Illusions Gate

Ever, landed in the middle of the Castle grounds, on what seemed to be a court yard, he folded away his massive wings but not completely, they were still hanging there behind him, he then lowered me to my feet, at a quick glance it is a square castle with eight turrets, there are horses in a section in what appears to be a stable of sorts but apart from the horses we are the only ones here, if there is anyone else here I can’t see or hear them,
“No, please……please, Ever….. Take me back”
“No……no I can’t Alexa, I love you”
“Oh, Ever, why couldn’t you have said that to me before…..you never said that to me before…….why now?......why couldn’t you have told me before?.....it’s too late…..it’s just so…… too late”
The tears, streaming down my face,
“It’s never, too late”
Ever reached, over to wipe my tears away with his hands framing my face, he stroked his thumb across my cheeks,
“It’s never too late”
“Yes, it is Ever, I’m in love with someone else, I’m in love with Echo”
I stepped back out of Ever’s arms, out of his hold,
“No….you can’t be….. You can’t be serious….. He’s VAMPIRE!”
“I know and I don’t care, I love him and he loves me”
Sounding quite petulant, a strange look of mixed understanding and pity came across Ever’s face,
“I don’t think you’ve really considered or have any idea of what it would be like, it can’t continue, it’s dangerous, what made you do such a foolish thing, getting involved with a Vampire, it won’t work, you can’t leave me again, Alexa, not now that I have finally found you, at long last”
Ever, was striding, toward a large pair of doors, that opened at the wave of his hand, I, was chasing behind him at this point, practically running, his long strides increasing the distance between us, I was still trying, to get him to take me back, back to Echo, of which, he really didn’t seem to be paying any attention to me by this time, as we entered, the doors closed, behind me, with an ominous bang! Which made me jump, with a little squeal escaping my lips, Ever, turned at the sound, saw that I was alright and not stopping, he continued across the Great room, to the large, wide stone staircase with beautifully intricately carved panels and capped with a hand rail of stone carved to look like a pair of long entwined sleeping dragons the heads of which were at the bottom and the top of the stairs, directly in front of us. The majority of the Great room itself swung around to the right with a large fireplace matching that incredible staircase, it dominated the room more so than the staircase.
“We’re to different Ever”
I yelled a little louder, than I had intended, it echoed through the room, Ever stopped, dead in his tracks, I just stood there staring at his wings, for what seemed like an eternity but in actual time, was probably, no more than a minute, slowly he turned,
“We’re different? WE”RE DIFFERENT?”
He said in a deep gruff voice, then repeated even louder again, not a yell but loud enough that I could feel the vibration of his words, through me, making the fine hairs on my body stand up on end……..oops!
“What could you possibly have in common with Echoden Kisabien? A Vampire...
Unless……..unless you’re his……are you feeding him?”
He said still in that deep, gruff, vibrating voice, as if keeping control of his emotions and possibly his temper
“What!.....don’t be ridicules of course I’m not and not that it’s any of your business Ever! But he’s an animal blood drinker, not very unlike the Maasai of Africa and they are human so stop this holier than thou attitude your displaying it’s not attractive and it’s not working on me….I LOVE HIM!
I could hear the anger in Ever’s voice, but could see the pain in his eyes, I softened my approach and my voice,
“Ever, we were never in love, we had a fling, a sexual attraction and attachment but we never became emotionally close, with Echo it’s different. We’ve never actually had sex, we are emotionally close…..bonded! he’s not shy about expressing his love for me or me with my love for him, he enjoys my company and wants to be with me and that means so much more to me, I can’t explain it, I just can’t be without him, I need him for the sheer comfort of his presence, don’t get me wrong we will get around to having sex too, that’s a given but don’t you see….?”
“I don’t think you know what you’re saying, he’s got you under some sort of Spell, a Glamour, a Compulsion or something”
Ever, started up the stairs again faster this time, so I also ran faster up the stairs to catch up with him,
“No…..listen to me Ever, I love him, I want to be with him, I’m so sorry if this hurts you, I can’t help it, I don’t mean to hurt you, I don’t want to hurt you, I love you Ever, I will always love you but I’m not IN love with you, I’m IN love with Echo, take me back to him, please Ever, take me back”
We were standing in an upstairs hall way, he opened a door, with a tilt to his head and a nod he gestured that I should enter first, always the gentleman…….so I entered and once I was in the room…….Ever, closed the door behind me, stating I was to remain here, he would return in a while. As I turned it was too late for me to stop the door from closing, kicking and banging the door with my fist calling Ever’s name again and again did nothing………no response at all……except the click as Ever locked the door, I slumped to the floor tears still streaming down my face uncontrollably, I wiped them away but it did no good, more followed, what was I going to do? I’m so caught in the middle of this other……sniff-sniff…..other world where, everyone has powers, beyond the norm and can assert their decision at will, I’m only human, how can I make my choice herd.
Feeling very sorry for myself I huddled myself together on the floor, feeling extremely tired probably from the intense emotional upset and the stress, my concern over Echo’s pain and my babies of which Ever still does not know about, it was a while but eventually I drifted off to sleep.
I don’t know how long I slept I had the feeling it was quite a while, as I moved I felt achy in places I didn’t even knew I had, my suspicion is that I’ve slept all night on the floor, as I looked around the room, it was quite luxurious, a large wood, heavily carved bed, not a four poster but one with one of those half canopy’s, all the furniture was of wood, heavily carved, with fruit and cherubs, rococo style, probably originals, fabrics of brocades, velvets and silks in rich shades of royal blue and pale blue, trimmed in gold, large crystal chandeliers , wall sconces and a very large mirror above a stone fire place with a raised hearth, the mirror, carved wood I presume, as it looked to match the carving on the furniture and appeared to be finished in gold leaf, yes, all in all not bad as prison cells go, I got up and went to a door, on the other side of the room, that I had not noticed before, pausing for a moment hoping against hope it would be another way out, my hand went up, I hesitated, took a deep breath held it and turned the handle……no such luck! However, it did turn out to be a bathroom, a very nice bathroom, to be sure, would be putting it mildly, the whole room including the tub, sink and toilet was marble with a faint hue of pale blue and darker streaks of blue and gold veins through it, gold faucets etc., again crystal chandeliers, wall sconces and mirrors and gold leaf trim, WOW! What a place, very different from the cottage Ever had taken us to, when he rescued me and the children from France.....