Bastian's Heart

Chapter One Part Six Bastian

She kept her promise.
Sebastian counted the minutes till the next stop. He could feel the cooler air settling around the vehicle.
It was but a minor relief from the boiling heat he was encased in, but every little bit of shade helped.
He needs sleep, blood, and more sleep.
He growled under his breath, annoyance, and exhaustion competing with the fire aching in his joints. He cursed both himself, the girl, and the oppressive heat in the trunk.

It made him more thirsty and hungry to rip into someone's artery.
Carefully he shifted his big body again.
It wasn't by much, because the space was rather snug and uncomfortable.
It would have been close to impossible for another male his size to fit in here, but fortunately, vampires are pretty resilient, and it did help that his body was in good shape.

When the pain got too much to bear, Sebastian gritted hard on his teeth until the pain dulled into numbness, or was it he was on the brink of losing consciousness again?

Stealth and sheer stubbornness have probably prevented him from giving in to sleep. Even when he felt like screaming out in agony, he had bitten down the urge, which then caused his whole frame to shake like a man in the grips of a cold fever.
It was humiliating enough that he had to ruin his face and his hands, that she has to see him like this, it wouldn't be dignified to howl like a crazed fool in front of his tormentor.
His breath evened as the searing pain finally lessened. He avoided touching his charred skin. It must be disfigured, but at least it was healing, the tingling and sharp needle pinpricks an indication his nerves and muscle were being repaired.
Without blood to speed up the process, it could be hours before he resembled his old self. Just as he planned.

A wicked smirk lifted the corners of his mouth as he calculated shrewdly.
Yes. He will heal eventually, but for now, he would use this infirmity as a means to an end.
He figured an injured monster would seem less threatening to a woman hell-bent on running away. If he didn't have the use of his hands, his body weak with pain, he could not possibly harm her, or that precious clan she is protecting.
For now, I am happy to be entirely at the mercy of my little witch.
As for her, we will have to see. She already told me without any misconception where her loyalty lies.

"Go to hell! I'm not betraying my friends for someone like you.
You can die for all I care!"

When those words flew out of her mouth, I was stunned. It was some kind of admission, what I wanted to know from her all along, yet I felt shocked and betrayed that she could be that cold-hearted.
I almost asked her why she would choose them before me, but pride prevented me. I don't think it's wise to let her know that she has that sort of power over me.

The only explanation was, she might have outgrown her childhood kindness.
Too much time has passed. Too much has happened. She does not remember that she once loved and trusted me.
Why hasn't she mentioned what happened all those years ago.?

She has spewed all sorts of hatred at me. She accused him of leaving her behind, but never once did she question him about that night.
Well, whatever her intentions, it doesn't change anything now.
The clan had sixteen years in which to fill her heart with all sorts of terrifying horrors about vampires. Not that they are wrong about us, but he bet they omitted to say that we had fought hard to uphold our agreement, the treaty, and the oath that our kind had sworn to each other.
I bet they did not tell her that it had been my guilt and my repentance that brought peace about.
How I risked my existence and the existence of my kind to end the constant bloodshed. How we came to agree that a society without rules and boundaries was the cause of the chaos that thrived in our communities.
If all of the supernatural beings in this world were to exist and continue, we had to stop raping our resources.
Humans.