Chapter 7: An Unexpected Reaction
4164 Words
Chapter 7: An Unexpected Reaction
“I don’t think you’ve gone insane or would lie to me, Tiana. If you said you saw a floating, living Porcelain doll, then I’ll believe it”
Though Alcina could infer what happened to Tiana now since Angie came into the picture, it wouldn’t hurt to listen to the whole story. Why not when It may provide something useful she can use against Donna later?
‘I’ll make Donna stay awake days and nights, doing research and everything to make it up to Tia for this incident. And for that doll—Oh…I’ll make sure to slice her into ribbons for hurting my prey’ The tall lady thinks with a tiny wicked smile on her face. It soon was covered up when Alcina turns her attention back to the botanist.
“Were you harmed by this said doll?” The tall lady encourages the botanist to carry on the story. She picks some pastries with tiny tongs and places them onto Tiana’s plate. The botanist looks more relax, beholding the tall lady’s motions as well as hearing her calm, soothing tone. Hence, Tiana goes on.
“N-no. Well, not really” The botanist confuses over her disjointed memories for a brief. Her hand reaches for her gauze-wrapped arm unconsciously, giving it some light rubs.
“Come on. Eat some” Seeing the Tiana in that state, the tall lady nudges her to take a bite of one among the pastries she piles on Tiana’s plate. “Something sweets could always console my girls. Maybe it’ll work with you too” Says Alcina.
The word ‘my girls’ seize the botanist’s interest at once. She indeed heard from the Duke that lady Dimitrescu has 3 daughters, but she never met any of them. Wasn’t the Duke also say they’re living inside this castle together? If that’s the case, she would run into them at some point by now.
“E-excuse me, my lady” Uncertainly, the botanist asks, “When you said girls, it just strikes me that I never met your daughters before. Are they…as beautiful as their mother?”
Tiana then grabs a cookie from her plate and nips it sheepishly while avoiding eye contact with Alcina. The vampire lady dazes by the question for a brief before bursts out in joyous laugher. The botanist is now more than a word embarrass can do her justice. As a result, she ducks her face down, cursing herself inwardly.
‘Why did you do that, Tia!?’ Freaking out, Tiana doesn’t notice it when the tall lady looks at her with an amusing smile. The same one Alcina has when she decided to keep her little prey by her side longer. The vampire lady sheds a droplet of tears away from the corner of her eye before answers.
“Of course, they are. How can I say otherwise when you asked if their fairness takes after me or not?” Another snicker escapes Alcina’s lips, saying that. “If you don’t want to talk about that incident anymore, just say so, little prey. There’s no need to change the topic to flattering me”
Tiana can only titter modestly at that. She doesn’t mean to change the topic as her ladyship assumed. It’s just plainly because she has a huge crush on the tall lady to the point that she has a hard time keeping it inside. Though it’s nice to see Alcina laughs cheerfully like that. And it’s even better knowing it’s because of her. ‘Well. Since the outcome wasn’t bad, then I won’t complain’ Tiana thinks. She exhales lightly and presses recapping the disturbing event onward.
“And for what you asked previously. About the doll—No. She didn’t even aim for me. Or at least, that’s what I think”
“What do you mean?”
“When she showed up before me, I was stunned. Froze in place. But the coachman didn’t. I presume he attempted to help me. By grabbed something nearby and jumped between us. Maybe he tried to scare her away” Tiana rubs her hand to the warmth of her teacup while saying that.
Alcina makes a mental note that the botanist refers to Angie as she/her not it. That’s fascinating for the vampire lady witnessing that. Tiana, her guest from the outside world, refers to Angie as she/her—Never crosses her mind. This’s getting intriguing by every minute, an upward curve forms on Alcina’s mushy lips as the story goes by. The vampire lady takes another sip of her tea, sending an eye to Tiana not to stop.
“But then she blew some unknown dust at us. Pollen with hallucination effect, I guess. Because if it’s not, I can’t understand how can one moment I was at lady Donna’s manor, then I was at my childhood home of all sudden” Tiana pauses, smiles bitterly, and says with a weak chuckle. “I suppose he wasn’t lucky as myself. The coachman, I mean”
“You rather took his…missing negatively” Not sure if the botanist really knows the coachman’s fate, Alcina tries to test her theory out.
“Please, my lady. I’m not a child. When Mila helped me bathing—If that much blood wasn’t mine, it as well as be his”
“Quick wit, huh?” The vampire lady lets out a scoff. “Very well. Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”
Tiana goes quiet for some time as she tries to think what could she missed and what else to tell the tall lady. She turns her eyes to meet Alcina’s before says.
“She did nothing wrong”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The Porcelain doll. She did nothing wrong, my lady. I believe both the coachman and I scared her, so she blew the hallucination pollen at us to protect herself—”
“Wait. Hold up—Can we go back to the fact you don’t seem to be frightened by that rambunctious doll being alive and even took a man’s life?” Alcina looks at the botanist with her most unbelievable glare, demands an explanation from Tiana at once.
“Well. This’s not my 1st time, seeing supposedly dead people or things being alive. And it’s not my 1st time seeing a person get killed too” When her response widens Alcina’s goldens, Tiana only shrugs. She starts telling the tall lady supernatural encounters and cruel customs she had witnessed over years roaming around the globe as a cultural anthropologist—'A ro-lang’ or a risen corpse of Tana Toraja, Indonesia. The Sati funeral custom in India. A Vodou witch in Haiti, known as Bokor, bewitched the undead and use them as their slave. And so on.
“If you’re not yet convinced, I can still think of some” Tiana hopes she didn’t bore the tall lady out yet after her nerd nature broke out. She bites her lower lip timidly as she tends to be talkative when it comes to what she’s passionate and well-informed about.
“Ah, no. There’s no need. I…”
When word stops coming out of Alcina’s mouth, the two spin their head around to meet the other’s gaze. This’s the first time the vampire lady ever be this speechless. Not only Tiana witness this for the 1st time but also Alcina as well. They both cackle up at the unforeseen case in mystified. Once they’re calm enough to settle down, they decide to take their time with the scenario in front of them and relax for a chance.
The two continue their tea in comfortable silence for some time. Tiana sets her gaze over the tree line and enjoys the breathtaking view. Meanwhile, Alcina fixes her pupils on the botanist to see how she reacts to everything around her. From where the vampire lady stands, Tiana appears to be mature. It’s impressive how well-composed she is, despite the traumatic event, caused by Angie. Most humans might already lose it as soon as they see Angie floats around, killing the other for them to behold. But not Tiana. This botanist survives Angie’s prank with her sane intact. More shockingly, she even pleads to Alcina. Asks the tall lady to understand what Angie did as an act of self-protection.
‘If not impressive, then I don’t know how else to put this’ Alcina thinks.
However. At the same time, this mature botanist also has a childish side, fooling herself now and then. As when she slips out a word of flattering in German. Or when she snatches a towel from Alcina’s hand once realizes she’s topless. Or the best one yet, bravely look at the tall lady with shimmering eyes like those of children in the candy store.
‘You made me want to keep you around for real’ The vampire lady smirks at her line of thought. Not only this human appears to have no survival instinct to avoid evil like herself, but the botanist is also blind enough to overlook every warning sign up until now—Alcina’s inhumane height. Her stone-cold body not anywhere near humans. Even the blood-mixed tea. But what rouses the possessive urge out of Alcina the most is when Tiana subtly flirts with her while she’d asked about the girls earlier.
“You’re not like the other human, Tiana,” The vampire lady says while leaning onto the backrest.
“Thank you?” The botanist hesitates. She’s not sure if she should take this as a compliment. “I understand that I’m not like the other, but …human?”
“Oh please. Don’t tell me you really not notice”
The only thing the tall lady gets from Tiana is the blankest expression she could muster. This makes Alcina scoffs soundly, pinches the bridge of her nose, and slightly shakes her head.
“Oh, my. What should I do with you, little prey?”
“I’m not sure I’m followed—” Before Tiana can finish her talk, Alcina stands up and offers the botanist her hand. She smiles broadly and says.
“Come on. Let’s go see my girls, then maybe you’d understand what I’m talking about”
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The vampire lady leads Tiana back inside. Walking along the corridor, taking a turn, and passing through another door. Finally, they emerge into the enormous library that comes with a sunroof at the center of it. A soft light in the late autumn noon coats the room with rather blue light. Giving the library an indescribable chilling aura. Tiana looks around as her innate curiosity kick in, drift her orbs from side to side—The endless curve-shaped bookshelves, completely stocked with books of many kinds. Philosophy from ancient Greek and Roman empire. Human history. Languages and world geography. Even some of modern age medical and science too.
“Wow…”
Tiana slips out an obvious sound of awe as the wonder she beholds permeates her consciousness. Unknowingly, she leaves Alcina’s side and gradually closes the distance toward the center of the library on her own. The vampire lady tilts her head to the side, entertains by her little prey’s sparkling pupils at the massive library of the castle Dimitrescu.
At first, Alcina only intended to gift her 3 daughters a world outside their castle. She can’t stand the sorrow she feels, seeing the girls in their lowest spirit when they can do nothing except coping inside the castle throughout the harsh winter of Romania. Thus, the vampire lady spends a great sum of her money, rebuilt this place to be colossal, and filled it with much knowledge she can get her hand on. The Duke has to get help from his old friend for the task, seeking and buying arts and treatises worldwide. The number of voyages the 2 merchants have to make is insane before they’d meet up with Alcina’s demand. Hence, they don’t want to do it again anytime soon no matter how much money the tall lady is willing to pay.
‘This recent bonus wasn’t bad’ The vampire lady thinks. She silently follows Tiana in the hope to observe her prey some more.
The botanist losses at the moment. She keeps walking further inside the round shape library, admires its supremacy inaudibly—There’re world maps from the Iron Age to the Age of Discovery to the early modern period. Paintings and statues crowded together on one corner with not a single speck of dust to be seen. Handwritten scriptures and tomes, from various origins and centuries, store orderly by alphabet and its written language on the towering bookcases. And the most impressive among all. Ancient scrolls, though already browned from the time passed, are well-kept inside the glass showcases which line up together by one side of the library wall.
The greatness of the castle Dimitrescu’s library overwhelms Tiana and makes her feels so petite while wandering inside of it. She comes to stop by the center of the library, right under the sunroof. Warming herself up with the soft sunlight that shines through.
“My lady. Are these—” The rest of Tiana’s word is left unsaid when Alcina comes to stand behind her and shields the botanist’s vision carefully with her immense palm.
“I’m afraid we’re not here to commend my library, little prey” The tall lady places another hand of hers on Tiana’s shoulder. She can feel some vibrates from Tiana’s body as the botanist giggles.
“Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry for getting distracted. I couldn’t help it when suddenly show me this grand place without any warning”
“Oh, wait until you meet my daughters. Then we’ll see how surprised you would be by their presences” Alcina says with an oddly vile scoff. She fastens her grasp on Tiana’s shoulder lightly and says.
“Girls. Come out to greet our guest, will you?”
Buzzing sound echoes from every direction of this dead silent library. Tiana recognizes the sound right away as it’s the same buzzing noise she heard before. But when she’s about to ask her ladyship what to expect, 3 different voices come to greet Alcina first.
“Mother. We can really meet her this time?” A sweet, playful voice emerges from the left of the botanist. Tiana flinches slightly because she doesn’t expect to hear another human’s voice beside her ladyship’s this soon. She feels a soft ensuring squeeze from Alcina, so she tries to keep calm and question-free for now.
“I just said so, didn’t I Daniela?” The rather deep, silky voice belongs to the tall lady who speaks up.
“Oh. Does this mean she’d become your plaything, mother? Or would you give her the concentrated Alka—”
“Hush, Cass! Mother didn’t say this lady would move into our village”
Another 2 unfamiliar voices bicker soundly in front of the botanist. At least, that’s what she thinks. Her ladyship doesn’t move her hand away from Tiana’s vision yet, so she can’t do much.
“Girls. Please. Don’t embarrass me in front of our guest—Cassandra. Be nice. I want to see how this encounter turns out before deciding what to do with her. Now settle down. All of you”
“Rightttt” Voices, Tiana’s assumes are her ladyship’s daughters, answers Alcina simultaneously.
The botanist feels Alcina’s thump brushes her back up and down for a brief and the hand shielding her vision is removed. Tiana blinks a few times, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. And when she’s able to see again, she dashes forward to Daniela with a shocking face!
“Ohmygod—Are you alright!? Did you hurt anywhere? Why there’s blood on your face!? W-wait, did you both hurt too!?”
Tiana looks back and forth from the 3 daughters to the mistress of the house, distress fills in her eyes at the image of the girls’ blood-stained faces. House Dimitrescu ladies are stunned. They don’t expect this to happen—An outsider. Not only unshaken by their vicious appearance but also asking for their well-being. No less.
“Mother. Can we keep her?” The redhead is the 1st to recover from stun. Daniela asks her mother with her widest grin while the botanist still holds onto both her upper arms with pure worry. Then the other daughters follow suit.
“Yes, mother. Can we keep her? It’d be sad to make wine out of her” Says, Cassandra. She dissipates her legs into a swarm to float by Tiana’s side and observes the botanist eagerly. This action of hers makes Tiana gasp at an undefinable scene. She tries to look at Alcina, asking for an explanation, some kind of help, or anything. However, the tall lady’s attention was seized by the blonde before Tiana can get it.
“Please, mother. Can we? Even if you aren’t making wine out of her, it’d still sad to give her the Alkaloid extract and loss her natural charm”
Bela also dissolves into a swarm of flies then forms herself back again behind Alcina’s back. The blonde laces her arms around her mother’s shoulder, rest her chin against it and looks at Alcina pleadingly. The vampire lady laughs at the unity her 3 daughters show then says.
“How could I say no to any of you, my dear? Of course, we can keep her. But shouldn’t we at least listen to what she has to say about this?”
“Aw. I’m sure she doesn’t mind—Right miss?” The redhead flicks her orbs back to the poor botanist whose face is as blank as a paper.
“Hello? Are you still here?” The brunette waves her hand to gain Tiana’s awareness, but no vail. “I think we broke her—”
Before Cassandra’s talk even end, Tiana losses her consciousness and falls on her back toward the ground. Alcina gracefully dives forward and supports the botanist with her strong arm. Thanks to her extensive body, the tall lady can easily carry the botanist without any struggle. As if a feather in my arms, Alcina talks to herself inwardly while mindfully control her overflown strength. She nips her glove between her teeth and pulls her hand free, so she can check Tiana’s pulse. By gently pressing her fingers to the botanist’s neck, Alcina can feel both warmth and subtle beats underneath Tiana’s skin at last.
“I think dealing with all of us at once is too much for her, my dear” Alcina addresses the girls with a chuckle.
“No wonder why she fainted” Cassandra floats on top of Tiana who is unconscious in her mother’s embrace. She props up in the air, studying the botanist sleeping face more closely before playfully tabs the tip of Tiana’s nose. “Beep-boop” This rouses another set of giggles out of Alcina unavoidably.
“Aw. She’ll come around eventually right?” The redhead pops up to the right side of her mother’s, looking expectantly at Tiana if she would make any movement.
“Don’t worry, Dani. The human may be fragile, but not that fragile. She won’t break this simply” Bela joins her younger sisters’ side, surrounding both their mother and the botanist even more.
“Alright girls. You can go enjoy your day. That’s it for now—I’ll take our guest back to her room. And maybe this evening we can try again over dinner. Let’s see if she’d faint a second time then” Says Alcina.
Though the 3 swarms make a fuzz for having to let their mother go, their commotion only lasts for a brief. Alcina carries the botanist elegantly in the bridal style back to the room on the upper floor. The mistress has the maid, Mila, keep an eye on the botanist for her. She also orders the maid to bring Tiana to her when she regains her consciousness back as she still has something to tell the botanist. About half an hour before dinner, the door to the mistress’s office was knocked. And the one on the other side of the door is no other than Tiana. She was brought here by Mila as her ladyship instructed.
“Come in” At the end of the mistress’ voice, the office door was open.
This time, Alcina lounges herself comfortably by the couch, holding a cigarillo delicately in her hand. Her ladyship deserves this idleness act after a long, productive day. Once Tiana’s seated and Mila excuses herself out, the vampire lady turns to address the botanist with a serious tone.
“So. What’re you going to do now? Finding yourself in the evil’s lair like this”
“I…ah—I’m sorry, my lady. It’s just…so much to process at once”
“It’s okay. Take your time” Alcina exhales a cloud of white smoke, puts out her cigarillo before leaning toward the botanist who hangs her head low opposite to her. “I assume you already know what those dried traces of blood on my daughter’s face mean, right?”
“I…” Tiana stops and shakes her head as she’s not sure what to say.
What if she continues pretending not to know? Will the benevolence lady approve it? Or will she take offended, for being deceived instead? This isn’t like you, Tia, the botanist thinks to herself. What’s too hard about it? Just being sincere as when she told her ladyship of her reason for coming to the village should be enough. After all, it already worked once. So, why not use it again? Finally, Tiana slips a nervous snicker out and attempts to speak once more.
“Through years of my cultural anthropologist career, I only acquaint with…your kind in folklores and literature alone. I, umm, never expect I’d have the honor to meet your kind in person like this, my lady—You’re…a vampire, right? As a blood-drinking vampire, …right?”
Alcina hums pleasingly at the botanist’s statement. The little prey before her doesn’t shake. She doesn’t avoid the vampire lady’s orb in fear. It’s more of the opposite. The botanist’s just having a hard time taking in the truth. Whoever in her shoes ought to feel the same if one day they learn that mythical creature is real, won’t they?
The botanist goes wordless after said what she concludes house Dimitrescu as. Alcina, still amuses by her little prey’s bravery, leaves her lounging pose and stands before the speechless Tiana. The vampire lady slips her hand underneath the botanist’s chin and tilts her head up. Forces Tiana to gaze into her golden orbs when she says.
“Do you want me to prove that theory for you?”
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To Be Continued >>
- Writer
