Fangs of a Butterfly

CHAPTER 29

Wasting no second, I turned my head to him.

"Love!" I spat. His face was of surprise. He had his hair tied back—but it was Uriel without a doubt. His face like that day in the snow, so hurt, so full of egrets.

"You think you love me! That's weak, that's not romantic, and does not make me feel happy in the slightest! Men always loved me, what's so special about you? You're ugly, I never told you but your eyes are small, your hair unkempt, and your voice is ugly! Your way of hunching over, too, and how you prop one feet on one knee and put your sketchbook on it!

"And I'm not finished! I'm glad I never slept with a man like you! Going to prostitutes to draw them? Pervert! You definitely bedded them after! I don't want to please you or touch you! You have so many freckles, you have such ugly bony hands! I wouldn't want a child looking like you!"

Uriel stared at me, mouth open. His hair was so long now he tied it back. In fact, it was no longer untidy. That didn't embarrass me, though, but the two people close on deck, a couple, blushed heavily, and the sailor had whispered for me to stop multiple times.

"So go and die alone you—" I couldn't think of anything, so I made a face and turned around whispering the last part, "bastard."

The sailor was pale.

"Ma'am, your children are here! How could you say such things to them? I will have you know we don't accept such foul language in first class, and who knows might've heard that quarrel, so go back up!"

"I paid for it, you scoundrel!"

"I'll return the twenty. Please go back up."

I stepped up and then turned to see more betrayal.

Adalyn had pulled Lark over to join Uriel and now Bernadette followed.

"I'm sorry, but that was so shameful, Margery," she said.

What? Children looking down on me? I wanted to go over and yell at them but my throat was scratchy. I cleared it and then it was fine. Vampires were not as weak as you might be.

I stood there on deck as the sailor went over to talk to some people on deck. The men and Cecile were nowhere to be seen, I only hope they were faster. Or maybe they were in first or second class.

I couldn't accept not being in first class. I've never seen it of course, but I was always first. If I had a child, I'd name it First to prove that.

The thought I wasn't firstborn suddenly hit me. I had a brother somewhere. But I didn't want to see him.

I stood six feet from Uriel and pulled my bonnet over my face, but the shameless human still talked.

"That's a good thing, I suppose. I see my love is only one-sided. But can you still hear me out?"

"No."

"You killed my father."

I clammed up, my grip on the bag grew tighter.

"So? I didn't know. I killed many fathers and sons and even husbands."

"My father was my only parent, and he raised me. He studied vampires, too, and went once for a study. He was very interested in the Queen Butterfly but knew it spelt death and thus didn't enter. He left unscathed."

"So?"

"Well, years later, he heard a Queen Butterfly was there, the daughter of the previous one, at only twelve. That was around my age. He felt concerned and therefore returned to see the new Queen Butterfly."

I thought back on it but I couldn't recall it. Every men I killed totaled up to a hundred or more. I didn't really listen to their backstories or anything. I had to talk about me, because that's what they came for.