Forsaking God to kiss someone you hate might not be a smart decision, but damn does it hurt good.
✧.*✧.*✧.*✧.*✧.*✧.*✧.*✧.*✧.*✧.*
Judith was never supposed to fall in love- but she was never supposed to become a vampire either. It's her duty as a nu...
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The next day, Quen had to get his tattoo.
The sun was starting to set as we walked through the street, the sky a burning yellow-orange. The city magicians were already traveling down the road, lighting the lanterns throughout the city. We were heading downtown, to a heavily populated district that was very close to The Grogs, to find the woman who was going to tattoo Quen.
We didn't have a name, just the number on the side of the building. Imanthi said the woman didn't give out her name.
It was just supposed to be Quen and I, as the woman specifically said she wouldn't be allowing any vampires into her home, but Greta had been very vocally opposed to the idea of us going alone, much to my disdain.
"That place is so close to The Grogs. If they go alone, something bad will happen. I mean, just look at the two of them." She had said. "You can only imagine what might happen to them if they are alone in such a bad area. Someone should go with them."
Imanthi had agreed, but I don't think the situation had ended up how Greta had hoped it would.
"You're right, Greta. Ayla will go with them. She can wait outside for them."
Greta had somehow kept herself from arguing, but I could tell she wasn't happy about it. There was a satisfied look on Imanthi's face that made me think she knew that Greta's end game was to be alone with me.
Greta had kept her eyes on me the whole day, but she didn't smile. I tried to look away, but my eyes had kept focusing on the red marks I had left on the side of her neck. She didn't try very hard to hide them, wearing her usual gauzy top, sliding temptingly off of a shoulder. I thought I caught Ayla looking at them as well.
I wondered if she had suspected that I might have been the one who had left them there. If she did, she didn't say anything to me as we walked along the stone path now.
She did, however, breach a different uncomfortable subject with me.
"Have you reconsidered?" She asked me suddenly.
"Reconsidered?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.
"Becoming a vampire." She said, "Have you thought about becoming one and staying with us? Or you wouldn't have to stay with us. You could go back to your family as well."
"I-I couldn't do that Ayla. I don't have a family- at least, not like that. I was orphaned as an infant. The convent is the only family I have ever had, but even that is gone now."
She gave me a very gentle look. She was good at doing that, despite how intimidating she was.
"I see." She said. "It was much the same for me at one time. I was turned against my will. An aristocrat from Vlansovia wanted me as his bodyguard back whenever it was still called the Alistorian Empire.
I escaped, but I couldn't go back to my home. The pack in Bleakcrest doesn't allow vampires to live in the village. It was hard for me to cope with that for a very long time."
