Slayer

Chapter 2: Putting the pieces together

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Cassandra’s POV:

I couldn’t lie to myself that Thomas was quite the specimen. Casually dressed but with excellent taste in apparel. Designer jeans, a simple white button down shirt which was Brooke’s Brothers from the looks of it, and a beautiful pair of oxblood dress shoes. A Breitling watch and a small silver cross around his neck finished off the outfit in tasteful fashion. The entire time we were walking towards the back I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. There was just something about him that was intangibly magnetic. He even smelled wonderful, like the scent of a wild rose but with more bite. But apart from the clothes, the smell, and the well sculpted figure, there was still something else that made him so appealing.

As se opened the large and elaborate door to his quarters, my jaw nearly hit the floor. I stepped inside what looked like a cathedral. A towering ceiling finished with stained glass in the arches, gigantic windows illuminating the upper half of the room, books from floor to ceiling, and relics dating back to I don’t know when. The music playing from an unidentifiable source was very fitting to the room. Classical, most likely Beethoven.

“It’s Beethoven’s 9th” he replied, “I was there in Vienna for the performance. He’s truly a masterful artist, and when you hear his music live, it’s purely sensational.”

I wasn’t even concerned with the fact that he flat out read my mind. I was still gawking over the sheer size of this room and all the marvels it held.

“This is amazing!” Still a bit in awe, I was gazing all around trying to digest the amount of wonders that were held in here. I looked around to see him smiling and holding out a rum and coke for me. I had completely forgotten about that.

“Thanks” I said with a beaming smile as I looked him in the eyes. Those brilliant green eyes of his were truly hypnotic, completely halting my train of thought.

He rolled his eyes around the room. “So, do you like it?” He asked with a small smile, already knowing the answer by the look in my eyes. I was still lost in his and when my brain finally processed what he was asking, I was only able to squeak of a soft yes. He just laughed as he walked over and put an arm around my shoulder. He walked me over to a case of antique weaponry, one piece in particular catching my eye.

“Isn’t that the sword of Yoshimitsu?” I asked in disbelief, “doesn’t that belong in a museum.”

Not even taking his eyes off me he replied, “it does, but I made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. It’s an original from the late 1300’s, and absolutely one of a kind.”

I didn’t know how he got his hands on it but I wasn’t going to pry. Noticing other pieces from the civil war, world wars 1 and 2, and other models of destroyers, subs, and naval ships.

“Thomas” I muttered still overwhelmed, “this is absolutely unbelievable. How on earth did you get all these timeless pieces of history.” I hadn’t really noticed but he still had his arm around me, holding me to his side. His body was like a statue, hard, cold, and absolutely flawless. I was no wonder I was overwhelmed by his presence, he was perfect.

He looked into my eyes and nodded, “I’m glad you like it. Come sit with me, I’d like to know more about you. We can explore the library and some of the other goodies later. Oh and your drink is probably completely watered down by now.”

I looked into the glass and the ice had completely melted. I had forgotten all about it, shoot.

“It’s ok” I replied with a sheepish smile. “I kinda lost interest in it once I saw this place.”

We shared a laugh together before sitting on a large, old fashion, red leather couch. He sat down gracefully while I just kind of plopped down. I was tired and didn’t have the energy left to exert myself with something so frivolous. I tried to keep my eyes off of him so I wouldn’t start swooning again. It was unfair the kind of affect he had. He just had this ability to send all my blood rushing south and put butterflies the size pigeons fluttering in my stomach. I just closed my eyes innocently and put my hands behind my head.

“So you’re a slayer,” he said, “tell me about that.”

Opening my eyes I looked at him with a bit of surprise.

“I saw the suit” he clarified. “I had seen it before a long time ago.

“You’re a very observant one aren’t you?” I asked in mock jest. He smiled and I returned with one of my own. I took a deep breath and began to explain. “My family and village was massacred by a group of vampires. They surprised us in the middle of the night and before we even had a chance to react, they were tearing everything apart. I watched my parents and brother die right in front of my eyes, there cold, lifeless bodies hit the floor with a dull thud. I saw those evil red eyes staring at me and I was pretty sure I was dead. All I remember was there was a massive explosion and the next thing I knew I was waking up in my uncle’s house. I swore to avenge the death of my parents and everyone I love, so I became a slayer.”

He moved closer to me and put a hand on my thigh, “I’m so terribly sorry for your loss.” His words were completely sincere. For some reason just being close to this man made me feel safe and secure. “However, I don’t think you should be going after vampires alone. I mean, have you ever faced one or more importantly, do you know how to find them?” I couldn’t understand why he had this level of concern but it was nice to be connecting with someone.

“I know they come out at night. I’ve never face one but I can never forget those eyes. I’m actually supposed to meet up with some extended family and we’re going to hunt those sick and vile creatures down.” My words became angrier as I was reliving a lot of bad memories.

He was a little amused at my response. “And what do you find so funny if I may ask?” My question more of a demand then a question.

“Something tells me you wouldn’t know a vampire if it were staring you in the face.” He mused. He smiled his brilliant smile, the oversized canines very pronounced.

“What do you mean?” I asked in confusion. “They’re human like but the red eyes, fangs, cold skin and claws give them away. Not to mention they only come out at night so that’s when they hunt.”

He burst out into laughter. Needless to say I was a little bit agitated and I pressed again. “What is it with you? What’s so funny?” He looked me in the eyes, and took my hands in his. They were unusually cold but then again the air condition was way up and his clothes were very thin.

He smiled again before he spoke. “In fact my dear, I know you wouldn’t know a vampire if it were staring you in the face.”

I looked at him in confusion for a minute when it started to materialize. Cold skin, unusually large canines, but that’s where it ended. And then it hit me. All the old fashion artifacts, the collection, the money, owning this bar, the antiques. As the music continued to play and I began to tremble as I looked at him. “When you said that you were in Vienna to hear the 9th played live, who was the performer?”

He just smiled widely, without a word. I felt myself go cold, completely paralyzed as I had made this unsettling discovery. He saw the performance in Vienna of Beethoven’s 9th, performed BY BEETHOVEN.

“So….you……you’re…..a…..a…” I couldn’t even bring myself to finish and admit it. He moved closer to me and I felt like my heart was going to explode. Both from fear and a bizarre excitement that sent electrical charges pulsing through my body. He cupped my face in his cold hand and just looked at me without the slightest bit of malice in his eyes.

“Don’t be afraid” He said softly. “I won’t hurt you. We’re not all bad you know?”

Even though for some reason I was able to trust his words, I was still terrified. “I don’t get it though.” I stammered out, “You’re out in the sunlight, you don’t have red eyes, no claws, and you’re wearing a cross. None of that makes any sense. You’re supposed to be burned by the sun, crosses, and holy water.”

He chuckled as he explained. “All of those things are false except for the sunlight thing. Some of us are allergic to sunlight but that’s a trait that’s been almost entirely removed from our species. And why are you trembling? I told you I won’t hurt you.”

“I know” I managed to squeak out. “But still, I can’t believe I’ve been sitting next to a vampire this entire time without even knowing it. That can be very frightening.” I was hyperventilating, badly.

“Actually” he corrected, “You’ve been surrounded by vampires since you stepped foot through the front door. This is a bar established for vampires who devoted to protect humans, here and abroad.”

I felt all of the color leave my face, “you mean I’ve been in a bar surrounded by vampires…this whole……day?” I felt myself go faint, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waste and were the last thing I felt as I lost consciousness.