Blood & Lust [Book Two of The City of Eternity Series] [✔]

2.6: Luscious

There was a single, uninterrupted moment of peace as I settled into the steel box room; basking in the sombre atmosphere the walls of Eternity provided. It was the sinking feeling that was slowly rising in my gut that made me acknowledge the cruel reality of my situation.

I had given myself a task with few choices apparent - I was stuck here for twenty-four hours at a minimum in a zone filled with blood attracted vampires; many of whom were eager for an unlawful snack under the freeing guise of a lack of paperwork.

While the darkness that loomed over the streets of Southern was a comfort, giving me protection from prying eyes and allowing me to move unhindered, that very same darkness left me in unparalleled danger on the other side of the wall. The difference between that thick metal barrier was unsurpassable; the milky moon perching on the canvas above only meant that those I was forced to fear were dashing around and enjoying blood freely.

I had many hours to wait before I could even fathom leaving the relative safety of the boarded room. Which meant my only option was resting inside the hollow building and waiting for the glimpses of sunlight to pour through gaps in the wood; but knowing myself, I'd waste away in the shackles of endearing dreams and Miss the opportunity daybreak offered.

This fact alone left me setting a subtle vibrating alarm on my watch for ten in the morning, which I hoped brought plenty of sunlight to scare away the night beasts even during the cold winter months. As the watch clicked in confirmation, I rested my head on the jacket I'd brought with me, and clutched a bundle of silk sheets stored in the corner of the room.

Ruben had promised several times before to install some supplies in the room; pillows, sheets and extra food but had never matched those words with action - several months have gone by since we last discussed it. It wasn't as though I found myself here all that often, but it was often enough to desire a nice plump pillow to rest my head on instead of clothing that was near-ruin by dirt and sweat by the end of it.

That much I knew, because the vibration of my watch only hours later, left me scanning the fabric of my coat and realising it had been coated in a layer of dust and grime. I shouldn't have worn my favourite jacket when I knew I was coming here, regardless of how well it matches my outfit.

As I pushed myself from the floor and glanced out the window, I felt safe in my assumption that the bright beams radiating from the pebble of a sun above were keeping everyone at bay, safely locking them into their skyscrapers. I cautiously emerged from the hideaway, entering the somewhat uncarefully chosen '0000' into the rusty keypad by the door, the only protection from those that lived within the zone.

As I fumbled through the streets of Eastern that I had never had the chance to see in such light, I realised how out of place I truly felt here. The cooling darkness of night covered Eastern's less savoury aspects that under the warm embrace of the sun were laid bare for my eyes to see - the eerie streets that beckoned me, harkening discomfort in my subconscious, and the overtly blood-stained cobblestone that was more often than not shielded from unsuspecting eyes under the pale moonlight.