Fire And Ice

Chapter 6- Why?

It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the new room. The hallway I had been in had been dimly lit, but this room was as bright as the sun. I rubbed my eyes and then met the icy gaze of the vampire sitting a few feet away from me.

He was still wearing the same outfit, and the same smile, but there seemed to be something very tense about the way he was sitting, like he was preparing for an onslaught. And I wasted no time giving it to him.

"What have you done with her?!" I demand.

"She is with the others," He says calmly, then adds, "Unharmed."

"And what have you done with the others? They weren't in the picture." I ask crossing my arms over my chest.

"They are wandering around the manor, looking for you and your friend. Tell me, what did you think of my master piece? I spent many hours trying to get it right. It is my favorite out of all the ones I've created." He purrs.

"So you were the one that painted those." 

"Of course, did you like them? Your friend liked them so much she wanted to be in them, and now she is." He chuckles.

"You don't know what she wanted!" I shout.

"I have lived in this house for centuries, watching humanity go about their daily lives. I have had a long time to observe them and learn their ways. I noticed the way she looked at the pictures. I know exactly what she was thinking." He says standing from his seat.

"If you have lived for so long, why choose to have a bride now?" I ask stepping back slightly to keep a good distance between us.

His lashes droop over his eyes, hiding the amusement there. 

"I have never wanted a human before you." He says slowly.

"I thought you said you wanted me because I was a dragon or something." I say, my voice turning almost mocking.

"You are a potential bender, and that's how I found you. I wanted my bride to be strong, so I tracked down the descendants to the original dragons, hoping to find a suitable candidate. And I found you." He says moving towards me slightly.

"Just me?" I ask, doubtful.

"No, not just you. But you were the only one who interested me. The others were too much like the humans. I found myself easily tired with them. But you I found I could watch all day and always learn something new. You were always a fascination to me." His eyes are far away, almost as if lost in a memory.

"If you're a vampire, how did you leave the house without being burned by the sun?" So many questions are running through my head. I wonder how many I can ask before he stops answering.

He chuckles slightly. "I don't have to leave the house to watch you. I live through my puppets that can easily follow you without being noticed by others. Haven't you ever wondered why a stray animal followed you home? Or why birds always nested right outside your window? Maybe you never thought about the teddy bear you found at the park that disappeared a few days after you took it home."

To be honest I had never even noticed. All my life I had tried to hard to fit in with the people around me. It had been an obsession of mine. I had been so consumed that I wouldn't even have noticed if animals followed me, or if something as simple as a stuffed animal had gone missing. Maybe if I had paid more attention I would have less surprised.

"How long have you been watching me?" I whisper.

"For years, my dear. I have watched your struggles to fit in for a long time. Haven't you learned by now that no matter how hard you try you will never be like them?" He asks.