LIRA: Book I

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: The Fall

Nicholas allowed himself to drown in Lira's kisses. He could tell she was inexperienced, but he found her innocence alluring. Her soft mouth matched his demanding lips, making him moan with deep pleasure. He slid his palms down the wall's smooth surface and wrapped his arms around Lira's small waist, drawing her closer to him. He felt Lira's small fists on his chest unclenching. He could live like this forever with Lira in his arms. It wasn't just her blood; it wasn't even her kiss. It was Lira altogether that made him feel that way.

The beating of her heart calmed his senses, and his instinct told him to be gentle on her so he could further revel with Lira's steady rhythm of music that her heart was making.

After what seemed like forever, he broke his kiss and pulled away from Lira's flushed face. Her eyes shone, full of longing and hope. He heard her heart started to beat wildly again. He couldn't delve into her thoughts. She must have learned how to block her mind. But he would give just about anything just to hear what her mind was saying, what her heart was feeling.

A tear fell from her eye. Did he hurt her? God! He must have hurt her. Was his grip too tight? Were his lips too demanding? He wiped the tear away with his thumb—his heart crushed seeing the tear on her face. But the moment he touched Lira's face, she blinked as if she had just woken up from a trance.

"I—I need to go," she said softly and walked away from him, leaving Nicholas' mind in turmoil. He rested his forehead on the wall and closed his eyes. Now that Lira left, why did he feel this gnawing emptiness in his heart? He thrust his fist in to the wall, causing the wall to crack and sending small debris to scatter on the floor. Why was he feeling this way? He was starting to fall for Lira.

#

Lira composed herself before going out of the mansion. She found Ian waiting for her outside, rubbing his palms briskly and blowing heat in to them. "Five minutes Lira? More like thirty minutes and fifteen seconds. I almost froze to death out here."

Lira forced herself to smile. "Jeez, Ian. You timed me?"

Ian must have noticed something was off with her. "You okay? Did that vampire hurt you?"

Lira shook her head and smiled again, though it did not reach her eyes. "Oh please. With my new found abilities, I could thwart him with only a rose's thorn as my weapon."

"Cocky much?" he joked. "Let's get out of here before I decide to show that vampire he's no match to an elf."

Lira chuckled. "You sound a little disappointed no fight sparked. "

Ian shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah well, I miss myself some sparring."

Lira thanked Ian for his help when they arrived at their dorm building, to which he jokingly answered "anytime my lady" making Lira roll her eyes and say "quite with the lady thing." She then went to their room to find Yumi curiously eyeing her.

"Where have you been?" Yumi asked.

"Outside," Lira answered innocently, flopping on her bed.

"You've been keeping secrets from your friends lately," she said almost sounding accusing.

"You've been keeping secrets from me, too. What was that book you often try to hide from me?"

"Nothing," Yumi simply said and drew her blanket over her head and slept.

Lira looked at the ceiling and sighed. She touched her lips softly with her fingers. It was as though she could still feel Nicholas' lips on hers. She closed her eyes and couldn't help but recount the kiss they shared. Why did he even kiss her? And why did she like it? She did like it, a lot in fact, but she couldn't prevent the tear from escaping her eye before she left Nicholas in the hallway. Why did he have to be a vampire whose brother was her mother's executioner? Should she forgive, forget her anger and hatred? What did her heart even tell her? Everything was just so confusing. Oh, how was she going to sleep with her mind full of Nicholas and his kiss? She was so sure he would even make a visit in her dreams tonight. But after hours later, she fell asleep and dreamed of Lazarus instead.