ROMANÍAN

Your Eyes Fascinate Me

Kazimir

-I was talking to Lwide last night, and it seems the Romanian has partially accepted your presence.

-You know how temperamental our daughter is. She may be deceiving her guardian; she’ll get up to something soon.

-Lwide is not like the others Anna, you know where he comes from and what he represents to your old order.

-Are you not afraid of him taking some impulse action? -You know what I’m afraid of. You know what I’m afraid of. If there is any intimacy, or if he turns her, everything could change. She’ll be just another species wandering the centuries. Her parents didn’t want that.

-Lwide owes a huge debt to his order in the past. -He was banished for getting involved with the Order. He was banished for getting involved with a newly turned vampire, ended up wandering the centuries. She disappeared, he returned to the order asking for clemency to go out into the world to save lives. I don’t think he’ll stumble again.

-I don’t know Kazimir, Romanian has always been independent, never tied to any man. But Lwide has something different... there’s a power in him that differs from the rest.

-You’re impressed, my good, that he’s a vampire. -You’re impressed. We know Romenian wouldn’t get involved with her guardian. Actually, for her, a bodyguard.

-Don’t you think we should tell her the whole truth? Romena is twenty-six. What if she gives us something?” Anna rests her head on her husband’s chest and weeps. She is distressed.

-Calm down, Anna, calm down! Nothing worse can happen. I only hired Lwide because of Tierry; he thought it best not to hesitate. There are rumors of Egyptian vampires in Russia looking for models for a new casting.

-These models are disappearing every day. -No one’s taking action? Is there no one to take action? I’m afraid they’ll get to our daughter.

-What would they do in that region? That would be the last place in the world. There’s no way they can trace our daughter after twenty years. She’s safe, they’ll leave for Italy soon.

-I feel helpless knowing that these girls’ dreams are interrupted by a bunch of bloodsuckers. Their parents must suffer from their disappearance.

-Tierry told me that many are under their control. They contact their families by phone. Others, less interesting to their purposes, are underground and used for transfusions.

-Transfusions, what do you mean? – Anna is startled by the revelation.

-They kidnap some of them and leave them in a kind of laboratory. They are indispensable to feed the other models that are important to them. They simply couldn’t go out and bite anyone they met.

-This is too monstrous! What a cruel fate for all those girls who once dreamed of a better life. I can’t listen to this and remain unbiased Kazimir-

Anna, we can’t intervene. It is a wicked clan. Their desire is to reach a greater number of their kind with more enhanced powers. But this will only happen if they reach the last heiress of the Royal Blood. I hear that every father and mother is mobilizing. But they are very well organized. There’s nothing we can do alone.

-And if it was the Romanian one of them, would you say the same? -Anna, I love the Romanian one.

-Anna, I loved Romanian from the moment I saw her. We were friends with her parents and we became her guardians. So far, we are doing what we have to by the hierarchy of the order. I cannot go beyond my means. Understand.

-I don’t think it’s fair to know that girls are subjected to a regimen of irregular blood donation to keep alive other girls who aren’t even alive anymore. -They are alive.

-They are alive. Their organs work, but they can’t process nutrients. They are like dolls filled with cloth and batteries. If they stop receiving blood, they succumb to the point of madness. If that gets out of control, it can turn into chaos.

-It’s inhumane. These monsters mess with a dream industry. Fashion is the market that generates unprecedented revenue. No one will suspect them. Every day girls die anorexic, this they implanted in their minds to use in their favor.

-It’s exactly as you say. A masterstroke. Wenceslau Boris is in charge of the clan. He is one of the biggest fortunes at the top of the rankings. There’s a lot more dirt behind all this. You don’t want to know, my dear.

-You trust Tierry too much, he might be playing a double game. -You never thought of that? Haven’t you ever thought of that?

-But why would I? He’s na ally. He’s part of the Templar order, he’s there to protect, that’s why he appointed Lwide; it doesn’t make sense to suspect him, Anna.

-I don’t know...but something doesn’t quite add up about him walking around in the Clan and not being recognized as a Templar.

-He doesn’t deal directly with the inner Clan, he’s a sort of public relations man. He’s like a fundraising and marketing agent. There’s no way they’ll find out. Without him Anna, we don’t know how the Clan is doing. And if it wasn’t for him twenty years ago, Romena’s parents wouldn’t have had time to escape. Remember that!

- It’s all right. I’m probably too worried. Every time a new guardian comes along, I get worried.

-Everything will be all right. I promise.

[...]

At the gym

-Good morning Lwide, I didn’t see you at the door of the building in the morning.

-Good morning Miss Romena, I don’t need to be in your field of vision all the time to protect you.

-Ah, I see. But now, are you going to stand there and watch me?” At that moment, a client of the gym couldn’t stand the weight he was trying to lift and got into trouble.

-For God’s sake! Call someone to help him, it’s too much weight, he can suffocate! – Lwide approaches the man who is with the bar on his neck almost losing his air, he lifts with one hand and puts it on the floor without the slightest difficulty.

-Lwide, how did you do that?

-Save the man? – he answers with another question.

-Yes and no... I mean: how did you lift the bar with one hand? It is impossible!!!

-Nothing abnormal about that. I train a lot. Besides, it wasn’t even that heavy.

Romana knew what he had seen, crazy was the guy thinking he was a super hero suspending so many kilos. But Lwide really lifted that bar without difficulty as if it were a paper. But, she preferred not to question.

-Lwide, why don’t you take advantage and do some series? I’ll be a while yet.

-I prefer to stay at my post, which is taking care of your safety. I do my exercises at night at home.

-That’s fine. I just wanted to help. But you don’t have to watch me. Look away, you’re bothering me.” Lwide laughed internally. She was beautiful and unfiltered.

-Lwide, can you help me with this series? Just while I get into position.

-I’m not here to help you with your exercises, you have your personal trainer, I’ll call him.

-Stop being rude, you don’t have to. I gave up, I want to leave.

-Are you going to the locker room?

-Why, do you want to get in the shower with me?

-That wouldn’t be a bad idea. But you’re not suitable company, and the place isn’t suitable either.

- Insolent and thick! I’ll get my backpack and come back.

-Lwide follows at some distance, they leave the gym without saying another word.

At the apartment

-Miss, are you going to the lab in the morning?

-Listen here Lwide – Romanian approaches him very close – Stop asking questions. I’ll leave at the time I decide. If you want to stand outside the apartment, that’s your problem. – Lwide looks at her mouth, it is voluminous and pink. Her smell is natural, she doesn’t seem to wear perfume. He is intoxicated by the blood rushing down her neck. He pulls away.

-All right. I’ll do as you say.

-But hell Lwide!!! Stop calling me Miss all the time. I have a name: ROMENIAN, understand? Just refer to me as: RO-MA-NIAN!!

-No need to get worked up, Romena. I’ve heard you. Excuse me, I’m going to have some tea.

-Seriously! Tea?! You’re not from this world, man. – laughs.

Romanian goes straight to the bath. She puts on her earphones, she’s tense, she needs to relax; Lwide is messing with her emotions. He’s different from the other bodyguards who didn’t even notice them, except to make enough trouble to send them away. But with this one it was different. There was a power in that look and a sweetness at the same time. Even in silence he aroused emotions. Her body reacted differently to close contact with the handsome man with long hair. I would love to be able to see them loose. Lwide looked like a Semi God, he said he came from Italy, but he was Slovenian, total madness for her mind to assimilate. She stood there wrapped in the soft music, on the other side, Lwide sipped his tea admiring a night that never ended, but was just beginning for him, that was good.

The night had always been his favorite time. It was strange not being able to contemplate the shy sunrise. The Aurora Borealis sometimes gave its air of grace. He thought of Yelena, he missed her. He longed to hold her in his arms again. But he did not know where she had been sent for all these centuries. She was a Roya

l, as a Romanian in different times. He could not protect her in the past. It would be different this time.