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When I passed by the man at the front door of the house, he smiled and bid me good evening once more as I retreated down the never ending path through the overgrown trees. I was taken back by all that surrounded me and a little stunned that the path seemed to go on for so long.
Somewhere further down the path, I stumbled upon a rather shabby looking wooden house, and became intrigued instantly. I did not know whether or not venturing inside was a good idea, but my huntress instincts kicked in and almost booted me into the little house without my consent. Once inside, my guilt was long forgotten as the smell and sight of dead doves were scattered about the place. I heaved and quickly covered my mouth, holding my stomach as though it would save me from retching. The blood covering the beautiful animals was the cause of my immediate sickness, and yet I could not work out what might have happened to them. It looked almost as though they had each been shot, separately, but I knew how ridiculous an idea that was and thought nothing more on the matter. My knees buckled beneath me as I walked back toward the path, and before I could catch myself, I hit the ground hard. I let out a cry of pain as my knees left huge dents in the earth. Sobbing, I stood as carefully as I could and stumbled back toward the masquerade. If for nothing else, I needed to get myself cleaned up and find a place to stay the night. Somehow I knew that there would no doubt be plenty of room in such a huge building.
“Madame, what happened?” the doorman questioned, his eyes curious at the sight of my torn dress.
“Just a little accident. But, I am afraid I cannot make it back to my hotel, and do not wish to call for a driver at such an hour. Would it be possible to take a room here for one night?” I asked, hopeful.
The man seemed unsure for a few moments before stepping aside once more and letting me inside. After he had called another over to guard the door for any intruders, he held out his arm and I linked mine with his. I had to smile at such a gentlemanly gesture. He helped me carefully up the staircase that seemed to go on forever, and just as we reached the top, the brunette I had danced with earlier walked toward us. In his eyes, I could see panic as he looked at me.
“Sir, she had an accident and would like a place to stay for the night” the man said.
I looked between him and the beautiful stranger as every vein in his face seemed to pop at the thought of me staying in this house. After a long silence however, he nodded to the man and told him to go back to his duties, so he may show me to my room instead.
“Thank you. I’m sorry to be so much trouble” I said, looking down at the floor.
We walked in silence through several different corridors before finally reaching a room he deemed suitable enough for the likes of myself. I would have questioned his meaning had he not looked so abrasive. It seemed he was still very unsure and nervous about me being here overnight, but I couldn’t work out why such a thing would be a problem. They had more than enough space, given the size of this house. Surely to goodness they could offer one for only one night.
“There are clothes in that wardrobe over there,” he said, pointing across the room, “and if you need anything during your stay, just call out and we will hear you.”
His words earned a chill right up my spine. After he had told me he would hear me calling, in a house as big as this, I was astonished. I couldn’t fathom how that was possible, and I couldn’t let him know I thought he was being rather stupid. All of these thoughts ran through my head as he stood in the doorway watching me, and something flickered in his eyes briefly.
“You have very little faith in people” he mumbled, closing the door and walking away.
I stood there, baffled and glued to the spot at what he had just said. That was twice now. Once with the blonde and once with the brunette, both of whom lived here, and both of whom were now suspects. Evil laughter entered my head as I stood there pondering a little more, and it startled me. It was not mine of course, and I began to think I was slowly going insane. Sitting down on the bed, I found it to be very comfortable, which was something one would expect in a place such as this. I fell back on it and stared up at the painting on the ceiling, marvelling at its beauty.
Evil is a point of view… God kills indiscriminately… And so shall we… For now creatures under God are as we are… None so like him as ourselves… The scripted font on the ceiling in the centre of the painting fascinated me. It made me think really hard about what the meaning behind it might be, and as I lay there thinking, the puzzle pieces made sense. I jumbled them about in my head until it was clear to me that only one who cannot die would say such a thing, but still I had little evidence to prove my predictions.
“Chérie, are you hungry?” called a voice from outside.
Rather than shout through the door in such a rude manner, I bounced up from the bed and opened it slightly to reveal the blonde beauty, Lestat. Instead of responding to his question, I was drawn to his face. He was no longer wearing his mask and everything was visible. His beauty was out of this world, and I had to remind myself to breathe when he repeated himself, all the while keeping his eyes connected with mine.
“Ma cher, have you dined this evening?” he asked, again.
His use of the French language made me weak at the knees, and as I almost crumbled to the floor, his eyes wandered down my frame and noticed the holes I had torn in my dress after falling. His eyes jumped right back up to my face and he asked another question, hoping to get an answer out of me this time around.
“I had an accident, that’s all. I thought I saw something, and it startled me and I fell” I said, stumbling over my words as I tried not to reveal too much.
His eyes seemed to have an awful lot hidden inside them as he stared at me. I felt as though they were penetrating my very soul as he took a step closer and brushed his fingertips against my cheek. The familiar feel of his ice cold hands made me jump, at which he pulled his hand back quickly and apologised.
“Forgive me, it is quite a cold night” he said, smiling.
I smiled back, though it felt a little forced. There was definitely something he was hiding, as was the brunette, and sooner or later I was going to get to the bottom of it.
“I am hungry, Lestat” I said, now smiling fully at him.
“Very well, follow me” he said, offering his arm.
I lay my arm in his and held it as we strolled through the house, the silence between us deafening until he piped up and said something I did not expect to hear.
“Did you find the doves, Lenora?” he said.
“I did. What happened to them? It’s like nothing I have ever seen before” I said, curious as to why he would bring up such a subject.
“The villagers who live in this area have a yearly ritual, involving holy birds. As you most likely know, doves are believed to represent the holy spirit, and these people care nothing of putting them to death simply to complete what they think is going to bring them health and well being.” he said.
It actually made sense, and made me realise my accusations about this man and his friend were very wrong of me. I felt a huge amount of guilt upon my shoulders as he continued to describe in detail exactly what these people do during their rituals. It was quite graphic, and made me thankful I was never around for it.
“Lestat, how can you live around such people? It is alright for people to believe in something so strongly, but if and when it causes such a catastrophe, don’t you think it’s a little too much to handle?” I asked.
I turned my head toward him as I asked, desperate to know what he thought of it. We reached what appeared to be the dining room as he responded, releasing my arm and pulling a chair out for me.
“Thank you” I said, smiling warmly.
He nodded in acknowledgement and spoke up, “Louis and I feel that we should not be forced out of our home for any reason at all. We have lived here for, well, a very long time, and see no need to give up this house over a bunch of overly religious villagers.”
“I think I understand” I said, allowing the mention of them living here a very long time to sink in.
I pondered a little more on that fact alone, wondering just how long a very long time was. I almost asked him, but chose otherwise when he flashed a smile my way and scurried off into the kitchen through another door. When he returned, he held a beautiful silver platter in his hands. My stomach growled in response to the smell and he chuckled having heard it. I was amazed that he heard that, for I could not even hear it all that well and he was standing on the other side of the room when it happened.
“I do hope you enjoy this. Forgive me, but I have already dined and must return to my ball. I shall send in a maid to keep you company and tend to your needs until I return.” he said.
Just before he left, he lifted my hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of it, lingering there for a moment longer than was necessary. I blushed heavily and felt my cheeks flaming when he grinned at me, noticing the state he had put me in. I tried in vain to stifle a giggle, but it was no use. His cheeky grin looked much too amusing to ignore.
“Thank you, Lestat. I really appreciate you doing this for me, and allowing me to stay here. I promise, I will not be a bother to you or your friend. You won’t even know I am here, and by the time you notice, I’ll be on my way before sunrise tomorrow” I said.
“Chérie, could you not find any time to stay a little while longer? I am rather intrigued by you, there is something very unique about your person, and I’d like to get to know you a little more.” he said.
He had moved from the door and was now standing over me as I looked up at him from where I sat. I’d put my fork down and was staring longingly into his icy blue eyes as he waited patiently for my response.
“I suppose I could find some time to stay a while” I said.
His smile was beautiful in all its glory, but still I could not see his teeth. I wondered why he insisted on beaming like that without at least opening his mouth.
“I shall return shortly, do enjoy your meal” he said, winking and stepping out of the room.