Chapter 33: Eyes from the wall

The conference room looked gloomy. The only light in the room came from the vantage lampshade in the far left corner. She slowly walked to the center and took meticulous scrutiny of the surroundings. As she moved closer to the glass wall, she wondered why the owner was a fan of the glass just like the "A Tower." But what bothered Rakiza was the reason why she was alone in a meeting and what would be on the agenda. She had no slight idea what the meeting would be all about.
Rakiza was anticipating the manager, Lyra Brinson's return. The Reign-Bridge company's chief owner summoned her. Rakiza was perplexed by her manager's demeanor. She was in a good mood as they shook hands, but after the phone conversation, she became tense and hurried out the door. She didn't tell Rakiza who had called or where she was heading. She hurried out the door, leaving Rakiza alone in the room. Rakiza wondered if the owner was a severe person who was difficult to please.
Rakiza was staring at the glass wall, which she had no idea was a two-way mirror, and she wasn't aware that someone was watching her on the other side of the wall.
After a few moments, Lyra Brinson returned with something in her arms: an ancient book, which she placed on the table where she had taken a seat and said, "I'm sorry for leaving you alone here; I was just hooked for a few minutes looking for this book; please take a seat so that we can begin the meeting."
"So, I'm the only one summoned to this meeting?" Rakiza asked, taking the seat opposite Miss Brinson.
"Yeah, the boss wants to help you with your book," Miss Brinson explained, pushing the book closer to Rakiza's hand. "He wanted you to look at and read the book since it is relevant to your vampire story."
Rakiza now knows that her boss is a man.
"He encouraged you to take your novel seriously; he appreciated the way your storyline arced, and he thinks it would be better if you read this book."
Rakiza was astounded by her boss's appreciation of her book; he even provided her with a reference book. And a name, "Zella's Blood," was scribbled on the top cover of the book.
Rakiza murmured when she read the title of the book, "Zella's Blood."
"Yes, that is the ancient vampires' book, and it's a good reference for your novel."
Rakiza asked, perplexed, "Miss Brinson, did the boss want me to follow this book?"
"Not exactly, however, it can assist you in developing the genesis of the Bloodstone in your novel, "The Bloodstone of Sheba."
Rakiza remained silent for a moment and gazed at the glass wall, as if she could sense eyes on the other side of the glass observing her.
Miss Brinson interrupted the stillness by asking. "How did you acquire the name Sheba for your book?"
"That name was given to me by my grandfather." Rakiza explained, adding, "as I already stated, it was a bedtime story recounted to me by my grandfather when I was a child."
"Has it stayed with you since then?" Miss Brinson inquired. Her eyes were thoughtful.
Rakiza answered earnestly, "Yeah, it did stick with me and made me believe it was genuine until I was a teen and was told by my classmates that vampires didn't exist."
"And you believe them that vampires are myths, a comic book story."
Rakiza clarified, "Yeah, I was thinking that was for a comic narrative."
Miss Brinson asked, "How did you come to write it, and what motivated you to write about the bloodstone?"
"No one, in particular, it was a reminder of my grandfather. And I want to refresh in memory of him, "Rakiza smiled." You know, I'm a fan of him when it comes to telling a story. But the best story he ever told was about the bloodstone. He was emotional and very convincing, even shedding tears when he told me about the vanished bloodstone, which Sheba's descendant should seek for the cure. "
Miss Brinson spoke quietly, "the cure." She was deep in thought.
"My grandfather had several legends in mind," Rakiza added, "but the bloodstone is the greatest."
"Did he tell you about the bloodstone story?" Miss Brinson inquired once more.
"The origin is unknown to him; perhaps his imagination didn't come up with a good idea on how to create the origin of the bloodstone. He began it with a girl named Sheba, a human-vampire, and she was fighting for her family's freedom from the hunters. That's the joke of the story my grandfather told me. And I forgot the rest. "
"That's it for this meeting," Miss Brinson said, exhaling deeply. "I have one more question."
"Yes?" Rakiza stared at her manager.
"Was your grandfather a book lover with a collection? Or was he a fan of a particular author? "
Rakiza paused for a moment to reflect on her grandfather's past. And she did recall that her grandfather had kept a book in his cabinet. She also remembered her grandfather telling her to ask permission before opening the cabinet. However, she was never a fan of reading books when she was younger. She was more excited about her grandfather's bedtime story, which he read to her without tiring on his face until the day he died. Rakiza was silent for a while, and tears began to fall down her cheeks, which she was unaware of.
"Here's a tissue for your tears," Miss Brinson said, handing her a colorful tissue napkin, which she quickly accepted and used to wipe away her tears.
"I apologize, Miss Brinson. I really missed my grandfather. We were so close that I cried for weeks after he died," Rakiza said, her voice broken.
Then the door opened, revealing a woman holding a tray of refreshing drinks and a two-piece chicken sandwich. Her throat was so dry that she only drank a sip of lemonade.
Miss Brinson was still staring at her, waiting for her to say something else. Rakiza, on the other hand, was drowning in her memories of her grandfather.
"And how about your mother?" Miss Brinson transitioned their conversation to another important figure in her life, her mother, adding, "Does she enjoy reading books as well?"
"She despises books." It's a waste of time for her. She was so desperate for me to go to college that she worked three jobs a day just to keep my education going, which is why I was accepted at Sassari School of Arts. I felt sorry for her and offered to drop out of school to assist her in finding work, but she refused. "
"Well, I admire your mother's perseverance and bravery in allowing you to attend such an expensive school, "Miss Brinson said. "So, you're closer to your grandfather than to your mother?"
"As I previously stated, she had worked three jobs in order for me to attend college. And I greatly appreciated her efforts, and I adore her just the way she is. It was clear that I and my grandfather were the reasons for her perseverance in caring for us, "Rakiza explained.
"All right, I think we're done. Take that book and start reading it. This will give you some information about your story. Also, please take a look at my other offer: historical feature articles for magazines. You'll enjoy it. Simply giving it a shot will result in you earning more than you expected. Simultaneously, you can assist your mother by unloading some of her work. "
"What kind of history can be crammed into that article?" Rakiza piqued her interest a little.
Miss Brinson smiled as she said, "You can feature history that will pique the interest of younger generations, or a story about anything beyond our imaginations: the impossible that is possible, or the unbelievable but possible story. You can conduct some research, such as discovering something unusual. "
"Or the story about this book, Zella's blood," Rakiza said, her gaze fixed on the book in front of her.
"No, Zella's blood is not to be exposed," Miss Brinson said her face tense. Only you, not even I, were permitted to read that book by our boss. "
Rakiza shook her head, unable to believe what Miss Brinson had said. Why was it that only she was given the opportunity to read the book? She was suddenly reminded of her grandfather's deathbed request. At the age of nineteen, he advised her not to trust anyone.
Rakiza said, almost mumbling, "I remember Grandpa's concern on his deathbed."
"What was your grandfather concerned about?" Miss Brinson inquired, her eyes gleaming. "Please tell me, Rakiza."
"Grandpa told me many times, even on his deathbed, that at the age of nineteen I should not trust anyone," she almost whispered.
"Do you know why your grandfather forewarned you about this?"
"I'm not sure." Rakiza sighed and said, "He just told me that on his weakest day, a few days before he died, and in the hours before his breathing stopped, he whispered something to me that I didn't understand."
Miss Brinson's eyes widened with delight. "What were his final words to you, Rakiza?"
Rakiza added, "He also warned me not to fall in love with a man, a stranger."
For a few moments, Miss Brinson was deafeningly quiet as Rakiza continued to speak.
"And why did my grandfather warn me about it?" Did he foresee what would happen to me in the future? And now... " Rakiza paused as she remembered Theo. Her rage and strange feelings towards him were astounding. What about her pity for Nikolas? She cried a lot when she found out about his illness, solar urticaria.
"What is going on right now, Rakiza? Could you please share that with me? Have you ever felt love for a stranger? "Chin asked.
"I'm not sure what love is, but I feel something for him," Rakiza said.
"Could you please tell me who he is?" Miss Brinson was interested.
"I'm not sure what I felt, and I'm not going to talk about it. I'm sorry, Miss Brinson, "Rakiza said, feeling dizzy.
"Are you okay, Rakiza?"
"I felt...I think I should go home now," Rakiza said as she stumbled to her feet.
Miss Brinson leaped to grab her. "I believe our driver should drive you home. Hold my hand, and I'll take you down to the lobby. "
Rakiza felt numbness in her knees. She was also unable to walk straight. Was it because of the lemonade or because she was hungry? Miss Brinson assisted in getting into the car. When the car began to speed, everything became hazy.
After a few miles, she felt as if the car had come to a halt. And she heard a grumbling sound that she couldn't place. It sounded like a fight was going on in her ears. She was aware of a fight between two people. She wanted to see them, but her vision was blurry, and then she heard a man's voice yelling, "I am her guardian!" Then everything went black.
The next thing she knew, she awoke from her coma and was already in her bed, with her friends Chin and Susan looking down at her. "What transpired?" Rakiza inquired in hushed tones.
"You tell us what happened," Chin stated emphatically. Why did Theo bring you home unconscious? We were about to take you to the clinic if he hadn't intervened; he said you're just drunk."
Rakiza's eyes widened when she heard Theo's name. "Who brought me home?" she wondered.
"Theo Monsanto was carrying you up here," Chin explained.
"And he was very angry at you, Raki," Susan stated flatly.
She kept saying, quote, "Look at you, Rakiza. You're obstinately drunk! You're not thinking. You feed the heartless!" Chin mimics, then returns to her normal reaction. "What happened to your meeting, Rakiza?"
"I was in a meeting with my manager when I became dizzy, and everything became hazy. And then there was a brawl. Yes, I heard voices arguing. Men's voices, then I saw their hazy figures and passed out. "
"Well, thanks to Theo's concern for you," Chin said with a smile. "My love, Theo, is your hero."
"Where has he gone?"
"He left after putting you on your bed," Susan explained.
"He wasn't in the mood to talk."Susan added, "And we let him go without questioning him about what had happened to you."
Chin drew nearer to Rakiza and asked, "What was the purpose of the meeting? What did you consume that caused you to pass out? "
"I wasn't drunk; I only had a glass of lemonade, that's all. Maybe I was hungry and didn't notice, "she explained before recalling the book and panicking. "Where is my bag?"
Susan drew something from beneath Rakiza's bed, her bag, and said, "Here's your bag." Theo gave it to us. "
Rakiza quickly rummaged through her bag and was relieved to discover the book inside.
The Book of Zella's Blood