Indecent Folks

When Rougan walked out of the room, I quickly picked up my dress and fixed myself. I parted the curtain and looked around, but he's gone. The woman on the counter finally shot a look at me. She got off her seat to see the dresses, and I let her put them into a wicker trunk.

"Where do you live?" she asked before going back to the counter. I followed her and fetched the pouch from my pocket.

"In a pub just a few blocks away. They call it The Devil's Pub."

She gave me a confused look. "You live in that pub? Are you by any chance related to Simone?"

I smiled wryly and shook my head, waiting for her to finish computing the cost. I stepped out of the shop when we finished and found Julian talking to another guy across from him. He glanced at me and gave the guy a tap on his shoulder before he stood.

"That took you a while," he mumbled.

I realized that it's already dark, so the street lamps were on. "I had a hard time choosing. They're all pretty," I said, handing the pouch.

He smiled and led me back to the street that led to the pub. "What kind of dinner do you eat in Dunfield?"

"What do you mean by what kind?"

"Was it fancy?" he asked.

I thought of my meals in the mansion, and Rougan immediately occupied my mind. "Sometimes it's too much for one person," I said.

He furrowed his brows and nodded gently. When we got to the pub, we went straight to the secret room and found the dinner served on the counter. The guys were already eating on the couch while beer bottles sat on the small table between them.

"They're a little noisy but don't mind them," Julian told me as he pulled a chair on the counter. I hopped on and had dinner with him, mentally preparing myself for his questions. "You have a lot to explain, Dani," he whispered.

I stared at him while his friends' voices echoed behind me. My eyes landed on my plate. "I know. It's, uh, it's new to me as well. Dunfield was the only place where I got to know more about myself. I'm not even aware that there's more to know about me."

"What do you mean?"

I heaved a heavy sigh before I crossed my arms atop the counter. Julian trusts me, so I can't give him any reason to stop. I had to tell him a few things, but those only what he needs to know. Eventually, even the guys behind us stopped talking when I started telling them a carefully orchestrated story.

Julian pursed his lips while his forearms rested on each side of his plate. "Why would you protect them?" he asked without looking. "Because they protected me too, Julian. They know that I'm a fugitive on the first night of my stay. So I'm just returning the favour."

"Now that you're out of there, the dome must be gone now, right?"

"Do you trust me, Julian?"

He shot a look at me and gave me a suspicious look. "Should I not?"

"I need you to," I said, reaching for his hand. "They may be vampires, but they're trying to live a normal life—”

"They're not even registered. The monarchy doesn't know that the Sunkens are mystic breeds. There's no normal life for a vampire, Dani. They will have to feed on humans, or else they will die. And that is far from normal." "Listen to me. I've been there, and I knew things that-"

"That you're not telling me," he cut in, pulling his hand away. "What are you not telling me, Dani?"

My jaw dropped as I stared at him. "All I'm saying is, I can vouch for them. You have to trust me, Julian."

"We're talking about vampires. Trust is out of the question. The monarchy is paying me to hunt creatures that are harmful to the kingdom-"

"They're not harmful."

"Were you compelled?" he asked suddenly.

I gently shook my head. "You know that I drank a Reisin."

He sighed in relief before his hand reached for my cheek. "I just got you back, and I'm not losing you again. Can we stop arguing about this?"

"We will argue until you listen to me, Julian."

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"You murdered people," he mumbled, prompting me to sit straight. My chest thumped in pain as he looked at me apologetically. "Abetting a fugitive is a crime, and I'm hanging on a balance here. But I promise, once I finish those vampires, we will leave Peraven, and I'll look for another job. Just let me do this one last time. After I get the money for this, we can start again."

Tears filled my eyes as I stared at him. "You don't need a last one. We could just leave and start a new life again."

"I can't leave this place just like that. You know that, right? I have a lot of relatives here who could be their next victim."

"No. They don't feed on" I trailed when I almost spilt the last thing I should tell someone else.

He sighed painfully and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I have to do this."

My shoulders dropped while I stared at my plate. There's no point talking him out of this, so the plan continues. I did my best not to fall asleep when we laid on the bed.

I glanced at the clock from time to time until it hit midnight. Finally, I got off the bed and stared at Julian. He left me with no choice, but he won't be mad for what I will do if he won't remember. This is what I believe is the best for all of us. I went to the counter and pretended to drink water, waiting if anyone wakes up. Then I took a jar and a knife from the cupboard. The cold wind blew from the window as I gently slit my palm and let the blood drip into the jar. My arm hurt so bad, and I ended up a little dizzy. I picked up a small towel hanging on the cupboard's handle and wrapped it in my hand.

I closed the jar and headed outside as quiet as I could. Only the lamp fixed on the wall lit the entire pub while the chairs sat upside down atop the tables. I carefully unlocked the door and stepped outside, where a tiny ball made of wicker coming from my far right rolled to the ground and bumped on the hem of my skirt.

I started walking away from the pub, trying to make out the surroundings with the only lamp post on the street. Moments later, I caught a figure coming from the shadows.

Rougan stood under a tree beside the neighbour's house. My heart pounded as I gripped the jar before walking up to him. His eyes landed on my gashed hand. He heaved a heavy sigh before looking around and reaching for my arm so we could enter the forest. The moon shone brightly above us, illuminating a small trail that we followed. We stopped into an enormous tree where its trunk could hide both of us.

"This is my blood," I whispered as I handed him the jar. "Tell Paige to make five doses of Sapper. Everyone working for the monarchy's hunting troop was required to drink a Reisin, so Julian and his guys need to drink a Sapper first before you could compel them. He has already decided on finishing you off, but no one has to die. So tomorrow morning, give me the Sapper, and I'll make sure that they drink it. Then, in the evening, send some Sunken women to the pub who will compel them."

"You had everything planned out in just hours since you left," he whispered like he couldn't believe it.

I smiled and gently reached for his arm. "Julian is a good person, but he has families here in Peraven that he wants to protect just like how you want to protect your village. I'm saving as many as I can, so I hope this works out." "You're leaving with him after this?" he asked.

For a while, I wish things were different. My head jumped into an imaginary scene that I could only wish for in this lifetime. However, life isn't rainbows and butterflies, and I couldn't possibly have the best of both worlds. So I'm choosing an ordinary life with Julian because this is all I've ever known. Rougan was a catch, but it doesn't feel right to desire him.

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"Yes, so the women along with Sawyer. I want him to be the one to compel me," I said.

His shoulders moved from his heavy sigh. "Alright," he responded.

I noticed that he's a little less mad at me now, but maybe he's just trying to be kind since I'm helping them. Through the years of hearing stories from Julian and the people around me, I've only known about vampires who were always hungry for blood. But here I am, conniving with a vampire leader.

"It's getting too cold for you. You should go back in now," Rougan whispered.

"This will be the last time that we will see each other," I reminded him. "So for the last time, I really am sorry for what I did—”

He shut my mouth with his lips as he pulled me closer and pinned me against the tree. We gasped in unison while he wrapped his arms around me and deepened the kiss. I tried pushing him away, but I got weak in my knees when his tongue slipped in my mouth.

I couldn't think of anything other than his touch and the wonders that his lips did to me. My eyes burned from the tears that I tried so hard to restrain. He's far from a heavenly creature, but he gave me a taste of paradise. I just wish I could continue to live in it, but a taste was all I could get.

I pushed him away with all my strength. His mouth hung open as he stared at me. "We're not doing this, Rougan," I whispered, a little out of breath.

He was heavily breathing as he stared at me until he pursed his lips and gently shook his head. "I'm sorry," he mumbled before he gently reached for my hand to remove the towel. I watched him bite his thumb and rub it on my palm. My wound closed, so he wiped the blood off before walking away. A sharp pain stabbed in my chest as I bit my lower lip and watched him walk further into the forest. It feels like he took a considerable part of me as he vanished from my sight. I went back to the pub, and my heart almost dropped when I found the guys walking back and forth to the street. "There she is," said one of them, prompting the others to shoot a look at me.

Julian sprinted in my direction as he looked at the street behind me. "Where did you go?"

I sighed and pointed at the shed from a few steps away. "I just got some fresh air."

"Endure the room for a while and don't go around walking at night." He reached for my arm and led me back to the pub.

I looked at the moon above us and sighed heavily. If my plan doesn't work out, then nothing will end well. So to anyone watching up there, please spare me some ounce of luck.