Monday morning came along. I showered, put on makeup, ordered room service breakfast, and was dressed and ready to go before nine o'clock. With almost an hour to spare, I turned the TV on to see what was good to watch. Local news weather reports showed clear skies. (Good to know) They then switched to a reporter, airing live on site on the university grounds. She was a slender woman, interviewing potential students and a few of the staff members. My eyes lit up when she walked up to speak to a man, who looked to be in his early thirties.
It was the professor for the Myths and Legends course. "Wow! That man is going to be my teacher! The picture didn't do him justice. He looks better live!" I said to myself. "Holy Cow! His voice!" It was deep, a little husky, welcoming, and certainly had the power to draw attention. Before I knew it, the alarm on my phone went off at a quarter to ten. I looked out the window and saw a shiny black Mercedes Benz with tinted windows pull into the parking lot. (That's gotta be the driver) Sure enough. The gentleman addressed me by name when he saw me walking towards him.
We pulled up to a large iron gate after driving for ten minutes. There was a circle drive and the house was enormous, nothing like the houses back home. It had an eerily beautiful look to it like it was built decades ago. The driver pulled around and stopped in front of the wide porch stairs that lead up to the front double doors. The railings on either side of the stairs matched the design of the iron gate. On the doors themselves were two lion heads with an iron ring in their mouth.
Standing in front of the doors was a tall slender and well dressed man. His complexion was slightly pale and he had long brown hair that hung just below the shoulders. His eyes were captivating, a light grayish blue-green. His voice was amazing in person too. "Welcome. I am Nicolae Bartholy. We spoke on the phone a few days ago." "Oh, yes, of course. Thank you. Lydia Canteles."
"What a lovely name. Please, come in," he said as he invited me inside. "Again, thank you." My eyes wide in awe of the magnitude of the room, I wondered at the beauty and amazement. I captured the look of the enormous foyer with the large staircase, dark red carpeted rugs, marble flooring, and the breathtaking chandelier above. Every piece of furniture, paintings on the walls, and decor on display looked ancient and had to have cost a fortune to acquire.
Noticing my distraction, Nicolae broke my trance, "Will you follow me into the study?" I quickly turned to my right and watched him give me such a kind smile. Returning with a smile, I was less nervous and more at ease even though I felt like I probably should've been weary. Walking into the study, I saw there were built-in shelves of books from the ceiling to halfway down the walls with a ladder in place at the far wall. There was a lounge area with what looked like a comfortable couch with brown upholstery. There was a long mahogany desk with one leather cushioned desk chair behind it and two wooden chairs with leather cushions in the seat and back as well as the arms.
The interview went well. Soon I was given a tour around the manor on the first and second floors, even the garden outside. The whole property rested on the edge of the woods. I felt at home with that notion, being a Gemini. I loved nature whether it was the forests or the oceans, although I didn't think I'd feel safe going into the woods on my own. Nicolae told me his little sister's name is Lorie and can be a handful sometimes. He also mentioned having two younger brothers, Peter and Drogo, who also attended the university.
"If you are interested, we would love to have you here with us," he stated as we came down and stopped in front of the doors." "I don't know what to say. I'm shocked, er, I mean surprised. You don't need more time to think about it, or even discuss it with your father first?" "I believe you are exactly what we are looking for and I intend on giving my father my honest opinion. I will have the driver take you back to the motel to gather your belongings and get you checked out. You can move in here this afternoon. That way you are settled in before you go on your tour of the school grounds Thursday morning."
Though I was slightly suspicious, he continued on without notice, "Have you already ordered your school supplies and attire?" "Um, no, not yet." "Very well. I will take care of it first thing tomorrow morning. You can give me your list then." Overwhelmed with gratitude, I thanked him appreciatively before heading out to the car. I was excited, everything seemed to be turning for the better. (Nicolae seems to be genuine. I guess I will just play it by ear.)
-Nicolae's POV-
As soon as I closed the doors after seeing her off, my phone rang. Pulling it out of my pocket, I answered, "Yes, Viktor?" "Well?... How did it go?" "It went extremely well. She will be perfect for what Lorie needs." "She better be. I do not want to receive another call about another girl being run off. This one better be strong minded, not weak like the others." "Yes, Sir. I believe she is. There is something special about her. You will not be disappointed."
"Good. I expect you to see to it that I am not. Oh, and by the way. Make sure your brother stays in line and behaves himself. The girl is there to take care of my Lorie. She is not there to satisfy his bloodlust or his lust of the flesh. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, Viktor, of course. I agree and will keep everything under control this time." "As it should be. I do not have time to put the business on hold to come home and take matters into my own hands over such petty little things. If she finds out about us in any way, compel her memories and keep her around instead of letting her go."
"Understood." Hearing a click and then dead silence told me Viktor ended the call. I proceeded to call Peter, who was in town with Drogo and Lorie, buying her new dresses to wear to school. "Yes, Nicolae? Did you finally hire someone?" "Yes, the young lady I interviewed today will be staying with us." I could hear Drogo in the background complaining about not having been allowed to go to the bar to play pool while Peter and Lorie did their shopping. "The three of you can come home any time. Miss Canteles will be back later this afternoon or evening." Lorie then squealed in delight, which made me smile. I had hoped for Lydia's sake, it would all work out.
-Lydia's POV-
I arrived back at the manor after the sun had just gone down. In the dark, the place looked even more hauntingly beautiful. As I walked in, I was awaited by four individuals by the staircase, including Nicolae. They each looked different, unique in their own way, but they all had the same skin tone. Welcomed once more by the eldest, he then introduced me to his family.
"Miss Canteles, this is my sister, Lorie." "Pleased to meet you, Lorie. You can call me Lydia." She wore a cute pink dress, perfect for a six year old. Her eyes were of a pinkish hue and she had strawberry blonde hair that looked more pink than blonde. The little girl had an interesting look on her face. (Is she giving me a wicked grin?) I couldn't quite understand her facial expression until she spoke, "Well, at least her name is pretty. Can't say the same for her face." She then turned and ran up the stairs out of arm's reach of her brothers. An awkward silence filled the room followed by repeated apologies from Nicolae.
The tall blonde with amber eyes, dressed in a white zipped up sweater and black pants, stared at me. He seemed to have been undressing me with his eyes, which made me uncomfortable, given what I had recently endured. The young man then smirked, winked at me, and turned to head upstairs as well. "And that is Drogo," Nicolae said with annoyance. "It's okay, Nicolae. Don't worry about it." "No, it is not okay, Miss Canteles. I will have a word with them tomorrow morning." "Please, call me Lydia," I insisted.
The last remaining family member walked up to me slowly, catching my attention. He introduced himself, shyly, as Peter. He took my hand to bring up to his mouth and laid a gentle kiss upon my knuckles. The point of contact sent shivers up and down my spine. I was frozen in place, unable to take my eyes off him, even after he let go of my hand. (Why did I let him touch me? We only just met.... He is so gorgeous!.... Wait! What?)
Still feeling the warmth of where his lips caressed a moment ago, I stared into the most beautiful emerald green eyes I had ever seen. I could feel my heart pounding. Peter had dark jet black hair with a tint of blue that hung down to his jawline. He wore black skinny jeans and a faded blue form fitting long sleeve tee with a design motif of skulls. (Oh, my goodness! His eyes are like my birthstone. Am I breathing? Breathe, Lydia. Breathe, so you don't faint in front of him.)
He asked me a question, but I didn't hear it. All I responded with were mumbled words. "Hmm?" He whipped aside a few strands of hair that fell down in front of the left side of his face. Embarrassed, I answered," I'm sorry. What was that again?" "I was asking if you needed help carrying your luggage up to your room?" Awaiting my reply, he gave me a smile I will never forget. It made me feel warm inside.
"Oh! Um, sure. I mean, uh, yes, please. Thank you," I responded after coming to my senses. (Great first impression, Lydia. Get a grip on yourself! How humiliating!) I followed him up the stairwell, down the hall, and through the last doorway on the left. Peter laid the bag on the edge of the bed. He lingered without a word for a moment. With hands in his pockets, and leaning back and forth on his heels, he avoided my gaze briefly. "Um... Was that all you needed to have brought up?" "Yes, thanks, Peter." "Okay, well, good night then." "Good night."
-Peter's POV-
I closed the door behind me and all I could think about was the way I felt when she said my name. It was like something was pulling and tugging at my heart. In all the years I have lived, not once have I felt such strength against my reasoning. She was definitely different from the others. Knowing Nicolae would be in his study, I decided to go downstairs and speak with him about her.
"Hello, Peter. Did you get her settled in okay?" "Yes. I also asked if she had eaten anything for dinner and she said she had a meal before leaving the motel again." "Good. Thank you for checking on that. One less concern for the evening." "I noticed she only brought a small bag of clothes and her laptop briefcase. It made me wonder if she was running from somewhere. Am I correct? Do you know what it is, Nic?" "I suspected much the same, but no, I do not know her story. I was not going to invade her privacy like that. You of all people know how precious the mind is. How many dark secrets it can hold, stored deep inside."
I nodded in agreement because my brother has always been understanding of my own past. He has been there for me whenever I was having my bad days. "Nicolae?" He stopped writing and placed the quil down, looking up to me to continue. " There is something different about Lydia, isn't there? I felt it just before leaving her room to come talk to you. Even her eyes glowed for a brief moment like crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea." He nodded in confirmation, taking in thought of my revelation. "So, what I mean to say is, if she was to learn the truth, none of us would be able to compel her, would we?"
Nicolae let out a deep sigh and answered, "No, you are correct. We would not. She has gifts of her own. Though, I doubt she is aware of them at present. For now, we will be silent of our way of life, but it will only be a matter of time before she does come to know of us." I agreed with him and promised to look out for her wellbeing on campus whenever I could. Back in my own room, I sat on the bench and lifted the cover to begin playing one of my own compositions on the piano.