Forsaking God to kiss someone you hate might not be a smart decision, but damn does it hurt good.
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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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"Alright. I want everyone to clear out." The captain said. "Off of the deck. Now."
Glancing up from where I kneeled beside Greta, he suddenly looked much less jovial and much more stern. I swallowed, grasping Greta's fingers tightly. I wasn't entirely sure if I did it to comfort her or myself.
Slowly but surely, people began to disappear below the hull of the ship. Underneath Hugo, dark red blood seeped out of the stump of his arm and onto the deck below him. A dark circle began to slowly creep up the side of his navy shirt. The captain walked past me, and over to where Imanthi was crouched beside him.
His arm, now separated from his body, continued turning black, almost nothing left of it but an elongated pile of ash.
"Will he live?" The captain asked Imanthi.
"I think so." Imanthi said. "I can't feel any more holy magic coming off of him, so I believe we took care of that problem. He just needs to make it through the shock and the blood loss."
The captain crossed his arms.
"Alright. Do what you must. I will make sure you have space to work."
"I— I'm sorry for what I did to him." I stuttered out.
I was beginning to come down off the initial high of anger that had sent me into such a frenzy. The visceral anger that made me willing to do anything to hurt him was turning slowly into horror and regret.
It was the touch of the goddess that told me that killing was just. That it was deserved.
The loss of control of my own actions was feeling less divine and more invasive.
Now I understood the gravity of what I'd done.
The captain glanced over to me, his face unreadable.
"Don't apologize." He said. "I know that the Goddess keeps those whom she favors safe. I know she will do whatever is necessary. I respect the decisions she makes."
I nodded silently, but I still felt unsure. I had nearly killed his second in command, after all. Could it really be something he would brush aside so easily?
"Ayla, go to my room and get my surgical kit, please." Imanthi said.
The tall woman nodded, and quickly disappeared down below the deck.
"So the lot of you are working together?" Hugo asked. His voice was strained.
"Just trying to get out of the kingdom together." Imanthi said distractedly as she inspected the wound. "I'm not sure why it was of so much concern to you. Perhaps you would like to enlighten us as to your own intentions?"
"What do you mean by that-" His words broke off into a hiss of pain as Imanthi poured a bottle of clear liquor over his wound.
"You were clearly trying to find some excuse to take Judith away from us," She said. "I can only assume that there has to be something you would consider a very good reason for that."
