The walls were papered in a rich dark red with gold patterns on it. There were quite a few heavy black-wood doors that were identical to the one that I had just some out of. As I wandered down hall after hall I stopped to look at paintings, ornately framed mirrors, and vases of fresh flowers that sat on tables that were stained a deep reddish brown. I felt like I had stepped into another world as I felt excitement and wonder as I left the maze of halls and doors behind and stepped into the largest room I had ever seen.
It had high ceilings and glistening floors. As I drank in every detail of the room it tugged at a memory that I couldn't quite grasp. I tried to pull at it, to will the memory to come forward, but I lost it the moment I heard footsteps echo from the other side of room.
"Well, well…it looks like the kitten decided to come out and play."
I looked over at a grand staircase and blushed as I saw Eve make her way down the stairs.
"Feeling better now that you are all cleaned up?" She asked as she gave me a quick approving look.
I nodded and blushed even more. Eve giggled and turned to go back up the stairs. "Come on. Since you are exploring anyways I may as well give you the grand tour of the place."
I walked across the large room and followed Eve up the stairs. She took me to dozens of different rooms. Some were sitting rooms, there was a large dining room and a huge kitchen with people running around busily preparing different kinds of foods. When my stomach growled Eve smiled at me and handed me a sandwich and apple that she snagged from nearby platters before dragging me off to see more of this amazing place.
There was a room that had the largest screen that I had ever seen on one wall along with oversized chairs and pillows filling the rest of the room. Eve told me that there were lots of movies to choose from if I ever felt like watching something.
The other stops of our tour had included a gym, where there were a few people working out which made me wonder how many people actually lived here. A running track and a full in ground pool were also part of the gym area. There was so much to keep a person occupied that they could live here without ever leaving. I voices as much and Eve just grinned and told me that it was actually true, the people that lived here hardly ever left unless they absolutely had to.
"It's not like we don't want to leave." Said a squeaky little girl's voice. I looked around but couldn't find the source of the voice.
"Over here."
I turned to see a young girl with spiky blue pigtails dressed in black from head to toe. Her skin was pail white and her eyes shone with an eerie golden light.
"Saffire what are you doing here?" Eve asked, a little annoyed at being interrupted.
"I heard there was a visitor here, and I just had to come and meet them." She grinned showing delicately pointed teeth. "Besides it's been soooo boring around here lately I though a new person might liven the place up a little." The young girl moved like lightning while she spoke. She grabbed my shirt and yanked me down to her level so she could better examine me. I felt her hot breath as she sniffed me. I tried to get away from her but she grabbed onto my hair and yanked so hard that I almost ended up on the floor.
"Well this one is a puzzle if I ever saw one." I heard the girl say as she gave my hair another painful tug.
"She doesn't smell right. But she does have extraordinary hair. It's sooo soft, and long, and the color is amazing. I just want a couple strands to keep as my own."
"Not a chance you thieving little imp." I heard Eve snap as she pulled the girl off of me.
I watched the girl bear her pointed little teeth in a snarl as I picked myself off the floor.
"I am not one of those disgusting little creatures." She spat as her eyes shone with anger.
"Do you really think you have a chance against me kitten?" Eve said with a purr. I watched as her eyes slipped from the soft human brown to the cold icy blue of the creature that stirred within her.
"Fine!" The girl shouted with a stomp of her foot like a spoiled little child. "I'm sure the new-comer and I will have plenty of time to play later." She remarked with a grin as she turned into a large fluffy house cat and scampered down the hallway.
"She's a cat?!" I cried once I found my voice again.
"That little brat only wishes she were a cat. She is a pooka, and if I were you I would keep my distance from her. She brings nothing but trouble." Eve turned to continue down the hallway. "Shall we go then? As I said before there is someone here waiting for you." I followed Eve back through all the hallways until we arrived back at the staircase. This time we went through a large set of ornate doors into a lavishly decorated office. There was a tall scantily clad woman lounging behind a large black-wood desk, a romance novel in one hand, and a wine glass filled with a dark red liquid in the other. She didn't even look up from her book as the doors clicked shut behind us.
"Mistress…" Eve began.
"You may leave us Eve." The husky, deeply feminine voice said as she kept reading her book.
"But I…"
"Leave us!" The woman snapped as she put the book on the desk with a thump.
"Yes mistress." Eve mumbled as she turned and slipped out the doors.
"So you're the one that's been stirring up trouble in my city." The woman pinned me with a look of annoyed indifference.
"Your city?" I was even more confused than I was when I first woke up in this strange place. "Are we not still in Raindor?"
The woman gave me a flat look before flipping her blond wavy hair behind her shoulder.
"Raindor is my city." The woman stated as she dipped her finger into the dark liquid in the glass, stirred it a couple of times then pulled it out dripping with the thick dark substance. I watched mesmerized as she licked the substance from her finger flashing a pair of impressive looking fangs as she did so.
I paled as I finally figured out what I was trapped in the room with. I took a step back ready to bolt for the door.
"I wouldn't run if I were you." The woman stated as she watched me with hunger in her eyes. She stood and glided over to me with all the prowess of a feline cornering it's prey.
"I can taste your fear little one, hear your heart hammer in your chest." She leaned in close to me, her fangs scraping along my neck. This was wrong my mind screamed at me. I can't let her bite me, I need to escape! I attempted to back away but she grabbed my shoulders and dug her nails painfully into my arms. It felt like I was being jabbed in the arm with needles bringing me back to that cold room full of medical equipment and doctors. I squirmed even more, frantic to get away from her, from the memories and the pain.
"Let go of me." I growled. The sound startled both myself and the woman that had me in a vice grip.
"Not a chance little human." The woman replied as she licked a wet, hot line down my neck.
I then did something that surprised the both of us. I laughed. A bitter, mocking sound. I felt my own fangs lengthen and plunged them into the woman's wrist. She howled in pain as she threw me across the room. I hit the far wall so hard that it cracked and left me momentarily dazed.
When my vision cleared I saw the furious look in the woman's green eyes. A look that held power and the promise of pain. She snarled at me, showing fang as she gripped her torn and bloody wrist.
"You will pay for that." She hissed. Her thin dressing gown has slipped off her shoulders as she attempted to stop the bleeding. It was then that I noticed the mark that was partially peeking out on her exposed shoulder.
"You're the archer?" I whispered.