The Essence
"Mina..." I turned and I felt Time awake from her slumber to return me to my world. Casimir stood in the open door way. He had a solemn look on his aged face. He closed the door behind him and walked over to me; he took my small hands in his large, wrinkled, cold ones.
"Casimir." I whispered and he released my hand to brush away a tear. I hadn't realized I had been crying.
"He is alive." I stared at him with a blank gaze. "Mina, you didn't kill him. You are no killer."
"Will he be alright?" I couldn't raise my voice above a whisper.
"Perfectly so. I had Amare tell Alec to call Jonathan's parents to ask permission for him to stay with him. Of course he will stay here instead, but we needed an excuse for him not to return home until he can appear healthy."
I nodded and stared at my desk. I just barely realized that they had taken me to my room here at Casimir's home and I had been here the entire time.
"How does he look?" Davide asked and I realized he was sitting on the couch across the room. I saw that William and Amare were also here. Two other vampires from the Crypt who were friends of mine were sitting on my bed. Casimir turned my desk's chair around and sat down.
"He is weak. It is difficult to move and to stay conscious. We are trying to keep him fed so he can regain the blood he lost. His color is pale yet he seems to be returning to his usual shade. I suspect he should be able to appear normal by at least three days. He is making a fast recovery for most in his position. Amare, is he able to stay the weekend?"
I looked at Amare in his entire dark aura. He wore his black leather jacket and his hair gave a shadow to cover his eyes. He looked at me with his blue eyes of dark sapphire then back to his father.
"Yes. He is ours for the weekend. But he must return home Sunday night." He crossed his arms and sighed.
"Good thing your school is off tomorrow. That gives him tonight, Friday, and the weekend to try and get stronger." William stated and everyone in the room went silent. Casimir was the first to speak.
"He must know of us." Casimir said and gestured for me to come to him for I was standing by myself. I followed his wishes. I knelt on my knees and rest my head on his lap for a pillow. He petted my hair and twirled it around his fingers. "You must tell him, dearest Mina."
"I could never!"
"He will not believe it if it were not said by you. What is it you both were doing that lead to you drinking from him?" I blushed and sat back on my legs to see Casimir.
"We were playing the piano. He told me he had feelings for me and asked to court me. I told him I would but I had not fed enough earlier and when he held my head to his neck in a hug...I couldn't control it." I burst into tears and Casimir brought me on his lap and held me as I cried. The moment reminded me of when I was a child and my father had held me after some monster had tried to attack me in my dreams.
"Do no fret, Elizabeth. He is well and he is currently conscious. You should go to him as soon as possible."
"What do I tell him? I am a ruthless 'mistress of the devil', in most the world, and that I almost killed him! That is no way to spend a first day of courting." Casimir chuckled and wiped away my tears. He smiled as he held my face in his hands.
"Sweet Mina, Harker went to great lengths for you. Do you think Jonathan would do the same if he cares for you?" I closed my eyes and nodded as I sighed. "He will only listen to you. He will only believe you. When you tell him of your nature you must also tell him of your past with him."
