20. Someone will surely get burned

I’m sure this is not how things should have gone.

I’m in bed, wide awake, with Callisto wrapped around me in a way I wasn’t expecting. His head buried on my stomach, his arms wrapped around me keeping me secured against him and one of his legs dangled around my own in a lock.

Awfully awkward since I’ve never had this happen to me before. I’m sure my memory isn’t failing and the few times I spent my nights with him, he barely touched me. Most of the time he would remain at his side, just watching me.

But here I was for the first time wrapped in a way that reminded me of my night with Adonis.

It’s like they had this possessiveness over me.

I should disentangle myself, get away, but there was something about him I couldn’t let go. It had to be our connection. Yet something on my chest told me it was not just that.

I awkwardly moved my hand to his hair that was sprawled all over the pillows. I sift my fingers through it, ravishing the way it felt against my skin.

Smooth and delicate, and it smelled like lavender. My favorite.

Callisto shifted to my side, then mumbled something in Korean. I smiled.

If he wasn’t a monster, I think I would have dated him. Although sometimes he could be scary, I could see there was kindness in him. Like last night when our feelings clashed and he quickly knew what was happening to me because of them.

The way he acted and his words still rang in my mind. Swelling my heart, making me have butterflies in my stomach.

I was still trying to understand all this, him, everyone. Not that I’m that intelligent, I can be naïve sometimes or stupid.

I keep playing with his hair thinking about everything, then move my eyes to his pendant. My brows furrowed.

Now that I think about it, every one of them had one very similar. Why? I had no idea, but I am curious. And not in the way I should.

My hand disentangles from his hair and slowly moves to his pendant. As I reached for it, an inch from touching it, Callisto’s fingers came around my wrist so loudly and suddenly I squeaked like a mouse.

I looked down at his face. Cold, stony eyes met mine and the air around us stilled.

Terror clawed at my chest.

Run Yophiel, that was what my mind was screaming. It was time to run and get as far away as I could before I died.

I tried pulling my arm, but his fingers curled tighter around my wrist so that it felt like it would break if I dared pull more.

“C-Callisto?” I stuttered like the coward I was.

This is so scary.

My entire body goes in alert mode when I feel the shivers run desperately down my spine. This was not Callisto; it was the monster I saw the first time.

The cruel one, the one who was created to kill, to destroy.

Right when I open my mouth to beg for mercy. He blinks and then he is gone. Just like that, he is away in the farthest corner of the room. Hand over his face as he pants.

I quickly kneeled, not sure what I was planning to do, but something was wrong with him.

“Callisto?”

“Silence!” an animalistic snarl left his mouth, making me tremble in submission.

I’m afraid, trembling all over, but there was something telling me inside my head that I had to stop him, comfort him one way or another.

Stupid, that was like a suicide mission. What could a mere human like me do in a situation where there was a monster standing a few feet away, that was not only faster, but stronger than me?

I gulped my fear down, and slowly placed my foot down on the cold floor.

I don’t know if it was the air-conditioning that made the entire room cold, or if it was Callisto and my damn fear making me shake violently. Even my teeth rattled.

“Callisto,” I moved, arm raised in a way he would think I meant no harm.

I am well aware that his fangs are out, his nails are long enough to tear through me and his eyes are depths of darkness.

My legs feel heavy as I take one step at a time. Yes, this was my body against my decision right now. It was telling me to run, to forget about him and Rambo this shit now.

“Don’t come closer, Yophiel!” A growl stopped me midway. “Please, don’t.”

I should listen, I should not be stubborn and just do as he asks. But here I am being the stubborn woman I am and I can’t help feeling like I should do something to help him with whatever he is going through.

“Yophiel!” Callisto growls and I flinch for an instance.

I can’t help the sadness that fills a void in my chest. I could feel it. So, I raised my hand. I was close. But it’s obvious this is a mistake.

“CALLISTO!” A snarl has me crying out in fear as he pulls me around, twists my arm and slams me hard on the ground. His body was pressing me, grounding me so I couldn’t escape.

I swear I am bleeding from my head because now his fangs were scraping my cheek.

“Callisto!” I cried.

I eyed the door. I could try to push him away like he thought me, but I refused to let my fear win me over.

One of my arms was over my head where it was held in a deadly grip, the other behind my back.

“Stop me!”

Huh?

“Stop me, Phi. Stop me or I won’t be able to stop myself!”

Callisto’s breath burned as his fangs pierced my face.

I tried to draw my knees up, to find a way to push him. “I can’t.” I stuttered, having trouble breathing.

The floor creaked with our weight.

I don’t understand what’s happening.

“Stop me, Yophiel, I…” he growls.

“I can’t. I don’t know how!” I choked because I really had no idea.

“Order me, use your powers,” he chokes and his nails sink into my ribs.

I bite down a scream.

“Do it!”

I inhale, close my eyes, and try to find anything inside me that tells me this is what I should do. But nothing came up, nothing!

Another growl and I hiccupped a sob now. Then I hear it, a snap and everything around us stops. No, the rest stopped. I didn’t.

“Damn it Yophiel!”

I gasped. Adonis is dragging me from under Callisto.

My bones turn liquid, making it hard for me to even stand up.

“The fuck is happening here?” Darcy and Hector appear as everything returns to normal and Callisto is suddenly on all fours. His eyes strained on our group.

Hector and Darcy block me from him. “Adonis,” Darcy looks over his shoulder.

“On it,” Adonis quickly picked me up, then we are out of the room.

I clutch my ears as a growl and the shattering of things is heard down the hall.

I feel something open before everything is silent again. I still had my eyes closed, my hands over my ears. For a moment nothing happened, until I felt a pair of hands over my own.

“It’s safe,” Adonis whispered, pulling my hands down slowly. I opened my eyes and looked around. I was back in his room. Not to mention I somehow am still alive. “It’s alright, Yophiel. I am here.”

It takes me a moment to realize I’m crying. That my body can’t stop shaking.

I press my lips together, hating the way they quiver.

“Hey,” Adonis grabs my face between his hands. I finally looked at him. “Breathe, Yophiel. Breathe because you’re safe.”

I take several breaths until I start to calm down. Hands over my face, I massage it, wiping the tears away in the process.

A loud crash outside in the hall has me reaching for Adonis in a deadly grip.

His arms went around me, pulling me into a hug. Of course, I wrap myself like gum. Even my legs were secured around his waist in a lock.

“Breath,” he repeats, making circles on my lower back. Another animalistic snarl from outside and I hid my face on his neck.

A muffled sob leaves my lips.

I might have another panic attack if I don’t calm down now. But it was impossible, I felt I was suffocating, drowning on my own.

My chest ached, and my eyes started seeing small black dots.

Adonis might have felt it because he was getting up with me straddled against him. He doesn’t push me, instead moves us to another room inside the same bedroom.

Not until I looked up, I realized we were inside his walking closet. The space felt claustrophobic but somehow it calmed me. Maybe the silence and that it was just him and I that I could finally take a breath and let it go without issues.

I licked my dried lips and sighed.

“Hey,” his hands still moved up and down my back. “Hey, look at me.”

I turned, resting my head on his shoulder. He looked torn. Then I remembered he was feeling my emotions like bricks hitting him.

I took another deep breath and started counting until my heart eased to its normal self.

“There you are,” he smiled. I felt so stressed out.

A bit better, I looked at Adonis, who was staring down quietly. I pressed a hand to his chest, and for a second I felt it. The beat of his heart, strong, full of life.

That startled me.

“Wow,” I can’t help smiling.

He doesn’t say anything, just keeps looking at me.

Again, I understood he was waiting for me to have another panic attack but I was feeling better. So, I sat up on his lap. His hands are still firm on my waist.

“Thank you,” I sighed.

I don’t know what he is going to say but he unexpectedly sighs. A tension that I hadn’t noticed left his body as he slouched back against one of the doors.

We were on the floor. At some point, he must have sat down because I didn’t notice it at all. All my stupid attacks and fears didn’t allow me to focus on anything.

“Glad you’re feeling better,” he commented. I lifted one of my shoulders apologetically.

“Are we safe?” I asked, looking nervously over my shoulder.

The main doors were shut, meaning we were locked away from whatever was going on outside this room.

“Yes, you are with me, so don’t worry. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you.”

I nod.

“What happened to him?” I didn’t look at Adonis. “What was wrong with him?”

Adonis' jaw tightens. “Blood.”

One word.

“Blood?” I’m still trying to comprehend what he just said.

Another muscle in Adonis' jaw twitches. “He hasn’t fed.”

I blinked. “Didn’t you guys have blood yesterday while we were in the living room?”

“Yes and no,” he shakes his head. “We fed, but Callisto… he hasn’t fed in a while.”

“Why?”

Adonis gives me a look. Like he was debating if it was a good idea to tell me or not.

I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Fine,” he sighed. “As you saw yesterday, we had our dose of blood. We usually have three to four a day, but we can also only have one and keep our thirst at bay. But…”

“But what?” I asked, not liking where this was going.

“Callisto hasn’t fed in two weeks.” When I don’t respond, he continues. “Callisto needs your blood.”

“Excuse me?” I blurted out. “My blood. Don’t you all take it?”

Adonis muttered something before sighing again. I rolled my eyes.

“We all do, although sometimes we feed from some other human being. But we do take your blood occasionally.”

“So what’s the problem?” I asked impatiently. “The blood from yesterday was mine, right?”

He gave me a nod.

“So?”

“Callisto is not taking it for respect,” Adonis finishes.

Now it’s my turn to arch a brow. Adonis laughs. “He is just respecting you by drawing less blood from you and feeding from it. If you haven’t noticed, we haven’t drawn blood from you in a while. Darcy took some when you were unconscious from the accident but that was the last time, he did it.”

“I don’t get you. If you need my blood, why not take it?”

Adonis face goes blank.

Through the doorway we could hear someone walking around the room. His eyes darted with a squint. Before he could get us up, he grabs my arms and looks at me fiercely.

“Listen, we can’t keep forcing ourselves to feed from you. Not without your consent.”

“Since when have you asked for my permission?” I asked angrily. “All this time you’ve taken without care. So why now? What has changed?”

Adonis remains silent. I get up still feeling weak from the adrenaline. He quickly follows, holding my arm in case I fall.

“It’s not that simple, Yophiel!” he hissed.

I yanked my arm. “It’s always a damn excuse!”

“No—”

“Yes!” I yelled; tears welled in my eyes. “You guys always make excuses. I don’t want to be in the dark, I don’t want any of this!”

I staggered out of the closet to find Darcy pacing the room. He looked my way and I swear relief crossed his face.

“Where is Callisto?” I asked, striding out of the room. On the way out, I picked up a wine glass.

“Yophiel, what are you doing?” Darcy pulled me back. I pushed him, he barely moved.

I keep forgetting they are like stone slabs.

I turned towards Hector who stood down in the hallway, with Callisto by his side.

I’ll only have one chance. I ran.

Hector stepped back, confused.

At that point, I didn’t care anymore. It might not be the wisest decision, but my heart calls for him and right now I would do anything. Anything to just make this ache in my chest stop.

I ran faster, then slid like I'd practiced with Callisto. He raised his head, confusion washing over his face as I made it to his side.

I raised my arm and smashed the glass. Shards are flying everywhere.

This is, I realize, the only way I can help. I cut my wrist, tears rolling down my face.

“Phi?”

I took the bleeding cut to my lips and sucked. Suck until my mouth is full of blood.

“Yophiel!” Callisto reaches for me, trying to pull my wounded wrist from my mouth.

I bit down, then let go, reached for Callisto’s neck, and pulled him for a kiss.

He stilled; eyes wide as I fed him. There’s plenty for me to fear. One he could go crazy over the taste of blood and bite me, or he could push me away. Even if he tries to push me, I wouldn’t let him, not when I know he is like that because of me.

“Yophiel!” Darcy yelled.

I darted my eyes and silently begged him not to stop me. Callisto still hadn’t taken my blood, but I could see he was submitting by the minute.

I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. I can hear Hector and Adonis arguing softly behind us.

I focused on him, tried to take control of the situation. With my teeth, I nipped his lips. The small act forced him to hiss and blood slipped into his mouth.

Callisto reached for my waist. He moves, pushing me down to the floor. His nails dug hard into my flesh until I flinched.

This was a tug of war, pull or let go.

I expected him to pull away but then I noticed it. The white of his eyes slowly disappeared as the blackness took over.

Everything suddenly turned hot. His body didn’t feel cold, it felt too hot mixed with my own temperature, I felt I couldn’t breathe.

He feels so good against me, I moaned. I want my vampire back. I want to help him. I want him only for myself.

More, I want more.

I started to reach under his shirt when I came back to my senses and gasped. Callisto felt me and stopped. He hovered over me; eyes void of darkness.

He was breathless. We both were.

I slowly reached for his face. Instantly, Callisto melts into my touch. I smiled a little. Just like that, I can feel Callisto’s emotions. A bit of happiness and something close to love?

“Callisto, Yophiel,” Darcy was the first to break the silence around us.

I looked over me.

“Are you alright?” he asked, addressing me. “The wound.”

I lifted my arm; it was still bleeding.

Oops, I thought it had stopped bleeding.

“It’s clotting,” I smiled awkwardly when Callisto grabs it and brings it to his lips.

He licks, cleansing the wound and making me shudder. My legs squeezed or tried since Callisto was between them.

“It’s done.” Callisto’s answer wasn’t much of a reassurance for Darcy.

He gets closer and starts giving me a checkup. One nod from him, I knew Callisto's words were true.

Both Darcy and Callisto back away, allowing me to sit up. For once, I’m allowed a breather, with no argument and just silence.

I reach out for the wall when Adonis is there, clasping my hand and helping me up. I carefully keep my hold until I feel I can stand on my own.

“That was the most stupid thing I’ve seen.” A voice cut through the silence.

Seth flashed his silver eyes my way. His fangs out, and a crease between his brows. Oh, he wasn’t happy and, strangely, that angered me.

“Don’t!” I glared. Likely he is aware that right now isn’t the time to fight.

That’s all the warning I’m giving him before I get angrier. It’s not something that’s making me happy nor guilty. There was a tension between Seth and I quite like the one I had with Adonis, but this one was different. Like there was something bothering him.

I shove my hand through my messy hair, and slowly close my eyes, head drawn back and count.

“I’m going to get a shower,” I announce and no one stops me. For once, I’m thankful, because right now I need to clear my mind.

***

I just stood there under the warm water, head down, eyes shut. I try to figure out what I’m supposed to do next. Walk away and let some random vampires kill me, or escape like I originally had planned?

Before I could make a decision, I reached for the handle and shut down the water. And instead of moving and drying my body, I remained standing there. I held my breath. I was panicking again.

For several long seconds, I remained still, until the pounding in my head stopped.

At one point, I moved to change and not let my mind wander too much, not until my stomach started growling like an animal.

Seriously, I felt way hungrier than exhausted which shouldn’t be the case since I gave my blood to Callisto.

I reached for the long dress from the hanger when I stopped midair, the dress hovering over my head. I don’t know why, but I’m a little embarrassed to even wear the dress I have in my hands.

It’s not like I have much of a choice. Most of my clothes were chosen by Callisto and Seth and it seemed they wanted me almost bare.

My breath catches as my insecurities decide to come hit me with memories I used to receive before.

My body sways and I reach for the wall.

Every mean comment, even from my own parents, came back to mind. Replaying like an old movie. A picture I thought I had forgotten.

How naïve to think everything had changed, that things were better.

Nothing was.

I tell myself that it’s alright, that no one is judging me here, that my imperfections and flaws are my own freedom.

I keep repeating those words until a knock freezes me.

“Yophiel?” Darcy calls from the other side. Another knock. “Yophiel, are you there?”

My heart skyrockets to the atmosphere, worried Darcy would see me like this.

“Yophiel?” his voice came more forcibly. Before I can even utter a word, he opens the door, and I crouch in a panic.

I mean, it’s not like he hasn’t seen me, but right now I feel too conscious of myself that the last thing I want is for someone to see my ugly self.

In fact, as I open my eyes and look up to my surprise, I find Darcy's eyes wide staring down at me.

I closed them back and hid myself in the blue dress.

I’m pathetic.

Darcy reached for his pockets and stood there, studying me like I was some kind of animal. Well, he was a scientist after all. Of course, he would see me as some kind of rat lab.

“Yophiel.” I opened one of my eyes, peered at the vampire. He leaned and I expected him to say something but it seemed he gave up because he was sighing. “How many times do any of us need to remind you we don’t judge you?”

“But you did,” I said as he helped me up. “You always remind me that I could look better if I let you experiment on me.”

Tears well up in my eyes, and I forgot how to breathe.

I really hated myself.

Out of nowhere, Darcy yanks the dress from my grasp. In a panic, I reached for it but his long arms kept it from my reach.

“Darcy?” I screeched as tears slid down my cheeks.

No, no, no. What was he doing?

Before I can say anything else, Darcy backs away from me. I start to move when he does the unexpected and shreds the dress, leaving me in a state of total panic.

I watched as pieces of the dress fell to the white floor. Tears running like waterfalls, and an ache in the chest.

I stumbled back. Darcy barely moves, just watches me.

I’m hyperventilating.

I know I can’t fight them. I totally can’t even argue with them.

I mean, there will be an extent where their patience will reach a limit and they will snap at me because I’m just some means of survival for them. But take it to this extreme?

“Breathe Yophiel,” Darcy ordered. “You need to take a deep breath.”

Is he fucking with me?

Does he even get how I feel right at this moment? Does he understand that I…

I burst into an awful wail.

I can deal with mean words, judgmental eyes, hateful stares, but not with this. Not with my body like this, on display for them to see like I’m some figurine in a museum.

My cries must have reached someone because there were a set of footsteps heading our way. And they sound fast and angry.

“What did you do?” Seth appeared in a blur inside the bathroom. His eyes swirl black.

He was ready to burn the place down.

Darcy gives him a minute, several minutes in fact, before he even moves his mouth. All this time his eyes were on me.

“See?”

Seth spares me a look. Then he turns like a rabid animal, all fangs out, long nails, black eyes that looked like flames.

“Bastard!” He snarls and moves to my surprise to block me with his body. “Get the fuck out!”

Darcy squinted his eyes. “Why should I?”

A growl that shook the entire room had Darcy taking a step back. “You should before I decide it’s time to burn you to ashes and send you definitely to hell.”

“I’ll watch it mate!” Darcy hissed, then turned to look at me. “She needs to stop acting like that.”

“Darcy!” Seth warned.

“You know it’s the truth. She will never get anywhere if she keeps acting like a frail porcelain doll. If she keeps thinking so little of herself, she will be useless to us. And we don’t need someone like that. We want someone strong that fears nothing that comes to her! And this will be the only way!”

“ENOUGH!” Seth growled so loudly the floor around Darcy caught on fire.

Darcy bared his fangs in defiance. Probably it’s best to stop this, so I reached for Seth’s hand. His head jerks, making me flinch.

His presence was overwhelming, I felt he was choking me.

He must have noticed the fear in my eyes because the room was suddenly cold. Just the stench of smoke is left.

Figuring what to do next, I looked over his shoulder and found Darcy was gone. Then again, they all tend to disappear at moments you least expect.

I’m so focused on the empty spot where Darcy was a moment ago that I’m taken aback when I feel something around my shoulders.

Seth draped a towel over me. “I’ll bring you some clothes.”

I watch him leave then return. I stared at the set of black leather pants and black turtleneck.

“Dress up and when you are ready come out. I’ll be here.” And he is gone.

Just as he said, he was waiting for me by the time I decided to come out.

I awkwardly looked around the room. Anywhere that it wasn’t him.

“Ready?” the question gets me off guard.

“For?” I cleared my throat, hands in my back pockets.

Seth looked down at a pocket watch he had in his hands. I started to ask him why he was here when he cut me off.

“Come, we have an hour still before Darcy comes back for you.”

“Darcy?”

He looks up. A blank face with cold silver eyes stared back at me. He was so hard to read that I found it both a challenge and a hassle.

“Yes, we have a schedule to follow and since you missed your morning with Hector and Adonis. We should move on with my schedule.”

I swallowed. “What does that mean exactly?”

“It means you’re about to get zero in my classes if you don’t start to move. We must cover a few things today, so move on and don’t waste my time.”

I’m a little annoyed— that’s not much of an answer, but with a vampire like Seth it will be like this and points to Darcy for placing him with me and the books.

I rolled my eyes and started to walk. “That’s a phrase only Adonis should use.” I snapped with my fingers as we moved to the door.

“Phrase?” he asked with a crooked brow.

“Yes, the “Don’t waste my time.” I quote with my fingers in the air.

Seth blinks. Did he not get it?

“He is the time freak?”

No freaking way was he not getting this still? I sighed and opened the door.

I start to walk when I hear a chuckle behind me.

Seth was trying to keep that stony face blank, but it wasn’t working. I grin back. Despite everything, it seemed he could smile and it did look good on him.

I just hope our lessons go well. And I wouldn’t mind some more of that shy smile too.