Heliosinclaire

Chapter 16

Eugene's POV

~~~

I could feel Ariel's heartbeat pulse with a quick tempo.

"You remind me of my sister sometimes, Ariel," I said.

She peeked my way, and then looked to the wooden floor.

"Your gazes are similar, fierce and unwavering. You also have the same rhythm of speech as she had."

I could feel a sense of nostalgia as I watched Ariel fiddle with her fingers.

"My sister was engulfed in flames right before my very eyes. I had the power to control the flames, but at the time, for some reason, I could not manipulate them at all..." I paused.

She looked at me with curiosity. Her glass blue eyes had mirrored Ellenior's eyes, showing a strong gaze that seemed to pierce into my soul.

It felt as if Ellenior was with me.

"The fire was smoldering our previous mansion, burning away the walls and leaving nothing left. My father had gathered the rest of the family in the foyer, but to his dismay, the flames had surrounded them. I was on the other side by the hallway, watching the flames etch into their skin."

Ariel's heartbeat seemed to relax.

"I had escaped the fire. Our home had transformed into ashes."

She looked at me with pity.

"And when I found you – your eyes reminded me of my sister Ellenior."

I smiled.

"You were at death's door and I couldn't help myself from turning you, to save you from the reaper's grasp."

I touched her hand.

"Do you regret becoming a vampire?"

She looked to the side, "No. There's nothing I could do about it either. What has happened... Happened. And..." she stared at me, "I'm glad I became a part of your family."

She was a strong girl.

"Heliosinclaires don't need to drink much blood, right?" she asked. "Then I do not need to attack people for my thirst." She hesitated, "and I'm glad that I didn't die."

"But you still hate us, don't you?" I asked.

"No... Everyone here has been polite..." she mumbled.

A sweet lie.

"Ariel," I touched her cheek, sliding a piece of her hair back behind her ears. "If there is anything that I can do for you, then please let me know."

"Thank you," she said.

She rebounds quickly. Never moping in a corner to hide her tears. A strong spirit.

She stood up, "I'll take my leave..."

I smiled, "pleasant dreams, Ariel."

She walked out of the office with a look of relief.

She was still afraid of me.

Not surprising.

I turned to see the gilded sky clouded with warm colors of the sun. It was already dawn. The red hue reminded me the flames from back then. Echoes of a voice reverberated in my memories.

There was someone in the past whose mind I could read in the fire, voicing a psyche of darkness. His voice lingered in the flames. Back then, I could not make out his presence, but I knew that he was there.

The perpetrator of the fire.

I will tell Frey to keep an eye out for this man. Whoever he was.