Chapter 151: Veins Of Darkness
She searched his eyes for any sign of pain, but all she found was calmness. "Why not now?" she asked softly. "Why wait? What if it spreads further?"
"Eve, I know my body," he said gently. "Though it’s a little unusual for it to take this long to heal, I feel completely fine otherwise."
Her brows knitted together as she bit her lip. "Then...how about I try to heal it?" she offered, her voice trembling slightly.
Ivan went quiet for a long moment; his crimson eyes gleamed with the kind of hesitation she rarely saw in him. He sighed, said in a low and reluctant voice, "Alright," he said. "If you really want to, try it. But if it doesn’t work, I don’t want you worrying over it anymore, understood? Just remember this...a pureblood vampire’s body is much stronger. We heal naturally."
Eve nodded, though her expression remained tense. "Alright, I’ll try. But if you feel even the slightest discomfort, I’m calling Edward. No arguments."
A small, amused smile tugged at his lips. "Okay," he murmured, giving a slight nod.
She raised her hand slowly, her palm hovered over the wound for a moment before a faint warmth spread through her fingers as she closed her eyes and tried to focus her energy to obey her.
But the sight of that dark, root-like corruption kept flashing before her mind’s eye, drowning her concentration with fear. Her magic refused to flow. Her breathing grew uneven, and the golden shimmer that usually followed her touch flickered once...then died out.
Minutes passed in silence, when she finally opened her eyes and spoke in panic, "I...I don’t know why my powers aren’t working! Why? Why can’t I heal you?" Her tone trembled, her gaze darting from his wound to his face in desperation.
"Eve," Ivan said gently, his voice a soothing contrast to her panic. His hands came up to cradle her face, his thumbs brushing away the dampness at the corners of her eyes.
"You just need to relax, okay? You’re too tense right now, that’s why your power isn’t listening to you."
She blinked up at him as her chest rose and fell unevenly. He gave her a faint smile, his thumb tracing her jaw tenderly. "As I told you...I’m fine, baby."
But she held his hands, pulling them gently away as she shook her head. "But this all happened because of me. Because of me, everyone is in danger...because of me, you are-"
"Shh." Ivan pressed a finger against her lips, silencing her trembling words. "Never blame yourself for someone else’s wrongdoings. Didn’t you hear what the professors said earlier? Evil will always do what evil does. Should we really blame ourselves for their greed and malice?"
Eve went quiet, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "But...your wound..." she whispered, her voice barely holding together.
That was when Ivan reached forward and gently pulled her into his arms, drawing her onto his lap until she was straddling him.
"Do you think your man is that weak?" he murmured in a low, teasing voice, his crimson eyes tracing her face with quiet intensity.
Eve quietly placed her hands on his chest, lowering her head, and she rubbed her face on his neck. The gesture reminded Ivan so much of a small, distressed kitten that his lips curved faintly despite the ache in his wrist.
He heard her whisper softly against his skin, "I just want you to be okay..."
Her arms slipped around his neck, holding him tightly, and Ivan’s heart skipped a beat at the sheer tenderness in her voice.
"I am okay, baby," he said gently, running his hands up and down her back in slow, soothing strokes. He pressed a soft kiss into her hair, breathing in her scent like it grounded him. "I just want you to stop worrying, alright?"
He knew Eve was battling a storm of emotions, but guilt and fear were the most prominent...so palpable that he could almost taste them.
Leaning closer, he breathed in her divine scent, and his heart skipped another beat before it began to race. He didn’t understand what was happening to him but the longer her warm, soft body pressed against his, the more acutely he became aware of her fluttering heartbeat...of the warm, intoxicating blood pulsing through her veins.
His throat went dry and his eyes began to glow a vivid, hungry red. His grip on her back unconsciously tightened little by little. He dragged his nose slowly from her hair down to her neck, and she shivered beneath his touch. Then, almost instinctively, she tilted her head to the side, baring her neck to him, offering him more.
Slowly, Ivan leaned in, bending her back little by little before running his tongue along her neck in a slow lick. Eve gasped, as she tightened her hold around his neck.
The thought of tasting her blood again made Ivan suddenly restless, as if his primal instincts were taking full control. His fangs ached and elongated on their own, and he didn’t realise that the dark matter seeping through his bloodstream from Lora’s corrupted nails had already begun expanding its network across his body...slowly but surely.
A sudden, burning thirst clawed at his throat, and he instinctively tightened his grip around her as he parted his lips, ready to sink his fangs into her soft skin.
But before he could, he heard Eve’s soft whimper.
"Ivan... too tight," she murmured weakly.
It was as if cold water had been poured over him, snapping him out of his trance. Realisation struck, and he immediately released her, his eyes widened slightly, "I’m so sorry...I didn’t realise my grip had tightened," he said quickly, his voice filled with regret.
She raised her hands and caressed his cheeks. "It’s alright." Her blue orbs studied his face, and finding nothing unusual, she asked softly, "Are you thirsty?"
Ivan closed his eyes at her touch, trying to process what had just happened. He silently scolded himself for almost losing control with his Eve, knowing how dangerous things could have turned out.
His fangs still ached, but he decided it was best not to drink her blood, not when he didn’t quite feel like himself.
"No...I’m fine," he replied softly. Opening his eyes again, he said, "Why don’t we get some rest? It’s pretty late, and we have to travel again tomorrow."
"Alright," she murmured with a small nod. He then carefully helped her back onto the bed.
Her gaze drifted to his open wound. "What about your hand?" she asked with concern.
"I’ll wrap a bandage around it. I’m sure it’ll heal by tomorrow," Ivan said as he stood and went to search for the medicine box in his luggage.
Eve settled into the bed, feeling drained from the journey and from using her powers. She didn’t even realise when her eyes grew heavy and she drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Ivan joined her shortly after. He told himself that perhaps it had only been exhaustion, which was why he’d reacted the way he did. Not wanting to think anymore, he gently gathered her into his arms and closed his eyes, letting sleep finally claim him.
By the time they entered the capital city of Dartmouth, Demos, it was already noon. Demos was renowned for its intricate architecture, rebuilt after the ancient war. The city was steeped in history, which was why the Vault of Ages was located here, to guard the relics and records of lost time.
Eve gazed out the window, taking in the breathtaking buildings made of pale limestone with pointed rooftops. As their caravan manoeuvred through the bustling streets, she noticed how people stopped to watch the procession of multiple carriages moving in a straight line.
While admiring the view, her thoughts drifted back to that morning before they left the inn. Ivan’s wound had completely healed, and he’d reassured her that he was fine...but she could tell he was on edge, even though he appeared calm. She wondered if it was because they were arriving in Dartmouth today. Though still a little worried about him, she felt relieved to see the wound on his wrist had healed.
He had repeatedly told her not to leave his side, not even for a moment. And even though she had promised she wouldn’t be reckless, he still sat beside her, clasping her hand firmly in his as his crimson eyes stared out the window with an unfathomable expression. She could only sigh inwardly and let him hold her hand if it helped ease his jittery nerves.
Looking outside, she also noticed that there were far more men than women in the capital, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with the recent cases of missing women in the city.
As she pondered this, Damien’s voice broke the silence. "Seems like this city is becoming more and more male-dominated. The reports about the missing women were pretty accurate, it seems."
