes from the heart, learning to love someone is forcing yourself to settle, and you don't deserve that. You can't be afraid to take risks, that is a part of life. A mortal life is far too short to be lived in caution and settlement. You must take risks! They may benefit you in the long run. Besides, if things don't work out you can always go back home, you don't live here. Take a risk, and maybe you can be a little happier. Do something for you." Nerine's words struck me, they were true. I began to think, and I realised that I indeed never took risks, not for myself. My life has been boring, lonely. Would my flirting with Dexter really ruin my life? No, that was a silly question. I wanted to take this risk. I thanked Nerine, my eyes catching movement from the corner. I looked to my left, nearly letting out a scream as that man I'd seen earlier was standing beside the couch, looking down at Nerine and I. He looked to Nerine, raising his brow. They stared at each other for a moment, and, as if they were talking via telepathy, Nerine stood up, bid me good evening, and grabbed onto the arm of the man, walking to the large open area where they commenced to dance. I watched them for a bit, the way they held each other, looked so lovingly to one another, the man has to be her husband. After a few moments, I felt a tap on my shoulder, to which I turned to face my new company. I raised my brow, looking over the person before me. It was a man, that much I could tell for sure. He wore a black velvet jacket that flowed behind him, the lining looked to be a deep purple. The man wore a black vest with a deep crimson ascot, black pants and shoes to match. His hands were covered by black gloves, his hair slicked back and combed neatly. The man's mask was rather creepy. It was a black mask, covering his whole face. A big white smile stretched across the mask, white eyes as well. I let out a shudder, smiling nervously.
"Um, hello sir, is there's something I can help you with at all?" I was surprised when he reached his hand down. He tilted his head, remaining silent. Something about the man freaked me out a bit, but at the same time I was drawn to it. A risk had presented itself to me. Dance with someone I did not know? That was a small step but it was a step. I reached up and grabbed his hand, to which he pulled me up and led me to the open floor. He put his hand on my waist, I rested my hand on his shoulder, though he was a bit tall. He grabbed my hand and we began to dance. I looked around, before my eyes caught sight of a man dressed exactly like the one I was dancing with, but his mask was all white with black details. I smiled, looking back to my masked dancing partner.
"So, which one are you? Dexter or Draven?" He remained silent, to no surprise. He pulled back, keeping hold of my hand and leading me towards the big doors that led outside. He opened them, pulling me outside and running to the garden. I held up my skirt with one hand, following him and laughing softly. We winded around the garden until we came upon a vine covered metal gate. The man pushed it open, grabbing my hand once more and leading me along. We walked through some trees, coming out into the most lovely clearing. I let out a breath of awe, looking at the land before me. Bathing in the reddish moonlight, there was a small, crystal clear pond, wild flowers and berries grew all around, trees surrounding the sides of the pond. It was absolutely beautiful, like something from a fairytale. Grabbing my hand again, the man led me to the pond, sitting on an old looking bench. I sat beside him, looking to him. I smiled softly, looking down at my hands as I fiddled with my gloves. I felt a finger under my chin, which tilted my head up. He wanted me to look at him. I gave a soft snort, reaching up and taking off my mask.
"Fairly certain you know who I am." I reached up, rubbing the cheek of the man's mask with my thumb, before reaching behind his head and unlatching the mask, letting it fall into my hands. The man hung his head, before tilting it up to look at me. It was, as I assumed, Dexter. He looked down at me, giving me a little smile. I chuckled, shaking my head.
"So, Mr. Mysterious, what's the reason for bringing me all the way out here? Certainly you could have talked to me inside." Dexter looked a bit nervous now, his hands in his lap. He cleared his throat, shaking his head a bit.
"I heard you and my grandmother talking. And I must ask, do you perhaps, want to maybe try going on dates? I know you just go to out of a relationship but I also want you to be happy. I move a bit quickly I know but there are-there are reasons for that..." He trailed off, letting out a shaky breath.
"I would like to tell you that reason, but I am afraid to. I do not want to reveal a secret about myself and have it chase you away." I knew how hard secrets were, so I decided to help him out a bit. I grabbed his hand and patted it, looking up at him.
"Okay, how about this. I'll tell you a secret about myself, then you can tell yours, that way, we both have a little information about each other." He gave a nod, leaning back and looking at me to say.
"Well...When I was younger, I snuck out of my house and went to a party, I drank and...I smoked marijuana." I blushed, putting my hand on my cheek. It was so embarrassing to me to have one of my biggest secrets just blurted out. I heard a snort, and then a laugh.
"What a secret. Alright, you've eased me...I will tell you mine now." He closed his eyes and sighed, reaching up and brushing his hair behind his ears. He turned his head to the side, closing his eyes. I stared for a moment, trying to figure out what he was doing, when I noticed his ears. They were long and pointed, very strange and out of place. He didn't look like the kind of man to get some kind of obscure plastic surgery such as ear enhancements. I raised my brow, confused.
"So, you got plastic surgery? Is that all?" Dexter turned to me, giving me a surprised look. He then looked confused, shaking his head slowly.
"N-No that's not at all...do people actually get surgery to get their ears like this?" I gave him a nod, waiting for him to tell me the secret.
"I did not get surgery no...Nova, I know this sounds a tad cliche, but, I am most certainly not what you think I am. I am unable to go out into the sun, but not from a disease. I am what you may call a vampire." He spat it out quickly, so much so I nearly didn't catch his words. I was astonished, certainly he was pulling my leg. I knew there were some people who claimed to be vampires, but I did not take Dexter to be part of that group. Dexter gave me a desperate look, shaking his head and rubbing the top of his hand.
"I am an actual vampire, I promise you that. Everyone here is a vampire, except for you. Elizabeth? She saw and smelled your blood when you cut your hand. She has poor control and didn't want to hurt you, so she avoided you. Constantine? I had to set him straight because he was trying to get to you and your blood. Draven and I have much better control. Why do you think we pour your wine? We didn't want you grabbing a bottle of blood instead! And yes, Elizabeth and Constantine are awake during the day but why do you think the mansion is so dark?" I was in absolute shock, my eyes wide. My mouth was open, but my breath was caught in my throat. It did make sense, all of it did. I cleared my throat, before rolling my shoulders and looking back to Dexter. I then told him to prove it. He gave me a look, a mixture of worry and, perhaps excitement? An odd emotion. He nodded slowly, holding his hand out for mine. I gave it to him, and he gently rubbed the top of my hand, before slipping off the glove. He leaned down, turning my hand over and kissing the palm softly, his cool lips sending chills up my arm, a tingly sensation following. He kissed all the way down to my wrist, pausing. He closed his eyes, slowly beginning to lick around my wrist softly. My face began to feel hot, my hand twitching a bit. He opened his mouth, and it was then I felt sensation of a large needle entering my flesh. I let out a hiss of pain, staring in horror as he sunk his teeth into my wrist. But then, the pain melted away, and a creeping feeling of pleasure began to spread up my arm. I was saddened when he pulled away. He licked over my wound, and when I looked to see the damage, I was shocked to see there was nothing there. I looked at him, I felt dizzy, but I was not going to faint. He looked at me, he looked nervous, but hopeful. I wasn't going to dash his hopes either.
"I see. You aren't lying, which is very interesting. I admit I am a bit freaked out, but I am more fascinated with it than anything. Tomorrow we must talk more." I began to feel even more dizzy, looking around and trying to clear my head. Dexter reached out, wrapping his arms around me as I leaned into him. My eyes could not stay open any longer. Was it the bite perhaps? I did faint often when giving blood, yes that must have been it. Soon enough, my world faded away, and I was whisked away to a dream land as I fell into a deep sleep.