Heart

Chapter 42

— Chapter 42 —

— Harry —

I was able to run with my vampire speed to the path that led to the marketplace, but once Dair and I started on the path we had to walk the rest of the way there.

I wished I had some idea of what traps were set to stop humans from getting to the marketplace.  I had a tight hold on Dair’s hand as I kept her as close to my side as I possibly could.  I sensed off of her that she felt like a little kid having to hold their parents’ hands while they crossed the street but she didn’t say anything about it.  She knew she was pushing her luck with me just by begging me to bring her along.

I stopped abruptly, bringing Dair to a halt as well as I brought out my cellphone.  I let go of her hand so I could use both thumbs on my phone; Dair stayed standing beside me.

“Harry, look at those roses…”  Dair said softly, her voice sounding a little distant.

I quickly glanced at her from the corner of my eye, my head shooting up when I noticed she was a few feet away, walking towards a large patch of red roses.

I was about to scold her once I caught up to her, but she was just admiring the roses, she wasn’t in any danger.

I continued to read the information about the marketplace on my phone, hearing Dair softly giggle as I saw her pick up one of the roses out of the corner of my vision.

“Harry, aren’t these roses exquisite?”

“Yes, they’re lovely.”  I said quickly, keeping my focus on the information displayed on my cellphone.

Dair let out a deep sigh.  “Oh…I feel so sleepy all of a sudden…I think I’m just going to lay in this garden of roses and take a little nap…”

I narrowed my eyes as I looked up at her.  “Dair, you can’t sleep now!  We’re on our way to the marketplace!”

She ignored me as she laid down in the middle of the roses.  I shook my head in disbelief…but then it hit me.

“DAIR!  GET AWAY FROM THERE NOW!  IT’S NOT SAFE!”

“Few more minutes…”  She mumbled.

I shoved my phone back into the pocket of my jeans and ran over to her, dragging her out from the garden of roses and into my arms as I stepped over the roses and continued back onto the path towards the marketplace.

Dair seemed disoriented as she whimpered.

“Harry...take me back…I want to lay in the garden of the beautiful roses…”  She whined.

“Absolutely not.  Those roses are one of the traps, they put you to sleep and then something about them eventually shuts your body down and kills you in your sleep.”

“I don’t care!  Put me down!  I need to go smell them again…their scents are so soothing…”

She struggled to get out of my arms prompting me to lift her up and drape her over my shoulder.

“Harry!  Put me down now!”  She yelled, smacking her fists into my back and kicking with her feet.

I kept a firm hold on her as I continued to walk.  “Dair, I’m not putting you down until you snap out of it.  You’re not thinking clearly, those flowers must have toyed with your thoughts.”

“You’re being ridiculous, Harry!  Put me down!”  She hit my back with her clenched fists a few more times before letting out an annoyed grunt and eventually giving up.