10

They went to the Tower Bar, which generally was private, but considering the late hour, she and Louis were the only two occupying the room.

“Care for a drink?” Louis asked as they claimed two chairs and a small table in the corner.

Lily surveyed him with a mirthful stare, “Aren’t you off the clock?”

He shrugged with a wayward grin. “I don’t mind serving you-“ realizing how the words may sound to her ears, he quickly added, “-what I meant is, you’re not like the other guests, you know, ‘crumpets and tea’, ‘beau monde’, the ‘crème de la crème’ sort?”

She laughed, “Surely your guests are not all like that?”

“You’d be surprised.” He appeared with two cokes and a set of champagne glasses.

“Do you like your job?” she asked, reaching out to accept her glass of soda as he settled across from her.

He tossed his shoulders, “Yes and no. It has its perks.”

“How so?”

He leaned back casually in the seat, “Decent tips.” He said with a toothy grin.

She giggled, “I should have guessed that of course.”

Louis fell silent and as she sipped her drink, she observed him from over the brim of her glass, noticing a sudden seriousness in his eyes.

“There are other things.”

She set her glass down, “Such as?”

He looked up at her, all traces of humor gone. “What do you think of folklore?”

She was taken slightly aback by the question, “I don’t.”

He arched a brow at her, “You haven’t-“ he paused and than said, “-experienced strange things?”

A vague thought fluttered in the back of her mind, images of a beautiful, dark man appearing to her in her dreams, but she wasn’t about to tell him that, so instead, she said, “No, not really.”

She sensed he knew she was lying but he didn’t call her out on it. “I’m working on a term paper.”

“About folklore?”

He nodded, “I’m gathering notes for a thesis.”

She leaned forward, “What is your thesis?”

“I’m going to prove that vampires exist.”

Lily stared at him as if he had lost all sense of sanity. “Vampires?”

He nodded.

“As in, ‘drink from me and live forever?’”

He laughed, “Yes.”

She realized she was going to need more than a fizzy drink for this conversation, but a nagging thought fleetingly crossed her mind. She had, had strange things happen to her; voices whispering to her, hazy dreams that left her achy and wanting more, and a dark and handsome stranger that called her ‘Sunlight’.

She couldn’t fathom her sudden bizarre dreams, but she wasn’t about to link them to vampires.

“Do you have substantial evidence to back up your thesis?”

He grinned and extended his arms, “I live in the heart of my thesis. Romania is all the research I need. I have done countless research, have read countless books and scanned many computer screens. I know all there is to know about vampires.”

She laughed, “But have you met a vampire?”

He smirked, “Quite frankly, I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.”

She eyed him suspiciously, “Worried he might drain you dry?”

His grin widened, “Well, that is something to consider.”

“You don’t actually believe all that, do you?”

His grin faded, and he peered at her with a look of earnest that startled her. “Louis? You’re not actually using that as a thesis?”

He pushed his glass away from him and leaned towards her, “I have noticed peculiar things- odd stares, ashen faces, and strange guests-like your father, he is a professor?”

She shook her head, “That doesn’t make him strange.”

“Why is he here?” he demanded.

She opened her mouth but realized, she knew very little of their ‘mission’. “I think you’re letting your thesis twist your imagination.” She started to rise.

“Wait!” he jumped to his feet, “I’m not trying to scare you.”

“I appreciate the company, Louis.” She started around the table and he grabbed her arm.

“Lily-“ his eyes bore into her, and she felt a slight grip of fear seize her spine. “I have lived here long enough to discover that things are not as they seem in Bucharest. There are secrets that even the residents are fearful of speaking.”

“Do you hear what you are saying?”

“I have seen guests come and go, from all around the world, every one of them from all types of associations with one common interest.”

“That being vampires?”

“Yes!” he exclaimed in a high whisper.

She wanted to laugh, because she knew, if anyone was eavesdropping, this would all sound impossible and absolutely insane, but beneath all that, a small part of her wondered at it. She had felt drawn to Bucharest, no, not Bucharest, but something.

Shaking her head, she pulled away from Louis. “I’m sorry, it’s really late and I’m tired.”

“Will you at least think about what I have said?”

“Is this some subtle way of warning me?”

“Do you plan to hike the Carpathians?”

She nodded.

“Than yes, I’m warning you.”

“This is nonsense.” She escaped while she could, but she felt Louis watching her all the way and couldn’t shake off a sudden feeling of fear.

When she returned to her room, she locked the door and stood by it, wondering for a brief moment if the lock would hold against-

She shook her head and pushed away from the door. This was silly! Vampires? It was all just nonsense and things made of nightmares.

At that thought, she paused in the center of her room, coming to a realization. She had started having dreams before she came to Bucharest. Were they somehow connected?

No! She pressed her fists against her forehead and moved to the bed. She was being absolutely ridiculous, and clearly, lack of sleep wasn’t helping any.

She settled into bed and tried clearing her mind, but she feared falling asleep, she feared what may lurk on the other side.

A vampire?

Her thoughts shifted to that first morning when she discovered those faint bite marks. Her stomach churned. Could they possibly-no! She was beginning to scare herself, but instinctively, she pulled the blankets up around her neck and that night, she did not sleep.

**********