In the morning, I woke up to an empty bed as I heard distant chirps of birds. Stretching my arms and curling my toes, I sat up straight on the bed looking around the room.
The scent of freshly made food wafted my nose and I looked towards the table to see a glass of orange juice accompanying it. I wondered where Luke had gone.
There were so many things running at the back of my head yet I couldn't pick a particular one to think about. Last night was more than eventful and surprising. Luke who was a vampire king was also the heir to hell and now that I was married to him, which made Satan my father in law in literal words.
As I thought about it, I remembered something Ace said to me before he turned to dust in the air.
He looked at me with raised brows, "I wasn't here but instead in hell all these days. Thanks to your future husband," his voice bitter with hate.
Did Luke send him to hell and torture him? Or was it Lucifer who took the matter in his own hands? Then I doubt my father in law would waste his time on it. Lucifer only cared about himself and Luke, after all, Luke carried his blood.
"Lilly!" I heard Julie's voice from the other side of the door and soon the door flung open to see a bouncing Julie with two envelopes in her hand. One was a big square sized envelope while the other was small and rectangular in shape, "These are for you."
"What's this?" I asked her to get a shrug in response. She climbed on the bed and settled in comfortably to face me.
"I don't know. It might be a present," she said brightly looking at it as though any moment a frog would leap out of it. I looked at her amused and took hold of the envelopes to open it.
Peeling the big brown envelope, I pulled out the content to find the picture of Luke and me sitting on the tree last night. It was the same photograph I had asked for the photographer to send me the previous night.
"That was quick," I murmured looking at the photograph in my hand. It was a beautiful picture and it was perfect, from the angle it was taken to the shadow of the leaves imprinting on us.
"Luke and Lilly sitting on a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G," Julie sang but soon her eyes went wide, "Tree! I need to help Pauli plant the thorny plant," Jumping down the bed she ran out of the room yelling her sibling's name.
Keeping the photograph aside, I tore the other envelope, which had no signature that had a white card with cursive writing on it.
Your answers are your keys while the questions will take you forward. Beware not to peek into another as guilt will only seep into your soul making it worse. Taking back to trails.
Riddle time! When I checked the back of it, it was blank. I frowned when I turned back to read the lines again to only find them missing.
"Lilly we have people coming over for lunch," I heard my mother say as she passed the room. Taking a last look at the card I tucked it under my bed as I asked loudly, "Who?" to my mother.
"Luke's family of course," I heard her and she came inside the room, "You're a married woman Lilly and being the king's wife you need to learn to gain the title instead of sleeping in the bed. Get ready now. Quick on your heels!" she shouted before walking out.
The late vampire king's family and Heather's family had joined us for lunch in the garden. King Albert Knight's family were as polite and old customed people I had ever come across until now. Though short in stature held elegance of high demeanor. It seemed like King Albert was the only tall one as I had seen in the paintings hung inside the palace walls.
"It's been a half a year since I last visited the human grounds. Do you miss the life back there?" asked Roseann who was Heather's only younger sister. She looked wicked with her shoulder length hair colored in a fox red streaks and a constant smirk on her lips.
"Not much actually. I have my family here and I see my friends now and then," I said taking a bite of chicken from my fork.
Rick and Sam had said they would leave tomorrow, therefore, there was still time to hang out but I didn't know how much time I would get with all these family formalities going on. Gwen was still here with Cole but I didn't see Marc since last night.
"I did hear your earthly friends came for your wedding. It so rare to get humans in and out of the supernatural realm in the fear of letting our secret out unless they are babies. You know scientist these days. You don't know when they'll stick you with all kind of needles," she remarked shaking her head.
"Yeah, that's true but I don't think all of them are like that. Just some are insanely crazy," I replied remembering the incident in Syrian with the dead crossbreeds.
"Look's like you're talking out of the experience," Roseann's eyes twinkled.
"Aunt Roseann," I heard Canrart's voice as Luke and he walked towards us. Both men leaned forward taking turns to kiss the woman's cheek, "So glad you could make it."
"Anytime for my nephew's after the wedding party," she replied with a smile on her face. When she saw her sister Heather around she excused herself leaving us three alone.
"By the way, Victor was here in the morning to take Jamien back," Canrart said picking a glass from a waiter who was walking by, "He took Dozer along with him."
"That's good," Luke replied as he unconscionably held my hand in his.
"Looks like mother is a little irritated today," Canrart commented making my head towards where Heather stood to greet people. She did look a little off with the way she smiled but didn't hide her glare when her sister spoke.
"Did something happen?" I asked them.
"I think my father visited her last night. She'll be alright, come I have something more important to talk about," Luke said pulling me from there.
"Be safe children," Canrart said with a wide smile.
Luke took me inside the castle, greeted family members on the way as we headed towards the spiral stairs that were in the corner. Reaching there he unlocked the door and pushed it open for me to see a breathtaking view of the palace ground. It was my first time coming up here. The clouds hid the afternoon sun behind it, making the weather more pleasing.
I saw Luke stand at the rails quietly looking at the wide forest to form a horizon with the blue sky and I walked forward to stand next to him. I had to hold back my hair from flying all over my face due to the wind. I wondered why Luke brought me here.
"Read this," he said raising his arm with a note in between his two fingers.
"What is it?" I asked him as I took the note from him.
"I don't understand a word from this gibberish handwriting even though I have come across the worst of worst writing this has to be given an award. Though I believe it is from Marc because of the Wolverine cross on it," he said leaning back, "Read it loud please."
"It's not so bad," I chuckled unfolding the note and began reading it, "Dear Luke and Lillian, I have been found and need to attend few matters. I'll be gone for a day or two and don't look for me at that time. PS, if I die please bury me with a wolverine style," there was a drawing next to it with a stick man with his hands crossed and lines to show the long blades. He did put in a lot of detail into it.
"It's the crossbreeds, isn't it?" I asked Luke and heard him sigh.
"Your friend seems to have run away with a bunch of crossbreeds," he commented making me frown.
"Don't put it that way. You say it as if he eloped with a girl who was about to get married," I said staring at the note, "What do we do?"
"Nothing," he replied taking the note and tearing it into bits of pieces.
"Nothing?"
"Yup, nothing," he confirmed with a yawn, "We wait for his dead body to be cremated."
"What?!"
"I was joking, my darling wife. Now that he's walked into the crossbreeds territory and is part of them, he should be smart enough to survive. And if I'm right he should be able to bring either peace between the creatures or death for treason."
I hope you are doing okay, I thought to myself.