"Levy! Wake up!"
Levy jolted awake to the sound of Lucy calling her name. She sat up and shook her head, suddenly feeling nauseous.
"Levy? What are you doing all the way out here?" her friend's worried eyes came into her vision.
"Where…?" she looked around herself, her eyes still trying to focus. She was a few yards away from the border, just on the Fiore side. She could see the moon high in the sky and guessed the time to be either very late or very early.
"Levy? Are you ok?"
She pulled her eyes up to meet her friend's. Worry creased her brow and set her lips in a fine line. Levy forced a smile.
"I'm fine. I was just going for a walk… I must've fallen asleep while I was out," she could tell Lucy wasn't really buying it but accepted the answer nonetheless.
"Everyone's been really worried about you. Jet and Droy haven't been able to sit still," she offered her hand down to the little bluenette who took it graciously, "You shouldn't be so close to the edge,"
"I… I guess I just wasn't paying attention,"
As they walked back towards their home, Levy couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Had he saved her? And if so, why? She could feel her curiosity nagging at her from the back of her mind, pulling her back into the mist. Back to the castle. Back to the man that had saved her…
The vampire.
She looked over her shoulder at the mist. For a brief second she thought she saw a shadow move in the fog. Fear crept through her bones when she remembered how he'd slaughtered the four men who'd cornered her.
And yet her curiosity nagged at the back of her mind…
She stared up at the piercing spires of the castle. It had been so long since she'd been back and fear had made her once again wary of the shadows. She looked into the dirty stained-glass windows, trying to make out the figure of the man who had saved her. The windows, however, were barren of light and life. An eerie emptiness permeated around her as she stood in the vast shadow of the stronghold, making her feel cold and alone.
A slight breeze ruffled her hair, sending a chill through her limbs.
'What did you expect, Levy? That he'd just be sitting out here waiting for you? Assuming he doesn't kill you this time?' she thought bitterly, wrapping her arms around herself. She let out a sigh and turned to leave.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing here?" the voice was cold and hard, and seemed to come from everywhere around her. She froze, terror gripping her and making her shivers become more violent.
She heard what sounded like a flag snapping in the wind and a dark figure dropped in front of her, landing solidly on the ground. His cape settled around him as he straightened and turned to look over his shoulder at her, his red eyes glistening intensely. His lips pulled back into a snarl, showing his extended canines.
"I-I…" she swallowed hard as he turned to face her. He had the look of a feral animal, untamable and bloodthirsty, "I wanted to thank you… f-for saving me…"
A sick smile came to his face as he approached her. His red eyes pierced through her, rooting her in place.
"Because I killed the rats the mouse came to thank me," he chuckled darkly, circling her where she stood, "How quant,"
Levy tried to remain calm under his gaze, but her instincts were screaming at her to run. She knew he could kill her at any instant… suddenly she realized how much she really hadn't thought this through… something very out of character for the calculating bookworm.
"I was curious…" she started, trying to keep him in her sight. He looked like a predator, and even though she knew she should be scared, the side of her that always grasped for more knowledge found itself entranced by him. He was like nothing she'd ever seen before. Even though he was undoubtedly a merciless killer he reminded her of a tiger in the wild, "…why did you let me go?"
He seemed to be taken off guard by her question. He stopped circling her and just stared at her, his upper lip twitching slightly as his mind was working. Something flashed through his eyes as he watched her, something Levy knew but couldn't quite place…
"What does it matter? My mercy was wasted on you," he growled, stalking towards her. She immediately backed away. Her footsteps came to a halt when she found herself pressed against the cool stone of the citadel. He approached her, a smirk coming to his lips.
He brought his arms swiftly forward, his palms hitting the brick and making it crumbled beneath his strength. Levy yelped, trapped between his strong, scarred arms. She realized no matter what she did, escape was hopeless. He brought his face close to her, his breath once again brushing against her skin. She felt the air between them reverberate as another growl slipped past his lips.
"You know, I could crush you between my fingers if I wanted," he whispered, low and menacingly, "or I could just drink you dry. You'd probably be a nice little snack. It's been years since I've had fairy blood…"
"But you won't," she whispered, her voice so tiny she almost couldn't hear it.
His eye twitched and rage slowly started to highlight his bloody eyes. He scrunched his nose in an angry snarl, rearing his head back and baring his fangs.
"Gajeel," the voice made him stiffen, "Let her go,"
Levy looked past him to see a large black panther. A scar ran across its eye and it stood upright. Its tail twitched back and forth agitatedly. She noticed a large red sword hung across its back.
"She's from the other side," he growled, crossing his arms, "or have you forgotten?"
Gajeel turned his head to face Levy, still baring his teeth. Suddenly, he stepped back, turning his back to her and walking past the panther. He only stopped to look over his shoulder at her one last time.
"Let this be your warning fairy," he growled, "don't come back,"
The two watched as he leapt into the air, making it fifty feet to a balcony and disappearing inside. Levy guessed it was where he'd emerged from only moments earlier.
"Shall I escort you back to the edge, miss?" the panther said, bowing ever so slightly, "Young women such as yourself shouldn't be out alone here,"
She suddenly realized what she'd seen in his eyes.
A reflection of what was in her own.
Curiosity.