4 A DINNER WITH THE VAMPIRE

Blair's eyes were fixed on the chandelier hanging by the painted ceiling of that room while she was lying on her bed. Some cobwebs were starting to drape on it, but that didn't bother her. Her eyes were just somewhere, while her mind was somewhere else.

Blair almost considered the possibility for once that day that she could be safe hiding behind the stranger, just pretending to be his bride. But then, knowing that stranger's true identity was another story.

It was something she didn’t dare to ignore.

She might be a wolf, and her blood wasn't as sweet as a human. However, if he was famished, he might devour her as well. Blair's eyes widened, terrifying herself with all her thoughts and assumptions.

If she stayed longer in that place, she could be in danger. And, if Blair had to escape from that place, it must be right at that moment. She had to do it before Lucien could detect her intentions of leaving.

Abruptly she stood up from her bed. She looked around it. There must be a way, and there must be something she could use to get away from that place.

She ran towards the window and examined it.

She could do the same trick she did before, tying random cloth into a knot and making a string out of it for her to climb down. Blair peeped over the window and gasped.

"Oh, shit, it looks so high up," she murmured. She didn't even have an idea what floor she was on.

Blair roamed her eyes around and studied. Her eyes fell towards the sheets she could use.

"No, not the duvet. It's too thick and heavy to knot. But I could use the coverings. Wait, maybe the curtains, not just the sheer one, though. It was too thin and risky. But who knows how old the thing is; it could be fragile and could easily get torn," she mumbled to herself while checking on the curtain attached to the bed canopy.

She doubted if all the sheets she could use here could reach the ground with her estimation. She halted for a moment to think. Then she flicked her fingers as her eyes widened with new ideas as she remembered the nearest tree just beside the wall.

If she could hang herself on the same level with the tree's nearest branch, she could swing herself through it. Blair suddenly felt excited and jumped up, advancing towards the window to estimate the distance.

However, the sight outside the window startled Blair.

The same gold eyes were staring at her from the window. Lucien was floating just outside. Startled, Blair's body reacted unwittingly. She took a step back, twisted her foot, lost control of her balance, and stumbled.

The second time she glanced over the window, he was not there anymore. She ran towards it, trying to grasp what had happened and confirming the truthfulness of her perception.

Was it really Lucien she saw, floating by himself outside her window?

Confused and dumbfounded, Blair lost sight of her plans to escape.

'If it was truly Lucien, then that plan won't work at all,' she thought.

"Are you busy? Dinner is ready."

Blair flinched over Lucien's voice behind her. It may sound calm, but it was undeniable that it always sent her chills. She didn't even hear the door creaking when he opened it.

'He just… he just… No, maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me. Maybe I didn't really see Lucien in the window,' Blair tried to make herself believe.

Slowly she turned around, just to see those eyes again. Those eyes were making her flesh crawl with all the different kinds of dread and apprehension she felt. Yet, still, for a moment standing in front of him, his calm voice could also sound like music that was penetrating to her soul.

Confused with her thoughts and emotions, Blair looked away from him and answered, "I will be there in a moment."

She waited for him to walk away, but he was still there standing, looking at her and waiting for her. He seemed not going anywhere if she wouldn't be going with him.

Blair huffed and rolled her eyes, "Okay, fine, let's go have dinner."

She wanted to pat herself for at least managing to sound and look calm while talking to him. The least she wanted for Lucien to detect her plan to escape.

Blair halted in her steps, amazed by all the foods served on the long dining table. The table was big enough to occupy at least twenty people, and it was just the two of them who were there. Yet, he filled the table with freshly cooked and better-prepared foods compared to her village. The food was definitely more than what they could finish.

Much more, she was with a vampire who might only drink from the cup with the red liquid inside.

Most of what was served were deer meat, cooked in various ways just like what Blair wanted. Being a wolf, she wasn’t too fond of vegetables. She could eat a bit of herbs but her diet mainly consisted of meat— both raw and cooked. Their pack had already adapted to the humans' way of preparing foods, even though they didn't live in the same crowd.

Lucien sat at one end of the table while she sat opposite him. She was all hungry from running and was drooling over the food. Even though she wondered who prepared it, she eventually brushed her thoughts off and started to eat

Blair needed to focus on gaining her strength. Since she still wasn't sure when would be the next time she might be able to eat, she had better stock up on energy now. The plan to escape was still in her mind, maybe the right time would come soon, and she needed to be prepared.

There was silence.

All Blair heard was the tinkling sound of the fork and knife against the plates. She glanced over Lucien and was surprised, seeing him nibbling the food elegantly as well.

'Was he really Lucien Bardot, the vampire that the rumors speak of? What if he's not?’ Blair thought while chewing. ‘But it doesn't matter. I still have to get out of here to ensure my safety.'

Their awkwardly quiet dinner was distracted by the sound of knocking on his door.

Lucien glanced towards her before he stood up and advanced to the main door. It was in the next room. He even had to pass a little hallway to get there. He would be far enough from here.

Right then, Blair's mind was starting to work, flashing ideas after ideas for an escape. There's no other time best enough than that moment. She knew she had to do it right there and then before it was too late.

She looked around and spotted a door that was different from the one Lucien headed off to. She ran towards it, expecting it to be a way out, but it was not. It only led her into a stair that looked like heading towards the basement. She didn't want to risk her chance.

'What if it was a dead-end?' she thought.

She closed the door and tried to find another way. However, the windows were made of glass and the locks seemed bulky. It might take way too much time to try unlocking it. Besides, breaking a window was never an option if she didn't want to be detected.

All she could see was the same exit that Lucien went to. It was also the path that led towards the kitchen, the one with a back door. She could run through it before Lucien could get back.

So, without stalling, she headed towards the kitchen. Blair let out a sigh of relief as she swung the kitchen door open and climbed back up the familiar fence she had climbed before to get in.

Only this time, she was climbing to get out.

The cold breeze swept to her face, and it felt like freedom again. Blair could never get tired of feeling it once more.

Casting a stealthy look at the palace, she then frenzied out into the woods. She didn’t care whether the path headed towards the sea or the main road, as long as it would lead her out of that place.