Alea
I begin to stir from my sleep as I feel hands tenderly massaging my shoulders in small circles. I let out a small moan as the massage moved down my spine, loosening any knots. I open my eyes and turn to see Elfrea with a wide smile on her face. Elfrea leans down and gives me a soft kiss on my lips.
"Good Morning," Elfrea whispers to me.
I pull her close, cuddling into her arms, not wanting to leave the bed. The time Elfrea and I have had in this cabin hasn't lasted long enough. This cabin had just started to feel like a home, but I knew from the start it was never meant to last. When I ran here, I never once thought what I would find. With Elfrea tagging along and willing to go inside the wall, it made leaving a little bit easier.
I gave Elfrea a deep kiss before breaking away from our embrace to get out of bed. Elfrea gave me a pout that had me wanting to nibble on her lower lip. I smiled at her and reluctantly climbed from the bed. I needed to start getting ready and make sure everything was packed. I also wanted to eat and clear the cold box; I wanted the cabin to be clean and prepared for our return one day. As well as write a letter to Hendrik letting him know of Elfrea before we arrive.
"So what did the two of you get up to last night?" I ask while I get up and start swiftly pulling my clothes on. Each night was getting colder and colder; it would be winter soon.
"I hunted until I felt truly full and could take a sip of human blood without trying to gulp it down," Elfrea said. She sat up in bed, the blanket only covering her legs, which she pulled up to herself, burying her face into her knees. Elfrea looked like she was trying to make herself smaller after she told me.
I was a little taken aback after hearing Elfrea had drunk human blood, more than the accidental taste she had licked from her fingers. I only stood in silence, not knowing what to say. I was angry that it wasn't mine, but I knew there was no way they had found someone to drink from out in the forest. Seeing Elfrea look ashamed for even drinking from a container holding the blood had me push the anger down.
"Do you hate me now?" Elfrea says into her knees, her eyes would quickly dart to me, but then return to looking down.
I crawled up on the bed to her, giving a kiss on the lips before pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Never," I tell her.
She relaxes and gives a gentle squeeze before we break from the hug. I then bit my lip while looking into her eyes. I did another thing I said I would never do. I pulled my hair to the side and bared my neck to Elfrea, offering myself to her. Elfrea didn't move in at the chance; instead, her finger glided down from my jaw to my throat.
I close my eyes as I see Elfrea begin to move closer to my neck. The anticipation had me holding my breath as I felt her lips land softly on my neck. Elfrea's soft lips glide across my skin, leaving small kisses, before Elfrea raises her head. I open my eyes to see her smiling once again.
"Truthfully, I don't feel the need to drink any blood after last night. Cole explained that when I turned, I was somehow able to create a tolerance for the amount of blood I needed to keep going. This whole time, I was able to keep going, riding the edge of starvation." Elfrea began to tell me. I stay silent, letting her finish telling me about her night.
"So before we came back to the cabin, the two of us hunted animal after animal to the point I felt overfull. I felt myself getting stronger each time I drained an animal. I was getting much faster, and my brain wasn't filled with this horrible thrust pushing me to drink more. I could stop before fully draining, but I kept going until Cole told me to try the blood that he had in a flask without trying to gulp it down, and I did. I took one small sip and didn't feel the need to drink every drop."
Elfrea was trying her hardest to learn control before we left. I was at least glad Cole was helping her along like I had thought. Cole was starting to show he wasn't like the average vampire, more and more to me. He was very worried about Chrisa, and I could tell he wasn't faking those feelings. No matter where our next mission puts us, I will help him find her.
I pull her in for another tight hug before kissing her nose and removing myself from the comfortable bed. The sight of a naked Elfrea in the bed was keeping me from moving as fast as I needed to. As I move from the bed, I tightly tug her arm, letting her know it's time to get ready. Elfrea sighed, but got up to start getting dressed.
Once dressed and weapons in place, I checked with Elfrea, and we headed out of the room with our bags on our shoulders. I only had one cloak still between us, so I gave it to Elfrea to wear to keep her skin away from the sun. I place my hand on the doorknob and then stop as a thought comes to mind.
Cole heard everything!
How could I have forgotten that Cole would be able to hear everything? Even with a normal hearing range, he would have heard me yelling Elfrea's name in ecstasy. The embarrassment held me from turning the knob and opening the door.
"Are you alright?" Elfrea asks me, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"If he did?" She asks with a sly grin on her face. Giving a little chuckle, very pleased with herself.
Elfrea reached her hand out and placed it over mine, touching the doorknob. She turns the knob, pushing the door open and nudging me along. We walk out to see Cole sitting at the small kitchen table, reading the novel I had found last night. His eyes fixated on the words in the story until we were right in front of him.
Once he looked up at us, I felt my face start to heat up, and I went to the cold box to eat my last meal here. I wasn't sure when I would be able to dine on such a wonderful meal. I would make sure to eat every last bite. I moved to heat the meal, but Elfrea nudged me out of the way, gesturing for me to sit while she prepared the meal.
I did as she requested and sat down, Cole's eyes returned to the novel's pages as if I wasn't there.
"Did you have a good night's rest?" he then asks, eyes never moving from the book. I could see a smirk rise on his face as he waited for my answer.
I only rolled my eyes at him as an answer. Cole was starting to be a good match for Christa with his teasing. I was beginning to wonder if Christa knew of Cole's secret. He seemed to be fixated on her when he first showed, and even though he seemed calm now, he never seemed to be relaxed.
I ignored him and went rummaging through my bag for paper and a pen to write the letter to Hendrick. I wrote and told him of Elfrea and that I would be bringing her along with us. I summarize everything, making sure to tell him of her potential power and that she would be a good fit in helping Hexerai. I ended it by asking for a cloak for Elfrea to wear on our trip back inside the wall as his answer to accepting meeting Elfrea.
Elfrea is setting down a plate in front of me as I finish writing. I fold the letter up and seal it, ready to send when we all reach the manor. I place it in my bag and enjoy my meal. Elfrea stays standing behind me. She begins to move her fingers through my hair, loosening any knots. As I finish eating, while Elfrea braids my hair, tying off at the end.
"Thank you," I say to Elfrea.
We all begin to get ready to leave once the dishes are cleaned and put away. I made sure to clean out the fireplace. Lastly, I grabbed the last bit of deer and tossed it into the woods for the birds.
In the distance, I could see dark clouds moving closer with the rising wind. Rain would be starting soon, and I hoped that the incoming rain would pass over fast, so I wouldn't have to walk in the rain the entire time. We ran to the manor, trying to beat the dark clouds. Even though I was a fast runner, I still felt I was holding Elfrea and Cole behind. With their vampire speed, they could arrive at the manor and run all the way back before I even got there.
We were lucky and beat the weather as we entered the manor. Large raindrops began to pelt the roof as we moved into the study. The makeshift curtain I had made days ago was half-hanging. I fixed it the best that I could before going over to the desk that still held the crystal I had placed. Placing the letter in the center, I sent it off to Hendrick.
Once that was done, we all settled down while the rain continued. Elfrea and I took up the lounge chair, leaving the desk chair for Cole. I leaned against Elfrea, all of us staying in silence. All I could do was stare at the desk, hoping to see a package containing a cloak for Elfrea.
Then, after what felt like hours, a package appeared on the desk. We all stood up at the same time. I opened the package, and sure enough, there was a brand-new black cloak. I pick it up and hand it to Elfrea. She removes my cloak, and we swap the cloaks. As I wrap the cloak around me, I smile to myself as the smell of wildflowers drifts to my nose.
"Let's go," I say as I grab my crystal and stash it back into my bag.
We continue our journey back through the wall as the rain starts to let up, but not yet stopping. Cole led the way, with me sandwiched between him and Elfrea. I began to feel that I was slowing everyone down again, even though I kept a good walking pace. I was unsure if I should ask Elfrea to carry me, but I was sure Cole would tease me over it. We continued the long walk through the thick forest quietly.
After a while, I started seeing signs we were getting closer; the sounds from inside the wall began to grow. Cole gestured for us to crouch down into the thick bushes as we neared, seeing the tall wall getting closer and closer.
"I'm going to use the shadows to hide us, so stay close together and make no sound. I don't hear or see any guards; we can slip through the cracked hole." Cole whispers to Elfrea and me. We both give him a silent nod. Elfrea grabs my hand tightly as she follows behind me.
Just as Cole and I had done in our mission together, we all three snuck through the hole in the wall with no problems. Elfrea's eyes were shifting from one area to another as we followed Cole to the meeting place. Walking through the alleys, staying away from anyone trying to sell the wares or body as we passed. Heading just outside of the lower district to a grouping of tall buildings with small apartment homes stacked inside.
Taking the stairs, we climb to the top of the building, going up three flights of stairs, stopping in front of a plain door with the number twelve in silver near a small hole for the homeowner to look out of. Cole knocks in a pattern to indicate to whoever was inside that it was who they were expecting.
Hendrik then shows himself as he cracks the door, gesturing us all inside. We swiftly dip into the apartment, as Hendrik closes the door as we file in.