certainly enlisting Xander's help if we are to seek him out. I do not dare to hunt a hunter without a little muscle."
"Is Matthias holding a grudge?"
"No, but he doesn't care for company these days. But, he can also walk the planes. He's the only one I know who can teach you how to control it."
I'm hungry, Nevar. She felt ashamed to admit it, but the pain in her stomach was growing. She was no longer able to ignore it.
There was pain in his eyes again. She was giving too much away. She schooled her features into her best poker face, which she was terrible at, but her focus had improved considerably since she last played the game. Her luck, on the other hand, was another matter entirely.
"I feel like I'm being too needy," she told him. It was the truth, but the other half of it was the dread of what she was about to do. There were no more clouds to conceal the truth of what she was left in her mind, and no more twisting of her thoughts by Nevar to help her along. She looked at him with pleading eyes. "You'll help me, won't you?"
"If you need it," he answered simply. "Would you like to go back to your home as well?"
"I'd like to pick up a few things if you still want me to stay here." It struck her that she had no idea how long he would want her here. He had said a few days, until she had recovered from her physical change, but the mental change in her was far more frightening. Walking the planes was bad enough, but her nightmares had been so real. Only Nevar had been able to chase them away. What would she ever do without him?
"Alyssa." His voice caressed her name like a melody to a song. Her fear was written on her face, she knew, but whether he knew why or not was a mystery to her. "I would say it is going to be okay, but I can't promise you that. What I can promise is that I will be here for you. I know things are different and they can never go back the way it was before, but unless you order me away, here I am."
"Is it from experience that you know just what to say or am I just that easy to read?"
He smiled at her. "Maybe both. Matthias did not tarry long after turning me. He gave me the knowledge I needed, then he vanished and left me to my ways. You are the only one I've turned, but I have no desire to leave you for the wolves, so to speak. I'm sure the phrase holds new meaning for you after meeting Xander, but there's something you should know."
"I recall getting strict orders not to believe anything you say about him," her smile was teasing, but his expression was serious, and her smile died away with her voice into the air.
"It can wait until you've been properly fed. It's quite a long story." He got out of bed and walked across the room and began to dress himself. He seemed to take his time fastening each button and straightening every wrinkle until he looked as though he stepped right out of a magazine.
She knew the only clothes she had were the ones she wore the night before, but she didn't remember where she had placed them. Looking around the room, she found them carefully laid out for her. She got up and walked across the room, finding each movement easier and more graceful than she'd ever been on a runway.
She dressed with purpose, not knowing or caring whether Nevar was standing audience or not. After carefully arranging her ensemble to perfection, she shook out her hair. She wanted a shower and clean clothes, though to be honest, she didn't feel dirty in the slightest. Filth must be a human syndrome. Vampires didn't need to sweat, and her skin was not oily, but the sensation of the water over her skin would make her feel normal again. She missed her scented bath oils and floral soaps.
She turned, looking for Nevar, but she was alone in the room. Walking out into the sitting room, she saw him. He was staring into the fireplace, seeming very deep in thought. He must not have heard her approach because she saw the shiver that ran down his spine when he saw her. It was as much evidence as if he had
"Is Matthias holding a grudge?"
"No, but he doesn't care for company these days. But, he can also walk the planes. He's the only one I know who can teach you how to control it."
I'm hungry, Nevar. She felt ashamed to admit it, but the pain in her stomach was growing. She was no longer able to ignore it.
There was pain in his eyes again. She was giving too much away. She schooled her features into her best poker face, which she was terrible at, but her focus had improved considerably since she last played the game. Her luck, on the other hand, was another matter entirely.
"I feel like I'm being too needy," she told him. It was the truth, but the other half of it was the dread of what she was about to do. There were no more clouds to conceal the truth of what she was left in her mind, and no more twisting of her thoughts by Nevar to help her along. She looked at him with pleading eyes. "You'll help me, won't you?"
"If you need it," he answered simply. "Would you like to go back to your home as well?"
"I'd like to pick up a few things if you still want me to stay here." It struck her that she had no idea how long he would want her here. He had said a few days, until she had recovered from her physical change, but the mental change in her was far more frightening. Walking the planes was bad enough, but her nightmares had been so real. Only Nevar had been able to chase them away. What would she ever do without him?
"Alyssa." His voice caressed her name like a melody to a song. Her fear was written on her face, she knew, but whether he knew why or not was a mystery to her. "I would say it is going to be okay, but I can't promise you that. What I can promise is that I will be here for you. I know things are different and they can never go back the way it was before, but unless you order me away, here I am."
"Is it from experience that you know just what to say or am I just that easy to read?"
He smiled at her. "Maybe both. Matthias did not tarry long after turning me. He gave me the knowledge I needed, then he vanished and left me to my ways. You are the only one I've turned, but I have no desire to leave you for the wolves, so to speak. I'm sure the phrase holds new meaning for you after meeting Xander, but there's something you should know."
"I recall getting strict orders not to believe anything you say about him," her smile was teasing, but his expression was serious, and her smile died away with her voice into the air.
"It can wait until you've been properly fed. It's quite a long story." He got out of bed and walked across the room and began to dress himself. He seemed to take his time fastening each button and straightening every wrinkle until he looked as though he stepped right out of a magazine.
She knew the only clothes she had were the ones she wore the night before, but she didn't remember where she had placed them. Looking around the room, she found them carefully laid out for her. She got up and walked across the room, finding each movement easier and more graceful than she'd ever been on a runway.
She dressed with purpose, not knowing or caring whether Nevar was standing audience or not. After carefully arranging her ensemble to perfection, she shook out her hair. She wanted a shower and clean clothes, though to be honest, she didn't feel dirty in the slightest. Filth must be a human syndrome. Vampires didn't need to sweat, and her skin was not oily, but the sensation of the water over her skin would make her feel normal again. She missed her scented bath oils and floral soaps.
She turned, looking for Nevar, but she was alone in the room. Walking out into the sitting room, she saw him. He was staring into the fireplace, seeming very deep in thought. He must not have heard her approach because she saw the shiver that ran down his spine when he saw her. It was as much evidence as if he had
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