To Save a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,44
long blonde hair is braided to one side, a fresh flower tucked behind one ear and smaller flowers trailing down her thick braid. Her song stops abruptly when she senses us, and her big blue eyes meet mine. A nervous smile touches her lips as she looks around. Her innocence shows in her adolescent eyes. Her hand tightens on the small flaying knife as she subtly raises it higher.
She looks like a frightened, defensive animal. Her small and petite build isn’t threatening, but she holds her head high and confident nonetheless.
“I’m sorry. I was looking for a friend. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” I say, holding my palms up slightly, taking a step back.
She swallows hard and stands quickly, her thin white dress flowing to her knees. I turn to leave, unsure of how to make her feel more at ease. “Wait,” she says in an urgent, hurried voice, taking a few steps toward me.
I stop where I am. She tosses the thin knife to the ground, where it clinks lightly against the rocks. She walks the short distance to where we stand near the cliff and the slight river bank. Her bare feet never stumble on the rough, damp rocks.
Holding out her dainty hand, she offers me a clean plank of white fish meat. It’s so pure and perfect looking like she conjured it from thin air. It looks delicious, and I return a smile at her offering.
“Thank you,” I say in a breath, surprised by her kindness. My stomach growls from the lack of food eaten last night. “You really don’t have to do this, though.” Ripper watches the food in my hand with wide eyes, licking his thin lips in contradiction, like he didn’t eat half a turkey just a few hours ago.
She smiles down at the little dog, extending her small palm to pet the soft white hair atop his head. Ripper quickly dodges her and runs behind my legs where he growls like the ominous predator he is. She laughs at the sound of his threat. Her voice, song, and laughter are all light and peaceful.
“I haven’t seen anyone in the forest in …,” she pauses, eating up my overall appearance, “… years. What brings you here?” Her head tilts up at me, her words articulate but soft.
I pause, unsure of what I’m doing here in the woods, but also unsure of how much information I should give her.
“You’re looking for answers,” she says like a guess, raising a thin eyebrow. “But you’ll only find more questions.” Her words carry weight, a heaviness, spoken like someone who has seen decades come and go. “Are you traveling with anyone? A companion?”
A slow, sly smile pulls at her lips. Her teeth are white, nearly as white as her pale blonde hair and her dress, which hangs from her thin body. She has an aura pouring from her. Maybe it’s from her happiness, her innocence, or maybe there’s something unseen in her. Something … magical, like the tales whispered around camp of beings we’ve pushed from our history. Is she fae? Her ears appear natural, no angle or points. But she’s different. Flawless and angelic and something else.
Something unnatural. Her strange words tug at my mind, and I shift awkwardly on my feet.
“No, no companion for me,” I say, choosing my words carefully but keeping myself honest as well. “I have a group I’m traveling with.”
She nods pleasantly; her wide eyes are clear and curious, still assessing me. I’m a stranger to her. Can she trust me? I’m not much bigger than she is really. She offered me fish, a small sign of friendship, I guess. Is that what fish signifies?
“My name’s Fallon,” I say, extending my hand between us, trying to gain some trust in her skeptical eyes.
My hands that I rinsed in the river just moments ago feel dirty next to her clean, white dress and polished nails. How is she so clean here in the wild? She smiles sweetly at me, her long thin fingers reaching for my own. Her pretty smile grows larger. Too large. Strange, almost. Twisting into something other than happiness.
Just as her pale hand wisps over mine, my body is pulled back into something hard. The air is knocked out of me at the impact.
I tilt my head back, looking up to see Asher’s face set in anger as he walks us back from the girl. His brows are pulled low, his palm pressing firmly against my hip. My back is