Silverton's Journey

Chapter 27

Leon broke the awkward silence between him and Ophelia by saying, "Are you thirsty? Do you want a drink?"

Ophelia nodded lightly, feeling a dry throat. She followed him into the kitchen.

As Leon opened the door of a shelf and took two bottles of crimson liquid out of it, Ophelia sat by the table. Leon gave her one of the bottles and drank from his, leaning against the wall.

Staring at the bottle of blood, Ophelia said, "Sir, how come I never needed this thing all my life?

Coming closer to the table and sitting on a chair, Leon spoke. "You hadn't become a fully mature vampire because you were taken out of Nordlys at such a young age."

"Does that mean... the atmosphere of Nordlys helps vampires to... transform fully?"

"Precisely."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Strange."

Leon smirked. "It is funny how you had only aged and grown all these years... yet matured at this time. The process would have been much slower without my venom, though."

Ophelia's eyebrows rose. "So you... you did that when you bit me..." she murmured while tracing her fingers over the scar on her neck.

Leon nodded, quietly finishing his drink. Ophelia had not taken a sip yet. She only stared at the bottle, feeling a growing thirst.

As she brought the bottle to her lips, Leon got up and said, "Drink it and then go to bed." He then left the kitchen.

Ophelia drank all of what was left in the bottle. The crimson liquid felt like a sweet treat in her mouth. When she was done, she came out of the kitchen, taking slow steps. She peeked at Leon on the way to the bedroom.

The man sat under the moonlight with his newspaper. He looked relaxed; particles of dust surrounded and danced around him. He had a peculiar aura, one that Ophelia felt she could never comprehend.

Ophelia rushed into the bedroom when he looked at her from the corner of his eye. She hurriedly jumped into bed, wrapping the blanket around herself.

***

I was in the woods. There was no one with me. I looked here and there; there was no one in sight. I walked through the woods, among the trees, looking for someone.

"Sir, where are you?" I called out, running at this point. There he was, standing in the distance. He turned to me as I said, "I was searching for you."

His face wasn't clear. There was something strange about him. I looked at him from head to toe and found something terribly frightening. He was wounded. Somebody had stabbed him.

I rushed to him as he fell to his knees. He was breathing sharply in pain. The wound in his chest wouldn't stop bleeding. I cried out as I tried to stop the bleeding with my cloak, "How did this happen to you?"

He did not say a word. He lay on his back while staring at me. I said, "Don't worry, you'll be alright. I'll find a way."

I had to get help quickly. I shouted, looking around, "Is there anyone here?"

Suddenly, he parted his lips to speak. "I was wrong, Ophelia."

What could he mean? I didn't know. I asked, "What are you talking about?"

Until he replied, I only panicked. The bleeding still hadn't stopped.

"I shouldn't have... trusted you," he said, his breath almost coming to a stop.