Asteria

Chapter 2

Asteria POV

" Are you going to explain." I ask

He looks at me
"Yes, I just need to think for a moment on how to do so without scaring you" He says

" Should I be scared?" I ask

" No" he says

" Then stop pondering over it so much and tell me. You're making me anxious." I say

" Okay, Listen.. I am not human. That is why you cannot kill me. I am a vampire. I can't die because I've been dead for hundreds of years. The reason I came here is because there are people after me. I'm running away for a while and they want me to come back." He says

" There is no such thing as vampires?" 

" Do you want me to show you?" He asks

"How?" I ask

" Well if you'll look at me. Obviously I didn't die the first time." He says

I sigh
" It's a habit" I tell him before looking up.

My eyes meet his, It was all too peculiar to be looking at the man in front of me. I wasn't used to looking at people.

He closes his eyes and opens them to reveal a deep red. His face looked the same but it held a feral darkness to it. His eyes are a deep crimson color and his mouth held sharp fangs.

For a moment I thought I was scared but I wasn't. His eyes didn't hold terror, instead they looked almost melancholic, distant perhaps.

"Don't be frightened." He says

" I'm not.. I don't know why but I'm not." I say

He takes a deep breath

" Good, It'd be really unfortunate if you screamed." He says

He looks around

" You have no family? No husband?" He asks

I shake my head

" I'm dangerous, people think I'm an abomination. That's why I live here.. away from all the people. So I don't hurt anyone." I tell him

He chuckles

" And I thought my life was tragic." He says

I look down

" I have a good life, I get to read, garden, cook... It's definitely not extraordinary but It's the best It'll ever get." I say

He shakes his head

"That is not a good attitude, you want to spend your whole life in this cabin? Die alone. Be known as Asteria, the cook and novice Gardner." He says

I sigh

" No one knows me and I'd rather be alone than hurt innocent people." I tell him

" Not all people are innocent." He says

" It's no matter. I don't wish to harm people" I say

He stands up and starts to walk around like he's pondering something.

" I'm not usually one for charity work but your life is awfully sad so I'm going to make you a proposal."He says

" A proposal?" I ask

" Relax, I'm not asking you to marry me. You see, I'm embarking on an adventure." He says

"To where?" I ask

" There is a witch of the name Seraphina. She is said to be the greatest there ever was. I want her to reverse my immortality so I can be a mortal.. so I can be human." He says

"You don't want to live forever?" I ask

" Would you?" He asks

" Maybe if I had something to live for." I tell him

" There is nothing on earth worth spending all eternity stuck as a 27 year old." He says

" You're 27?" I ask

" No, I'm 271, I stopped aging at 27." He says

I laugh

" You are an old man" I say

" No, I am not an old man for that is the goal of my mission. I wish to live an actual life, I wish to grow old and die just like everyone else." He says

" I wish I could be like everyone else too." I say

" Well maybe you can" He says

I look at him in confusion

" Well this is where my proposition comes in, If this witch can make me immortal, I'm sure she can fix your deathly eyes." He says

" Do you actually reckon she could?" I ask

" I'm not one hundred percent positive but there could be a great chance it's possible. What do you say?" He asks

" But why me? We just met ten minutes ago and well I could hurt someone." I say

" You intrigue me plus maybe your eyes could be of use. Anything that is not immortal in the dark lands is surely out to kill us and you kill anything that breathes just by looking at it. We can make a great team." He says

" When would we have to leave?" I ask

" As soon as it's safe." He says

" What's not safe? We're not in your so called dark lands." I say

" My father.. he's not happy I left. He's sent guards after me but if my plan succeeds, those idiots will be heading east while we travel south." He says

I take a deep breath

" But you're a stranger." I say

" No I'm not. Your name is Asteria Lafayette, you like to cook, garden, and read. And oh yes, your eyes kill people. I am Cassian Voltaire, a vampire who's running away so he can hopefully, one day, live a normal happy life. See! We know things about each other therefore we are not strangers. In fact, we've known each other about a whole 22 minutes now." He says

I look at him, unsure but intrigued nonetheless.

" What do you have to lose?" He asks

" Nothing." I say under my breath

" Then what do you say?" He asks

"You'll protect me?" I ask

" I promise, plus with your eyes and my immortal abilities we will be fine." He says

"Okay" I say

" Perfect, we'll leave at sunrise. You should get some rest."

I get up slowly

"Do you want a pillow? or a blanket?" I ask

"I do not sleep" He says

" Right, okay then, well goodnight, Cassian." I say

"Goodnight, Asteria." He says

I turn around to walk to my room

"Asteria-" He says

I turn back around

"Yes?" I ask

"Thank you for letting me stay here. For trusting me." He says

" Like I said, I have nothing to lose." I tell him

He says nothing and I turn back around to head to my room.

I get into bed and for the first time in my life, I felt almost alive. Maybe I did have nothing to lose but maybe, just maybe, I had everything to gain.