Vampire Heart 22

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Scroll 23: Into the Flow
Naoko sighed, "I'm going to head up and get a shower..."
"Alright," Vicente obediently stood and followed her up the stairs.
"We can manage down here," Claude assured them as he sipped at his tea. "This is missing honey..." Claude muttered before standing and opening the cupboard that housed spices and pulled out a small jar of honey. "This ought to make everything better."
"You're a lucky guesser with the layout of the house," Dameon remarked.
"I can read minds, remember?" Claude replied instantly.
"I don't remember anybody opening the spice cupboard..." Dameon whispered.
"That doesn't mean you didn't see it," Claude replied. He poured the honey into his cup and stirred it, taking in the relaxing sound of metal clanking off the ceramic cup.
"Do you really think that there are vampires dumb enough to still attack Naoko?" Dameon asked.
"Of course there are. They get cocky and overly confident in themselves or they underestimate Vicente and are probably not aware of you and me aiding them as well," Claude replied.
"How long do you think we'll be here?" Dameon asked.
"Naoko is prepared to stake out until it's safe for her to return to a normal life," Claude replied.
"What does she consider normal?"
"A husband, children, a Graduate's Degree..." Claude muttered.
"I didn't hear vampire or Vicente mentioned there," Dameon murmured.
"She has convinced herself that her lusting and loving Vicente is merely the necklaces influencing their bond and emotions. She doesn't realize that giving humans an advantage over vampires was not the true reason behind the passing of Vampire Heart," Claude explained.
"Wait, you mean it isn't?"
Claude shook his head before staring into the rainy darkness, "The Vampire Heart was created as a way to intimidate vampires into leaving the high class people unbitten. But, the ritual failed because the virgin whose blood they used wasn't a virgin and was intimate with a vampire. Since they mixed her blood with that of her vampire lover, their love became immortal. She wasn't able to marry the vampire, so she married another man and kept her vampire as a pet, on the side," Claude muttered.
"That's where the title is from, then," Dameon whispered. “The word pet meaning favorite, not an animal companion…”
Claude nodded, "And she passed it on to her granddaughter who passed it on to her granddaughter and so on until Naoko received it a matter of days ago. Vicente knows that the true purpose of the necklace is to give you your soul mate."
Dameon's eyes widened, "They're meant to be together?"
"Is it that weird to think of humans and vampires having intimate relations when you're an incubus?"
"No, I just didn't expect to hear that Vicente was lucky with becoming a vampire pet," Dameon admitted.
"You're drawn toward Naoko, too?"
Dameon nodded, "I can't help it. There's something about her that I want to sink my teeth into...no pun intended." Dameon bit his lower lip before glancing over at Claude, "Aren't you attracted to her?"
"No, but I befriended one of her ancestors so I feel obligated to protect her from the greedy and the uncontrollable," Claude admitted. "And for your safety, don't tell Vicente that you're drawn to Naoko. He might not be able to kill you but he can sure as hell throw a punch."
Dameon rubbed his jaw, "I know from experience."
"You're not going to look are you?" Naoko asked, coyly covering herself with a towel.
Vicente rolled his eyes, "If I wanted to look I would have looked already. I'm not going to look."
Naoko took his word for it and dropped the towel to the ground before stepping into the mist of hot water and bubbles. "The bubbles seem to censor me..." Naoko chuckled.
Vicente sat against the wall and stared up at the ceiling, "Why would you want to be censored?"
"So you don't see me," Naoko replied. "I'm very old fashioned."
"Heh," Vicente laughed, "I was born in 1486. I've got you beat."
"You still hold your traditions from over five hundred years ago?" Naoko was surprised.
Vicente nodded, "I was turned at the glorious age of 22. I was studying to become a priest when I was brought on a vampire hunt. Most people back in those days just accused grave diggers and the poor of being vampires, but I actually found a real coven of vampires’ hide out. And they didn't like my presence, although the female vampire couldn't get over my appearance...."
"Like every girl who looks at you recently?" Naoko asked.
Vicente looked thoughtful for a moment, "I've never seen you drooling over me."
"You just never catch me," Naoko replied coyly.
"That actually makes me feel better..." Vicente admitted. "But, the vampire wanted to preserve my beauty forever...so before I could even so much as pray she was on my jugular vein and drawing out at least ninety percent of my blood."
"It figures...you'd be turned for your looks, solely," Naoko muttered.
"And so I can be your pet," Vicente added gleefully.
Naoko mussed his hair with her wet hand, "I'm glad you were turned, then."
"Me too," he grinned. "What do you think of me?"
"You're like my own personal super hero," Naoko replied calmly. "You climbing through my window that night was the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."
Vicente glanced over at her and glanced away quickly, "That wasn't the first time I was in your room…"
"Hmm?" Naoko asked.
"I went in your room the night we met," Vicente admitted. "I didn't want to leave you alone and I can't explain why."
"How long were you there?" Naoko asked, staring down at him.
"From midnight until about dawn," Vicente replied. "You slept so peacefully."
"You were watching over me...even before you became my pet," Naoko blinked a few times.
"Yeah..." Vicente glanced away to mask his embarrassment.
"You know how you told me that you prefer green eyes?" Naoko asked. Vicente nodded. "When I give you an order or I'm in danger your eyes are the same color as mine," Naoko whispered.
"Huh...I wonder why..." Vicente mused.
"I don't know..." Naoko stared over at him. He stared back, but it wasn't awkward. "You do know that you are very good looking, right?"
Vicente laughed, "So the drooling fan girls seem to tell me."
"I mean that I'm one of those drooling fan girls," Naoko admitted.
"I figured from when I read your soul mate's description," Vicente replied.
"I still can’t believe that you talked me into letting you read that..."
"My boyish good looks are as valuable as my berserk rage," Vicente replied coolly.
"What does that feel like?"
"The rage?"
"Yes, the berserk rage," Naoko replied.
"I know that you need me and that I will help you no matter what the cost might be. That just invigorates me and I can feel my strength rushing through my body as I breathe...and then all I can think is 'Protect Naoko' and my body can withstand any pain as if it were a slight prick from a thorn."
"And you do all of that for me?"
"And so much more," Vicente muttered. "By the way, what form did the rapist have in your dream before you summoned me?"
Naoko flushed, "Umm..."
"You don't have to tell me. I was just curious..." Vicente added quickly.
"I was scared so he was you..." Naoko started. "And I saw that he didn't have your necklace and that he was trying to...you know..."
"He wasn't mannered like me to put it nicely," Vicente suggested.
"Yes," Naoko agreed. "He lusted me as much as I..."
Vicente studied her reaction, "As you what?"
"Oh, nothing..." Naoko slouched into the warm bubbles of her bath.
"It's hot in here..." Vicente fanned himself with his hand, but stopped as quickly as he had the idea. He leaned forward and removed his shirt before settling back against the wall.
Naoko gawked at him before shaking off the perverse thoughts, "Why did you...?"
"It's hot in here," Vicente shrugged. "Why?"
"Oh, no. Just curious..." Naoko whimpered as she continued to silently drool over him. How can he have such a great body and such a great personality and be all mine? I think I might indulge in some orders I can give this pet of mine…
Claude spat his tea back into the cup and stared up at the ceiling, "I need to tell her not to do that while I'm drinking."
"Do what? Think about what she desires most?" Dameon asked.
"No, to think about it in as much excruciating detail that she is...is amusing and distracting because Vicente..."
"Wants her to want him like that?" Dameon guessed.
"Precisely," Claude replied.
"The sweet irony of life," Dameon snickered.
"And you want her how she wants Vicente," Claude reminded him.
Dameon flushed, "That can't be helped..."
Their awkward conversation was interrupted by a loud crash.

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Vampire Heart 24