The Vampire's Maid

Part 10. The Vampire's Maid

* Recap *

I was examining 'Simeon Sancruor 1670-1763' when a noise from the shadows made me gasp. I stood in absolute silence for a few seconds but then, deciding it was my imagination, walked briskly up the stairs.

* * * *

On the second floor I slowed down my swift pace, faintly out of breath. Much less frightened now that I was away from the disturbing vampire Isaac, my worries all seemed rather ridiculous.

My eyes found the door at the end of the corridor and I wondered if Ashley's hunting trip had finished yet. Thoughts of Ashley brought my mind once again to Elizabeth Sancruor. My suspicions of her identity were growing stronger by the minute.

A sound, like the scraping of material against wood, sounded frighteningly close to my ear. I span around to face the source of the noise and my throat and chest went tense. Creeping from the darkness like an oversized animal was Isaac, his pale face eerily bright in the candlelit corridor. I opened my mouth to scream but only the faintest sound came out. My voice had been reduced to a whisper as I attempted to say something, anything to warn him off.

"I must say, you smell even more delicious in this deserted corridor." Isaac's voice, as smooth as butter, made me want to shudder.

His face was against mine in an instant. My cheek was pressing against the dry, scaly skin of his. Isaac's hot breath touched my neck and his white eyes flickered towards the pulse that was beating there twice as fast as usual.

This was it; I was going to meet the same end as my whole village. I was going to meet the same end as my grandma. Why had I not gone straight to bed with June and Abriella? They were both laying in bed at this moment, not aware what was happening to me.

As his canine teeth, grossly large and pointed, pressed against my neck I closed my eyes for what I knew to be the last time. But then a different voice, lower and more melodic that Isaac's, forced my eyes open once more.

"I'd advise you against killing my maid."

His tone was more calm than threatening but Isaac withdrew his face from my neck immediately. Ashley emerged from the shadow into the half light of the corridor. His green eyes were blazing and his hair was windswept. Isaac cast a furtive glance towards him before slipping down the staircase and out of sight.

I trembled against the wall. Suddenly I was aware that tears were blurring my vision and I wiped them irritably away to clear my vision. Ashley was looking at me, a peculiar mixture of relief and sadness on his face. Then he spun on the spot and walked back to his room.

The vision that haunted me that night as I tossed in my bed was not of Isaac's breath on my neck but of Ashley's face, so heartbreakingly sad and beautiful.

I woke from a fitful sleep early the next morning. A small lump in the bed furthest from me told me that even Olive was still sleeping. I dressed quietly and slipped out of the room and made my way to the kitchen, intending to have a look at Helena's diary.

Noises were coming from Joe's room and rather than going to the kitchen I changed my course, intrigued. A smell of sawdust and solvent reached my nose as soon as I opened the door. Joe was sitting on his stool in the corner of the room, polishing something. His hair was messy and lines under his eyes revealed that he too had had trouble sleeping.

"To what do I owe this honour?" He asked blearily.

"I couldn't sleep. Probably something to do with the vampire that attacked me last night."

Joe's eyes widened as I described what had happened when the white-eyed vampire, Isaac, had almost killed me. I felt myself shiver as I told him about it, despite the boiler that was puffing out heavy clouds of steam.

"You know," Joe mused as I finished. "This job wouldn't be half bad if it wasn't for the vampires."

"Ashley isn't that bad." I said defensively.

"I don't like you getting too close to that guy," Joe scowled. "I mean, he's a vampire."

"He's not like the other vampires. He's more human." I smiled but then wiped it from my mouth at the look on Joe's face.

Joe examined me and then stressed his next sentence as if he was talking to a five year old.

"That's just the thing, Lizzy. He's NOT human."

No, he wasn't. But Elizabeth Sancruor was.

"You don't spend a lot of time with the vampires, do you?" I changed the subject.

"Not really. I see Dane occasionally," He cringed. "Dane's in charge of the cars. That's the only reason he's allowed to live here I think."

"Oh, I'm sure Goliath keeps him for his great company." I said sarcastically.

Joe laughed. He seemed more like his usual self.

"Dane was the one who chose the cars that now belong to Goliath and Ashley." Joe said, chortling.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Well, Dane ordered the cars and added special features to them. He spent a lot of time on the cars. He treated them like they were his children. And then, Goliath ordered me to put a fingerprint initiated lock on them."

"A fingerprint initiated lock? I'm sorry; I don't understand this technical talk."

"Only Goliath and Ashley can unlock the cars. They press their fingerprints against a pad on the door and it opens. Dane can't unlock the doors- he has to get Goliath or Ashley to do it for him."

"So he spent all of that time on the cars giving them... leather seats and retractable roofs. Then Goliath makes sure he can't drive them without his permission?" I asked incredulously. "I'm not Dane's biggest fan but that sounds a bit unfair."

"It's funny though." Joe laughed.

I let a small giggle escape my lips as the door to the room was pushed open tentatively. Olive stood there with her hand still around the handle.

"Elizabeth?" She squeaked. "Ashley's awake now. He wants you to go to him."

Joe snorted into his hand.

"Go to him? It sounds like he's going to seduce you."

I laughed at Joe as I left the room, heading up to the second floor room. It was time, I thought, to get some answers out of Ashley.

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Okay, so not as much Ashley as I promised but next chapter I SWEAR he'll be in it a lot :) Thanks for reading this guys, comment/fan/vote please x