SWNOVELS Chapter CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
ALEXANDER, ABBEY, AND ARYM had finished watching the three Lord of the Rings movies on the huge flat-screen TV from the plush brown sectional sofa. Arym was told she could explore the house if she liked and went upstairs. It was a way to get some alone time.
They talked and discovered things about one another and their personality traits, and Abbey was surprised to find that the sheriff had a degree of shyness about him, although he tried hard not to show it. He had centuries of experience, and she would have thought that any bashfulness would have been long gone, but apparently, it was part of what made Alexander who he was. She guessed that he was most likely only shy with the opposite sex. Abbey found it an attractive trait but wasn’t sure why.
Alexander took his classical guitar out of the closet and started to pick. It was the most beautiful melody that she had ever heard. Unfamiliar with its sweetness, she had never heard of such perfection, and it gave her goosebumps. It was a haunting melody that played with her emotions. Even each pause was perfection. That was one advantage to living such a long life; one could play the same instrument for five hundred years or more.
Alexander’s voice was deep perfection. “Love is like an island, but not a deserted one. Palm trees and sand overlooking the ocean were so grand. Hand-in-hand on the beach, connected forever. Fragrant flowers within your reach and millions of stars looking down as the embers of fire surround us. Love is like an island, but not a lonely one.”
Arym ran downstairs as she couldn’t believe her ears. He had the most beautiful voice that she had ever heard. “OH, MY GOD! You’re like an angel singing! You should have a singing career.”
“Don’t want one. Abbey, I made up that melody over four hundred years ago, but the words were born yesterday.”
Arym was excited by his voice. “I’m never going to get that song out of my head, and I don’t want to. Play some more.”
“I’m afraid the moment has passed for now.” Alexander was a little shy when it came to his music and usually only played for himself as an extension of his mood.
Arym turned around and went back upstairs. She didn’t know him well enough to push it any further.
Abbey and Alexander stared into one another’s eyes and got lost. She was just a little uncomfortable as they were such a new couple; she smiled as he touched her face. Abbey appreciated his strength and how he made her feel safe. She had not felt secure since her husband was taken from her. She ran her hand through his thick black hair, and then they kissed. Their two minds had become one, which was a new experience.
Arym explored the upstairs and lingered on a painting of Pendennis Castle in 1557, with someone standing by the gate in old fashion garb holding a sword over his right shoulder that looked a lot like Alexander. Still, the character was so minor that it was hard to say for sure. She went down the hall, peeking into bedrooms as she went. The third room on the right was surprisingly a weapons room. Most of the arms were from the middle ages. There were polearms; razor-sharp blades mounted on wooden shafts, battle axes, maces, two longbows, halberds, spears, a war hammer, a scimitar with a curved blade, a 40-inch Falchion sword, long double-edged sword encrusted with rubies and looked to be fit for a king. There were also two lances and several medieval shields. The best weapons were owned by vampires because they often had secret weapons made for them over the centuries. Vampires always coveted weapons that had served them well in battle.
The girl was drawn to the weapons and fascinated by them; they had a strange pull on her. She picked up the scimitar, which was familiar to her. It was as if a cobbler had found an old shoe after having been retired for ten years; it felt natural for her to wield it. She swung the weapon with talent and precision, and it puzzled her. She went through a series of moves that was most impressive. She was confused by her natural talent. Abbey and Alexander appeared in the doorway as he was giving her mother a tour of the upstairs. Both were amazed by her skill.
Arym was startled when she saw them and accidentally cut through his heavy curtains. “Oh, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
Alexander turned to Abbey. “Don’t worry about that. Abbey, it is not uncommon for a vampire to inherit skills or talents from the biter that turned him or her. Obviously, there was a skilled swordsman somewhere in his past.”
“And I thought people were complicated.”
Alexander picked up a sword and challenged her to a bit of a fight. Blades blurred and clashed with such speed that it was difficult for Abbey to follow them. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but it was scary. What if she accidentally cut him? What would happen then? The girl was surprised at how good it felt to fight as if she had been born to it. Arym kept up with the experienced sheriff until he knocked the sword out of her hand.
“You are so skillful. Arym, you must go with your natural instinct and not fight it so much; you overthink when you fight. In battle, hesitation can either save you or kill you, depending on your enemy’s plan of attack. But that was most impressive.”
Abbey didn’t know what to think.