《Thicker Than Water》


 Chapter One

    It never grew terribly warm out in the northern country. Even though it was the start of summer, there was a strange chill in the air all throughout the evening. Being in the woods made it worse, having to find the occasional patches of sunlight to warm my face with. I¡¯d been out hunting all day and only managed to score two rabbits. As I made my home with my bow slung over one shoulder and my kills on the other, I heard a strange noise further ahead. Worried about spooking another hunter¡¯s kill, I approached as carefully as possible.


    ¡°I told you to stay out of our way. We¡¯re not looking to adopt diseased rats like yourself.¡± Came a deep man¡¯s voice.


    I pressed my back against a tree and peered around it slowly as he spoke. There was a tall figure wearing a large fur cloak, and he was looking down at something. With a little more stretching, I saw who it was. A small girl with shocking pale skin, dressed in tattered clothing. There was mud around her feet, clearly she¡¯d not been inside a house in ages.


    ¡°But the ones that killed my family were enemies of your house! Doesn¡¯t that make you want to take me out of vengeance at the least?¡± The girl pleaded, shaking her arms at her side.


    ¡°If our enemies step on a rat, we don¡¯t take it¡¯s litter with us out of spite. You¡¯ve got the blood of wild beasts in you more than human blood, we don¡¯t need some stray following us around anymore. Try to enter our residence again and you¡¯ll be tied to a stake outside. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°But I¡ª!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself, and I refuse to stay here longer. The folks here leave a bad taste in my mouth...¡± The man muttered before disappearing out into the thicker woods.


    Hiding back behind the tree properly, I put a hand on my chin and thought on the conversation some. There was talk about a new nobleman and his family moving nearby, and those are the only folks I could think of who would talk about families like that. But even if it was them, then I didn¡¯t get the girl wanting to join them, as well as stating the family had some enemies.


    Before I could get much further down my trail of thought, the girl started crying. I let out a sigh to myself and pulled out from behind the tree. She was slumped down on her knees in the dirt, and she only noticed that I was there a few steps away. Her head snapped towards me with a small growl and I had to hold my hands up.


    ¡°Easy there. Didn¡¯t mean to surprise you or anything. What are you doing by yourself out here?¡± I asked, trying not to scare her.


    If I hadn¡¯t heard her speak just a while ago, I might¡¯ve thought she was feral. She looked at me like I was a wild dog, even as she scattered back on her hand and knees before glaring up at me. Getting down on one knee, I set my bow down on the ground.


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯ve got to be freezing with that stuff on. Do you have somewhere you can stay?¡±


    ¡°What do you care?¡± She hissed back.


    ¡°I just happened to overhear a bit of... well, whatever that was. Seemed like you got kicked out of wherever you were trying to stay. I can¡¯t say I really relate to that feeling, but I¡¯d be pretty heartless to leave you out here when I¡¯ve got a free bed.¡±


    Her eyes felt more chilling than the wind; it was like they held the glow of fresh snow upon the ground. After staring for a few seconds, her stomach grumbled and she clutched her sides. I held out my hand towards her as diplomatically as I could muster, and she thankfully took it without more struggle. We both got up on our feet and I headed back in the direction of my cabin.


    I wonder if she¡¯ll mind having to eat mostly meat. Haven¡¯t gotten crops yet from the local market, and all I¡¯ve got fresh is some venison. I thought to myself. She seems like a good enough kid though. Damn nobles, thinking they can treat others however they want just cause they have some land in their pockets. I ought to see if she¡¯s got any family nearby to take her in, assuming they¡¯re not the ones that kicked her out.


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    ¡°By the way, my name is Leo. Yours?¡± I asked, turning back to her for a second.


    ¡°Senna. That¡¯s the only name I¡¯ve got left now, I suppose.¡± She said more to herself than me.


    There wasn¡¯t much of a walk left, but it seemed to stretch on longer than normal. Every step gave me this strange sensation that something was watching me. I stopped to look around a few times, but I had to play it off so I didn¡¯t scare her. When I finally got home, I hurried to open the door and usher her inside. She hesitate to go in, even as I held the door open.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°...This better not be a trick of some kind. I know how to defend myself!¡±


    ¡°Er, right... would you rather step inside first? Long as you don¡¯t mess around with my stuff, you can poke around if you want. Not sure what you¡¯re expecting to find, but I¡¯m just trying to give you some shelter.¡±


    She finally entered my house and looked all around. Her steps were so light I could hardly hear them, even being right next to her. When I closed the door she grumbled, but I wasn¡¯t going to let it get too cold in here. Tossing a few logs in the fireplace, I started a small flame to heat things up. Despite getting it nice and warm, she seemed even more scared of it than the house. Not wanting to pry too much, I set about cooking some food for the both of us.


    ¡°Apologies if what I¡¯ve got isn¡¯t exactly up to your standards. I don¡¯t have any vegetables at the moment, but I do have some meat. Got any preference for how it¡¯s cooked?¡± I asked, placing two pieces in a pan over the flames.


    ¡°...Raw?¡±


    ¡°I think you mean rare. Guessing you do actually come from a noble family then, huh? I¡¯d say you were feral or something, but you¡¯ve got too fancy of an accent for that. Some kind of money or power struggle got you kicked out?¡± I asked, turning back to her while they cooked.


    Her eyes were locked on one of my hatchets. There was a bit of dried blood on it since I hadn¡¯t cleaned it after I skinned a catch yesterday. Unlike most of when we were talking, she had a softer look on her face. Here eyes weren¡¯t as sharp, but they unnerved me just a little bit. It took a few seconds to break out of her small trance, but she acted like no time had passed at all.


    ¡°A power struggle is good way to put it. My family is gone, and now I¡¯ve just got to find another one willing to take me in.¡±


    ¡°Jeez, bit of a cold way of putting it don¡¯t you think? You should give yourself a little time to grieve over things. Rushing from one family to the next is just going to mess with your heart. Why don¡¯t you stay here for a bit, we¡¯ll get you some clothes tomorrow, and you can think over what you should do?¡± I offered, checking one of the pieces of venison and pulling the pan off the heat.


    ¡°W-What makes you think I¡¯d want to stay here?!¡± She shouted back, making me jump and nearly drop the pan.


    ¡°Calm down! I just meant you shouldn¡¯t be wandering the woods in rags like that, it¡¯s not good for your health or your safety. Not saying you have to or anything, considering it is kind of a risk on both our parts, but I just felt obliged to lend a hand.¡±


    ¡°...Fine. Can I have some of the meat now? I haven¡¯t fed in a while.¡±


    Fed? I guess that¡¯s the fancy way of wording it these days. I thought to myself while I placed the extra rare piece of meat in front of her.


    I returned to the fire and cooked mine for a few more minutes. Even over the crackling of the fire and sizzle of the meat, I could hear her sloppy consumption. I glanced back around and she was more of just gnawing on the piece. A little embarrassed, I just kept to my own food. Once it was cooked to a more reasonable color, I took it back to the table. Her piece was already gone, and she was licking the drippings from the plate as I sat down.


    ¡°Guess you were hungry, huh?¡± I asked with a small laugh, cutting into my own.


    She used some of the rags from her chest to wipe the excess of her lips and then fell back with a small pout. I had to eat mostly in silence, though occasionally she would perk her ears up and look out the window. After the first few times it hit me that she must be looking up at the moon. I finished my food and took the dinnerware away from the table.


    ¡°You keep checking the moon. I¡¯m not keeping you from anything am I?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just... I haven¡¯t seen it full like that in a while. It makes me feel nervous for some reason.¡± She said before slouching on the table. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve got some bad memory of it and can¡¯t remember what happened. Then again, I guess I could just be getting paranoid...¡±


    Setting them down in the washing tray, I moved back to her side. For someone living on their own outside, she had a shockingly pale complexion to her skin. Her hair seemed exceptionally silky as well, almost like it had been meticulously washed despite her destitute state. Almost hypnotically, I reached my hand out and gave it a gentle pat. The girl shiver and knocked my hand away before moving back like she did when I first met her.


    ¡°Calm down, was just trying to comfort you a little.¡± I said, holding up both of my hands defensively.


    ¡°You should only pat my head if I tell you to do so!¡±


    ¡°Uh.... right, sorry about that. I was going to get ready for bed, you should probably do the same. The only other bed is more for a kid, but I think you should have no trouble fitting.¡±


    ¡°Hmpf! Despite the appearance of my size, you should know that I only have poor posture from having to hide in the wilderness recently. To be more accurate, I might even be your height!¡±


    I paused and looked down at her, holding the bedroom door open. Even as she stood up and turned her nose up at me, there was a good few inches of difference between us. Not wanting to make her angrier already, I just let her statement hang in the air. After a bit of fuss, she admitted that the smaller bed was enough, and sat down on the edge of it.


    With my own night clothes on, I climbed under the linen covers and rested my head on the pillow. I found myself tossing and turning for a few minutes, worried that she might do something while I was asleep. Opening one eye, I saw she was near the window. There was a small piece of something in her hand, which she read by the moonlight. A part of me wanted to ask about it, but I thought it better to leave for tomorrow morning instead.


    Closing my eyes, I turned my back to her and fell asleep for the night. My sleep felt very deep, keeping me from even dreaming. Still, it¡¯s odd I was so relaxed with a stranger in the room.

 Chapter Two

    There was the striking scent of human throughout the entire cabin. I remembered it well as soon as I stepped inside, but it still stirred old feelings inside of me. Something primal told me to just jump him whenever his back was turned and be done with it, but it wouldn¡¯t cure the hunger in my stomach. The meat he gave was close, but the charred portions had lost their juice and tasted like ash to me. I wonder if I might have thought it was good if I were still alive.


    Either way, he treated me with a level of care I hadn¡¯t known for nearly a decade. He probably wasn¡¯t even alive when I was turned, I can tell that much. After being treated like dirt by other clans for all this time, spending a few peaceful moments was alluring in its own right. I was fairly embarrassed by the way I acted and was dressed, but that much can¡¯t be helped.


    After having to argue with him about our similar heights, I agreed to take the smaller of the beds out of courtesy. Before I did, I took a seat by the window and pulled out the faded scrap of my mother¡¯s last letter to me. My birth mother was a strict woman, and would often strike any rebelliousness out of me. Ironically, that only made it so I acted a lot more childish after I turned, but I still think more like her.


    ¡°Do your best to look like a proper lady, and try your hardest to survive.¡± The letter read in faded ink.


    While I had thought it might be some vague threat when I first read it, it seems more like my mother was trying to carry me away from the house when it became infected with a vampiric plague. Unfortunately for her, the letter arrived a few days after I¡¯d be turned by the aunt she had sent me to. The both of them had a heated argument over the whole thing, believing it was wrong for every member of the family to be made undead.


    Straying from my memory, I stood up and moved towards Leo. I could tell his every muscle was relaxed, and could just barely hear the thump of his heart beneath the howling wind. I got down on my knees and brushed the hair away from his neck. It had been years since I fed on a human, I could hardly remember the taste. Feeding on deer and elk always left a small pit in my stomach, and I wanted to let loose and bite down on him, but something held me back. My tongue ran over my fangs before I flopped back onto the nearby mattress and kicked my legs in the air.


    Why? I¡¯m not scared he¡¯s going to wake up or anything. This is the perfect opportunity to get a taste of real blood and get back to full strength. Why am I hesitating if it¡¯s right here? I thought to myself before gazing back at the window. It¡¯s because you might kill him, Senna. He¡¯s been nice to you, and even gave you a place to sleep at night, and you would just drain him dry after all that hospitality. That¡¯s not something a proper lady would do... well, neither is biting the necks of elk, but we all make compromises.


    I rolled over onto my back and let out a long sigh. There was a stillness in the air that I wasn¡¯t used to. Staring at the ceiling made me realize that it was staying in a house again, especially with a mortal nearby. When I was in the wilderness and surviving on my own, I had to struggle and wander nearly every second. Sitting around and waiting instead of hunting felt strange. Fed up with the feeling, I snuck past his bed and moved for the door.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The fireplace had only embers now, and the shutters were closed. Even this pitch black room wasn¡¯t that difficult for me to navigate though, and I quickly made my way to the exit. When I opened the door, the wind rustled into the house and I had to step outside fast to keep the cold air from waking Leo. The gusts died down for a second and I got to appreciate how quiet everything was. Most of the animals were further in if I wanted to hunt, but something kept my feet locked in place.


    An odd urge came over my body and I slinked around the side of the cabin. Once I got to where his room should be, I peered through the unblocked window back in on him. Even though he was asleep, I stayed crouching down on the ground.  The distance and wall made it so I couldn¡¯t hear his heart beat, so there was no sense of hunger in my watching.


    He looks really nice in the in the darkness. I thought, resting my chin on the windowsill. Wait, what am I even talking about?


    My brow furrowed, but I kept staring at him. There was an oddly pleasing feeling about seeing him without any connotation for feeding. It¡¯s not as if I had a heart that could still race, but I only wanted to stare at him some more. After something close to half an hour, I pulled away from the glass and smacked both my cheeks.


    Clear your head, Senna. I thought, pulling my knees close to my chest. You need to think of what to do next. Where do you go from here? I should leave as soon as possible, or else he might find out what I am and try to kill me. No, in fact, he probably would try and kill me.


    For a good while I just sat there and thought of what there was to do. The Ainz clan rejected me, the Godwin clan was the one that killed my family outright. There was no one left to turn to, and it was clear that I didn¡¯t have any recourse. If there was something to plan for, it certainly wasn¡¯t something I knew about anymore. Choosing to distract myself from my misfortune, I went out for a hunt.


    Ever since I moved to these woods, I¡¯ve thinned out the larger herbivores from the food chain. They¡¯re no match for me in the dead of night, and they¡¯re clearly not used to creatures latching onto them from behind. It¡¯s lucky for me, but obviously Leo and other hunters must be suffering. Still, I¡¯m sure they¡¯d prefer rabbit stew to being dead. After taking a larger buck for myself, I drained him dry and ripped out the section where my teeth bit into him.


    Most of the night was gone by the time I found my way back to his cabin, but it still stretched on for far longer than I had thought it would. I was getting tired already and let out a small yawn when I got back to the door. Instead of heading back inside directly, I decided to take a peek through the window again to make sure he was still sound asleep. He thankfully was, but I made sure to watch a little while to double check. Satisfied with observing him, I snuck back inside of the house and moved back into the bedroom.


    Before I got in bed, I crouched down near his bedside once again and looked at the nape of his neck. There was a decent amount of muscle there, and I very nearly reached out to stroke it, but restrained myself in time. He had a pleasant smell as well, though it might¡¯ve made my stomach growl if I hadn¡¯t just fed. Before I knew it, my head was lowering down towards him, trailing the scent of blood.


    When I finally reached his neck, I closed my mouth to keep from biting it out of habit. My lips pursed from the quick movement and I ended up planting a soft kiss on his shoulder before pulling away and covering my mouth. If my blood was still warm, I¡¯d probably have turned beet red.


    To hide myself in case that woke him up, I laid down in the smaller mattress and pulled the blankets tight over my whole body. Slowly the panic died down as exhaustion took over my body, and I found myself nodding off under the blanket.


    Does that count as my first kiss? I wondered, the last thought before I fell asleep.


    My dreams were energetic but dark, and filled with the sensation of hunting. I gorged myself on many creatures in a vicious scramble, but during the end, a small wolf piqued my interest. Despite the thrill of the dream, something compelled me not to harm it.

 Chapter Three

    I awoke with a bit of a start, putting my hand over my chest. Even though I couldn¡¯t remember anything I might¡¯ve dreamed about, there was an innate sense of danger. The closest probably source would be the stranger sleeping in the bed next to me. It took a few seconds for me to remember everything that happened with Senna. Oddly, it felt like the whole affair might¡¯ve been my dream, contrary to what I was seeing.


    ¡°Good morning. You sleep alri-?¡± I started to ask before a soft snore cut me off.


    I¡¯ll use my preference for the later hours as an excuse for staring at her sleeping face. It only peeked out slightly from the bundle of blankets she was wrapped up in. With her piercing eyes closed, she looked incredibly frail. Her skin was actually pale enough to look like porcelain in the shadowy lighting of her linen cocoon.


    Well, I suppose that¡¯s the nobility for you. I thought to myself. Still a shame she¡¯s so far from where she used to be. I think she mentioned something about her family being taken out or something in that argument. Maybe she¡¯s actually got another relative?


    Kicking my legs over the side, I stood up with a stretch and yawn. Trying not to make too much noise in my morning routine, I got up and fed myself with a few pieces of rabbit jerky. After getting into my gear, I sat at the dinner table for a few minutes, mulling over what I should do.


    Well, I need to get some produce, but I shouldn¡¯t let a stranger stay in my house in any case. She might be noble blooded, but I¡¯m not sure she¡¯d be above just stealing something. I thought to myself before looking at the hatchet she¡¯d stared at. ...or something worse, honestly. She could¡¯ve done something like that last night, but didn¡¯t. Well, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s much to take from here anyhow.


    With a nod to myself, I stood up and headed back into the bedroom. Not wanting to wake her up just yet, I wrote a small note explaining I was heading into town and that she should get something to eat. As I finished writing, I noticed the light from the window was trailing closer towards her. Not wanting it to wake her up, I closed the shutters. Placing the note down on a spot of the bed she¡¯d see, I left the cabin and took a deep breath of the fresh air.


    There was a quiet music of the early autumn days. Only a few birds were moving about at this time of day, making it so the occasional gust of wind was punctuated with a cheerful chirp. Shouldering a bag of some skins, I followed down a beaten path from my cabin towards the nearest town of Yowlen. It was a fairly small town outside of the woods, but was decent for trading. Back when the area was first being colonized, there was a boom of rich foreigners building their menses in the mountains around it. While openly claiming they wanted the views, it was apparent to the villagers they coveted the security and isolation the area provided.


    Despite some confrontational first encounters, the townsfolk have grown accustomed to dealing with the richer members of society. While I had never spent time inside myself, there was a building within the town catered towards them specifically. It was covered in black and gold paint, giving it a costly look. After having sold my furs and buying vegetables, I entered with what little money I had left.


    ¡°Give me a second!¡± A panicked woman¡¯s voice sounded off as the door opened.


    The inside of the building was something close to a library, but with glass doors covering the shelves. Waiting for the woman to arrive, I went up to one of the them and tried figuring out what books were there. Most of them had no labelling on the spine, but a few had names about ancestry and land division. A loud stumble drew my attention and I headed back to the front counter.


    ¡°Hello, sir! Wait... you don¡¯t look like my usual visitor.¡± She said, stepping out from a back door.


    She was definitely a bookish woman. There was a set of glasses resting on her nose, and her clothes were wrinkled in a number of places. Her hair was deep black and tied back in a ponytail, leaving her features with a very soft frame. I took a step closer and she seemed to grow an inch or two taller when I did.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m more here for a friend. This place has records of the noble families around this area, right? I¡¯ve met someone lately that seems like she¡¯s the victim of some kind of power struggle. Do you think you could help me find if she has any family nearby I could help her get to?¡± I asked, placing one hand on the counter.


    ¡°Oh dear, that¡¯s terrible! Well, let me look over a few things, most of the families in this region come from the south. Do you have any idea what her last name is? That¡¯d speed things up.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Er, no, she only told me her name was Senna.¡±


    The woman cocked her head to the side in thought. ¡°Huh... that name sounds familiar for some reason. It¡¯s definitely an odd name to say the least. Let me look over an old book and see if I¡¯m remembering right.¡±


    She hurried off to one of the shelves and slid a key into one of the locks. Opening it up, she took three of the massive tomes and hefted them back to the counter. Given her short and spindly stature, I was sure she¡¯d struggle with carrying so many at once. As she got back to the front counter, she stepped up onto a platform out of my view and returned to the height she was at when I moved toward her.


    It was an awkward few minutes, the only noise in the room being the flickering of a candle as well as the turning of pages. She trailed over the books in an almost maddening way, her finger hanging invisibly over the pages as she read. Only after getting halfway through the volume, she planted her finger down onto the page.


    ¡°Ah ha! There it is. I remember reading about this when I first got the job, since it¡¯s actually a fairly infamous occurrence. Senna Larune was the youngest daughter of that family when she moved here. It was only a year into her stay before the castle was attacked in the middle of the night, leaving everyone dead... except for Senna, obviously.¡±


    ¡°Well does she have any other family elsewhere?¡± I asked, feeling even worse for her.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it. There is mention of her parents being from somewhere else but... huh, that¡¯s odd.¡± She reread the section a few times. ¡°It seems her parents were actually killed by church vigilants. It doesn¡¯t state why, but that¡¯s pretty common practice for nobles. Don¡¯t want people distrusting their landowners and all.¡±


    I nodded, though I didn¡¯t like the idea. Church vigilants were a group that specifically targeted the more monstrous enemies of humanity. While they were more often called upon to attack those using more villainous kinds of magic, they also killed people who were afflicted with curses.


    Could it be they were trying to keep their daughter away from them because they became infected with something? She has looked fairly pale, so I can¡¯t say for sure what she could have contracted. Then again, it could just be that they sent their daughter away and fell into cult worship or something similar... I thought to myself. Well, I should ask her myself instead, shouldn¡¯t assume the-


    ¡°Excuse me, did you say you¡¯ve met Senna yourself? Where did you find her?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, right, I came across her in the woods yesterday. She looked in a pretty poor state, but healthy for the most part. She seemed to be in an argument with a nobleman, and brought up families and such, so I just kind of put them together myself. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, I think I might¡¯ve pulled the wrong name then.¡± The woman said with a nervous laugh as she closed the book. ¡°That family died around seventy years or so ago... I don¡¯t think you¡¯re talking about an elderly woman by any chance?¡±


    I stayed silent and only shook my head. Neither of us spoke, even staying silent as the I left the building. We both put together the most likely scenario, but didn¡¯t want to face the idea a vampire had been sleeping in my home last night. Making sure no one was looking, I rubbed both sides of my neck and down to my shoulders, looking for bite marks.


    Sighing with relief when I didn¡¯t find any, I made my way back to the cabin. Unlike before, the journey home was far slower for me. While she hadn¡¯t bitten me, it was difficult to say for certain why she stayed with me at all last night. The reasonable thing to do would be to just pull the blanket off of her and let the sun do its work. On the other hand, it seems disgusting to murder someone that hadn¡¯t done anything to me personally.


    My eyes were locked on the trail for most of the walk, but as I got close to my cabin, the sound of a person drew my attention. I knew better than to worry about Senna breaking out and looking for me, considering it was still bright outside. Still, there was a chance someone was attempting to find me or steal from me, and in either case they might enter the cabin. If they find Senna and wake her up, it¡¯s likely she¡¯d take it as an attack and retaliate, given the nearness of sunlight to her.


    I hid behind a tree just before the bend and peered around it. Circling around from the back of my cabin was a man in a black tabard, with white and gold cloth coverings beneath it. While his attire was oddly formal for somewhere like here, I was more concerned with the hints of chainmail I could see as I approached. He heard me coming and turned as if he was prepared to fight. Not wanting trouble, I just raised a hand in greeting.


    ¡°Are you the person that lives here?¡± He asked in a stiff voice.


    ¡°I am... who are you and what do you want?¡± I asked, lowering the arm while he approached me.


    ¡°Tell me, you¡¯re a hunter of this area, yes? Have you noticed anything strange among the wildlife here recently? Maybe something to do with random bodies being found with strangely dry and unrotten bodies?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. There¡¯s been a shortage of game for the last month or so, but I don¡¯t think that has anything to do with what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I replied before I realized what was going on. ¡°Wait... are you a vigilant?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re partially right. I used to be one, but left due to some personal reasons. These days I¡¯ve honed in my practice on hunting vampires specifically. This area is very practically littered with them, but they¡¯re too entrenched to fight properly.¡± He answered and gave his beard a thoughtful scratch. ¡°Could you pull your feet out of your boots slightly? I want to look for any bite marks.¡±


    I did as he asked, and the man crouched down, eyeing both of my ankles carefully. The fear I might actually have some kept me from question the odd choice of place to inspect. When he stood back up, he folded his arms and glared back at the cabin.


    ¡°Well, if you wouldn¡¯t mind, how about we step inside and I ask you a few more questions? I won¡¯t take up too much of your time, and I¡¯ll gladly answer any questions you might have, so long as it¡¯s nothing specific about my plans for while I¡¯m here.¡±


    If I reject his offer, will that be suspicious in of itself? Senna should still be sleeping, so I suppose it¡¯s safe to take him inside. Then again, maybe I should just ask him to inspect Senna himself and let him deal with her. I thought, my mind racing at the situation.


    ¡°Sure, though I don¡¯t have much to offer if you¡¯re looking to eat.¡± I said with a half laugh, leading him back to the cabin.


    Even with a small amount of mental preparation, I hesitated to open the door. It passed, hopefully faster than he could notice, and I opened the cabin entrance. Senna was sitting in the chair at the dining room table. She had a large chunk of raw venison in her mouth, with the rest of her body being obscured inside a blanket she¡¯d stolen off of my bed. Her hand poked out from under the linen and waved at me slowly.


    Well... at least she seems more friendly than last night.

 Chapter Four

    It wasn¡¯t long after I went to sleep that I woke up. With all of the ¡°dirt naps¡± I¡¯ve taken recently, I couldn¡¯t exactly get good rest. Opening my eyes and letting out a slow yawn, I stretched my arms out and turned around. A straight line of sunlight crossed the floor near my bed. If my still heart could race, it would¡¯ve done laps. Pushing myself back in the bed, The blanket was nearly my only defense against it.


    If those shutters weren¡¯t closed, I¡¯d definitely have died just now. I thought to myself, eyes shooting towards the horribly bright window. Wait, does that means he knows about me? No, he probably just thought I¡¯d get woken up by the sunlight. It still feels... strange, to have someone act so kind to me. If he¡¯s not trying to betray me... maybe I should... try to repay him?


    Shaking my head of the weirdly sentimental thought, I wrapped the big blanket around my body and stood up from the bed. After a few seconds of shuffling, I took notice of Leo¡¯s blanket, and how much fluffier it looked. Considering he wouldn¡¯t be using it for a while, I took it for myself and wrapped it around me in the same way. It smelled strongly like him, but lacked the sense of flowing blood.


    I guess I haven¡¯t smelled a person without thinking of feeding on them in a long time. Senna thought, taking another few breaths through the fabric. It might just be the lack of comparison, but he smells... nice. Wait, what am I even doing?


    The sunlight wasn¡¯t near the doorway yet, but I was extra careful to not step away from the wall nonetheless. Sneaking back into the main area of the cabin, it was still cool in here, but Leo was nowhere to be found. As I shuffled back to the room, I found a room on the floor I must¡¯ve missed in my panic from the daylight.


    ¡°Gone to town, get yourself something to eat and we can talk when I get back.¡± It read, though the handwriting was hard to read.


    A small chill ran down my back, wondering what he might want to discuss. Choosing not to let my paranoia get the better of me, I went back into the main hall and shuffled my way across the the floor in the blanket. On the way I passed an uncooked piece of elk thigh, and decided that it would make a good breakfast.


    Before I took my seat, I made sure all of the shutters were closed tight with the hatchet, so that no direct sunlight would hit me. My eyes were far more sensitive to the light because of my vampirism, so it was more than tolerable to stay in the assuredly dim lighting now.


    I heard footsteps around the cabin not long after I started feeding, and thought that Leo might be back. The pattern was off, and far too quiet for it to actually be him, and my eyes narrowed carefully. Before I could even consider trying to hide beneath the floorboards or something else drastic, they stopped. Carefully inching my way there, I moved to the front door and placed my ear against it.


    Leo¡¯s voice came in gentle whispers, but I couldn¡¯t make out anything that he was saying. On top of that, there was an older man¡¯s voice with him. They stopped talking eventually and started back towards the cabin. Panicked, I flew back to my seat and quickly sat down again before sinking my teeth into the meat and wrapping my pale skin in the blanket once more.


    The door opened and Leo stood next to a stranger. As they both looked at me in silence, I gave a small wave. Between them, a beam of light threatened to cut into me, but stopped just short of the midway point. Both of them stepped inside and he thankfully closed the door.


    ¡°Uh, hey Senna. This is...?¡± He answered, gesturing to the man.


    ¡°Simon, thank you. I¡¯m just here to ask a few questions, nothing serious.¡± He introduced himself, looking around the cabin. ¡°Not that I want to alarm you or anything, ma¡¯am, but we will be talking about vampires in the area.¡±


    The same feeling I got when I saw the sunlight rushed back. I waited until he looked away to pull my mouth off of the food and placing down the meat. Leo moved over to the table and grabbed the other seat. Something made me want to inch closer to him, as if he made me feel safer. It wasn¡¯t until Simon cleared his throat that I realized I was being silent.


    ¡°A-Ah, sorry. Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m not easily scared by things like that. I¡¯ve lived in these woods for a while, so it¡¯s alright.¡± I answered, accidentally stuttering from fear.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong in being afraid of vampires, you know. They¡¯re quite powerful creatures, and incredibly crafty. As they grow older, they get stronger and faster, though there are rumors they hit a sort of shelf after the first century. I assure you that the vampires in this land are all older than that, however, just for warning.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Huh, even I didn¡¯t know that. I thought to myself, before inspiration turned my fear into hope. Maybe I can use this stranger¡¯s knowledge to my advantage? If I could somehow get him on my side, I could destroy the Godwin family!


    ¡°You think they¡¯ve been here that long?¡± Leo asked. ¡°I knew this town was popular with eccentric noblemen and such, but surely we would have noticed if they kept whisking people away to feed on them all this time.¡±


    ¡°While that¡¯s true, they don¡¯t need to constantly kidnap victims. Vampires only need to kill by drinking on animals, more coherent and sentient creatures seem to provide enough sustenance with just a portion of blood.¡± Simon looked down at the ground and clenched his fists. ¡°They kidnap the young, children and adolescents, then raise them to be cattle for feeding. Innocent souls, left in dark dungeons and fed scraps so they can be used to fill the vile hunger of those monsters...¡±


    I looked down at the ground as well, though it was more out of guilt. When my family first moved me here, I remember being shown a young boy that was going to be my feeding victim during the first few decades of my stay. He could barely speak, and didn¡¯t even know how to read or write. My aunt told me that was for the best, so that they would be better off staying within our castle. The boy was scared of my aunt, but he looked at me with such bright eyes that I knew he trusted me almost right away.


    Snapping from my memories, I saw that Simon was staring at my hand. I quickly pulled it back under the blanket and looked away, hoping he thought I was just being shy. When he stood up, I did my best not to look, but I could tell he was growing suspicious of me.


    ¡°Pardon me... Leo, I believe? I was under the impression from a shopkeeper in town that you lived alone up here. Is Senna a relative of yours?¡± Simon asked.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s just... well, it¡¯s actually a bit of an odd story. I met her in the woods recently, and she seemed homeless or on the run. She¡¯s staying here for the time being, but I¡¯m hoping to reunite her with family soon. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because runaways are easy pickings for vampires. Maybe you know something about the vampires in this area, miss? Are you a runaway cattle, perhaps?¡± He asked, drawing his face closer.


    My fists curled up under the blanket. I could kill him if I got the right shot in, but he was obviously a trained fighter himself. The daylight was my biggest weakness, all he had to do was move into the light and I would be helpless. If he managed to actually move me into the light, I¡¯d be dead for sure.


    ¡°N-No, sir. I¡¯m just a traveller.¡± I answered.


    ¡°But you said you¡¯ve been in these woods a while. You¡¯ve been travelling in the same woods for a while and don¡¯t have a home of your own?¡± Simon asked.


    ¡°Ah, I meant, um...¡± I stuttered in my response again.


    I turned to look at him finally and he had strict, cold eyes. They were piercing straight through me, like stakes ready to pin me down. Every second felt like syrup, time flowing slowing and haltingly. I screamed inside my skull for something, anything, that might provide me a way out. In desperation, I looked at Leo, and my last hope came to me.


    ¡°Look, the truth is...¡± I said in a whisper and cupped my hand so Leo couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°I, um... I do have a home in town, but I ran away so I could be with Leo. H-He doesn''t know it yet, but I love him, a-and I wanted to be close to him...¡±


    Why do I have to say something so embarrassing?! Why am I so embarrassed in the first place?! My thoughts rang out, trying to keep from letting slip.


    Simon leaned back in shock, and the looked towards Leo. ¡°Well then, that¡¯s not something I was expecting. I still want to be sure you weren¡¯t attacked or anything at night. Could you please show me your ankles?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Not my neck?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, vampires that strike unsuspecting strangers will most often go for their ankles instead of the neck.¡± He said as he got down on one knee to see them. ¡°Assuming the victim is asleep, it¡¯s much less likely to wake them up than having a person leaning over the whole body. Not to mention if they wake up, the vampire can killed tear the tendon, crippling their victim. It¡¯s also easier to hide and avoids getting them within arms¡¯ reach.¡±


    Poking my feet out from the blanket, he twisted and turned my feet each to look for any bite marks. I remembered when I was turned by my mother, that it was done though a bit by the neck, and that the same was done when I fed on humans.


    I guess bites on the neck are more of a luxury way to feed. Maybe I should start feeding on elk and deer by the legs? I wondered to myself as he finished.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see any signs of an attack like that. That being said, the both of you should take extra care not to go out past sundown, and make sure to have weapons to protect yourself when going out early or late. Let me know if you see anything strange or suspicious near the castles around here, alright? I¡¯ll be staying at the church in town, since the father there is an old friend of mine.¡±


    He stuck his hand out towards Leo and gave it a firm shake. Internally I thought of how to use him to my advantage. If the families don¡¯t hunt much, there would be no way to suggest I saw someone from the Godwin or Ainz clan moving about. I only met with one of them because I stalked around their compound for days. Simon broke me out of my thoughts as he extended a hand towards me as well. I gave a shy smile and stuck one hand out for him.


    The moment it connected, his snatched my wrist with his other hand and yanked me down to the floor. He held it in the blade of sunlight, and my skin seared with fiery pain as I watched the flesh burn and bubble. He let me go after I screamed, tears almost instantly coming to my eyes. Leo stood up in shock as Simon looked down with a grin as I pressed against the wall, nursing my wound.


    ¡°I knew it.¡± He answered. ¡°Pale skin and hiding inside of a blanket during the day. You nearly had me convinced with the story you told there, but I¡¯m not one for passing an opportunity to be sure.¡±


    Crying from pain was the only thing that kept me from talking back, but I could feel the end closing in. He stepped to the right, so that the sunlight was a barrier between me and him.


    ¡°Are... are you going to kill her?¡± Leo asked.


    He¡¯s scared. I thought, sniffling pathetically on the floor. I really, really hope I didn¡¯t scare him much...


    ¡°No.¡± Simon answered.


    Both of us paused, and he looked between us carefully. With one hand, he patted Leo on the shoulder and crouched down on the ground to get eye level with me.


    ¡°Listen here, fledgling, because you¡¯re the key to my plan. If you want to help me, stay sitting over there. If you would rather die, come here and do it yourself.¡±


    ¡°...plan?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯d help if I told you my full name?¡± He gave a grin, one almost as scary as his stare from earlier. ¡°I am Simon Ainz, and I¡¯d like your help in murdering my family.¡±

 Chapter Five

    Everything happened a lot faster than I had expected. Even as Simon was crouched down, I felt myself want to step between them. Even though she was a vampire, and was definitely dangerous, I couldn¡¯t bear to see a woman crying like that. I moved closer to her, anxious to step between the two of them.


    ¡°Um, you want her to murder people? did you really need to find a vampire for that? I get the feeling I¡¯m missing something here¡±


    Senna sniffled before holding her hand out. To my surprise, it was slowly healing already. I knew vampires could recover from wounds easily, but it was amazing to see flesh grow back so fast.


    ¡°You are. The Ainz are a clan of vampires in this area, one of the oldest in fact. How exactly do you expect me to think you¡¯re one of them?¡± She asked Simon.


    ¡°It¡¯s a complicated issue, to be honest. My mother and father were originally members of the clan ages ago, when they were still mostly humans, but my grandfather tried to get them to convert, they ran away and hid. They obviously trained to defend themselves against vampires after going into hiding, and passed the skills along to me.¡± Simon said as he stood up and pulled out a necklace with a small crest impressed on a plate of silver. ¡°She gave this to me a few years after I became a vigilant, when my father died, and told me about my heritage. Didn¡¯t seem right to let things rest as they were so I came here to kill them. They¡¯re all too old for me to take out by myself, however. That¡¯s where you come in.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not like I can really pretend to say no to this, but I don¡¯t have any issue with the Ainz clan. All I want is the destruction of the Godwins.¡± Senna said, looking down at her injury. ¡°They¡¯re the ones that murdered my family, and forced me out into woods.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I thought you wanted two things, remember? Destroying them and...¡± Simon drifted off.


    ¡°S-Shut up! That doesn¡¯t count!¡± Senna replied, looking away. ¡°Enough, just tell me what you want already so that I can get this over with. Just for the record, by the way, don¡¯t expect me to stick my neck out for you.¡±


    Simon tucked the necklace back into his shirt and moved over to the table. I started to feel even more out of place with the weight of tension in the air. As Senna stood up again, the wound was already more of a scab than the harsh wound it had been before. She tried to pick at it as she walked, and I grabbed her hand to stop it. She looked up at me in shock, and I almost unconsciously felt over the injury with my thumb.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, does this hurt? I¡¯m just amazed it actually closed up so fast.¡±


    ¡°N-No, it doesn¡¯t. I¡¯ve gotten burns a lot worse than this. Sometimes an animal would try to dig up the place I was sleeping and it¡¯d burn a hole straight through one of my legs.¡± She admitted, avoiding eye contact now.


    ¡°Jeez, and you never thought to try and sneak into a house or something? You shouldn¡¯t be sleeping in places where you can get cut open, Senna.¡±


    She looked back up at me for a second, with a placid look. It seemed like she was trying to pierce me with her stare again, but it was off. Her eyes were kind of like a rabbit¡¯s, with her pupils a little too large to be intimidating. With a frustrated sigh, she broke eye contact and took a seat at the table. In the silence before they spoke, I took a chair and moved it to the table as well.


    ¡°Now, my family has a strong dislike of intruders, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve experienced. Given their strength, however, they tend not to watch the borders of their ancestral home. There¡¯s a hidden entrance at the base of the cliff, which is covered in heavy rocks.¡±


    ¡°Why would they design an entrance with rocks in the way?¡± I asked, doing my best to keep up.


    ¡°All of them would probably be strong enough to move the rocks out of the way and back in. It¡¯s a bit annoying, but it serves as a very solid defense against espionage. Even if there was a team of humans who could move the rocks to get in, they wouldn¡¯t waste the time moving them all back. It lets them know if someone got in, as well as keeping strangers out.¡± Senna answered, rubbing her wrist some.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Correct.¡± Simon answered. ¡°You can move them yourself, I¡¯d imagine. What I¡¯d like is for you to sneak inside through that entrance and then go to the kitchen, it should be where you exit the tunnel. Just hide anywhere you can stuff yourself inside of. I¡¯ll come find you myself later on, and then we¡¯ll get to the rest of my plan.¡±


    ¡°You really think you can just walk into their home like that? I can already tell something is going to go wrong, and it¡¯s likely going to be you getting yourself killed.¡± Senna countered, folding her arms across her chest.


    ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯m going to propose a way to eliminate the Godwin family, and offer myself up to becoming a vampire.¡± Simon shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re going to jump at the chance to convert the last warm-blooded member of their family. I imagine I¡¯ll have to convince them it¡¯s me, but just relax. You shouldn¡¯t have any issues hiding inside of there, right?¡±


    Senna nodded, but I could hardly imagine it was something she actually felt comfortable about. It might take hours for him to convince them and get things ready to meet back up with her. Assuming she had to hide in a closet or something similar, that would definitely get uncomfortable fast, and dangerous at worst. I looked at her again, and she seemed to be in deep thought over the ordeal.


    ¡°Um...¡± I cut in, looking to Simon. ¡°Is there any way that I can help?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s too dangerous for you to get involved. Senna is a vampire, so she can hold her own if things go south, same for me. You don¡¯t look to be in terrible shape, but I doubt you can keep up with us both if anything goes off plan.¡± Simon answered.


    ¡°Even if it is dangerous, I want to be able to help in some way. I know I haven¡¯t known her for very long, but I¡¯d like to keep Senna out of harm¡¯s way. Not to mention if these vampires are in the area, I¡¯d like to do my best to help get rid of them.¡±


    Simon frowned, and I could tell he was thinking about it. As he did, I looked at Senna again, but she seemed to be staring intently at the wall. Now that I knew she was a vampire, it felt strange to see her acting sheepish or awkward.


    Why didn¡¯t she feed on me last night? I wondered to myself. Even if I want to think the best of her, I can¡¯t help but think it was strange for what she was. She¡¯s likely incredibly strong compared to me, and could¡¯ve gotten away with anything. Then again, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just a blood sucking fiend by any means. Strange as it is to even think, I want to know more about her.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Simon said. ¡°You can come with me when I go in. I¡¯ll say you¡¯re my servant and are going to be my cattle. Should help me get out of any odd looks, and will give me sometime to distract them. It¡¯ll also be easier for you to leave and contact her than it will me, after all.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that more dangerous for Leo?¡± Senna asked with concern.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they look down on humans as prey for the most part. Even if he bolted straight for you, they¡¯d likely just let him be. After all, the back entrance he might find would just be covered in heavy rocks, right?¡±


    Both of us sat back, neither really liking the idea, but I knew that I¡¯d have to accept. It was an odd compulsion, even I didn¡¯t fully comprehend it. Though I might have wanted to be heroic and say it was just for Senna, I think a larger part of it was a sense of duty on my part. These woods have been good to me, the people even more so. A little bit of danger is enough to pay both of them back, I suppose.


    ¡°Sounds good to me. I just hope I can get out of this without getting any holes in my neck.¡± I said with a small laugh.


    neither of them shared in my attempt to lighten the mood, and I was left to realize they didn¡¯t expect much out of me from this. We finished making our plans and Simon left for the church to prepare and get some sleep. With him gone, all that was left was for me to cook something. At first I was going to make something for Senna, but she told me that she¡¯d go out hunting later.


    I was expecting her to go to sleep since it was the daytime, but something kept her awake. As I was cooking, I could feel her looking at my back, though she¡¯d always manage to turn her head away in time.


    Should I try to talk to her about it? She¡¯s just a girl after all, even if she is a vampire.


    ¡°Hey, um...¡± She interjected before I could question it more. ¡°Do you actually want to go into the ancestral home with Simon? I know you might¡¯ve said it in the heat of the moment, but you do realize you¡¯ll be heading into a den of old and powerful vampires, all of whom will probably see you as food?¡±


    ¡°It sounds worse when you say it like that...¡± I muttered, finishing off the cooking of my own meal and moving to the table with it. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty dangerous and all, but I¡¯d just be sitting here worried anyway. If I can help without being a burden, I¡¯ll go along with it.¡±


    Senna went quiet for a long while, and I took that time to start eating. It wasn¡¯t many bites in that she started to stare at my food. There was obviously something going through her mind, but I was lost in thought myself.


    She¡¯s right, it is pretty dangerous. Why do I feel like I have to go there at all? All I¡¯ve done is hunt in this place, I¡¯m not some travelling adventurer or a mercenary. Maybe I am just swept up in the moment after all. Even thinking that, I don¡¯t feel strongly pulled away from going either. Maybe I¡¯m more restless than I thought?


    ¡°What¡¯s that stuff taste like?¡± Senna asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Huh? You mean the venison? You had some in your mouth earlier.¡±


    ¡°No, not that, the green beans. I only had them once back when I was a kid, and I¡¯ve completely forgotten what they taste like. Don¡¯t think I can taste them now or anything, I¡¯d just gag.¡±


    ¡°Oh... sorry to hear that. They taste kind of plain, but it helps balance out the meal. You don¡¯t have to worry about that kind of thing as a vampire, huh?¡±


    She tucked her knees up onto the chair. ¡°The plain things are the stuff I miss these days, honestly.¡±


    It took a second for me to realize that¡¯s why I wanted to do this. For the longest time I¡¯d been surviving in the woods, and so has she. We¡¯ve got a bond over something like that, and she¡¯s been here for not even a day and she already might be heading into a death trap. Maybe I¡¯m just feeling lonely, maybe it¡¯s just some kind of instinct, but I don¡¯t want to lose her already.


    ¡°...Senna, do you think you could take me out hunting with you tonight?¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ...well, I guess it¡¯s more on the loneliness side of things right now. Have to make the most of this time.

 Chapter Six

    Watching Leo eat still seemed strange to me. It had been a few decades since I ate any meals of my own that weren¡¯t just blood. Seeing him chew and slice into the different pieces on his plate almost seemed laborious to me. I eventually had asked about what it was like to eat the vegetables, but I didn¡¯t really want to know.


    He knows what I am, why is he still treating me like normal? I wondered, pressing my legs against my chest. Even if he was in denial before, he saw the way that wound healed right in front of him. I can¡¯t believe I tried to brag about it! He must be terrified now that he¡¯s seen something like that. Living on my own for so long made me forget how much of a monster I¡¯ve become...


    ¡°...Senna, do you think you could take me out hunting with you tonight?¡± He asked, interrupting my thoughts.


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    He took his dish away and looked back, leaning against the wall. ¡°Well, I guess I just realized things have been moving fast today. Since I¡¯d be pretty restless anyway, I figured we could spend some time thinking things over?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much more to talk about.¡± I responded, a little colder than I wanted. ¡°Besides, I never liked these families anyhow... all they do is bicker and destroy each other, using up the humans around them like rations for a war effort. If they didn¡¯t have something about maintaining bloodline purity, you could bet there¡¯d be an army on either side of the valley.¡±


    I wanted to storm out of the room right then, but I didn¡¯t know why. Just being around Leo was making me more emotional. Despite that, I stayed right in my chair and looked down at the table with a frown.


    Maybe he¡¯ll apologize if we stay here for long enough. But then again, I do have to get some hunting done or I¡¯ll get hungry. Should I leave him behind and just rush into the woods? That seems like the best-


    ¡°Senna, I¡¯ll be honest with you, I haven¡¯t really had someone stay with me in a while. You might be going away for a while whenever Simon concocts his plan, so I want to try and spend some time with you while I can.¡± He suddenly added. ¡°Er, well, some time where we¡¯re not hunting powerful vampires and all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m not really going to talk if I¡¯m out hunting, you know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, we don¡¯t have to talk the whole time or anything. I just want to be around for a while, see things how you see them and such, I guess.¡±


    He¡¯s acting strange. Maybe he actually likes me? I thought, before standing up and looking out of the window from embarrassment. Stop thinking stuff like that! I¡¯m sure he¡¯s got some perfectly normal reason. Maybe being alone for so long might¡¯ve made him awkward? I mean, maybe he¡¯d like me more later, but he¡¯s definitely scared of me. He might feel safer if I turned him as well?


    ¡°F-Fine. Just don¡¯t get in my way or anything, alright? I need to sneak up on them first before I can bite down. If they hear me, I have to chase them down.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a hunter too, remember? I know what it¡¯s like for me to go after something, but I just can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯d be like for someone to try and tackle a big elk or the like.¡±


    We waited a little longer for the sun to fade and finally headed out. I was nervous at first, just wandering in the woods aimlessly as I thought of what to do. Thankfully, a doe passed nearby and I instinctively crouched down to see it. When I went to tell him to do the same, he already was. Even though he might not be able to hear it, he trusted in my senses.


    Ignoring that, I focused down on my prey. While she wasn¡¯t a very large animal, I figured she¡¯d be enough of a meal to last me. Watching my feet for the walk, I keep low to the ground as I move forward, making sure not to step on any stray leaves or sticks in my way. Once I¡¯m close enough, I leap to a nearby tree and start making my way closer from that. A glance back showed me Leo''s face, which betrayed his awe.


    Not wanting to think about him, I focused my attention on the doe. It had stopped already, but one of its ears was twitching. Being careful to move only when it got a new bite of whatever mushroom it was eating, I got closer and closer. Once I was directly above it, I gently released myself from the tree and fell. My body is fairly light, but still heavy enough to break one or two of the doe¡¯s legs when I landed.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    While it managed to let out a struggling noise of pain, I sank my teeth into its neck and started to drain it. The voice dropped down almost immediately as I slowly drank my fill of it. The act of feeding was strange, even to me now. Rather than drinking normally, I just felt myself suction the life from them. Before I knew it, the doe was dry and I pulled my mouth off of its neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re done? That was really fast!¡±


    My senses were always hazy after draining something dry, so it took me a second to find Leo where he was standing behind me. I rolled my tongue around, pushing a few coarse hairs out of my mouth. Luckily Leo was looking at the carcass, and missed my embarrassing display. He crouched down next to me and placed a hand on one of its calves.


    ¡°Hey, it really does feel drained. The skin is sticking against the muscle really tightly, but there¡¯s obviously a little fluid left. You could probably make jerky really easy with this kind of hunting.¡±


    ¡°N-Normally I just tear out the bit I feed from and leave it out for other animals to get to. I¡¯ve felt kind of bad for taking out so many recently, but being near to humans really drives up my hunger.¡±


    ¡°How come you didn¡¯t go somewhere else then?¡± Leo asked, standing upright again.


    ¡°I still had people to kill here.¡± I answered him, rubbing the spot on my neck where I was first bitten. ¡°You... you might not know this, but my family moved me here a very long time ago. It was only a couple decades now, but that probably sounds like an eternity to you. One of the clans here felt we didn¡¯t deserve the spot we had, and so they broke the ceiling above everyone''s bedrooms. I would have died, but I wasn''t in my room that night. Everyone was woken up by the sound of it, but none of them had time to get to safety before the sun cooked them.¡±


    Even as I explained it, I thought I was beyond grief and mourning, yet my eyes stung, and I felt a terrible weight on my heart that should have been long since shrugged off. Leo must not have noticed, placing a hand on my head and rubbing it. While I wanted to shout at him, a wave of emotion hit me hard. Tears came to my eyes and flowed down until I was sobbing on the floor. Leo calmly kept at it, doing his best to calm me down and comfort me.


    The truth is that the pain of loss was already turned into hatred for me. What was making me cry was his touch. It took a second to register, but I realized then that it was the first comforting touch I¡¯d felt in ages. My face pressed into his thigh harder and I didn¡¯t want him to stop petting my hair. A greedy part of me wanted to bite him, and make him immortal just so it could stay like this. What was even stranger was how hard it was to push that impulse down.


    By the time I finished crying, I was sitting down on the ground and sniffling. Leo sat down as well, though he made sure to brush his spot clear of some leaves. I could feel his eyes moving over me, but didn¡¯t want to speak up in case my voice cracked.


    ¡°I¡¯m no priest or healer, so I can¡¯t offer you much consolation. If you want to talk about it more, or just move on, that¡¯d be fine.¡±


    I shook my head side to side, swallowing hard so I could speak. ¡°No, I¡¯m just... it¡¯s not that. All of that just took me by surprise is all. Having someone to talk to feels really weird. Um, no offense, obviously.¡±


    ¡°None taken, I get where you¡¯re coming from. I know I¡¯ve not suffered any comparable tragedy, but I can relate to the trials of isolation. Perhaps it is best not to dwell on those feelings. You¡¯ve got to be stuffed after something like that, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m physically drinking it or anything. With animal blood, it almost all evaporates when I drink it.¡± I answered him.


    Leo stood up and lifted the doe onto his shoulder with a small grunt. I could only watch from the ground at first, my senses overwhelmed by the emotion of the past few moments. He gave me a warm smile, and I felt like I could watch it for hours longer. Shaking out of my enraptured state, I stood up next to him and started walking off to the side. It felt embarrassing just looking at him.


    We eventually repeated the same hunt with an elk up ahead. I had to take longer to drink him dry, given how much larger he was. Leo managed to walk up to me while I was still feeding, and stared at me the whole time. For a second I felt like a monster again, and was worried he was going to pull away. My fangs came free as I stopped and he placed the doe on the ground. His hands moved over the neck to find the bite marks while I came back to my senses.


    ¡°Huh, I was thinking you¡¯d bite into the artery, but it seems here like you¡¯re just severing the whole thing.¡± He asked, spreading open the animal¡¯s neck wound.


    ¡°W-Well if I just bit into the artery, it would collapse. If I puncture straight through there¡¯s more leeway in how fast I can drink.¡± I responded before I stood up and lifted one leg of the elk. ¡°Do you want me to carry this one back? I should be set on feeding for the night, if you want to head back.¡±


    Leo stood up and looked between me and the carcass with some doubt. Not wanting to force him to ask, I proved I could lift the body up onto my shoulder. While it was heavy, the weight wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t handle. With both of our supplies in tow, we headed back to his cottage. The night air was filled with little insect sounds, and the occasional distant howl. We let the bodies rest down on the ground when we got back, but Leo stopped before heading back inside.


    I followed his gaze up into the sky, and noticed the stars shining down at us, as well as a small section of the moon visible between the trees. Being careful not to surprise him, I inched closer and waited for one of us to speak.


    ¡°Huh?¡± He asked, only noticing my presence when I began staring at him. ¡°Oh, sorry, was just looking up at the night sky. Been a while since I¡¯d actually looked at it. Probably sounds silly to you, seeing as you probably watch it all the time.¡±


    ¡°No, not really. Most of the time I¡¯m too busy hunting or looking for a way into the noble houses. Sometimes I¡¯d watch the towns late at night though, hoping to see somebody moving about and wondering what they were up to...¡± I said before taking a step away and raising both hands defensively. ¡°N-Not to hunt them or anything!¡±


    Leo laughed and patted my head again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know. I¡¯m getting pretty tired, so I¡¯ll head to bed now. If you¡¯re going to be up for a while longer, why don¡¯t you try and watch the sky for me?¡±


    He headed back inside, unfortunately removing his hand from my head. Even though it was just a strange, off-hand request, I stared up at the night sky like he asked. I thought about getting up and going somewhere else, but I was oddly captivated by the sky tonight. Then again, maybe I just needed some alone time to think.

 Chapter Seven

    Senna and I spent more time hunting together after that. We didn¡¯t have much to say, but it was always enough for me. I suppose I hadn¡¯t realised just how much I missed having someone else around. Over time we got to know each other¡¯s histories a little better. I told her about how I¡¯d travelled here when I¡¯d just come of age and started working on my own. Hearing about my life growing up with my parents in a cabin further south seemed incredibly strange to her. Likewise, I was astounded by how she described her childhood.


    Simon would stop by during the day to speak with me, or more towards sundown if he wanted to talk to Senna. While his plan seemed like something easy to me, both of them always had something they wanted to prepare for. Even if I wasn¡¯t told much about the planning part directly, I could glean that it was going to be happening soon. One night after a visit from Simon, Senna looked down at the floor from her seat at the table.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± I asked, leaning closer.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just...¡± She responded before looking up at me. ¡°Do you remember the thing I told you about when we first went on a hunt together? About my family?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you want to talk about it some more?¡±


    She shook her head slowly and stood up, moving for the door. ¡°I more want to show you something. It¡¯ll be pretty far away, and I know it¡¯s sudden, but... do you want to come with me to my aunt¡¯s home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with going there, but if it¡¯s too painful, you shouldn¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s fine, not like the memories can hurt me or anything. To tell you the truth, I haven¡¯t been back inside in decades... not since they died. Bringing you there gives me a reason to go back, and since we¡¯re about to go out in this big plan, I want to make sure I¡¯ve got nothing to regret.¡±


    She¡¯s talking more finalistically than I¡¯d like, but I can¡¯t blame her for being scared. If going along with this will make her feel better, I should do it. Hopefully it gives her some peace, since she¡¯s been carrying this burden for so long.


    We made our way out early, but Senna was clearly slower than normal. She would make a burst of energy here or there to try and catch something, but if it got too far away from our path, she just gave up. Her feet dragged the closer we got to the mountains on the eastern side of the valley. By the time we broke the treeline, she seemed like she was lost in a day dream. I put a hand on her shoulder and she snapped out of it quickly, rubbing my hand in acknowledgement.


    ¡°S-Sorry, just been a while since I¡¯ve gone here. I was trying to remember where to go, but got caught up in memories. Seems like my body knew where to go anyway though.¡± She said and gestured upward.


    At the base of the mountain was a small alcove with the ruins of a large house inside of it. The mountain didn¡¯t look like it provided much support or structure, almost looking like the house was forced into the stone behind it. Even without knowing much about architecture, I could tell this was compromise in one way or another. I looked over the sizable destruction and noticed that there were four main buildings, but could only tell what two of them were right away. A stable in the front, which was completely covered by the mountain, and a large building on the other side that had the ceiling smashed in along with some of the rocks above it clearly broken.


    I looked to Senna and found her eyes fixed on that one only. Unlike when we first met, or when she was hunting, they were not sharp, or purposeful. Instead they looked unfocused and clouded.  After a few seconds of silence, the wind whistling around us, Senna started off towards the building. While keeping a few steps behind, I followed along.


    Even if I wanted to snap her out of it, I don¡¯t think it would work this time, and I wouldn¡¯t want to either. There¡¯s got to be a lot of painful memories from this place and I¡¯d hate to say something wrong and upset her. I thought to myself, watching her open the broken remains of a side entrance. Hopefully she¡¯s as strong as I think she is.


    Following her inside, it was far too dark for me to get a good look at anything. I could still make up the general shape of where to go, but I was stumbling more and more often as we went. Eventually we rounded a corner and the moonlight flooded back into view. This hallway was filled with rooms on either side, and all had the light pouring out of them. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I¡¯ve... I never actually looked inside these rooms since then. For some reason, I kind of want to stay quiet. Last time I was here it was me running away to go hide in the stables. Stayed there for two days, and I wake up one morning to the sound of screams. I couldn¡¯t see them, but I knew they were dying...¡± She said, eyes locked onto the floor.


    Making my way through the destroyed doors in the path was difficult for me, but Senna seemed unfazed. She brushed the wood aside with her legs, knocking them down to the floor. There were obvious signs of rotting, especially from the smell, but not any bodies from what I could see. As she got to the end of the hall, there was a larger door that obviously led into the next building. Beside it was a smaller one, and also the only unbroken door along the walls.


    ¡°My room...¡± She said, placing her hand flat against it. ¡°Do... do you think you could open it for me? I¡¯m scared I¡¯d break it if I tried to open it myself. Wouldn¡¯t matter much anymore, but... you know.¡±


    I gave her a nod and stepped forward. The hinge was rusty from the years of disrepair, but I did manage to force it open without shattering the whole thing. With some more effort I was able to open it up completely and walk into the room. The ceiling was destroyed in this one as well, but there was very little sign of damage otherwise.


    As I stumbled in, I felt something move beneath my foot and pulled it back to look down at it. Though I had to strain my eyes to see, I could tell it was a set of iron shackles. Cocking an eyebrow, I kneeled down and picked them up while Senna circled around me.


    ¡°This was your room, wasn¡¯t it? Then what are these for?¡± I asked, lifting them up for her to see.


    She looked away and to the side, hugging herself. ¡°...for the human. The one I was supposed to feed on.¡±


    I placed the shackle back down on the ground and stared at it.


    You knew she was a vampire noble already, this shouldn¡¯t be shocking to you. Still, seeing the proof right in my face is a little unsettling. Could this be how she sees me, but a little bit higher? For all I know she could be looking at me like a pet dog. She hasn¡¯t fed on me so far, and that has to mean something, but...


    Senna turned away from me and started moving some rubble from the ceiling out of the way. I stood up to get a better view, but it looked like she didn¡¯t even know I was here anymore. Given her distraction, I started looking at everything undamaged in the room to get a better perspective on her.


    There were two small paintings on the wall, but were too faded to make anything distinct out. Aside from there, there were a few articles of old and ratty clothing. Even in the state of disrepair, both things looked to have more value than my entire cabin. I looked back to Senna just as she stopped moving rubble. In the small portion she¡¯d cleared away was a mostly bleached skeleton of a child.


    Neither of us spoke, though I can¡¯t say for sure whether it was out of fear or from solidarity for the dead. She lifted the skull, which snapped off the spine with a weak sound, showing off the age of the brittle bones. After moving between her hands for a while, she turned to me with tears streaming from her eyes.


    ¡°A-At least he died quick.¡± She said, sniffling hard at the end. ¡°He... he didn¡¯t even have a name or family... w-we can only give him a stranger¡¯s burial. I-It¡¯s my fault he died and he didn¡¯t even know why it was... why it...¡±


    She broke into sobbing, hugging the skull to her chest and heaving with every breath. Despite the laborious motions, she made sure not to break the skull anymore than time had already. I was too shocked to think of anything to comfort her, but the sight of it was painful. I felt like a monster for thinking all those things about Senna when she clearly cared deeply about this human she barely knew. Even after the strength and speed she¡¯d displayed on every hunt, all I could see now was a fragile girl cradling the closest thing she had to a friend for the last few decades.


    My hands almost moved on their own, slowly taking the skull out of her grip and gingerly placing it on the ground. Her shaking hands clutched at her sides as if she was feeling physical pain from her grief. I hugged her as hard as I could, knowing all of my strength wouldn¡¯t hurt her. She wept into my shirt for what felt like an hour, but I didn¡¯t move. It was only when she stopped crying that I pulled away. Little stains from the tears were left on the cloth, and Senna¡¯s eyes were entirely bloodshot, but I could feel her coming back to her senses somehow.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s going to be dangerous for you to stay here pretty soon. Is there anything you want to do before we leave? You came here to get some closure, so do what you feel like right now.¡±


    She nodded her head and wiped her nose. ¡°I want to grab one thing before we go... and then I think we can stay away from here for a while...¡±


    With that done, she got up on her feet, albeit with some wobbling in the knees, and snuck off into a nearby room in the hall. I made my way outside by feeling along the walls and Senna joined me just as I got to the front door again. She held up a small dagger in her hand, and a sword on her back. Both of their handles were engraved with an image of a screaming face, along with a set of small diamonds for the eyes.


    ¡°Weapons from my grandfather... they¡¯re made of the same type of silver that the vigilants use. F-Figured these could be helpful with the plan.¡± She told me, pulling the dagger free slightly to show off the blade.


    ¡°Good thinking, Senna. Let¡¯s hurry home now.¡±


    ¡°Home...¡± She echoed, following closely behind me.


    Damn, probably should have worded that differently. Here¡¯s to hoping she¡¯ll ignore the faux pas till we¡¯re home at least. I kind of wish I¡¯d asked her more about her past, but that¡¯d be better for another time.


    The whole walk home felt off to me. It was the same kind of feeling I got when Senna had been staring at me out of spite, but something was different now. Of course whenever I looked back to check on her, she snapped her attention down to the ground. Thankfully she didn¡¯t seem upset about what I¡¯d said or done, so I¡¯ll have to chalk it up to another strange quirk of vampire behavior.


    It¡¯s odd though... it almost sounds like she¡¯s panting every now and then.

 Chapter Eight

    We came back home and Leo went to sleep nearly immediately. I told him I was going to go out hunting again, but that was a lie. After what happened at my home, my thoughts were a messy blur. I sat on the bed in a little blanket cocoon, staring at him from the small window for my eyes. The way he breathed, the way he smelled, it all struck me as more fascinating than anything else.


    Even though I¡¯d never felt it before, I knew this was love. It almost hurt, to watch him breathing in peace. My fangs itched, and I bit down on the blanket to soothe them. My instincts were torn, the vampire in me struggling to make sense of these feelings. The longer I watched him, the more risky it felt.


    Any second now, I¡¯m going to lose control and just bite him. I don¡¯t want to kill him either, just a quick bite and drink some of his blood. Just a little taste should be fine, right? I thought to myself before squeezing my eyes shut. No, no, no! He¡¯ll never trust you again if you do something stupid like that! It¡¯s too dangerous, I don¡¯t want him to think of me as a monster.


    It took what felt like an hour or two of tossing and turning after that and nibbling on the blankets before I could sleep. My sleep was mostly peaceful as always, but I woke up with a dry mouth. The sun was hanging low, and there wasn¡¯t a danger of getting burned by the sun inside the cabin. With a small yawn, I shuffled out of bed still wrapped in my blanket. Simon was waiting for me at the table beside Leo.


    ¡°Good morning, Sen.¡± Simon said, waving his hand once. ¡°Morning for you at least. We¡¯re going to go to the castle as soon as the sun goes down. You¡¯ll leave a little bit ahead of us though. I can assume there will be some sort of affair for my arrival that will distract them from you entering.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they going to have guards outside? You said they had another clan they¡¯re fighting with, so wouldn¡¯t it make sense?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s... well, it¡¯s hard to explain. I have a couple theories, but nothing concrete until I actually go inside. They won¡¯t suspect anything from Senna either way, since they don¡¯t know about our deal at all.¡± Simon explained before leaning back in his seat. ¡°Can¡¯t go on without some risks, right? We should be fine, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Um... do you really have to go, Leo? It seems too dangerous for you...¡± I asked, rubbing my arm nervously.


    Leo shrugged his shoulders and stood up to get closer to me. The air felt warmer when he was near, and I let the blanket slip down to match. His hand rested comfortingly on my shoulder, and a thought suddenly came to mind. I rushed back into the room and grabbed both the sword and the dagger from my room. When I came back I glanced down at both with a frown.


    Should I give him the sword? That will probably be safer in a fight. If he¡¯s going in as cattle, maybe he should just have the dagger, and I¡¯ll take the sword. What if they catch him with the dagger itself? Should I take both? I just want him to be safe, but either one of these might be putting him in danger...


    ¡°You have weapons? Those look like the blades I¡¯ve seen on display in the vigilant halls, where did you get them?¡± Simon asked, standing up to get a closer look.


    I pulled them away from him and he lifted his hands sarcastically. I carefully held the sword out for him to inspect. My feet shifted a bit, moving me closer to Leo.


    ¡°We found them in Senna¡¯s old home. She said they¡¯re artifacts from her grandfather; they¡¯re made from silver.¡±


    ¡°A s-silver alloy, Leo.¡± I corrected him.


    ¡°Hm, so something like what the vigilants use? That could come in handy for you if we get in trouble. You should bring them both along just in case, now let¡¯s get¡ª" Simon started to instruct.


    ¡°I want to give the dagger to Leo.¡± I said. ¡°Since he¡¯ll be in danger doing this... and I don¡¯t want him getting hurt while we¡¯re inside.¡±


    Simon shrugged and waved his hand towards Leo. I gently placed the dagger in his hand and then put my head through the loop of the sword strap. With both of us prepared for the journey, I was sent out first as soon as the night fell. Moving back towards the Ainz estate was strangely quiet. It was either the tension passing over onto the animals in the woods, or I was just distracted from everything but the mission.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Before long I was in front of the estate. A large stone path smoothly led up the side of the mountain to where it was planted inside. In order to avoid being too steep for carriages, it had to loop back and forth a few times before reaching the property. From the angle I was at, there wasn¡¯t much I could make out of the property itself. Shaking the sightseeing from my mind, I followed the directions Simon gave me to the back entrance.


    At first it looked like a stable or small shack had broken down in some storm and been abandoned. After stepping inside, I found the mass of large rocks he¡¯d warned me about ahead of time. I stepped around it a few times to make sure there wasn¡¯t a trap set near it, and then crouched in front of it. Through the cracks of rock, it was too dark to see anything, but the lack of light meant there probably wasn¡¯t someone waiting for me.


    I pushed the largest of the rocks aside with a small grunt of effort and slipped into the tunnel. Once inside, I let it fall slowly back into place and started my way down the path. Despite the massive rise at the front entrance, there was only a slight rise here. There was only a straight section left when I first saw a glimmer of light again, and crawled towards it as quietly as possible.


    The ground was damp, solid rock. As I got closer to the source of the light, I was able to make out that it was a plain wooden door. I couldn¡¯t hear anyone on the other side of it, and gently pushed it open. The door had opened up to the kitchen for the home, yet it looked like it hadn¡¯t been touched in years.


    Odd, surely they¡¯d make the kitchen more presentable if they pass through it often. Maybe the disuse is supposed to dissuade people from looking in here for a hidden entrance in the first place? I thought, moving my body completely into the kitchen and standing up. Then again, don¡¯t they have to feed their cattle something? I¡¯ll have to ask Simon about that when we meet up.


    I looked around the room for someplace that would be better to hide, but nothing seemed to function like it should. Cabinets had locks on them, or no hinges at all. There was also a closet on the opposite side of the entrance that had only a small window into a lightless room.


    Looks almost like an ice locker. Using the cold of the ground that could be useful, but why would they store things like that down here to begin with? I would check inside, but I get the feeling there¡¯s something off about this room.


    Moving to the door outside, I opened it slightly to peer down either way. The hall was lit with some kind of glowing paint or fungus. It stretched in swirling patterns up the path and away from the kitchen, which seemed to be the only room this far down. My curiosity only grew as I realized this hallway was cut from the same kind of smooth stone that was in the hidden entrance.


    I closed the door and hurried back to the closet before pulling the door open suddenly. Had it not been for my rough few decades of existence, my stomach might have spilled out of my throat from the stench. The bloated bodies of several men rested inside of the room, which was filled with a small layer of water at the bottom. I closed the door and fell down to my knees facing away from it. Each breath was hard and heavy while my mind raced with fear and questions.


    What the hell are they doing to all of those bodies?! It was like an unnatural kind of rotting! I can imagine why they keep whatever that is down here, that smell could seep through anything but bedrock. What the hell are the Ainz even doing down¡ª?


    My thoughts were interrupted by an abrupt stomp up above me, followed by sporadic falling noises. Thinking fast, I ducked inside of an empty cabinet, and kept a small crack open to watch the entrance of the room. The footsteps grew louder and louder until eventually the door flew open and Leo stumbled inside. Before I could rush out to help him, someone else entered afterward.


    She moved far more calmly than Leo, with a weird strut in every step. Her outfit was a flowing dress of black silk. With a small shift I could see her hair was long and pitch black, but not her eyes. Leo was stuck over the counter and panting heavily, but I couldn¡¯t see where his dagger was.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡± The woman asked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no way out of here for you. Running deeper and deeper into the house was rather foolish, honestly.¡±


    I saw her lift her hand threateningly and something snapped inside of me. The cabinet door slammed open, drawing both of their attention, and I flew out while I drew the sword at the same time. Rather than slicing first, I only raised the sword slightly to distract her and knocked her to the ground with the force of my body. She landed with a crash into the cabinets and smashed one of them up.


    ¡°Senna?¡± Leo asked almost in awe while he moved behind me. ¡°Sorry about messing things up, unexpected circumstances...¡±


    ¡°Gah, stupid splinters...¡± The woman groaned, pulling a large piece of wood out from her back. ¡°Senna, did you say? I didn¡¯t think the little rat was still alive, let alone skulking around here.¡±


    I can feel Leo¡¯s heart racing behind me. This is making me kind of dizzy, but I¡¯ve got to stay focused. If the situation is violent, I just have to make sure she doesn¡¯t let anyone know where we are while we escape.


    ¡°Listen, rat, just hand the human over. He¡¯s all hairless and small. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got little forest critters ready to bite outside, right?¡± She said in a mocking tone. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t want to die trying to¡ª"


    ¡°I would, but I won¡¯t.¡± I interrupted her annoying speech. ¡°In fact, if you¡¯re the one that hurt him, I¡¯m not going to let you leave here alive. Your head is going to roll off your neck and I¡¯ll leave your body in that gross cellar to rot.¡±


    My right eye was twitching. Even in the brief time I was human, I¡¯d never felt this alive. Raw hatred seethed out of me, and I felt like I was going to crush the grip on my sword. Even the repugnant woman in front of me must¡¯ve felt a glimmer of my fury, because I could tell she was going to rush for the exit.


    I placed my sword down on the ground between us, drawing her attention once again. As I did, I knew Leo was screaming at me in his head, but I knew this would convince her the odds were stacked in her favor.


    She¡¯s an idiot. I thought, crouching down with my fists ready. I¡¯ve slaughtered cows plenty of times before.

 Chapter Nine

    Standing in front of just the pathway was intimidating in its own right. The slope was kept to a mostly comfortable height, but it stretched back and forth into the rock for a massive distance. By the time we made it to the top, both of us were feeling tired, but glad to be done with the climbing. This close up you could really only see the massive gateway into the rest of the home. Simon gave it a few firm knocks with a large and ornate knocker and stepped back. A moment later and a small viewing port opened up on the right side of the door.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Came a raspy voice.


    Simon stepped towards the port and held a hand up in greeting. ¡°Simon Ainz, returning to give my respects to grandfather and to properly join the family. I¡¯ve brought along a companion for after I have joined, as well.¡±


    He looked back at me and gave a thumbs up. The gesture inspired so little confidence in me that I double checked the spot in my trousers where I had hidden the dagger Senna gave me. The port closed and the door slowly opened up afterwards. We took a few small steps inside and found the source of the raspy voice move out from behind the door. He was a short man with a slight hunch to his back, as well as a noticeable clouding in his left eye.


    ¡°The errant son.We¡¯ve been expecting you. Your ¡®guest¡¯ was not invited, but I¡¯m sure such a triviality can be overlooked for this¡­ special occasion...¡± The man gave a sinister grin as he stepped aside, motioning for us to step into the manse.


    Unlike what I expected, the walls weren¡¯t lined with torches and pitch. There was a strange fungus growing on the walls as we entered. I stepped closer and pressed my hand gently against one of the lines. It was soft, but very moist, and the light dimmed where I touched.


    I can only imagine they imported this stuff from somewhere far away, or it¡¯s otherwise rare. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to use torches? Or just rely on their night vision? Perhaps if you live in the dark all the time, this sort of expense becomes viable. I thought to myself as we went further in.


    We moved out from the long hallway and into a small gathering hall that was likely built as a copy of courtyard gardens in more normal households. Instead of large plants and flowers, however, there were strange metal sculptures of various figures intermixed with ones made of blown glass. As the place seemed empty, I broke away from Simon and crouched down next to one for a better view.


    The light was dim, but I could tell the piece had red colored glass stretched around what looked like a heavy iron frame. I gently brought my hand forward and brushed over one of the glass vines wrapping around it. Unlike most of the glass I¡¯d seen in my life, it was perfectly smooth with no obvious lumps in any portion. Something shifted on the other side of the frame, and through a small hole in one side I found a woman¡¯s face looking back at me. I fell back in surprise and she let out a soft chuckle.


    ¡°Sorry, morsel, I couldn¡¯t help but smell you there and figure you¡¯d be fun to scare. So you¡¯re with my little nephew then?¡± She asked in a sultry tone.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re one of my aunts then. I¡¯m afraid I haven¡¯t seen any paintings, so I don¡¯t know which of them you are. Rather than terrorising the poor man, might I trouble you to introduce yourself?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I am Anna Ainz, second daughter of Arnulf Ainz. Were I still keeping track of it, I might be inclined to tell you my age as well.¡± She said with a small wink before she stepped closer. ¡°Now I know who you are, Simon, but what is this stranger you¡¯ve invited?¡±


    ¡°My name is Leo, I¡¯m Simon¡¯s servant for the time being. Sorry about the unexpected visit, I just came along to help him acclimate to his new home. This place is pretty intimidating, though you may not have noticed if you grew up here.¡±


    Anna looked to her cousin for a second, and a smile flashed over her face. I can only guess he winked at her, but Anna was quick to come to my side, taking me by the hand and pulling me off to one of the wings. I looked back at Simon as he started to follow, but another man appeared from behind one of the sculptures and caught him. The two of them started a conversation and I tried to head back to him.


    ¡°No, no, dear. That¡¯s just my brother Baron, the first born. He¡¯ll be the one reuniting Simon to the rest of the family... I assume you¡¯re aware of what he is doing here?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking whether I know you¡¯re vampires or not, I¡¯m aware of it.¡± I responded bluntly.


    Even as I said it, I had to take deep breaths. Being a recluse was making her hand in mine an already awkward sensation; knowing it meant she could snap my fingers off at any moment only made it worse. I¡¯d already been warned by Simon that I should try to be firm, but not challenging to them. Being here was already a dangerous act.


    She responded with a long stare before pulling me away from Simon again. I slipped my hand out of her grasp but kept the pace with her, not wishing to appear as if I was rejecting her offer. After passing a few corridors, all of which were empty but lit with the same strange glowing fungus, we arrived at a lone doorway. The clean brickwork before was replaced with straight rock walls, showing off how deep in the mountain we were. Anna opened the door for me and gestured inside.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    All I could see was a long path that angled downward, with what looked like a bend back around at the end of it. I looked back to her to ask where we were going, but her hand was already on my back. She gave a strong shove and I was suddenly tumbling down the stone hallway at high speed.


    Doing my best to ball up and avoid damaging myself too much, I rolled the last section before gathering myself on my knees. My nose was bleeding from the unfortunate start of my tumble, and I wiped it away with one hand, gazing up at Anna as she walked towards me with a wicked grin.


    No way I can take her on, even with the dagger. She¡¯s got me beat in speed and strength. My best bet is to run away; if I get backed into a corner it¡¯ll only mean she has no way of flanking me. Thankfully this place is sloped, so her speed advantage isn¡¯t going to be much help if we¡¯re both going down.


    Without much time to spare, I rushed down the loop of the hall, blindly looking for an escape. I could hear her catching up to me, gaining speed as the path flattened out. Falling into the first door I could find, which ended up leading into some kind of abandoned kitchen. I collapsed onto the counter in the center of the table and panted heavily, hearing Anna approach me from behind.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡± Anna asked, already in the doorway. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s not exactly a way out of here for you. Running deeper and deeper into the house was a large mistake on your part, honestly.¡±


    Just as I realised what kind of room we were in, my newly burgeoning hope was rewarded near-instantly as Senna burst out from one of the cabinets. She had her sword raised in the air as soon as she was standing, but only bore my pursuer to the ground, the sword remaining bloodless.


    ¡°Senna?¡± I asked, a little dazed from my injuries. ¡°Sorry about messing things up, unexpected circumstances...¡±


    ¡°How vile, rotten splinters...¡± Anna groaned, pulling a large piece of wood out from her back. ¡°Senna, did you say? I didn¡¯t think the little rat was still alive, let alone skulking around here.¡±


    Got to hope we can take her out fast, otherwise the other family members might appear and cause even more trouble for us. Wait, even if we kill Anna, won¡¯t that just guarantee that Simon will die too? I suppose all we can do is hope that they just wanted to kill me.


    ¡°Listen, rat, just hand the human over. He¡¯s all hairless and small. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got little forest critters ready to bite outside, right?¡± Anna said in a mocking tone. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t want to die trying to¡ª"


    ¡°I would, but I won¡¯t.¡± Senna interrupted her threat. ¡°In fact, if you¡¯re the one that hurt him, I¡¯m not even going to let you leave here alive. Your head is going to roll off your neck and I¡¯ll leave your body in that gross cellar to rot.¡±


    The tension was growing thicker, and I could tell that they were going to make their moves any second now. At first I thought it would be a straight fight, but Anna¡¯s eyes were snapping to the entrance. Given Senna¡¯s sword, I can imagine her urge to flee was strong, but it was strange to see that malevolent confidence from before being stripped away in an instant. Senna felt different too, like something was off about her. Before either attacked, Senna straightened her back from the animalistic pose and dropped her blade onto the ground.


    What is she doing?! I screamed in my head. Even if Anna ran away, she could¡¯ve taken her out with one swing, the odds were completely in our favor before this! I¡¯m praying she¡¯s just bluffing, because otherwise the situation just got a lot worse. Better draw my dagger just in case.


    Senna resumed her animalistic pose, but a second later was leaping directly at Anna with both hands swinging. Given their difference in age, at least from what I know about vampires, I had assumed the fight would in the older one¡¯s age. Almost immediately this was proven false, though it was more the style of attack than strength or speed.


    I knew both of them were of noble birth, but Anna was clearly more reflective of that lifestyle than Senna. Her dress alone gave the impression of someone that was above the majority of any nation. Despite that, she displayed an unnatural amount of power behind her strikes, splitting forgotten tables and cracking decrepit counter-tops with every missed blow..


    She was still no match for Senna, even though her strikes caused far less wanton destruction. The fact was that Anna clearly had only fed on humans or at most squabbled with one of her brothers or sisters. Whenever she got the upper hand, she tried to gracefully move left and right, like she was mimicking some kind of violent ballroom dance with her opponent as the partner.


    Senna meanwhile fought like a beast. Every limb flowed with the other in rhythm and she made sure to throw her back into every sure hit. She had her moving around the counter in the center and hardly ever took a hit from Anna. It wasn¡¯t long before Anna¡¯s dress was ragged from claw marks, blood splashing out of wounds that rapidly closed and were opened again. In only a few seconds more, she was on the ground panting and coughing violently while Senna loomed over her. I even felt a little foolish for getting mad at her over dropping the sword when it was all said and done.


    ¡°You... m-mongrel...¡± Anna coughed out, sliding till her back was near one of the doors. ¡°I can¡¯t... believe you did this... ruining my dress...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was planning on making your face match it.¡± Senna replied in a cold tone. ¡°Maybe if you apologize for hurting Leo, I won¡¯t tear your head off...¡±


    ¡°Ha... haha... y-you think you¡¯ll get out of here alive if you kill me?¡± Anna said with a grin, most of her wounds healed by now. ¡°We¡¯ve got a new family member by now, rat. If we can convert him, that means we¡¯ll be one step closer to ruling the entire countryside!¡±


    ¡°Wait, if? You told Simon that you could, but now you¡¯re saying there¡¯s a chance he might not even become a vampire?¡±


    Anna glared at me, though it was obvious she was more angry with herself than the question. When she refused to answer it, Senna took an intimidating step forward, and fell into her opponent¡¯s trap. Her leg swiped out and knocked Senna to the floor, giving the older vampire time to stand up and open the door behind her.


    She must have been disorientated by her duel with Senna fight, as the door she opened led only to a dead end in the form of a storage room. It took only a second for the door to open before Anna started violently gagging from the smell, which I could only get a vague, yet still horrifying, scent of. Senna took advantage of this and kicked her inside, slamming the door shut afterwards and holding it in place.


    Muffled screaming mixed with powerful slams against the door almost instantly. I moved to see into the small window on the storage room, and only got a look of Anna¡¯s face. To my surprise, her pale skin was turning grey, and slowly into a pitch black color. Blood gushed out of her mouth as she fell onto the door and slid out of view. When only silence followed, Senna moved away from the door.


    ¡°What was in¡ª?¡± I asked before Senna tackled me to the ground, her supernaturally powerful arms crushing the breath out of me for a moment before she relented.


    She buried her face into my chest, seeming far more the small girl she appeared to be than the violent warrior she had been mere moments ago. Relaxing slightly as the adrenaline faded, I wiped the blood from my nose with back of my trembling hand, and tried to calm myself down by petting her head. A smile crossed over my face for only a second and then faded into a frown as I put something together. I was alone in a room with a vampire and bleeding profusely.

 Chapter Ten

    I felt more emotions than I could handle all at once. While I was happy that that awful woman was finally dead, I was scared about Leo being hurt. On top of that I was embarrassed about hugging him so suddenly, and growing anxious from the smell of his blood in the air.


    As I stepped backward, he kept one hand on my shoulder. I could smell the blood before, but seeing it this close up was making me tense up. My whole head turned toward it before I even knew it, and Leo had to shout my name to get my attention back.


    ¡°H-Huh? Sorry, I was... distracted.¡± I answered him, trying to play it off as a joke.


    ¡°Right, I was worried about that. If we head upstairs at all, they¡¯re going to be able to smell me coming easily. We¡¯re already at a disadvantage if they can hear my heartbeat, and I don¡¯t want to make it any easier.¡± He paused, clearly thinking hard about what to say next. ¡°Now I can stop the bleeding in my nose with some cuts of cloth, but there¡¯s nothing here to rinse off the blood I¡¯ve already got on me. Do you think you could... take care of it in any way?¡±


    ¡°...you want me to lick it off?¡±


    ¡°Not that exactly! I just thought, you know, you might have some experience in removing blood.¡±


    I hardly ever wore clothes, and I haven¡¯t had a proper bath in a few years. Even still, we could probably just wait for it to dry and use one of the weapons to scrape them off of him. There might be a lingering scent, but I doubt it would be strong enough to notice outside the range his heart could be heard. I thought to myself, staring at the blood while I held his arm in both hands. Then again, maybe licking it off is really believable? His blood is probably really sweet...


    ¡°Would you mind if I did?¡± I asked nervously, refusing to look away from the crimson stain.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re not biting me, it¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t you drain things through your fangs though?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t really answer appropriately, since I didn¡¯t fully understand it myself. With a calm grip, I raised his arm up to my mouth and gave the blood a tentative lick. Almost instantly, a switch flipped in my brain and my legs felt week. Feeding on animal blood was nothing compared to the joy of even tasting human blood. It made sense how someone could avoid draining a human dry, this would definitely be too rich.


    ¡°Senna? Senna! Are you alright?!¡± Leo asked, grabbing my shoulder with his other hand.


    ¡°H-Huh?¡± I pulled back, stumbling and leaning against him. ¡°Sorry, I just... it¡¯s so warm and incredible! It¡¯s been decades since I¡¯ve taste human blood. Do... d-do you think I could...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re salivating, Senna.¡± He said, wiping my mouth with part of his shirt. ¡°Sorry if I made you jump or anything, but you were stumbling around and your eyes were rolling back in your head.¡±


    I want to bite him. His right arm has three good places to sink my teeth in. His neck isn¡¯t hairy or anything, and I could reach it comfortably if I jumped a little. He¡¯s right here in front of me and his heart is beating like a drum. Come on, he¡¯s just a human, you know you¡¯re stronger than him, JUST BITE HIS NECK AND GET IT OVER WITH.


    My head slammed against the counter hard enough to send a crack through the center of it. As I pulled it back up, blood seeped from my own head onto my mouth and Leo was jostling me side to side.


    ¡°Hey! What the hell happened? You flung yourself into that thing like you were trying to dive in!¡± He shouted. ¡°Dammit, your head is nearly split open. If it weren¡¯t for that regeneration you¡¯d unconscious or worse.¡±


    He lowered me down to the ground and pulled my sword away from me. I understood why, but my hand still lazily reached for it anyway. When he gripped my hands with his own, and massaged my palm with his thumb, I realized how warm his skin was compared to mine.


    There¡¯s no way I can stay close to him now. I had to go so far as to smash my head open just to not tear into him. He must see me as a monster now, and it makes me sick to my stomach just thinking that. I just want to run towards the sun and burn to ashes.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Senna, listen to me.¡± Leo said, shaking me from the horrors inside my head. ¡°I need you to stay with me if both of us are going to get out of here. You¡¯re obviously not okay, so tell me what¡¯s wrong!¡±


    I hesitated for second, scared to make things worse. ¡°...I-I want to bite you at least once. Sorry, I know you trusted me and everything, but I can hardly think right now because of it, and I really want more...¡± I trailed off into miserable silence.


    Leo look worried, but less than I thought he would. He took a seat next to me and put a hand on my head, gingerly avoid the parts still healing on my skull. Neither of us spoke, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t say anything until he did. I wanted to hold him down as desperately as ever, and my fingers were digging into my legs to keep from hurting him.


    ¡°Well... if it¡¯ll make you more relaxed, then I will. From Anna, I got the impression she saw me as a kind of annoying prey. Something that she wanted to eat, but at the same time wanted to hate.¡± He said, before he held his wrist up to me. ¡°You at least showed restraint from trying to feed from me. I need you to be here for me, so we can do what we came here to do.¡±


    I opened my mouth, but looked to him one last time before biting down. He gave me a nod and closed his eyes. My fangs sunk down into his wrist, breaking the skin and letting the blood flow into my body. Leo flinched from the first bite, but relaxed as I started to feed. The second the blood flowed into me, I melted into my seat. As I felt more and more sated, I felt my wounds heal faster than ever, and my body grew lighter.


    My tongue traced over the back of my teeth, stroking Leo¡¯s skin as well to help seal the bite when I was done. Unlike with feeding on animals, my senses were sharpened about midway through the feeding. My ears were sharp enough to listen to his heartbeat, and I no longer had to suck on him at all. Instead, I let his heart send the blood into my body. Once I was done, I pulled my mouth free and licked the puncture wounds to help keep them from bleeding more.


    Even as I pulled free, I let out a small whimper of pleasure. I pressed myself into his side and clung to him, wanting to feel his warmth. To my surprise, I didn¡¯t really feel it anymore, and for a second I was worried I had killed him in my hunger. He touched his arm against mine while wrapping the bite mark in a makeshift bandage, proving he was still breathing.


    ¡°Strange... Senna, you¡¯re warm now. I hadn¡¯t really thought about it for a while, but your skin was always cold. I guess drinking human blood does more than just not kill the victim, huh?¡±


    I stroked his bandage with one thumb and closed my eyes. ¡°Yeah... it¡¯s been years since I¡¯d done this. The blood didn¡¯t feel like it was just evaporating the second it entered my body, like it normally does. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve been surviving on steam until just now getting a drink of water...¡±


    ¡°That so? Anyway, we¡¯ve got to go get Simon. Think you can move?¡±


    ¡°R-Right!¡± I answered, springing to my feet.


    I bounced slightly, unused to my new freshly fed strength. As I landed, a second thump sounded behind me, from where Leo had fallen to the floor. He struggled up to his feet and I had to support him by the shoulder as he rose, but he waved off any further help.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. Didn¡¯t realize quite how much blood I lost, got a little lightheaded. Should probably get some sleep soon... no, no, we¡¯ve got to get Simon before we leave. Try not to get too far ahead of me and let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    He pulled out his dagger and gave me a thumbs up with his free hand. I retrieved my sword and the both of us made our way back up into the house proper. As we moved down the long hallway, I had some time to reflect to myself. The whole time I did, there was an odd sensation passing over me. Time seemed to move slower the longer I ran on my own train of thought.


    Something is obviously off about this family, or at least this house. A room that can kill vampire just by being inside it, and the bodies of men resting in it. Not only that, but the fact they separated Leo and attacked him as soon as possible. I thought, reaching the door to the house inside, and waiting for Leo. Wait a minute, if she could have killed him here, why didn¡¯t she just feed on him and drain him dry? I was filled up from just the amount I took, so maybe she couldn¡¯t do it. But that would mean she must have feed incredibly recently, maybe even right before we arrived.


    ¡°Leo... did anything strange happen when you two arrived? Did you see the vampires feeding on anyone?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that. I remember they appeared suddenly inside this strange courtyard they had. I didn¡¯t even hear either of them walking up on me. Come to think of it... I could hear her when she was following me. Can vampires hide their footsteps like that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see how, being a vampire has only really afforded me some physical benefits. There¡¯s nothing completely impossible that we can do.¡± I said, and cracked open the door to see if anyone was nearby. ¡°Looks like the coast is clear...¡±


    We passed into the dark hallways and inched forward into the complex, looking out for any signs of other people or vampires. When we opened the doors in the halls, we found only dusty rooms with beds. As we got closer, there were a few locked doors. I pressed my face against one, and could occasionally hear something moving about, probably on a bed.


    ¡°Guess this is where the cattle are...¡± I muttered. ¡°They probably took Simon to the head of the family to turn him. Either that or they... y¡¯know, killed him outright.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to hope he¡¯s still alive. I feel like both of those options mean a lot of trouble for us, though. I don¡¯t think we could take however many of them there are left on our own. Not that I¡¯d be much help in the state I¡¯m in...¡±


    I placed my hand on his shoulder and we kept heading toward the courtyard again. Once we emerged out from the corridor, we found the court was completely empty, except for some garish metal ornaments everywhere. I looked around for another way in or out of the courtyard, and aside from the entrance, there was only one other major door.


    When that thing opens, you¡¯d definitely hear it. This doesn¡¯t make any sense, they must¡¯ve been waiting there for Leo and Simon, but that would mean they walked out of here at the crack of dawn? They¡¯d be at risk of burning in the sun if they did that! Come on, there¡¯s got to be another way! I drifted off in my thoughts. How could they get into the courtyard without being heard or seen, except for when they appeared? They had to have...


    ¡°Wait a minute... they appeared in the courtyard... one of these has got to be a secret hiding spot or something!¡±


    ¡°Clever rat!¡± Came a male voice from deeper in the courtyard. ¡°Considering I don¡¯t hear either of you gasping for breath or dying, I¡¯m assuming Anna is trapped somewhere. After I get out of here, I¡¯ll make sure to keep you two alive just long enough for her to get some revenge...¡±

 Chapter Eleven

    I leaned against the wall, watching Senna search through courtyard. Were I in a better condition, I would search for the brother with her. As she went out of my field of view, I looked down at my hand and flexed it a few times.


    Looks like they¡¯re regaining some color, or at least I hope so. This whole place is too dark to get a good read on what¡¯s going on. I thought to myself, looking back up and moving around the outside of the courtyard to find Senna. She¡¯s probably got this on her own, but I want to help her if I can.


    ¡°So, little vermin, care to tell me how you captured my sister? If you pinned her to the ground with a stake, I¡¯m going to have to give you a round of applause for sticking to a classic.¡± came the male voice.


    ¡°How about you step outside and I show you? All of you high ranking nobles make me sick, I can¡¯t believe I wanted to join your clan just to get revenge on the Godwin family. All you people do is whine and moan, you¡¯ve got no ability to fight.¡± Senna stabbed her sword into a hollow statue. ¡°So instead you¡¯re going to make me smash all of these little trinkets until I find the one you¡¯re hiding in?¡±


    ¡°That or you fumble around until you get close enough for me to jump out and rip your arms off. Go on then, you¡¯re pretty close already.¡± He answered with a laugh.


    Seems like sadism is a family trait. Maybe it would be more efficient to just leave the room? He might sneak up on us as we move forward, but we¡¯re wasting time every second we stay. I thought to myself, pausing at the front entrance and looking down the entrance hall. Wait, he still thinks that his sister is alive. All we have to do is take advantage of that and we can drive him out!


    I moved around to get a better view of Senna, as she¡¯d been blocked from sight by a pillar. Before I needed to move much, she cleared the way by smashing apart one of the statues. Instead of warping the sword, she¡¯d used her hands to do it. Even with her strength, it seemed the glass vines had burst and covered her arms in puncture wounds. Despite the damage, she grit her teeth and waited for them to be forced out as she regenerated.


    ¡°Excuse me... Anna¡¯s brother. I don¡¯t think I caught your name. Want to tell us what it is? I¡¯d like to ask you a simple question.¡±


    ¡°The human, huh? This should be interesting... my name is Edward Ainz, the second born son. Now go on and ask your question, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something to buy yourself time and try to figure out where my voice is coming from.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the closet in the kitchen for? The one with the bodies inside.¡±


    He went silent for several seconds, and Senna anxiously waited for him to speak again. ¡°Saw that, did you? I suppose it¡¯s not really hidden, but I wish you¡¯d not seen it regardless. Couldn¡¯t you tell from the smell? It¡¯s where we leave little humans like you when they¡ª"


    ¡°Then how come Anna melted from being inside of there?¡±


    ¡°...What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Your sister; she tried to escape from us, but opened the door to that room instead. Senna pushed her inside and while she was trying to claw her way back in, she looked like she was melting.¡± I answered, taking a step forward and looking for any signs of a statue moving. ¡°Tell me what made that happen.¡±


    He went quiet for awhile, and I was worried I pushed him too far. Moments later I heard footsteps in the distance. I looked around for any sign of them moving, but nothing was there. Finally, a brick fell down from the ceiling on the opposite side of the room and both of us jumped.


    ¡°What the...? Why can we hear him moving now?¡± Senna asked, holding her sword up again and spinning to try as she searched for Edward.


    More movement and we quickly realized it was above our heads now. There was a heavy landing and then more sounds from beneath us. Senna moved closer to my side and I held my dagger at my waist with both hands.


    It¡¯s like he¡¯s phasing though the whole building, I can¡¯t pin down where he¡¯s moving or how. He might be moving around the outside of the buildings, but then how come he was able to be in the statues, and why didn¡¯t we hear him? I thought in a panic, before closing my eyes. Alright, think outside of normal human limits. You¡¯ve seen Senna jump from trees and chase down elk. There¡¯s got to be something they use from about that kind of strength and speed, right?The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Senna?¡± I asked, leaning towards her and speaking as quietly as possible. ¡°Can you think of any way to move up and down this room, or the building, but still be able to speak to us inside?¡±


    She shook her head and the footsteps stopped again, this time closer. ¡°The best guess I could make is that the statues have some kind of false bottom to them and that the room and he was speaking through those? No idea how he¡¯d get from the top to the bottom so fast though...¡±


    He¡¯s acting sporadic as well, probably from learning about the death of his sister. Senna has to be right about the statues all having false bottoms, which means he has some other way of getting up and down. I thought to myself, only for Senna to charge back towards the courtyard again.


    ¡°Wait! We don¡¯t know where he-!¡±


    Instead of heading further inside, Senna ran on the right side of the court, moving along side the wall as fast as she could. The footsteps from Edward returned in full force, and had a pattern to them. They were following closely behind Senna, and gaining speed. As soon as she stopped at one wall, she looked down at the floor and waited for them to stop. With one foot on the wall behind her, she kicked off and flew into the pillar in front of her. She struck it hard enough to shatter the stone, and reveal the hollow insides.


    Inside the rubble, a pale man struggled up to his feet, fighting against Senna¡¯s grip. I charged forward with my dagger in hand and leapt forward. The blade hit him as I landed hard onto the ground, driving itself into his shoulder. He grit his teeth in rage and threw me away with his wounded arm, damaging it further.


    Senna stood upright as he scrambled away, ripping the dagger from his arm and holding it out towards her. I looked at the puncture wound, which had turned a sickly black color, and refused to heal. He grit his teeth and glared at Senna, holding the weapon at her. Even though he tried to look menacing, I clearly had torn some muscles in his arm, and the blade was shaking in his grip.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Simon? We didn¡¯t come here to kill you all, so I don¡¯t mind leaving you alive if I have to.¡± Senna said, readying her blade to strike.


    ¡°You already murdered my sister and you think I want to work with you?¡± Edward asked with a laugh. ¡°Just kill me or leave. I¡¯m tired of looking at your worthless blooded face anyway, rat.¡±


    Senna loomed over him with her sword, but he refused to look at her. I stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Hearing me come closer, I crouched down to get near eye level with him.


    ¡°Can you at least tell us about that room?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Why should I? In fact, why do you even care? If you¡¯re so damn curious, why don¡¯t you let your little rat climb in for you?¡±


    ¡°So it only works on vampires then?¡±


    He went silent and turned his head away again. I stood back up and waved for Senna to follow me as I headed for the door. My legs must have come just a little too close to Edward, and he took the opportunity to try and slice at me with his undamaged arm. Before he could get far, Senna had already stopped him. I only managed to hear a howl of pain as this all happened, and I spun around to see the dagger skidding towards my feet.


    Edward¡¯s arm and hand were undamaged, but his right leg was split wide open, pooling black blood on the ground around him.  Tears were brimming at his eyes as he glared intensely at Senna. She flicked the blade clean of his blood and moved closer towards me. I couldn¡¯t help but look at Edward¡¯s face while he desperately tried to hold the wound on his leg shut.


    ¡°Anna...¡± He whimpered out quietly, lost in pain.


    I guess even nobility have a strong sense of family. Considering they¡¯re murderers, it doesn¡¯t really make me feel guilty, but I can understand why they were so intense. I thought to myself, and looked down at Senna as she pressed against my side. Maybe Senna is the same way? The way she fought to defend me from Anna, I could see how badly she wanted to hurt her. It¡¯s not like I can read her mind, but I¡¯d be glad if she did see me as someone to protect. Would put us on equal footing.


    The two of us made our way to the door in the back. Senna stepped forward and pushed it open, struggling slightly despite her massive strength. It led into another hallway, but this one lacked any doors except for another at the end. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of the same sheer rock from the lower levels. As we delved deeper in, there was a noticeable drop in temperature. The second door was much smaller and easily opened than the other, and we peeked through carefully.


    It was a small room inside, with three other entrances that led away from it. Four massive pillars filled the main area of the room, and were covered in several rows of the glowing fungus. As we pushed further in, I spotted Simon leaning against one of the pillars with his arms crossed. He turned towards us as we entered and waved us closer.


    ¡°Glad to see you two alright. Did you have any difficulties getting in?¡±


    ¡°Well the vampire that led me away tried to kill me, but we ended up trapping her in a strange room that seems deadly to vampires. Her brother then tried to get revenge for it, but Senna managed to incapacitate him.¡± I answered while we met up in the center. ¡°What happened after you got led away?¡±


    ¡°Took me to my grandfather, but the eldest brother and him got into a fight almost immediately. He sent me out of the room while they argued, and I¡¯ve been stuck here since. If they let me be alone with him, I¡¯ll be able to take him out, but the brother will definitely be a problem. Why they attacked us at all is confusing to me...¡±


    Footsteps sounded down the path opposite of the main door, and a well dressed man appeared. As he got closer, I recognized him as the one that led Simon away to begin with. His hair was disheveled at first, and he combed it to the right with his fingers as he got closer to us. Both Senna and I readied our weapons, but he looked like he was ignoring us completely. He approached Simon and held his arms out with a smile.


    ¡°There you are, cousin. Sorry about that little... break of character. Just fighting over the situation, given we¡¯re not used to changes like this. In any case, you can head back to the room with father now.¡±


    ¡°Er, what about my friends?¡± Simon asked, gesturing to us.


    The Ainz brother looked at the two of us in confusion before shrugging his shoulders and heading towards one of the other entrances.


    ¡°Not like any of this was my idea... I¡¯d rather we just work out our damn problems on our own, or head south.¡± He muttered as he left, but paused to call back. ¡°Oh right, and if you end up not becoming a vampire or disagreeing with father, please just leave our house and don¡¯t come back. Sick and tired of dealing with outsiders already...¡±

 Chapter Twelve

    I didn¡¯t like anything about this place. The architecture was getting to me, and the repeated attempts on Leo¡¯s life weren¡¯t helping. If they were just attacking me, I could dislike the people. His lack of regeneration wasn¡¯t even the main factor, just seeing him hurt makes me angry beyond belief.


    Heading deeper into the estate with Simon, I just wanted to cling to him even tighter. Even though there was nothing attacking us, I wanted to be close. The fresh blood in my body was still making me think faster than normal, and I could reflect on what had happened as we went further in.


    Even if the father appreciates that Simon is here, and we get through the process of killing him, are we going to be able to kill everyone here? I should have killed Edward, but I felt something for how he reacted to hearing Anna was dead. I thought to myself, shaking my head. What am I even thinking? Simon should be the one to kill him anyway, it¡¯s not my fault if I didn¡¯t want to do it. I only killed Anna on accident, even if I wanted to tear her apart for hurting Leo...


    We finally got to an ornately decorated door and stopped. There wasn¡¯t a lock or guards, though the hinges were faintly rusted. Simon opened one side and it let out a long creak from the slight movement. Beyond that, the room was illuminated in a large circle, though I can assume the light was too low for the two of them to see much.


    At the center was a large bed with thin sheets obscuring what was lying inside of it. Even without seeing and hearing anything, I could feel the unease creep over my skin. Every instinct in my body was warning me not to go further in, but thankfully Simon went in alone this time. He left the door open a crack for us to watch, but Leo leaned against the wall as he couldn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°Hope this goes alright...¡± Leo muttered. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like him much, But can I trust you to try and save him if things look like they¡¯re getting dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Leo, if things look like they¡¯re dangerous, I think it would be best for us to flee. Vampires are supposed to hit a plateau of power once they hit a certain age... but something about the interior of that room makes me think otherwise.¡±


    He uncrossed his arms and frowned at me. ¡°Wait, you think this grandfather vampire is even stronger than he¡¯s supposed to be? Are you sure it¡¯s not just the lighting or something making you nervous?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m scared of the dark?¡±


    Leo kept from responding, which was probably the best answer. When I looked back through the crack, I could still see Simon walking further in. He was beside the bed in a few seconds, but wasn¡¯t opening the curtain. Even though I could see his body, he was turned away from me, so I couldn¡¯t see his expression. The curtain pulled back slowly on one side, and my hands squeezed the handle of my sword.


    Simon spoke quietly enough I couldn¡¯t hear, and then turned towards us. ¡°Hey, both of you can come in now. Grandfather says he wants to see who I¡¯ve brought with me.¡±


    I looked over to Leo nervously, but he was already opening the door again. Once we were both in the room, I got in front of him for protection. Even if it felt like every muscle in my body was pulling away, I had to protect Leo.


    Why is he so determined to do what Simon asks? Must be the same reason he wanted to help me when we first met. I wish we met some other way, and that me and him could just stay in his cabin forever. I thought to myself, my muscles relaxing as I stayed inside my thoughts. Staying with Leo forever... never even leaving the cabin, except maybe to feed me and him... side by side...


    I tripped on the step up to the platform the bed rested on, forcing me back to reality. My hands broke my fall easily, but as I was bent over, the wind from my fall shook the blanket slightly. From the shimmering cloth, I got my first sight of the old vampire. Unlike the others I¡¯d seen in my life, his skin was wrinkled and dark. If it weren¡¯t for the fear, I might even think he wasn¡¯t undead at all.


    ¡°Ah, I think I¡¯ve heard of you...¡± the old man spoke in a smooth, quiet voice. ¡°You¡¯re that girl from the woods, correct? I believe your name is Senna?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± I answered, rising to my feet.


    ¡°A shame what happened to your family, little one. The Godwins simply feared your family¡¯s rise to power, I¡¯m sure. Eternal life gives way to paranoia, you know. Those with immortal blood have keen senses for danger.¡± He responded, pushing himself up to a better seated position on the bed. ¡°Even if that saves us, it can warp the mind. Such as right now, I¡¯ve got quite the anxious feeling coming over me. Strange, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, and could practically hear the rising pulses of Leo and Simon beside me. Unlike them, I was only more curious about him. Stepping entirely onto the platform, I pulled the curtains back even more and looked over his body.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He was emaciated, clearly, but the loose skin on his body wasn¡¯t as worn as it would be on a normal elderly person. The more I looked, the more unnatural he looked as both a mortal and as a vampire. When I finally brought my eyes back up to his, he was giving me an affectionate smile. A chill ran over my spine when I saw it, and I immediately knew something more was going on here. I moved back to Leo¡¯s side and gripped his arm, just barely avoiding hurting him with my panicked grip.


    ¡°Senna?¡± He asked me as I clung to his side.


    ¡°There¡¯s something off about him, Leo...¡± I said in a low voice, keeping him close. ¡°We should get out of here now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you should speak so brazenly about the master of the house, Senna.¡± Simon told me before turning to his grandfather. ¡°Apologies for that. She¡¯s been isolated from society for a few decades, she doesn¡¯t exactly have the best manners.¡±


    The old man pushed himself further up on his bed and leaned onto his knees, staring at me. His eyes were a piercing shade of green, like a much brighter version of Simon¡¯s. The longer he looked, the more my fingers dug into Leo¡¯s arm. Even if I was hurting him, he didn¡¯t tell me to stop. I looked away just for a second, and saw the door had closed at some point since we came back in, yet I somehow hadn¡¯t heard it.


    When I looked back, the old man was getting out of the bed. After straining himself, he covered his mouth with one hand and muffled a heavy series of coughs. With his other hand, he reached for Simon. He took his grandfather¡¯s offered hand while he smiled at me. For a second, I remembered when Simon had forced my hand into the sunlight. My mouth opened to warn him but it was already too late.


    Simon was forced by the wrist down onto the mattress with a blinding speed, and I could tell his arm had been dislocated by the gesture. Before he could scream out in pain, his grandfather pulled the hand from his mouth and shoved it against his own. I just barely caught a flash of it and figured out what had happened. The grandfather bit his hand when he faked the cough, opening a wound to drip blood into Simon¡¯s mouth. At the same time, he was biting down on the wrist of the dislocated arm.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you-!¡± Leo started to demand, but I yanked him back.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to leave, now!¡±


    The both of us raced towards the door. Even as we ran, Leo kept glancing back as the old man fed on Simon.


    Must¡¯ve known all along what Simon was planning. No way he could react faster than him. We need to get out of here before sunrise and head to our cabin for the day. If we can get back, we can possibly save him, but I need to keep Leo safe. Even if I have to lock him inside of there for awhile, I won¡¯t let him get in trouble like this again.


    Right as we reached the door, I yanked it open and pushed Leo in ahead of me while I gave my own first look back. The elder had pulled his hand away from Simon¡¯s wrist, and was already turning towards us. Before Leo got far out of the door, he came to a sudden halt, followed by a gasping breath. I snapped my attention towards him, only to find a spear lodged in his left shoulder.


    On the other side of the door was the eldest Ainz brother, whose face twisted in confusion. He yanked the spear free and took a few steps back. While I wanted to snap his neck right away, I had to hold Leo and pull him against me. Blood poured out of the wound.


    Is he going to die? He can¡¯t die, he can¡¯t. I¡¯m supposed to keep him safe and get him back to the cabin! There¡¯s got to be something I can do! Have to stop the bleeding, have to make him better. Please don¡¯t die, please don¡¯t die, please don¡¯t-


    ¡°Damn fool of a son, you were only supposed to kill him if it was the grandson that left! Killing that mortal is just a waste of blood.¡± Came the voice of the old man, walking towards us.


    ¡°Sorry, I heard running towards the door as soon as I got back. Didn¡¯t think the other two would leave first.¡± He answered, leaning on his weapon as he stared at me. ¡°What¡¯re we going to do now? Turn them into vapors in the storeroom?¡±


    ¡°No, doesn¡¯t look like there will be much of a chance.¡± He answered him before crouching down beside me as I tried to patch the wound. ¡°You might be new to this thing, girl, but you know that you could just let him drink your blood a little and he¡¯d heal it as fast as you would, right?¡±


    I shot him a glare, but lifted Leo¡¯s head up. He was gritting his teeth, but opened one eye to look up at me. My heart felt like it was breaking as panic set in deeper. Thinking about him dying was making me cry already, and Leo could only squeeze my shoulder to try and calm me down.


    ¡°R-Relax...¡± He said with some difficulty. ¡°Gonna... gonna be fine...¡±


    ¡°He already let me feed on him not long ago, I don¡¯t want him to become a vampire like me if he doesn¡¯t want to!¡± I said, pressing the cloth on his wound down tighter and glaring up at the old man. ¡°Just stay away from us!¡±


    The old man crouched down and raised one hand. ¡°Relax, we never intended to kill your little pet. If you don¡¯t turn him, he¡¯s definitely going to die. Maybe not from the blood loss, but some sort of sickness has probably seeped into that wound there.¡± He brought his hand to his chin and stroked it. ¡°But... I know of a way to patch that wound and harden his body a bit. I¡¯m only offering it because I¡¯m trying to be a pleasant host, and I know my grandson dragged you both into this ordeal.¡±


    I didn¡¯t give him an answer, nor would I if I had one. There was no reason to trust him on this, but I was out of options. Leo¡¯s heart was beating slower by the second. It took a few endless moments to realize it, but I eventually nodded.


    Even if it¡¯s a trick, and I die from this, I wouldn¡¯t mind dying with someone like Leo. If I can just hold him tight, I could fade away happily. I thought to myself, squeezing him gently as I fell to a sitting position.


    My eyes shut tight and he started to cast some kind of spell, but I didn¡¯t understand any of the words. It felt unnaturally sinister, probably the same magic that ruined his eternal youth. As he placed one hand on my skin, I was shocked at how warm it was, even for someone who had just fed. The fingers on my skin slowly got hotter and hotter, until it felt like a red iron was wrapped around my arm.


    I grit my teeth and kept holding onto Leo, but opened my eyes to see what was happening. There were no flames visible, even in the darkness of the room. As I looked closer, I noticed there was small vibrations rising off of the skin that hurt, as if gas was escaping it. My vision turned to Leo and the pain almost immediately went away.


    His wounds were closing, and the steady rhythm of life flowed back into him. My vision got blurry and I felt sick from the heat, but Leo¡¯s sleeping face made me stay awake through all of it. When the old man finished, the pain suddenly washed away at once and I shuddered in shock.


    ¡°Go, before the sun rises. He should awake feeling better than ever.¡± He told me.


    I stood on my feet, but Leo seemed heavier than before. With shaking steps, I walked slowly out of the estate and all the way back to the cabin. My eyes didn¡¯t wander much, except for around Leo, and when I had to descend from their home. It felt like a dream, my wrecked body not even glancing at where I¡¯d been hurt for a second. I gently laid him down on the bed.


    Before I pulled the sheets back, I took off the burned remnants of my clothes and climbed into bed with him. My head rested on his chest, listening to the soft beating inside. I had to cover myself entirely with the blanket, but his was large enough that it was easy to do. Wrapped around him, I let myself fall into a deep sleep.


    Whatever price I paid is worth it, just for this...

 Chapter Thirteen

    I barely remember what happened after I got hit with the spear. There was a feeling of weakness that was incredibly strong. There was barely any resistance from my body when the spear went in, like it had been fired out of a cannon, even if the speed wasn¡¯t close to it. Beyond that, there was just a lot of pain and blurred visions of Senna. I saw a bright light before I completely fell asleep.


    Despite my injuries, I had very restful sleep. Though I couldn¡¯t remember dreaming of anything, I felt an odd sensation while I was unconscious. When I did wake up, it was mostly faded. My eyes adjusted to the late morning sunlight and I stretched my arms. I looked down and found an odd lump clinging to the side of my body and balled up under the blanket.


    Ah, that must be Senna hiding from the sunlight. Did she really manage to get me out of there all by herself? I want to let her get some sleep, but I have a million questions for her when she gets up. I thought to myself. It¡¯s weird though, most of my body is warm, but the part she¡¯s clinging to is noticeably cooler.


    I lifted the blanket up slightly, careful not to let any direct sunlight fall on her, so that I could see if she was okay. It was then that I found she had taken off all of her clothes. Though I tried to inch away from her, she was tightly clinging to my side. Unable to get out of bed without possibly exposing her to the sun, I sighed and laid back down.


    My first thought to pass the time was checking any wrappings on my wound. When I felt where I had been stabbed, there wasn¡¯t any bandage. It was only after a few moments of frantic patting that I realized there wasn¡¯t an injury at all.


    The whole night couldn¡¯t have been a dream. Maybe I fell asleep at some point while we were inside, but I don¡¯t remember any point where I felt sleepy or laid down. Could the injury itself be a vivid hallucination? My mind raced, my body growing just as restless.


    Nothing more happened for what felt like ages. Senna started to stir more and more, her fingers gently flexing against me, not unlike a cat kneading. By the time she did actually wake up, the area she gripped was sore. I watched her face as she slowly opened her eyes the first time. With how light sensitive they are, I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯d be easy waking up. I started to pat her shoulder to help wake her up faster, but felt something strange.


    As she buried her face against my chest and grumbled, I spotted what was off. Large patches of her skin were scarred as if they were burned. I panicked for a second and thought maybe the sunlight was passing through the blanket, but then I realized the scars weren¡¯t in an even layer as if that were the case.


    ¡°Hnn... Leo...?¡± She muttered, and finally pulled her face off of my chest.


    If it wasn¡¯t clear before, it was obvious now. Her face had a massive burn scar where it had been resting on me, curling over her cheek and around her eye. While I was glad whatever this was hadn¡¯t damaged her vision, I couldn¡¯t help but place one of my hands on it. Just like her back, the skin noticeably felt different. From a glance it looked as if she was burned heavily a long time ago.


    ¡°Senna, what happened to your face? Your skin?¡± I asked, not able to form proper sentences in my shock.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked, blinking herself awake.


    As she brushed one of her eyes, she touched against the scar on her cheek. Curious, she started to trace over the burned skin with on finger. Even as she patted more of her body down, she seemed unsurprised by the discovery. Instead, she rested her head back down against me and nuzzled into my chest.


    ¡°Guess that was the price...¡± she muttered into my shirt. ¡°Just ignore it, okay? It¡¯s just scars, not an actual injury.¡±


    ¡°Senna, what happened?¡± I asked, and lightly pushed her away. ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything after I got stabbed, and even that is foggy. Where are your clothes?¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    After I pushed her away, she lifted herself up to a sitting position. The blanket was draped over her head, covering her body completely now. I expected her to start explaining things, but she stayed silent. Even through the cloth, I could tell she was staring at me. Unlike the few other times she¡¯s done it, however, this time it felt more intense. It took a good amount of willpower to look away and head to the window. Once I closed the shutters and turned around, she let the blanket slide down to her shoulders again.


    Dim light still flitted in from the open bedroom door, letting me see a few details. Even with the darkness, I felt embarrassed from seeing her like this. She finally moved away from the bed and got between me and the door. Each step seemed very exaggeratedly slow for her. By the time she was standing in front of me, I realized she was moving like that because she was being careful not to let the blanket open up accidentally.


    Her face this close, I could see the scar curling over her cheek again. I hadn¡¯t really paid close attention to her looks before, but the scar almost emphasized her natural cuteness by juxtaposition. Putting both hands on her shoulders, I looked into her eyes and spoke slowly, trying not to let my worry show.


    ¡°Senna... tell me what happened after I got stabbed.¡±


    ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t mean to do it to you. I¡¯m guessing that the old man wanted a backup in case Simon tried to run away from getting converted into a vampire. Once they realized their mistake, there was really only one option of saving you... or so I thought.¡± She said, and lifted up one hand from the blanket to show how burned it was. ¡°Guess he must¡¯ve used some dark magic to heal you. He must have done something similar to himself, judging by the way he looked. Instead of scarring you, though, I was the one who ended up like this.¡±


    ¡°Dark magic?¡± I asked, patting where I remember the wound being. ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that for either of us. We¡¯ve got an alright deal for now, but I don¡¯t want to think about what could happen if someone with magic like that is running rampant. If you¡¯re only scarred from it, then we need to start thinking of how to go back, rescue Simon and¡ª"


    ¡°No.¡± Senna cut me off, looking down at the floor.


    ¡°What? Senna, we need to go and rescue him.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t, do we?¡± She responded, taking a step closer and looking up at me. ¡°You got hurt last time we went there! I had to feed on you, and there were so many dangerous things in there and... we¡¯re never going back. I don¡¯t want you in any kind of danger like that anymore. No more fighting these stupid clans, I don¡¯t care about it anymore.¡±


    I shook my head and moved for the door to the room. Senna grabbed onto the back of my shirt and held me in place. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t speak. Something was wrong and I didn¡¯t know how to deal with it. Her fingers slowly tightened as she pulled me back towards her. Letting go, she wrapped her arms around me in a hug while the blanket fell to the floor.


    ¡°You can stay here, and I¡¯ll go out at night to get you food. I¡¯ll find some mushrooms to cook with the meat, or steal vegetables and fruit if you want. Just stay here in the cabin and don¡¯t ever leave, okay? I¡¯ll keep you safe...¡±


    Her cheek rubbed against my back, and I could feel her press her breasts tight against me at the same time. She started to pant as she held me, and I felt rooted in place.


    Having her protect me and do all that doesn¡¯t sound bad, but I¡¯d be a prisoner, wouldn¡¯t I? The Ainz vampires showed that a vampire¡¯s sense of normal was far off. If Senna says she¡¯s going to do that forever, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just saying that for effect. Would she make me a vampire as well, and keep me here forever? Either way, I¡¯ve got to try and convince her to go back. Even if he¡¯s a vampire now, he could help us get revenge on the Godwin clan.


    ¡°Senna... you realize that Simon might die if we don¡¯t go back, right? Or that the Ainz family might take revenge on us for killing one of them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if they come back. I¡¯ll slice their heads off and mount them on sharpened sticks outside our house. They¡¯re just going to stay in their holes for another century while they gloat about their superiority.¡± Senna said, her voice seething with anger even while she nuzzled into my back. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to go after them ever again. Let Simon deal with them if he wants to so badly. I just want to stay here, with you...¡±


    She lifted my shirt over my stomach and pressed her teeth against the softer part of my flesh. I winced from the sharp feeling, but she didn¡¯t fully bite me. My heart was only pounding faster, which could only be enticing her on. We both stumbled forward as she got more aggressive, and I had to guide us both back to the bed before she had me up against the wall.


    ¡°Okay, listen, I know you got scared by the injury. We knew going in that something might happen, I¡¯m only human. We should have the advantage now though, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± She cried out, spinning me around and grabbing my collar. ¡°We don¡¯t need to fight at all! We have each other and that¡¯s enough. I just want you, I don¡¯t want to keep fighting. Before we met, all I did was feed enough to survive. Anna was right, I was living like a rat... but I¡¯m not a rat anymore. Because of you, I can feel like a real person again, not a wild animal.¡±


    ¡°Senna, you don¡¯t need me to¡ª"


    ¡°Shut up!¡± She shouted again, forcing me down onto the bed. ¡°You¡¯re the first person to not see me like a rat. To treat me as though I meant something! I want to keep you safe, so why are you trying to run into danger right after I got hurt protecting you?! All these scars are because I couldn¡¯t stand to let you die, and now you¡¯re going to rush back like nothing matters!?¡±


    I wanted to speak up again, but she cut me off before my mouth could open. This time it wasn¡¯t with shouting, she brought her teeth down on my shoulder. Her hands gripped onto my wrists and pinned me down. Even without being fully fed, she was strong enough to hold me down. If I struggled too much, her teeth might rip out a chunk of my shoulder. Closing my eyes, I waited for her to stop feeding


    Having her on top made it much more intense, not to mention the fact she was naked. She pressed her chest into mine to get a better grip with her teeth and her hips ground against me. I could feel a light dizziness pass over me towards the end, and she lifted her face. A loud swallowing noise was followed by her licking her lips. Her eyes were unfocused, and her legs were twitching slightly on either side of me. She panted with a blissful smile before licking the wound clean. When she finished, she kissed one of my ears.


    ¡°Together forever...¡± She whispered in a breathy tone.

 Chapter Fourteen

    Leo¡¯s blood rushing through me felt even better than the last time. It might have just been the new bite location, or maybe it was how much love I felt in it, but I felt completely overwhelmed. Even though my vision was a bit hazy when I pulled away from his ear, I could tell that he wasn¡¯t as happy as me. As long as he¡¯s safe, it didn¡¯t bother me that he was upset for now.


    He¡¯ll understand after a while, I¡¯m sure of it. I¡¯ve just got to keep him close, and he¡¯ll fall for me just like I fell for him! I thought to myself, lightly massaging his wrists with my thumbs. I kind of wish I could force it though. Not having him hugging me feels like I¡¯m getting burned up all over again, but if that¡¯s what it takes to make him happy, then I will wait for him.


    I moved off of his lap and laid down on the bed. There was a restless feeling going over my whole body. Every little breath he took, or beating of heart, made me want to hold him down some more. Still, I knew I would only scare him. Leo sat up and rubbed the place where I¡¯d bitten him.


    ¡°S-Sorry about that. I guess I got kind of worked up. Do you want me to get you anything? There might be some sunlight in your living area, but I¡¯ll be careful.¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Leo told me, trying to stand up. ¡°Senna, just promise me that you aren¡¯t going to give up on Simon entirely. If you¡¯re scared, okay, we can wait. But if you want to just hide away here indefinitely, I can¡¯t agree to that.¡±


    ¡°...Do you hate me, Leo?¡± I asked, staring down at the floor from the entrance.


    ¡°What? Of course I don¡¯t! I care about your well-being, Senna, but Simon¡ª"


    ¡°So then why do you keep bringing him up?!¡± I shouted back at him.


    I hated myself for yelling at him, but I had no other choice. The fresh blood flowing in me was boiling over. These new emotions were still too strong for me, and I felt like my heart might burst out of my chest. My fist slammed into the wall, splintering the wood and scratching my hand. The pain only flashed over it while I healed, but Leo was quieter now. Seeing him scared was making me more upset, so I left the room.


    Dodging about the room, I set to closing the shutters using the fire poker to avoid putting my hands in the sunlight. Once the room was dark, I started a fire to begin cooking. Briefly I thought about making something for myself, but I remembered that I could feed on Leo now. My pale cheeks flushed and my anger washed away, hugging myself with joy at the thought of it.


    Leo stepped out of the bedroom and stared at me while I cooked. Knowing he was watching me calmed me down already. I watch the meat sizzle in a cast iron pan with a curious expression, hoping it smelled good to Leo. To me it was only losing the appetizing scent of blood. He walked past me and towards the table, though I raised my feet a little in case I need to bolt to the door and hold him down again.


    He sat down at the table in silence and waited for me to finish. When I¡¯d finally pulled the meat off of the pan, I brought it to him and set it down. Even though I could hear his stomach grumble, he was clearly reluctant to eat. His mind was probably racing, but I was only getting more infatuated.


    ¡°Senna... you know I can¡¯t stay inside forever, right?¡± He asked me.


    ¡°Of course, when the night time comes I can watch over you. We can go hunting like we did before! I¡¯ll take down and animal and then you can take its hide and meat. Um, maybe we¡¯ll have to set up some kind of trade thing where someone will pick it up in the morning for you...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even trust me to go into town in broad daylight? It¡¯s not like the Ainz family can go and attack me then, Senna.¡±


    ¡°N-No, but what if someone tries to rob you! A drunk might try and pick a fight with you! S-Some other girl might flirt with you!¡± I shouted back, standing up in the heat of the moment.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°That last one doesn¡¯t seem like a threatening situation.¡±


    ¡°It would be if I were there...¡± I muttered before taking my seat again. ¡°Look, it¡¯s just... I got really scared when I thought you were going to die. My first thought was to feed you some of my blood, which is what my aunt told me to do if one of our... if one of the humans at our estate got injured. That being said, she told me never to do it to the one I was feeding on, or he¡¯d turn into a vampire himself.¡±


    ¡°So as long as you feed from me, you can¡¯t do that kind of healing? Seems like it¡¯d be smarter if you fed on animals again then. Then you could¡ª"


    ¡°NO!¡± My fists slammed into the table, shaking the plate. ¡°I-I mean... no, I want to keep feeding on you. Even if it is a bit reckless, I just feel so much safer and happier when your blood is inside me...¡±


    I brought my arms back towards me, hugging myself tight and closing my eyes. With Leo¡¯s blood, my senses were strong enough that I could hear his breathing. It was faster than it probably should have been, and I knew it was my fault.


    Why do I feel like acting so selfish with him? It must be scary to have me behaving so violently in front of him. But he has to understand why, right? Leo knows that I love him, even if I don¡¯t think he gets how much. I thought to myself and opened my eyes. Do I even deserve to protect him, or keep him safe? He¡¯s brave and wonderful, but I can¡¯t imagine he truly needs me. I might just be causing trouble for him, but I can¡¯t help wanting to get even closer with him, to be with him all of the time!


    The rest of the daylight passed by without much more talking. I borrowed an old pair of Leo¡¯s shorts, and one of his sleeping shirts to wear. Leo paced around the room a lot, and cleaned some skins he had inside the cabin. As he moved, I just sat at the table with my knees tucked to my chest and watched him. He wasn¡¯t particularly scared or angry, but I could see his eyes drifting to the doorway every so often. Thankfully the sun fell below the mountains and I could open one of the shutters again. Even though I felt perfectly content staring at him, Leo probably wanted to go outside and stretch his legs.


    I leaned on the window sill and stared up at the sky, like Leo had told me to on our first night hunting together. There were streaks of purple, the last remnants of dusk bleeding away to the night. Without the moon or stars, it was just nearly invisible clouds that dominated the view above the trees. Without much to admire yet, I looked back to Leo with a bright smile. While he didn¡¯t return it, I could tell he was feeling nervous. I moved next to him and grabbed his arm, hugging it against my chest and leaning on him.


    ¡°Senna...?¡± He asked, looking down at me.


    ¡°I just thought we could walk out like this, since nobody else is here. From what I remember, this is a thing couples do, right?¡±


    ¡°Well sure, but...¡± He responded before shaking his head and moving for the door. ¡°Nevermind, just try to stay calm, alright? If you get upset, you might break my arm if you hold it like that.¡±


    Realizing what he was scared of, I pulled myself away till I was just holding his hand. My eyes locked onto the ground while I waited for him to start moving. While he might have assumed I was worried I would do as he said and hurt him, I also felt hurt. The gulf of strength between us was too large for comfort, and he seemed all to aware of it. I wanted to curl up and act meek just to make him feel safer, but he¡¯d probably just get freaked out. What I want is a lot more than just holding his hand, but I¡¯m willing to take this if it will make him feel a little safer with me.


    He opened the door and led the both of us outside. The sky still had light tinges of orange on the opposite side of the cabin, but it was definitely night where we were now. The second we exited the cabin, I felt an odd sense of fear. Even though it didn¡¯t feel founded in anything, I didn¡¯t like how open everything was to Leo. My mind raced with the idea someone might accidentally hurt him while out hunting. I pressed myself closer to his side and let out a small whine of frustration.


    Without the need to hunt to feed myself, I didn¡¯t have a reason to leave Leo¡¯s side. There were a few rabbit traps that we checked, but there was only three with rabbits inside of them. Watching Leo carefully kill them each with his knife made me excited. I thought it might have been because of the small amount of blood, but compared to Leo¡¯s blood it had barely any impact on my sense of smell. When I really thought about it, Leo¡¯s every action seemed more interesting to me now.


    I stuck closer to him while we walked back, and my nose pressed against one of his sleeves. There was an odd compulsion to keep smelling him, even when my nose was strong enough to get the same sensation from further away. I nuzzled against him warmly as we walked, but the scent of Leo became overwhelmed by something else. At first I thought it might be cooking, but the strength of the burnt wood was much too high for that. I let go of Leo and rushed off towards the cabin, with him trying to keep up with me.


    As I got closer, smoke noticeably rose above the treeline, and a bright red light shined in the darkness. I rounded the corner and found the cabin engulfed in flames. Right in front of the destroyed building was a cloaked figure. At the sound of my footsteps they turned around and pulled off their hood.


    ¡°Edward Ainz... I knew I should have killed you.¡±


    His face was scarred similar to mine, but far worse. The whole right half of his face was pitch black, same for his right hand. As soon as he saw me slow down to a walk, he undid the fasten of his hooded cloak and let it fall to the ground. There were bandages wrapped around his torso, with stains of blood on them. It was only when I was a couple meters away that I noticed his scars were leaking a faint steam or gas.


    Leo rounded the corner after me as I stopped and he lout out a shout at the sight of his home burning. I looked back at him for a second before snapping back and glaring at the arsonist Ainz.


    How dare he destroy the place me and Leo were going to live from now on?! I¡¯m going to skin him and make throw his worthless corpse at that pathetic family¡¯s estate!


    With a growl, I leapt towards him with my arms thrown out at either side, ready to strike. In the few moments of my charging, I noticed something mixing with the smell of burning wood. A warped grin spread over the face of Edward as I remembered what it was, but too late to stop myself. The smell was coming off of him, and was the same disgusting smell I had gotten from that room where Anna died.

 Chapter Fifteen

    The second I could see my cabin, I was stumbling to my knees. I can¡¯t even remember how many years I¡¯d spent inside of it. All the work and effort I¡¯d put into maintaining it was all gone now. Before I could really grieve, I heard Senna let out a roar and charge someone standing in front of it. They were too far away for me to tell who they were, but I could see some signs of heavy damage on them.


    Once Senna took I swing, it became obvious the stranger was a vampire as well. I moved behind a tree and collapsed down on one knee. My body was stiff like a rock while I watched the flames churn.


    I¡¯ve got to head in there and save what I can! I thought to myself. Dammit, Senna and that vampire are fighting right in front of the doorway. Even if I got there in time, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t get caught in the crossfire. That¡¯s not even mentioning the idea that Senna might try and throw me to safety and end up getting hit.


    My eyes broke from the cabin and moved down to the fight. To my surprise, Senna didn¡¯t look like she was even trying to hit him. All her moves were dodging, and she kept pausing to cough. I rose to my feet and slinked forward within the treeline to get a better look. Only a few steps later I got a better look at the Stranger¡¯s face and remembered he was Edward Ainz. He had a dagger in his hand, but it was some kind of blackened metal.


    ¡°Stop dodging!¡± He shouted at Senna in anger.


    ¡°How about you explain why you¡¯ve got even worse scars than me? Your father¡¯s magic too much for your fragile body?¡±


    Edward growled and let loose a flurry of slashes at her. While she dodged most of them, her arm was sliced open with the last one. Fresh blood poured onto the ground and Senna yelped in pain. Her hand covered the wound, but her scowl slowly turned to horror as she pulled her hand away. The wound was bubbling a sickly black color and wasn¡¯t healing properly. Edward held the knife out towards her and laughed.


    ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking about how I wanted to make you suffer for what you did to me, then what you did to Anna. You know that phrase, an arm for a leg?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an arm AND a leg.¡± Senna hissed at him.


    ¡°Well, if you insist...¡±


    Edward lunged for her leg with his dagger, but Senna took advantage and grabbed some of the blood from her wound and threw it at his face. He dodged away in time to avoid getting hit. Senna tried to jump at him in a follow up, but one of the beams of the cabin collapsed down and sent a wave of flaming splinters between them. She glanced down at her arm as it started to slowly heal. I couldn¡¯t see well from my position, but the wound was still black as it closed.


    ¡°What is this stuff?¡± She asked, wincing as the muscles in her forearm pulled the wound open again.


    He rose to one knee from where he¡¯d fallen, but hesitated in moving further. I took a few steps closer to him, and could just barely make out the sound of him heaving. All of a sudden, he began vomiting into the dirt with a pained groan. Even in the bright lighting of the cabin fire, the bile was the same pitch black color of the dagger. After two fits of heaving, he rubbed the blade of the dagger into the puddle and stood back up, the liquid quickly drying over the metal.


    Senna¡¯s face was contorted in disgust, which was probably close to how mine looked as well. Edward wiped his mouth with his blade arm and coughed before walking away from the burning cabin. I made a quiet and steady retreat from their path, Senna giving me a worried look with every step. She matched his walking and eventually the two of them were far enough away from the fire that they could speak at a normal volume. Edward removed his robe completely, revealing his uncovered torso.


    Like Senna, he had a massive amount of scars all over his body. Where it differed was the fact that his scars looked like the right half of his entire body had been burned to a crisp, but also exuded a strange steam from some portions.


    ¡°You know... I came here because I was blinded with a thirst for vengeance. I crawled towards my father in order to get him to heal me, and went on to ask for some way to kill you as well. From what I can tell, you know some of the pain I felt, don¡¯t you?¡± Edward asked, his breathing hoarse.


    I expected Senna to lunge at him, but she only stood in place. While I first thought she was being hesitant to take fight him because he had a weapon, I quickly realized my mistake from the icy stare she had on him.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Why isn¡¯t she going after him? Come to think of it, she should have struck him down when he started walking as well. There¡¯s something wrong with her. Maybe she¡¯s worried about getting cut with that dagger, but that wouldn¡¯t explain why she was so hesitant before. It must be something to do with whatever is coming off of his body. I thought to myself. Edward probably doesn¡¯t know it, but I don¡¯t think any kind of magical help he¡¯s got can stop her forever.


    ¡°I had to wait a good half an hour or so, staring into the flames before the two of you got back, you know. That was enough to give me a chance for self reflection, and I realized that I can¡¯t even say that you killing Anna was unexpected.¡± He said with a laugh which led to a brief fit of coughing. ¡°...lost your family, and anyone that knew about you. If it weren¡¯t for your cattle clumsily trying to hide behind me, I¡¯d say you actually were an animal. But you¡¯re not, I think you¡¯re just like... a worse version of myself.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Senna barked, fists clenched at her sides.


    ¡°When I really came to terms with the fact Anna was dead, I was so angry I couldn¡¯t even think straight. You, on the other hand? I mean, you lost your whole damn family lineage in one night, and you just keep soldiering forward. Sure you made some passes to try and join our family, but you had this unrelenting urge to survive!¡± Edward said before placing a hand on the scarred portion of his chest. ¡°But I¡¯m not one to cling onto a worthless existence. Whereas you were content to live in the wilderness and sink your fangs into diseased prey, I¡¯ll get revenge no matter the cost! I¡¯m well aware that I¡¯m going to die, probably any second now... My insides are turning into a bloated mass, exuding this damn vapor out through my skin. I guess this is what Anna felt, huh?¡±


    Neither of them spoke for a while, but I could tell Senna¡¯s head was somewhere else entirely at this point. I sat down on the ground, not caring to stay quiet anymore, and placed one hand over my eye.


    Vapor? That must be what¡¯s keeping Senna away from him. Does she just have to keep dodging him until that stuff kills him? I¡¯m honestly amazed he did something that insane. Even if we make it through this, I don¡¯t have a home anymore. The father or his older brother might come for us after this as well. Does that mean we can¡¯t hide in town, in case they decide to slaughter anyone staying wherever we sleep?


    Before I could think on it much longer, I heard a large crash and looked to the cabin. The frame was completely destroyed by now, with the walls and ceiling falling on top of themselves. My fists clenched at my sides, but I didn¡¯t have anything I could do. Dying or not, Edward was still a vampire, and could kill me with just one purposeful hit. I stood up and started walking back towards the cabin, but a blur moved by first.


    One she was closer to the fire, I realized it was Senna, racing directly for the burning cabin. She shattered the cabin¡¯s still-burning door with her shoulder, barreling inside of the wreckage.


    ¡°Senna!¡± I shouted.


    I ran after her, but the walls started collapsing further, and the remains on the western wall collapsed completely. Edward moved closer to it, peering inside to try and find her. We both waited for her to reappear, and sweat was building on my forehead. I put one foot on the ground to start running in after her, when a flaming pan was chucked out from the inside.


    Edward knocked it away with the dagger and stared down at the dull red cooking equipment. When we looked back to the cabin, Senna was silently charging out of it with a similarly heated sword in her hands. I could spot several burns all over her body, even on top of the scars she had as well in patches over the shirt she was wearing. As they smoked and regenerated, she slashed the sword at Edward¡¯s head. He tried to block it with his blackened dagger, but it was only knocked out of the way by the force of her blow. The sword sank down into his shoulder and broke his collarbone before it stopped.


    He let out a shout of pain and collapsed to the ground. Before he could fully recover, Senna plated a foot on his chest and yanked the blade out of his bone, quickly swinging it at his blade arm. With the muscles severed by the silver weapon, his arm was left limply hanging next to him. More of the vapor poured out of his wounds and Senna had to move back beside me. Even though he was a vampire, I was amazed to see him still breathing


    ¡°Dammit... you¡¯re insane...¡± Edward said, collapsing forward onto his hands and vomiting more black bile.


    ¡°Just shut up and die already. You smell like a corpse, I just want to make sure you don¡¯t get back up and chase us down.¡± Senna hissed at him, dropping her sword and clinging to my side.


    ¡°Like I¡¯d give you that satisfaction... But I¡¯ve already told you, didn¡¯t I? I don¡¯t care whether I live or die. It¡¯s pathetic I couldn¡¯t even kill you the way I was supposed to...¡± He muttered, trying to lift himself up. ¡°But at least I got to take away your home. Maybe Anna can rest easy knowing I got that done at least, and if not...¡±


    He raided back up from his posture, revealing he¡¯d moved the dagger to his functioning arm. Senna started to get between us, but he drove the blade into his own stomach with a whimper of pain. After a few heavy breaths, he yanked it up towards his chest. Bile burst out of his mouth and the wounds, quickly bubbled over and grew unstable. The smell from the vapor got stronger and I realized that whatever it was that burned Senna¡¯s arm was about to explode over us.


    I jumped in front of her right as it happened. The explosion sounded like an old man screaming in pain and lasted for several seconds. All the while I felt an agonizing burning across my back. By the time it ended, there was splatters of the bile on the ground around us, and Senna was the only thing keeping me upright.


    ¡°L-Leo...?¡± Senna whispered into my ear. ¡°I know you¡¯re still alive from your heart b-but... are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Not quite sure...¡± I replied, pressing off her shoulder and stumbling onto one knee. ¡°How does my back look?¡±


    She moved behind me and let out a gasp before rushing back around and hugging me, taking care not to touch my back. I could tell she was thinking about giving me some of her blood to make me into a vampire. However burned I was, it couldn¡¯t have been  fatal. I struggled back to a standing position and leaned against Senna as we walked away from the smoldering ruins of my home.


    ¡°Thank you for protecting me, Senna. We¡¯re going to rent a room at an inn in town, it¡¯s a place I¡¯ve had drinks at before. But in case I pass out by then, I need you to do me a favor...¡±


    ¡°Anything, please tell me what you need.¡± She answered as soon as I finished talking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill anybody while we¡¯re in town, and get us both some new clothes.¡±


    My vision got blurry even before I was done talking. The rest of my body went numb and limp soon after, so I didn¡¯t have time to hear her response before I collapsed.

 Chapter Sixteen

    With Leo asleep, I had to carry him the rest of the way. Thankfully there weren¡¯t many other people about in town at that hour. I paid attention to the signs and quickly found an inn, though the name on it was too worn to properly make out. Carrying him on my shoulder, I walked inside and was almost immediately put off.


    There was well over a dozen people inside, most of them men. A few of the people moving between the loud denizens were dressed in similar looking outfits, and carrying little tables with food and drinks. I had been to an inn before once in my life, but I had only stopped by as a child. This town was smaller then, with less eating and drinking as well. Shaking my head and trying not to breathe through my nose, I headed for the bar.


    After finding a free space, a tall woman turned her attention to the both of us and let out a gasp of shock. Some of the other patrons stared at us with mild interest as she bustled towards us and immediately put her hands on Leo¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh my goodness! This is one of the hunters from deeper in the woods. Leo, right? What happened to him?¡± She asked, frantically patting over him.


    Stop putting your hands on him before I rip them off. I thought to myself, staring at her.


    ¡°Our cabin caught on fire while we were away, but we don¡¯t know why. Leo got really hurt and he needs some rest, can we get a room for the night? I can try to get some money from the ruins tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about rushing into things like that! We need to get you both to bed and checked for something wrong. I¡¯m sure waking up to a fire in the middle of night must¡¯ve shaken you up, but you¡¯ve got to settle down and relax.¡± She moved to the other side of the bar.


    The woman waved over one of the other girls working there and had her take her place at the bar while she helped me bring Leo upstairs. Everyone in the room had lowered their voices and were casting curious glances at us. All of their stares made me more tense than usual, and I struggled to not run away. When we finally got upstairs, the woman broke away and opened one of the doors for us with a set of keys.


    We laid Leo down on the bed face down, turning his head so he could breathe. She tore the rest of his shirt off and pulled it free. Edward¡¯s black bile was still covering his back, and a faint steam rose off of his skin in the cool room. She touched the black spot with one finger and let out a gasp of pain before she pulled it back. A little part of it was on her finger, so she started to bring it towards her mouth to cool it down. I luckily snatched her by the wrist first.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡± I warned her.


    ¡°Huh? I guess it¡¯s unsanitary to touch my mouth after poking a wound, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m some little girl.¡±


    ¡°There might be poisons mixed in there, who knows what kind of stuff forms on burns like that! Just wipe your finger off before putting in in your mouth, or better yet wash it with cold water.¡±


    She looked at me in confusion for a second before leaving to wash her hand. I sat down on the floor next to Leo and stroked his arm. Even though it was a dangerous situation, and I should be worried more, I can¡¯t help but stare at his sleeping face. We were already on the losing side of a battle, and I had no idea how to change course. I wanted to just run away into the woods and hide, but leaving Leo behind wasn¡¯t possible. Even if I was scared I couldn¡¯t show it.


    The woman came back with a small towel on her hand. She walked over back towards Leo and put the back of her hand on his forehead. I immediately felt like tearing her apart. My hands clenched into fists at my side and I stood up. Before I could move against her, I remembered my promise to Leo and folded my arms tight across my chest. She stood back up and shook her head.


    ¡°So did you find him inside, or just help him along the way? I don¡¯t remember him ever mentioning someone living with him.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other a short while.¡± I admitted, avoiding eye contact. ¡°But I got him out of the fire because I was there with him. We were living together and were going to spend the rest of our lives in that cabin...¡±


    My anger from before got lost in remembering my plans for staying with Leo. Even if it meant dealing with humans like this woman, I¡¯ll be happy if I can spend more time together with him.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Oh, uh... congratulations on the engagement then.¡± She said with an awkward laugh. ¡°If there¡¯s anything else I can do to help you two, just let me know, alright?¡±


    ¡°Actually... we could use some new clothes, if possible. Both of us took some damage from the fire, and well... it¡¯s not like we can really get another outfit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try and find something for Leo to wear, I think we¡¯ve got a spare outfit from the tavern you could wear though. Here, let¡¯s let him get some rest and we¡¯ll have you change into new clothes!¡±


    Before I could object I was being pulled back downstairs with her. I wanted to stay with Leo some more, but was worried about coming off as suspicious. Just being around so many humans was putting me on edge, and I was incredibly lucky I had already fed on Leo before now. If I hadn¡¯t, I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯d be able to resist feeding on them, but thankfully now the only blood I need is his.


    I was brought into a back room, where she gave me a dress like her own. The size was a little too tall for me, but it wasn¡¯t entirely unsightly. She had a freshly cleaned tray held up near a lantern for me to see my own reflection. Even though the image was warped I still admired it for a minute or two.


    By the time I finished, I realized this was the first dress I¡¯d worn in decades, my previous one being lost in my old home. My hands stroked over the hem of the skirt and my face dropped. The bar owner put a hand on my shoulder comfortingly.


    ¡°Hey.... I know you¡¯re probably worried about your home, but everything is going to be alright, okay?¡± She said with a smile. ¡°Here, I¡¯m not up to much right now. My name is Lily, what¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°...Senna.¡± I answered, taking a step away.


    Lily held her hands up. ¡°It¡¯s okay, dear, you can relax. I just thought if you¡¯re going to be staying here for a bit, I¡¯d like to get to know you. Though... it is kind of strange. Now I didn¡¯t know Leo all that well, but I don¡¯t think I ever heard of him living with someone. What was your relationship with him?¡±


    We¡¯re lovers. That¡¯s okay to say now, right? I mean, he shielded me with his body and I¡¯ve fed on his blood already. That has to qualify it, right? Maybe I should just say we¡¯re soulmates. Wife-to-be? No, wait, I shouldn¡¯t let on that I¡¯m too close to him. Maybe I can dodge the question if I just say something that leaves our relationship vague.


    ¡°Me and Leo are... close. He¡¯s really important to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± She asked, leaning closer.


    Gah, her face is too close to mine! Simon always kept himself at a distance, but with my senses are strong as they are now, it¡¯s embarrassing to have someone staring at me like this! I wish Leo were here so that I could hide behind him. I thought to myself, closing my eyes and thanking the fact I don¡¯t have my own blood to flush my cheeks. No, Leo is expecting you to be able to handle yourself. Just think back to your time as a noble and handle this as politely as possible.


    ¡°T-There¡¯s nothing more to say on the matter. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to go and watch over him while he¡¯s sleeping.¡± I said, moving for the door and trying to forget that stutter.


    ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t you want to get some sleep yourself? It¡¯s pretty late, and I can imagine that you were in bed before the fire started.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m more of a nocturnal person. Plus I don¡¯t want to leave Leo¡¯s side right now, in case something happens in his sleep or he wakes up early.¡± I told her.


    I exited the room and weaved my way through the crowd back to me and Leo¡¯s room. While I probably got a few curious stares from strangers, none of them really fazed me. My mind only started to settle down when I got to Leo¡¯s side again and sat down. I gripped the skirt of my dress with one hand and stroked the fabric with my thumb in idle thought. The noise from the bar slowly died down over time.


    The door creaked open and Lily came in with one of the platters. There was a bowl of soup as well as a mug of water next to it. She placed it quietly down on the bedside table and crouched down in front of me.


    ¡°You¡¯re still up? Maybe you should have something to eat, Senna. Might get cold tonight, and you¡¯re starting to look a little pale. Even if you didn¡¯t get burned like Leo, you need to keep your strength up for him, right?¡±


    ¡°Um, thank you, I¡¯ll eat it later.¡± I said, wondering how I could get rid of the bowl without her seeing.


    ¡°Oh come on, eating something isn¡¯t going to hurt.¡± Lily said, bringing the bowl down and handing it to me.


    Dammit, I can stand eating meat but soup is something I¡¯ll just have to vomit out. I need to think of a way to change the topic or I¡¯ll make myself look suspicious. There¡¯s got to be a response to this that will give me a reason to ignore the offer!


    ¡°Sorry, but... you¡¯ve already done so much for us. I don¡¯t feel right taking more of your hospitality. Maybe once I¡¯ve found a way to repay you, but for now I¡¯ll be content to just wait until Leo is ready to leave again.¡± I told her, holding the bowl out for her to take back.


    Lily gave me a strange look as she slowly returned the bowl to the platter. As she rose to her feet and started walking to the door, I thought I might have gotten away with it, but she suddenly gasped and turned around.


    ¡°Wait a minute! I¡¯ve got it! You¡¯re already in the uniform, and you¡¯re staying up late anyhow... why don¡¯t you work here to help pay for things? You could even earn yourself a little extra money to get some clothes for Leo!¡± She offered, clasping her hands together.


    ¡°I... well, I guess that makes sense.¡± I answered, turning my head away to avoid eye contact.


    ¡°Great! You stay here for the night and recuperate some, just let me know when you¡¯re ready to work and we can get you started downstairs. To be honest, I¡¯m kind of glad, feels like I haven¡¯t had anyone knew to talk to in a while.¡± Lily said as she left the room. ¡°Good night, Senna!¡±


    ¡°...Night.¡± I said after the door closed.


    I looked back to Leo and stroked his cheek some. There were a few spots on his back where I could tell the skin had cracked and was scabbing over. Just the sight of it was making me hurt. As I stared more closely, I noticed the black bile was still there in part, but was fading away.


    Strange... I thought to myself. Shouldn¡¯t this smell awful, like Edward had? Maybe Leo is so incredible that even his scent overpowers whatever that vapor is. Then again, maybe whatever was in the bile at Edward¡¯s death was some kind of warped version of it that didn¡¯t have the same effects. But if that¡¯s the case, does that mean maybe his intention wasn¡¯t to create more vapor, but something else entirely?


    I chose not to think too much about that idea the rest of the night. The soup was silently poured out of one of the windows, and I used the water to try and clean Leo¡¯s body in his sleep. Once the sun was nearly up, I pulled a spare blanket from the second bed and laid down on the floor next to him.

 Chapter Seventeen

    My dreams were feverish, and I have no idea how long I was asleep for. There was a blur of images swirling in my head and I could barely keep them coherent. By the time I woke up, I could only remember feeling incredibly hungry and a dull throbbing in my skull. The first thing I did once I was awake as try to roll over, but my back coursed with pain as I moved. With some effort, I managed to slowly rise up onto my knees and let my eyes adjust to the room.


    There weren¡¯t any windows, so it was fairly dark inside. A small crack under the door was letting some light in, and I noticed an odd lump of fabric on the other side of the entrance and hidden from the light. Squinting my eyes, I figured out it was Senna inside a small blanket cocoon.


    She could at least sleep on the other bed. I thought to myself. But I can imagine she¡¯d tell me she wanted to sleep in a way where she could watch me. Hopefully it hasn¡¯t been too long since I fell asleep. Senna hasn¡¯t had human contact outside of me and Simon in decades, there¡¯s no telling what might set her off.


    I sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on my upper back. The skin I could reach was seemingly healed, but it was a little numb to the touch. After I got up, I looked for some clothes to put on. There was a neatly folded shirt and pair of old pants near the bed which I assumed where for me. Once I was dressed I moved over to where Senna was sleeping and crouched down in front of her. While I was careful not to move her too much and wake her, I pulled on the blanket to see her face.


    A small, brief panic came over me when I realized she wasn¡¯t breathing, and then I made a mental note to slap myself later for being an idiot. The scar was barely visible in the low lighting, but it was still noticeable. I quietly debated waking her up but decided it would be better to let her get some rest after what happened. Treading carefully, I made my out into the hallway.


    There was a good amount of light outside, so I assumed it was early in the afternoon at the latest. Downstairs was fairly quiet compared to the times I would visit at night, and I made my way there barefoot. Once actually on the ground floor, one of the barkeeps spotted me right away and finished cleaning a mug before rushing towards me. It took a second to remember, but her name was Lily.


    ¡°Whoa there! Are you sure you should be moving about? You looked like you were left on the coals for too long.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking great too, Lily. I¡¯m fine enough to be walking at least. Could I have something to drink? Feels like my head is going to burst...¡± I muttered, rubbing on of my temples.


    We moved over to a table and she got me a small glass of water. It was a little cool, and helped wake me up while I drank it in one go. Once I set it down, she was already getting me some bread off of the counter.


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t need to go that far. I¡¯ll get something later from my¡ª" I started to answer before my memory came back. ¡°Oh... right.¡±


    She placed a few slices of bread with butter in front of me and patted my shoulder. ¡°Just take it easy, alright? Don¡¯t want you bleeding all over those clothes or anything. Your friend was the one who bought them after all.¡±


    I took a bite and cocked and eyebrow at her, swallowing before I spoke. ¡°What? Senna had some money on her when we got here?¡±


    ¡°Nope, she started working here last night.¡± Lily answered before sitting down at the table with me. ¡°Poor girl was stiff as a board when she first started, but by the end of it she was moving just as fast as the others. A little too fast sometimes! That girl was very adamant about keeping you safe though. Whenever I checked in on you two, I¡¯d find her in some odd position, just staring at you in bed.¡±


    A whole day of sleeping? Guess that explains why I¡¯ve felt so stiff, on top of my injuries. Is it really alright for me to depend on Senna for money right now? I guess without my cabin there¡¯s not many other options. We¡¯ll have to stay here for as long as we can and try to stay low. I should also try and find out something about whatever Edward covered my back with.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy about having to rely on others like this. Glad that Senna hasn¡¯t caused you any trouble though. She¡¯s a good person, but... a bit of a recluse.¡±


    ¡°Pot calling the kettle black on that one, don¡¯t you think? How much more isolated can you get than a hunter living by himself most of the month?¡± Lily asked with a laugh.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Well you¡¯d be surprised...¡± I answered before standing back up. ¡°Either way, I should try and help out as well if I¡¯m going to be staying here very long. If you have anything I can do let me know about it.¡±


    ¡°You can start by going back upstairs and getting some more rest. Senna is probably still asleep up there, but you should wake her up at some point and let her know you¡¯re alright. Even though she was doing her best to hide it, you could tell she was thinking about you the whole time she was working.¡±


    I nodded, but didn¡¯t have anything I could add before I returned to our room. The place was still poorly lit compared to the downstairs, so I waited in the doorway for my eyes to adjust. A little portion of Senna¡¯s blanket was poking out from where she was avoiding the light. Careful not to be too loud, I walked up and knelt down next to her.


    Very slowly, I put a hand on her shoulder and rocked her side to side. Her face scrunched up, but she didn¡¯t wake up any more than that. I tried doing it a little harder, but she only pulled the blanket down and grabbed my arm. She held it against her chest and whimpered in her sleep.


    I guess if she¡¯s used to sleeping in a hole in the ground, there¡¯s no surprise if she¡¯s a heavy sleeper. Her grip squeezed me lightly as I thought to myself. It¡¯s strange though, it doesn¡¯t feel like she¡¯s all that strong right now. Maybe in her dream she¡¯s actually holding onto my arm as well. It actually makes her look really cute.


    We both stayed like that for a bit until she started pressing her lips against my forearm. The hair must¡¯ve bothered her because she started stirring again. Her eyes slowly fluttered open while she nuzzled me. It took another minute or so before she realized she was awake and looked up into my eyes.


    ¡°Hello again, Senna. Did you sleep¡ª" I managed to get out before she yanked me towards her and held me on the ground. ¡°Gah! Senna, what¡¯re you doing?!¡±


    ¡°S-Shut up!¡± She answered, pressing her face into my chest and shivering.


    Once again I could tell she was holding herself back to not hurt me. I just pet her head slowly and hugged her back, waiting for her panic to die down. A few times it almost sounded like she was whimpering or about to cry. When she was finally composed enough to pull her face away, she still kept her arms wrapped around me.


    ¡°You left me alone for a whole day...¡± she muttered before pulling a hand free and tapping my chest with her fist repeatedly.


    ¡°I know, sorry for nearly dying there. Lily told me you worked hard while I was in bed, though. Thank you, Senna.¡±


    ¡°Well it was a pain having to deal with humans so close. Being ordered around by them was especially painful, but thankfully I didn¡¯t have to hurt any of them. The only person I want to take orders from is you, Leo.¡± She added, letting go of me and moving back onto her knees.


    I let the statement pass without comment, and lifted myself back up, the skin on my back stretched and made me groan with pain. Senna looked worried, but I held a hand up to calm her down. I pretended to stretch my arms while I waited to make sure there wasn¡¯t any blood coming out. Confident it was fine, I got back up to my feet with Senna rushing to my side at the same time. She locked herself around my left arm with a determined look.


    ¡°Without my house, we¡¯re going to have to be here for a while, alright? I won¡¯t force you to work for Lily if you don¡¯t want to, but either way I¡¯m going to try and convince her to let me work as well.¡±


    ¡°Leo...¡± Senna started before mumbling in hesitation. ¡°Do you hate me?¡±


    ¡°What? Why would I hate you?¡±


    ¡°I told you I was going to keep you safe and protect you, but then I let Edward hurt you so badly, and even your cabin... Especially since I scared you before then and told you I was going to keep you from contacting anyone.¡± She squeezed her face into my arm and hid her scar. ¡°How can you forgive me when I¡¯m acting like such a monster...?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a monster, Senna. Just because you¡¯re acting a little strange after something traumatic happened, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re¡ª"


    ¡°But I AM acting strange, right? You should stay here and heal up, and I¡¯ll go back to your cabin and live there. Maybe in a while I can fix it with my hands or something, and then you won¡¯t have to see me again.¡±


    It took a few seconds for my mind to catch up with her words. Her whole body was quivering now and she was tearing up fast. Without wasting time, I gently brought her in front of me and started to pet her hair. I led both of us back to my bed and sat down so she was kneeling on the floor. She wasn¡¯t crying yet, but I could tell the second I stopped petting and hugging her that she was going to lose control.


    ¡°Listen to me. Don¡¯t say things like that. You¡¯re very important to me, alright, Senna? Not just to protect me, but that I need to keep you safe as well. Whatever the situation we¡¯re in now, and going forward, we¡¯re going to have to face it with the other. I don¡¯t really have anything left, bar you. No running off, and no getting hurt on purpose anymore. Okay?¡±


    She nodded slowly, but sniffled a few times. The both of us stayed quiet for a while as Senna composed herself. Before she could fully get the tears out of her eyes, however, the door to our room opened slowly. Lily¡¯s head peeked in suddenly.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯re you two...?¡± She started to ask before her eyes adjusted enough to see us. ¡°Oh, guess that¡¯s a, um... sorry for the intrusion!¡±


    I reached my hand out to stop her, but the door was closed before I could speak. My hand immediately went back to petting Senna¡¯s head as I let out a sigh. She didn¡¯t seem to acknowledge the intrusion at all. After a while she pulled away and moved to my side, gesturing for me to lift my shirt so she could inspect my back. Once I did, she got behind me and silently ran her fingers over a few spots. Her touch was gentle enough that I would twitch at certain points, but never get hurt from it.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look right... the skin is darker than it should be. It looks like whatever that stuff was isn¡¯t preventing you from healing, and it isn¡¯t generating any of that vapor stuff either.¡± Senna said in a calm voice before moving back into view with a scowl. ¡°I wish Edward were here so I could kill him again for what he did to you...¡±


    ¡°Well considering what Edward looked like, I¡¯d say I got off easy if all that happens is that my back got scarred.¡± I replied, rubbing my shoulder. ¡°Have you fed on any animals or eaten meat while we¡¯ve been here?¡±


    ¡°N-No! I¡¯ve been waiting for you to get better so I can just feed on you. Feeding on anyone else seems disgusting to me now. Going without blood for a while isn¡¯t that hard, and I can probably nibble on some meat for now. When you¡¯re all healed up, I¡¯ll definitely want to drink more of it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope I heal up quickly then.¡± I said, giving her a pat on the head. ¡°We should also try and think of what we¡¯re going to do in the future. For now though, let¡¯s focus on explaining to Lily what she actually walked in on...¡±

 Chapter Eighteen

    We stayed at the inn for several days more after that. It was difficult having to work around my weakness to sunlight, but I was able to quickly handle the jobs I was being given. Without being able to feed directly from Leo, I was left to settle for just cuddling him for the brief periods our sleep cycles overlapped. My body had fallen in temperature from the lack of human blood. Despite that, he never complained, and even complimented me on the feeling a few times.


    I got to know Lily a bit more as well, though I still didn¡¯t like the thought of leaving her alone with Leo for his times awake. She would sometimes give me old dresses of hers or sell them to me for cheap. Wearing them was embarrassing, but Leo would call me cute if I wore them around him, so I made sure to.


    Aside from doing my best to make him happy, I felt anxious about his back. Neither of us felt comfortable approaching the topic, but there was obviously some lingering effect from Edward¡¯s attack. The black char on his skin had bled away at least a day ago, but the scars were still there. While I was desperate to feed on him again, I¡¯d stared at his back more than enough times to know something was wrong. The cuts he had were fairly deep and long, but the scars almost looked like they were shrinking in size.


    There was a light tap on my shoulder and I spun around full force. Lily recoiled back with a small laugh and held out a plate for me. I shook my head for having been distracted and took it out to a patron at the far end. When I walked back, Lily was busy cleaning a mug behind the counter again.


    ¡°You seem tense. Thinking about Leo again?¡± She asked with a small smirk.


    ¡°I am always thinking of him.¡± I replied proudly.


    ¡°He¡¯s been out of bed and moving for a day or two now, you don¡¯t need to worry so much. You¡¯re only halfway through your shift as well, so try to just stay focused on¡ª¡±


    A sudden noise drew our attention as two rowdy men stood up from their table on the far end of the bar. I could tell from their clothes they were probably hunters like Leo, but the fact they were carrying furs on them indoors meant they must be trading.


    I guess without me and Leo catching animals there might be a few more of them out there for these guys to catch. Fighting in public like this is completely embarrassing behavior though. Leo would never do something like this at least. Maybe if I get them to calm down I can take a break and go watch him sleep a little!


    They both barely seemed to notice me until I was right next to them. Even then, they were more concerned with shouting at each other over prices than they were at recognizing me. I put my hand on one of their shoulders and the hunter swung his arm towards my face. Acting fast, I gripped him by the wrist and slammed him down into the table. A deafening silence fell over the inn from the sound of the crack.


    I let him go and he slipped onto the floor, clutching at his face and pinching his bleeding nose shut. My gaze shifted towards the other hunter. He gave a rude snort of disgust and hurried out of the establishment. The one I¡¯d forced to the floor took far longer to get moving, but I made sure he didn¡¯t try anything on his exit. Once they were both gone, I looked back and noticed a crowd of eyes watching me. Most of them snapped away, but Lily was watching me with worry.


    ¡°Well damn, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to handle that yourself. Did you really need to break the guy¡¯s nose over a noise problem?¡±


    ¡°He tried to hit me, why wouldn¡¯t I hit back?¡±


    ¡°Most people probably don¡¯t expect a girl like you to be able to dish out that kind of damage, Senna.¡± Lily replied with a shake of her head. ¡°Ah, speaking of which, looks like one of their drinks must have spilled on you. Do you want to step into the back and dry it off? Hopefully it won¡¯t stain.¡±


    I give her a nod and head into the back room. There¡¯s a dry hand towel folded and ready to go in a drawer, which I take out and starting rubbing over the fabric of my dress. My fingers squeeze against the cloth, but I intentionally don¡¯t put much pressure on the actual scrubbing. My mind wanders back to the feeling of catching the man¡¯s arm just a moment ago.


    Lifting the towel up to my face, I grab it from both ends and tug. My eyes glance back to the door for a second and almost immediately I hear a ripping sound. The towel was torn in half by just an instant of careless strength.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Dammit, how can I explain this?¡± I whispered to myself.


    Maybe that wasn¡¯t an abnormal amount of strength? Lily already believes I¡¯m just naturally strong, maybe she can believe I got over zealous and tore it in half. I thought to myself before using one of the halves to continue rubbing the wet spot. Having to actually deal with dresses and humans feels dangerous. Being able to hold back my strength is easy most of the time, but when I¡¯m upset I might accidentally kill someone. Would it be possible for me to hurt Leo like that at some point? Maybe if I just asked him to become like me, I would have to worry about it.


    The door to the back swung up and I flinched, unaware I had stopped cleaning up my dress a full minute ago. Lily stood in the doorway and waved me back to the inn. I had to set down the two strips of cloth on the box I had been resting on and moved closer to her. She bent over to be at eye level with me and whispered.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t know any nobles... do you?¡± she asked me.


    My eyes went wide and I looked away, taking a second to steel myself before answering. ¡°I may know one or two... why?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s some strange looking man here that was asking about you and Leo. He¡¯s wearing some really nice clothes under a thick coat, so I think he¡¯s trying to hide his wealth while he¡¯s here but I don¡¯t know for sure.¡± Lily asked before straightening her back again. ¡°If he starts giving you trouble, just ask for me, alright? Just because you¡¯re not rich doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not human! Don¡¯t let him treat you any different if he gets handsy.¡±


    ¡°R-Right...¡±


    After stepping out of the way, me and Lily walked out behind the bar. She pointed me in the right direction and I spotted the figure right away. Their hood was hanging over their head, even indoors. I briefly considered moving to get my dagger from upstairs, but thought better of it. Giving Lily one last look back, I moved towards their table, but didn¡¯t sit down. A wave of relaxation passed over me as they lifted their face.


    ¡°Dammit, Simon... you should have just told her your name. Glad to see you¡¯re alive at least. Leo was worried about you, but we obviously couldn¡¯t head back to the Ainz estate yet.¡± I told him, leaving out that I was the one who insisted we not go.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to put anyone here at risk for when they come after me.¡± He muttered. ¡°Take a seat, I want to talk with you and I don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Pulling up a chair, I sat down opposite him at the small table. His posture was entirely different to the last time I saw him. It was more fragile, like he was worried he might get attacked at any second. Even though he was wearing gloves, I could tell from the little part of his face I could see that his skin was pale.


    Even if he¡¯s been converted like I thought, he shouldn¡¯t be that pale. Has he not fed at all since then? I can¡¯t imagine how starving he must feel right now, especially when surrounded by humans.


    ¡°What is it you want? I should warn you right now that I¡¯m not willing to risk Leo¡¯s life taking on your family again.¡± I warned him in a quiet voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t really expect you to go seeking danger, I more came to warn you. After learning where they are, and providing evidence, I¡¯ve gotten the church to send for reinforcements into this area. They¡¯ll be hunting the vampires down in this area, specifically the ones you mentioned attacked your family.¡± He said, gripping his wrist. ¡°Since they won¡¯t discriminate between you and them, I would advise you lay low for a while.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll kill the Godwins?¡± I asked with slight hesitation. ¡°Fine, once again you¡¯re making things more complicated for me and for Leo. Just leave us be and everything will be alright. I noticed a distinct lack of your family¡¯s name there, though.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I want them to remain alive. They have some kind of strange power, the grandfather at the very least. I¡¯ve never seen something like it before, and I won¡¯t throw away lives from the church just to find out.¡± He said dejectedly. ¡°Couldn¡¯t even finish them off myself, I wasn¡¯t prepared enough going in, even having you two to help me. At least I¡¯ll die tonight knowing their lineage is over, no matter what happens to me.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I hope you enjoy your last sunset.¡±


    I stood up to leave, but his hand shot out towards mine. Before I could react, he already had his fingers on my wrist and pulled me back to the table. Lily glanced in our direction, but only for a second. Simon¡¯s fingers were cold and thin, like he¡¯d just crawled out of a grave. When I took my seat again, he tucked them into his lap and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Sorry, but just warning you isn¡¯t all I came for. I was hoping that, considering all you¡¯ve done so far, you wouldn¡¯t mind... finishing me off.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, taken aback by the request. ¡°Just go crawl off somewhere until you can die on your own, or wait until your holy warriors arrive. Stop dragging me and Leo into your business whenever you feel like it.¡±


    He stared me down for a while, eventually shaking his head. ¡°I want to talk to Leo. You¡¯re obviously being defensive because he¡¯s not here. Even if you do fancy him, you can¡¯t be so irresponsible as to let your feelings¡ª"


    I slammed my fists down and stood up. The noise drew attention from the other patrons, and I had to take a few deep breaths to calm down from his insult. With a wave of my hand, I gestured for him to follow me back upstairs. He did so, giving a brief nod to the other guests as an apology on my behalf.


    How dare he call my feelings just fancy? The immortal blood must¡¯ve gone to his thick head, confusing soulmates for childish crushes. I suppose he got what he wanted, because I certainly feel like murdering him now. Hopefully Leo doesn¡¯t mind getting woken up over this nonsense.


    On the way to my room, I told Lily the man wanted to visit Leo to try and help him, but that he wouldn¡¯t be staying. She was worried after another outburst from me, but didn¡¯t say anything about it, thankfully. She reminded me of my mother in a few ways, though certainly more of the positive aspects than negative ones. We made our way up the stairs, but I stopped him before opening the door.


    ¡°Listen, you wait outside first and let me wake him up. I don¡¯t want you near him in case you have something wrong with you like Edward and try to kill him in his sleep.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª" He started to reply before rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°No, you¡¯re right, can¡¯t take any risks like that here. Do what you have to, just please act fast.¡±


    Turning back to the door, I entered the room and shut it behind me. Even in the dark, I could see Leo¡¯s peacefully sleeping face clearly. Unlike the nights when we first came, when his expression would twist and look pained at night, he¡¯s gotten far more relaxed. Having to wake him up and lose precious sleeping time was another reason I should murder Simon.

 Chapter Nineteen

    My eyes fluttered open slowly, with a groggy headache passing over me. I rubbed my eyes and sat up while Senna continued to prod my shoulder lightly. My hand instinctively patted her head as I wondered why it was so dark.


    ¡°S-Sorry, I know you haven¡¯t been asleep that long, but I need to talk with you about something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She took a few steps back towards the door, but stopped short and grabbed the dagger from the bedside table. With it hidden in one of the pouches of her matron dress, she opened the door again. Simon stepped into the room and looked about with a squint in his eyes. I immediately stood up and went to approach him, but he held up a hand of warning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, it¡¯s too dangerous right now. Either way I¡¯d probably get my head torn off by Senna. Good to see you¡¯re still alive, Leo.¡± He answered, folding his arms across his chest. ¡°I think you¡¯ll want to sit down for this, both of you are going to need prepare.¡±


    The second I took my seat on the bed, Senna joined me and clung to my side. Simon went back to the entrance of the room and looked both sides of the hallway. Satisfied, he closed the door and sat down on the floor with his back against it. Even through the dark lighting, I could tell he was far paler than before. His skin was also gaunt and looked as though it was stretched over his bones.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you remember what happened a few days ago, with my grandfather at the Ainz estate. While you both ran away, I was forcefully turned into a vampire. While I had always known it was a possibility to do something like that I had assumed I might be able to at least kill myself when it happened, tragic as that end might¡¯ve been. Unfortunately the process was so sudden that I blacked out right after it happened. They had me restrained for the past few days, and I was unable to get anything that could really harm me.¡± He told us before taking a long pause. ¡°Which is why I need your help in murdering me. I can¡¯t just make a fuss in town to get killed because I don¡¯t want to panic everyone and possibly get them hurt.¡±


    ¡°But... is death really the only option? Senna was an amazing help during our fighting with them, surely an enhanced version of yourself would¡ª"


    ¡°No. I¡¯m already in a weakened state because I haven¡¯t fed, and I refuse to do so. Maybe it¡¯s just a lie to comfort those unfortunate enough to share my situation, but most church hunters will say your soul is not truly lost until you have fed. Even if I can do it off of raw meat, I don¡¯t want to risk it.¡±


    We both went quiet, but Senna was clinging tighter than before. I looked down and saw she was staring at the ground. Even though I couldn¡¯t see her face I could tell that all of this was upsetting her.


    Hearing that her soul is at risk, or that she¡¯s an inhuman monster? None of this has to be easy for her to hear. I don¡¯t want to diminish Simon¡¯s resolve, but at the same time I don¡¯t agree with it. Senna is an incredible person, even if she is a vampire. The lengths she¡¯s gone and time she¡¯s suffered, all to avoid harming innocent people, is incredible. I thought to myself, putting a hand on her head.


    ¡°Listen, I understand that¡¯s how you feel about it, but me and Senna are still struggling to get by where we are. Not sure if you know or not, but Edward burned down my cabin when he attacked.¡±


    ¡°I... I did not. All I knew was that you were here, I had no idea that he did something so terrible to you. To be fair, I can remember how unhinged he looked when he last left the estate. Things are a bit foggy in my memory from that point, it was when my hunger was first starting to take over my body.¡± He shook his head and finally stood up. ¡°Listen, I understand that you¡¯re stressed about your living situation and all of this is a bit sudden, but I need you to kill me. Preferably right now, if possible.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°We can¡¯t kill you right now! Not like we¡¯d be able to explain how a stranger came to visit us and we have to decapitate him. Why don¡¯t you just stay here until the morning and stick your head out of the window?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be vampire hunters arriving here soon, but I¡¯ve only told them about the Godwin family. I¡¯m confident that my grandfather and uncle are going to come after me before they can arrive. If they get here before then, there¡¯s no telling what they¡¯ll do to¡ª"


    ¡°Then fight them here!¡± Senna interjected. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a vampire hunter, idiot, you should be able to handle those two. Even if they are incredibly strong, you¡¯ve trained your whole life for this. As a vampire, you¡¯re even more dangerous towards them!¡±


    ¡°What about the people at this inn? This whole town? How many of their lives are you willing to risk, or even worse sacrifice, just to kill those two? You¡¯ve seen the twisted occult methods he has. It¡¯s entirely possible that he¡¯ll slaughter everyone here if he gets desperate enough.¡±


    The three of us fell silent once again, but not inactive. Senna rose to her feet and drew out the silver sword from under the bed it was hiding. As she lifted the blade to attack him, I rose to my feet and held a hand out.


    ¡°Wait! What¡¯re you doing?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had to bottle it up for a few minutes now, but I¡¯m sick of this. He¡¯s already made me wake you up, and worry about all of this. Now he¡¯s one and brought his family here with no intention of keeping them from hurting you. I¡¯d prefer we could throw him into that pit of vapors like Anna, to be honest...¡±


    She¡¯s got a point about bringing them here, but I have a feeling she is more concerned with my safety than the townspeople. I thought to myself. It definitely was wrong of Simon to come here just to get murdered, but at the same time I can understand where he¡¯s coming from. His determination is the only thing that led to the Ainz family getting killed in the first place. If we didn¡¯t do it then, who knows if their grandfather might have done if he¡¯d had enough time to work on whatever magic he had.


    Moving between Senna and Simon, I grabbed the blade between two of my fingers and turned it away. She glared at me the whole time, but didn¡¯t resist what I was doing. With the sword no longer pointed at his neck, I turned back around.


    ¡°Listen, we¡¯re not going to kill you right now. But if you dying is what you want... I suppose we can go out into the woods and do it. Don¡¯t want to have anyone running into us and thinking we¡¯re killers all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°But what if they¡ª!" He started to interject.


    A loud knocking on the door made all of us flinch. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and moved towards the door before crouching door and looking at the shadows from the light on the other side. When I saw only one pair of feet, I opened it up. Lily was standing with her arms folded and with a concerned look staring back at me.


    ¡°You two are awfully popular tonight... some more people are here to see you. Is something going on? I don¡¯t want the inn caught in the middle of some rich folk business, Leo.¡± She said.


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯re trying to keep things civil but... wait, more people? What did they look like?¡±


    ¡°Two men, dressed pretty similar to the other one. Seems like these ones had a parasol though. Even if it does rain, would you really want to walk through the woods at night like this?¡± She shook her head and relaxed her posture some. ¡°Listen, these guys were asking for you specifically, not Senna. I don¡¯t know if any of this is related, but I don¡¯t like having nobles coming in here. There¡¯s all sort of nasty rumors about them already, if even one of them is true, I don¡¯t like them being here.¡±


    ¡°Look, Lily, just... give us a second and we¡¯ll do our best to get them out of here, alright? Nothing bad is going to happen to anybody here.¡±


    She nodded and walked back downstairs while I closed the door behind me. Both Senna and Simon were hiding back in the darkness. Senna noticed me looking at both of them and moved closer to my side. I waited for Simon to move forward as well, but his eyes were locked on the sword.


    ¡°If they¡¯re here, you have to¡ª" He started to ask.


    ¡°No, Simon, I¡¯m not doing it now. You and I both know that they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take revenge on us if they found out we killed you here. I wanted to do it someplace else so we could claim innocence, but that¡¯s not really an option anymore.¡± I held out a hand towards him. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going down there now. Worst case scenario, we have to run away until sunrise and you can die then.¡±


    The mood of the room had fallen considerably from the start, but it didn¡¯t matter. I opened the door outside and held it for the both of them. They filed out, but both of them were staring at the floor as they did.


    Let¡¯s hope we can make it through this without anyone else getting hurt.

 Chapter Twenty

    Everything about tonight had made me uneasy. The fight, and concern for hurting Leo in the backroom, and especially finding out that Simon was here and causing trouble for us. Right now, that feeling morphed into a primal sense of fight or flight. Just knowing that the head of the Ainz family was here made my muscles tense. If my heart was still pumping blood, it would racing right now.


    We got down to the bottom of the stairs, but it didn¡¯t take long to spot the people waiting for us. The both of them sat at the exact same table Simon had been sitting. Both of them were wearing several layers of clothing, even though it wasn¡¯t particularly cold tonight. Their skin was noticeably healthier than Simon¡¯s or my own, showing off how well fed they were.


    With two of them, as well as a crowd of people, I don¡¯t think I stand a chance against them. I can¡¯t believe Simon led both of them here instead of just running until the sun came up. There¡¯s no way for them to be that much faster than him, even if they are stronger. I guess if he¡¯s been starving himself there¡¯s a chance he might stumble or get weak. Either way, I¡¯m sick of dealing with the Ainz family.


    As we all made our way to their table, Lily grabbed me by the arm and pulled me aside. She kept glancing at the both of them with a large frown on her face.


    ¡°Hey... I¡¯m really glad you and Leo have been helping us out so much lately, but I just want you to know seeing those kind of folks unnerves me. I can¡¯t imagine how you feel when you¡¯re called for in the middle of the night by one.¡± She shook her head and put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Just let me know if you need any help, alright?¡±


    I gave her a nod. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just keep your distance. Not the first time I¡¯ve had to deal with these people, but it¡¯s hopefully the last.¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem satisfied with the answer, but let me go. Leo and Simon were already waiting there at the table, standing over it. When I got to Leo¡¯s side, I pushed up to him to make us both feel safer. The grandfather gestured for us to take a seat, but I just glared at him and held onto Leo tighter.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking for basic decency. Take a seat, or we¡¯ll have to assume you want to do this in a more direct manner. Despite what you may have heard about me from Simon here, I would not like to take innocent lives.¡± He told us before clasping his hands together and leaning forward. ¡°Violence in public is unbefitting of someone of noble birth... isn¡¯t that right, Senna?¡±


    The amount of condescension in his voice was so thick I was surprised he didn¡¯t gag on his words. If Leo wasn¡¯t right next to me I might have been inclined to take up his challenge. At the same time, I would feel bad for damaging Lily¡¯s property or getting her hurt. We all took seats, but Simon notably did not pull his chair back to the table. Once we were all sitting, the grandfather nodded his head and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Now then, I won¡¯t bother speaking to my grandson. He¡¯s barely said a word to me since the last time all of us were together. In his place, I¡¯d like to ask the both of you if you¡¯d mind sending him back with me and my son.¡± His eyes were locked on Leo, but as he paused, his gaze snapped over to me. ¡°Due to some complications I am now fully aware you helped create, he is one of my only children. Lineage is important in a family, after all, especially when it comes to one¡¯s children. He¡¯s no doubt come here hoping for some method of protection?¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s right. We were talking about how to do that right before you got here, though we wanted to move him outside of the tavern.¡± Leo answered.


    I tensed up at his side, and I can¡¯t even imagine how Simon was reacting inside of his head. Even though he basically confirmed we were a threat, Leo didn¡¯t look shaken at all. Those big, beautiful eyes of his were locked on the grandfather.


    Has that evil bastard done something to him? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any kind of magic that affects the mind, and especially none that lack a visual effect. My mind raced as we waited for the grandfather to respond. Wait, maybe Leo knows he isn¡¯t going to try anything yet? This feels risky, I wish I could read his see inside his head right now. I guess it¡¯s a good thing I still have the dagger on me.


    ¡°Well... good thing we interrupted you then.¡± He answered, feigning a brief smile. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you just let us take him off of your hands and everything will be fine? I¡¯m sure you¡¯d rather focus on your own housing situation, or these humans here. We¡¯ll leave you to it and all three of us can go back to our estate.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°You already sent one of your sons to attack us, so why should we care about your wishes over Simon¡¯s? If you were going to fight anyway, I assume you wouldn¡¯t go through all of this false pleasantry.¡±


    ¡°Are you taking my mercy as weakness? That would be a very fatal mistake, I assure you.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m assuming that you aren¡¯t here just to threaten us into doing anything you want. Sure, Simon might die if a fight did break out, but you¡¯re well aware that wouldn¡¯t be the first thing we¡¯d go for.¡± Leo told him before leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. ¡°So what I¡¯m assuming is that you have something you think would convince me to hand him over to you, or that you have something besides Simon that you want.¡±


    The grandfather leaned back in his seat while his eldest son stared down at the table. In the silence, I tried to read his expressions better. I remember him being the one who kept rejecting my requests for help. The events of the manor distracted me too much from remembering him clearly.


    In a way, having been rejected by him was a blessing in disguise. Because of that, I got to meet Leo and have him take me in. Even though I didn¡¯t like it much at first, being with him has made me feel more whole than ever before. I thought to myself, looking up at Leo again. He¡¯s really amazing, being able to handle this situation so well. If he told me to, I¡¯d kill both of these idiots for him.


    ¡°Well then, I suppose there¡¯s no point in hiding it. I¡¯d like to offer my expertise to help you out. I¡¯m sure the Edward¡¯s attack has left you concerned about some sort of growths, or scars? With my help, I can remove those flaws from your body.¡±


    ¡°So you can cover Leo in those horrible flames and burn his skin? Like you did to mine?¡± I hissed out at him, squeezing Leo¡¯s arm tight.


    ¡°No, child, I would just be healing him. The scars are just a side effect of magic working on vampires.¡± He said before looking straight at me. ¡°Of course, if I took the time when I was working with you, it could have been done in a painless manner. You were in quite the rush to save your human though, so I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Leo is more important than any scars on my skin or pain.¡± I said, glaring back at him. ¡°If you can fix Leo, then go ahead and do it already.¡±


    I felt a hand on my shoulder as Leo pushed me away for a second. He leaned forward on the table and gestured for me to wait.


    ¡°Now wait a minute, I don¡¯t think I want anything to do with that magic of yours unless I really have to. Can you even say for sure whether I¡¯m sick or whatever it is you¡¯re claiming? Sure we¡¯ve been cautious and avoiding having Senna feed on me, but the worst I¡¯ve got are some scars. Your offer sounds like a trap to me.¡± He warned the grandfather.


    ¡°Well if you¡¯re going to force my hand, I¡¯ll enlighten you. You¡¯ve seen a good amount of it now, but what do you think you know about the vapor?¡±


    All three of us on the other side of the table fell silent. The eldest Ainz son seemed incredibly nervous just at the mention of the word. Simon meanwhile pushed his seat further away and started to flex the grip on his hands, as if he were holding invisible weapons in them.


    The vapor has to be that stuff that killed Anna, right? I thought to myself. There were bodies in that room, all bloated and rotten. Even thinking about the smell of that room is going to make me vomit. It¡¯s possible those bodies were failed experiments, or even more stable versions of whatever Edward became.


    ¡°It¡¯s... some kind of gas that can kill vampires. That¡¯s all I know for sure.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably enough for cursory knowledge. The truth is that it is a specially created effect. It¡¯s a mystery that has eluded even me for some time now. Still, I¡¯m now able to generate it quite efficiently these days. The bodies in the cellar, where you murdered my daughter? Those were the first humans I experimented with. They generate the material, but die almost immediately. A vampire is strong enough to hold their body together for the process, however, but it does ultimately result in... well, you saw what happened to Edward.¡±


    ¡°You turned your own son into a weapon for revenge?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°He was always fond of Anna, and I suppose he wanted revenge on you for killing her, no matter the cost.¡± The grandfather shook his head. ¡°What a strange and disappointing end for him. Throwing his life away over someone who was dead. As an immortal creature, he should have known better than to cling to an unchangeable past. He couldn¡¯t imagine living without her, and in the end, he didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t care about your own children at all, do you?¡± Leo cut in.


    ¡°Edward chose his fate, I would be an unfair parent if I restricted him from that. If he wanted to die after living for so long, then I cannot argue with it. My grandson Simon here, on the other hand, is just a child compared to him. He needs proper guidance in order to understand the situation ahead of him.¡±


    Simon slammed his fist into the table, drawing attention from a few surrounding tables and a look of mild disdain from his family. I could tell that if he had been properly feeding, that he would have left some serious damage to the wood. His face was easy enough to read, and I could tell how badly he wanted to put his training to use right now.


    ¡°Listen, before we do any of this... I want to confirm that there¡¯s something wrong with me to begin with. The damage was mostly to my back, and I don¡¯t want to raise any suspicion here if you end up doing anything to me. You, me, and Senna will go upstairs and you can see if there is a problem.¡± Leo told him before looking at me. ¡°I need you to make sure they don¡¯t try to pull anything, alright?¡±


    I nodded and all three of us stood up to go back to the room. Simon was glaring at us as we started moving, and I knelt down next to him. Making sure the eldest Ainz was busy looking after his father, I slid Simon the silver dagger from my back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use it unless you have to. Got it?¡± I whispered to him.


    He gave a silent acceptance and hid the blade in his lap. The brother cocked an eyebrow at me, but I ignored him and headed upstairs after Leo.

 Chapter Twenty-One

    The Elder Ainz and I walked up the stairs to my room. The whole way I could feel his eyes locked onto my back. There was once a time when Senna would give me a similar feeling; like I was falling into one of my own traps. Even her eyes were nothing compared to what I was feeling right now. We got to the top of the stairs and I stopped to look back, making sure Senna was still behind us. The grandfather had his eyes on the floor now, but I was sure he did that to hide his staring.


    She caught up to the both of us, and gave me a nod before glaring at the old man again. We moved to our room and I opened the door for him first before stepping in afterwards. I lit a lantern on the end table near the bed Senna was supposed to sleep in; she more often than not chose to sleep on the floor beside my bed or inside it if she thought there was room.


    I¡¯m sure neither he nor Senna really need a light on in here, but I¡¯d prefer being able to see what¡¯s going on anyway. This was more of a placative gesture anyway, Simon getting taken away is the last thing I would want. On the other hand, maybe there really will be something wrong with me. He could lie and I¡¯d never truly be able to tell if he was being serious.


    ¡°Tell me, how was it that you got into contact with Edward¡¯s blood? I don¡¯t see any very noticeable scars on your skin, like Senna.¡± He asked me, pacing idly around the room.


    ¡°No, I had to shield her after he killed himself. After struggling for a while, he sliced into his own stomach. There was a chain reaction and his stomach burst open with some kind of boiling, black liquid. It covered my back and singed off my clothes, but thankfully I was able to survive. Senna brought me back here and I slept for a few days.¡± I looked towards the door and waited for Senna to come in.


    She opened the door quickly before looking at the both of us. I could tell that she wasn¡¯t happy about what was happening, but didn¡¯t want to go against what I said at the same time. I moved between her and the grandfather and folded my arms.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got one last question before we start... what is it you¡¯re making this stuff for?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°My plans are mostly irrelevant, aren¡¯t they? They¡¯re a century in the making now, and I don¡¯t feel like explaining every step to the both of you. Just know that it involves murdering the Godwin family, and that after today I should leave the two of you alone.¡± He answered before looking at Senna. ¡°That enough for you?¡±


    Senna looked away, but she wasn¡¯t glaring anymore.


    Guess that means he doesn¡¯t know about what Simon did after he escaped. Hopefully we can do something to get them to investigate the Ainz family after all of this. Still, taking down the Godwins should be enough for Senna. I looked down at my wrist and rubbed it with my thumb. Right? I guess I haven¡¯t gotten the chance to ask her myself, she did start all of this out wanting them dead, but I don¡¯t know how she feels about having no part in it. We just have to make it through tonight and I can talk with her about it then. Whatever he¡¯s about to do, I hope it doesn¡¯t anger Senna.


    I turned my back towards the grandfather and rolled my shirt up. The fabric was still a little uncomfortable to wear as I hadn¡¯t worn it long, but the bunched up cloth was far less uncomfortable than having both of them looking at my bare skin. It wasn¡¯t long before the old man pressed one of his fingers against a scar and made me flinch. Unlike what I expected, his fingers were cold. He didn¡¯t look unfed like Simon did, which means he should feel more alive than this.


    ¡°Strange...¡± He muttered to himself. ¡°There¡¯s no lingering pain from this? How did you get the wounds to heal so cleanly?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know. When I woke up after the explosion we were worried something was going to grow back or something, but in the end nothing happened. Other than washing it out a few times, we haven¡¯t treated the injuries at all.¡±


    The finger pulled away from my skin and I let my shirt down. He didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds, and I looked back to Senna. Before I could tell her to go get Simon, I felt the old man¡¯s hand on my neck as he forced me back against him.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Ah, I see now! I suppose looking for a random chance of this happening was too hopeful. All I had to do was sacrifice someone to gain what I wanted. Strange to imagine a vampire wouldn¡¯t consider that possibility, hm?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re you even¡ª?!" I started before his grip tightened on my throat.


    ¡°Your blood has somehow managed to withstand the vapor mixing in with it! I thought for sure it would multiply inside of you, melting your insides like it did with Edward. Instead, you have negated the bile that entered your body. Maybe it was the magic healing earlier? Maybe something to do with it being a vampire I used as the fuel for that?¡± He wondered out loud before chuckling. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m feeling a little ecstatic. I guess it doesn¡¯t matter in the end, because I only need you and your blood once.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare bite him you worthless corpse!¡± Senna shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll tear your eyes out and make you wander towards the sun before I shred your estate to crumbling ruins if you so much as prick his skin with one of your nauseating fangs.¡±


    Even though her eyes were ice cold, she was baring her teeth at him threateningly. More than that, her whole posture had changed to a more animalistic one. The scarred side of her face twitched like a rabid animal, itching to tear into him.


    He might be too tough for her to take head on, but from how easily she took down Anna, I¡¯m not quite sure. Either way a full blown fight would probably drawn the attention of the people downstairs at the least. It¡¯s definitely more dangerous for me, but being between the two of them is probably keeping Senna from going ballistic.


    ¡°What do you even want with my blood anyway?¡±


    ¡°The effects of repeated exposure to the occult has left my body in less than an ideal shape, to say the least. Even over feeding doesn¡¯t cure the amount of degeneration my supposedly immortal body suffers. Blood like yours, however, has a potential to revert those changes. Even if it¡¯s only in part, I think the real benefit will be finally being able to push forward with my plan.¡± His hand slowly turned my head to the side as he forced one of my arms behind my back. ¡°After all, if I feed on someone immune to the effects of the vapor... I should be able to inherit that trait myself.¡±


    With my body in an awkward position, I couldn¡¯t easily pull away. Even if I wasn¡¯t held, he¡¯s strong and fast enough that I think he¡¯d kill me before then. I looked to Senna for something to help me, but her eyes seemed distantly locked on the background. Without a word, she moved over to where the silver sword was hidden and pulled it out.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to threaten me, save yourself the time. Even if you could kill me first, you wouldn¡¯t dare risk harming your pet human here.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Senna asked holding the sword up with one hand and pinching the blade with the other. ¡°No, I was going downstairs to murder the son you brought with you. Then I was going to kill Simon, and tell everyone in town that you¡¯re a vampire.¡±


    ¡°A crowd like that would definitely pick up on the fact that you are as well, you know.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I care? There¡¯s going to be a whole army of church hunters coming into this area before long, and they already know there are vampires here. Even if I end up dying in the aftermath, I¡¯ll make sure you and anything you planned or love will be torn to shreds. You hurt Leo, and that¡¯s what you deserve.¡±


    The old vampire hesitated, probably weighing whether or not she was bluffing. Even though neither of them spoke, I could practically feel the air get thicker. After a few seconds, Senna shouldered the blade and took a step towards the door.


    ¡°Wait!¡± He shouted, letting go of my arm to hold out his hand to her. ¡°Clearly we¡¯re at a stalemate here for what we want to do. Things aren¡¯t going to go either of our ways unless we agree to move on for now. Let me take my family and leave, then we can both wait out these church hunters in our own ways?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d trust you for anything close to that? Let Leo go right now and I¡¯ll settle for slicing your limbs off with this sword.¡±


    ¡°Come now, I was planning on letting you feed on him before he dies, you know. It¡¯s not right to be selfish when it comes to blood of this rarity. What gives you the right to claim his blood, exactly?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re soulmates!¡± She shouted back, pointing the sword at him.


    The statement definitely shocked me, though it must be stranger for him. Even though we¡¯ve never explicitly stated it before I¡¯ve gathered that¡¯s how Senna saw us. If this weren¡¯t such a life threatening situation, I¡¯d be inclined to tell her the same thing.


    ¡°I beg your pardon? You really must be an animal if you think falling in love with a mortal is a smart move. But fine, you don¡¯t want to share him, then we have nowhere to go. If you want him to stay alive, the best choice is to let me go. At the very least, then you can prepare for a proper fight at a later date. Sound fair enough to you?¡±


    She seemed hesitant at first, but eventually turned back around. The grandfather slowly let me go, and I stepped out to the side. I rubbed my neck and glanced down at the red skin on my wrist from where he grabbed me. At the same time, Senna let the sword fall down on the ground, but kept herself low. The grandfather initially stepped around her, until he got one last look at me from the doorway. He held out a hand towards Senna with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Care to shake? To seal the deal, I mean. I don¡¯t want you going back on your word and stabbing me from behind or anything.¡±


    ¡°Get away from me you worm.¡± She said, and slapped at his hand.


    A grin flashed over his face. The instant her hand smacked his, he wrapped his fingers around it and gripped tight. Before she could react, bright green flames burst out of her arm and rapidly crawled over her body. He moved quickly to her side and gripped the burned half of her face with his other hand. Senna howled in pain as her body convulsed, the bright light of the flame hurting my eyes just to look at.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not healing anything this time, so there won¡¯t be any scars.¡± He spoke over the flames. ¡°That pain should still feel real, however. Oh, try to pass out as soon as you can. I don¡¯t want to draw any unnecessary attention from the humans downstairs before I leave...¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Two

    The flames flowed over my skin, arcing with pain even worse than before. They burst through my skin without damaging anything, keeping the pain from straying out of my mind or numbing at all. I tried to stand up, but every movement just seems to make it worse.


    It feels like the afternoon sun is shining down on me! This is much stronger than it was back at their estate. Could this be what it felt like when my family was getting murdered? Did they all want to peel their skin off like I do right now? The room is spinning around me and my head is getting lighter. No! Focus on staying awake, I can¡¯t leave Leo alone with him!


    ¡°You¡¯re putting on quite the brave face, considering this situation. Just fall down already and we can move on with this. It¡¯s inevitable that you¡¯re going to give in, so start planning on dealing with the aftermath once you wake up instead.¡± The grandfather taunted.


    Forcing one eye open, I looked over to where Leo was, but I couldn¡¯t see him. My vision was blurred from the flames, but I could hear something moving behind the grandfather. Slowly, I felt my brain starting to slow to crawl. My muscles relaxed sporadically as I fought to stay awake.


    ¡°Senna! Kick him down!¡± I heard Leo call out.


    The weakness in my body before briefly fled. Just hearing him say my name made me feel stronger. I wasn¡¯t able to stand on my feet yet, but I swept with my right arm. The forearm just barely connected with the back of his knee, but was fast enough to shake his stance and make him fall to the floor.


    All of a sudden, the fires faded and I let out a shuddering groan while I collapsed onto one knee. I wasn¡¯t able to gasp or pant to recover, and had to bear with the stiffness in my muscles. With some effort I was able to look over and watch Leo ready the silver sword into the air. There was still some blood on it from stabbing the grandfather, but I couldn¡¯t see where he¡¯d done that.


    The old vampire groaned in pain, looking down at his chest. As Leo brought the sword down towards him, his hand suddenly shot up to try and catch the sword. He sported a smug grin up until the blade cleanly sliced through his palm and embedded itself into his neck. Leo struck it several more times until the head came off completely. My arms wobbled in weakness and I fell over onto my side, with Leo moving next to me and sitting down on the floor.


    ¡°Sorry... about that, Senna.¡± He panted out. ¡°You okay? Take it easy, don¡¯t try and rush or you might seize up again.¡±


    ¡°Just sore... can¡¯t move...¡± I weakly replied.


    The two of us rested for a while in silence. Even though I didn¡¯t have to breathe, the sudden shift from agony to normalcy had left me numb in a few places. It didn¡¯t take long for Leo to recover and stand up. He knelt down next to me and lifted me up into his arms and he brought both of us back to the bed. Even if I could have moved at that point, I didn¡¯t want to.


    His skin was even warmer than usual, and his heart was pounding in his chest. The dizziness was fading away bit by bit, and I managed to turn my head away from Leo¡¯s face to see if the grandfather was dead. There was barely any blood coming out of his neck, like he had already been wrung dry. Ignoring him, I looked back to Leo and wrapped my arms tightly around his chest. He stroked my hair with one hand and held me close. It felt like the world was turning slower and slower with every touch.


    ¡°Ah, we should go get rid of the older brother and Simon...¡± I muttered, trying to predict what Leo would want to say.


    ¡°Yeah, but... not now, at least. I need some time to think about what to do with the body. Not to mention how to get rid of the both of them.¡± Leo replied, shaking his head and propping me up so that our eyes were at the same level. ¡°In the meantime, you¡¯ve had to deal with a lot of stuff tonight, and on top of that you¡¯ve waited a while. You should... you know, feed yourself.¡±


    I wanted to say thank you, or any words at all back at him. My mouth was too slack to form a sentence, so I rested it down on his neck. The muscle there was still thick, and his skin was warm in the spot that had been covered by his shirt. My fangs sunk in and I almost immediately clung tight against him. His heart was still beating faster than normal from earlier, and it felt like his blood was leaping into me.


    Leo¡¯s arms both wrapped around me now and helped keep me in place. Even with how many days it had been since I last tasted him, it was completely different this time around. Whether or not it was because of whatever the old man wanted was irrelevant, I was just happy to taste him again. Once I was done feeding, the stiffness and weakness were completely gone from my body. I slid out of his lap and onto my feet.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt this good! Leo, you¡¯re incredible...¡± I said with a small giggle, flexing my hands to watch the fresh blood move inside of them. ¡°Have you decided what we should do with the last of the Ainz?¡±


    Leo was rubbing the spot I bit him, and I suddenly remembered how he looked after the first time I fed. Not wanting to rush him, I took the liberty of dragging the corpse to the other side of the room, kicking the head under the bed after it. Normally I wouldn¡¯t have touched his corpse except to burn it, but Leo shouldn¡¯t have to deal with that. I moved back towards him and knelt down on the ground next to him.


    He shook his head and rubbed my scarred cheek with his thumb. ¡°Senna, you can just sit on the bed next to me.¡±


    ¡°But these beds are really thin, and I want to be at eye-level with you. Don¡¯t worry about me though, what are we going to do now? Do you need me to do anything for you? I know you¡¯re tired and all but I¡¯m completely awake!¡±


    ¡°Senna... I know you¡¯re excited about drinking blood again, but you do realize we still have another powerful vampire downstairs to deal with?¡± He replied before shaking his head. ¡°Nevermind, we just need to get rid of the last brother and we should be fine from now on. There¡¯s also the issue of dealing with Simon, but with his grandfather gone that solves itself for the most part.¡±


    ¡°Alright, how do we kill the brother? I can do it right now if you let me lead him into the woods. It¡¯ll be really easy with how good I feel right now!¡±


    ¡°No, if possible I just want him to leave here and hope he gets killed when the church hunters arrive. It¡¯s bad enough that we killed the grandfather here. We should just go downstairs and tell him to leave, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s stupid enough to pick a fight with us if he thinks it¡¯s true, and if he is... well, you can kill him then.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we just provoke him into attacking me? Then we could get rid of him right here, and it could drive off any suspicion about me being a vampire myself!¡±


    ¡°But you might get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, I¡¯ve just fed. Even if I get cut up or anything like that, I¡¯ll just regenerate it anyway.¡± I said, grabbing his hand and holding it tighter against me. ¡°Besides, you already have done so much to protect and help me, can¡¯t I return the favor just this once? I want to be useful to you.¡±


    Leo let out a sigh and I loosened my grip on him. For a moment I thought he was upset with what I said, or that he didn¡¯t believe in me. Instead, he moved the hand to my chin and tilted it up. We shared a quick kiss, which couldn¡¯t have lasted more than two seconds at the most. It was the first one I¡¯d ever had. There was nothing I could say back to him, but the warm blood flowed to my cheeks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to think of how to be useful to me, just do your best to stay with me, alright? Even back when we first met, I just wanted you to be treated better than you were. I¡¯m not going to blame all of it on you, but you can take care of the both of us without getting yourself hurt.¡±


    I could only nod my head back. He smiled down at me and stood up, holding out a hand to help me to my feet. When I took it, I didn¡¯t let go after he was done, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind it. Even though I was fully fed, I had a weird urge to bite down on him again. After a few seconds I remembered it as the same feeling from the first night I saw him sleeping in his cabin.


    This isn¡¯t the same as hunger, but it feels just as intense. Maybe it¡¯s just the blood, but my heart is racing. I thought to myself, following him to the door. It¡¯s really intense though, I¡¯m glad he¡¯s here with me. Maybe when he goes back to sleep I can lay my head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat some more, that should calm me down.


    Both of us made our way downstairs, only to find many of the patrons missing from just a few minutes prior. Lily was standing in front of the bar with her arms folded and her hair disheveled. Right away I noticed the smudge of blood across her apron. She spotted us by the time we got down and hurried over.


    ¡°Where have you guys been? Is that old man still in your room?¡± Lily asked quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit... strange. What happened down here? Are you okay?¡± Leo asked her.


    ¡°Those two you left down here started bickering not long after you left. I think the one that came with the old man wanted the other one to leave with him. Either way, they ended up shouting at each other, and the crazy bastard pulls out a knife! He stabbed him in hand and tried to chase him down, but he ran into me. Before I could even ask what happened, he shoved me into one of the tables with his bleeding hand. Going to stain this apron, I¡¯m betting...¡±


    ¡°Dammit, I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d try to pull a trick on us.¡± Leo muttered to me. ¡°Well as long as nobody else was hurt in the fight. Sorry for all the trouble this caused, Lily. Assuming they went off where I¡¯m thinking they did, we shouldn¡¯t have a problem again. Just, um, let me know if you need to buy a new apron and I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. If they¡¯re supposed to be heading somewhere, can you go and make sure they did at least? The way that guy handled being stabbed, and the look in his eyes... gave me the creeps. Don¡¯t want those two doing anything weird to the townsfolk, alright?¡±


    We both headed outside to follow Simon and his uncle. The moon was high, and the sky was clear. Autumn was coming to an end by now, and it was growing colder. With the blood in my body, I could feel the wind brushing against my cheek in an alien way. Leo wrapped an arm around my side and pulled me against him. All the cold seemed to vanish, but I just squeezed into him tighter.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll really find them out here? No telling where the uncle ran off to...¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not really, but I just want to be sure. Simon I can bet went to the church, wanting to tell them what happened. Without his grandfather chasing them, he probably felt they weren¡¯t going to be in danger if he went there. The last Ainz, however... I don¡¯t know where he¡¯d run off to.¡±


    We eventually found the church, and alone with it the dead body of Simon. They weren¡¯t able to tell what I was since I was so freshly fed, and we were able to convince them to get rid of the grandfather¡¯s body as well. Simon¡¯s last words for us was letting us know that the brother had fled in the direction of the Godwin family home. I could only imagine that he might start asking them to help him get revenge, or to join their family now that his was destroyed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to prepare for when those hunters arrive, maybe we should leave the inn and go somewhere else?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s save up money first, can¡¯t just leave. It might take a while, but why don¡¯t we try building another cabin? Took me a few months to build the first one, and it¡¯s not really the right season to be working outside, but it¡¯ll keep us out of the way.¡±


    Living in a cabin away from the world, just Leo and me? I can¡¯t imagine anything that would make me happier.