In the Dark

Chapter 6

Leon was surprised by how strong the prince was. He already knew from experience that vampires could toss people around as easily as if they were pillows. Somehow, he still hadn't been expecting the vice-like grip on him from the willowy frame of the prince. He was slender and shorter than Leon himself and there was a hollowness to his cheeks as if food was scarce. By all rights, this man dragging him away to feed on him shouldn't have had the strength that he did. It seemed even the frailest of vampires were quite strong and capable, though.

Leon didn't think it was wise to struggle with the twenty or so other vampires in the great hall watching them depart, and so he remained docile as the prince dragged him away and even when he asked a skittish servant girl where he could rest for the day. Other than the servant girl, they were alone in the hall, though, and Leon felt a small spark of hope. The vampire prince was strong, but judging from his injuries, he wasn't invincible. And they were now alone.

There are windows all around here. If I could get away, just get out one of the windows... The sun will be up and if I booked it out of here while it's sunny, I should be too far for them when night hits to bother going after, right?

He hadn't seen a better opening since he was caught months ago. He was betting that the prince wasn't expecting him to struggle at this point, too.

Leon suddenly rooted his feet to the ground and leaned back to put all his weight into refusing to move forward anymore.

"Come -"

As the prince started to turn to him and before he could say any more than that, Leon threw everything he had into swinging his fist straight at the prince's head. The prince let him go, and then his fist whooshed through thin air. Leon stumbled forward with the motion of it. He didn't even get the chance to balance himself before he hit the ground with a grunt and someone's knee and hand were on his back, pinning him to the floor.

"Get the fuck off me," Leon growled, his heart thundering in his ears.

"Be quiet," the prince hissed in his ear. "They can still hear us."

Leon paused at that. They?

"I'm not going to feed on you," the prince went on to say softly in his ear. Even as close as the prince was, he was speaking so softly that Leon could barely hear what he was saying. He realized he should have realized it immediately, but it hit him that the prince didn't want the other vampires in the great hall to hear any of this. "So calm down and come with me."

It was hard to believe, but Leon couldn't think of any solid reason for the prince to lie about this. The thought crossed his mind that it could just be a ploy to get him to not struggle the rest of the way, but with how easily he'd just pinned him to the floor, Leon didn't think the prince needed him to behave to get him where he wanted him.

"Can you do that," the prince asked, still in that almost impossible-to-hear tone.

Leon hesitated a moment, still trying to think of some way this was a trick or how this could otherwise go badly for him. After a few long seconds, he nodded, though, mostly on the realization that it was in his best interest at this point.

The prince got off of him and Leon started to get up. He was on all fours when he saw the hand extended silently towards him, however, and he looked up in surprise at the vampire prince offering him a hand up off the ground where he'd pinned him there just a few seconds before. He raised a brow, looking up past the hand and at the prince's face.

The prince responded with a silent bend to his fingers like a 'give me' motion. Bewildered as he was, Leon took his hand and let the prince help him to his feet. Once he was up, the prince let go of his hand immediately and Leon scowled as the prince wiped his hand on his coat and scratched at the palm.