Sharp Teeth - Sleep Token/Vessel FF

Chapter XI

TW: blood.

"V, do you accept Ava as your partner for eternity?"

"Yes, I do."

"And you, Ava, do you accept V as your partner for eternity?"

"I... do."

My vision was blurred and I felt my head spinning as the words rolled out of my mouth só naturally it felt like I had already made my choice long ago.

The priestess wore a long red dress, her face hidden by a mask that reminded me of the ones used in the Venice carnival. II, III, and IV were beside us with their eyes closed in a trance, our bodies floating in the air. A golden thread made of aether connected us all, forming a pentagram around us and shining brighter on the part that connected Vessel and me.

"Prove your devotion, V. Give Ava a piece of your soul."

Vessel bit his wrist, cutting through the skin with his sharp teeth and putting it over my mouth. The warm and thick liquid touched my tongue, filling my mouth fast. I didn't question this insanity, I knew this was right. He was showing me the way to meet my fate. I drank his soul ferociously, his vitality burning me inside and giving me a whirlpool of emotions.

Suddenly, his life flashed before my eyes like a movie.

I saw his vision of us: two souls entwined, born in different centuries. I saw the deal he made with Sleep, granting him eternal life and the duty to spread the word about the God. The day he met II, III, and IV, and the moment they became blood brothers. Centuries of solitude, waiting for me patiently. The day our eyes met at the venue. The day we made love for the first time. And this very moment, as I drank his blood, bonding our souls for eternity.

"That's enough, dear Ava," he gently pulled his wrist away from me, the open wound healing almost immediately. None of this bothered me at all. In fact, I felt at home.

"You have proven your devotion time and time again, V. Sleep will grant you what you desire most. Ava shall now be known as Ⅰ. Remember, you still must uphold your end of the bargain." The priestess turned to me, marking my chest with the Roman numeral Ⅰ using her index finger. "Ⅰ, you have accepted your destiny and shall live for eternity. The five of you must rule Earth in Sleep's name."

The golden string that tethered us together started to fade as I felt my consciousness returning.

Vessel was holding me in his arms and brushing his fingers on my face when I woke up. My vision was blurred but I noticed we were still - or should I say back - in the dressing room.

"I think I fell asleep. I swear I had a vivid dream of some sort of ritual..."

"It was not a dream," IV interrupted. "You are now bonded to us all. Welcome to our brotherhood, sister."

"Well, it's not a brotherhood anymore!" II laughed out loud.

"Vessel finally found the one, and we can finally take a break from his loneliness." III joked, patting Vessel on the head. Vessel looked at III and hissed in disapproval, but kept brushing his fingers through my hair.

"I'm not following, sorry. My head feels really light right now. I think the wine was too strong for me," I said, trying to stand up.

"Lay down, my love. What you experienced was not a dream. We were in Sleep's realm. We can access it by drinking this," he pointed to the wine bottle, and I noticed it looked older than it should. "And your vision—that was a glimpse of my life. Everything that led me to you, to this moment. I have so much to tell you, but I couldn't do it before being bonded to you."

He helped me sit up while II handed me a glass of water. I chugged it, realizing my mouth still had the taste of Vessel's blood somehow.

"How come I'm not trying to run away from all this? How come my heart and soul know that I can trust you, that this is not insane? Help me understand why I feel completely safe in your arms." I touched Vessel's chest and noticed he had a V mark on it, just like mine. That wasn't there before, I'm sure of it. I had pictures to prove it.

"Alright, we're going now - you two love birds need time alone. We have a private party to attend, and I do not intend on leaving it for at least two sunsets." IV smirked and led II and III out of the room. "Ves, summon us only if you need to. You have found your love, but we haven't found ours yet! Catch you later."

"Thank you for your sacrifice, brothers. Enjoy your evening." Vessel smiled as he helped me stand up. "Come now, love, I have a lot to tell you. Let's get back to the hotel. I have everything we need in my suite."

"I think we missed the van!" I suddenly remembered the driver hated to wait for the late ones.

"We're not riding anything with four wheels tonight. Let me show you my first secret." We walked for five minutes until we reached a remote part of the venue. "This is how I come and go from each concert. It makes me feel... free." He pointed at a parked Harley Davidson Cosmic Starship.

Of all the things that happened tonight, I didn't think it would be a million-dollar bike that would make my jaw drop.

"If this impresses you," he pointed at the bike, smiling, "I can't wait to see your face when you hear the whole story. Your vision was just a glimpse, Ava. Let's get going, we have a lot to talk about."