Iscariot

These are the days we won't regret

Erik stood outside of Mika's room, leaning against the door frame. He wouldn't move any closer to her. His appetite had finally calmed, his body glutted with sexual energy. Her energy was almost quiet to his senses after all she'd given Sam. Still, he refused to push it.

"How is she?" he finally called, breaking the silence.

Sam turned from the woman on the bed beside him to look his brother up and down. Back in his glamour, he was laying on top of the blankets and had dozed most of the day away himself after carrying Mika up here and tucking her in. He rose and stretched his healed muscles, silently thanking her once more, before joining his brother.

"Still sleeping it off; she used a lot of magic," the brute admitted with a frown.

"I know. The entire castle felt it," Erik pointed out sarcastically but his brother refused to take the bait.

"She shouldn't have that much, should she? Harold was strong, but-" Sam shook his head. He hadn't expected the amount of energy or magical power they'd experienced.

"Sam-"

"I mean, how can a human have this much? She shouldn't have been able to heal me. Not when teams of healers couldn't! It's like she's getting stronger, too. Her energy comes back a lot quicker than it did before."

"Sam-"

"You know what's up, don't you?" He pushed Erik back out the door and carefully closed it, stepping out into the hallway.

"I don't." But Erik recognized the effect Mika was having on his brother, recognized the signs. Sam was protecting her, staying guard over her. His brother knew something was wrong.

"Bullshit!" The brute almost lunged for him but pulled himself back at the last minute. "Sorry."

"No. You're right to want to protect her from me," Erik admitted. "I don't want to hurt her."

"What do you mean 'hurt her?" Sam's eyes narrowed.

Tiffy. Erik looked away in shame, a cold shiver down his back. The alcove was just behind him.

The maid hadn't survived.

He couldn't have said how it happened. He had never taken a life in such a way and it shook Erik to the core. Last he had seen her, Tiffy was exhausted. She'd had a good dinner with his other servants after he let her sleep the afternoon away in one of his rooms. Last night, he had made sure to tuck her into bed in the servant's wing himself, with a thank you and a kiss before returning to his bed for more.

But when he went back to check on her this morning, the other maids eyed him warily, whispering among themselves. Tiffy wasn't in her bed or anywhere. Finally, the head housemaid appeared, pulling him aside.

"She's gone, my Lord." The woman grimly informed him.

"Gone? She left?" Erik was surprised. She'd wanted to be with him, hadn't she? She was the one who offered to him.

"The dawn took her, my Lord," the maid explained.

"The dawn?" Tiffy died?!

"We know she was with you, my Lord. Please, don't take any more of the girls."

"I... I didn't. She was tired but fine! I've never... "

"If your tastes have changed, we can arrange for slaves such as your father had," the dour demoness continued.

"No!" Erik stared at her, horrified. "Why would I?!"

"My Lord-"

"No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her! Please, see that her family is well cared for."