Sanya

Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

- - -

It was late evening when we left Vesper's apartment.

I noticed that the tension between Aldus and Vesper increased, but I kept that to myself.

On our way out, Vesper told me that I am doing good and reminded me to practice tonight and in the morning, but to be honest, I didn't feel any different. The breathing exercises were monotonous, and I almost dozed off a few times.

Within two minutes of walking down the street, we were at the intersection where Mitch waited for us by the car.

"Is it my imagination, or did the walk back take much less compared to when we arrived?"

Aldus hummed in confirmation. "There are spells to keep intruders out." He smiled a little. "It seems that Vesper was eager for us to leave."

"You are happy about it."

Aldus chuckled. "You have no idea."

"I would like to know.", I admitted.

"What?"

"Everything.", I said boldly and when I as that his brows furrowed, I clarified: "Everything that you are willing to tell me."

His expression eased in silent approval. "Let's settle down and we can talk over dinner."

I had no objections to that. It was a long day.

…

The car stopped in a residential street, in front of a five-story building.

"I thought that we are staying in a hotel.", I shared my thoughts.

"Welcome to our home in Paris.", Aldus dispelled my doubts.

We took the elevator to the fourth floor and emerged in the hallway with two doors, one on each side.

The moment Aldus's hand touched the door handle, the hallway flashed with golden and silver runes emerging from the walls. They moved in subtle waves for a second before disappearing like they were never there.

"This was?", I asked while pointing at the now plain wall.

"Protection. Paris is full of creatures that can't be stopped by walls or modern security systems."

To my surprise, it was a massive two-level apartment that occupied half of the building (or maybe more).

The furnishings were modern with a touch of luxury.

Downstairs I saw the living room, kitchen, dining area, a study, and a few more rooms I didn't check. Upstairs were several bedrooms and a loft which faced tall windows and glass double-doors opened into a terrace.

I stepped out as possessed and my eyes didn't leave the Eiffel Tower that was lit up, and it reflected in the Seine river that was between us. The view was breathtaking. I didn't realize that we are in downtown Paris.

"This is your apartment?", I asked when Aldus stood next to me.

"The building.", Aldus responded.

Well, I was not surprised that he has his own place in Paris, but owning the whole building sounded excessive.

"Who lives on the first three floors?", I asked.

"The first floor has six apartments, two are occupied by the staff, and now Mitch is staying in the third one."

I understood that the rest is empty.

"Your bedroom is the last one to the left. Change and freshen up. Dinner is in half an hour.", Aldus told me before leaving me on my own.

My gaze moved to the Eiffel's tower and a sigh escaped my lips. Everything in front of me was enchanting and majestic, but an inexplicable sense of loneliness overwhelmed me. Oh, how I wished that Duke was here with me. He would stand behind me, and wrap his arms around me… I closed my eyes, and I swear that I could feel a firm chest pressing against my back, strong arms around my waist, and a soft breath fanned my hair at the crown of my head.

"Come back to me, Sanya… I miss you soo much...", I heard a husky voice close to my ear. It was a call of a lonely person, full of anguish which shook my heart, and my eyes snapped open.

I anxiously glanced around to confirm that I'm the only one on the terrace.

What was that? Am I going mad? Or did Vesper somehow cast a spell to make me hallucinate?

I hugged myself and rubbed my arms forcibly while trying to process what just happened. My dreams are vivid, but this was not a dream. I didn't recognize the voice or the name 'Sanya', but at that moment it felt right and I was ready to stay in that embrace forever.

Maybe those breathing exercises are impacting my brain. Should I stop doing them?

I decided to go to my room and get ready for dinner.

…

In the shower, I did my best to shake off the experience from the terrace which left me uneasy, but the more I tried to suppress it, the more it bubbled up on top. It was like pushing the helium balloon underwater, and eventually, I gave up.

I dismissed the idea that Vesper cast a spell on me because Aldus would catch that, so I was left with myself as the source of that strange phenomenon.

Was that my imagination? Or a ghost? Or… I was thinking about Duke and I wished for his presence. Is it possible that for a brief moment my wish came true? No, that is simply unbelievable. Wait! Scratch that. I need to stop saying how things are unbelievable because a few hours ago I had a seance with a witch and I met a ghoul and I know a werewolf, and this apartment is secured by glowing symbols… nothing is unbelievable anymore.

But the voice called for Sanya, and that is not me. Or is it?

I got ready as quickly as I could and went to the dining room. I found two maids setting up the table.

They were placing delicately arranged serving plates from the wheeled cart on the table and I guessed that the food was prepared elsewhere. Probably on one of the lower floors.

"Bonsoir, mademoiselle", they greeted me in unison.

I'm not an expert in French, but I knew that they are greeting me. "Bonsoir", I responded, and I knew that lessons in French are in my near future.

"It's unusual that you are ready for a meal before me. You must be hungry.", Aldus said when he entered the dining room.

Even though I don't need food to sustain myself, I am used to three meals a day. It's a habit that I wish to keep. It makes me feel more human.

The two maids finished arranging food and silently left the room.

"It's duck confit.", Aldus said when he noticed that I'm observing the food on my plate. "The sauce is sweet with a hint of tangy, but the best part is the duck. It's roasted for six hours, and the meat is very tender. It's one of those things that melts on your tongue... try it."

"Aldus…", I called, and I heard him hum in response. "Was my name Sanya?"

I saw him freeze for a moment before he asked: "Did you find that out from a dream?"

I held my breath as I realized that he just confirmed my suspicion. My name was Sanya. "No. I was awake."

He looked at me curiously. "You remembered?"

I shook my head. "It was more like daydreaming. It was right here on the terrace… I was lost in the view and…" I struggled to say more. Somehow, admitting that I longed for Duke to the point of feeling him around me was embarrassing. "I heard a voice. A male voice called me Sanya."

Aldus frowned. "A male voice? What else did he say?"

"I think it was Duke. Or at least I hope that was him.", I said quickly because Aldus looked like he was about to purge this place with fire. "I thought that it was my imagination, but now I'm not so sure. He said that he is missing me. Please, don't be upset."

Aldus lifted his hand to stop me from talking and looked at me sternly. "You don't understand, Serina. This place has ancient barriers protecting it. No one can enter without permission and all unwanted communication is blocked. For you, it might be just hearing a voice, but for me, that is an intrusion. Someone broke in."

"That's it!", I exclaimed while pushing my embarrassment away with the hope to pacify Aldus. "You said that unwanted communication is blocked but this was not unwanted! I was thinking about him. I was missing him. I wished that he was by my side, and he was. I didn't see him, but I felt his presence, his arms around me, and I knew that was him."

Aldus looked at me in disbelief for a moment and his eyes stirred with something unfathomable. "Serina, what you just described is…"

"Not normal?", I finished his sentence for him. "I know, but I know what I felt."

After a moment of hesitation, Aldus spoke: "I believe you."

I was aware that he wanted to say something else, but I was happy that he didn't call me crazy. Not at loud, at least.

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