Home Alone

"Alone and miserable on Valentines' Day."

Sapphira heard her father's mournful voice through her parents' bedroom door. She figured he referred to her, so she lingered around out of curiosity.

"She's sixteen, Rose, and I never heard her talk about a boyfriend. I only see her crouched over her iPad, typing away in that awful Wattpad."

Sapphira didn't care to hear the rest. She took her iPad out of her bedroom and waited for her parents to leave. She answered her mother's concerned look an hour later.

"I'll be just fine, mama. You two enjoy yourselves."

Her parents hugged her, and she heard her father repeat the years long summons.

"Lock the door and arm the alarm. Do not open the door under any circumstance. Call us if you need anything."

As they left, she did just that and with a grin she returned to "that awful Wattpad". So engrossed was she in her story that she jumped at the loud sound of the door bell.

She remembered her father's advice, and she ignored the bell. It rung again. This time she went to the window and peered through the blinds. A young man sat with his back at her. He probably noticed the light, since he turned. Sapphira dropped the blinds and shook her head. Her father was right, she spent too much time writing stories. She wrote too much One Direction fan fiction. That was it. There was no other explanation for her seeing Harry Styles outside her door.

She looked outside and yes, Harry waved his hands. There was no mistaking his brown hair and green eyes.

Sapphira murmured as she disarmed the alarm and opened the door.

"Daddy, as you said, I'm sixteen."

He stormed through the door and breathed.

"You must help us. Niall is missing, and the old gypsy told us only you could help. Where is he? She said something about some reins; however, I think she was a bit foxed."

Sapphira watched him bewildered. Harry Styles asked for the harness at the bequest of a foxed gypsy.

"The reins!"

This meant only one thing and Sapphira run to her parents bedroom and retrieved the reins. It was a clever hiding place, and Sapphira let her mother believe she succeeded in hiding the reins from her.

"We have to go in the backyard Harry."

Sapphira snapped the reins and the well known flapping of wings resounded in the air. She nudged Harry and startled him from his stupor.

"Jump on, we need to hurry. Hold tight on its mane."

She attached the reins and jumped behind him. She felt him freeze and breathe in fear as the horse soared into the air. The flight was as always short, with the same exhilarating feel of the wind in her orange hair.

When the horse landed behind Flora's cottage, Harry was shaking. She had to pry his hands from the horse's mane and help him walk when he dismounted.

The horse flew off, and she heard Flora's voice.

"Saph-ee-ra! What are you..."

Flora stopped short and measured Harry.

"Who's this?"

"Harry, grannie. Do you happen to know someone named Niall here?"

She felt Harry falter as he measured Flora. With her slim build, parched face, peasant blouse and what it looked like a woolen blanket wrapped around her, she didn't fit the usual crowd Harry used to hang out with.

"You're talking about ol' Niall? He's a good man; however in a lot of trouble right now. Come, I'll take you to him."

They walked through the village, avoiding mud puddles and horse drops. Harry smiled bravely then suddenly he yelled and pointed at a young man.

"Niall!!!!"

Flora squinted and gestured to Harry to be quiet.

"That would only be Matei, Niall's son. He's in big trouble, and you don't want to alert the guards."

"Ma-te-ee" Harry repeated, dumbfounded.

They neared the house and Sapphira blushed as Matei measured her.

"I suspect my father would be happy to see you my... hurm lady and my lord."

Harry didn't wait for the formal invitation and hurried into the house. Flora, Matei and Sapphira followed a short while later. An older version of Matei talked to a spellbound Harry.

"And so I have been stuck here for twenty years."

Harry retorted and pointed to Matei.

"But you disappeared only yesterday. And I see you were quite busy..

"The year is 1459. I only asked the gypsy to send me back a year so I could remember where I left the song I worked on. I landed in Ireland in 1439."

Harry burst in a nervous laugh.

"The foxed gypsy?"

Neal blushed to the top of his ears.

"I don't think I was in a better shape either."

He then recovered and explained.

"Matei is a distant cousin, here he's known as my son. We had to flee Ireland almost immediately. The best I could find was the Dragon's army. They called him Dracul here. After his death, I followed his son. He's known as Draculea among his kin."

"Dra-cu-lee-a? You're working for the vampire?"

Niall sighed

"He's  no vampire, however he's a bloody one. And Matei rubbed him the wrong way. If caught, he's to be impaled.

Sapphira caught Matei's eyes and saw the fear he tried to hide with bravery.

"The horse can only hold three of us. We must take Matei and come back for you later Niall. Perhaps we could find a better time."

Niall nodded in resignation and Matei took a step forward. He removed a locket from his neck and handed it to Sapphira.

"I am deeply in debt to you, my lady. I'll never forget..."

She thanked him with a nod and snapped the harness. The well known flap of wings resounded in the air.

***

Sapphira fingered the gold locket at her neck and put the finishing touches on her latest Wattpad story.

She grinned and murmured as she pressed "Publish"

"No, daddy, you're wrong. Alone and happy!"