The Red Rose

Chapter XL

Days passed, and Lucy continued with her activities. First, it had been a man, now she brought a woman. The moans and cries were unbearable; my mind couldn't take it anymore.

Lycaon emphasized meditation, to accumulate and internalize those feelings, and my migraines seemed to return more intensely. I noticed that one day I had touched my eyes and one of my fingers had a strange rash, which later healed.

One morning I received the first visit from Lilith, accompanied by Varney.

"So this is where they keep you, boy. What a pigsty for one of our own! And what are these bars?"

Lilith pricked herself on the spikes when trying to touch the bar:

"Ahh! What is this? Eldritch magic!" She exclaimed.

Then she began to look at the wound, then at her ring, and seemed to start thinking:

"Dracula... so that's how he did it..."

Varney looked at Lilith intensely with his new crimson eyes, and then at her wound. Although Dracula had filtered out the obsessive bond, curiosity was still a factor, and Varney seemed to follow Lilith's hand. She looked at him with fascination and made another wound on her hand, letting Varney feed. While Varney licked the wound, Lilith made him slowly lower himself until he seemed to be like an animal, like a dog.

"Hahaha! What curious creatures! You see, Nephilim? They pretend sophistication, but they're just as animal as all the creatures on this planet. I wonder if this is the kind of games you play with your soulmate before the moments of passion."

Lilith puts her left foot on Varney's shoulder, and I couldn't help but remember the moments when I let Carmilla feed on me. It was uncomfortable to think that maybe, just maybe, she didn't love me the way I love her.

She grabs Varney by his chin with her healthy hand, raising him slowly up. Then she caresses his hair and cheek, and tells him:

"Don't worry, creature, soon your dear master and I will make this world a paradise, worthy of beings like you," while he just nodded his head.

"That's enough, open up please darling," she told him, making movements with her index finger, and asking him to open my cell.

Lycaon gave me another look, nodding his head, and I looked at him, and then at Lilith. It was so strange and disturbing to me, a being that seemed so angelic, having such intense eyes.

She surrounded me with her arm on my shoulder, and we walked from the hallway to an office room. Having her imposing figure surrounding me while the vampires made way was very strange to me.

We arrived there, where she and I sat down. Her long hand moved a glass of blood, pushing it away from her with disdain, and she looked at me fixedly in the eyes, along with a silence that was killing me.

"So? Can I know why I'm here?" I asked.

Cross-legged, and with one hand supporting her chin, she asks me:

"How has life been on Earth? Have you ever been curious to visit our realm?" She asked, with a captivating smile, which was only marred by the sight of her fangs.

"I... I have been, life here is good, well, it was until all this..." I said while moving my arms, showing my surroundings.

"Haha!" Lilith laughed. "Yes, very unfortunate circumstances in which we have met, Miguel. What do you know about me? About my story? Has your mother told you anything about me? And forgive me for asking you so many questions, but I need to know. How did your parents meet? And before that, I wish to apologize for that happened to your human father, I hope you understand all this..." She stops, looks at her rings, and continues. ".. unplanned situation. Some surprises can be quite discouraging."