I can’t help it. Who am I to rob myself of life’s simple pleasures?
Leaning closer, I buried my nose in her hair and wrapped a dark tendril around my palm. As I took in a long breath, my senses danced in the presence of her. She smelled like black cherries, bitter almonds, and liquor. There were small notes of something else, something that made my throat tighten and burn. Oh, I just knew she would simply unravel me.
The new innervations put my head in a spell, making sure the memory of her was etched properly into my mind. After all, it was essential to know any prey like the back of your hand, to know them well enough to anticipate their every move. I wouldn’t mind knowing this one in any way I could, in due time.
Within the flesh underneath all the motilities, there was something more challenging to place, though I had experienced something similar a few times prior.
Undiluted, potent, untouched. A drop of that sweetness could make anyone go wild with hunger and desire.
She was lucky I found her first, truly.
Anyone else would have torn her to shreds if they got close enough to know.
“Ah... so sweet,” I mumbled, my face buried into the crook of her neck.
I was right when I said she was rare. A blood type held by few, but like no other flavor this world could create. She was what we would call a Mellifluous Host—a rare delicacy.
I loved being right.
Her blood had a curious spice to it, adding some tasteful aromatic notes.
She was so enticing like that, her neck poised delicately before my jaws, waiting for me. I could snap it in half with a single bite.
I glanced up at her face. It was so soft, so peaceful. Like a sleeping fawn wrapped in the comfort of the night, confident that they were hidden from the terrors that lurked about in the darkness. She was helpless, innocent.
I ached for herphysically.
My canines twitched, sore from anticipation, begging to disappear inside the tender flesh beneath me. To scar that untouched skin would be the ultimate aphrodisiac. The same feeling plagued me last night and made an unfortunate mess of my previous meal. I knew she saw my handiwork in the paper that morning. I wanted her to know that it was me.
I shifted where I knelt in an attempt to get comfortable. A low, excited clicking escaped my throat as I adjusted my hips, making my teeth chatter from the chill. That look on her face when she saw the sketch in the paper made me shake with excitement. I wondered if she would make that face again for me. I could not help the chorusing that vibrated in my throat as I thought about it. It was all so exhilarating. Why didn’t she ask about me? Not even a mention to thepolice.
How rude.
She was of the perceptive kind. I would have thought her first call would be to the station or the papers.
What are you up to? Why won’t you play?
It was quite frustrating to go through the trouble just for her to ignore my gesture. I did not understand her reasoning. Maybe I just needed to be more obvious. Typically, I wouldn’t bother with the extra effort, but she just set me onfire. It was impossible to ignore her, but I could not imagine how she managed to ignoreme.
“I look forward to us, little shadow,” I whispered against her ear, tucking a bit of hair behind it before I allowed her one last night of rest. One more night before our games began.
5
THE POISONER
Blood, there is bloodeverywhere.
I am on my hands and knees, staring down at my reflection in the thick, sticky liquid.
Why is there so much? Is this my own?
I look up. A black expanse surrounds me, and the scarlet pool spans as far as the eye can see. My body is completely covered in blood from head to toe.
Droplets flood my vision, making it red and blurry. It won’t clear up no matter how hard I rub my face. It feels like the more I scratch, the more blood comes dripping down.
“Ah . . . so sweet.”
A blurry figure in the distance speaks. It sounds more like I am underwater. I blink and frantically try to clear my eyes, trying to see what is in here with me.
