Her sleeping was awful.She woke up tired with forlorn thoughts. She felt this way last that evening when she decided to accept Dante's offer. She didn't get out of bed right away, but after a solid half an hour she decided it's not the best way to spend her day. She will not let this inconvenience ruin her plans and it will not break her spirit.
Violette nearly jumped from the sheets on her feet. She must get rid of the bad thoughts, it was only making her feel miserable.Everything was fine.She would fulfill her part of the deal, Dante would give her the promised cure, and she would go home, never see him again, and, if she was luckyenough, forget that vampires ever existed. That sounds much more positive than self-flagellation. With that she collected inspiring thoughts and dressed up for a little walk over the town. Yesterday the weather made her go back home too quickly, but today she was determined to visit a few shops. What could be better than nice new stuff to cheer up yourself?
The main street was more crowded today. The sky didn't seem as dark as yesterday and the glow of the sun could be seen through the veil of clouds.
Little colorful shops lined up one after another, beckoned with garish signs.
One shop with a soft green board and majestic carved letters invited passers-by to pick up fabrics from the South Kingdom with a cool-toned emerald flag, centered with two white lilies and a gold crown above. Violette didn't need fabric, or any furniture but she was so attracted to the store that she couldn't deny herself the pleasure of just going in and looking around.
The sophisticated smell of lilies wound round her as soon as she crossed the threshold. Elegant and precious fabrics were neatly stacked in closets and on shelves one by one. The soft material of each startled with its quality. The airy lace and delicate chiffon felt incredibly nice between the fingers – the softest silk she'd ever touched felt like a cloud itself. A pile of crepes in different shades of pink, green and blue colors on the other side. Velvet fabric in rich colors such as midnight blue, berry and deep teal were beckoning with its sumptuous shades.
Violette's gaze wandered around the shop absorbing everything with her eyes, all of it seemed so delicate and felt soft and nice to the touch, to the eyes. She still didn't need fabric but she couldn't resist buying at least something, so she chose the silk lilac ribbons to decorate her dress straps or use on the waist, whatever she'll come up with.
Violette has never denied the opportunity to dress nicely, it didn't matter when and where, a casual meeting or something more formal. She'd believed a beautiful outfit could help lift the spirit and set you up for a wonderful day. She would sell her soul for magnificently made lace, or beautiful purple ribbons and bouffant skirts. Not to mention that her heart could be won over by a pair of gorgeous sparkly gloves.
She tied one of the ribbons to her bag, ready to explore other stores.
Another shop, marked with a forget-me-not symbol on the door, was filled with shelves stuffed to the brim with books. The scent of the freshly inked papers, hot coffee and vanilla was soaring in the air, spilling out even beyond the doorway.
After some time she indulged in lunch at a local cafe where she was served pink fizzy lemonade that sparkled in the sun like stars in the night sky and she might have never eaten more delicious meat pie in her life.
The store with inks and parchments reminded Violette of her father’s favorite shop. The feathers on the counter staggered slightly when the door opened. She couldn't just pass by and not step in. The smell of the crispy paper aired in the room.The notebooks, textured parchments, colorful inks – everything was bringing her thoughts to her father. She missed him. She'd never left her home for such a long time, even though it was merely a few days. She brushed her fingers over the notebook with a leather brown cover, wondering if her father felt better at the moment. She wished she would see him, talk to him, or just to know he's fine.
Somehow she ended up at the counter of the shop with headbands and a silver hairpin in her hand. Finishing storming all the shops her eyes had found interesting, she finally got back to the hotel. She was yet to meet Dante, that thought alone made her heartbeat ramp up.
She tried not to think much about him, about his vampire nature but it was practically an impossible task. The questions were flooding her mind and it seemed to be even more overwhelming. She just hoped it wouldn't be awkward to be around him. Fear was not exactly the right word to describe her feelings about him, it wasn't lingering under her skin anymore. She kept reminding herself that she is a wizardling after all – he'll not be able to hurt her and she will not let herself fall for his charms. She wasn't actually sure if he was capable of any spells or magic but she remembered from old tales that vampires were familiar with mind charms. He'll have to explain himself to her whether he wants it or not.
Her body plopped down on the bed, eyes staring at the already studied ceiling of the nightbefore. It started to get dark outside and the clock was showing eight in the evening.
Chapter 10
THE THINGS NOBODY WANTS TO KNOW
The darkness outside was wafting a strange obscurity and eeriness. The bare branches of the dark trees were strangely akin to the bony fingers of terrible witches or monsters that live deep in the forest, ready to drag anyone even deeper, where only the moon and stars will hear their hopeless pleas for mercy.
Violette ran a wavy line along the foggy window with her finger, turning it into a small drawing of a flower. She took a deep breath before the clock struck ten in the evening, bringing her out of the abyss of her thoughts. Her eyes traveled to the arrows of the clock as Dante appeared in the hallway. He wore a dark blue velvet doublet with crescent moon ornaments and curlicue patterns on the collar and long high boots. His hand held two dark blue – almost black – cloaks.
“Ready?” he asked as if he cared about her answer.
“Are you sure it'll work and they'll want to listen to us?” Violette came closer, keeping the distance between them, the taste of the previous night still lingering under her skin.
“Yes, they will,” he said with such confidence it infused a suspicion into Violette’s chest. “Do you know the spell to change the colors of the cloaks?”
Violette nodded, getting out the magic wand.
“It should be a dark shade of emerald,” he remarked.
Shewielded her wand, with a light movement it burst out sparks and in a brief moment the two capes in Dante's hands changed their color to a spellbinding emerald shade.
He handed her one and put the other on himself.
It was heavy and weighty, although inside it was very soft and pleasant to the skin. She didn't think it was cold enough outside to wear such warm clothes, however, maybe it was cooler in the forest than in the town. She fastened the gold clasp on her neck under her ribbon necklace and glanced at Dante, already waiting for her at the exit.
The silencebetween them was prevailing since they left the inn. And despite all of the revealed truths about vampires, Violette couldn't stop wondering. Dante hasn't tried to talk with her either but it was so him to do it: he wasn't really talkative, not until she provoked the conversation.
“So,” she finally spoke, trying to sound nonchalant. She still kept the distance between them, though she assumed he wasn't dangerous to her, at least, not while he was in the mask.
“Oh, I was wondering when it will happen,” he said lightheartedly, slightly throwing his head back.
