Wizard Blood, Vampire Magic

Marius

                “Oh.”

                Marius loomed over me and I hadn’t realized just how tall he was.  I had an average height of five foot six, but he had to be at least six and a half feet tall!  His hair fell very close to the floor, but it didn’t pool around him as it did when he was sitting.  The light above my head cast shadows across his face that made him look angry and almost vicious.  I backed up a couple of steps and bumped into the wall with the boy in front of me keeping pace.  He put a hand on either side of my head and stared down at me coldly, as if he had no feelings for anyone, even himself.

                “So, you are the headmistress’s daughter.”

                “Yes, and you’re awfully clo-“

“Silence.”

His tone made me want to shut up and I did, staring up at him with evident fear on my features.  He looked me over, touched at my chin and turned my head left and right, gazed deeply into my eyes, and was about to reach forward to touch my chest, but I regained my senses and slapped his hand away.  He drew his lips back and made a soft sound, but didn’t try to do it again.  After a couple more moments he nodded, thinking about it.  Finally I had to ask.

“What is it?”

He looked a bit surprised I would say anything, but he took a step back and stared at the light above my head.  “What is that?”

I felt my cheeks turn a dark shade and then muttered something.  The light went out and I tried to make a run for it, but a swift movement brought Marius in front of me and I couldn’t see a thing.  We crashed and flailed a bit, but we both went down on the frigid floor.  My palm scraped the stone and my other hand grabbed for something to hold.  It snagged his hair and I tugged on it by accident.  The howl of pain from Marius made me pull back and stare.

As my eyes adjusted to the dark I could see a faint outline of his features.  Up close he appeared to have a strong and angular jaw, stiff upper lip, and dark eyebrows that were constantly drawn downwards.

“You are a putz.”

“A what?”

“A putz.  A clumsy person who brings trouble to those around them.  Why are you here?”

“I thought I’d explore the dorm I was living in.”

I heard him suck in a breath of air.  “You live in the summer dorm?”

Rolling my eyes, I nodded and sighed.  “Yes, yes.  It’s so fascinating and weird that my mum would put me in the summer dorm, I get it.”  I tried to stand up but slipped on Marius’ hair again.  He hissed and grabbed my wrists, untangling myself from him and pushing me back.  I fell on my butt and sat there, a bit stunned.  “You know, if your hair wasn’t so long…”

A growl answered my comment before he added, “If you do not know about someone’s past, you should not judge them.”

It shut me up and I sat there, expecting him to tell me to get out or leave.  Instead he offered me a hand and I hesitantly took it.  His hands weren’t warm, but I figured it was because the room was so cold.  I felt my pendant slide down the chain a bit and then heard the tall boy gasp.  “That key…”

I grabbed my necklace, frowning.  “A gift from my mother.”

I thought he muttered something, but I couldn’t hear it and took a step back.  After a pause, Marius looked at me in the dark and I could almost hear the purr in his voice.  “Alright.  You shall do then.  You, my little pet, shall be my new game.”

“Your what?”

“My pet.  I have needed a new one.  No students have entered the program in a year or two and I am bored.  I would like to play this game of cat and mouse with you.”  I opened my mouth to tell him what he could do with his game, but he put a finger over my lips.  “Ah-ah.  Another time, pet.  Go now and sleep.  Tomorrow we shall play.”  He took something off the wall and struck a match, then handed me a small candle holder with a tea-light sized bit of wax in it, an even smaller wick sticking out.  After he gave me a nudge towards the stairs I whirled around to tell him off, but he was gone.  Shivering, I left the room, too creeped out to stay there any longer.  Whatever that had been, it wasn’t fun, and I had no intention of joining him in his creepy little game!  Tomorrow… I could wait until tomorrow.  Then I’d tell him.