The Bloodmaid's Tale

Chapter 16

*Warning: Explicit material ahead*

June ran to the door of the garage, not caring about the cameras or the Eyes. She rushed across the gardens, the ground wet beneath as she dashed to the garage door. She loudly knocked on the bolted door praying she wasn't too late from dealing with Fredrick and Serena. Rita opened the door to her, those sharp eyes now desloate as they looked to June.

"It's not good" she said in a hoarse voice.

June looked down at her green dress that was stained with a dark liquid that was drying brown against the fabric. June knew that color, she knew it was Nico's blood, and God....Rita looked like she had just come out of a horror movie.

"I need to see him" June said "He needs blood."

"Come in" Rita said nodding "Cora is trying to keep him awake enough to bandage him. I don't know what will happen if he passes out again."

June took the stairs two by two again, her feet pounding on the wood as she held one part of her skirt up while the other gripped the railing on the side like iron. She could feel her heart slamming against her chest, the panic rising as she walked into Nico's room, his posters ripped down probably by Cora or Rita in case they needed medical assistance from outsiders.

Cora sat by Nico's side, his figure draped over his bed, as she kept dabbing his head with a wet cloth and checking the bandage wrapped around his shoulder. June could see Nico's chest rising up and down in ragged breaths, his bandage already nearly soaked through from his open wound. His skin looked gray against the bright blue of the bed sheet as June felt her stomach do a flip at his horrid appearance.

"Can he be saved?" June asked Cora. All traditional talk was aside; June was in a panic and didn't care if she would get in trouble for speaking out of turn. She knelt down beside Nico, her hand wiping the sweat that was forming along his brow.

"He's very injured, he lost a lot of blood, I hope you are well enough to bring him back" she said with tearful eyes "He could heal himself, but he can't do it without feeding. And even then it would take some time before he fully recovered. I've never seen an injury like this before..."

"I have" Rita said shaking her head "Fredrick did this to a Servant in the past. But he was a human, Nico is a lot stronger than that."

"Move and let me see what I can do" June said and looked to her wrist clasp. She didn't have a key! The key was gone from her shoe; it must have dropped when Fredrick slammed her against the wall. She didn't have time to go and look for it; Nico could die at any moment if she wasn't quick.

"Hold him up Cora" June instructed as she pushed her cream locks to the side exposing her neck.

"No Offred!" Cora said grabbing June's arm "If he feeds from that artery he may not be able to stop himself!"

"Then that's my decision" June said looking the young Martha in her dark eyes "Either way I die Cora. Let it be for him instead of the Commander."

Cora hesitantly let go of her arm, her body positioning behind Nico as Rita helped her hoist him up as June pressed his head to her neck, her fingers opening his mouth as his fangs dropped down instinctively. 

"If he starts to feed he may wake and be able to do this on his own" Rita instructed as June nodded her head in understanding. She would have to pierce her own skin with Nico's fangs. She had never tried to injure herself before, but now was as good as a time as ever as she bent his head against her neck and felt the pin prick of his fangs hit the side of her neck. June closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pushing his head hard against her, his fangs sinking deep into her skin as blood oozed out into his mouth.