Slow claps ring throughout the large gothic room.
"Welcome back, Aza." My husband says with a smooth voice.
"Fuck you." I spit and stumble upon hoisting myself back up. I've even returned to my old clothes. A tight bodice paired with aubergine sweeping skirts, ruffled trims and a high neckline. I already miss modern sneakers when I feel my toes being squished in these poorly designed heels.
Ryker gives me a fake frown. "That hurts, Aza. You didn't miss me as much as I missed you?"
"What did you do, Ryker?" I urge. I made a bargain with a Nosferatu, which is always tricky, but I thought I managed to seal the deal sweetly for myself.
A low rumble sounds from Ryker. He stands up from his velvet chair and takes the stairs down casually. His obsidian tailcoat floats with his movements. In this world and timeline, Ryker Blackwood is a vampire and wickedly beautiful. Any human would fall for his dark charm and the way his cravat accentuates his sharpened jawline.
It makes me laugh to think while I thought I was a poor college student with horrible parents, that Ryker Blackwood also existed at the same time as a different person. Vampire or not, he was a massive pain in my ass. And for whatever reason, the universe stays in balance as long as Ryker and I have nothing but hate and disdain for each other.
"When my lovely wife made a bargain to abandon me, I was heartbroken."
As if you even have a heart, I think to myself.
He's a few steps away from me but he doesn't stop until I have to tilt my head backwards to watch those green eyes.
"To my delight, there was a small hiccup in her bargain."
I freeze. No, no, no…I thought of everything!
He walks around me until his neckcloth brushes against the back of my neck as he bends down to whisper sinfully in my ear.
"You forgot to state a time."
A lone tear streaks down my face and Ryker cruelly laughs out loud and strolls around the room, revelling in delight. Surely that's not the reason. I'm sure…I'm sure I said forever. Didn't I?
"You were in such a haste to leave me that you failed to state the length in which you wanted to be away."
He suddenly appears in front of me with an angry expression and I have to walk backwards as he stalks forward with a pointed finger at me.
"I let you go for one year so you could believe your bargain to be true."
Tears poured down my cheeks but I fought not to wipe them away.
"But it was sloppy. You were sloppy. And I will not let you make a fool of me again."
I hit a wall and Ryker's tantalising aura surrounds me, his lean arms trapping me in. I squeeze my eyes shut and I feel his lips brush against my forehead, his breath wintry.
"You will stay with me, Aza. I will have you. I swear by it."
He vanishes back to his chair, resting his cheek on his hand in a satisfied manner.
"I'm sure you're tired from your…vacation. I'll see you at dinner." He dismisses me with an upturn of his pouty lips.
I make a good effort to slam the main door behind me but Ryker's smug laughter echoes louder, causing my anger to rise. The winding central staircase feels like a climb up to the top floor of my birdcage. I'm trapped again. This horrid castle is damp, unkept, and creepy as hell. I open the door to my shabby so-called bedroom and the culprit of the problem stands right in front of me.
"Orleth Shade, you prick." I seethe.
The Nosferatu who brought me back to this world is dressed exactly how he was moments ago in the other world. Except now he allows me to see his eyes. All white and no pupils.
"Nice to see you again, Azaleigh dear." His voice drips with insincerity.
"Why would you let Ryker control the bargain?" I automatically question.
"Why not?" He states simply and I grab the nearest book—The Lifecyle of Stars—to throw at him. He easily dodges it and moves quickly into the corner of the bleak room.
"Answer my question."
He blows out a patient sigh. "It doesn't matter, does it? You never stated—"
"Yes I know I was stupid. But you let me stay there on Ryker's orders."
Before he can reply, I cut him off. "And don't say it was for fun. The longer I was there, the more you could have fed off my delusion."
He hums in disappointment at the known opportunity and pulls a dusty curtain aside to gaze out the window pane. A view I despised. It was just a dead garden and an equally dead forest.
"I think I'll let you revel in curiosity." Just like earlier, Orleth transforms into a bat with a swirl of darkness and I have to duck down when he speedily squarks in my direction for an attack. His claws almost nip my head when he travels outside the room and far, far away from me.
"Ugh, I hate vampires!" I yell.
I stomp over to my bed and fall backwards onto it. Hard and uncomfortable. The ceiling is cracking and spots of sunlight stream through. I've got stacks of books everywhere which I have read, am currently reading, and was planning to read. All about the stars. I yearned to understand how the universe worked and share that knowledge to others in grand ways, scribbling corrections and notes into the margins as if I was marking them. Too bad my love and fascination with the stars led me into supernatural territory. My eyes flutter and I don't realise how tired I am until I completely black out and dream of a million different lives I might have.
I feel a soft caress on my cheek. When my eyelids peel open slightly, I'm surrounded by the night. I definitely slept for the whole afternoon. The light touch continues and I let out a sleepy and confused groan. The wispy touch continues across the peach pads of my mouth and down the column of my neck, taking its time to map me out. I bite my lip and keen into it before it completely evaporates.
"Don't forget dinner, Aza." The invisible night breathes.
I snap awake and sit upright with a breathless inhale. I shake my head and fumble around the room for the door. I manage to fix my blonde waves in a blurred mirror but nothing could change my sleep-induced stare. Not that I needed to impress anyone…
The dining room entrance was grand with stone carvings. A long table stretches in the middle and the room is lit up in warm tones from the chandelier and candles strewn over the floor and various surfaces.
Ryker has abandoned his jacket, the frilled dress shirt complimenting his figure as he sips on whoever's royal blood they managed to procure. It makes his mouth crimson like a juicy apple and even his eyes manage to glow in colour. I drag a chair out and on the opposite end to him and pull bits of meat and plants the scullery maids scavenged onto my plate.
"You made it." Ryker says with a cunning smile and it confirms he was in my room.
"Pervert…" I grumble and shove the fork in my mouth.
The clink of his wine glass sounds as he sets it on the table.
I intentionally ignore him and continue to take bites of the tasteless food; manners be damned. His attention sets goosebumps on my skin, though I've done well to mask it and come across as unbothered and blame it on the constant coldness of the room.
"We've received an invitation." Ryker states inquisitively.
I continue to chew my food, pretending not to hear. I know I shouldn't be playing coy with a vampire. A powerful one, too. But I've lost hope now that my one and only successful plan has gone unsuccessfully.
"Would you like to know what it's for?"
I grunt and take a gulp of sour wine.
"The annual Blood Ball. Where we first met."
I choke on the liquid in my throat and sputter coughs. I wheeze and finally look in Ryker's direction. For some odd reason, his expression is flat and bitter. He folds his arms and tongue prods at his cheek. I don't say anything and simply wipe my mouth with a nearby napkin.
"I think it's about time you take this marriage seriously."
I gawk at him incredulously.
"How could I? I was sold to you without consent!?" I argue.
His strong brows drew together, his lips turned downward.
"You know why."
I huff out loud. Of course I know why. My study of stars could unlock a multitude of powers for him. Constellations, asterisms, and exoplanetary systems were connected to the moon.
The urges and lives of vampires followed the moon but the stars were another gateway, as historical texts suggested. No one had cracked the code and most had given up by this period. However, Ryker hadn't. And so he claimed me as his bride when he walked too close.
My parents were more than happy to pass me off for a pretty penny. Turns out I'll always have horrible parents in every timeline too. It didn't matter to them that vampires were possessive, conniving, and hungry for power…and blood, of course. For Ryker, by marrying me, there would be no one else to interfere with the information brewing in my head. A win for everyone except me. If I wasn't so careless and let my guard drop at the last Blood Ball event, Ryker would have never noticed me. Before I can reminisce about the first time Ryker and I laid eyes on eachother, he explains further.
"Your little disappearance has caused me a great headache. As a punishment, I've chosen what you will wear."
I blanch at the thought. Ryker's aura darkens and his canine teeth grow as a vicious grin spreads across his face. The candles flicker around the room as if they are scared to be alive. Fear sets into the pit of my stomach.
"I will remind everyone of what belongs to me."