“Yes.” He locked his pale eyes onto mine. “You are going to die, my heart, but then you shall live again. It is hard to explain … Don’t worry. I shall be by your side the entire time, and you will not be alone.”
My heart swelled at his words.
“Do you have any further questions?” he inquired.
“Do you believe I will find happiness as a Blood Hunter?” I asked him.
“For a long time, I resented my transformation. I loathed myself and the world around me. But in time, I found peace with it … only after I met you. I truly believe you will find happiness as well, my heart, knowing that you chose this path. Together, we shall live for eternity by each other’s side.”
He lay his head on my chest, listening to my heartbeat. “Close your eyes, I want you to enjoy your day tomorrow and not be tired.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
I drifted off to sleep in Draven’s arms, dreaming that I was a bat soaring through the forest under the cloak of darkness.
December 22, 1891
I awoke early to the melodic sounds of birdsong and found Draven peacefully asleep beside me. I tiptoed across the bedroom, gently closing the door behind me. Wrapping a long coat around my shoulders, I slipped on my boots and opened the front door. A brisk winter wind swirled aroundmy legs as I stepped outside, and I inhaled deeply, savouring the crisp scent of impending snow in the air.
I spent all day outside, walking around the forest, often taking breaks to face sunrays through the trees. I found a small creek that began to freeze over and a sunny spot next to it. I took off my coat and shoes, leaving me utterly naked in the natural world that surrounded me. I wore only my wedding ring and the necklace my mother gave me when I was young. I didn’t feel exposed, merely chilled. I spread my coat out on the ground and lay down upon it, allowing my body to soak in the warmth of the sun’s rays one last time.
As I lay there, tears streamed down my cheeks. This would be the last time I felt the sun. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to be fully present in the moment, to absorb every sensation, every sound, every fleeting ray of sunlight. It was a farewell, not just to the sun, but to the world as I knew it. There was also a sense of acceptance, of surrender to the unknown that lay ahead.
As the sun began its descent beyond the horizon, I reluctantly rose and wrapped the coat around me. I could feel my stomach growling, and I went back to the house to eat my last human meal. We hadn’t packed much food, knowing I wouldn’t need it for long, but when I entered, I was greeted by a lavish spread Draven had prepared. There lay roasted meat, vegetables, and a delectable cake baked by Imalda. Draven had even brought out the port from the night he first dined with me.
After I finished my meal, Draven touched my cheek, turning me to look up at him.
“It is time,” he said.
The stars blanketed the sky above the surrounding forest as the winter wind swirled around my legs. Draven held metightly, and I realized that once I surrendered to him, I would belong to him for eternity. My blood would be his, my heart, my breath, and my very soul.
Draven lifted me so that only the tips of my toes brushed against the damp earth where we stood. His cold hands ran up my back and brushed through my long hair. My skin prickled as every instinct in me told me to run, but I had already made my choice.
I threw back my head, exposing my neck. Fear and anticipation coursed through me as Draven leaned in, his breath cold against my skin. His lips brushed my throat a heartbeat before the sharp graze of his fangs. I closed my eyes, my heart pounding rapidly in my chest.
In that moment, time stood still. The world faded away, and all that remained was the sensation of his cool lips and the promise of eternal connection. I had chosen this path willingly, but the gravity of it all hit me like a tidal wave. Becoming a Blood Hunter was an irreversible choice, a plunge into darkness.
His voice was soft and reassuring as he whispered in my ear, “You are mine, our bond is unbreakable, and I will cherish you for all eternity.” His words were a solemn vow.
With a deep breath, I nodded. And then, as his fangs punctured my skin, I felt a rush of sensations. Pain mixed with ecstasy.
The pain was sharp as his fangs sank deeper into my flesh. My body tensed, and I struggled to not pull away. I clung to him, my fingers digging into his back, anchoring myself as he sucked my blood into him. Shortly, the pain began to recede, replaced by a growing sense of euphoria. I felt like I was floating, weightless and free. My breath began to steady, and a warmth spread throughout my body, starting where our bodies were connected. A moan slipped out of mymouth, and I clung tighter to him as I wanted him to take more of my blood.
It felt different from the last time he fed from me. Last time I was scared for his life, and this time I was willingly giving him mine. He drank and drank until my vision started to fog and darken. He held me tighter, and I could feel my limbs go limp as I started to fade. I began to feel at peace. I was ready to leave this world and begin my journey into the next.
However, he stopped. He pulled back, bringing a dagger to his own neck. He ran the blade over his skin and then cut it open. Blood flowed down his own neck.
“Drink, my heart,” he said, moving his head aside, exposing his neck to me.
He placed my lips upon his neck. His blood felt hot against the coolness of his skin. I drank, allowing his blood to fill my mouth. I gagged; it tasted like iron and salt, but I was too weak to pull away. Then the change began to take hold. It started as a subtle current. My heartbeat slowed as I continued to drink from Draven’s neck; the world around me began to blur and fade some more. The sensations of pleasure intensified as a moan escaped from Draven’s mouth. He held me, his embrace both tender and possessive as if I was claiming his very soul. I drank deeper out of the desire to fully unite with him.
We were not just sharing blood anymore; we were sharing our souls with each other.
Then something I wasn’t expecting happened. Flashes and visions of Draven’s life cascaded into my mind. I began to see Draven’s memories, spanning over a century of his existence. Moments of passion with a red-haired woman. Draven’s torment at the hands of Dr Montgomery. Imalda’s arrival on a rainy night, frail and desperate.
I felt the loneliness that had led him to seek this eternal bond. A whirlwind of his thoughts and memories swirled within me, elusive and fleeting, impossible to grasp onto.
