Blood & Shadows

Twenty-six

Six days pass before the snow abates; it leaves the city frozen in ways I haven't seen since I was a child. Servants bustle about, trying to keep busy as a way to justify their existence in the warm palace. No one makes note of my newfound nocturnal schedule or the new addition to my bed. Lounging in bed with Vrythien is a rare, exquisite pleasure, as is feeding him. It's the only pleasure I can completely give myself to. It's worth the weakness to see the light that glints in his eyes.

As Vrythien breaks from me, the noises he makes are nothing shy of sexual. I'm weak in his arms, but I don't care as pleasure rolls through me, never mind that I'm limp as a rag while he laps at that bite savoring the taste of me. I'm straddling his lap, slumped forward, draped around his neck as he holds me close.

My vision refuses to focus as he kisses along my throat to my lips; he supports me with one hand as he surveys the mess he's made of me with a satisfied smirk and a single rivulet of blood tracing down his chin. My blood.

He claims my mouth, his bloodied tongue sliding against my own, letting me taste my power. He licks over my lips spreading that sweet metallic nectar, I can just manage to lick it away and smile lazily at that little shock of my power that follows, its enough to rip a gasp from me and leave my whole body tingling. With a devious little chuckle, he kisses me again, this time slower and deeper. When he breaks the kiss, I'm left light-headed as he wipes the blood from his chin with his thumb and wipes it across my lips before coming near to me again; it's not so much a kiss as it is him licking my lips. Keeping his touch feather light pleasure sings in my blood--what little of it is left.

"Mm, my pretty little love," he purrs as he cradles me close. He's so warm it makes it hard to keep my eyes open. "My dear decadently delicious darling, I'll not feed like this again, I promise. I am always mindful of the beat of your heart and those long deep breaths of yours. I would never hurt you. I'd rather find myself under your father's skilled knife again than let any harm come to you..." he giggles and bites his bottom lip. "I think I'm blood drunk." He tongues a fang. "Drunk on you," he purrs. "In so many ways...Gods I loathe how beautiful you are sometimes. Not to mention how you made me care; I was doing perfectly fine, not caring, I'll have you know. I didn't think it was something I could do or something I was worthy of--then there was you. I don't regret killing your father, but the bard... I enjoyed it at the moment, but it left a sour taste in my mouth. I guess what I'm trying to say when you're too out of it to remember is that I'm sorry. You loved him, and he loved you...same as..." He swallows. "Inebriated and I still can't bring myself to breathe life into it lest my Master use it against me. What a creature I am." He rolls his eyes and plays in my hair in just the right way to put me to sleep in breaths.

#

"You're going to kill her!" Trysten hisses through clenched teeth; it's jarring to hear such harsh tones from him; perhaps that's what woke me. I'm lounging across Vrythien in my sitting room; he moved me from the bed. I've been dressed, and my hair is plaited over my shoulder in a slightly damp braid.

"Wonderful, you woke her!" Vrythien snaps, sneering at Trysten as I slowly blink my eyes open. It's pitch black outside of the windows, but it's been that way since a handful of hours after noon.

"You can feed on me if you need to, but you're taking too much from her." Trysten passes his fingers back through his hair. Vrythien rolls his eyes and strokes my cheek.

"Congratulations my delectable darling, you slept more than four bells. I intended it to be more than six but Trysten needed to throw a fit." Vrythien flashes an ugly smile at the ex-courtesan.