The Girl who hunted Night

Chapter 26

I leaned again and flinched as a thin branch snapped. I closed my eyes, cursing silently. His eyes darted upwards and he looked at me with shock, "Beatrice? What the hell are you doing?"

I sighed, and climbed down. By my count it must've been at least two hours since Brendan left with Caroline, they must've been nearly in London.

I jumped out the tree and landed beside him, he got up and looked at me. "What are you doing at here? You aren't supposed to leave the house" he told me.

"You never expressly said I couldn't" I said, looking out on to the lake. 

He ran his hand through the luscious volumes of hair, and then looked at me, "Listen, Beatrice about last night-"

I waved him off, "I understand" I said, I couldn't shake what had happened and knew it must have been a mistake, he could not possibly want me, "It was a mistake, don't think anything of it, It won't happen again" 

"Why would you think that?" he said, breathing slowly. I wondered about that, vampires didn't need oxygen.

"Because people like me don't get things like that" I said through gritted teeth. 

"What are you talking about?" 

I turned to face him and looked at him squarely, my eyes meeting his. "People like me don't get to fall in love, or kiss handsome Princes after moonlit serenades. People like me live in the shadows, hidden from societal view and steadily battling to keep the world in check, but never living out adventures such as that. That world is for beautiful people, for people who have choices"

"You are beautiful" he said simply. I flinched at his answer, this was getting dangerous, I could not allow this to go on any longer.

I shook my head sadly, "I'm not" I told him, "I'm an enigma, I'm just a shadow, condemned to hunt the night"

"You are the most confounding creature I've ever met" he said.

"How?"

"You say you are a mystery, 'just a shadow', I disagree. Beatrice, too me you are too full of light to be a shadow, you say you are condemned to live in them, but I think you want too"

"What? I told you, I don't get a choice!"

"You do" he insisted, "everyone get's choices, no one can force you to do anything"

"You're wrong, the order can force me to do things, my father, before this I would have completed my assignment, then several others before being 'matched' with a 'suitable partner' from another notable slayer family. We would be wed and have children before they were sent to Rowhurst and I back to active duty"

"Then don't let them" he grinned.

"What? Are you insane, would you disobey your king?"

This sobered him a little and he shook his head, but said, "the king would not force me to do such a thing, we have been friends a long time, Vladimir and I"

"Then you are luckier than me" I said, sitting down.

He sat beside me, the fabric of his jacket brushing against my bare arm. I wanted to lean into him, to find a moursel of comfort if only momentarily. "I don't want to die" I said softly. 

His hand found mine and for once, I did not pull away. "I know" was all he said. 

I looked out onto the lake, "It's beautiful" I said.

"The lake?" 

I nodded, removing my hand from his and getting up, walking towards it. I kicked off the boots and bent down, taking off my socks. I left them discarded away from the lakes edge. It morphed seamlessly, a merger of earth and water. Lifting my skirts I allowed my feet to bathe in the freezing depths. 

I exhaled as my warm skin hit the icy water, pulling at my bottom lip with my teeth. I had not heard Felix follow but gasped as his arms wound around me from behind. I feebly tried to push him away but he ignored me, his nose buried in my neck, taking long, lustrous breaths. "Why do you fight me, Beatrice?" he said, running his hand along my side.

"No" I moaned, struggling weakily.

"I think you are drawn to the shadows" he said darkly, my head rolled back and I leaned into him, I gave up fighting, I was tired off it. 

"You want this" he said, leaning down and kissing my neck, I groaned stretching out to give him greater access. "That's right" he murmured, "give in"

Those two words snapped me out of my daze and I turned, about to speak when suddenly Lucas appeared behind us, and his face was one of untold fury. "Fairfax escaped"

Felix growled and turned to me, "what did you do?"