Page 113 of Blood Lovers

I pull back from the feeding to whisper her name. “Syrsee.” And I smile. Because I think I love her. And then… then I realize that she’s here. Really, here. Because it’s her wrist I’m wrapping my lips around and—

Suddenly the lavender haze clears. Like one moment I’m in a mist, and the next I’m standing under the clearest blue sky ever.

“Syrsee?” I sit up, Paul trying to push me back down, but I wriggle away from him. “Syrsee?”

She’s not here. But she was.

I look at Paul. “What the fuck is happening?”

“Just relax, will you? For once? You’re so uptight, Ryet.”

I look down and find that I have come all over myself. My stomach is sticky with it.

It was her hand on my dick, not his.

It was her wrist in my mouth, not his.

Paul must see me working things out in my head because he pushes me off him and stands up. “OK.” He sighs. “Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed it.” He’s got his back to me, bending over to pick up his clothes. He pulls his pants up his legs, then turns to face me, smiling as he tucks his hard dick away. “But remember”—he zips up his pants—“this was but a tease. The real thing is so. Much. Better.”

I get to my feet, also tucking my dick away. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Paul steps towards me, closing the distance between us and reaching for my face. He places his hand flat on my cheek and smiles at me with bloodied teeth. Sharp fangs that he almost never shows me. So he’s doing this on purpose right now. “You know what I’m talking about. Your dear little Syrsee.”

“What about her?”

“Come now, Ryet.” Paul’s voice is sharp now. “Stop being such a clueless idiot. It was her you were sucking on just now. It was her blood giving you that bliss.”

“No.”

“Oh, yes. This time it was just a dreamwalk but she’s been feeding you for daaaaaays, Ryet.”

“No.”

“You’ve been sick. You know this.” He slides his hand up my cheek, once again smoothing my hair away from my sweaty face. “You’ve been sick.” All the sharpness gone from his tone now. “It’s the end of you, you see. Your days as my scion are over now. That’s why you’ve started to remember them again. It’s all coming back because you’re dying, Ryet.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Paul smiles again. Bloody teeth. “It’s time to change, my love.”

“Change into—” But I already know. “Into you?” I turn away from him, grabbing my hair with both hands, my eyes searching for my shirt and jacket. I find them on the ground a little way away, pull my shirt over my head on instinct, then shrug the jacket on.

“Where are you going now?”

I ignore him.

“Ryet.” His tone is stern.

I look around, confused. I know this building. I helped build this building. I know the design of the gardens, I know how to solve the maze of pathways, I know how to get out. But I’m… lost. Just completely lost.

So I just stare at the jungle in front of me. A metaphor of my life. Something wild, and untamable, and confusing.

And then I remember the most important bit of information of this whole conversation.

The betrayal.

Now I know exactly where I’m going.

I push through some large, heavy leaves and find the pathway that leads directly to the door. I follow it, leaving Paul behind.