[Music Recommendation: How Villians Are Made ~ Madalene Duke]
Jacquelyn's small hands wrapped tightly around Kael's waist, holding him close as her heart swelled with gratitude. Just moments before, she was terrified of falling on the hard, rocky ground from the tree. Now, with her eyes closed, she felt a sense of safety in Kael's embrace.
Kael was taken aback by the sudden display of affection. As an immortal, he wasn't accustomed to physical touch, especially not from humans. His kind didn't hug or show affection; they preyed on the weak. And yet, here was this tiny human, clinging to him like he was her protector, oblivious to the fact that she was essentially offering herself to the predator.
As this thought crossed Kael's mind he rubbed his tongue languidly on his sharp fangs ready to take a sink his fangs into Jacquelyn's tender skin since the girl won't learn. But just as his face got closer to her neck. His nose tinged flaring up with distaste. Kael recoiled pushing the girl away.
"What's that smell?" Kael growled, his eyes narrowing in disgust.
Jacquelyn raised her hand to her face, then sniffed. "What smell?" Was her innocent reply, she rubbed her face where she felt something sticky.
"Bird filth!" Jacquelyn cried, "I should go bath quickly!" She ran inside the house.
Kael's eyes narrowed as he watched the girl run inside the house. He twitched his nose again, he knew it wasn't the bird filth. There was this smell that came from the girl that made him want to stay away from her especially her blood. And it was the first time he's ever experienced such with a person's blood.
"Hm...a witch?" Kael mused, as he thought deeply. He always knew witches just by looking at them, but the girl wasn't one and his blood consumption wasn't limited on witches. He wasn't a picky eater, even if the girl was a witch, he shouldn't feel repelled by her blood.
The vampire king sucked his teeth, knowing how sneaky the humans were he knew that they would try every possible means to kill him. Since all their plans haven't been working, they must have tried to join hands with the witches, and this was a variable Kael didn't think of until now.
Kael entered the house, his steps walked towards the room where Ballister was scrubbing the blood on the wooden floor.
"Ballister," he called with a calm voice.
Ballister stood up, dropping the rag that was dripping with blood inside the iron bucket beside him.
"Yes master?"
"I left one more person, bring him to my reading room."
Ballister nodded, ready to dash out of the room then he remembered something.
"T-the princess is she ali- I mean going to stay with us?"
"Well, that's for us to find out," Kael hummed, the truth was that he was somewhere between overwhelmed and irritated with having a human around him. It was something he wasn't used to, and didn't know how to act with it yet. Especially being that the girl's blood didn't please him at all.
"Bring the food to my room."
Ballister bowed before disappearing through the door to carry out his master's instructions.
Inside the only room in the castle Jacquelyn was familiar with. She rummaged through the things in the bathroom searching for soap to wash her body but there was nothing she could find.
"There is absolutely nothing here..." Jacquelyn muttered, "I should wash up first, then go buy what I need later." She removed the shirt she was wearing and entered the bathing tub using the already warm water to wash herself.
After bathing the girl tied the dry towel round her petite body before leaving the bathroom. As she wasn't used to washing her own hair, she had left it dry not allowing water to touch her. Walking inside the room, Jacquelyn went back to the closet to pick a new shirt and just like the last one, the grey it covered her hands down to her knee.
She quietly left the room, going back to meet with Kael as they still had a conversation to finish up. When Jacquelyn saw Ballister closing the door to a particular room, she ran to him smiling brightly.
"Ballister, is he inside?" Jacquelyn's voice startled the boy, causing him to jump.
Ballister held his hand to his head, "What - is that Master's shirt?"
Jacquelyn nodded, turning around. "He really has good taste and I like how they cover my hands...see" she raised her hand flapping it like a bird, her azure blue eyes shining brightly.
"You must have had the best life out there..." Ballister said under his breath, shaking his head.
Jacquelyn's face turned serious, "I need to talk to him, open the door."
"No, you don't want to-" and as usual before Ballister could stop the girl; the princess had already pushed the door open, walking inside the room where Kael was having his peaceful meal.
Jacquelyn entered the room, the wooden floor creaked softly as a result of her footsteps. The tall bookshelves cast long shadows, hiding Kael from view. As she walked further in, the candlelight revealed him sitting on a soft cushioned sofa bed.
There, Kael sat, draped in a flowing midnight-blue robe that flowed down to his feet, leaving his chiseled torso bare. A loose-fitting trouser hung effortlessly on his slender waist. His gaze locked onto the princess, his golden eyes gleaming with intensity as his fangs remained sunk deep into the neck of the man kneeling before him.
Jacquelyn's knees trembled as she took in the scene before her. The air was heavy with the scent of old books, smoke, and something metallic; it was blood.
"Wh-what are you doing?" she stammered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
Kael's gaze narrowed, his eyes flashing with annoyance at the interruption. He retracted his fangs from the man's neck with a soft, wet sound, and the human slumped forward with a soft thud.
"I-is that blood?" The princess's voice trembled as she pointed a shaky finger, seeing Kael's lips covered in blood.
The tall figure lounging on the bed lazily wiped the liquid from the corner of his lips, his piercing gold eyes locking onto hers with an unnerving intensity.
"What else would my kind crave?" Kael replied, his voice low and husky. The princess raised a hand, as if to slow his explanation, but her head spun with a dizzying sense of dread.
"It's low quality, though," he continued, his gaze never leaving hers. "I find it almost...condescending, that I'm being served the blood of the lowest human. But since they're your kind, you might want to taste it. The human is still alive...for now."
As he dragged the limp body forward, the young girl felt a bitter wave rise in her stomach. Jacquelyn clutched her chest, her eyes fixed on the lifeless form. "Oh, dear heavens," she whispered, before her vision darkened and she crumpled to the floor.
Kael raised an eyebrow as he watched her fall, his voice laced with sarcasm and a hint of annoyance. "Who brings a fainting Ferret to a drinking soiree..." He drawled tapping his fingers on the bed.
"Whose idea was it?" Kael asked Ballister who was now stepping into the room from the doorway where he had been eavesdropping.
"I tried to stop her, Master, but she...had already entered." His gaze fell on the girl, who was now unconscious on the floor.
Kael sighed, his expression annoyed, and gestured dismissively. "Remove her." He turned his attention to the human he had been feeding on, who was now stumbling away from him.
"Tsk, I'm not sated...I need to feel full...don't you have a conscience? Taking my meal away from me." Kael remarked, speaking to the human as he shook his head as if disappointed with the man for trying to run from him.
The human clutched his neck, pleading desperately for his life. "Please, don't kill me...I'll reveal what I know...the witches are conspiring with humans to kill vampires..."
Kael's gaze narrowed, his interest piqued. Then it slowly faded, the bored expression returned and he replied to what the man said, "Ah, you mean what I inquired about yesterday? No...I've lost interest. Now, I'm just hungry..." He licked his teeth, ready to finish the human, when he noticed Ballister struggling to drag the girl out of the room.
"Ballister....what have I ever done to you? Can't I even have my meal in peace?" Kael asked, his voice laced with tiredness. He stood up from the bed, his movements graceful, as he strode over to the girl. With a single, effortless lift, he scooped her up and carried her out of the room.