The Vampire of Thornton

Chapter 9

Casper stared awkwardly after the female and Louis walked up behind him. "We should start heading back." He took Casper's hand in his own. Louis' hand was still warm from the flames.

"Wait," Casper pulled away.

Louis looked discouraged. "You're afraid of me now, aren't you?" he whispered, ruby eyes not leaving the ground. Casper stumbled over some miscellaneous words but couldn't form a coherent sentence. "There's no need to lie, my angel. Most of the Council is anyway, that's why they won't kick me off. They're scared of what I'll do to them." Louis stepped forward to Casper again, "It might make you a tad uncomfortable but I have to get you home." Casper nodded and allowed Louis to scoop him off of the ground. The journey back was a silent one, despite the great victory they had achieved. Casper wanted to convey the fact that he wasn't afraid exactly, just surprised and a tad bit intimidated. Louis didn't want to say anything in case he made his situation worse than he already thought it was.

About 100 meters from the manor, Louis let Casper down. "You can go outside." He muttered.

"What?" Casper cocked an eyebrow.

"Outside," Louis said again, "because you defended me and risked your own life for it...and for the overall success of the trial. You don't have to be watched constantly anymore, and I'm allowing you to wander outside of the manor as often as you wish."

"A-Aren't you worried about me running away?"

Louis shook his head, "Not at all, my angel; I trust you. Even if you did attempt an escape, Thornton is at least a four-day journey from here for a human." Louis reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a thin ring. The band was shining silver and there was a white stone on the top, carved into a delicate oval. "If you need me at any time for any reason, just rotate the stone and I will be there." He handed the ring to the brunette who slowly slipped it onto his right pointer finger.

"Well, thank you, Louis." Casper kept staring at the ring, still stunned that Louis trusted him this much.

"I believe you'd like to take advantage of your new privilege at once?" Louis gave Casper a small smile and he couldn't help but grin in return. He nodded, "Just be sure to be back before dinner. I have to go..." Louis trailed off, looking at Casper and then the forest, "I have some business to take care of." And with that Louis disappeared into the trees.

Casper shrugged and began to wander through the forest. The sky was overcast and it looked like it could storm at any moment. He ran his fingers through his chocolate hair and wondered if Louis would consider 'rescue me from the rain' a valid reason to use the ring. Casper tried to think of Louis being genuinely angry with him, but couldn't think of an occasion where he had been more that slightly irritated. Silver eyes scanned the trees and he continued strolling. You're afraid of me now, aren't you? Louis' words came to the front of Casper's mind. There's no need to lie, my angel. Most of the Council is anyway. They're scared of what I'll do to them. He puzzled over the syllables. Casper hadn't felt truly afraid of Louis, save the time he first tried to escape, but even then there was a voice in his mind that told him he was alright. A joyful whistling made Casper jump back into reality. He had wandered quite close to the manor and was now standing on the other side of a fence that protected a magnificent garden. Carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, celery, parsnips, lettuce, squash, peas, strawberries, and blueberries were just some of the few crops that Casper could recognize, and those were just the ones without signs. In the distance he saw a line of what he could only assume to be fruit trees. The whistling sound he heard was coming from a happy blonde on his knees amongst the plants. Casper cleared his throat and the blonde looked up, Casper immediately saw the familiar face of Anthony.