Blood Thirsty

Ch. 6: I Need Blood

In his entire life, Anthony Ventura had never gone hungry. Feeling thirsty wasn't an issue, not since he was a kid, and his fangs grew in. Now, unable to breathe through the dirt in his face, Anthony's teeth pounded. It was an ache like an ice pick striking up through his mouth into his skull over and over. That crack in his brain splintered all the way down his spine. His body was hot and yet, dripping with a cold flush. Even the blood pouring out of his own body went cool as soon as it touched the autumn air.

Dying was a lot like falling backwards down the stairs, forcing Anthony to remember all the steps he took that led him up there I the first place and then, all the wrong steps that made him fall.

The pain spiked again as the creature's mouth was ripped out of Anthony's shoulder. Anthony cried out, half in agony, but mostly in fear. Even as a vampire, he had never been this cold. He was losing motor functions, sputtering, trembling, and breaking down.

And so thirsty.

Like he tried swallowing a desert worth of sand, each individual grain sticking and itching inside of his throat. Anthony twisted his head up, just as Knox's arm wrapped around the creature's neck and twisted it, cracking it like snapping a tree in half and sending it onto the ground. Jumping off its back, Knox dashed over, throwing himself on top of Anthony's body. It sounded like the pop of an airbag, the body of the beast bursting and its blood and guts sprayed across the forest floor.

"Anthony? Anthony, can you hear me?" Knox spat out, his eyes wide in panic. He held Anthony's cheek, searching his face for an answer when Anthony couldn't make himself answer.

The blood was dripping down Knox's face. They were both covered in it, but the metallic smell didn't compare to the aroma wafting off Knox. He smelled sweet like sugar cookies dipped in coarse sugar, or like honeysuckles in the height of spring, warmed by the sun. It made Anthony's mouth water.

"Anthony?" Knox said again, fear tightening his vocal cords. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Anthony managed to croak, flinching at his scratched-up throat. He shook his head. He couldn't talk, couldn't pile onto the pain. It was too much already.

"I'm going to pick you up," Knox explained, taking off his jacket and tying it around Anthony's chest, covering his back. It dawned on Anthony he wasn't healing. Not in the way he usually could as a vampire, the way normal injuries would. Knox draped Anthony's arm around his neck, hoisting him off the ground.

"Fuck," Anthony cursed, turning his nose away from Knox but he was all over, all consuming. Anthony's thoughts were spun into silly threads of sweet cotton candy, of Knox.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll get you up the hill as fast as I can."

"I..." Anthony tried swallowing past his dry throat, but that just made it worse. "I need blood."

"Yeah, no shit. You lost most of it."

Anthony used what was left of his strength to pinch Knox's side and twist his skin as hard as he could.

"OW!" Knox yelped.

"I'm thirsty and you—" Anthony tried to say but Knox took off running, making Anthony's stomach do a flip. Anthony just held on, bracing himself against Knox.

They were back on top with the castle in view. Anthony piped up, "I don't want Nino to see me like this."

"Me either," Knox muttered. With a sigh, Knox held Anthony closer and took off again, putting them right back in the courtyard. He swung them through the back door when Anthony heard Johanna gasp.

"Knox!" She gawked.

Knox kept going, speeding into a random room and dumping Anthony onto the sofa, ruining it forever. He bent down to Anthony's level. "I'll be right back. Don't worry."