Chapter 22 - The new Home [4/5]

"You know we're vampires?" he whispered back. Until recently he would have rejoiced if a few men had come and destroyed them three, but the idea of an existence as a blood spirit did not please him at all. If Arken's words were right and they didn't have to kill people, it was less like living as a vampire. And maybe he could try it with animal blood.

No matter how pathetic it tasted, it would disgust him less than stealing people's lifeblood. Maya shook her head barely noticeably.

"People have forgotten us. Almost four hundred years have passed since they declared the last vampires dead. But a few survived and they were smart enough to drink only animal blood at first and not reveal themselves to people." With her chin she pointed at Arken.

"Arken is over four hundred years old?" asked Vex, dismayed, and perhaps a little too loud.

Maya gave him a reproachful look. "Later."

After a brief exchange of hands with the man, which Arken seemed to find more amusing than seriously dangerous, the vampire dug his teeth into his throat. They had become much longer than usual.

Vex turned his gaze away. Nausea rose in him. Even though he knew – or at least hoped – that his creator would not kill him, it was an outlandish sight.

The man collapsed into Arken's arms. With a relieved sigh and blood-red teeth, the vampire finally let go of him. As Maya stepped over him and put her lips to the man's bite wound, Arken wiped a few drops of blood from his chin and licked his fingers. Fascinated, Vex watched him. When he noticed it, he turned back disgusted. What happened to him here? There was something else in his disgust, something terrible: an infinite greed.

"What about him?" Vex asked weakly, more to distract himself. He didn't want all this, but he had no choice. Arken would not let him get away, as his creator had made more than clear. Or did he only persuade himself to do so because the greed within him was growing? Did he want to blame Arken for what he would inevitably do?

"Stunned," said Arken, "in a few minutes he will wake up and remember nothing. The bite marks will be gone, just like us. Maybe he's a little dizzy, but after a decent meal, it will settle down."

Maya got up again and licked her lips. "It's your turn." With a welcoming gesture, she pointed at the man.

"Don't take too much, or he'll be gone." Hesitantly, Vex approached. The smell of the blood struck him in the nose and almost robbed him of his mind. He felt the pointed teeth in his mouth elongate and burrow into his gums in protest because he was still pressing his lips together. In him everything cried out to plunge at the mens feet and suck all the juices of life from his veins. He fought the urge back as best he could, but he barely made it. He wanted to ask Maya how he realized when enough was enough, but the thought was erased from his mind like anything else. Everything blurred from his field of vision, only the man remained behind, the two promising red dots on the pale neck. As if by itself, Vex leaned down to him, licked over the bite wound, closed his lips around it, and began to suck.

It was divine. In him everything exploded when the sweet, juicy, warm blood wet his tongue. Greedy sucked Vex on the neck. He wanted more, more, much more. In his ears rushed the blood, he heard a distant, promising throbbing. It was music in his ears and still sparks him. The throbbing became weaker and weaker, but he didn't care. Hot, the fresh blood shot through his veins and...

A cold grip grabbed him from behind and threw him away. Vex hit the ground hard and the air was forced out of his lungs. For a moment he wrestled with his senses. It was as if he had been thrown out of a beautiful summer dream into an icy cold river.

Red curls swept across his face as someone bent over him and shook his shoulders.

"Didn't you understand the 'not' or the 'kill'?" Vex blinked, hoping for a clear view. Directly in front of his face was her décolleté and hardly allowed him the opportunity to avert his gaze.

Behind her, Arken laughed. "Don't be like that, darling. He discovered the vampire in himself."

Dizzy, Vex picked himself up and stroked his mouth. He left bloody marks on the back of his hand. As if by himself he licked her, but thought of something better and wiped her disgustingly on his pants.

"Do I have it…?" He glanced at the man who was still huddled on the floor.

"No, but almost," Maya said. "You have to listen to his heartbeat. Before he gets too weak, you have to stop."

Now we are full enough not to let the children of the Apocalypse drag us over the table," Arken interjected. "Let's go! Now that I've gotten so much more, it's imperative that I stock up on blood in the castle." A little dazed by the bloodlust, he staggered after them as they left the house.

Now that he had literally licked blood, it was hard for him to fight down the inner voice that kept whispering louder and louder that it wasn't so bad to be a vampire. Drinking the blood was an exhilarating feeling. Everything in him was pushing for more. Desperate, he grabbed his head. What did Arken make of him?

The sunlight hit him like a punch in the face as he stepped outside over the threshold. He quickly threw the hood back on. At least that woke him up a little. Arken and Maya led him through the village to a somewhat remote place with several trees. His Creator laid His hand on one of them and descended upon it. A click sounded, the next moment the ground trembled under Vex's feet.

Scared, he jumped back. Not a moment too early, because the earth gave in and laid bare a staircase. She led into the depths and walked in the dark.