ALASTAIR POV:
Flashback – 6 years earlier.
Alastair pushed a piece of hair away from his face, listening intently to the noise outside of his studio.
"Now you behave yourself, I am trusting you" He heard his old friend Alexander. He spoke quietly, and softly. "Promise me".
"I promise" Replied a small delicate voice. The sound was so pure and beautiful that Alastair had a hard time trying to act nonchalant. So he busied himself sorting out canvases and placing them on shelves around the room.
He continued doing so even when he heard the door unlock and swing open.
"Hello Alastair" Alex greeted him.
"Are you planning on releasing me from this hell hole anytime soon?" Alastair questioned, turning to his friend, who just sighed and changed the subject.
"I'm leaving my daughter here under your care, I trust you both to behave".
"I am not a nanny, Alex".
Just then he saw a flicker of movement behind Alexander, a little girl went to stand next to him. Alexander had always been a small man, and the human beside him almost came to his shoulders.
She was dainty and exquisite, with the same deep brown eyes as her father, but adapting a more honey-like tone. Her eyes were clouded with a mixture of unease and confidence.
"Nice to meet you sir" The same melodic voice called to him, it almost broke his heart, that a human could be so perfect.
"Please act sociably Alastair, I will return at dawn" With a brisk nod to him, and a peck on the cheek to his daughter, he left.
Alastair began to fidget, uncomfortable in the young girl's presence; he was still not 100% recovered from his burst of insanity, which was the whole reason that Alex had confined him to his art studio.
So he decided to ignore the tiny human, and return to one of his paintings, continuing the intricately detailed work.
"What are you painting?" He hadn't heard her walk up beside him, observing with her hands folded behind her back. She was straining her neck to look up at the canvas; she only just came up past his hips.
"A distorted image of the respiratory system" He replied shyly.
"It's very clever" She grinned, one dimple denting her left cheek.
"How old are you girl?" He asked quietly, not meaning to sound rude.
"I'm eleven today" Her grin subsided. "My father must have forgotten, he's been very busy lately you know".
"Oh" He frowned, a bubble of deranged anger threatening to burst inside of him; he would have to talk to Alex later, as he was disgusted that he could forget his own daughter's birthday. "You are very mature for a child of your age".
She didn't answer him. His heart squeezed at the determination in her eyes, shrouding her sadness.
He dropped his paint brush, startling the girl out of a daydream, and went into his adjourning apartment, beckoning her to follow. He heard her heartbeat flutter as she tried to keep up, following behind.
His apartment was just as cluttered as his studio, books strewn on shelves, the floor, and in his kitchen. Even his bed in the corner was filled with rubbish he didn't need. Alastair went into his tiny kitchen, which was gathering dust, and opened the fridge; blood bags filled almost every part asides from the top, which scarcely held a few cakes and ice cream.
"Why does a vampire have these in his fridge?" She pursed her lips when he placed a few cakes on an uncovered spot on the table.
"I like sweet things, they're exceptionally delicious when you sprinkle a little B-neg on like sauce" He couldn't help but say.
It surprised him when she giggled, not in the least fazed to hear vampires speak so lightly about blood, despite her own sweet life source running through her veins. He watched as she licked the blueberry icing off of a fairy cake, somehow managing to make a mess of her fair skin. There was something peculiar about the little human, something so odd to him, so alien, that he decided that day he would protect.
"What is your name girl?" He asked after taking a bite out of his cake.
"Reia" She smiled around a bite. "What's yours?".
"Alastair".
"I like that name; may I ask how old you are?".
"Somewhere in the 200's, I forget these things".
Her eyes seemed to glint with an emotion foreign to him for a second, before it was gone completely.
"You are a handsome old man, unlike my father" She grinned.
Alastair laughed then, actually laughed for the first time in many years.
Review response…
Vikki S – Thank you for your lengthy review! It was interesting to read your opinions on my story. Your idea of Reia's brothers having a chat with Kieran is something I will consider writing if it fits in somewhere… as I've already written a few more chapters ahead.
P.s Again, thank you for your reviews; from now on if you have an FF account, I will reply to them through a private message, if not, my responses will be at the end of chapters.
Until next time…