ᏚᎪNᏩᏚᏌᎬ

Chapter 5

There he was, sitting at a dinner table all alone with a dead man and his woman. Edmund's shock and confusion had reduced to anger... Make it a drunken kind of anger. He sat at the end of the table glaring at the creature whom sat across from him; then flicked his eyes to the "woman" that seemed to loom over the fellow creature.
"So, Edmund, now that we are alone; I can explain myself." Leonard said politely with a small smile.
"She is still here." Edmund stated bluntly not even looking at the woman.
Leonard looked up at her apologetically, and she scoffed but walked outside, loudly slamming the French doors behind her.
The audacity of that girl.
Edmund had only watched her leave, then flicked his eyes back over to Leonard.
"What the hell is this." He hissed.
"I understand you must be confused-"
"You're damn right I am. Just yesterday night you bled to death into my arms, and you came to tell me you are alive? How the hell are you alive?" He whispered. Then frowned, "I thought I'd lost you."
Leonard sighed, standing up. Edmund's eyes lost the soft look and went back to a strained focus, he couldn't keep his eyes off that devil. He knew how quick his friend could advance on him.
Friend. Could he even consider him as that any more?
"Edmund," the supposed friend began, looking over at the large windows that revealed the black sky of night. Leonard pursed his lips a bit as if trying to think through how to explain himself.
"I too thought I had died that night." He explained, licking his lips as if stalling to say the rest of the story.
"Candace- the woman you met- is the one who killed me."
Edmund's eye brows creased together, a what building on the tip of his tongue, but Leonard spoke first.
"Candace had given me a gift that night.  She was starving, and hunting for something to eat; one could say our carriage happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.... The servant was enough to fuel her, and when I stepped out... Well." He sighed, a strangely human gesture, "She thought of me as a bonus. Candace had realized I had a "undeniable beauty" about me. So she had to have me, as her husband.."
Edmund stared at him, "Hus-? So she turned you into something like her? All for a fucking marriage?" He hissed.
"Yes. Precisely. But this isn't some terrible curse, its a gift. You see... Her bite, her proposal has given me the power of a God!" His wicked white teeth flashed a grin, and his eyes never seemed to waver from Edmund.
"So what exactly. Are you."
Leonard's grin faded into a polite smile, one only a scholar or a man of business could only make,
"I am a vampire."
Edmund stared at him for a long time. It had fallen so silent he could hear the grandfather clock a few rooms away ticking. His mouth opened in disbelief. He was wondering if this was all some stupid joke. His curls stuck to his sweating face. He felt the blood drain from his face. No. No way.
"I don't believe you." He finally spoke- but there was hesitation in those words. Leonard looked him up and down, then parted his lips just a bit. No readable emotion visible. He then stood, causing Edmund to flinch. He moved so fast. So inhuman. Leonard seemed to note this response, and paced himself as he walked over to his friend.
"Jesus Christ what are you...." he whispered breathlessly.
"I already told you." He stopped where Edmund sat, then leaned down close-face to face- making sure he got a full view of the slender white fangs grow out from behind his lips.
"... You're going to kill me.." Edmund whispered, his dark eyes widening, "You're going to- you- you-" He quickly stumbled out from his chair, knocking it back. His breath quickened and wheezed as he began to run with all his might. He could hear the beast cackle behind him.
"Oh for heavens sake no Edmund we aren't going to eat you.... But." He regained himself far too fast, and appeared in front of the brunette. He skidded to a stop only to fall onto Leonard, who was not fazed by the impact whatsoever. "... Are you done running about Edmund...We need you." He set his cold thin hands on the wheezing human's shoulders. "Its time you repay me for all the money I gave you, through working as my personal servant." He sighed leaning on the table, then looked down at Edmund's face. The mortal trembled and froze up in the vampire's powerful grasp. He knew there was no escape. He'd become a vampire's slave.