Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 37

I am utterly confused.

It has been a long time since I've felt this level of confusion, let alone allowed myself to admit it. However, I am baffled by Eliot. His behavior is not normal.

He is acting as if he were chatting with new acquaintances and not being surrounded by vampires, one of which almost killed him.

"Why don't we take this inside?" Eliot says with annoying confidence.

"Inside where?" Cecilia asks, confused, a sentiment that I share.

"The temple, of course," cheerful Eliot says.

"Won't it be too crowded there?" Tobias asks.

"No, no, we'll be taking the hidden entrance, which leads to the underground Healer library," Eliot says.

"Really? You, a Healer, are going to lead three vampires to the sacred place of your people? What kind of Healer-Guardian are you?" I ask, agitation seeping out of me like a torrent.

"Well, technically, you are the only full-blooded vampire here, and you seem tame enough," Eliot says, winking at me.

I don't think I've ever been more insulted. I, the Great Huntress of my tribe, a vicious vampire, am being called tame by a Healer. I sure have hit rock bottom.

"Let's follow him, Helen. People are starting to notice us." Tobias says.

"Fine, but if he ends up leading us into a trap, don't blame me. There is something utterly wrong with him. He called me tame!" I say maddened.

No matter how enraged I am by the Healer, I do notice Cecilia and Tobias trying to hide their smiles, and it infuriates me even further.

It's as if they don't consider it a big issue that the guy would say so, as if I am acting childish, which I know that I am not.

So, we all follow the strange guy we've just met into the darkest corner of the temple. I am reminded of every bad horror movie I've ever seen, and I wonder when things will start popping out.

Finally, the guy presses a random decoration on the temple, and the wall slides to the side, revealing a dark staircase leading down.

"I am not going into a dark pit with a stranger," I say firmly.

"Scared?" Eliot asks with mischief in his beautiful eyes.

"No," I say sharply.

"Not to worry," he says, letting the darkness swallow him.

Soon enough, lights turn on, on the nearby walls, and I have no other ridiculous excuses not to follow him.

Because let's be honest, darkness was just a lousy excuse. We vampires can see in the dark without any problems.

"Miss," Eliot says, offering his hand to help me down the first flight of stairs.

I, of course, ignore the offer since I am perfectly capable of climbing down the stairs. I could run down them in a second if I wished. Thus, I find the gesture insulting.

Instead of being hurt by my rejection, Eliot's smile increases beyond what I consider natural, and we all proceed down the two flights of stairs.

Once we reach the bottom, Eliot flicks another switch, and we can see a large room opening in front of us, lights shining much brighter than those that led us down.

"What is this place?" Cecilia asks in wonder.

"The main library, I guess you could call it," Eliot says.

"I thought The House of Healing was your most important building?" Tobias asks.

I stay quiet studying the too handsome man in front of me.

"Well, it is. It was. However, that was more like human hospitals. This is where we gathered all the knowledge we could get our hands on." Eliot says, leading us down the aisle of rows and rows of books.

"You still haven't properly answered my question. Why did you lead us here? We probably wouldn't have found this place without you. Besides, I threatened you. Do you have a death wish?" I ask.

"First of all, I could sense their Healer blood," Eliot says, pointing at Cecilia and Tobias.

They, however, don't pay him mind, trapped as they are in their book fascination haze.

"I know there is vampire blood in their veins as well, which I find quite intriguing. And as for you, I could discern from the moment I saw you that you wouldn't actually kill me." Eliot says.

"How could you know that? Even I didn't know if I might end up killing you. You do realize you smell delicious?" I spit out.

"Why, thank you. I'll take that as a compliment. You are too harsh towards yourself..." Eliot says, pausing for me to supply him with my name.

"Helen," I barely manage to say.

"You think of yourself as a vicious predator, but it's clear that you are much more than that," he says.

"You don't know me," I say harshly.

"Perhaps, but I would like to get to know you better," he says.

"Why?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"There is something about you. You try to project this mean, tough vampire exterior, but I've been watching you. I can see how much you care about those two," he says, pointing towards Cecilia and Tobias.

"You're wrong," I say shortly.

"Then why did you go after me alone when you sensed my presence?" he asks stubbornly.

"I just didn't want them to ruin my hunt. They can be quite noisy at times, not stealthy enough for vampires. That's why I got rid of them before I decided to catch you." I say.

"You can lie to me, but you shouldn't lie to yourself. You confronted me alone because you didn't want your friends to get hurt. You have a good heart," he says, annoying me even further.

"Do we even have hearts? If so, I have a broken one, it was crushed a long time ago, and there is no fixing it." I say, honestly though I do wish it was otherwise.

Especially when those intelligent eyes keep following my every movement with inexplicable intensity.

"Who better to help you heal than a Healer?" he says, winking at me.

Before I have the chance to yell at him or rip his throat out, we are rudely interrupted by my so-called friends.

"Ahem, I hate to interrupt the witty banter, but we really want to know about the Healers, about your people," Tobias says.

"Don't you know? I mean, I see that you are vampires now, but surely you remember your Healer roots." Eliot says.

Tobias and Cecilia lower their gazes clearly uncomfortable. So, I decide to step in and spare them the misery.

"They didn't know they were Healers when they were alive," I say.

Eliot raises his eyebrows questioningly, for the first time seeming surprised.

"You never had a feeling that there was something more than what you were?" Eliot asks, confused.

"No, not really, but I didn't have much time for thinking while working the land," Tobias says.

"I wasn't happy with the life I had, but I never felt like that," Cecilia says.

"Hm, it must be about genetics. One of your ancestors must have had the gene, and it had a latent manifestation in you." Eliot says.

"Is that normal?" I ask.

"Hm, it's not common but it does happen from time to time. Still, it's intriguing you managed to find each other." Eliot says.

"Can you help us learn?" Tobias asks.

"Yes, of course. Even Helen might learn something from me," he says, smiling brightly at me.

I say nothing but do wish to wipe away that smile from his arrogant face.