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“Don’t call me Red,” I growl. I hate people calling me Red. What stupid person thinks a hair colour is a good way to define people.
“What else am I supposed to? I’d call you Hunter, but I think it’s probably a bit late for that. Then again, I do like irony.” He chuckles, mostly to himself I think.
“Where’s the irony?” I’m sounding defensive, even to my own ears.
“You were a hunter and now you’re…”
“Lalalalalalala,” I sing rapidly, sticking my fingers in my ears. I just can’t hear it. I’m not ready yet. I may never be ready.
“Please, just listen.” He pulls my hands away from my ears with a firm, but surprisingly gentle, grip on my wrists. I stop singing, more in shock than anything else. Why isn’t he attacking me? Shoul
dn’t he want to?
More to the point, shouldn’t I be wanting to attack something? Nothing I’ve ever heard about newborn va...people like me, suggests restraint is a common attribute. So the last thing I expect is to be sat here chit chatting with Dimitri. What kind of name is that anyway? Does he want to sound like some stereotypical Russian Prince?
I look him up and down. He doesn’t sound Russian, but with vampires, who knows what’s possible. If he’s hundreds of years old, then it seems likely he’d have lost his accent at some point. Is it rude to ask his age?
I open my mouth to speak, but he holds his hand out to stop me. Oh yes, he wants me to listen to him. I close it again, catching my lip against the sharp tooth and causing a bead of blood to well up there. Without realising what I’m doing, I swipe at the droplet with my tongue. Dimitri’s gaze heats up as it follows the path of my tongue. I wonder if vamps are as attracted to their own blood as they are to humans’?
“You’re a vampire now,” he begins.
“Am not,” I interrupt, pouting at him. How dare he say I’m one of them. I’m not a...a...thing.
“You are, and you’re not going to be able to deny it for much longer either...now will you please tell me your name?” he almost demands.
“No,” I reply instantly.
“What do I need to do to get it? Swear on garlic bread that I won’t do anything to hurt you? I saved your life, need I remind you.”
“I’d hardly call it saving,” I mutter.
“No? So you’d be alive and kicking right now without my intervention?” He sounds a little irritated. Oops. I mean, good. I want him to. He took my life from me. “You were already dead. All I did was give you a bit of my blood. So you’re a vampire, it’s really no big deal. Unless you’re a particular fan of sunshine and churches.” He chuckles to himself, clearly pleased with his little joke. I’m not. While I can’t say I’m fussed about either of those things, it’s hardly compensation for having to drink blood.
“I…”
“You’re a vampire. And sooner or later, you’re going to discover the truth of that.”
“No.” I shake my head, my long red hair whipping around me with the exertion.
“Fine, be in denial. But when the thirst gets too much, just remember I warned you.” He sighs, and gets up from the bed. For the first time, I let my eyes meet his. They sparkle in the light, a dark brown. Softer than I expect, with flecks of gold that captivate me even without them meaning to.
But most striking of all is the silence. Right now, I should be getting the knowledge of his deepest, darkest, secret. And yet, nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“Why isn’t it working?” I mutter to myself.
Dimitri just stares at me for a moment. “We don’t combust just cause you want us to,” he points out.
“Not that,” I snap, completely forgetting who I’m talking to, and the fact I shouldn’t be interacting with him at all. This was already breaking so many guild rules.
“Then what?” He looks slightly amused at my outburst, but I ignore that. I don’t want to tell him anything else he could take advantage of.
“I see. You have some other kind of power and you’re trying to get it to work on me.” He laughs. Oh shit, how did he work that out?
“No,” I protest far too quickly. Oops.
“I thought the guild removed anyone who wasn’t entirely human?”
I glance away, stupidly betraying the truth of the matter.
