Man Of My Dreams

Chapter Seven

 I looked over my shoulder and waited for what he had to say. “I’m sorry,” I turned around and stood in the doorway, “Genevieve was everything to me. Losing her was… hard. But she wanted this bargain, wanted you safe from your family. So, you’re welcome to stay here. I’ll show you to your room.” I shook my head, “No need, I know which one I want.” I pushed the door open and went directly to the room I had loved the most in this house. It was near the garden. I could see it through the window on the right side of the bed. 

  I pushed open the doors and everything was as I knew it would be. The walls in this room were painted a light lavender color. One armoire and nightstand. And one giant, four poster bed. Made of dark mahogany wood. White silk sheets and a thick, white down comforter. But the best part of the whole room was the ceiling. The night sky was painted on the ceiling. Each and every constellation painted and included. It was beautiful. I’d often lie in this bed during my dreams and imagined I lived here. That this was my home, my room, my bed.  

  I sighed and walked over to the bed. I dropped my backpack on the floor and plopped down on the bed. Jealousy had brought me here. That woman. I wanted answers, I wanted to know why I dream of him, and I wanted to know if he could make it stop. He didn’t want me here. And I had no interest in staying where I’m not wanted. I’ll stay tonight. But tomorrow morning I’ll ask if he could at least release me from whatever magic is making me dream of him. So that when I leave here, I never have to see his face again. 

  I woke up with a jolt. I didn't mean to crash like that. I was still in my shoes. I took them off, and then my pants and shirt until I was only in my underwear. I curled up under the blankets and realized something before sleep claimed me once more… I had not dreamed of him.

  The next time I awoke, I could tell it was morning here. There was no sun, but there were birds chirping. I stretched under the covers and then flung them off of me. I stood up and noticed there was a pile of neatly folded clothes on my nightstand. They were my clothes. Washed, dried, and folded. I walked over to the armoire and opened it to find more clothes. All with price tags still on them. Did he put these here? More than likely, he had someone do it for him. Or at least that’s what I hoped. Heat rose to my cheeks at the thought of him coming in here while I slept nearly nude. 

  I chose a white t-shirt and some black, flowy pants. Comfy enough. No shoes, though. I was already accustomed to walking these halls barefoot and I had grown to love how the cool marble felt on the bottoms of my feet. I stepped out of my room and shut the door. No tug pulling me to where he was like in my dreams. The air was cool and crisp. Not at all like the muggy aired mornings I spent in the swamp. When I leave his house, I’ll find somewhere to live her where the air doesn't suffocate me.

  I found him in the library. Hovering over a table full of opened books. He looked up from his reading when he heard me approach. “Goodmorning,” I said. It felt strange, walking right up to him. “Morning,” his voice was gruff. Hoarse, kind of. Like he’d spent all night screaming. “I’ve always been curious about what you were reading.” He looked back up at me. “I smelled you here the other night.” was all he said. “About that,” I shifted my weight to my other leg, “The dreams. Can you make them stop?” 

  He sighed, “No, and it would appear that now that you are here, in my world, I dream of you. So now, that’s an us problem.” I felt my cheeks redden. That must have been why the armoire was stocked with clothes. He saw me strip last night to sleep more comfortably. I shook my head, “I’ve decided to leave here. Maybe find somewhere to stay in this world. I can’t go back to the swamp and I don’t really want to anyway.” He nodded, and an emotion, I couldn’t tell if it was anguish or sadness, flashed on his face. 

  “Let me take care of that.” I started to refuse but he stopped me, “It’s the least I can do. If you don’t want to stay here, I understand. But let me provide you a home. No expenses necessary. I owe you.” My pride wanted me to say no, but my lack of money and experience in the world, or worlds, said otherwise. I nodded, slowly. “I’ll have your clothes and things packed and moved and someone to take you there by this evening.” He started to move away from the books and my curiosity was getting the better of me, “Can you tell me what you’re reading? The other night, when you… smelled me, I wanted to see if your name was anywhere on whatever you were reading. But I don’t recognize the language. 

  He chuckled. It was light and airy. I didn’t expect that. “It’s Sangrian. A vampire’s native tongue. Or it used to be. It’s rarely spoken now. But all of our ancient texts are written in the language. And only some of us can read it.” I thought it might have been Latin. Perhaps the language was derived from Latin, then. I wondered how old he was. He said three hundred years ago he was barely three hundred. And the war was… “You’re six hundred years old?” 

  He nodded, “An adult now. Finally legal.” he joked. He said he was still considered young at three hundred so I assumed there was truth to that joke. “How did you get to be king if you’re hardly an adult?” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, I was born.” I blinked. But I thought– “Sometimes, when something is  meant to happen, a vampire is born for it. In my case, I was meant to be king, and so I was born.” I pursed my lips, “So you have parents, then?” I asked. Admittedly, I was enjoying the casual conversation. 

  “I did,” he said, turning a page in his book. “They died in the war.” No emotion behind the confession. I got the feeling he wasn’t fond of his parents. “Last night, you said fighting with the human-vampire side was the beginning of your downfall. What did you mean by that?” He shut his book and sat down in the chair beside him and motioned for me to join him. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t taught any of this. I was taught the opposite, actually. If I’m too curious, tell–” He waved his hand, dismissing what I said, “Nonsense, be curious. You’re human. It’s in your nature.” He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, “Vampires have been around since the beginning of time. The history on how we were created is theorized, but no one knows for sure,” he took  a drag from his cigarette and I made a mental note to remember to ask him how the hell he’s even able to smoke.

  “We have always been at the top of the food chain. Our ways are old, ancient. And many of us who are much older than I wished for things to stay that way. But I wanted them to change. At first, I fought in the war on the human side to piss off my father. But then I met Genevieve. She gave me all the reasons I needed to help things change. My father believed humans were merely cattle. They served no purpose to us other than food, maybe sex, and slavery. And maybe I didn’t think we were exactly equal. But humans were fighting for us. For those of us who wished to be different. 

  To consume animal blood rather than human. Or those who fallen in love with a human and had a consensual feeding agreement. And to me, that sounded right. Like the better side to fight for. I didn’t feel like forcing people to live like the natural barbarians we are was the right choice. And as the born king, I made it law.” So King Kian isn’t as bad as my family said, then. “Can’t they just… take your throne?” Anger flashed across his face. “They can certainly try. Many have. Many still are. But I was born. And that not only made me king, but it made me the most powerful vampire in our time. Age doesn’t matter to me like it would for a made vampire. You could be six times my age and I could annihilate you with a single snap of my fingers.” 

  I shivered. And that’s enough for me today. My curiosity has been satiated. For now. I stood, “Thank you for indulging in my curiosity. I’m starving.” He stood, “Do you need me to show you to the kitchen or do you already know the way?” I laughed, “I know the way. And hey, if you figure out anything on the dreaming, will you let me know?” He nodded, “Of course. It’s an us problem now, remember?” I nodded and left to find something to eat.