Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Chapter 142

It was late in the afternoon when the carriage rode into Fairwyn, the rustic town remained unchanged. It was colder however, the trees turning red and gold.

They rode right through Fairwyn, having no reason to stop save for spending the night at an inn. By the time they drove through the stretch of woods that separated the last town from Dewmire, they were all road weary.

The sleepy village was quiet when they rode in, the only lamps lit were those on the streets of the village square, its occupants fast asleep. Even in just the next town over, by this time, the night was just beginning.

Ruoxi was looking out the window, his loosely tied-back hair fluttering gently across his face. "How quaint," He murmured.

There was little to see at night, only a cluster of little homes with the square at the center. The carriage rode leisurely, the coachmen servants from Dulce’s manor in Marlen. While the horses had been changed out ever so often to shorten their journey, the coachmen had remained the same.

They soon went past the village, a full moon hanging low in the sky, covering the flower fields in a silvery light. Quite a distance from the village stood a looming structure, Dulce’s pitiful cottage was nowhere to be seen, in its place was a tasteful cottage.

It was easily the largest building in Dewmire although it couldn’t hold a candle to the manor in Marlen or the desert palace, it was suitable. It had five rooms, the cottage tailored specifically for Dulce and his summoned Demons.

There were a few guest rooms and a servant quarters although those would barely see any use, Dulce less as inclined to acquire servants. And now that he had company he could trust, his need for servants declined even further. Having servants come in to clean and cook a few times would be more than sufficient.

It was quiet when everyone stepped out, the kind of silence that came in the dark of night when sleep weighed heavily on the eyes. Dulce couldn’t sleep but he was so tired from the journey, he almost felt what it was like to be tired again.

He looked longingly at the spot where his sheep pen and chicken coop used to be, it was now a garden of budding flowers, fountains on either side of the cobbled pathway.

"Rest for the night in the guest rooms," He walked forward to speak in muted tones to the coachmen who were tiredly rubbing their eyes.

The trunks could be brought into the cottage in the morning, right then, they could only wash off the dust of the road and lay down to rest.

Finding their rooms was a short affair, Dulce going into his room first. He had already made all the arrangements while they were on their journey, new sets of clothes including winter outfits already arranged in the respective rooms.

Dulce threw open the windows and parted the curtains, moonlight illuminating his pale face. He shrugged off his overcoat, silently undressing for a bath without needing to turn on the light.

The only task that remained incomplete was undoing Kath’tan’s summons, and when he did, he could settle into the peaceful quiet he had always craved.

Even before he was forced to hide in Dewmire, he had lived in a quiet town, his troubles minimal... Dulce sighed as he sank into the bath, his hair swept over the rim of the tub.

After he was clean, he stepped into the connecting dressing room to dress up, putting on a set of silk nightclothes. Now that he had found stability and recovered his wealth, he considered arranging for blood.

Maybe he had been traveling for far too long because right then he wanted to fall into a trance, strangely craving sleep. He wandered back into his bedroom and sat at the edge of his bed, blankly staring out one of the windows.

Even if he went through with arranging blood, it wouldn’t come tonight and he would likely have little use for it. Not when he could easily satisfy his needs with the blood of animals.

Dewmire was surrounded by forests on all sides, even if he didn’t revive his farm, he could easily acquire wild game from the forest which would provide more than enough blood.

His door opening broke him out of his listlessness, glancing over to see Kath’tan walking in. The Demon only wore the bottoms of his nightwear, his powerful torso in plain view.

"Is something the matter?" He asked quietly, unguarded.

"You need to feed," Kath’tan said bluntly, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

There were no issues, not only were the wardrobes stocked with clothes, but even the bed and the bathtub were tailored to accommodate a Demon. Dulce had always treated him favorably, yet it surprised him each time.

Dulce’s hesitation was clear to see in his eyes, even though he had just been thinking about it. It was easier to drink from Kath’tan where Ruoxi needed to eat, but it felt wasteful without any good reason.

The Demon had a satisfied expression on his face when he didn’t receive any protest, kicking off his slippers to get comfortable on the bed, sitting with his back propped against the headboard.

Dulce thought nothing of this, going around to the other side to get on the bed beside him. Although simply feeding would replenish his waning energy, the added bonus of a trance was also pleasant.

He got comfortable, half-sitting, half-lying, knowing that after a single mouthful, he would fall right into a trance. After getting comfortable he waited expectantly for the Demon to offer his wrist, looking up to find Kath’tan staring down at him with dark purple eyes.

"Why don’t you try drinking from my neck this time?" He offered, his tone serious.

His plan to improve their relationship had been difficult to carry out on the journey, he had barely gotten the opportunity for a kiss, much less leave his mark on the Vampire’s neck like he had itched to do for weeks now.

Dulce parted his lips to turn down the generous offer, right before remembering that they were in an intimate relationship. He was consuming the Demon’s blood regardless, the method mattered little.

"Alright," He agreed, rising to sit on Kath’tan’s legs, his hands placed on the Demon’s shoulders. "I apologize if I fall into a trance on you."

Greed brightened up Kath’tan’s dark eyes, that was exactly what he wanted to happen. "You weigh nothing," He said out loud, his tone gruff.

Dulce tucked his hair back to keep it out of his face, leaning forward. He really couldn’t tell when the Fiend was upset, worried that Kath’tan felt obligated to feed him. Perhaps he would make sure to feed often so that the Demon wouldn’t feel responsible.

He brushed Kath’tan’s hair off his neck, it felt soft against his fingers, it made him itch to bury his fingers in it for a moment. He curbed the urge and focused on the task at hand, biting down without ceremony.

Purple blood rushed down his tongue without his bidding, making him swallow sporadically so that he didn’t waste even a drop. Already feeling his eyes grow heavy, he stopped to seal the bite, falling into the curve of Kath’tan’s neck midway through his task.

Kath’tan wrapped his arms around the Vampire’s waist holding him close. The Vampire in his arms was cold, it made his already warm temperature burn up even higher.

He was just as tired from their travels but he didn’t sleep, content to listen to Dulce’s slow breathing. He eventually lowered himself to lie on the bed, Vampire cradled in his arms as he fell asleep as well.

-+-

By sunrise, Dulce was the only one awake. He woke up partially underneath the Demon, Kath’tan’s face buried in his shoulder, still fast asleep.

Not wanting to wake him up, he let himself be held although there were tasks he needed to attend to that morning. Dulce stared up at the engraved ceiling, the chandelier glinting off the morning sun.

He felt refreshed, the listlessness from the night before long gone. Only a short while after he roused, the door to his room opened, Asael letting himself in.

The Shadow Demon paused for a moment at the door at the sight on the bed, their eyes meeting. Dulce gave him a sheepish smile, saying nothing because his lips were right next to Kath’tan’s ear.

Before Asael recovered enough to close the distance, there was a third addition, Ruoxi sauntering over in an unbelted robe and night pants.

"Dulce, I’m hungry," He announced as soon as he strode in, having little care for the sleeping Fiend even after registering his presence.

Kath’tan woke up with a scowl, one that Dulce could feel against the curve of his neck. He smiled despite himself, his face warmed by blood and sunlight, pale hair splayed out. "I’ll make us breakfast."