𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓲 𝓵𝓲𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾?| 𝓪𝓵𝓮𝓬 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝔀𝓸𝓸𝓭

Chapter Fifteen

(hiii! just a quick note before we start; raphael is NOT a love interest for ness, so don't get your hopes up, lol :) however, he is for another character, so buckle up for the third love-line so far! sotc is alleyways, by the neighbourhood, happy reading! <3)

Ness rubbed her eyes groggily and tried to sit up. The splitting pain in her head shot through her body, shocking her as if it were hot water, and she fell to the ground again, smashing her head on the ground as she did. She whimpered at the pain of the wound and lifted her hand gingerly to the back of her head. Her hair was warm and wet and when she pulled her fingers away the were streaked scarlet with her blood. Ness flinched at sight of it, her head still foggy with confusion, as if someone had pumped clouds into her ears and forgotten to suck it out again.

Her chest hitched with her gasps of pain, the back of her head feeling if someone was pouring alcohol into it. She squeezed her eyes shut, silently begging her demon blood to heal her wound, but the pain stayed the same, not mulling for even a moment. 

Ness didn't know how long she lay there, a pool of blood surrounding her blonde head with her eyes screwed shut, wanting to die from the burning pain. That was when she heard it.  

It was a small gust of wind, no more than a rustle, but it was enough to snap her out of her woozy state and she opened her eyes cautiously, coming face to with a concerned looking man.

He had Latino features, but he was unnaturally pale, and his skin looked almost waxy, with reddish bags under his eyes. He almost looked like he was-

Dead. He was a vampire. 

Ness gasped and sat up hurriedly, ignoring the splitting pain in her head, and the blur that it put on her vision. She slid back away from the man, filled with fear. This was not how she anticipated that her death would go. She scrabbled desperately to get back from him, with back hitting off one of the trash cans that so often frequented these dark alley ways. The man laughed out loud and held his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not going to hurt you". He spoke very precisely, his diction sharp, despite his American accent. He didn't slide his words out like Alec did, his words lazily dropping out of his mouth like honey. No, this man was clean and smooth, and precise. 

"You're a vampire" she countered. "Who drinks blood and is dead, so I'd be inclined to disagree with that statement". He walked over to her, and she internally flinched, but held her head up high, no matter how it ached. He held out his hand in an offering of peace. He wanted to help, he was telling her. It was up to her if she wanted to accept. 

She glanced at him suspiciously, before reaching for his hand tentatively, still unsure of his intentions, and his firm hand wrapped around her, and pulled her to her feet. She nearly slumped again but stumbled and caught her balance just in time. He placed his hand on her forearm to help steady her, and she smiled at him gratefully, before cautiously moving out of his grip and steadying herself. 

"Can you balance?" he asked levelly, and she nodded. 

"Yeah, I can, thanks."

"Raphael Santiago" he introduced himself, holding out his hand for her to shake. She went return the gesture, then glanced at her hand, which was covered in blood.

"I would, but I don't want to encourage you to kill me if I can help it" she laughed, and he nodded in surrender.

"I completely understand" he nodded with a smile, and she went to nod back, but clutched the back of her head with pain. "You need some venom for that?"

"Some what?"

"Some vampire venom" he shrugged. "It can heal wounds made by demons". Ness raised her eyebrows.