It might have seemed forever to the waiting kindred while the young thief slept, but in truth he waited less than an hour. Slowly she rose towards consciousness, long lashes fluttering as she squinted against the darkness of the room, and Carinda sighed deeply before pulling the blankets of her bed closer around her to keep in the warmth. Tired hazel eyes began to drift closed again as sleep tugged on her, but something bothered her...What was it? The light. Vash had left a candle burning, perhaps, when he'd left at dawn to go say farewell to Kylie. Stretching with a long, quiet yawn, she threw the covers back and put her feet on the cold wooden floor. Dressed in only a long, white flannel nightgown she appeared ghostly in the faint light.
Myles waited for Carinda to rise to give her a chance to be awake because he wanted her nightmares to come true. He watched her stand and waited for her to turn her back to him, and when that moment came he arose and took the quick silent steps to stand behind her. Trying to catch her off guard he wrapped one arm about her waist to pull her close to him while the other hand came to her mouth covering it in hopes of stifling a scream, wanting to turn her head so he could sink his teeth into her neck.
The woman had barely begun to awaken, shivering in the cold as she took three, then four steps towards the window and from nowhere a strong arm wrapped around her waist from behind and a rough hand clamped over her mouth. Terror such as she had never known flooded through her slender body, turning her blood to ice in her veins, and the scream that had begun to rise instinctively in her throat faltered. Letting out a soft moan of fear, she tried to thrash in her captor's arms, her fingers prying at the hand.
Myles held her body close he could feel her struggling, and it actually excited him, bringing the beast further out in him. If he could not control the beast, frenzy would surely arise and she would be dead, and that was not what he wished for. "Good morning BETRAYER...." he whispered, and with that he sank his teeth into her neck, holding her body close to him as he began to drink her life's blood.
Still trying to wrench free from the assailant, her frightened wits scattered like dandelion seed upon the wind, Carinda had no idea who it was that held her. She couldn't speak or scream, and that made things worse - but when Myles spoke, shock jolted her slender frame. It couldn't be! What was worse was the sensation of his mouth suddenly upon the warm, tender skin of her neck - and then he bit down. Jagged pain splintered sharply through her neck, the swiftness of the attack bringing her struggles to a jerky halt. Oh gods, what was he doing to her? A small stream of blood ooze from where he drank, escaping the kindred's mouth to run lazily down her breast. The dark ruby blood soaked into the pristine white fabric of her nightgown, and Carinda tried to scream before renewing her fight, pain and terror giving her added strength.
The kindred drank of her vitality, the warmth of the drink causing him to hold her tight as he engorged on her blood. He could faintly hear her heartbeat, so he listened to make sure he did not kill her, listened to the thumping of her heart as he drank eagerly. He wanted her weak so he drank until he could feel her body grow limp, and he felt the escaping trickle of blood on his lips as he breathed deep her aroma.
As Myles drank her life-giving blood, the young thief could feel a languid drowsiness begin to overtake her - and her struggles grew weaker as she started to sag in his strong arms. Dazed and in pain, she felt hot tears well up in her dark hazel eyes, sliding forth to trickle down her soft, pale cheeks. Her salty tears mingled with the blood that splattered her white gown, and the frantic pounding of her heart seemed to grow in her ears.
Myles slowed his drinking as she became weak, and lowered her back onto the bed. Still he held her, forcing one hand across her mouth while he used the other to hold her still. "So, betrayer, fairy tales do come true I see," he said with a smile gruesome to behold, fangs showing in the candlelight. They were covered in her blood and a trickle of blood ran down the side of his chin from the corner of his mouth. "I am so close to ending your torment, Carinda, shall we just go on with it?"
As Myles laid her down upon the bed and spoke to her in a hushed whisper, Carinda's eyes fluttered open and she stared up to him in renewed terror, her gaze wild. Weakly she raised one slender hand to his chest and tried to push him back from her while with the other she sought to drag his hand from her mouth. Her strength had ebbed quickly with the blood loss she'd sustained, and from nowhere came the wondering question, - "How shall they get my blood from the bedding?" She moaned softly at his question, and tried to shake her tousled, auburn head.
"It is not my problem that they will think a poor lass had gone mad and slit her throat." He let that hang in the air for a few moments. "But alas betrayer, death is too good for you .... I think the torment I have planned will serve you better." He fought off her weak attempts to be free, and it amused him. With his free hand he reached down to her blood soaked nightgown, and with nails sharp as claws he ripped her shirt away from her, exposing her breasts stained with her own blood. He wished to make her never cross him again, and with fear he would do that. He leaned over, his eyes looking deep into hers, and with an almost erotic feel to the kindred he licked one long stroke up between her breasts and to her neck. "You'll do as I say."
The way the poor young thief was trembling in Myles' grip it was a wonder she didn't die of a heart attack right there on the spot. No one had ever seen her naked before, no one - and the shame that boiled up within her when he brought his mouth to her tender skin made her stomach heave. Desperately she tried to cover herself, writhing beneath him - but why did it feel as though she struggled underwater? Carinda's movements were slow and clumsy due to blood loss, and silently her tear-filled eyes pleaded with him to leave her be. Her neck throbbed bitterly and her blood grew sticky upon her cooling, silky flesh. In desperation, she opened her mouth and bit down into his hand as hard as she could.
The pain of being bitten only caused the beast within to come closer to the surface and it was all Myles could do to fend it off. Pulling his hand away from her teeth caused flesh to tear, but the pain only added to the way he felt. The other night he'd felt anger and fear, now he felt power. He quickly straddled her body using his free hand to grab her by the throat. "BE STILL!" He took his bitten hand, and as she watched he brought it to his mouth to lick at the blood. Carinda's bed was ruined, Myles didn't care, and as he licked he sank his teeth into the heel of his hand, causing it to bleed more. Then he thrust it at her, growling "DRINK..." Blood flowed across her lips and chin.
Gagging, Carinda turned her head to the side and drew a deep, shuddering breath to scream as loudly as she could. "Ple...Please! Somebody..." The attempt was pathetic as she tried as hard as she could to keep unconsciousness at bay. Black swirled around her in ever-narrowing spirals, and she groaned out loud as the kindred's strong body stretched out across her own shaking form. In spite of everything, when she cried out some of his blood wet her tongue. Not a lot, but enough that she could taste its hot, salty flavour. Again her stomach heaved, and she tried to roll to the side to retch.
Myles grabbed her neck high, a finger and thumb to either side of her chin as his bleeding hand went back and came at her to slap her face. Blood splattered. "I said DRINK...." He forced his weight on her trying to get her body to roll back. She still had some fight, but he would end that soon if she did not listen. The blow rocked Carinda's world, her head snapping to the side as the sharp crack sounded in the empty room. Pale soft skin flushed slowly with dark red which would turn into a bruise in time, and the thief for the first time in her life didn't know which way to turn. Fight him to the death, or live to track him down and kill him for what he was doing to her? Fearfully, dark hazel eyes etched with pain moved back to gaze upwards at Myles. There was terror there - but hate as well. Choking down the acrid bile that clogged her throat, she hoarsely whispered, "And if I will not?"
"You will die, and you will not be missed." he said as he looked at her with evil in his eyes. Slowly they began to glow an eerie red. "But if I am forced to kill you.... He looked down to her exposed breasts then back to her eyes. "I will make it worth my while first."
There was no reason that Carinda should be shocked any more at the kindred's words, and yet she still felt a dim horror at what he threatened her with. He could take her now, and none would know - rape her virginal body until he was ready to tear out her throat with his teeth. Would she be missed? Her hoarse voice faltered as she said, "You will...leave me, if I do as you ask and drink?" Degradation, fear and pain were beginning to overwhelm her again, and suddenly unconsciousness seemed welcome.
"You will drink, and then I will drink from you again, and this will happen three times this morn, and when all is complete I will leave you alive. And you will not say a word!!" His eyes lost their red glow as his mind boiled over with what he was doing. His sire said this could be done, yet he had never tried it by himself. "You will not say a word, do you understand? Or I will leave your naked body exposed for all to see, drained of blood and lifeless to the world."
He would bite her again? There was barely enough blood left in her body to sustain life as it was, and Carinda began to laugh quietly. It was an eerie laugh, soft and low, and it had an unhinged sound to it. "They told me and I did not believe. Do you really think Vash will not know what you've done when he finds me?" she murmured, a bubble of blood rising from where she'd bitten her tongue in his blow to her face. She spat the blood at him, and her laughter took on a hysterical tone is it rose. Myles laughed at being spit upon, and it caused him to hold her face tighter. "All I must do, silly childe, is lick thy wounds, and they will heal over without anyone the wiser." He looked at her with a sly smile.
"No, for they will remind me of the hatred I bear for you," Carinda growled as best as she could, her cheeks aching with his tight grip upon her. How tired she was, how very...very...tired. "Suck all the blood from my body then, for I've already tasted of your blood..." Strangely, his heavy weight upon her slender form holding her down had begun to take on a comforting feel. She didn't care anymore, knew she was doomed to die at his hands - and she closed her eyes wearily. Vash's handsome face, with those laughing emerald eyes that lit up like gems came to mind - and a small smile touched her red, swollen lips. "You shall never get him, you know..." she whispered. At that moment there was a polite knock on the door, and a woman's voice called, "Hello? Is there anyone in there?"
Myles heard the knock at the door and the voice from without. He quickly put his hand over her mouth, and replied. "Just a paying guest ma'am." At the same time he gave Carinda a menacing look, and all the while blood from his hand trickled across her lips. Carinda had no choice but to swallow the dark, foul liquid as it slithered like some hot and living thing into her mouth. It was either that or choke upon the blood, and she raised one leg weakly to kick at the nightstand table. The small earthenware water jug slowly toppled over and fell to the floor with a crash, and the woman outside rattled the doorknob more sharply. "Here, now - you breaking Khelti's things in there?" she hollered.
Myles could not help but smile that evil grin as she drank from him. Removing his grip from her throat he immediately grabbed a handful of hair. Letting her drink more causing the bond to further strengthen. "Oh shit, I'm sorry. I bumped into the table, it was naught but a water bowl, please add it to my bill." He called back, cringing at the pain of his life's blood being drained.
At the woman's hollering, loud footsteps began to sound down the hallway. Likely Nikan coming to check things out, and Carinda felt tears spring painfully to her eyes again as Myles yanked her head back by her long, auburn curls. Instead of drinking more blood, however, she bit savagely into the kindred's hand once again, trying desperately to free her mouth so she could scream.
"Open up, sir," came the deep, calm voice of Nikan. There wasn't supposed to be a man in that room, and he'd fed Vash breakfast earlier and watched him leave. "Tell him all is well...." Myles leaned close to her, licking the blood from her chin. "Tell him all is well or I take you out the window with me, and you'll never be seen again."
So he could torture her some more? The bloodied thief didn't have a chance to make any sort of response either way before the sound of a key came rattling in the lock. The door would open in just a moment and she grabbed for the bedclothes to twine them in her fingers. He would either kill her now with a slash of his taloned nails, or dive out the window. It was the only way he could have come in.
Myles quickly leaned forward and licked the bite marks in her neck, and then whispered, "You're mine now betrayer, and you won't be able to be away from me for very long." With that he moved back, and the gold locket around her throat caught his eye. With one quick tug it was his. Knocking the candle over onto the straw filled mattress, it slowly took flame as he climbed out the window. The daylight hid behind clouds but it still hurt his eyes and he could feel it burning ever so slowly upon his exposed skin. He changed quickly, first a shimmer then into a grey wolf and it broke into a run into the woods surrounding the Inn.
It took every ounce of Carinda's remaining strength to reach for whatever she touched first - and it happened to be a tunic of Vash's thrown carelessly upon the foot of the bed. Coughing and choking as the small flame began to spread through the straw, she threw the tunic on top of the fire and beat weakly at it until it was out. At that moment, Nikan burst through the door and stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes growing huge at the sights within. "Please...help me..." she murmured hoarsely, eyes dark with terror turned to the window where the winds blew the curtains inward. Somehow she doubted she would ever sleep again.
The wolf ran too, its new
haven having been ordered by Marriska with whom he would stay to learn
from an elder. The beast gloated within, as fear crept into the edges of
his mind at what he had done. The future was an uncertain one for Myles.
