It seemed that even here, on the edge of the empire, Wei Caihong’s post had always been shaky. The noble had moved in with Nikola, and the order for him to leave the palace came faster than the furniture from his estate in the capital. And to think that the order for the furniture had been sent a whole week before the letter of resignation.

Nikola enjoyed having a bed again. And chairs. The furniture, all in a dark wood, fit well with the complete feel of the house. Nikola still bought some things from the local carpenter.

The fresh wood was in stark contrast with the older pieces of furniture, and yet it all fit together somehow. He hosted a party, late at night so that Wei Caihong could go outside if he needed, and invited all of his new neighbors as well as granny Nuo Nuying.

 She had tried to talk him into dancing as well, but Wei Caihong had been hovering over Nikola’s shoulder the entire time, and he set his foot down. Refusing for anyone else to be seduced by Nikola’s dancing.

The general opinion was that this was a love story coming straight out of a poem. The lost prince of a barbaric land, and that was how everyone regarded Nikola, not having forgotten that he came decked in gold, finds the noble magistrate who has fallen from grace.

The magistrate has a bad reputation, but the lost prince melts his heart, and he forgets all about his foulness. This silly story, which circulated around the village, gave hope to many women that they could do the same as Nikola. Nikola pitied their naivety.

“What are you thinking of again?” Asked Wei Caihong from his place down on the ground, slowly drawing symbols on the wooden floor.

“That the villagers are rather childlike. Just yesterday, a young girl asked me how to turn the troublemaker of the village into an upstanding citizen. I told her not to bother, but she kept insisting he was of a good family and that made him a good match.”

Wei Caihong snorted at that, and he squeezed the wound on his wrist so more dark blood could drip out.

“You should have told her to sleep with him. It worked for me,” Nikola kept dusting the counter. There was a closed sign on the shop, so he didn’t know why he bothered. Still, it was good to have something to do.

“Can you come over here and check if I’m writing what you showed me or nonsense?” Nikola sighed.

The drawing was right next to Wei Caihong, and yet, the man used any excuse he could to get Nikola to be close to him. Still, he went to him and then took the brush from his hand and curved one of the symbols a little.

“I swear; you are doing this deliberately,” said Nikola as he inspected the rest of the symbols.

He corrected mistakes as he went. It was important that the one who was going to perform the ritual paint the symbols, but if Nikola left them like this, then Wei Caihong would be left without toes as well as get boils on his ass.

 “There. All done. Have you worked on your chant?”

Wei Caihong rolled his eyes and begun to chant in perfect Sumerian. Nikola had found early on that making all the rituals in the language of the angels was taxing.

Using Atlantean was almost as much, and so he kept it for more of his power heavy rituals. But for something as simple as finding a teleportation point? Why, Sumerian was enough.

 And since the Abyss was somewhere among the stars this language, sipped with mystery and the occult, was perfect for the task. Wei Caihong grinned for a second, and then his face fell. And so, did he a few seconds afterwards.

“What is it? What did you see?” Nikola couldn’t hold back his excitement. Had Wei Caihong seen Penemue there?

“I nearly died! I felt like the life was being squeezed out of me, and I was merely at the borders of the Abyss. Not even there in truth. I am not going there!”

Golden chains made of light appeared around Wei Caihong and begun to choke him. He tugged at them, but they burned his hand. He stared at Nikola, who regarded him with anger.

“I’ll die if I return. Have mercy, my Emerald. We can get him out some other way. Maybe create a portal for him instead?” The chains disappeared just as they have appeared, and Nikola’s face softened.

“I can’t ask you to lay down your life,” he said, although he looked as if he wanted to ask just that of the noble. “But a portal would require many tributes. And even then, that stubborn mule Penemue could refuse to cross it.”

“I know where he is now and how to get to him,” said Wei Caihong quickly, and when no chains appeared, he continued. “And there is a bandit group in the mountains. We can use them. But for us to travel that far, I’ll need to walk into the sunlight…”

Nikola massaged his temples. He had forgotten about this, so used to the noble being self-sufficient and not leaving the house. He racked his brain for the legend of the original Lamia.

She had insomnia, but he didn’t remember her ever fearing the sun. Something had to change in Wei Caihong’s curse for this to work.

“We need to speak with Azazel,” it left a sour taste in his mouth, for he could already hear what the fallen angel would demand of him, but it had to be done.

Hello there, your imperial pratness! Came Azazel’s voice inside Nikola’s head. Missed me?

Like I would a wart. Lamia didn’t have a sunlight problem. How does Wei Caihong get rid of his?

Azazel hummed deep in his throat, and Nikola wanted to throttle the angel.

I want out of here. When you pull out lover boy, you will make the portal big enough for two. The rest are wimps who were only in it for the women. But I have plans, my dear student.

Penemue never liked it when Nikola played into Azazel’s hands, but now, it wasn’t the time to think on what his lover approved or no. Nikola needed help and Wei Caihong, with his newfound strength from the curse, would be the perfect assistant.

Fine, how do I get rid of Wei Caihong’s problem?

Oh, it’s simple. You have to drink from his blood until he nearly dies. Then you need to let him drink you actually dry. No chanting, no carvings. Just good old-fashioned blood drinking.

What’s the catch?

Azazel laughed cruelly at that, and Nikola gulped.

You might become a little addicted to his blood. You won’t die without it, but you will need it desperately. For all intents and purposes, you will become obsessed with the thought of his blood. I don’t know how you’ll manage a threesome, but once you drink from my champion, you won’t be able to let him go.

Penemue was going to be livid if this happened. It was one thing to allow your lover an affair when you choose to abandon him. Another to allow the lover to remain once you get back.

 Nikola took a good look at Wei Caihong and tried to imagine him with Penemue. Would the angel prefer the cursed being and set Nikola aside? Letting him tag along but never giving him any affection? But no! Penemue wouldn’t do this to him. And Nikola couldn’t wait another nine hundred years.

Deal. Do I need to look out for something in particular when I make the portal? Or can it be done any time?

Well, you are the expert. If your calculation say you can get us out without having to stare at the sky, then it can happen. You were taught by the best, and you made many spells that we can’t even begin to understand. Now, off with you.

This was the closest to a praise he had ever gotten from Azazel. He fought hard to get the bad feeling in his stomach in control, and he went to Wei Caihong.

“You listened in, didn’t you?” He said, as he knelt, and he was immediately pulled into the noble’s lap.

“I have missed the sun,” he said, and Nikola nuzzled Wei Caihong’s neck and opened his mouth.

 He bit down as gently as he could, but Wei Caihong still inhaled sharply. Then Nikola begun to drink. Had he ever taken from the noble’s blood? He didn’t know. But he knew now that it was sweet as syrup and going easily pass his lips.

 He felt a gentle hand hold the back of his head, and then there were fangs in his neck. They stood like that, robes, his silk ones and Nikola’s cotton ones, pulling together.

 Hands roaming over each other’s bodies. High on the feeling of blood loss and the taste of each other’s blood. Nikola moaned into the bite when he felt Wei Caihong’s tighten his hold on him.

Wei Caihong didn’t let go of Nikola as he lowered him down and begun to kiss him. Nikola wrapped his legs around the noble and breathed heavily. He couldn’t take any more blood.

His teeth let go of Wei Caihong, but the man wasn’t letting go of him. Throwing his head back he moaned loudly and for the first time it wasn’t Penemue’s name on his lips. Wei Caihong stopped abruptly and dislodged himself from Nikola. He was smiling, and his eyes were twinkling, and Nikola couldn’t help but be infected with his joy.

“You finally moaned my name.” Said the noble breathlessly.

“I guess I did.” And Nikola was blushing, darn it all. Legs still wrapped around Wei Caihong and hair pulling to the floor behind him. He should have cut it long ago, if the fashion of this land didn’t demand otherwise.

“You are so beautiful, my Emerald. I will never leave you.”

That calmed Nikola. He didn’t like thinking like this, but even if Penemue in his rage refused to share Nikola’s bed, he wouldn’t be left alone. Just when had he begun to consider Wei Caihong to be a companion?

“You’re everything I need. I will never hurt you,” continued the noble as he peppered Nikola with kisses. Nikola chuckled and pressed his nose to Wei Caihong’s.

“Can you make this work even when Penemue enters the picture?” He asked, and he dared to hope that the man would say yes.

“It hurts me when you talk of him,” said the noble, and he kissed Nikola’s neck. He was rewarded by hearing his name again between heavy pants and gasps for breath. “But I’ll do anything for you. I’ll even share you. I don’t know if he would agree to do the same.”

“I’ll beg him on my knees,” lazy kisses followed the desperate movements of before. Wei Caihong had always been careful with him, but now he was almost tender. Nikola feared what a look in his future might show him. So, he remained ignorant.