Page 20 of Vampires of Eden: Oliver
Aries’s brow furrows as he grins. His face is so wonderfully expressive. Much more so than what I’m accustomed to and compared with the vampires I usually encounter. “You’ve given this some thought?” he asks.
“I have. Do you…” I stop, nervous and twisting my hands as I consider. I don’t know how to do this, but… something inside is urging me to try. I take a deep breath. “Would you like to walk with me? There’s a place in the woods just beyond the manicured gardens that’s beautiful at sunset. I’m headed there now. No pressure, of course! I don’t mean to interrupt you.”
The question is out there. Even still, I don’t want him to feel obligated to say yes just because I’m the purebred son of the person who hired him.
He regards me for a brief moment—assessing. Making some internal decision. Slowly, he stands from the marble bench and closes his sketchpad. He wraps up his pencils in the fancy leather holder. “Yes,” he says. “Thank you. I’d love to see it.”
I can’t suppress my smile, but I stifle my energy as it swirls like fire inside of my core.
He saidyes.
ChapterEight
“It’s just a five-minute walk,” I tell him, quelling my nature as he trails behind. He said yes…
I’m embarrassingly excited—like when Sasha gave me my first higher-quality camera. Receiving a point-and-shoot was great, but I wasn’t exhilarated like I am right now. This is a new kind of thrill.
We move past another long row of thick bushes full of glossy green leaves. Bursts of white flowers litter the brush and are clustered together like powder puffs. I glance over my shoulder. “What do you need inspiration for? If I may ask?”
“My next assignment is with a small theater in New York. I have a friend who wants to take me under her wing as she works on a contemporary production of Shakespeare’sA Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’ve been desperately wanting to get into costume design, but it’s difficult without the right connections. This could be a great opportunity for me.”
“That sounds incredible. Congratulations.”
“It is fortunate. However… while this very old castle definitely reminds me of Shakespearean times, something about its abundance of sixteenth-century portraiture, stone walls and turrets is ironically stifling my creativity.”
I chuckle. “Not surprising. We’re not really about free thinking and creative expression around here. We’re more aboutoppression anddepression. That’s our specialty.”
Aries laughs brightly as we step into the thicket of trees bordering the garden. His laugh sounds like it comes from deep within his belly—organically and from his very soul. My heart flutters because talking with him feels so easy. Almost calming.
The sun is fading, causing the light around us to glow in hues of gold and reddish pink. I walk a little faster because I don’t want to miss the sunset. Aries increases his pace as he follows.
“Do you come out here often, your grace?” he asks.
“Whenever I have free time. It’s isolated, so it’s peaceful. This… might sound silly, but this area feels undisturbed by time and artificial influence. It’s like being in a different place altogether.”
I wait for him to tell me that I’m an idiot because it’s such an odd thing to say. That I sound childish and I should “grow up.”
“It’s not silly at all,” he says. “I understand what you mean. Plus, the trees here are likely very old. They’ve seen many things.”
“Exactly!” I beam. “Can you imagine the stories they’d tell? Like, ‘If these walls could talk.’”
“Possibly. I think most of the stories would be about squirrels and ticks, though. Or the atrocities of vampire wars.”
“Well, the conflicts primarily occurred near and around Central Eden, so our trees would mostly have stories about nature. Rants about birds shitting on them and bugs crawling up their bark.”
We both snicker as we walk and the sound of our laughter echoes. The wind sweeps through the leaves overhead, and the aroma of the drying lavender field in combination with this inexplicable vampire behind me is glorious.
I’ve never experienced a moment like this—where everything feels soft and shimmery. Cozy and insulated.
Maybe I did when I was little? When we were younger, me and Sasha would sit huddled together by the fire in winter and read stories. The castle is especially harsh in colder months, with its stone walls that seemingly absorb all of the frost but none of the sun. Those moments with my sister were lovely in their own way—the sense of wonder and joy glowing within me, interlaced with physical safety.
This moment is… similar, but very different.
Near the end of the path, there’s a small wooden chest tucked behind a tree. I step off the trail, pull the bolt key from my pocket and proceed to open the lid.
“What, pray tell, is this?” Aries asks from behind.
“Camille had the gardeners put wood-chips and a chest along this path since I’m out here fairly often in the summer months. It has all my things in it, so I don’t have to carry them from the castle every time. At first, I was annoyed that she was spying on me, but it actually comes in handy.”
