There Is No Me Beyond You

~13~

The coldness of the winter night's air and the sound of Radu's feet stepping through piles of frozen snow stirred me back to life a while later. I opened my eyes shortly as I felt his cool fingers pulling the hood of the coat over my head, their coldness against my burning forehead making me shiver.

"Thank you, Radu." I muttered.

"We are here. Look." He whispered back, stopping and turning around so I could see a group of men seated on impatiently stumping horses, looking like shadows under a small copse of leafless trees growing nearby, where they were hiding. They were nearly invisible to my human eyes, I would never have noticed them if he did not point them out to me.

"Samara! Thank God!" One of them called, rushing over to us across the snow covered plane. "Is she all right?"

"Vlad," I muttered, trying to free myself from Radu's arms and stand up.

"Wait," Radu said, not letting go of me until Vlad reached us, then passed me over to him before his brother could dismount his horse.

I saw Radu shaking his head as Vlad made me sit on the saddle in front of him, then wrapped one of his arms firmly around my waist.

"She isn't well. You must hurry, take her home quickly and do what needs to be done. We will manage here without you, you have no time to waste. Go, now, and don't hesitate, or you'll lose her!" I heard Radu say urgently as I sank into Vlad's body, feeling awfully weak but euphoric at the same time.

Vlad... I was at home now, finally...

Heart soaring, I noticed Vlad's lips brushing against my temple, then his cheek coming to rest against mine after he exchanged a few more lines I did not catch with Radu. Then I felt the horse's body move under us as he made it turn and walk away, always faster, until it seemed to be flying through the countryside shrouded in night and snow.

"I love you, Samara. God knows I did not want this to happen... not this way but... Soon you'll feel better, I promise."

I wasn't sure that this was a promise he could keep, but I was so elated to be with him, resting in his embrace at last, that I didn't ask for more. All that mattered was that he was here, with me.

"I love... you.. too." I struggled to say. "Lucas, my friend..."

"He is with us, you mustn't worry, Samara, you need all your strength for yourself now..." his voice reached me through a thickening darkness. I was losing consciousness again but it didn't matter, I was happy. We were together and Lucas was safe.

Vlad took me somewhere warm the first night, to a place from which I only caught glimpses of fire, its heat, a bed I did not recognize. And then we were moving... in a carriage most likely. How exactly we got to Bran or how long did it take us, I could not say, because I had not resurfaced from the fever-caused foggy darkness and strange visions properly for what felt like... a very long time.

Those visions... So awful and seemingly real... I was sure that someone drank from me again, and then... often... I would imagine... a man's strong arms holding me close to his chest, his hand pressing my head, my lips, against the cool, soft skin of his neck where I could feel... a pulsing vein, his soft voice urging me to drink... I saw myself, how I could not oblige at first but then, after a few tries... somehow... I bit into his soft skin, drawing blood, feeling... disgusted... but hungry for more, delighted by his blood's scent and flavour at the same time. I imagined wrapping my arms around his body, drawing him as close as I could, making him... laugh happily as if he was relieved when he felt me... drinking his blood, then pushed me softly away, running his fingers through my hair soothingly a while later, telling me it was enough... Vlad... he was there, with me, for me... in my dreams, all the time.