My Immortal (7 page)

You're ten times more beautiful than she
is…

My face flames.
Are you always in my head?
Is there anything that I can keep private?

Mmm, probably not.

The stranger speaks to me through the bars of
the cell. "Soon he will crave blood, and this time we will see if
you aren't the answer to his problem."

• Chapter Five
  

I'm not sure how long we have been sitting here,
next to each other across from the torch. It seems like at least
twelve hours. Whatever drug they gave me has made me feel extremely
happy and melancholy. I just feel totally content sitting here.

Shadow sits about three feet away from me and
he's been feeling pretty good himself. I'm not sure how long it's
been since we stopped talking either, but it's probably not been
twelve hours.

Jezebel is still out cold but she did wake up
and murmur something before she turned on her side away from us,
shivered violently and shifted back to herself and then passed back
out.

Shadow went over to check her pulse before
that because he was worried.

I tried not to watch him touch her naked
body, even if he did stay behind her and only close enough to touch
her neck with a stretched arm. Still, it sent painful, little
electrical sparks through my body and my heart sped up.

If Shadow noticed he had the decency not to
act like he did.

His stomach has been growling almost as long
as we have been sitting here but he says that the
Black
Poison
kills the hunger pains and the cramps.

However, I worry about what that guy said to
me when he left. It's been running through my mind since he said
it.

I won't bite you.

I huff.
Could you please stay out of my
mind unless I'm talking to you?

I can't help it. I just hear everything you
think.

Well I don't hear anything you think, it's
always just what you say to me.

That's because I'm not thinking about
anything.

His stomach growls. He grunts.

"Cramps?" I ask.

"Oh no, I need more drugs…"

"No you don't. What you need is blood."

"You've seen what happens when I try to drink
blood. I can't handle that again."

"You can keep my blood down. You need to
drink mine."

He pauses for a second. "I don't think I
could keep yours down either, Alexia. All these things they've done
to me have really screwed me up. My body is…messed up. Bad."

You're just scared.

Touché.

You've never drained me before when you were
out of your mind with blood lust. You won't do it now. I trust
you.

I don't even trust myself. Alexia, they gave
you a drug that makes your blood irresistible to me. It smells
heavenly. They plan on me drinking your blood, alright. They hope I
will be able to keep it down too but they don't plan on me stopping
either.

What do you mean?

I mean that they aren't taking any chances.
They think this is their one shot and if I can keep blood down they
want me to get as much as I can…

Like…all…of it?

Yeah, every single drop. They gave me the
drugs so that my body will be free of withdrawals and spasms. If my
stomach were to spasm or cramp after I feed because of my drug
withdrawals, I could vomit my meal again. And this time something
tells me that they really don't want that to happen.

Things have gotten a lot worse. Shadow's got
the shakes now. He says normally they would have come back with a
blood slave by now.

He's worried since they haven't come.

I think he is way worse off than he lets on.
He realizes how bad off he really is. I think he actually sees the
possibility that he may die from starvation or withdrawals
alone.

I also think my happy drugs have worn off.
Shadow said that it made my blood smell ten times more potent and
that he just didn't want to mention it. Luckily though, it's not
affecting him, or me, anymore.

I am pacing back and forth, wracking my
brain. I have tried everything to get him to feed! I have tried
talking sense into the boy; I have tried bargaining with him, I
have even got on my knees and begged him to drink my blood. Just a
few sips!

He is so stubborn!

I'm not stubborn…just on this one thing. I'm
looking out for you.

Stop eaves dropping on my mental
conversations!

…
Geez.

I continue pacing.

His cramps happen about every minute or two
now and it's getting harder for me to watch. I'd rather be the one
suffering.

No, trust me, you wouldn't.

When you suffer, I suffer, Shadow. Even when
you are being a big, fat jerk, it hurts me to see you this way.

He doesn't reply now because he's curled into
himself shaking and moaning just trying to get through the cramp.
His stomach rumbles loudly. It's just crazy to know he has no food
whatsoever in there.

"Your stomach is probably eating itself! You
need to do something!" I yell.

His skin is clammy and the beads of cold
sweat are back on his skin. I sit back down.

I wish he would let me touch him. I would rub
his back right now and trace his tattoos. His wings tremble as they
lay on the dirty floor and that breaks my heart.

No, please don't touch me.

I won't, I gave you my word. Unless you ask
me to.

Time goes on. I bite all of my nails to the
quick.

It's gotten unimaginably worse. I hope he
will just pass out from the pain but his blessed relief never
comes.

He has started eyeing the girl. He has curled
into a ball next to me, almost in a continual agonizing cramp. His
stomach gurgles and whines constantly. I don't know how he is
standing this.

I wonder if it is the drug withdrawals or the
hunger. I think it's the hunger but the drugs just help the hunger
pains. It's how he's got by thus far starving himself.

Poor thing.

I…don't…want…your….pity.
His voice is
weak and strained, even in my mind.

Well, you're getting it. It's just sympathy
though. Not pity.

Arg!

His eyes keep flicking to Jezebel. She is
still curled away from us, but she's been stirring. She'll wake up
soon. I know he's thinking about draining her dry. I can only
imagine the thirst he's going through.

If I were in a desert with no water, hell I
may even want to drink her blood, no matter how sick it made
me.

Stop eying her. Her blood made you sick. It
will be no different this time.

No but it'll stop
the…pain….for…a…little…while. I need….relief.

He moans and whimpers and it breaks my
heart.

Not long has went by but his resolve is weak.
I've heard bits and pieces of his mind, finally.

Now that he is thinking about something, of
course it's about Jezebel.

He's thought about
just a taste of her
blood, just enough to wet his mouth, just a few precious swallows
of that rich, red liquid…
to
I have to, I have to drink her
now, gods, I am going to drink her dry. Never been so hungry. Will
she be enough? Maybe I should just slit her pulmonary artery so I
can take bigger gulps…

"Shadow!"

"Hmm?"

"I can hear your thoughts! You're not going
to drain the possible mother of your child! As much as I want you
to drain her…I'm not going to let you. You will regret it later…and
you'll hurt."

He shakes and his breathing is ragged. His
body is now slicked with cold sweat and his fangs look like they
are throbbing. He keeps licking his lips without even realizing
it.

He moans again.

I observe him. I don't know what to do.

I can't take this…anymore…k--kill me,
please….

Oh gods. Did he really just ask me to kill
him?

My eyes go wide with shock and I can't even
form a reply. My heart beats wildly, pounding against my chest
cavity.

Shadow's gaze flicks straight to the pounding
pulse at my neck and he moans. I think he tries to shut those
pretty red eyes but they open almost immediately, making it just
seem like he blinked.

You can have me. I won't refuse you
. I
say.

I move my grungy hair over to one shoulder,
exposing my neck. I run my finger along the little flicker of my
pulse on my neck, trying to tempt him.

He glances back over at Jezebel.

I stick my neck closer to him, leaning into
his personal space and his nostrils flare.

His lips peel back away from his fangs a
little and he slaps his hand over his mouth.

Then I cannot believe what he does.

He bites himself on the wrist.

"Shadow! Baby! Stop! You're going to get
sick…or…or…this is bad, you can't drink your own blood!"

He just moans in bliss, loudly. I can hear
his throat swallowing large gulps. Pleasure is etched on his face
and I feel so badly for him.

He is trying so hard to save me and the girl
from himself but I'm not letting him sacrifice himself for me
again.
Plus, he is the one that needs saving this time and I
am here to do the job. I owe him.

It's why he is in this position in the first
place.

I grab my knife from the back of my pants and
slowly bring it up to my neck, without him noticing.

Poor thing, he's still guzzling down his own
blood moaning like crazy at the short-lived relief he is getting.
Unfortunately, he is becoming paler and paler by the second and his
breathing and pulse both decelerate.

You're going to drink yourself to death,
right now, if you don't stop.

Don't care. Can't stop.

I make my decision.

Shadow, I hope you forgive me for this.

I slice into my neck with my knife right on
the vein. If he doesn't drink me, I will still bleed out.

You better not waste it,
I send
half-heartedly.

He freezes, wrist to his mouth staring at me,
eyes wide as saucers. Panic is written across his features.

My head spins and my vision wavers. Losing my
balance, I fall back towards the floor but he catches me with one
hand on the back of my head right before I hit the ground.

Wow, he is fast too.

I smile stupidly at that fact.

His lips meet my throat and a thousand pounds
of stress seem to be lifted off of my chest.

I wish you didn't love me so much,
he
sends.

I can't help it. You're just so sweet,
I mock.

I'm not sure but I think I felt him
smile.

There is a sweet sting when he punctures my
skin and his deep, passionate moan rumbles in his chest when he
draws from my vein. It echoes off the walls and damn but it makes
me feel good. He is enjoying
me
, finally. It makes me feel
so good inside. I feel wanted and special.

You taste so damn good. I'm never going to
be able to drink anyone else's blood again, ever.

Just shut up and drink.

He whimpers. My head is cradled in the palm
of his hand, keeping it off of the floor and he is over me, holding
himself up with the other fore arm.

My body is in a heightened state of
pleasure.

He closes the distance between our bodies and
it feels so good to be touching him like this. Have we ever been so
close? It doesn't feel like we have.

His weight feels so good and so does his
heat. I don't know why but in this moment I love him so much my
heart might explode.

His greedy pulls have turned into hesitant
sucks and sometimes it feels like loving kisses. I know he is
trying to stop but he can't. His body has been denied it's
sustenance for far too long and it's not willing to give it up yet.
It needs it.

Gods, make me stop. I can hear your pulse
slowing down.

Not yet, love. I'm fine, I promise.

I don't believe you! Please, help me,
I'm…scared.

You're fine, just drink.

He whimpers.

His hands have been roaming my body a little
bit, his body has pressed a little bit closer. I can tell how much
he wants me and it ignites my body even more, which I didn't think
was possible. I feel like I might burst into flame.

I want to touch him so bad in return.

I really want to touch you.

I really want to stop drinking this heavenly
blood. But it's like a drug and my fangs won't retract.

I'm getting a little light-headed now. Maybe
you should stop soon if you think you've had enough.

Oh god. Make me stop. Punch me. Pull my
hair. Something!

I didn't know you liked it rough,
Shadow.

Alexia….
he growls.

He's onto something here. If he has had
enough for a little while, then I really should stop him because I
am about to faint. I don't want to hurt him though so I try my
little trick from last time.

I pinch his nose shut.

I hold it closed as long as I can but I'm not
sure if it works or not, because the darkness takes me with it.

• Chapter Six
  

The first thing I notice is that someone is
stroking my head. I must have been asleep for a while because my
stomach feels empty and rumbles and my mouth is dry. My eyes feel
so good being closed that I keep them shut as I delight in the
pleasure of being coddled.

I attempt to open my eyes but I just feel my
eyelids flutter. I'm still staring into the darkness. I feel so
tired and sluggish.

Who knew it took so much energy to just open
your eyes or wake up.

"Alexia?" My name sounds so broken coming
from that raw voice.

My eyelids flutter open this time without
even putting that much effort into it.

Huh.

The first things I notice are the two glowing
red eyes above me that light the darkness all around me.