“Yes, Aefre.”
“Why can’t you feed off live creatures?”
“Excuse me?” He turns onto his side as he frowns at me.
“Live creatures. People, Humans, Vampires, whatever. Why do they have to be dead?”
“Why do you ask?” he queries.
“It’s a valid question, under the circumstances,” I say.
“Why are you so concerned? Do you want me to be real and stay in this world?” he asks, and I can hear the hope in his voice. I reach out to touch him automatically in comfort, forgetting about the barrier he keeps around himself, but I actually touch him. He had dropped the forcefield and my hand is resting on his chest.
“I just want to understand you. Understand what you are. Is it possible? If you feed in the dreams why not right here, right now?” I don’t really know why I want to know so badly; I just do.
“I told you, dreams are easy, guards are dropped, it is easy to siphon off enough energy to maintain a creation. But it requires so much more,” he admits.
“I am so much more,” I say and wonder vaguely why these words are coming out of my mouth. “You are part Dragon, man, buck up. If I can do it, so can you.” I sit up and cross my legs, holding my hands out to him.
“Aefre, what are you doing?” he asks me seriously.
Good fucking question. What am I doing? Have I lost all of my senses?
“Trying to understand you,” I say again.
“I don’t want to be understood,” he says huffily.
“I think you do. You are miserable and lonely and your need for revenge isn’t even there anymore. What else is there, Remiel, except to try?” I press.
“I don’t get you,” he says and sighs as he sits up. “You are the most baffling creature I have ever come across and believe me, I have seen my fair share of puzzlers. Why would you do this after what I have put you through?”
“Mean and confusing as that was,” I say and frown at him, “I understand your need for payback, but you shouldn’t have taken it out on me. I feel what happened to you was unjust. You couldn’t help who you were, that your powers were stronger than everyone else’s and they felt threatened, so they executed you instead of helping you. Trust me, I know what it’s like to be born under a cursed moon.”
“Hmm, how do you know I didn’t deserve it? I have hardly told you anything about myself, girl. Maybe I was a monster who needing putting down,” he says, an evil glint in his eye.
“Maybe you were. But haven’t you paid enough for your sins?” I ask him gently.
“Simple as that? You forgive at the drop of a hat. You are a silly girl,” he admonishes me.
“Do you want me to help you or not? The insults are not endearing you to me,” I say, holding up my hand in protest.
“I mean it with all affection. For the record, I was not a monster. I was simply a powerful being who wanted to use his power to rule,” he explains.
“Well, then, what is there to forgive?
And FYI, ruling sucks. I would much rather have carried on with my normal Vampire life without any of these additional hassles,” I tell him.
“Those additional hassles are shaping your future, Aefre. I know what your hopes and dreams are. I know what you hope will happen in the future with your sire. That wouldn’t be possible without your extra Powers,” he says quietly.
“Yes, well. After being slashed to ribbons and thrown out of a tower window by that sire, he can forget about any future with me. Not to mention the other thing,” I say forcefully.
“Ah, yes the other thing. You finally believe me then?” he asks.
“Unfortunately, yes, it does appear that you were right,” I say, holding back the tears of betrayal. “I apologize for not believing you.”
He shrugs. “And what do you plan on doing about it?” he asks somewhat slyly.
“I am going to kick his arse and then never see him again!” I exclaim with gusto.