The Vampire And The Orphan

“This way, let’s go already!” The vampire urged her along.

They’d finally managed to uproot all the crushed flowers. He was surprisingly quick and agile with those big hands of his. He could’ve just grabbed her and dragged her away. Instead, he helped, even if crabby about it.

She carefully folded her flannel with the flowers in it. Then she picked it up as she stood to follow him. The wind was howling as it grew stronger. She started to shake from the cold.

“Here.” He turned and shrugged off the black jacket he was wearing. He then handed it to her.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she gave him a soft smile. “Thank you, Nathanial.”

“You’re welcome.” He returned her sentiment but not her smile.

His face was tense, his jaw set in a firm line. His eyes were scanning the area carefully around them. He brushed his thick, inky hair from his face. He looked so normal, like this. Like any other man. Well, he was a lot more handsome than any other man. But the monster she’d met just moments before was long gone.

What a sight that had been. The two vampires in front of her. The taller one backed up against a tree with one hand. Both had glowing eyes and razor-sharp white fangs. For a moment, she thought she was maybe dreaming. But one can’t dream up a sight like that.

“We need to hurry. This wind will carry your scent far.” He said in a crisp tone.

He didn’t wait for her to respond as he started walking again. She slipped his jacket on. It warmed her in an instant. She picked up her steps as best she could. Her feet were abused badly by the pavement.

He stopped and looked at them for a moment. “We don’t have time for this. I’m going to pick you up.”

“What?”

He was gentle but swift; she was in his arms in a moment. Then suddenly, the world went blurry. “What’s happening?” She asked, but she wasn’t sure if her words made it out of her head.

They came to a stop. He set her back down and held her for a moment as she rebalanced. They were on a new street in front of a car. At least she could see straight again, but...

“How did we get here so quick?” She asked in a stunned breathy voice.

“I move fast. ”

“Y..you that blur?”

“Superhuman speed. One of my perks.” He took something from his pocket. The car beeped, and she jumped. “Sorry, get in. We got to move.”

“Okay.” She was about the ride in a car! Her heart raced a little as she walked to the door. She opened it and climbed in. It was comfy. She put the seatbelt around her and easily found where to click it. Lettie Sky in a car! She’d always dreamed of this.

He had already gotten in, and the engine roared to life. She jumped again at the sound.

“Have you never been in a car?” He raised an eyebrow.

“No. I grew up in an orphanage.” She explained. “I saw cars sometimes when kids got adopted. I always wanted to ride in one!”

“I hate to break it to you, but it’s not that exciting.” He said flatly as the car started to move.

He was wrong! It was so cool to be sitting as they moved. She loved looking out the window. The trees whizzed by them as they drove past. A smile washed over her face for just a moment, despite the horror of the evening. She sat and just enjoyed herself quietly as he drove along.

It was still dark in the dead of night; she shuddered at that. She luckily didn’t see that thing in the sky. Maybe the light from the car would keep it at bay?

“You were never adopted?” He asked. “Not even temporarily?”

“Ella said I wasn’t supposed to be.” She said quietly. “When the foster parents would come. I stayed in the cellar. There was a window I could peek out, though.”

“Did she ever tell you why?” He asked.

“No, and anytime I tried and asked questions, she’d shush me up.” She said with a frustrated sigh.

He took a quick right suddenly. She was surprised by the jerky motion. He then turned back around and righted them on the road.

“Why did you do that?”

“In case any other vampires tracked your scent.” He explained.

“They could smell me from the car?” She asked as she furrowed her brows. Was this why Ella kept her in the orphanage? Because of vampires?

“No, but the wind carried it far. It’ll linger some. They could track you to my car tracks.”

“Oh.” She nodded slowly. She was doing her best to wrap her head around all this. “Are there a lot of vampires?”

“Not as many as you’d think.” He explained. “You’re a vampire magnet, though. That’ll be a fun bonus.”

“Vampire magnet?” She questioned.

“Your scent... it’s alluring. More than most.” He said hastily.

“It is?” She asked, knitting her brows once again. “How do you know?”

“It’s like a siren song; even I reacted for a moment.” He mumbled.

“You mean you wanted to kill me!?” She widened her eyes in surprise at that.

“No, I don’t kill innocents.” He looked a little flustered. “I wanted to drink from you, not kill you.”

“Isn’t it the same thing? I can’t live without blood.” She shuddered even in his warm coat.

“No, it isn’t.” He sounded tense. “We’re not all like that guy. We don’t need to kill to feed or even hurt anyone.”

“Oh.” She felt herself soften at that up some at that.

“Younger vampires with less control won’t be able to resist your scent.” He informed her. “They won’t be able to stop.”

She nodded as she recalled him questioning the vampire being too young. Something about the order? She had so many questions she didn’t know where to begin.

“Why?” She asked. “I mean, why do I smell more tempting?”

“Good question.” He shot a quick look at her. “What did Ella tell you?”

“She said she couldn’t keep me anymore,” Lettie spoke slowly as she recalled the moment. “I thought, since I’m eighteen and all. But while she was talking to me, it was like..”

“Like?” He prodded her.

“She was hearing something.” Lettie tried her best to explain it. “Like she was there, but somewhere else at the same time.”

“It sounds like she was fading.” He said in a little softer a tone.

“She said that she was fading. Does that mean she was dying?” Her lips quivered; deep down she already knew. This would just confirm it. Her stomach knotted up.

“Sorry, kid.” He said although he didn’t sound it. She supposed he’d seen more death than she could imagine.

“What do you know about it?” She asked.

“As she fades, her spirit leaves the physical body so it can join the spiritual one.”

She listened intently as he spoke. “Her sisters, that passed away before her, are waiting. They whisper things to her when she’s between the two worlds.”

“They wanted me to find you.” She commented.

“Seems so.” He agreed.

“Why?” She asked.

“Witches love withholding the details.” He gave her a wry smile at that.

It was comforting that Ella lived on in that way. She took a moment and closed her eyes. She let images of her den mother fill her mind.

“She said the land wouldn’t be protected anymore.” Lettie finally spoke after a long pause.

“She must’ve had a protection spell on the orphanage.” He mumbled.

“From vampires?” She asked.

“Or that weird cloud thing.” He muttered. “Maybe both.”

He stopped the car just alongside a mountain road. He shut the engine off.

“What are you doing now?” She asked.

“Making sure no one followed.” He said in a terse voice. “I’m going to shut the lights off so I can see further. Keep your hand on your necklace and tell me if it gets warm.”

“Okay.” She agreed as she clasped it.

“You are a good bodyguard!” She added. “A whole coven of witches? How many was that?”

He looked at her and put his finger to his lips to quell her. She rolled her eyes but quieted down. He shut the car lights off, and then his face changed. His eyes glowed like green, emerald jewels. Dark spider-like veins appeared under his smooth olive skin. His fangs seemed to gleam even brighter in the car.

When she looked at him this time, she felt no fear. He was a monster, but a beautiful monster.

“It’s safe.” He finally said, after what felt like forever.

He started the car up again, but on this mountain road, she felt nervous instead of excited like before. It was narrow and winding, and it kept going up. She did her best to put it from her mind.

“How could Ella be a witch my whole life, and I never knew?” She asked.

“They’ve become good at hiding it, had to.” He said simply. “Most modern witches rarely even practice. Some of them never even know.”

“Really?” She asked.

“If no one in the bloodline knew to train them. The gifts would go unowned.” He confirmed.

“So, I could be one then?” The possibility that she could be thrilled her a little. She always felt so small. So out of control of her life. She’d love that kind of power.

“I thought so at first.” He mumbled; she sensed a doubt there.

“You don’t anymore?”

“I don’t know.” He said thoughtfully.

The road started to incline at a much steeper rate and was narrower. Suddenly she imagined how easy it would be to go over. How often it probably happened, even. Her heart started to race the more she thought about it.

“You’re safe,” Nathanial said, and suddenly she felt calm. There wasn’t anything overly soothing about his tone. If anything, it was flat. Yet somehow, his words influenced her.

“How long does this stay so steep?” She asked.

She didn’t dare look out the window. She didn’t want to see the steep drop.

“Almost there, Lettie.”

Her name from his lips did the trick. She felt a calm wash over her. She didn’t know why she felt safe with this stranger. Maybe she shouldn’t? Ella did tell her to trust her instincts, though.

True to his word, they were soon off the road and stable again. He was driving down a long driveway. Pine trees surrounded it. Finally, they reached the end. A small log cabin sat tucked in between the trees. To her delight, she could see several plants growing alongside the house. It was very dark out there in the middle of nowhere. He parked right in front of the cabin.

“Let’s just go inside quickly.” He urged her. “We’ll get the lights on right away.”

“I hope I’m right about that.” She muttered.

They made it into the house quickly and without any incident.

It was a cozy log cabin. All the walls inside were wood, and so was the floor. She noted a small kitchen off to the right. The countertops were littered with boxes and such. To the left was a small closet for shoes and jackets. She took his coat off and hung it up in there.

The living area was in the same open space as the kitchen. A tan-colored plush couch and a matching recliner sat facing the fireplace. A coffee table sat in front of them.

“I’m going to get a fire going.” He said as he moved past her towards the fireplace.

First things first. She brought her flannel into the kitchen. She unwrapped the flowers from it. She found a few cups in the cabinet. For the time being, she set the flowers in water. It would start the healing; tomorrow, she’d use the sun and dirt for help.

“The bathroom is in the corner there if you need it.” Nathanial moved over to the kitchen. He started putting stuff from the boxes away.

She did just that. It was a cute woodsy style bathroom. The bathtub looked big and comfy! She was excited about that.

There was a little ladder next to the bathroom, she noticed. It led up to a loft. She looked up and could see it overlooked the room.

“What’s this?” She noted a trap door next to that.

“It leads down to the cellar. It’s cold and creepy down there. Look at the loft. instead,” He directed.

She unhooked the latch anyway. “After I check out the cellar!”

She climbed down quickly. At the bottom sat a washer and dryer. Above it are some shelves with boxes. She stepped into the room. It was dark, so that she couldn’t see much. She found an overhead light on a string and yanked it.

“Oh my gosh!” She gasped as light filled the space.

The room was nearly empty and unfinished. The walls were just plain sheetrock. The floor concrete was cracked. There were dozens of spider webs. That’s not why she gasped, though. In the center of the room sat a shiny mahogany-colored coffin.

“I told you it was creepy.” His voice came from behind her

“You sleep in a coffin?” She asked with wide eyes.

“If I must.” He said simply.

“What does that mean?” She asked.

“If I was to become gravely injured. I would need deep sleep to recover. The only way to get that is in a coffin underground.” He explained.

“Why?”

“I have heightened senses. If I rest anywhere else, anything can wake me.”

“Oh!” She nodded slowly. “You can’t be woken up in there?”

“Only by two beings, my maker or my soulmate.” He spoke as he drew a hand over the smooth top. “I have neither.”

She had to admit it was a nice coffin. Masculine but sophisticated. Much like him.

“Your maker is who made you into a vampire?” She guessed.

“Yes.”

“They died?” She prodded.

“You like asking questions.” He said tiredly.

“We’ll. I’ve never known a vampire! Get used to them!” She said with a playful tone. He just rolled his eyes.

“I’ll rest down here while you’re here. You can take the loft.” He offered.

“No way.” She denied that idea with a firm voice. “You just said you only sleep in that if you must. That doesn’t sound like you like it.”

“I’ll keep the top open so I hear anything. I only rest for a few hours in the morning anyhow.” His tone was dismissive. He walked past her and pulled down a few dusty boxes. They both closed their eyes. She coughed at the cloud of smoke it caused.

“There are clothes in here.” He motioned to it. “Kind of old, but they’ll do.”

She noticed the box said Greta on it. She opened it up to find several dresses and sweaters. They all had a vintage look and feel to them. She didn’t mind. She was stuck with shabby hand-me-downs her whole life. These looked much nicer. She brought them over to the washing machine and loaded them.

They made their way back upstairs. He poured himself a drink and sat down on the couch.

She left him be and went up to explore the loft. It was the coziest-looking room. A big bed sat in the corner, far away from the window, with a thick dark curtain. A matching dresser sat across from it. A substantial Victorian rug with a warm pattern covered the floor.

Her feet were aching, so she took it slow, heading back down.

“You, okay?” He looked up.

“Nothing, a soak in the tub, won’t fix it,” Lettie said quickly. “After I eat something.”

“Oh shit.” He muttered. “I have no food.”

“What are you talking about?” She nearly fell over laughing. “I saw so much, even in the dark!”

“You mean the strawberries?”

“Along with wild berries. I also saw tons of rhubarb!” She chirped. “That was just around the house. There’s an entire forest to forage.”

“Don’t you want pizza and burgers or whatever?” He asked, looking amused.

“I.. never had that?” She frowned. She has heard the kids talk about stuff like that, though.

“Really?”

“We didn’t have much, so we usually had oat or rice porridge, with fruits or vegetables, from the garden. Occasionally she’d make fish or meat stew. I didn’t like those.” She explained.

“No?” He asked.

She cringed. “I don’t like eating meat. It makes me feel sick.”

“I guess I can turn the outside lights on for you then.” He said, still looking amused as he rose to do so.

“Please! I haven’t had fresh rhubarb in ages!” She said eagerly as she headed out.

He surprised her by following her outside.

“You take this guarding thing pretty seriously.” She commented as she made her way to the side of the house. The outside light spread out around them. It felt like a protective halo.

“I have never lost a charge.” He replied to that.

She owed Ella and the witches a lot of gratitude. They’d seemed to connect her with some super bodyguard. Although, she did sense that he didn’t seem thrilled with the task.

“So, how does it usually work? Do they always come live with you?” She asked.

“It’s differed a lot over several centuries.”

“Centuries!?”

“Told you I’m a lot older than you.” He reminded her.

“How long did you guard them for?” She knew she was probably pestering him again with questions. She’d push till he told her to buzz off.

“It depended on a lot of things. Some needed more guarding than others.”

“Like me.” She carefully clipped the rhubarb so she didn’t disturb the plant itself. She only took what she’d eat. “Except, I’m just a smelly human.”

He laughed out loud at that. She looked up and found he liked how his eyes sparkled when he laughed.

“Did you hate it? Guarding?”

He was quiet for a moment, and that told her he did, at least somewhat.

“Yes and no. It was a long and daunting commitment.” He finally spoke.

“Did you ever want to quit?” She asked.

“All the time, but I couldn’t.” A tiny smirk pulled at his lips at that.

“Why not?”

“I made a promise.” He said simply.

“To who?”

“That is a long story; I don’t have the energy to tell tonight.” He said with a wry smile.

She was surprised he hadn’t shut her up yet, so she didn’t push him.

“You promised to protect that coven, though. I’m not part of that promise.”

“I promised Greta I’d come back here today.” He told her. “The last witch I guarded. She was... more than a charge; she was a friend.” His eyes held some emotion when he spoke of her.

“What did you promise her?” She asked.

“That I’d come back here on this day.”

“Then you kept your promise to her, already.” She pointed out. “I’m just saying you don’t have to do this. You fulfilled your duty -

“Lettie.” He cut her off. “How about I promise you then?”

“Me?” Their eyes met, and his gaze intensified.

“I promise you. I’ll be your guard. I’ll keep you safe.” He spoke in a low and quiet voice.

It caused goosebumps to form on her arms. She gulped back a lump in her throat. His eyes hadn’t left hers. She couldn’t look away. He didn’t take oaths lightly at all. Why ensure he can’t walk away by promising her directly like that?

“Why would you do that?” She had to know.

“I don’t know.” His voice grew flat again, and his eyes left hers. “Curiosity, I guess.”

He motioned for her to follow as he started walking inside. She stood there for a moment, then followed him in.

Curiosity? Was that all it was?