novelraw Chapter 31
Chapter 31
"Olivia"
- What? - Lina exclaimed in shock. - A mother? Where did you get a mother?
- It's logical, if there is a father, then there must be a mother as well.
- But... I... I don’t know, it feels like snow from the sky. It might be inappropriate... And, in general, she won't like me. Oh, how terrible. You could have warned me!
- But I love surprises, - Sam smiled tightly. - For her, our arrival will also be a surprise.
The girl experienced a second heart attack. She gasped for air like a fish thrown onto the shore.
- Samael, I hate you.
- Yet yesterday you said you loved me.
- Yesterday I loved you, but today I hate you, - Lina sulked and turned to the window.
But in reality, she was not angry; she was worried. She even feared to imagine what his mother was like. How she looked and what her character was like. Horrible images surged in her mind, each more terrifying than the last.
Thus, the journey unfolded in tense silence. Sam irritatedly drummed his fingers on the glass, while the girl curled up like a snail, dreaming to stay in such a state for as long as possible: so that nobody would disturb her; so that they would not arrive anywhere; and so that they would not meet any mothers.
However, time dictated its terms. The helicopter landed on a small private field near the local airport.
- Do you travel like this often? - Lina asked, noticing that the liveried man who met them had a terrified expression on his face.
- Yes, - the dark one replied. - Considering the lack of wings, one must find a way.
Passing the field, Lina saw a "Range Rover" that reSambled a tank in size. A luxurious huge vehicle, with a silver bottom and black top, which one would want to cover with a protective wrap and put in a museum rather than drive off-road.
The liveried man, who turned out to be the driver of this "tiny" vehicle, took out keys from his pocket and gallantly opened the door.
Inside, the aroma of expensive French perfume wafted.
- Aren't we going to be too noticeable in such transport? - the girl inquired.
- There was no choice; this little darling is the most modest in my mother's collection, - Samael laughed.
- So she already knows about our arrival?
- She received a text message a few minutes ago, and the driver told her secretly while we were still in the hotel.
The vehicle headed east through beautiful landscapes, with many steep climbs and dangerous turns. Forests and rivers scattered in all directions. Soon the sun began to set, tinting the scenery in bloody shades. The girl perceived it as a bad omen, so when she saw the sign indicating that the nearest settlement was one kilometer away, she immediately tensed up.
The "Range Rover" turned onto a side road and slowed down. The driver needed to manage the gates first.
Sam sighed and, peeking out the window, said:
- Well, here it is. My mother's castle.
Amid unspoiled mountains on a flat plain, adorned with terrifying sculptures of various toothy monsters, stood a castle. Towers on the sides, jagged walls, fortified gates. Not just a decorative building like in fairy tale books, but a fortress that scares off all enemies with just its appearance.
- It's horrible, - Lina stated.
Now her legs were trembling. If the estate looked like this, it's not hard to imagine its mistress. Probably just as inaccessible, cold, and cruel.
- It's specific, - the dark one half-smiled, entertained by the girl's emotional state.
The driver finally managed the gates and, returning to the car, started the engine again.
- How will she react to me? - Lina weakly asked, hoping her voice wouldn’t betray her anxiety.
- I have no idea.
- What if she throws us out? Or tells your father, what then?
- If she throws us out, we will find somewhere else to go. And she won't tell my father about you.
- Why?
- Because she hates him and dreams of him dying.
The driver directed the vehicle to a path lined with fir trees, drove under a bridge, and turned into a paved courtyard in front of the main building.
- Just don’t say anything stupid, don’t make jokes, don’t mention my father, don’t smile, don’t walk around angry, don’t flirt with me, don’t...
- I’d better stay silent, - Lina decided gloomily.
The dark one suppressed a smile and opened the door to help the girl out. Lina looked at the façade of the castle: it was several hundred times gloomier than the estate of the order.
And before she could think that she didn’t look appropriate, the doors opened.
- Did you text me? - a tall, slender woman said coldly.
She was elegant yet sexy at the same time. Red eyes, high cheekbones, a dazzling white face with perfect, noble features. Women like her are rarely seen. Usually, they don’t frequent crowded places and don’t model for magazines, reserving their beauty for themselves and a close circle of acquaintances. Her hair had the color and texture of honey, and a golden chain framed her neck, ending with a medallion that lay flat in the hollow between her breasts. She was dressed in a black dress, with three-quarter sleeves and a deep neckline. Everything in this enSamble, from the silver shoes to the earrings, was chosen with perfect taste.
She stood in the doorway and hardly blinked, looking angrily at Sam.
- Mom, did you decide to stage a family scene outside? - the dark one said, taking Lina by the elbow to make her feel more comfortable.
Samael’s mother pressed her lips into a thin tight line and, turning menacingly, cleared the passage. While the couple walked past her, the woman burned Lina with her gaze, thoroughly examining every flaw in her outfit.
Inside was dark, and the sweet aroma of perfume filled the air again. The girl wanted to pinch her nose, so cloying was the scent. After passing a gloomy corridor with tapestries, they entered a living room with high ceilings. The walls were covered in expensive fabric, a large chandelier hung from the ceiling, the fireplace crackled comfortably, and an open book lay on the couch.