party, which went okay . Jason got me a laptop!”
“That's great, sweetie!” I heard the muffled voice in the backward. “I have to go, my dinner is getting cold. Go enjoy the rest of your night .”
“Okay, keep me posted.”
“I will. Don't worry too much.”
“I'll try. Bye, mom, ” It might be impossible to call her anything but that.
“Bye, sweetie.”
Salem delicately took the phone from my grasp and sat it on the coffee table. “You have more questions,” h e said knowingly.
“Just a couple,” I replied shyly . “What happened to the burns?”
“Becoming a vampire could be seen as a type of cleansing, I suppose. Any illness, wound, scar, or deformity you might have had as a human is healed upon turning.”
“Then, in a sense, isn't it better to become a vampire?”
“No!” h e shouted, causing me to look away in slight regret for asking. “ Nothing is worth this sort of existence.”
“Okay, ” I croaked, “There is more...” I braced myself for anger, but instead received a smile.
“Ask away,” h e said gingerly.
“It's more of a fact than a question, ” I twiddled my thumbs nervously, “y our eyes – they change color when you're ‘materializing’ things...”
He blinked. “You noticed that?”
“Yes...”
“I am impressed,” h e smirked. “You must be very observant.”
“Not usually, ” I confessed. “ What else can you tell me about vampires ? I want to know everything. ” I was surprised by my own question, but I had grown genuinely interested in the topic.
“While some of what you have heard or read or seen are definite myths, there are some attributes we definitely do obtain - such as speed. We can run quicker than any human, and drinking the blood of human s makes us exceptionally strong,” h e looked disgusted for a mere moment, “p owerful vampires can possess the ability to share visions, memories, with others by the mere touch of their hand. I spent many years experimenting with what I could and could not do after I left Raziel. It truly was amazing to me that daylight did not kill me, and I wondered what else I could possibly do.
I knew that sleeping was no longer necessary, but I attempted to sleep nevertheless – simply because Raziel claimed it was impossible, and I was stubborn enough to put it to the test. Unfortunately, he had been correct. I cannot even imagin e what dreaming is like anymore,” h e sigh ed and looked at me, “t hat's enough vampire talk for now though , I think.”
The room fell silent for a moment, and then Salem glanced up at the clock. It was nearing 10 pm. “Do you need to go somewhere?” I asked.
“No,” h e replied, “I was just noticing your birthday is coming to an end.”
“I don't mind, ” I laughed.
“There was one last gift I wanted to give you, but I wasn't sure how you would react,” h e looked uneasy.
“What is it?” I asked anxiously.
“It woul d be easier for me to show you, than to tell you.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “Are you going to summon something out of thin air again or something ?”
“No, not exactly,” h e chuckled. “Alexis, I know it is hard for you to fathom right now, but you do mean a lot to me.”
“ Yeah, you keep saying that. Are you every going to explain what you mean ?”
“In due time ,” h e smiled lightly. “Close your eyes.”
I hesitated a moment before letting my eyelids fall shut. My heart was thumping wildly in my chest as I waited intently for whatever was coming. My eyes almost flew open as I felt Salem's cool breath against the side of my face. Tenderly, he brushed his cold lips against my cheek.
“Happy birthday, Alexis,” h e whispered into my ear.
I was speechless, breathless... breathless . “Salem...” I became more focused, “ y ou can breathe?”
“No t quite as literally as you can, ” h e replied, ob viously stunned by my unexpected response to his action.
“Oh, ” My expression was blank momentarily, and then I
“That's great, sweetie!” I heard the muffled voice in the backward. “I have to go, my dinner is getting cold. Go enjoy the rest of your night .”
“Okay, keep me posted.”
“I will. Don't worry too much.”
“I'll try. Bye, mom, ” It might be impossible to call her anything but that.
“Bye, sweetie.”
Salem delicately took the phone from my grasp and sat it on the coffee table. “You have more questions,” h e said knowingly.
“Just a couple,” I replied shyly . “What happened to the burns?”
“Becoming a vampire could be seen as a type of cleansing, I suppose. Any illness, wound, scar, or deformity you might have had as a human is healed upon turning.”
“Then, in a sense, isn't it better to become a vampire?”
“No!” h e shouted, causing me to look away in slight regret for asking. “ Nothing is worth this sort of existence.”
“Okay, ” I croaked, “There is more...” I braced myself for anger, but instead received a smile.
“Ask away,” h e said gingerly.
“It's more of a fact than a question, ” I twiddled my thumbs nervously, “y our eyes – they change color when you're ‘materializing’ things...”
He blinked. “You noticed that?”
“Yes...”
“I am impressed,” h e smirked. “You must be very observant.”
“Not usually, ” I confessed. “ What else can you tell me about vampires ? I want to know everything. ” I was surprised by my own question, but I had grown genuinely interested in the topic.
“While some of what you have heard or read or seen are definite myths, there are some attributes we definitely do obtain - such as speed. We can run quicker than any human, and drinking the blood of human s makes us exceptionally strong,” h e looked disgusted for a mere moment, “p owerful vampires can possess the ability to share visions, memories, with others by the mere touch of their hand. I spent many years experimenting with what I could and could not do after I left Raziel. It truly was amazing to me that daylight did not kill me, and I wondered what else I could possibly do.
I knew that sleeping was no longer necessary, but I attempted to sleep nevertheless – simply because Raziel claimed it was impossible, and I was stubborn enough to put it to the test. Unfortunately, he had been correct. I cannot even imagin e what dreaming is like anymore,” h e sigh ed and looked at me, “t hat's enough vampire talk for now though , I think.”
The room fell silent for a moment, and then Salem glanced up at the clock. It was nearing 10 pm. “Do you need to go somewhere?” I asked.
“No,” h e replied, “I was just noticing your birthday is coming to an end.”
“I don't mind, ” I laughed.
“There was one last gift I wanted to give you, but I wasn't sure how you would react,” h e looked uneasy.
“What is it?” I asked anxiously.
“It woul d be easier for me to show you, than to tell you.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “Are you going to summon something out of thin air again or something ?”
“No, not exactly,” h e chuckled. “Alexis, I know it is hard for you to fathom right now, but you do mean a lot to me.”
“ Yeah, you keep saying that. Are you every going to explain what you mean ?”
“In due time ,” h e smiled lightly. “Close your eyes.”
I hesitated a moment before letting my eyelids fall shut. My heart was thumping wildly in my chest as I waited intently for whatever was coming. My eyes almost flew open as I felt Salem's cool breath against the side of my face. Tenderly, he brushed his cold lips against my cheek.
“Happy birthday, Alexis,” h e whispered into my ear.
I was speechless, breathless... breathless . “Salem...” I became more focused, “ y ou can breathe?”
“No t quite as literally as you can, ” h e replied, ob viously stunned by my unexpected response to his action.
“Oh, ” My expression was blank momentarily, and then I
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