Blood and Apples

Kiss and Misses

         Selena stood with her back to me in the kitchen, dunking a tea bag in and out of a mug. I licked my lips, preparing to speak.

     "Are you checking out my butt, Mason?" She exclaimed, calmly.

      "I...er...no." I gulped.

         "Pity. I do have an excellent derrière." She laughed.

            I turned away to root through the cupboards for the toaster. Finally I found it in the bottom cupboard near the fridge. When I pulled it out, I noticed Selena's bare toes by my own. My gaze traveled up her body to her face,

   "Hello there. Can I help you?" I asked.

      Selena said nothing and crouched down beside me.

      "Sit. I wish to tell you my life."

           I pushed the toaster back into the cupboard and sat with my back to it.

      "I'm all ears."

            "After the fall of Windimir in the early sixteen hundreds. I began to travel the world, fighting first with the greatest swordsman during that time. Next was painting with Leonardo, Picasso, such and such. I've seen the first flight with the very talented Wright brothers. I waved a final goodbye to Amelia Erhart, she was the first person I was able to tell about my immortality. Finally I settled down in Paris just as the Eiffel Tower was being constructed. Then in the forties I moved to London during the blitz. I was a secretary in a war office once. She smiled as she told me her fondest memories.

     "Did you ever find love during that time?"

      "Indeed. Many, many times. Although I quit because I lost a man to the sinking of the titanic. He was going to propose once he reached America. But sadly it was not meant to be." Her face turned away from me.

     I reached out a hand to rest on hers. She seemed suprised,

       "Selena, I..." I started.

         "Don't."

       She started to get up but I pulled her down towards me. She let out a small cry as she landed on me. Then we were kissing, my hand moving lazily up her back to cup her neck.

      "Mason..." She moaned as my teeth grazed her ear.

            Then there was the sound of a pot being thrown at the fridge. We jumped back startled.

                    "What the hell!?" Selena and I yelped.

       A rather furious Rhys stood by a dented fridge. 

      "Well at least some of us are enjoying something." He growled.

    "What is it, Rhys?"

         Rhys face fell and he ducked his head. Something was definitely wrong.

        "It's Elinor. She's...well...almost catatonic." He said softly.

           Oh dear. For an normal human, you could take them to a hospital where they could get medical help but for a vampire, it was worse. I rose up from the kitchen floor with Selena trailing after me. We followed Rhys into the curtain covered living room. On the sore sat Elinor, her eyes a deep purple. Not red this time. She hissed a warning at me, trying to get me to back off.

      "She's been doing that since we rescued her." Rhys sighed, running a hand through his chestnut hair.

       Bayund had not left her side and sat next to her, a clawed foot on her knee. Bayund looked kind of shocked at Elinors demeanour. I cautiously made my way over to her,

      "Ellie?" I shortened her name like she was a child with a tummy bug.

             She turned her souless eyes on me. Her ice cold hand latched onto my wrist making me jump.

     "Bad blood." She whispered.

       "What was that?" Rhys asked.

             "Poison. He had holy water floating his damn system. Knew, knew, that I would kill him and drain him. And I snapped, I snapped so hard I can see the stars and moon." She let out a quite giggle.

     Did that mean she was dying? Slowly enough that she could sense it? That was impossible. Beside me, Elinor was humming a nursery rhyme and rocking back and forth. I looked with pleading eyes toward Rhys who shrugged and shook his head. Perfect. What was I going to do? Then Selena stepped up to the plate.

      "Here. She can have my blood. It should be enough." She yanked up her sleeve.

            "Are you sure?" I ask.

     "Positive."

     Selena took my spot and flipped out a small pen knife. She drew it hard against the crook of her elbow, releasing crimson liquid. Elinor went wild, snatching Selenas arm tightly making her squeak. Her nails dug into her arm. A few moments went by and Selena face was growing pale.

        "Ellie? I think you're good." My voice shook as I saw blood leech onto the sofa.

              Elinor only growled at me. I grabbed Selena and dragged her off away. Elinor flew towards us. Rhys seized Elinor,

       "Go! I've got this!"

          I picked up Selena and half ran upstairs. Her eyes were heavy lidded.

      "That is the closet I've come to dying. I'll be alright in a few hours." She rasped.

              "Don't do that to me again." I hissed.

    "So protective. That's kind of hot, Mason." She gave me a rakish smile.

          I set her on the floor of the second floor bathroom. Then I cleaned and bandaged her arm. I made to pick her up again but she brushed me off. She pressed a kiss to my cheek and stood, swaying. Selena had made it to the hall but she collapsed.

       "Remind me never to feed a hungry vampire again."

      Her quiet laughter filled the hall. I smiled at her pleasant laughter. I supported her around the waist and we walked to my bedroom.

      "Sleep that's what I need."

      She immediately curled upon the covers. I had just stepped out of the door when,

          "Stay if you could?"

            "I would never leave you."

             I sat next to bed as she sank into sleep. Her breathing was slow and she relaxed letting out a small sigh.