Queen of Ashes │ Season 1 │The Journey

19 │State of denial

Still sitting on the floor, Freya turned toward the surprised Leander standing above her. There was no water, but it should be. Yes, indeed, what on earth just happened?

"How did you do this?" She asked.

"Me? What do you mean saying how did I do it?" Leander shook his head. "I'd like to ask you that."

Freya frowned and tried to stand up, so they didn't have to talk in that bizarre positioning. "Last time I checked, it was me being human, and you being a superior species," she stated, now standing proud as a peacock. "You have your speed. As far as I know, you could make water do stuff as well."

Leander replied her with a baffled expression. "Freya, darling, one thing is sure, and you better remember it from now on—Vampires don't have any elemental powers. We have a lot, but not this kind."

"Interesting..." She scratched her chin with her finger, thinking about her next words. "Something strange is happening, then. Maybe this ship is haunted."

The vampire chuckled. "There's no such thing."

Freya pointed a finger at him. "Not longer than a week ago I thought there's no such thing as 'vampires'. Forgive me, if I'm not that respectful of you assurance right now."

He winked. "You have a fair point here, Princess... But you didn't see it as I did. It was like the water dispersed immediately after you screamed. It'd be a fucking big coincidence for other matters at play."

"You suggest that was me, then?"

He chortled. "I'm pretty certain that wasn't me, so either we are hallucinating, or that was your doing." He looked around, deliberately, as if to attract her attention. "I didn't see anyone around as well."

The Princess frowned again. "If that's really a part of some elemental magic, I cannot agree it was me, then. My human heritage aside, I think I'd developed any part of it earlier... I'm not that young."

Leander looked like she grew a second head. "What the fuck do you mean by 'not that young'?

Freya looked him in the eye, catching a bright twinkle there. "You know... Twenty-five-year-old woman should already have a husband, at least a few kids and some badass knitting skills."

He laughed, like—truly laughed. Freya had to repeat the words in her head curious, how that sentence could amuse him so much.

"You do realize I'm one hundred and thirty-three years old? That's over a hundred more than you?" He asked, fighting tears.

"You're a vampire and a man above all that. The rules don't apply to you." She shrugged.

"Yes, I'm aware that time flies for us quite differently, but I cannot agree that at the age of twenty-five you should consider yourself as 'not that young'." He smiled. "Cherish the time fate gave you, but don't escape into frames that were put there by the minds in need of constant categorization."

Freya nodded, not being entirely convinced, but she said either way, "That seems fair enough."

Leander nodded, satisfied. "What now..." He took a quick look at Freya's clothes. "Come on, can't either of us stay dry when we meet nowadays?"

Freya copied his look, noticing that, indeed, it was now her all wet and glassy, probably because of the first wave that hit her. The look was hilarious. Her soaked clothes were sticking to her wet body, making her whole figure very much visible under the thin layers of material. What was with the universe for them to find themselves in situations like that so often? Her mouth was fighting her to release a giggle, but she managed to hold it back, not wanting to sound like a teenager. Instead, her mind prompted her in another direction, giving her visuals from their previous encounter in his cabin. Remembering how she felt, but also what the situation was doing to the vampire in front of her. Felt what it was doing to him... Felt it hard and ready...