Dark followings Chapter 2 part 2

Samantha woke up. Her head was killing her and she couldn’t remember anything from the night before besides she had been with Asal, she could barely even remember that. She sat up and looked around, a blanket falling from her and she realized she was in bed, and naked. 1

“Well that explains what happened.” she said to herself with a smile. Wulf would be furious when he found out but it was worth it. She looked to the end of the bed. A lemon and lime dress lay at the end. Strange she could have sworn that she had a purple dress on last night. She continued looking around the room. 2

The walls were wallpapered and sanguine in colour with gold script flowing through it. Charcoal curtains hung from the walls blocking out most of the light except for a single line pointing to a beautiful hand made wooden door. Scenes of some event were carved but from the bed, she could not make them out. 3

A knock at the door startled her and she quickly scrabbled to pull up the blankets and hide her indecency. The door opened and a medium height, well built man walked through. Raphael smiled at her.4

“I thought I heard something” he said his voice was musical and at the sight of him, she felt both a shudder of joy and terror. “Ah! Finally awake I see. You've been unconscious for three days now.”5

“Three days? What happened?” She hab been unconscious for three days? How? Why could she not remember?6

“Well your husband wasn’t happy about you leaving with Asal so he sent some men after you.” he paused for effect “Then I followed and when you were attacked I rescued you and Asal - who was badly injured at the time. You passed out moments later from shock.” 7

“Thank you for rescuing Me.” she could feel her cheeks go hot and knew her face was going red. She lifted her hands to her face to stop her embarrassment from showing.8

Samantha felt the blanket slip down her body and remembered to late that she was naked.9

Raphael barked out laughter. Samantha felt the heat leave her face to be replaced with cold horror.10

After catching the look on her face, Raphael turned around, walked avoiding the shaft of light then called to her “Dinner will be in a hour.” before continuing away.11

After Raphael’s departure, Samantha felt peculiarly empty. It was like his voice, his smile, his eyes were all that mattered and without them, she was nothing.12

An elderly women walking in broke her depressing and strange train of thought.13

“Miss if it would please you, there is a bath ready for you across the hall.” The women said with a bow.14

“Thank you I feel I am in need of a hot bath.”15

The women bowed again before walking back out the door. Samantha carefully got up out of bed. It was only when getting out that she appreciated the soft satin on her. She coyly walked out of her room across the crimson carpet and into the bathroom.16

The bathroom was moderately sized with a black marble floor and gilded white marble lining the walls. 17

In contrast, the extravagant walls and floor the bath tube was completely unadorned with a small step leading to it. . Samantha was half expecting it to be made out of gold.18

Scented oils and soaps lay neatly on a near by table. 19

She slowly stepped into the hot water. There was a moment of discomfort but it passed as she got used to the heat of the water. A young woman entered a few minutes later and wandered over to the table of oils and soaps. Samantha didn’t pay her much heed as she soaked in the water and closed her eyes. 20

“Strawberry or lavender shampoo Madam?” The women asked.21

“Lavender. Thank you.” Samantha said not really interested in starting a conversation with the servant.22

Without another word, the servant began shampooing her hair. The aroma of lavender filled the room.23

Once the women had finished washing her with the soap and massaging her shoulders with the oils,24

Samantha got out of the tub and the servant dried her off with a towel, and then went to work on her25

hair. 26

When the servant was done with her hair, she helped her get into that lovely lemon and lime dress 27

made of silk and dyed leather sandals. Samantha walked out of the bathroom again admiring the artisanship and ornamentation that went into the work around her. 28

The red carpet stopped at a wooden staircase. The oak banister was, like the door, carved with scenes of history but were completely meaningless to Samantha. She continued walking through 29

hallways and corridors until reaching a large dinning room where Raphael was waiting for her.30

The dinning room was the most extravagantly decorated room Samantha had ever been in her life.31

Large tapestries covered the walls depicting what she presumed historical battles carried out by Raphael’s people. At the end of the room, behind where Raphael was sitting was a tapestry depicting himself. 32

Comparing the tapestry and the man it was clear it wasn’t really him, the features were lower and broader in the tapestry, the skin and eyes much darker. Probably his father.33

“I hope you enjoyed your bath?” Raphael gave her a smile, yet there was something predatory in34

it.35

A shiver of fear went down her spine.36

“I did, thank you” she looked into his eyes and felt her fears disappear staring at the eyes. They seemed37

to grow darker, turning black, pulling her in. Despite her fear, she smiled. 38

“Shall we have dinner?” 39

“We shall.”40

They walked to the dinning table and Raphael pulled out a chair for her before sitting on his seat. 41

The food arrived moments later, plates filled meat, potatoes, cabbage and carrots were placed on the 42

table.43

Raphael’s Herald appeared silently by her-side.44

“Milord I have word from the town apparently your rescue of Mrs. Wulf last night has not gone 45

unnoticed. The Captain of the Watch stopped and begun questing me about the…” He turned to Samantha as if was noticing her for the first time. “Incident” he finished rather lamely. He shot a look46

to Raphael before turning back to Samantha. “I’m sorry for interrupting your meal, this matter can wait till after your dinner.” He bowed to Raphael and left.47

“I’m sorry about that.” Raphael said, “Now how about some wine?”48

“Eh. Yes, please that would be lovely” He gave her another smile and despite herself she started to colour. 49

“White or red?” the smile faded from his face as quickly as it came leaving his feathers incredibly cold looking.50

“White pleases.” Raphael clapped his hands and a servant came out with two glasses, one of white wine the other a deep red. The servant placed the glass of white next to Samantha and the 51

red beside Raphael before retreating out of the room with a bow. 52

They ate in silence, the food was beautifully cooked and the wine was of a very good vintage. The only strange thing about any of it was that Raphael ate only meat and drank an extraordinary amount of53

wine. When they were done, Raphael led her out of the dinning room to the library.54

The library was a huge room. Selves climbed the walls like ladders. Rows of great books leather and yellowing scrolls. There was a strong musty scent in the air, the scent of decay. The amount of books in the collection would make any scholar become overwhelmed with awe. Samantha couldn't read, but knew it was a lot of books.55

“Have you read all of these?” Samantha asked.56

“Most, I have a lot free time, I have… problems sleeping.” Raphael said. His face was flushed but besides that, the wine didn’t seem to be affecting him. “Do you read Samantha?”57

“My family didn’t see the point in teaching me. I was the only daughter so I was arranged to marry after my fourth birthday/.” 58

He just nodded. “I need to go and talk to Ahahesp.”59

“Who?”60

He paused. “My Herald. Good night Samantha.” He turned and left the library.61

“Guess I’ll go to bed then.” she murmured to herself unhappy with Raphael’s abandoning her.62

She left the library and went up to her room, stopping to admire the carvings in the wood. 63

The sun had already set and there was a chill in the room. She quickly took off her dress and slipped 64

under the blanket. 65

In her dream, total blackness enveloped her. A voice asked questions. The voice was 66

wet and raspy. She could see the words form before here straggly and poorly written, inky and dark. 67

“Do you wish for Revenge on the man who tried to kill you?” 68

“Revenge? On who?”69

“On your husband. On the Man who would have let his thugs ravage you over and over. On Wulf.”70

“Why would I? I am a good wife. I have never done anything to upset him before.”71

“Do you wish for revenge?”72

“I don’t, I love my husband.”73

“So be it.”74

In her dream an unimaginably old voice laughed.75

The dream changed all of a sudden she was following a huge bat winged figure’s flight 76

through the air. She could see other figures similar to this one in the distance. 77

She couldn’t make out any features of the figure in the darkness of the moonless night but She could tell he was huge.78

The Figure plummeted through the air towards a large building she recognized was 79

her home. Wulf’s mansion. She could see a small shape grow rapidly in the distance. 80

It was a man, one of Wulf guards on a patrol. The scene changed to flames consuming her home, corpses of people who she had know and had served her for years. 81

It changed again, this time a huge man with blond hair covering his face and multicolored wings 82

at his back. In one massive hand he held the unconscious form of Wulf by his collar. In83

the background strange shapes were silhouetted by the fire.84

Samantha woke up in a cold sweat. Disturbed by her dream, she let out a scream. A few moments later the sound of running feet moved through the hall and the door swung open. Raphael barged in, a wicked looking long sword in one hand. “What’s wrong? Why were you screaming?” A shadow of fear showed in his eyes.85

“I’m sorry. I... I... I had a bad dream.” She said lamely. 86

He let out a sigh of relief and sat at the end of her bed, letting the sword blade lower and rest on the floor. “I’m glad to hear it’s not something more serious.” He paused and looked at her. “You should go back to sleep, you’ve been through a lot lately.” he got up from the bed and moved towards the door.87

“Please don’t go.” She didn’t want to be alone and wanted to find out what would have been “more serious”.88

He looked back and smiled then. He had wanted her to say that. Her anger faltered even before it could rise staring at that smile and looking into his eyes.89

The eyes grew darker and seemed to pull her in. She lost control of herself, her consciousness fading. Raphael was walking towards her; he bent down and lifted the blanket from her. She was completely numb. He bent over her and kissed her on the mouth90