"Oh I didn't mention her because I know where she is. Or at least, I know she isn't too far" he explained. Of course in that moment, he didn't realize why mentioning he had family nearby might not be within his or her best interest.
Although Fenriz had been completely obvious to the inner turmoil that she had been going through in regards to him, the pain on her face now was plain as day. In fact the whole mood inside the dilapidated city had seemed to change. Even the shadows seemed to notice, swaying anxiously in anticipation of the events that were about to unfold. Fenriz himself remained unusually silent as she explained herself, explained that she had been copying her beloved sister this entire time. Naturally he disagreed with her assessment. Though he didn't deny that Huiling sounded fantastic, he knew that his high opinion of Lixue had been formed by Lixue herself.
Once she explained what it was that exorcists did, specifically what their primary targets were, was the moment that the boy realized he was in trouble. This person, who he had previously believed was another person willing to entertain his childish whims, had been silently judging him the entire time. If he had said something different in this entire conversation, maybe elaborated a bit too much on one story, was it possible that he wouldn't be standing here now?
Still, he certainly wasn't out of the woods yet. Far from it in fact. Fen took a half step back as she lifted a hand his direction. A light began to form in her palm, causing Fenriz to raise a hand in blocking it out. He had seen a lot of magic in his time, even once or twice being threatened by it much like he was now. But there was something different about this spell. He could feel it, the inner vampire lashing out in his subconscious, clawing at his mind desperate to snuff out that light by any means possible. For now, however, the child remained in control, and he had a decision to make. She was giving him a chance to flee, a chance he was strongly considering taking. What stopped him was fear. Fear that as he was attempting to run, she would change her mind and decide to finish the job. He had seen what sort of power she was capable of. While he was absolutely no match for her in a fight, he wasn't certain he would be able to get away, either.
Fenriz staring down a deadly spell was confirmation enough to the shadows that Lixue was a threat. Without command from the vampire, the very shadow he cast on the still icy ground beneath them had formed into long, inky tendrils that attempted to wrap themselves around the arm that threatened him, no doubt in an attempt to direct the spell elsewhere.
"Wait, stop!" He protested. Even if the shadows were convinced she was a threat, Fenriz was not. But the more the shadows acted on their own, the more likely she was to be convinced that he was a threat. While he was focused on trying to get his shadow to obey his command, the surrounding ones began to come alive as well. Most of them had morphed into various birds, an animal that Fenriz was obviously very fond of. Others took the form of wolves, modeled after one in particular Fenriz had gotten to know. A handful of these animals had manifested, nowhere near the amount that he was capable of summoning while the circle was active, but all of them acting without input from Fenriz himself. They approached slowly, perhaps sensing the boys hesitation, but it was clear that they were set to try and protect him by any means.
Fenriz figured there was only one way to solve this situation. Convince the shadows that Lixue was not a threat.
"Miss Lixue I know you hate vampires. I know there's good reason to hate them." as he spoke his words were strained. With one hand still doing its best to block out the light from the spell, and another raised toward Lixue, he was still mentally trying to prevent the tendrils from latching on to Lixue, a task he was failing at. All the while, his inner, feral self was still trying its hardest to break free, wanting noting more than to violently crush that light "After I first became a vampire, I lost control once. An entire family died because of me. But I've learned other ways since then. I know how to feed without killing anyone, and I haven't since"
Tears were now beginning to form in his crimson eyes, due both to the situation at hand and the painful memory he had brought up. It was maybe a risky prospect, giving a person that wanted to kill him even more reason to do so. But that day, that image of the family lying mangled and bloody at his feet still haunted him. It was a grief that he would live with forever. A part of him even felt like maybe he deserved to die for what he had done. But at very least if this was where he was to meet his end, the one that would do it should at least have a tangible reason
"You said it yourself, actions and a desire to do better is the only way to improve. I don't want to be like the vampires that give us a bad reputation. I want to prove that we're not all like that"
The entire situation was almost becoming too much for the boy to bare, his legs beginning to shake. The zoo he had inadvertently summoned inched ever closer as he continued on "You have cursed mana too, right? Even if you're not a vampire like me, that gives us something in common. I wouldn't want you dead because of what you are, because I know you're a good person. And I didn't know your sister, but based on what you told me, I think she would feel the same way"
"But, if… if you think I'm a bad person, I understand. I would believe someone as smart as you would make the right call"
Despite the circumstances, the vampire managed a small grin. He had decided that Lixue was an amazing person. Not even Lixue herself was going to sway that opinion.