Charlie Gyid 2 by Anysia Eaton (book club books .TXT) 📕

said, “One of us has to”
A strained chuckle escaped his lips. His face turned sombre. “Nothing’s fun without you”
“I’ll miss you” I whispered into his ear.
“Not as much as I’ll miss you” he replied back before planting my lips with a kiss.
The kiss was like nothing we’d done before. It felt like he thought he’d never get another chance. It was passionate, but a protective passionate. I broke it off.
“You need to eat” I said, giving him a quick peek on the cheek.
“I’ll see you after the show” he replied.
I left as he walked into the food hall.
It was a long walk to his room. Just like the night before, the eyes of every vampire I passed followed me. His door was the last in the corridor.
I took a deep breath and the knocked on the door. The door opened on the first knock, just like he had been stood waiting.
He was smiling from ear to ear as he welcomed me in. His room was nothing like the other Swiss rooms. It was a usual room, a dark red colour wall paper. A double bed was in the centre of the left wall. The bed frame was made out of a white substance that looked scarily like human bones. At the far side an exact replica of the chair he had sat on in the grand room was stood. The only light in the room was from a small fire on the wall opposite the bed.
“How was the rest of your day?” he asked as he shut the door behind me.
“Average” I replied. It had most defiantly been better than average. “What about you?”
“It has been... slow. Typical time, goes slow when you wish it to go fast, and then goes fast when you wish it to go slow.” He explained.
He took my hand and kissed it. He lead me to his grand chair and sat me down. He leaned on the arm of the chair.
“It was like that when I had to wait three weeks to visit”
“Those three weeks weren’t the best.” I agreed.
“I know my reason, what was yours?” he asked looking slightly confused.
“Well, we were trying to make this visit the best it possibly could. We both knew why we might have been anxious about this” I explained. If idled with my fingers as I spoke, so I just watched my hands.
He was also watching my hands. His eyes drifted to a scar on my right forearms. He reached for my arm and took hold of it. He inspected it and then said, “My mother had a scar like that”
“Really?”
“Yes”
“What was your mother like?” I asked as he placed my arm back.
“She was a Wiccan, from the Austrian Covert. She fell in love with a human. But it was because she was a Wiccan that I was much stronger than the others going for prince – I had at one time had Wiccan blood flowing through me. She was a brilliant mother. Her name was Alexia Halos. She cared for me, protected me and mourned for me. When I was first turned, she believed that I had been kidnapped. She refused to admit that I was dead. I heard of her again and again, going from village to village looking for me”
“I knew she wished that she knew. I always said it would have been better – for her – for me to have died and my body taken to her. Then she could live in peace. There had been several times where she thought about doing a forbidden spell to keep me safe. She wanted to. It was called a blood connection. That way when I fell, I could have survived off of her life force. I wouldn’t have died. However, she already had a blood connection with my father. She couldn’t even dream of rising that”
“It is the mark of a blood connection” I explained to him.
“You have a blood connection?” he asked me.
“Yes. To Geska. To save her. She would still be working for Malietta had I not overrode the connection between the two of them” I explained. “And this was the mark that was left behind”
“You must really love her” he said as he placed his hand under my chin. He turned my face to face him so he could look me in the eye.
“I do, she’s like my little sister” I replied.
I had no choice but to look in the eyes. His eyes were impossible to look at while holding on to your sanity.
“Would you say she was the one thing you couldn’t live without?”
“She’s one of the things, yes” I replied to him.
“What else?”
“All of my family and friends – Geska, Alison, Gabby, Jeff, and Brad” I replied turning my head away. “What about you? What couldn’t you live without?”
“A reason” He replied.
I had to look up. He had confused me. He must have seen the confusion plastered on my face because he continued “I couldn’t live without a reason to live.”
“What is your reason?” I asked innocently.
“To find a wife, and then once I’ve found her my reason will be to pleasure her, and spoil her and give her everything that is in my power” he explained.
I turned away feeling slightly awkward. He couldn’t mean me, could he? No. Or could he? I looked at my watch. We still had at least twenty minutes till we’ll have to leave ready for the show.
“What were you like? Before you turned?” I asked him.
“An ordinary lad. I grew up, head strong. I knew what I wanted. I had always said I wanted to be a successful historian. History fascinated me. I did all my studies around history, but when I was old enough to get a job, there were no history jobs available. I got stuck in a pawn shop as an assistant. The pay was okay, and the artefacts were brilliant but the boss was horrid. He kept me so busy I didn’t even get the chance to look for a historian post.”
“When I was twenty-five, I found a job. I went to the interview and I was short listed. At first I didn’t get it, but the person who did, fell ill and passed away, and so they offered me the job. It was my dream job. Good pay. Good hours. Nice Boss. All history. But I only got to do it for two days, Thursday and Friday – It was on the Saturday that I fell.”
I couldn’t believe what I did then. I looked up to his eyes, and took his hand. It was almost his hypnosis. My sympathy gene had kicked in and the natural response was to comfort him.
“That’s terrible” I whispered looking down at our hands.
“Yes, but it was a long time ago. I have grown since then. I have found over things. Things that make my life worth living” he said.
I looked at my watch. I may just be able to pull off leaving now. I needed to if I didn’t want him to draw me in.
“Shall we go, it’s nearly time for the show” I said standing pulling my hand out of his.
“May I walk you there?” he asked offering his arm.
I nodded and slipped my arm through his.
As we walked I could feel a bounce in his step.
“Are you looking forward to the show?” I asked him as we started to draw closer to the training room – where the show was being held.
I had seen during the day what they had done to the room. Stands had been placed on all four walls. On the right wall there is the three royal chairs and then Sir Malice’s grand chair. In the centre of the room there was the glass box – that people use to practice magic in – where the performers will perform.
“Yes. I do of course know the extent of what Wiccan’s are capable of but it will be nice to see it action” he replied.
“Then I hope you enjoy good shows. I’ve been told it’s excellent, especially when you put into account that it has been made in only three weeks around exams and preparations for your visit” I explained.
It should be really good. Brad had leaked to me information on the different acts in the show.
We approached the doors. Sir Mallot and Mistress Halsente were stood outside waiting for us.
“Everybody is seated, ready and waiting. So we’re are starting early.” Explained Mistress Halsente.
“Sir Malice, Charlie, has offered to open the show. It is a well honoured tradition – for a royal to open the show. So, if you’d like follow Hazel, and I and we will show you to your seat.
I pulled my hand out of his. He took my right hand, kissed it, and then turned to follow Mistress Halsente and Sir Mallot into the room. I just hoped this show will go smoothly. I hoped for one thing – Sir Malice won’t put Brad off. He had already shown his dislike to the obvious bond between Brad and I, so I hope he lets Brad get on with it. I guess I should have realised that was almost an impossibility. Sir Malice was a ill tempered Vampire. That was clear from his stunt in the food hall that on Monday.

CHAPTER NINE
THE SHOW
I walked further down the corridor to one of the side rooms where the performers were waiting. They all looked nervous, including Brad. Each of one them had been gemmed up, in different costumes and make up. Brad had some face paint on his face. It was a single flame around his right eyes and I must admit it made him look even better – if that is possible.
“You look nice” I commented walking to his side.
He smiled, the tops of his ears going slightly pink.
I turned to the rest of the performers.
“Everybody in the audience are ready. Are you?”
Everybody nodded. Only a few people trusted their voices enough to reply, but even they only replied with a simple “Yes”
“Ok, first act, prepare to go on. If you’re all ready I shall go and open the show” I said.
I turned to Brad kissing him on the lips and whispered, “You’ll be great”
I headed out of the door and back into the training room.
As I entered I saw the glass box had been raised onto a platform so the audience will be able to see the show easier. There was a small platform just outside the door. I walked up the steps to stand on it, with every pair of eyes on me. I turned to facing away from the box – we were classing that as the front, even though half the audience was behind the box.
“Wiccans and Warlocks of the Swiss Covert, Wiccan visitors and out very special guest Sir Malice, I welcome you to enjoy our brilliant showcase of magic. Our students have been working ridiculously hard to produce – to their ability – this show in just three short weeks, and are just as keep to step up here and show you what they can do, so I shall not delay any longer. I welcome to the platform two fifth years students, who today are demonstrating the power of Spells and Enchantments”
There was a round of applause I stepped down and took my seat in between Sir Malice and Sir Mallot.
The first two students entered the room and entered the glass box on the platform. These two have the second hardest job – starting the performance, warming up the audience