I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 25 - Vampiric Confessions

"Valerian?" Evangeline flinched as she watched the vampire, this one her ally, peel himself off the trunk of her tree. He was liquid shadow. The few torches of their camp sported to light the area barely touched her where she was sitting on her bedroll, which was what made the willow tree a prime place to sleep.

A glance at her personal menu told her she had barely gotten any rest. She still only had one tic under her Special Skill, not that it mattered. She was so tired she barely remembered her own name, never mind that she was a woman who had somehow been transported into her favorite video game and was now living in it for real.

She was mostly sure that was what was happening, though she hadn't ruled out that she had, in fact, had a brain aneurysm and this was, in fact, some sort of final death hallucination.

Either way, as he stood over her, her heart beat faster in her chest as she felt the strange sense of familiarity tugged. Her last tic beckoned, the need to use it fed by her fear that she really needed to remember what she simply couldn't recall as the shadow loomed over her.

"I need your help," he repeated, his voice a raspy whisper.

"What..." She swallowed and resettled on her seat. "What is it, Val?"

"Don't call me that," he growled, dropping down into a crouch next to her. "You know who and what I am. I know you do, so don't lie to me about it."

A slice of light coming from between the strands of the willow branches slashed across one of his eyes. He did not look good. He was too pale even for someone who was supposed to be pale, which was saying something. Sweat beaded his forehead, and the intensity in his eyes was emphasized by a near jaundice tinge at the corners. From the gap in his shirt, she could see his amulet swinging.

He leaned in an inch more. "You know."

Carefully licking her lips, Evangeline weighed her answer carefully.

"I do," she said, confirming.

He shifted back an inch, satisfied with her answer.

"Most of the time," she added, scooting back an inch with a wiggle of her butt. "Sometimes, I can remember. It's all as clear as me knowing what your name is right now."

His eyes narrowed. "And?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Sometimes it's like a dream I can't quite recall. I just know there is something I should know. I'm not trying to mess with you." His eyes searched over her face, and she withstood it.

"So you have no idea..." he hedged, cocking his head to one side, "what I am right now?"

"I know... that when I do remember... I'm not afraid."

Valerian went completely still, his eyes widening at her declaration.

She gave him a small smile. "It doesn't worry me whatever it is. I don't fear for myself or fear you."

He growled at that.

"It's not that I'm saying you're weak or something. I just mean, I know you are an ally, and that we can—"

The growl shifted to a groan, and he staggered on his toes, his body curling inward.

"Val, what's wrong?"

He moved back even more, going back to the trunk of the tree. She stood to follow.

"Stay back. Never mind," he growled and groaned.

"Valerian, just tell me what it is. What do you need? Did you get too badly hurt with the fight? Do you have a condition? Should I go get Sigismund?" She leapt to her feet and turned to do exactly what she said.

Valerian grabbed her from behind. A hand slapped over her mouth to muffle her involuntary squeal. His mouth pressed to her ear. "No, don't!"

In response, she jerked her elbows into his solar plexus. He didn't let go immediately, but he grunted. "Please, don't involve the others. I can't... I can't risk it." Then he deliberately let her go, but he didn't move back. She could hear his breath in her ear. It sent a shiver down her spine.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked.

"I can't... tell you..."

She reached back behind her, slipping her fingers around his wrist.

"I think... I've been thinking that... whatever this gift this weird little god Meta has given me, if I don't learn something for myself here, I can't remember it when my points are gone. Which means, I think, if you tell me, the way you're supposed to, then I will always know it. And then I will be able to help you. And I will. I'll help you."

"Why?" he breathed, the sound full of fear that tugged at her heart, and she just couldn't remember why.

"What an ass," she said, voicelessly.

The last Meta point burned away.

"You need blood," she said, finally remembering. Understanding. "You took a full blast of radiant damage, even though I told you to stay back, and now you can't heal even if you do a full long rest. And you can't go out and hunt blood either to clear your condition. The collars will stop you. You need help."

"I won't hurt you. You can trust me. You can," he insisted. Begged.

"That's not true," she said, shaking her head. "There's a real risk that you'll lose control. This will be the first time you've ever drunk blood from a thinking creature. You could kill me. Granted, we have the phoenix now, and you can bring me back, but I would rather not experience that because, now that I have to actually do this, I'm real hesitant." She laughed dryly, but it died almost as soon as she started.

A long silence stretched between them, her neither letting go nor him pulling away or moving closer.

"You can trust me," he repeated. "Not a drop more than I need."

"Fine. Only on one condition."

"Name it."

"When I forget again, you will tell me your secret, so I will never forget it again."

Another long pause stretched.

"I'm a vampire."

To be continued...

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