The Vampire's Desire

He knew what that was. Someone used the child for something. Since it didn't work, the child was stuck in that form.

As soon as they were a few feet from it, the creature sensed them. It didn't have eyes but its sense of smell was stronger than a normal dog. He could kill the child and take the corpse back. The woman wouldn't be mad at it. She just wanted to get her brother whether alive or dead.

The creature ran away as soon as it sensed danger.

"Pathetic," Louis muttered, his voice cold and sharp.

There was no need for him to rush. Instead, the shadows beneath him came alive, slipping through the cracks in the ground to block its escape. Before it could react, the creature collided with the wall of darkness and was swallowed whole.

When the wails stopped, she debated whether to run away or stay there. Darius stayed behind too. He wanted to follow his master but he couldn't let her go. She knew their faces. It was dangerous.

She looked up at Darius. He was tall too but not as tall as Louis. Also, he seemed approachable.

"What do you mean by cursed?"

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, as if ready to bolt any moment.

"Children are perfect vessels for curses. The younger they are, the more malleable their souls. That child was the trigger of whatever role he was given. A convenient pawn for whoever cast it," Darius answered, sparing her a glance.

"So… What happens to him now?"

Darius didn't feel like answering. It wasn't something the woman should concern herself about. She should focus first on her fate.

But Louis spoke, his golden pocket watch catching the faint moonlight as he flipped it open.

"That depends. The contract didn't specify the child had to be alive." He snapped the watch shut with a sharp click.

"So you're killing him?"

"It's too expensive to save him. I've got nothing to gain by doing so. The woman who hired me wants her little brother found, one way or another. Dead or alive makes no difference to the terms of the contract."

"No," Leah cut in, her voice firm. "You're not killing him. You'll find a way to break the curse and bring him to whoever wants him."

If Sebastien listened to what she just said, he would laugh. Leah never believed in anything supernatural. It wasn't a normal thing. Her world has always revolved around logic. But since she woke up, that logic was thrown out of the window.

"And why would I do what you ask, sweetheart? You're in no position to bargain."

He was right. But it didn't mean that she would back off. There was always a way around things. It was how she always lived. If she couldn't do that simple thing, she wouldn't have survived till her thirties.

"Are you a mercenary or something?"

Louis stepped closer, his shadow curling around her feet like a living threat.

"Or something."

She wanted to know what his job was so she could formulate a plan in her head and maybe find a bargaining ship to use.

 "But you can't kill him."

"You're bold to think you can dictate my actions."

Leah met his gaze head-on, refusing to flinch. She steeled her resolve and decided to match his indifference. It was the first time since she met him that she got all his undivided attention. She felt like he always had something on his mind, doing two things at once. But now, it was different.

She stepped back, out of his shadow under his heavy gaze.

"I'm not dictating anything. The contract didn't stipulate to kill the child so you can always give him back the way he is. I'm sure whoever commissioned you will find a way to break it. You feel expensive. So you can't kill him."

He nodded once before grinning, his eyes remaining cold. Two sharp canines exposed his nature.

"Alright! Now, instead of backing away, say that again but this time, closer."

She fidgeted on her feet, her eyes fixing the canines. Logic outside of the picture, those teeth didn't bring any ease.

"I'll owe you a favor if you don't kill him. One that doesn't involve children."

Louis tilted his head, studying her as though she were a puzzle he hadn't solved. All her answers had the scent of 'wrong'.

"A favor from someone who's already in my debt? Hardly enticing."

"Then consider it insurance," she shot back. "You've got leverage, sure, but why settle for less when you can have more?"

A low chuckle escaped him, dark and unpracticed. His shadows found her own again. But she didn't realize it yet. He was the one in control, not her. It was cute seeing her struggle to believe otherwise.

 "Fine," he stepped forward. "I'll consider your proposition. You're either reckless or shrewd. I don't know which amuses me more."

Now that this was out of the picture, she needed to take care of another matter.

Her door was locked. It needed a key to be unlocked. The person who had the key was dead.

Ha…

Louis turned to check his watch again. There was something weird about it. It was frozen, which was a first. He had it for more than a decade and it never malfunctioned. What was wrong with it?

Noticing his short distraction, Leah slowly stepped back, putting more distance between them.

Once she felt she was safe from his shadows, she started running back, heading closer to her servant's corpse.

The corpse was as it was but Dina's ghost wasn't. She sat there, still staring at her corpse. Shocked. In denial. She was totally dead now. No coming back.

Seeing Aurora back, she felt a ting a hatred blooming. If only she could touch Aurora and possess her? But thinking of her fate, Dina quickly pushed the thought to the back of her mind. It wouldn't be long before Aurora would become like her.

More than this, as a ghost, she could see what no one saw. All the ghosts around. No wonder no one liked the garden. It was beautiful, eerie, almost magical but no one liked it. When she started working at the Atkinson's, she wanted so badly to explore it. but each time, she left it before she could reach the end.

Now, she knew why.

Leah squatted, rummaged through Dina's pockets. Her hand emerged victorious, the bedroom key clutched like a trophy. She was thrilled for a second. However, she felt a pang of sadness. It was never easy to die. She died too and knew how it felt.

"Sorry!" she murmured, closing Dina's eyes. "It's for my survival!"

She was just sorry for her death, not the prank. She deserved that bad prank.

Or maybe she did that because she didn't want Dina's ghost to hate her.

There was another thing that occupied Leah's mind. If the world had magic, there was no way the Atkinson didn't have someone to protect them. So it shouldn't be long before the rescue arrived.

"Survival or sheer stupidity?" Louis' voice sliced through her thoughts like a cold wind. "Didn't I tell you not to wander off?"

He was suddenly behind her. She didn't even hear his footsteps or feel his touch. His hand on her head pinned her down, forcing her on her knees.

"Hey! What's your problem?"

She slipped the key between her breasts.

"My commands aren't cheap to throw them off, sweetheart. You're supposed to listen."

Louis felt weird. Naturally, his emotions were almost inexistent. Easy to guess why. However, when he touched her, his emotions came back. He could feel again. And right now, seeing her staring at him with her brave face, working hard to hide her fear, urged him to soften…

"Oh forgive me your Majesty of Overreacting. I didn't realize taking initiative was such a crime."

Certainly, she had too much bravery on her plate.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and stayed still. Get a grip, Leah, she thought. This man wasn't a monster.

"It's rude to stare," she retorted, her legs shaking. She attempted to get up but unfortunately, he blocked that.

She grabbed his hand and tried to shake it off but couldn't. She knew she needed to butter him up or apologize but her pride didn't allow her to do so. She hated his guts. Moreover, giving him control over her life wasn't thrilling.

"Will you move your hand or will you stare at me all night?"

He squatted to her level, which allowed her neck to rest from staring up. As he dragged his hand down, his knuckles grazing her the fabric cutting down the curve of her breasts, the colors rose to her cheeks.

All men are the same, she thought. Their brains are lodged down their crotches.

But before she could protest verbally, his fingers gripped the key and pulled. Despite the panic seeping into her veins, the pulse beating between her legs protested otherwise. She couldn't ignore the flame this man ignited in that short moment and shut it down as quickly as it bud.

Once the key in his hand and away from her, his sneer turned down and he regarded her with coldness.

"Rude to stash stolen property in such obvious places," he murmured.

Her blush betrayed her irritation. "Obvious? Excuse me for thinking you'd respect personal space!"

Louis checked the key. It was similar to the key they got from the deal. The situation was absurd. It needed to get some laughs but because he couldn't feel much, he needed to act like it.

However, after decades of not feeling anything, tasting it again gave him another idea. He cupped her cheek and felt it. It was hilarious. He got a key connected to this woman, to the pet he shouldn't touch.

She stopped breathing.

Then, he laughed. He felt the laughter to the bone.

She could breathe again. A chuckle escaped her lips to mirror his.

It was all acts. From the moment he woke up till he touched her for the first time, everything was an act. He had to be human enough to fool humans, vampire enough to fool vampires. But all of a sudden, someone like her gave him something he forgot he lost.

"Respect is earned, sweetheart. Besides, you're the one who trespassed first. You landed right into my arms."

She saw it in his eyes. He was like a child tasting candy for the first time. He enjoyed it but it irritated her more, especially with her key in his hand.

"Noted. Next time, I'll send an RSVP before saving my own skin."

"Or next time, you should plan for an exit that doesn't involve me."

"Or maybe you should work on your manners. They are as sharp as a blunt knife."

Darius, who was still standing by, muttered under his breath. "Careful, miss. Crossing him doesn't end well for anyone."

Leah turned her glare at him. This duo was irritating. They were intruders but they acted as if they owned everything.

"Did I ask for commentary from the peanut gallery?"

Louis felt a sharp pang of jealousy when his toy turned her attention elsewhere. He raised his hand but…

As soon as he let go of her, the sweet feeling faded.

He touched her again…

He let go…

It kept going for a few minutes till she felt dizzy and coughed blood. Darius just stood there, unfazed, wondering if his master finally lost it.

Leah brushed herself as she rose, wondering how to get away. This man kept touching her with an unreadable face.

"Tell me, do you come up with these insults on the spot or is this a rehearsed performance?"

"It's a gift," she shot back, wiping her mouth. "Unlike some people, I don't have to practice being insufferable."

Since he practiced his acts, he knew he needed to laugh. But he decided to caress her head. It took a second for him to feel it. It was enjoyable.

"Since you gave me such a wonderful time, I'll let you remember this. However, you won't get to remember my face at all."

She blushed.

"I don't need your face to add to my nightmares."

He removed his hand and turned away, ready to leave. Seeing that no one was coming, Leah's panic resurged again. She shouldn't have hoped for anything.

"Wait, send me back to my room."

The shift in his expressions always kept her on edge. He was hot for a second, cold next.

"What's in it for me?"

"I don't know. You helped me so finish what you started. Send me back."

The shadows swirled beneath her feet. He smiled broadly before tossing the key back to her.

"Your insolence will get you killed one day."

"But not today!"