Be Careful What You Ask For (4/?) ********************************** by GersGal1 9/2/00 "Enough, La Croix," Nick said from where He stood in the doorway of the library, "You have had toyed with her and had your fun. Now leave us!" "Are you trying to resuce her, Nicholas, or do you merely wish her for yourself?", inquired Lucien. "You torture her for no reason", was Nick's reply, "She is hardly Van Helsing himself, you know. She has become entangled in folklore and does not truly understand vampirism and our true nature. Failing to understand is hardly a capital offense, LaCroix". LaCroix listened intently upon Nick's words. Sherri noticed something that she had failed to notice before. She noticed LaCroix's features soften, then become clearer. His fine, statue like features returned and his eyes were no longer glowing. His face once again was as if it were etched in stone. Cold, and emotionless. Sherri shook her head from side to side in an attempt to clear away the thoughts that came flooding into her mind. Had she been wrong all along? Could vampires be innocent victims in this whole undead scheme of things? "Alright, Nicholas, I will leave her for you to do with as you please. A little gift from me to you, per se", Lucien stated matter-of-factly as he seemed to regain his composure and strode out of the library, leaving Sherri alone with Nick. Sherri's eyes fell upon Nick's countenance, and became fixed there. He was handsome, she thought to herself. And He seemed so gentle and sweet. She mentally assured herself that this was just a vampiric ploy used to trap their prey. Nick held out His hand and beaconed to Sherri. "Come to me", He said in the softest and most sultry voice she had ever heard.Without a thought, Sherri walked slowly over to Nick and stood right in front of Him, and gazed deeply into His eyes. "I could claim you now if I so chose, Sherri. I could make you mine for eternity if I wanted. But I do not want to share eternity nor anything else with an unwilling partner", Nick told her in that soft voice, "I just want you to know and understand that we are not the evil demons you think we are. We are no more guilty of evil than a wolf that feeds upon a lamb for nourishment. It might be an unsavory picture for you to behold, but it is nature. And perhaps it was your God's intention for it to be so. Clear your mind of your prejudices and think about what I have told you, Sherri. An evil vampire was an evil mortal before becoming a vampire. Otherwise, I would have devoured you long before now." Nick reached out and cupped her face in His hands and gently kissed her upon the tip of her nose. Sherri did not resist. Nick turned and started to walk out of the rooom, then hesitated. He turned and faced Sherri again momentarily. "I will remember your fire and your passion for eternity, as I dwell in this castle. If you ever change your mind and want to come home, I will be waiting for you, my princess", Nick almost whispered. Sherri came to her senses and looked around the room. It was empty of any entity other than herself. Had she been imagining what she thought had just transpired? Sherri bolted for the door of the library, with the soft, sultry words of the vampire echoing in her mind........ ****************