BLOOD AND Lightening

Chapter 23

HALDIR

As she proclaimed the utterances, with her eyes shut, particles of her blood and mine began forging together, I haven't witnessed anything like this but I can tell it was working, her hair stood, and suddenly the candlelight changed into a light I have never seen before covering us both, this feels more like an oat then a deal, I watched her began to lose control of herself, yet I can't stop the deal, tears began falling from her eyes and she fell right into my body, her body was hotter than usual just like that everything stopped, perhaps the deal has been made.

I took her to my bed and gently lay her down, she was breathing fine just unconscious, this is the corniest I have been to get something, and suddenly am feeling bad about lying to her, strange things are beginning to happen ever since she came into my life, I could have killed her several chances I got but I resolved to make a deal and for the first time she was smart to bound me to be her savior.

Eros had earlier warned that deals were dangerous, a knock came from the outside, and I just knew it was him.

"What?" I asked immediately upon opening the door

" How did you manage to control yourself from devouring the precious blood of that which?" he asked

"Now that you've done that, when are you sending her away?" he asked, trying to make his way inside, I blocked the way pushing him away

"Do not tell me she is in your chambers still?" he asked with a raised brow

"When are you going to leave my house?" I asked instead

"Not until you do the needful with the people," he said before walking away.

Returning to my chambers she has awakened and her eyes glowing blue,

"Where is this place?" she asked looking around, her eyes fell on her wrist and she began to panic, "what happened?" she asked and her eyes locked with mine, I saw her breathe out a sigh of relief, she confuses me, sometimes it feels like she wants me to drop dead sometimes it feels like she doesn't care.

"Your bed smells like you," she said attempting to stand but kept falling back on her butt.

"Rest, you are exhausted," I said

"Am not," she said, stubbornly as she stood up again

"I am very much uncomfortable, imagine laying on the devil's bed"

"My name is Haldir"

"The devil sounds better and suits you better, am going to rest for the so-called party" she finally stood upright.

"Rest here, I have not brought you here to exhaust yourself, you need a lot of strength to survive my people”

I know she wanted to persist and challenge herself but I wouldn't want her to slump, it would warrant physicians which implies additional creatures knowing of her existence here. I would have wanted her not to show her face through the ceremony but knowing my kind, they would snoop her out in no time, and she would be safer by my side.

“Where I come from, it is considered immoral for a maiden to share a room with a man she is not married to, except the man is family,” she said in an annoying tone, I had to resist the urge of sighing.

“Thy foolishness or perhaps thy confidence is astonishing”

“Do not speak to me like a caveman, language has evolved while you were in slumber” she said as managed to carry herself past me and left my room while leaving me in shock.

Who on earth told her? Could only be Zephyr, I always knew that spending much time with the fellow was a bad influence.

NIMAI

“Huff!!” I let out holding on to the handle of the stairs, as he had said I was exhausted, barely catching my breath, did I perhaps exhaust too much of my energy? Staying in the same spot as him wasn't helping, every of his stares had an effect, the devil is only intimidating when his mouth is shut once he starts talking, it's like speaking to an annoying Madam who wants to be right at all time.

“Milady!!” I hear the cheerful voice of Zephyr calling out to me, just like his voice my mood brightened up. He hurried to my aid and held on to me.

“Are you okay Milady?” he asked with concern

“Can you call me by my name sometimes,” I said attempting to change the concern but his gaze remained the same as he grabbed on to my wrist and I notice his silver eye glow brighter and he raised his hand against his nose as if blocking his nose from perceiving something.

“You are bleeding?” he said as he continued to lead me to my room, if my blood had this much effect should I be more worried, the devil doesn't seem to be affected though.

“If it's hard for you, then you should probably leave” I said in a low tone

“No I will be fine, am a special kind of vampire” he said with a smile, knowing his sunny personality he sure said that to brighten up my paranoid mood but he sure look different and is certainly special, as the door to my supposed room open so did Star come rushing to me.

“Are you okay Milady” she asked, I was indeed exhausted but I was fine, as I sat down, I noticed her face froze, now it was my turn to inquire if she was alright.

“Are you alright?” I asked her

“Milady your eyes..” she paused coming closing to take a look

“Go fetch some clean water, an ointment and some fresh cloth to clean her wound” Zephyr commanded rushing his words, as Star hurriedly left to fetch the items mentioned.

Why are you being such a dotting young fellow, without thinking of my actions, I ruffled his hair unable to hide my smile, he looked up to me his silver eyes glintering as he smiles...

As Zephyr stayed with Nimai like a dotting older brother tending to her wounds and chattering away their time, unaware to them, Star had left the door open, Haldir stood by the other side of the stairs his hands folded behind him as he watch them, her tiny giggle echoed the hallway and Zephyr's charming words, for some reason he doesnt hate her closeness with the young Vampire, rather jealous that the young fellow has shifted his attention from him to her, unlike when is saw her matching and holding hands with Eros, he felt he could as least be rest assured leaving her with Zephyr, he couldn't explain the mixed feelings he had when he saw her walking in with Eros, he had wanted to compliment her, he wasn't the type to be cold and corny unnecessary to people but perhaps circumstances surrounding their meeting, having killed her Guardian and also the curse, the idea of suddenly being soft spoken to her after causing her pain sounds horrible.

Again the confusion in him, he hates the way she easily gets swept under her feet, how she can easily forgive or perhaps overlook but again he likes that her gaze towards him was beginning to change, Haldir has always been a soft-hearted tyrant to woman and children, his gaze has always been strong and intimidating making folks assume he has no compassion, killing Nimai’s mother was his thirst, which he deeply regrets, although he refused to admit it.

“The throne room has been decorated as you ordered and the wines provided,” Thanatos said in his usual laidback and tired voice as if coming from an exhausted father of three after tending to his children while his wife was away, he followed his master's gaze to see what he was looking at, as he had expected he was looking at the witch girl, it has become more like a routine to see him watching her from a distance. Thanatos’s worries were coming from a good place for his master, in the past, his master fell for a human with a weak heart, without heading to any warnings issued to him, he caught himself in the trap of a powerful witch after living in grief of her death for so many years, and now after a century has passed, a witch who happened to be the curse on his master has entered his home although his master wouldn't make the mistake of falling in love again, he couldn't ignore the dotting eyes his master has all the time on her and he smells the coming problem once the witches realise she is in the possession of a vampire.

“Master” he called out again hoping he answers this time, it was obvious he purposely ignored him.

“Do not forget the palate of other kinds” Haldir warned finally looking at Thanatos, it's no rumor but truth of how humans and faires always feels left out in important occasions, vampires are more into liquor than food, a creature who survive mostly by blood, they tend to be picky when it comes to food while at occasions the Folks of Alfredo rarely include their palette especially when it's hosted by a vampire, although human and faires came as refugees to the kingdom, some of them have risen to become prominent members of Alfredo, with some having a family name, not having their palette is considered blatant discrimination, especially to people who provide blood to keep the majority fed.

“Do you not trust my arrangement master?” Thanatos said with a smile expecting Haldir to smile back, upon getting a hard glare instead of a smile he immediately went straight to the answer

“Yes, I made sure of that, and just so they have more than enough, I made a few runs with some of the employed aids, to make several purchases from the town sellers, and just like I had mentioned to you earlier, the news of the occasion has gone far and wide the kingdom, everyone wants to be a part of the celebration, and thank goodness the invite has been limited by Eros earlier, strictly by invite, if not am afraid your home wouldn't have been able to contain the overflowing number of people”

“Is it really a limitation if Eros is handling the invite” Haldir said already tired of the incoming noise he is about to experience out of respect to his kind, he took a final look at the her before heading back to his chambers.