Starlight

Two

"What no questions?" his accent cut through the heavy silence that had passed between them for a full five minutes. He had just merged onto the highway going north.

She watched as the lights of the world outside danced as they raced by, without looking to him. It wasn't that she had no questions to ask him, but rather that she had far too many. None of which she could bring herself to ask first.

The heavy silence returned between them, stretching for what seemed like an eternity before a large green road sign caught her eye. "Where are you taking me?" her voice no louder than a faint whisper. She wondered if he had even heard. The look in his eyes proved indifferent when she turned to face him.

He sighed after some time. "Somewhere safe," he answered, earning a scoff from his passenger.

"And that would be?"

He didn't answer. "Fine," she huffed, returning her gaze back to the window. "I guess it would be out of character for a man to tell the person he's kidnapping where he's going to take her."

"If I recall correctly, Salem, you followed me willingly. That by definition is the opposite of a kidnapping."

They held silence for a minute before she spoke. "How do you know my name?"

"I know many things about you, love. I may even know you better than you know yourself." he said, a smug little smirk gracing his lips as his gaze turned from the road to Salem ever so slightly.

"So, what? You're some kind of high-profile stalker?" This earned a laugh from him.

"I just like to keep an eye on my assets is all."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I'm a person, not an asset. On top of that, what you just said definitely sounds like something a stalker would say." she wished she could hide the childish tone her voice carried.

She watched as the car exited the highway, turning from ramp to a street unfamiliar to her. She huffed in annoyance at the whole situation, at her compliance to not only allow this man into her apartment but trust him enough to get into a car whose destination was a complete mystery to her.

Yet something told her that she was safe. That she had made the right choice. Perhaps it was the fact that he had undeniably saved her from those two men, that he had promised her safety with more than just his words. Even now, she was sure that if he had wanted to kill her, he would have by now, wouldn't he?

"Who were those men?"

She wasn't surprised to learn that he needed no clarification as to who she was speaking of.

"They weren't men, they're monsters, who were sent to kill you."

"I'm sorry, but just what have I done to warrant a Hit-man?" she looked at him in complete disbelief.

"It's not what you've done. They're after you because of who you are, more accurately what you are."

"Care to elaborate on that, big guy? Because last time I checked I'm a human being."

He laughed at this. A laugh that made her uneasy and all too self-conscious. "I see they did a number on you."

She hadn't even noticed when they had pulled into a parking lot. When had they exited the highway?

As if sensing her confusion, he spoke "Let's get you something to eat before we're on the road in the middle of nowhere for hours." He unbuckled his seatbelt and swiftly exited the car. Not waiting for her to follow, he walked in the darkness towards a small diner at the edge of the parking lot.

Salem hurriedly unbuckled and exited the car. She was practically jogging in an effort to reach and keep up with his long strides.

When they entered the diner, the first word that came to mind for Salem was "rustic." It seemed like more the kind of establishment you would find in the mountains or a heavily forested area. As compared to the stereotypical roadside diner she was used to. They took a seat at a small white table in the middle of the room and waited for a waitress.

It wasn't long before a perky young brunette sauntered over and took their order. Salem waited until she had hurried away to the kitchen before turning to her kidnapper, or was he her hero? Whatever he was, he seemed to evoke more questions than he was willing to answer. Something she was not too comfortable with.

"You know you still haven't answered a lot of my questions." She stated, watching him pick up a small pink packet of sugar from the holder. "Who are you? And where are you taking me?"

The waitress walked over, setting down a coffee in front of him and a lemonade in front of Salem.

After thanking her and watching her retreat back to the back of the restaurant, he sighed, looking at Salem for the first time since they had walked into the diner. "My name is Alex Petrova. I am currently tasked to protect you and bring you to my family's estate in Lacey, Washington." As he spoke, he poured sugar and cream into his coffee, before slowly stirring the contents. Salem watched closely at how calculated and fluid his motions were. He moved with a sort of grace and ease that seemed too perfect to be real.

"And why are you taking me to Washington?" she asked, taking a sip of her lemonade.

He did not answer right away. Instead taking a minute of silence, as if to determine just how much he could get away with keeping from her.

"Because you, Salem, are the only one who can save my people."