Blood Slave

Chapter Fifteen: Growing Thirst

Zuriel gets lost in his atmosphere around him. I created this place for him... I figured he would want something simple...something natural, but I know what he wants. 

He starts pulling blades of grass then he brings it to his mouth and chews slowly. After he swallows, he sighs. "There's no taste. There's no hunger. There's no physical discomfort... No need to use the bathroom... No need for sleep... No need for anything the living needs. This is what it's like to be dead?" 

"It's a whole lot worse for people who are bad," I tell him gently. 

"But they actually feel, right? At least there's something to take their mind off the things that are really painful," he says quietly. He watches the ripples and running water of the creek. "This place isn't real, is it?" 

"It's real. A witch like me created it so I made it real. Vampires, werewolves, and lycans are real so why not this place?" 

"So you're like God in this place?" he asks me with a frown. 

I shake my head. "No, I'm not like God. I'm nothing like God." 

He nods slowly as he slides his feet in the water. I know he feels how cold it is because he stiffens when the water touches his feet. Goosebumps form on his tan arms and legs as he wraps his arms around himself. 

"Is there someone you love, Zuriel?" I ask him quietly. 

His eyes narrow as he looks over at me. "What do you mean?" 

"I mean, do you want me to make you an Eve? It must be lonely here by yourself. She wouldn't be exactly real unless that's what you want. If not, then she'd just be real to you, and it would help with the loneliness." 

He shakes his head. "Not interested if it's not a real woman. No romance. No romance for me." He pauses. “I'm guessing that if you did bring a real woman here, she would be like me: dead.” 

“Yes... She would have to be just a soul like you.” My eyes sadden as I watch him. "No one? There's not a special someone alive that's missing you?" 

"No. I don't think so," Zuriel mumbles with uncertainty. "Well, there's no woman that I know of that's alive that I love like that." 

"And you don't want me to make you an Eve? You're the Adam here," I tell him as I place my hand on his hard arm. 

Zuriel shakes his head. "I am no Adam, and I don't need an Eve." 

"Do you want me to leave?" I ask him sadly as my hand slides up his arm to brush his hair from his handsome face. 

"No," he says quietly. "It's not like I have anyone to talk to. I'm dead. You're the one that killed me, remember?" 

"You offered yourself to me," I remind him gently as I sooth him by running my fingers through his hair. "It's not like I just decided to kill you..." I trail off. "And I'm glad you want me to stay. No one likes witches unless they're making deals so I might as well be dead." 

He looks over at me. His left eye being blue but his right eye being brown. "So there's witches, lycans, werewolves, and vampires... Is there any other creatures out there?" he asks me. 

"Necromancers... They bring the dead to life, but there's always terrible consequences. Even if you were brought to life, it wouldn't change anything. You still wouldn't be able to see your son. Actually, you wouldn't be able to see anyone from your past life without killing them if you got involved with a necromancer.” 

Zuriel's eyes widen in horror. "So I'm stuck here, am I?" 

My eyes close when I feel his pain. "I'm afraid so. For now..." I let out a sigh. “Do you want me to take away the pain?”