It smelled good.
Familiar. Sweet.
Mmm.
So familiar... Smelled like something I knew, something that was mine. And it made me hungry...
Blood.
There was blood everywhere.
I remember. It was blood.
I was bleeding so much and had ended up losing too much of my own blood.
And he kept laughing, he kept coming back fiercer and fiecer but I was chained up to the ground, there wasn't much that I could do. All I could do, was keep from screaming. I knew if I did it'd only satisfy him more. It never made sense to me, why he hated me so much. Was it my father? Or was it my Amaranthine? Was it his hate for humans and my love for another? I didn't know.
All I knew was the blood, and the pain, and torture, and me trying everything not to yell out in pain. I was afraid he'd really kill me if he got that last bit from me. And I couldn't die. Not now. I'd promised her I wouldn't die, I'd promise myself I wouldn't. That if there was one thing I was going to have. It was this.
This life, this bond, this love, with her...
So even as he laughed, and taunted with words that exposed hidden hatred deep inside him for me I promised myself no cries would be heard from me.
"You've no idea how long I've waited to kill you..."
"You'll be arrested when they find out what you're doing?"
"It'll be too late..." he smiles innocently at me, "With Ronan under suspicions this part of the facilities under my watch."
"What?" I glared at him, "What's happened to Ronan?"
"Nothing. Yet. But he decided to try and snoop through the council members business. I'm not sure what for, but he had no right. Even with you in prison. We didn't agree to hand him authorization yet... you know," he steps forward and his black leather shoes are stained with my blood, "It's just how things work and now he's in a bit of a jiffy."
I immediately think happily about how smart Ronan was for that. I knew what he was doing. Getting proof of their methods for obtaining blood would help them win the case. If he and the other elders really drank human blood without Amaranthine bondings. They'd be locked away forever.
Nikolai was a fool.
But he was smart. He was the only one here besides a couple of military men and who worked for the council's protection force. They had no choice but to listen to one of their leaders.
So Nikolai was all alone here which meant he was the leader. I wonder how many people he had following him?
"You're a fool Nikolai..." I smirk at him, "This will all come to an end soon and you will regret everything."
He lowers his body and looks at my face before shaking his head pitifully at me, "Who's the one chained to the ground like an animal?" He demeaning voice is cruel and the way his blue eyes darkened and smiled told me he truly believed he would kill me. That he'd get everything he wanted.
If my case wasn't won, everything truly will change.
How many innocent lives will die for this...?
He raises the silver knife in his hand and slides it deeply across my chests deeply through my skin. The silver burns and I hear my skin sizzle, and although I groan I still do not cry for him.
"We're exceptional creatures Jerias. But we do come with our weaknesses don't we..." he huffs out tired almost and he twirls the knife in his hand, "Like silver... or our... dire need for blood even... and then humans. Such- weaknesses. We have to learn to sustain... live, with them, without them. Control them." Meeting my eyes firmly he slices the blade over his own as if to prove a point. Without wincing, without hesitance, he smiles, "Or death will find us quickly," he lips stretch wider and I know he finds something amusing, "Look at you. Those eyes... your father looked at me with those eyes when he was arrested. I heard the bad news... that he lives... Markys lives." He laughs by you can tell he doesn't find it humorous, "I should've killed him myself so it's my fault really I must admit. But... I certainly won't make that mistake again."
I cough up blood when he throws his fist in my stomach with relentless strength and he then stands.
Blood.
Blood.
I can smell it. I can taste it almost even, and I needed it terribly. My mouth watered for it, my body begged to be healed by it. But I had not enough in my system, and the torture incorporated did not help me. And I wondered if I really would die.
I begged I wouldn't. To life, to a god. That I wouldn't die, that I could have this. That someone would find me before it was too late.
But it was too late with many many days have gone past.
By the time they'd found out how Nikolai was torturing me I had begun to already slip in and out of consciousness. By the time he'd already used whips, knives, weapons all made of silver, and even his bare hands, by the time he'd brought my body more suffering most men, human or nosferatu would be able to endure, it was too late. Nikolai forgot I was a man with something to live for so I fought with all I could. But even then it was too late.
Everything else came like blurs to me... and it was like a beautiful dream. She was like a beautiful dream.
"Jerias..." someone touched my face. Jaxx...
Jaxx found me first.
Someone else was yelling behind him, "How could you have done this?!"
"Mind who you are speaking to or you'll be next!" I heard Nikolai respond.
"Do you realize what you've done? This is illegal Nikolai! They could have you incarcerated..."
"He's going to die anyway! He sleeps with and loves a human for Christ sake. That's illegal too! Or have you forgotten? ...He will be punished for the crime. Yell all you want but there is nothing that can be held against me." His voice lowers, "Soon I'll be Head so I will tell you one more time... Mind who you are speaking too."
"Jerias can you hear me..." Jaxx's concerned voice was soft, "Come on... open your eyes. Just for a second open them."
A glimmer of the harsh light seeps through my eyes but I see Jaxx smile in relief when I open them, "That's good. That's good."
"Get out." The other voice says to Nikolai I assumed, "Your rights to visit certain areas will be restricted."
"By what or whose command?" Nikolai seemed to spit out.
"By a majority rules council vote! And it will remain as so until after the case is over..."
There was silence in the air after that. And I tried opening my eyes again but it hurt. I needed to rest. I needed to just... lay my head back... the glass wall was cool against my burning skin. It felt nice.
But I still need her blood.
And I still needed to rest.
Then that cackling that came after ran chills through my blood as Nikolai laughed, "You've no idea what you men have done for yourselves. You all get Amaranthines and betray your own kind? Forget what you are! Who you are! Like it's nothing!? When I get my hands on that seat. You all will regret this moment."
I hear his heal clicking the floor as he walks away it seemed. I wasn't sure. I was drifting asleep and wondering maybe my senses were feeding me the right information. Everything sounded faded.
But Nikolai then says after, "I'll see you worthless men tomorrow... pass on well Jerias. You're a dead man anyway."
"He just needs some blood."
"And he's not allowed to see his Amaranthine-"
"This is an urgent matter-" Jaxx sounds angry
"Break the rules for him and... he'll lose the case automatically. You know better Jaxx... you've been a member longer than Mr. Ermanno here even. Do better boy. Good night."
Then silence again.
Then someone curses angrily, "He needs blood, he won't live without it."
"He can live..." Jaxx's refusal to believe I'd die made me smile, "We push the case to a faster pace. We get it done and over with quickly. He'll live."
"He needs his Amaranthine now Jaxx. You know that..."
"No..." now it was my turn to speak, "No..."
"What?" Jaxx sounded closer now, "What is it Jerias?"
"Don't bring her here. Not until the end. I can't risk it. If I lose the case..." I cough then heave for air, as it has now become harder to breath, "If I lose... it- will be for... for nothing...." I reach out and touch his arm, "Don't bring her here until we've won."
"And what of Nikolai and his men. What of the elders?" Jaxx questions.
"Trust-Trust in Ronan. Trust in them all. We will win... they know..." breath, "what they're," breath again, "doing..."
Another vile word is uttered out more bitterly, more angrily than the last then finally I hear, "Fine... Fine. But you live Jerias. You fucking live."
I smile then... and realize I can't open my eyes because they were swollen shut, "I will. You know better Jaxx..." breath, "I- will."
I said that to him.
I promised him.
It felt as though I had promised everybody yet... I couldn't keep it.
In the end, I had to say goodbye to her.
The look on Ines's face. The tears brimming in her big eyes. Her lips trembling, her desperate words.
"You're going to be a father..." It still rings for me... I could still hear it. And I could still feel the happiness and excitement I felt dancing through me then from the news.
The whole thing felt like a beautiful yet devastating dream...
All I remember was-
broken promises.
Death.
Blood.
So much blood.
I need blood.
And I can smell it. It was mine.
But then I also hear pain.
Someone's calling my name.
"Jerias... Jerias, Jerias. I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry..."
Who is that? Ines? There's screaming. Someone's screaming. Someone's crying.
I have to... open my eyes...
I have to open my eyes.
I'm so hungry, I need...
Blood
"I-" I tried to speak. I could feel my fingers. My toes, my legs, my body. And it felt strange. New, but old and tired, "I-" I try again, "Ines..." I finally say. But it's so coarse and it hurts my throat.
But I open my eyes anyway.
I had to.
The light from the ceiling above starts slipping through... and that hurts a little bit too.
...But I can see.