Acacia Gold

Chapter 8

“It’s all over”.

“Yes, now hold still” Myckah held my arm like a vice; cleaning the slice Icarus had sucked on.  He did so agitatedly and scruffily. I was too shocked to even care. I wiped at a cut on my cheek.

“God”.

Christa the blonde ice queen was pacing back and forth in a cream suit looking pristine next to Myckah, and myself. Myckah’s shirt was shredded. He had shielded me from the worst of the blasts and caught most of the brunt. Glass had cut at his skin like an excited kitten with a ball of wool.

The slashes of his shirt remained but the cuts and scrapes that had adorned his body were now healed. It was totaling amazing and somehow intriguing. But it made me want to run like hell all the more.

“He is dead, you are sure?” Christa asked sharply.

“The building burnt, he was locked in a room, how could he have escaped” I replied.

“Myckah?”

“She is right Christa. He is dead” Myckah replied.

“We must celebrate then. I will inform the other houses”.

“Very well” Myckah replied thoughts elsewhere. Christa turned.

“And Christa? Do so discreetly. I do not want the house of the flesh eater clan finding out before we have had time to prepare. They will be livid”.

“Discreet is my middle name” grinned Christa. 

She left with the tight clip of her heels in our presence long after she had gone.

Myckah, finished cleaning my wound, placed his hands, one above and one below mine. He pressed against the gash until the pressure could not grow anymore. Heat began edging up my arm, through my skin, through my tendons, through me.

When my voice came it was frantic, “what’re you doing!” 

Myckah continued pressing and the heat turned into a blistering pain that loped up to my shoulder. 

I began to scream. Halfway from my lips the shriek died.

The wound was healing. It was healing right in front of my eyes; like magic. The blood seemed to flow back into my arm, the skin knitted itself back together, the enflamed skin returned to my pale skin. I knew vampires could heal that quickly, but I was human. Was Myckah that powerful?

As Myckah released my arm, he looked down at me from where he knelt.

“Do you feel okay?”

“What…was…was that all you?” I stuttered.

“Yes”

“Wow” my breath escaped in awe.

He grinned baring his pretty kitty teeth, “it is one of many perks, but I do loose what little I have given you”.

He held up a hand as I began to speak. “Not to worry, nothing a little feeding won’t mend”.

His eyes flicked to the pulse at my neck, then down to his dusty shoes ashamed.

“Not me?”

“No, no, of course not. We have emergency blood for occasions such as this” he explained.

I breathed in deeply. Relief. I hadn’t known I’d been so tense.

“Though your blood would probably be the sweetest ever tasted” Myckah swallowed the lump in his throat fixing his gaze at my neck again. I resisted the urge to wrap my hands around my neck like a shield.

“Best kept untested,” he said.

Myckah stood and stretched.

“How does it work Myckah?” I asked. “The healing thing”.

“Ah… it is a simple transference of my power to your own. I guide my healing strength into your body, through your skin, finding the break of weakness. It heals”.

“Wow, neat perk”. I commented.

“Yes, but not all of us have it. You can…acquire extra skills with power and time. I myself have acquired the ability to control healing among other skills. The younger vampires do not have these benefits. They must be earned”.

“Oh”.

“Yes”.

“So you have other powers?” I questioned.

“I do, but that is a discussion for another day”. Myckah ended the conversation.

“You should probably get to bed, we could all use some rest”.

“I-”

“We may talk about you leaving tomorrow,” Myckah said sharply.

“No” I said, “that wasn’t what I was going to say”.

Delicate frown lines appeared on Myckah’s forehead, he nodded, “go ahead”.

I smiled a little bashfully and fiddled with the strap of the ruined dress, “I was thinking I could thank you for saving my life”. After this evening finally seeing that Myckah was in fact one of the good guys I suddenly felt a trust and draw to him I had not felt before. After all he could have just as easily taken me and turned me like Icarus had tried to do yet he didn't even flinch at the sight of my blood, instead  healing me. Not even hinting at turning me again. 

Myckah smiled deeply and held out a graceful hand, poised.

“In that case, I believe we should both retire, do you not think?”

I accepted his hand, gently laying my own in his grasp. It fit perfectly, my petite hand in his larger one. He cupped my waist and guided me to the door.

“You are most exquisite, like fine china” Myckah drew me against his front, arms tight around my waist, soothing, masculine. What I needed after a s**t scary day.

“I’ve always hated china, I’m more a pottery girl myself,” I teased.

“Very well” Myckah lay a gentle kiss on my shoulder, “You are divine like flawless clay”.

“Ah much better” I nodded. I titled my face up. He was at least a head taller than me and could bend his neck over to press his lips on the aura of mine.

“Will you leave?”

His question hung in mid air and I nuzzled my face in the crook of his neck. His scent was heavenly and I sucked it in. It was a mixture of expensive cologne, fragrant soap and his own personal aroma. 

“Does it matter?” I asked.

Myckah pulled away leaving me suddenly alone. His muscles were tense in harsh lines against his torn shirt. He still looked lovely. His curly hair blended into the material, a mix of honey tones and deeper ones. 

“Myckah?” I said. He didn’t respond, so I moved up behind him, “Myckah, look at me”.

Myckah stayed stubborn, face held high, away from me. The man, who had saved me, acted so heroically and wielded such powerful strength, now stood before me, small and miserable and alone.

I enfolded my arms around his slender waist. And although it was narrow my arms barely reached. I rested my face against the arch of his back and sighed.

“There’s a very beautiful bed going unused, I think we should use it,” I suggested.

Myckah turned and smiled softly, his mouth curving and giving light to the rest of his features.

He lowered his mouth to mine so slowly I almost moaned in anticipation. Our lips met. 

His gently fingers stroked my hair and cupped my jaw drawing me away to look at me. The intensity of the gaze caused butterflies to rise in me. I blushed. 

"Whatever you may think, I truly only want to protect you my beauty." then he lowered his face to look away from me "you do not have to do this, you know. You don't owe me anything and as much as I have longed to share this bed with you, I do not want you to if it is forced".

I laughed lightly letting out a breath of air and he looked at me again with his eyebrow arched in a question. 

"Myckah," I sighed "do you really think I'm the sort of girl to…" I gestured to the bed "because I think I Ower someone?"

I pulled away from him and walked backwards towards the bed. As I did i let go of my broken halter strap. The dress dropped to the floor and I was left barefoot and in underwear. 

Myckah eyes grew wide with hunger. As his elegant feet made their way towards me he wrapped his strong arms around me and pulled me close "I never expected to desire you so much..but I think you are possibly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And I have lived centuries". 

I shyly looked down embarrassed by what just have been a fib. I couldn't possibly be the most beautiful woman he had seen "I am sorry for not trusting you sooner, but I see now, after what happened with Icarus, that you are nothing like vampires I have met before. You are good Myckah". 

With that I raised myself into tiptoes and touched my lips against his. .