Thirty-two

— My love... -he comes sitting on the bed, at the same time I get up with hatred for him.

- Stay away from me! - I say quietly, seeing Greta approach.

- What did I do?

“Majesty! -she takes my hands. - You don't know how worried you made me...

"It's okay..." I say hugging her.

- How it feels? she asked from the other side of the bed.

- Good!

Everyone was on top of me, while Benjamin and the doctor were whispering in the corner.

- The leg...

doctor Scott- I-I added a few extra doses to her food and it helped! - he said nervously, thoughtful about telling, or not about my food.

"She should have healed even without those extra shots!"

doctor Scott- It's...it's just-

— How is she, doctor? -he arrives saving my life and that of the doctor.

doctor Scott- It was food poisoning, along with a strong anxiety attack. At the moment she is fine, but I indicate rest and avoid any stress!

"Okay, we'll take care of it!"

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Two days later.

Thomas left the next morning, along with "his" housekeeper and Benjamin. This was urgent business, and I just thanked heaven that this emergency had come just when I most needed to be alone.

"When I say being alone, you understand that it wasn't exactly alone, right?"

In these two days, Piter kept me company. In fact, I was his company. When I was sure everyone was asleep, I would run to his room, where he preferred to sleep on the floor, giving me the bed. I confess that I didn't understand his attitude, but the next night I realized that it was more about protecting me than wanting to satisfy any desire. I didn't want to be alone in that huge room and I knew that if I asked, he would let me sleep in his room, he was trying to apologize for our last fight, but without having to humiliate me, or imply that he could be rude whenever he wanted.

"Are you leaving already?" she asked as she entered the stable.

- Hey! - I smile at him, finishing arranging the Xamante. -Yes, I promise I won't be long!

"You said that yesterday and you were three hours late!"

— I already said that I lost Piter, I'm sorry. How many times are you going to punish me with this?

— As many times as necessary! - he retorted. "I'll let you ride across the land alone, but you know I'm under orders not to."

"Your orders are also to sleep and fuck the Queen?"

Her eyes widen.

- No! - she replied. -But we are no longer together Mila, that has changed!

"Did it change because you wanted it to, or because those were your orders?"

- Because I wanted to! - he said nervously. -Why did the subject change to just this one?

I hold on to the saddle and mount the Xamante, making my horse stop beside my guard.

"Answer me one thing, Mr. Bennet." If you are so self-controlled and faithful to your King, why don't you sleep on the bed next to me instead of sleeping on the floor?

"By...by...because it's not right!" - she said stuttering.

“Why isn't it right, or why can't you hold yourself close to me?

"Do you want me to spoon with you and be quiet?" - he said irritably. -For God's sake, Mila. Everything has a limit!

"I thought you didn't 'want' to have sex with me!" -mock. - It should be easy to sleep on my side.

- Are you doubting me?

"Oops, is this a dare?"

- I am! - I face it. -I doubt I can sleep beside me the whole night, without replaying those little hands of yours on me!

"Okay, wait then!"

"This one I want to see!"

"Come on boy!" - I talk to the horse that starts to take its steps.

— DID YOU AT LEAST EAT SOMETHING TODAY? - she shouted watching us leave.

- NO! - I answer. -LIKE WHEN TO COME BACK!

"Irresponsible..." he said to himself.

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When I arrive at the cave I see Falkor, perched on the sand. Falkor was the name I decided to call him after coming to the conclusion that he looked too much like the dragon he had in Benjamin's book. The more I came here, the more my presence didn't seem to bother him. He let me get close sometimes and sometimes I could even touch him quickly, without abusing him too much.

— O-hi! - I say stepping on the sand.

Since I became a vampire, I was afraid he wouldn't accept me that way, seeing me as a threat. Turns out things only started flowing the day he saw my red eyes. From then on whenever I passed that hole, he was waiting for me as if he knew I was coming, or planning to come.

I was sure he felt me, because I felt him.

With his hand outstretched towards him he sniffs me as usual, always a little closer than the last time. Touching him was extremely rare, however, I was sure we were moving forward every day.

"Can you feel me?" I whisper to him as the hot steam from his nostrils assess my scent.

"I so wanted him to be those animals in books that talk to people!"

Nonsense. I can even enter the fantasy world when I see it, but whenever I leave here I'm mentally judging myself for the craziness that is all of this.

Strangely, my stomach growls in a loud, clear sound, causing him to pull away from me.

"Shit!"

- Everything is fine! - I try to explain.

A fearless and fearsome pose settles on Falkor. He stays for almost a full minute transfixed by my red eyes, which accidentally lit up when his thick body moved, intrigued by the sound I made.

"We're two idiots afraid of what's inside my belly!"

"Okay, I guess this is the time I come out and--he shifts awkwardly and his tail goes a few inches past me."

"CUM!"

I was already so scared that when he raised his paw to lean on a rock, we both jumped together because of the jump I took.

- I am really sorry! - I speak quickly with my hands raised in front of my chest, as if I was defending myself.

He begins to slide his paw slowly across the rock, staring at me coldly.

"This is so reminiscent of my dad sharpening his knife to make dinner!"

His concentration changes. It changes in a very suspicious way.

"Wh...what are you doing-"

He increases the force with which he drags his flesh on the stone, directing his focus to that single point. The dragon pressed and pressed, echoing with an agonizing sound as its scales ripped against the jagged gravel.

"Why is he doing this?"

"Falk--until a quick tug makes my voice go away."

His blood runs down the stone and his injured paw turns full on the ground. I stare at him, not understanding his behavior, while his lizard green eyes move from me to the rock.

"I don't understand..."

I really don't understand. My head couldn't decide if that action was a mark of territory, a demonstration of power, or an act of kindness in an attempt to feed me.

- That... -I say. -What do you expect me to do? - I ask asking for a sign.

Angry he snorts making smoke come out of his nose when I question him. Falkor kept staring at me and staring at the stone, thinking I would understand.

"I don't understand, I don't understand what you want!" - I say angry.

Agile and without patience, its giant head lowers to my height, moving its teeth closer. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have time to run, so I stay still like a statue until I'm surprised by the touch of his nose on my back, propelling my body forward. I fumble with his push and turn to question, but then another blow hits me again and then again, sending me towards the boulder.

"Okay, okay, you can stop!" - I ask distressed. -I understood! -I say. - I understand what you want!

I don't know if animal blood satisfies like humans, but I know he won't let me out of here if I don't drink it.

"Damn. Is this really serious?"

I raise my hand to the stone watching its blood be swallowed by the sand on the ground, soon my vampire eyes begin to follow a single drop that drips by itself, creating a red and living trail. My index finger blocks the rest of the way being smeared by what my mouth was already salivating before even experiencing it, then I bring my finger towards my lips, being hit by a shock wave that shakes my entire interior.

A throne. A woman amidst the flames. Hands on the fresh grass. Falkor setting fire to everything. A bed in the middle of nowhere. A pregnant woman. A bloodied man. An old. A cane. A boy. Books. Wine cellar. A dead woman. A blond man with blue eyes.

A vision. An ingrained feeling consumes me from within taking control over everything I see. Nothing makes sense. There are several repeated images intertwined with a tingling that eats at my eyes.

“Falkor! - I call him raising my hand in the air. -What's going on?

When the eye is shocked by the change of your views that are replaced by a venomous white. That makes me look wildly for a mirror, for something that would expose my reflection, clarifying the burning in my retina.

"The water!"

I run towards the sea throwing myself on my knees in the sand in front of a small hole that accumulated the water.

"What is it, what is it?"

I was disturbed, the reflection was there, but my affliction prevented me from seeing clearly.

— Help, help... - I asked for help alone and disoriented, lost inside my own mind.

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— Mila?

"Piter!"

I feel him, he's here, he came to help me.

"Mila, wake up!"

"To wake up?"

Hands shake me making my eyes fly open.

- Hey!

— H-home... - I whisper.

"Why are you sleeping on the couch?"

Exactly, I was in the palace lying on the sofa in the living room with the same clothes I had gone to the cave, dirty with grains of sand.

“You're filthy. Where have you been?

"H-how..." I stammer. -How did I get here?

- What? -His forehead furrows.

"Here, how did I get here, how did I get back?" I ask quickly as I sit up stunned.

- I don't understand!

My security guard puts his weight on his knees, crouching in front of me.

“Are you feeling well?” - she asked placing her hand on my forehead.

- For! I respond by smacking his hand.

"You're burning up with fever!"

"Fever?"

"Vampires get fevers?"

"Where have you been, Mila?"

- When I came back? - I don't answer it, I just ask another question.

"Tell me where you've been!"

- Here. I rode across the land like I always do, dammit!

- LIE! she yelled, getting to her feet. -YOU ALWAYS LIE TO ME!

- Why would I lie? -retruco. -And why are you yelling at me?

- Your mobile phone! - he answered in riddles.

"My phone?"

I uncomprehendingly take my phone out of my pocket, checking to see if there's a notification or something.

"There's nothing here, Piter!" - I say getting up.

Footsteps approach us.

"Is everything okay here?" -she appears worried about the screaming.

"Would you excuse us, Greta?"

My friend leaves sadly and I get irritated at the same second with my security guard.

"Don't talk to her like that!" - I complain.

"Explain!" - he ordered unlocking his cell phone. -Explain to me where you go whenever you pass that part of the map!

He held his cell phone in front of my face, turned on a location app with an arrow pointing to a doll with my name.

- What the hell is that?

— SPEAK UP, MILA!

I snatch the device from his hands at once, possessed by rage. I observe the doll with my name, analyze the entire map nearby and then identify the indicated location.

"Palace, is marking the palace!"

I look at my cell phone in the other hand and then put the whole puzzle together.

"Is that... is that me?" I ask through gritted teeth.

He stares at me, realizing the shit he's done, understanding that I had no idea that app existed.

I squeeze my phone between my fingers and throw it full on the floor, smashing it and sending its screen to pieces. Piter jumps at my brusque action, his eyes widening.

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