Lazarus

10

Lazarus came into my room just like he did every morning. He lit the fireplace and immediately sat on the end of my bed.

"Did you not like the kiss?" he asked, his burgundy eyes didn't meet mine.

"No, I-I liked it" he seemed to perk up a little bit. "You just seemed to not enjoy it as much."

"I liked it" he mumbled.

"You always have this straight face so I can't tell what you do and don't like" I raised my voice slightly.

"That's just how I am" he shrugged.

"Whatever" I sighed.

"Fine, I'll never kiss you again" he growled before he stood and straightened his dress shirt. I felt my chest tighten as he walked out of my room. I curled myself up into a ball and started to sob. I fucked everything up, I liked him, I wanted him to kiss me again. I knew in my heart I didn't love him, but I liked him.

I spent most of the day in my room staring at the fireplace. It was slowly starting to burn out and there was hardly any wood left. I wiped my tears off and decided the only way to stay warm in the freezing castle was to get more wood. I was still wearing my pj's from the night before, but I didn't care I slipped on a pair of my shoes and left my room. Thankfully Lazarus wasn't anywhere in sight so I easily slipped down the stairs and out the door with him noticing.

The air outside was warm, the sun was fully out which slightly blinded me. I found a little stump where some uncut logs were and an ax. I set the first little log on the stump, I grabbed the ax and dragged it over to the stump, with almost all my strength I lifted it up over my shoulder. I started to imagine the log as Lazarus's head. I just wanted to slam the ax down and wipe off his stupid stone-cold expression off his face. I slowly started to adjust the ax so I could lift it off my shoulder to cut the wood.

"Little lady?" I heard a woman yell from behind me. I froze, nobody survives on the property. My heart started to race and the images of the four men being dragged into the castle flooded my mind.

"You have to go" I shouted.

"Hunny you need to put that ax down and get off my brother's property" the voice demanded. Brother? Lazarus had a sibling? I dropped the ax off my shoulder before I spun on my heel. The woman in front of me looked familiar. Stella.

"Stella?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Pancakes" she smiled. She was holding a long chain with at least five very drunk men attached to it.

"Who are these people?" I motioned to them with my finger.

"Friends" she lied.

"Liar" I mumbled.

"I am not" she tried.

"I know what Lazarus does with humans like me," I told her.

"He told you?" her eyes became wide, her jaw dropped slightly.

"Yes, and he showed me" I spat. Her eyes softened, she shuffled towards me with open arms.

"I'm sorry Pancakes" she mumbled, she wrapped her arms around me. I stood frozen, the ax dropped from my hand. "I can smell him on you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when a vampire bites you, if they like you they release a pheromone to let other vampires that you are taken" she pulled away. "Did he have a ceremony with you or was it just a bite?" her hands still rested on my shoulders.

"It was just a bite," the memories of that night flooded my mind.

"Then he just marked you as a blood slave, not his wife," she sighed. Blood slave?! I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and my blood started to boil. I'm no blood slave.

"I'm not a god damn slave" I snapped, I stepped away from Stella, a frown formed on her face. She parted her lips like she was about to speak, but I turned on my heel and walked away from her. I stormed into the castle with Stella and the five drunks hot on my heels.

"Pancakes" she tried.

"My name is Ellie" I stormed up the marble stairs and straight into Lazarus's room, he shot up violently, his burgundy eyes narrowed and burned a hole into mine.

"What are you doing?" he growled. I stepped into his room, he continued to stare at me.

"Is that was you see me as? A fucking slave?" I snapped. I stalked towards him I pushed the heavy curtains out of my way and climbed onto his bed. He stood still. I grabbed a handful of his stupid hair and pulled it. I twisted it around my hand and attempted to slam his head into the headboard, keyword attempted. He managed to unwrap his hair from my hand and slammed me face-first onto his bed. He straddled me and pinned my face into the bed.

"What did you want me to do?" he breathed.

"Lazarus" I heard Stella snap.

"Shut up" he snapped. "I could have marked you as my wife, would you be happy if I did that?" he mocked.

"I would rather die" I spat.

"Have it your way" he leaned down and I felt his fangs press themselves into my neck. Without warning they penetrated the delicate skin of my neck, I wanted to let out a scream I wanted to thrash, but I couldn't my body felt like it was turning to jelly. I heard the distant screams of Stella, and I felt the blood pouring out of my wounds. I could hear Lazarus speaking, but I couldn't make out the words. Before I passed out I remember thinking I was going to die.

Death was peaceful, or so I thought. I remember feeling like I was floating, my arms and legs were spread eagle as if I was falling back first out of a plane, but instead of landing on the ground I landed on a soft pad of clouds. I was enveloped into the warmth of the living for what felt like the last time.