BLOOD CURSE

~ THIRTEEN ~

Blood coated her chin, staining the white blouse under her leather corset. Releasing her latest snack, she patched him up, forced him to forget and gulped down her rum. Nothing was numbing the pain and rejection. She had tried.

However, she was now coming to the realisation that she hadn't tried hard enough. She hadn't really said sorry and she hadn't even found the courage to say out loud what it was that she had done to him. Lyria Blackwood was a coward. Or, at least, that's what she thought.

Going into another blood frenzy, she followed the scent of alcohol and sweat until she bumped into a drunken sailor from the Royal Navy. Giving him a dazzling smile, she beckoned him over before leading him into an alleyway. Pushing him up against the wall, she smirked as he so willingly gave into her charm. The worst monsters were those hidden by charm and beauty. The most hurtful words were those sugar coated by sweet falsities.

Sinking her teeth into his unwashed skin, she drank and she drank. And she drank. And she was so lost in her thoughts that she missed the tell-tale sign that told her when to stop drinking. The body was growing limp in her arms when she was pulled away from it.

Strong arms pinned her to a muscular torso whilst someone else attended to the unconscious man. Flipping her around, the man gripped her shoulders and shook her but Lyria was not responding. Her eyes were glazed over and her head flopped to the side once the man stopped shaking her.

"Shit. J, what was in that man's system?" Caleb called out to his friend, inspecting Lyria's catatonic state more closely. "She is out of it."

Dipping a finger into the wounds on the sailors neck, James lifted it up to his tongue. Recoiling at the taste, he turned to Caleb and shook his head, informing him that it was nothing good.

Hoisting the brunette over his shoulder, Caleb followed James through the shadowy streets and alleyways. Staying away from the light, they creeped past people and animals, communicating through hand gestures and jerks of the head.

"Crap." Caleb hissed as his foot caught on an uneven flagstone, causing him to trip slightly and stumble into James.

Catching his brother and his Captain, James straightened everyone out before laughing slightly at the mumbles tripping out of Lyria's mouth. Gently placing his hand over her mouth, they continued on their journey back to The Crimson Rose, laughing as Lyria continued to talk through James' calloused hands.

Once they were safely on deck, James took Lyria into his arms and carried her into the cabin. Placing her gently in her bed, he released her off her weapons, jacket, boots and outer corset before pulling the sheets over her and tucking her in. Brushing the hair out of her face, he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before smiling at the woman who had given him so much.

"I could never hate you. I hate myself because I am the only one to blame for losing my place as Second. It was never your fault. Love you, Ly. Always."