*********************************

The Vampire King Apollyon

*********************************

The ghost child almost showed almost all of her baby teeth as she broke out into a wide smile, reminding him of Luna's.

He abruptly looked away, and he lifted a hand to his face, rubbing the moisture leaking from the corner of his eyes.

Apollyon couldn't stand this distinct, overwhelming emotion bubbling up inside his chest.

The trust in those piercing yet gentle Prussian blue eyes almost blew his mind away.

He swore his protective instincts would kick in if he saw flesh and blood of this young lass who reminded him of his wife.

Why did she smile and laugh so much?

What was so funny?

Feeling self-conscious suddenly, Apollyon rubbed his cheek if there was dirt in them.

It felt like it was his responsibility to make sure that no harm will come across this one—someone who looked like his future daughter.

He could not stop looking at this beautiful baby girl.

Was he turning into a delusional man for missing the Empress so much?

The ghost child gestured animatedly at the golden orbs as her gaze took turns focusing on Apollyon then back to them.

Her blue eyes were wide, rounded, and unblinking as she handled them with care.

Did this mean that his golden orbs were specters—compacted molecules of energy—just like her?

Was a creature's soul built like this?

Without taking its eyes off the golden spheres, she spoke in a bubbly tone.

"I did it." She whispered in an excitable hush as she jumped up and down. "I touch."

Glancing at him in awe, she exclaimed, "I touch balls."

"Kid." Apollyon couldn't believe he was about to berate a kid for her choice of language.

Narrowing his eyes at the girl, Apollyon cleared his throat awkwardly and said. "Be careful of your words, or some people might get the wrong idea."

Her eyebrows knitted together as she pouted at his reproach. "I touch balls!"

"You touch orbs." Shaking his head in dissent, Apollyon corrected her. "Touching balls is kind of—"

"It's gold." An impatient huff.

"Floating balls." The kid didn't like to be chastised. "BALLS!"

He shut his eyes and shook his head in disapproval.

Apollyon would never allow a daughter to become rebellious as this little girl, but this tiny issue can be fixed.

"Alright, then." Apollyon uncrossed his arms. "There is no need to argue. I will get rid of the balls."

"NO!" The ghost child whined as she hovered near him, pleading and grabbing his hand in vain. "NOOOOOOO!"

"Don't worry." Apollyon pretended to pat the kid's bonnet to comfort her.

The act was useless because it was just nothing but air.

At least he could get his good intentions across. "I shall give you another gift."

She mumbled, determined. "I wait."

With a snap of a finger, all the golden orbs disappeared, and the chamber turned back into a dark cave.

The young girl made a noise in her throat before her shoulders drooped in disappointment.

"If another man in real life says that they had a gift to show you, you escape immediately, alright?" Apollyon warned her for the sake of her safety. " It might be dangerous."

This was the best advice he could impart when it was time for her soul to come back to where it belonged.

He cared for the child so that it wouldn't expose itself to danger.

Right.

"They might be bad guys who might kidnap young girls to be their slaves."

The young girl asked innocently. "They are bad men like you, right?"

He grimaced.

That hit close to home.

Indeed, Apollyon had kidnapped women from all over the Realm to be part of his Consortium.

He had married his Empress by force, refusing to grant her wish to leave the Kingdom despite removing his curse.

Apollyon was the big, bad wolf in this Realm when the Blood Beast possessed him, and the child must have sensed it.

"What do you think?"

There was a long awkward pause before the young child retreated in fear.

No, Kid." Apollyon let out a strange laugh and let the little girl create space between them. "Me, not bad."

Now, he was talking the 'language of toddlers.'

Great.

Then he sighed, adding, "--and I can't hurt you because you are not in your physical form."

"You want. Hurt me?"

Head flinching back slightly, Apollyon insisted. "No, Kid."

Why would she think that?

Did he look like a child murderer?

Anyway, why did he keep calling her a kid?

If this were Apollyon's child, he would probably call his daughter a flower name like the dandelion.

Yes!

Dandelion.

No, Princess would do!

"I mean, princess." Apollyon amended as the little girl stared at him openly, "Do you want to see the gift now?"

The ghost child nodded and smiled with reluctance.

Now, she was more reserved and not all over the place.

'Alright, she liked to be called princess.' Apollyon filed that information somewhere in his brain if he might use that in the future. "Please be patient, princess. I will show you something amazing."

He shut his eyes in early regret and waved his hand like it was a magic wand.

Apollyon couldn't believe he was performing this easy magic trick to make a kid happy.

He was the King of the Vampire Realm and not this child's personal court jester.

Chagrined, Apollyon's sharp cheekbones burned as yellow, orange, and red flowers and butterflies shoot out from his fingertips like he was this young lass' bloody fairy godmother.

The ghost child sucked in a quick breath in amazement.

Apollyon smiled to himself when he saw her appreciate the wondrous display, squealing in delight.

He assumed that young girls would like this gift.

He was supposed to show this magic trick to his wife when they finally reunited, but maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to show it to this young lass first.

Apollyon was curious to watch the young lass' reaction to this magic trick while his Empress wasn't around yet.