Phoenix

Chapter 27*Revised*

           The Burial Mounds were nightmarish. Even with the ice dome around them, Lan Wangji felt unsafe. The fierce corpses kept insistently clawing at the barrier. Three days after they had landed in the burial mounds, he felt that Wei Wuxian was still too injured to be moved. The acrid scent of death and resentment was making Lan Wangji feel sick. It didn't help that he was hungry, and his energy was not replenished as fast as he was used to in this sea of resentment. 

             He knew he would have to leave to find food soon, but he was worried something would happen to his lover while he was gone to search for food. No mental communication was possible in that horrible place. There was also the fact that this place was known for not letting anyone leave. All his energy had gone to feeding the egg and trying to heal Wei Wuxian, but it was not doing anything.

           It was in desperation, seeing how his husband's energy was rejecting him, that he felt a strange tingle in his head. The voice was male, sounding far away, repeating one word over and over again. With no other ideas, Lan Wangji opened Wei Wuxian's mouth and placed his pale wrist in between his fangs. Holding his breath, Lan Wangji forced Wei Wuxian's mouth shut. 

            The sharp fangs stung and then burned all through his weakened body. He felt Wei Wuxian's body react for the first time since he had found him. He was suctioning the blood from the wound on Lan Wangji's wrist greedily. He felt so tired all of a sudden but managed to stay awake long enough to see Wei Wuxian's eyes open. Blood-red eyes instead of silver met his gold. Lan Wangji passed out, glad he was able to help his soulmate.  

             Wei Wuxian woke up feeling fully healed with the most amazing taste in his mouth. He opened his eyes to see what had happened since his fall to the Burial Mounds. His eyes went wide, taking in the sight of his egg and a passed-out Lan Wangji over him. It is then he realizes that the amazing taste was coming from Lan Wangji's wrist. He pulled away, horrified, before licking the wound closed. He felt sick at himself. 

            Even his inner vampire was bashing into the sides of his head over for hurting their mate. He dry-heaved, feeling the bile in his stomach make its way up his throat before he pushed it back with worry in his mind. Shaking hands carefully checked on Lan Wangji, full of dread. He rejoiced when he found a pulse. It was slow, but there was proof he was still alive.  Wei Wuxian wanted to stay in control with his mate. He had always been weary of his vampire heritage. 

             It was a pointless thought. Even he knew that in this setting, with his phoenix missing, there was no choice. Slowly, Wei Wuxian allowed his inner vampire to take over. He felt all his senses heighten his body, feeling cold enough that his phoenix flame was a mere flicker in the back of his mind. As a vampire, the air full of resentment in this place was strengthening him. Still, his focus was on saving Lan Wangji. 

             He sat down in a meditative state, searching for the source of the burial mound's resentment. Wei Wuxian's face scrunched in concentration, trying to ignore the yells of the dead and the roar of fierce corpses around him. It was difficult to spread his power and essence so deeply into this place. Every soul he encountered, he had to overpower to not impede his search. 

             Half an hour later, a short-of-breath Wei Wuxian bled from his nose for overusing his energy. He had finally found the source he was looking for. He focused all his power there to overpower the mass of resentment created by thousands of broken souls merged in one place. He made sure to use the energy generated by Lan Wangji's blood as a way of including Lan Wangji in this fight. 

             He poured every ounce of power, looking for a chance. When the energy weakened, Wei Wuxian took his chance and absorbed those broken souls as energy for himself. He claimed these burial mounds as his territory, the same way Baoshan had her mountain. 

         When he opened his eyes, his skin was paler, and his breathing was haggard. He looked at his hands, waiting for the shaking to dwindle. His other senses kicked back on, and he was glad to no longer hear roars and screams against the ice barrier. As the new heart of the burial mounds, so long as he was not angry, the spirits here would remain at peace.

         He gingerly picked up their egg and placed it on Lan Wangji's stomach before picking the man up in his arms in a bridal carry. Determinately, he left the barrier, making sure to keep all resentful energy away from his beloved Jade. No spirit or corpse bothered them choosing to give a wide margin for Wei Wuxian to move to his destination. The exit of the burial mounds.