Black Blood

Myles’ eyes shoot from me, to the lady, and back to me. She is very light, too light. Her motionless body hangs in my arms while all eyes are on me. The astonishment can be seen in each of the eyes. The emptiness in the gazes, the question marks, tell enough. It’s not that I can place what the lady is doing here, let alone what the nazu is doing here.

She is not dressed like a night rider, as far as I can tell. I have never met or seen a night rider before but that they were bond and blue I did not know. The lady seems to have been beaten not once but several times. She looks starved, so skinny is she. I still can’t explain her unconsciousness and low heartbeat, nor why the Nazu brought her here. I can’t explain anything about this situation.

My gaze drifts to the black dragon, its dark beady eyes looking in my direction. The animal looks nervous, suspicious to say the least.

‘It will be all right,’ I whisper to the dragon. His eyes light up a little more, he hangs his head. My words seem to reassure him, as if he understands what I’m saying. Dragons sense intention, at least my intention is not wrong. It’s a beautiful animal and smart, too.

I turn back towards the vampires in front of me, eyes still on me. Even Myles has been staring at me in silence for a while, something he hasn’t done for years. Myles’ eyes shoot from me, to the lady, back to me.

‘Get out of here!’ My loud voice echoes along the trees. I can see some of them arranging themselves. I can’t contain a small grin of amusement. The vampires take a few steps backwards, making a passage through the crowd. With the lady in my arms, I walk past the curious gazes, the staring eyes.

‘And leave that dragon alone,’ I shout. My feet take me to the first place I can think of, the guest room in the main building.

I kick open the door of the main building and walk in. Several workers and chambermaids come running up, looking surprised at the scene before their eyes. Their hands are behind their backs, they make a small bow so that their white skirts sway through the air.

‘Warm up the spare room, provide warm blankets, clean clothes and tea.’ The women nod and hurry off to work. I have not been in this building for a while. My eyes glide over the black and white splendour. The marble floor gleams in the sunlight. I hate this building for many reasons but admire it for its beauty.

My father’s wife, Mariska, manages to keep the building tidy. She likes black and white, which is well reflected in the interior. You heard right, my father’s wife. My parents split up years ago, my mother went her own way. I see her once every few years, at the most. Mariska is a nice woman but certainly not my mother or a replacement for one.

My thoughts slip away as soon as I hear the lady’s heartbeat quicken. My eyes go to the big white staircase in the middle of the building.

The staircase is engraved in the banister with Greek characters, spells and moons. The lower floor is used for my father’s work and visits. My father’s office is on the left side of the stairs. The man seems to take no notice of the scene as he has not yet emerged from his office.

Behind the stairs is a large room for visits and special occasions. On the right side of the stairs are several offices where administration and arrangements are handled.

I put my foot on the first flight of stairs, making my way up. My eyes shoot back and forth from the stairs to the lady in my arms. The staircase consists of almost 60 steps, each two metres horizontal. It is a staircase with a story, one that has been here for a long time and never seems to age. Sixty steps for every first vampire that lived in this camp. They say vampires date back to Greek times, hence the signs and spells. The building, but especially the stairs, carry our history.

I walk up until my foot lands on the wooden floor of the first floor. This used to be my house, my room at the end of this corridor. I haven’t missed it once in the last two years and I don’t intend to go back.

In the quiet, I walk to the fourth door on the right. With my elbow I open the door and walk into the room.

The room is black and white. It is neatly made and comfortably decorated. On the wall are black-and-white paintings of the forest. On the white cupboards are small black statues and candles. The bed is made with a black and white duvet, the bed itself is made of dark-coloured wood. On the floor is a white woven rug.

I walk towards the bed and carefully lay the lady down. I am in doubt as to whether I should undress the lady and put on clean clothes. Her clothes are covered with something that looks like charcoal.

Still, it doesn’t feel quite appropriate and I decide not to do it. I let my gaze wander over her body, not out of sexual interest, but from a medical point of view. My gaze lingers on her ankle, the skin swollen and red.

I carefully sit down next to her on the bed and run my fingers over the skin. The skin feels swollen with moisture, seems to throb under my touch.

Exactly at that moment, two chambermaids enter the room with their hands full of things. They make a neat bow with their heads. One woman carries her hands full of blankets and clothes, the other with a tray of tea.

‘Put the tea on the bedside table. Lilia will you help me?’ I ask her. She nods her head quickly. Her long brown hair sways along her face.

Lilia is no older than her early twenties. She’s an orphan and has lived here for five years, that’s all I know about her.

She carefully puts the tea on the bedside table. She walks in my direction, her eyes waiting.

‘Her ankle is thick and swollen. I think it’s bruised, maybe broken.’ I carefully grab the skirt of her dress and push it up slightly so that her ankle is more visible.

‘Get bandages and gauze.’ The other chambermaid nods quickly and runs out of the room again.