NIGHTS OF HALLOW

”How long do we need to walk to get to the town you mentioned earlier?” Perdita quizzed as they had walked a considerable distance away from the carriage that was in ruins.

”A few more minutes and we’ll be there,” Sthena replied, his head turning to stare at the Lady beside him. He asked, ”Are you tired?”

Perdita shook her head, ”No, I’m not. I always trekked back when I was in the village.” She replied, a thoughtful look on her face. She turned to catch Sthena staring at her, ”What?”

”Does it daunt you?” He questioned. ”The castle life. Does it overwhelm you? I want to know if you are comfortable staying in the Castle.”

Perdita stared at the man beside her not knowing when a smile slid up her face that earned her a questioning look from Sthena.

”If I say I do not like it in the Castle, will you take me back to the village I came from?”

Sthena frowned. His displeasure at the thought of what Perdita asked clearly written on his face. ”You know the answer to that question, Perdita. Why ask when you know it?”

The smile on Perdita’s lips widened on hearing the reply of Sthena. She said, ”Now you also know the answer to my question. Even if I wanted to return to my village or any other place, you would be the first to reject it.”

”I’m glad you’re slowly inching to the same page as I am.” He smiled, looking more like a mischievous grin. He continued to ask, ”But tell me, regardless of what I think, I want to know how you feel living in the Castle. Your happiness is in my best interest and it matters you tell me how you truly feel, Perdita.”

The words of Sthena warmed the heart of Perdita as she continued to stare at him while they walked on. She replied, ”I have never been more taken care of than I have been by you the past few months I have stayed in the Castle.”

The hand of Sthena holding Perdita’s squeezed it gently on hearing her reply. He responded to her, ”I’m glad to know you don’t hate the Castle life, though it could be suffocating sometimes. I was positive you wanted to bolt from the Castle if the opportunity presented itself when I took you and your brother there.”

”Not when I have people that want me dead and some who want to abduct me hot on my tail,” She joked, a chortle escaping her lips.

”Turns out you are very popular then,” Sthena chipped in with a small laugh of his own.

”May I ask you something?” Perdita began, her voice a gentle whisper against the cool breeze that caressed their skins though the heat from the sun was there too.

”Go ahead,” Sthena nodded in reply.

Perdita’s tongue peeked out of her mouth and wetted her lips before she spoke, ”Why did you give me so much blood to drink since the night before?”

”Because you need it?” He returned the question with one of his own where he didn’t give out the answer Perdita was looking for.

Before She could go on to ask more questions, Sthena interjected, ”You lack blood, and as a vampire witch, you currently need blood than anyone else. When you don’t have enough in your body, you’ll tend to lose some of your abilities. Like what happened the night before when you got drunk, it is one of the causes of it.”

”How? What do you mean?”

”What I mean is that the rate at which humans get drunk is different from vampires. While pureblooded rarely gets drunk, the vampires could get tipsy by taking a large quantity of wines made especially for vampires. But for the humans, they easily get tipsy, and they dare not drink a Vampire’s wine else they lose their sanity in the process. Also, the wine you drank was meant for pureblooded vampires not just for regular vampires. However, as a vampire and powerful witch, you should have been able to withstand it.”

”But I did not because I didn’t drink enough blood,” She added to see Sthena nod in acknowledgment.

He further spoke, ”There could be another reason why you got drunk.”

”Another reason?”

”Yes,” Sthena nodded again, a thoughtful look on his face as he continued to speak, ”It could be that your body is still healing and adjusting to your two identities. This stage you and your brother are in now is the stage where your powers are resurfacing and you’re still learning how to control them. Your body isn’t in its best condition, so to avoid any damage, it’s best you drink blood often.”

”The second theory seems more plausible,” Perdita said once Sthena was done speaking.

”It is,” Sthena agreed.

Behind them, Emily walked quietly sometimes catching bits and pieces of what the King and her Lady spoke, and other times she would distracted by the sounds of the birds atop the tree branches, some perching low enough to be caught while others were at an apprehensive distance watching walk along the pathway.

Along the way, the trio passed by a berry tree, and just a single fruit on the tree had matured and was ripe to be eaten. The sight of the berry caused Perdita’s mouth to water. Just as she raised her hand to pluck it, a bird swiftly perched on the branch ready to make the berry its meal.

Perdita pouted but didn’t bring her hand down, instead, she snapped her fingers, and a blue light emitted from her hand and went towards the berry and plucked it out also eager to try out using her powers.

She smiled, happy she got the berry before the bird did and her magic had worked. However, just as she wiped the fruit with the sleeve of her dress ready to put it in her mouth, the same bird flew and snatched the fruit from her grasp with its limbs and this time it perched at the highest branch to eat the berry while watching Perdita.

”What makes you think I wouldn’t snatch it back from you if I wanted to? I saw it first, you rude birdie, hmph.” Perdita mindlessly spoke, looking at the bird that devoured her precious fruit.

When she turned to continue walking, she was met by Sthena who stared amusingly at her.

He spoke chuckling, ”I can’t believe I witnessed you fight with a bird,”

”Ah,” Perdita scratched her head embarrassed. ”I wanted the berry too.” She smiled

Just as she finished speaking, the bird flew back towards them and dropped something in her palm. Looking at what it was, it was half of the berry.

Perdita’s eyes widened in surprise. Did the bird just eat half of the berry and gave the other half to her?

”Congratulations, you just got yourself a birdie pet,” Sthena smiled looking at the bird that continued to hover above them.

”Thank you birdie,” The smile on Perdita’s lips widened but in turn, the bird flew towards her and playfully poked her forehead.

”Ow,” Perdita frowned and heard Sthena say, ”Maybe it doesn’t like the name. Perhaps, it would like Pokie better.”

Perdita shook her head, even more, surprised the bird could understand every word they spoke. Before she would get another poke on her forehead, she slipped the berry into her mouth. To think she ate what was left of a bird.

”Come on, we don’t have all day. We are about to reach the town.” Sthena urged as he guided Perdita forward followed by Emily who joined them and another partner that hoped from branch to branch following them.