“Yes, Your Highness.” Alret nodded in respect, not giving an inkling as to if he agreed or disagreed with the king’s orders.
I allowed Kane to take me by the hand and lead me back outside. “I could show you every establishment in Everwinter, but I do believe we were headed to a specific location. Someplace you can order a beverage.”
I took in a breath. “Kane?”
His shoulders pulled back. His fingers grazed my neck as he pushed my hair back over my shoulder. “I don’t believe in fate, little one. Remember?”
“But?” My eyes searched his, our energies wrapping around us both.
I could feel them almost as boldly as his breath on my ear as he leaned in to whisper, “Some things just are whether we believe them or not.”
His lips crashed down on mine, and my legs nearly buckled. Helping me regain my balance, he smiled, and we started walking again. We walked in silence for a moment, arriving at a doorway a few blocks away.
"My love?" I turned toward him, slowly, cautiously.
“Yes, little one?” He ran his hand up and down my back.
"Did you say... love? Did you call me your love to Alret?”
He smiled down at me. "You say that as if I have not said that before. Come. Let's get you out of the cold."
I took another step but stopped again. “But have you?”” I planted my hand on my hip.
“Have I said I love you?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“What?”
He laughed. “I have not told you.”
My head tilted as I waited for him to say something more. But he didn’t. Instead, he chuckled, kissed my head and wrapped an arm around me, guiding me toward the door. “This is a good day. Shall we?"
I let it drop, puzzled by the sly grin on his face. “Where are we?”
“It is the tavern where the humans gather, mostly." He leaned against a pillar of marble. One of two that flank the entrance.
The carved, mahogany wood door decorated the front of building. I thought for a minute. “How will they take you coming in there? Let alone you coming in with a human woman? And one dressed like I am?”
He lifted a shoulder. "Vampires go in here all the time to feed on the humans, so..."
I pondered his response for a moment then tapped my foot. “You skirted the rest of my inquiry, other than that point, Kane.”
"I'm sorry, I am not used to having to answer to someone.” He frowned. “They won't really bat an eye at me. I stop in a few times when I am home just to check on things. Sure, they might find it unusual that you, looking as you do, are on my arm, but will they care? I do not know, nor do I care what the humans think."
“Kane?” I looked at him quizzically. “Do you look down on my kind? Is this going to be an issue between us for you to speak of my kind like that, therefore making me feel like I am beneath you?”
How brows pinched in. "You are from a different planet. You are not like these humans.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “How am I different from them? And would you not treat earth humans the same as Naelyrian or even humans on Aejynys?”
He lifted from the pillar and stood before me, studying my expression before speaking. "I am what I am, Auriena. I am a Vampire. I live off your kind. I apologize if that offends you. I do not have an entire world full of your kind to eat from. I have only maybe 100,000 or more. Most have either mutated into higher forms like my own or the Wornoichen. Many have died out. So, yes. I view these humans as livestock. My kind, and others, keep them alive so we have a food source. If they wipe out. I wipe out. So, in some ways, I also have respect for them. Above all, I respect you most. I do not wish to fight about this."
“I am not fighting. I am disagreeing with how you see my kind. Or at least how you speak of them to me. Your reference of humans like you do make me feel that it’s how you see me. Or will if you ever tire of me or get angry with me.” I stopped explaining my point as a man emerged from the tavern and walked up the road.
Once he passed, Kane held a hand out to me. “I guess I see it differently. But I see your point, and I shall cease if it makes you upset.” He opened the door and motioned for me to go inside.
A hush went over the place as the king walked in behind me. They all looked at me and then back to Kane before going back to talking. Only their conversations were a whisper in comparison to the jovial atmosphere I heard through the door prior to our entrance.
Kane waved at the bartender and told him the drinks were free for the night. As if a dam broke, the room roared to life.
“Of course, Your Highness. What shall I bring you and your guest to your booth?” the barkeep inquired.
Kane held a hand out. “A menu for my guest and a water to start off until she decides. And the usual for me.” He walked me over to a private table in the back with a view of the entire dining area.
I sat down and took the menu, rehashing all that I learned in what few books I’d gotten ahold of, in an attempt to order food and beverages I may like... which was proving to be more difficult than anticipated. Once he sat with me, I put the menu back down. “I respect why you feel like you
