Chapter 811: Goodbye Cassius
When Carmela finally pulled back, her eyes were wet with tears. She stared at his face, her gaze tracing every line and contour, memorizing him.
"Carmela." He managed, his voice weak. "You’re not...You’re not going to go away, are you?"
She stiffened. For a moment, she seemed shocked that he’d figured it out. But then she recovered, forcing a look of annoyance onto her face.
"What are you talking about, Cassius?" She said, her tone dismissive. "Even if I wanted to leave right now, it would be impossible. I rely on your blood, remember?"
"And even if I did leave, I’d definitely come back just to drink more of it."
But Cassius wasn’t fooled. He could still see the tears in her eyes, the tremor in her voice.
"T-Then why?" He pressed, his words slurring. "Why did you do this tonight? Why did you suddenly take the final step with me?"
Carmela’s cheeks flushed. She looked away, suddenly shy.
"D-Don’t think too much about it." She murmured. "I just...I was overwhelmed by my emotions. The side effects of your blood...it made me unable to hold myself back. That’s all!"
Cassius knew she was lying. He could feel it in his bones. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.
But before he could argue, Carmela was already pulling away.
She lifted her hips slowly, inch by agonizing inch, until his cock slipped out of her with a soft, wet sound.
Immediately, she covered him with the blanket, tucking it around him with almost maternal care.
Then she moved with sudden, frantic urgency.
She pulled her pants back on even as his semen dripped down her thighs. She buttoned her shirt with fingers that fumbled.
She checked weapons laid out on his bedside table—daggers he hadn’t even noticed she’d brought.
Cassius tried to sit up. Tried to speak. But the paralysis was worse now.
His limbs felt like stone. His mind...his thoughts moved through thick fog. Slow. Sluggish.
’Poison?’ He thought, but dismissed it immediately.
He was immune to most poisons. His body would have rejected it.
This felt different. Like...a sedative. Something that bypassed his physical defenses and targeted his consciousness directly.
All he could do was watch as Carmela finished dressing as she transformed from the trembling, passionate woman who’d just taken his virginity back into the stoic vampire assassin.
She was leaving. He knew it with absolute certainty.
He also knew he had only moments before unconsciousness claimed him.
He had to make those few seconds count. He couldn’t waste them on pleas.
On begging her to stay.
She’d made her decision—he could see the resolution in her eyes, in the finality of her movements.
So he did the only thing he could think of.
"Carmela." He whispered, his voice so weak she had to lean close to hear. "Please...do me a favor."
She froze, looking down at him with concern that warred with her obvious urgency.
"Go to my study table." He continued, each word an effort. "Open the third drawer...underneath. At the very back...there’s a box. Bring it to me."
For a heartbeat, he thought she’d refuse. That she’d say there wasn’t time.
But something in his expression—the desperation, the weakness must have gotten through.
She moved to the study table, opened the drawer, rummaged briefly, and returned with a small wooden box.
Cassius’s hands were still trembling, barely functional, but he managed to open it.
Inside lay a single earring. It was simple and elegant, a silver ring with a small crystal pendant, designed to be worn on the earlobe.
But there was something special about it.
Carmela could feel the faint pulse of magic emanating from it.
He gestured for her to come closer, and she crouched by the bed, her face level with his.
He brought the earring to her ear, intending to put it on her lobe...but stopped and shook his head weakly.
"No." He murmured. "Won’t work...not finished. Prototype. Can’t...put it there."
He looked at her chest. At the swell of her breasts visible through her open shirt.
"Need it...closer to your heart."
He met her eyes, desperation giving him strength he shouldn’t have had.
"Carmela...take off your clothes. Show me your chest."
For a moment, she looked confused.
Was he asking for a lewd favor now? At this moment?
But she complied. Perhaps because she knew this might be the last thing he ever asked of her.
Perhaps because she wanted to give him this final gift.
With hands that shook, she unbuttoned her shirt fully, pulled down her bra. Her breasts were exposed to the moonlight—dark, beautiful, with nipples still hardened from their recent activities.
Cassius brought the earring to her left breast. His fingers, clumsy with weakness, found her nipple.
He gripped it gently, positioning the sharp point of the earring’s post against the sensitive peak.
Then, before she could react, he pushed.
The needle pierced her nipple.
"Mmm—!" Carmella gasped, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood.
She’d been stabbed, cut, wounded in countless ways over decades.
But this...this sensitive flesh, already tender from passion...the pain was sharp, shocking.
Tears pricked at her eyes as Cassius pushed the needle through, latching the earring securely in place.
Then he let go, his hand dropping heavily to the bed.
Carmela stared down at herself. Her left nipple now bore a simple silver piercing, the crystal pendant resting against her skin.
It looked strangely sensual, almost lewd.
"Is this some kind of weird fetish of yours?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood. "If you’re going to pierce one, you should do the other side too."
She held up both breasts, her expression teasing.
"It’s completely asymmetrical right now. Looks strange."
But he didn’t have the strength to joke back.
He’d done what he needed to do. Now he had one last chance. One final attempt to make her stay.
He reached up, his hand shaking violently, and cupped her cheek.
"Carmela." He whispered, putting every ounce of remaining will into the words. "Please. Don’t...do what you’re going to do. I don’t know...what it is."
"But please...don’t go anywhere. Stay here."
Carmela realized that Cassius knew. He knew she was going to leave.
And seeing how desperate he looked, like he was begging her with his eyes even though he couldn’t speak, made her own eyes well up with tears.
For a moment, she was tempted. So tempted to just stay here, to crawl into bed with him, to hold him for the rest of her life.
But she knew her mission. She couldn’t stay.
She placed her hand over his, then leaned down and kissed his forehead.
"Cassius." She sobbed. "I...I’m so sorry. After all the kindness, the affection, the love that you and your family have shown me—"
She stopped, shaking her head and corrected saying,
"No, I mean, ’our’ family has shown me, I should stay. I shouldn’t betray their expectations and stay."
"Then stay." He begged. "Please, Carmela. I’m begging you."
But she just shook her head, her tears falling faster.
"I...I can’t. I have to go. I have to do...what I need to do."
"Carmela, no." He begged, his voice barely a whisper. "Please...stop..."
He tried to hold onto her. To grab her wrist, her hair, anything.
But his hand fell back to the bed, limp. Useless.
She stood slowly, her hand leaving his. She looked down at him for a long moment, memorizing his face.
"I love you, Cassius." She said, the words simple, profound, heartbreaking. "I love you more than you’ll ever know."
A desperate, wet chuckle. "I can’t believe I’m saying this...at the very last moment. But at least...I managed to tell you. At the end."
"Carmela...please...don’t go..."
His vision was fading. He could barely see her anymore. But he heard her footsteps retreating.
"Carmela!"
The last thing he heard was the click of the window opening. A pause. One final glance.
And then the sound of her leaping into the night.
Cassius’s hand fell limp against the bed. His eyes finally closed, and darkness claimed him.
’Please.’ He thought as consciousness slipping away. ’Please let this be a dream.’
’Please let me wake up with her beside me.’
But the next morning, when the sun rose and the household began to stir, they discovered the truth.
Carmela was gone and it seemed as if she had no intention of coming back.
