Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 36

Finally, I get to travel in quiet since Tobias has said all he needed to say and lapsed into silence. It's perfect.

That habit of his must be one of my favorite things about him, he doesn't consider it necessary to fill every silence with meaningless chatter.

Cecilia seems to believe we need more bonding time since she trails behind us, without attempting to engage me in useless conversation. It is a relief, to be honest.

Even I am not sure how I am feeling or what I am thinking, so I don't need anyone asking questions I have no answers to.

I am not even sure I want Seymour and Alarcos to come back. I mean, how awkward would that situation be? Besides, I don't want them flaunting their happiness in my face.

"We are getting closer," Tobias says, slowing down to human speed.

Cecilia comes closer to us since we are determined to present ourselves as one united front, as we start entering the outskirts of the city. It is the same city that was once the village of Leh, which Seymour's actions decimated. He would probably be happy to know that they have recovered. They are doing quite well if I might add.

Leh now is a much bigger city than I anticipated, teaming with life. Its richness is clear from the quality of the houses and the beauty of its streets.

If I didn't know about its dark history, I might have assumed that it was always this way. Knowing better, I wonder if there is still some darkness there, tainting the beauty.

Then again, we are here, so even if there wasn't any darkness present before, it is now.

Tobias and Cecilia are chattering as they lead the way to what I can only describe as a traditional Japanese garden in the center of the city. Yet, I can't participate in their babbling because I have a strange feeling that we are being watched.

The odd thing about it is that I can't get a confirmation by any of my five senses. However, my hunter instincts are telling me that there is a presence watching us, following us.

What disturbs me about it is that although the sensation is clear as day, I can't smell anything amiss. Furthermore, I can't see anyone paying attention to us more than they should, and that in itself is unnerving.

Every predator or prey that I am familiar with has a scent. Furthermore, none of them can walk quietly enough to avoid vampire detection.

Cecilia and Tobias, however, don't seem to sense anything amiss. I am not sure if it's because of their shared fascination with the temple we are approaching or just because they are so young in vampire terms.

Even I have relied on my senses for so long that I feel vulnerable now that I know something is stalking us, and I can't perceive it clearly. I can't even tell if it means us harm.

Finally, I am tired of this feeling that has me on edge. So, I let Cecilia and Tobias move forward as I fall back casually.

I am guessing that a temple is a safe place for them. Besides, the presence I can feel is coming from behind us.

As for me, I refuse to just give up and let someone creep on me.

So, I close my eyes, letting go of all my other senses and trying to focus all my attention on my instincts, on what they are telling me to do.

When I move, it's not of my own free volition. My instincts have taken over, and I am relinquishing all of my control to them. All I am is raw instincts, and it's such a strange feeling to rely on my hunter instincts and not the vampire ones.

Moving at the speed of light, I suddenly feel my hands wrapping themselves around a figure, restraining the person as my other hand is covering their mouth.

When I open my eyes, I see that the guy seems stunned by his current position, but other than that, he doesn't appear to be too fazed by what has just happened.

Either he is brave or an idiot. Either way, I move us away into the shadows, not wanting to cause a scene.

"I am going to free your mouth, but if you do something as stupid as let out a scream, I'll break your neck," I say harshly.

Of course, I have no intention of doing so, it would be plain stupid to kill the one person who might provide me with the information that I need.

He slowly nods his head, and I release his mouth, my hand proceeding to grasp his arms, keeping his body secure.

"That's hardly necessary," he says calmly.

"I'll be the judge of that. You've been following us since the moment we entered the city. Why?" I ask, trying to sound as vicious as possible.

It's hard to do so when being this close to him makes me salivate at his intoxicating smell. It affects both my bloodlust and...another type of lust.

Even before he answers my question, there is one thing I become aware of. He is a Healer. However, I don't understand why I couldn't pick up his scent before. Especially having in mind how intoxicating it is from this proximity. Surely I should have sensed it before.

"How do you know that I was following you? I was very cautious," he asks, curious more than anything else.

It's beyond me how he can stay so calm when he obviously knows that I am a vampire and that I can rip his throat out just using my teeth.

The mere thought of it makes me feel disgusted with myself. The mixture of bloodlust and disgust at the same time is something I have never felt before. It's immediately clear to me that it is also the one I don't wish to experience ever again.

"I am going to rip your head off if you don't start answering my questions," I growl menacingly.

"No, you won't," he says confidently.

I release him and spin him around so that he is facing me. After all, I can catch him if he tries to escape now that I have his scent. I need to understand his strange behavior, and the best way to do so is by looking him in the eye.

"What's wrong with you? You know that I am a vampire and how tempting your blood is to us. Why aren't you scared?" I ask, frustrated.

As I look into the depths of his ocean-blue eyes, I am suddenly aware of their utter beauty. Since I've spent so much time among vampires, I rarely had the opportunity to enjoy that particular eye color. When I was alive, it was my favorite one.

"I can't explain it, but I KNOW that you won't hurt me. I can feel your intentions," the guy says, fixing his black hair from the mess I made of it by grabbing him.

"It's like our superpower," he adds, grinning so widely that I can see all his perfect teeth.

I am stunned. I have no idea what to do with the handsome Healer before me. I was ready for a fight, but this turn of events was what I least expected.

"Helen, there you are. We were getting worried." Cecilia says, coming around the corner.

"Who is your friend?" she asks as Tobias comes in view as well.

I take a peek at the Healer, trying to gauge his reaction.

He is surrounded by three vampires, his species is their favorite snack, and yet, he seems utterly unfazed by it all.

"This is a Healer..." I say, pausing for him to provide us with his name.

"Eliot, my name is Eliot," he says, offering his hand for a handshake.

Tobias and Cecilia oblige, and I can't help but think that things are bound to become even weirder than before.

How did my life become a telenovela?