I pulled myself into a sitting position with difficulty, feeling dazed, certain that I was dreaming.

"Father!" Junior's voice reached me again, sounding more distant now.

Then Vlad was there on his knees by my side holding me at arm's length, taking me in, examining me.

I yearned to touch his silky hair, his soot-covered face, brush the ashes off his torn cloak, but he held my arms so tightly I couldn't move. Then he crushed me in an embrace that knocked my breath out, making it impossible to ask any of the questions bubbling on my lips... Where? How? What's going on?

He felt too real. I wasn't dreaming.

"I thought I had lost you again," he whispered.

I giggled, undone with emotion, "Wasn't it you who got lost?"

He pulled away slightly to see in my eyes, not letting go of me. A relieved smile seemed to be struggling for dominance of other emotions on his tired face. "The fire, Samara. In your room."

What? I started struggling to my feet to see what was happening, what he was talking about.

"No, you can't go there, not now," he said, tracing the dark rings under my eyes with his thumbs, wrapping me in another bone-shattering hug and speaking in my ear. "The curtains of your bed caught fire, but nothing else burned. We came just in time. Still. Should you have been there, sleeping, you might have been hurt... or worse..." His voice trailed away.

"How?" I whispered.

"I don't know. A candle, maybe," he said, kissing me on the forehead, then letting go of me.

I missed his touch immediately and reached for his hand. Like his face and clothes, it was blackened with soot. Luckily, he didn't look hurt.

"But I didn't use a candle in there... I came here straight after my bath..."

He nodded. "We will find out. Tonight you can't sleep there." He seemed to be listening for a few moments, face turned towards the door of the library, then asked, "Do you want another room?"

"Sorry?" I asked, surprised by his question.

"It's your nurse."

It was all he managed to say before we heard a knock on the door, followed by Katerina's voice.

"Do you want me to go aw...?" I asked, suddenly unsure of how I was expected to behave, what was the proper etiquette to follow in this case. We did have separate bedrooms...

His lips were on mine before I could finish my question, soft and reassuring, growing more passionate as I responded to his touch, my hands moving on their own volition, pulling him close, not wanting to let go.

The knocking came again, making me sigh with frustration. I should have a word with my nurse.

"So..." I asked, looking in his green eyes, now blazing in the low firelight.

"No, I don't want you to go. Unless you want to," he said, running the back of his hand down my cheek, making my breath hitch. I missed him so much.

"Come in!" I called, my voice coming low and trembling.

"My lady! Are you well?" Katerina asked, approaching us. "I was so scared, should something happen to you..."

I stood up and walked closer to her, leaving Vlad by the fireplace, ignoring the cold floor under my bare feet. This was my battle to fight.

"I'm fine, Katerina, I've been here all night. I had no idea about the fire," I said, kissing the old woman on the cheek.

She nodded. "I'm glad, my lady. You can come with me now. Your new chamber is ready."

She started for the door again, expecting me to follow.

"I'm staying here, Katerina."

She stopped in her tracks, then turned around, saying, "But Clara has already carried your things over..."

"Tell Clara that I want
her to bring all the necessary things over here, especially your lady's slippers," Vlad said, coming to stand by my side, his eyes flickering momentarily to my feet. "Also, I need a bath, could you see to it?"

"As you wish, my lord," Katerina agreed after a long moment, capitulating to our joined forces, then finally left us alone.

"She is..." I said, turning to Vlad, letting him gather me in his arms.

"....a good old nurse looking out for you," he finished my sentence, pushing a lock of my unruly hair behind my ear.

"But the way she treats you..."

"I am what I am, Samara. She dislikes vampires, she will never be able to see me like you do. You are amazing. I don't deserve you, your goodness, your love so... unconditional."

"That's utter nonsense, and I hope you know it. You get exactly what you deserve," I said seriously, tangling my fingers through his hair and pulling him down for a kiss.

We were disturbed again by a few servants and maids rushing in, preparing his bath and bringing a few of my things. Shadow chose this moment to make his return, too, adding to the general confusion.

The fire in my chamber had only destroyed the curtains of my bed; the following day, I should be able to move back, a maid reported Katerina's message.

The nurse herself didn't appear anymore, but Clara did, and once everybody else had left and Vlad was getting ready for the bath, I followed her into the library, the wolf at my heels.

"Whatever happened?" I asked the girl when we were alone.

"I don't know, my lady," she said, shaking her head, her doe-like eyes wide and scared. "We were in the kitchen when one of the knights came to tell us about the fire. They had noticed the smoke coming from your chamber and got in before much damage was done. Luckily, there was still all that water in your bath..." she trailed off momentarily, lost in thought. "As we rushed upstairs, Lord Vlad and his son arrived... and you know the rest," she concluded her story.

I nodded. "But was there someone in my room who might..."

Clara shook her head. "I don't think so. I passed by to see if you needed anything before I went to dinner, but you were already in bed. After that, there was no one else, the knights hadn't seen anyone entering or leaving... It's all very strange. I'm happy that nothing happened to you, Lady Samara."

"Thank you, Clara," I said, "now go to Ioan. I know how much you missed him." I smiled at her, but she didn't return my smile.

"He is not back, my lady. I hope he will return tomorrow, Lord Vlad said so..."

"I'm sorry, Clara, I assumed that they were all back. Do you know what happened to them?" I asked, curious, nodding towards Vlad's chamber, knowing that he would not volunteer much information. As if I couldn't handle it.

"No, not really." Clara shook her head again.

"Off you go then. Try to sleep. And don't worry. If my husband told you that Ioan would be back tomorrow, then I'm sure he will. Good night, Clara."

"Good night, my lady." The girl curtseyed then started to walk away. "Maybe I should take your wolf with me tonight..." she suggested, looking at Shadow sitting at my now slippered feet.

"That would be great, if you don't mind," I said, ushering the wolf towards her, happy to see him follow the girl without hesitation. There, they can keep each other company...

I watched them disappear towards the corridor leading to my room, where I could still hear some commotion. Apparently, Katerina woke up half of the castle and made the poor maids clean at this time of the night. She was incredible.

When I entered Vlad's room again, closing the door behind me silently, he was in the bath. I had to stop by the door and lean against its cool wood for support, weakened by the unexpected flood of memories the sight had brought back, another déjà-vu.

I could see the contours of his face and arms resting on the wide rim of the wooden tub in profile, silhouetted against the glow of the lambent fire. He looked so relaxed and peaceful that I hated to disturb him.

He heard me coming in, though, and turned towards me, most of his face vanishing in the shadow.

"The girl's Captain and the rest of the men will be back in the morning. I know it was selfish of me, but I wanted to be back tonight, and they were slowing us down," he said.

I walked towards the table by the window where the maids had placed my mirror and the basin and took one of the small towels piled up next to it. Then I approached him, guided by the newly resurfaced memories.

"I'm glad you are back," I said as I knelt next to the tub. I dipped the cloth in the warm scented water and started to remove the soot off his face, watching him watching my every motion. 

"Wait," he said, taking the damp towel from me and bringing it to my own cheek, making me giggle and squirm as a few drops fell off his hand and ran down my neck, finding their way under my blanket and shirt.

I took the towel again and moved behind him, washing, then massaging the tense muscles of his shoulders, noticing for the first time a long-healed, nearly invisible silvery scar on the side of his neck, a twin of my own birthmark.

"I missed this," he murmured as he leaned forward, giving my hands more space. I missed it, too.

We didn't try to fill with words the long, elated silence that followed. It was only broken by the crackling of the fire and the susurrus of my hands moving over his wet skin sprinkled with shiny drops, disturbing the still surface of the water in the tub as they rushed down his back every time I touched them, unresisting the gravity's pull.

"You should get out before the water gets cold," I said finally.

He pulled me around for a kiss before I could stand up, his quick and sudden movement sloshing some water over the rim of the bathtub and getting the blanket that was still wrapped around my shoulders soaked.

I laughed, surprised by the unexpectedness of his action. It seemed that more than just the drapes of my bed burned down tonight. His carefully constructed wall of reason, the resolve to keep some distance between us, the decision to take me back, to return me to my other life as soon as an occasion might occur, seemed to be gone, too. Well, I was not going to complain. Definitely not.

Walking over to the fireplace, I took a couple of warm towels from a low stool and brought them over to him. Then I went back to the hearth, letting him finish his bath.

He is back, I smiled into the burning flames, heart soaring.