Chapter 2 #2
Leseldh spoke the truth, but she still felt the tentacles of fear wrapping themselves around her heart.
As she reflected on Leseldh’s words, she looked around the parlour.
With a start, she realised that she could see dust motes floating on their currents on the other side of the room, visible even without sunlight to highlight them.
She could smell the scent of the roses in a vase on the mantelpiece as though they were right beneath her nose.
Leseldh observed her with interest, like he could see the gears turning within her mind.
“I’m a Vampire.” Ivy’s statement was a whisper. She knew Leseldh heard her utterance when his eyes flashed with gold.
“Yes. You are my Third Creation, and newest member of the Idthraki clan. But you are so, so much more than that, Ivy.” A large smile spread across his face, and for the first time, she noticed he had a set of fangs that matched her own.
Leseldh’s eyes shone with an admiration that dulled the edges of her alarm.
Questions filtered through Ivy’s mind, and she stared at Leseldh for a long moment before responding.
“Do you turn all of your dates into Vampires?”
“Tss,”—he raised his hand as though to emphasise the importance of the amendment— “Create, Ivy. I Created you. Through the bite I gave you, I imparted upon you the Gift of Forever, and you were Created anew. Your destiny is entwined with mine. I merely freed you from the entanglements of your Human life.”
“What else did you free me from? I woke up without my clothes!” Ivy couldn’t disguise the anxiety in her voice.
“I swear on all that I am, and all I ever will be, that I did not touch you other than to remove your bloodstained clothes.” His eyes washed over with that golden hue once more, and his gaze burned her like a brand. “You have my word that I will never touch you without your consent.”
She pinned him with her stare, searching his face for any signs of deception. But between the intensity of his gaze and the passion in his words, she felt he spoke the truth. She leaned back in her seat, breathing a small sigh of relief.
Before she could pose another question, the raven flew into the room. Ivy tracked the bird’s movement as it swept in and landed on the mantelpiece. It looked directly at Ivy, but she wasn’t sure whether it deemed her a threat or a friend.
“You used a name for your bird, earlier. What was it?”
“Phaedra. She is my Erath.”
“Your… Erath?”
“It is a Blood Gift that can be passed through the Idthraki bloodline. Those with this Gift possess an Erath that is bound to their very soul. Phaedra will live for as long as I do.” Ivy noticed a warmth in his eyes as he looked over at the Erath.
“You said our destinies are entwined. What do you mean by that?”
“In order to understand how our fates are connected, you must understand some of my past. Are you aware of the concept of Mates, Ivy?” Leseldh rose from his seat and moved around to the back of his couch.
He ran his finger along the plush fabric as he walked the length of it, slowly approaching her.
Ivy shook her head in response to his question.
“Vampire Mates are known as Resonants. It is said that a Resonant Vampire feels their soul echo, or resonate, within another. 324 years ago, I was Created by my Resonant, Malia. We were lovers as Humans, and when she was Created, she in turn Created me, and our love transcended the mortal plane.
“That love was taken from us by her Ending. Her last words to me were, ‘we will find each other again’, and for the last 134 years I have been waiting for my Malia to return to me.” Leseldh continued his path around the room, moving around the back of the middle couch that separated them, his eyes never straying from Ivy’s.
“Ivy, from the moment I met you at the Tall Fiddle, I felt a connection with you. More than attraction—I felt the bond between us. I am sure that you feel this bond as well, don’t you?”
As Leseldh looked at Ivy, she could sense hope stirring inside of him that hinged upon her response. She searched within herself in that moment, bringing her feelings to the surface to examine them. She couldn’t deny that she did feel a connection to him.
“Yes.” The word was out of her mouth before she could contemplate the wisdom of such an admission. Leseldh’s eyes shimmered with gold, and he continued his torturously slow path towards her.
“When I stepped through the Portal into Oaris last night, Phaedra led me to you. I believe that she brought us together because you are my Resonant reborn.” Leseldh spoke with a conviction that shook her to her core. He rounded the couch to stand before her.
“I believe Malia was sent to me in your skin. You already feel the bond between us. It is because you are my Resonant. I am ready to resume our forever."
The words hit Ivy like a hammer blow, and thoughts swirled in her head like a maelstrom. It seemed improbable, impossible—how could this be? It was undeniable that she felt something for this male—this Vampire—but could it be anything more than simple attraction?
“Despite admitting your feelings, you do not believe, do you?” Genuine hurt crept into his voice, and it added a layer of guilt to Ivy’s lingering doubts. Her eyes fluttered closed, the only admission to his question that she was capable of giving.
“Come, I have something to show you.” He spun on his heel and strode from the parlour, and Ivy hurried to collect herself and follow him. As she rounded the corner into the hallway, Leseldh was already advancing back upstairs. She hurried after him.
Leseldh moved to the door that she’d been drawn to earlier and pushed it open. The study was dark, and he moved through the gloom silently. As he sat down, the lights gradually increased, slowly revealing the details of the room.
Leseldh sat at an enormous wooden desk, covered with files and documents.
Behind him was a set of glass double-doors that opened out onto a balcony, framed by dark curtains.
The wall to the right was lined with shelving, containing a small collection of books and a larger collection of framed certificates and curios.
What hung on the wall on the left side of the room made Ivy’s heart stall.
An enormous painting of a female dominated the wall, in a decorative, gold frame.
A lamp was mounted on the wall above it, casting a warm glow upon the portrait.
The female wore an extravagant, white ball gown and was standing before a magnificent castle.
Her lips were curled in a small, knowing smile, revealing her fangs.
Her dark hair was tucked behind her ears but fell in curtains to her waist. Her eyes were a pale violet.
She was younger, but the similarities between the female in the painting and Ivy’s visage were staggering.
Ivy dragged her eyes away from the painting to look over at Leseldh.
He was watching her reaction, and his eyes now bore into hers with renewed intensity.
“Is that supposed to be a painting of me?” Ivy tried to keep her voice level, but it wavered as she finished her question.
“No. While you bear a striking resemblance to her, that is in fact Malia, my beloved Resonant.”
Leseldh rose from his chair and moved towards the painting to gaze up at it adoringly.
Ivy approached the painting, noticing a small brass plaque attached to the bottom of the frame that read ‘Malia Idthraki’.
Upon closer inspection, she realised how old the painting was—there were cracks on the surface, and it possessed a yellowish tinge to it that was accentuated by the overhead lighting.
Leseldh turned to face Ivy. She mirrored the movement.
“Do you understand now why I believe we are meant to be together?”
Ivy’s heart began to race, and she took a deep breath to steady herself, overwhelmed by the barrage of information. She failed to muster a response, so Leseldh continued.
“I know you feel things for me, as I do for you. You may not love me yet, but I believe you will in time. I will give you that time, all I ask is that you try to remember something of the love we once shared.” Leseldh raised his hand, offering it to her.
With a heavy exhale, she placed her hand in his and it felt like a promise.
He gave a gentle squeeze, as though trying to infuse her with the same certainty that he possessed.
He lifted their joined hands and grazed her knuckles with his lips, and the delicate touch sent chills rippling through Ivy’s body.
“I know it's a lot to take in, and it will take some time to come to terms with things. Voresta and Finare will help you adjust.”
“Voresta? He’s your…?”
“My First Creation, and my most loyal companion.” She felt the warmth in his gaze again, and she sensed a kinship between the two that she hadn’t noticed when they first met.
“And… Finare, was it?”
“My Second. I’m sure you will meet him in time.” He slowly released his grip on her hand, as though he were reluctant to do so. “The room you awoke in is yours, along with everything in it. If there’s anything else you need, let me know.”
Leseldh’s words felt like an offering, rather than a dismissal. It was a chance to retreat and process the tornado of information that had just touched down upon her mind. She nodded and with some relief, made her way back to her room.
Ivy sighed heavily as she closed the door of her room and leaned against it. Her head swam with everything she’d just learnt, and as reality started to sink in, her panic started to rise.
Hoping a bath might help to settle her turbulent thoughts, Ivy found soaps, oils and other toiletries and filled the tub with gloriously warm water, scented with lavender.
As she relaxed, she gazed out of the window, and the longer she looked, the more her vision adjusted, and details of the garden became discernible.