I was hungry, very hungry. My hunger was so strong I could feel myself loose all coherent thought and sense of being. All that was left of me was the thirst, the ache, the craving. I heard scratches, tiny ones, but loud enough to my ears. There was a man by the door, he was thin, and he was weak. He was trying to open the door, but his limbs seemed incapable of all summoning the strength required for that action. I could smell him, he was everywhere.
His scent was spread out through the room, and it was so damn intoxicating. He looked at me, and those eyes carried fear, horror and terror became his mask. He wore it well, because it was more than just a mask, he was afraid of me. And me...well, I wanted to eat him.
I could see things veins on his emancipated neck, they pulsed according to the rhythm of his heart beat. It was the bump bump, it filled my ears with such music that I couldn't help the saliva that dropped from my lips. It was wonderful, that sound was so divine, so ethereal and mystic. And then he gulped, and I pounced.
I let out a bestial snarl as I jumped at him, he managed to roll aside and I smacked against the door head first. I was disoriented and woozy, but my hunger still overpowered my discomfort. The man was on his feet, unsteady, but standing. And in his hand was a poker for a fire place, he pointed it at me and said.
"Please Lord Kael, this is not you! Remember who you are, you're a human. A good man...…"
I did not wait to hear whatever it was that he had to say next. I was hungry, so listening was a little hard for me. I pounced, jumping up from the ground like a four limbed animal, my hands out stretched and heading straight for his neck. He swung the poker in his hand, and got a lucky strike across my face. It was enough to rob me of my momentum and left a scratch across my face. The wound he left was bleeding, and the blood flowed down my cheek and into my waiting lips. It was wonderful, but not enough, NO! I wanted! More. I wanted him.
"Please.....I have a son. He's a little bit younger the you, he's just fourteen. And I haven't seen him in five years. I've been stuck here as their prisoner all that time. Please fight this, fight it, fight.... Urrrk"
I felt him bang the poker desperately on my body, but it was not enough. He was weak enough as it is, and without any space between us, he did not have the proper leverage to cause any substantial damage. I was on top of him, both my hands pushing down on his shoulders, with his weakened body incapable of summoning enough strength to fight back.
He was right there, here, I my arm. Up close he smelt so good and delicious that my toes curled in pleasure. Oh! Blood. Mine. I bit down on his neck, the moment my fangs broke through his skin, he let out an ungodly shriek that made my stomach rumble in anticipation. And then it flowed, that sweet, sweet nectar flowed into my mouth. At first I did not swallow, I wanted to savor that sublime taste as if hung over my taste buds like honey does to a honey comb. The red, pulsing life blood was home, it belonged right where it was, in my mouth, with my tongue. And then I swallowed.
There was no stopping me from that moment on, the feeling of his blood, of this source of his life flowing down my throat was more than just divine or heavenly. It was universal, it covered all creation and all life, making the power of nature pale in comparison to its wondrous texture. This...…was blood. Human Blood. And I loved it, I needed it, All of it.
I could feel his heart beating in my ears, it was vibrant and strong, and it was faster than mine, having with a steady rhythm that my poor imitation of a living heart could never compare to. It made me angry, it made me sad. So let go of his neck, pulled his filthy shirt from his body and sank my fangs into his chest, directly over his heart. I felt it beat faster, harder, stronger. There was the taste that mixed with his blood, it took me pleasure to whole other level as my heart began to beat faster too.
I pulled myself up and went right back for his neck, this time instead of going to the side, I made sure my fangs were situated right at the center of his throat, I closed my mouth and then I sucked. I felt his Adams apple bob up and down as he tried to swallow. It tickled, but it made this spot more fun for me. And then I lost myself in the feeling, I pulled and drank and I sipped until he was nothing more than a dried husk in my arms.
I brought my fangs to his neck directly over his pulse, and tried to drain whatever was left in him. I could feel his heart beating slower, with every second that passed it skipped, tripped and faltered. It was like a lullaby for me, I felt the need to hold him close, like he was a child, and rocked back and forth, moving to the sound of his slowly beating heart.
"bump.....bump..... Bu...bu...mp...…..bump..... Bump!"
And there was nothing. He was dead, gone, empty. I pulled my fangs from his neck and watched him. He was cold, too cold to have once been alive a few moments ago. I did not even know who he was, he tasted good though. But I felt pain, in my heart there was this turmoil I couldn't understand. And then there was the tears, they fell in soft rivulets, dripping down my cheek and face until they came to a stop over his closed eyes. I was sorry, very sorry. But what could I have done, I was also hungry, and more than anything at that moment I needed to eat.
I knew he was innocent, and much like millions of other vampires, his death was now my fault. I killed him...…..no if I had just killed him then it would have been better. I ate him. I ate a man as if he was nothing more than just cattle to be had for my leisure. I ate him like he was food. But he was food, my food. I felt wrong, stained, dirty and guilty. Then the closed door that sealed his fate opened up and Lukas walked in. I ignored him, there was no reaction from me, I didn't know how to react. I just felt really empty.
" before you sit there wallowing in guilt and self pity, you might want to know that Xaseah is now at the mercy of Adein the lover. And she has been receiving his special brand of love publicly for the past three days. She's holding on, but it's only a matter of time before she breaks. Then he's going to kill her."
Xaseah's name brought a reaction from me, but I doubt it was what Lukas expected.
"What's the point? I can't fight him. I'm not strong enough." I answered back, exhausted and tired.
"What's the point, well how about the fact that she's bonded to you. Or the fact that your wife is currently among the hundreds of Vampire's going to save her life. Or if that's not enough, how about the fact that she's suffering now because she sacrificed herself for you. Taking the blame for a crime you committed."
I looked at him in surprise, and asked.
"What do you mean by wife?"
Lukas looked stumped for a moment, before he answered.
"You married lady Asha three years ago. To be honest it was the stupid decision of young boy who was enamored by beauty of vampire royalty, but that act of yours bought you and that girl enough power that the council of light finally acknowledged you as a threat to their way of life. That marriage is the reason why you're in here. And they took it a step further by having your own wife be the one who carried out your sentence and turned you into the vampire that you are now. You know this right?"
I didn't know how to answer him. I just looked at him and said "Oh."
Then I looked down at the body in front of me, cold, lifeless and drained. My guilt threatened to drown me, but I was still holding on to some semblance exoneration. I had to tell myself over and over again that it wasn't me, it was not my fault. The real me would never hurt anybody, and I was just hungry. I looked at Lukas, really put off by his red skin and horns. Then I asked him.
"What's his...…what was his name?"
"Reyes." He replied.
I nodded my head. And then I bowed before turning to Lukas and asking him.
"Please have him buried close to my tower, I will pay you for it if I have to."
"There's no need for that. I can have it done as soon as we're finished with what we're about to do. You should clean up, the hero is not supposed to show up covered in blood."
I gave a simple nod to express my thanks, then walked into a bathroom at the other end of the room I woke up in. I felt hollow, as if somehow I had lost something that was really important to me. There was deep void growing within me, and with each second that passed, I felt it growing larger and larger until all that was left is for it to consume my soul and leave me completely broken and shattered.
I couldn't avoid this, I had to live with for the rest of my Immortal life, if I live long enough. I don't know if I had killed anyone before I lost my memories, but this was new for me. And to be how nest, I never want to have to go through something like this again. But then again a single question remains, how do I carry myself through this hell I've created.
It was one thing to drink blood from a bottle or from an animal, it was a different thing all together to take the life a living person, with his own hopes, and dreams, and a son...he had a son. I don't know I could ever live with myself, but I knew this was a responsibility I could never hide from. I will deal with it, but for now I have a woman to save, a d a wife to meet.