– How did you get to Russia? – Markus asked. Apparently he, like me, was seeing them for the first time, and I was relieved that he wasn't in cahoots with them.

– We're American, but we moved to Russia seven years ago," Emma told him. – It was Samantha who talked me into it, and I must say I have never regretted it.

– And how did you like Russia? – I asked.

– It's a wonderful place to live a modest and quiet life. We live in St Petersburg, but we have been to many cities. – Samantha smiled dreamily and sighed. – A paradise for vampires, believe me!

– How many of them are there? – The conversation was getting to my liking.

– One clan, but quite impressive and numerous. They live in Novgorod and almost never leave the country. It's the Kravitsky clan. Their head – Anton Kravitsky is considered to be a descendant of the Russian prince Alexei Kravitsky, but we know that he himself is.

– How do the Russians feel about us? – Mariszka asked.

– Oh, they love us! Books and films about us sell out instantly! – Emma said, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed that she was looking at me with interest, as if to see if I was listening to her beautiful melodious voice.

But I wasn't looking at either of the girls; I was watching the fire in the fireplace as it danced and twisted. And I noted with satisfaction that my coldness had repelled the unwanted strangers.

– We travel the world and live on our own. But this time Mariszka, an old friend of ours, invited us to Prague, for a couple of days, and we couldn't refuse her. – Emma smiled at Mariszka, and Mariszka smiled at her.

– Well, welcome to Prague," I said dryly, feeling a wave of irritation again. – Markus, can I talk to you for a minute?

Markus apologised to the ladies (I ignored their parting words), and we moved to another wing of the castle where no one could overhear us. When we reached the balcony, I leaned against the stone railing and gave my brother a hard, displeased look. I knew now for sure that Markus was aware of the girls and was playing along with them, helping their awkwardly transparent attempts to captivate me.

– And what's all this circus for? – I asked sternly.

Markus raised his eyebrows in surprise, as if he didn't know what he was talking about. But he was always a bad actor.

– Why are the girls here? – I said impatiently. – Don't play the fool! I don't like anyone prying into my life, and you know that as well as anyone!

– By the way, they didn't come just to meet you! Soon Mariszka will be your relative," Markus said, standing next to me and chuckling.

The meaning of his words came to me only after a few seconds. And I couldn't believe my ears.

– You're getting married? – From surprise, I temporarily forgot about my anger. – How long have you two been dating?

– A month.

– You mean a month was enough time for you to know everything about her? – I asked ironically.

– But I feel like we've known each other forever… Well, damn right we have! But I don't want to hear your pesky arguments about how stupid love is.

I shook my head, unable to hide a wide smile.

– You won't hear them. I'm happy for you! I just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

– Thank you, but you don't look happy," my brother said, clapping me on the shoulder.

– My mood is ruined by you know what," I explained, so that Markus wouldn't take my bad mood personally. I was glad, but the news that Markus was getting married didn't sit right with me; I was used to him and me being bachelors forever.

– By the way, our mother wanted to invite Emma and Samantha," Markus said.

I grinned sarcastically: my mother had tried to interfere in my life, but it had been futile. My life belongs to me alone, and I will not allow her to interfere in it.

– And Mariszka became her ally," I said sullenly. – Well, to hell with it.

I did not want to return to the crowd of guests: I did not like noise and bustle, and this evening I felt a strong need for solitude. So I left the balcony and headed quickly to my room.

– Where are you going? – Markus caught up with me in a flash.

– I want to rest," I said through gritted teeth. – I'd had the worst day ever. I'll see you tomorrow. And give Mariszka my sincere congratulations.

I left the castle in the evening to get to the Nusle Bridge. It had indeed been a lousy day. The storm of emotions had exhausted me, and the only thing I needed at that moment was silence and solitude.

CHAPTER 4

The examination period flew by as quickly as if it had never happened. The academic classes began. It should be noted that the weather had prepared a surprise for us and brought cold and grey clouds to Prague, which gave me the opportunity to visit the university every day. The guests who came to the castle left, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The presence of numerous relatives every time broke my plans and made me angry, besides, they were sloppy: after their arrival there was a wave of panic in Prague – people disappeared without a trace. By the dozens. Almost every day.

After the last meeting with the girl from Nusle Bridge, I never met her at the university, but now I attended it every day and sat in on all my classes, which was an extraordinary heroism for me. It is not clear from where, in me suddenly again suddenly appeared interest in observing the life of a huge organism, or, better to say, a huge anthill, which was Charles University in Prague. But there was something strange in my behaviour: one day I caught myself thinking that I was looking for a black coat among the bright colours, looking for that girl in the noisy crowd of students, but I didn't find her… Realising that I was looking for that stranger on purpose, I mentally cursed and forced my mind to suppress this stupid, completely alien and unnecessary desire to encounter that mortal again.

Every evening I went to the Nusle Bridge and watched the sunset, and then watched the sky and the clouds flying across it. But, once again, after a period of spiritual uplift, melancholy and boredom took possession of me, and now the days passed boringly, each was similar to the previous one, and my boredom could not kill neither the events taking place at the university, nor the events taking place in the country and the world in general. Studying was boring, hunting two centuries ago had turned into a routine. Nothing interesting was happening in my life. But on Monday the second of October something went wrong.

The day passed routinely, and I looked with indifference at the lecturer, who, waving his hands vigorously, extolled his subject and his capacity for rational thought. The lecture would have ended the same way as it did every time, but suddenly, at the end of the pair, the lecturer loudly announced to the audience that the students should not disperse, but must come to the assembly hall. Naturally, the students immediately started whispering and laughing. For them, it was fun. For me, it was another fuss and minutes of wasted time.

The assembly hall of the university was filled with curious and at the same time frightened students. I sat in the fourth row, wishing I could leave for the castle as soon as possible. A group of girls were seated next to me, and they immediately put their feminine charms into action, making eyes at me. I put my hands in my pockets and pretended as if I didn't notice that these girls existed at all.

Ten minutes had passed, and only when the students had become quite chatty did none other than the rector of the university himself enter the front doors with an important gait, and the buzz in the hall died down. The students rose noisily from their chairs in greeting. The rector walked to the stage, took the microphone in his hands and with a careless gesture allowed us to sit down.