Lilja Chapter Two: Present Day

Chapter Two: Present Day.

Tossing and turning as sweat poured down her face, Lilja leapt forward in her bed panting and gasping for air, her eyes wide trying to come to turns with what had filled her mind once again. "It was only a dream!" Lilja gasped to herself, trying to reassure herself that the past was the past, and no one could hurt her now.

She took a few more deep breaths trying to steady her breathing, while also trying to focus fully on the room around her, trying to reassure herself that nothing from the past could harm her, it was all in the past now.

Yet the dream had been haunting her for months and now seem to be fixed deeply within her mind, as if it was somehow rooted in place not allowing her to forget what she in many ways was hiding from.

Lilja sat up against the white leatherette headboard of her bed, her eyes darting around the room. The morning sun crept though the cracks of the dark purple velvet curtains that hung heavily across the windows and as the light trickled into the room Lilja could see the rather empty looking room that she called her own.

Lilja's bed was made up of high quality white and purple thick cotton sheets, the duvet had been scattered across the bed showing the stress of Lilja's nightmare.

A deep purple velvet shezlong that matched the curtains stood neatly at the foot of her bed, the walls of the room were painted white with over head spotlights nestled into the ceiling above, which would twinkled like stars in an array of colours.

A light wood chest of draws stood against the wall to one side of the room, with a collection of make up and perfume that scattered the top of it with a large square mirror hung above. This chest of draws doubling as Lilja's dressing table.

This was now Lilja's life completely opposite to that which she had grown up around. She was now a personal maid to a model who lived the life of luxury and expected Lilja to beside her at all times, and under no circumstances was Lilja to up stage her boss.

The model was Sarah Lawrence, she was in her mid-forty's and although still looked good for her age, she was rather plastic.

Sarah had blonde hip length wavy hair with the typical California sun-kissed glow to her otherwise pale skin. She would always wear low cut blouses that flaunted the attraction of any men near her. Sarah's make-up only added more of a robotic look to her skin with her unhealthy addiction to highlighters and contouring tidemarks.

Lilja on the other hand was somewhat more natural in her own beauty, unlike Sarah's rather over the top plastic and fake looks for grabbing the attention of all near by in her ever decrease state of fame.

Lilja was naturally beautiful, her pale white skin with bright hypnotic blue eyes and long flowing raven black hair which had once been naturally bright red were all elements of her natural look. She was slim and slender and did not need to flaunt her body for attention as her ego was never needed to be sky high like Sarah's. Lilja often wore jeans and simple long sleeved tops to make sure she did not clash with Sarah's hunt for ego boosting with her vague style sense.

However Sarah's flaunting with her wide collection of men did not seem to affect her marriage, she was in-fact married to Thomas Lawrence, a wealthy film director who split his time between his mansion in Somerset and his apartment in Hollywood, let alone his never ending schedules of film sets and locations around the world.

It had always been clear to Lilja that Sarah and Thomas were not the happy, loving couple they showed off to their loving and admiring public, the fact of the matter was that behind closed doors they slept in separate rooms, had their own bathrooms and each had a collection of lovers that neither seemed to care about, however to all in the know Sarah and Thomas's marriage was purely convenience, an act or show and tell.

They had a son, who was nineteen, called Robert. He was no different from his mother or father, with his constant thought that women should fall at his feet and jump in his bed. He had often tried to corner Lilja which had backfired on him every time, the most recent of which had lead to the fact that Lilja had poured hot tea across his trousers from the tray she had been carrying to Sarah's room.

To Lilja it was just another day with another morning as she finally dragged herself from her warm bed, beginning to get herself ready for the long day ahead of her. She knew that she had to get Sarah up at 9am sharp, with a large pot of coffee let alone with getting Sarah's morning bath ready, Lilja was little more than just a nanny to the adult of a spoilt brat of fame, but it was work. Lilja knew the routine all too well, take coffee to Sarah's room prepare the bath then help Sarah dress for her day's events, which would mean probably five different outfits being tried on before Sarah made her mind up with usually the first outfit she had tried on. But all Lilja could say was it was work, it paid and it meant the coven could not find her, or at-least so she thought.

With the usual mayhem of the morning routine having finally finished and Sarah happily sat within the sun that was streaming in the large conservatory windows that was filled with the collection of tropical plants fight for sunlight, let alone make the conservatory unbearable warm. Sarah began her usual day of reading her emails and calling all her friends for hours at a time, she would never be ready for her day until gone one in the afternoon, which left Lilja with nothing to do. However this morning Lilja could watch the large marquee being put up in the garden ready for yet another summer party, complete with fireworks and ruthless celebrities all haggling to out do each other in glamour and social statues, a circle that Lilja had thought she would be truly rid of when leaving the coven but even mortals have an unhealthy obsession with fame and fortune.

Lilja was lost in her thoughts while she gazed out the window of the conservatory watching the marquee being put together, this was the third summer party she had been apart of with the Lawrence household, but she was suddenly jolted from her thoughts when she realised that Sarah was talking to her and not to one of Sarah's friends on the other end of the phone that was usually attached to her ear at this time of morning. “Lilja there's a letter for you here.” Sarah's voice sounded somewhat enthusiastic, far too much for Lilja's own comfort, but the odd thing was that Lilja didn't know anyone who would write to her, the coven did not know where she was.

As it was Lilja had began working for the Lawrence's a few weeks after she had fled the coven, which was now some three years ago, so she really shouldn't of had any post.

Lilja stepped forward looked at the letter now in her hand, having taking it from Sarah's outstretched grasp. The letter itself seemed to be handwritten in an elegant handwriting style and it was clearly address to Lilja, as she turned the envelope to open it her heart sunk as she saw the wax symbol holding the envelope closed, a symbol that without warning made her heart begin to race, fear filling her stomach which quickly turned to terror and horror.

Lilja quickly rushed to her room after thanking Sarah for handing her the letter, leaving the conservatory as fast as her legs could move. Lilja did not want Sarah reading the letter over her shoulder and seeing anything of a delicate and personal matter that maybe contained within the envelopes contents.

Darting quickly inside her bedroom Lilja leaned against the closed door her eyes once again looking at the symbol on the back of the envelope hoping it was all just a trick of the light. But the wax symbol was as clear as day, a skull with its mouth wide open and inside was a fleur-de-lis. The look of the symbol scared Lilja more and more as she carefully ripped open the envelope, pulling out the elegant handwritten letter, opening it fully to read what ever the message was.

The letter was simple, with no name of who the sender was, it simply read “I will see you at the summer party.” Lilja's heart was racing even more pounding against her chest, she knew she had not told anyone who she was and having spent the past three years keeping her younger teenage life and family life very much a secret. Yet it was clear that the coven had somehow found her and she knew it would not be long before she was forced to return within the confines of the coven order, let alone face a choice she could not and would not accept.

For hours Lilja thought about what she could do, she had completely missed dinner and had ignored Sarah's invitation for her to go to the local club and by the time Lilja had come fully back to her senses, she had not realised she was now in the mansion alone.

Lilja looked out the window of her room to the dark garden, she could see the marquee was fully up now, the marquee already had its summer lanterns lit as a test run ready for the summer party the following evening, but although Lilja had dreading attending the party before, she now tried to think of ways to completely avoid attending in anyway shape or form. But she knew Sarah would never allow Lilja to not attend the family's social event, specially when it meant social power, and in a strange way, Lilja wondered who the letter had been sent by and knowing that she would most likely only find out if she attended the party.

Lilja's mind continued to race long into the early hours of the morning, as she lay on her bed looking up at the twinkling spotlights of her room. By now Lilja's body was tired and her mind weighed heavy with the bombardment of thoughts and before long Lilja found herself asleep, once again looking down at the waves crashing below her feet of the cliff top.

The next morning Lilja went about her usual morning duties, however rather than Sarah gabbling on about how amazing her outfit was going to be, Sarah was questioning about the letter. “It must have been important, you disappeared for the rest of the day, so what is so important to make you lock yourself away?” Questioned Sarah with a tone of both amusement and cruel curiosity. Lilja continued to brush Sarah's long hair preparing it for the evenings event. “Its nothing, just something from my family, I'm not sure yet if its good or bad.” Replied Lilja trying to brush off the topic as best she could, but Sarah had other plans.

Nearly ever few hours Sarah would find some way of mentioning the letter and by the time Sarah had to get fully ready for the party before the guests arrived, Lilja had near enough broken down into tears.

Sarah was hobbling around in the red, low cut pencil dress as she tried to keep her balance while putting the rather ugly looking red, wine heeled shoes on her feet. “Your not pregnant are you?” Sarah finally burst out with, clearly having thought about the letter and coming up with some reason Lilja would get a letter at all. All Lilja could too was look at Sarah shocked, insulted and tired from the questioning. “The letter was a message, from someone saying they would be here tonight, there was no name, so I don't know who I'm meant to be seeing from my family here, but personally I want nothing to do with my family. Now Mrs Lawrence if you will excuse me I need to get ready myself.” replied Lilja, her voice becoming harsh as if talking to a naughty and rather demanding child, before Lilja turned on her heel and stormed out of Sarah's dressing room, abandoning Sarah to hobble around.

Lilja wasn't planning on wearing anything amazing she needed something that would almost make her blend into the background, although she was apart of the family she was only staff.

Lilja carefully dressed in a simple white blouse pulling on a pair of boot cut jeans as she carefully put on her usual chunky heeled shoes. Lilja then looked at herself in the mirror, pinning her black hair up out of her face once again and tidying her tired make-up from the day.

She wondered why Sarah had been so interested in the letter, Sarah had never before been interested in Lilja's life, it seemed oddly out of place and what made it even more odd was when Sarah's husband, Thomas, greeted her from his return from the airport only a few hours earlier.

Although Lilja had not spent much time with Thomas, she noticed that something about him had changed seen having last seen him, it was as though something was out of place. Rather than his usual designer silk suits and shirts, he was wearing a silk shirt and jeans, either he had completely lost his mind while working on one of his films or something was making him change, worst of all was the fact he had actually spoken to Lilja.

Normally when Thomas returned to his Somerset mansion he would ignore any and all house staff, and he considered Lilja nothing more than house staff at all times. But this time on his return he had greeted Lilja as if she was more a member of the family, which was odd in itself and very much out of his usual character.

Lilja tried to ignore the strange goings on as best she could and kept to herself throughout most of the party, until the sun began to set and everyone began to venture across the grass from the patio were the welcoming drinks were being held outside, as the guests head to the marquee to watch the cracking and popping of fireworks rose over head, as well as the continuing drinking, eating and dancing.

Lilja couldn't help noticing that Thomas kept looking round to the driveway leading up to the house, as if he was still waiting for someone to arrive, this was not uncommon yet the amount of time Thomas took to glare across the driveway was unnerve to Lilja. Suddenly Thomas clapped his hands together making everyone nearby jump, and with a breaming smile that crossed his face, he announced. “They're here, finally!” As he made his way towards the drive, tugging Sarah along with him, he seemed almost more exited to see the final guests arrive.

Lilja looked across to the drive way leading up to the mansion, and there parking up outside the front of the mansion beside the small fountain, was a black limo with black tinted windows so you couldn't see inside. The soft hum of the engine then went dead as it switched off, the lights that had illuminated the driveway in front of the mansion once again plunged the area into an eerie dusky glow, the only light now coming from the fireworks popping over head.

Lilja carefully moved through the crowd towards Thomas and Sarah, as Sarah had called for Lilja to follow, the sound of the gravel crumbling and scattering under her shoes as she walked. Thomas opened the door wide to the limo, and out came a tall dark haired man.

Lilja stopped dead in her tracks, her heart in her throat as there stepping out of the limo was the last person she had expected to see. Her eyes wide as she gazed across at the new arrival, there standing in one of his rather more elegant suits, was the grand warlock of the coven that Lilja had once been apart of, let alone the fact that this man stood before her having just arrive to the Lawrence's household, was her own father.

“Thank you Thomas for welcoming me and my dear brother to your most elegant celebrations.” Said the man as he walked towards Sarah “And who is this lovely lady? Surely this can not be your fair lady, Thomas?” The man continue to talk as Thomas stood sickly proud beside Sarah, as she giggled and flicked her blonde hair across her shoulder, clearly overly flattered by the comment.

“This is my wife Sarah, and my son Robert is somewhere in the crowd, no doubt enjoying the firework display with our other guests, I believe you have not met Sarah's personal maid, Lilja!” Replied Thomas, clearly giving Lilja the entrance to step forward more listening to Thomas as he continuing to speak. “Lady's allow me to introduce you to Breton, who has kindly agreed to help with one of my films.” Thomas moved round, carefully pushing Lilja more forward towards the man, who was still flirtatiously looking at Sarah.

Lilja who had been looking at the ground finally looked up once again at the newly arrived man in front of her, it clearly was the Grand warlock, her heart was now in the pit of her stomach and she dreaded what may come out of her mouth as she took a deep breath.

“Actually Mr Lawrence, I do know him, Breton happens to be my father.” Lilja said her voice cold as if her words were made of blocks of ice that was craved into a dagger than seemed to lunge forward into the heart of any warm blooded person around. Breton merely glanced at Lilja as if not caring for the coldness of her tone, he carefully moved away from Sarah who was still giggling from his soft flirtatious words that he had continued to whisper into her ear.

Breton moved towards Lilja towering over her like he had done many times before, just like when she had jumped from the cliff top, fleeing from his echoing rage. He seemed to look Lilja up and down, almost unimpressed by her lack of flamboyant elegance. “You maybe my daughter, but the last time I saw of you, you had chosen to disobey me, and the rest of the family.” He said in a calm controlled way, he then turned towards the limo. “Allow me to introduce you all to my brother, Benjamin, although most, usually just call him Benjy.” Continued Breton, as another man began to step out of the limo.

Lilja step back even more terrified than before, Benjy was not only the most handsome man within the coven court to which Lilja had grown up in, but he was also the most charming and could easily charm any women to his whim.

Benjy had shoulder length dark brown hair that had a slight kink to it, his soft brown eyes almost dreamy to any girls wildest fantasy, his face looked as though it was chiselled by angels that had wanted to create the most elegant face. He was wearing a deep red shirt with the collar slight turned up to hide the sides of his neck, although the shirt was open with the first few buttons undone, showing his rather strange collection of charms and chains. He was in one of his usual tailor made suits, that seemed to be a soft grey, but Lilja couldn't tell if it had a slight tweed design to the fabric. Benjy also seemed to be wearing three dangling earrings on his left ear and as he walked he almost seemed to glide across the ground, greeting Thomas and then Sarah, but walking straight past Lilja as if she was not even there.

Lilja did not care one bit that he walked past her, as she watched Thomas walk with Benjy and Breton, talking loudly about wine and their up coming film idea.

Sarah on the other hand was still giggling as she watched the three men walk off towards the marquee as she stood beside Lilja. “My husband surely knows how to pick them!” Sarah said, Lilja looked at her employer and noticed the rather twisted smile on Sarah's face, this alone made Lilja's eyes roll as she knew either Breton or Benjy had somehow used a mind spell of Sarah to play ludicrous images within her mind to make her swoon after them like some love sick calf.

Lilja remained silent for a for moments and watched a few of the other party guests return to the marquee to continue drinking and eating from having watched the fireworks. “Sarah, if you don't need me at all this evening, do you mind if I retire from your summer party? I suddenly feel rather unwell.” Asked Lilja hoping she could hide in her room until the next morning. Sarah looked round at Lilja, almost shocked by her question. “Good heavens no, you can't leave, surely you want to see your father? Fancy your father being one of my husbands friends, I never knew you came from such a high flying background.” Sarah said as she looped hold of Lilja's arm and began to head to the marquee, while almost dragging Lilja beside her.

Lilja was not happy to see her father and now it all made perfect sense of why Thomas had looked out of place, either Thomas had become a vampire himself or he was studying black magic with Breton as his teacher.

As the marquee lights twinkled more brightly as the darkness of night deepened, Lilja found herself sat at a rather large circular table listening to Thomas and his two late arriving guests talking about a film that sounded stomach turning. It oddly seemed to be about the coven and the more Lilja listened the more she began to feel like screaming.

Sarah had sat beside Lilja and although she was also beside her husband, she was more interested in starring at Benjy who was sat across the table from her, she didn't seem to notice the slight annoying glares Lilja would give her every now and then. Wine seemed to continue to flow and as midnight chimed guests started to leave, bidding fair well to their hosts and leaving the mansion, by now Lilja had pulled her chair slightly further away from the table while every now and pull one of the near by balloon strings from the back of an empty chair and hit the balloon very, very hard. It was her way of not screaming across the table at her father and the vampire lord that were both clearly using they unnatural gifts to keep Sarah numb to what they were talking about with Thomas.

By the time 3am arrived Lilja was fed up more than ever, she stood up from her chair and stormed across the now empty dance floor and began helping herself to the somewhat dry uninteresting buffet food, with much satisfaction as she stabbed a knife into a large piece of chocolate fudge cake, imaging it to be the head of those she did not want to be around.

“Your not happy to see us, are you?” Said a voice behind Lilja as she nearly jumped spinning round to see her father pretending to help himself to food as well. Lilja turned back to the fudge cake stabbing it once again in a moments thought imaging it to be her fathers head. “The fact you know where I am, means that I have to find somewhere else where you cant find me and stop you once again trying to force me to marry someone.” Lilja's voice was once again cold, but with the clear signs of tiredness and fed up.

Breton looked at his daughter he had always found her stubborn, but after she ran away he had missed her and her rather elegant ideas, as well as thoughts on matters within the coven. Let alone she was the only one that seemed to understand Aaron's rather mad experiments in his lab within the coven basement. “How come Aaron isn't here? And where is Sophia your wife?” Lilja continued as she placed the second slice of cake on the small paper plate. “Sophia was banished after it was discovered she had told you of the high court's plans, Aaron had to remain within the coven, you know how it is? The coven most have at least one of the lords there.” Replied Breton watching Lilja as she seemed to stab the piece of cake on her plate. “Your meant to eat your cake, not stab it.” He continued.

Lilja looked up from the cake on her plate looking at Breton, for the first time she noticed how tired his odd coloured eyes were. It had been along time since she had seen her father, but the hatred that had filled her over the past three years was never going to give up.

“Why bring him here then?” Lilja said her head tilting slightly to referrer to Benjy. “You forget it was him that was going to marry you, he has as much right to be here as I do, we are guests of your employer, you most remember your place and manors to guests.” Replied Breton as he turned away from the buffet table, walking back to the where the others were still sat.

Lilja looked back down at the plate of food she had gathered, picking up a bottle of wine and walking out the marquee, she was not being forced to stay another minuet in the company of the two lords from the coven she had fled from, she march up to her room slamming the door shut behind her.