I slipped down the hall as silently as I could. Andreas didn’t need to know where I was planning on going. In fact, the less he knew, the better. Breakfast hadn’t been an option that morning; my nerves were running too wild. I was nervous, but excited. The anticipation almost seemed to thrill me more than the actual event. My spirit hadn’t been crushed after all.

The door clicked behind me and I was able to take in a breath of fresh air. It smelled like winter outside and for the first time in a long while, that thought inspired me. I made my way over to the town, slowly at first, and then faster the further I got from the manor.

People were rushing through the town market that was as busy, if not busier, than it had been the previous day. A smile lit my face as I took in the comforting sight. Aromas of all kinds of food drifted to my nostrils as I strolled through the market. My stomach rumbled, but I knew the promise of food was imminent; I would eat with a nice man today.

I knew I was getting close to my destination when young Izzy ran up to me with open arms. She threw them around me affectionately and for a moment I was stunned. Had this girl already grown accustomed to me after knowing me for only such a short time? It warmed my heart to know that I could still attract good people to me and that I hadn’t been cursed as a danger magnet. Lana, today you will not think of Andreas… I warned myself. Today was about forgetting Andreas and the effect he had on me.

“Lana, you made it! I mean, I knew you would… but there was still a part of me that wasn’t sure,” she said, her words almost speeding past her. She leaned closer to me and whispered conspiratorially, “I mean, Elijah rarely goes on dates.” At that moment Elijah stepped into view.

“I heard that, Izzy. Don’t you have some play mate to go to?” Izzy rolled her blue eyes and stuck her tongue out to him.

“I’m not a little kid anymore okay,” she replied stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. Her lips were pouted, very child-like. I couldn’t help but be amused by her.

Elijah ruffled her blond hair and she became irate and ready to strike, her hair the Holy Grail she needed to protect. “Thirteen is still little,” he told her affectionately and turned his attention to me. “Shall we go?”

I nodded, a faint blush on my cheeks. How I would be able to go back to Andreas’ house and deal with him after spending the day with such a sweet man was beyond me. Izzy waved to us with an energy that normal people, even thirteen year olds, shouldn’t possess. Elijah started leading the way and waved back at Izzy absent-mindedly. I followed him.

We hadn’t walked for long before we exited the town market on the other side. We climbed up a small set of stairs and reached the town square. It was strangely empty.

“This time of day everyone is either at home having lunch with their families or out roaming the market for good deals. We have the place to ourselves,” he provided in a cheery voice.

“That’s nice,” I said in reply, unsure of what else to say.

He motioned for me to sit down on the ledge of the water fountain in the center of the courtyard and I complied. After joining me, he pulled out two warm loaves of bread, a bottle and two cups that he filled with wine from the bottle. “To meeting new people,” he said as he clinked his cup against mine.

“To meeting new people,” I replied.

Our lunch passed pleasantly, our conversation never straying from pleasantries. I caught myself laughing several times and Elijah’s eyes gleamed as he stared at me during the short, comfortable silences. He was nowhere near as enticing as Andreas had been, nor as compelling, but his company brought peace to my mind.

Looking back, that was probably when the warning alarms should’ve started, but his easygoing nature made me oblivious.

Some people started trickling into the town square as the hours passed, but no one was paying us particular attention. The sun was beginning to set and I took that as my cue to say goodbye and head back to the manor.

“Thank you for today, I really needed it,” I told Elijah as I rose to my feet.

“Anything for a beautiful lady. I probably enjoyed your company a lot more than you enjoyed mine,” he said, pulling his hand through his hair in a nervous manner. I grinned at him, eager to do this again.

“I should be heading back before it gets really dark,” I said and Elijah nodded.

“Please, allow me to walk you to your house. It’s the least I can do.”

I nodded, both because it would be nice to spend more time with Elijah and because there was a possibility that Andreas might see him and I wanted to see Andreas’ reaction. Elijah led the way until we exited the town. “Where to now?”

I pointed in the direction and took over the lead. Elijah’s eyes widened when we finally arrived at the manor. “This is my stop,” I commented dryly, a slight tone of resentment to my voice.

“You live with Andreas?”

“You know him?”

“Everyone in town does,” he stated, his face awestruck. “But we always thought he lived alone.”

“Until recently, he did. I just moved in a few weeks ago,” I replied with a shrug.

Elijah shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and nodded. I opened the door and was just about to say goodbye, when a thought occurred to me. I really should have Andreas see me with someone else. “Would you like to come inside and drink some tea before you leave?”

An unreadable emotion, one I shrugged off as excitement to see the infamous Andreas Grigoli’s house passed across his face in a flash. He nodded eagerly and followed me inside. As we walked over to the kitchen, he made no comments about the extravagant nature of the house which I found faintly alarming. Why would he not comment on the beauty of the house if he had never seen it before? The small flicker of doubt didn’t stay in my mind long, however. I was determined to believe the best in Elijah. What reason would I have to doubt his intentions?

I placed a kettle on the fire and asked Elijah if he wanted to look around. “I’d love to see the rest of this place,” he said, his eyes glimmering. As I led him through the house, I pointed at various rooms and explained their purpose to him. He appeared very interested in everything I had to say, but I suspected he was feigning it.

I shook my head to clear the thought. It must be this house, I thought to myself. It made me question everyone and everything that appeared slightly good. The house had an aura that put me on edge and I was projecting it onto Elijah. That had to be it.

We stopped when we reached my room. “And this is where I spend most of my time, my bedchambers.” Elijah glanced inside.

“Mind if I go in and take a look?”

I shrugged. “Please, feel free. I’ll go check on the tea.”