Two crystals appear when Sebastian casts a spell. One red crystal where Faris was kept and a black crystal where Ralph was kept. The danger of the vampire was indicated through the color of the crystal. Black crystals were are rare as gold.
Dina stares at the crystals and blinks.
"What's with the crystals?" The girl cuts the silence, August and Sebastian looking at her weirdly.
She knew that vampires were kept in the crystals but she had a plan for acting dumb.
"Your uncle is in one of the crystals." In a hurry, August explains. He glances at the girl.
"…..What ?.... Why?" Dina frowns and glares at the man in front of her. He smirks and takes a step closer. The bright light crossing the room makes her skin burn.
August glances again and with a quick movement, he stumbles and pushes her into the shadows where the sun didn't touch her skin.
As a novice in the things about vampires, Dina doesn't know that contact with the light was damaging the skin little by little. The regenerate powers made it look like vampires have no issues with sunlight. However, if the sunlight was passing through glass, the skin would burn faster and a smoky smell would engulf the vampire.
"…Sorry …." August is rising from the ground and looks at his father who seems pretty displeased by his clumsiness.
"Is this how you took care of her before?" His low tone is sending a shiver down August's spine as he fidgets getting out of his father's face.
"No …." His voice trembles.
"Take your coat off. "Sebastian is looking at the boy who executes what he says." Take down your shirt too. Sit here …." Sebastian moves from his spot in the middle of the room and heads toward Dina who is arranging her dress.
Dina raises her dress and a small scratch is lingering blood …Sebastian is coming towards her. Her breath quickens. With a subtle brush, she brushes the blood off her leg as the scratch heals in seconds. She was lucky that the dress was black and the blood was not seen.
Her back straightens and looks at the man who is now in front of her. She tries to brush her hair that is in all places.
"Don't use the sun protection," Sebastian says the last words to the boy as he grits his teeth.
"Now, how about we take a seat, Queen? "The man points at one of the tables that has two chairs. The whole floor was set like a hall with tables and chairs where people would attend the ceremony.
The white tablecloth covers all the tables. She sits carefully as if she doesn't want to mess up the clean tables and chair upholstery.
Sebastian puts the crystals on the table." You are the only one I will deal with. So …. let's deal!" His smirk is telling a different story, but she takes her heart in her teeth. He seemed to have a weakness when it came to her.
Only Sebastian knew why he was less offensive towards the girl. The black hair and black eyes of the girl looked exactly like his sister. Her feisty but boyish attitude was making him see Mira. His beloved sister, Mira …. died when he wasn't a vampire. A tragic past he maybe wished to overwrite.
Sebastian crosses his legs and smirks with a glow in his eyes. Was she a prey…or did he enjoy playing with her?
Dina gulps and opens her mouth." I know that I am the Queen. However what good is it that I am the Queen, who is supposed to choose her partner, the next Great Leader? I can't go against you …I know that …. but …as a last wish …. I want to set my uncle free. "Her hands are on the table and her face is giving off a sad vibe.
"Do you know your uncle sold you sending you to Ralph?" Sebastian sighs and takes a cigarette from his pocket. He lights it and the smoke combines with the smoky smell from August's skin.
The boy gritted his teeth and listened to what the two talked about.
Dina doesn't get why August is sitting there, so she ignores him.
"What do you mean?" Her frown was accompanied soon by her hand supporting her chin. Her thoughts are messed up by this new information.
'Sold me to who …. what is going on? …. Is he lying?"
"Seems that you were deceived, my Queen." He takes a puff and presses the cigarette in the ashtray on the table.
"Ralph, my sworn enemy wanted to take you for his son, Angelo. A long time ago I talked to your father. A great man, human though. He promised you to my son. Here!" Sebastian is taking a note from his pocket. He pushes the note towards Dina.
In a hurry, the note is in her hands, her eyes reading the words.
//My black lily, my precious daughter, as much as I want to protect you, I can't. Me and your mom, love you so much. By now if you read this letter, means my precious friend Sebastian is in front of you and we are dead. Please for the sake of us, marry his son. You have to trust him. His is your only hope. //
Dina reads the letter that was from an old paper. Her eyes are watery. The way his father called her was black Lily, her memory being reborn. Was she deceived by Faris … and Ralph …what about Angelo? …..Sebastian is a good guy?
Her mind hurts and she doesn't know what to do anymore.
Her plan of making August partner with herself in destroying Sebastian was shattered in a blink by this mysterious letter. One question that was crossing her head was, 'Why is August helping her if Sebastian was a good guy? 'Was the boy trying to get his revenge through her?
"Sir …. what I just read …I have questions." She gives up trying to think by herself. Maybe Sebastian had his reasons.
"Hmmm…well I can answer just too few …I have to leave in few minutes." His eyes glance at the watch on his hand.
"When my parents died …I found a white lily badge on the ground. When I escaped, I found a library where the symbol of a white lily was on the walls...." The girl stares at him without taking her eyes off him.
The man smiles." Good question! But you don't know if this castle was brought by me or is from my lineage. Our badge is a bloody rose." He points at the wall on his left. A big deep red rose was covering the wall.
The girl frowns again …" Then whose badge is a white lily?" She is utterly confused.
"Maybe you should ask your uncle. He is the master in knowing badges. "Sebastian takes another puff on a new cig and breathes out." But I will tell you since I answer your questions now."
Dina is waiting for the man to take another puff. Her mind freezes when her uncle is mentioned by him again.
"Is his badge." Sebastian looks at the girl with a serious look.
Dina feels her heart sink. She remembers that when she showed Faris that badge that time, he didn't seem too surprised. Ralph even joked.
"Why would he do it? Why did he kill my parents?" Dina's voice loses volume as she is still in shock.
Sebastian sighs." Your uncle was always jealous of the friendship I had with your father. I told them to become vampires since they could protect themselves. I couldn't be always with them. That day …..was that day they paid their price for not wanting to listen to me."
Dian listens to him and his frown shows a hint of anger. He takes another cigarette and inhales deeply, as if to forget the past, fogging his brain with the smoke.
Silence is setting as the girl is closing her eyes and puts her head on the table between her arms.
"Faris plans to marry you with Angelo, Ralph's son. This way he wishes to show me that I lost in front of him. He knew about the fact that you were promised to my son."
Sebastian snaps his fingers and August stops his soft moan. He just placed sun protection over the boy.
"Dress up and come here." His voice goes back to his usual cold tone towards the boy.
Dina raises her head and asks absently," What are you going to do with them?"
Sebastian smirks, "Till I find a method to kill vampires they will remain in the crystals …in my pocket!" His short laugh is cut, followed by his tone getting low, "You should never trust anyone …especially the close ones." His eyes glance at August who approaches the table.