Chapter 175

Damian

As Damian stomped away he heard the smallest voice in his head. It was like an inerrant whisper that had him about half convinced he was hearing things. “To return the years, face your fears.”

He quickly shrugged off the voice as he felt his previous anger leeching out of him. The rage that had just been churning in his gut seemed to dissipate. Suddenly he felt overwhelmingly weary.

Damian heard Stormy approach from behind him. She caught up fairly easily and linked her arm with his. She leaned in and kissed his shoulder making him feel guilty about being short with her earlier.

“I’m sorry for being such a jerk.” Damian told her as they strolled along.

I think maybe we are both just hungry. Stormy signed with a shrug. Damian thought about it for a moment but quickly frowned. He didn’t really feel hungry and it hadn’t been that long since he fed. Damian answered her with a slight shrug.

They walked in silence for a while longer. Stormy seemed distracted but her arm stayed looped around his. “Is something wrong?” Damian asked. He couldn’t put his finger on it but something just felt off about the moment.

Stormy smiled and shook her head. She continued to walk slowly rubbing on his arm so that she was leading him. Every so often she would stop and sniff the air like she was tracking something.

Damian tried to get a whiff of whatever she was smelling, but he could literally smell nothing. It was like he was in a empty room. Even the normal forest scents were gone. He raised an eyebrow at her but she didn’t seem to notice.

Evening was upon them and Damien was about to ask her where they were going, when he finally saw a small break in the trees. She pointed to it and tugged on his arm. She made the sign for hungry and picked up the pace of her steps.

Damian felt like he was practically running as Stormy sprinted towards what looked like a small village. About fifteen or so small cottages dotted the skyline connected by a tiny cobblestone street. For the hour, there seemed to be an abundance of people mulling around in the street. Most of the villagers seemed to be young woman and children.

Stormy turned to look at him with a wicked smile. Her eyes were already crimson ringed in gold, her fangs shone brightly in the moonlight. I want to hunt like we did before. Draining that man was so erotic, I want more. Stormy signed.

Damian thought back to the night he took her hunting. How he had offered her his victims blood and how he had ravaged her while still fresh from the kill. He remembered the wild look in her eyes and shuddered.

Damien sniffed the air, looking for the subtle smell of a proper victim. He inhaled deeply for the undertones of mingled blood and murder but found nothing. He could smell no evil among the towns people.

“Angel, wait, this town doesn’t have the kind we like.” He said as he tried to pull her back.

Stormy looked at him indignantly. She tugged at him to follow her into the village. Her eyes were flashing and she looked like she was practically drooling.

“I only smell innocents here,” Damian tried to tell her.

Stormy shook her head. There’s no such thing. There’s no evil, no good. All that matters is blood. Stormy motioned.

Damian tugged at her arm forcing her to come to a stop. He turned her so he could look at her. “That doesn’t sound like you, Angel. You have never been one to look at life so flippantly.” He said, his eyes flashing over her face and his mouth turned to a worried frown.

I’m a killer, Damian. You taught me that. We don’t kill because we have to. We kill because we like it. We are monster who relish in death, so why fight our nature. You have showed me who I am. I spent far too long trying to be good. I’m not, instead I’m just like you. Stormy signed.

“Please don’t say that. You are good, Angel. You aren’t like me at all. I am ruining you. Being with me is taking everything you are away from you. I can’t let this happen.” Damian said in a voice so thick with emotion it almost sounded like a sob.

You can’t stop me. Might as well join me. Stormy said with a smirk and strolled into the village. She marched up to a young pregnant shop keeper. Stormy grabbed the woman roughly and bit into her neck. She drained the woman in seconds and dropped the body to the floor as of it meant nothing. Stormy immediately grabbed the next villager and bit into her neck.

Damian couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was his worst fear. He has always been terrified that the evil in him would rub off on her. That he would destroy everything good and pure in her. As Damian watched her snuffing out life after life, he knew he had to put a end to it.

Damian ran into the path of her death and destruction. “If you must kill, than go ahead and murder me. I can’t let you become something you are not. My life is worth nothing without you. Take my life and find yourself again.” He offered her his neck and kneeled in submission.

Damian waited as the scene around him froze. It was like someone had pushed the pause button on life. Nothing moved, not even the leaves on the trees. Everything seemed suspended and surreal.

“You may proceed,” Damian heard that small whisper in the back of his head again. It made him believe that it was possible that he wasn’t completely losing his mind. He looked around the area wildly trying to catch sight of the speaker when the space around him just faded into white light.