I peeked out at the dark room. The blackness surrounding me, accompanying the fresh night air seeping in from cracks underneath the window seal. A day had passed by. And the night before…

My eyes popped open. My bones cracked and heed to the warning, I hurt all over. The spinning effect was gone, the drowsy, motionless wave of ecstasy had disappeared. What it left was a memory and a thousand questions... why?

Slowly, I sat up on the bed. I heard my spine creak. Like a zombie, who hadn't moved a joint in decades, being animated from its grave. My hips popped as I straightened out into a sitting position. Such an eerie sound.

I couldn't see much in front of me but the shadowed outline of a small burned out candle beside the bed. I reached forward, feeling for matches and when I had touched them, I picked them up quickly. I flicked a single match and a flame illuminated the room.

Suddenly, I felt a movement beside me. A rustling of the sheets, a humming noise like breathing. Lucious was awaking to the soft glow of the candle light that now brightened up the room. He stretched his legs out and steadied himself before sitting up on the bed behind me.

Quickly, I buried my face within my palms.

“Mikael?” His lips echoed my name.

I had never felt so awkward, so nervous with him as I did at this moment. Last night could have been nothing more than a strange dream. If it hadn't have been so real.

He moved forward, on his knees, scooting closer to me from behind.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern in his voice.

I felt the tip of his fingers touch my shoulders and pulled away.

“Stay away from me!” I ordered.

Immediately, I stood up. I heard the bones in my feet and legs pop and swore I could fall any moment. But I held steady and slowly stepped away from the bed.

“You... betrayed me,” I said silently.

I heard him sigh. “Mikael, there is a very good explanation for all of this.”

“There’s always a good explanation, isn’t there? But you never come up with one.” I stopped and stood there. Part of me was waiting for his reason. Part of me just wanted to escape this situation.

Lucious got up from the bed and started to approach.

“It was Chris, of course,” he began. “His wishes. Ordered me to bring you here... or he would exterminate you and your entire tavern.”

“Why not leave it to such fate, then?”

He stopped in his tracks behind me. “I couldn’t!” he gasped.

“Oh, you could have!” I said as I turned to face him for a moment. Then I turned back around to face the window. “We've been away for three years, what's another? To Chris's eyes, I'm nothing but a... toy. We're nothing to him! Do you wish to be trapped here for eternity?”

“As long as you are with me, anywhere will do,” he whispered.

I huffed and whispered back, “You truly are losing your humanity.”

Then, I heard his footsteps approach once more. Like a tree I stood, motionless, as I heard his breath. I shuddered and tried to keep it to myself. I couldn't move despite the need.

“Not yet,” Lucious said “Not because of you, Mikael, my love.”

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and gently began to kiss my neck. I couldn't help but lean my head back. Captivated by his touch again, we needed no drug nor anyone to foresee our every movement. For I was already imprisoned by him.

I felt his breath upon my skin. Strangely warm and exotic. His lips drew closer to my ear.

“But I cannot help myself when I'm with you,” He breathed. “Now that I've tasted you again, I'm afraid I cannot keep my hands off.”

Returning his lips to my neck caused shivers to run down my spine. I couldn't move, nor did I really want to. If this could last forever, I would stop the time and we would be frozen in this moment. This short time when none of these worries invaded my thoughts and altered my night. The perfect freeze frame.

However, just as I thought, the serenity of the minute would pass.

His tongue began to devour my salty skin and soon I felt a slight pin prick. When I heard him moan, I had realized what he was about to do. Quickly I stepped forward, yet his strength caught me. My head snapped back and I grasped hold of his arms trying desperately to break free.

Just then, the large bedroom door swung open and Chris appeared from the hallway.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh... Lucious.” Chris scolded. “You are well aware of what would happen if you drink from him now.”

Chris stepped in and closed the door behind. Lucious had dropped his hold and I was able to step away.

“Chris,” I muttered. “What is this all about?”

I stared at him in disgust. I couldn't stand to see his face but it was almost as if he was my savior right then.

“I always wondered what it was about you that Lucious couldn't escape from,” Chris began. “Now, I think I know what that is.”

I peeked over my shoulder at Lucious. He stood behind me, frozen, disappointed.

“And what might that be?” I wondered, looking back at Chris.

He stepped forward, standing at an arms length from me. “Your blood.”

“Impossible!” I gasped.

He reached his hand into the inside of his coat pocket. At the same time, I heard Lucious drop to his knees. Looking over my shoulder again, I spotted him with his face in the palms of his hands. Did he know about this all along?

“Oh, it surely is possible, Mikael. You see, even though I felt nothing when I bit you last night, Lucious does. I'm quite sure he did not mean to keep you alive on that fateful night in that alleyway. Somehow your blood has affected him more than anyone elses.” Chris explained as he pulled a syringe from his inner pocket. “And I wish to test that theory. If I may.”

He stepped even closer. He grabbed my hand, pulling me even closer until I could almost feel his breath on my cheek.

“Your blood, please,” he said as he stretched my arm out in front of him.

I stared at him, my eyes burned rage. The whole time, he wrapped a small piece of cloth around my upper arm and tapped at my veins in order to draw my blood.

“You think your quite powerful, don't you?” I asserted.

He only looked up at me and smiled as the needle dug into my skin.

“Do you really believe you are the only one?” I asked.

“There has never been any other quite like me,” He said happily and returned his eyes to my arm.

Was this just a game? So, I’ll play along. “Oh indeed, there hasn't. Especially to mock your insanity, your insolence. Well, that would be truly unfair.” I returned a smile. “But what if I said that I knew of someone just as powerful... if not more.”

He lifted his head to return his gaze on my smiling face. I felt him press the needle in deeper and it made me wince.

“I would love to meet this vampyre you speak of.” He returned my smile.

“On the edge of Northern there’s this club called Club 69. Ask for Raphael,” I said.

He his tipped and he froze. “What was that?”

“Raphael.” I repeated the name. “Is it familiar to you?”

“Impossible!” He retorted.

“But he is there at the club. I met him.” I told.

Suddenly, he withdrew the needle from my arm and popped out the vial from the syringe. The red blood filled the glass tube half way.

Chris stuffed the entire makings back into his inner pocket and loosened the cloth wrap from around my arm. He walked backwards, closer to the door.

“Impossible! You met Raphael?” Chris asked, and I nodded. “He… h-he wasn’t to return for another fifty years!”

I heard Lucious lift himself off the floor and take a couple of steps forward.

“I must see th-this.” Chris said, flustered. “I…” He glanced at us. “You’ll come with me. Be good. Don’t say a word.”

Lucious spoke, “You go alone. I’m sure--”

“No! No. I can’t trust you both together.”

Chris raised his hands as he had before, suddenly it was as if all the energy was drained from my body. I fell into Lucious, who caught me before I could land on the floor.

“And don’t you dare try anything. I’ll destroy that damn tavern, and everything else with it!” Chris chided as he flung open the door to leave.