... Being Guilty... 15 years old - Romania/London -
“It wouldn’t hurt, you know… Not much, anyway…”
“That’s not what I’m worried about…”
“Then what is it that you won’t let me change you?”
“I don’t want to be a killer, Luca…”
Crina’s wide green eyes held his for only a moment before he had to look away.
“It’s not as bad as you think. There are other ways—”
“But no matter what way you go, it’s wrong. Stealing it may very well bring death as well. Luca, I just can’t. It would pain me too much…”
“When you’re a vampire, you don’t think like that…”
“Which makes it all the worse.”
Defeated, Luca adjusted his arm around Crina, pulling her closer toward him. They sat in her apartment on the couch, her legs rested over his lap.
“What should we do, then?”
“You could tell your family about me.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“You said your bunica was a Muggle.”
“Before she was turned.”
“So what is the difference, then? Shouldn’t they be fine with it?”
“My cousins… They’re a bit wild… I don’t know if I could control them in your presence.”
“Surely some of them are nice enough to meet.”
“My sister would hate you for stealing attention away from herself, Cezar wouldn’t acknowledge you, Andrei would harass you and repeatedly try to get a bite out of you, and Felix would take a bite out of you.”
“Oh… What about Valentina?”
Luca looked at the ceiling for a minute in thought before smiling down at Crina.
“I may introduce you to Valentina before we leave. She doesn’t drink blood, and surely she’d be polite. Perhaps she’d even play you something. She is wonderful with music.”
“Well, I would love that.”
“Good, then it shall be done.”
The sparkle in Luca’s eyes gradually faded as he looked at Crina, and she noticed immediately.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Valentina… I feel terrible thinking about leaving her alone with them. After Bunicul’s passing she doesn’t have anyone else there that cares about her. Her mother hardly shows, either. All she has is me during the time she isn’t in England.”
Crina shifted her position and looked at him with a smile.
“Well, why don’t we bring her with us?”
“Oh, I don’t know…”
“You could at least ask her. We don’t leave until tomorrow. I wouldn’t mind having her around.”
“Really?” He looked at Crina with a look of such love and happiness.
“Really.”
“Te iubesc, Crina.”
“Şi eu te iubesc, Luca.”
I had said that after the murder in the shed I had little memory of the time I spent in Romania, which was true. What I didn’t say is that the night after Luca had confronted me, I remembered one thing. His cries echoed through my mind until I fell asleep, and haunted me still after. I had recalled that all had been silent when we came to the body. It hadn’t. Her name was Crina. Her name was the only thing he had said.
