“Mitzi?” Darius knelt over the unconscious form that was Mitzi.“Mitzi?Can you hear me?” The beaten girl did not move.When he looked at her, he couldn’t believe what he had done to her.
One side of Mitzi’s face was swollen and blotched with red and purple.Blood was smeared in her eye and her lip was split open.Her breathing was labored, shallow and raspy.The top of the front of her shirt was stained with blood from where Darius had torn away her skin.Darius just listened to her breathing, glad suddenly that she was still alive.The punctures his fangs had made in her neck and arm were swelling and rashy… from his venom.
Darius did not know what to do.He had never cared one iota about anybody mortal before nor did he have any idea of how to help one who had been severely injured.He was afraid to touch her or pick her up.There was no other vampire in this castle right now that could help him.For a minute Darius envied Zane’s social life, even though Darius himself was a loner.And, Darius could not trust his slaves.He was anything but nice to them, so asking them to help him help a human girl was a death sentence for her.They’d become jealous of his caring about her, they’d become vengeful for all the wrongs that Darius had inflicted upon them and their families.Another human would most likely ‘euthanize’ Mitzi.
The only person Darius could think of to call for help was Zane.Darius knew that his mother has had experience in nursing badly injured humans back to health.When he looked down on Mitzi, whose breathing seemed to be getting irregular, he realized that he did not want her to die.“Mitzi, can you hear me?” Darius figured he’d try again.He put his cool hand on her cheek.When he did, her eyelids fluttered.“Mitzi, please wake up, please..”
The first thing Mitzi felt when she started to regain consciousness was something brushing against her arm.She opened her eyes and squinted and as her eyes focused she saw Darius’s face above her, looking down at her.It was his hair that was brushing her as he moved.Mitzi just stared up at him, her eyes slowly becoming wider and showing a new terror.Her breathing came very fast and she started gasping for air.She figured that Darius waited for her to wake up so that he could torture her some more while she was conscious and able to feel everything.“I’m sorry, I’m sorry for disobeying you!” Mitzi could barely get her words out between gasps and sobs. “Please, my vampire master, please forgive me! Please give me another chance, I beg of you!”
Darius stared down at Mitzi, unable to come up with the words to say to her.Inside him his feelings conflicted with everything he knew.She was just a human girl.And the begging never affected him before, why should it now?
But the fact was, it did.This small, fragile creature begged for her life and he actually wanted to let her have it.It confused and frustrated him.Darius stood up and quickly left the room, leaving Mitzi lying on the cold floor.He would call Zane, Zane would be the only one to understand and help.
Later when Zane arrived, Darius greeted him at the door to his chambers.“I’m sorry Zane, for what I have done to the gift you have given me.”
“I’m sure it isn’t as bad as it seems.” Zane smiled as he seemingly dismissed Darius’s worries.Darius stopped in the hall at the door to Mitzi’s room.He lowered his voice. “It is pretty bad, Zane.I was relentless, I kept beating her.I’m a vampire, she is only human.I’m surprised she is even still alive after what I have done to her.”
“You know your venom heals, too, Darius.It will help her cuts heal faster.”
“Cuts?That’s all?But she has broken bones and terrible bruising.” Darius sighed as he hesitated outside of Mitzi’s room.“I – I don’t want you to – see – what I have done to her.”
“Tell me, my friend, why did you punish her so severely? You took from her her bed, her blanket, and her pillow and allowed her no food for days while working her hard.What did she do so wrong?”
