"What are you?" He asks me, breaking the silence. I am quite shocked by this question. Mostly because I don't even know how to answer it.
"Werewolf. I think... And you are a vampire," I state. He nods.
"You don't smell like a werewolf." He lifts his...
As soon as both Farlan and Alasdair accept to help me, I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders - or more like I now get to share the burden with them. It feels nice, to finally have told my story and not be dismissed or ridiculed for it. Somehow, it doesn't make the anger subside, however. Actually, It almost makes it worse, because now other people acknowledge, that what happened to me was absolutely horrendous and that I should be angry about it.
But again, anger I can work with, so I welcome it with open arms.
"Now we only need Harris," Dom says, breaking my stream of thoughts and seemingly everybody else's as well.
"Do ye want to go get him?" Farlan asks, folding his arms over his chest and falling back into the sofa in a position that both exudes confidence and superiority. He reminds me a lot of Dom, actually, but just more mature and way too serious.
"Yeah, that was the plan," Dom answers, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees, before continuing.
"Do ye know where he is?". Farlan looks over at Alasdair, and then back at Dom.
"Well I don't know his exact location, but he left to join up with some big-shot vampire dude only known as Slayer," Farlan begins, and I can't help but chuckle at the name. Then Farlan smiles a bit as well while looking at me.
"Yeah, right? Such a stupid name - but that is what he wishes to be called, so, so be it," he says while lifting his hands and showing his palms, like a parent would to a child, that they didn't want to waste time arguing with. All of us except Dom giggles at that, and I realize, that he looks almost frozen in fear.
"You okay?" I ask, giving him a slight push with my shoulder, to snap him out of his empty stare. His eyes snap to mine, and my stomach sinks at the scared look in them. First, he shakes his head no, but then seems to catch himself, before nodding yes and closing his eyes.
"I don't know," he then says, not seeming like he is about to explain further. But then he takes a deep breath.
"Slayer is the vampire that turned me," he then states in a cold and bitter tone to all of us. Alasdair and Farlan's heads snap to him, with very confused looks on their faces.
"What do you mean? You said you killed the vampire who turned you?" Alasdair asks with a worried look. Dom just seems annoyed and shrugs his shoulders.
"Yeah, I'm pretty fucking sure I did! Maybe you are wrong?" he shouts and accuses, his eyes piercing both Alasdair and Farlan. I feel myself almost folding together to avoid Dom's wrath, and then spot Isobel retreating further back into her seat as well. We lock eyes without moving, silently reassuring each other, that it's okay.
"Hold on, relax please!" Farlan then says as he stands up, and puts up his hands towards Dom, like a man trying to shoo a lion back into its cage. I can only see disaster following this, but to my surprise, Dom actually takes a deep breath and calms himself down.
"Well. If he's alive, I'll just kill him for good this time," he then says in the most menacing and ice-cold voice, I've ever heard. The chills shoot down my back, and I'm suddenly very thankful, that I'm on his side, and not on the receiving end of his fury. I almost feel bad for this Slayer-man, as I remember how gruesome Dom's executions can be towards people he doesn't even know - here thinking about the guy who tried to assault me in the alley. I can only imagine how bad it would be for someone he actively hates as much as he seems to do Slayer.
"Athena, follow me?" Isobel then asks as she stands up after a time, and I'm very thankful for the excuse to leave the suffocating ambience in this room. I quickly follow behind her, as she walks out of the sitting room, and towards a large staircase in the foyer. I throw a quick glance over my shoulder, to see Dom, Farlan and Alasdair leaned forward towards each other, seemingly discussing a plan. As Iook back, Isobel has a hand stretched out towards me, and with a quick smile I grab it, and let her lead me up the stairs.
We stroll down a corridor, before walking into a room, to which a maid just opened the door for us. Inside is a large antique four-poster bed in dark brown wood and red curtains, which match Isobel's dress.
Against a wall is a huge wardrobe with the same antique design and style as the bed. Isobel swings open the doors to reveal the most stunning array of dresses, all more beautiful than the next. Isobel turns around to face me with a devious smile, and as she sees my expression, she laughs.
"We don't we find you something more suitable than those sweats?" she asks me, and I nod fervently in reply, which only makes Isobel smile wider. I can't help but wonder, if she always looked so regal and otherworldly, or if it's a result of her being turned into a vampire. I have a hard time determining it since I don't have any other female vampires to compare her to - other than some of the old crones who had been part of the council, but of course, she is more gorgeous than them. And that is not just because I'm biased, they really did look old and shrivelled up.
Isobel throws a couple of dresses in hues of dark green on the bed, before turning and walking towards me.
"I think they would suit your complexion and hair wonderfully," she says, taking a strand of my hair between her fingers and twirling it around, sighing almost dreamingly. I blush, unable to believe, that she might envy anything about me. Then she snaps out of it, meets my eyes and flashes a big smile, before grabbing my hand and dragging me over to the bed.
I almost feel like a small child playing dress-up again, and it makes me incredibly happy to feel like I might have a girlfriend again. We seem to be pretty much the same build, even though some of the dresses hang a bit loose, but that's really only positive, as I plan on gaining some weight. And furthermore, all the dresses have to be tied - not zipped - so that allows all the room I need to gain the curves that I strive for.
For every new wonderful dress I put on, we sigh and marvel in unison at how gorgeous they look. I've never felt more pretty, and suddenly I wonder, how much magnificent I could look if I became a vampire as well. As I think that, I'm not really as interested in the dresses anymore, as I am in learning more about Isobel and her change.
"When did you become a vampire?" I ask her, and she looks slightly surprised at my question. Then she walks over and plops down on the bed, patting beside her for me to join her.
"Are you thinking about asking Dom to turn you?" she says, giving me a conspiratorial look and smirk. This surprises me a bit.
"Uhm... No? Maybe? I haven't really thought about it, to be honest," I answer truthfully. She nods understandingly, before crawling further up on the bed, and getting into a comfortable position, laying on her stomach. I follow her lead, lying down on my side facing her, with my head resting on my hand.
"I'll tell you everything you want to know," she then says, like a big sister ready to explain a naughty subject to a younger sibling, and I smile secretively in return.
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