Finding Blood (City Underdark #1)

The Bite

Barmond was careful not to cut Yoven as he worked - the last thing he wanted was to be tempted by the sight of some of his blood. He wasn't exactly hungry, not yet, that didn't change the fact that he remembered Yoven's blood to be to his liking, last time he had drunk it. And, before he knew it, his mind was going back to biting Yoven, and if he really should be doing that.

Yoven was thinking of similar things.

"Were you ever bitten by a vampire?"

"A few times, when I was a human."

"And?"

"Most of them hurt like a fucking bitch. But that probably had to do with the fact that they were biting me in self-defence. A vampire fed on me only once, and that was on the day I died."

Yoven turned around, interested. With no more hair falling in front of his eyes, the light of the torch danced freely on his hazel irises, revealing some green undertones. They were strikingly pretty.

"How did it feel?" asked Yoven.

"It felt... amazing," said Barmond. It was hard to hold the other's gaze as he tried to find words to describe. "I had given myself to my sire willingly, but-- I didn't know the true meaning of giving myself until he started to drink. Suddenly, you know that vampire, and that vampire knows you. For a second, you understand how monks can devote their whole life to a god. And--"

He couldn't say the end. He breathed in deeply. He had to look away just to be able to say it.

"No woman made me feel that way. So... wanted."

"You mean it was physical too?"

"What else? But also, more."

"Like..."

"Like paradise."

There was silence.

"But that was as I was giving all of my blood, till the very last drop," said Barmond. "It's part of being turned into a vampire. We won't be doing that."

"But I'll like it?"

"Probably. Humans never resist me when I start drinking."

"Even men?"

"It's not sexual. I mean... It is. But actually, it's more as if you were masturbating."

"Oh dear, but, that's a sin."

"It's not like you're actually masturbating. It's a vampire giving that pleasure to you."

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Don't worry too much about it," said Barmond. "It will feel natural after a while. Now, do you want me to take care of your beard as well?"

"I'll do that myself."

Yoven turned his chair around so that he would be above the spread shirt. Looking at him was odd for Barmond, that had already grown used to seeing him with his mop of hair and his bushy beard, but he supposed that it was normal for someone in an in-between state.

"Is there any mirrors around here?" asked Yoven.

"There must be," said Barmond.

He went through the cabinets and found that some already were furnished with some tools - namely, the tools that he had left back at his room at the inn, as well as his old hat, gloves, and his bag. He found a mirror in the bedroom, at the foot of the servant's bed, that was in the wall behind a curtain.

"There," he said as he showed it to Yoven. "Do you want me to hold it for you?"

"Please," said Yoven. "Right there is perfect."