[Draft 1] Vampyre Necromancer (CoU: Vampyre War Trilogy: Book 1)

Chapter Six

"Luther wished me to sit with you." Serina entered the room Christian had been given and sat on the chaise, as far away from him as possible. Christian turned around in his chair at the desk and almost lost his balance, his arms waving like miniature windmills. Shaking off his confusion, he pretended nothing had happened and hoped Serina had not seen his flailing arms as he tried to right himself.

Christian licked his lips. "It was very kind of you to come and keep me company." He replied, feeling foolish for what he had said before. Christian wanted to impress her, but her beauty intimidated him. "I...er...wanted to apologise for before. I didn't mean what I said...personally. I'm just finding it hard to adjust my way of thinking. I'm under the impression that my generation is a lot less educated about the non-humans than they should be..." the young vampyre trailed off, hoping to get a positive response from her.

She waited a moment and then looked up sharply. As her head moved, the smell of rain and wet leaves wafted in Christian's direction. "I accept your apology and offer one of my own. Luther and Antoinette often tell me I am opinionated and that can lease me to be rude. She finished, looking away. Christian blinked in surprise.

"Oh, that's all right. I understand." Christian was pleased that she had forgiven him so quickly and hoped the two of them could become friends. He smiled at her warmly, but she merely got up and retrieved a book from the shelf to read.

As she sat down again, a profound sense of loneliness swept over Christian, but he was certain the feeling was not his. He looked at her quizzically for a few minutes, wondering if he should say something, or ask her if she was all right. He had just opened his mouth to say, he knew not what, when she looked back up at him, frowning and seemingly annoyed.

"Yes? Do you want to ask me something?" She definitely sounded annoyed, so Christian thought it best not to ask her about the loneliness he was sensing.

His mind raced to think of something worthwhile to say. "I was...erm...just wondering when I would notice a difference in myself?"

"Well, I would say that you already can." She smirked and Christian hated to think what she was going to say. "For example, when you turned around and almost unbalanced yourself... That shows that your speed is enhancing, you now just need to learn to control it." Her smirk deepened as Christian blushed.

"I see. And, what else? What other changes will occur?"

She put her book aside and settled into the chaise a bit more. "Well, aside from the obvious, your canines will become longer and sharper, your skin will become paler, all your senses will be heightened-"

"Oh, Serina! You do like to take the fun out of things." Luther walked in and seated himself beside Serina.

"Take the fun out?" Christian looked at Luther, incredulous.

"Yes, I find it terribly interesting to see how different people react to the change. It is entertaining during those times when we change many at once – those who wanted to be changed that is – to see them compete against each other and testing each other's limits and new skills." Luther picked up the book that was lying where Serina had left it. His eyebrows rose slightly as he read the title, but he betrayed no other sign of emotion. Intrigued as to what she could have been reading which would surprise Luther, Christian tried to read the cover as Luther put it down.

Seeing Christian's interest, Luther flashed the cover of the book at him. "It is one of our Histories. This one covers the first meeting between Serina and Tanis, and Konstantine and his army. Many of our people write different accounts of things to send to the human rulers and for our own libraries. This one was written by Serina herself, so I was surprised that she was reading something she knew so well." At this, Luther and Christian both looked towards her, awaiting an answer.