86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gYpjerVrg
But a wide smile spread across my face.
His lashes lowered in response.
“Man,” I said then, sitting up straighter and laughing, “seriously. I didn’t think you’d notice. Why are you so observant?”
William just gave me a smile in return. “I just am. Now… do tell me… why are you really here?”
“I was born here,” I said then, smiling.
“You recently joined the firm,” Will stated, tipping his head to the side. “Like… two months ago. You’ve been weirdly nice to me which ran alarm bells immediately. No one’s nice to a cold-blooded serious man unless they want something.”
I just giggled a little. “Seriously… I do like you, though.”
“Is that why you’re stalking me?” he said then.
I gazed up. “You’ve been stalking me, too.”
“Because you made me suspicious,” he said then, lashes lowering. “I had to look up to see if you were dangerous or not.”
I just set my head against the table, sighing. “You fooled me, too. You’re an expert actor. I really thought you were a serious, cold-hearted monster that was so kind to his girlfriend. I thought you became closed off after we separated after high school. I would still believe that, but…” I gazed over, eyes darkening, “your sadistic smile clearly states otherwise.”
He watched me curiously.
“If you never liked me, why did you ask to be my boyfriend?” I said then.
“Wasn’t that apart of your plan?” he said to me. “I was playing along.”
“Aww, shucks, so none of that was real?” My lashes lowered. “Damn.”
“I never said that,” he stated, still watching me. “Now… please… explain yourself? I have some errands to run and frankly… this is taking up lots of my time.”
I sighed and sat up straighter. “Fine.”
He watched me.
“I am from here, I was honest about that,” I told him. “But I moved away to London for a year or two. I found that you were here, so I came back! I was trying to be nice so you’d notice me.”
“Why, me?” he said then.
I then stared at him, smile darkening. “Now it’s time for me to tell you to cut the act.”
He watched me for a moment. “Ah… so you know.”
“You were my childhood friend, Will,” I said then, “of course, I know.”
“And what is that? What do you know?”
I just gazed over at his fridge. “Thirteen jars of blood in the fridge, five of them have-drunken. Six blood popsicles, five cans of blood in your pantry. Sixteen empty jars in the sink. You really ought to hide things better.” I then looked back over at him. “Vampire.”
He just kept the smile. “The correct term is… daem. I am daem, not a vampire. There’s a difference.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
“A vampire is a vague term. A daem is a demon that acts like a vampire. I guess I would be a vampire, then.” He sighed. “But I am a demon.”
“The creature of the night,” I said, raising my hands and dusting the air kindly.
“The creatures of the dead,” he said then. “And… how does that connect with anything about why you’re near me?”
I just gazed over at him then, eyes darkening.
“Oh,” he said then, smiling a little, “you want something?”
“Yes,” I said quietly, “and only you can give it to me.”
He just sighed and ran his finger along the table, pulling back to find dust on his skin. “You know the price?”
“I know the price.”
“If you knew the price, you wouldn’t be considering it right now,” he said then, gazing up at me.
“I know the price,” I said again.
He sat up fully then. “Suki, I am awfully bored of deals. Now… just go home, okay?”
“Why? It benefits you, too,” I urged.
“That’s the problem,” he gazed up, eyes darkening. “It benefits me in a lame manor. Deals are boring, I hate them. Women would be like ‘oh, mister demon. If you get me a puppy for free, I’ll give your fifty bucks!’ Now, go home.”
“I’ll make an offer you cannot refuse,” I said.
He was silent for a moment, and he sighed. “What do you want?”
I pushed myself forward then. “Help me find the people who killed my sister, and I will give you every ounce of blood left in my body.”
He nearly fainted but caught himself. “What?”
“Help me,” I urged then, “help me find who killed my sister. Only you can, please. In return… all my blood… yours.”
He just stared at me in shock before he closed his mouth. “Your blood? All mine?”
I nodded.
“You are willing to kill yourself for finding someone who killed someone else?”
I nodded again.
“What will your parents think?” he demanded then. “When you’re dead?”
I then shrank back, something cold forming inside me, and I looked away.
He stared for a moment before his lashes lowered. “They’re dead, too?”
“Suicide.”
“Figures.” He just stood and stepped over to me, and I gazed up at him.
The smile spread across his face as he stepped around me, and I gazed up when he ran his finger along a small vein on my throat.
I shivered, trying to remain still.
“Mm… tempting,” he said then, breath dusting my skin. “The scent of your blood is intoxicating. I remember being so curious to taste it when we were kids, but I had self-control.”
He came around my front and smiled, kneeling down. “Look at you, so small, aren’t you? Such a frail figure with such hot and boiling blood.” He lightly licked his lips. “Very, very tempting.”
I watched him carefully. “So you’ll do it?”
“On one condition,” he said then, gazing up with a sinister smile. “You belong to me.”
“W… what?”
“Your mind,” he said, tapping my forehead. “Your soul.” He tapped my chest. “Your body.” He touched my nose. “Your blood.”
I stared for a moment, then glared. “That’s hardly fair! Then what use is my side?!”
He just smiled. “If you belong to me, then it is my duty to protect you, is it not? I will not allow you to get hurt. Everything you do it my responsibility.” He tapped my forehead, making me blink. “I cannot imagine how broken you are inside here. I can fix that.”
My brows drew together, and I watched him numbly.
“The final deal,” I said then, “I belong to you, but in return, you must protect me no matter what happens, and you will help me find my sister’s murderer. Once we find the murderer, you may finally have your meal. BUT… you must also be reasonable with me,” I added, “you cannot force me to do things I do not want to do, and you will do as I say, deal?”
He watched me for a moment but smiled. “Fine. I can agree.” He gazed up. “So? Are you a hundred percent sure you want to do this?”
“I am.”
He smiled and stood. “Well… now we must do this the official way. That way neither of us can back out.”
He then snapped his fingers, and the world went black.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYfpEGFjSg
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgh9fUgrlbj
