The Billionaire's Baby (Key to My Heart Book 3) (16 page)

It was only then that Nana saw fit to explain it clearly to Ellis.

"Trees are quite the exception when it comes to being able to control the earth." She said with a sigh. "Trees live for quite a while and their roots are very deep in the ground, they're quite stubborn creatures. Very few elementals are ever able to gain control over them, but Dag managed to do it before he was even a teenager."

She laughed and stroked Nia's hair, "He was very skilled."

Ellis nodded and watched them, feeling very out of place and uncomfortable. The pair seemed so close, and Ellis couldn't remember if he and his family had ever been like that.

"I want to know exactly what happened at Nia's village." Ellis whispered, and his words hung in the air, burning.

But Nana eventually nodded and stared at him intently, "Yes. I suppose you need to know."

The old woman quietly stroked Nia’s back as the girl listened to the story she’d memorized by heart. All in the household were all too painfully familiar to this tale.

"George was in the village for months before the initial attack." Nana repeated, still cradling her granddaughter to her side, "I did not live in that village, but my two children did. I moved to this village after they both reached adulthood. It was only a few days' walk away, after all…I thought it would be fine."

The old woman had never seemed more old, "I have no idea how he hid, where he hid, or what he did. I also don't know why their village was targeted. But he was there, gathering information and finding their weak points."

Nana hesitated, making sure Ellis was keeping up, and he stared at her intently until she decided to continue.

"Then, it just suddenly happened. Nia had yet to be born, but it was getting very close, so her mother was relaxing at home with a friend of the family. Dag was out working in the forest, he was a carpenter…we assumed he was one of the first killed by the incoming army that George had summoned… now, I suppose he was only taken captive."

It was here that the older woman again paused and held her grandchild once again, remembering the painful events leading to her birth and how she was brought to her home, afraid that her mouth would not be able to tell the remainder of the story.

"It was a complete massacre. Everyone who George's army came across was murdered where they stood. Children, women, parents, everyone. The girl with Nia's mother, the family friend I spoke of, was such a smart girl, so clever. So she took Nia's mother out the back of the house and escaped into the forest. They were trying so hard to make it to my home. Along the way they ran into my oldest daughter's son…who had also tried to escape…but he was so hurt…." She hesitated and cleared her throat and kissed Nia's forehead, but she did not cry.

Her lips quivered as she continued, "They were half way here when my daughter went into labor. Lili tried so hard…" Ellis assumed Lili was the family friend, "…but the poor girl was only fifteen, she didn't know what to do, and Nia's mother was already weak…and she was lost during labor. It was a miracle Lili even managed to keep Nia alive for the rest of the way here. But they both made it, safe and sound."

"So Nia is the last of your family left?" Ellis questioned quietly, but Nana shook her head.

Then, instead of elaborating on Ellis's question, she simply finished her story, "Lili returned to her village a few days later, and she and two others became the village elders.”

A grieving twinge of laughter left the old woman’s lips, “The elders of a dead and destroyed village... Because there are no people in the village, Lili and the others didn't rebuild, they stay nearby and watch over the remains."

"If there's no one there then they should get on with their lives!" Exclaimed Ellis, somewhat angrily, "It's been almost twenty years, hasn't it?"

Nana gave a soft laugh and nodded, "Yes, but in twenty years the pain hasn't abated, Mister Vampire. The village, though empty, still means very much to them, and it still deserves to have elders presiding over it. One day, maybe survivors might come home."

Ellis didn't argue anymore. His mind was starting to spin and he felt dizzy, so he let his head fall backwards against the rough couch.

"Why don't you two go and rest." The old woman whispered, finally releasing Nia, who was red faced and puffy eyed.

Nana stood and took a few steps away, then began talking once more, though carefully speaking to the opposite wall instead of the pair sitting on the couch, "Oh, and Ellis, you may start feeling the effects of Nia's soul soon, I can't tell for sure how much it will change you, but it will only be temporarily. She is almost out of the woods."

And then she began to move away from them, it was the first time Ellis saw her perfect posture broken, her head bowed down to nearly her chest, old back curved at a strange angle as she escaped down the dark hall towards her own room.

"I think she's right, I don't feel so good." Ellis mumbled, looking away from the sadness of Nia's eyes, "why don't we go lay down?"

They'd been resting so much lately, but Ellis felt exhausted. Nia nodded, following him like a child back into her room. Ellis closed the door behind them and flopped onto the bed, rolling over and opening his arms to Nia, who cuddled up into them obediently, pressed up against his chest – heart to heart.

Again Ellis's chest pounded painfully and it made his head feel even fuzzier, so he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to clear his head.

"Lili's my best friend." Nia whispered, "I don't get to see her much anymore, but when I was little she was always there. She even gave me this ribbon." She pointed at the blue ribbon in her hair and her cheeks struggled to pull back her lips into a minute smile.

"Maybe when you’re feeling better you should go see her.” Ellis said slowly, frowning at the wall above Nia's head, "You could try listening to her whole spiel this time?" He added with a roll of his eyes.

Ellis had his own places that he needed to be. He’d already stayed here too long, no doubt George would be hot on their tracks soon enough. It was a surprise they hadn’t turned up already.

Their time together was waning short, they could both feel it.

Nia nodded slightly and closed her eyes, cuddling more against Ellis. She didn’t want to talk of his departure just yet.

He was warmer than normal, she realized, almost human feeling. She supposed it was the work of her soul in his body. It was a comfy warmth though, and it made Nia feel drowsy.

"I feel really funnyyyy…" Ellis suddenly giggled, squirming a little and cuddling more up to Nia with a nearly drunken grin, "My head's all tingly…"

He held her tight, hands searing through the back of the nightgown that Nia still wore, and the heat of his body seemed to be coming off in waves, enveloping Nia and making a bead of sweat trickle down the back of her neck. His breath was hot against her ear and made her tremble slightly.

It was strange how warm his normally cold body was becoming.

He suddenly flipped her over, body pressed against hers and eyes serious and so close to her face, elbows beside her face.

"Nia…" he whispered.

His eyes made her breath stop. It was not his seriousness that made her lungs go flat, it was not that she had never realized how pretty his eyes were, it was not a sweet, romantic reason – it was because she realized they were not Ellis's eyes.

It was Ellis's face and it was Ellis's features - but this was
 not
 Ellis. This was an Ellis who was not really there and it was painful. It was like a stranger.

"…I love you, Nia. I love you, I love you…" He whispered, urgency taking over his tone.

Though this was a cruel, cruel lie that Ellis would believe only for a little while and Nia knew all too well was untrue.

Her heart began to ache and her mind began to buzz with confusion, whose wouldn't when being lied to so determinedly, and she tried to shove him away, but he was stronger than she was and she couldn't bring herself to yell at him or hit him, not when his face was so sincere.

He grabbed her against him again and his lips burned a path across her chin and to her earlobe and down her neck, hesitating on her shoulder just long enough for Nia to tremble.

"Ellis…" She whispered, and for a moment he lifted his face away from her skin to stare once more into her eyes.

"I love you." He whispered again, and when she opened her mouth to argue, he pressed his lips persistently against hers, and though she shoved her hands hard against his shoulders, the warmth of his body and his mouth and the hand that gripped her thigh made her surrender.

Nia, defeated with his false love, let her hands fall back against the bed.

Chapter Seven

Ellis awoke alone with a heavy feeling in his heart and a painful ache in his head. He yawned, slothily dragging his hand across still sleepy eyes. He tentatively cracked open an eye before allowing the other eye to join.

He couldn't remember when he'd dozed off or for how long, but it didn't matter. He figured that no one really expected the vampire to contribute much to this household anyways. If they did expect that, he mused, they would be sorely mistaken.

He lazed his way out of Nia's small bedroom, opening the door to find the redhead girl sprawled on the couch in the living room, brown leather book dangling out of her tiny fingers and resting on top of her face. Her hair was back to its usual mess, though she was still in her soft white nightie. Her head quirked towards him at the slight creak of the opening door, and she gave him a quick smile before ducking her head behind the book that she'd been previously ignoring, face hidden.

He yawned again and wandered to the couch, grabbing her ankles in one hand, lifting them off one of the couch cushions before collapsing onto it, allowing her feet to fall into his lap.

For half a second they sat like that, Ellis's head back against the couch and Nia hiding behind the book, before she withdrew her legs and sat up, the book resting in her lap.

She shifted a bit, nervously twirling the end of her braid between her fingers and staring at him with an awkward intensity.

He stared back, feeling slightly insecure and very much intimidated.

"About last night…." Nia began hesitantly, releasing her braid from her fingers' torture and gripping her book harshly instead.

"I wanted to talk about that too." Ellis muttered with a lax yawn.

Nia hummed, struggling to find words. She bit her pink lip thoughtfully.

"When did I fall asleep? I remember talking to Nana and heading to bed, I didn't pass out on the floor or something did I? My head was really killin' me." The vampire shook his head, rubbing his temple for a moment.

Nia just stared at him, lips parted and eyes awkwardly drifting to the side, "No…you…you slept in my bed…"

"Hm, okay then. What'd you have to say?" Ellis asked innocently, blinking his black eyes.

With the bang of his door, Kellen suddenly walked into the living room, giving Nia a funny eyebrow risen look that made her turn red. The lost Nia-soul in Ellis's heart panged uncomfortably again, and he glowered at the rusty haired boy standing there, ignoring his discomfort.

"Were you saying something?" Kellen asked, voice deep and emotionless as always.

Nia hastily shook her head, flipping the braid back over her shoulder and staring at the hands folded in her lap on top of her book.

He drifted over, plopping down behind Nia so that her back now rested against his shoulder.

Suddenly, Ellis noticed, the atmosphere had gotten a lot more complicated.

The vampire cleared his throat, glancing at Nia, who was hiding behind her book again, and Kellen, who was staring off into space.

"F-for siblings, you two are awful close!" He exclaimed with an awkward giggle, "I've always heard that brothers and sisters never get along..."

Nia's head popped out from behind the book, brow furrowing, while Kellen just stared at him glassily.

"Where'd you get that idea?" He asked, resting his chin on Nia's tiny shoulder, expression still stony, "We're not related, just raised together."

Nia nodded, slowly blinking. "He's not my brother. My dad rescued him from a village he was working in that was attacked by Corsentil before I was born."

Kellen nodded, tilting his head and leaning his cheek against Nia's, "She's just about all I have now, just Nia and Nana."

Oh yes, Ellis realized, this was complicated indeed.

"Nia," Kellen suddenly mused, playing with the stitches on the sleeve of her nightgown, "it looks your dress is inside out."

Nia's face suddenly contorted and turned red, "O-oh? Is it now? S-s-silly me!"

And then she was gone, shut inside her room and furiously changing.

Kellen stared at the very confused vampire for a brief second before standing and excusing himself from the room, going back into his bedroom.

Had the grey eyed boy come out just to cause trouble?

Ellis stood, pouting, and sulked his way into Nia's room, banging the door as loudly as he could before he strode inside like he owned the place.

The girl jumped about ten feet in the air and whirled around, holding her recently removed nightgown against her chest. At least she'd had time to get her pants on.

"Don't you ever knock?!" She shrieked, face red as her hair.

Ellis only giggled, poking at her exposed neck, "Your neck turns pink too."

She glared at him furiously, clutching nightgown tighter to her body, "Get out of here, right this second!"

He was suddenly on his knees on front her, grabbing her hips and pushing her nightgown away, a strange and tender light behind his eyes, "Lemme see what’s going on here."

Nia almost fainted.

Ellis, unfortunately, noticed – though not in the way Nia thought.

"Does it still hurt?" He whispered worriedly, soft and perfect fingers running over the pink tinted bandages wrapped tight around her abdomen.

So that's what he was talking about.

Nia had never felt so embarrassed of herself – at least Ellis didn't know what she thought he had been referring to.

"You can go ahead and finish changing," Ellis murmured, staring up at Nia, still very tenderly, "It's not like I'm interested in seeing you naked anyways."

The redhead's mouth dropped open, glaring at him with a fiery fury that could have struck fear in a blind man.

It was his cue to leave. So the vampire did, as quickly as possible.

This time Nana was walking through the living room, on her way to the kitchen.

Ellis followed her like a curious, and very bored, puppy, "Whatcha doin', lady?"

"I'm going to start preparing dinner." She replied lightly, "I'd assume you want some kind of meat, right? With Nia, vegetables are always in abundance, so we usually just have those."

He nodded, sliding up onto a counter and watching, “Don’t bother cooking it, I’ll just have it raw.”

He was beginning to feel the peckings of blood thirst in his core. Though, animal blood was hardly a replacement for human blood. He was pretty sure he could find an unsuspecting villager to come under his thrall for a bit anyways. He highly doubted, however, that anyone under this roof would approve of such action.

"When are you two leaving?" Nana asked casually, flipping grey hair off her shoulder as she pulled a few carrots out of a basket on the counter and began to chop them.

"What do you mean?" He asked, uneasy.

He didn't want to seem rude, appearing for a few days then taking off again. And this ‘we’ business, what was that about?

"I know my Nia," She answered, flashing a knowing grin, "and I'd like to think I've learned a bit about you as well, Mister Vampire. And I know that you two aren't the type to sit around doing nothing for very long."

Ellis chuckled, shaking his head, "I'm hoping that to leave tomorrow evening."

Nana nodded, "I’m sure I can point you in the right direction. Though, Nia knows the trails better than anyone."

Ellis ignored her comment for now, snatching a slice of carrot greedily from the cutting board.

"About Nia's soul. There are few ways that it can be transmuted back into the body." Nana continued, not looking up from her work.

Ellis perked up, tilting his head curiously and watching her while munching noisily on his carrot. Though not as good as potatoes, they would do.

"First, the proximity to her, with each breath you berate, a fragment of her soul is exuded. If your nearby, it quickly enters Nia, but if you are far, the piece of her soul may get lost and, without a home, die – which causes her pain.” For a second the old woman hesitated, glancing towards him, “Of course you'll be in pain all the time because you have someone else's spiritual being inside you. But I'm sure you've noticed that already."

He nodded again mutely, trying to look as though he was still listening as he scanned the kitchen for potatoes. His body didn't hurt too badly, he'd gotten more or less used to the discomfort.

"The soul may cause you to act funny in desperate attempts to get back to her, but if it hasn't done anything so far I think you should be fine. Thankfully, it hasn't made you too ill either." The old woman tossed the chopped up carrots into a simmering pot.

Ellis smiled comfortingly, "Nope. Hasn't done a thing."

She nodded approvingly, tossing him a small potato that she watched him eye, "It should be over soon, Nia is healing very nicely. Though George may be just an illusionist, he did seem to give her an antibiotic."

He shrugged, eyes only on the vegetable of the gods he held in his hands, stuffing the potato into his mouth so his cheeks puffed like a hamster and heading back to Nia's room.

Pieces of potato churning in his mouth, he burst through her doorway. If she was still changing, it was her fault for being slow.

But instead, she was fully clothed and laying on her bed, tummy down and face in the pillow.

"Comfy, kid?" He asked, plopping down beside her.

She nodded, "I got tired all of a sudden." She mumbled, "My heart started to hurt."

He lay down next to her, taking her body and pulling her close so that their chests were pressed together again, "I'm sorry." He hummed, "I must've been away for too long."

He watched her face slowly change color, from a soft tan to burning pink.

"We've cuddled before." He whispered with a childish giggle, bringing her closer to him with the intent of teasing her.

But with their bodies so close and the soul caught in his heart ricocheting so wildly against his ribs, he was starting to feel dizzy again.

It was only a matter of minutes before he was acting like a handsy drunkard once more.

"Nianianiaaaa." He demanded through slurred whispers, "I feel sleepy too…cuddle meee."

He grasped one of her tiny hands, pressing it against his chest, "Can't you feel it?" The skin above his heart was so hot it almost burned her hand, it hurt to touch it but she continued, "It’s looking for you again."

"N-Nana said that most of it should be gone by tonight, since you didn't take that much blood from me." She responded, inching away.

He nodded tiredly, "I want you to be closer." He whispered, he could hear and feel her soul in his body, crying out to return home and be close, close, closer to her tiny little body.

It made his head feel so heavy, until thoughts didn't process anymore except for touching and feeling and wanting. Wanting 
her.

So he pushed her backwards against the bed, and this time she didn't, or possibly couldn’t fight him. When his lips found hers she accepted them and clung to him and when his hands became uncomfortable just clinging to her own she let them wander.

And when he whispered that he loved her, she whispered back an almost silent '
liar
'.

And he affirmed over and over again that he was in love, each word sounding less and less like Ellis and more and more like a dream.

And her heart was broken over and over again with each syllable that left his lips in between fervent kisses.

And when he suddenly passed out, overcome by the Nia-soul inside him, feverish forehead gracefully landing against the side of her neck, she ignored the hot tears that leaked from her eyes.

She didn't know if the pain in her chest was pieces of her soul finding its home or if it was actual sorrow.

"You smell good." He suddenly whispered, ten or fifteen minutes later when he slowly began to regain consciousness, "it makes me want to eat you."

He nipped playfully at the side of her neck, until a stubborn hand pressed against his face, "No, no, it didn't end well last time, right?"

He pouted at her, then sighed, "I hope this whole thing ends soon – I keep passing out when I get close to you."

She said nothing, turning her face away so he couldn't read her.

She didn't have to worry about that though, he didn't even look at her.

She sighed, pulling herself free, "Mm... I'm going to help Nana. Her fingers don't work like they used to. I don't want her to hurt herself cooking,"

And then she escaped, only to have Ellis follow closely. It wouldn't do either of them very good to have Nia get sick again just because they were too far away from each other.

Nana looked up, ushering the pair out of her suddenly crowded little kitchen, "Why don't you to go out to the market and buy some more rabbit for me, I'm not sure I have enough, you two have wasted the entire day, get some air."

She had plenty of meat, but that was her secret to keep. The two youngsters definitely needed something to do, and the sun had just fallen.