Alfendi walked out onto the pathway leading to his castle. He enjoyed a calm midnight stroll every once in a while. It was soothing, refreshing and a nice change to the damp, dust-covered cage he was forced into.
These walks especially helped with his problem-solving. There was the strange trespasser named Lucy Baker that had appeared in the same room many more annoying brats had slept in. He thought the message he scratched onto the door would scare her away like it did others, but she went in and stayed in until he appeared two hours later. She mentioned something about a joke, so that gave him a clue, but that was all he had. She had run off and he had to stop her by implanting simple suggestions into her head. Hopefully she didn't run again when she woke up. This was the closest he had come to contact with a human in sixteen long years.
And how long has it been since I've had a decent meal?
Silencing the thought, the vampire glanced up at the castle. He had come close to drinking off the girl, that's why she ran off. Alfendi was starving, yes, because he hadn't tasted blood in all that time, the reason why he was trapped on this accursed property.
From his view by the gate, he couldn't help wondering what the mindless humans that snuck in thought of his home. Of course, he never bothered to clean it because he would be living there forever and guests weren't a common thing. Intruders on the other hand, they could spill out whatever stories they wanted about the castle. He wasn't trying to impress them. There was no value on the house, no treasure or lost goods. The old paintings were either reprints or forgeries. Everything else was worthless, covered in mold, filled with decayed rat corpses or just not that interesting. If it wasn't for him, maybe no one would even give the place a second glance.
A small circle of light shined on his cheek and he hissed. That burned.
"H-H-Hello? Wh-Who's there? No one is a-a-allowed to be around here!" It was that stuttering little guard, Meekins Jr. No wonder Lucy got in so easily. He wasn't the fiercest man on the force.
Alfendi sighed and crouched down low. His body began shifting and contorting into his more animal-like form. Planting his muzzle to the ground, he feigned wolf-like curiosity by sniffing the metal bars. He allowed his pointed purple ears to perk up, guiding his head towards Meekins' blurry figure. He barked at the simpleminded officer before scampering back to the castle. There was a hole he had dug up under the stone that he used often to get in while in his wolf form. His padded paws and sharp claws clicked on the marble floor of the foyer as he walked to the stairs.
After turning back into his normal human appearance, he fixed the collar of his blue and red shirt. It always caused a bit of discomfort to change from his wolf form to his normal one, even for a short amount of time. He took in a heavy breath before he squared his shoulders and ran silently up the two levels to the room he let Lucy sleep in.
It was the master bedroom and currently the door was open. That wasn't a good sign. Why do I care? I can just chase her down and finally get a taste of that fresh blood. He pushed the door away and saw the bed in disarray. The girl wasn't there. She did run off. Good. I haven't hunted for my meal in ages. Alfendi gulped and fixed his jaw. His fangs were beginning to ache with desire. Maybe one taste wouldn't hurt. He sniffed the air and felt his humanity shatter.
Baker was close. She left recently, trying to be sneaky but instead leaving a large trail of her scent all over the hall way. He backed away from the door and turned right, following the delicate smell to another room, an old servants room he recognized. "Ah. She used the dumbwaiter. A smart one, she is." He saw the door to the small elevator was open and the lift was down stairs on the main floor. A smirk crept onto his lips and his hair turned a fine shade of red. "But not smart enough." His body began to fade and, to replace it, a swarm of mist slowly crawled into the shaft. It snuck down into the cracks of the cart and into the kitchen.
Lucy was running for the door when the mass of dew wrapped around her. "Where do you think you're going?" Alfendi asked as he slowly changed back. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and licked his lips. Her neck was inches from his fangs, he could practically taste the anxiety and fear radiating from her skin.
"Let me go!" She yelled, squirming and pulling at his arms. There was the struggle Al always enjoyed in his victims.
"Yes. Keep fighting. Make it more interesting for-" He froze suddenly, allowing her time to escape. Damn it. Not this again. Shaking his head, he sped out to the hallway. How was she getting away? Why was this annoying second voice always messing him up? He looked around the hall and cocked an eyebrow. The scent wasn't anywhere in front of him. He turned his head to his left and shut the door. There was his little morsel.
Cowering in fear in the corner was little Lucy Baker, her orange hat hiding her deliciously colored eyes. He grabbed her arms and held her down. "Finally. Now just hold still and let this happen." She whimpered as he let his tongue glide over her skin. For one more second she squirmed before his fangs dug into her neck.
A rush of perfect red nectar went down his throat. After so many years, the vampire felt power and energy surge through his body. The taste was sweet and rich. The other side of him was silent, having also wanted this badly, but he knew when to stop. He grinned and backed off.
Lucy slipped to the floor in a shaking heap. Alfendi saw little budding tears in her eyes. As if by instinct, his calmer personality took over. He crouched down and lifted her head up to make eye contact. "Don't cry. Nothing bad will happen to you. It's alright." He tried comforting her, but it didn't seem to work all that well.
"No!" She yelled, promptly knocking him off balance and scurrying away, clutching her neck as pain began to form.
Alfendi let her go. He got what he wanted anyway. She couldn't hurt him either. It wasn't like she could go telling everyone in town. Lucy would just be shoved off as crazy. "The bite heals. She'll have no proof of my interactions once she gets out."
He followed her out the front doors and to the gate. Meekins was standing there, half asleep, the ignorant fool. He observed Lucy's actions as she tried climbing the gate, then the wall, then looking for another way out. Eventually, while he was resting on the front door to the castle, she walked over and stood, defeated, next to him. "Have you finally given up, Miss Baker?" He asked.
She crossed her arms over her chest and groaned, "Yes. Are you 'appy, you monster?" Lucy glared then childishly stuck out her tongue.
"Monster is a hateful term. I prefer vampyre. Or perhaps my name will suit you just as well."
"Aye, and wot would that be?" She questioned.
He smiled, a fangless smile as he fixed a part of his faded violet hair, then stated, "I am Alfendi Layton. Call me what you will, but do refrain from using formalities."
"Alfendi. That's an interesting name. Are you sure you're not a count or summat?" She joked.
To which he replied, "Not even of this castle, I'm afraid. Just a common man, damned to walk the earth for all eternity. Or at least I should be." He gazed up at the sky and noticed a lighter hue to it.
Before he could say anything about it though, Lucy interjected, "Oh? Wot do you mean by that?" Her curiosity appeared peaked.
Of course, Alfendi knew he shouldn't have mentioned anything. This girl was fascinating as well, and a bit strange, having changed moods and opinions of him quite quickly, it seemed. Sadly, this would be the last he saw of her. "That would be a story I currently have no time to mention. Shouldn't you be heading off now?" He spoke with a worried tone, knowing that it was about to become morning.
"Wot? You just take wot you want from me and then just let go?" She asked, a bit confused and offended.
The vampire took her hand in his and lead her to the wall. "Well, you could say the same thing about yourself. You snuck into my home, took a room for yourself, then you were planning to leave right in the morning just to prove your friends wrong. Am I right?"
Lucy cringed, realizing that he was not wrong. Instead, he was completely spot on and she couldn't understand how he knew that so well. "Aye. I guess you're right." She felt him lift her off her feet and assist her over the wall. "But this can't be t' end of it, can it?" She inquired, taking one last look at Forbodium Castle and Alfendi Layton.
Dawn and his mind took a pause. Would it be the end? He would think so, yet this human looked so eager. "Oh I don't think so. If you would like, you can return whenever you wish and can."
"Well then, Alfendi, I guess I'll be back soon."
Alfendi backed off, feeling something strike in his chest as she went over the wall. "Yes. Soon, dear Lucy."
