Our cottage exploded shortly after we left.
Ravić was right. The humans, they've found us.
Thankfully, we were already deep into the forest by then.
Our unnatural speed was no match for them, not even the most well-trained hunters could keep up. But I could still hear them, smell their fear when they wade into the forest, pursuing our trail.
We ran like hell when it stopped raining, as the sky darkening into the night.
There's nothing but trees ahead of us, tall and silent as we weaved through the tall bushes, our backpacks slung over our shoulders and the damp earth soft beneath our boots. It wasn't like they could properly track us when Ravić, managed to lead us into a circle around the forest to confuse them.
I'd sketched him a rough map of the marking the direction we're heading to reach my contact before we set out. It didn't take long for him to memorize it, while I rummaged through the drawers for a backpack and hurriedly fill it with clothes and a few undergarments that look like they'd fit me.
The trees tower beneath a sky that's still heavy with clouds. Though the storm had stopped, there were still droplets of water from earlier falling from the leaves, landing on us in cold splashes as we rush pass the bushes.
He handed me the steak knife he'd taken before we left, the one that's now strapped safely inside my boot. Of course he kept the wooden stakes for himself, sharp ones he carved from the legs of the dining table. I know he still didn't trust me to have them, not yet, and frankly, I don't care.
I didn't go through all that trouble to save him just to kill him, not yet anyway.
The forest at night is unsettlingly quiet. No wind, no insects, nothing. Just the occasional drip of water and the sound of our steps wading through.
He takes the lead, his eyes alert for any signs of danger while I stay close behind. I'm still not used to being able to see things this clearly in the dark. But judging by the moisture in the air, we must be close.
"We've lost them," he announced, slowing his pace now.
My shoulders sagged with relief while I followed along.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "Are you hungry?"
"No," I replied.
"We should be close," he said, "I've still got a pack left."
He stole a bunch before he made his way out of the facility, kept it all in the bag he's carrying.
"No, thank you," I replied.
"I'm still full," I added with a shrug. "And you're starting to sound like an overbearing mother."
"Considering I'm the one who turned you...if we're talking technicalities here..."
"That's disgusting," I shuddered at the thought. "Don't even go there."
He chuckled, low and sexy, sending a shiver down my spine, my mind replaying the memory in the bedroom.
Fuck. I shoved that thought away.
Now that the adrenaline is slowly wearing off, the ache between my legs return. Tugging at me. Urging me toward something I'll probably regret. I refuse to acknowledge it. I just let it throb as the air grows more humid and the sound of rushing water grows louder. The terrain had changed, dropping lower.
We're really close now.
He stopped. I bumped into the hand he shot out toward me, knowing I'd be too distracted. I looked down and saw a river stream right ahead of us, not as large as the one by the cottage, but still wide enough to lead us to the waterfall.
"We should take off our shoes and walk in the water, should be shallow enough," he suggested.
I nod, bending down and taking off my boots, tucking my socks in before lifting them and stepping into the water. The cool rocks smooth beneath my feet, though I'm not going to lie and say that it's comfortable with their various shapes mushed together. He did the same, leading the way.
"How do you know these places off of the back of your head?" he asked, as we muddled through.
"The truth?"
"Is there a lie?"
I shot a glare over his shoulder before replying, "The cottage belonged to someone I know. I used to spend many of my summers here, which is why I know this place like the back of my hand."
"I see."
"And you?" I asked, trying to distract myself from my growing need. Why can't blood be like regular human food? Where every bite wouldn't send me spiraling for his pants?
"What about me?"
I jog up to him, trying not to wince at the sharp discomfort of the smooth, uneven rocks beneath my bare feet. One little slip and I'd hit my head and die. Well not die exactly, since I'm a newborn. Probably injured myself nearly to the point of death.
He stares ahead, lost in thought, his face unreadable.
"What made you come here, to the human territories?" I asked.
Ever since the world fell into ruin centuries ago from war, famine and disease, it had been divided into two territories. One belonged to the vampires, people who were either turned or born to parents afflicted by the plague, and the other to the humans. The vampire territory's on the other side of the country, where the sun barely shone. It was an old quarantined zone established centuries ago, to keep them contained.
"I didn't," he admitted, his irises shifting from green to a deep, glowing red. "I was exiled."
I wondered if my eyes changed too, and if they did, what color would they be right now?
"They do," he said. I hadn't even realized I'd spoken the thought out loud. "And they're red."
My lips curved into a smile, probably the first one in a long time. Then it dropped abruptly when I realize the person who caused this is my enemy.
"What does it mean, though?" I asked. I can't help it, the scientist in me is curious. "Do they really change according to our moods?"
"Only when it's intense," he said, suddenly stopping in his tracks.
I stumble into a stop, as he twisted his head around to face me.
"That red in your eyes? That's bloodlust," he pointed out, his gaze sharp, almost accusatory as he nodded in my direction. "You're either really hungry, or really horny."
I frowned, then let out a sharp breath, deliberately turning my head sharply, my hair brushing across his face before I walked away, leaving him standing there. He didn't even flinch. He just let out a frustrated sigh before walking behind me, just a few steps away.
He's right. I am really, really horny.
But it's not like I can't handle it. I've managed it myself before, I can do it again. I just have to find a quiet, lonely spot and take care of it for awhile. I don't need him. And besides, the ache is still bearable, for now. And honestly? I'd rather never having blood again than lose myself in him like that.
The sound of rushing water grew louder, and I stopped, glancing up to find us already standing before the parted trees. A waterfall poured from a high opening above, cascading down into a hidden cave. Moonlight streamed through a natural skylight in the cave's ceiling, casting pale beams that made the space look enchantingly magical.
"How did you find this place?" he breathed, moving up next to me. His green irises widened at the sight.
"A friend," I replied curtly, walking deeper into the path.
The roar of water echoed off the rocky walls, filling the air with a steady, rhythmic hum. No one will find us here. Far as I know, there are only two people in this world who knows about this place and one of them is already presumed dead.
At least he had the decency not to ask any more questions.
"This would be perfect for the day," he said from behind me.
Right. I forgot. Sun burns me now.
I drop my bag on my usual spot. The driest, darkest corner at the edge of the cave, ignoring the carving etched into the wall above it. ADC+ RE. It still hurt to look, so I leaned my back against it instead, pressing it into my skin like I'm trying to tattoo it on my spine.
Ravić settles across from me, right on his usual spot. It was supposed to be him, my heart yearned, but I shove it down quickly before the grief overtakes me again. Instead, I just watched silently as he rummaged through his backpack with the moonlight spilling down between us like a silent divider.
Funny how fitting this looks.
Ravić and I, coming from two different worlds.
Separated by light, yet both seeking darkness for refuge.