Take Courage, My Heart

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I had been lying in bed for over two hours, twisting and turning, unable to fall asleep, when the door creaked open, and Leander poked his head inside. I blinked at him and sat up with a yawn.

"The insulation is nice, isn't it?" he asked, slithering in the room, and shutting the door.

"It's weird," I grumbled, making him laugh.

I had first noticed it a few hours ago when Leander had shown me around the place. Every room was insulated. They were, in fact, insulated so well that right now with the door closed I couldn't hear Keisuke or Ezra. I was sure if anyone started screaming my ears would pick up on it, but this was the closest I had been to what I used to be able to sense as a human and it felt weird.

"Finally," Leander said with a sigh of relief, climbing on the bed and falling onto his stomach, with his arms folded under his head. "You are the first vampire I know who hasn't been thankful for the switch up between the city and a cabin in the woods."

"Don't get me wrong," I started, making Leander groan, "my ears greatly appreciate the quiet. The city is exactly why this is now so weird, I had gotten used to hearing so much and suddenly it feels like I am human again."

Leander pouted at that and took his gaze away from me, staring into nothing for a moment as he considered something. I bit my lower lip somewhat unsure and then shimmied down until I was lying on my stomach as well, our faces next to each other.

"Is this what being human feels like?" he softly asked. I nodded and set my head on my folded arms.

"What was life like when you were human?" I asked. Leander shifted until he was lying on his back and looked up to the ceiling, still with an empty look.

"Blurry. All my memories from back then are filled with so much anger. I– I spent the better part of a year after I was sold into the nest so fucking furious with life and my parents that every memory I had of my life as a human got tainted by it. Both of my parents were poor farmers, so I grew up between corn and sunflowers. I helped as much as I could from the moment I learned to walk. And then when I turned sixteen my freedom was ripped away from me," he said, closing his eyes momentarily while letting out a heavy sigh.

"And after the nest?" I murmured, trying to get to a good memory. Something not as painful.

"After the nest, I was broken. I got used to being a vampire rather quickly, but I didn't bother living just yet. I existed. Found out my parents were dead and reveled in that a little bit," he replied with a twisted small smile on his lips. "And then life got better. I met some nice people, doctors, nurses, and a very chatty innkeeper. The innkeeper was the first person I told I was a vampire. She was really sweet about it, scared to bits but she offered me her blood and a room to stay. She– I told her all of what happened to me in the nest and in turn, she told me all her late husband had done to her. We helped each other."

"Is she... is she dead now?"

Leander smiled sadly. He said, "She died peacefully in her sleep two years ago. I held her hand as her heart stopped beating and she let out her last breath."

"How come you didn't..." I started but didn't finish the question. Leander caught it, nonetheless.

"She wanted to die human. And I would not take away her choice no matter how much I loved her."

"So, how exactly did you end up with so much money that you can hand out properties like party favors?" I asked, lifting my tone, and moving closer to him.

"Well, I helped out Ginny –the innkeeper– with keeping the inn in order, and at night when I couldn't sleep I worked at a local bar. I saved up money and invested in a house and then when the market got better, and I got a little richer –by destroying and looting nests– I sold and bought and invested. It's rather easy building up funds when you don't have to pay for food or utilities or well... taxes," he explained.