A Game Of Chess With A Vampire
Chapter 172: Don’t Be Afraid And Enjoy It

Chapter 172: Don’t Be Afraid And Enjoy It

Avelina stared at him and nodded her head as though understanding.

She looked away and cleared her throat, feeling that she might have brought up a topic that she shouldn’t have.

"They are very beautiful. I never would have thought you could paint." She was beaming.

"Because I never mentioned it to you," Draven said. "It is something I like to do."

Avelina smiled at him and glanced at the paintings one more time, flabbergasted.

"Avelina." Draven approached her. "Do you know how to play archery?"

"Archery?" Avelina tipped her head, perplexed.

Draven nodded. "Yes."

"No. I have never touched an arrow before." Avelina shook her head.

"Shall I teach you?" Draven offered.

Avelina flickered her eyes, skeptical. "Yes, but what else can you do?"

"What do you mean?" Draven appeared a bit bewildered.

Avelina stroked her jaw and began to say, "You can play a violin, you can paint, and you can also play archery and chess. So what else can you do? I want to know."

"I do not know." Draven shook his head at her. "These are the only things that I can do, Avelina. I took an interest in them because I liked them."

"Oh...I see." Avelina was not very convinced.

Draven abruptly took her hand. "Come." He left the room with her, and they proceeded to the backyard.

It was greenery. At the center stood a fine, enormous oak tree.

"An oak tree..." A huge smile spread across Avelina’s face. She hurried towards the oak tree and took her shoes off.

Draven was not sure what she was about to do. He tilted his head and stared at her, curious.

"Avelina, what are you trying to do?" he asked.

Avelina, without looking at him, pulled her dress up and began to climb the oak tree.

"Avelina, you’re going to fall." Draven’s eyes were filled with concern.

Avelina shook her head. "No, I will not." Her tone was tinted with a bit of laughter.

Carefully, she reached a sitting part of the tree and sat down. She looked down at Draven, who was gazing up at her.

"My grandpapa used to have an oak tree in his yard. I climbed it a lot when I was a little girl. It was one of my favorite things to do, Draven."

"You know, his home was around a mountain or so. So when I do climb the oak tree, I am able to see far into the horizon. It was such a beautiful sight. The sea miles away was the most lovely to look at."

Draven did not make a response, but he was, however, gazing at her as though admiring her. He could not seem to take his eyes off her.

Her smile has to be the brightest thing he has ever witnessed in his entire life. It was such a pure pretty smile, like the sunshine. That was what it always reminded him of. He liked to see her smile.

A soft breath fled his nose, and he asked, "You like the feeling of being far up above the ground, do you not?"

"Mhm... I do," Avelin replied thoughtfully.

"I see." Draven unbuttoned his shirt. He handed it over to the maid, who stood by the door that led to the backyard.

Avelina, who was looking at him, could not understand why he took his shirt off. What was he about to do?

Draven took a deep breath and gradually unfurled his pair of pristine white wings. He raised his head to glimpse Avelina, and before she could speak, he flew up towards her at the tree. He halted in mid-air and smiled at her.

"Have you ever gone higher into the sky before to touch the clouds?" he inquired.

Avelina, who held tightly onto the tree, shook her head at him. "No."

"Do you want me to give you that experience?" Draven further queried.

Although she was reluctant, Avelina’s heart was thumping loudly in deep excitement and thrill.

She nodded her head while beaming.

Draven reached out his hand for her. "Come. Take my hand."

Avelina looked at the ground below and furrowed her brows. "Draven, I will fall."

"No, you won’t," Draven assured. "Just take my hand."

Avelina extended her hand to grab his, but changing her mind, she shook her head and proceeded to retract her hand, however, before she could, Draven gripped hold of it, pulling her off the tree.

He gripped her by the waist, giving her no chance to slip off his hands.

A startled gasp fled Avelina’s mouth, and due to his keen hearing, Draven could hear her loudly beating heart.

"Calm down and relax. I will not let you fall. Just trust me."

Avelina nodded at him. Her palms had already become sweaty due to the level of fear she felt at that moment.

With a swift push, Draven lifted her into his arms. He had her wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

With one energetic, strong flap of his wings, he flew high up into the sky and continued to repeat this movement, focused on reaching the clouds.

Avelina, who was trembling in his arms, tightened her grip on him.

Her racing heart had leaped up a notch. She lowered her eyes, and at the sight of how far up they were in the sky, her pupils dilated.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed and took deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Don’t be afraid and enjoy it," Draven said to her.

Avelina nodded and swallowed hard. She may be scared, but if she was being truthful, she was much more excited than afraid.

Never in her life would she have thought that one day she would be high up in the sky, ready to touch the cloud. And the most shocking of it all, it would be a vampire that the humans dreaded flying her all the way up.

The immense protection she felt from this man was something she had never felt from anyone, not even her own family. They were after all the reasons she landed in the slave house in the first place.

With a wide smile, Avelina rested her head on Draven’s shoulder.

"I feel so safe with you," she whispered into his left ear.