Crimson Winter

Porcelain & Games

Me? Ophelia Grayson. Him? Way more than Leo.

I woke up about an hour ago and am currently in the third level of the castle, Leon's favorite level, sitting across from none other than the devil himself, in the flesh. It's about three AM. I'm curled around a cup of steeped peach tea with my knees against my chest. We're in the room he put me in after I seemed to have passed out at the ball. He told me it was his own doing and that I shouldn't worry about it but I couldn't help but think what else he could do if he could do that.

After seeing that he was a Prince, it only made me more apprehensive around him due to the fact that he isn't just a normal vampire. He had more than his ability to suck blood and live forever but he also wielded other powers I didn't know about.

We've been staring at each other for a good twenty minutes now. My eyes narrowed, his calm. I take a sip from my tea, which is warm now rather than hot. So many thoughts are going through my head that I can barely make each of them out. Why didn't he say anything about this? What did he mean last night when he said I was his? I didn't belong to anyone! I'm my own person, not a pet or a slave. Why am I not at my house? How am I still alive? Are the rumors true? Does that mean he's going to kill me?

He yawned, breaking our staring, placing his arms behind his head and stretching out in his chair. His fangs were more extended than when we first met. I wasn't sure whether to cower or if I wanted to touch them. "Your thoughts are too jumbled, dear. You need to calm down. Your blood is racing."

I jumped at that, was he in my head? A horrified look displayed itself crossed my features. "Get out of my head, you bi-"

He was at my side of the room in less than a second, his palm clamped around my mouth. I could feel each individual curve of his hand against my lips and I had the urge to bury myself against him. But now I knew what he meant when he said my heart was racing because I could feel it in all of my limbs. I clung to my tea cup desperately, knowing my eyes had to be as wide as saucers.

"Don't call me names, love. You don't know the things I could do to you." His eyes bore into my own and I found it a trouble to swallow. With a feeble attempt at nodding, he released me. "Now, now, why are you so afraid? Before you knew my name you were perfectly fine." Turning on his heel, he walked back to his chair and sat on it sideways. His hair swung when he turned, mesmerizing me. He stuck his thumb between his front teeth and bit on it, eyeing me with curiosity.

"I, uh..." I couldn't take my eyes off of his thumb to reply, even if I wanted to. What if that was my wrist betw--

"Don't think about that." His voice was huskier, and I glanced up to his eyes noticing the color change from normal to bright. He took his thumb from his mouth and turned normally in his seat before lacing his fingers in front of him. "Why are you afraid of me?"

I seemed to have found my voice because my next words came out with confidence. "Who wouldn't be afraid of someone with a reputation of sucking women dry?"

Leo looked at me for a moment before bursting into hysterical fits of laughter. I cocked my head to the side and watched him. My grip on my cup tightened. Why was he laughing at a serious matter? Was he going to kill me?

He must've still been in my head because at my last thought he went from laughing to concerned. "Do you really think I'd hurt you, love?" His eyes showed that that pained him and I felt bad for thinking that he'd hurt me, but after all, why does a vampire keep a human other than to you know... use?

"Are you going to bite me?" I shrank against myself when he didn't reply.

'I'm not sure what to think,' I thought and tore my gaze from his. I heard him tut before clearing his throat. I felt overwhelmed with emotion and before I could get it under control there was a crash of something breaking in the room. My first instinct was to search for the sound, so I glanced about the room, my eyes landing on Leon. His breathing was labored, his eyes large and bright like I'd seen before and trained on my lap. I raised an eyebrow.