★Bite Me★

XXV

Connor

Akuma tenses beside me for only a moment, her gaze blank as she examines the man. Her body relaxes quickly and she smiles warmly, turning back to the couple. Confusion overwhelms my senses, each small bit of information being processed painfully slow.
A meal, the man, a gift.
"-extremely generous,"
Akuma's words draw my attention back to her and I blink. Mr. Knight says something that flies over my head and Akuma stands, moving towards the man.
Damien, Damien, Damien.
The words repeats again and again in my mind and finally I drag my gaze from Akuma who holds eye contact with the strange man to Damien who catches my gaze immediately.
Relax. Focus on me.
The instructions yet again fill my mind and I frown, Damien's brows creasing with quiet sympathy.
I'll explain later. Listen to me, remain neutral. Relax.
More phrases crowd my own thoughts but to my surprise, the crease in my brow lessens until my expression is trained into perfect neutrality. My gaze flickers to Akuma and she stands nonchalantly, closing her fingers on one end of the silky black bow around the man's neck and pulls, the line of fabric fluttering to the floor. The man watches her expressionlessly, his electric blue eyes studying her intensely.
Connor.
My own name rings through my head like an alarm and I wince, looking back to Damien. His tense expression relaxes slightly, his gaze insisting.
You don't want to watch.
It's a simple phrase that raises not only my anxiety, but my curiosity. I again shift my gaze, Akuma now with her hands placed firmly on the man's chest. She leans forward and explores his neck with her tongue before digging her long, fanged teeth into the crook of the man's neck. The man groans quietly, my mind again filled with rambling.
Dammit look at me. Connor, stop.
I shakily meet his gaze, realizing painfully that I am trembling and my eyes must be as wide as saucers.
It's a formality. She can't turn down a gift, it will tarnish what little of her name remains.
The explanation echoes through my mind, silencing my own thoughts.
Keep your eyes on me, remain neutral. That is your job.
I give a slight nod of my head and hold Damien's gaze, blocking out anything my other senses pick up. It seems to be an eternity that we sit like this, his intense gaze burning into mine. A heavy thump catches my attention and I flick my gaze over quickly, ignoring the desperate no that fills my mind. The man lays in a crumpled pile on the floor, his shining eyes dulled and staring blankly ahead. Searing pain fills my head and I squeeze my eyes closed for a moment, opening them to return them to Damien's gaze. His brows are furrowed, his lips set into a thin line.
Dammit Connor.
He hisses in my mind as Akuma moves back towards me. She is talking with the Knights but whatever they says falls on deaf ears. After a long moment Akuma grabs my wrist and I stand without a thought, allowing her to pull me past the broken man on the floor and out into the hallway. I focus on the clicking of her heels as we head back towards our room, realizing she is shaking now.
"Akuma."
I whisper hesitantly, earning nothing but a swift shake of her head. We finish the walk in silence and she finally releases my wrist once we make it into our room and she closes the door. I stand in silence as she continues forward and throws herself facedown on the bed, going completely still. I watch her for an eternity, but she doesn't move, doesn't speak. A soft knock on the door makes me jump and I step away as it opens slowly, staring with wide eyes at Damien who pokes his head in. He takes one look at me than to Akuma and steps into the room, closing the door softly behind him.
"Mistress."
He whispers, ignoring me entirely as he moves to the bed. He sits beside her, bowing the bed under his added weight.
"I didn't.... I didn't expect something like that to happen."
She mutters as she forces herself up into a seated position. She seems to ignore me as well as she casts her eyes downward, a soft pink dusted over her cheekbones. Damien nods tersely and finally his gaze flickers to me, his lips pursed.
"I didn't have any time to warn you..."
He huffs and runs his fingers through his hair, returning his eyes to hers. Akuma sits in silence for a long moment before she allows her gaze to lift to mine, holding my stoic gaze with her warm, sympathetic eyes.
"I'm sorry you had to watch that... I-"
She inhales slowly and tries again, releasing a sigh.
"I could feel your emotions, I don't wanna go into it but it's a common ability of vampires and I'm sorry. I know it was hard to watch and I wouldn't have brought you along if I knew something like that would happen."
She rambles on, tripping over words as she goes. She opens her mouth as if to continue on but I shake my head, evening my breathing.
"It's okay."
I stop her easily, forcing a small smile to my lips.
"It's part of being a vampire, right? You have to eat. It's fine."
She nods slowly, the two of them looking relieved although the dread in the pit of my stomach continues to make me sick.
"But... but Akuma you killed him."
The emotions I had managed to tame came crashing over me in a wave, making my hands tremble with anxiety.  She forces herself to her feet quickly, startling me.
"Connor that's what happens, if I hadn't I would have been expected to keep him as a toy. I didn't want that and it was easier to just take all his blood."
I shake my head violently, ignoring Damien who stands.
"Connor wether you agree with me or not he chose that life and knew what might happen. He knew the risks and he didn't fight me once."
Akuma whispers forcibly, willing me to understand. My wobbly legs give out below me and I sink to my knees, dropping my gaze to the ground.
"That doesn't change the fact that you took his life."