• Chapter Two
    Mayu

    I woke up the next morning to find the fireplace lit up. I looked over to the couch to see it empty and my coat laying there.
    "Now where did she get to?" I wondered. I got up and started looking around the house for her when I picked up her scent and followed it through the back door of the house to the stream near the woods. I saw her bathing in the stream, I decided it was best just to let her be for now so she could feel more comfortable around her. I went back into the house and grabbed a cloth shirt, a old pair of blue jeans, a belt for her just in cast the jeans were too big for her and a towel for her to dry off with. I quietly placed the cloths and towel on a nearby stump for her and went back inside without so much as a sound of the door closing.

    I was still drained form healing her wounds so I went and turned on the stereo and turned the volume on low with acoustic music and went back to my chair and dosed off to the sound of the Trans Siberian Orchestra and the roaring fire.
    I must not have been asleep for very long. I woke up to the smell of food cooking in the kitchen, I quietly went in to see her cooking steak, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and some cream she had in a bowl on the counter. I stood there in the middle of the kitchen, I was amazed at how well she felt at home here she didn't even notice me standing here as If I was completely invisible. She was wearing the cloths I left out for her, at least she knew I was trying to help her.

    "Well...looks like someone's feeling better." I said
    She wheeled around with a look of surprise on her face, she had a kitchen knife in her hand so I was a little worried she might attack me out of fear I might hurt her.
    "Easy now...no need to get excited." I said quickly trying to ease the tension between us.
    "Who are you?" She asked. Her voice sounded like she was an angel that was lost and trying to find her way back to heaven. I slowly stepped forward and gently took the knife from her hand so she wouldn't hurt me or herself. She stared at me with piercing blue eyes, they reminded me of the way Raven use to look at me; it nearly knocked the wind out of me.

    I backed up to give her some breathing room.
    "My name is Carlos Hathcock and who might you be? I can see the clothes I gave you suite you very well." She didn't answer me at first I couldn't blame her for that; being in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with a total stranger.
    "My name is...Mayu...it's nice to meet you Carlos." She said nervously. Her voice sounded like a tiny little church bell. I bowed my head and chuckled.
    "It's a pleasure to make your acquittance Mayu. I see your doing well I must have done a better job with my healing magic than I thought. Does it still hurt?"
    "A little just on my left side." She pulled up her shirt to show the scar left there after I healed her wound, I touched it lightly and could feel the lump left there.

    "No need to worry I can make it go away, but first why don't we eat you must be really hungry, judging by what you've cooked and so am I." I reached into the cabinet and pulled out plates and silverware and set the table. Before I could even get the food she was already gathering it up to put on the table.
    "Go sit down Carlos you've saved me from dying so I'm returning the favor." I stood there in a amazement I guess it was the least I could do if she wanted to repay me. We sat down and ate. I was surprised at how well the steak and vegetables tasted and the cream she made put the food together perfectly.
    "I must say Mayu your cooking is very good I've never had steak like this before where did you learn how to cook it like this?" I asked.

    "My mother taught me when I was very young." She said cheerfully. I could tell by her mood she was feeling much better.
    "Where is your mother Mayu? Were you two separated in the meadow?" She suddenly had a look of sadness on her face.
    "No my mother and father banished me from my home in the forest. I'm a princess of a royal family my magic must have been too strong so they betrayed me and practically abused me. I was beaten every day so I...ran away. I lost everything I had my home, my friends...everything." She put her face in her hands and started to cry. I quickly was at her side I picked her up.

    "Please don't cry Mayu I don't want to see you sad like this." I
    carried her over to the couch and placed her in my lap and held her
    close and let her cry into my shirt. I tried very carefully to calm her
    down without saying something that would set her off on another
    fit. I was still trying to process what she had told me a moment ago.
    She was certainly a far more interesting girl than she look.

    After a few hours she finally calmed down.
    "I'm sorry...I feel so foolish for acting this way." I sympathized with her.
    "No...you don't need to feel like that I too lost someone I held dear to my heart." I looked over to a picture on the mantle above the fireplace. She followed my gaze and saw the picture too. Mayu walked over to the fireplace where the picture was and looked at it. It was an old picture of Raven and me in a time when we were deeply in love.
    "Is that her Carlos?" I nodded
    "She's beautiful Carlos she looks just like me."
    "That was my first though when I found you in the meadow yesterday."

    She looked at me for a moment and back to the picture.
    "Are you a vampire Carlos?" I looked at her with amazement not even with me several hours and already she figured out what I was. I just played along to see how she found out.
    "Now what would make say that?"
    "Well...for one when you took the knife form me your hands were cold when I touched them, when you smiled at me I saw your fangs, and your eyes are an dark shade of red no normal person has that color eyes unless your not normal." She looked like she was reading a test and couldn't solve a particular problem.

    "But your not like all the vampires I've read or heard about. Why is that?" I laughed at her question.
    "If I was like the vampire's you've read about then wouldn't I have tried to drink your blood and turned you into a vampire by now?" I raised my eyebrow and gave her a crooked smile. She smiled at me and looked as if her heart had just stopped.
    "I guess your not you but how are you able to resist my blood though? You have to get "thirsty" sometimes."
    "I was actually but I went hunting the other day. That's when I ran across you." She had a look of fear In her eyes again like she did in the kitchen.

    I walked over and stroked her cheek lightly with my fingers.
    "Don't worry I have no intentions of harming someone as beautiful as you. And you remind me of her too much." She looked at the picture in her hand.

    "What happened to her Carlos?" I swallowed hard. It wasn't something I like to talk about so casually.
    "She died in my arms nearly a decade ago when I tried to save her from being killed by an assassin. I was too late to try and step in front of her and stop the dagger that was meant for her. I'll never forgive myself for letting that happen." She looked at me very with sad eyes.
    "I'm sorry to hear of your loss Carlos.”
    she walked over and put her arms around my shoulders and buried her face in my chest. It was as if Raven was right in my arms all over again. I put my arms around her waist and held her close. For all I knew time came to a stand still in that moment.

    I took my left hand and ran it through her golden hair, it was so soft and it glided effortlessly through my fingers. I began to think maybe...just maybe I was being given a second chance with Mayu all I had to do was make sure I protected her with my life and not let it slip through my fingers again like it did with Raven. She looked up at me with her beautiful blue eyes, they shinned so bright the stars in the sky would have looked like dim lights compared to them. It felt like she was Raven, my blue rose...my angel from heaven. For the first time in ages I felt happy again.

    We went to the back yard near a bluff over looking the forest and sat down against a stump looking over it. She leaned up against me between my legs and laying her head on my collar bone. We watched the stars drift through the night sky, suddenly a shooting star had passed before us.
    "Make a wish Mayu." I whispered into her ear. She had a very soft look in her eye's when she looked at me. She whispered back into my ear.
    "That's okay I already got what I wished for." She smiled at me. I was curious to know what it was. She must have though I was playing with her when I asked.
    "And what would that be out of curiosity." I gave her a crooked smile.

    She giggled and laid her head back on my collar again. She whispered in my ear
    "It's you Carlos...someone who would save me from the bad guys like a knight in shining armor." I chuckled at her words.
    "You know I'm far from a knight...I'm more like a monster nothing more than a destructive creature." She looked at me with a shocked expression.
    "What are you saying Carlos? If memory serves me right I was saved by an angel who couldn't stand to see a girl who looked like someone he loved die." I knew what she said was true, even if she didn't look like Raven I would have saved her anyway.

    I smiled at her it was as if she could see right through to my heart and pull the right strings in it.
    "Your right Mayu I guess I've been alone for so long that I was afraid to fall in love again after all I've been through and as old as I am, I should act more like my age...not my shoe size."
    She laughed at the sound of my little joke. Her laugh sounded like tiny little bells ringing in a canyon. Just then I felt a rain drop hit my hand I looked up to see it starting to rain.
    "Oh no it's raining I gotta get up or well get soaked.!"

    I held her down and smiled.
    "Don't worry I can fix it." I placed my hand above our heads and emitted a blue light from my hand and created a barrier with a ten foot radius. The rain washed right down along the sides
    of the barrier keeping the grass nice and dry. She looked at the barrier and then at me with amazement.
    "Your one amazing vampire Carlos...you really are." She said smiling at me. I looked at her with a smile showing my teeth.
    "You have no idea just how amazing I really am." I widen the barrier a few more feet without draining my energy. I whispered into her ear.
    "I will give you whatever your heart desires all you have to do is say the word and I'll do it." She looked at me with an look of hope on it.

    "You really mean that Carlos or are just going to give my hopes up like all the other people I've met." I chuckled at her reply.
    "I can't promise I will always be able to do that Mayu. But I do know this you need a home Mayu and I want to give you a place where you feel that you belong somewhere in this world." I tightened my hold around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. She blushed deep red and I chuckled a bit at the sight of her turning red.

    We were silent for a moment and I could tell she was thinking about what I was offering her.
    She must have not needed to think very long because she looked at me with a smile.
    "I haven't had a home in...........forever." She paused for a moment before saying
    "I will always be happy with you. Thank you Carlos...you gave me something I always wanted a home." She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. I felt like my heart was going to explode inside my chest with all the happiness inside me. her lips were soft as a rose and yet they seem to hold their own shape. The moment seemed to last forever and then we suddenly felt rain drops fall on us.

    I had lost concentration on keeping the barrier up and the rain came falling like leaves on an autumn day. By the time we stopped kissing Mayu was soaked, her hair was glistening reflecting the light from the light post close to the house. I picked her up cradling her perfectly in my arms.
    "It's getting late why don't we go in and dry off." I carried her into the house and placed her in the living room. The fire was burring low and the light was casting long shadows over the living room.
    "Wait here and I'll get you a towel." I dashed to the hallway closet and got a towel and was back in the living room a half a second handing it to her. Her eyes showed me how surprised she was by my speed and quickness. I chuckled at it.
    "I've got a lot to learn about vampires." She said in a trembling voice.

    I could tell she was still nervous around me. I didn't want her to feel that way I wanted her to feel safe and secure in her new home. I put the towel on her head and held her close to my body.
    "I don't want you to feel scared. This is your home now too and I want you to feel safe and happy here." She stood there for moment staring at the roof.
    "My home...it has an wonderful ring to it you know." She smiled at me and kissed my cheek.
    "I'll get you some pajamas to sleep in...don't blink." I said smiling at her. I dashed into my room and looked quickly for something for her to sleep in. I grabbed some sweat pants and a white T-shirt for her and ran out of the room.

    She didn't looked so surprised this time but I could tell she was still amazed by my speed.
    "How do you do that? She asked. I winked at her.
    "It's a vampire secret I'll tell you on a later date but until then go get some sleep you need your rest to help your wounds heal." She looked very tired so I handed her the sweats and shirt and guided her to my room to change. She came back a few minutes later wearing them I was sitting in my favorite rocking chair when she came around the corner. I looked at her and smiled
    "Nice." She winced.
    "No it looks good on you." I guided her to the couch and covered her up with some blankets and said good night to her. I walked into my room and listened for her to fall asleep. I listened to her heart and breathing pattern to determine when she was sleeping.

    When I was positive that she was sleeping. I sneaked into the living room which was dark now but with my vision I could see in the dark. I grabbed my hat, coat, and some gloves to wear and dashed out of the house without so much as a whisper. I had a lot of work to get Mayu's surprise together and very little time to do it in.