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“Every time I feel I get a clear sense of who you are, you still manage to amaze me one way or another,” Gabriel said and helped me climb the stairs to the roof.
“It’s all part of the Petra package, you know,” I said. On the last step, I got mesmerized by the surrounding beauty. The castle stood in the middle of the deepest Bra?ov forest, thus I could enjoy a unique view of nature’s exquisite creations. “Is this still The Other Realm? Just like in Târgovi?te?”
“The Other Realm is everywhere where supernatural beings live. Though once I became king, this is considered our headquarters.” He said and walked to a corner of the roof.
“What happens if a human enters The Other Realm?”
“They wouldn’t see it. We have a protective dome in place. They would only feel something unusual, but their eyes would tell them it is still part of the forest.”
“For whom are we waiting?” I asked.
“Any minute now, Milady,” he said, looking at the horizon.
Suddenly, I heard a whirling sound from afar. At first, it looked like a dot in the sky, but the closer it got to us, I realized it was a helicopter. The moment the helicopter reached us and hovered above the roof, I stopped breathing properly. Not only because of the shock but because the amount of air swirling around overwhelmed every sense of my body. Though I didn’t realize it initially, it resembled close to my time-travel experience.
Gabriel enveloped me in an embrace and said, “It’s almost done.”
Once it landed, I could take a better look at it. The helicopter, as well as its blades, were of a dark color, like everything surrounding Gabriel. On the helicopter’s body, the words Alterum Regnum were inscribed.
“Are you going to fly us?” I asked curious if he also knew how to fly helicopters.
“And be forced to take my eyes off you? Never. There is staff for that. Come, let me help you get in.”
Chapter 9
Once inside the helicopter, Gabriel helped me put on the straps and the headphones. But he didn’t do the same for himself, instead he asked, “Are you ready, my love?”
“I’m not sure,” I said.
“Remember, you are safest when you are with me,” he said as a matter of fact.
The interior resembled a luxurious car salon rather than a typical helicopter cabin. With beige leather seats and champagne glasses at every corner. It seemed like this man wanted to keep me tipsy at all times.
While flying above the fog-covered mountains, I could enjoy the serpentine roads, the forests, and the towns even more. As I kept looking out the small window, trying to take in the panoramic view, I felt an eerie vibe. When I turned around, instead of joining me in admiring nature’s beauty, Gabriel kept his gaze on me.
“Why are you looking at me instead of outside?” I asked.
“I’ve imagined this moment thousands of times. I wanted to relish in it a bit longer. Your beauty could only be compared to the Romanian mountains.”
The trip took far less than I expected, and the helicopter began descending in no time. After landing, Gabriel helped me unbuckle my straps and exit.
Even though Dad told me many times about Transfagara?an, I could not fully comprehend its beauty until I saw it with my very own eyes. In essence, it was a long serpentine road that led to the peak of a mountain. But compared to all other roads, this one had an open landscape. You could see the lowest point filled with tourists and cars. Then ascend with your gaze to the top, where the land intermittently changed from rock, then greenery, and lastly, snow. Close to the top, I saw a flock of sheep grazing on grass. They were standing at such a steep angle that it seemed they risked a tumble any minute.
As we ambled further from the helicopter, Gabriel was approached by a Romanian police officer. I thought we might be in trouble for landing a helicopter in the middle of a grassy area, but to my surprise, the officer bowed slightly to Gabriel. After, the police officer hopped into his patrol car and turned on the lights, effectively stopping any car planning to ascend on the serpentine road.
Gabriel returned to me and said, “We have the road all to ourselves. Let’s go.”
“The police are working with you as well?”
“Not the entire police force. This police officer is one of us. Come,” he grabbed my hand enthusiastically and led me toward the asphalted road.
Beyond where the police car was parked on the road, I saw another car. With a sleek design, it was the most luxurious car I’ve ever seen. Not a car I could imagine my dad selling anytime soon. The closer I got, the more its distinct curved lines, black color, and long profile reminded me of a villain’s car. “What is this car?”
“It’s a Bugatti La Voiture Noire,” Gabriel said.
“Doesn’t ring a bell. Is it fast?”
“It’s fast enough,” he said though I felt he was being humble. Gabriel helped open the door from the passenger’s seat. But before I could enter, a curious onlooker approached us and asked Gabriel something about the car in French. To my surprise, Gabriel answered in perfect French (whatever I understood as being perfect). The onlooker thanked Gabriel and left.
