Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Kingdom Fanfic: Sweet Dreams ❯ And Pervasive Influences Denied ( Chapter 27 )

My greeting to the world of the waking was sluggish and reluctant. Struggling my eyes open with a soft breathed groan, I realized that someone was calling my name. I had to fight to focus my eyes upon the blurry forms above me...though, it was was some small surprise as they sharpened into the vision of Kunzite.

It had taken me a moment to assimilate my scattered hazy thoughts as he reached out to set a cool moist cloth over my forehead. I was safe and comfortably tucked in my bed, warm layers of blankets granting me security. Gone was the eerie lusty predator from before: in his stead was Kunzite as I knew him best, watching me in a cool calm silence. In fact...what happened before seemed nothing but a dream. A terrible distant nightmare.

However, the dull itching pain at my throat warned me that it was no dream at all.

Breathing a faint groan of annoyance, I weakly raised a leaden hand from under the covers to gingerly touch the lingering ache. The inquiring fingertips brushed against a bandage. Much to my surprise I felt the strong but unusually gentle grasp of my mentor's warm fingers as he guided my hand away to settle back under the covers.

"You had lost quite a bit of blood, Pyrite. Do not move any more than you absolutely must."

I raised my eyes to stare to the silvery blue of the tall man's. With a touch of uncertainty, I noticed there was a subtle haunted echo to the normally neutral facade.

Something was bothering him. Deeply.

Truth be told, I was not very much at ease either.

"What happened to you?" My voice was weakened, a rasping whisper that utterly lacked my usual energy. I shuddered at the unfamiliar sound.

Kunzite looked distinctly uncomfortable as he simply gazed down at me with an unreadable expression upon those elegant tanned features.

"I fed from you. When I mentioned before that there were other methods for nourishment...this was one. I still am not certain how it was triggered so suddenly, though."

At his troubled sigh I could not help but tease from my lips a ghost of a weary smile. Despite what had happened, and the real mortal scare it put into me...his hesitation and concern now was almost endearing. Almost.

"Vampire."

"That is one name we are known by...but Shinma is more accurate." A wry smirk graced his lips as he seems to have sunken once more into his usual confidence.

"Shinma?"

My mentor drew a deep lingering breath, reaching up to ruefully rub his temples in his usual gesture of annoyance reserved for my bouts of ignorance. I supposed that was a good sign.

"Loosely translated, it means 'Demon King'. More specifically, SHIN means divine or heaven, and the MA is derived from Youma, meaning demon or devil."

Listening to his words caused something to gnaw in my mind....a sudden realization. Two things actually. I really WAS in Hell. Literally. Also...that there must have been something greater about this man than I had realized before. Lost in the past. And yet, something still drew my attention to him.

"So...you're a fallen angel."

Kunzite leaned back with a look of complete surprise, by all appearances not expecting me to make an observation like that. Perhaps he never even thought of thinking of himself in such a way. But it was an observation that fit well. I had seen two different sides to this being. The Devil and the Angel. Something else kept nagging at my attention.

Admittedly, he is cold most of the time as if fixated on the line between both. But I had seen both sides. I reached up my hand to lightly touch his hair, my fingers trailing slightly through his bangs. This earned a look of surprise upon those regal chiseled features, his eyes widening slightly. I could not help but breath a soft smile as I plucked free the stray soft pink cherry blossom petal from the silvery locks, holding it before him to see before dropping it.

"Sorry about that, Lord Kunzite...but it was a bit distracting."

Those pale azurian eyes blinked as he straightened slightly. As if attempting to redirect his train of thought abruptly, he shook his head sharply. Managing a faint laugh, I dropped my lead heavy hand back upon the bed covers. I felt so very weak....so helpless. My usual energy was completely lacking.

"Soon you will be as I am, Pyrite."

I shivered at those words...stubbornly shaking my head slowly.

"No...I don't want to be anything other than myself."

"You do not have any choice. The Queen, on that day you began your training, had put Metallia's lock on your soul. I know what transpired behind those closed doors."

I shivered unbidden, hugging slender arms close to my chest. I remembered all too well that day. I felt something encroaching against my will then. Something ancient...a powerful THING. Due to my stubborn will, I managed to fend it off...just barely, though. Now I understand why my unpredictable watcher, that voice, had been so very excited

"She didn't."

My mentor leveled me a skeptical cool stare as he leaned over me, resting his hands upon the bedspread as he questioned me with words of scoff flavoured with tones of disbelief.

"Are you saying that Her Majesty, Queen Beryl, could not reach your soul with the vast power she wields as WELL as Metallia's?"

"Well, um....yeah. I think. I felt something trying to work into my spirit or mind or whatever...and....well...I just fought it best I could." I managed the weakest loft of my shoulders as I shrugged helplessly. "I won."

The look of startlement upon those regal features inspired a soft touch of wonder in me. Suddenly, he blinked those glacial eyes, shaking his head with a brief sharp motion as if to clear his thoughts. With cool tugs, he slipped his gloves off with silent efficient motions...then settled his strong bare hands under my jaw. I had to admit that as confusing as the situation was, his touch was surprisingly pleasant. Warm. Strong. Powerful. And...unbelievably gentle.

My questioning eyes could not tear from his own as he shifted with a soft rustle of cloth to sit on the mattress at my side as he held my face cupped in his hands for a long moment, studying each other with a silence burdened with the weight of grave intensity.

"Pyrite, I must know. I must find out of what you claim is true. However, the only way for me to tell...is if I taste you. The answer lies in your blood."

A thick silence oozed between us both as his words soaked into my brain. Taste...meaning, he would bite me again. At the recollection of what transpired but a few hours ago, I felt heat creep to my cheeks with such a rush, it left me feeling lightheaded. Swallowing a dry lump in my throat with a great deal of effort, I silently steeled my courage as I breathed a weak husky whisper.

"Go for it."

I closed my eyes as I allowed my head to loll slightly, resting my cheek against one of his deadly hands. Even had I not wanted to risk such a thing, I was in no position to resist. It was a mercy he was even discussing it with me at all before hand.

"Interesting. Most in your position would be afraid."

A soft smile teased my lips at his observation.

"I am. But...I trust you."

I opened my eyes slowly to focus on his own, meeting that logical sharp stare with a fierce stubborn gaze and a hint of a smirk, albeit not as cocky as I usually am due to my exhausted state.

"Besides...fear is meant to be overcome. To grow stronger by facing it."

"Baka." It pleased me to see a soft smirk accompany his lips with that word.

Surprise caught me as I felt one of his hands trail over my cheek to tug the loosened collar of my coat opened further with a sleight caress of his fingers against my sensitive flesh, coaxing a slight shiver unbidden, heat racing to my cheeks. His head leaned back slightly to watch me as he gently removed the bandage. Genuine amusement graced those stoic regal features as he watched my reaction to his ministrations as he lightly messaged my tender abused flesh of the bite, stirring a confusing mingling of bitter pain and an indescribable sweet succulent tingle.

"To keep the number of your injuries low, I will simply reopen one of your existing wounds. Keep still, or you may cause further damage." His voice was almost like a low purr, so soft were the words spoken.

The feel of those oh so tempting hands made keeping an objective view of this situation difficult, but the subtle glimpse of sharp incisor peeking below the edge of his lip made things even more distracting. My only response was a weak nod.

His other hand slipped behind my back to ease me up to sit, leaning against his chest. It was strange how weak...how lifeless I felt. My every limb felt so heavy and uncontrollable as if I were a marionette who's strings have been cut. The aches and pains of my wounds and abused muscles were nothing to the angry battering such a situation was to my pride.

With an uncharacteristic gentleness, he situated me to sit in his lap...leaned back comfortably against his chest in a soothing position secured with an arm about my waist, the other resting lightly on my throat. My fingers twitched slightly, then clasped the fabric of my mentor's cloak in a nervous grasp as I felt him brush my hair from my throat.

Memories of the previous fiasco gnawed at my thoughts as his hand on my chin tilted my head aside to better reveal my vulnerable throat.

Fear crept through me. Fear of what happened in so similar a situation. Fear...on if he would lose control again. Fear...that permeated my entire being and tore through my thinned blood like ice shards.

However, I was not going to give in to such a thing.

Because...

I have faith in Him.

The pain came suddenly amidst my rambling thoughts, a searing pierce through the already tender wound. A sharp breath caught in my throat as I closed my eyes...shivering against the strong taut body I was held close to. Again, like last time, I felt the eerie sweet delight steal over me. But this time, it was not so strong...and only a moment's time in length as he lapped at the wound.

After a moment's pause, he drew a soft hissing breath, his surprise a tension easily felt from this close a contact. Finally, after a moment he spoke...a curious edge of excitement touching his words.

"Untainted. It IS true. Metallia has no mark on you. And I can taste your power...power you have barely managed to tap."

Blinking slowly, blearily, I simply sagged in exhaustion against his hold. This was putting quite a strain on my terribly taxed energy.

"Told you so."

I felt him shift slightly, peering down to me. I could just imagine the cool loftily inquiring expression on his face. "About what?"

"That I'm human...and I'm not going to change."

"Now is not a time for you to be wasting your energy on petty pointless arguments."

I could not help but smirk to his cool avoidance of answering the question of our long standing debate.

"You just don't want to admit I'm right."

"Hush, Boy."

Something within the last few hours had changed between us, I could sense it. His gentleness, his patience...and tending to me was quite different from the tyrant facade. I suppose it was difficult for me to completely understand his silent solitude he hid behind...all those icy walls and barriers to keep people out and his innermost thoughts and desires hidden. I was so used to carrying my emotions on my sleeve, it would kill me to be so dispassionate. But...I was beginning to see where the ice was starting to melt in places.

He was still a dangerous man, though.