After arriving at the mall and being seated for fifteen minutes, I lost count of the wondering eyes and curious stares Isaac and I got. Since it was Monday mid-day, the mall wasn't crowded, but there were enough people around who took note of Isaac’s presence.
We talked while ignoring them, but from time to time, I stared back. Isaac, however, never looked once. He looked around, but his eyes never remained on someone for more than a few seconds, even if they were staring at him.
He was completely unbothered.
Wolfcreek had always been a welcoming place, but Isaac's presence was causing a little noise.
We were sitting outside one of my favorite cafés at the mall, and after finishing my meal, a waitress came over to us.
"Would you like to order something else, Marian?" Elizabeth asked, and I nodded.
"A lemonade to go, please," I answered, and she turned to Isaac.
“And you?” she asked with a genuine smile, and the tips of her pointy ears, poking out from beneath her long white hair, wiggled.
Isaac tapped the black smoothie cup I’d given to him. “I’m all set, thanks.”
She surely knew he was a vampire, and perhaps she could even smell the blood he was drinking, so why bother to ask? Was she trying to be friendly, I wondered. Faes tended to be very open about whom they dated, whether humans, vampires or whatever species tickled their fancy.
When Elizabeth's cheeks grew pink with a blush, she nodded at Isaac and turned away. I got my answer. She was definitely interested in him, and it was a refreshing change from the curious stares.
“You have an admirer, it would seem,” I whispered, and Isaac chuckled and shook his head while reclining in his chair. "I've known Elizabeth for years. She's a nice woman."
“Is she now?” he asked while Elizabeth entered the café. “I’ve never dated a fae.”
“Really?” I asked. “What species have you dated?”
"A gentleman never kisses and tells my love," he replied smugly, and I rolled my eyes.
“Come on, be honest,” I leaned forward with my elbows on the table. “Okay, which species have you never dated then? You just told me faes, what other?”
He held his head back and appeared contemplative. “I’ve never dated a fae, centaur, dragon, gorgon, forest spirit, werewolf, or sea nymph. I've fed from several on that list but never dated."
"Oh," I reclined. "But dragons, though? You're just messing with me, right? Dragons are myths even to some supernatural creatures.”
“Oh no,” he took a sip from his cup. “They were real or rather still are but few and very well hidden. My experience with dragons was from a very,verylong time ago.”
“How long ago?” I probed, and his brow arched.
"Are you trying to figure out my age?" he questioned, and I shrugged.
Smiling innocently, I crossed my arms on the table. "Will you tell me if I ask you straightforwardly?"
“No,” he answered with a mysterious grin. “I’m older than I should be, that’s all.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “I think it’s amazing to live for decades on end. You must have seen so many things.”
"I have, both good and bad," he picked up his cup and moved it. "But I’d rather have the life span of a human rather than a vampire.”
"Why?" I asked, which caused his smile to falter and then fade.
He frowned then the creases between his brows vanished as quickly as they appeared. He looked around the courtyard at the people walking about, and I did the same. If he'd had run-ins with dragons, maybe he was centuries old, and that was insane.
That meant he’d lived through the wars centuries ago, between humans and supernaturals, and who knew what other events he'd seen.
“Those who have shorter lives see the world in a different light. You appreciate life more because it's more precious to you.” He turned to me. "For you, death is always around the corner, making you put more effort into living. Your search for meaning in life, of being alive. For creatures like me, many have no purpose with an abundance of time."
“I don’t fear death nor living. I have no anticipations because I've seen too much, and very little surprises me anymore." He tilted his head to the side. "For a creature like me, Marian, it's easy for the world to become very dull and everyone in it. That's why some vampires remain untamed. It offers a thrill, entertainment, and something to look forward to."