“She’s gone!” David yelled. “Okay? Just drop it!”
My heart jumped. I sunk back into myself. “I’m sorry, David.”
“Er!” He gripped his hair. “No, Ara, I’m sorry.”
My hand moved and I felt his fingers around mine before I realised he was beside me.
“I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. It’s just—they took her away. She was a vampire, and they took her away.”
“Why?”
“Ara, please, I don’t want to talk about it.” He studied the ground, as if he couldn’t look at me.
“You really did love her?” I asked quietly.
“Yes. But nothing like the way I love you—that has no measure, but I loved her enough.”
“Will she ever come back?” I studied his eyes.
“No.”
“Do you want her to?”
“No,” he raised his voice a little, then softened it, running his fingers through his hair. “Look. It doesn’t matter. I just. I don’t want to talk about it yet, okay?”
“Okay. I’m sorry. I won’t ask again.”
“No,” he moaned, rolling his head back a little. “You can ask—just not today.”
“That’s what you always say.” I looked right into his eyes; he looked ready for a challenge, but too much was going on in my head. I wasn’t up to arguing with him. Instead, my mind wandered through the past few weeks, analysing and going over everything we said or did together, then stopped on the best memory I had stored away up there in my catalogue of thoughts; the butterflies—the look of concentration on his face as they fluttered around us; the seemingly perfect timing.
David’s head titled down a little and a very sexy smile spread across his lips.
“It wasn’t a timing thing at all, was it? Did—did you do that?” I asked, full of wonder.
“It’s one of my many talents,” he said, still grinning.
“But, how? Are you magic?”
“No.” He shook his head, almost laughing. “I’m a creature of nature, Ara. Hard as that is to believe—”
“A creature of nature! But you kill people?”
“Ara?” he scolded softly. “I’m no different to the lion killing the antelope.”
“Except that the lion doesn’t look like the antelope, or live among its kind.”
“True, but still, like the lion, I blend into my natural surroundings; he has the advantage of a certain colouring, and I have the ability to emulate the human form.”
“Yeah, but if you’re so natural, how come your species isn’t born—you’re, I don’t know, like, created, aren’t you?”
“You’re unbelievable, girl.” He shook his head. “You’re sitting beside a vampire, and wrought with scepticism. Is it so hard to believe I might be one of God’s creatures—just because I kill?”
I thrust my shoulders back and sat up straight. “Yes.”
“Look—” He exhaled frustration. “What I am is a natural occurrence. I wasn’t created by witchcraft or magic. And yes, some do say it started as a curse, but it was actually passed on by those of an ancient bloodline.”
“Your bloodline?”
“No. I was human once. You see, it takes a genetic polarity in a human which, when converged with vampire venom, triggers the change in their genetic makeup. They become less human and more of what is commonly called a vampire.”
“A genetic polarity?” I frowned, thinking over his words. I took genetic sciences in school—I wasn’t any good at it. “So, are you saying you have to have the right gene to become a vampire?”
“Yup, so, even though I’m a supernatural being, I’m actually mostly natural—just also very super.” He grinned warmly, straightening one leg out in front of him, hugging his other knee.
“So, if you’re not magic, how did you do that thing with the butterflies?”
He shrugged. “They’re just affected by humidity. Vampires? We can manipulate the elements—water and temperature for example.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I can get really scientific about it if you like, but most people fall asleep after about ten minutes.”
He had an explanation for everything. Always. I hated that. “Well, it was the most beautiful moment of my life, so far.” I’d dreamed about those flutters of blue and yellow, surrounding us like we were in some private, mystical bubble, nearly every night since that day. Pity he had to ruin it by combining it with the memory of my first kiss—to a guy who kills people with his teeth.
“You know—” David hesitated. “There’s a reason I did that, Ara, and it’s not what you think.”
“Did what?”
“Kissed you.”
I hugged my knees, not bothering to tuck my dress under my legs. “I’m listening.”
“I never imagined you would one day find me repulsive, and I knew then that I would be leaving you.” He leaned a little closer and lowered his voice. “But I love you, and I just wanted to be your first kiss.”
“That’s a little selfish, don’t you think? You should have asked me if I wanted my first kiss to be with a murderer.”
He shook his head, pressing his lips into a flat smile. “I don’t care if you’re mad at me. It was worth it.”
I smiled, because he was right. I could try to be mad at him for that kiss but, in truth, it wouldn’t have mattered if he’d just eaten, I’d still have wanted my first kiss to be with him. I just wouldn’t tell him that. I turned my nose up with a flick of my chin. “You’d be more interesting if you were magic.”
He smiled so lovingly at me. “Well, there is an element of magic, by human definition.”
“Guess there’d have to be with all that speed and healing fast stuff.” I stopped and turned the pages of myth in my mind. “Hang on. You did say you heal fast, right?”
“Yup.” He grinned, hugging his knee.
My mind was getting lost in information. “How?”
“Rapid cell regeneration. It’s responsible for immortality as well,” he answered with a hint of humour in his voice.
“Okay, Mr I-Have-An-Answer-For-Everything. And what about the whole vampires are demons thing?” I looked at him, my own tone light, quizzical.
He shook his head. “No demons.”