He was staring at me.
From the moment we entered, Alec had been watching me. Not glaring, not simply looking in my direction, just watching. And he wouldn't stop. Even as I disappeared behind bookshelves in my quest for nonspecific books, his eyes were still locked on me when I reappeared.
It was as if he were observing my every move, waiting for me to do something rash. The behaviour was almost protective - but then that would insinuate some level of care about my well-being or even simply, my existence. Which I knew was not the case.
The library was extensive, as only a library developed over hundreds of years could be. It was as if they had transported the library of Alexandria to Italy. There were rows upon rows of elegant bookshelves, each one entirely filled with books older than I'd ever seen. Plus, I think one might've been made out of human skin so I just skipped that section.
The shelves, by the way, were ordered by topics of interest but there was no structure beyond that. which was gathered by subject but surprisingly not organized past that. It wasn't careless, but I expected better from vampires who seemed to have all the time in the world.
We had settled in the very center of the library which was a rounded out area that reminded me of a university's library. There were four wooden tables, the kind where you would scratch out names and society letters. Only these were pristine. I couldn't even find a small dent in the corners of the table I'd chosen.
I had made myself at home on the table, scattering the collection of books I had gathered from around the maze. Books that included information that I had very little ability to comprehend, let alone apply for my intended purpose. Though, I had hope that I might find something that could at least give me an idea of where to begin.
Alec was sitting in an armchair a few feet away, with his elbow resting on the corner in yet another unexpectedly relaxed positioning. He didn't move and he didn't ask me what on earth I was doing, which I was glad for because I barely knew myself.
As I turned a page in an unbelievably useless text, I glanced up to see if Alec had finally found something else to focus on.
He hadn't. Even as I made eye contact with him, he only blinked. He had to be doing this on purpose. There was no way it was just happenstance that he'd literally been eye stalking me throughout the entire room. I took in a deep breath, reminding myself that I would not give in to his childish games. I was better than that. Then, he smirked and the action alone irritated me enough to break.
"Can you stop that?" He raised his eyebrow, as if to question my sudden outburst. As if he didn't know exactly what he was doing. "Looking at me. Can you stop?"
"I could." I sent him the darkest glare I could muster. Was he an English teacher now?
"When are the others coming back?"
He leaned backwards in the chair, lazily folding his hands behind his head before giving me an answer. "They are busy welcoming Aro's guest," he waved a hand towards me dismissively. His eyes had left mine and he closed them as he laid his head back. "I am to babysit."
"I'm not a child." He didn't respond. I was so done with him. "Why you?"
This seemed to get his attention and he probably saw the opportunity to exploit my 'lesser human emotions' because he eyed me from his position and said simply, "In case Aro's guest decides he'd like a convenient snack." I broke contact with him, automatically glancing towards the doors and my reaction seemed to satisfy him.
He chuckled deeply, "don't worry. I'll protect you from the scary vampires." His words sent a chill down my spine that had nothing to do with fear.
I scoffed at his arrogance, returning to my current book and pretending that the vast collection of medical journals inside it were the most fascinating thing I'd ever seen. But a growing impatience refused to dissipate because I could still feel his eyes boring into my head. Fine. If that's how he wanted to play, I'll play.
"Why can't Prosper be my guard anymore?"
He clenched his jaw and finally looked away from me. Score one for Saffiya. "You are a curious human, aren't you?"
"Did you hurt him?" I was referring, of course, to the tiny piece of the overall conversation I'd overheard outside the door. It was gnawing at me and I had planned to just ask the others, but from the way they'd been talking...
"No." I frowned in disbelief and he rolled his eyes. "As soon as he told me you were gone, I went - Aro, sent me to find you."
I hesitated to believe him, but I remembered the top two undone buttons in his tunic when he'd arrived at the pub. Looking at him now, dressed to the nines and topped with a turtleneck, I doubted he ever left his room with a button out of place. "Why haven't I seen him?"
"You could've been damaged." He let out a low growl, "he's never going near you again."
"Stop referring to me as if I'm less than I am. I am not a toy and I am especially not a child. Plus, you're barely older than me, if at all." That damn smirk.
We sank into silence and I chose yet another book from the table, gently flipping it open. But, there was still one more question burning on the tip of my tongue. I stared blankly at the page in front of me. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna ask him.
"Alec?" I raised my head and red eyes were already on me, as if he knew I wasn't done asking questions. I swallowed, immediately rethinking my strategy.
"Yes, Saffiya?" My shoulders tensed. I'd never heard him say my name before. Was it possible that a word I'd heard thousands of times before, my own name, had never sounded so cherished as it did right now? I wanted him to say it again. To never stop but for fear that I would lose the sensation it gave me
I cleared my throat, shifting my legs before asking, "did Jane?" He raised his eyebrow once more. I went more specific, "did Jane use her gift on him?
"What is your point, human." I held back a pout, expecting him to have used my name.
"Felix and Demetri said it felt like...fire."
"I would not know."
"But you know how it works, right?" His eyebrows furrowed and he seemed more cautious to continue answering my questions so freely. "Is it an illusion, or —"
"Just be grateful you cannot experience it." That was definitely a threat. This would be a good time to stop asking —
"But how —"
His voice turned cold, an underlying threat tracing his words. "If you ask nicely, I am sure Jane would be only too willing to try again." Right. So that was the end of that conversation. "Careful what you wish for."
Well, that got me nowhere. He was so sensitive.
I got the impression that I should give Alec some space, so I had gone in search of any other books I could find. Alec hadn't provided me with any additional information throughout any of our brief and spotty conversations in the last few hours. The last one had earned me a reprieve from his staring, at the very least.
If anything, I was the one who had adopted the behaviour, waiting to see if he had started again. Instead, Alec had taken up a chapter book, though I hadn't seen him flip a page since it appeared in his hands.
After a few more minutes, I dropped the silent matter. Perhaps he'd gotten what he wanted or I'd asked just enough questions to make him regret doing it in the first place. Or maybe he wasn't even aware of it.
Pulling out a random medical book, I returned to my spot, flopping into the chair and opening the book with relative care. Though the information in it was the last thing on my mind.
What I was trying to understand, is why, despite everything, was his presence having such a calming effect on me. Maybe I'd just had time to stew in my frustration over the conversation I'd been forced out of with my friends. He'd done nothing but stare at me after all, and as irritating as it had been, he hadn't exactly threatened me — except maybe by proxy. It was almost the exact opposite. Perhaps I was just used to my new situation, more comfortable with the castle and in my expectations of day to day activities.
This seemed to make more sense than Alec's attendance because the last thing his company could ever bring me was this feeling of safety. And yet...
I sighed heavily. I was tired of thinking about Alec. His behaviour was so contradicting that it had me whirling. Yet, I had foreseeably turned him into a mystery. Trying to figure out the reasoning behind the way he acted to the way his name alone created an army of butterflies in my body.
I forced myself to refocus my attention on the book in front of me. Which was useless, because I still had no idea as to what I wanted to find. After flipping impatiently through it, I shoved the offending pages away from me. The behaviour perhaps a bit more attention grabbing than I'd considered.
My body reacted before I'd made the decision and my eyes — for the thousandth freaking time — came into contact with Alec's.
"Would you please stop staring at me?"
"Why?" He was like a three year old and there was absolutely no reason for him to decide that he could now withstand being around me. I don't know what I was more suspicious of — the fact that he hadn't threatened to kill me yet or that I hadn't done the same. Maybe he was trying to rile me up on purpose so that if I did something to him first, he wouldn't get in trouble with Aro for whatever he did to me next.
"It's distracting." He stood and instantly reappeared behind me. Before I could move a muscle, his hand was slowly moving my hair behind my right shoulder. Fingertips tapped at my collar bone as if it were a piano key. My breathing hitched as the pads of his fingers began walking to the strongest center of my pulse. He hummed lowly and my eyes slowly closed of their own accord. As if I wasn't allowing a vampire to test his limits and risking my life.
As he began to trail his fingers to retrace their steps back down my throat, I came to my senses. I jerked forward and turned awkwardly in the chair to face him. "What do you think you're doing?"
However, he didn't acknowledge me, his eyes now on the forgotten book in front of me. His hand disappeared from my body and began playing with the pages of the book. His fingers were long and as flawless as the rest of his skin. He leaned over my shoulder and I could feel his arm rested on the back of my chair, leaning across my shoulders. His face was beside mine and I bit my lip as if it would keep me from looking at him.
Almost immediately, his fingers left the pages of the book and landed on my lips. The behaviour felt strange...intimate. I could feel the pressure of his fingers, lightly but firmly putting a stop to the offending action. "Do not," his gaze lifted from my lips to my eyes and his had darkened substantially from only mere seconds ago. "Do not do that," he whispered lethally. He stayed there for a moment, before returning to the book as if nothing had happened.
"This does not look like a history book."
I blinked, "how did you—"
"Marcus." His eyes scanned the rest of the table before finding the clipboard. My messy scribble was mixed with Felix's surprisingly small cursive and ill formed boxes. "He said the dates—"
I crossed my arms with exaggerated frustration, throwing myself backwards into the chair and using to action to lean away from him. "Are all wrong, yes, I am well aware." Alec was still examining my assignment, more distracted by the page than the rant that followed, "Felix and Demetri refused to give me any hints and apparently Charlotte doesn't like me very much because she lied about hers but, at least I know her name now."
He didn't answer me, still focused on the paper and while I was glad he was no longer watching my every move, I kind of missed his attention. Not his specifically. That'd be stupid.
And though he was focused on the page, arguably with too much intensity, Alec seemed to be lighter. I got the impression that he was always too consumed with a dark and weighted aura. I couldn't help but wonder if the time we'd spent in the library, alone, provided him with a brief respite. One that he'd never had access to in all his years as a vampire. He felt almost...happier. Well, as happy as Alec could ever be when he wasn't making snide comments.
Alec picked up my pencil and added something to the sheet. And suddenly, he had returned to his chair, a random book in hand. He was no longer watching me.
I looked down. There, next to his and Jane's names, he had written 381 A.D.
~•~•~•~
A/N:
Important heads up for the next chapter - also the reason I am posting late. I realised I made a mistake regarding the plot and so, to hopefully get back on track, the next chapter is sort of a lay way. As in, it doesn't originally belong after this chapter in the storyline so it may not flow as well. It is also why this chapter (and itself) are so much shorter than the others. But I'm posting them together to make up for it!
So, hopefully, you can move past any striking issues because it won't be a problem afterwards. Fingers crossed. I do plan on fixing this in a rewrite but for now, just bear with me if you would :)
I know that is a lot. I really do hate writing author's notes because I cannot for the life of me, keep it short and sweet. Also, I feel like I'm just talking into empty space.
"I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it'll make sense" - Ray Bradbury
Thank you all for reading! Next chapter is up. After that, I'm going to try to stick to a schedule of posting chapters every three days, but that may falter by a few days sometimes. In that case, I definitely haven't forgot about y'all, it just means I wouldn't be giving you the best work that I could achieve for the chapter at that moment in time. It won't always be my best writing, but it will be my best effort. Thank you again for reading, I am so ecstatic that there is still a love for Alec after all these years!
