Chapter 4
As soon as the hunters left the town, Inga turned towards D and asked, "How can you deal with that?"
D said nothing, but as Inga looked into his eyes, she knew that he was trying to find the right words to say.
"After all they've heard of you," Inga continued after a couple moments of silence. "You'd think they would be honored that you would go out of your way for a job from such a poor town, and to save their children, their only future."
"You'd think," D replied absently.
Inga looked deep into his dark eyes, trying to see what he was feeling, but he was so sad, so very sad. Every part of her wanted to reach out and comfort him. She wanted to tell him everything would be all right. He would have no need to be sad again because.because.
"Because I'm here," Inga accidentally whispered aloud.
D looked at her questioningly, but once he saw those beautiful, yet distant violet eyes of her, he did not press the matter.
Inga had finally realized that she truly was a threat. What if D had not brought her to this world, but another vampire? Would she try to comfort him? She knew that she would, despite her best intentions. This was her nature. If she was passed on from vampire to vampire, she would eventually feel the same for them, and the cycle would continue. What the parasite said was very true; she would make any vampire the happiest in the world. She should have been killed. It would have been better, but the wheels of time and fate were already turning, and what was done was done. There was no point in trying to change it now.
Inga came back to her new world as she felt D's arm give her a gentile squeeze. That simple gesture let her know that things would be all right. She leaned back against him and let her head comfortably fall onto his shoulder. She closed her eyes and let sleep take her tired mind and body.
"Do you know where they are?" the parasite asked D.
Inga slowly opened her eyes to the sound of it and looked around. Tall cliffs were on either side of them, covered in holes that were most likely cave entrances. Without thinking, she searched the caves for human life using her mind. She found the children, but their life forces were faint. She could sense the vampires, but only barely.
"They're all in the caves," Inga answered the parasite. "There are a series of manmade tunnels that will lead us to the children, and most likely the vampires."
"How many?" D asked with a bit of pride in his voice.
"I can't give you an exact number," Inga replied, still trying to find out how many. "I'm guessing about five or six at least."
D smiled ever so slightly at her, proud that she could find all that information, which was what he needed. She would become very useful later.
"The children?" D asked as his final question.
"Ten, just as the townspeople said," Inga replied and looked over at him. "A couple of them have weaker life forces, so I'm guessing they're being fed on the most. They won't be able to last much longer, so we'll have to get at least those out by tonight. Any later and we'll be in trouble."
D nodded in consent to her plan after gazing into her sad, yet lively eyes.
"We'll rest a bit before," D finally said as he tore his gaze away. "We'll make plans and such then."
Inga looked around, then pointed to a cave at the bottom of the cliff. "We'll be safe there."
D walked the horse towards the cave Inga pointed out. It was under a small outcropping of rock, hard to see from above. As he came closer, he found that the opening was large enough to fit the horse in, but without riders.
D dismounted and turned to Inga. "Stay."
Inga picked up the reins and waited. She smiled as D turned his back. It felt somewhat nice that he was going to make sure the cave was safe, even though she told him it would be. The fact that he was making sure made her feel warm inside, but she surpressed the feeling.
She watched his beautiful, dark figure become enveloped in the darkness of the cave, only to find it come back into the light less than a minute later. She smiled inwardly at his facial expression, which seemed to be an approving one.
When D finally reached her, he looked up into her eyes and held out his arms. She leaned into them gracefully and allowed him to gently help her dismount. It had become a ritual for them, even though they had only been together a short amount of time.
After being set firmly on the ground, Inga looked up at D and smiled slightly. She turned to walk into the cave when suddenly D grabbed her arm, turned her, and pulled her to him.
Held in place by D, Inga stared up into his dark eyes, so full of sadness, pain, and loneliness. He pulled her closer to him, pressing her against his front. His gaze upon her was intense, but in a way that made Inga want to always be near him.
D felt his heart pound in his chest as he gazed into the eyes he could never hide from. Had he been younger, he would have been afraid of the sleeping vampires hearing his pumping heart, but just looking at Inga made all those thoughts vanish. The only thing he needed was her, and she was right there, in his arms.
Slowly, inch by inch, his face moved closer to hers. She did not resist in the slightest, but seemed to welcome it. Eventually, he could feel her warm, soft breath. He looked into those violet eyes once more, then inhaled and closed his beautiful eyes.
Their lips touched, and the world around vanished.
Inga closed her eyes and allowed herself to become absorbed in the kiss. There was a passion in it, but at the same time it was so gentile, like a breeze caressing her face. Holding onto his shoulders, she knew that he was partly holding her up. If he were to let go of her at that moment, she would fall to the hard ground.
This memory, she would treasure, even if the worst happened.
Their lips parted and the two hunters stared into each other's eyes. They still held each other close in a tight embrace. After a little, Inga blushed and hid her face in D's shoulder. D smiled, upturning the corners of his mouth and kissed her beautiful, raven hair.
D was the one who finally let go, but he kept one arm around her waist. His free hand took hold of the horse's reins and he escorted both to the cave. Inga entered first, then D with the horse.
As soon as the hunters left the town, Inga turned towards D and asked, "How can you deal with that?"
D said nothing, but as Inga looked into his eyes, she knew that he was trying to find the right words to say.
"After all they've heard of you," Inga continued after a couple moments of silence. "You'd think they would be honored that you would go out of your way for a job from such a poor town, and to save their children, their only future."
"You'd think," D replied absently.
Inga looked deep into his dark eyes, trying to see what he was feeling, but he was so sad, so very sad. Every part of her wanted to reach out and comfort him. She wanted to tell him everything would be all right. He would have no need to be sad again because.because.
"Because I'm here," Inga accidentally whispered aloud.
D looked at her questioningly, but once he saw those beautiful, yet distant violet eyes of her, he did not press the matter.
Inga had finally realized that she truly was a threat. What if D had not brought her to this world, but another vampire? Would she try to comfort him? She knew that she would, despite her best intentions. This was her nature. If she was passed on from vampire to vampire, she would eventually feel the same for them, and the cycle would continue. What the parasite said was very true; she would make any vampire the happiest in the world. She should have been killed. It would have been better, but the wheels of time and fate were already turning, and what was done was done. There was no point in trying to change it now.
Inga came back to her new world as she felt D's arm give her a gentile squeeze. That simple gesture let her know that things would be all right. She leaned back against him and let her head comfortably fall onto his shoulder. She closed her eyes and let sleep take her tired mind and body.
"Do you know where they are?" the parasite asked D.
Inga slowly opened her eyes to the sound of it and looked around. Tall cliffs were on either side of them, covered in holes that were most likely cave entrances. Without thinking, she searched the caves for human life using her mind. She found the children, but their life forces were faint. She could sense the vampires, but only barely.
"They're all in the caves," Inga answered the parasite. "There are a series of manmade tunnels that will lead us to the children, and most likely the vampires."
"How many?" D asked with a bit of pride in his voice.
"I can't give you an exact number," Inga replied, still trying to find out how many. "I'm guessing about five or six at least."
D smiled ever so slightly at her, proud that she could find all that information, which was what he needed. She would become very useful later.
"The children?" D asked as his final question.
"Ten, just as the townspeople said," Inga replied and looked over at him. "A couple of them have weaker life forces, so I'm guessing they're being fed on the most. They won't be able to last much longer, so we'll have to get at least those out by tonight. Any later and we'll be in trouble."
D nodded in consent to her plan after gazing into her sad, yet lively eyes.
"We'll rest a bit before," D finally said as he tore his gaze away. "We'll make plans and such then."
Inga looked around, then pointed to a cave at the bottom of the cliff. "We'll be safe there."
D walked the horse towards the cave Inga pointed out. It was under a small outcropping of rock, hard to see from above. As he came closer, he found that the opening was large enough to fit the horse in, but without riders.
D dismounted and turned to Inga. "Stay."
Inga picked up the reins and waited. She smiled as D turned his back. It felt somewhat nice that he was going to make sure the cave was safe, even though she told him it would be. The fact that he was making sure made her feel warm inside, but she surpressed the feeling.
She watched his beautiful, dark figure become enveloped in the darkness of the cave, only to find it come back into the light less than a minute later. She smiled inwardly at his facial expression, which seemed to be an approving one.
When D finally reached her, he looked up into her eyes and held out his arms. She leaned into them gracefully and allowed him to gently help her dismount. It had become a ritual for them, even though they had only been together a short amount of time.
After being set firmly on the ground, Inga looked up at D and smiled slightly. She turned to walk into the cave when suddenly D grabbed her arm, turned her, and pulled her to him.
Held in place by D, Inga stared up into his dark eyes, so full of sadness, pain, and loneliness. He pulled her closer to him, pressing her against his front. His gaze upon her was intense, but in a way that made Inga want to always be near him.
D felt his heart pound in his chest as he gazed into the eyes he could never hide from. Had he been younger, he would have been afraid of the sleeping vampires hearing his pumping heart, but just looking at Inga made all those thoughts vanish. The only thing he needed was her, and she was right there, in his arms.
Slowly, inch by inch, his face moved closer to hers. She did not resist in the slightest, but seemed to welcome it. Eventually, he could feel her warm, soft breath. He looked into those violet eyes once more, then inhaled and closed his beautiful eyes.
Their lips touched, and the world around vanished.
Inga closed her eyes and allowed herself to become absorbed in the kiss. There was a passion in it, but at the same time it was so gentile, like a breeze caressing her face. Holding onto his shoulders, she knew that he was partly holding her up. If he were to let go of her at that moment, she would fall to the hard ground.
This memory, she would treasure, even if the worst happened.
Their lips parted and the two hunters stared into each other's eyes. They still held each other close in a tight embrace. After a little, Inga blushed and hid her face in D's shoulder. D smiled, upturning the corners of his mouth and kissed her beautiful, raven hair.
D was the one who finally let go, but he kept one arm around her waist. His free hand took hold of the horse's reins and he escorted both to the cave. Inga entered first, then D with the horse.
