Choosing to say out of the Alliance, the Cinders are isolated in their own conflicts, and when Helia Cinder reaches to the void for answers, she inadvertently draws a creature out. Expecting to be eaten alive, she is instead left with a man with no...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Ghost brought his wrist to his mouth, and Helia watched with gross fascination as his fangs lengthened. He cut the fabric there with the edge of one before sinking it into his artery, and blood pooled on his skin before he slid the vial up to catch it. It was a slow process, the drip of blood into the glass, and Ghost couldn't help but peer up at Helia in the meantime. The way she'd leaned forward showed her interest, which was better than leaning back in horror or disgust, he supposed.
"My magic will keep this alive for a day or so," Ghost said, dropping his wrist to allow the skin to heal as he stuck the stopper in the vial. "If you give it to Stone, it should repair any surface injuries. It is best that he not be seriously injured through. I do not know how his body would handle such a thing with our connection broken." Ghost paused, lifting his dark eyes, and Helia stiffened as she sensed his shift in mood. "If I might, could you please not share information about the nature of my physical forms nor the requirement of this blood to heal Stone? I cannot stop nor forbid you, but doing so will put me in danger."
"If your secrecy is important, I will not share anything about you to others." Helia accepted the vial before fidgeting with her fingers and brushing her curls over a shoulder. Ghost waited patiently for her to speak, knowing she was having difficulty coming up with words for a vampire assassin such as himself. "Could you do it like this?"
"Do what?" Ghost asked, not following her line of questioning. It was also difficult to read her when she kept her eyes pinned to the ground at the right of her feet.
"Would it be enough to use my wrist?" Helia asked, but Ghost crunched his eyebrows lower when he still didn't understand. "The idea of an unknown vampire with its fangs on my neck is daunting to say the least, but you have been completely calm and respectful. If you want my blood, I would give it... if you could use my wrist."
Ghost was glad his fangs were already at full length from opening his artery when the meaning of her words finally penetrated. The quick movement as the desire to taste her surged through his body might have frightened her. Ghost had to close his eyes and constrict his air pathways so he didn't pant her scent in as he imagined what she was offering. The prospect of drinking from her had titillated him, but he'd assumed she'd turn him down flat and not revisit it. A low purr forced its ways through his throat despite it all, and his shoulders sank from his inability to control himself properly around Helia.
"You're like a cat," Helia said with a chuckle that had Ghost's cheeks darkening. "I have never spent time around any vampires, but both you and Stone make that noise when you're swooning."
Helia crouched to match his height, resting her chin on a hand and offering the other one out to him with a crinkle of her lips that showed her trepidation. The last thing he wanted to do was drink her blood if it would frighten her.
"If you do not wish my fangs on your skin but are still willing to give your blood, I am more than happy to accept licking it from your fingers."
"I will punch you directly in the face, Ghost." Helia's face reddened and the surge of flame magic had him laughing so hard that he fell out of his crouch onto his behind on the asphalt.
