3. Guilty conscience

Sarah, please! That's what they're there for. Don't take their work away from them. My cousin is quickly at hand with dismissals. ”She warned me quietly but urgently.

Then she led me up to my room. On the way there, Alia talked and I only half listened. Instead, I admired the pictures. Everything was precious and exquisite as far as I could tell. I was not a great art connoisseur.

“Oh, you're not even listening to me! And you are right! Tell me, did the trip go smoothly? "

"Yes!" I said absently thinking about the only mishap on the trip. It was actually my fault. But this man, as great as he looked, still frightened me in retrospect.

It was completely unintentional, you don't pour coffee on the shoes of a complete stranger. Which I did to my chagrin, but he stubbornly claimed it was intent. Not a significant topic.

“So you freshen up and then we drive over to the fortress. Luckily my cousin isn't home tonight. Or are you too tired? We can go tomorrow too. ”She asked disappointedly in advance.

"We'll drive safely, I can do without an acquaintance with your cousin." Not after everything she confided to me about Corvin Sardovan.

Alia told about other family members. While I ate, she pushed me wordlessly.

What I asked her about. “I just want to enjoy every minute, because during the day you are on your own. As you know, I have to work. ”She said sadly,“ Besides, Corvin is out tonight and I would really like to show you our apartment in the tower. Corvin doesn't like strangers, especially not in the private sphere. "

I put the last bites in my mouth, "What are we waiting for then? Off to the lion's den! ”We laughed and ran down the stairs. Alia stepped directly towards her sports car, "We can also drive my car!" I suggested tentatively.

"No! I'll drive and you can admire the landscape. ”Alia drove and I was scared. Accelerate and forget where the brake is and that through narrow, winding roads. Looking into the abyss, I saw my last hour strike. And I clawed into the seat several times.

In the middle of an abandoned parking lot, she braked hard. There was absolutely nothing here, I realized with astonishment.

“You are impatient, Sarah! We have to go that way. "Alia laughed and stepped into the rapidly rising darkness.

Which way? I only saw blackness, the night was completely opaque.

"There! Do you see the path? ”I didn't see anything. Alia waited impatiently. I got the distinct feeling that I was being tested here.

She sighed briefly in disappointment, "I'll go ahead, stay right behind me, if you don't see anything, it can be dangerous." "Don't you have a flashlight in your car?" I asked her.

"I don't need them!"

Well maybe not, I do!

“Sarah, sharpen your senses, adjust to the darkness billowing around us. It's not just black, there are lighter sections that almost dazzle you. "

"Then you can see as well as cats!" I gasped from behind Alia. It reached out so far that I could hardly keep up.

"Cats? I would prefer another animal. "

God the woman wasn't even breathing. As she climbed that damn path. No, she knew or saw every bump on the way. "You walk this way often, don't you."

Alia stopped abruptly, "No, I haven't been here for years." Then went on quickly.

"But …"

“Why do I put you through this ordeal? Once, because you are supposed to see the fortress from this point of view for the first time… ”There was no further word, she paused in the middle of a sentence.

"Aha!" I took a laborious breath, "why else?"

"I don't understand what you mean?" She said hesitantly.

"You said once, something will actually follow that."

“It's just a saying! Did I use that wrong? Forgive me, that's probably because I mostly speak in my native language. "

Again an uneasy feeling crawled up my back. Before I could analyze it exactly, Alia continued, "So, this is our family home!" She announced proudly.

It was a mighty fortress that could be seen on the opposite mountain. Illuminated by spotlights, she stretched into the sky. To be honest, the castle didn't look all that great. A block of walls downright unfriendly.

“Does it take up the whole mountain?” I asked. The fortress promised one thing; Security within the ramparts. Woe to the enemy who tried to penetrate there.

“Yes, the outer walls run over the entire hilltop, there is an inner courtyard. The farmers in the area used to come and seek shelter there. These accommodations became a museum. Part of the extension is the hotel. Only the actual fortress is private. ”She explained to me. "Come on, let's go this way, Leon will have certainly already driven my car to the castle."

We went down a narrow secured staircase. When we arrived at the bottom, a young boy was waiting for us with another car.

"Did you plan everything beforehand?" I asked, surprised. Alia smiled satisfied, "Yes, and much more," she said mysteriously.

Which caused a stomach cramp in my stomach. Why did I suspect so? She tried very hard, and I, ungrateful creature, distrusted her.

So wrapped in my guilty conscience, we reached the fortress. Alia questioned the driver. I assumed so because they were speaking in a language they did not understand.

"As I had hoped, Corvin is not expected until tomorrow," she explained, "so I can show you everything in peace." She was pleased. I wasn't entirely comfortable with it myself, after all, we were invading a private sphere.

Alia was above such feelings. She led me unchecked through the fortress. She even didn't miss her cousin's bedroom. Afterwards I couldn't say how many rooms she dragged me through. At some point I lost the overview.

The subtle elegance of the furnishings struck me in every room; she could say what she wanted about her cousin. But he clearly had taste.

“So now I've shown you our head office. What do you think about?!"

“It's huge. What fascinates me most of all. "I looked around," you can feel the age. The past! One could believe that a ghost appears at any moment. "

"Hardly!", She said dryly, "And if so then they would flee from Corvin." Alias voice sounded unusually harsh.

So I asked, "Did I say something wrong, Alia?"

"No no! It's just this fortress. Corvin. It brings back old memories. You know, I was supposed to be Corvin's wife. But he, he called everything off just because I made a little mistake. Oh, he's so self-righteous. Everyone commits a carelessness. Do you have to be punished so harshly? "

Now I was perplexed, "I thought you don't like your cousin?"

“Corvin well, he's tough but also an interesting man. He's from another generation. ”Alia sighed. "What about you? Do you have a boyfriend? Or even several? "

"No, I'm still recovering from the last breakup." I said, dare, we didn't know that well after all. Alia knew some things, but not everything. My intimate life remained my business.

“Men” she practically spat out, “They want everything, but learn virginally. Where do you get that? I take the man I like. When and where I feel like doing it. You do it too. "

Did she mean to shock me? No, she was drawn from the reserve, her tense, intense gaze betrayed her. So I shrugged my shoulders and changed the subject. “Can we drive? To be honest, I can hardly stand on my feet. "

Immediately her mood changed, "What a donkey I am." She scolded herself.