Page 84 of When Night Falls
"It's just blood," I say to her, so low that I know only she can hear me. I take my hand and slide it down her back right before I reach her ass. She shivers. "I’m yours. And it's just blood." My whisper reaches her, and I can feel her relax a bit, still looking up at me.
Once there's about three fingers of blood poured into the glass, Raxon excuses her, and Mary saunters on toward the back room, still dripping red as she goes.
"You two have a nice night," my bartender says before getting back to work.
We turn around but I can feel Lucynda's eyes on me, still burning with something that feels a lot like jealousy.
"If you have something to say, Cyn, just say it."
"Why? When you can read my mind." Her attitude doesn't go unnoticed by me.
I feel her shoulders tense up. Tonight, she feels different. Something is bothering her, I can tell. But I don't want to play these intrusive games with her. She's the one who asked me to give this thegood old college tryand while I can't give her everything she wants, I will do everything else I can. So I won't dig into her mind to force her thoughts from her. She's going to have to use her fucking words.
"Is that going to stop when we get married?" She finally gains the courage to ask what I know she's been thinking about.
"What? Me drinking blood?" I ask for clarification.
"Yes. Drinking from other…" her words trail off as she pulls her own drink to her lips. We walk around the crowd of dancers and over to the wrought iron spiral staircase.
She looks up and I can tell apprehension hides in her silver irises.
"I didn't drinkfromher," I say, and Cyn just rolls her eyes.
"Okay, maybe not directly, but it's her blood nonetheless. And the girl the other night?" She shifts uncomfortably in her dress. But the way she moves has my eyes dragging down to her chest, where I can practically see her heart pounding underneath.
Her skin glistens in the light and her eyes burn like a white fire as she watches me explore her body.
"Does it make you jealous?" I ask, before leading her up the stairs.
I take a sip of the blood in my glass and let the iron-flavored liquid sit on my tongue for a second too long before swallowing it down. It definitely curbs the craving, but it does nothing compared to what Lucynda's did to me.
"That's not why I'm asking." Lucynda stops at the top of the stairs and turns to me. She can see the small trace of blood on my lips and absentmindedly, she licks her own.
I have to dip my head to hide my smirk, and hopefully to suppress the desire that drowns me. Desire to take her up against this fucking railing, say fuck all to everyone else watching, and do exactly what I want to do to her.
"Do you want me to not drink from other women?" I ask her, and her eyes flick from mine to the floor before returning back to me.
"I'd like it if you didn't. I'm going to be your wife." Her statement does something to me. Her use of the wordwifefucking does something to me.
I turn to the table next to me, a group of Nocturnes sitting together and chatting about who knows what, as I set my tumbler down on the table. They all take a second to acknowledge my presence by nodding their heads, and then fight over who gets the blood I just offered them.
"It's that fucking simple, Lucynda. You ask me not to do something, I won't do it. You want something, all you have to do is use your words. You understand?"
Chills invade her skin visibly, I know she likes that I just did that for her. I told her I'd give her everything I can. So, I will. Because this girl is mine and I am a man of my word.
Lucynda looks over the balcony down at the hundreds of people below us. She takes a sip of her drink, finishing it off, and holds the glass over the edge of the railing, seemingly thinking about something that I don't dare to dive into without her permission.
"What's the purpose of this party?" she asks as she looks around at all the masked guests. "I know Troian said it's to celebrate my final night, but surely no one here cares about that. And I don't see much reason to celebrate." Her words don't offend me. I wanted this to be more of an escape for her. I wanted this to be cathartic, so I can give her a glimpse into what having power means.
People will fall at her feet and hang on to her every word simply because she's their new queen. But more comes with the territory and I want her to experience that.
"People come to these parties because they were invited and it makes them feel like they're a part of something big. The outsiders have no clue what they're getting into and as you know, when they leave they won't even remember it. But they comebecause it's elusive. We only invite so many at a time. Nocturnes are here because it's their duty and above all else, there's blood which is also why the outsiders are invited."
"What's in it for me?" Her voice holds timidity as she processes what everything means, realizing that the end is near.
"Let me go get you another drink and I'll show you." I grab her glass from her hands, allowing my fingers to graze over hers. The electricity that buzzes between us lights me up, feeling it tenfold to what she can feel.
She’s the essence of sin. A sacred divinity created just for me.