A Midnight Rose Ch. 03

Rowan cocked her head, the loose ebony tendrils of her hair tumbling over her shoulder and caressing her back. How the hell was she meant to get past that? The door looked like it could probably withstand a blast from a nuclear warhead and she found herself wondering why someone would need such security. As she stood there pondering, a harsh whirring sound echoed from the middle of the door and it grated slowly open.

Tanji squealed and instantly dropped the charts she had been perusing as she saw a very flushed looking Rowan standing sheepishly before her. She swore loudly and began to pick up the fallen paperwork. Rowan rushed forward to help her.

"What the hell are you doing wandering around?" Tanji demanded once she had regained a relative normalcy. Rowan had the good grace to look a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry Tanji. Luke just-," Rowan halted abruptly and clenched her fists slightly to keep from getting too angry again. She breathed deeply. "I would like to go home," she said firmly.

Tanji looked worried. She looked around nervously as if Rowan had just told her she wanted to murder the president. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, honey," she sighed resignedly. Rowan gritted her teeth and made to move past the doctor.

"Fine, then I will find the way out by myself," she retorted. Rowan flinched when Tanji's hand suddenly shot out and grasped her forearm painfully. Meeting the were's eyes, Rowan could see understanding there, but also reluctance. She felt guilty for being so selfish but Rowan just wanted out. She needed to be away from her vampire; the one that was slowly driving her to insanity.

"I need out Tanji," she said softly, "I can't stay here. I have a life and Luke needs to realise it doesn't just stop for him." Tanji looked like she wanted to say something but decided against it. Nodding briefly and saying nothing, she grasped Rowan's hand and pulled her along the corridor.

Rowan noticed that the décor had gone from cold and stripped bare to deep oak panels and ornate chandeliers all of a sudden. It was like she had stepped out of a sci-fi horror film and into a period drama. Huge bay windows started to appear with deep burgundy drapes, placed sporadically in the walls of this never ending hallway.

Rowan stopped harshly when she passed the first open one, tugging Tanji to an abrupt halt. The sun was still low in the sky, not quite raised to its highest height. It cast a golden hue over the landscape that Rowan could see through the huge pane of glass; it was beautiful.

A huge expanse of grass swept up to a distant line of trees. Interspersed in this blanket were quaint flowerbeds bursting with jewel-like colour. The whole effect was breathtaking, culminating in an overflowing fountain at the centre, whose spray formed the illusion of a millions sparkling rainbows in the air.

Tanji smiled at the transfixed girl. Luke had spent a huge deal on his gardens and he was exceedingly proud of them. None-the-less she coughed impatiently. "Rowan," she said gently, "I thought you were anxious to leave?" The girl looked mildly stunned, turning to look at Tanji as if she had forgotten she was there. Mentally shaking herself Rowan reverted back to her cold, efficient self.

Tanji sighed inwardly at the changes in Rowan. Watching her gaze out over the beautiful grounds of the vampire lord's mansion had given Tanji a rare glimpse of a care-free, vulnerable Rowan that cared not for the grievances of the world. The doctor felt overwhelming sadness that the young human felt she needed to hide her true-self behind layers of cast-iron stubbornness and defence.

Gesturing for Rowan to follow on, Tanji once again set off through the winding, ornate corridors of the mansion, taking routes where she knew they would not run into Luke. They passed endless doors on their journey and Rowan began to wonder if they were ever going to reach the exit. She grew uneasy with every step she took, as if her very soul wanted to rebel against her will to leave. She gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the pounding ache in her chest as her mind flashed through images of every intimate encounter between her and Luke.

Tanji suddenly stopped; her hand on the handle of the door in front of her. She turned suddenly to give Rowan a fierce look. "I do not condone you leaving," the South African said abruptly, "Luke is my dear friend and I know he will be livid with you gone. But as a woman, I understand," she sighed, "Luke can be... overbearing at times and I get your need to escape him and clear your head." She handed Rowan a set of keys. "Take my car," she said, "It's the blue Range Rover."

Rowan felt overcome with both guilt and gratitude. She knew that Tanji would bear the brunt of Luke's anger once he knew she was gone. The doctor shouldn't have helped her and yet here she was handing over the keys to Rowan's old life. Overcome with gratitude she swept up the smaller woman into a fierce embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Rowan swept out of the house into the soft sunlight of the morning. Glancing once more back to the mansion and the life she was leaving behind, she could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of sadness that both shocked and confused her. She paused for a moment, half of her wanting to run back through the door and into the vampire's arms for a another toe-curling kiss, the other half of her thinking that Luke would move on and forget she ever existed after no time at all.

A single tear escaped her eyes; sliding over the planes of her cheeks to drop to the ground. Rowan touched the damp line it had created in surprise: she was crying? With an exasperated cry she searched for the blue car Tanji had leant her. She hated how confused and vulnerable Luke made her! The sooner she got away from him, she thought, the sooner she would be able to get her head straight. With that, she was gone; all that remained in her place was a cloud of dust.

***

Tanji watched the car speed away with a deep sense of regret in her heart. She could not have kept the girl here against her will but nor was she happy that she wanted to leave.

With a heavy heart she turned away from the window and headed off to find Luke. The vampire was going to be livid.

***

Rowan wanted to cry in relief as she came into sight of her block of flats. Whilst she had only been away one night, it had felt like a life time. She pulled up outside the door to the building, and made her way slowly up to the top floor where she and her friend had lived for the past three years.

Upon reaching the door she automatically reached for her keys. "Fuck!" she exclaimed as her fingers scraped against an empty pocket and she suddenly remembered that her phone with her bag and keys were still at the bar. She was stood there, completely at loss of what to do when suddenly the door slammed open.

Rowan knew she was in for a whole world of trouble at the look on her best-friend's face. Mina Sunshine looked positively thunderous. The tiny blonde was stood in the door frame with her hands on her slender hips, looking for all the world like a teacher would look to a small child.

"Where the hell have you-," she started. Her eyes widened and her speech trailed off when she noticed the bruises and cuts that still peppered Rowan's face. "Well fuck me," she blurted, "Who the hell did you piss off?"

Rowan smiled tiredly and pushed past the small woman to get into the apartment. Flopping down onto the huge leather sofa that dominated their living space, she covered her eyes with a hand.

"Are you gunna talk," Mina said grumpily, "Or am I gunna have to drag it out of you?" The blonde flounced across the room and lounged at the other end of the sofa, her keen eyes watching Rowan intently.

To anyone else, it would have seemed that the girl was being completely insensitive but Rowan felt relaxed in the abrasive woman's presence. She knew that Mina would tell her exactly what she thought; withholding no punches. It was refreshing.

She had known Mina right through her childhood. She was Rowan's oldest friend and had coached her through every dark phase in her life. When Rowan's mother had died of cancer, Mina had rocked Rowan to sleep and wiped away the tears. When Rowan's father had attacked her, Mina had been the one to call an ambulance and staunch the blood flow; even at the tender age of nine.

In return, Rowan had helped Mina through all her ups and downs as well. Mina was a were; a very rare one at that. Upon her first shift, it had been Rowan that sat with here whist she tried to figure out how to use her new body. Turning into a huge white tiger had been a daunting task for the eighteen-year-old, especially one so used to being at the smaller end of the spectrum. Rowan had been her rock throughout the entire phase and as such, the two women had become fiercely loyal to each other. They literally could not live without each other.

With a sigh, Rowan sat up and met Mina's intense gaze. "Would it kill you to be a bit more sympathetic," she grumbled good-naturedly.

The girl shrugged. "Yes," she said simply, before beaming widely. "Love you Ro!" she exclaimed in a loud sing-song voice. Rowan grinned back before he smile slid from her face and turned into a frown.

As she recounted the events of the past night, Mina's bright expression also soured. When Rowan told her about the four vampires that had attacked her, Mina looked positively thunderous. Rowan noticed that the girl's nails lengthened slightly into claws and her brown eyes lightened to orange. As the story continued the blonde regained some control and her features returned to normal.

Rowan finished her recount and looked to Mina for her reaction. Her friend's head was cocked and she looked thoughtful.

"What?" Rowan asked. She shifted her weight slightly.

Her friend's eyes took on a wicked gleam. "If I was you, I would have stayed and fucked that Luke guy senseless." Rowan's jaw went slack before she burst into laughter. Trust Mina she thought as her sides heaved helplessly.

***

Watching the two girls laugh, a shadow shifted across the street. It smiled evilly to itself as it strode away, plans turning over and over in its head. With gentle hiss, talons and teeth extended and the glow of its eyes took on a crimson tinge.

The raven-haired human had no idea what was coming for her.

To be continued...

I know this is a short one, I'm not completely happy with it but hopefully Chapter 4 will redeem me... look out for posting on Wednesday!

mochadesire