CHAPTER SIX: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK
1744 Words
The next morning, Sienna woke with the strange certainty that someone was watching her.
She opened her eyes slowly.
For several seconds, she remained completely still.
Her room was quiet.
Sunlight slipped through the curtains, painting pale lines across the floor. Everything looked normal.
Her books were still scattered across her desk.
Her phone was beside her pillow.
The glass of water she'd left there the night before was untouched.
Nothing was wrong.
And yet...
She couldn't shake the feeling.
Sienna sat up.
Her eyes went immediately to the window.
The curtains were closed.
She stared at them.
Then she remembered the black feather.
She had searched for it after speaking to Aria, but it was gone.
She hadn't thrown it away.
She hadn't moved it.
It had simply disappeared.
That was the kind of thing that was beginning to happen around Kieran.
Things that shouldn't happen.
Sienna climbed out of bed and crossed the room.
She pulled the curtain aside.
The street looked peaceful.
Kieran's house stood exactly where it had always stood.
Its windows were dark.
The garden was still.
There was no mysterious figure.
No creature.
No one watching.
She let out a breath.
"Maybe I'm losing my mind."
Her phone buzzed.
Aria.
Are you awake?
Sienna typed back.
Unfortunately.
Three dots appeared.
You sounded weird last night.
Sienna stared at the message.
She couldn't exactly explain everything.
She typed:
I'll tell you later.
Aria immediately replied:
That's what suspicious people say.
Sienna smiled despite herself.
She put the phone down and got ready.
For the first time in days, she almost managed to forget about Kieran.
Almost.
It lasted until she stepped outside.
He was standing beside his gate.
Sienna stopped.
He was wearing black again.
Of course.
Dark trousers.
Dark shirt.
Dark jacket.
She walked toward him.
"Do you own anything that isn't black?"
Kieran looked at his clothes.
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Somewhere."
She laughed.
"You're impossible."
"So I've been told."
She stopped at the gate.
Kieran looked at her for a moment.
"You didn't sleep."
Sienna's smile disappeared.
"How do you know?"
"You look tired."
"I am tired."
"You should rest."
"You sound like my mother."
"Your mother probably has good advice."
Sienna narrowed her eyes.
"You're avoiding the question."
"What question?"
"Did you know someone was watching my house last night?"
Kieran became completely still.
Sienna noticed.
"I knew it."
"You shouldn't have been looking outside."
"I wasn't supposed to know something was there."
"No."
"Then why were you watching me?"
"I wasn't."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Kieran sighed.
"Sienna..."
"No. Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Say my name like that and expect me to forget the question."
A faint smile appeared.
"You've become very difficult."
"You made me difficult."
"I did?"
"Yes."
He shook his head.
"I regret everything."
"You don't."
"No."
The answer came so quickly that Sienna stopped smiling.
Their eyes met.
For a second, neither moved.
Kieran's expression softened.
Then he looked away.
"You should go."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want you near me today."
That hurt more than she expected.
Sienna folded her arms.
"Fine."
She turned.
"Sienna."
She stopped.
Kieran looked at her.
"I'm not angry with you."
"Then what are you?"
He hesitated.
"Worried."
"About me?"
"Yes."
Her heartbeat quickened.
"Why?"
"Because something is changing."
"What?"
He glanced toward the forest.
"The people looking for me are getting closer."
Sienna swallowed.
"Are they the same people who attacked my house?"
"Yes."
"Then what do we do?"
"You stay away from me."
She stared at him.
"That's your solution?"
"It's the safest one."
"You're unbelievable."
"I know."
She walked away.
After a few steps, she heard him call her name again.
She turned.
He was still standing by the gate.
"Be careful."
Sienna wanted to stay angry.
She really did.
But there was something about the way he said it.
Something that made the anger difficult to hold.
"Always."
She walked away.
Kieran watched her until she disappeared around the corner.
Then his expression changed.
He looked toward the forest.
Someone was there.
He could hear a heartbeat.
Slow.
Steady.
Not human.
Kieran's eyes darkened.
"You're getting careless," he whispered.
A branch moved.
Then everything became silent.
That evening, Sienna sat on her bedroom floor surrounded by books.
She had promised herself she would study.
Instead, she had spent twenty minutes staring at the same page.
She couldn't stop thinking about Kieran.
Not the vampire.
Kieran.
The way he'd looked at her that morning.
The way his voice changed whenever he was worried.
The strange softness that appeared when he forgot to hide it.
She groaned and dropped the book beside her.
"This is ridiculous."
Her phone buzzed.
She checked it.
No message.
She frowned.
Then there was a knock at her front door.
Sienna froze.
It was almost nine.
She walked downstairs.
Another knock.
She looked through the window.
Kieran.
She opened the door.
"You."
"Me."
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to apologize."
Sienna blinked.
"For what?"
"For this morning."
She leaned against the doorframe.
"You were rude."
"I know."
"You told me to stay away."
"I know."
"You were being annoying."
"I know."
She stared at him.
"Are you going to argue?"
"No."
"That's unusual."
"I've had centuries to learn when I'm wrong."
She smiled.
"You really are old."
"I told you."
"How old?"
"Still not answering."
She rolled her eyes.
"Come on."
Kieran glanced toward the doorway.
Sienna remembered the rule.
She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
"Happy?"
"Very."
They walked toward the garden.
The night was cool.
Sienna sat on the garden wall.
Kieran stood nearby.
"You can sit," she said.
"I know."
"Then sit."
He did.
There was a small space between them.
Neither spoke.
Finally Sienna asked,
"What's it like?"
"What?"
"Being a vampire."
Kieran looked toward the stars.
"Lonely."
She hadn't expected that answer.
"Why?"
"Because everyone changes."
He paused.
"Everyone grows older."
His voice became quieter.
"Eventually, everyone leaves."
Sienna looked at him.
"Everyone?"
"Almost."
"Your family?"
"Dead."
"Your friends?"
"Most."
"People you've loved?"
He didn't answer.
That was enough.
Sienna's voice softened.
"How long have you been alone?"
"Long enough."
"You always say that."
"Because sometimes numbers don't explain anything."
She looked down at her hands.
"I understand."
Kieran turned toward her.
"You do?"
She nodded.
"Not the vampire part."
He smiled.
"Obviously."
"But the lonely part."
His expression changed.
Sienna wasn't sure why she had told him.
Maybe because he had finally stopped pretending to be untouchable.
Maybe because she had seen something behind his eyes.
Something tired.
Something human.
"Sometimes," she continued, "you can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone."
Kieran looked at her.
"Yes."
The single word carried more emotion than she expected.
Sienna looked at him.
"You really loved someone, didn't you?"
His jaw tightened.
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"I lost her."
"I'm sorry."
He looked away.
"Don't be."
"Why?"
"Because grief is proof that something mattered."
Sienna was quiet.
Then she said,
"That's actually beautiful."
Kieran smiled faintly.
"My mother used to say it."
"Your mother sounds wonderful."
"She was."
He looked toward the piano room through the window.
"She taught me to play."
"Will you play for me?"
Kieran looked at her.
"Now?"
"Yes."
"It's late."
"You don't sleep."
"That's not an argument."
"It is to me."
He laughed quietly.
Then he stood.
"Fine."
He walked toward his house.
Sienna followed.
At the gate, Kieran stopped.
"You can't come inside."
"I know."
He opened the front door.
"Wait here."
He disappeared inside.
A few moments later, piano music drifted through the open doorway.
Sienna sat on the porch.
The melody was beautiful.
She closed her eyes.
For several minutes, there was nothing else.
No hunters.
No creatures.
No secrets.
Just music.
When the song ended, Sienna opened her eyes.
Kieran was standing in the doorway.
"Why did you stop?"
"Because you're staring."
She smiled.
"You noticed?"
"I notice everything."
"That's creepy."
"You've said that before."
He stepped outside.
Sienna stood.
"That was beautiful."
"Thank you."
"Your mother taught you well."
He looked at her.
"She did."
A breeze moved through the trees.
Sienna shivered.
Kieran noticed.
"You should go inside."
"I'm fine."
He removed his jacket.
Sienna stared.
"What are you doing?"
"You're cold."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Before she could argue, he held the jacket out.
She hesitated.
Then took it.
The jacket was cold.
But it smelled faintly like cedar and something she couldn't identify.
She put it around her shoulders.
Kieran looked at her.
"Better?"
"Maybe."
He smiled.
Sienna looked at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You keep doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Looking at me like you're about to say something."
"Maybe I am."
"What?"
He stepped slightly closer.
For a moment, Sienna forgot what she was going to say.
Kieran's eyes moved over her face.
His voice dropped.
"You're asking questions you aren't ready to hear the answers to."
Sienna's heart beat faster.
"Maybe I am ready."
He stared at her.
"You're not."
"How do you know?"
"Because I know what happens when people get too close to me."
"And what happens?"
"They get hurt."
Sienna didn't move.
"Maybe I'm willing to take that risk."
Kieran's expression changed.
He looked almost frightened by her answer.
"Don't."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to become the reason you regret trusting someone."
Sienna swallowed.
"You don't get to decide that for me."
His gaze remained on hers.
For a moment, they were close enough that the distance between them felt almost insignificant.
Then Kieran stepped back.
"Goodnight, Sienna."
She stared at him.
"Goodnight."
She walked toward her house.
At the gate, she turned.
Kieran was still standing there.
She smiled.
He smiled back.
Neither said anything.
But something had shifted.
Something neither of them was ready to name.
Later that night, Kieran stood alone in his house.
The smile disappeared from his face.
He walked to the window.
Outside, Sienna's bedroom light was still on.
He could hear her heartbeat.
Steady.
Alive.
He closed his eyes.
Then he heard something else.
A second heartbeat.
Not human.
Kieran's eyes opened.
He turned toward the forest.
Someone whispered his name from the darkness.
"Kieran."
His expression hardened.
The hunters had found him.
Again.
But this time, they weren't only looking for him.
They had discovered the one thing he had spent centuries trying to avoid.
A reason to stay.
And that made Sienna the most dangerous weakness he had ever had.
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