'I will keep quiet, you won't even know I'm here.
You won't suspect a thing, you won't see me in the mirror.
But I crept into your heart, you can't make me disappear.
Till I make you.'
- The Devil Within, Digital Daggers
***
Valentine's tight grip is still around my neck as he growls at me in disgust. "You think I would waste such a pretty, little thing like you? You, on the other hand, have wasted time and blood to find out who you truly are. Tell me, Saphira, how much has Augustine told you?"
I stare into his cold, lifeless eyes and scowl while attempting to pry his hands off of my neck. "Augustine hasn't told me anything, you prick," I manage to breathe out.
"You're not a very good liar, are you?"
I spit at him. "Why do you give a damn about anything? Let me go."
"You're a coward, just like your mother." He hisses at me and violently throws me to the floor. I breathe in deeply and struggle to stand as I watch Valentine walk quickly around the corner with haste in his footsteps. I put his comment on the back of my mind and brush it off, for now.
I use the wall as a crutch to lead me back to my quarters - I have no strength and slumber wants to overrule my desires. I look around the room and assess my situation and try to find a way to get myself out of here. Before I could even think, I am in a deep sleep but only to be rudely awakened by a sensation that ran up and down my body. I scream and twist my body into a fetal position.
I feel a presence in the room and I shout, "Go to hell, Valentine! You did this to me!" I shout ruthlessly at him and fall out of the bed, hitting the floor with an audible sound.
"You're changing."
I refrain from my cocky remarks and close my eyes to try to endure the pain and hope that it would subside. My breathing is labored and I feel like I am being choked. There is no way to be in denial now. My fate is sealed because of my reckless actions.
"Don't lie to yourself, Saphira, you know what happens next." He crouches down to my level to stare at me with pity.
I screech as he forcefully grabs my face and strokes my face.
"Drink," he whispers and bites into his wrists and lets his thick, dark blood run. My body convulses at its delicious aroma and I crave. I taste blood in my mouth from my own nasty, unwanted fangs and hunger for more.
I recoil when he inches his arm directly over my mouth. "I'd rather die than drink your blood!"
He smiles, mischievously, and forces his bleeding arm on my mouth. I regrettably make a callous mistake and bite him. His sweet blood gushes in my mouth like liquid chocolate and I moan in pleasure. My heart beats rapidly and my nerves are live wires.
Within a few seconds, I have him pinned to the floor and heat builds between and through us and my thirst feels like nothing can satisfy it. He let's our a small groan and it only makes me want more of his blood.
In less than a second, I feel an empty space between us and a pang of cold and thirst. I want more and all I feel is self-loathe.
"That's enough for you tonight, I need rest," he says with a husky and low tone. He, himself, being tired and sleepy as if I have just sucked the life out of him. Oh, wait, I just did. I don't know if I am proud or if I want to stab myself with my own dagger. Either way, it degrades my whole being.
I no longer feel burning through my veins but my thirst only partially satisfied. At this rate, I don't think it soon will.
I whimper, involuntarily, as Valentine slowly makes his way out of my room. "We're now inseparable, sweetheart," he whispers, out of breath. I observe him like a cat and witness him grip the frame of the door as he walks out into the hallway.
When you drink from another vampire, your emotions get entangled, as if there is a tether between your bodies and minds. That's why some vampire couples stay with each other for decades.
What have I gotten myself into? I may have just sold my soul to the devil.
I sulk in disbelief as I fall back into bed to rest for the day. It exhausts me and it's the last thing I need.
I stay laying on the floor to wallow deep in my thoughts and regret as I let my eyes close and dream of a void.
An insidious thought enters my mind as I slumber. Pitch black is all I see, nothing else.
"Saphira, child," a voice says. I know that tone, her voice is sweet, even sickly. I shiver as she calls out to me. I never dream.
"Your kingdom awaits. They are ready for you."
"Kingdom?" I ask.
"Your home," she replies. For years I have asked and wondered and never received answers.
"Where is this Kingdom?"
"It is where you belong." Her voice sounds like wind chimes as if to lure me. "We are waiting for you."
Her voice echoes in my mind getting louder and louder.
Why would she want me now? I have been trying to find her for centuries and now she makes herself known? Why now?
Upon hearing my thoughts, her voice increases to a shrill pitch, leaving no silence or solace.
With a gasp I find myself in two predicaments - I am awake and Valentine is sound asleep by my side.
My mouth waters - I can hear and feel his blood flowing through his veins. Although confused, I set aside the curiosity of how I got here in the first place.
The room is lit enough for me to see his body half naked body. We are both entangled in his thick sheets, but our bodies are barely touching. Valentine looks peaceful and oblivious to the fact that I am on his bed and sleeping by his side. I want to end it all and kill him, but my body objects.
I bend down to inhale his sweet, delicious scent and my eyes fall to his mouth, remembering the moment we had earlier.
Just one bite, I say to my self. My fangs emerge and a soft purr escapes from the back of my throat. I am turning into a lethal vixen. His bare neck, a prime spot - soft and vulnerable.
I am just inches from biting when I notice that his eyes are wide open and gazing at me with a blank expression. I rebound but Valentine's hand shoots out and rests perfectly on my neck. I close my eyes at the intensity of warmth coming from his touch, and a surge of ecstasy circulates through my body.
"Go ahead." His deep voice carries to my ears sounding like music making me want him more than ever. Nevertheless, I am taken aback by his words and hesitate for a split second, wondering if he was telling the truth.
My body yields to his command and as soon as my lips touch his skin, I am on my back gasping for breath with Valentine's whole body trapping me. I scream and glare daggers into his eyes.
"Do you think I would just let you take advantage of me?" He roars, "I am no fool."
"Come on, just one bite," I beg.
"No," he insists.
I scowl. "If I can remember, Valentine, you're the fool - for biting me."
"You've had enough."
"Why must we always find ourselves in this position?" I ask, coyly.
"From what I remember, sweetheart, you enjoy this," he says with amusement in his eyes.
"Oh, you know I do," I say in a sexy tone to seduce him.
He aggressively picks me up and shoves me out of his room, leading me down the hall with his muscular and tall stature.
I attempt to escape his grasp, but I have no strength nor capacity to do so. I want to cut his arms off, along with everything else on his deceiving body. I am ticked, control and freedom are two things I hold most dear. Valentine has undeniably taken everything from me. I want to die in a pit and burn in the sun.
Frustrated and done, I twist my arms out and use my upper body strength to break free. Valentine negatively declines my desires and pulls me back closer to him.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to exert force on a woman?" I taunt him, "maybe that's why Scarlett left you."
He pushes me even harder despite my twists and turns. "Don't speak of her."
I smile devilishly and laugh internally at the string that I just pulled in his deceased brain. "Was that when your heart jumped from it's cold, dark cavity?" Valentine stiffens. "When she left you for Augustine?"
My own question leaves me to wonder what really happened between them and how they let one human come in between everything they had. Something tells me that it wasn't just their love affair.
Valentine growls as he opens the dungeon doors and escorts me in. He stays silent even when he thrusts me into a familiar cell. "Do you think keeping me in here would stop me, Valentine?"
I stand in the middle of the dark and moist cell in nothing but a thin, silk nightgown. The decaying bars are the only barricade between us. These dungeons were not made for vampires they were made for frail humans.
He looks at me with disdain, "No, but it will have to do, the first night is the worst."
Valentine's hair drapes over his dark eyes but that doesn't distract me from engrossing myself with what he does next. With his long fingers, he unlocks the cell across from me and that's when it hits me - ten times stronger than the first time and this one is not exposed.
"What are you doing?" I gasp. "Get him away from me!"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I promised to make your life a living hell, didn't I?" Valentine makes his way over to me with a scared young man in tow, who looks to be no older than twenty years of age.
"No, I won't do it," I insist, managing not to be affected by the decadent balm of his blood. It was so strong I felt like I was swimming in it. "You vile demon."
"The more you refrain, the more it intensifies. Like I said, the first night is the worst." His expression resembles a wall, blank and stiff.
I groan in horror and repulsion. "You filthy creature!"
The insensitive vampire in front of me threw his head back in a laugh and sits the human in a chair just outside of my cell. "You can thank me for this later."
"Why, the hell, would I thank you for this?"
"You'll see."
His voice rebounds against the wall and echoes in my head. He quietly leaves without another word to torture me to the end of my patience.
"Oh, and, Saphira, no one ever lasts after the first day."
I lean my back against the wall behind me and drag myself down to the floor. The boy across from me looked as if he isn't here like he's in a trance. I curse Valentine with all of my being and clench my fists.
Ever since I met that blasted vampire my whole world has been turned upside
down. Never have I been in captive like this and never have I not been in control. Hell, I'm the most sought after assassin in the Underworld.
"What's your name?" I croak. I need to, somehow, create a diversion within myself to stop this bloodlust.
Not even a flinch - the boy sits motionless in front of me and merely stares into space. His tousled hair and dark rings around his eyes is an indication of how long they have kept him here. I scrunch my eyebrows together as my throat sends me a painful reminder of my hunger.
I fall back to the farthest corner of the cell away from my living temptation. I close my eyes to deviate my mind and to concentrate but my contemplation was interrupted and I look up in surprise.
"Peter," he sighs. "That's my name."
"Not so nice to meet you, Peter. I'm Saphira." My voice is dull, almost monotone. I have no life nor soul left in me.
"I'm going to die aren't I?" His question sounds more like a statement.
I breathe in deeply and hope that I don't come to the point of killing him. "How did you get into this predicament? Let me guess, you don't remember?"
"Yes, that's right." He blinks. "Last I remember, I was walking in an alleyway after getting a few drinks with friends."
Of course, every vampires signature move. "Now I'm here, waiting for God knows what."
"There is no way to prepare you for what will happen within the next few hours," I warn. "Let's just say there are creatures in this world that you didn't know existed."
Peter's demeanor changes and he takes a sharp turn toward me. "What kind of creatures?"
"Vampires and werewolves, to name a couple," I answer with reluctance and wrap my arms around my legs.
"Wait, are you being serious?" He chuckles, nervously.
"Do I look like I'm kidding? They live among you, concealing their identity."
He studies my appearance and looks at every detail of my being. Now, I probably look more like a bloodsucker than ever. His eyes widen and I hiss at his sudden realization.
"No," he shakes his head. "No, no, no!" His last word, a piercing scream, sent cold and deadly chills down my spine. My thirst is unbearable and I could taste his blood in my mouth.
I watch as Peter runs to the door and bangs with his fists. "Let me out of here!"
With pity, I rise to my feet and walk closer to the bars keeping me in. Peter senses my movement and looks back. "No, please, I don't want to die."
"I know," I mutter, almost low enough for him to not understand.
Just when I thought I could resist, a sharp pain shot through my body and caused me to drop to the ground. I curl and writhe in agony on the dirty and musty floor. The fire in my throat blazed through my stomach and mouth and I look to Peter who returns the gaze with half concern and fear.
I feel my fangs resurface and a scream slips from inside. Peter scurries to the far side of the room and watches me intently.
I clench my fists and my jaw. This pain is far more excruciating than the last. Oh, and, Saphira, no one ever lasts after the first night. Valentine's caution resonates in my mind. Nothing is helping at this point and the smell of his blood is stronger and bolder.
A small glimmer catches my attention and I turn to examine what it was. I narrow my eyes to examine, looking at each crevice of the cell, and I utter a very intelligible gasp. I look to Peter then back to the object.
"That damn lunatic."
The lock which is meant to keep me in hung loosely on the bar leaving me with a free bail. There's nothing, now, to keep me away from him, not even my will. Once again I return my gaze to Peter and we both gaze at each other with shock.
I inhale his sweet scent and exhale a deep and untamed growl. I stand from my fetal position to one that is feral.
"Peter," I murmur. "I'm sorry."
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