The dress is thin and smells of the icy lake like Catalena. After fighting with the uncontrollable urge all the way down the hall to the downstairs where the laundry room is ,Alcina finally makes sure no one is watching and there's not a single buzz in the air before she lifts it to her face to smell.
Just then an ear splitting scream splits the air.
It's not a scream by one of her daughters. She hurries to the scene to find Catalena standing naked in the hall, her wet hair clinging to her body and her eyes sad.
"I forget that when I move through the walls they can't hear me. I think I caught her off guard," Catalena says quietly.
Alcina eyes the unconscious maid carefully. If not for her new houseguest, and Bela's fondness for this particular maid, she might take advantage. She's already unconscious, a quick bite could easily be bandaged and covered up. But, Catalena is watching.
"You didn't think to use a towel to cover yourself?"
"Why bother? There are only women in your castle," Catalena's hands suddenly move to cover her side and shoulder on opposite sides of her body, "Unless it was my scars. They are somewhat grisly."
"They barely show," Alcina murmurs, reaching out to turn her down the hall, "We'll find you something suitable in the meantime. Maria!"
At her shout the poor maid practically levitates to her feet. Her eyes are the size of saucers and her head spins so fast she almost whips the bit of lace off the top of her head. Hunched and shaking she looks up at lady Dimitrescu.
"My lady?"
"Wash this immediately."
"Yes, of course."
"Bring it to the guest room."
"Of course."
As they walk Alcina isn't accustomed to anyone being at her side. Most people can't keep up with her long strides and if they could, they don't dare think that it would be proper to stand shoulder to shoulder with the lady of the castle. But Catalena remains seemingly unfazed.
It takes Alcina back a half a step when she realizes Catalena is looking her in the eye. She snickers.
"My apologies, I felt ridiculous flying alongside your hip," Catalena says with a smile.
"Is that all?" Alcina replies, beginning to walk again. Really she only meant not to let the woman have the last word. Instead Catalena shocks her yet again. Her eyes darken and she smirks.
"I may have also felt a little tempted."
They arrive at the guest room where Alcina pauses just inside the door. Much of the furniture is dusty and covered in white sheets. It's easily been a decade since the Dimitrescu's had a guest they didn't intend to kill. Inside there is a lingering scent of old perfume and Catalena sniffs at it, stalking around the edge of the room slowly.
While Catalena is lost in exploring, Alcina eyes rake over her exposed skin. The woman is shameless in her nudity and every movement is graceful but not poised. She was not raised to be a noble or a lady which only piques her interest. Who and what caused the many scars covering her body add to the list of her curious ponderings.
"It's odd, there is a scent here that is fresh and dead. A man was here, and he wandered everywhere," Catalena says.
"Yes," Alcina growls, "A manthing escaped my grasp recently. After seeing the damage he did to my daughters I am not keen to invite him back even if it offers the promise of vengeance."
Taking a sheet Catalena runs her fingers along the cloth and it changes. With a sweep she drapes it over her shoulders. It softens and shortens and forms to her body until it is a loose robe that she ties in the front. Then she offers that impish, toothy smile again, "Unless my lady would prefer I remain as I were."
"Keep it on, the maids can't do their work if they're afraid to look up from their toes."
A short, strangled sound of raw pleasure comes through the wall followed by quiet.
"My apologies, also in this hall is Cassandra's room and she is very popular with the maids," Alcina chuckles, "Let's just hope she doesn't kill this one."
Catalena strokes her fingers behind her ear to sweep her hair back, "I don't mind. It's been a long time since I heard any woman's cries of rapture. It will be a welcome change."
Silence fills the room.
"Goodnight Catalena."
"What time should I wake tomorrow, my lady?" Catalena sinks into the bed, letting her makeshift robe fall off of her shoulders again.
"Sleep in, you have some wounds to recover from. I'll have the doctor here in the morning. Do you have a preferred breakfast?"
"Mm," Catalena groans. It's a deep primal sound in the base of her throat and the center of her chest. "I haven't had that in a long time. However it would take weeks if you could even find the ingredients. I'll be glad to have a bit of whatever you're having. Goodnight, lady Dimitrescu."
They may have said goodnight but sleeping is the last thing on Alcina's mind. After having a small dinner she returns to the library where she retraces her steps. The library itself isn't organized so much of the night is lost to simply searching for possible sources of information, nevermind reading and learning.
With the dawn Alcina appears at the breakfast table. As do Bela and Daniela. Cassandra and Cecelia don't bother to come in separately anymore, they come in hand in hand though the maid is sporting an unusually high collar. Neither sister says anything, however Bela shoots Cassandra a very annoyed look across the table and Daniela playfully reaches out to tug at Cecelia's collar.
"Has anyone seen Catalena this morning?" Alcina says, looking up and down the table.
All the maids and servants gather for breakfast and dinner. It's less of kindness and more of a way to count to see if and when one of the maids goes missing.
Maria in particular blushes and looks away, "Not since last night my lady," She's hesitant to add, "I can go check on her if you'd like."
At that same time Catalena comes striding in wearing that same thin dress as before and goodly half the maids look away. The others look on with a little more interest than Alcina likes. She took eyes the soft curve of the insides of Catalena's breasts and the trim muscle down her stomach. Yet now that she thinks of it she'd rather have her in a normal shirt so she is the only one who gets to see that much of her skin.
"Good morning," Catalena says, sitting down beside Daniela.
"Why are you limping?" Bela asks. As the middle and often forgotten child it's up to her to outshine her siblings ever so slightly. This includes being a more adept hunter so she's quick to notice Catalena's weakness.
But Catalena shrugs, "It's an old wound in me hip, acts up on cold mornings or after I slept wrong. Nothin' to worry about."
Alcina tilts her head slightly. She wouldn't mind hearing Catalena's voice a little more, and she wonders if it's her adorable accent or her banshee charm. So she tries to casually create conversation, "What caused the wound?"
It has the opposite effect. Rather than get Catalena talking her face sours, her eyes shrink back in time, and she says nothing more over all of breakfast.
After breakfast everyone goes their own ways, but no one can find Catalena. No one can even know when they last saw her. After asking every maid and all three daughters Alcina recalls Catalena's ability to walk through walls and vanish altogether, so she goes to the library to continue her research. If she can vanish from the lady's ability to find then no doubt she'll remain that way as long as she wishes.
Sitting on the table with Alcina's previous research materials are several more books. Some of which are fiction about different celtic creatures altogether.
"Bela?" Alcina calls. The only answer is her own echo.
Banshees are a female fairy apparently who wails as a warning that the family member of whoever heard it will die. The other books talk about the terrifying and mystical fae that are so difficult to pin down thanks to their trickery and legendary wickedness. Fiction books involving them seem to make the most sense.
At the end of it all Alcina suddenly understands. Feeling eyes on her she looks up at the bookshelves to find her lovely houseguest perched in one of them looking down at her fondly.
Catalena's earlier words make much more profound sense. Alcina herself is more than a mere vampire, and Catalena is hardly just a banshee. In fact she wonders if Catalena is a banshee at all or just one of these wickedly clever fae creatures.
