Ana

Chapter 1

Anastasia

        I stare at the books in front of me but I don’t see a single word on the page. Instead I am running, I can feel the speed as my legs move me through a field of wild flowers, the wind whipping my hair in dark waves behind me. On the wind the sweet scent of the flowers, the sun warm on my skin, and the only sounds are the beating of my heart and the hammering of my feet on the ground.

"Ana are you paying attention?" Aria’s voice pierces my daydreaming.

 

"Oh Ari I am sorry," I explain straightening the books on the desk in front of me. "What were you saying?"

 

"Is there something on your mind child?" Aria asks with motherly concern.

 

"No, I was merely day dreaming," I admit. "Where were we?"

 

"Anastasia, if there is something on your mind you know you can talk to me," Aria stands and walks to the table where I sit and looks down at me. She places her hand over mine. "You know you can talk to me about anything."

 

"I know Ari and I am grateful to have you," I pat her had gently. "I was simply dreaming about freedom." I sigh.

 

        "Oh child, I am so sorry" she takes my hand and kneels on the floor at my feet, her sweet face sorrowful. "You will not always be kept here. When it is safe your father will allow you freedom." Though Aria’s words are genuine I know that there is a chance that I may never see anything but my private apartment's for many years if ever, surely Aria knows this as well. I smile. Though the woman kneeling in front of me looks as though she could be my sister she is in fact over 300 years old. Aria is a vampire and she is brilliant, she has studied different languages, art from many periods, and hundreds of cultures through her many years of life.

 

       "It’s alright Ari," I smile. "I know what is expected of me." Letting go of Ari's hand I stand and walk to the large bay window across the room. It is the window I sit in every morning to drink my coffee, read books, and sketch. The view is of the high walled garden my father had built for me, wild flowers grow sporadically, rose bushes line the garden path and giant trees create a canopy overhead. Though the view is breathtaking, I have grown tired of looking at the same thing every day. I long for mountains, jungles, and oceans that spanned the pages of the history and story books Aria makes me read. "Aria can we please be done with lessons for the day?" I turn to my tutor "I think I'm going to rest."

 

      "Of course Ana dear," Aria stands and gathers up her things. "I will see you tomorrow then." Aria walks toward the door then turns back. "If you need anything child, please come see me." I nod and watch Aria close the door behind her. As soon as she is gone I flop down on the seat in front of the window. I close my eyes and try not to think about anything. Of course it is impossible for my brain to stop. Having been stuck in my father’s home for eighteen years I had often thought about what it would be like to be normal. I long to be like other kids my age, going to school, making friends, and seeing the world, but I know that if anyone in the vampire world found out about me that my father and I would likely be killed. For that reason and that reason only I do what my father asks. I stay in the special wing of the mansion that was off limits to anyone but my personal staff, I am tutored by Aria every day, and I only spend time outside in my high walled garden after night fall.

 

      My father is a great man. As a vampire lord his job is to help enforce vampire law, and he has always been passionate about his position. He is much like a human police officer, judge, and mayor all rolled into one. He makes sure that the laws are being followed and hands down punishment to those vampires that break the laws. Twenty years ago my father, Alastair, met a woman, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she was also a human. He fell in love with her almost instantly even knowing that it is against the law for vampires to have romantic relationships with humans. Alastair could not help himself, he kept his relationship with her a secret from everyone accept his guards, the few vampires sworn to protect him. Being sworn meant that they would give their lives to protect and honor my father even with this secret they could be trusted. When a vampire is sworn to another they take on a blood bond. The blood bond is the strongest oath a vampire can make and it is unbreakable.

My father told me many times about how much he loved my mother, but he never talked about who she was or what happened to her. What I do know is that soon after they met she became pregnant with me. Because of the laws governing vampires my father locked me away so that the outside world would never know of me. So here I am Anastasia Cabrera, half vampire half human teenager locked in a tower and daughter to a vampire lord. It’s like a twisted version of Rapunzel, without the handsome prince and the really cool hair.

"Anastasia," my father’s voice at my door pulls me from my musings "Are you awake my love?"

 

       "Come in father," I sigh and sit up to face the door. I would love to ignore him, but ignoring my father is all but impossible. The door opens and in walks my father, Alastair Cabrera is a dapper man, at almost 950 years old he looks like a man in his mid-20, jet black hair hangs loose at his shoulders framing his perfectly unblemished pale skin and bright green eyes. He walks straight to me with arms wide open and pulls me into a hug.

 

       "Darling I feel as though I have not seen you in ages," he smiles. "Let me look at you." He holds me at arm’s length and searches my face. "Did I wake you?"

 

       "I must have fallen asleep," I lie. "And you have only been gone a few days."

"I know dear" he chuckles, "but when I am away from you it always feels like so much longer." He takes my hand in his and leads me over to a small couch in the middle of the room. "Sit with me darling and tell me how you are." My father always wants to talk when he comes back from business trips, he says that he missed me while he is away, but he never stays long. "Are you well dear?"

 

       "Yes father,” I insisted. "Everything is great. Aria brought me some new books, one of them was a cook book so I have been cooking a little."

 

       "Oh dear that is great," he replied pulling a small box from inside his jacket. "I brought you something from Paris," he said as he places a small black box in my hand. Inside the box a delicate silver chain nestled in white silk, a small heart covered in diamonds glitters up at me.

 

“Father its beautiful."

 

       "I thought it was perfect for you," he said pulling the necklace from its box. "Let me put it on you." I shift in my seat so that my back is to him and hold my hair to the side as he fastens the necklace. “Do you need anything my love?” he asks.

 

"No father," I smile. "I have everything I need."

 

        "Alright dear," he said standing. "I have some work to do tonight, but tomorrow we will talk more." he kisses me on the cheek and hugs me before leaving the room.

 

        I stare down at the necklace. It’s a beautiful delicate thing, but another trinket that I really don't need. Taking it off I walk into my large closet to a standing jewelry box tucked into the corner. Inside are dozens of necklaces, each one given to me by my father after one trip or another. Small ones of pearls, large ones of ruby and sapphire. Such pretty things, but useless when you are unable to wear them. I close the doors on the jewelry box and decide it is time for bed. I throw on my favorite pair of sweat pants and a clean tank and climb into bed. I love lying in bed at night, above my head is a large skylight that allows me to see the stars at night. They twinkle above me, each one whispering the many wonders of the world. Same stars every night I think to myself and roll over closing my eyes.