Sacrifice Helle

Chapter 35

Darien’s POV:

It took time. I could hear nothing, sense nothing, smell nothing from behind that door. It was when over an hour had passed that I began having serious doubts about ever seeing her again. Either he was in the process of turning her, or he’d kill her if she declined. Both thoughts were unpleasant. Then another hour. And I was certain that she’d never come back. Once a vampire she was my enemy. Well, not a sworn enemy, but … demons and vampires. No, it could never work. Demons and humans, difficult combination that too, but it was more acceptable. Even vampires had human pets. It was fully acceptable. But among us, the ones under the Lord… Never a vampire and a demon. My mind went around and around this thought. Was it possible? I’d get killed. She too. For time that seemed like eternity I sat there on the floor, leaning against the door, feeling the magic that covered it, keeping me out. Not that I could have done anything anyway, Vaan could kill me in an instant. I would probably not even notice.

I depressed myself more and more with dark thoughts. Then I mentally smacked myself for getting so worked up over a human girl. Ha, not even a woman, merely a child. What was she? 16? Barely born. But how come when I closed my eyes and thought of her I felt her lips against mine? It drove me mad. Her smell, I remembered it, how good she smelled when we were close, the smell of her hair, the feel of her touch. Why? Why did these things come to mind? Why was I even here?! Sitting outside this door, not leaving while I could, not just get to my own business.

For the hope.

The hope I had deep inside, behind all my negative thoughts, negative thoughts that told of the most likely outcome. Behind thoughts that told me that when she came out that door she would be as pale as her sire. And that she would tell me to leave. Or eat me. Behind all this there was hope of that when she’d come out that door she would smile at me and still have that smell that I loved. A human smell.

I was lost in thoughts and memories. Then something awoke me from my daydreaming. The door… The magic that covered it disappeared. And I knew it was over.

I kept my breath and listened closely for signs of life. I should leave, for my own life’s sake I should teleport out of this castle as fast as the devil I was. But there was this thing, this feeling, that held me back. I thought I would die. Really I did. I was prepared to have Vaan or some other vampire sneak up upon me and kill me. Still I stayed, right there behind the door, waiting for it to open.

I heard footsteps. Coming closer, towards the door. I rose up and stepped back quickly, my shoulders raised and me ready for combat with whatever came out that door, I prepared to either flee or fight. Then… that smell? My heart razed and the doorknob turned.

I could have cried. It was Helle. Still human, standing in front of me, wrapped in a black sheet with a weak smile on her lips.

“Darien… You waited for me.. Thank you.”

I couldn’t find the words I wanted to say, I was so surprised that I couldn’t even move. Helle stepped away from the door and came over to me, she tripped and half ways fell over, but grabbed on to me, and I pulled her into a hug. I didn’t want to let her go ever again.

Helle’s POV:

He held me close, so close. I rested for a bit in his arms, I hardly needed to use any of my own strength to keep me up, he held me. I had believed that he wasn’t there when I walked over to the door. I told myself that he had probably teleported home, and I think he should have, he put himself in danger staying here. But he waited all this time. He waited for me. Then I cleared my mind and hurried to tell him “Don’t teleport yet! There’s something…”

I turned my head back towards the door and the rooms behind it. “Darien?” ”Yes?”, he whispered back. Oh, his voice. To think that I had gambled the chance of ever hearing it again. “Please… Don’t hate me, but… There’s something with Vaan. I can’t leave just yet, please, come with me…”

Vaan, he had rolled over and fallen in some kind of sleep. I couldn’t wake him up and I knew something had happened. A curse he mentioned. I didn’t know what it was, but I couldn’t just leave him like that. So I dragged Darien with me to the bedroom. He reluctantly followed. The candle lights had gone out and left the room in darkness. However I could still see the silhouette of a boy sleeping in the bed. I had laid a sheet over him, I didn’t want to press the matter of the fact on Darien more than needed. I felt blessed that he was even still here with me, for reasons unknown.

I sat down on the bed with a heavy breath and reached for Vaan with my hands. It had been light out where Darien was so I had problems gaining vision. “He’s unconscious.”, Darien stated before I could even find Vaan. “I know.” “And…”, Darien paused, “He smells differently.” “Okay…”, I focused on my breath for a moment, then I continued, “Can you do me a favour?” “What?”, Darien asked back. “Teleport me home.” He came over to me and stood before me, “Of course, there’s nothing more I want right now.” “And…” This part he would probably not like, “I want Vaan with me.”

For a while Darien stood there in front of me, silent. I could hardly see him, just feel his presence. “I won’t leave him here like this. There’s something going on. The favour I ask of you is not to bring me home, but to bring both me and Vaan home, to my house. Please.” I bowed my head and looked at my own lap. Embarrassed to have to ask this of him. Darien was silent for a moment, then he bent over the sleeping body of Vaan, wrapped the sheet closer around him and lifted him up. “Come.”, he told me tonelessly. I stumbled to my feet and held on to Darien. My eyes closed and we teleported out of the underworld. Back home.