She waited, patiently, not noticing her hands gripping the blanket tightly.
"Make me some breakfast."
Chapter Eight
As the sun went down the following evening, Nia woke from their nap to find herself sprawled across Ellis’s stony chest.
After avoiding him all morning. Nana had asked that they rest for just a few more hours to ensure the health of all parties.
Fortunately for Nia, Ellis had behaved himself. As much as the self-obsessed vampire could behave anyways.
Her head was tucked delicately under his chin with her cheek over his heart, and she blushed faintly at finding herself so close against him, but did not move. She kept her eyes closed as well, smiling to herself as she felt his fingers work their way softly through her tousled hair.
“You’re awake?” Ellis’s voice was unusually soft sounding, the rough timbre of his tone almost nonexistent.
Their impending departure was making him soft. He enjoyed the human girl’s company more than he believed was possible. It was only for her safety that he wanted to leave the village. She’d already had her hometown destroyed by George.
Nia opened her eyes gradually, lifting her head to give him a sleepy smile, “I don’t think I could ever get used to this nocturnal thing.” She giggled, placed her chin against his soft shirt gently, squirming in a slight stretch to wake herself up.
“You won’t have to.” Ellis smirked.
She watched as she fiddled with the end of her braid, not paying any attention to him.
Nia seemed to forget that she lay beside a vampire, that he could suddenly turn on her and hurt her. Kill her even.
This bothered Ellis, he never wanted her to let down her complete guard around him, but he knew she did, and that worried him more than anything George or any of the soldiers ever did. They were becoming too close. This was no longer beneficial.
“Come on, then.” He whispered, pulling himself off the bed, “It’s night now, time to make plans.”
He paused to help Nia stand as well before leading her from the bedroom.
In the living room, he found Kellen standing beside the elderly woman, who was seated in a small, wooden chair. Nia walked past to sit on a small couch, an obvious space left at her side that he figured was meant for him. Instead, he chose to stand beside Kellen, though he did not miss the wounded look pierce Nia’s face before turning to look at the old woman.
A cheery mewl suddenly resounded from Kellen’s lap, as the missing kitten Potatoes slowly stood, stretching her elegant length before hopping off of Nana’s lap and twining between Ellis’s legs.
Nana smirked, shaking her head, “I was wondering why she was so insistent on coming inside.”
“Hey, Potatoes!” Ellis cried, sitting down as he cuddled the lap to his face.
“It’s time for me to leave.” Ellis murmured quietly to the woman over the sound of the cat purring.
He pretended not to see Nia’s hands clench slightly in her lap, “I have enemies that I do not want to draw here.”
Ellis didn’t want to know what George and his little friends would do to this small, unprotected village.
He glanced up to find Kellen staring at him, his brow creased slightly in confusion. Those eerie steel eyes trying to extrapolate the vampire’s true reason for leaving so soon without Nia. Ellis immediately turned his gaze away, clearing his throat uncomfortably to look at the old woman, who was also staring at him intently.
He couldn’t even bear to glance at Nia anymore, who was sitting in a pained silence.
Nana stood slowly, and Kellen stepped forward so she could hold his arm for support. Standing, the woman was even shorter than Nia was, but she had an undeniably commanding presence, and Ellis felt shrunken beside her.
“Will you take her?” The old woman’s voice was not feeble, and it did not tremble as you would expect such an elderly woman’s voice to. Her eyes shifted to her granddaughter.
Ellis froze, and he saw Nia’s head jerk up from the corner of his eyes. He wasn’t sure what to say, and cleared his throat once more, but it was Nia who spoke first.
“…If he doesn’t want me, I can’t just follow him around anymore. I’d only get in the way.” Nia said with firm voice and sullen eyes.
She would blame any despair on the tiny shreds of her soul that would cling to Ellis forever.
Nana pursed her lips and shook her head, her voice dropped as though she could hide it form Nia who sat only inches away, “You must take her.”
Ellis pursed his bewildered lips, but finally nodded.
He observed this strange old woman, trying to figure out what her hidden meaning was, though both she and Kellen were staring at him in silence with identical expressions of some emotion that Ellis could not place.