‘Alec, it’s time to drink. It will also help regain some strength anyway,’ I say. Alec reaches his hand up, twirls his fingers through my hair, and tucks it behind my ear. I help him sit up. He cups my face and pulls me in for a passionate kiss. He has a look of hunger in his eyes, but not just for my blood. He reveals his fangs and playfully caresses the nape of my neck. An inner heat consumes me, and his teeth sink into my skin. Again, a minute passes, and he struggles to stop drinking.
‘Repeliate’, I say.
He flies back against the wall, panting, ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,’ he says, unable to look me in the eyes. I pat the bed for him to come back. He sits back on the bed, and I climb onto his lap and wrap my legs around his waist.
‘You better finish what you just started, Alec, or you will be in big trouble,’ I flirt.
He sees the fire in my eyes. Wasting no time, Alec immediately makes passionate love to me.
***
As Alec gives me a grand tour, we meet up with Magnus and the others in the courtyard.
‘This place is amazing! I can’t believe this is where we now live,’ May exclaims.
Sabre, May’s Fennec Fox and Fern’s cat explore the workshops climbing wooden beams and peeking curiously into the dark corners and crevices.
‘Anyone is welcome to use any of these workshops to help get our new village up and running and provide goods for trading and selling,’ I say.
Pack members explore the workshops to see if they can utilise them. Some smile and appear confident around the equipment, while others are curious about how it works. They converse as I continue along the cobblestone courtyard into the garden. I skip and twirl around.
‘It’s so enchanting and beautiful,’ I say.
‘Enchanting is one word to describe you,’ Alec says,
‘Beautiful would be the other word,’ Magnus adds.
Their words create butterflies in my stomach. I gaze back and forth between them with a playful look and quickly shift into my wolf. I run out through the courtyard and over the drawbridge.
Magnus smirks, ‘It appears our little mate wants to play,’ he says to Alec.
Alec smiles and nods and, with a dash of speed, is already catching up to me. Magnus shifts and isn’t far behind Alec. Alec is the first to tackle me. I shift into my human form for a few moments, and we roll around in the long grass, kissing passionately. Then I shift into my wolf again and dash towards the trees. Not a minute later, I’m then tackled by Magnus’s wolf. We shift back and share a fiery kiss. My fingers glide through Magnus’s hair as he lies upon me. We kiss until Reaper begins to caw loudly in the tree we lay under.
‘Reaper, do you mind?’ I growl, ‘Your kind of ruining the moment,’
‘Yes, I do mind,’ he mind-links.
‘Don’t look or perch in another tree if you don’t like what you see.’
Alec laughs as he sits beside me.
‘I think Reaper feels a little jealous that you have Magnus and me,’ Alec says.
‘Aw, come here, Reaper,’ I say, extending my arm for him.
He flies down and perches on my arm, and I give him a good scratch under his beak and on the back of his head. ‘Is my baby Reaper feeling lonely and left out? Who’s my cute Reaper?’ I say, mollycoddling him.
Reaper happily soaks in all my attention. Alec and Magnus laugh. Reaper hops onto my shoulder, and we return to the castle grounds.
Magnus and Alec stand behind me as we watch everyone in the courtyard. Everyone is happy.
‘We should let them assign themselves jobs,’ I say.
Magnus and Alec nod in agreement.
‘Can I please have everyone’s attention?’ I say out loud.
Everyone stops conversing and turns to face me.
‘I would like you all to sort yourselves into groups. Please stand here for anyone who wants to be a cook or baker. Farmers who want to grow crops and harvest, please stand here.’
The rest organise themselves into more groups: blacksmiths, stonemasons, armourers, millers, servants, carpenters, minstrels, weavers, winemakers, and watchmen. May and the witches decide to focus on being healers and making medicines and potions. Kadva is unsure of what to do but smiles when May and the others insist he works with them in the magic department. It did make perfect sense seeing as his magic works similar to that of a witch and a sprite. Most of the vampires have chosen to guard the castle and protect us. Although I’m not sure why when there is no hostility in Mysteria, but if it makes them happy, then so be it. They take their posts in the watch towers, along the stone walls, spread out inside the castle in the main rooms and foyers, and stand in the shadows like statues.
Men from the ship carry the trunks and crates of goods gifted to us into the courtyard and place them down.
‘Great! Now that everyone knows their positions here on Emerald Island let’s bring these food crates into the kitchen. The cooks can prepare a feast we will share in the great hall tonight,’ I say.
Everyone cheers.
‘Lifto Levitatous,’ I say, waving my wand at the trunk full of clothes.
‘Skedaddle Dash,’ I blink, taking the trunk and appearing in my chamber. Then, using my wand, I guide the chest to a perfect spot in my room.
The floor-length mirror framed in black wood and intricate carvings shows all the twigs and grass poking out from my hair and clothing. I strip down and turn to the wooden tub in the room.
‘Aqua Bedew,’ I say, filling the tub with water. I step out as quickly as I stepped in and shiver. ‘Too cold,’ I say. ‘Inferno Flamo,’ I say and watch the steam rise above the water. I poke my fingers in this time. ‘Perfect,’ I say and sit in the tub.
There is a knock on the door, ‘Come in,’ I say, expecting it to be Magnus or Alec, but instead, a female vampire with beautiful blonde hair enters the room. I have seen her a few times amongst the other vampires. She looks only to be a few years older than me. Although being a vampire, she could be hundreds of years old.
‘Can I help you?’ I ask.
‘Forgive me for intruding, my Queen, but I was hoping to be the one to help you?’ she says with a bow.
‘Oh?’ I reply.
‘My name is Saskia, and I was hoping to be your handmaiden here in the castle,’ she smiles.
‘I never really thought about having a handmaiden,’ I smile.
‘Well, you are our Queen, and a Queen should always be doted upon,’ she says.
Saskia approaches the wooden tub, kneels beside the tub, grabs a cloth and begins washing my back.
My back stiffens, and I laugh at how it tickles.
‘I don’t think this is necessary?’ I ask.
‘Of course, it is. It’s my job now and an honour to keep you looking and smelling your best,’ she laughs happily.
There is a warm brightness about her.
‘Okay, Saskia,’ I smile at her, ‘You’re officially my handmaiden.’
She drops the cloth, wraps her arms around me, and hugs me tight.
‘Thank you so much! You won’t regret it!’ she beams.
I can’t help but feel that I’ve just made a new best friend. Saskia washes my hair and helps me out of the tub. Once I’m dry, she opens the trunk and pulls out many beautiful dresses and undergarments.
‘These are all so beautiful,’ she says.
‘Which one do you think I should wear?’
‘Hmm, maybe this one?’ she says, holding up a white dress with gold threading and embroidery. The sleeves are so long that they reach the floor.
I nod and put the fresh undergarments on. Saskia pulls the dress down over my head.
‘Is this really me?’ I stare at my reflection in the mirror at how elegant I look.
‘Where not finished yet, my Queen. I still have your hair to brush and pin-up,’ she smiles.
Saskia walks over to the trunk, pulls out a smaller chest, and places it on the dresser where I sit. I open the box to find beautiful jewelled pieces, an antique hair brush, a comb, and a handheld mirror. Saskia brushes my hair and pins it all up high.
‘Which pin shall we put in your hair?’ she asks.
I pick up the gold dragonfly-shaped pin encrusted with red rubies and hand it to Saskia.
‘This one,’ I smile.
She places it in my hair, and I return to the floor-length mirror. I twirl around and truly admire myself.
‘You look like a Queen,’ Saskia smiles.
I smile.
