ONEUS 18 + Blood Moon - Vampire - (Book 1)

Truth Part 2

The next morning, Neoma opened her eyes to discover Xion's side of the bed empty. She sat up, startled. The silence in the room amplified the emptiness. In the morning light, the vibrancy of the red of the framed rose paintings was both beautiful and strangely unnerving. Neoma glanced around quickly, straining her ears and eyes in her attempt to locate Xion. Her eyes fell on a tray covered with a lace cloth on the bedside table next to her along with small piece of folded paper. 

Reaching out, Neoma carefully opened the note, written inside was a message from Xion. His handwriting was a charmingly and childlike scrawl. He apologized for having to leave and explained that he and the others would be back in the evening and she was free to explore the chateau. Neoma quickly closed the note and examined the tray, lifting the cloth, she discovered some bread, cheese and grapes. Feeling surprisingly hungry, Neoma quickly ate the food. 

Once she was finished her breakfast, Neoma washed using a basin and soap she discovered. It seemed that Xion had thought of everything, except for clothing... Neoma was again uncomfortably aware that she did not have any clothing aside from her nightwear. She opened a wardrobe, which she discovered to her disappointment was empty. Dismay turned to relief as Neoma recognized what looked like a pair of Xion's leather trousers and a white tunic, folded on a chair. Neoma slipped our of her nightgown and dressed in the clothing Xion had kindly provided. Slipping on the tunic, she noted how the clothing smelt clean and fresh, like warm sunshine in a garden of uncertainty.

The trousers felt quite snug around her rear and in the hip area, Neoma concluded that this was likely due to the differences in her and Xion's anatomy. She felt her face flush as the explicit heat of the memories of their unforeseen intimacy filled her mind. Neoma acknowledged that she was growing fond of Xion, but what had occurred last night was completely out of character for her, and no doubt due to the impossible insanity of the situation. Shaking away these thoughts, Neoma approached a large dresser and felt puzzled as she removed a cloth that had been hiding the mirror. On observing her reflection her she looked in appreciation at how her skin and hair held a flawless luminosity. The image was disturbed by her large clear grey eyes staring back fearfully. Neoma chastised herself, she would not disgrace the memory of her father with fear.

With a feeling of resolve, Neoma stepped from the room to explore the rest of the building. She began by attempting to open the door to the room that Xion had appeared from yesterday, and where she sheepishly recalled she had been caught listening. To her frustration, Neoma discovered that the door was locked. Her curiosity peeked as to what was in that particular room. Neoma decided to try and use her 'trick' to gain entry to the secrets beyond. 

She discovered the 'trick' last year, when attempting to open a strong box in her fathers study. Neoma had realized to her shock and delight that she was able to release the lock by focusing all of her concentration towards it. Inside the box she located the missing portraits of her mother that her fathers new wife had insisted on being removed. Since this event, Neoma had attempted to use the 'trick' to try to move objects. Unfortunately her biggest accomplishment in this endeavour was to only slightly move an ornate dagger in one of her fathers display cases. The amount of concentration this took resulted in an intense and immobilizing headache. 

Neoma stared intently at the lock of the door. Within seconds she heard a loud and satisfying click which indicated that the 'trick' still worked. Hesitantly,  Neoma opened the door, shamefully aware that this was a room she had intentionally been prevented from investigating. On stepping into the room, Neoma observed a large round table with six chairs, barely visible in the dim light. She located a window and drew the heavy curtains. Warm sunlight flowed, illuminating a large oil painting which dominated the room. The painting depicted six men, two of whom she recognized as being Xion and the emerald eyed man who had killed the beast last night.