Chapter 206 Lady Of The Night (30)
(Outskirts Of New Atlantic City- Castle Eden)
(Two Months Later)
Mary wiped the beads of sweat from her brow using a well-worn handkerchief. She dropped down to the ground began to do a series of pushups.
"One... two... three..." Mary muttered quietly to herself as she began her daily routine.
Every day she would exercise before her training session with Camilla.
Her body was now in a much better state than when she initially took over the original Mary's body thanks to a steady diet of meat, fruits, and vegetables as well as healthy amounts of exercise.
Now she had visible abdominal muscles and a healthy weight.
The ribs that could once be seen against her chest had long been covered by a layer of muscle and fat.
The young woman grunted as she picked up a heavy iron sword and began to swing the blade in a certain pattern.
Thrust... forward slash... backward slash... pierce.
Over and over Mary repeated the basic moves as if they were engrained into her very psyche.
Out of all of the weapons that she could use... the blade was still her favourite.
It was not even close.
There was a familiarity that she felt when handling swords that made her feel as though she had spent a lifetime studying the blade.
Mary continued to exercise for around thirty minutes before finally taking a moment to rest. She slumped against a nearby wall and reached for a bottle of water.
She took small sips of the refreshing liquid and wiped some more sweat off her face. Life in the castle was... tolerable.
There was enough food to eat, and she could feel herself getting stronger by the day.
In fact, although Camilla had not said it out loud, Mary could tell that her progress both frightened and impressed the female vampire.
Speaking of Camilla...
Mary let out a heavy sigh as her gaze turned to an open window that overlooked the vast forest surrounding the castle.
Ever since that night in the city... something fundamental had changed in the relationship between the pair.
Mary could not forget the pain that she felt when Camilla violently grabbed her by the shoulder and demanded to know where she had found the book.
It had been a sobering reality check.
She would always be a tool... a slave to the beautiful female vampire and thinking that the kisses meant something was just foolishness on her part.
Well... it had been a long time since Camilla had taken her lips.
Mary's vampiric mistress had been distant ever since that day and when she fed it was in detached manner.
Camilla only bit the top of Mary's left shoulder and did not show any extra passion or zeal as she fed on her blood.
Outside of training... the pair barely interacted.
Of course, Mary would still be given the occasional order to clean a certain area or section of the castle but in truth they were now like strangers.
Mary could not tell if she was relived by the distance... or disappointed.
Staying away from the gorgeous vampire did allow her rationality to return but something about her curvaceous figure and soft lips...
Stop it.
Mary shook her head furiously and tried to chase those thoughts from her mind.
Lately when she slept all she could think about was Camilla's voluptuous figure and those two plump mountains.
The young woman lowered her head and rubbed her cheeks furiously hoping to wake herself up from constantly picturing Camilla's naked body.
A few minutes passed and eventually Mary calmed herself down. She pulled out a phone from her pocket and checked the time.
Training with Camilla would begin in ten minutes, so she had to leave now. Mary cleaned up the room and then headed out.
She walked through the endless maze of corridors and side rooms that made up the castle with great familiarity.
After spending months inside the castle... truthfully it felt more of a home than anywhere else.
It was certainly a step above from the run down two-bedroom apartment that she had grown up in.
At least the castle did not smell of alcohol and day-old cigarettes.
Speaking of her father... Mary sometimes wondered what had happened to him. Was he still drinking and gambling his life away?
Perhaps now that Lily and she were gone he would look to make himself a new family with some woman desperate enough to sleep with him.
Mary furrowed her brows as she walked through the castle and eventually arrived at the training field with a few minutes to spare.
She looked up at the transparent glass ceiling and saw a beautiful sight.
The night sky was filled with countless breathtaking stars that blinked and winked out of existence.
It was a sight that she had seen before and yet every time... Mary could not help but appreciate the wonders of the universe.
She felt as though her problems and hardships were small compared to the vastness of the cosmos and mysteries that lay beyond the stars.
Obviously, she had no memory of her life in previous worlds, but Mary hoped that in one of them she was part of a civilisation that explored the galaxy.
Mary approached the training rack in the corner of the field and hummed thoughtfully as she looked at the weapons on display.
She picked up a wooden bow and carefully weighed it.
It had a good weight since it had long iron strips running along its center for additional reinforcement.
There were a few arrows in a quiver nearby which Mary soon picked up. She walked over to the center of the field and nocked an arrow on the bowstring.
She pulled back the bow and the line slowly grew taut. She took in a deep breath and then suddenly released the string.
The arrow shot forward with startling speed and... completely missed the target by at least ten feet.
Well... one had to start somewhere.
Mary was not disappointed by her lacking display because her mastery of the other weapons was nothing to boast about.
"I see you have begun training early today," a cold voice echoed through the field.
Mary turned in the direction of the sound and saw Camilla staring at her with an unreadable expression on her face.
The beautiful female vampire was wearing a flashy red dress that accentuated her bountiful curves and those crimson red eyes.
Her short raven cropped hair brushed against her cheeks and those plump red lips pursed slightly as she talked to her servant.
Mary nodded politely at her mistress who walked forward and without a word began to correct her posture.
"You cannot fire arrows using the same stance that you use for swordsmanship," Camilla quietly remarked as her hand lightly touched Mary's back.
There was a sense of restraint in her movements as if she was intentionally holding herself back from doing more.
Mary could feel her mistress' fingers trembled slightly as they traced her soft young body. She stared straight ahead but could sense the desire in Camilla's passionate gaze.
Camilla drew in a shaky breath as she realised that she had almost lost control of her emotions.
This human... she had a way of making her feel things that she had long since forgotten and it scared it.
It scared her very much.
She was no longer the naïve little girl who had been rescued by the First Ancestor and centuries had passed since she had been turned into a pure blood vampire.
Why was she feeling shaken by a mere human?