Chapter 32
One night of respite

"What are you talking about?" I breathed, my whole body frozen into a solid pose. No response came, and I sat in my statue impersonation as the thoughts and confusions crashed through my tired mind. The silence that had a few moments ago been a torment, now served as a pacifier to my frantic head, allowing me to arrange my crazed panics. 'How could I be a half Vampire?' I thought in a frenzy. 'My parents are both Fairies… or are they? Yes, of course they are. They have wings. They have auras. They don't have fangs. They are most certainly Fairies. The Emperors must just be mistaken.
But then again… I do have unnaturally sharp canines, and my eyes are purple, which is rare for Fairies. The sap from Amber's tree did have unusual effects on me, but that doesn't necessarily make me a Vampire… does it?'
I was so confused that the anger and frustration slowly started to boil up through me. Why hadn't anybody ever told me that I was a Vampire? What did this mean?
Then what they'd really been saying hit me.
I could pass through the wall.
The Emperors had been watching my transformation of expressions with intrigue, and as I slowly lifted my head in hope, a smile flickered across the faces of Serephina, Othenil and Adaro- Phoenix and Ravindra kept their appearance stubbornly neutral.
The Silver Dragon Emperor had returned to his seat shortly after dropping his bombshell, and he now sat perched on the edge of his chair, seemingly readying himself for action. As I met Serephina's eyes, she nodded seriously, but with a glimmer of a smile tainting her mask.
"Yes," she whispered delightedly, "you can cross the gate. You may continue your pursuit of Cloud in the next world." My mouth hung slightly agape in stunned elation, and my eyelids slowly blinking every few seconds was the only movement I made. We sat in ruminating stillness for a few minutes, and the leaders allowed me to process my thoughts in my own mind. Finally, I got my questions and emotions into a meagre arrangement, and turned hesitantly to the awaiting Emperors.
"I don't… I mean… my parents are-"
"Fairies," Othenil cut in, apparently eager to get the conversation over with. "But your Mother has distant Vampire blood, when species inter-breed the Fairy allele is usually dominant, so in some cases the Vampire gene skips many generations. However sometimes a mutation occurs and the Vampire gene becomes more significant in the creature's characteristics." I gave him a blank look, and he sighed. "Basically, your Great-great-grandfather or someone was part Vampire, it skipped all of the relatives in between you and him, resulting in you being a half-Vampire. Coincidentally, the same applies in Cloud's case." I nodded and cast my eyes down at the floor once more. A half-Vampire… wow. Then another thought came to the front of my inquisitive mind.
"Does this mean I have any special abilities?" I asked hopefully, my eyes flicking from one Emperor to the next. This time, Ravindra answered.
"Drinking blood will enhance your usual capabilities, such as strength and mental capacity, however I recommend that you stick to tree blood- that of a human or animal could be too strong, and you could become a danger to yourself as well as others." I considered his words, and frowned slightly.
"So if I was feeling particularly weak… and I were to drink some of the sap that Amber gave me, I would regain my strength." I asked slowly and deliberately, taking my time choosing the words as I thought it over.
"Yes," Ravindra replied in his thick Jamaican accent, "It has healing qualities for most beings, but for Vampires, it is particularly powerful." I bobbed my head, and pushed on to the next query.  
"How did you know about this? I mean, I know the Aelianopus can give you crude impressions of scenes and things, but surely it couldn't tell you my species?"
"Ah, but you are wrong," Adaro grinned, rejoining the conversation, "the shapes are so basic, the Aelianopus uses a colour coding system to determine one species from another- it makes the messages easier to translate. Fairies are sapphire, Vampires are gold, Mermaids crimson, Silver Dragons violet, and Angels are lime green. But your silhouette was always presented as green- and not the shade of the Angels- so we predicted you were half Fairy, half Vampire, and when you arrived and we saw your lavender eyes and pointed teeth, we knew we had been right." I smiled through the pressure of the overwhelming revelation of being a Vampire.
"That's so clever." I forced a little laugh, and the Emperors chuckled, (except Phoenix, obviously). I tried to stifle a yawn, but failed, and Serephina gracefully got to her feet, stretching her beautiful wings out behind her, and approached me with a smile.
"Come," she said, lifting me lightly to my feet, "we have given you much to think about, and doubtlessly you are tired from your long journey. You need food, water and rest. You will stay in one of our chambers tonight, for tomorrow we have much more to disclose to you, and I will not allow you to tackle any more daunting information in your condition." I reluctantly clambered to my feet, still yawning, and gave a small stretch. "Are there any last questions you wish to ask that will assist you in sleeping tonight, or are you happy to wait until tomorrow?" I considered her proposal briefly, and then answered with a grin:
"Just one, why did you make me sit on a throne?" The Emperors laughed, and Serephina's was especially tuneful. She flashed her perfect ivory teeth in a smile, and flicked her hair over her shoulder.
"We believe the ordinary Faerra citizens are the true leaders. This is merely our home, we may suggest advice and have knowledge beyond normality, but in our meetings, the visitor is superior. Well… most of us believe that anyway." She glanced furtively at the scowling Phoenix, and surprised me by bending down and sweeping up my rucksack. I smiled at the leaders and they waved, bidding me goodnight, and Quentin stepped forward from the shadows to take the bag from the Fairy Empress. When I'd thanked the Emperors, and taken my backpack from the uncomfortable looking Quentin, we quitted the perplexing room.
I was subsequently escorted to a room not far away, which I observed with gratitude, glad to be saving my limited energy. We walked at a steady pace, so as not to exert my strength, whilst not idling, and with our lips creating a perfect silence. The only sound was Quentin hard heels clipping sharply on the floor with each step, thus allowing me a precious few seconds to gather my jumbled thoughts and ideas. The butler swept briskly through a plain door on the left. I instinctively followed, and clicked the door shut behind my back. I stood still as I beheld the bedroom in which I now found myself. Considering that the Emperors' room had been so homely, I'd expected to perceive as much in the room they assigned to me, however the bedroom was much more classically regal than I'd given it credit for. A four poster bed stood, centralised, a few feet away. Light purple curtains hung delicately on either side, slightly transparent and rippling in the breeze that flowed from nowhere in particular. The bedding looked warm and welcoming, with big thick blankets tucked in neatly over the top of the padded duvet. The rest of the room was filled out with an expensive looking wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a dressing table, a full length mirror, a desk with a typewriter, and a door in the corner which, being open, I saw led to a gleaming bathroom.
Quentin turned to me with his usually formality, his hands clasped behind his back and his feet pressed together, and eyed me with a glimmer of envy.
"Make the most of this room; you shan't be staying here long. You will find everything you need in one of the storage facilities," he bristled, gesturing to the drawers and wardrobe, "I shall bring you your meal in approximately ten minutes." And with that, Quentin left, leaving me staring, dumbfounded, at the beautiful room. Opening the wardrobe, I discovered a wide choice of garments. Tops, jackets, trousers and skirts- they were all in here, and all gorgeous. I stroked each one carefully, hoping they were for me, before tearing my eyes from the wardrobe. I moved onto the chest of drawers, most of which were empty. However in the bottom one I found a slim, revealing, silky turquoise night gown, with flowers and stars embroidered up the left hip. I pulled a face, and replaced it in the draw, knowing that I had no choice but to wear it to bed that night. The little drawers down either side of the dressing table held things like hairbrushes, a hair drier and facial creams. I stopped for a moment and stared in the large oval mirror that was cemented to the back of the desk. Two heavy eyes stared straight back at me. At first, I didn't even recognise them as my own. The girl in the reflection was a stranger to me, but a vaguely familiar one. Her hair was wild and wiry, standing up in odd little strands over her scalp, and the great mass that hung down her body was bushy and tangled. The usually clear, pallid skin was flushed with red, specked with dirt and blemished by scrapes and new scars. I leant in closer to examine the strange girl, and studied the transformed eyes. They were still lavender, although more significantly so, it seemed, than they were before I learned of my Vampirism. They were small, lagging with fatigue, and faint, dark circles had started developing beneath. What I noticed most, however, was a new energy that burnt and flicked with excitement and ferocity in the irises. I smiled, retracting from the mirror, and turned to the side, lifting my top slightly to examine my stomach. I'd definitely lost quite a bit of weight, but that was to be expected. Previously, my stomach had been slightly bloated, and my hips curved precisely, but now my stomach was perfectly flat, my ribs just visible beneath my skin, and my curves had lessened. I scraped the hairbrush through my hair, with occasional yelps as the hair tugged at my scalp, and went to the bathroom for a quick shower. When I returned, wearing nothing the but the big cotton dressing-gown I'd found on a hook on the bathroom door, a shining silver trolley on wheels with a steaming-hot plate on top along with a mug and cutlery had been pushed to the end of the bed. I hurried eagerly over to it, and was delighted to discover a hot plate of macaroni cheese, with extra sauce. The mug was full of coffee, obviously, and I gulped it down thirstily. It then came to my attention that a small note had been left beneath the mug.
If you need anything else, push the bell by the door. But please try not to.
I glanced up at the little doorbell and smiled, surprised that I hadn't seen it before. I replaced the mug and note on the tray, and took the plate of macaroni cheese to the dressing table to eat. It felt wonderful being clean again- my wet hair felt soft and shiny and all of the knots had been conditioned out. I stroked my arms contentedly, pleased that they were at long last free of grime and dried skin. When I'd finished my meal, I brushed my teeth, slipped reluctantly into the night-gown, and crawled into bed. I fell asleep the minute my head hit the plump pillow, and for the first time in weeks, dreamt only of happy things.

***

Sunlight illuminated the room with great vigour the next morning, and I had to blink my eyes open, squinting against the powerful light. I was more comfortable in my king-size bed than I could remember ever being anywhere else, and I wriggled delightedly, pulling the duvet tighter around me. I sighed happily and pondered dreamily on where the sunlight was coming from as, seeing that the room was inside a cliff, there were no windows in the room, or anywhere else that I'd seen. If I listened intently enough, I could just make out the familiar squawking and cawing of the seagulls outside, and occasionally the crash of a particularly energetic or heavy wave. I kept my mind dozily drifting in and out of sleep, and thought idly about the human world, my spirits soaring each time I imagined the moment when Cloud and I were reunited. After a long while, the excitement, my longing to be with Cloud and eagerness to continue my journey got the better of me, and I tumbled out bed, wondering when I'd next have such a wonderful night's sleep. I indulged in another shower, taking longer than the previous night. When I was done, I felt absolutely fantastic, and sat at the dressing table to brush and dry my hair. I decided to try something new, and twisted the ends into ringlets using the handle of the brush, leaving the rest straight. I then skipped over to the wardrobe, and selected a pair of dark, faded skinny jeans, a blue vest top with a golden ribbon around the middle and stars and spirals embroidered up and around the seams, and a small white lace-pattern cardigan with tight sleeves that just reached the top of my ribs. When I was dressed, I pulled on some white trainers with two red stripes up the sides, and hesitantly walked over to the bell on the wall. After a long pause, I pressed it, and went to perch waiting on the bed. Quentin appeared in a matter of moments, with a look of minor irritation emblazoned across his face.
"How nice of you to join the land of the living." He laughed sarcastically, and I gave an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, I didn't realise it was so late. What time is it?" Quentin whipped his arm up before his eyes for a brief second, and then returned it behind his back.
"Eleven fifty-six am. You've missed breakfast by a long way."
"That's ok, I'm not really hungry. But it's seriously nearly noon? I only woke up like half an hour ago, are the Emperors annoyed?" I asked concernedly. Quentin shook his head.
"The Emperors have plenty of other civilians seeking advice and guidance to keep them busy in you absence. They'll be going on a lunch break in a little while, you can see them afterwards." I nodded; it sounded so strange that the Rulers of whole species' actually took set lunch breaks, and didn't just flit about doing as they pleased.
"Cool, but what shall I do until then?" Quentin shrugged in response.
"I can have the chef prepare your afternoon meal along with the Emperors' if I hurry, until then I guess you can just explore the castle. Although, don't go outside, it would be tragic to lose you so close to fulfilling your aspirations." He said the final sentence with a hint of sarcasm, and I smiled uncertainly. "I'll come and find you in about twenty minutes; lunch should be ready by then." He ended, and with that, quitted the room. I stared at the shut door, and considered leaving to explore the Palace. I really wanted to find a TV. I'd been away from civilisation for several weeks, and I had no idea of what had been happening in the rest of the world outside of the wilderness. Curiosity was also getting the better of me; I was itching to know what lurked behind all of the doors we'd passed on the way to the Emperors' room. Thinking back, that seemed like a week ago, the enormity of everything that I'd found out and meeting the Emperors was so immense that everything that had preceded it seemed so far away that my memories were nothing but hazy images in the back of my mind.
So I decided to go out into the corridors, concluding that I had few options that offered an alternative activity, and left my backpack in my room, hoping I'd have the chance to retrieve it before I left. The corridor outside my room was long, stretching out to either side, and with doors installed at frequent and precise intervals along both walls. I impulsively started left, and hesitantly tried the first door I came to. It was locked, so I tried the one opposite. It was a bedroom, much like my own but not quite as grand, at least, I liked to think so. The rest of the doors that weren't locked were the same, and by the time I reached the corner, I was beginning to regret my decision to explore. However, the first door on the next corridor revealed a large room, filled with shelves that touched the ceiling, and on the shelves, thousands of books. I stood, awestruck, in the doorway for a few moments, before taking a wary step forward onto the dark green carpet. I slowly made my way to the closest book case, and ran a finger along the spines of the worn out collection of books. I moved on to the next set, then the third, reading the titles and authors' names, and realised the books go newer as I went along. Towards the end of my little tour, my eye caught a title I recognised. It was called 'The wall'- the book Cloud's first note had fallen out of all those weeks ago. The one that cause me to set off on this journey in the first place. I flipped it open, scanned my eyes over the first page, and smiling with recognition. I carefully replaced the book between the two neighbouring novels, and subsequently left the library, glancing over my shoulder as I closed the door. The next few rooms were locked, but the forth gave with a little force. It was a gym, with a wide range of bulky pieces of equipment and exercise mats. I turned from that room with little more than a glance, my hatred for physical activity taking hold.
I was delighted to find that the next room was a lounge. It was small, with a furry carpet and a single double sofa with a coffee table set before a TV, stood on top of a glass cabinet with a SKY box and a DVD player visible from behind the transparent doors. I hurried gleefully into the room, and leapt over the back of the sofa, landing artfully in the seat. I grabbed the remote off the small wooden table, and clicked the 'ON' button. Reclining in my seat, I found a channel that was showing the news, and concentrated on the neatly presented woman on screen. Throughout the programme, I was told of political debates, crime updates, sports results, and the weather. Nothing terrifically interesting- at least, not until the final report. The presenter moved onto the story of a teenage girl from South-East England, whose sudden disappearance had roused suspicions. The girl's name was Dixie Dovelace, and she was 15 years old attending Willow High School, a comprehensive in a village known as the Birch. My home town. I recognised the girl immediately- she was one of Gloss' cronies; the small timid one I'd met after my examination. I was astonished to hear of disappearance, and my mind instantly flashed to Link. Was this his doing?
I watched the rest of the report, which featured a man with a receding hair-line stood outside my old high school in the dark holding a microphone. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of it. The reporter told the camera that Dixie had gone missing at eight pm the previous night, when she failed to turn up to meet her friends outside a local take-away. Her parents had raised the alarm the next morning, when they discovered her bed un-slept in. The camera went to the girl's parents, imploring anyone who knew anything to come forward. The programme ended after a summary from the presenter in the studio, and I clicked the TV off. I stared blankly at the wall above the screen and thought numbly about Dixie, and the possibility of Link's involvement. There was no doubting his capability to kidnap a girl of probably even lesser strength than me, what I was unsure of was his motivation. Link barely knew Dixie when I was around, but perhaps my absence had caused him to shift his interests to another unsuspecting victim. Maybe if I hadn't left when I did, he would have kidnapped me instead…
But then there was the case of Cloud's mum. Othenil had told me that she never crossed the wall, but Cloud must have been certain- at least enough so to trek all this way to find her. But he was wrong, so there was a large likelihood that she had been taken, and therefore a chance that she had fallen victim to the same culprit as Dixie. Then again perhaps Dixie had simply had enough of school or home troubles and just ran away to escape it all.
I pressed my fingers to my temples. All that thinking was making my head hurt.