The Vampire Slave

Chapter 34: New York City

I walked across the campus to Blaze's car but just as I came close enough, I paused at the sight before me. There was Blaze, standing outside the vehicle with a single black rose in his hand.

"I never got the chance to ask you out on a real date, and I usually just assume people want to go on dates with me," Blaze blubbered. "So I wanted to ask you but in a way that you would like."

I just stared at the rose in his hand without any noticeable reaction.

He ran a hand through his hair and gulped as he took a step closer to me. "Raven, will you go out with me?"

After a few seconds, my face cracked into a huge smile. "Of course I will," I said, delicately holding the beautiful flower.

The petals were full and alive as I softly touched it. I looked up to find Blaze staring at me with wonder and before he could react, I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Thank you," I breathed, noticing his frozen state.

I leaned in and brushed my lips against his, feeling his cold mint breath on me. I shivered, and Blaze seemed to get out of whatever trance he was in as he pulled me closer to him and placed his lips on mine.

We kissed slowly, pouring our passion into each other and before I knew it, he pulled back. I immediately reacted by trying to get closer, but he laughed as he kept me from kissing him back.

Confusion written all over my face, Blaze just smiled as he placed his forehead against mine. "There's plenty of time to do that later. If we continue, I don't think I could hold myself back."

Once he said that, my head stopped spinning and I felt myself bubble with giddiness. "Yeah," I breathed. "Good idea."

Blaze smirked. "Then you should probably let go of me."

I quickly pulled away as I realized my arms were wrapped in his hair and blushed. "Shut up, let's just get in the car."

He chuckled as we made our way into the car. The trip to the airport went by quickly with our playful banter. On our way to the gate, billions of questions ran through my head. What if someone finds out my mother is alive? How will Blaze get food? How will we be safe in New York if we're further away from Vlade and his security services?

Once we made our way to our gate, Blaze pulled me to a side. I figured he heard how fast my heart was beating and was asking what was wrong.

"Hey, we're almost boarding!" I exclaimed, anxious for the ride.

"I just want you to know something important. New York City is like a beacon for weird things. That, and L.A. The huge population helps the supernatural blend in better. So if anything happens, I need you to tell me," Blaze whispered, looking at me straight in the eyes to make sure I understood.

Surprised at the random surge of information, I pulled my arm away from his grasp. "Okay, I will. But you also need to realize that I can take care of myself with these... powers I discovered. If somethings happens to me, you don't need to rush to save my life. Just make sure everyone else that can be hurt is safe."

"I will make sure nothing happens, Raven. I promise," Blaze insisted, before leading me back on to the plane.

I just stared at his back, wondering what has gotten into him. My stomach fluttered at the thought of Blaze being so open about wanting to keep me safe. I mean, he always tried to keep me safe (other than the time that he was responsible for my nightmares and was originally trying to capture me to another set of ancient demons) but he was never so blunt about it.

Shaking my head, I followed after him, even more nervous.

The plane ride lasted a little over an hour and needless to say, I was starving. We decided to grab a taxi back to my grandmothers house and I could tell Blaze was getting irritated by me.