Scarlet Lore

We do not Learn-Chapter 2

"They are in Paris at the moment, if you cared to know. They are staying with your cousins just outside the city." It was information I had been careful when acquiring and I was unsure how Leif would take the news. I expected, perhaps a small smile or a fit of rage or simply walking away but the information seemed to mean nothing to Leif at all. He stilled looked some pathetically sad and small like some sort of wounded animal.

He swallowed hard after a moment and spun to face me suddenly. As quickly as he moved I was snapped out of my trance. My throat went dry as I realised where I was and how drastically different my current predicament was from what my mind was whirling up for me. I'd wanted to relive the memory, even if it was just in a dream but reality crashed down around me as this figure of past Leif stared at me.

"Sine? Well, this went better than expected." A small smile graced his lips but I could see his fangs extended when he opened his mouth. The sight almost sent a shiver down my spine though my body was frozen solid as I stared at him, feeling the tears well in my eyes as my stomach sunk down low. "Oh no, you mustn't be sad you silly, silly girl. I've come to offer a solution since I'm so awfully good at that."

He was watching me tentatively and his smile fell. Of course I couldn't see my own expression though I doubted it matched up even slightly to the horror rushing through my brain and mind. My fang were digging into my lip and as I licked back the blood forming there I noticed how dry my entire mouth had gone. Leif was still watching head cocked and sympathy filling his gaze.

That was wrong, that was the worst because he was the one who was dead, he was the one who had lost. I didn't deserve sympathy, especially not from him. I licked at my lips again, wiping away the blood and tried to speak. I couldn't manage a single word or even a proper sound. A hand reached out to me and I snapped back automatically causing the hurt in Leif's eyes to grow.

"Well I had hoped to talk but I suppose you aren't quite ready for that. Listen up princess, I need you to do something for me, yeah? I want you to look into Amarante and her lot." He reached out again, his hand gentle placed on mine as he looked me in the eye. "You and I need this. We need each other. I swear to any gods that exist that we will talk again soon."

And then I woke up.

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The soft bed seemed to swallow me up and the sunlight beaming through the window felt like hellfire. My heart was beating into my throat and my body froze. I couldn't seem to get a breath in as I stared at the ceiling, the view blurry though tears. Everything was tinged red as I managed to get a gasp of air.

"Well fuck." Hearing my voice aloud helped centre me and I managed to sit up. Sleeping had been a bad idea, I should've known it would be. At time like this it was best not to retreat into the mind. I took a deep breath, an unnecessary action but a comforting one. It was a remarkably human action.

Stretching out, I yawned, the air seemed to sink forever. My fingers shook slightly and I slumped down as the image of the body flashed through my mind. It seemed so wrong, so incomprehensible. Leif couldn't die, none of them could but he was down there, eyes closed like he was sleeping, a deadly wound that had began to heal and a heart that had beaten for over a thousand years and would never beat again.

I stood up and paced around the room for a moment my head reeling. None of this made sense. There was no way for him today. The Families were the only truly immortal beings on this earth. My head felt faint and I cursed Leif under my breath for putting me in this vulnerable, human state. I could feel my legs falling out from me and managed to fall back into the small rocking chair behind me just in time.