Vampire Residence

XXI

Memories flashed through Morgana's head.

Don't scream.

Don't cry.

Don't fight back.

She deserved this.

No.

She needed to stop thinking this way. Morgana had her shot and she would not throw it away.

"I can do that," she said firmly.

Satisfaction and just a touch of pride flashed in Daciana's expression. She could see a change in Morgana as if a fire had been lit inside her. A determination to win her freedom.

"Good," the woman said quietly, with a brief pause as she looked around the bakery once more, making sure they were still alone. "Are you ready to leave, then?"

Morgana looked out the window, then to the door of her family's house off of the bakery.

"Is it cold outside?" She asked.

Her question seemed almost out of nowhere, but Daciana simply answered as if its answer had been obvious. "Yes, of course, it is cold."

She stepped back a little, her eyes flickering down to Morgana's leg, taking in the fact that she was only wearing her nightgown. "Why?"

"Well I can't walk very fast, so I probably need to find a coat so I don't freeze. Unless there's no time-" Morgana explained.

Daciana glanced out at the bakery's door, then to the house. She had already considered the possibility of someone coming in, but for the moment it seemed unlikely...

"I will just... carry you, then. You will be weak, anyways."

Morgana looked incredibly confused, the woman who stood before her was tiny, how in the world would she carry her? "Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly.

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Daciana's lips. "Very sure," she replied, her voice tinged with an undercurrent of smug confidence.

She paused for a few seconds, suddenly seeming antsy and impatient. "We must go, and quickly. Are you ready?"

Morgana nodded eagerly, the aforementioned temporary discomfort still in the back of her mind. She could handle it. She'd survive. She always did.

But Morgana barely had time to think before Daciana was suddenly over the counter, her hands grabbing onto her shoulders, strong and surprisingly cool to the touch. She pulled her roughly towards her, leaving the young girl disoriented and frozen for a few moments, unable to even scream. The woman's grip on her was tight, almost bruising, her eyes locking with Morgana's in a mix of determination and... something else.

"You will be okay."

The words were whispered, almost spoken into her ear, her voice low and smooth, like the whisper of a lover preparing to break your heart. Her breath felt cool against Morgana's skin, her grip on her shoulders shifting, her fingers digging even more tightly into her flesh. "You will be just fine. And you will not scream."

Before Morgana could even think of responding, let alone protesting, the woman drew her closer, her face suddenly in the crook of her neck, her teeth at her skin.

Morgana felt the sudden sharp sting of her teeth, the pain a quick, almost jolting shock through her body, leaving her unable to struggle. Her body was suddenly almost going limp, the woman's arms holding her up, preventing her from falling.

"You will not scream," the woman repeated, her voice a low hiss against Morgana's skin. Another quick shock of pain, then a sense of... something. Some kind of strange, cool feeling was flooding her body, flowing through her veins.

She could feel herself going weaker, the woman's arms the only things holding her up now. Her head was spinning, her vision almost blurring around the edges. She couldn't think, her mind hazy and disoriented.

Morgana's eyes began to flutter closed, a strange kind of tiredness taking over. She could do nothing but feel the woman's hands on her body, her teeth on her neck, the strange feeling like water filling her veins. Her mind was strangely calm, almost blissful even, the last thought in her mind as her eyes slipped shut.

Do not scream.

Daciana released her suddenly and was around the back of the counter before her body could hit the floor, catching her head in her hands as she crouched down.

Morgana's body fell limply into her arms, her head lolling to the side, her breathing shallow. Her eyes were closed now, and a strange sense of contentment- at odds with the situation at hand- was on her face, even in unconsciousness.

Daciana held the girl in her arms, an almost fond look on her face as she looked down at her - her pale skin, her dark hair, now a little disheveled from the encounter.

"Poor girl," she whispered, her voice quiet and soothing. She adjusted her arms, pulling the girl even closer, before looking down at her wrist for a few seconds.

The last thing Morgana felt before slipping away entirely was the woman's wrist being pressed to her mouth, and the first trickle of blood passing through her lips.