The known stranger

7. Trials

Both of us had fallen silent, we were sitting close, so close that the distance between us wasn't palpable, he rubbed my hand unconsciously as if it was a very normal thing to do, despite of everything that he just told me, the only thing I could focus on in that moment was him, there was nothing else in my mind but him, the way his hands caressed mine even though he was lost in his own world, my heart would start racing whenever he looked in my direction and I would lower my gaze.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I let go of his hand slowly, he looked at me at once and stared into my eyes for a few seconds before opening his mouth to speak "your heartbeat" he spoke as if having read my mind, "why is it so erratic? are you worried about something?" he gulped down "or are you scared of me?" His expression was an extremely troubled one.

"I'm not scared of you" I replied too hastily, he cocked up a brow and that devilish smirk reappeared on his lips, but it didn't quite reach his amber eyes, maybe I was reading too much between the lines, making assumptions of my own, because I was insane-he was driving me crazy and I couldn't let it happen, I shouldn't even think of starting to like him between this whole mess, I thought with a firm resolve.

"I am not scared of you, Ethan" I said calmly before seating myself up properly.

Everything fell silent till Maria came prancing into the living room, she looked white as a ghost, "what's the matter?" Ethan asked her with a knowing look, she opened her mouth to speak a few times but closed it again each time "I think there's a bad news....." the serene look on her face was long gone.

Ethan clenched his jaw and stood up, looking at her intensely "I..I..think.. I saw Cordelia's father..no I don't think so...but it looked like him, he even spoke yo..your name..he's looking for you"

"Maria, calm down" Ethan held her arms and looked into her eyes, I didn't like it. No, I wasn't jealous but I still didn't like it, so I looked away from them.

"I think the vampire king is looking for you Ethan, he knows about you and wants you for reasons best known to him, but I don't think he's good news"

Ethan's brows furrowed and he let go of her hands, he stepped back with a lost expression on his face, but it resurfaced into a calm yet serious one within seconds.

"It doesn't matter, as long as the whole property is under your spell, we wouldn't travel, he said looking at me, I felt utterly helpless and useless in the whole situation.

"I'll only teleport us, whenever it is necessary, this will work" he spoke hastily "are the spells ready?" He asked, Maria nodded and ran back to one of the dark room and came back within seconds with a wooden box in her hands. "There's everything that you'll need in this" she said, her eyes were a little watery as she hugged him.

Jealousy, it was jealousy that I felt, my heart clenched in my ribcage when there was absolutely no fucking reason for me to react this way.

"I hope we meet again" she looked at him with hopeful eyes, "I can't make any promises" Ethan said and caught my hand, the next second we were floating in a different realm, my head felt incredibly heavy so I closed my eyes and pressed my face against my palms, in the next moment we were standing in a well lit hall of a large house, I felt tiredness wash over me as I had to practically lean on a nearby chair for support.

"What was that?" I asked breathlessly, he looked pale, as pale as the word pale itself.
"Ethan?" He looked up at me but his hands were shaking violently.
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
"Yeah..I..I'm just tired" he said and began to walk limply.
"No..wait" I ran towards him, ignoring my own exhaustion.
"What's wrong?" I caught his arm, he tensed under my touch.
"I teleported us twice within a day" he flinched "moreover I made the transition a bit fast, it usually takes up to 5 minutes to teleport across a distance like this, I teleported us here within a few seconds, I just need to feed that's all" he said inching away from me.
"Don't come near me" he said painfully.