Chapter 3
The woman woke. It took effort to get up, but she sat up, saw Jon, and pushed herself away from him, coming up hard against the wall. She blinked at Loxy.
“You can see me?” Loxy asked.
The woman spoke, but Loxy didn’t understand.
“Look, I need your help,” Loxy said. “Please. I need to lift him.” She demonstrated lift.
“Lift.” Loxy pointed. “I need him in there. Help me.”
The woman nodded. She came closer to Jon, touched his forehead. She traced his body with her hands. She lingered on his forehead, his neck, and his wrists. She continued to speak in the foreign language.
“I know he must look strange to you,” Loxy said. “But I need him in here…”
The woman found the bite marks on his ankles. “Kígyó!”
“Snake. Yes. Bring him,” Loxy said.
The woman began to cry, prostrating herself, laying her head on his chest.
“No, no, don’t cry,” Loxy said. “Get him to the bed and I can help him. Please. He saved your life. Help me save his.”
“Ki,” she said, motioning for Loxy to be quiet, or to be calm. She sat up on her knees, wiping her face. She spoke something, and used sign. She said ‘ki’ again, and drew a line from Jon’ neck up into the air, circling, and back to his neck.
“I don’t understand,” Loxy said.
The woman drew another circle in the air, and then she committed to her purpose. She opened her mouth, revealing teeth similar to vampire teeth.
“Fuck,” Loxy said. She retreated even though she was not in danger. The woman went down on Jon’s neck.
“No no no,” Loxy said. But there was nothing she could do but watch.
The woman’s vitality blossomed before Loxy’s eyes. Her hair became redder. Her freckles became more pronounced. Her skin became whiter. An aura flashed into being.
“Please, don’t kill him,” Loxy said.
The woman continued to drink. Loxy became aware that Jon’s biometrics were stabilizing. She also became aware of the woman’s body. As she took in his blood, she also received his nanites. She now had telemetry about the vampire elf. Jon’ blood entered her through her upper two teeth and it was returned via the lower teeth. She used her liver to filter out the poisons. When she was finished, she rubbed her saliva over the puncture wounds in his neck and they healed before Loxy’s eyes. It was if he had never been bitten.
“Ki-omm,” the woman said, and collapsed. Jon roused. He struggled to sit up.
“OMG, I don’t feel so good,” Jon said. He looked to Loxy. “Oh, sweet. I guess they’re not deadly.”
“Yeah, they are,” Loxy said. “Can you get her to your bed?” “Will it even work for her?” Jon asked.
“Actually,” Loxy said.
Jon forced himself up. It took effort to pick the woman up without falling, which was different from earlier, but he explained it away as adrenalin from the initial rescue, accompanied by weakness from the poison. He laid her on his bed, straightened her limbs. His sexual impulse towards her was even greater than it had been when she was chained to the dais. His hands trembled. He was drawn closer to her lips, wanting to kiss her, and noticed red. He touched the side of her lip and confirmed blood.
“Oh, she’s bleeding,” Jon said, wiping her mouth with the sheet.
“Um, that’s probably yours,” Loxy said.
“Mine what?” Jon asked.
“Blood,” Loxy said.
“Why would she have my blood on her mouth?” Jon asked. “Oh, did she suck the poison out?”
“Yeah, sort of,” Loxy said.
“Sort of?” Jon asked.
“Um, Jon, I don’t know how to tell you this but, you rescued a vampire elf,” Loxy said.
“No way,” Jon said.
Loxy waved her hand and a holographic version of the woman appeared above the actual woman. Loxy highlighted the teeth.
“Fuck me,” Jon said, stepping back.
“She saved your life,” Loxy said.
“I think I am going to faint,” Jon said.
“On the bed, now,” Loxy said. “Next to the vampire?” Jon asked
“Now!” Loxy said.
Jon approached the bed, intending to climb over the woman, but collapsed on top of her. She embraced him and rolled him to the far side of her, turning into him. She snuggled in, and put a leg over him. They both fell asleep. Loxy worked with the nanites to restore their full health.
Jon roused to gentle kissing on the lips. He kissed back. It was gentle. Kindness. Warmth. Breathing became heavier. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Loxy. The red headed, vampire elf was kissing him, gyrating against him. Her eyes were closed. They opened when he stopped participating in the event.
They both sat up, apologizing.
“Oh, you speak English,” Jon said.
“No, I don’t,” she said. “Oh!”
They both fell into kissing each other again. And then both stopped.
“I am sorry,” they both said.
“It’s the Kundalini venom,” she said, breathlessly. “It’s the madness…”
Jon kissed her and drew her closer. “I don’t care.” “Me neither,” she said. “I committed to you now.”
Jon stopped. “Uh?” he said.
She pulled his shirt up, and took him to the bed before it was full off, straddling him. She kissed his mouth, down the side of the face, and when she kissed his neck, he stopped struggling.
She started down his chest, crawling backwards. She began undoing his trousers.
Loxy arrived, arms crossed, a queer smile. “Seriously, I leave you two alone for what, twenty minutes and…”
“It’s the madness,” Jon and the woman said.
“Oh, you have not seen madness yet,” Loxy said.
“Wow,” Jon said. “You have never shown jealousy before.”
“You’ve never slept with a vampire before,” Loxy said. “Have you considered the risk factor here?”
“Umm,” Jon said. “I…”
“Weren’t actually thinking at all,” Loxy said. She pointed at the woman. “You, cold shower, this way. Jon. Cold shower, your bathroom.” “But,” the woman protested.
“How old are you?” Loxy asked.
“I am an adult,” she said.
“Great. Cold shower, now,” Loxy said. “Jon, cold shower, then join us in the galley. We learn about our new partners before jumping in the sac with him.
“But his blood boils with passion! It boils in him and in me,” the woman said. “I can feel it.”
“Cold shower, now,” Loxy said.
The woman sighed, but bowed to Loxy’s authority. She got off the bed and followed Loxy out of the room. Loxy looked back in the room, as Jon was just lying there.
“Don’t suppose you could help me…” he asked.
“Cold shower,” Loxy said, and continued away with the woman.
Jon, Loxy, and the woman met in the galley where Loxy introduced Jon to her, properly. “Jon, this is Lilith. Lilith, Jon.”
Lilith bowed to Jon. “Thank you for my life, Master,” she said.
“Oh, don’t do that,” Jon said.
“I am sorry. How shall I address you?” Lilith asked. “Jon is fine,” Jon said. “How is it you know English?” “I suspect the nanites,” Loxy said.
“Oh. That makes sense,” Jon said. “So, they uploaded language into her brain. Oh, that’s why she can see you.”
“Apparently, she could see me before she had an infusion of nanites,” Loxy said. “I am not just in your brain, but I am active hologram inside the ship.”
“Oh, yay,” Jon said. “That’s kind of cool.”
“Yes, actually,” Loxy said.
Lilith listened to them rambling through their supposition, amused by their rapport and speculation. “It’s more complicated than just the tech. When I took his blood, I became one with him. I acquired knowledge through the blood.” “I don’t understand,” Jon said.
“Oh, you mean like those stories of memories being transferred with a heart transplant? I have read it’s not just heart, but all tissues come with memories,” Loxy said. “That’s really cool.”
“There is knowledge in the blood. There is knowledge in every cell. There is knowledge in the energy that radiates off every living thing,” Lilith said. “I am now attuned to Jon’s energy.”
“That sucks for you. I am sorry,” Jon said.
She touched his face. “You are nice,” Lilith said. “Not like the stories of humans I have heard.”
“You seem nice,” Jon echoed. “Not like the vampires I have heard of.” “I have never heard of vampire elves,” Loxy said.
Lilith concentrated on the words. Sorting and assimilating Jon’s memories would take time, but thanks to the nanites, she also had access to the translation library and she was horrified by what she was accessing. “I am saddened by these things I am touching.”
“So, the vampire things aren’t true,” Jon said.
“They are probably true, but not because we are evil,” Lilith said. “Humans and vampires are incompatible as a species.”
“You seemed pretty compatible to me,” Loxy said.
Jon agreed without comment. He sucked in on lip, musing over the compatibility.
“Some of that was the venom,” Lilith said, lowering her head in embarrassment. “Some of it was the bonding. I am sorry I have imposed myself in your relationship.” “You saved Jon’s life,” Loxy said. “We are all in a relationship now.” “We are?” Jon asked.
“You saved her. She saved you. You saved her again,” Loxy said. “Relationship.”
“Then, why did you interrupt what was likely to be a very lively compensation session?” Jon asked.
Loxy laughed. “You two were clearly under the influence and I wanted to make sure no one was being taken advantage of,” she said.
“I am sorry,” Lilith said. “I was taking advantage of him. I wanted to seal our bond.” “Speak more on that, please,” Loxy said.
“As I was saying, vampires and humans are incompatible as species. Vampires must drink blood to survive. We are in a symbiotic relationships with livestock. I am shepherdess. I maintain a flock of a hundred, and this helps nourish my clan. Human blood is forbidden. Not taboo, but forbidden. Once my kind has tasted the blood of a human, we become biologically locked with that human. No other human, no other life form, will ever sustain us again. I am now biologically locked to Jon. If he refuses me, or he dies, I will slowly die of starvation. It will take five years to die. In that time, the hunger madness will drive me insane. In the insanity, I am likely to kill thousands of people in attempt to satiate the hunger. Nothing will satisfy it. I will either be killed by someone trying to stop me, or I will eventually succumb to weakness of the prolonged drought.”
“That’s horrible,” Loxy said. “You knew that before you helped Jon.” “Yes,” Lilith said.
“Why did you help me?” Jon asked.
“You were dying,” Lilith said.
“So. People die all the time,” Jon said.
“I had the ability to save you. I knew I could remove the poison from your blood. I expected to die in the process,” Lilith said. “I did not expect to wake up beside you. When I woke up and found you against me, I wanted to please you, hoping you would accept me as a lover.”
“See, Jon,” Loxy said. “She was doing it under duress.” “Her motifs are rational,” Jon said.
“Absolutely,” Loxy said. “But we don’t take advantage of that.”
“Of course not,” Jon said, sighing. “If you need my blood to live, I will give it to you without you being intimate with me.”
“That is not possible,” Lilith said. “Sharing blood is the most sacredly intimate thing any two beings could ever do.”
“I agree with that, too,” Loxy said. “So, how much of his blood do you need to survive?”
“It does not work that way,” Lilith said. “I take what I need while replenishing what I take. This is a symbiotic relationship. I am sustained, he experiences prolonged health. The longer he is with me, the healthier he will become. He will even begin to look younger.”
“Oh,” Jon said.
“That’s dangerous,” Loxy said.
“Yep,” Jon agreed.
“I don’t understand. You don’t want this arrangement?” Lilith asked.
“It’s not that. It’s just, well, if this little secret, fountain of youth thing got out, human kind would likely hunt your kind for partners,” Jon said.
“They already do,” Lilith said. “That is why I expressed surprise that you seem so kind.”
“Oh, not kind,” Jon said. “I am pretty stupid.” “No you’re not,” Loxy said.
“Um, if you hadn’t interrupted, I would have…” Jon said.
“Yeah, you’re stupid about sex, but that’s not generally stupid, and on the whole, you’re the most ethical person I know, in terms of kindness. The fact that you struggle and still act ethically just adds to your character,” Loxy said. “Lilith, how often do you need to feed?”
“Once every two or three days is sufficient,” Lilith said. “If I am unwanted, I could minimize existence by going once a month, but I will spend most of that time in hibernation. I would not be able to participate in your commune. If you allow me to feed at least once a week, I can serve. I can wash. I can prepare meals.”
“Stop,” Jon said. “You don’t have to work for food.”
“We all have to work,” Lilith said. “I enjoyed my work as a shepherdess.” “Speaking of that, where’s your flock?” Jon asked.
“Stolen by a competing clan,” Lilith said. “They took my flock, and they bound me to the stone as a sacrifice to the water people.”
“The water people?” Loxy asked.
“The water elves. Mer people,” Lilith said.
“Oh. Nice. Maybe. Are they nice?” Jon asked.
“I have never met them,” Lilith said. “I am told, they like to eat our kind.” “Not nice,” Loxy said.
“Maybe that too is but rumor,” Lilith said. “You two are nice.”
“So, okay, next dilemma,” Jon said. “Are you going with me, or are you staying here?” “Oh, you could not stay here. My kind will kill you on sight,” Lilith said.
“Not nice,” Loxy said.
“It is our way,” Lilith said. “Humans are dangerous. We derive the same health benefits from being with humans as they do from us. The smell of human is an aphrodisiac. Even if I convinced my tribe to accept him, because I am now bonded for life, he would be in danger. Others would want to share him. Maybe he could sustain two or three of us, but eventually he would not be able to eat enough food to keep up with the demands of the tribe. He would starve.
He would die. And all of those who partook of his blood would eventually die of starvation. They would slaughter entire flocks to try and end the hunger. They would kill our own kind to end their hunger. Though I would love to say goodbye to my father, he is an important person in our clan and would be honor bound to kill me just to maintain his position. They would all smell human on me and they will kill me on sight. I am now changed. Jon. Loxy. If you do not want me, I ask that you kill me now so that I will not harm others. I am not capable of taking my own life. This is our first law. We are commanded to live and to live well. Taking a life is frowned upon, but there are five caveats that permit this. I have entered caveat one.”
“We’re not killing you,” Jon and Loxy said together. Lilith bowed.
The ship moved.
“High tide,” Loxy said. “Don’t worry, we’re sea worthy now. We will have antigravity back online in about forty minutes. Airborne in forty five.”
“Oh, Lilith, by the way, we have like a really dangerous job and we could die every time we go somewhere,” Jon said.
“Oh,” Lilith said. “Well, that sucks.”
Jon laughed at her using his expression. “Yeah, well, welcome to my world,” Jon said.
“I will serve you in whatever capacity you and Loxy desire,” Lilith said.
“Okay, now you two may kiss,” Loxy said.
“Really?” Jon and Lilith asked.
“Yeah, the tension is killing me,” Loxy said. “Lilith, be prepared, I am connected to both of you through technology. I will experience what you two experience.”
“So, we are like sisters?” Lilith asked.
“Am I like in the best Japanese anime series ever?” Jon asked.
“You don’t protest near enough to qualify for that badge,” Loxy said. Loxy pushed Lilith towards Jon. The three of them came together.