Mercy
London, England... I thought I would never see this place. I never thought I would set foot in England, but here I am in Xi's bed. Jamie has been here since I have arrived. Due to my enchantment my face was hidden to her. I look like someone else to her and thankfully to Saryia. The way they both looked at me when they first saw me, I thought they saw through it. They both stared into my soul. I thought I would have to confess to them.
"Thinking about her again?" Xi kisses my shoulder, "I do not blame you. Your wife is beautiful along with her companion." She turns me over and starts to kiss my neck.
"She did not notice me." Xi grabs my chest softly and fondles them.
"That only means your spell works. That teacher of yours is a marvel. Perhaps you might be able to see your wife in this form."
"That would give me away. No one forgets the touch of someone they loved." I look up into Xi's eyes. I understand well that she has no love for anyone. She cannot love one woman properly. It is just not in her nature. I sit up and she sits next to me.
"You would not understand." She cup my cheek then makes me look at her.
"You think I do not love you? I have given you everything you ever asked. I have pleased you and gave you gifts of the finest quality. Do you not think I show you no affection?" I kiss her.
"Affection yes you do, but love like I have experienced before no." She only smirks at me.
"That hurts. But it is how you feel on the matter and I will respect it. It does not matter to me however. I will not stop showering you with affection." I smirk then get up from the bed and put a robe on. Xi moves to the edge of the bed and grabs my hips. She stares softly up at me as I gently move her hands.
"I'm going down to get something for us to drink."
"Hurry then. It gets lonely without you. Bring two servant girls back with you." I laugh as I put the spell back.
"Am I not enough for you?" We both laugh and she shakes her head at me. She knows that I know her intentions. I leave the room and go down the halls quietly. Not one sound could be heard throughout the wing. Only here and there would you hear the heartbeats of humans, but other than that there was nothing but darkness and screaming silence. As I made my way down to the wine cellar I came across two servant girls. Very pretty young girls, so I order them up to Xi's room. The king's wine cellar is vast. It stretches far under the ground. Only some light is here by the flame lit lanterns. I search for a good bottle and I hear footsteps coming down the stairs. A cool wind brings the scent down to me. Of course it would be Jamie.
She comes into the dim light, and it makes her look like a goddess. The soft gold light shines on her perfectly outlining her face, hair, and her body. I had to stop myself from taking her on the floor.
"Excuse me if I startled you." That voice. It used to be light, but since has been weighted down by the years she has endured, and my own transgression against her. I shake my head at her.
"You did not. I smelled you coming." Her head begins to tilt as she comes closer to me. I stare right into her dark blue eyes. I did not realize that I was against the wall until I felt the heat rushing to my face and the cold wall against my back.
"Forgive me yet I feel as... As if I know you. It might sound silly, but you remind me of my wife." She still thinks of me, even more alarming she can still feel traces of me in this form. I clear my throat.
"That is flattering my lady, but I have never met your wife." Jamie looks at me a while longer then steps away.
"Perhaps not. Forgive me for being rude to you." I shake my head.
"Not a bother at all. If you will excuse me I must return to my mistress." I grab a bottle of wine then quickly return to Xi's room. The two girls are already naked and one has been fed from.
"Took you long enough." She playfully chastised, "Jamie must have had to talk with you." I break my spell then sit back on the bed.
"She could still feel my presence. Even through the spell." Xi takes the wine bottled from me and opens it.
"She was a Wiccan before becoming a vampire. It is natural that she can still feel the presence of witches... Or her love for you truly is strong." I sigh as I come over to the other naked girl. My fangs come out then sink into her skin. When I am done I seal the wound for her. I look into her eyes then back to Xi. She extends her hand to me and I take it. She pulls me back into her embrace as the two girls begin to entertain us.
"You need not worry so much. You will get wrinkles on your brow if you do so." I roll my eyes at her. She only laughs as we continue through the night. I know I am right. No one ever forgets the touch or presence of someone they loved. Cruelly enough it drives me insane not to touch her. Her very touch, her voice, her entire being was in a way my sanity. I could feel that she thought she was going mad. Just like her I can feel my sanity slipping. Slipping further into the past of the woman I was. Being lost to the woman I am today. In reality I am nothing better than dust for doing this to her. Reality... Is a cruel teacher. I could have guessed she would feel me, my wife is no fool. Jamie could feel that I was there, and if she had touched me who knows what would have happened. I know certainly if I had touched her she would have known. Maybe I should expose myself to her. She might be willing to take me back now, or maybe not. Jamie, I am so sorry.
Jamie
That woman could not possibly be her. I have watched her since I saw her. As far as I know she is Xi Yang's personal guard, assassin, and her lover. I felt in the pit of my gut that there was something off about that woman though. She is a witch and a vampire. Like Mercy she is a hybrid of our species. From what I have heard about her she seems faster than most of us. Her strength matches her age. And I have heard that she is fairly young. I have heard that she might be 100 or 110. No one outside of Elder Yang knows the truth. Besides her name of flame maiden she is also called the one of a thousand faces. Taking this into consideration I know that face I have seen must not be her real face. Her voice was also familiar. It sounded like Mercy with some modifications. I do not think it is my wife however, but it is not outside of possibility.
I open the door to my room. Saryia is staying with me. I know she is not one to be frightened, but she seems on edge. Lady Elaine called her to her chamber earlier, but Saryia did not go. I suppose that our lady might be upset with her for leaving without telling the truth on where she was going. Still I have never seen her this spooked. It almost be as if it muscle memory for her. Upset the lady and there are consequences that are too much for her to bear. I do not think Lady Elaine to be one of those masters who strikes her students. For her sake she better not be.
"What took you?" I come to sit next to her with a wine bottle.
"Thought some spirits would brighten your mood." She weakly smiles then lays down on the bed.
"Perhaps another time. I do not really feel like drinking tonight." I put the bottle down. She should want to drink. She did something amazing for us. She got us help against those demons. We can truly begin to fight back now.
"Your achievements deserve a toast. Why are you not so festive all the sudden?" She turn back over to me. She only looks at me then pulls me into her arms. I could not see it until not, but she has been shaking. The little shivers gently hum through her body.
"Himmel." She softly calls, "I. . . I will do anything to ensure your happiness. Do you know that?" I gently wrap my arms around her.
"Yes I do. Blume... I want you to be happy too. Do not push yourself for my sake. I do admit I have been acting as a drunk and nothing more. I wish to change that... May I be at your side during this war? I wish to prove my worth not only to the king, but to myself. As of late I feel as if I have been slipping in madness. I will not say Mercy is to blame for it all, but she does play a role in it. I thought I felt her when I looked into the eyes of Elder Xi Yang's mistress."
"I understand that she has caused you pain. Listen well to me, do not expect to succeed in this war if you cannot put the war you fought before to rest. Do you understand?" I nod and rest my head on her chest.
"You are shaking. What causes you to do this? The King, Elders, Grand Elders, Princess Ammie, or something else?" She looks down at me then shakes her head. I can tell when she is trying to protect me from something. I know there are truths that she hides from me only because she cares about my feelings and well being. She does not need to do that. I am not a child anymore.
"I cannot say. A combination of all most likely. I will also need to begin manufacturing of the code modifiers. There is much to do in what seems so little time." As her fingers lightly brush against my arms her body begins to relax. I rest my head gently against her silent chest. I do remember when her heart used to be beat so softly. It was my lullaby and in many ways my sanity. In the new confines of our lives sanity like the distant memory of her heartbeat might fade. I think the life of a vampire is sad in this way. I believe soon we will all loose our sanity at some point in time. Unable to go back to the time when we were all sane due to the fact that we will never know peace. We will not know death naturally. I suppose that is one advantage of mortality. Reality is a cruel teacher.