She looked back.
“If you stay a little longer, and I’ll tell you who the man in the attic is.”
“Who are you?” She stepped back, but he made no effort to stop her leaving. He already had her, and he knew it. His eyes were as dark as ever, but there was a new interest in them. They were alive with a force of passion. Possibly even obsession. “David?”
“I’m here because your grandfather asked me to be. That’s the man in the attic. Your mother’s father.” He sat down on the bed, and continued to talk.
“That’s what I meant by coming here to get an education. Your grandfather, the true Master of Waldgrave, has taken me on as an apprentice. But you can’t tell Howard. Howard is the enemy.”
Lena and David stared at each other. Understandably, she was having some trouble taking him seriously.
“Well, if he’s trying to teach you to be a crazy hermit, you’re both doing a great job.”
David stood up and took several quick steps toward her. He certainly knew how to intimidate. “It’s an honored position, and I won’t let you speak of him that way again.” He’d gone serious again.
Lena sat down next to the wall and held her face in her hands. I don’t know why I let him bring me here…
“You let me bring you here because you wanted to know. And now you do.”
Lena looked up. “What?”
“We’re a race of very ancient people, Lena. And we’re dying off. Some, like Howard, prefer it that way.”
“David—you’re crazy!”
“If I’m crazy, then how do I know what you’re thinking?”
Lucky guess.
“It wasn’t. It isn’t.”
“Oh my God…”
“Let me teach you, Lena,” He crouched down on the floor in front of her, pushing her hair out of her face and raising her chin so that she was looking at him. “You will learn these things, whether you are a willing student or not. You’ve been shown the truth, and it’s only a matter of time before things start happening on their own. I suggest you take my offer…Master Daray won’t be so kind as to give you the option.”
What the hell does that mean? I don’t believe this…
“Then ask your mother tomorrow at breakfast,” he looked in the direction of Waldgrave, “Anyway, I suggest you find your way back before it gets too cold out.”
There was a cramp growing in the middle of her stomach… her mother? At breakfast? Lena scrambled to her feet, dropped the odorous jacket, and ran out the door and away from David as quickly as she could. The pain in her abdomen grew with every step she took toward Waldgrave; icy tears were streaming down her face and sweat collected on her brow. Ten feet from the front door Lena collapsed in a heap, only to be discovered the next morning covered in a light dusting of snow and running a high fever.
*****
CHAPTER 4
“Out here! Out here! Howard, quickly!” Ava Daray had returned to her father’s house. The past eighteen years of her life had not met anyone’s expectations. “Howard!”
Howard took the stairs at a run as he raced to the front door. Rosaleen had raised the alarm early that morning, before Howard had risen, and his bathrobe trailed behind him like a powder blue cape. “Well how the hell did she get out here?! Rosaleen, call a doctor!”
“No! No doctors…” Ava knelt and held a hand to her daughter’s forehead. “She’s got a fever. We need to get her inside, but I don’t think the weather’s done her any harm.” She looked around at the snow that had fallen over night, and then smiled into Howard’s frowning face.
Howard picked up Lena and carried her up to her bedroom. Her mother sat with her for several hours, watching her beautiful child up close for the first time in more than ten years. She stroked her hair and knew that the coming days were going to be difficult for both of them. Around lunch time, David came looking for her.
Ava didn’t move her eyes from her daughter’s face as the door opened, closed, and
“If you stay a little longer, and I’ll tell you who the man in the attic is.”
“Who are you?” She stepped back, but he made no effort to stop her leaving. He already had her, and he knew it. His eyes were as dark as ever, but there was a new interest in them. They were alive with a force of passion. Possibly even obsession. “David?”
“I’m here because your grandfather asked me to be. That’s the man in the attic. Your mother’s father.” He sat down on the bed, and continued to talk.
“That’s what I meant by coming here to get an education. Your grandfather, the true Master of Waldgrave, has taken me on as an apprentice. But you can’t tell Howard. Howard is the enemy.”
Lena and David stared at each other. Understandably, she was having some trouble taking him seriously.
“Well, if he’s trying to teach you to be a crazy hermit, you’re both doing a great job.”
David stood up and took several quick steps toward her. He certainly knew how to intimidate. “It’s an honored position, and I won’t let you speak of him that way again.” He’d gone serious again.
Lena sat down next to the wall and held her face in her hands. I don’t know why I let him bring me here…
“You let me bring you here because you wanted to know. And now you do.”
Lena looked up. “What?”
“We’re a race of very ancient people, Lena. And we’re dying off. Some, like Howard, prefer it that way.”
“David—you’re crazy!”
“If I’m crazy, then how do I know what you’re thinking?”
Lucky guess.
“It wasn’t. It isn’t.”
“Oh my God…”
“Let me teach you, Lena,” He crouched down on the floor in front of her, pushing her hair out of her face and raising her chin so that she was looking at him. “You will learn these things, whether you are a willing student or not. You’ve been shown the truth, and it’s only a matter of time before things start happening on their own. I suggest you take my offer…Master Daray won’t be so kind as to give you the option.”
What the hell does that mean? I don’t believe this…
“Then ask your mother tomorrow at breakfast,” he looked in the direction of Waldgrave, “Anyway, I suggest you find your way back before it gets too cold out.”
There was a cramp growing in the middle of her stomach… her mother? At breakfast? Lena scrambled to her feet, dropped the odorous jacket, and ran out the door and away from David as quickly as she could. The pain in her abdomen grew with every step she took toward Waldgrave; icy tears were streaming down her face and sweat collected on her brow. Ten feet from the front door Lena collapsed in a heap, only to be discovered the next morning covered in a light dusting of snow and running a high fever.
*****
CHAPTER 4
“Out here! Out here! Howard, quickly!” Ava Daray had returned to her father’s house. The past eighteen years of her life had not met anyone’s expectations. “Howard!”
Howard took the stairs at a run as he raced to the front door. Rosaleen had raised the alarm early that morning, before Howard had risen, and his bathrobe trailed behind him like a powder blue cape. “Well how the hell did she get out here?! Rosaleen, call a doctor!”
“No! No doctors…” Ava knelt and held a hand to her daughter’s forehead. “She’s got a fever. We need to get her inside, but I don’t think the weather’s done her any harm.” She looked around at the snow that had fallen over night, and then smiled into Howard’s frowning face.
Howard picked up Lena and carried her up to her bedroom. Her mother sat with her for several hours, watching her beautiful child up close for the first time in more than ten years. She stroked her hair and knew that the coming days were going to be difficult for both of them. Around lunch time, David came looking for her.
Ava didn’t move her eyes from her daughter’s face as the door opened, closed, and
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