The Realm of Question

Chapter 13

He leaned his back against the headboard making me straddle his hips. I leaned my head on his un-beating heart. I breathed in his spicy scent. It was intoxicating. It smelled like the gum Kevin had given me. He smelled just like it. Cinnamon, that was it. Just like cinnamon. He nestled his nose in my hair and took a deep breath.

"You smell delicious," he said. "Absolutely mouth-watering."

"Do I take that as a complement?" I tried to laugh but it made me wince in pain. He tensed and cradled me closer kissing my hair and forehead, layering it with feather light touches that made my heart jump to my throat and my stomach feel like it was back on Kingda Kah, the tallest and most terrifying coaster ever built.

"I don't know, to be quite honest because it's¼ dangerous for you to smell so¼ delicious¼" He was nervous. I could feel it in the way his body was tensing.

"I'm ready whenever you want to tell me." I relaxed against him.

"Ana, have you ever known you were meant for something? Like it was your destiny and you knew that you needed to do it or something bad was going to happen?"

"Yes, I know what you mean," I said truthfully.

"I am meant for something Something terrible." He looked like he was being ripped apart by telling me.

"What?" I asked.

"I-I need to¼ to¼" He kept starting and stopping.

"It will be better if you just get it out," I said.

"I have to take the lives of forty people." I stared at him in horror. "Innocent people. I must rip out there hearts and burn them¼" His voice was appalled."It's what I was made to do¼ I can't stop¼ I don't want to hurt you but your soul calls to me. Taunting me¼ Your innocence is irresistible¼" he whispered, his voice thick. "That's why I can't be near you¼ If ever I get angry or stop resisting the call, I will kill you¼ No, not kill you, damn you! Damn you, to the eternal life that faces me! If I killed you Ana, I wouldn't be able to live with myself" He was searching my eyes for a reaction.

"When I first saw you, my body craved you. It still does, but the arrival of my 'siblings' could not have come at a worse time. I could no longer be close to you and keep you alive, which is my ulterior motive."

"So you-you do care about me?" I asked, my voice breaking.

He shook his head. "Yes, more than I should."

"I care for you too" I said weakly.

"I can't imagine why." He said softly. "How could you ever love a murderer?"

"I'm not quite sure exactly, but from what I've read, love hardly ever makes sense," I shrugged.

"You seem to be taking this rather well," he said with a toothy grin.

"I told you to try me, but you didn't believe me," I scoffed.