Innocent Blood

Innocent Blood (chapter 24)

"Can you play with me?" She asked as I rose to my feet. I didn't know how long I had sat with her already, twenty minutes maybe, and there was still things to be taken care of. Without giving me a chance to refuse, she wrapped her hands around my waist, "please, just five minutes. Nobody ever plays with me." Her rueful plea couldn't be ignored, maybe I was just a sucker for those liquid blue eyes. "Okay then" I said, rolling my eyes at myself, as she eagerly grabbed my hand and led me away. "Just five minutes though. I have lots to do." She stopped outside a door that had golden calligraphy style writing, 'Calliope', it read. I followed her into the room, maybe I shouldn't have been suprised, but I was, pleasantly so. In my mind, girls rooms are pink, pink walls, pink sheets, pink carpet pink everywhere. The walls should be covered in finger-paintings and posters of their favourite cartoon characters. This room was like what bedroom showrooms try to imitate. The walls were papered in delicately patterned ivory, lace and silk curtains framed the two windows, every piece of furniture was ivory coloured and the bed was something between a crib and a bed. It was white, shaped like a crib, only bigger, and the sides were raised only enough to stop the child from falling from bed, a white lace canopy hung over the top end, the quilt and pillows were extremely frilly and I wanted to jump into them. Calli didn't stop in the room, she walked through another door that was in place of where the door to the bathroom was in my room. I held back before following her in.

It wasn't a bathroom but a nursery. It was decorated in the same way as the bedroom, and toys lined the walls of the room. They each looked staged, set up only for show and definitely not for playing with. A classic victorian doll house sat on a low table, it looked more like a collectors item rather than a toy, the sort every child dreams of having! Calli walked on to a miniature sized four-post bed and carefully lifted out a doll. "This is Lucy" she announced, presenting a tatty little doll, "she's my favourite." I took the doll from her with a sense of nostalgia rising inside, the grubby little cheeks, faded dress and slightly frizzing hair. Signs of well a loved doll. "You're mummy and I'm big sister" said Calli, taking the doll from me.

After a short play, the door to Calli's bedroom opened and a woman called "Calli?" before coming through to the nursery. "Oh there you are. Calliope, where have you been?" She clapped eyes on me and gave me a look as though I had hidden the child myself. "Just playing in here with 'Calia and Lucy" she answered, looking down. "Yes, well, come, its time for your lessons", replied the woman, with a scowl on her face, directed at me. Calli and I stood together and she carefully put Lucy back to bed. We all walked out together, Calli took a hand of the woman, who I assumed was a nanny, and myself. "It's almost two o'clock, Miss Pariter" said the nanny on reaching the door. "Don't go, we haven't shared secrets yet" she said, turning her wide eyes on me. I smiled down to her, "you can tell me another time."

"Will you come visit me?"

"I'll do my best."

"Asteria said you'll be back but I didn't know if you would, but Aristaios told her..." She stopped abruptly, shaking her head. "That was a secret, wasn't supposed to tell you any till next time!"

"Come now Calliope", urged the nanny, tugging the girl away as she waved back at me.

I was giving myself the 'once over' in the mirror at the dressing table, when the door knocked. "Come in" I called. The door opened and a man walked in briskly, going straight to my waiting suitcase. "Take it downstairs please Samuel." I turned to see Asteria standing at the door. When Samuel left us, she closed the door and handed me a shoulder bag. "Essentials", she told me, "identification, keys, money and a mobile phone - Thalia took it upon herself to set it up for you." A tingle of excitement ran through my veins as I took the bag from her. "Thank you for everything."

"Are you really ready for this?" Asteria asked for the hundredth time. "I really am."

"Have you heard anything from Marius?"