Estimated reading time: 4 – 6 minutes
She rose up before falling back down in a jumble of useless limbs. Unnatural fatigue twisted her joints into loveless knots. Face leaning against the cool tiled wall, she whispered, “This can’t be happening.”
“It is.”
“I know that.”
“Then why complain about it?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because this hurts like h-heck.” Lily’s attention swung away from his amused expression.
“So you are trainable.”
She pressed her cheek hard against the wall. “You’re not even worth the breath it takes.”
“Yes, that’s why you just wasted some.”
“Be quiet.”
“No, darling. That’s my line.” Julian squeezed her wrist when Lily tried to snatch it away. “Hold still.” Not waiting for a response, he held her hand palm up and began to clean it. His touch, infinitely delicate, took care with the shredded skin. Her sluggish healing proved his instincts were, as always, correct.
Lily was due to expire in a matter of months.
Malice prompted Julian to raise her hand and kiss it. “Oh, my darling little hand. Look at with your unbalanced, previous owner has done to you.” His crystalline gaze flashed gold. “She should be punished, don’t you think?”
“Why do you even bother to pretend you care anything about me or my hand? Just stop.”
“I don’t care about you. Only what happens to you.”
“Same thing.”
“Not even close.”
Lily curled forward, hand still trapped within his. Tremors shook her small frame, reminding Julian of a leaf being buffeted by merciless wind. He liked the comparison, seeing himself, of course, as the wind. The desire to shred her into tiny pieces ate at his self-control. The more he tended her the more he wanted to hurt her.
It was paradoxically delicious.
“Do you still hurt?”
“No.”
Julian studied her for a moment, mouth quirked in a cordial smile, when suddenly he pressed a clawed thumb into her palm. Lily screamed before clamping her mouth shut. The decidedly green coloring in her face prompted him to whisper, “Liar.”
Lily swung her freed arm against his face, catching him in the ear. She hoped to hell it hurt as much as she did.
“You do realize I let you do that.”
“Yeah?” she gasped, trying to hold in her pitiful cries even as he sunk his claw deeper into her skin. Nothing would please Julian more than to know how much she suffered. Although, he probably could scent it but pride dominated Lily before logic. “Why did you?”
“Because I’m a nice vampire, Lily, when I want to be.” He removed his thumb. “There, there. No need for theatrics. The adrenaline should be kicking in now.”
Lily’s shudders dwindled as he predicted. The vomit-inducing agony settled into a manageable twitch. She became aware of his hand patting her back. The feel of his cool flesh against her clammy skin made Lily’s fingers curl weakly. Her thoughts ran in tandem with his touch.
I hate this. I hate this so fucking much. I’m such an idiot. God, I never stood a chance. Everything I’ve done has led me here and there’s nothing I can do about it. Nothing matters. I can’t believe him. I don’t even know who he is. I never did. He’s not nice. Not to me. Never to me. Can’t give him anything to use against me. Can’t be here. Have to leave. Have to figure out a way. Can’t be food. Can’t—
Lingering pain reared up and shredded Lily with dying fanaticism. “Argh!” She whipped her head against the wall, uncaring of the sudden burst attacking her already frail senses. Her ragged breathing obscenely filled in the space between the disgraced girl and her covetous singular audience.
“Stop fighting it.”
“I know…how…to deal with…pain.”
Julian drew forth her other hand. The damp towel made several passes over it. “Stop fighting it,” he repeated with a hard edge to the gentle words.
Lily blew out a hard breath. She knew what was coming and was too damned weak to fight back. Not surprisingly, Lily was mostly right.
Julian dug in two claws deep with her palm. This time her screams lasted more than a few seconds. Lily lashed out with her heeled foot. Once more he accepted her physical abuse, knowing the mess he was making of her mind was worth more than the mosquito-like stab of discomfort.
“Stay with the pain, Lily, or things will get much worse.”
“Too,” she swallowed raggedly, “late.
“This is nothing.” Julian twisted his fingers. “The pain keeps you here. As long as you feel pain then you’re still alive. You should cherish it, Lily. You should welcome it into your soul.”
I’ve missed Julian & Lily as well. I’m...