The Vampire's Maid

Part 17. The Vampire's Maid

My question obviously took him by surprise and he scowled although I felt that the scowl was not directed at me. He answered me honestly even though I hadn't expected him to.

"I don't agree with some of the things he does, including his treatment of humans. He has this idea that I should be like him. Sometimes I wonder if I'm not so dissimilar." He said in a faraway voice.

"You're nothing like him!" I insisted. "You have nothing in common."

Under usual conditions I would have thought it sad that Ashley had such a poor relationship with his father. However, considering that his father was Goliath, it was a benefit that Ashley spent no time with him. If I'd had Goliath as a father then I would probably avoid him too.

"Now," Ashley changed the subject. "A vampire can attack you in many ways. Its teeth, of course, are a major threat. Vampires in general also have strong arms although I think that Dane might be an exception to that rule. You don't want to be caught in a vampire's grip because it could kill you much more painfully than his bite. In fact, if the vampire has the restrain or lack of appetite to stop, you might not even die when they bite you."

"Oh, well that's okay then." I muttered sarcastically.

"Yes," He grinned. "It would probably be better never to get into that situation. I'll coach you on what to do."

Ashley nodded for me to approach him and for a second I was lost in his eyes. I approached him nervously, wondering how on earth I would be able to beat him. He was so strong and now that I was attempting to fight him, he seemed exceptionally tall. The expression on his face wasn't menacing. Instead he looked friendly and careful as if I was terribly fragile. I reminded myself that I probably was.

Quickly, Ashley closed the distance between us with a step. His arm shot out and grabbed my shoulder. I knew instantly that he wasn't using his full strength but it was still a firm grasp. Having no idea what to do, I brought my hands up to his wrist and attempted to push it away.

"Maybe you should even the playing field a bit." Ashley suggested.

Understanding what he meant, I snaked my arm around his warm neck until my fingers found his weak point. His hand went slack on his shoulder and his brows furrowed with pain. I reached a hand out to steady him, not being able to endure the wounded look on his face. As his expression cleared he stared at me in confusion.

"What are you doing?" He asked, startled.

"I hurt you! What did you expect me to do?"

"I expected you to take advantage of my weakness. You should have punched me in the ribs." He said angrily. "You can't be so sympathetic or else you'll get hurt!"

"Well, I wouldn't help Isaac if that's what you're worried about." I told him, confused.

How could I have hurt him when he was already in pain? He'd shown me his weak spot and I'd taken advantage of it, even if he had given me permission. It felt unnecessarily harsh to hurt him when his strength had been sacrificed.

"Let's try it again," He sighed. "But this time, don't try and help me or else you'll get injured. Touch my neck again."

"Couldn't I just knee you in the groin?" I suggested.

He chuckled and I committed the sound to memory. It was the most wonderful sound in the world and made me smile involuntarily.

"That's not a bad idea but now I'm prepared for it. Try it again."

I nodded and then without any warning he dived at me again. I turned instinctively at the last second so that my back was facing him. His arms wrapped around my waist playfully but I could feel the potential strength behind his grasp. Just for a second I caught a glimpse of our reflection in the mirror. His blond hair was entwined with my chestnut curls and the look on his face was so gentle that I wanted to reach out and touch it.

Jolting myself back into reality, I struggled to pull my arm away from his hand and once again touched his weak spot. His body went slack but this time I didn't pause to let him recover. I brought my elbow back and elbowed him hard in the ribs. A small grunt issued from Ashley's throat and he stumbled away from me, releasing my body from his grasp. I span around, anxious to see whether Ashley was hurt. He was beaming and thankfully he'd regained his usual posture.

"That was perfect Elizabeth. Let's go again."

An hour later I slid down the mirror and rested my head wearily against it. After six more attempts at fighting Ashley my chest was rising and falling rapidly and my muscles were screaming at me. The blood was pounding in my ears but I felt as though I'd achieved something. Only once had I been unable to release Ashley's grasp. On this occasion he'd laughed gently in my ear and whispered some words of encouragement.

"You did really well today."

Ashley was sitting beside me and the only sign that he was tired was a slight huskiness to his voice. His elbows rested on his knees which he'd drawn up to himself in a casual position. I turned my head to smile at him and my heart skipped a beat at his closeness; his face was centimetres from mine. If I just leaned in a few centimetres his soft lips would make contact with mine. But he was speaking again.

"So, if a vampire's coming at you...?" He asked, testing my knowledge.

"I prod his weak spot and hit him in the ribs."

"And if all else fails, you kick him in the groin." Ashley joked.

"Do you think it will be enough?" I asked doubtfully.

"What I've taught you today will hold your attacker off for a while. If someone attacks you I want you to scream Elizabeth. I'll come and find you."

I was touched by his willingness to save me. The gentle look on his face made me believe that if I did yell, he'd be there in the space of a heartbeat. I'd never felt more protected in my life. Living without a father figure, my Grandma had been my greatest protection and as the years had gone by, she'd grown frailer and weaker until it was my job to protect her. Tears pricked my eyes at the thought. I'd failed to protect her.

"Elizabeth?" Ashley asked concernedly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, blinking the tears away. "I was just thinking of my Grandma."

Ashley seemed to be having a private battle. Eventually he reached a hand out and covered mine with it. I was upset but I still felt a pleasant shiver at his touch.

"I can guess what happened to her Elizabeth. And I am so, so sorry."

"Don't be silly. It's not your fault." I told him.

The look on his face told me that he felt he was to blame and it tugged at my heart.

"Don't." I whispered, lacing my fingers through his.

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Comment and vote please :) My next upload might be a bit late so I apologise :(

I've been asked to do an Ashley's POV- I was really thinking about doing it because multiple points of view are a popular theme on Wattpad and I think it would be interesting to try BUT Ashley's character is mysterious and I feel that it would be giving too much of his feelings away so I'm going to stick with Elizabeth's POV for a while :) xx