Chapter 222 - The Irrational Ways Of The Mind

We went with the letter in the office, where I examined the scroll closer. The wax seal had a butterfly stamped on it—not a signet I could remember anyone having. JJ's eyes didn't shine with recognition at the sight of it, either.

I carefully cut the seal off with a paper knife and unfurled the scroll, taking note of the thick paper that was very unlike anything you could find in most stores. The message was written with ink and writing pen—I could feel the grooves that the sharp point of it left on the paper with my fingers—in immaculate Gothic penmanship.

"Daraeva Diana Daniilovna and Jean-Jacques, also known as Dragonslayer," I read aloud, "I'm proud to invite you to the grand opening of the Loistava Supernatural Auction House. To celebrate and promote it, I'm hosting an auction and a party, on which you both would be welcome guests. I've heard plenty about your accomplishments, and would be most pleased to exchange words with you. I'm assured that you will find something that would interest you amongst the items that will be sold there. The opening will happen on the first of December in Finland, Helsinki…" I trailed off. "How do you even pronounce that? Well, something-something street forty-nine. Signed, Cornellio Loistava."

"How interesting. I think I heard that name… and if I'm right, then Cornellio is a vampire." JJ slowly blinked. "It's one thing for him to invite you, but me? And with a personally written invite… He must be as intrigued by us as I'm by this entire invitation right now."

I didn't share JJ's pensiveness. Oh yes, I was curious about this entire thing, but most of all, now that I read it all, I was exhilarated. "A supernatural auction! I wonder what will be sold in there. And this guy invited us, so we aren't nobodies! He wouldn't have invited nobodies from where he's in Finland. God, I don't know Finnish… Do you?"

"Some. I don't think the language barrier would be the biggest hurdle we would meet if we accept this invitation." JJ's lips curved into a lopsided smile. "Your excitement is contagious, ma chèrie. Indeed, this seems like a wondrous opportunity, one that you fully deserved after all you went through… Still, I have to say that we shouldn't blindly trust this Cornellio."

I put a hand on his and smirked. "If he wanted to make trouble, he should've been smarter and don't invite us together."

JJ grinned back and put my palm between his. "This, ma chèrie, is absolutely correct. Besides, if I never took risks, I would've died from boredom before I even became a vampire."

"We still should prepare and learn as much as we can about that Cornellio and his auction house. And think about transportation…" I mused aloud. "Ferryboat is the shortest way to get to the place."

JJ's hands tensed on mine for a moment, and I saw a tormented shadow pass over his face. "I think this is just the time to tell you about my aversion to sailing."

"Oh yes, I remember that." I frowned. "I have to say… it pains me to think that you had another trauma strong enough that you carry it with you even now."

JJ exhaled, but some tension was still left in his jaw and hands. "Our souls are the strangest things. People can go through the truly terrible experiences, break into pieces, only to pick themselves together better than they were. Yet, they can also bear the worst scars from seemingly harmless events. This particular event was closer to the latter part of the scale, at least when I look at it now… And yet, the memory of it still overwhelms me when I leave the solid earth to stand on a ship's deck."

"I'm sorry," I put my free hand on his cheek. "They say phobias are often irrational, but they still suck."

He nodded with a humorous smirk. "Indeed. It's really amusing now, if you look from a certain perspective—one that doesn't include me going anywhere near boats. It was back in my youth, when I was still a human. Me and my unit were ordered to travel by the sea to another front. It was supposed to be a four days' long journey, by the shore, but on day two a sudden storm fell on our ship."

"What was then? Did you all shipwrecked?" I asked when JJ didn't speak further.

"No. It was much less romantic. I had problems with seasickness from the beginning of our journey, but the evening before storm I ate bad fish for dinner. When the storm came, I was lying in the tiny closet they called a cabin I was privileged for as an officer, feeling like my guts were trying to escape me from both top and bottom at once. Then, the waves started to throw the ship left and right, and it was like the world toppled on me entirely. If not for my lieutenant, who bound me to bed so I won't fall, and brought me water, I would've either broke my neck in all the tossing, or died from thirst. The storm ended next day, but I didn't start to feel better before we got to the dry earth… These four days belong to the top three worst experiences in my entire life."

"But you can't get seasick anymore."

"You know, ma chèrie, I thought that too. When there was news about the new lands opened by Columbus, new colonies built in what they called America later… I wanted to travel there, too. But as the ship I was on left the dock, that nausea would come at me again." JJ shook his head with a wry smile. "It came from my mind, of course, but a mind is a powerful thing. And often impossible to understand."

"You don't say. I can't stand a sight of mold, though mold never did anything to me besides being so… mouldy." I huffed, then patted him sympathetically on the hand. "Well, not everything is lost! Nowadays, if you need to get to America, you'd take a plane, anyway.. Just don't get a plane phobia, too."