Chapter 8:

“Hey, Yrta.” Vdrian spoke lowly.

Opening his eyes, Yrta saw the one that spoke directly before him. He was still in the same position he had fallen asleep in as he lifted his head. Both tired eyes fell upon the lounging form of his companion. “How long have you been up?”

Vdrian let out a breath of smoke from his cigarette and glanced to the younger sin. “Only a few hours.” He leaned back against the headboard of the bed and lowered his cigarette from his lips. “How do you feel?”

Yrta pulled his eyes away from the man’s. “I feel fine, thank you,” rudeness snuck into his voice. The words of the woman he met the fortnight before emanated back to his thoughts. “Are we going to do anything today or just sit around and hope to be caught?”

“You’re so pessimistic lately. Wasn’t I the pessimist?” Vdrian crushed out his cigarette and gently tousled the boy’s hair. “Where’d you go last night?”

Yrta lowered his head back onto the crook of his arm, “Just across the road from here. I wasn’t out long.” He felt a strong hand lift him by his left bicep and pull him up onto the bed. His gaze met with the deep eyes that saw straight into him. A small pulsing pain was left in his arm but he hardly paid mind to it. “Vi, is there anything bothering you?”

“There is,” Vdrian smiled painfully. His eyes closed as he leaned forward; joining their mouths lightly in contrast to every other kiss they shared. “But you can’t help it.” His hand released Yrta’s as he lowered it to his wound.

Trying to ignore the recent occurrence, Yrta looked down to the stained bandages. “Is that the problem? Does it still hurt?”

“Don’t be stupid. A little pain isn’t anything.” His eyes glared toward the wall, right hand on the aforementioned wound. “Like I said, I’m fine.”

Yrta’s fists tightened at his side. He couldn’t stand hearing his friend lie. “It’s you that’s being stupid. Your body takes energy to try and patch up wounds. You shouldn’t waste that which is precious to your survival when aid is readily available to you. You tell yourself that it’s being strong when you ignore help, but all it is- is childish. I know you haven’t eaten since the night I killed Lyra, so…” the younger sin could hardly bring himself to think that he went against his companion. “I don’t want you to be in pain, Vi. I’m right here.” Both eyes stared dignified.

“Yrta…” The man sighed, unable to come up with a reliable excuse.

“Choose. Loose a bit of the respect I have for you or just let me help you.”

Losing the battle, Vdrian lifted the portion of his shirt and tore the simple tie that held the bandage closed with his nails. “Go for it.” He knew he couldn’t hide his weakness any longer because even in a restful state, his breathing was faster than it should have been. “I know you’ll just find some time to do it anyway,” referring to the scar on his cheek that Yrta without permission healed, Vdrian turned his eyes away.

The brunet curved his back, moving back a bit, to reach the burnt wound. It hadn’t healed in the least bit so he wondered how well Vdrian was able to hide the pain until then. His tongue graced the bleeding gash, immediately able to taste the mineral deficiency within the blood. Displeased, he dutifully kissed his bleeding wound thrice along its main section. Lips still outfitted in crimson, he seemed entranced to bring them to Vdrian’s. He felt his heart pound as half lidded eyes glanced to the fresh scar. Within the moment, he could feel the texture of the man’s tongue against his own.

He gave himself a chance to breathe while the man took the chance to intake the youth’s blood. The raven haired pressed his fangs into the boy’s vein, releasing his lifeblood. He stole just enough to sustain himself and wistfully smiled. “You take such good care of me,” he whispered into his ear before seductively nipping it.

Yrta shuddered, each nerve shook on end to the man’s touch. “Because you’re,” he attempted to stifle his breathing back to a normal pace, “important to me.”

“Yirdey.” Alvessa nudged the guard awake. “We’re going to the mansion.” She rose from her bent position and stretched her back. “An Elite, I think his name was Seig, came to tell me. I want you to come too.”

“Sure,” Yirdey’s drowsy voice answered. He pushed his hair into place and sat at the bed’s edge.

“I don’t feel safe just going with a complete stranger,” she smiled. “Oh, I hope you didn’t mind sleeping here last night.” In the single bed of the room, Yirdey had fallen asleep beside his ‘princess’. The guard blushed and stood, hoping that his armor hadn’t bothered her during the night.

“Did he say what it was for?” Alvessa shook her head and walked to the mirror to put her hair into place. “Alright,” he yawned and went to the door, waiting for her to follow.

“Ya’ know, he’s kinda cute,” she winked to him in the mirror and turned to face him.

“Lady Alvessa, I’d rather you not bring anyone else.” The scarlet eyed man stated calmly.

Alvessa took a look to her guard. “It’s alright. He’s always with me. It’s totally alright.” Her indigo eyes told no lie.

“Fine. We shouldn’t go by public streets. It’ll take too long.” His voice darkened a tinge. In the next moment a misty cloud shrouded the three, entrapping them in darkness. It released them in the shadowy narrow halls of the Ariquios mansion

“Wow, you must be really powerful, Seig” Alvessa smiled, turning to him before her interest kicked in and she caught herself glancing around the hall for details. Not even a nod was given in answer. “So who do you work with? Are they like you?”

“In a way.” Seig said no more following this, instead walked in the direction of where he planned to bring her.

Finally they reached a small audience room at the foot of the hall. Alvessa had been nearly trained to larger chambers for her audiences lately that she felt uncomfortable without the distance between her and the ones at ear.

“You were to get an audience with the Lord’s daughters but sadly Lady Lyra has been taken from us so tragically, as you’ve heard.” A tall man spoke with seriousness drowning his voice as he stepped into the room. His eyes focused on her, setting an unsure feeling in her stomach. “Lady Arlette is leaving for Taurustein shortly so she’ll be here for just a moment.”

Alvessa nodded and remained quiet, recognizing her name from earlier. If Arlette was the sister of the child she had met the day before then how would someone with power be in that lifestyle? ‘He could be just some kid… but I don’t want to overlook that.’ She mentally sighed and took on a more formal disposition. Her eyes followed the textured wood border in the middle of the walls to the door just up a small set of stairs. She saw a woman that held a similar appearance to herself walk beneath the detailed molding and nod greeting to the man that came before her.

“You must be Lady Scopios.” Her blue eyes were a lighter saturation but still the resemblance itself was remarkable. Alvessa smiled and nodded. “I’ve heard that the Scopios region was planning to join with this one. I’m surprised it took even this long.”

Yirdey stood his distance but even he was amazed at the similarities of the two. Arlette wore more of a military sort of clothing yet still held a strong feminine trait while the lady he protected chose lace, buckles and ties over all else. He was surprised that the one he had given his full life’s purpose to have another ‘half’ somewhere in the world and was now standing before the both.

“I agree,” Alvessa nodded lightly. “I do wish we could’ve settled a pact sometime sooner.” Her eyes flashed, easily noticed by Seig who was now in the shadow of the room where little light reached near to the way they came in. “Should we get this over with? I believe I’ve been told you must be on your way quite shortly.” The dressy blonde herself was surprised at her newly acquired formality. She smiled internally and waited with patience for a reply.

Arlette sighed. “You’ve been told truth.” Her voice, as well as her all around aura told she had no desire to be going to Taurustein. Her personality seemed to be quite obstinate in the way that she did not enjoy travel as Alvessa did. “Let us discuss the terms of the agreement and go from there.” Her eyes smiled but she did not.

“We should head to Zodiere. That’s we’re the Lord lives, so most likely unless he’s remarried, your mother should be there.” Vdrian was resting across the span of the bed, eyes closed.

“It’s nice you want me to reunite with someone who willingly gave up on me.” Yrta laid the opposite way from the elder vampire, his legs were bent at his sides and he could feel how close the other was. A dark red still blanketed his cheeks, unable to get over what just happened so quickly. His head was turned to his left, away from the wall and left arm hung over the bed’s edge. “Maybe Arlette will be there too, unless she was married off to someone. How far do you think reuniting can get?” He needed no answer to know that he would possibly be cast away again. “How would you think my mother would react when she probably was already informed that I murdered her golden child?” He bit his lip, a pointed tooth burying itself into his skin and eliciting a fair amount of blood.

Vdrian moved towards him, lying in the same direction with his head rested on his left arm. His right hand traveled up the youth’s torso, feeling his heart gain speed. “She should be able to forgive you,” he nearly purred. He could easily see how flustered Yrta had gotten at the mere feeling of his breath upon his skin at their proximity. A smile appeared on his lips. “I love how easily you become so bothered by what I do.” Since Yrta’s admission on the ferry, he had decided not to refrain but rather just to act, knowing that for some reason unbeknownst to himself that he enjoyed it. His hand raised further, index finger gently tracing the boy’s lower lip, collecting a bit of the blood.

Forcing himself to speak through his embarrassment, Yrta shut his eyes tightly. He turned toward Vdrian and laid on his back. “Do you have to do that? I’m trying to-“he cut himself short, not knowing what exactly what he was trying to do in the first place. “Please…”

The man grinned, continuing to move his hand along the small frame. “We should go today; I’d rather not stay in this part of the country.” He spoke no further reason to leave but Yrta thought about the two people that he met the earlier night. Would they ever wonder if they would confront him again? “The sooner we go, the sooner we can see just how much power you hold in this world. The sooner you can see your family.”

Yrta sighed at Vdrian’s continuous touches, this time feeling his finger draw a small design in his blood on his neck just above his collarbone. “Alright. When should we?”

“As soon as the room expires. I want to stay here for now.” He stopped moving his hand and arm on the boy but instead let it limply rest atop him. It seemed to the young sin that Vdrian wanted to be close to him, physically but so far not emotionally as Yrta wanted to be.

Light eyes remained shut as the room grew silent. Vdrian’s scent lingered in the air above him, Yrta selfishly took in before realizing that he’d remember this next time he had the chance to know this scent again. His breathing slowed with his heartbeat, finally growing somewhat accustomed. ‘I guess this is something that I can’t change. He’s going to do whatever he wants no matter what my feelings…’ Yrta thought disheartened. “Is there a reason you do this to me?” Receiving no immediate answer, he decided not to repeat himself.

Vdrian’s arm moved lower by slight, lazily curving around the boy’s slim waist. He also seemed to have moved closer as well. “Because, it’s cute how you react so greatly to me.” He inched closer, placing his head beside the boy’s neck, feeling his increased heat in his pulse. “I’d never admit it until you asked, but I actually enjoy being this close to you. But you alone.”