Bastian @}-'--
Sadie sat on a bench at the airport fanning herself with a magazine. More than a half of an hour had passed since her plane had touched down in Savannah and she was more than ready to get to the house and take a nice long nap. She was spending the summer at her friend Jill’s ancestral home in Georgia; a huge white columned mountain of a house called Moss Manor stuck back on the shores of a massive swamp.
Sadie was glad for the summer holiday, glad for the distraction. Her father had passed away last year, a battle with cancer proving unsuccessful and just a few short months ago her mother had joined him. Lost to the same merciless war. Add to that her wildly demanding job as a social worker for the Cobb County Department of Children and Families and the recent ending of a not so successful relationship and Sadie was overdo for some leisure time.
“Okay, I found our luggage,” said a voice on Sadie’s left.
Sadie stood up as Jill reached her, several suitcases in tow. “I guess we can cancel that shopping spree then,” Sadie said, taking her bags.
“Ready for your vacation?” Jill asked with a smile.
Sadie nodded. “Lead on.”
The two girls left the airport, found the car Jill’s parents had left for them earlier that day, and were soon speeding off toward the manor.
“Mom said she was sorry she and dad couldn’t meet us, but they’ve had some big antique shopping trip planned for weeks now,” Jill said as they drove. “Like the house really needs more old furniture or something.”
Sadie silently watched the scenery outside the window fly by. They drove through the city, past office buildings and museums, shops, restaurants, clubs, grand southern gothic churches and cemeteries until they were bumping along a dusty, red clay road passing fields on either side.
She had never been to Savanna or Moss Manor before but Jill talked about it all the time. The house was built before the civil war by Jill’s great-great-great grandfather, who ran a cotton plantation. It was built back on the edge of a swamp for reasons which no one in Jill’s family knew. Handed down from generation to generation Jill had lived there all her life until moving to Atlanta to go to school, but she made a point to come back and visit whenever she could.
“Why’s it called Moss Manor?” Sadie asked as they turned onto another dirt road that cut a path through ancient oak trees.
“Because of all the Spanish moss that hangs on the trees surrounding it,” she said. “Original, huh?”
Five minutes later they were pulling into the driveway of Moss Manor. As far as the name went it couldn’t have been anymore appropriate; moss clung to all the trees around the house. Set back from the manor was a guest house and stables, and according to Jill, even farther back several small buildings that were slave quarters. Down a little ways from the manor a river cut a path, leading out into the swamp. A little boathouse sat against the muddy bank and a rickety dock jutted out into the river.
The house itself was every bit as grand as Sadie imagined. She had seen pictures of the outside, but the inside was just as beautiful. Gleaming oak wood floors, sweeping staircases, damask drapes that framed wall-length windows; Sadie half expected to see Scarlet O’Hara show up any minute.
Jill took her on the grand tour showing her the library and formal dining room, the ball room, the drawing room, billiard room, and every other room on the main floor. The second and third floors were bedrooms and an attic and basement rounded out the rest of the rooms.
“It’s so beautiful,” Sadie said as they sat at the counter in the kitchen. “I can’t believe you grew up here.”
“Yeah, it’s home,” Jill shrugged with a smile. “It was kind of boring when I was little. The closest neighbors were miles away and even then there was no one my age.”
The front door swung open and a voice ran out. “Girls?”
“They’re back,” Jill said, hopping off the bar stool and heading into the foyer.
Sadie followed.
After Jill’s mom made lunch, Sadie was shown to her room on the second floor. It was rather fancy but comfortable with an oak sleigh bed, armoire, and small vanity along with two big windows that let in plenty of sunlight. All together it was a very cheery place.
She put all her things away, then went back downstairs to find Jill sitting out on the big porch.
“Hey, how’s your room?” Jill asked as Sadie sat beside her.
“Gorgeous, like everything around here.”
“So, what do you want to do this summer?”
“What I’m doing right now; absolutely nothing,” she said, stretching out in the rocking chair.
“Sure for now, but that’ll get boring after the first week,” she said. “We’ll go into Savannah; the night life is awesome.”
“That’s just what I want away from,” Sadie said shaking her head. “You know I’m tired of all that stuff. I’m here to relax. I plan on sleeping late, reading, maybe doing some shopping, napping. . . .”
“And having mint juleps on the veranda?” Jill asked grinning.
“Maybe. I’ve never had one you know?”
Jill made a face. “They’re okay but I prefer green apple martinis. So anyway, I know you’re looking to get away from it all but . . . mom’s having a party tomorrow night.”
“Oh?”
“It’s not a big deal, she does it every year at the beginning of summer. It’s just a bunch of middle aged people in fancy clothes, eating little sandwiches and talking about the best way to preserve Venetian glass or something.”
“A real rave, huh?” Sadie said.
“But I always liked them when I was little. I got to dress up and everyone always told me what a pretty little girl I was,” she said with a smile.
“I think I can manage that level of chaos. For one night anyway.”
Sadie spent the rest of the day hanging around the house. Jill’s parents told stories about the manor and the plantation and as the evening got later the stories got darker. People used to disappear in the swamp all the time and were never heard from again. Slaves used to run off, Union soldiers would hide in it and vanish without a trace. Jill had always been warned to stick clear of it.
“Oh it can be beautiful,” Jill’s dad said, sitting in a rocker on the porch, drinking iced tea. “No doubt about that. Some of the loveliest trees you’re likely to ever see grow in there. The way the sun glints off the water . . . it almost lulls you into a false sense of security. But it’s a dangerous place. All manor of snakes and alligators, mosquitoes big enough to carry you off, quick sand, tangles of vines everywhere. Yes, it’s best to stay out of there.”
“We’re not nine dad,” Jill said.
“I don’t care how old you are,” he said. “It’s dangerous.”
Sadie looked out toward the river, squinting to see in the dark. She could make out the edge of the swamp, the tall trees swaying in the light breeze. It seemed a fascinating place and Sadie had always been inquisitive. Growing up in Atlanta didn’t give her much of a chance to run around outside and climb trees. Was twenty-three too old to want to play in the swamp?
Sadie spent the next day doing absolutely nothing. She slept in, had a late brunch with Jill out in the gazebo, read in the garden room, and played with the Carter’s Skye Terrier. It was a sweet little gray and white dog that scurried back and forth chasing after its ball.
Sadie offered to help Mrs. Carter with the party arrangements but she assured her everything was already taken care of.
“The caterer will be here soon and all you’ll have to do is look pretty for tonight,” Mrs. Carter gushed. “Not that that’ll take any work at all.”
Sadie blushed. “I’m no Junior Miss Savannah,” she said.
“Neither was Jill, almost,” Mrs. Carter said, pulling a pie out of the oven. “Her father and I didn’t want her entering in that silly thing but she said she could win a scholarship. And she did!”
“Mmm, what’s that smell?” Jill asked, coming into the kitchen.
“Mr. Prescott’s pie,” Mrs. Carter said.
“Oh, right,” Jill said, taking a seat at the bar next to Sadie. “Mr. Prescott’s about eighty-five and owns a couple of peach orchards. His wife died a few years ago and ever since mom and dad help him out with little things. We get free peaches and mom’s always making him pies.”
“So, how’s Rick?” Mrs. Carter asked. “You were on the phone with him forever.”
Rick, Jill’s fiancé, was a building engineer in Atlanta and was working on a new apartment building that was worth millions. They were high school sweethearts and had been together forever it seemed, so Jill always said. He was trying to wrangle some free time so he could join them in Savannah, but so far he hadn’t been able to.
“He’s fine, busy as always. He thinks maybe he can come down next week, but only for a few days.”
“You know, I was just talking to Ruby the other day and she doesn’t like that new job of his. Says she hardly ever talks to her son nowadays and never sees him.”
“Mom, this is an amazing job. Rick’s never been so happy.”
“What about you dear?” Mrs. Carter said to Sadie. “Seeing anyone special?”
Sadie shook her head. “I’m afraid I haven’t found my Rick yet.”
“Well, you’ve got plenty of time. Who knows, you might even meet someone this summer.”
“I’m not exactly looking,” Sadie said. “I just . . . got out of a relationship actually.”
“Oh, I understand, you want a little “me” time?”
“That’s it,” Sadie said nodding.
“Well, girls, I’d love to sit here all day, but I’ve a million things to do!” Mrs. Carter said, quickly getting up from the table.
“Us too,” Jill said, standing up.
“We do?” Sadie asked, joining her friend.
“I made an appointment for us to get manicures,” Jill said. “This salon in town just opened up and I thought today would be a good day to try it out.”
“That sounds like fun,” Mrs. Carter said, taking off her apron and hanging it over the oven handle. “But remember, the party starts at seven.”
“Let me just run upstairs and grab my purse,” Sadie said, heading for the foyer.
“How’s she doing?” Mrs. Carter asked once Sadie had left.
“She’s putting on a happy face, but I don’t know.”
“Loosing both parents like that, I can’t imagine. Let’s try to make this a really special summer for her.”
When Sadie came back downstairs they took off for town, where they spent the rest of the afternoon. After getting their nails done, they had lunch and shopped, going in boutique after boutique. Jill bought a new dress for the party, something straight from Milan and way out of Sadie’s budget. Nevertheless, it didn’t hurt to look and Sadie had a nice time doing so.
When they got back it was almost six and both girls, amidst good-natured reprimands from Mrs. Carter, ran to their rooms to dress.
Sadie pulled a calf-length black dress from her closet, the only fancy dress she had brought for a “just in case” occasion. She slipped it on then stood in front of the full length oval mirror.
The dress was pretty and fancy enough, but a little plain. Or maybe it was just the girl wearing it. Sadie frowned at her reflection. She was pretty, maybe, but she certainly didn’t have Jill’s beauty queen looks. Her hair was boring, almost to her back and a mix of red and brown with red slightly in the lead. Her eyes were a plain hazel that always made her think of soured milk. All of her other features were just average; she was thin and not too tall or too short, her cheekbones were neither pronounced nor invisible, and she could take or leave her nose. Even her contacts were regular old clear contacts. She was the living, breathing definition of a “Plain Jane.”
Not like Jill, who had volumes of wavy, bouncy chocolate hair, blues eyes that made sapphires pale in comparison, mile long legs, prefect lips, and more muscle tone than the Terminator. She led a charmed life indeed. Not only was she beautiful, but she had a well paying job, a gorgeous boyfriend, and an incredible apartment. Not to mention two healthy parents.
But Sadie begrudged her friend nothing. She was happy for her. Now only if she could find a way to be happy with herself.
She ran her fingers through her straight hair and sighed, still looking in the mirror. Maybe the party would be fun.
About a hundred people, all dressed in their summer best, milled about downstairs. Most everyone was a friend or acquaintance of the Carter’s and it was just as Jill said. Talk of damask and floor veneer, charity auctions and fund raisers for various causes could be heard in every corner. Doctors, lawyers, and politicians all with their society wives chatted, danced, and ate pâté. It was a decidedly decadent scene with Savannah’s finest people all reveling in one of her finest mansions. Sadie was most definitely out of place.
“You’re not circulating,” Jill said, coming over to Sadie and handing her a glass of champagne.
“I see you are,” she said, taking it.
“I have to, I know everybody.”
“It sure is nice,” Sadie said, gesturing around with her hand. “Fancy.”
“It’s okay,” Jill said, taking a sip from her flute. “Mom didn’t go all out this year?”
“This isn’t all out?” Sadie asked in amazement.
Jill shook her head. “Usually there’s an orchestra and ice sculptures and more people.”
“Sometimes we’d have a Christmas party,” Sadie said.
“What were those like?” Jill asked.
“Well, uh, mom would make punch and everyone would bring something they made. Usually just family came . . . we used plastic cups. Forget I mentioned anything,” Sadie said with a smile.
“It sounds so charming,” Jill said. “Fun and nice without all this frou-frou stuff.”
“You love the frou-frou stuff,” Sadie said with a smirk.
“Yeah, I do,” Jill smiled, “but I think it would be fun to go low key once in a while. But I see dad signaling to me, I’ll see you later. Get something to eat okay?”
“I will, have fun.”
Jill took off and Sadie stood there with her drink. She was so different than her friend. Jill was used to fancy parties and swarms of people; Sadie wasn’t. To be honest, she’d become something of a recluse ever since her mother died. It was silly of course, but she couldn’t help thinking that the less people she knew, the less she’d lose.
The heat inside the ballroom rose as more people arrived. Even with the air conditioning, it was still stifling. People were everywhere, seeming to press in on all sides and Sadie was beginning to feel sick.
She sat her drink down and made her way through the throng of people and to the front doors, stepping out into the refreshingly cool night air.
It was something after nine and Savannah had cooled off pleasantly. Sadie walked down from the house, inhaling the sweet scent of jasmine and magnolia that flourished about the place. She found herself walking down toward the boathouse, in a desperate rush to get away from everyone . . . everything.
She walked out into the little dock, making it sway in the pitch dark water. Sitting down, she slipped her shoes off and let her feet barely dangle over into the river. Frogs and crickets croaked and chirped and the river churned by, but other than that, the night was still. Sadie couldn’t even hear the sounds from the party.
This was what she was after. Peace and . . . almost quiet. Sitting out on a dock while frogs sang and a crescent moon hung in the starry sky, with the scent of flowers wafting by. It was perfection.
Her eyes wandered around the dark landscape. The swamp was just on the other side of the river, less than twenty feet away. She was still very curious about it and all the secrets it held. She stretched her neck out, trying to see as much as she could, when something caught her eyes.
There was a light out in the swamp.
Sitting back she couldn’t see it, but if she leaned to the right and extended her neck out, she could just make it out through the trees. What was it? According to Jill and her parents, the swamp went on for miles. There was nothing on the other side. It was just swamp! So why was there a light shining? Was someone in there? No, it didn’t bob up and down like a flashlight would, it was motionless. Sadie wondered about it, her curiosity about the swamp increasing.
After a breakfast of pancakes and syrup with fresh peaches, Sadie and Jill got ready to go back into town. While yesterday was to mostly show Sadie around, today was for serious shopping.
“Oh, I meant to ask you,” Sadie said to Jill as they pulled into a parking spot at the mall, “last night I went out for some fresh air and I walked down to the dock. I saw a light coming from in the swamp.”
“I forgot about him,” Jill said, as they exited the car and started for the mall.
“Who?” Sadie asked.
“Bastian Harcourt,” Jill said with a smile. “He lives over there.”
“He lives in the swamp?”
“There’s a house, a big gothic thing that was built even before ours. It’s not too deep in, but it’s pretty out of the way. Sometimes if you’re standing in the right place you can see lights at night.”
“Is he like, a swamp hermit?” Sadie asked with a chuckle.
“Not exactly. He moved in sometime last year, I’ve only seen him a few times. I don’t really know anything about him except that he’s from Europe and he’s a little bit beyond gorgeous.”
“Young, old, what?” Sadie asked.
“I don’t really know,” Jill said thinking. “I mean, he’s not old. Late twentys I’d guess. Maybe early thirties.”
“Is there a road that goes to the house?”
Jill shook her head. “There was, back when it was first built, but it got washed away a long time ago. He has a little boat and we let him use the dock. Every now and then mom sees him. Always at night though,” she said as an after thought. “I don’t think he likes to bother us.”
That night, Jill excused herself to call Rick, and Sadie decided to go for a walk outside. She wandered through the garden, marveling at all the different flowers, each sending out a delightful perfume for the breeze to waft about. She walked past a birdbath and grape arbors and kept walking until she found herself on the little pathway to the dock. She realized how much she liked sitting out there and thought she’d be doing it quite often this summer.
But as she neared the water, she saw a figure approaching from the boat house. Was it Mr. Carter? No, he had been in the sitting room with Mrs. Carter. Sadie froze as the dark shape moved closer. Should she turn and run?
The shadowy outline stepped closer and Sadie could see him clearly now. A small gasped escaped her lips. The man in front of her was tall and broad shouldered, but thin, he had a mane of black hair that almost reached his shoulders and slightly curled up at the bottom, his eyes were the darkest blue Sadie had ever seen, almost as dark as his hair. He had black slacks on and a white button up long-sleeved shirt. His skin was very pale and seemed iridescent in the ghostly moonlight.
He stopped when he saw her, his eyes catching hers and Sadie had to look away.
“Hi,” she said, nervously. “I’m Sadie, Sadie Burke, I’m staying with Jill.”
The man’s lips barely turned up in a polite smile. “I am Bastian Harcourt. I live on the other side of the river.”
He had an accent, and it was definitely European, but Sadie couldn’t figure out from where exactly. As for his age, she wasn’t quite sure of that either. Jill’s guess was as good as she could do. “Well,” she said, her eyes looking down, “it was nice to meet you.”
“How long are you staying with the Carters?”
“The summer,” she said, looking everywhere but his eyes. They seemed to reach out and grab her and if she allowed herself to stare into them she was afraid the dark blue would consume her completely.
“I will see you again,” he said and took off for the main road.
It wasn’t a question.
“How many more months before I retire?” Mr. Carter asked as he chugged his coffee the next morning.
“How many months are in five years?” Mrs. Carter asked.
“Too many,” he said, sitting his cup down and grabbing his briefcase. “I’ll be back late tomorrow,” he said, kissing Mrs. Carter on the cheek and saying a quick goodbye to the girls who were eating breakfast. He had business in Atlanta and would be staying the night.
“Don’t let him fool you,” Mrs. Carter said, “he loves his job.”
“Oh I know,” Jill said as she pushed away her plate of half-eaten eggs. “Do you want to go into town today?” she asked Sadie.
Sadie shook her head. “I think I’m going to take a walk, I kind of feel like just wondering around aimlessly for a while.”
“Okay,” Jill said. She waited for her mom to leave before asking, “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” Sadie sighed. “I thought I was, but . . .”
“Are you sure you want to be alone?” Jill asked.
“Yeah, I think I just need time to reflect, or think, or whatever,” she said with a little smile.
“Well, that’s what this trip’s all about,” Jill said, standing up. “Take as much time as you need.”
Sadie couldn’t help but feeling rude later in the day as she turned down yet another invitation from Jill. This time it was to travel over a hundred and fifty miles for a watermelon festival she and her mother went to every year.
Sadie didn’t mean to be rude and Jill seemed to understand, but she still felt bad. She spent much of the day outside; sitting in the garden, walking along the dirt road to the old cotton fields, weaving in-between the old oaks that crowded around the edge of the estate. It wasn’t until late afternoon that she wandered down to the old dock and sat, staring out toward the swamp.
She sat down, letting her feet barely swing over the side so as not to get her shoes wet. The day was hot, with an occasional breeze blowing up from the river, but Sadie always liked warm weather. It was probably cool and shady in the swamp.
She hadn’t told Jill about meeting Bastian. For some reason she didn’t want to. He was definitely mysterious, maybe even a little strange. The way his eyes shown in the moonlight was almost eerie, like he was ethereal. Jill’s description of him as being “a little bit beyond gorgeous” was completely accurate, and yet, not right at all. He was attractive, certainly, but his looks were . . . so much more than that. He had a beauty to him Sadie had never quite seen in a man before.
She stood up and brushed her shorts off, turning and heading for the boat house. Maybe it was a bit foolish to go off in the swamp when she was all alone but it seemed the best time to Sadie. She wouldn’t stay too long, she just wanted a glimpse of the vast thing. Why was it so enticing? As Jill pointed out, they weren’t children, what was the big deal? Sadie was drawn there for some reason.
The rowboat wasn’t very big, only two people could fit comfortably in it, but it was sturdy enough. Sadie oared herself out to the middle of the peaceful river, wondering how deep it was. From the looks of it, not very. It was reasonably clear and she could see the rocky bottom fairly well. She rowed on to the dock on the other side and gently climbed out, leaving the oars in the boat. Efficiently she tied it up, then walked across the dock and out onto the grass at the edge of the swamp.
A little path led into the dense thicket and as Sadie walked on, it became distinctly cooler. And darker. The soil under her was damp, but not muddy. Pools of water and streams covered the ground, snaking around massive, twisted tree roots and gnarled bushes. Vines and Spanish moss hung everywhere like sticky cobwebs in an old castle. Dragonflies buzzed by and a frog hopped across a lily pad. The whole placed smell of damp earth, but it wasn’t unpleasant at all.
Sadie meandered this way and that way, through thick brush, over an old log, she hopped over pools of murky water, past brambles and briers, and ancient trees until she came to a little clearing.
A creek ambled by, its shallow banks grassy and dry; the perfect place for Sadie to sit.
She’d been walking for some time and hadn’t notice the sky turning increasingly darker by the minute. Sinister storm clouds began to crowd the sky and thunder rumbled in the distance. Her ears perking up, Sadie looked around; the path was to the right of her, wasn’t it?
A cool breeze blew, ruffling the low hanging branches and stirring the scraggily moss.
The frogs had stopped croaking and no birds tweeted.
As Sadie looked around, the swamp began to look a little less peaceful and a little more spooky.
The sky got dimmer and the burgeoning wind made dark shadows dance all around.
“Time to go,” Sadie said to herself. She stood up and turned right, searching for the little path that led back to the dock.
Raindrops began to fall.
“Oh no,” Sadie said, “no no no!” She began jogging as the rain increased. Maybe the path was the other way? Or should she keep going straight? Not only was the storm making it darker, but Sadie had been gone longer than she thought and night was falling.
She ran past a tree with giant roots snaking up from the ground, took a right, then when straight, then right again until she found herself back at the little creek with the grassy bank.
“Damn!” she muttered, as she realized she was going in circles. Lightening streaked across the sky and another boom of thunder shook the ground. What was she going to do? What if she tripped over an alligator or a snake fell from a tree branch and wrapped its slimy body around her neck? No one would find her. No one knew where she was. No one was even at home! Oh what was she going to do?! Just stand there in the rain and let herself get eaten by something? Panic and fear clouded her brain. She was lost and she couldn’t find the path back.
“Sadie?” a voice rang out from somewhere behind her.
Sadie whipped her head around, her eyes scanning the growing darkness for whoever had called out her name. Making his way toward her with an umbrella was Bastian Harcourt.
Standing in the foyer of Bastion’s monolithic mansion, Sadie shivered while he lit candles. The storm had knocked out the power.
“What were you doing out there?” Sadie asked, looking around. It was very dark, but she could see the house was as fancy and stately as Jill’s, but older and a bit more rundown. It didn’t have the southern charm either. The mighty staircase was of dark wood and the carpet that lined it was a deep red.
“I had stepped out before the storm started and then I heard you,” he said, lighting more candles.
“You heard me?” she asked.
Bastian turned to her, holding a single candle in his hand. “The bathroom is this way, if you’d like to dry off.”
“Thanks,” Sadie said, following him down the hall.
“There are towels in the closet,” he said when they reached the door, “and a fresh robe if you wish to use it.”
“Thanks,” Sadie said again. She wasn’t really sure what else to say.
“If you need anything else please let me know.” he asked.
Sadie nodded, determined not to say ‘thanks’ again. She smiled, her eyes meeting his. He turned to walk away but she stopped him. “Do you need the candle?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I will manage.”
Sadie slipped in the dark bathroom and shut the door.
This was unexpected, she thought as she peeled away her wet clothing. She was a little nervous, being in a strange, dark house with someone she didn’t know at all, but Bastian seemed perfectly nice. He certainly was perfect to look at.
She quickly dried off and slipped the robe on, then did her best to dry her wet hair.
Bastian was waiting for her in the foyer, another candle in his hand. “Would you like to sit for a while?” he asked her.
“Sure,” she said with a shy smile. “Thank you.”
Bastian led her into a sitting room full of fancy, uncomfortable looking furniture. Everything had about an inch of dust on it.
“Forgive me, but I don’t use this room much. I’m afraid I don’t get company often.”
“It’s fine,” Sadie said, sitting on the couch. “Where are you from?”
“I sometimes forget,” he said, an odd look on his face. “I travel so much. Europe has been my home for many years.”
“I’ve never been,” Sadie said.
“There is no part that is not beautiful.”
“What made you come to Savannah?” she asked.
“I’m not really sure. I suppose I was attracted to the swamp. How it is so beautiful and deadly, all at the same time.”
“That’s a good way of describing it.”
“How long have you been friends with the Carter’s daughter?”
“We met when we were freshmen in college. I’m from Atlanta.”
Bastian asked question after question and Sadie found herself eager to answer. She talked about her job and spending the summer with Jill, and even about growing up in Atlanta. They talked well into the night, Sadie surprised at how easy he was to open up to. At first look he was more than a little intimidating, but he spoke so eloquently and his voice was so melodious that it was hard not to keep him talking.
The hour got later though and Sadie did her best to suppress a yawn, but it didn’t work.
Bastian smiled his little polite smile. “Yes, it is getting late, isn’t it?”
Sadie blushed. “I’m just not used to staying up.”
“Than I shall show you to your room,” he said, standing.
“My room?” Sadie asked, joining him.
“The storm has not let up, I’m afraid it is too rough to walk back.”
“Oh,” she said, somewhat alarmed. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean-”
“Think nothing of it,” he said, cutting her off. “This way,” he said, taking the candle and leading her to the staircase.
“I appreciate this,” Sadie said, walking behind him. “It’s very generous of you, letting a complete stranger in your house.”
“You’re not a stranger anymore,” he said, turning to her as they reached the upstairs landing.
Sadie smiled. Being around him made her incredibly nervous. And yet there was something so familiar about him, about the odd sensation she felt when she looked in his eyes.
“Here we are,” he said as they came to a heavy wooden door at the end of the hallway. He opened the door and gave Sadie the candle.
“Thank you,” she said.
“You will find more candles inside. I regret I must be away all day tomorrow, but please feel free to make yourself at home.”
“Well, thank you again,” she said with a nervous smile.
“Sleep well,” he said, then turned and left.
Sadie shut and locked the door. He was nice and very charming, but she wasn’t stupid.
As he said, there were more candles scattered around the room. Candelabras, wall sconces; the room wouldn’t even need electricity.
She surveyed the room as she climbed into the big four-poster bed.
It was huge. From what she could see in the dim light it had all the trappings of a normal bedroom; a bed, an armoire, chest, chaise and footstool. Curiously though there were no windows, nor was there a dressing table with a mirror. That was just as well because Sadie didn’t even want to think about what she looked like.
She blew the candle out and sat it on the table beside the bed. It had certainly been an adventurous day, she thought as she closed her eyes.
Sadie couldn’t remember ever sleeping better, especially not since her mother had passed away. It was odd, sleeping so well in a strange, unfamiliar place. She had slept so well in fact, she didn’t want to get out of bed. She felt groggy and weak and a few more hours of sleep sounded like a perfect idea. But no, she was already awake, it would be best to get up and get back to Jill’s. She hurried downstairs to the bathroom to find her clothes all nice and dry, albeit a little stiff. She dressed and made her way into the setting room. Bastian said he would be gone all day, but Sadie just wanted to make sure.
She walked back into the foyer, about to leave, when she quickly stopped. “Hello?” she called out, turning around. It felt as if someone were there with her. Odd. Looking around, she realized how creepy the place was. She couldn’t tell by the candle light, but by the light of day she could make things out.
Dust and cobwebs littered the cavernous room.
Oh well, what man liked to clean? She opened the door and was about to step outside when the grandfather clock chimed.
Sadie started in surprise. Not from the bonging, but because it had only gone off once. One o’clock! How could she have slept so late?, she wondered as she hurried down the path to the dock.
When Sadie got back to the house Jill wasn’t home, so she headed for her room for a nap. She was just too tired to do anything else, and that’s where Jill found her when she got back several hours later. Sadie got up and they had dinner, all the while Jill going on and on about how wonderful Rick’s job was turning out to be. Big deal, Sadie thought. He wasn’t even the head of the project and she was making him out to be Donald Trump or something.
She quickly excused herself from the table and went outside, slowly walking down toward the dock. Where had that thought about Rick come from? He worked hard at what he did and deserved all the credit he got. And why had she been so tired? Maybe she was coming down with something. Maybe this trip wasn’t such a good idea after all.
As she neared the river she saw a shape walking toward her and was delighted to see that it was Bastian.
“Hi,” she said with a smile.
“Sadie,” he said, “how are you?”
“Very well, thank you. Actually, I’ve been kind of sluggish all day but now I feel great.”
Bastian smiled his polite little smile. “Good.”
“How are you?”
“Excellent.”
“Did you do what you had to do?” she asked.
“I started. I will finish soon.”
“Well, I want to thank you again for letting me stay over.”
“It was certainly my pleasure. The company of a beautiful woman is something one can never have enough of.”
“Me?” Sadie asked with genuine shock.
Bastian nodded.
“You might want to check your vision,” she said with a laugh.
“Oh I assure you, my eyesight is quite fine. Often I see what others do not.”
Sadie smiled again. There was something about him, he was so smooth without being fake. “Well-”
“Your smile is like the sun coming up.”
“You’re determined to make me blush, aren’t you?” she asked.
“I had a really nice time last night.”
“So did I,” she said, avoiding his eyes again. They were too beautiful.
“Then we should do it again.”
“I’m free now,” she said with a smile.
Bastion offered his arm and Sadie happily took it. He led her back to the dock and into the small boat that was waiting in the water. He had no light, but the moon, though not quite full, provided enough. He began to row and it was as if they were to the other side in no time at all.
Sadie took his hand and he helped her from the small boat. Peering into the path that led into the swamp, butterflies began fluttering in her stomach. They could see from the moon out in the open, but what would it be like in the swamp under such a canopy of trees?
“I’m so used to walking this path I’m afraid I didn’t bring a light,” Bastion said. “But the way is not difficult.” He held out his arm again and again Sadie took it.
They walked on, the dark seeming to press in on all sides. Sadie normally would have been scared out of her mind, but Bastion was incredibly comforting there beside her. Frogs croaked and chirped all around them and if anything Sadie found it all very appealing.
“Do you like living away from it all?”
“I do. It seems I’ve lived most of my life in solitude preferring to stay just a step back from everything.”
“I think I may be heading that way.”
“You?”
Sadie nodded as they reached Bastion’s house. “It’s easier than-”
“Living?”
“Sometimes it’s better to just step back and watch everyone else, to distance yourself from . . . caring.”
“But it gets lonely,” he said, staring off into the swamp. It was almost as an after thought, as if he wasn’t even speaking to Sadie, but himself.
“You can be surrounded by tons of people and still be lonely.”
“Quite true,” he said, leading Sadie up the steps to the porch, then inside.
Once inside Sadie realized the place looked the same as the other night; there had been no cleaning. There were no lights on, only a few candles lit in the foyer casting wavering shadows all along the floor and walls.
“Forgive me, I can’t offer you anything as the electricity is still . . . out.”
“Still?” Sadie questioned. “What happened?”
“A downed line I believe. They are most difficult to fix I understand, especially since the pole happens to sit in a rather flooded spot.”
“How do you get by without any power?”
“I manage,” he said. “Shall we?” he asked, showing her into the same sitting room she had been in before.
More candles were lit and the room was brighter than before. Still as dusty though. Sadie sat on the couch while Bastion took a seat in the chair beside her.
“Now, might you tell me what’s brought you to the conclusion that it’s easier to be alone?”
“If you don’t have anyone, you can’t lose anyone,” she said.
“And you’ve lost?”
Sadie nodded silently.
“What have you lost?” he asked.
His voice was almost a whisper; a commanding wisp of breath that made Sadie want to bare her soul. “My parents,” she said softly. “My father last year and my mother a few months ago. Someone who I thought loved me but . . . didn’t.”
“I’m sorry,” Bastion said, looking in her eyes. And he did look sorry. The two sapphires looked almost mournful.
“What about you?” Sadie asked. “Why do you move around so much?”
“Necessity.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t like getting too comfortable in one place.”
He hadn’t really answered her question but Sadie decided not to push it. “What about your family?”
“I am my only family.”
“I guess I know what that’s like,” Sadie said, looking down. “I was an only child, my mom was an only child and my dad’s only brother died when they were young. I’m the last one.”
“We have suffered a great many losses.”
“And no place feels like home anymore.”
“That’s why we must constantly search for one.”
His voice was sad and Sadie got the impression he was talking to himself again. “Were you going somewhere?” she asked. “I didn’t mean to keep you from something.”
Bastion shook his head. “Just out. Walking.”
“Yeah, I like to do that to clear my head.”
“Sadie?” he said, getting up and sitting beside her. “Tell me, what do you feel?”
She swallowed, any words she might want to say sticking in her throat. He touched her face, his fingers cool. His eyes were nothing but endless pools of blue and Sadie was almost positive she saw gleaming rays flickering in them.
“Do you feel me?” he breathed.
Sadie nodded, closing her eyes and leaning into his hand.
His thumb brushed over her lips and he whispered something Sadie didn’t understand. She opened her eyes and he kissed her.
It was slow and soft, almost timid; he was telling her that he’d stop if she wanted him to.
But she most certainly didn’t.
Suddenly he was on top of her. His knees hit the floor while he leaned in-between her legs. His mouth left hers and trailed down her neck.
Breathing heavily, Sadie let her head fall back against the couch. Her eyes shut again as a fog begin to consume her. Bastion’s left hand came up to cradle the other side of her neck while his right clutched onto her side. His lips were so soft on her neck, her body was melting in his hands.
She gasped as she felt something prick her neck but it faded into a sigh as Bastion began sucking. Sadie’s fingernails dug into the plush velvet of the old couch and her mouth opened to emit a moan. She pressed her head into the couch-back, her legs, her arms-her whole body turning into jelly. Her breathing became shallow, her heartbeat slowed. Her grip on the couch lessened and she began to feel very heavy. She tried to open her eyes, but it was too much work. Bastion’s lips sucked harder and everything went black.
Sadie jerked up with a start. It took a few second for her eyes to focus and for her brain to register where she was.
Her room; in bed.
She pushed the covers back and put her feet on the floor, standing up. Her hand went immediately to her head. She felt woozy and sluggish.
Easing herself up, Sadie walked to the closet and pulled out some fresh clothes, catching wind of a conversation. She stopped and cocked her head toward the door. Jill must have been on the phone with Rick right outside her room.
Sadie got dressed, yawning all the while, and crossed to the door, quietly opening it.
No one was in the hall.
When she got downstairs she found the house deserted. A dull sun streamed in through the many windows of the kitchen and Sadie shielded her eyes. She thought of grabbing an apple but realized she wasn’t very hungry. Where is everyone?, she wondered, making her way into the foyer and out onto the porch.
“Hey, you’re up,” Jill said, the phone in her hands.
“Yeah. What time is it?” Sadie asked.
Jill looked at her watch. “Three-thirty.”
“What?” Sadie gasped.
“I just got off the phone with Rick,” she said beaming. “He’s on his way here as we speak!”
“We’re you just upstairs?”
Jill shook her head. “No, why?”
“Uh, no reason.”
“Sadie, are you okay?” Jill asked, concern spreading over her face.
“I don’t know,” Sadie answered truthfully.
“You’ve been kind of . . . out of it, ever since we got here.”
“I know,” Sadie said, pulling her hair back. “Maybe I’m getting a cold or something.”
“What happened to your neck?”
Sadie immediately brought her fingers up to where Jill was pointing and flinched from the soreness. “What?”
“Little marks,” Jill said.
Sadie shrugged. “Probably a bug bite.”
“Mom and dad went to some friend’s for dinner, when Rick gets here do you want to go into town and eat?”
“You guys can go, I think I better stay in.”
“Sadie you look like hell.”
“Gee thanks,” Sadie said smiling.
“I mean, maybe you should go to a doctor. Do you feel sick?”
“Just tired, drained.”
“I don’t want to go off and leave you . . . again.”
“I’ll be fine. You’ve been waiting for Rick to come ever since we got here.”
“I’m not playing a very good host.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s the other way around; I’m being a bad guest. Go out and have fun with your fiancé. I’ll probably just go to bed early anyway.” Giving her friend a smile, Sadie turned and went back inside.
She trudged upstairs thinking it was a pretty dumb idea to have gotten dressed when all she wanted was a long shower now.
Once in her room she slipped in the bathroom and stripped off her clothes, stepping gingerly into the hot shower.
Was she really getting sick? But she didn’t feel sick, just tired. And what exactly happened last night? She went back to Bastion’s house and they talked and then . . . she woke up in her room.
Bastion. He was something to think about. Despite still knowing next to nothing about the man, Sadie felt extremely close to him. Just sitting beside him made her feel important, which was strange, but something she didn’t care to question.
She let the water flow over her, hoping it would wake her, but it wasn’t working. Feeling just as exhausted as before, she turned the shower off and stepped out.
After wrapping a towel around her, she brushed out her hair. She wanted nothing more than to fall back into bed but she hated going to sleep with wet hair. Grumbling, she grabbed the dryer.
Showered and with dry hair, she trudged out of the bathroom and collapsed on the bed, not even bothering to dress. She was so tired, so tired that the moment she shut her eyes she was asleep.
Bastion stood before her in a dark room. A circle of candles surrounded them, the little flames dancing back and forth to some silent song. He held out his hand and she took it and they began to dance around and around.
The dark room and candles melted away and suddenly they were floating in the night sky, floating up up up with the full moon in the background. There was a howl from somewhere, a low, mournful cry that encircled them. Bastion opened his mouth to speak when Sadie began falling. She looked up at him watching as she plummeted through the darkness. She tried to scream but no sound came out of her mouth.
Sadie’s eyes popped open. She was still wrapped in a towel in her bed.
Getting up, she stretched and realized that night had fallen. She pulled her clothes on and went into the bathroom to brush her hair. But as she saw her reflection in the mirror she thought she was still asleep for a minute.
Her boring, straight, brownish-reddish hair was slightly wavy it seemed and a much more vibrant ginger color. Her eyes seemed different as well, though she couldn’t place how.
Sadie swept her hair out of the way and examined the two little marks on her neck. She couldn’t remember getting bitten by anything but she had been in the swamp twice recently and it was more than plausible.
Putting her brush back on the sink, she glanced at herself in the mirror once more before leaving.
A note was stuck in-between her bedroom door and the wall.
“Sadie, I didn’t want to wake you but Rick and I went out,” she read. “I’m not sure when we’ll be back but probably before mom and dad who always make a night of it when at their friends’. Hope you’re feeling better, Jill.”
She threw the note back in her room, then went down the hall, bounding down the steps for the kitchen. She did feel better. A lot better. As a matter of fact she felt great. She hadn’t felt this good since . . . since her mother died. No, she had never felt this good. Like, her blood was tingling, her heart was racing.
Almost in a run she left the kitchen and headed outside, stopping to inhale the night air as her feet touched the grass. Jasmine, lilac, magnolia, all mixed together to assault her senses. Never had she smelled anything so wonderful before. A bat swooped by her head and Sadie could actually see the moon light reflected in its eyes.
She turned her head to the sky and smiled as the full moon loomed overhead.
The night was beautiful, infinite, alive.
She had to see Bastian.
Sadie walked down to the dock at the water’s edge and peered out into the darkness of the swamp. “I don’t see him,” she said.
“See whom?” came a voice behind her.
“You,” Sadie said, turning around with a smile.
“You wanted to see me?” he asked.
Sadie nodded, her smile gone. “What happened last night? I can’t remember but tonight . . . tonight something’s different. I see different, I hear different . . . I’m different. What’s happening to me?”
“Sadie,” he whispered.
“I couldn’t wait to see you,” she said, a hint of desperation in her voice. “I needed to see you.”
“I know,” he said, his hand reaching up to cup her face. “Tonight is the night.”
Sadie nodded, his presence overpowering.
They were in the same room Sadie had spent the night in. The sconces on the walls were lit and two candelabras made up the rest of the light. Bastian was stretched out over top of Sadie, his mouth trailing down her neck. He had made no attempt to remove her clothing, or his, he only wanted to kiss her.
His tongue lashed out at the exact spot where the little marks were and Sadie gasped out. The previous night flashed before her eyes and she clearly saw Bastian kissing her neck then . . . biting it.
“Sadie,” he said into her neck.
Sadie tugged his head up to look in her eyes.
Bastion was clearly flustered. His breathing was labored and his eyes had taken on a . . . an almost yellowish kind of glow. His head was tilted back, his mouth open, and he looked pained.
“Bastian,” Sadie whispered, “what are you?”
He brought his head forward; his eyes were closed but his mouth was still open and dagger-like teeth extended from his incisors.
Wide-eyed, Sadie touched his face, letting her fingers trace over his lips. His eyes opened and they were a luminous gold.
“I’ve been alone for too long,” he said.
Sadie brushed his hair out of his face and leaned up to kiss his eyes. “Yes,” she whispered, letting her head fall back and nodding.
Bastion lowered his mouth to Sadie’s neck and bite into her for the third time. He drank deeply, losing himself in her warm blood. Below him she squirmed, gripping the bed linen.
She moaned out, pushing herself into him, desperate for as much contact with him as possible. Her body cried for him and she jerked her hands from the bed to grip his head as her strength began to fade.
His mouth lapped at her, sucking deeper and deeper until he suddenly pulled away.
“Bastion,” she said.
He brought his wrist up to his mouth and ripped his teeth across it, then held it over Sadie’s mouth. “Drink,” he said.
Lifting up as best she could, Sadie’s lips latched on to Bastion’s dripping wrist and sucked.
Bastian groaned, his head falling back and his body stiffening as Sadie drank from him. After a minute he wrenched his arm away and Sadie fell back to the bed, his blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
“Yes, sleep my bride,” Bastian said and fell to the bed beside her.
When Jill awoke the next morning she waited an hour for her friend to come downstairs before finally going up to her room to check on her. Jill knocked on the door and when she didn’t get an answer, she went in.
“Sadie?”
She wasn’t there. And . . . all her things were gone.
Jill went back downstairs to the kitchen where her mother sat sipping coffee.
“Uh mom,” she said, “where’s Sadie?”