Traces of the past

16. Snowfall and duties

Reth POV

-Was Katha your lover? I started questioning him without even thinking of what I am doing.

-Was Katha your lover from when you were still human?

A few moments of utter silence.

He then turned his back to face me and stare deeply into my eyes without any sign of anger. I could see that his eyes have turned to normal now, they were no longer red. The snowfall in combination with the warm fire must have had a relaxing effect on him.

-How do you know I was a human before?

-Well...I read that vampires are made, they don't actually get born vampires...I mastered a lie on the spot.

I couldn't tell him I was forced by Sarya into watching movies with vampires and that from there I knew quite a lot, couldn't I?

-Well, you're right... He said with sad eyes turning once again to watch the snowfall that was about to stop, from what I had noticed.

His tone had been cleared of any trace of anger and frustration, his voice was clear with sadness, regret. 

One moment ago, he was all in the rage of a monster and now he was sitting chill next to me getting flashbacks from long time ago. Sadness overtook his unexisting soul, his emotions escaped the grip of his control, everything around him started running away like illusions in the dessert.

Maybe all of this fury, all of this madness could it have been a blooming flower of this root of pure sadness?

-So was Katha your lover? I asked again trying to keep my hands waving next to my body, instead of, maybe, placing it on Dracula's shoulder, as if a good friend would do.

-Yes... he answered unexpectedly, still not looking at me. Katha was my woman, and the only woman I loved...

A woman? I see. Women were a danger to a men's sanity after all. It wasn't just me that had been driven crazy by a girl that wanted things I never wanted, a girl that was so obsessed with the idea of me and her, that actually forgot to include me in the equation. Strange, but true. 

That was what Sarya did. Our whole relationship.

-The only woman I loved and hugged and kissed...He went on.

Dazing at the snow from the window as if it was the only his sight could get a grip of, he looked almost breathtaking. I stared at him for moments and moments.

-But you also kissed me, Count. I snapped.

A dark look was enough to make me shiver a little, but the growl that escaped his neck made my knees weaker than I expected. 

Maybe he would have choked me again, like he always did, since I came here, if the door wouldn't have slid open in the next second.

As usual, Petrov was the one to enter.

This old guy was everywhere Drcaula was, he was almost competing to be his shadow, but his too used bones would not let him fulfil his dream.

-Your majesty... The people ran away...

While I stood there splitting my worry into half: half for the people that might soon be greeted by a plagued village and half for me, because the vampire not far from me has come to his normal state of mind.

When I less expected he started laughing, guess he took the news very well.

-Look...This what it took. He said smirking in my face.

-A bit of jumpscare and all your work has gone pe apa sâmbetei...

But I didn't care as much I should have, I was lost into his eyes, his laugh did not seem to me that sarcastic.