Under the vampire Lord's protection-Chapter 188: Muffled cries

"Show me your eyes," he demanded without the ice that usually encumbered his voice.

She took a few seconds before craning her neck upwards for her gemstones to reflect in his diamonds.

There was none of the customary sharpness defining their edges. Soft and full of life they were but only when focused on her.

"Clear as always," he practically whispered. Very carefully, Silas turned around, his hand still clutching hers, "Let us go see her then,"

Arabella trailed behind him without a complaint, keeping her full attention on him, avoiding everything else that surrounded them at all costs.

The hallways especially and even some of the paintings adorning their walls jogged the memory of the recent nightmare that plagued her sleep.

What if that one too was endless? What if Silas too vanished?

Irrational question after absurd thought lined up in her mind to make the unending train that rarely ever ran on the right tracks.

Though the shrieking voices died down when none of it happened. Their figures arrived before a specific door. Also decorated with beautiful carvings.

Silas pushed through its creaking, only to slide into the darkness that embraced them on the other side.

The instant he shut the door behind them, candles on the multiple chandeliers hanging around the room ignited, revealing a seemingly ordinary room.

Well, as ordinary as one could be with blocked off and blackened windows.

Much more spacious than her own for the simple reason it held not one but three beds. All wrapped underneath thick drapes that, null doubt, served as an extra measure to protect the sleeping vampires.

"Come," Silas had finally let go of her hand.

He guided her towards a specific bed, the one on the far left.

"Here lies Katherine," with both hands he spread the drapes apart, allowing her a peek of the slumbering vampiress.

Reclined on her back, Katherine faced the canopy above her with both hands clasped together over her chest. Her features reflected enough serenity, indicating she was in no pain, but then again sleep for humans meant a completely different thing than it did to vampires...

"Is... Is her sleep peaceful?" the frown on her did not subside, "Is she still in any pain?"

In response, Silas walked even closer to Katherine’s figure before extending a hand towards Arabella again.

"See for yourself," he said.

Once she took his hand the vampire gently pulled her towards the bed and then straight onto Katherine’s chest where her heart continued to beat.

Upon understanding his intentions, the young woman resisted his hold, tugging back a little.

Silas did not yank even though he could have easily forced her and instead halted all motion to reassure Arabella.

"She won’t regain consciousness before the sun kisses the southern hills. Worry not for you won’t awake her no matter what you do or how loud you do it,"

Those words helped release the tension locking her muscles, allowing his hand to further guide hers until it connected with Katherine’s chest.

Steady and ever so tender was the beating of her heart. No spikes, no sudden drops... Nothing but an ordinary slumber rate.

As the thumps continued under her touch, something in her clicked. Down the deepest trenches of her soul it slept, waiting for its moment to strike.

Mingled with the cool wave of relief that had washed over her in that instant it traveled, causing the shivers that overran her body to escalate.

"See? She is in no pain," he spoke again, right by her ear.

Arabella shut her eyes, no longer capable of holding the tears that fought against every fiber of her being to spill.

The sobs came next, rendering Silas utterly helpless in front of her again. The vampire immediately ungripped her wrist, allowing her to step away from Katherine only for her cries to grow stronger.

"I did not mean to upset you. I merely wanted you to know she is alright. Th-"

"I am such a selfish person!" she’d managed to utter through the sniffles.

"What makes you think such things?"

Realizing it wasn’t his recent action that had triggered such a reaction, Silas moved closer to her.

"Even after everything that happened, I didn’t even ask about Floriel and Liriel’s wellbeing! The more time that passed the less I dared...,"

For a good moment, Silas merely watched as she furiously wiped at her tears at times then tried to hide her face behind her hands at others.

"How could I be so selfish?"

Arabella repeated those words over and over until Silas saw no other alternative but to cup her face between his hands before pulling her to his chest.

That had the merit of calming her down. The sniffles weren’t as sharp and the sobs not as loud.

He’d finally done it, wrapped his arms around her. To his great relief, she did not recoil or try to escape his embrace.

In fact, it wasn’t long before her hands trekked up his chest then round his back.

Her fingers curled around the fabric of his vest so tightly, he felt their quivering as if it was directly on his skin.

"I am sorry, I am so sorry I put all you through that, but especially you," even though muffled against his chest, her words were still comprehensible, "It all happened by my fault, whether I meant it or not does not matter," she marked a pause to gasp for a breath, "I know it was my father’s doing. I knew he would never stop before getting what he wanted and yet I stayed. I stayed for the self-serving desire to be free,"

"Please, never say that again," eyes ahead, Silas had almost hissed those words, "Not in front of me and not in front of anyone else ever again. Do you hear me?"

In reply, Arabella nuzzled her face even deeper in his chest to mute the upcoming cries that rose one after the other, clogging her windpipes enough to prevent any coherent response from going through.

For seconds that turned to long minutes, the two of them remained in each other’s embrace with only her suppressed weeps to fill the silence that had crept in between them.

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