My Ice Prince
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– Who was it? – My sister asked, pulling a big touchscreen phone out of her purse.
– I don't know who exactly, but I'm sure she's very famous… In Canada» I replied, glancing at what she was doing.
Mariszka started fiddling with her phone, and I turned my head away, pretending like I didn't care that she preferred her big brick phone to talking to her sister.
– How do you fit it in your bag? – I muttered to myself.
– It's very useful, by the way» Mariszka said, and put the phone back in her bag. – Sorry, that was Markus: he texted that he was waiting for us at the restaurant. Let's go to him.
I was surprised at the haste, because we'd only been walking for an hour, but I kept silent: it must have been the plan.
We caught a taxi to the fancy restaurant where Markus met us, and I thought once again that he and my sister were the most beautiful couple in the world, and I remembered that Cedric was nothing like his brother. But my sister's insistence immediately echoed in my mind, and I decided to keep my mouth shut.
Markus and I hugged, and he led us inside the restaurant, but to my amazement, we passed a beautiful hall, went down a dark staircase somewhere, and ended up in the basement, where there was a small but swanky restaurant, and sat down at a table. There were only the three of us in the room.
A waiter appeared next to us. A vampire.
– Three glasses and a bottle of the freshest» Markus told him.
He brought three large wine glasses and a beautiful bottle labelled 'New England'. I had never been to a place like this before, but I understood perfectly: there was fresh blood in the bottle.
«Wow, a vampire restaurant that serves blood to guests is right under people's noses!» – I thought as I watched Markus pour the blood into glasses. I looked at him and wondered what had changed in him in just three months: his face was like carved stone, his eyes glittered coldly, and his voice was no longer as friendly as it had been in Prague. I shifted my gaze to Mariszka: she, too, was serious. To say that I felt out of place would be to say nothing.
Taking a glass of blood, I began to drink it in big gulps.
– When did you eat? – Mariszka looked at me intently.
– Yesterday, – I honestly answered, – why?
– You drink blood so greedily, as if you were starving.
«I drink so greedily to take my mind off your serious faces for a second!» – I thought grudgingly.
But I set my glass down on the table and shrugged.
– You're imagining things. Markus, tell her to watch her husband, not me. – I tried to make a joke, but Markus didn't even smile, and I felt unbearably awkward.
I wanted to get up and walk away, to leave them alone: I felt superfluous, though I'd never felt that way before, not even with all the Morgans. And now… It was so unfriendly and cold that I just wanted to run away.
– Well, young lady, tell me how you're doing. – Markus suddenly asked and took a sip of blood.
– I'm fine! Oxford is a wonderful city! I have a little house there and a blue bicycle» I started to say, staring down at my glass. – My life is insanely interesting! I don't really socialise with anyone, I just come to and from lectures. In general, I always thought Warsaw was the best city in the world, but now I'm in love with Oxford…
I talked and talked, but I couldn't help feeling awkward and unnecessary: this meeting was so different from what I had seen in my imagination that morning! What the hell made me come? Had I traded my lectures for this?
At last I stopped, having told all I could.
– I don't know what else to say. Anyway, I'm doing great. – I thought my tongue was going to fall off from talking so much.
– Well, I'm glad you're enjoying your studies, but to be honest, I was against you going to Oxford at first» Markus said, smiling tiredly.
– Why? – His confession startled me.
– Because you're so young and defenseless.
– And Cedric doesn't think so: he advised me…
Suddenly Markus's face contorted into a grimace of pain or rage, and the glass he was clutching in his palm burst, spilling blood all over the table and our clothes.
– Misha!» exclaimed Mariszka in a sharp, icy tone.
«What's going on! What have I done!» – flashed through my head, and I jumped up sharply from my chair.
– I'm sorry! I… I'm sorry Markus, I don't know what's going on, but I want to leave! I'll go! – I exclaimed fearfully and ran for the stairs.
– Mischa! – I heard Markus' remorseful voice. – I'm sorry!
– Don't, my dear, don't apologise: she will understand when she finds out, – Mariszka said to him affectionately.
– 'She mustn't find out. Do you have any idea how it will affect her? – Markus asked her.
– 'Why should it affect her? I know my sister and I know that she hasn't found common language with Cedric.
– He said there's a lot we don't know about her.
– Markus, it's all right, I'm with you. Don't think about it.
There was the sound of a kiss and then there was silence.
Running out of the restaurant, I hid around the corner and leaned my back against the wall. My clothes were splattered with blood and my soul was filled with incomprehension and confusion.
«Markus got so mad he crushed the glass… What am I doing here? We have to leave… We have to get out of here now!» – I thought frantically.
But then Mariszka appeared in front of me.
– Misha, why did you run away? – She asked me affectionately, stroking my shoulder.
– What's wrong with him? Why did he get so angry? – I almost cried.
– He was tired, you know? He's just tired. – My sister's eyes filled with pity. – Poor thing, were you scared?
– Yes, very scared» I answered in a shaky voice. – Can I go home? I can't stay here any longer.
– But we've only been together an hour and a half. Well, calm down. Do you want to go for a walk or go shopping?
– Mariszka, we're splattered with blood! – I was desperate to escape to Oxford.