Chapter 54: Chapter 27

My eyes opened to find a small piece of ivory cloth covering my face. After removing the fabric, I slowly sat up to find Abble missing from the bed.

“Abble?” I called out, looking around the room.

As I held the cloth in my hand, I realised it was a woman’s undergarment—undoubtedly a prank orchestrated by Abble. Sleeping was the one time I thought we had a truce. Despite the temptation to seek retaliation, I let the urge pass. I knew that trying to get even with her would be fruitless, as she lacked a sense of honour in these matters.

Sighing, I tossed Abble’s undergarments onto the blue blanket and rose from the bed. I stretched my limbs, feeling refreshed, and approached Jordan, standing at the balcony archway with a vigilant gaze. When I touched her back, she jumped, but her focus remained undisturbed.

“Where’s Abble?” I asked, running my hand down her black fur.

Jordan ignored me entirely, not even acknowledging my presence with a flick of her ears like she usually did. Whatever had captured her attention was too intriguing for her to break away.

Annoyed by her lack of response, I still gave her a few pets before returning to the centre of the room. I surmised Abble was likely speaking with the innkeeper about our journey to the Centrum and chose not to worry too much.

Abble was a capable individual and could take care of herself. If anything, I should be worried that she wasn’t here to protect me. Although it was all in jest, I couldn’t shake off the slight sense of fear that arose from our separation.

I then headed towards the bathroom archway, eager to explore the room. Lacking the need to relieve myself in any manner, I had yet to venture inside. It was somewhat unusual that it lacked a door, but privacy was not a major concern at this inn, considering the large tub in the middle of the bedchamber.

As I entered the bathroom, the two nozzles protruding from the marble wall intrigued me. Upon turning the handle, the pipes rumbled, and the water started flowing, spraying in a manner that was not what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Aside from a barrel bath before boarding Wrecky’s ship, I had only been wiping myself down with a cloth. Although I was generally meticulous about my hygiene, I still had concerns about smelling unpleasant around Abble. The thought of her criticising my odour while cuddling made me cringe, so her frequent compliments about my scent provided great relief and motivation to maintain proper hygiene.

As the water heated, I wandered over to one of the stone sinks and grabbed a soap bar with a lovely floral fragrance. The moment I stepped into the warm water, I was enveloped in its comforting embrace. I spent the next hour washing my hair and skin multiple times. Leaving the shower was a struggle, but I knew I had to do so soon before Abble returned.

After reluctantly getting out of the shower, I leaned against the sink’s long countertop and gazed at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes glowed with an orange hue, and the veins around my eyes had turned black, revealing my demonic appearance. The rapid desiccation of my fingers had now spread to my first joint, and I knew I would need to drink blood in order to leave the room.

The house girl had mentioned that they were having trouble with demons. I needed to be cautious if I wanted to make it to the Centrum safely.

As I poked my chest, I noticed it had grown a bit, now showcasing the outline of my muscles. I had never seen these lines before and was pleasantly surprised, even if it was a minor change. Upon lifting and flexing my arms, it became clear that I was gaining muscle all over. This transformation could have resulted from my sword training or simply the natural progression of my demon form. Regardless, I was happy to see these changes and welcomed them with open arms. I was ready to look a tad more masculine.

“Oh, wow,” Abble said, and I turned my head towards her in horror. She stood in the doorway, holding a jar filled with red liquid in one hand and clothes in the other. “So… that’s where the inches went.” She smirked.

Shit.

I flung my hands over my crotch. “What?”—I glanced around—“can you please leave?”

Why didn’t you get dressed, Kade? God dammit. Abble would never let me live this down.

Abble head tilted. “You have a horse cock.”

I paused. “What the fuck does that even mean?”

Abble had yet to move her stare from my crotch.

“It means I feel sorry for the girl that tries to take that thing.” Abble attempted to hold the laugh in, but it escaped as her hand came over her mouth. “I bet you gotta tuck it down your pants leg—this is so fucking funny. I can’t even.”

I closed my eyes for a few seconds, letting out a long exhale before opening them. “Abble. Can you please leave?”

“When you walk, does it like swing?” Abble asked, and I didn’t answer as I glared at her. She held the jar up, putting it on the white counter. “I saw your fingers this morning, and I knew you wouldn’t let me do it, so I got up and left the room to drain some blood”—she sighed—“from the look of it, that was a wise choice.”

Abble walked over, holding the clothes out towards me. “I got these. So you don’t walk into Centrum looking like a country bumpkin”—I took them, and Abble spun around—“you look great, by the way. The sword training has done you well.”

She stepped out of the room, and I glanced down at my attire. My attention then sharply landed on the jar of blood, and my mouth salivated. I could feel my gums aching as my canines wanted to elongate, But I forced myself to look away and concentrate on getting dressed. I picked up the thick pair of brown trousers and slid them on.

They were a bit too snug, but they would still do the job. I was pleased they had loops around the waist to accommodate my holster.

I approached the jar with a mix of uncertainty and guilt. There was no denying that I felt like a burden to Abble, and it bothered me that she had to do this. Our friendship was one-sided, and I had nothing of worth to offer in return. All I seemed to bring was a slew of problems. This thought weighed heavily on me often. More so as of late.

As soon as I unscrewed the top, the intoxicating aroma of blood filled my nose. It was a scent I had deeply missed and one that now caused a deluge of saliva to cascade down my chin. I was so entranced by the thick red liquid swishing inside the jar that I was barely aware of my own drooling. If it weren’t for the hypnotic effect of the blood, I would have been mortified by my lack of control.

As I brought the rim of the jar to my lips, I eagerly gulped down the contents in a matter of seconds. My throat continued to convulse as if searching for more, even though the jar was now empty. I couldn’t help but run my fingers along the inside of the jar, searching for any last drops of the precious blood. The thirst within me was insatiable, and I was determined to extract every last drop from the jar.

Once I had licked every last drop from my fingers, I clumsily slammed the jar down onto the counter, causing it to shatter into pieces. I quickly grasped the countertop with my elongated nails, biting down on my bottom lip as I looked up into the mirror—the pain brought my focus back to reality, but not by much.

My eyes had darkened to a deep orange hue, and I could see the red undertones clearly. The difference was alarming, and I couldn’t tear my gaze away from my reflection.

Abble reappeared in the doorway, looking concerned. “Are you alright?”

“Yes. Stay back,” I said, and the words came out in a low, deep voice that sounded nothing like mine.

Ignoring my warning, Abble approached me, and my instincts kicked in. I latched my fingers around her neck and roughly backed her into the shower wall. My nails pressed into her tan skin as I sniffed around her neck like an animal, overcome by my thirst.

My tongue slowly glided over Abble’s cheek, and the sweetness that came off her was almost as intense as her blood. The urge to bite into her concerned me as the hand clutching Abble’s neck trembled with excitement.

I had made no progress with my self-control. If anything, I had regressed. The situation was more serious than after Alexander’s death.

There was another issue as well, which stopped me from eating her.

My free hand had moved to her hip, and I struggled not to let it wander as my fingers tugged at the lip of her leather pants, sliding them down an inch or so. My lack of interest in Abble as a woman had taken a sudden turn, and saying I wanted to touch her right now was an understatement. All I could think of was ripping her clothes off. The urge to see her bare skin was so intense. This was all made more complicated when my mind couldn’t decide whether it was lust or ravenous hunger.

My self-control was slipping, and I knew I had to rein it in before it was too late. I couldn’t continue down this path, or I would do something I would deeply regret.

Abble soothingly ran her fingers through my hair. “Take a deep breath, Kade,” she said in a calming voice. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“Wrong thoughts”—I forced my eyes back to hers—“things I don’t mean.”

Abble’s hand came down, caressing my cheek. “Then don’t act on them.”

She was so calm right now. Either Abble trusted me with her life, or she didn’t realise how damn challenging this was to control.

“My mind is like a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions right now. It’s like trying to keep a door from opening while someone on the other side pushes with all their might.”

“I am sorry you have to go through this”—she touched the hand that held her neck—“let’s take this one off, okay?” Abble pulled my palm from her neck and slowly placed it on her hip. Then, with both hands on her waist, she stepped into me. “Is this a thought?”

“Abble… please don’t make this into a joke later.”

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She shook her head. “I will do no such thing”—Abble wrapped her arms around my neck—“I rather you touch me than eat me.”

After some hesitation, I wrapped my hands around her lower back, and even though her neck was near me, I was okay. Focusing on Abble as a person I cared about rather than food quickly dissipated my desires.

The attraction I felt for Abble had to be a manifestation of my inner demon. I had to be cautious not to act on these feelings, as they were not my own. This infatuation started after I tasted her blood, and since then, I have been second-guessing her motives and my perceptions. I couldn’t afford to let these unfounded assumptions destroy our friendship.

I squeezed Abble. “I am better now.”

Abble tried pulling me towards her, but there really wasn’t any space too close between us. “I am glad.”

A few minutes passed as we held our hug, and I became more in control.

Finally, I pulled away and looked at my eyes in the mirror, which had returned to blue. “I am sorry, Abble. My emotions are becoming more difficult to control. I am trying my best.”

I watched Abble in the mirror as her chin landed on my shoulder. “What are you feeling?”

We made eye contact in the mirror, and I quickly averted my gaze. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable… by touching.”

Ugh. I can’t believe I pulled on her pants like that. It definitely appeared like I was trying to yank them down, which wasn’t far from the truth.

Abble shook her head. “No, Kade. I’ve never been uncomfortable because of you.”

My eyes glanced at her. “Is that true?”

“Of course it is. I have no problem with you touching me. How many nights have we spent in bed together?”

I paused. “Your words make me very uncomfortable most of the time, but your touch is welcome anywhere… that came out wrong… I meant… in certain areas… dammit, that wasn’t better. I mean anytime. I am going to stop talking.”

Abble laughed. “Anywhere, eh? Are you trying to suggest something?” she smirked as her arms came around from behind, squeezing me.

Grabbing the brown sleeveless cross-string shirt from the counter, I stepped away from her hug and turned around. “You said you wouldn’t make fun of me,” I frowned.

“I was just asking a question.” Abble shrugged.

I pulled the shirt down over my head. “Mhm.”

Abble appeared lost in contemplation before failing to keep eye contact. “I think we should have a talk when we get to Centrum. There is clearly some miscommunication, and I keep making it worse.”

My head tilted. “What are we miscommunicating?”

Dammit. Abble felt weird about it earlier. I knew it would make things awkward. She thinks I am into her and wants to hold off on telling me no, so things don’t become uncomfortable.

Abble let out a long sigh. “Wrecky is right. I need to—”

Abble touched my arm. “Kade, what’s wrong? You frowned.”

Purge zone? What does that mean?

I heard a soft female voice say: <warning you are in the purge zone, exit immediately>

If the system was talking to me, this was serious.

I look at Abble. “The system is telling us to leave, that we are in a purge zone. It’s being really persistent.”

Abble nodded. “How long?”

Shit. We are really far away from the border. Can we even walk that in seven hours?

“Under seven hours. We are in the centre of the zone.”

Jordan bolted into the room, nudging Abble out of the way before grabbing my shirt and dragging me towards the doorway.

“You see it, don’t you?” I said, and she let go of my shirt.

Jordan whined as her eyes kept glancing at the archway leading out of the bathroom.

Abble stepped over. “You think she can see the system?”

I nodded. “I think she was near me when the crystal came. Maybe she got caught up in the reboot—I am sorry, Abble, but we gotta leave.”

“Okay,” Abble said, and there was some disappointment in her tone. “If you’re both worried, we need to go.”

We three left the bathroom quickly, and I grabbed my backpack before lacing my boots. Jordan changed her eyes to blue, and Abble pulled her halter around her hip, buckling it. They both stared at me as I adjusted my dagger’s holster.

“Okay, lets—”

Thunder erupted in the distance that shook the ground, sending a crack across the marble floor. Our eyes darted to the balcony as the sky darkened, and a gust of wind swept through the opening, ripping the curtains off the wall.

Jordan started whining, lifting one of her front paws—she was stressed.

We need to leave now.

Abble’s worried face looked at me. “What was that?”

“I think it’s another crystal.”

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