The Heart Of A Vampire

part twenty one: garlic

This time, he allowed her to finish it before speaking once more.

"So," he began, leaning forward slightly in his seat. "What did you learn?"

"The history of magic."

He rolled his eyes. "I apologize for thinking that I could have an intelligent conversation with you."

"Oh stop it, you! I was only joking! I learned a lot, actually."

"Like?"

She paused, scrambling to recollect her thoughts and pick up on one of the many interesting things she had just learned.

"I learned about the Council of Laniasti, and about how they used to govern all usage of magic before they disappeared a few millennia ago."

Vlads expression darkened for a moment after hearing those words before quickly clearing up.

He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at her. "If I recall correctly, that book does detail a few of the suspected reasons the council disappeared, yes?"

Evangeline nodded, seeming a bit surprised. "You've read this?"

"I've read every book in this library. There isn't much else to do."

"It sounds quite boring," she responded. "Do you ever get.. lonely, maybe?"

Vlad went quiet, opening his mouth to speak although nothing came out. Finally, he cleared his throat and responded.

"No."

Once more, she looked surprised. "Really? I think I'd be quite lonely if I lived all on my own here with no friends or family," she murmured.

"Then it's a good thing you don't," he said sharply.

"You sound angry."

"I'm not."

She paused before responding. "Most not-angry people typically don't glare at others with their arms crossed over their chests."

He immediately put his hands to his side and forced an almost comically fake looking smile, one of his eyes twitching.

"Better now?" He hissed through his teeth

She couldn't help but laugh. "Don't give yourself a seizure over it!"

"Do I look like the kind of man to have a seizure?"

Evangeline suddenly paused, appearing to be intrigued. "Could you have a seizure?" She asked curiously. "Like, being a vampire. Is that even possible?"

Vlad also paused. "I suppose I've never wondered. Im afraid I'm not sure, though I do doubt it. I've never heard any cases of a vampire experiencing one, and I'm sure that if it had ever happened, I would have heard of it."

"You must be grateful then, correct? Perhaps not for your inability to have a seizure in particular, as you've never thought of it, but regarding your health in general. You're immortal. Powerful. Only a stake in the heart could truly kill you. Even garlic only drives you away. It's actually quite comical, that such a powerful being could be warded off by a simple food."

"Except.. garlic is nothing to me," Vlad responded

"What? What do you mean?"

"Vampires are only said to be warded off by garlic because it was originally believed that we came to be due to a blood disease, and that since such a powerful antibiotic, such as garlic, could cure diseases, that it harmed us. However, that is simply not true, as vampires are turned not by a disease, but by being attacked by another vampire," he explained

"Oh. I did not know that," Evangeline murmured, feeling a bit sheepish.

"That's alright. I've never met anybody who did. It's quite the common superstition," Vlad responded dismissively, as though he didn't particularly care.