Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 596: A cursed injury

As his instincts alerted him to oncoming danger, Caius turned, ready to defend himself but he was too slow. Before he could react, arms wrapped around him as a nose pressed against his skin and took a whiff.

Caius, still driven by his survival instincts tried to extricate himself from the attacker’s grip when he heard a chuckle.

”I think we should make a habit of this,” said a familiar voice, ”The blood-pumping thrill of Hunter and the adrenaline rush of prey. Hmmm, nostalgic.”

”Athenodora?” Caius called and he sounded uncertain.

She felt a bit different than usual. Something about her aura seemed muddled— like trying to see silver through muck. You might catch a glint, but ultimately your sight is still impeded.

”I think it’s charming that even in my current state, I can still catch you unawares,” Athenodora cooed, ”Do you have a blind spot for mommy?”

Ignoring her cooing and the way it sent a thrill through him as she framed their relationship in such a maternal way, Caius focused on her words.

Current state?

As she said that, Caius finally understood why he had that murky view into her aura and why her arms felt so frail around him; Whatever Athenodora was afflicted with, and she had called him here for, had made her a shadow of her former self.

If Caius wished, he could rip her arms off his body and toss her against the wall. And that should never be possible. Not while he was still at the Fifth Circle.

”You do love your theatrics,” Caius said in a light tone.

”Nah, I’m often very subtle,” Athenodora said, ”Now stand still and let mommy have a taste.”

”I think that can wait until after we’ve talked, can’t it?” Caius said, amused.

”Wait?” Athenodora laughed, ”Caius, why do you think you’re here?”

And without another word, Athenodora sank her fangs into Caius’s neck and drank from him with a feverish hunger that was quite unlike her. While she had admitted to enjoying his taste before, Athenodora had usually opted for savoring him with only a few sips;

When she turned him, she restrained herself so she didn’t drain him completely so that he’d still be alive long enough for her to make him a spawn. And when she bit him after that, he was already a vampire and while his taste wasn’t diminished, it no longer affected her because Vampires can’t actually feed on one another. So she just took sips to savor and left it at that.

Now though, Athenodora drank from Caius like she was a newborn.

Likely because he was already feeling weak after the drive here, having so much of his blood sucked out of him in a single go caused Caius’s knees to wobble.

Caius went down on one knee and still Athenodora didn’t stop drinking from him. When he doubled over and placed his hands on the floor, she still drank from him.

Caius’s sight began to blur and at first, he was confused about what was happening, and then when he realized it, he couldn’t help but chuckle mentally.

’So this is how I die.’

It just amused him because he had so confidently told Roxanne, Meline, and the others to let him go and see Athenodora alone because he was sure it would be safe. Never had he gotten an indication that she wanted him dead.

Maybe he read wrong because even as he passed out, he could still feel her fangs in his neck, happily sucking away.

•••

Caius’s index finger twitched as he came to. And then his entire hand moved as he opened his eyes and tried to sit up but a hand on his chest kept him down.

Caius was confused at first and then recent events came rushing back as he took in where he was; he was still in the red-tinted room but his head wasn’t lying on the floor but rather on Athenodora’s thighs as he looked at her. Her breasts, ample and enticingly shaped as they were, were a slight obstruction but Caius still saw her face past them. He saw her smiling down at him.

”Lightweight,” she said.

”You almost killed me,” Caius said, his head feeling groggy.

”I take a little more than usual and you pass out on me?” Athenodora asked with a chuckle.

”Yeah,” Caius said, slightly exasperated.

”Like I said, lightweight.”

”So what was that all about?” Caius asked slowly.

Even though she kept her smile, Athenodora’s eyes gained a troubled quality to them but she didn’t speak.

”From the last time we ’saw’ each other, you admitted you were injured,” Caius pressed, ”What injury could have left you this...”

”Weak?” Athenodora supplied.

”Yes,” Caius answered.

Athenodora seemed better now that she had fed on him but still far from her usual level.

”I was ambushed. Don’t ask me by whom. I’ve spent weeks wondering myself. They’re no one I’ve ever met or faced off against before. And their attacks were also... different.

I managed to get away but not before I was struck with a curse.”

”A curse?” Caius raised a brow, ”So not an injury.”

”I think it still qualifies,” Athenodora said lightly, ”Anyway, as you’ve noticed, the curse has made me unable to harness my true Magic Circle. Blood is almost meaningless to me now both as a way to sate my thirst and a way to advance my Circle.

Well, I suppose I should clarify that it’s not all blood. My blood is getting sapped and doesn’t replenish as it should but it has kept me alive. And that gave me an idea. Maybe feeding on blood similar to mine will be the pick-me-up I need.”

”And that’s why you asked me here,” Caius said.

”Yeah. My boood runs through your veins. And I’ve now confirmed that it’s the only thing that sates my horrible thirst in this dreadful state I’m in.”

”But if you can’t feed and your blood is getting sapped—” Caius started.

”How am I still alive?” Athenodora completed for him.

”Yes,” Caius answered.

”Look where we are,” She said and Caius looked around at the Arcane Formations inscribed all over the room.

”I call this my cocoon. I just managed to inscribe it when I got back here. It bolsters my blood and keeps me in a state of hibernation. While here and not exerting myself too greatly, I can manage my condition.

But it’s only a temporary fix.”

”And that’s why you needed me so urgently,” Caius surmised, ”To heal you.”

Athenodora sighed.

”I’m afraid, as much as I love the taste of your blood and it has given me such great relief, it is also a temporary fix. I’ll have to keep tapping you for more and that’s no way to live. For either of us.

Bloodsucking should be fun. Not an obligation.”

”That sounds like it goes against the very basis of Vampire evolution feeding habits,” Caius said with a light smile.

Athenodora shared his smile.

”Okay, let me rephrase; Sucking your blood shouldn’t be an obligation I have to fulfill. It lessens the enjoyment of the act.”

There was a period of silence that was eventually broken by Caius.

”Where did the attack occur?”

”Can you not tell by the memories I gave you?” Athenodora asked lightly.

”At the Acheron Empire,” Caius said.

”Yes.”

”And you were able to journey here even in that condition?” Caius asked.

”You sound surprised,” Athenodora said, smiling.

”I’m impressed,” Caius corrected.

”Well, I can’t take all the credit. I really shouldn’t have made it. But my blood is resilient and I’m often very well prepared. Though this went beyond my preparations, I must admit.”

”Why risk such a long journey?” Caius asked.

”You think I should have stayed at the Empire where I was attacked?” Athenodora asked.

”You could have come to me,” Caius said, ”I mean, you asked me to come here anyway. This meeting would have happened sooner.”

”Two things;

One, I’m sorry Caius (she didn’t sound sorry), but when I’m nursing a deadly injury, my first thought isn’t my Fourth Circle Spawn.”

”Fifth Circle,” Caius said defensively.

Athenodora just smiled and continued.

”And two, I needed to be somewhere I was sure I would be safe. What better place than here, my Country?”

”You were born here?” Caius’s brow raised at this new facet of information about Athenodora he didn’t already know.

”What? No, why would you think that? Venuzze has only been an established nation for five centuries. Do I truly look so young to you?”

Her tone was joking but Caius knew none of what she had said was actually a joke or a lie. She really was older than five centuries. The original canon attested to that much.

”You called this ’your country’,” Caius pointed out.

”Yes, because I own it,” Athenodora said like it should have been obvious what she meant.

”You own— How do you own a country?” Caius asked, incredulous.

Athenodora shrugged.

”How does one own anything?”

”So, you’re like a ruler here?” Caius asked.

”I own every land and establishment in the region. In every business, I own a majority stake or all of it. The government taxes are mine to do as I see fit. The people worship me like their god. I have spent centuries integrating myself and my image with their very society. All these among other things are how I own Venuzze.

But, no. I don’t rule it. Who has the time?”