A heart of the vampire

Chapter 19

Serena stirred, her mind gradually surfacing from the depths of sleep. The room around her was ceoaked in darkness, save for the faint silver glow of moonlight streaming through the open window. A cool, gentle breeze drifted in, caressing her skin, carrying the scent of night jasmine and something indefinably wild, a reminder of the one who had occupied every thought, every breath, every shiver in her veins.

She shifted under the silk sheets, feeling the subtle ache of Lucian's touch still imprinted on her skin. For a brief moment, disorientation clouded her mind. Memories of the night flooded back in fragments—his hands, his fangs grazing her neck, his whispered promises and dark laughter that haunted her even now.

As her eyes adjusted, she noticed a figure seated across the room, bathed in shadows. Lucian was in his armchair, one leg crossed over the other, his face illuminated by the faint glow of a smartphone screen. The sight was so modern, so strangely mundane, it brought a smile to her lips.

"Don't you ever sleep?" she murmured, her voice thick with drowsiness as she stretched, feeling the delicious pull of her muscles.

He glanced up, a faint, almost amused smile curving his lips. "I've had enough sleep in ages," he replied smoothly, lowering the phone. His gaze was sharp, and a glint of mischief sparkled in his eyes as he regarded her, as though he could read every thought flitting through her mind.

She sat up, propping herself against the headboard, pulling the sheets a bit higher around her bare shoulders. "So, what are you doing over there?" she asked, feigning a nonchalance she didn't entirely feel. Even now, the memory of his presence overwhelmed her; he had left her breathless and raw, as if some part of her was still tangled with him.

Lucian smirked, turning the screen so she could see it. "Studying," he said, his tone teasing. "It seems your modern world is full of... curious inventions."

She stifled a laugh, noting the unmistakable gleam of a news app open on his phone. "Do you honestly find it that interesting?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're from a time when knights wielded swords. I didn't think 24-hour news would hold much appeal."

"Some aspects," he said smoothly, his eyes flicking back to the screen as if he hadn't just spent half the night exploring her every weakness, "are intriguing. The world moves at such speed now." He paused, glancing back up, his eyes shadowed with something deeper. "Humans have grown so good at distracting themselves."

Serena shifted, curiosity brightening her gaze as she studied him in the dim glow. Lucian, a creature of so many lifetimes, wore a face both timeless and fierce, softened only by the shadows of memories she couldn't yet see. She wanted to know more, to piece together the man beyond the sharp edge of his presence.

"Lucian," she began, her voice soft, testing the weight of her question. "Before all this—before you became... what you are—who were you?"

His expression shifted, the playfulness of earlier fading into something more serious. He looked away momentarily, as if the memories were sharp, and he needed to gather himself. "I was a lknight bound by honor and duty," he began, his voice low and steady. "Life revolved around the sword and the shield. We lived and died by our oaths."

"Tell me more," she urged, leaning closer, her heart racing at the thought of him as a fierce warrior. "What were those battles like?"

A shadow crossed his features as he recalled those turbulent times. "I remember my first battle vividly; I was barely a boy, just sixteen, yet I was thrust into the heart of war."

"Were you afraid?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He met her gaze, the weight of his memories heavy in his eyes. "I was. The thrill of battle can overshadow fear, but it never truly disappears. I can still hear the clash of swords, feel the heat of breathless anger, and taste the iron tang of blood on my lips. I felt invincible and yet profoundly vulnerable."