The battle was over, but my real fight had only just begun. As Lilith insisted on setting up camp in the same room where we'd just killed the abomination, I fought against the gnawing hunger that threatened to overwhelm me.
Her suggestion to rest here sounded reasonable, but I knew better. It wasn't the monsters lurking in the shadows that made this place dangerous—it was me.
"It's not safe here," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady, though the thirst was clawing at me from the inside. The blood rush was getting to me, and I was losing control. "We need to keep moving."
But Lilith, ever determined, wasn't listening. She began setting up camp, completely oblivious to the storm raging inside me. "We've been fighting for hours," she argued, her tone firm. "We need rest."
I clenched my fists, battling the urge to lash out, not at her, but at myself. I didn't have time to argue. "Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "But we'll need to keep watch."
I helped her set up the camp, though every movement felt robotic. The scent of blood lingered in the air from the battle, taunting me, mocking me with its sweetness. And then there was Lilith. Her blood. Her presence was intoxicating, pulling me closer, making my throat burn with the need to feed.
The fire crackled between us, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls of the cave. I stared into the flames, trying to calm myself. The hunger wasn't just physical—it was emotional. A craving not only for blood but for something more. Something I couldn't name.
"Caedes... How are we planning to sleep? Either you or I will have to keep watch..." Lilith's voice broke through my thoughts, cautiously. She wasn't entirely sure of me. And she shouldn't be.
I could feel her eyes on me, wary, and suspicious. She wasn't stupid. She could sense something was wrong, something dangerous. Hell, maybe she already knew. Her enhanced senses had probably picked up on my frantic eyes, the way I licked my lips, the sweat forming on my brow. She was scared. She should be.
She bent down to set up the tent, her movements betraying her unease. I watched her, not because I wanted to but because I couldn't stop myself. Her fear was palpable. But it wasn't just fear—it was suspicion. A test. And I knew what she was testing. Me.
I could end this right now. Sink my teeth into her, drink until the hunger disappeared, until the fire in my throat was extinguished. But I couldn't. Not with her. She was the first person who hadn't tried to kill me on sight. The first person to try and trust me, even if it was shaky and hesitant.
I took a step closer to her, my mind screaming at me to stop. But I couldn't. I didn't want to hurt her—I didn't want to hurt anyone. But I was scared too. I was scared of what I was, scared of what I could become if I didn't control myself.
"Lilith," I said, my voice low, filled with an urgency I couldn't hide anymore. "I'm going to be blunt. I know you're scared. I am too. But we must trust each other if we're going to make it through this."
She looked up at me, her eyes reflecting both fear and something else—something deeper. I could feel her hesitation, the weight of her past betrayals hanging over her. But she listened.
"My gift... it lets me manipulate blood. Hell, I can even make flames with it. But the catch is..." I swallowed, my voice thick with tension. "I need to consume blood. If I don't... I'll bite the fuck out of you."
There. It was out. The ugly truth. The fire crackled beside us, and for a moment, everything went still. Her reaction wasn't what I expected. She didn't scream or run. She just... kept working on the tent, like I hadn't just admitted that I might lose control and attack her. Maybe she didn't believe me. Maybe she thought I was joking.
Or maybe she understood me better than I thought.
I watched her hurriedly finish setting up the tent, her face a mask of calm, though I knew she was anything but. Still, there was a silent understanding between us now. A fragile thread of trust, thin but real.
As I sat down beside the fire, I realized something. I didn't just want her blood—I wanted her trust. I needed someone to rely on, and maybe, just maybe, she needed someone too.
I could survive without blood. But I wasn't sure I could survive being alone again.
***
PS: Caedes did not know but an invisible thread of fate pulled them together.
One needed support, and the other craved affection.
***