Bella Vita (5 page)

Please let it be
unlocked.
I sent my silent prayer to
whoever was listening. I turned the knob and heard the soft
click
. I had to shove
the door ever so slightly to get it to move.

The light that assaulted my
eyes was blinding. The noise was like being within a tropical rain
forest. The air was warm and moist.
Where
the hell am I?
I felt completely
lost.
Am I even in England anymore?
I stepped into the room and felt completely
unprotected. All of my senses were overwhelmed, which left me
unarmed. My fangs slid into place- a natural defense
mechanism.

Relax, Child.
A female voice floated into my head.

My body tensed from the sudden invasion of
my mind. My internal block went up, I even tried to add booby traps
to my thoughts. “ Please speak aloud to me, if you value your
thoughts.” I spoke out to the room.

Child, you can't harm me.
Now please walk forward.
The voice wasn't
familiar, but it was. She sounded humored by my ineffective attack
on her mind.

I stepped into the bright colors and
overpowering sensations.

Do not fear. You are safe
here. Take the path to the center. You'll find me there.
Her voice left my mind completely. It felt like a
sudden void.

I stumbled into the vibrant greens, and
sunburst colors of this man created world. I found a dirt packed
path and strolled through my worst nightmare because I felt so
blind. I focused my thoughts on the soil beneath my feet and tried
to stretch my sensitive hearing around me like a protective
cloak.

The ground was a light brown with very few
rocks in it, but was lined by larger stones. The colors were easily
trumped by the luminous greens and bring colored flora and fauna. I
wished I could just sink into the path.

When my foot hit the first stone step, it
was startling. It was a softly worn, beige stone. I looked up and
found a slightly raised house. It was little more than a large hut.
It was the same beige color as the smoothed stone steps that led up
to it. It all looked plain amongst so much natural beauty.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I
could smell incense in the air- nag champa, a mixture of sandalwood
and the extract from the tree of heaven.

Merry Meet.
I sent the mental greeting out.

Merry Met, Emma.
I knew the voice now- Bettina.
Come.

I jumped up the steps and
landed silently outside the doorway.
How
did you mask your inner voice so well?

A simple trick you'll learn
soon enough. I noticed you sensed part of me within you mind. If
you hadn't tried to focus your abilities for possible threats, I
believe you would've seen it easily- which is an attribute to your
abilities. Also your mental block is most impressive. And your
first attempt at a mental attack was fair especially without any
training in the topic.
She stepped into
the light of the doorway and she looked like a Grecian goddess in a
white gauzy looking dress that appeared fluid around
her.

“How did... Where are we?”
I decided the most important topic would be to discover where I
was.

We are in a part of my
house that has more magic about it than anywhere else. Yes, we're
still in my home. And in England. But this is a private place where
no one comes, and I've not come since I had the vision of the
prophecy that haunts your every step. This place will lend answers
to your questions. And give sight to your blindnesses. I felt it to
be the best place for you to learn some things about yourself and
your gift.
Betty smiled and gestured me to
come into the hut.

“Betty, I just don't
understand it. The new vision. The prophecy.
My gift
. Why me?” I suddenly felt
like a child looking for the answers to the universe from a
teacher.

Your new vision is just
your gift allowing you to know what can be changed if you learn to
understand your gift. The prophecy isn't set in stone. No future
is. Your gift is one of the greatest that a vampire can have. Your
gift is a mental one, you're a seer and so much more than that. I
was the last vampire to be born with such an amazing ability. I
believe that you've been given this gift to be able to handle the
roads that have been laid out before you.
Her appearance seemed older and her English accent was
gone.

Is this the same woman from
before?
I didn't know if my thoughts were
safe or if I had to be guarded like in the beginning, and part of
me didn't really care because I needed answers.

My accent is only limited
to verbal communication. I could color my thoughts with it, but I
need not. And you look to me as a wise elder, so I'm a wise elder
in your eyes now.
Betty's eyes sparkled
the way Grandpa's often did.

Should I only be speaking
through my mind?
I wanted to start
learning right away.

Only if you're not worried
that you'll forget that words will need to come from your mouth
when you're among the rest of the world. I find that speaking
mentally and staying more within our inner mental confines helps to
keep me better connected to my seeing abilities.
Betty walked over to a small tea kettle and
poured out two cups, she handed one to me and then sat down on a
small bean bag-like chair.

So what's the plan,
Stan?
Even in my head I couldn't sound as
eloquent as most of the adults in my life.

I've arranged for you to be
placed in special classes at school to help with your gifts. Here,
as in this visit, we'll try to get a handle on your latest vision.
I'll try to teach you to control your visions so that you may see
simple things like small parts of the future- parlor tricks in my
mind. I also want to know everything that you know of your own
talents thus far, so that we can work on developing some of them or
trying to make a plan to develop them. I think that we should also
discuss your school and what you should expect, it'll be very
different from your old schools and yet, somehow similar.
She smiled ever so slightly.

Okay, where do we
begin?
I stifled a yawn.

The first thing we do is
sleep. This will be your home for the next week. Bernard is the
only other person that has permission to come into this area.
Should you see anyone else, they're subject to anything that you
can imagine. This room will help to strengthen your natural
abilities as well. I'll send Bernard to help you get comfortable.
He has the ability to manifest objects as well as several other
talents. He'll help you alter the inside of this seer's hut, into a
castle bedroom if you'd like. We shall start first thing in the
morning. I'll also have him bring you something to eat.
She smiled again and then walked out of the hut-
taking her tea cup with her.

“I don't know about all of
this.” I said to the walls. I did like the idea of having another
person to talk to besides Betty. I had a feeling that the week
would feel much longer than it should. I sat on the floor and
sipped my tea while I waited for Bernard to arrive.

Bernard didn't seem out of
place here for some odd reason. In this man-made paradise, he fit
right in. He had changed from the butler-like outfit he was wearing
into soft white linen. His skin seemed a glowy tan. Something that
was natural but wasn't right in the same sense. He walked in and
bowed slightly, a gesture that I was going to have to adjust
to.
Strange ways they have here.
I looked at him and for a moment I didn't know
what to say, I mean do I just point to stuff and ask him to change
it?

Greetings, Miss Emma. Where
shall we begin making this location more to your liking?
His words tickled my mind, like the feather
duster I had seen earlier.

Um. Let's start with you
trying really hard just to call me 'Emma' and not to be so formal
with me, okay?
I really wanted to get rid
of the extra special treatment I got for me being me.

I can try and work on it.
I've not been on staff for long so it shouldn't be too hard. What
should I call you then?
He winked at me.
Right away I knew that I liked him.

Just call me Emma. Do you
like being called Bernard or do you have a shortened version you
like better. In short, I want to know what I should call you. I'm
also wondering how you'll know if I, like, you know, need
something.
Curiosity was always something
that got to me.

If you'd like you can call
me Bernie. I'll be able to hear you because I've been instructed to
create another dwelling in this big room for myself. I'll be far
enough away to give you privacy, but close enough to protect you
and serve you.
He beamed.

Protect me? From
what?
Suddenly images of all the nature
shows that I had watched of big toothy creatures ripping smaller
ones to shreds went through my mind and I cringed.

Not to worry. It is just a
tradition to assign one of the servants to a guest to be their
personal bodyguard. I asked to be assigned to you.
He looked down at his sandaled feet.

Why on Earth would you ask
for me? Have you not realized I'm not special, just the regular
pain in the arse that you come across on a daily basis?!
I scoffed at him to try and dispel whatever he
had imagined me into.

I was told about you since
I was a child. Mistress will have me test you later anyways, it's
part of the reason I'm on the staff. This allows me to get to know
you and thus design the test to you and your abilities. Now, shall
we do something about this small hut or do you want to sleep on the
floor?
He grinned at me.

We spent the next few hours making the room,
well I should say rooms, into the right kind of place for me. He
added a bathroom- something I clearly had forgotten- as well as a
bedroom, a small kitchen, and a training room. It was amazing to
watch. I was exhausted in the end just from watching him, but he
didn't even crack a sweat.

Now you sleep.
He guided me back to the bedroom that looked a
lot like my tower room back home with Dom. He helped me into the
bed, and then actually lulled me to sleep.

The day had gone completely by the time I
woke up. I couldn't see any light outside my covered window. It was
amazing to see how my life had changed since I had been a normal
teenage girl back home that was asleep in the dark and awake in the
light. I was tempted to try and call Dominic, but I knew I probably
couldn't get any service in here and I needed the time away from
him.

I had just gotten out of the shower and
pulled on some loose comfortable clothes when I heard a gentle tap
at my bedroom door. Bernie pushed the door open and brought in a
tray of food. My mouth watered, apparently I was hungry and hadn't
noticed.

So is this stuff real or
materialized?
I joked with him, although I
seriously wondered.

Only the real stuff for the
princess.
He winked at me.

Princess? Ha! I don't think
I'd make a very good princess. I don't really do the whole royal
thing.
I tried to laugh it off, but the
way he said the word princess stuck with me.

Now you eat. Then we see
what you can do and how we need to train you a bit before you go to
school.
He handed me the tray and formed a
table and chair. Then he walked out of the room. I ate as
instructed, and then brushed my teeth and washed my face. I had no
idea what I was going to be tested in.

When I walked into the
training room, Betty and Bernie were both standing there. They were
dressed similarly, and I suddenly wished I had light linens to
wear. I stood in the center of the room and allowed my sense to
take the reins. The first thing I realized was that the air was
tainted with the smell of blood- not just any blood,
vampire
blood. I looked
for the source and found Bernie had a huge gaping wound across his
leg. I was sure it wasn't there before because I could watch the
blood soaking his white linen. I immediately rushed to
him.

“Are you okay?” I shouted
at him, like raising my voice would make the injury stop
bleeding.

He shook on his feet and
began to fall. I grabbed him and laid him down. I moved to the
bloody mess and ripped back his thin pants. The blood was pouring
out of the wound,
I need more time,
dammit!
I placed my hands over it to slow
the bleeding and remembered my gift. I focused all of my energy
into fixing what was broken. I could feel his blood slow, the
muscles bound back together, and the tissue reform. I watched the
skin close over the fixed injury. I glanced at his face and
realized the amount of blood he lost was too much, he needed more
blood
now
. I took
the small dagger I had been carrying around and sliced open my palm
and placed the flowing crimson river above his mouth. His paled
skin began to shade back to its normal glowy shine. His eyes
fluttered and he took a deep pull off of my bleeding hand. I saw a
flash of color behind his eyes that I didn't recognize and then he
let go.