The Heart Of A Vampire

chapter thirty four: anger

She focused on the food in front of her, trying to forget about the sight to her left. She had never been one for displays of affection, and so naturally she couldn't help but turn up her nose slightly at the way that Victoria was acting.

She reached over and grabbed a fork from the plate of utensils and used it to start cutting a pancake into smaller chunks, having put Vlad and Victoria completely out of her mind.

Soon enough though, they returned.

But something was different.

Victorias brow was furrowed and her head was hung low. Her hands trembled slightly and she didn't make eye contact with anybody else.

Vlad on the other hand seemed to have perked up quite a bit. He began to gather some fruits onto his plate, seemingly in a good mood if the look on his face meant anything.

But Victoria didn't make a single attempt to even look at the food, let alone eat. She kept staring down at her lap until Evangeline finally said something.

"Are you alright?" She asked hesitantly.

Victoria flared up, her eyes flickering up to meet Evangeline's with an almost flaming intensity, making her visibly shrink away.

Vlads hand immediately flew out in front of her, almost as though it were shielding her from Victorias anger.

But then it died down.

And slowly he retracted his hand.

"Of course I'm alright! Whyever would I not be?" She responded in a strained voice, forcing a smile.

Evangeline was silent, staring up at her with a shocked look on her face before finally speaking.

"I see."

"Victoria, perhaps you should go on a walk in the woods. It might be relaxing for you," Vlad suggested, clearly wanting her to blow off some steam. It seemed more like an order than a suggestion though, and clearly Victoria realized it.

She flashed him an even more forced smile before getting up and quickly stalking off into the forest, leaving Vlad and Evangeline alone together.

"Are you two lovers?" Evangeline asked after a pause.

Vlad choked on a blueberry, spitting it out.

"Oh, no. Definitely not."

"You sound quite.. opposed to the idea," she commented. "I wonder why that is."

"Victoria is a fine enough woman," he responded dismissively. "Don't get me wrong, of course. But she's a bit possessive. Sensitive. With a temper. And I'd rather not put up with that for longer than I have to."

"You clearly like her enough to put up with her for days on end though."

He didn't respond, so she changed the subject.

"Do you know why she was mad? She was perfectly fine when I left you two by the water."

"It's nothing," he responded quickly. Perhaps too quickly for Evangeline's liking. But she decided not to press on for answers, though her gaze stayed on him for a few moments later.

He was the next one to speak.

"Would you like to come over tonight? To the castle."

"But won't Victoria be there? I wouldn't want to impose."

"Don't worry," he assured her. "She won't be. She's leaving tonight."

"Already? But I thought she still had more time."

"Things have changed."