Chapter 9

Alexandra

That's funny.

Why do I even bother to think about it? It's not like I have never killed before. Avery Pierce is just an inferior and stubborn human girl. She deserved to be punished. I don't see why I shouldn't torture her. The sound of her screams delights me. Her blood whispers to me. But then there is something I couldn't wrap my mind around. Why did I feel like there were insects crawling inside my stomach when I saw her and my sister together? And why of all the whys, why do I want to have Avery more than anything now?

~*~

Avery

I woke up to the bright sunlight shining through an open window. Silk curtains flickered in the morning breeze. There was a breathtaking view of the mountain outside. This wasn't my little room in the mansion. The walls were wooden and polished smooth. There were paintings hanging around the place. I could see flowers blossoming in tiny buckets on every sill of the windows.

"Oh, you're awake," a familiar voice said. I turned around to see Anastasia smiling at me. She was holding a plate of sandwich and a glass of milk.

"What is this place?" I sat up and looked around myself.

"My house."

"Your house?"

"It's my vacation house actually," she said. "I like to come here whenever I want to be alone."

"It's so beautiful," I said. My eyes wandered out the window. A pristine lake with green forest stretched far into the distance.

"I'm glad you like it here," Ana said and put the food down on a small wooden table next to my bed.

"What happened? Why did you bring me here?"

"Now you eat first, questions later," she just said. "You're still recovering."

My back felt fine. I turned my head over my shoulder, trying to see my injury and feel it with my hands, but the wound was gone. I didn't know how I could heal so fast, but then I remembered when Ana let me drink her blood.

"Your blood cured me?" I said.

She nodded.

I had heard about it in legend, but I never thought it was true. With a sigh, I reached out for the glass of fresh milk and took a sip. I realized how hungry I was until then. Ana watched me with steady eyes. For a moment, I started to worry about how I looked. Ana, as usual, was immaculate without an effort. Her silky blonde hair almost looked like strands of woven gold. It framed her perfect angular face and cascaded down her lithe form. Anastasia was undoubtedly more beautiful than any other vampires I'd met— aside from her cruel sister, of course.

"You're very brave, Avary," she said. "I've never seen anyone who stood against my sister like that."

"No wonder why I was rewarded with her claws," I said, glancing over to my back again. Anastasia let out a melodious laugh. I had to stop chewing on my sandwich just to listen to it. Her face became serious again.

"I'm sorry, Avery," she said. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have let you go with her."

"So why did you come back for me then?" I said, trying not to be upset with her.

"I just couldn't stop thinking about you," she said. "It's killing me."

"It's killing me too, literally," I found myself speaking louder than I had meant to.

"I know." Ana looked down. "I am so sorry for all of that happened."

"No, please, it's not your fault. Anyway, how come you brought me here?" I asked to change the subject. "How about your sister?"

"Don't worry, Alex doesn't know this place," she said. "You're safe with me."

"Really?"

She nodded.

Then a thought popped into my mind. "Ana, I mean...Anastasia..."

"Call me Ana," she said. "I like the way you call me that."

"Oh alright, I was meaning to ask you, when you saved me from Alex didn't it bother you when I was bleeding in your hands?"

"Well," she breathed and stood up. "I don't know how it could be possible, but the moment I saw you on the floor bleeding, my heart just stopped. All I could think of was you. Not the bloodlust, not the hunger. Just you."

I looked up at her and then we held each other's gaze. We broke our eye contact off after a while.

"I think I better get changed," I said. But Ana muffled a laugh. I frowned at her

"What?"

"Sorry," she said. "But I already changed your clothes."

"You what?" I cried then looked down at myself. I was wearing a white cotton shirt two sizes bigger than me and a pair of black panties, which was mine. But I resisted the urge to look if I wore any bra. I already knew I didn't.

"I know the shirt is a bit too big. It's my painting shirt," Ana said, reading my face. "I wear it for comfort."

"Oh, it's not...that," I said. "Wait, you paint?"

"Yes, a little bit," she said with a shrug. Then I looked around the room again. Every wall hung beautiful art pieces that looked like they were fresh from the national museum or some art gallery.

"Oh my," I said. "You're an artist."

I got out of bed and took a private tour around the place, devouring each work with my eyes. The whole time, Anastasia watched me in silence.

"This is brilliant!" I gasped.

"You like art, too?" Ana came to stand beside me.

"I don't understand much about art, but I love it anyway," I said, "Before the war started, my father used to take me and my brother to art exhibitions. My mother liked music more, though."

"Oh, music," Ana echoed my word, but I heard a strange tone in it as if she was thinking of something or someone. Then I realized without her telling me.

"Your sister likes music, right?" I asked. "I saw her piano."

"She's a genius," Ana said in a matter of fact way. "Whenever the palace held a celebration, she would play to entertain the guests. But she's never played it again ever since we—"

She didn't finish her sentence. And I didn't ask.

Ana turned and smiled at me sadly. I didn't know what to say to that, so I kept moving on. Then I almost bumped into a wooden easel by the window. A white cloth covered the piece.

"What is this one?" I said, reaching for the cover and opened it.

"Oh, it's nothing," Ana tried to say, but I already uncovered it. Behind the white cloth was a picture of me sleeping on the bed.

I recognized myself immediately since the drawing was breathtakingly perfect and realistic. It was like staring at a black and white photograph. Except the girl in the picture looked so peaceful and innocent as if nothing horrible had happened in her life.

"Why did you draw me?" I said, staring at the picture in admiration. I traced my fingers along the fine gray lines of the pencil.

"You just turned beautiful when you were asleep," she said with a smile. "Like the angel I'd always wished to draw."

My face reddened. I bit my lips from smiling.

"I didn't know you're a poet, too," I mocked her. She laughed again and it was a joyful tone that I laughed along.

Then we stopped and looked at each other. Anastasia came forward and smoothed my dark brown lock gently. Her golden eyes sparkled with hidden feelings.

She slipped her hands around my waist and cautiously pulled my body closer. My heart pounded, my breath shortened, but it wasn't from fear, it was out of anticipation and pure bliss. I had never felt like this with anyone.

I longed for those perfect scented lips to touch mine again. And when she leaned her face slowly, I couldn't wait and went out to meet her half way. There our lips touched and merged with tenderness. A second later, our tongues wrestled in and out hungrily. The kiss was passionate and pure, and I felt so loved.

As our bodies seemed to crave one another, writhing rhythmically like two entwined serpents, I slipped my hands under her silk blouse, feeling the soft cold body. She moved down to kiss my neck. Her tongue licked the skin above my breasts.

But then she pulled herself away from me and turned her face to the window.

"Ana, what's wrong?" I asked with a frown.

"I'm sorry, Avery," she said. "I can't do this."

"Why not?" I said, deeply upset and hurt. "If you don't want me, why did you make me feel this way about you?"

"Avery, can't you see me what I am?" Ana turned her face back, her canine teeth flashing white and sharp. "I'm a monster! That's what I am!"

I didn't recoil like I used to. She wanted to scare me away, but I did not care.

"No, you're wrong. You're not like your sister. You're my guardian angel, Anastasia," I said and walked over to her. I turned her body around to face me. Her canines were long and sharp, yet strangely beautiful. They seemed to fit her angelic face naturally.

"I know it's much too soon, but I don't know how much time I have left in this cruel world. I need to ask you before it's too late. It's my last wish. Will you fulfill it?" I whispered.

"Avery, I would do anything for you," she said.

"Then I want you to take me, Anastasia. I want you to take me all the way."

She looked at me for a long time. Then I grabbed her face and kissed her hard on the lips. She pried me off, but I held onto her tightly, pulling her to my desperate embrace. A moment later, I felt her tensed body began to loosen up. The sharp edges of her teeth disappeared. Then we kissed slowly this time.

When we parted again, she looked at me with soft golden eyes.

"You have no idea how much I crave you, Avery," she said.

"Take me," I whispered.

Anastasia bit her bottom lip, but I could feel her burning desire coursing within her, melting her resolve.

Then ever so slowly, she nodded.