Under the vampire Lord's protection-Chapter 513: One way

"I couldn’t answer your question," Emeric lay a gentle hand over her head before bringing her closer to his arm.

Arabella did not protest the gesture and let it happen. What an odd feeling it was to be in his proximity.

They had never met in life before but somehow his sole presence there brought her such comfort, such warmth...

Then again, it could have been because he shared so many aspects of his personality with Edgar who had always been kind to her.

His smile, his tone and even his choice of words... Or perhaps it was as simple as desperation. A yearning for the smallest shreds of mercy.

"You witnessed all of it, didn’t you?" she whispered, head resting upon his arm, "What they did to me," her voice cracked at some parts.

Emeric didn’t answer, but that on its own was enough of a reply. Soon, the muffled, meek melody of her sniffles filled the pleasant void around them.

"I don’t think I’ll ever be able to face anyone ever again," she cried, "Especially not him,"

"You know, for the longest time, I believed that Silas would roam the world of the living on his own. Never to cross a soul that would capture his eye for long enough to ponder...," his tone was as the journey without aim or destination. Not monotone per se, but never explicit about its goal.

That made her choke down the cries to look up at him, eyebrows somewhat furrowed and the intention behind the curious expression clear.

"No, I swear. I truly did believe he’d spend the rest of his life alone," he reiterated while nodding, eyes ahead into the unending distance.

"Why?" the word came from the heart, resonating with all the strain her vocal cords went through just to push it out.

"Well," he finally looked straight in her eyes, "You’ve met the guy, haven’t you?"

"Yes," she murmured.

"And what was your first impression of my son?" he grinned.

Arabella immediately broke eye contact, looking around at everything that wasn’t him, "I thought... I thought he was a very good man and...,"

"You were terrified of him, weren’t you?" when she took too long to respond, he added, "You can’t lie to me. I kept watch over my family and the look you had in your eyes when they first fell on him could not have been lying," his head shook slowly.

"I... It’s," she stammered over her words and nothing ever came out after that.

"So, I truly am curious to know what changed," he leaned a little closer as if on the edge of his seat for a story he’d been dying to hear all along, "How did he turn all that fear around into love. Especially since you are no vampire,"

The young woman took a moment to consider the question she had never asked herself. What was the turning point? When was it that her fear did turn to... Love?

Although, it didn’t take very long to figure out, "I suppose," she twiddled her fingers over her bent knees, "I was impressed with the level of patience he has. It wasn’t obvious at first, but once I learned to read his face, it became clear that what coated his features was never callousness but patience. I’ve come to note the way he asked questions that did not particularly relate to him and still listened to the answer until the very end," the ghost of a smile peaked across her bruised cheeks and lips, "In the beginning, I was afraid I had gotten attached to him because he had given me something I craved but then...," the rest of her sentence did not come.

"But then that too changed," he half asked.

"I figured I wanted him in my life for more than a need," she kept playing with her fingers, "He kept my feet on the ground without coercion or pestering," the tears resumed, "I only wish I had told him how much I love him more than I have,"

"He knows," he sighed, "He does,"

"You told me," she drew a sharp breath, "You said that I was able to bring him out of this endless daze he’s been plunged into," her hands went around his arm, "Please, tell me how do I awaken him? How do I do it?" she pleaded.

"This place," his hand went back to stroking her head, "You, my family, keep me connected to this place but it only goes one way. I cannot reach it whenever I want. I only drag my feet when my name is called,"

"But it isn’t the case for me," her eyes forgot that blinking was an option as the meaning of Emeric’s words dawned on her, "I did not hear anyone calling and... The first time ever I found myself in this place was when I had died at the hands of Katherine, but then I was brought back to life," she paused, to mull her next words over, "The second time was earlier when I fainted and now, I remember being locked in a dark room and I think I just fell asleep, but Silas.... He is...,"

"He’s been unconscious this whole time," Emeric nodded, "He is somewhere around here with us,"

"But then, shouldn’t we go seek him?" the young woman leaped to her feet at once, clutching his vest to prevent it from falling and exposing herself again.

"I don’t think that is the way to go about it," he clipped a bit of grass in his hand, "I should know for I tried,"

His response immediately cooled her down, "But how then? How am I supposed to find him?" she bit down on her nail.

Emeric turned to her and just quietly stared at those green gemstones until Arabella started shifting awkwardly in her spot.

For a moment that was all that he did, but then the man spoke up, "The first and only time my son ever fell asleep, he said he saw you here, with your mother, did he not?"

"Yes!" she chirped, "But I didn’t see him. He said that he called for my name, but I didn’t hear anything at all!"