NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Perdita rolled over the bed happy that she got to quench the mad thirst that would have caused her to go out that night in search of blood that may have led to her killing someone unknowingly.

With a happy smile etched on her lips, Perdita continued to turn from one side of the bed to the other, enjoying the beautiful sleep she was basking in, but that was until the creaking of her door woke her up followed by the movement of someone outside that reflected from under the door.

Perdita slowly sat upright while in a state of being in slumber and also trying to stay awake. Her brain was still foggy and it needed the rest that whoever it is that was hovering outside her door was disrupting.

It was still the time of the night, precisely the dark hours of the night when it was like a break of dawn for the vampires. Why and what would someone be doing outside her door? Who was the person?

Could it be Serena the witch or was it one of those men that creeped her heart out? Perdita asked herself and in haste and fear, she discarded the sheets covering half body to free her legs that wanted to go down and see who it was.

Before her leg could touch the ground, the door was pushed open, and in came the person that had done the job of scaring the beating heart of Perdita that echoed in the dark room.

”Who is that?!” Perdita demanded and quickly changed the color of her eyes to red to adjust to the darkness and see who it was that entered.

Her now red eyes widened in disbelief on seeing the man who closed the door behind him with a small thud. A loop-sided grin plastered on the man’s face as he questioned.

”Have you been expecting me, Perdita?” The teasing and amusement in the tone of the man were clearly detected by Perdita for her to know that this man knew he had been on her mind. But the thoughts of him in her mind were not anything nice.

”Sthena,” Perdita finally spoke, still baffled by the presence of the king in her room twice that night. Her voice quivered in her throat as she continued to question, ”What are you doing here—” ’again’ she wanted to add but bit her lips before the word could leave her lips.

The grin on Sthena’s lips widened as he began to walk towards Perdita whose feet found their way into the sheets to hide away the coldness enveloping them and her little anxious heart.

Sthena stood beside Perdita, staring down at her with an unnerving smile, ”You didn’t answer my question, big rabbit.” He said and made himself comfortable by sitting on the bed near her.

”Weren’t you expecting me to come back?” He repeated his question, this time much calmer than before.

”What are you—” Perdita began to refute the question of Sthena only to be silenced when Sthena’s index finger pressed her lips shut.

”Shssh,” Sthena shushed and shook his head. ”I’ve told you, you can not deny what is boldly written all over you. Just like how I knew you were bloodthirsty, it shouldn’t be a surprise if I noticed other needs in your eyes.”

Perdita did not speak, feeling the finger of Sthena still on her lips. The pressure increased with every word that left his mouth. Noticing her line of sight, Sthena removed his finger from her lips.

Sthena continued, his hawk-like red eyes unwavering from Perdita’s. He said, ”Now that I am here because of you, what shall I do for you?”

The way he phrased the question was as if he was performing a favor for Perdita, but she was having none of his twisted games.

Perdita stared back at him with the same intensity as he. She stated, ”You invited yourself in.”

Sthena watched Perdita for some seconds and a low chortle escaped his lips that made Perdita’s eyes narrow on him.

Here they were, in her room, sitting beside each other in the middle of the night, and he was making fun of her?

Perdita opened her mouth to retort but Sthena beat her to it. He remarked, ”Of course, you are right. I invited myself in, so that means I should do whatever I want?”

Sthena didn’t wait for Perdita to reply to him, he continued, ”I won’t let the opportunity slip then.” He leaned forward, his hand slightly caressing her cheek which made her heart skip a beat.

”W...what are you doing?” Perdita’s voice quivered while she eyed the hand of Sthena that slowly slipped from her face down to her neck, and he continued moving his hand towards her arm. His hand was gentle, each touch creating butterflies that threatened to escape and fly all over the room.

”Do you know you are a beautiful woman, Perdita?” Sthena asked, looking at Perdita while his hand now tracing back to her collar bone distracted her.

”You’re are a very lovable woman, Perdita.” Sthena went on, his face now serious was slowly replaced by a playful smile.

”Did you also know that I don’t offer anything for free?” Perdita did not respond to his question. She just stared at Sthena with caution and a tinge of curiosity to see what he was going to do. It was a lie if she said she was not anticipating it. She heard Sthena continue to speak.

”I offer my help that in turn, I expect something bigger from the person.” The smile on Sthena’s face faltered for a second, ”So what is it going to be after I offered my blood to you?”

”I didn’t ask you to give me your hand or did I ask you for your blood.” Perdita retorted in time for Sthena’s thumb to press her lips, starting from one end and slowly moving to the other end, feeling the softness of her lips.

”You could have refused, but you didn’t. You savored each drop while you sucked on my skin,” Sthena remarked, his eyes following the movement of his thumb.

Sthena looked up to meet Perdita’s dilated gaze, where the thumping of her heart filled the room. He said, ”Do not worry, the reward I demand differs depending on who the person is.”

Sthena let his words sink in before he further spoke, ”The reward I want from you will both be enjoyable for me and you.” This caused another skipping of beats in Perdita’s heart as she wondered what he was going to do next. What enjoyable reward?

Sthena raised Perdita’s chin and slowly leaned in. His eyes hooked with a dangerous yet sweet feeling as Perdita gazed into them while Sthena continued to lean in with their face now an inch from each other.

His pointed nose slightly rubbed against hers as she watched his tongue slowly peek out of his lips, and he closed the remaining space between them.

Before Sthena’s lips could fully touch Perdita’s own which had involuntarily opened on its accord, Perdita woke up with a gasp, her hand placed above her thudding chest that felt like it would explode due to the emotions that swirled in her heart while she was in her dreamland.

It was all a dream. She whispered and fell back on the bed as the lights that slipped in through the window announced the breaking of dawn.