Aphrodite

Rachel squinted against the harsh glare of fluorescent light, feeling a throbbing pain along one side and numbness in her arm. Groping the smooth hardwood beneath her, the pain sharpened as she shifted onto her back, finding slight relief from the pressure. Inch by inch, she edged back to lean against a wall, her vision blurred as she took in the white walls and sleek black furniture around her. Then, the unmistakable smell of burnt flesh hit her, triggering a flood of recent memories.

“Shit,” Rachel whispered, recalling Vlad’s self-inflicted burns from his attempts to break through her shield. His willingness to harm himself alarmed her, leaving her to ponder the lengths he might go to break their bond.

As her eyes fought against the light’s glare, Vlad suddenly loomed over her, anger etched across his face. He slammed his fists into the wall beside her, making her jump. His breath, hot on her face, sent a chill through her, goosebumps spreading across her skin. Their gazes locked, her heartbeat syncing with his laboured breaths. She braced herself, uncertain of his next move.

“Remove your shield!” Vlad’s plea was desperate, almost frantic.

Panic surged through Rachel as she attempted to fend him off, her shield her sole defence.

Recalling her influence over Lindon, she recognised the urgent need to harness her abilities against Vlad. Pressing her palms against his shoulders, she willed her shield to repel him. A faint wisp of smoke rose from his shirt at her touch, signalling a brief, scorching contact. However, her efforts drained her last reserves of energy.

With a sense of defeat, she whispered faintly, “Vlad, please, just let me go.”

“You stubborn, foolish creature. It is your shield that is causing this. You must remove it and let me feed.”

“Blood-sucking leech,” Rachel spat back. “I am not removing my shield. You’re scaring me. You’re a creature of darkness, and you’re only doing this to fulfill your own twisted needs.”

Vlad’s anger exploded, instilling deep fear in Rachel. “My needs!” he roared, thrusting his hand through the shield and grabbing her arm. His skin sizzled upon contact, and Rachel, feeling his agony, desperately tried to shove him back, eager to end the suffering.

“Vlad,” Rachel gasped, struggling against him to no avail.

“You have no clue who I am, you foolish child!” Vlad thundered back at her. “I am a creature of darkness because I fought wars! YOU are the one who caused this!”

Releasing her, Vlad stood towering over her shivering figure. Overcome by anger, he seized a lamp and hurled it to the floor, shattering it mere inches from her. Rachel recoiled, pressing herself against the wall, dread mounting over what he might do next.

“Please let me go.”

“Let you go? Let you go? How about you let me go! You are the one starving me, and I refuse to let everything I’ve built, everything I’ve fought for, be wasted on some ignorant little creature.” Vlad crouched before Rachel, his dark tendrils visibly pulsing on his skin. “I am beyond patience,” he growled.

“I don’t know how to break the bond. If I could, I would have already done it.”

“Myus said that whilst we are bonded, we must both feed to keep each other strong. If one starves, both starve. Lower your shield now, or I’ll force you to feed in a manner you’ll detest. You have a choice: make it easier for us both, or I’ll take the measures I deem necessary.”

A single tear traced down Rachel’s cheek, understanding she lacked the power to evade Vlad’s fury. “I refuse to give in to you.”

“Estella!” he called, his eyes never leaving Rachel.

The door swung open, revealing to Rachel that she was in his bedroom. The space was minimally decorated yet furnished with lavish items, featuring a sizable dark wooden bed, with the blinds drawn shut.

Estella walked in, shooting a brief, sharp look at Rachel before Vlad drew her in for a fervent kiss. Rachel turned her head, repelled by their open display.

Estella’s exaggerated moans during their intense kiss seemed deliberate. Rachel then felt an unexpected sensation, as if Vlad’s lust was coursing through her. Glancing back, she saw his hand cradle Estella’s neck, her fingers clutching his back, while a swirl of black and purple light traced Vlad’s neck vein, vanishing swiftly.

Observing the soft purple light in her palm, Rachel felt an unexpected surge of energy from her bond with Vlad. She caught herself, entranced by their passionate exchange, an unfamiliar sensation growing within her.

Suddenly, Vlad halted, his attention shifting back to Rachel. Estella approached, revealing two fresh bite marks on her neck and a trickle of blood. Smiling, Estella displayed her fangs.

“It’s your turn,” Vlad insisted.

“No,” Rachel responded strongly. She wasn’t a vampire, nor did she seek any form of intimacy with them.

Vlad closed in, his breath warm on her skin, observing her closely with his dark, intense eyes. “Lower your shield.”

Estella positioned herself in front of Rachel, presenting her own bleeding wound as an offering. Rachel instinctively drew back, attempting to distance herself from the unsettling scene.

“You require essence,” Vlad explained, his voice carrying a grave tone. “This bond between us runs deeper than anticipated. Now, our ways of obtaining essence have merged. You must feed on her blood.”

Circling to Rachel’s other side and breaching her shield, Vlad steadied her head as Estella drew near. Overpowered by their combined force, Rachel’s shield collapsed, yet she kept her lips firmly closed, adamantly refusing to consume Estella’s blood.

Despite feeling drained, Rachel’s resolve to resist didn’t waver. But their persistence wore her down, and soon, she found herself tasting blood. Initially, it was loathsome, but a sudden, overpowering craving took hold, pushing her to drink more.

The essence acted like an intoxicant in her bloodstream, endowing her with a surge of formidable energy. As Rachel drank deeply, Estella’s soft moans filled the air, and Rachel’s essence—her purple light—flared, radiating a potent, supernatural force.

Aware of the grave repercussions this power entailed, Rachel was nonetheless caught in the thrall of its allure and the thrill of her transformation. The infusion of vitality caused her purple aura to blaze more fiercely, offering a rush of vitality that eclipsed all else. With each taste, mundane necessities like food and sleep faded into insignificance, overridden by the overwhelming imperative to consume.

Rachel was acutely aware of Vlad’s observant eyes and formidable aura. With her eyes closed, she imagined them both, eyes closed, surrounded by a dance of black and purple lights. The vision of him illuminated in this way felt almost magical.

“Aphrodite,” he whispered, pulling her gently back. “That’s enough now.”

Reluctant, Rachel protested, “But it’s getting brighter.”

Estella withdrew, positioning herself on the bed’s edge, letting out a breath of contented fatigue. “Well,” she exhaled, “that was a new kind of high.”

As Rachel wiped her mouth, she saw blood stain her hand. Shocked by the sight, she instinctively pulled back, bumping into the wall.

“I-I don’t get it,” Rachel stammered, conflicted emotions swirling within her. “I’m both disgusted and feeling stronger.”

“Your eyes,” he noted, his gaze lingering as he licked his lips, “have turned a stunning shade of purple. You’re enchanting.” Leaning in, he drew a deep breath near her mouth. “Lower your shield.”

“What have you done to me?”

Kneeling before her, he offered a cold reality, “You didn’t seem to resist. One might even think you enjoyed it. Aphrodite—”

“Rachel,” she corrected.

“Rachel, the bond you’ve forged surpasses the strength of any I’ve experienced.”

Leaning her head back, she muttered, “Great. I’m bound to a twisted, blood sucker.”

“You don’t even know me. I admired your bravery at the bar. You disregarded the danger and risked your life seeking answers. Now that you have them, you hide behind that flimsy shield from the one being who can protect you.”

Curious, she glanced at his arm. “Your arm... how did it heal so quickly?”

“As long as I have essence, I heal. At the moment, I possess all the essence I require. I finally feel like my body won’t consume itself.”

“Well, if you have everything you need, you can release me.”

“Oh, no, Aphrodite. I didn’t say I have everything I need. I said my essence is replenished. There’s still one thing I desire.”

“You can’t have my blood.”

“No, my dear Aphrodite, it’s you that I want.”

She shot back, “Estella’s right there, eager and willing.”

“How about a deal, then?.

Rachel remembered how Darius’s so-called help left her vulnerable to Myus’s exploitation. Vampires could not be trusted. ” A girl should know better than to make a deal with the devil,” she sighed, her arms dropping in resignation. “Will you release me?”

He edged closer, reaching out to lightly brush her shield’s boundary. A peculiar purple light shimmered where he touched, as though he was highlighting its presence. “Drop your shield, and I assure you, you’ll come to no harm from me.”

“After compelling me to feed on blood? Just lower my shield and you’ll let me go?” she questioned sceptically.

“And one more thing.”

His presence screamed danger, and despite any moral codes he claimed to adhere to, her trust in him was non-existent. “What?” she asked warily.

“One kiss,” he stated plainly.

“What is it with you vampires and trying to get intimate? I want out. I don’t have feelings for you and I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of a kiss.”

“If you can’t trust in our bond, then I can’t see a way to release you. How am I to trust that you’ll restore your essence? How can I be sure you won’t endanger us both?” he reasoned.

She scowled, disbelief and frustration mingling within her. Was he truly resorting to manipulation? After all, he had done nothing to earn her trust.

“You do not need to let your shields down permanently if you do not wish.”

“So that’s it? I let my shield down, you kiss me, then I can leave?”

“More or less.”

Reluctantly, Rachel considered his offer. He had been correct about her needing to replenish her essence, and without his help, she may have been in trouble. “How do I take down the shield?”

“You managed it for Darius. I trust you can do the same for me,” Vlad replied, his hand lingering near the shimmering purple barrier.

“Put your fangs away.”

Raising an eyebrow, he protested, “I can’t simply retract my fangs on command.”

She matched his incredulous look with one of her own, implying that if he wanted their deal to proceed, he’d need to find a way.

“Containing the desire when essence is so near... it’s challenging,” he admitted.

Leaning forward, balancing on her knees, she warned, “You’re really testing your luck here.”

As she reached up to his face, her fingers brushed against his skin, prompting a visible softening in his demeanour. Through this simple touch, she caught a fleeting glimpse into the depths of his being. If a kiss was the key to her freedom, she’d concede.

Her touch made him inhale sharply, her arm encircling his neck. She half-expected him to react upon sensing her shield’s absence, yet he stayed motionless.

Allowing herself a moment, her fingers wove into his hair, pondering the enigma he presented. Despite his ominous aura, she sensed there was more to him. Meeting his gaze, she noted the slight baring of his fangs. She was treading dangerous grounds, each step drawing her into potentially perilous depths.

She closed the distance with a swift peck, planning to retreat immediately. However, Vlad’s hand found her neck, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss that left her conflicted with a surge of emotions. The bond between them was intense, almost impossible to break away from.

As she felt a sharp pain on her lip, she pushed him back, surprised when he released her.

Vlad, his fangs still in view, stepped back with an apologetic grin. “Got a bit carried away, my apologies.” Approaching again, he pressed close, his breath on her neck. “You need rest,” he whispered by her ear.

“Vlad, I...” she started, but he embraced her softly, cutting her off.

“No more thoughts, just sleep,” he soothed.

Her tension eased within his hold. “You tricked me,” she managed, her voice heavy with drowsiness. “You used compulsion on me.”

“Sleep now, Aphrodite. We’ll discuss everything once you’ve rested.”