Captain Dracula

Chapter 5 - Potent Jealousy

Submerged in a thick, scolding fever, Anika had never felt closer to her demise. Was this the end? All she could think of was what a sweet release death would come as in these moments of blistering agony. The strong hand of the fever coiled itself around her respiratory system, squeezing her lungs and choking her throat so breathing was a fight to the death.

It felt humid within her skull. Dense clouds of sweltering pain and confusion blurred any functioning sentence from forming in Anika's mind.

"Anika." A whisper crawled its way through the darkness that immersed her consciousness. 

Struggling, she groaned in reply, it being the only thing she could muster herself to do.

"Open your mouth." The voice said again, cooing her to do so with such sweet notes in it's words.

Without question she did so, parting her lips which were throbbing sorely in rhythm to her pulse.

Seconds passed like hours, and Anika felt like she had been left there with her mouth parted, not able to hear the voice that had kept her company briefly. Loneliness washed over her, and through the searing fever she felt an icy sadness take hold of her heart.

Anika couldn't see a thing, so when a droplet of something sweet like syrup landed on her tongue she gasped. Drop after drop followed, and before long a rush of energy allowed her to lean up to the source of the intoxicating liquid. Her lips pursed to something soft and smooth, with a particular coolness to it's surface. Suckling at the dawn of the river pouring into her mouth, filling her throat with nectar repeatedly before she could swallow.

A surge of some kind of medicated happiness overwhelmed her, the syrup filling her stomach and it's coldness seeped into every crevice of her body. Fever melting away and the aching pulse in her extremities soothing to a dull throb, a manageable pain.

At long last, her heavy lids batted open, allowing the blinding light of day shrink her pupils as she gazed up to the Captain, who had been watching her claw at his shirt and chest while her teeth had buried in his forearm. Panic slapped her in the face and she recoiled, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth and to her delicate jaw. 

They stared at each other in silence, an impenetrable tension hanging within the space between them.

"How do you feel?" He broke the silence.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind." Anika whispered, tears jerking at her eyes.

"You might be." He shrugged, pulling the sleeve of his white shirt over his arm, which was no longer bleeding from the deep wound surrounded by red teeth marks.

"Reassuring." She hissed back, earning an amused smirk.

A moment of silence lingered.

"Anika.." The Captain began.

"How do you know my name?" She interrupted, thinking too fast.

"I.." He began, but something seemed to be stopping him from finishing his sentence.

"What is it?" Anika asked, curiosity audible in her voice.

"I read you." He spoke in a small voice, as if he didn't want to be heared.

"Pardon?" Anika raised an eyebrow, clearly not comprehending.

"I read you. Your mind." He clarified, looking away from the petite blond perched on his bed, all of a sudden looking frightened.

"My mind?" Anika repeated.

"Did you not hear me or are you just to stupid to understand?" He hissed, standing up and facing away from her as his callous fingers rubbed his tensed jaw.