"I can put you through college. You can finish school." Indra said as he sat on the stairs. I finally asked an important question.
"Indra how do you pay for all this stuff?"
He looked at me.
"Well... A long time ago I made my own business. There." He said. Then he kept his mouth shut.
I slid over to him with a grin, about to be annoying.
"What business?"
Indra sighed and gave in, "a fashion company."
"Oh?" I questioned. "Fashion?"
Indra stood up. "Come with me."
We went upstairs to the back of the mansion. Indra opened a door against a back wall and stairs were revealed.
"Whoa. I never knew this was here." Indra smiled at me.
We went up the stairs.
An attic. A very large attic. Boxes were packed into corners. Indra pulled out a box and opened it.
"Whew." I fanned in front of my face. "Dusty."
Indra pulled out a black journal. He wiped dust from the cover and handed it to me.
The cover had "1888" embedded in it.
"Ooh. What's in here? Diabolical plans?" I joked.
I opened the journal and saw a drawing. "Whoa."
It was a pretty and detailed drawing of clothing. A big poofy dress with feathers.
"Ohh." I put it together. "You're a fashion designer like Mama!"
I flipped through the pages. Different designs. All pretty.
"Dude!" I exclaimed. "This is so cool!"
"I had no idea you designed clothes."
"Not for a long time." Indra smiled and closed the journal and put it back in the box.
"I founded the company in 1889. It's now one of the top fashion companies in Romania." Indra said.
"We use only high quality fabrics!"
Yeah Indra did always wear high quality fabric now that I think of it.
"Although I don't run it I do get a fraction of the profit. But I don't really use it like that you know?"
I nodded, "I see." So Indra's like a billionare. Oh man.
"Okay cool!" I said. How do you even react to that?
Indra pushed the box to its corner with his foot and took my hand.
"Anything else I should know?" I asked.
"Just that I'm fixing you lunch." I smiled. He led me downstairs.
He fixed me Ciorbă de burtă aka Beef Tripe Soup. I always love his food.
I smiled happily and Indra sat down in front of me. He ate nothing like usual. He just sat and watched me with a smile.
"Sure you don't want to eat? It's really good!" Does he know how his cooking tastes?
Indra chuckled. "I'm sure." I nodded and ate.
That was a long time ago now.
Again, I made us go outside to practice. We were still learning about my barrier. I wanted to learn how to slice through things.
Indra threw a branch at me. My barrier in the shape of an arm and hand charged forward.
I have full control over my barrier now; I can shape it how I want so I make it into an arm.
The branch was sliced in half and fell to the ground.
"Yes! I did it!" I'm getting better and better each day.
What's more my tolerance is pretty high now too.
Indra smiled.
"I'm going to throw the next one faster. Be ready."
I nodded. Indra, with all his strength, threw the other branch. My barrier moved at the same speed and sliced it in half. One half fell and the other hurtled towards me. "No bother. It'll just bounce off."
It pulverized my stomach. I grunted. My legs weakened and I collapsed. I screamed and held my stomach.
"Luc!" Indra was at my side.
I looked at my hands. Blood!
"Huh?" I shook. "W-what does this mean?"
"Just relax for now. You're healing." I could feel my stomach and back closing.
I still find the vampire healing factor crazy.
"Why didn't my barrier stop it?" I shuddered.
Indra sat me up once I completely healed.
Indra shook his head, "I don't know."
He held my bloody hand. "Can you stand?"
"Yes." He helped me to my feet and held on to me. There was a bloodstain where I was laying and blood on my clothes.
"We have to figure this out quickly." I said.
Indra's eyes turned purple. "You're barrier looks normal." He examined me closely.
"I don't know what to tell you." He said.
I hung my head.
"Let's go inside and get cleaned up." I said.
Indra agreed.
I washed my hands and the blood came off.
"That's very strange." Indra said. I silently agreed. "We'll figured it out."
Late at night my darlingest finally came to the room.
"I think I figured out what's wrong."
I sat up and he came into the room. "Stand up."
I got out of bed and stood in front of him.
"Stretch out your barrier." He ordered as his eyes changed to purple.
I reached past Indra and held the position.
"I see. That's it!" He said.
"What?" His eyes faded to their normal color and he held my hands.
"Your barrier depletes!"
"What?" I asked about to panic.
"When you stretch it out to move or cut something, it depletes, no longer covering your body."
"My barrier has a downside." I breathed.
"It's okay. You can still protect yourself with it." He said.
"Okay." I sighed. "Well good. It's been figured out." Indra is hella smart.
"Let's go to bed." I suggested. Indra nodded.
I slept and Indra watched me. I smiled in my sleep.
I love him so dearly; my husband.
