the
table. What are you doing, she thought, be quiet.
He scooted his chair an inch away from
her.
"Why are you all so eager to fight him, to be
human?"
"You could never understand," the vampire
next to Luke said softly, eyeing him wearily.
"You're right, I don't. I've spent my whole
life trying to protect humans from you people, and now instead of
killing them to want to become one?"
"Perhaps I'm tired of all the killing," she
said, a sad smile passed over her lips, "but then again, perhaps
I'm tired of not caring that a killer is what I've become."
Luke opened his mouth, ready to push forward,
his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Alright then," Pavia said, jumping out of
her seat to stop the conversation before it went any further.
"Kira, Luke, why don’t you crazy conduits get home. I'll walk you
out."
Pavia started for the door and Kira grabbed
Luke, practically pulling him out of his seat. She didn't say a
word until they were outside in the fresh air.
Kira shifted her shoulders back, ready to
hold her ground, but before she even opened her mouth, Pavia
charged Luke, poking her finger forcefully into his chest.
"Alright, Luke. What was that?"
Kira crossed her arms, nodding in agreement
and staring Luke down.
"I don't trust vampires," he stubbornly
responded, but an apologetic look tugged at his eyes.
"Well we don't trust you either," Pavia said,
as though she were talking to imbecile, "but that doesn’t mean we
can't do business. Do you want to keep your girlfriend alive or
what?"
"Yes," Luke said, "but—"
"Well, if you want her alive then we have to
kill Aldrich, and if you want to kill Aldrich you'll need us. In
case you didn't realize, the conduits aren't exactly supporting you
right now—runaways."
Pavia blew her bangs out of her face,
regathering her strength before Luke could get a word in. "And if
you're so doubtful, maybe you should just go. We can do this
without you."
"Now, wait a minute—"
"No, you wait," Pavia leaned in closer and
Luke backed up, his face the definition of shock as she snarled at
him, "you want to know why a vampire might want to be human? Take a
look at yourself. I know everything in your head. I sense your
heart pound every time Kira steps into a room. I feel your blood
warm when she meets your stare. I hear the pain tugging at your
chest, staggering your breath, when you think about losing her. And
did you ever think maybe that's why I want to be human? So I can
feel those things for myself without living vicariously through a
conduit like you? Vampires can't be in love, and I know Kira
doesn't want to hear that but it's true. And what's eternity worth
if you're forever alone? Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
Pavia turned to Kira, who flinched under her
hard stare, "Kira, I'll see you tomorrow. I owe you some memories
before all of the fighting goes down."
And with that, Pavia spun on her heel,
whipping Luke in the face with her long, wavy black hair.
Luke, for his part, looked like he had been
hit with something far worse… something more like a truck.
"She yelled at me," Luke said, awed.
"Yup, a really good yell too," Kira said,
trying her best not to laugh. A little smile slipped out despite
her best efforts.
"I mean, she really yelled at me." He was
shell-shocked.
"Yeah, well, you deserved it. She kind of
stole my thunder actually, I was all prepared to yell at you
too."
"But when you yell at me it's cute, when she
yells at me," a shiver traveled down his spine, "it's scary."
"I resent that."
"Hey, wait a second," Luke shifted his gaze
to look Kira right in the eye, "I was going to yell at you."
She looked away and started walking down the
brick path, back toward the sidewalk outside of the restaurant.
"What was that back there?" He asked,
catching up to her quickly.
"What?"
"What? Ha! You know what. Saying you didn't
kill Aldrich because of Tristan, I know the truth, you had no idea
about Tristan. Why'd you lie? What are you hiding?" Luke took her
hand
table. What are you doing, she thought, be quiet.
He scooted his chair an inch away from
her.
"Why are you all so eager to fight him, to be
human?"
"You could never understand," the vampire
next to Luke said softly, eyeing him wearily.
"You're right, I don't. I've spent my whole
life trying to protect humans from you people, and now instead of
killing them to want to become one?"
"Perhaps I'm tired of all the killing," she
said, a sad smile passed over her lips, "but then again, perhaps
I'm tired of not caring that a killer is what I've become."
Luke opened his mouth, ready to push forward,
his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Alright then," Pavia said, jumping out of
her seat to stop the conversation before it went any further.
"Kira, Luke, why don’t you crazy conduits get home. I'll walk you
out."
Pavia started for the door and Kira grabbed
Luke, practically pulling him out of his seat. She didn't say a
word until they were outside in the fresh air.
Kira shifted her shoulders back, ready to
hold her ground, but before she even opened her mouth, Pavia
charged Luke, poking her finger forcefully into his chest.
"Alright, Luke. What was that?"
Kira crossed her arms, nodding in agreement
and staring Luke down.
"I don't trust vampires," he stubbornly
responded, but an apologetic look tugged at his eyes.
"Well we don't trust you either," Pavia said,
as though she were talking to imbecile, "but that doesn’t mean we
can't do business. Do you want to keep your girlfriend alive or
what?"
"Yes," Luke said, "but—"
"Well, if you want her alive then we have to
kill Aldrich, and if you want to kill Aldrich you'll need us. In
case you didn't realize, the conduits aren't exactly supporting you
right now—runaways."
Pavia blew her bangs out of her face,
regathering her strength before Luke could get a word in. "And if
you're so doubtful, maybe you should just go. We can do this
without you."
"Now, wait a minute—"
"No, you wait," Pavia leaned in closer and
Luke backed up, his face the definition of shock as she snarled at
him, "you want to know why a vampire might want to be human? Take a
look at yourself. I know everything in your head. I sense your
heart pound every time Kira steps into a room. I feel your blood
warm when she meets your stare. I hear the pain tugging at your
chest, staggering your breath, when you think about losing her. And
did you ever think maybe that's why I want to be human? So I can
feel those things for myself without living vicariously through a
conduit like you? Vampires can't be in love, and I know Kira
doesn't want to hear that but it's true. And what's eternity worth
if you're forever alone? Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
Pavia turned to Kira, who flinched under her
hard stare, "Kira, I'll see you tomorrow. I owe you some memories
before all of the fighting goes down."
And with that, Pavia spun on her heel,
whipping Luke in the face with her long, wavy black hair.
Luke, for his part, looked like he had been
hit with something far worse… something more like a truck.
"She yelled at me," Luke said, awed.
"Yup, a really good yell too," Kira said,
trying her best not to laugh. A little smile slipped out despite
her best efforts.
"I mean, she really yelled at me." He was
shell-shocked.
"Yeah, well, you deserved it. She kind of
stole my thunder actually, I was all prepared to yell at you
too."
"But when you yell at me it's cute, when she
yells at me," a shiver traveled down his spine, "it's scary."
"I resent that."
"Hey, wait a second," Luke shifted his gaze
to look Kira right in the eye, "I was going to yell at you."
She looked away and started walking down the
brick path, back toward the sidewalk outside of the restaurant.
"What was that back there?" He asked,
catching up to her quickly.
"What?"
"What? Ha! You know what. Saying you didn't
kill Aldrich because of Tristan, I know the truth, you had no idea
about Tristan. Why'd you lie? What are you hiding?" Luke took her
hand
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