He leans down only a little as I fearfully stare up at him. "Because you doubt me, you only intrigue me more Miss Summers." His voice is entwined with a woman's! She doesn't even sound human! I try to push him away and he snatches my jaw, glowing eyes zeroing in on mine, "Don't struggle Ivyy... there is no need for it. All is quite well. This is, after all, a show just for you–You will see!" Slowly, my mouth falls open. He looks at it and I completely freeze as he hovers his fingertips over my lips. His features show concentration and determination but his quivering hand means he is hesitant and I am losing myself under his gaze...and feel...safe? "A show just for me?" I ask. He blinks, then lifts his hands off, still straddling me, "Indeed–Only for you. Watch, Ivy–Watch." he leans over the couch and I hear a buzz noise. I recognize that right away.

He says into the intercom, "Angel, could you step in here please?"
"Yes sir."
"What's going to happen?" I ask.
"Just watch." He snickers at me.

A moment later, the door opens. I glance over and see a maid who notices my position and shoots Nick a shocked 'Why are you doing that?' look. He rolls his eyes at her, "Come closer." She hesitantly obeys him. He snatches her by the collar of her uniform and focuses on her eyes, "Angel, I'm holding this young lady against her will–What will you do to save her?" I watch how she begins to stare at him blankly, how her mouth slightly opens, and then he lets go of her and she slowly looks at me, then back to him. Her brows curve in as if she's beginning to reason something out.

She suddenly lunges forward in an attempt to yank him off me. He winks at me as she does this and then he's suddenly pulled away and pushed down to the floor with a painful sounding BOOM! I gasp as she gets on top of him and tries to take a swing at his head. Her face is blank the entire time. Why? Why is it blank? She has no emotion whatsoever within her actions!

He snatches her hand in midair and quickly leans forward and stares into her eyes. She instantly stares back and stops moving. He has a very entertained, wild look on his face. He tells her with a bit of humor tracing his voice, "I think you've made your point Angel." I flutter my lashes at all of this, unable to move a muscle. This is the most extraordinary thing I've ever seen in my life!

He releases her, she rises and calmly walks out, then he gets up and brushes himself off. Speechlessly, I watch him walk over and kneel in front of me, just a few inches from my face, and finally, I give him all of my attention. Geez, I'm completely stunned...

Taking my chin in two fingers, he tilts his head with a gentle smile, "What did you think of all that?"
"I...don't know what to think!" My response makes him chuckle quietly in that deep, dark sort of way again. I sit up more, moving closer to him, "You have to tell me how you did that! I want to try!"
"Ah ah ahh..." he shakes his head slowly, "Magicians never reveal their secrets. You should know that. But this 'trick', however, is not quite finished yet."
"What do you mean?" I ask, shocked. He holds a finger up and then presses the button on the intercom again, "Angel."
"Yes sir?"
"Come in here please."
"Yes sir."

He walks a little forward and folds his arms at me while I watch in confusion. The same door as before opens and Angel comes inside.

He smiles at her, "Angel, were you just in here?"
She eyes the room, "No...sir."
He looks up through his eyelashes at her, "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Yes I'm sure." She says, "Is there something wrong?"
"No." he shakes his head, "All is well. You may go."
"Yes sir..." she nods once at him and leaves.
He and I look at each other again.

"Ok, what was that?" I immediately ask. He smiles, "Maybe in the morning, I can give you a few hints." He offers his hand. I look up at him and carefully take it, "...Sure. Okay." He then turns his head as if he heard something. "Excuse me for a moment," he walks over to the dining room door and peers inside, "Walter." Wait, I thought Walter wasn't in there. How did he know he was?

I watch him say, "Yes, everything is alright... Tomorrow morning, we are going horseback riding. Make sure Eduard has Amelia and Stelian ready." Then I hear Walter say, "Yes sir. Will that be all?" Nick suddenly looks down with a very serious stare. It's like he's trying very hard to remember something or maybe he's scolding himself for something he forgot to do. His eyes are locked on the carpet. "Sir?" Walter says with concern. Nick twitches his head a little with a growl. He raises a hand and suddenly looks back to Walter. "Yes, that will be all for now."
"Of course...sir." Walter apprehensively says. What...the heck? I'm not sure if I should ask about that or not... It's probably not a wise idea at the moment.

Slowly, Nick turns to me with a soft expression now on his face, "Are you still hungry?"
I shake my head, "No...but I'm tired."
"Would you like to sleep in the Windsor room again?"
I quickly give a disapproving look, "No, no thank you." He behaves as if he doesn't understand my anxiety–For a second.

"I see... Then allow me to show you to another. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good." I lightly smile. Gosh I hope this will be a more peaceful room. It's sad that looks can be deceiving.

He presents his arm, "Right this way...Miss Summers." He winks at me. I love that...
He takes me out into the corridor and we turn right, headed back to the grand room.

I just can't get over what happened earlier. Nick sure has talent! But I can't tell anyone I saw that; that's his special secret no one will ever know about. We cross the grand room and head upstairs, following the right hall until we're near the end of it. Before he opens the dark door, he tells me, "This is the Bojnice room; based on the Bojnice castle in Bojnice, Slovakia."
"Oh my..."

He reaches inside for the light switch, "Please, go in and see if it pleases you."
I take a hesitant step forward, peering in at the intriguing architecture. The walls have dark-red wood halfway down; and halfway up, soft green wallpaper with fine details. Everything in here is dark red or soft green. The furniture is very square, and also, I'd say–Intricately styled. And the bed...looks absolutely amazing. It's extremely romantic; has a comfy red comforter and pearl white sheets underneath it. The two windows have red curtains as well, and they're long. All the curtains I've seen in this castle are long.

Finally, I say, "This is really magnificent..."
"Yes...indeed."

I look at him as he stands in the doorway. "You say I can sleep in here?"
He bows his head slowly as I turn my head, "Yes of course...and...if you feel uncomfortable in here, I will be nearby..." He forms an evil ear-to-ear smile.

"Wow..." I say, looking the windows, "Thank you."
"You are quite welcome."

"Well, I should get my bag." I smile at him and start for the door.
"I can bring it if you'd like." He says. I stop in my tracks. "Really?"
He nods, "If that is what you want." I look around the room for a moment, trying to make a decision. "You can go ahead and take a nice hot bath. You seem a little tense." At that, I make a puzzled face at him, "I look tense...?"
"You do, Ivy..." He slowly walks in. I look up at him curiously.

He moves around me and gently places his hands on my shoulders, "Here," Oh! They're so warm...! I take in a quiet breath, heart suddenly leaping. He starts to massage my shoulders.

"Before I go, I will tell you a little about this room." I close my eyes, now relaxing and starting to feel like melting on the spot. Wow, he is very good at this...

"This is one of the newest ones, believe it or not. It was styled like this in the late 80's. Before that, it was just a regular room; Romanian design. It was Mr. Vladoiu's son's room, I think." I feel his hands gently move up my neck. I start to bite my lip. "Now look at it..." he pauses, hands sliding back to where they were before, "Beautiful, isn't it?" I swallow slowly, "Yes, very beautiful." He slowly moves in close to my neck, looking ahead, "So beautiful that you could stand here forever, gazing at it all...yes?" I breathe in as he opens his mouth near my pulse point. And then I feel his warm lips touch there. I gasp softly, "Nick-" "Relax...Ivy," he murmurs. Sighing quietly, I let my head fall back a little and he carefully wraps his arms around my midsection, allowing me to rest my head on his left shoulder. His teeth run over my skin. The bolt of energy spikes throughout my body. "That...tickles," I breathe. "Does it feel good?" he says, hardly audible. I utter a hum. "Listen to you, Ivy...you need rest..." I hear him say with a small laugh. Momentarily, he stops and leisurely removes his hands, "You are quite relaxed now." As he walks around to face me again, I put my hand below my neck, heart fluttering.

"Enjoy your bath, and...when you are done...just use the phone. It's on the nightstand by the clock." He bows at me and calmly walks to the door. As he shuts it on his way out, he lowers his head with eyebrows rising, "I will return then..." Whoa...

I let out an anxious sigh. Wow...what just happened? Seriously, it seems time just stopped and the only thing I was paying attention to was the feeling he was giving me, which has left me wanting more. But I can't want more. I...hardly know the guy! That's not like me to be so inviting! I think I forgot what I was supposed to do next. The last thing he said was...what?

I look around and stop at the bathroom. "Right...take a bath." I roll my eyes at my stupid behavior. Hold on, he said he will be back... I have nothing but a towel to wear! My cheeks redden. I see what he did there. Well then–We'll just see about that!

In the moment I open the dark red door, a very warm and welcoming feeling washes over me. It's heavenly. This is a beautiful bathroom! Same style as the bedroom of course; lots of dark red and soft green, and the squared-off furniture (meaning the few tables, counters, chairs and other odds and ends) with very interesting detail.

I make myself comfortable right away, drawing a hot bath and dropping my clothes to the floor without a second thought. It's a little strange to me how welcoming this room feels. It's different than any of the others–Even when I was with Nick, things felt awkward. Maybe I should sleep in here instead! That's a thought that makes me smile a little.

Speaking of which, Nick said he'd be back soon...with my clothes. I look over at the door. Thinking of him, I lightly rub my neck–and blush–again. What will it be like for me when I see him again? I would probably be motionless as I look at him, and secretly be yearning for more but I am too shy to say or do anything. Yes, it'd definitely be like that.

I finish bathing, wrap a towel around my body and peek into the bedroom. Everything is so quiet. It's a little eerie. Ah, I forget that's something I should expect...

I go over to the phone on the nightstand by the bed and reach to touch the buttons but stop midway and linger over it. What's going to happen? I'll call, he'll answer, and then what? Ivy, you are being extremely paranoid. Just do it. What would Gina say? Wait, why am I even wondering that...? I shut my eyes and press 11.

"Yes Miss Summers?" My eyes fly open; I'm relieved. It's Christine. Christine! Did I actually think Nick would be there waiting for me? How ridiculous of me!

"Um, yes...I didn't bring my luggage up here with me..."
"Yes, of course Miss Summers, we know. Your belongings will be there shortly." She says.
"Thank you." I sigh with a faint smile.
"Of course."

I hang up and start pulling the blankets back on the bed. I can't wait to get some sleep. A part of me assumes something supernatural will happen during the night, but this room–It feels nice. It doesn't give the feeling of eyes watching my every move like the Windsor room did. I somewhat wish I'd brought my journal along so I can have something else to put my mind on if I can't sleep. There's a doubt that problem will happen though. I'll probably be thinking of Nick and his astounding ability to hypnotize... It's really the weirdest, most intriguing thing I've ever seen.

I hear someone knocking on the door.
Putting a small smile on my face, I secure the towel around me and go open the door, being mindful of my appearance as I slightly hide behind it. I don't see anybody out in the hall. "Hello...?" I move forward a bit and look around. I gasp. Nick! He's leaning against the wall on the left of the door completely still like a statue...staring right at me. He lowers his head in greeting. I gulp and nod back. He raises my bag, "May I put this in there for you?" I stand silently for a moment, then start backing into the room slowly. He smiles a little and follows me in. I watch him put the bag on the table, being careful not to look at me too long.

"I see you are ready for bed." He says.
"Yeah...this room is pretty nice." I quietly reply. He pauses and turns his head slightly, showing his profile. I observe him as he stares ahead of him. Why is he doing that? He's focusing on something that's not there. Could he be watching something or hearing something? Whatever is going on, I don't think he likes it.

I ask, "Why did you want to give me my bag when you have maids and a butler to do things like that?" He blinks, finally...and turns to me with a softer expression. "Well I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable in this room... Are you?" I look from left to right in thought, then nod, "Yes, I'm comfortable in here. Thanks."
He smiles, "Good to hear. I wanted to hear it from you." He raises a finger, "I will see you in the morning. Be ready. I promise you, you will have good fun. Sleep well Ivy." He walks to the door. "Wait." I say. He stops and turns his head slightly, pointing his ear in my direction.

"What were you staring at just a minute ago?" I ask. He faces me again, also raising an eyebrow in a matter-of-fact way, "Nothing in particular. A thought just came to me; something I was supposed to remember." he suddenly grimaces, shifting his head away, "Curva proastă... Știu ce face ea!" I quickly back up to the bottom of the bed. He slowly looks at me. I study him from head to toe, "Are you ok?"

He sighs and shakes his head, "The thing I was supposed to remember...I missed it."
"What was it?" I ask.
He waves a hand, "Nothing major. It was just something I wanted to do."
"Oh..." I glance away for a second. Geez, he was quite grumpy about that.
"Yes yes...I will get over it though." He begins to smile at me, "Have a good rest Ivy." He nods once and heads out the door. That was so awkward.

Once I have my teeth brushed and my nightgown on, I get into bed and automatically feel like I'm lying on a big puffy cloud. A large sigh of contentment leaves me as I shut my eyes.

I notice it's snowing outside as I stand in a closed spiral stairwell, gazing out a Gothic castle window in a long dark green Victorian dress. My hair is down, curly and nicely done with diamonds in it. I stop looking out when I feel someone is nearby. Turning to the right, I see him–my dream man–leaning against the wall with folded arms, smiling at me in a warm way. I have to return that loving expression of his.

"How long have you been there?" I ask.
He uncrosses his arms and approaches me, "Longer than you think."
"How long is that?"
He laughs at me, "A while." As I watch him take my hand and put it on his chest, he says, "I am always here...watching you, protecting you."
"...Protecting me from what?"
He looks down and whispers, "From dangers you would never imagine exist."
I furrow my eyebrows at him, "What does that mean?"
He flashes his eyes up to me, keeping his head down, "Darkness...negativity."
I fall silent, speechless and curious.

"Don't question any more of it." He says.
"But I want to know."
"If you know, you'll let them in." I get quiet again. This time it's for real.

He brushes a finger across my cheek, "You are light Ivy; shine–Shine no matter what happens."
"How can I if I don't know what you mean?"
"I won't tell you but I can protect you. And I will." I only blink up at him.That doesn't feel fair. He pulls me into a hug, "Come here my love." I rest my head below his neck and breathe in slowly, "I love you."
"I love you too, my Ivy."