A heart of the vampire

Chapter 10

Serena stood in front of the flickering candle, still transfixed by its steady flame. An idea formed in her mind, a small rebellion against the strangeness of this place, a way to regain some sense of control. Slowly, she leaned in and blew out the candle.

The flame flickered, danced, and vanished, leaving behind a thin trail of smoke. For a moment, the room grew darker, and Serena felt a small triumph swell within her. But before she could take a step away, the candle flickered back to life, its flame returning as if nothing had happened.

Her brow furrowed. That was... odd.

Curiosity tugged at her, and she blew the candle out again, this time with a little more force. Once more, it went dark, only to relight itself after a brief pause.

Serena blinked, unsure whether she should laugh or feel unsettled. Biting her lip, she leaned closer and blew again, a little harder this time. The flame obediently went out... and then reignited.

"What on earth?" she muttered under her breath, now both amused and confused by the persistent flame. She was about to try a fourth time when a voice interrupted her.

"Are you having a good time?"

Serena spun around, startled, her heart skipping a beat as she saw Lucian standing in the shadows. His presence was commanding, and as always, his eyes held that same intense gaze that seemed to pierce right through her. The hint of amusement in his voice only made her blush harder.

"It could be better," she replied, trying to sound casual but feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She quickly looked away, her eyes darting back to the candle as if it might offer her an escape from his gaze.

Lucian took a step forward, the faintest smile touching his lips. "Playing with fire, Serena?" His voice was low, teasing, yet with an edge of something darker beneath.

She glanced back at the candle, its flame flickering innocently as if mocking her. "I just thought... it's strange. Every time I blow it out, it relights itself. I wanted to see how long it would keep doing that."

"And how long did you think it would?" he asked, moving closer. His voice had softened, but the intensity in his gaze remained.

Serena swallowed, feeling suddenly foolish under his scrutiny. "I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I just wanted to feel like I could control something in this place." She hadn't meant to say that out loud, but the words tumbled out before she could stop them.

Lucian stopped a few feet from her, his eyes never leaving hers. "This house... this world... has its own rules," he said, his tone dropping to something more serious. "You'll find that not everything here will bend to your will."

Serena looked up at him, unsure of how to respond. The tension between them had returned, thick and heavy, like the unspoken desires neither of them could ignore.

"Does that include you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, the boldness of the question surprising even her.

For a moment, Lucian's expression hardened, but then his lips curved into a smirk, his gaze darkening. "That depends," he murmured, "on how much you want to try."

Serena's heart raced as his words hung in the air, and she quickly looked away, flustered by the intensity of the moment. She felt like she was constantly teetering on the edge with him—drawn to his darkness but unsure of how far she was willing to fall.

The candle flickered beside her once more, its flame dancing mockingly, but she no longer had the urge to blow it out. It seemed some things—like this place, like Lucian—were beyond her control.