Winged Dagger

Lost In Time

I shook my head again, wondering if I should hop into one of the carriages and sleep there tonight. The two men shared a look.

"Perhaps we could take her with us, Monsieur Le Comte?"

Comte nodded. "Ma cherie, would you come with us?"

Again, his eyes spoke almost as much as his words, telling me he wouldn't hurt me, but somewhere, the only sane and rational part of my mind was screaming in my mother's voice. But really, what choice did I have? This place seemed to be lawless, and the streets of any timeline were no place for a girl.

"Yes, please," I said, resigned to my fate.

He gently took my hand and helped me up into a nearby carriage, before settling into it across me. "I am Le Comte de Saint Germain."

I squinted at him slightly, wishing I could see past that diplomatic smile. I decided not to question the fact he had called himself The Count of Saint Germain, when I knew for a fact that the Count had died somewhere in the 18th century. There were theories that said he was a time-traveler, the pages of the books I read flashed through my mind.

'He speaks naught but the truth.' The voice appeared in my head again like an intrusive thought, something I wasn't used to. I shivered, not knowing where the voice came from, but it was beginning to become a source of comfort. As though someone had traveled to the past with me.

Comte tilted his head slightly, a question in his eyes.

I shook my head and smiled softly. "I'm Mina Sage."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma cherie," he smiled. I wonder why I gave him my name when it's unlikely he'll ever use it.

The carriage rolled down the empty streets as I looked out the window. It really was quite different from what I was used to. I put my head on the window, feeling danger in the air.

"It's not an entirely bad place," said Comte, apparently understanding what I was thinking about.

"I'd imagine not," I said, tracing a pattern on the window. "But I don't know much about the 19th century."

"You're not the first one to travel through time," he said with a kind smile.

I whipped my head around to look at him. "Who else?"

"Sebastian, and another girl you'll see at the mansion, by the name of Kiyomi." He looked up for a slight second as the carriage hit a bump in the road.

"Sounds Japanese."

"She is," he nodded.

The carriage rolled to a stop as Comte pushed open the door and got off. He held out a hand and helped me down like the perfect gentleman he was dressed as. I bowed lightly to the carriage as it rolled away, Sebastian watching with interest. Turning around, I looked through the gates to see a garden, and a mansion stretching out beyond it.

"How many people live here?" I asked with wonder, hoping I didn't sound like a serial killer.

"Twelve," answered Sebastian. "There are twelve residents in the mansion."

"Come along," said Comte, as he walked with me past the gates and into the mansion. We headed down the hall together, me keeping pace a step behind him. "Sebastian."

"Yes, Monsieur Le Comte," he said as he took off in the opposite direction.

I walked with Le Comte when someone stepped into our path.

"I see you've brought another pretty skirt into the mansion," said a navy blue-haired man, with a flirtatious smile on his face as he eyed me. I took a step back and Comte stepped in front.