Aphrodite

Sitting with Vlad was far from comfortable for Rachel. She kept her distance, wary of Vlad’s subtle attempts to close the gap between them. He offered her drinks, which she declined, not willing to be duped again.

Rachel observed with an eye roll as Vlad became visibly captivated by Estella, who was now dancing provocatively, her attention fixed on Vlad with unmistakable desire. Despite feeling impatient with this distraction, Rachel reminded herself of the importance of staying put to unravel the mystery surrounding them.

After a while, a man approached Rachel. She couldn’t help but notice his eyes first—those incredible blue eyes. He wasn’t as bulky as Vlad, but his sharp looks and charming smile were hard to ignore. He radiated a sense of trust and approachability, but she had to remember she was in dangerous waters. After all, Vlad had fangs.

“So, you must be the young lady who has chained herself to my friend.”

Feeling her face warm, she blushed. “And you are?”

“Darius,” he introduced himself with a charming smile, taking a seat beside her. He started to reach for her hand but stopped himself, opting for a chuckle instead. “Curious, isn’t it? You’ve somehow tied yourself to him, yet he hasn’t managed to charm you.”

“He hasn’t even tried,” she replied, glaring at Vlad. It was then she realised the situation she was in, sandwiched between two imposing figures. She quickly shifted her attention back to Darius. “Can you tell me what I am? What this connection means?”

Darius nodded, “Every creature knows of the bond. You’re the first I’ve seen use it in such a unique manner, yet also the first to establish it without his consent. I don’t know what you are, but there’s a way we could find out.”

Rachel was taken aback. “How can you say I did this without his consent? He’s the one who drugged me and cornered me.”

Darius glanced at Vlad, waiting for him to weigh in.

“She is over-embellishing.”

Darius raised an eyebrow. “The bond, it is between two creatures and is an act of love. It usually takes the consent of both creatures, and its effect varies from creature to creature. For instance, I have recently come to learn that a land creature and creature of flight bonded, and now the land creature can fly.”

“F-fly?” She couldn’t believe it. The idea of flying creatures existing outside of fantasy was baffling.

Darius looked at Vlad, “I think she’s genuine. She really doesn’t know.”

Vlad folded his arms, his eyes locked on her. “That complicates things. I’m bonded to someone who’s clueless about our existence and can’t defend herself. This is the last thing I need with these government officials snooping around.”

Hearing his frustration was tough. He seemed annoyed, yet if he aimed to resolve this, cooperation was essential. Unaware of how this bond formed, she was nonetheless aware of their connected energies.

“I didn’t want this, but I can’t break it alone. How do we figure out what I am?” she pleaded for a solution.

Darius’ eyes, an intense ocean blue, glowed eerily in the club’s darkness, as if lit from within, piercing Rachel’s very being. Their gaze deepened, his eyes darkening to a predatory black. With a seductive bite of his lip, his focus shifted to her neck.

Her hand instinctively went to her neck, haunted by the sight of Vlad’s fangs. “No way. What’s with you guys wanting to bite people? Hard pass.” She gave a disbelieving shake of her head before confronting Vlad. “So, is this your plan? Trying to find someone else who can take down my shield?”

Vlad glanced down at his watch, a sense of urgency in his action. “Essence is the key. We figure out what you are through your essence. I tried yesterday with the elixir, but you’re not something we’ve seen before. Can we get a move on?”

“After last night’s incident with Vlad, we did some digging, but no one has a clue about what creature you are. All beings thrive on essence; vampires, for instance, get theirs from blood. I think we might figure you out with an essence transfer.”

The thought made her uneasy, but she needed answers. Her life had been normal before Vlad appeared, and she craved the truth, wondering if she was spiralling into madness. “Hand me a knife then. I’ll give you a drop from my finger.”

Darius nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. “I get it’s a lot to ask, but just a drop from a finger prick isn’t going to have any essence.”

“Then I guess I’ll be stuck bonded to this piece of shit, and neither of us will have an answer.” She made a move to stand, but Darius caught her hand. She jerked back, taken aback by the odd surge of energy his touch sparked.

“I didn’t do anything. How can you touch me?”

“Looks like your shield’s not fully down. You haven’t got a handle on it, but it seems tied to your feelings. You really want to figure out what’s going on, right? Allow me to help.” Darius’ grip on her hand was firm.

“How do I know you’re not just trying to get me to lower my shields so you can eat me?” She shot a wary look towards Vlad, searching for any hint of threat. “He said he’s eaten every creature that tried to form a bond with him.”

Darius chuckled, “He might’ve left out that some beings thrive on the essence of bonds. It’s kill or be killed with them. Our world’s perilous, filled with beings preying on each other. You don’t seem like a predator, but you’re impacting his essence, nonetheless.”

The idea that Vlad’s odd behaviour stemmed from fear of her lingered in Rachel’s mind. If his formidable size and might weren’t enough for self-assurance, what did that imply about the strength of other creatures?

“What do you mean? A creature can bond with you to kill you?” Rachel tried to grasp the concept.

Vlad cut in, clearly agitated, “My hunger is growing. It’s taking all my self-control not to eat every human in this room.”

Hearing ‘hunger,’ Rachel’s own stomach echoed the sentiment. She’d been battling a strange, insatiable hunger, nothing she ate seemed to help. “I’ve been feeling super tired,” she muttered, half to herself.

“That could be the bond,” Darius suggested, reaching to gently touch her cheek. As his fingers brushed her skin, a visible current of energy sparked between them. Quickly, he pulled back, locking eyes with her.

“Your eyes... they’re black. How do I know you’re not going to attack me?”

“I assure you, I won’t harm you. If you feel threatened, just let your fear bring up your shield, and it’ll push me away,” he promised.

Rachel felt conflicted and afraid. The idea of vampires had seemed like pure fiction until she met Vlad. And now, here was Darius, asking for her blood. She hesitated, uncertain whether to agree. His gaze, intense and persuasive, seemed designed to sway her decision.

A flicker of light caught her peripheral vision. Glancing at Darius’s arm, she noticed tiny white lights twinkling. She became engrossed in them, watching as they intensified around him. A comforting warmth enveloped the hand he held, the lights swirling with a hint of purple.

Darius cautiously reached out to touch her cheek, pausing just before making contact. Then, gently, he managed to bypass her protective barrier. With a soft and deliberate motion, he caressed the back of her neck. Releasing her hand, he pulled her closer and brushed his lips against hers in a light kiss.

Darius was gentle, yet the depth of his feelings was unmistakable. Could this be his magic at work, enchanting her? She reminded herself to stay alert.

As they parted, she scanned the club, only to find everything vanished, leaving them in darkness as if enveloped by a void. All that remained visible was Darius, radiating a luminous glow in the shadowy expanse.

As Darius’s lips moved to her neck, his presence became more assertive, his hold more firm. Inside her, an energy pulsed and grew, drawing her deeper into the moment. The slight touch of his fangs against her skin was both thrilling and terrifying. Instead of biting down, he continued to kiss her neck, letting his fangs occasionally graze her.

Feeling his fangs again, she sensed his readiness. Caught in the mesmerising glow of his light, she leaned into him, baring her neck further as a sign of surrender. Gently, he pierced her skin, just enough to draw blood to the surface.

Rachel inhaled sharply, a surge of energy coursing through her, flooding her in light as Darius absorbed her essence. As he continued, a radiant purple light expanded around him, eventually repelling him backward.

“That was not what I was expecting,” Rachel managed between breaths, feeling the weight of their interaction more deeply than the slight loss of blood would suggest.

“Unfortunately, that’s far from normal,” Darius admitted, his eyes gradually returning to their usual colour. “I apologise if I went too far.”

“Did you feel it?”

Darius nodded.

Vlad’s voice cut in, sharp and cool. “Come on you two, get a room.”

Rachel brushed off Vlad’s remark, focusing on Darius. “What am I?”

Observing their hands together, Darius seemed puzzled, his head shaking slightly. Rachel felt a distinct warmth spreading between them, and a tiny purple glow flickered on his skin. “I’m not sure. Your essence is unique, unlike anything I’ve encountered. Legends speak of beings feeding on human affection. But those are just myths, aren’t they? Can any creature truly sustain itself on love?”

Vlad stepped forward, positioning himself in front of them, and demanded, “What is she?” Receiving no immediate answer, he leaned in and forcefully separated Darius’ hand from Rachel’s. “Darius, come back to reality! She’s enchanting you.”

Darius, now with a clear view of Vlad, appeared startled. “I believe she might be an Aphrodite.”

Vlad paused, taken aback, before erupting into laughter. “Are you serious? The Aphrodite vanished ages ago. This girl is nothing but a naïve child.”

Rachel felt bombarded by the exchange, and Vlad’s dismissive tone only added fuel to her frustration. “Stop calling me a child, you blood-sucking leech.”

Vlad considered another possibility. “Maybe she’s a succubus? But then, this shield of hers doesn’t add up. Succubi can’t draw energy from those they can’t physically touch.” Peering closer into Rachel’s eyes, he added sceptically, “And purple eyes? That’s not a trait of a succubus.”

Rachel, curious about her own defences, asked, “So, not every creature has a shield? Can mine keep those feeders away?”

Darius explained, “Our world is divided between beings of light and those of darkness, each with their own ways of controlling. Your shield managed to fend off Vlad, but it might not shield you from others.” Darius said as he stared at her, his eyes laced with desire. “I don’t think she is a succubus. For one, they do not hold purple energy.” He licked his lips. “She’s got the power to compel, but not the same way we do. I feel like I can trust her.”

Vlad’s foot tapped against the floor, signalling his growing impatience. “Who can we find to verify this? The longer she remains bonded to me, the longer she is a risk. Besides, monogamy and matrimony are not really my thing.”

“Oh, I think this is the type of information we will need to pay for. We cannot risk other creatures finding out about the bond or they may use her against you.”

Rachel, caught in their discussion, interjected with a thought of her own, “Wasn’t Aphrodite a goddess in Greek mythology, not a creature?” Simultaneously, an unexpected desire to kiss Darius surfaced, leaving her momentarily baffled. She quickly dismissed the impulse, yet she couldn’t help but wonder if Darius felt the same pull towards her.

“Different creatures live off different energies. I suppose you could say they have different diets,” Darius began. “For example, Vlad and I are sustained by the blood of humans and those similar to humans. It’s believed that Aphrodites drew their strength from love and desire. There are legends of Aphrodites being pursued and eliminated by a creature so dark, he abandoned his mortal body. Because there were so few Aphrodites, the only way to protect themselves from him was to build up an army through manipulation of love and lust.”

As Darius’s hold on her hand tightened, Rachel battled with sudden drowsiness. She puzzled over her sudden lethargy; after all, Darius hadn’t drawn much blood. Just then, Vlad’s distinct clearing of his throat snapped her attention back to the present.

Vlad’s expression noticeably softened, and the dark aura enveloping him began to fade. It appeared that exhaustion was taking its toll on him as well. “Those whores used to seduce whole cities to their will so they could protect themselves with the armies of kings. I’ve heard the legends, but I could never get close to the only one I knew existed. They were so influential they managed to stop creatures from entering their cities. Though I guess I won’t have that problem with you.”

“I don’t understand. Are you saying I bonded to you to use you to protect me from something? What? And why now?” With Vlad offering no response, she shifted her gaze to Darius, seeking answers. Everything she thought she knew about her world had been upended, and she believed she deserved to understand the changes unfolding around her.

“Enough,” Darius said softly, “you look so tired, my dear, like you need to feed.”

Vlad smirked, adding provocatively, “I could assist with that. I’ve heard Aphrodites make exceptional...companions.”

Rachel bristled at the remark. “What’s your problem? You don’t know anything about me.”

“You sure are finding your feet, especially for someone who just found out they’re not human. But just so you know.” Vlad leaned in. “I’m hungry too.” He gave a deliberate lick of his lips. “I guess with Mr. Light over here, my chances are slim, but make no mistake, while your purple lights play in my shadow, you and I are stuck together. Perhaps I should give you to the creature that so desperately hunts you?”

“Don’t even joke about it,” Darius shot back, a serious tone cutting through. “He wouldn’t hesitate to destroy you.”

Vlad merely shrugged, undeterred. “I would like to see him try.”

Vlad gestured towards a shadowy corner, and Estella promptly approached, wrapping him in a close embrace. “Seems like it’s time to satisfy a certain appetite,” he said, a wicked grin directed at Rachel. “Feel free to join us. We don’t bite... much.” He teasingly licked Estella’s cheek, then tilted his head towards her neck, inhaling deeply. “For the time being, I’ll let you play with your little light-hearted toy. When you get bored, you’ll always find me because we’re connected.”

Vlad took Estella’s hand with a show of chivalry, helping her to her feet, all while keeping his eyes locked on Rachel. As he licked his lips, his fangs became visible, and his eyes turned a fiery red. Offering Rachel a mischievous wink, he then encircled Estella with his arms and led her towards the rear of the club.

Rachel flashed Darius a smile. “There’s something about you, like we’ve met before. It feels like you’re trying to enchant me,” she mused, eyeing him closely. He seemed around his late thirties but had a tan unlike the typical pale vampire in stories. His light brown hair was pushed back casually, looking effortlessly good on him.

“Maybe you’re hungry,” he half-joked, his eyes giving her a once-over.

“But I don’t feel hungry.”

“Are you sure? You seem worn out.”

“I’ve been asleep all night and day,” she replied, recalling the deep fatigue that had enveloped her since her first encounter with Vlad.

“Once you bonded to him, you awoke your creature. Now you need to feed it.”

Rachel’s attention snagged on the deep tone of his voice. Her mind wandered, conjuring up a vivid picture of him drawing close, kissing her.

Her daydream broke when he remarked, “Replenishing your essence should be straightforward, but considering all these shields you’ve raised, it might turn out to be more complicated.”

“Why would my... true nature only reveal itself now?”

He moved in closer, whispering, “You’re full of questions. Let’s say you’ve had your fill of answers for the evening.” Then, he kissed her gently, a wave of soft electricity seeming to flow through her. The purple glow around her flared at first but then faded as the kiss grew deeper. When Darius finally stepped back, Rachel felt a mix of emotions, mostly confusion. “You’re exhausted. It’s time for you to rest.”

As Darius got up to leave, Rachel, not wanting him to go, reached out and grabbed his arm. “I want answers.”

Darius came back to her, initiating another kiss, this one charged with an intense, deliberate passion. Gently, he nicked her lip with a fang. She gasped, the taste of blood tingling on her tongue. When she tried to pull back, Darius wrapped his arm around her, keeping her pressed close.

They paused, looking into each other’s eyes. Suddenly, her eyelids felt heavy. She swayed a bit, realising she couldn’t feel her feet. Looking up at Darius, she found him watching her closely.

Darius held her close, his voice firm. “You’re stubborn, but I’ll ensure you’re safe. Without replenishing your energy, the consequences could be fatal for both you and Vlad.”

“What have you done?” Rachel’s voice faltered as her body grew limp within his embrace.

“Forgive me, but this is one of my abilities, influencing through blood. You must rest.”

“No, not here,” she protested, struggling weakly against his hold. “I can’t trust you.” Despite her efforts, Darius’s strength overpowered her resistance.

“It’s okay, little dove. I’ll make sure you get home safely,” Darius assured her gently.

As he spoke, a radiant light burst forth, engulfing their surroundings in a comforting warmth. It shone so brightly that it became all Rachel could perceive.

The familiar scent of her pillow enveloped her, and she felt the soft embrace of her bed beneath her. With a sense of relief, she closed her eyes, entrusting her body to him.