He'd laid there awake merely holding her through the night and into the very early morning hours when finally a very light knock came at the door.
Getting up gently he sat down on the couch as Pandora got up to answer the door, he could smell Rebecca and an unfamiliar scent; he himself had only met Lolli a few times and he knew she was a child vampire much like Pandora but much younger and that she was several hundreds of years older than him and deadly on the battlefield. Her creation had been a worse crime than even Pandora's or Enrick's creation amongst there kind and she had been hunted down and deemed too risky to be left alive.
He heard the door open and then saw her flash by to where Aria lay on the bed sleeping. Leaning over she inhaled, examining Aria well, she touched her hair and face then inhaled her scent again before she was suddenly in front of him. Leaning in she sniffed him then a broad smile crossed her face.
"Able, onii-san!" she chimed excitedly then threw her tiny arms around him, "It's been so long onii-san!"
He couldn't help but laugh, her attention however was drawn away as Aria sat up, flitting over to Aria she climbed up on the bed and poked her cheek.
"Fluffy onii-chan." Lolli mumbled then looked at him again briefly, Aria's eyes grew wide and to his relief she didn't appear frightened or get frightened, "Ari onii-chan?" she questioned.
"Um...Able..." Aria began in her groggy voice then turned to him in confusion.
Getting up he hoisted Lolli over his shoulder, "You shouldn't bother people when they just wake ya lil brat." He muttered, as Lolli wiggled free, dropped to the floor then snatched his legs from underneath him.
"Onii-san so mean!" she cried and pouted, then leapt off him onto Aria's bed and looked her over, "Lolli-chan!" she chimed then flashed Aria a big smile, despite her vampiric age Lolli still chose to act very childlike; he knew however that it was a rouse.
"What did I tell you Lolli-chan, let Aria wake up." He tsked as Aria still eyed Lolli, "Go play with Pandora while I talk to Aria." He said and patted her on the head; though he remembered that she was much older than she appeared mentally he still treated her like a child because she had insisted on it to everyone that had met her.
Lolli had said to him once that she knew she was much older in her mind but that she didn't feel older and that she knew no one would ever see her as anything other than a child and she had said while it bothered her that over the years she had accepted it and chosen to embrace it. No one knew who had made Lolli or even if the vampire was still alive and no one knew why she had been changed at such a young age; nor did anyone really know much anything else about her. She had told everyone she couldn't remember anything, only that one day she woke up in the middle of a burnt village and that she was alone when she woke. She herself was not even sure of her own physical age she had admitted; she didn't remember any friends or family either.
He watched as she plopped down beside Pandora and her face change to the serious adult that he knew was in there. Approaching the bed he sat down next to Aria who regarded him cautiously; had he done too much damage already?
"Aria..." he began as he lowered his gaze ashamed of his actions, ashamed that he had been making her feel unwanted by him even after he knew of her bad experiences, "I'm sorry Aria...I know I've been a complete ass and I won't blame you if you tell me to go away and want nothing to do with me or even if you don't accept my apologies, but, I still want to say I'm sorry." He muttered then cautiously reached over and grabbed her hand relieved when she didn't pull away, "I'm frightened Aria..." he admitted lowly more shame washing over him; her eyes widened.
"Frightened of what?" she questioned.
"Falling in too deep...even though I think...no...I know I already have." He mumbled using his free hand to toy with her fingers, "Of hoping...of trying to be happy..." he continued as he felt his heart clinch, "I..." he began then trailed off choosing not to say it less he frighten her; he knew humans didn't necessarily fall as quickly as they did so instead he changed what he wanted to say, "I'm frightened of losing you some day, I'm frightened that someday you'll decide you cannot be with me anymore." Ah pain, pain and more pain he thought, laying it out to her like this.
"I'm frightened too." She mumbled then placing her hand on his cheek she turned his face towards hers, "I'm frightened this is all fake, that I'm..."
"I know...just here to get me off." He mumbled, "I swear to you it is not like that." He took a deep breath, "Aria...when we....when vampires choose a mate...we mate for life...we mate till the end of our significant others days or..." he felt himself stiffen, looking her dead in the eyes, attempting to express the severity of the situation he continued, "...or we make them one of us." He stated, her eyes grew wide and for the first time a touch of fear fleeted across her eyes; she understood now if she hadn't before.
"So...you're saying...no matter what...I'm stuck with you until the end of my life... that you'll love me even when I start to wither and fade away?" she questioned, trying to believe him it seemed, "Or..." she began, the fright again.
"Yes...I choose to change you or not...I would never, and I mean never, change you against your will..." he said, more pain.
"But...you said you've never made another..." she mumbled, doubt, fear.
"No...I haven't...yet...but..." he paused and looked deep into her eyes, letting himself drown in them, "For you I would sacrifice even my humanity." He said, burning passion knowing his words he spoke now were the truest they'd ever been.
Quickly she pulled her hands away, fear and confusion in her gaze, "Able..." she mumbled.
"Shh, I'm not asking you to make any sort of decision right now, too much is going on at the moment and everything is still too new for us." He whispered placing a finger on her soft lips to silence her, "I'm saying...someday...if you stay...I will ask...I'm already in too deep there is no escape for me now." He mumbled her face flushing, more fear and doubt.
"Are you saying..." she partially choked out, "Are you saying..." she took a deep shaky breath; she couldn't bring herself to utter the words.
"Yes, only, in my own words." He mumbled then cupped her cheek, leaning in he pressed his lips to hers as tenderly yet as full of passion as he could manage relieved when her arms linked around his neck and she returned the kiss.
Suddenly he was aware of 3 sets of eyes bugging out at him, "Able...you're really willing to throw it all away?" Pandora questioned.
"But onii-san...what about..." Lolli began.
"Your humanity." Rebecca finished as they all 3 stared at him wide eyed, "Are you sure about this my Lord?" Rebecca questioned still in shock.
He understood their doubt, their surprise, he had never even thought about turning someone before, no matter how deeply he had loved them, no matter how he feared losing them; and now in front of them all he had laid it on the table. He knew that only they could fathom the severity of this decision he had made.
"Then her life has become mine my Lord and I will serve her just as I do you, I shall protect her with my very own life as I never have before." Rebecca swore.
"I will care for her as deeply as you do Able; I'll sacrifice all to make sure you get your happiness." Pandora said.
"Her life's blood is my life's blood, for her I will sacrifice myself and any others that dare step in the way. I will protect and serve her just as I do you and my Queen and King." Lolli said showing the true age beneath her childlike exterior.
"Thank you." He mumbled then looked at Aria who was so shocked she just stared blankly for a moment then burst into tears and threw her arms around him burying her face in his neck; had she never been shown this much devotion? Did she not know what true loyalty was?
Lolli flitted over and patted Aria's head, "Don't cry onii-chan." She said in her childlike voice, looking up Aria smiled faintly at her then to his surprise released him and snatched Lolli up as she began to laugh.
"You're so stinkin cute!" Aria laughed, which made Lolli giggle.
He felt his heart clinch again the fleeting image passing once more, she would be a great mother he thought, the idea of having a child with her thrilled something deep within him.
"Cherie, Pandora and I have to leave out, will you be ok with Rebecca and Lolli?" he questioned which ended her laughter.
"Where are you going?" she questioned, fear again.
"To clear out a rats nest." He stated, fear crossing her eyes again, "I'll come back, I promise." He said then leaning forward he kissed her deadly tender again.
"I'll hold you to it." She mumbled, more fear, a look in her eyes that he couldn't quite pin because it was semi guarded.
Without another word he and Pandora left, him glancing back one final time as she played with Lolli halfheartedly.
"Come Able, the sooner we burn it out, the quicker you can return." Pandora said, nodding he took one last deep breath then cleared his mind and focused solely on the task at hand.
Stopping by his apartment briefly he pulled a long box from under his bed and caressed its velveteen cover, "Hello my old friends." He mumbled then opening the box he pulled out a sleek black Katana with golden runes engraved on it then a matching black pistol, "We must once again do battle." He whispered then they headed out once he had closed up his apartment.
© Eva Henderson, 2016