Dusk Ice
Jasper Whitlock
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My nostrils flared as a strange scent reached me – rather minty and delicate, but still unfamiliar all the same.
Instantly my spine stiffened, assuming a defensive posture that I was promptly familiar with after decades of military conflict. My lips curled into a snarl as I stared at the dark, slender shape slowly emerging from the misty rain. Even though we were spaced apart at quite a distance, I could see that it was a young woman – a vampire, just as I was. She was graceful and willowy, with cropped black hair that stuck up at spiked angles around her finely-chiseled face. Her figure was so thin and dainty that she looked as though she was capable of breaking easily – and I was somewhat certain that if her presence lead to a fight, then I would most likely have the upper hand. Or so I thought.
But above all, the most striking feature that caught my attention was her eyes. They were quite unlike anything I had ever seen before – a dizzying golden-yellow framed in the darkness of her eyelashes. I thought of my own crimson gaze, and wondered if this woman was even among my own kind at all.
She continued to step in my direction. Struck by her sudden appearance, I did not know how to react to her - especially since she was clearing the distance between us without so much as a wary look on her face. Her – shall I say, beautiful – features were veiled not with hostility, but friendliness. And I could taste her emotions, dancing from the tip of my tongue"
– Happiness. Excitement. Slight impatience. Kindness.
And, I admit, her unexpected empathy made me quite curious. I did not attack, such as I normally would have done within the presence of another unknown vampire. Instead I remained perfectly still while the rain dripped and drizzled all around me.
Gradually the woman neared, until we were only about a foot apart and I was able to see those shocking golden eyes far more clearly. They glowed at me through the rainfall, and I felt something stir deep within my chest – but what was it? I watched, enraptured with curiosity, as he face broke into a blindingly white smile. The thunder roared around us, but I did not tear my gaze away from hers.
"You've kept me waiting a long time," she informed me in a gently chastising voice. Her enunciation was as soft and melodic as wind chimes swaying in a sighing breeze.
I did not know how to respond to her words. Stunned, I tipped my hat downwards out of sheer politeness and said hastily, "I'm sorry, ma'am."
She took one look at me and laughed splendidly, and her cheerful amusement suddenly made my emotions feel far lighter as well. And the moment I looked at her – into her golden eyes – I felt hope. I knew that she, whoever she might be, was my savior, here to tear me away from the monster I had become. For the first time in a long time, I felt the darkness around me slowly tumble away to reveal the light of a new dawn. Everything just seemed to become clearer a hundredfold.
The woman continued to smile at me. She seemed to be enjoying herself. "My name is Alice," she said pleasantly.
I opened my mouth to exchange my own identity, but she gently placed a fingertip to my lips and said, "I already know your name, of course. It's Jasper. Jasper Whitlock."
Before I could even register my shock, the woman named Alice slipped both of her hands in mine and squeezed them. And for some strange reason – I did not wish to draw away. I felt perfectly at ease with her, so much that I tentatively squeezed her hands back.
"That's right, Jasper," she said happily. "Don't be scared. You'll grow used to it."
I managed to find my voice. "Used to what?"
"To being with me," she said with a soft, tinkling laugh. "You are, after all, my soul mate. I can gaze into the future, you see – and I saw you, Jasper. My visions might not be set in stone – but the one I had of being with you was. We are meant to be."
"Are you certain?" I questioned, still curious and shocked that she possessed such a startling ability.
"Of course, Jasper! You and I belong together, didn't you know? Forever and always."
At her words, I felt a rush of warmth I had not experienced in so long melt the chill of my icy skin. A smile began to crack at each corners of my mouth, and before I knew it I was grinning away. I reached up with my hands and gently swept my fingers through her dark hair, marveling her for such a long moment. She was mine, I could feel it within me – though perhaps it was because of her strong emotions of territorial affection that struck my own feelings. She might be only a stranger to me, but at the moment I felt as though I knew her more than anyone else in my life – and she knew me.
"We have much to talk about," said Alice in a bubbly voice. "I want to hear everything about you, Jasper Whitlock."
"I would like to hear about you, too," I said. "If you do not mind," I added with a smile.
"Oh, not at all," she piped up, her face breaking into a brilliant smile. "This will be interesting."
A/N: Not sure if I'm going to turn this into a full story, just experimenting with Jasper's personality. I lurrve him.