A Game Of Chess With A Vampire
Chapter 52: Does It Hurt?

Chapter 52: Does It Hurt?

Avelina seriously hoped to have killed two birds with one stone. She kind of got rid of Edward, and as for Draven, she sure hoped that she might have at least touched a little spot in his merciful heart with what she had uttered back there.

It should be enough to let him understand that she only fled out of fear, no? She didn’t do it because she wanted to betray him or anything of that sort...

I would never betray him! She subconsciously shook her head.

As though having read her mind, Draven abruptly stated, "You understand that you are going to get punished for your actions, right?"

He was impassive.

At the sound of those words, Avelina felt her brain explode. Her jaw fell, and she stared at Draven with widened, twitching eyes.

"B-b-b-but!" she screamed.

Draven immediately glanced at her. "What is it?" he questioned.

"Are you really going to—"

"Yes," Draven replied without hesitation. "But first, there is somewhere that I want to take you to."

"Somewhere?" Avelina muttered in puzzlement.

Draven nodded. He ordered Santino to change the destination and take a turn.

The drive went on for another few minutes before they finally arrived at their destination. Santino parked the car in a safe area. He opened the door, letting Draven and Avelina step down.

The moment Avelina glimpsed their surroundings, her heart couldn’t help but drop to her stomach in awe.

It was a secluded beach that stretched out for miles. The soft golden sand was sparkling under the warm morning light, and the ocean itself was beyond mesmerizing. Its vibrant blue, sparkling color seemed to compliment the azure sky above, beautifully feasting the eyes.

"It’s...beautiful." Avelina was temporarily in a trance.

"I come here often. It is very peaceful." Draven’s voice sounded. "It’s beauty is much visible at night...at least to me, but the experience is not quite pleasant at all due to too many presence. So, I do not bother coming at night." He grabbed Avelina’s hand and walked her closer to the ocean.

The small ocean waves splashed against Avelina’s legs, and for a second there, she no longer felt the stinging ache in her sore feet. It was like a pain reliever.

"You said it was okay, yet you ran, Avelina." Draven abruptly spoke. His tone hinted at his disappointment.

Avelina turned her head, meeting his gaze.

"Why?" Draven probed, anticipating an explanation from her.

Avelina rapidly blinked her eyes and let out a soft breath. She averted her gaze to the ocean.

"I am sorry. But...I did not run from you, Draven. It wasn’t you."

"What do you mean?" Draven inquired, failing to understand.

Avelina proceeded to explain, "I am surrounded by vampires everywhere I go. Every corner I turn, there are vampires. What should I do? I don’t know. I get really scared each time I realize that I am a human amongst so many vampires."

"I want to survive, I really want to because there are people that I long to see again. My family, I want to see them again and know how they are doing. If I died, I would never be able to see them. They are out there, unsure if I am alright or not. I am pretty sure that they are starting to wonder if I am dead. It’s been a whole year!"

She lowered her head and balled her hands into tight fists.

"I am sorry for running, but...tell me, Draven, what would be the point of me running away?" She looked at him. "That was something I realized and thought about. It was useless because I could never do it on my own. I will never be free without help."

"I knew that it would be impossible to make it to the barrier on my own, so I stopped. I thought deeply about it, but you know, I didn’t stop just because I couldn’t make it to the barrier. I stopped because we made a deal and I promised you that I would help you, just like you promised to free me."

"I cannot break that promise. I am not stupid, but I was impulsive. However, I know that you are my only hope for freedom, so I will patiently wait for you to free me while I survive and help you. You are the only person that can take me out of here, I know that very well."

"So!" She glanced at him with a smile on her face. "I will never run away from you, Draven. At least, not again," she whispered the last sentence.

Draven stared at her and abruptly with no context, he burst into laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Avelina was surprised and puzzled. Why...was he laughing? She was sure that she hadn’t said anything funny.

She tilted her head to one side with her gaze fixed on him. This was the first time she had seen him laugh, and it was sort of...nice. He barely ever smiled, and even when he did, it was always a non genuine smile that never reached his eyes.

He looked really handsome and...harmless.

Contacting his contagious laughter, Avelina slowly began to chuckle, and before she knew it, she began to laugh as well.

"I have never seen you laugh before. I never even knew you could laugh," she commented.

Draven’s laughter switched to a smile, and he turned his head to look at her.

"I...I have just never felt..." He failed to complete his words, as he was unsure why he laughed. He can’t even recall the last time he cackled.

"It’s nothing." He shook his head and grabbed Avelina’s shoes from her.

Avelina stared at him, not sure what he was about to do. "Draven, what are you—"

Draven squatted down and slightly lifted her feet. He washed them and helped her into her shoes, disregarding the fact that he didn’t like to touch unclean water, especially ocean water.

"Does it hurt?"

"Huh?" Avelina, who was dazed, flickered her lashes.

"Your feet hurts, right?" Draven repeated his question.

Avelina nodded. "Mhm...it does."

"Well then." Draven lifted her off the ground and placed her on his shoulder. "Let’s go."

Avelina’s eyes widened. "W-w-wait! I can walk! I can walk!"

Draven did not listen nor respond to her.

Realizing it was utterly useless, Avelina gave up and watched the sand as her arms dangled behind him.