Chapter Thirty-Five: Dreaming In The 1700's.

Dinner came and went slower than it ever could've gone, but that's how it goes when you don't want to be somewhere. At least we had a good meal that filled us up, yet I was too exhausted to be curious about what I was eating.

Instead, I had the butterflies on my mind. As they fluttered around us and landed on our skin I was told they were special creatures, carnivores who eat other bugs. They protect the plants by eating the pests, and in return the plants give them a protective space to go through their life cycle.

I enjoyed their presence, knowing they don't like to come out for many people. What a lovely way to welcome us to their home, showing me not all creatures are destructive here in Dibbley.

Suprisingly the butterflies can live up to a few years which, is longer than the average Earthen butterfly that lives around a month or so.

I also learned the butterflies swarm like bees and can be set free from the greenhouse to pollinate the spring flowers, which they did in early April and will each month until fall. They always return home to the safety of the greenhouse, to spend the rest of the summer and fall before reproducing and hibernating.

Zoned out, we finished dinner and I found myself endlessly wandering the castle to find my bedroom. Perry of course led the way very confidently, but I couldn't remember how many halls we passed through.

My bedroom, a massive room fit for a princess with extravagant furniture and a fireplace, already had my belongings brought inside. Pajamas were placed strategically upon the bed, my pillows were fluffed and the bedsheets were folded open for me to enter.

I didn't look around much before leaving to find Perry's room, insisting I needed to know where it was for emergency purposes.

Now we stand on the outside of his bedroom door, my eyes staring at a plaque on the wall beside the door. It reads:

Perry Donnan of Dibbley, Prince of Vampires.

As we enter my first impression is that his room is even larger than mine, while he's in tears after finding his belongings exactly the way he left them. Books still organized on shelves as he placed them, hosting a personal library that he must've been collecting centuries ago.

His clothes are still hung in the closet, looking so fresh I almost forget they are older than my own grandparents. Shoes drill laid on the floor, one turned over as if it was kicked off casually without care.

"They must have had my room dusted every day," He states.

The hope his parents must have had that he'd come back some day, with his banishment lifted. I feel strange, but not out of place. The room looks like I've walked into the eighteenth century.

He walks over to his beside table, still having an open book laid out. He finds a piece of parchment, ripped carelessly with a crooked edge, "What's this?"

I join him, finding scribbled handwriting. It's a page that was torn out of a journal. I let him read it, then suddenly he looks at me, his mouth falling open.

My eyes divert from his, "What's wrong?"

"I wrote down a dream...why don't I remember this?" He hands me the page, "It's describing a woman."

I scan over the heading, dated in the seventeen hundreds but I quickly go to the meat of the writing. Quick scribbles and smeared ink writing describes a non physical moment between a woman and Perry. Something quite intimate, and personal. He was confused, not recognizing her in the dream but noted he's dreamed of her before and this was the clearest memory he has of her face to face. He wrote down her features:

Round face

Curly red hair

Green eyes?

A freckle on the side of her nose

I continue to stare at his handwriting, "This is me."

I stumble back in fear, finally understanding what this could mean. Am I the person my family's told me I am? Or did they leave something out This dream was dated over two hundred years ago, how could I be in his dream then?

"What does this mean?" I stutter, no longer feeling tired but nauseated instead.

He's speechless, staring at me as if he's seen a ghost. Would he have known a distant relative of mine? I'm sure my ancestors could've been involved in something that led them into his path, right?

"I don't remember my past, but I most certainly didn't live in that time period." I state.

Perry finally comes to his senses, opening his mouth slowly, his eyebrows furrowed, "I don't think this could be debunked by anything logically."

My brain searches for some type of explanation, "Do you think you met my ancestor? You drempt of her?"

He shakes his head, stopping me from pacing which I didn't realize I was doing. I hyperfocus his touch, as his warm hands land on my shoulders. The tingles make my skin feel alive with the sensation moving through my upper arm the longer he keeps contact.

He steps closer to me, removing his palms from me and examining my face. He points out a spot on my nose, "It's right there..." Our eyes meet, and I freeze, experiencing a deep pressure in my chest. Butterflies flutter inside of me. "...You have that exact freckle of your nose."

He takes me upon his freshly made bed next to the table he found the note on. We sit side by side, facing the spacious room. He grabs ahold of the open book, a qill falling into his lap.

I watch as he flips through the pages, some have daily notes or tasks to fulfill. Others consist of ideas and theories. The more broad pages have smeared and crooked writing; dreams.

We discover his dreams are very similar or reoccurring. Sadness and fear of this strange figure leaving him. He see's a blur of a person, someone petite. After months of this person existing in dreams he ends up becoming more desperate to meet her, or see her, but still she doesn't stay long enough for him to remember her face.

"This is all about me?" A haunting feeling washes over me, and my arms become covered in goosebumps. My throat is dry and my body becomes cold.

His voice is horse, "It has to be."

I recall the story of the portal and the spirit protecting it. She is real, I've seen her before. I shiver, remembering the sparkling image floating in the woods. Still I can't explain the bizarre experience I had that night in the woods.

I cover my hands so Perry doesn't notice their trembling, "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

He shrugs, "We have a lot of magical experiences in our lives, but this is one I never put much thought into. We have strong views on religion, believing in the Goddess and her power. It could be a possibility."

I recall Lynn and her oddly interesting powers of dreaming. She knew about Elyria before she came here, and she specifically knew the Donnan Family and stories about them, things of the past.

I sigh feeling that my soul is out of my body, "Time travel?"

"Impossible, it goes against the three rules of magic; you can not change destiny."

I recall having this conversation with Koda, he believes that includes time travel, "Do most people believe these?"

Perry is taken aback by my words, "Everyone knows the three rules of magic, it's not something you have to follow but something that magic itself prevents from happening. But I'd assume if you time travelled into the past it would alter reality, in turn changing destiny. So no, it is not possible that you went back in time or came to the future."

Now we sit on his bed sleepily, putting off parting to our separate rooms. Settling in for a night at the Donnan Castle was refreshing after the past evening. I could say I was peopled out before I walked through those front doors, but now I'm scared to be alone in my room.

"Your bedroom door has a lock, nobody will be able to come in." He assures me.

He's right, but I stay frustrated.

Making my departure for the walk to my assigned bedroom a hall away is more difficult than anything today. I'm terrified to be alone in a strange place.

"How about this, I'll meet you at your room in the evening when we wake up."

I nod, finally realizing he'd guard my door all day if I asked, but I can't. But I refuse to ask Perry if we can stay together; I can't get used to being with him if I have to leave him forever.

We wave goodbye and he tells me he will come check on me when he wakes up. I decide that sounds great, considering vampire time is not anything I've learned about yet.

He shuts his door after a long while of watching me go. I feel nervous, knowing somebody is coming down the hall. I try to walk fast but I end up meeting up with Nenook.

He takes one glance, not turning his head in my direction. I watch his eyes follow me for a second but he doesn't look into my eyes. He gives me a small head nod but mostly ignores me. I give an awkward wave as he passes by but he doesn't react.

Once his back is to me, I watch him carefully as he stops at Perry's door. He knocks but I spin around fast enough so he can't see me.

"Can I come in?"

Perry answers slowly, "Yes? What is the matter?"

When the door shuts I stay frozen, feeling uncomfortable that Perry is alone with Nenook. The man gives me this strange feeling, and it's not just because he looks freakishly like Perry.

"What is this Elyrian doing with you?" Nenook starts.

So he's barging in to complain about me?

"She had to come with me to sign my legal dismission."

"What are you thinking bringing her in here? She's practically human, she sure does act it. She didn't even know vampire customs, all Elyrian's in Province are taught about our worldly creatures."

If that was supposed to be some kind of insult it won't bother me. It's true I know hardly anything about my real birthplace but I'm learning. I can't get back lost knowledge.

Perry sounds utterly aghast, "She's not human, but it wouldn't matter if she was or not. She's gone through a lot."

The man scoffs, "Either way you shouldn't be around humans, and I know you both were."

"What wrong with him?" The voice from behind me stops me dead.

I spin around, staring down at the fluffy white creature who somehow got inside the castle grounds on his own, "How'd you get in here?"

I stop eavesdropping immediately, confused to why this rabbit came back. What's his name again? Rex.

"It sounds like Nenook doesn't like you," He ignores my question.

"And what if you get caught in here?"

He looks up at me for a while before responding, "I'm not going to get caught, I'm too fast."

"Vampires are fast too."

"I am just like them, and more."

"Tell me who you really are!" I demand with frustration.

"I'm not a rabbit, I wasn't born a rabbit."

"So what are you?"

"I cannot believe you, Nenook!" Perry's voice rings in my ear as he lashes out, something I've never heard before considering I didn't think he had a temper at all. To me, it sounds like he can hold his own. "You've never been like this before, especially to me. Tell me, what do you actually want with me?"

He becomes defensive. "You aren't making good decisions, and if we're going to run this kingdom we have to come to some agreements."

"This power is getting to your head, brother. Do you realize I wouldn't be here if Elenor said I couldn't? She can legally make all of my decisions for me. She could decide she doesn't want to free me. You best not make her angry because she could take me away from here, even if the Elders allow me back."

Nenook says nothing.

"Do you want me here?"

"I need you here..." His words are bland, a shade of monotone. "...you know more about this kingdom than I, your smarter."

Perry says nothing.

Nenook adds, "Our kind is so disliked by other creatures, we have to protect ourselves from them. Witches and Elyrians are just the same. They live the closest to here, so we have to watch out."

Is he going for pity? I know for a fact this vampire isn't afraid of me, he could overpower me in a second. There's no way he's going to make Perry feel bad for bringing me here, I'm the one who could be in danger by going to a kingdom full of vampires.

After a long while Perry says, "If you show her no respect than I can't show you any. Leave my room."

In a panic I start running down the hall, realizing the rabbit has already gone. I find my room and enter as quickly as possible, and shutting the door as slow as I can so no one can hear.

Once it's shut I twist the lock, the deadbolt making such a loud thud that it echoes through the hallway. As Nenook is leaving, I know there's no way he didn't hear it.

His footfalls stomp through the corridor, once they get closer I hear his heartbeat. It's gentle, not pounding at all. Realization hits me, this man isn't worked up at all, although he sounded so. I can't prove anything by that but I know it's not right.

Suddenly I hear him stop, he stands on the other side of my door, "I know who you really are."