Sweet Cravings (6 page)

Nyx’s mouth made an
O
, and she continued, “I’d like to know other things as well. Please?” She made puppy-dog eyes.

“What about you?” I asked. “What do you like?”

“I like champagne too, but red wine is my favorite. I’d love to speak in private. These people and their chattering are giving me a headache.”

I sighed and said, “All right.”

She clapped her hands together. “Yay!”

I followed her into a room to the right of the large party, and she shut and locked the door. It was really nostalgic.

“So, Lily, I heard he just turned you. There’s a rumor he did it to you when you didn’t want it.”

I replied, “Kinda.”

What should I tell her? If I told her I didn’t even know he was going to change me, what would happen? Would they kill Darius? What would happen to Sang? I wanted to see Sang again and somehow get my revenge on Darius, so I’ll just lie.

“Well, those rumors are garbage. I wanted him to turn me. I was attracted to him.”

“That’s what everyone says. Even I’m attracted to him. He always seemed so lonely when at parties, but today he’s different. His aura isn’t the same as I remember. He seems almost…happier?”

There was a polite knock at the door. “I’ll see who it is,” Nyx said and opened it. There stood Darius.

“Come in, come in. I was just about to pour some wine. Do you like Azure, Darius?”

Darius answered, “Yes, I do. One of my companies makes it.”

“Oh.” Nyx poured three glasses of wine and handed one to me.

Oh, boy, would I be sleeping tonight! I become sleepy after I drink two or three glasses of wine.

I chugged it down and held my glass to Nyx for another pour. I liked to drink it fast so the effects came quickly, and I could fall asleep. Then, if I fell asleep while here, Darius would obviously take me home, and I wouldn’t have to deal with being here any longer.

“I like it too. Just try to taste it on your tongue slower.” Nyx laughed.

Darius strode to me and sat down beside Nyx on the couch. He beckoned for me to come over, and I did, because evidently I was a puppy-in-training. He leaned over her so he could hold a glass of wine to my lips.

He said, “You must savor it on your tongue and slowly take sips.”

I did as he said, and the wine was bitterer, drier. When I finished, I sank into the couch and felt the intoxication coming on.

When I turned my head, dizziness took over, and it was like my vision moved at the speed of light. I hiccupped and let myself fall into the couch again; maybe I’d fall asleep soon.

“You cannot fall asleep yet. We have to drink from her; both of us. You’ll take your side, and I’ll take my side. Lily, this is very important.”

“But I’m so goddamn tired…”

“Not now!”

A prickling sensation washed over my skin, and I jumped in my seat. So much for sleeping now. Ugh.

Darius spoke, “Nyx, you cannot escape.”

She stared at the wall, eyes concentrated on the door, and chuckled. “I guess you’re right. I was planning on trapping your cute new servant in here, but then you came, and I couldn’t refuse since she was in here. Good game.”

Wait, what is she talking about?

In that instant, my body was not my own. Somehow, my fangs slid out, and I placed my hand on Nyx’s shoulder. Darius had one hand wrapped around her neck. He closed in fast, and like a viper, he bit into Nyx’s throat and drank her blood. Immediately after him, I pierced through her flesh, soft and weak like a peach, and swallowed her sweet, crimson nectar.

Her blood was warm, warmer than cooled hot tea, and it felt good sliding down my throat.

I guess with vampires, it's always who bites whom first.

Darius said to me,
“She drank from three humans about three hours ago. She had planned to use you against me.”

“For what?”

“My dear, as we drink her blood, her memories and emotions will flow into us. It will flow into you and me differently. When you go sleep tonight, you will see Nyx’s emotions and memories. Tell me about them when you wake.”

I became groggy, and Nyx slumped from the weakness of blood loss. I couldn’t keep my eyes open, and I literally fell into a drunken slumber, this time for real, as darkness descended upon me.

I slowly opened my eyes and sat up in the bed. I wasn’t in my house or Sang’s apartment; I was still in Darius’ godforsaken mansion. Oh, did my head feel like a star imploding! I hugged my arms around my knees and saw that I was dressed in that beautiful nightgown I’d worn the night before. I loved how it flowed with my movement, and the lace was so cute. It made me feel like a princess. Yes, women will sometimes want to feel like a princess too, me included.

The door banged against the wall and something jumped over beside my bed.

“Lily,” said a certain crimson-eyed man. I grinned as Sang hugged me and ruffled my hair.

“Sang,” I said cheerfully. “I’m so happy to see you! I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again or not.”

He gave me a thumbs-up. “You’ll always see me again.” There was a deep sincerity in his voice.

“What time is it?” I asked.

“Um…eleven in the morning.”

“Eleven!”

“Yeah, you were snoring.” He laughed.

I know I snore. I always have. It embarrasses me so much!

“Why’re you here, Sang?”

He thought for a second. “I’m here to give you your breakfast.”

I nodded. “Thanks, but where is it?”

“Right here.” He pointed to himself.

“You?”

“Me.”

I pursed my lips and shook my head. “You don’t mean you want me to…um…suck your blood now?”

Sang sat next to me on the bed and caused some of the covers to slip off my legs. “Darius told me to. He said you’d be happy to see me.”

“I am, but…I’m not hungry.”

“Well, then just take a little bit so I can tell him you ate something.”

“When can I eat normal food?” I longed for a vanilla latte and a pile of pancakes.

“In a day or two, I think,” Sang replied calmly. “Now, you choose: neck or wrist.”

I sighed. “All right. Neck.”

“Sweet,” I heard him murmur.

I let the blankets slide off me and got on my knees. I encircled his neck with my arms and smelled his scent. He was like cinnamon and roasted coffee, and it smelled so good. I let my fangs slip out, and my vision started to contain a red mist over everything. My hands clutched Sang’s shirt, and I bit into him tenderly. He winced and shuddered, but then relaxed and slumped as I stole his blood from him, his tangy, cold blood. It was refreshing for the morning and for breakfast. I bit into him harder, letting some blood dribble down my cheeks and onto his skin. He quivered when his blood fell in tiny droplets on the bare base of his neck. I continued to pull more blood into me until I became full.

I lay back down on the bed, not caring that my blonde hair fanned out on the pillows or that my nightgown was hiked up my legs. I was getting really tired for some bizarre reason. Sang crawled beside me and held me close.

“I’m here for you, Lily,” he whispered.

I muttered, “I know.” Sang was here for me, and I was sure of that. He’d been one of the first people I’d seen after being turned into a vampire. We had fun together. His presence was reassuring—kind of like that blanket I dragged everywhere when I was a little kid. It had made me feel safe and secure. And Sang did just that. I was becoming more comfortable with being a vampire, and mostly because of this man’s help.

I let sleep take me. I was so tired; sluggish and heavy. With Sang curled up next to me, I breathed in, touched his soft black hair, and closed my eyes.

*

I wasn’t myself. I was someone else, a small girl. Flashes of images flew past me in tiny film strips. My family’s house burning down. My mother dying. My father passing away a few days after.

It was only my brother and I, in our teens, working to survive, and the colonists took great pity on us. It sickened me. They laughed at us. Teased us. My brother had terrible burns on his face, neck, shoulders, and arms, and they called him a tainted devil. I would work the fields behind the home the village built for us, and I was soon shunned because I was a woman doing a man’s work. I took care of my brother day and night. I applied salve to his burns, made him meals, sewed him clothes. I plowed the fields with our horse, Joey, until he became very ill one day and had to be put to rest. I couldn’t pay for another horse. Our situation was desperate. I remember the tears every night. The hatred. The sadness. The rage. The despair.

I had gone out one day to find a cheap mule or pack horse. I bought the mule, and when I went home, my house was on fire. My brother was in it. I screamed and yelled and ran into the house, but it was so full of smoke I couldn’t stay in long. The smoke blinded my eyes and burned my throat. I watched as my house fell apart under flames once again. All the villagers came from their homes and watched.

I heard one woman say, “Good riddance.” I was shocked. No one dared help. We weren’t a part of their group. We were us.

After I lost my brother and our home, I wandered the land night and day. I wanted those people to feel my wrath and sadness. I wouldn’t forgive. I wouldn’t ever forgive them! They were the reason all of this happened.

That was when HE changed me and promised a better world. We slaughtered the villagers like pigs and left the town burning, just like they left me that day; with a burning and smoldering fire in my heart.

HE never told me his name, and I still don’t know his name, but I trust in HIS beliefs, and we have finally succeeded in the drug, NEXUS, to spread to humans. They will be greedy and want more and more until their bodies cannot take it. I’m so happy. My dream has come true. I’m so, so happy. If I can get Darius or his petty servant’s blood, HE will praise me more, and NEXUS will become the great drug it was meant to be.

*

I think I screamed before I woke up. Sang scrambled to sit up as he blubbered nonsense. I was coated in sweat, and my hands were shaking.

Sang complained sourly, “Lily, you almost killed my immortality with that scream. My poor ears. But it’s all right, ’cause I know you were having a bad dream. You kept tossing and turning and groaning and saying things like ‘no’ and ‘stop’ real loud.”

“Sorry,” I said. “I’m gonna take a bath. I’m covered in sweat.”

“Okay.” He wiped his eyes. “I’ll just say here and lie on the bed. Vampires are usually less active during the day.”

His head fell on the pillow, and he started to snore. Man, was he tired!

I walked into the bathroom, undressed, and turned the water on hot. While the water was running, I looked at myself in the mirror with tired eyes and curved with dark semicircles. My skin was definitely paler, and my hair had fuller volume. My lips, which had been a light pink, were now brighter and redder.

I lay in the bathtub for a few minutes before shampooing my hair and washing myself. The soap was etched into a cute little rose, and there was a bottle of body lotion. When I was done, I wrapped myself in a towel and wrung my hair of water, and then cocooned my hair in another towel and stepped into the room.

My clothes were spread on the bed. I turned my head to see Sang grinning widely, holding a pair of pink panties in his hands.

“Thought I’d get your clothes ready for you. Darius has a big announcement for us.”

My hands folded into fists. Oh, he was so dead.

“Lily? Why are you looking at me with such a scary face?” He crouched down and huddled on the floor.

“Why? Why, you ask? You’re holding my…my…”

“Panties?” he finished with a giggle.

“Yes!”

“They’re nice and lacy and smell of you. Here, have them back. I think you’ll be needing them.”

He laughed and threw them on me—right on my head. I rushed to him and pounded my fists playfully on his stomach. He chuckled, and we tussled on the floor; my hair became a mess and my towel slipped off.

His scarlet eyes roamed over me, and I felt heat rising to my cheeks. I quickly draped myself with the towel and yelled, “Pervert!”

Sang smiled and sat next to me on the bed. He said, “I picked either this sweater dress or this sweater and jeans for you to wear.”

“Um…” I rifled through the clothes. “I pick this pink sweater dress, these pink leggings, and these white boots.”

“Why no heels?”

“I hate heels. I always twist an ankle when I wear them,” I hissed.

His lips formed an O.

I whispered, “Sang, do you mind leaving while I get dressed?”

“Oh, sure.” He paused. “Hey, Lily, do you believe in love at first sight?”

“No. Why?”

“’Cause I do.”

I used to hate mornings. Now I hated them even more. That smug smirk on Darius’ face made me want to punch him so bad!

Sang and I had walked to a room on the first level of the house. When we stood outside the door, Darius announced, “Come in.” I went first, and there he was, sitting in a cushioned, velvet chair at a small round table, drinking tea. He was dressed in a black dress shirt with ruffles that spilled from the collar to his chest, tight leather pants, and laced, knee-high boots. He looked like a character from an Anne Rice novel. I had made a mental gasp when I saw him; he was just so gorgeous. The way his chocolate hair curled and framed his face was delicious.

“Lily,” Darius began, voice low. “Seeing your dream greatly aided in my findings. There is a drug called NEXUS, which is being distributed to the public as a narcotic. However, it can have different effects.”

“Nexus? Like the shampoo?” I blurted.

“It is a new drug in the underworld,” Darius corrected.

I noticed a wooden chair with a round scarlet cushion on the opposite side of Darius, and sat down. Sang turned to me, grinned, and then asked, “Is it okay if I sit by her, Master?”

He was wearing a white T-shirt with red dripping words:
Caution: I bite
. He also wore skinny black jeans and red high-top sneakers. His necklace was a key with devil wings. I thought he looked cute.