Beyond the Blood

Chapter Ten

Before she really knew where she was Autumn was stood on the front porch of an impressive looking mansion, with a Tudor looking frontage. Damon had driven her out here after she had agreed to go with him away from the school. She really should have text Elena to tell her where she was going, but now her phone was dead and she couldn't. Maybe Stephen would call Damon so he could tell him.

Damon opened the front door to the place, giving Autumn her first glimpse inside the Salvatore mansion. A red carpet ran along the floor, leading towards a large room in the middle of the house. The staircase appeared to be at the back, with other corridors and rooms leading off the main room. There was dark paneling along every wall with plush red furnishings and rich art along the walls.

"Come on in, it's cold out," said Damon glancing up at the open night sky, where the full moon was still visible in the midst of the trees.

Autumn didn't say anything, she just moved in through the front door letting Damon shut it behind her. She was totally overwhelmed by what had happened this evening and thought that words were quite beyond her for the moment. She followed Damon into the room which she had seen in the middle of the house, it was lined with books – more than she could possibly count – she gaped a little at the sheer number.

"Are these all yours?" she spoke for the first time since arriving at the house.

Damon smiled briefly, "Well they're unlikely to be anyone else's"

Autumn couldn't smile back but nodded slightly dumbly in response.

"Please sit down, I can see you're a bit shocked. I'll get us a drink," Damon said politely. Autumn vaguely wondered whether he was worried about her – if that was the case he didn't need to be, she wasn't feeling woozy, in fact she hardly felt anything at all – all she could think about was that man, and the way he had attacked Mr. Tanner.

She sat down heavily on a sofa near the fireplace and watched carefully as Damon poured out two glasses of whisky. She felt a slight tinge of fear go through her as he approached but then reminded herself that he was the one who saved her tonight.

"It's alright," he said handing it to her, as if he sensed her shot of fear.

She took a sip of the liquid, feeling it burn slightly as it traveled down her throat. Damon sat down opposite her, looking at her carefully, as if he expected her to get up and start screaming all of a sudden. It seemed as if every muscle in his body was still ready for a fight, even though the thought of running and screaming was far from her mind. Part of her told her that she wouldn't get very far anyway. Damon no longer felt totally safe, as he done only a few hours beforehand.

She drew in a breath for courage and then asked the same question she'd asked earlier, "What happened? What was that… man… doing?"

Damon looked at his glass for a moment before looking back across at her, "I think you know about the man. If you say what's really on your mind."

She paused and remembered how she'd looked into the man's eyes; those ebony pools of darkness, saw the fangs in his mouth, the blood on his lips. Tanner's blood.

"But that's impossible," she breathed.

"Is it?" he asked, "You saw it tonight, does that mean it's still impossible?"

"But it can't be true!" she said more vehemently but her voice became weaker as she spoke, "Those… things… only exist in fairytales and fantasy"

She stopped, "But that doesn't explain tonight?"

Damon shook his head, "No it doesn't… the world is a little more complex than you might have initially been led to believe"

Autumn's eyes never left his face, "Complex how? Damon… if you know something, just tell me."

Damon smiled briefly, "I know a lot Autumn. Some of which I might tell you, some of which I can't tell you. The problem is that if I do, you won't think of me in the same way ever again,"

Autumn swallowed slightly, remembering everything that happened tonight, "Earlier, you moved as fast as that man. You fought him"

Damon nodded, "I was able to fight him, we have the same strength,"

"The same strength?" Autumn repeated, she imagined her face had drained of all colour, she was so confused and scared right now. She didn't want to say aloud what she was thinking because it sounded so stupid, and yet it was becoming clear to her that Damon was not the person she thought she'd got to know.

"I had a dream a few nights ago," said Autumn quietly, "It was like tonight, an image of things in the darkness, drinking from people's necks. I woke up in the morning and the first thing I thought of was…"

She stopped, unwilling to let the word fall from her lips.

"Yes?" Damon pressed sounding a little sad as he did so.

"Vampire," she said softly, putting her glass down on the table next to her. She saw Damon's eyes following the movement.

"Vampire," he repeated solidly.

"You?" she asked, unable to form full sentences in that instant, his eyes had no hint of a lie in them, but then she started babbling, "The day by the bridge when you smelt blood on me before I'd even noticed. The fact you disappeared so quickly, the night in the forest when you found me, the fact that Jenna had to invite you in!"

She watched him as he acknowledged all of these accusations, his face barely changing at all. Her hands were clenched on her thighs as she waited for his answer to her unasked question. Her breathing was quick, adrenaline rushing through her.

"It's true," he said softly. She believed him.

And with that she fled. Got up off the sofa and ran towards the front door, unsure of what she would do when she got there.

There was a sound like the north wind in her ear and then suddenly Damon was in front of her, she had to stop short to stop herself colliding with his chest.

"Autumn!" he said with his wide, "It's true. I am a vampire. But I'm not going to hurt you – I swear it,"

"If you swear it, then let me go," she said her voice unsteady, her mind totally reeling from his words.

"I can't do that," he said, "There's another vampire out there for a fact, there could be others – I also can't let you leave with this knowledge until you've calmed down"

"Calmed down?" she asked hysterically looking around for something with which to defend herself, "You've just told me that you're a blood sucking monster and you want me to calm down?!"

Damon paused for a second, "And I've sworn not to hurt you,"

Her chest was heaving as she looked around for other escape routes but knew he would get there before her anyway. She looked up at him, his dark handsomeness and his deep blue eyes, earlier they had seemed mere attributes, now it seemed as if they hid a deeper power.

Then something clicked in her mind, "Stephen… Oh god Elena!"

She rummaged in her pocket for her phone, only to realize it was flat and crying out in frustration.

"Don't worry," said Damon, "Elena will be safe with Stephen – especially after tonight,"

"Where are they?" asked Autumn hoarsely.

"I imagine they're at your house," explained Damon, "Stephen will have taken her someplace safe after tonight's attack"

Autumn didn't know what to do. She was frozen to the spot and yet she wanted to run. Something was telling her to put her hands up to fight and yet part of her was telling her that that would be utterly futile. She thought of that vampire, out in the world, and realised she didn't want to step outside. And yet she was in here, with another one. It was hardly a preferable situation.

Her eyes sought Damon's and she couldn't help but imagine what they would look like as that man's had looked tonight.

"I can't go?" she asked, wondering if she was signing her own death sentence.

"No," he said, "You're safe here compared to out there"

Autumn didn't know whether to believe him or not, although she wasn't sure she had a huge amount of choice. She breathed out a breath she wasn't even aware she'd been holding.

"You can stay down here if you want," said Damon looking around, "Or I can show you a guest room – might be a bit more comfortable"

Autumn looked around at the room, the huge windows with the darkness of the night pressing in. Somehow she was imagining faces with ebony eyes and fangs pressing in at them and a momentary beat of fear passed through her body.

"I'll go upstairs," she said, holding her voice steady.

Damon nodded and then spoke, "I'm sorry you had to find out like this Autumn. If I'd have had my way you wouldn't have found out at all, but if it had been necessary it certainly wouldn't have been like this"

Autumn nodded slightly and shook her head very slightly, "Not entirely sure there is a good way to find out though,"

Damon shrugged slightly, "It depends"

Autumn wondered how he had found out about vampires. Surely he can't have been born one? That wasn't possible right? Vampires were created, not born? She suddenly realised that she had so many questions and yet she was too terrified to ask any of them.

She followed Damon up the stairs and out onto a long corridor upon which many rooms led off. He took her down to one near the end and showed her in; she couldn't help but let at a gasp at the beauty of the room. The floor was carpeted with cream plush wool and there was a canopy bed in the corner, with the material in a teal colour. There was a dark wood vanity and dresser along the wall, along with a bookcase along the back wall. It was simple but absolutely gorgeous.

"Now my room's just down the hall if you need anything," said Damon motioning off, "and the bathroom's just through there. I am sorry again Autumn, but it is better like this"

She sort of believed him for a moment as she stepped into the room, and he closed the door behind her. She didn't want to be out there, where that demon was still on the loose. But then again, she had just agreed to be shut up in a house with someone that she knew so little about.

She unlaced her corset and put it on a chair near the window before drawing the curtains – she'd be wearing a red singlet underneath it against the chill so it felt sort of like a pajama top. There was a spare toothbrush in the bathroom and a flannel so she was able to get ready for bed. She then went and lay down on top of the cool sheets, her mind absolutely whirring with the events of the night.

She had so many questions that needed answering, and yet she knew if she pursued those answers then there would be absolutely no turning back. Something told her that if she ignored it tonight, she could pass it off as a nightmare – as totally unreal and far-fetched – and yet some part of her curiosity was scratching at her to find out more. To separate the real from the unreal, or totally blur the two together.

She lay upon the coverlet, staring at the intricate woodwork above her for a good forty minutes, her eyes wide open as all these thoughts blurred in her brain, each fighting of dominance. Without really thinking she found herself placing her bare feet down upon the carpet, and walking towards the door. Was she being totally stupid? She didn't know.

She opened the heavy wooden door and stepped out into the darkened corridor, only the light from her bedroom providing her a visual of the hallway. She crept up to the door which she new was Damon's, her breath caught as she stood outside of it. Half of her wanted to flee, but something was keeping her rooted to the spot.

"Damon?" she whispered hoarsely, so quietly she was sure he wouldn't have heard, "Are you still awake?"

There was no answer from the other side and she was sure he must have been sleeping, but then the door handle moved down and the door opened. Damon was stood in the gap he created, wearing nothing but long black sleeping pants. She tried to avoid looking anywhere but his face as the corner of his lip curled up into almost a smirk.

"Can't sleep?" he asked even though he knew her answer.

Autumn shook her head and shrugged lamely before speaking, "I need… I need to know, Damon"

He paused for a second but then pushed the door back, "Come on in then"

Her eyes widened just a fraction at the idea of going into his room, but then she ducked under his arm and went straight in. This was the only way she was going to find out the truth.