Darcia's pov

"Do you know where the hairdryer is?" Talia asked me as she stepped out of the bathroom, entirely soaked from the bath she was having. A large black oversized t-shirt she had on that belonged to me was hanging below her knees. I chuckled only inside my head and then cleared my throat.

"Sit down, I will go find it for you," I said as I got up from the couch and, at super speed, moved to the bathroom. I opened the spacious cabinet and found the hairdryer at the very bottom of it, covered with other useless things.

When I got back into the room, Talia had already been brushing her tangled hair. I shifted next to her and gently grabbed the brush from her hand. She looked at me with a surprised face, still released her grip around the wooden part of it. I began to brush her hair slowly, starting from the bottom and working my way up. I could sense her relaxing under my touch, the tension in her body releasing as I brushed her golden hair.

She smiled up at me gratefully, and I smiled back as I continued brushing. We sat in silence, the only sound being the gentle strokes of the brush against the strands of her hair. I gave her hair a final stroke with the brush and tossed it away onto the bed.

"Talia?" I called her by her name in a questionable tone. Turning her entire body toward me, she gazed at me intently.

"Do you-" I paused and moved my eyes to the floor. "Do you feel like a prisoner here?"

"No," she replied after a few seconds. "I don't feel like a prisoner. But it's been a while since I went somewhere other than taking care of flowers in the yard, haha." I nodded in understanding. We both stayed quiet for a few moments, lost in our own thoughts.

I was too harsh on her isolation, and she had all the right to say she felt like being in a prison here. Despite that, she made it sound as if it was okay to do so. Her reaction reminded me of when I was living in my castle. I was constantly staying in one tiny tower, not being able to go where I wanted. I don't want to shift my traumas to her by being like my insane, controlling mother.

I grabbed her underneath her armpits and lifted her gently to my lap. She holds onto my arms, studying my gaze.

"Are you fond of lakes?" I asked.

She raised an eyebrow at my unexpected question.

"I've never visited one before, so I cannot answer." She softly laughed, except then she realized how little of the world she had seen in her total of eighteen years of living. I saw and lived through many things in those centuries. She doesn't even know how the cold water feels when you stand inside the lake. I remember standing in the lake, watching the ripples that the fish made in the water, and feeling the icy chill of the lake against my skin. May my body and organs be dead, yet my soul has revived at the many moments I experienced this.

"Let me rephrase my question then: shall we visit a lake this afternoon?" My mouth curved into a smile.

Her eyes seemed to sparkle at my suggestion. It felt right to take her somewhere where she hadn't been yet, which is every corner of this whole world. Even taking her merely a couple of kilometers away from my house was exciting enough for her.

"Yes!! I would love to go, Darcia." She answered with excitement and then captured me, hugging me tight.

***

The afternoon came, four minutes till five o'clock. Originally, I thought it would be only the two of us, but after all, Nicoli and Stacey joined our trip to the lake.

"Can I ask why we are standing outside of the house and not sitting inside a car?" Nicoli asked me as I was closing the front door. Talia and Stacey were standing right next to Nicoli at the center of a driveway. Our super hearing is greatly helpful at situations like this because what if he was standing next to me and my fist would landed on his jaw? Distance is perfect for the two of us.

In the blink of an eye, I was standing behind Talia, holding her around the waist.

"We won't use the car today. We're vampires, Nicoli. Since when you're so dependent on a vehicle? A couple of centuries ago we were fond of running, weren't we?" I chuckled as I finished talking.

Nicoli looked at Stacey, who couldn't stop the giggles from leaving her mouth. He readjusted his gray shirt and looked slightly embarrassed and offended about what I said. Teasing him won't hurt him, though it will only touch his big ego.

"Now, Talia, I will carry you on my back, so hop on me," I informed her, lowering myself half my height.

Talia did not protest and trusted my command. I grabbed her under her thighs, and her hands locked around my neck.

I steadily stood up and turned to two of them, who just stood there as statues. "What are you two waiting for? An invitation? Jump on him already." I said in disbelief, rolling my eyes.

I owe him my life, and I will never pay it fully back to him. Making him closer to Stacey is all I can do for him for now. If it wasn't for him, who took care of me, I would have been lost for eternity. He will never hear these words; however, he knows. He knows how much I appreciate, and value him.

Stacey was the first to approach him. She stared at him, waiting for him to lower himself. As Nicoli looked at me with the deadliest look he had ever given me, he lowered himself down so she could jump on his back comfortably.

If I could burst out laughing, I would. However I made him angry enough, and we have a place to go to.

I would not have been able to reach the location by car as the lake is located deep inside the forest, and my car wouldn't have been able to survive it. And all the mud on it would be impossible to clean off. Cleaning is not one of my passions.

"Talia, hold on to me tight," I warned. In her response, she wrapped her legs around my waist and leaned her head into the lobe between my neck and shoulder bone.

The path that leads to the lake is a few kilometers behind my house. At super speed, I ran down the path where pine trees surrounded us. The wind blew against my face as I ran, and the smell of pine filled the air. Running amongst the trees, competing with Nicoli, who will arrive there first, brought back old memories. We loved to show off our powers to each other. Despite Nicoli being older, I could make him fall to the ground every time. Competing in fastness was one of our great hobbies as well.

As I recall, Nicoli owned a small cabin near the lake. Let's just say we own many lands nearby. With each step, I could feel the squish of the mud beneath my feet, and before I realized it, we had reached the lake.

Stolen novel; please report.

The lake was vast and still, and the sun glistened off the surface of the water. The trees surrounding the lake were tall and majestic, and I could sense the warmth of the sun on my ice-cold face. I took a deep breath, feeling the sun on my face and the warmth of the breeze, and the sound of birds chirping filled the air.

"Wow." That was all Talia muttered once she caught sight of the lake and our surroundings.

"It's so beautiful. I can't believe it's real." She whispered, her eyes wide with amazement. She took a deep breath, taking in the smell of the pine trees and the fresh, clean air.

"Put me down." She urged, and I loosen the grip beneath her thighs. She slowly stepped closer to the edge of the lake, taking in the sight of the water.

"Were you coming here a lot?" She asked, orbiting her body and admiring everything possible that was around here.

"Sometimes," I smirked. Her eyes narrowed at my reply, but she let it slide.

"You're all boring. Why not dive right into the water?" Nicoli suddenly spoke and jumped into the lake. Talia, in surprise, gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. His insanity never stops amazing me.

"How's the temperature?" Talia cupped her hands around her mouth, yelling as he was swimming farther away. He stopped when he heard her question.

"Try it for yourself, Talia, or are you afraid?" He teased with a grin on his face.

All of the afternoon we spent inside the lake, swimming around and having a pleasant time. We laughed and splashed each other, creating an enjoyable atmosphere between us all. The sun was setting, and a cold wind blew through my long raven hair.

I started looking around and noticed Stacey swimming into the deeper part of the lake. She wasn't the best swimmer. She was even worse than Talia; that's why I was with her on the edge of the lake, just in case.

"Stacey?!" Talia shouted as soon as she noticed she was far away.

In a second, Stacey was not seen. Only her hands were above the surface of the water. I did not waste more of the time and quickly dove in and swam where she was located. I still smelled her blood, despite being far from her. I felt her fear and desperation as I swam towards her.

It should have made me happy. To see her frightened by what was happening. However, it was the total opposite of how I felt towards her feelings. I wanted to help her as fast as I could. To ease Talia's worry about her friend.

For the first time in a long time, I sought the feeling of salvation. To lift the burden of my previous sins from my shoulders. Which I know I cannot change, but I can at least compensate for it by saving someone's life. Human life, which I took many times.

I held her in my arms once I got a hold of her. "I'm okay." She laughed, "Thank you for saving me." She softly said, gazing into my eyes for a few seconds. Some amount of water came out of her mouth that was making her cough pretty badly.

I swam back to the shore as fast as I could to ease Talia's worry. Stacey was a bit shaken, yet she tried to speed up our swimming process.

I emerged from the water, and Talia was relieved to see Stacey was safe and sound with me.

Talia's pov

I could finally exhale the breath I had been holding the entire time when I saw Darcia clasping Stacey in her arms. I let out a long sigh. Nicoli wrapped a blanket around my drenched body. I quickly thanked him, then he walked over to Stacey, all worried about her, throwing an extra two blankets on top of her.

Stacey smiled at me from afar when Nicoli was scolding her about what she did. I decided not to go after her and make her see how concerned I was about her. Darcia approached me shortly after Nicoli took proper care of her.

"Thank you for saving her." I immediately said and wrapped myself around her waist.

"I know how much she means to you; if you think I would let her die because of my jealousy and pride, then you're mistaken, Talia." Darcia declared, and her face bore into my wet hair.

Guilt spread across my face. She already knew what I thought, and the fact that those assumptions were incorrect made me rely on saying, 'Don't judge a book by its cover'. Darcia looks cold-hearted, but she perpetually corrects her mistakes. They might not be best friends; however, they won't be enemies either. A middle ground is building between them.

Back home, we hopped back to Darcia's and Nicoli's backs. It seemed that Nicoli was holding Stacey too tight for her comfort as if he were scared that something would happen to her. Though it was peaceful, full of calmness being carried on her back, feeling the wind that she was creating by the inside speed.

It might not have been the best trip, nevertheless I liked that we spent time together, and I could see the change in Darcia's behavior toward Stacey.

The trees around me all looked blurred. I couldn't catch sight of anything around us because Darcia was almost flying. Her raven hair was flowing in the wind, and her skin was aglow and pale. She was a goddess, and I felt like I was in a dream. I tilted my head back and gazed up at the sky. It was the only thing I could focus on the whole ride home. The stars were twinkling and the moon was full and bright. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to fly like that, to be that free.

In the blink of an eye, we were in our front yard were my red roses are planted. I steadily slipped down from Darcia's back and readjusted my drenched clothes. If it wasn't a warm summer evening, I would get cold instantly. I walked to Stacey and analyzed her. Other than having wet clothes like me, she was completely fine. I told Nicoli to take her inside and give her some of his delicious soups to warm her up.

"What's on your mind?" Darcia asked as she saw me staring at the flowers. I forgot to water them for two days, and they look slightly dry at the leafs.

"Could you prepare a bath for me while I water those roses?" I requested politely. Darcia stared at me hesitantly. She dislikes leaving my side alone.

"I won't take a long time. Only a five minutes." I asserted when she didn't answer me. I put on a big smile and blinked multiple times in a row at her.

She sighed and shook her head. "Hurry up. It's getting pretty dark." She warned.

I nodded and wandered to the garage, where the watering can was placed. I grabbed it and headed to the outside water tap. I filled it up and walked back to the front yard. I carefully started pouring the water on the roses, making sure not to overwater them.

My mind was clouded by the conversation I had with Nicoli yesterday when we were cooking together.

Flashback

"I've been thinking about this for a while now. How old are you two with Darcia? You do look quite young, yet not immature-looking."I asked boldly.

Nicoli kept on stirring the pumpkin soup in the silver pot. He glanced at me, and a smirk combined with a smile appeared on his face. He returned his gaze to the soup.

"It's quite a difficult question to answer. What my parents told me is that we fully develop in only one year. I would say we are in our early twenties; however, I cannot say exactly." He explained and glanced at me. "What age do you think we are?" He wondered.

"Maybe twenty-three? I don't know." A laugh escaped my mouth. "I agree; I do think you are in your early twenties." I smiled. He looked back at the almost-done pumpkin soup with a stunning orange color.

"What about humans who turned to vampires?" Another question that I had to know an answer to

Nicoli lowered the gas completely and stopped stirring the soup. "They remain at the age they were turned. We might be the same kind, even so pure-blood vampires and humans who have been transformed into vampires are not the same." He explained again.

"Now, give me a break with your questions, and taste this delicious masterpiece of mine!" Nicoli proclaimed.

Once all the roses were watered, I planned to return inside as it got chilly outside. I headed back to the garage to place the water can where it belonged.

Then, just then, without warning, a pair of ice-cold hands clenched around my body. And freezing lips and sharp fangs sunken far down into my exposed neck, making me scream my lungs out from the agony.

The peacefulness was destroyed.