Lucrezia couldn't move, couldn't even do less than struggle for a breath, until it moved inside her, and a heart-wrenching scream tore from her throat.
The world seemed to revive with life when her eyes snapped open with a wild gasp. Hot tears clogged her vision, spilling through the corner of her eyes when she rose, hands against her thumping chest.
T-That same nightmare… Again… and she stuttered a breath, hoping to calm her raging heart. A heart she thought was gone.
Cold sweat drenched her gown, and her hand went to her damp brown hair in a messy bun. Whatever pull of sleep lured her into a promising rest, disappeared into thin air, leaving behind sheer apprehension.
Lucrezia could feel the weight of trepidation coil her bones and twist her marrow. That same particular nightmare…
It's been nineteen years since she started having this nightmare, this particular one that didn't fail to elicit more deep emotions, however, the last time this nightmare occurred was a year ago. Lucrezia thought—had high hopes—that her frequent dreams would stop.
And just like years before, that same recurring nightmare repeated. But only with one thing different.
The red-eyed creature always stood somewhere on the jagged cliff, watching her, but never did he approach her. And now, he didn't merely approach...
A cold shiver ran down her spine, as she subconsciously reached for the pendant resting above her chest out of reflex. It was something that belonged to her mother and she cherished it dearly. At the same time, it had its soothing way.
Exhaling a deep long breath, Lucrezia pulled the blanket, venturing towards the closed window. A current of fresh cold air kissed her skin and she welcomed it with a sigh.
As the cold wind helped her clear her head a bit, she wrapped her arms around herself, and looked, seriously looked at the manor at night, and a shiver went down her body.
The giant, stunning architectural marvel she'd thought beautiful at first sight in daylight barely hours ago, seemed foreboding in the night. The tall burretes looked deadly, an air of gloom clinging to their stone walls. Small lights added more to the ominous glow than to curb it, the light was eclipsed by shadows all around.
Her eyes wandered somewhere beyond the manor, noticing the silence stitched by the whisper of wind threading through trees. Sleep eluded her since that nightmare, and she tried to get a clear state of mind.
Her eyes roamed over the gardens drowned in moonlight, the marble fountains frozen mid-song, and the world outside cloaked in an uneasy stillness, before settling on something that caused her heart to skip.
Lucrezia's breath hung from shock and dread as her face paled when her eyes met two crimson points gleaming at the edge of the threshold.
It felt like the world suddenly froze into a void, shimmering with a strong ominous presence. That magic... That black magic was more potent than she'd imagined when dreaming. It was viscous, strong, and threatening.
Standing with his staff and that red-eyed raven settling on his right shoulder, the creature remained unblinking, staring from a short distance keeping them apart. That black-stoned face remained uncrackable with deep-lying scars, and that look as though to remind her that her soul never slept alone.
Lucrezia was suddenly reminded of the nightmare earlier and her heart faltered. N-No… and she stumbled behind, her breath catching her throat.
She couldn't blink, afraid that when she did, he might attack. He might come for her, but another part of her held on to the thin hope that he couldn't.
Perhaps because this manor belonged to a Sin, shrouded with magic deeper and far dangerous than his. Lucrezia didn't know where the thought came from, but that oddly made her a bit relaxed.
She drank the blood, the ache behind her eyes getting worse, and moved away from the window. She needed quiet, but she couldn't go out. She didn't have any problem admitting to herself that she was scared. Something was happening to her or around her, neither of the scenarios boding well for her well-being.
Just when she saw him move, her eyes stretched, heart dropping into the very pit of her stomach…
"Couldn't sleep?" the deep voice from behind made her snap behind, meeting those cold hazel eyes.
He leaned on the wall, near the door, one leg across the other like a demigod as he observed her closely, like someone who could read beyond a body and past the soul.
Heat sprawled against her body, as her heart raced wildly in such say she feared her ribs might crack. Lucrezia opened her mouth to speak, but ended up swallowing her words instead.
She cast a glance over her shoulder, eyes searching the window for that familiar glint of crimson, but found only darkness staring back. Her lips pressed into a thin line of confusion. The threshold lay empty, silent and still, as though no presence had ever lingered there at all, taking her by surprise.
Feeling that intimidating presence before her, Lucrezia's attention was thwarted. Her eyes met those beautiful pair she couldn't get enough of staring at, but the darkness in them was terrifying.
She could sense his impatience in the air and cleared her throat, keeping her gaze to the floor. "Milord," she greeted in a soft tremor. "Y-You're back,"
He didn't respond. A beat of silence ensued between them before he finally moved, walking towards her.
It was at that moment that Lucrezia realized his change of outfit. Though it was already midnight, he was dressed like a Lord ready for battle. Not as a man at rest, but as a sovereign of ruin prepared to claim his dominion once more.
Her heart stuttered when she felt him closer, and out of reflex, she took a step back. Lucrezia caught the flex in his jaw, but she couldn't tell if it was anger or irritation.
And it terrified her. D-Did she do something wrong?
When he finally spoke, his voice carried no warmth, only the measured chill of a verdict, "They're far easier ways to die. You're simply advancing your death by refusing to eat,"
She swallowed hard, her fingers twisting the edge of her nightgown as the weight of his words hung between them. The room felt smaller with his presence, and the air remained suffocating despite the chill in the night air.
Oh… she thought, heart throbbing against her chest. He must've heard her refusal to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It wasn't the first time she'd skipped a meal. When she was still confined at the tower, Lucrezia could last without eating for two days.
It wasn't because her body was built differently, but because she was used to that treatment. But now was different… she knew it was.
His eyes held her still, and for one dangerous heartbeat, Lucrezia wondered if he could see her thoughts unraveling.
Finally, "I-I wasn't hungry, Milord," She managed to say, though the lie tasted bitter in her tongue.
As though against the untruth, her stomach groaned loudly, interrupting the stillness between them. Her face reddened in embarrassment, and for the first time, Lucrezia was grateful that the torchlight had long extinguished, leaving the room under the illumination of the pale moonlight.
His expression was unreadable when a faint sound escaped from him, something between a scoff and a sigh. "The living always say that before they fade," he said, stepping closer until there was no space between them and nowhere to run to.
Lucrezia's breath hung at the closure. She could perceive his strong intoxicating old wood spice lingering at every corner of the room, replacing the air in her lungs. "Hunger is a mercy, little wolf. I would advise you to cherish it while it lasts,"
She didn't know what he meant, not fully. But the way he spoke, soft and deliberate, made her think he wasn't warning her about starvation. Something much darker entirely.
He reached out then and his gloved fingers brushed her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I did not choose you to watch you wither," he said. The words were not tender; they were commands disguised as care, and the thought of it sent a tremendous amount of dread coursing through her veins. "Eat, sleep, and live… until I decide otherwise."
A shiver streamed through her, not from his touch, but from the steady calm in his voice. It was terrifying how easily he spoke of life and death, as though they were things he could shape like clay.
Thinking he would leave, he closed the distance—not leaving an inch uncovered without his presence—and out of reflex, Lucrezia flinched.
Ignorant of the trembling soul, the creature spoke in a low tone, "Do you know what time it is?"
Lucrezia stuttered a breath when his breath fanned across her neck, sending heat through her entire body. Her pulse thrummed wildly, sending cold tendrils down her spine.
W-What? Nonetheless, she opened her mouth to speak, but it came more of a struggle than an actual phrase, "I-It's past… It's past midnight,"
There seemed to be some kind of dark air emanating from his body, instantly wrapping hers in a way that had her skin crawl.
"It's my time to feed, little wolf," he corrected, and Lucrezia's heart skipped. F-Feed?
For a moment, her body forgot how to breathe.
It made her recall his words earlier at Veximoor. When he said "Dawn is too long a wait for a promised blood" and now, the meaning dawned on her like cold water splashed on a burning skin.
Lucrezia had heard rumors of these Lucifer's Bones, on how they feed on blood to sustain themselves. Unlike Vampires, these Sins don't necessarily need them to survive, but derive pleasure. It was the only source binding them to the mortal world where all kinds exist not as punishments, but as an accord. They can't feed on them without permission, which was another reason why this marriage was agreed on.
He didn't need permission to feed from her; their marriage was an accord on its own, binding him to whatever he wished to do with her. Kill, feed, and punish. And now she thought of it, it was a benefit to both parties. While the peace alliance remained in House Bathory's favor, he could feed from her without limitation. Win-Win.
She'd heard of how painful the bite could be, and that didn't help soothe the trepidation coursing through her veins.
Heart racing, Lucrezia took a deep breath, slowly pushing away her unbound hair from one side of her neck, baring her skin towards him. Her heart raced wildly she thought she would vomit, and her eyes clamped shut in reflex when she felt his breath fan across her skin.
This was it… she thought, holding her breath, and a lone tear escaped her eyes, internally praying and hoping she survived this. But that sting never came.
"I don't feed on necks, little wolf. That's the first thing you should get accustomed to," Lucrezia heard him say, and her eyes slowly fluttered open, meeting that pair of hazel eyes that was now a few inches away.
H-How did he get there? But her thought overlapped with another when his words earlier sank deep into her.
As if to answer her unspoken question, his mask tugged upwards in a mischievous smirk that sent her heart racing. "Strip,"